Chapter Text
Tommy stood in the kitchen. Nose practically in the fridge, eyes scanning its belongings. All it gave him was another reminder that he really should go grocery shopping. He closed the door.
Through the window, the sun was shining. The light from it caught his eyes, briefly blinding him. He blinked it away. Feet moved along the cold wooden floor, over to the other side of the kitchen. He opened the cabinet and grabbed the same cereal box he had been eating out of for the past two weeks. He poured himself a bowl of the stale cereal. With no milk. Man, he needed to get a job.
He debated if he was willing to eat cereal with water instead of milk. The answer was a firm no.
Yawning, he abandoned the unappetizing bowl by the counter and left to go brush his teeth. He had a long day in front of him. He vaguely remembered having to get someone to fix the heater in case he couldn’t do it himself. He decided he would ask Tubbo for help with the heater. He shouldn’t be too busy.
Standing in front of the sink, he stared at his reflection in the mirror through half-lidded eyes. Dull greyish blue coloured eyes bored into his soul. A harsh reminder of the brightness they once held.
Tommy abandoned the red toothbrush by the sink. Left unused.
—
The small warmth Tommy had gathered from the short ride on the cramped bus left him as soon as he stepped out of the vehicle. The cold breeze hissed against his face, wind dancing through his curls. It made him shiver.
He ran both of his hands through his blonde hair, pushing it back and forth till it sat the way it had before the wind had blown through it.
Blue eyes scanned the calm street, looking for a certain building. Christmas decorations were already in place, lightning up the town with various flashy colours. Finally, his eyes fell onto the small coffee shop by the corner of the street. He made his way over to the building, picking up his pace.
He had seen the small, cozy shop before. Once, a few months ago. He had been hurrying to the bus station, trying to catch the last running bus in time so he wouldn’t be stuck walking home. For a singular moment, his eyes had caught onto a white flyer stuck to the window of the closed coffee shop. He hadn’t had time to read the scribbled words properly. Looking for hires! That was all he had made out, before he was forced to tore his gaze away.
In the end, he hadn’t managed to get to the bus in time.
Now, he is back. Only this time he was in no rush. Hand shook in the icy cold weather as he turned the doorknob and pushed open the door. A small “cling” rang from the golden bell above, signalling his entrance.
Jazz music buzzed in the background, swallowing any ounce of silence between the four walls. There weren't a lot of people in the coffee shop. Although he supposed that would be expected, considering it was still pretty early in the morning.
Tommy walked up to the counter. Behind it stood a woman with a welcoming smile. The way her hair sat - creamy white curls falling over her shoulders - reminded him of a wooly sheep. By first glance, he could easily tell she owned the place.
“Are you guys still looking for hires?” He asked, trying to muster up the best professional tone he could manage. His eyes drifted down to the name tag as he spoke. Puffy. Written in bold letters. He hadn’t thought to check if the flyer was still stuck to the window when he had first entered.
The woman, Puffy, nodded. The smile was still evident on her face. “Yup. Still looking for hires,” She paused, eyes giving him a one-over. “You interested?”
“Yes.” He replied instantly. A sharp nod followed his words.
“Alrighty. You can start tomorrow. That sound good?”
Tommy stared at her in confusion at her straightforwardness. He hadn’t expected it to be that easy. No questions about his experience. No details about him. No information needed. They must really be desperate to find someone willing to work here.
“You got it. But, uh, I don’t really have any… experience. With, like, working at a coffee shop.” He rubbed at the back of his head, almost trailing off midway though his sentence.
Puffy just waved her hand at his words. Dismissing his concerns like it was no worry at all. It eased his anxiety, weirdly enough. She went on to explain everything on the spot. He nodded along with an occasional hum to ensure she knew he was listening.
His focus cracked after a while. A creeping feeling shivered throughout his body. Like someone was boring holes into his back. He turned his head, trying to locate the thing causing it. There, at a small table in the corner of the shop, beside the huge window.
A guy sat there. A book in hand and a coffee placed beside him on the table. He seemed to be around his twenties, if Tommy had to guess. Glasses sat low on his nose. Pink coloured hair pulled into a flawless, low braid. It fell over his right shoulder. The pink hair seemed so real. It made him question whether it was dyed to that colour or if he was born with it. Something about it was awfully familiar, but he couldn’t quite figure out why.
The man had an odd expression on his face. Eyes slightly narrowed. His stare didn't waver, despite being caught.
“-and that should be about it! Just be here tomorrow around 7 AM. I’ll get a uniform ready for you.” Puffy said, tearing Tommy’s attention back to her. He turned his head back, breaking eye contact with the pink haired man.
He hummed in reply, despite having barely remembered any of the words she had said prior. Well. He was a fast learner. It was going to be fine.