Chapter Text
September
She could spot him a mile away. He never changed his routine, just the girl who came flitting in with him day after day. He’d stepped up his game since the local college had started up the new semester after all, a whole new freshmen class of girls who didn’t know him. Or at least, that’s what Severa was muttering to her as she paid for her food.
“Sorry, what were you saying?”
“Pay attention will you?” Severa huffed, stuffing her change into one of her coat pockets. Corrin handed her the receipt absently, still staring directly at the table in the small sunroom of the tea café. Severa snatched it out of Corrin’s limp hand, waving it furiously under her nose. Corrin jumped in surprise. “Sheesh, stop staring! He can feel it, you’ll just encourage him!”
“S-Sorry!” Corrin looked past Severa quickly to insure there were no customers waiting in line before leaning over the counter to whisper. “So you’re sure he comes in with a different date every day?”
Severa rolled her eyes. “Every day,” she reassured sternly. “Orders the same thing, two fresh cups of lavender tea and a few tea cakes. I’m not sure how he does it and I don’t want to know, I just pretend he’s not really there unless I need to deliver something to the table.”
Corrin looked up once more towards the table. Immediately, her gaze was met by his. She felt the hair on the back of her neck rise as he smiled warmly, waving every so discreetly her direction so as to not alert the girl who sat across from him, who was so enthralled in her conversation she barely noticed the gesture. Severa reached over and pulled Corrin’s chin to point towards her. “Hey, hey what did I just say?”
“Don’t stare?”
“Yes, don’t. Stare.” Severa turned to glare at the man on his date. He stiffened and smiled back sheepishly before returning to his date. Severa rolled her eyes. “He’s going to wave you over for a fresh cup of tea in a few minutes, trust me I know. Do not make eye contact, just pour the tea and leave him be. I have to get to class.”
“But why can’t I talk to him? Kagero said that being friendly adds to customer experience—“
“Being friendly to him adds to his experience as a customer, not to your personal interaction experience. Trust me, I know him, just leave him be and pretend he’s not here.”
“I don’t get it, is he a jerk or something—“
Severa groaned so loudly, several of the nearby customers jumped in their seats. “Corrin, I know you have this ridiculous urge to see the good in everyone but could you just trust me when I say you should avoid talking to him? You’re new working here, you aren’t even from this town—just for the love of god, do not look at him and, under no circumstances, speak to him.”
Severa snatched her sandwich and drink off the counter and slung her side bag over her shoulder. She jabbed her finger up at Corrin’s face. “Remember. New employee—“her finger swiveled to jab at her own chest—“senior employee.”
Corrin could only watch in wonder as Severa barged out of the café.
Sure enough, like Severa predicted, he was asking for a fresh cup of tea within half an hour of her departure. The date was gone (Severa had offhandedly mentioned that before Corrin remembered zoning out to stare) but he still remained. The cakes were untouched, and aside from the empty cup across from his, there was no sign that the date had even occurred. Nervously, she grasped the pot of lavender tea close to her chest and began what felt like the longest walk to the tiny sunroom at the back of the café. Every step felt louder to her ears, the click of her heels far too noticeable as she approached. When she finally reached the table, she could feel herself shaking.
Taking a quiet but shaky breath, she leaned over to pour the tea.
The man stared up at her, purple eyes shimmering, amused.
“Are you alright my dear? You seem a bit shaken.”
Startled, her hand slipped. The spout of the pot tipped the tea cup off its saucer, causing it to shatter on the ground. Corrin stared down in horror. She hadn’t expected him to talk; somehow, she naively believed that if she kept silent, he would never speak. Her eyes darted to meet his shocked gaze. Flushing pink, she clutched the pot to her chest and backed up several steps. “I’m so sorry! I’ll be right back to clean it up!”
“No, wait! It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have startled you.” The man grasped her forearm, half out his seat.
She hesitated. “I—“
He smirked. “I should have known my dashing good looks and stunning smile would have dazzled you out of your wits.”
Corrin stared blankly. Ever so slowly, she pried his fingers from her arm. Quietly, she set the pot on the table and turned towards the kitchen before dashing away.
Severa groaned. “I told you not to talk to him!” she hissed, furiously slicing tomatoes with a mandolin. Corrin was flushed pink with shame, quietly shoveling the tomato slices into a prep container.
“Leave her alone Severa,” snickered Keaton from across the prep table. “You can’t blame her for being taken aback, you didn’t exactly warn her what he was like.”
