Work Text:
Kara sighed for the hundredth time that day. She wasn’t making any progress on the new article Snapper had assigned her, and she barely had a couple of days before the deadline. CatCo was as busy as ever: assistants rushing by with hot coffee, printers working non-stop, Snapper barking orders from his desk. Just the usual.
She stood up from her desk abruptly, overwhelmed by the noise and distractions. If she really wanted to finish that god-damn article, she was not going to do it in the midst of chaos. Gathering her most important possessions—phone, laptop, and wallet—she made her way to the elevator.
A change of scenery would do her good. Some caffeine and a less chaotic environment would help her creative juices going. And she desperately need the latter. Because Kara highly doubted she would finish her article on time if she stayed. She just needed silence and free wi-fi.
As she walked down the busy neighborhood, she found a small, cozy coffee shop. She had passed by a couple of times before, while running errands for her boss, but had never visited. I guess this is a sign; she shrugged and pushed the cafe’s glass door open.
The cafe was pretty much empty, just a couple hanging out by the window and a lady concentrated on her tablet. A long bookshelf filled with miscellaneous books covered the left wall, and plants were hanging over her head. Kara dropped her shoulder bag on an empty seat before walking towards the counter, tucked in the corner.
A guy around her age popped up from under the counter, flashing her a polite smile. She was taken aback by his deep, stormy eyes and cute dimples.
“Hey, welcome to Rao’s Coffee. What can I get you?”
“Hi, hm-” she quickly read his name tag. “Mon-El?” Kara scanned the menu behind him and said: “One pumpkin spiced latte with extra foam, please”.
“Sure.” He scribbled her order on an empty cup, and looked at her. “Anything else?”
“That’d be all. Thanks!” She smiled at him, tapping her card to pay.
Kara returned to her seat and checked her phone for any new messages. Luckily, Snapper hadn’t checked up on her yet. With newfound inspiration, she put her phone away and opened her laptop to start working on her article. That was the reason she was here, after all.
“Pumpkin spice latte, for the lady.”
Kara looked up from her screen, her blue eyes meeting stormy ones. Mon-El placed the hot latte on her desk and cleared his throat.
“Hope you enjoy.”
“Thanks again.”
She took a sip of her drink and hummed in approval. As she placed the cup on the table, she noticed a message on the side saying ‘Have a brew-tiful day!’ in messy handwriting. She tried to stifle back her laugh, but a small smile found her way on her lips. It was so corny. Brew-tiful? It wasn't even a word. But she had to give it to the cute barista. After all, it wasn't everyday that she received notes like this. Much less from a guy she found attractive.
She was definitely coming back. For the coffee, of course. And for the corny messages too.
*****
Kara kept her promise, visiting Rao’s Coffee at least twice a week. Sometimes she stayed there for a couple of hours, others, just for take-out. She told Eve she concentrated better working in the cozy cafe, but deep down she knew the real reason why she kept coming back: a tall, cute barista with hypnotizing gray eyes.
“Pumpkin spice latte!” Mon-El greeted her with a smile. After a couple of visits, he confessed that all the regulars in Rao’s had order-based nicknames. She was so glad she wasn’t ‘double bacon, no beans’.
“Hey, Mon-El.” She pushed up her glasses and returned the gesture.
“The usual?” He grabbed an empty cup, ready to write down her order.
“Yes, please.”
Mon-El looked at her for a second and noticed something was off. “Tough day in the office?”
“Tough week,” she confessed with a sigh, tapping her card.
He put the empty cup next to the coffee machine and asked: “Is it your boss again?”
Kara nodded. “He wants me to rewrite an entire article again. Says I’m too biased and should be more objective.”
“Sorry to hear that… I’m sure you will figure it out.”
Kara shrugged and went back to her seat. She was so concentrated on her work that she didn’t notice Mon-El approaching with her order in hand. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that she found the cup next to her phone. She turned the cup, looking for Mon-El’s message, and a faint smile tugged on her pink lips. In his distinctive, sloppy handwriting, she read: ‘You can handle anything :)’.
Yeah, she was going to show Snapper the best article ever.
*****
“Going to Rao’s, Kara?” Eve stopped her before she walked into the elevator.
She was planning to do some research on a new case that Snapper assigned her. He had actually praised her for her latest submission. Well, more like a “Keep it up, ponytail”. But Kara knew it was the most she would get from her grumpy boss.
“Yeah. Want anything?”
“A vanilla latte would be great. I tried it last week and didn’t disappoint.”
“Vanilla latte it is.” Kara smiled at her co-worker. “Hey, did you get a corny note on your cup too?”
“Note? What do you mean?” Eve tilted her head in confusion.
“Yeah, Mon-El always writes a sappy message on the customers’ cups.”
She remembered last week he had written ‘More espresso, less depresso’, when she had asked for an extra coffee shot on her order. A couple of days after, when he had recommended her to try a matcha latte, his message said: ‘We appreciate you so MATCHA’.
“You must be one of his favorite customers, because I’ve been to Rao a couple of times and he has never written a message on my cup.” A knowing smile played on Eve’s lips.