“Exactly!” Corrin said, relieved to find someone on her side. “All you said was to avoid talking to him! You never said what he would be like! I thought he was going to be the biggest asshole on the Earth!”
Keaton chuckled. “Well, given the way Severa talks about anyone, I can’t blame you for thinking that.” He reached over and plucked a tomato straight out of Severa’s hand, swiftly taking a large bite out of it before she could snatch it back. She glared at him momentarily before pulling out a new tomato from the bowl beside her.
“He is an asshole,” she snapped. “He’s a shameless flirt and I hate him.”
“He’s also her family friend,” Keaton chimed in, spitting bits of tomato as he spoke. Both girls grimaced, silently pulling the prep tools towards them and away from his terrible table manners. “Did she mention that?”
Corrin shook her head. “I don’t even know his name.”
“Oh that’s easy, his name is—“
“We aren’t saying his name,” Severa snarled, slamming the mandolin on the table. “We are in no way speaking of this idiots name in the kitchen. We don’t need to ruin the tomatoes like that.”
Keaton ignored her, leaning over the table and loudly whispering towards Corrin, “His name is Laslow and word on the street is his family is very close with Severa’s family. There’s also a rumor that Laslow isn’t his real name and he just uses it as a fake name for dates—“
“His family was close with mine,” Severa corrected hollowly. Keaton flinched. Even Corrin felt the urge to cower. Clearly somewhere along his monologue, something had gone very wrong. Nervously licking her lips, Corrin spoke.
“Severa? Is everything alright?”
Severa looked at her. “If you really have to know, his name is Laslow and he’s a flirt. We grew up together, along with Owain, and our families used to be close but they aren’t any more because they’re dead. However, none of that is important because what’s really important is that you, Corrin, know that Laslow is a flirt who will try to ask you out every chance he gets, so you should avoid him at all costs so you can actually get work done. Now if you excuse me, my prep shift is over in two minutes and I need to clock out.”
With that, she shoved the tomato bowl and mandolin at Keaton before storming out of the kitchen. Corrin frowned at her senior. “Keaton, shouldn’t you apologize?”
“Nah,” he shrugged, taking another large bite out of the tomato. “It’s common knowledge around these parts that he’s a flirt, and you were bound to find out about their families at some point. Besides, Severa didn’t really need to tell you all of that. She knows how to avoid whole truths if she wants to so if she’s said anything then it’s because she wants you to know but can’t figure out how to do it without making it look like she thinks of you as a friend.”
He winked. “I heard you’re off prep shift next week though. Have fun with Laslow!”
“You’re back! And here I was afraid I would depart this earth without gazing upon your face again.”
Corrin winced. Severa wasn’t wrong; Laslow was a shameless flirt but what irked her wasn’t his flirting. It was his boisterous manner of greeting her, the way he smiled and pleasantly greeted her as though the girl sitting across from him (who looked fairly miffed if she might add) was nonexistent.
“I work here.” Replied Corrin shortly. She placed the plate of tea cakes between the pair.
“But of course! I was simply concerned you had left your profession all together,” Laslow said cheerfully. Corrin noticed he’d somehow managed to place tea cakes on his date’s plate without so much as saying a word. “It is your first time as a waitress, is it not?”
Corrin stiffened. “H-How did you know that—“
“Miss, I do not want to seem rude, but you did tip a cup with your tea spout and your hands were shaking so hard, I could hear the tea sloshing from all the way here.”
She blushed. “I-I—that had nothing to do with it!”
“Mm, yes. I’m sure Severa told you all about me, did she not?” Laslow stirred his tea, quickly smiling at his date as if to reassure her that he still knew she was there. She did not seem very pleased either way. “Severa always describes me in the most particular way...I suppose she told you not to talk to me before she left the other day?”
Corrin clamped her mouth shut. She could feel her teeth grinding together. Laslow snickered. “I’m sorry my dove, I don’t mean to put you on the spot like this. If I may ask, what is your name? I’m sure you know mine, shouldn’t you extend the courtesy to me?”
“Corrin.”
The effect was instant. She flinched as Laslow shot out of his chair. Pale as a sheet, he scrambled to grab his things. Even his date was staring at him in awe. Or disgust. Corrin wasn’t sure. Laslow awkwardly edged around her and away from the table. “C-Corrin, pleasure meeting you. If you excuse me, I completely forgot I need do a—um—pick up something! Yes, I forgot I have to pick something up! Please excuse me!”
With that, he dashed out of the café. His date huffed, piling the rest of the tea cakes onto her plate and resuming her meal in a silent pout.
Corrin didn’t see him again for another two weeks.