“Really?” Kara’s brows furrowed. Why would Mon-El only leave corny messages for her? “Anyway, I will be back shortly. Snapper is calling everyone for a meeting, but I need my caffeine first.”
“Thanks, Kara!” Eve patted her on the shoulder and disappeared around the corner.
Their short conversation kept running in Kara’s mind as she walked down the street to Rao’s Coffee. Was she overthinking this? Maybe it depended on his mood too? But he always left a silly note on her coffee cup. Well, so what if he did? He probably had other regulars and left them corny messages too. That didn’t make her special. He was just doing his job, making great coffee and lifting up his customers' spirit.
Did she wish it meant something more? Yes, of course. Kara couldn’t even remember when was the last time she had dated someone. Was she romanticizing something completely innocent, such as sweet messages on her coffee cup? She sighed in frustration. Maybe she had been reading too many romantic novels lately.
She shook her head. She had a new article to work on. She didn’t have time to think about men, no matter how handsome or caring they seemed to be.
*****
Mon-El drummed his fingers on the counter. He had already cleaned his working station twice, checked the week’s inventory again, and his shift was not even halfway through. The cafe was empty, and he couldn’t help but wonder about a certain blonde reporter. She hadn’t visited in a couple of weeks.
She probably went on a trip, or something.
At first, he started leaving corny notes on her coffee cup to lift her spirits. He found her attractive from the first time he met her, but his interest only grew as he learned more about her: how hardworking she was, the passion she put into writing her articles, her politeness, and her grace. Oh yeah, he was in deep.
But he didn’t know if she was even single. How could she be single? She was so beautiful, smart, and confident. And he was pretty sure the guys in her office had noticed that as well. So he realized his notes were the only way he could remind her of him. It was a little depressing, and Maggie, his co-worker, made sure to point that out repeatedly.
“Just ask her out, man. What’s the worst that could happen?” she'd said, the last time they shared a shift.
Uh, being rejected? Not being able to see her again because his growing feelings for her would make her uncomfortable, and then she'd find another coffee shop to work at?
Where was frat boy Mon-El from college? The one who never had a serious relationship and asked a pretty girl on dates almost every week? He wasn’t really proud of that misogynist jackass, but at least he would have had the guts to ask out the girl he liked and make a move. He would be dating the most beautiful reporter in National City, instead of wallowing in his own pity. Clearly, entering the real adult-world and the sudden loss of his father had changed him. But he wished he had that same confidence he did before.
The sound of the cafe’s door opening brought him back to Earth, and Mon-El almost forgot how to breathe when Kara came in. She looked stunning with her soft curls pinned up in a ponytail, a navy blue dress, and red lipstick.
“Pumpkin spice latte!” Her nickname spilled out from his mouth. “You’re back!”
“Mon-El, good to see you!” She pulled the strap of her shoulder bag back and walked towards the counter with a smile. “I was out of town for a business trip. But it’s good to be back.”
“The usual?” His eyes met blue comets for a second before grabbing an empty cup.
“Yes, please.”
Mon-El knew that this was a sign from the universe giving him the chance to man up and ask her out for once. At least the cafe was empty, and no one would witness his demise if she were to reject him. But he had to risk it. Something in those blue orbs told him that she was attracted to him too.
“Hope the trip was fun.”
“Quite boring, to be honest, but I got the job done.” Kara flashed him a proud smile, a gesture that made his heart race.
“Never doubted that.” Mon-El nodded as she paid with her card.
Kara took a seat at her usual table as he made her drink. He took his time, brewing the coffee and carefully adding her extra foam. He even sprinkled some cinnamon on top. He took a deep breath and brought her order to her seat.
“Thanks, Mon-El.” She took a sip of her latte and hummed in contentment. “I really missed this.”
Putting down her cup, she noticed that he had again scribbled a note. Eager to see it, she turned it around but was taken aback when she read a phone number instead of his sweet messages.
“I- I don’t know if you’re single. I mean, I didn’t want to assume. Not because being single is bad. Or whatever,” he rambled, fisting his green apron and avoiding her eyes. “But- But I think you are beautiful, and smart, and genuine, and I really wanted to ask you out.” He finally met her widened eyes, a soft blush adorning her cheeks. “I just- I started leaving silly notes instead because I didn’t know how to. I totally get it if you are not interested. I mean, I don’t even know if you are into guys-”
“Mon-El,” Kara interrupted him gently. “Yes, I’m single. Yes, I’m into guys. And yes, I’d love to go out with you.”
“Really?” Of all the scenarios that Mon-El thought of, he hadn’t even considered an affirmative answer.
“Really,” she nodded with a grin. “I’m free tomorrow night.”
“I can work with tomorrow night. Do you like Italian?”
Kara raised a brow. “Who doesn’t like Italian?”
“Fair point.” Mon-El put his hands behind him to avoid doing something stupid like tucking her hair behind her ear. “So, tomorrow night? Italian.”
“Can’t wait.”
“Me neither.”