His Barista - Soap MacTavish Coffee Shop AU

1

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Chapter One
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Steam rose expeditiously from the beaker that was held firmly against the large barista machine, the girl's hand turning a shade of crimson as she waited for the milk to heat to the perfect temperature.

She had already laid out a mug and mixed a small amount of milk in the bottom of it with the chocolate powder, the rest of the mug empty while she finally turned the knob on the side of the machine, watching as the milk ceased it's bubbling and the cafe was plunged into silence. The only sounds that emitted was when she tapped the beaker against the bench a couple times to rid the liquid of any air bubbles before she skilfully poured it into the awaiting black mug.

This drink was for herself, sipping it shyly to avoid burning her mouth as she held the hot cup between her fingers. It was only just past six o'clock in the morning in Hereford, and Elsie had just opened for the morning.

She exaggerated her yawn as she placed her cup back on the counter and rubbed the sleep from her eyes as they watered tiredly. Elsie wasn't much of a morning person, she had previously been on afternoon and closing shifts and was rarely rostered on for opens, but that all came to a halt when their usual morning employee handed in her resignation and moved to London to chase an acting career.

Elsie's parents — who actually owned the cafe, but almost never helped manage it — demanded she take over from the foolish girl as well as gain a few more responsibilities to deal with that she knew they'd only given her out of their laziness. She wanted to say no at first and scold them for their insolence, but decidedly chose against it when her father vaguely threatened to fire her if she didn't agree. She needed the money and having to spend days or weeks finding new employment wasn't an option at this point in time.

Elsie was consumed in her thoughts, staring expressionless into her hot chocolate before the small bell above the door to the cafe chimed as it opened, then again when it closed behind whoever had entered. Her head snapped up and caught gazes with a man, his blue eyes almost sparkling as they squinted slightly when he smiled warmly at her.

"Mornin'." He greeted her, rubbing his hands together to rid him of the cold that they'd collected when he was outside.

"Good morning!" Elsie gleamed and stood up straight, shuffling slightly to the left so that she stood behind the register. "How are you?"

"I'm great, thanks. Bit nippy out there though." He chuckled and she smiled at him, knowing how ridiculously cold Scotland got in the early mornings.

"You're brave, I would never leave this early without gloves." She told him.

"Aye, I always seem to forget." He said.

"Well if I can't help with the gloves, can I help you with some coffee?"

The blue eyed stranger told Elsie what he wanted and she quickly rung it up on the register before he handed her some coins. After counting the money and confirming that he'd given her the correct amount, she asked his name and wrote it in black marker on the white disposable cup.

Elsie smiled at his name and laughed in her head at herself. She didn't need to write his name on the cup at all, him being the only customer in the store at that moment, but she wanted to know it regardless. He was unmistakably attractive and he had a good body, the short sleeves of his black tee shirt looking as if it could rip at the biceps, and the chest of the shirt was stretched a small bit. The only strange thing about him was his hair; shaved at the sides and long down the middle — a mohawk — but it somehow suited him well.

"So, what brings you out this early?" Elsie asked him over the sounds of the coffee machine. She needed to make small talk as she made his order, feeling his eyes on her the entire time to the point where she had to spark some kind of conversation to keep herself from feeling awkward.

"Work," He said simply, then continued when he saw her raise a brow, as if to say go on. "I'm in the army, a Captain. Early mornings are a must for me unfortunately."

Elsie smirked at hearing his occupation, she'd always had a weak spot for men in uniform, and the fact he was a Captain made it even better.

"A Captain? How exciting." She told him and he scoffed playfully.

"The amount of paperwork it brings me isn't all that exciting I'm afraid."

"Oh I meant exciting for me, Sir." She didn't look up from the bench as she poured his coffee into the paper cup, but she was smirking at her boldness.

It was no secret that Elsie was a cheeky girl to those who knew her, but it was simply all an act. On the outside she loved to flirt, but when it inevitably comes to being physical she's unbelievably shy. Having only been intimate a handful of times, it was hard for her to go through with it, especially if she didn't know them well.

The man chortled at her and looked at his feet, a soft blush creeping up into his cheeks as he grinned. This was a confidence boost to him, even if she didn't mention his looks, the appreciation of his rank was nice to him even if it were sexually.

"Alright, here you go." Elsie said, slipping the lid onto the cup as it clicked into place. She handed it to him and caught his eyes with hers again.

He admired her green orbs as his gaze lingered on her face, perhaps a little too long before he took the cup from her grasp and gave her one last warm smile. He thanked her and turned, heading for the door.

"I hope you have a good day, Johnny." She called out to him and he stopped at the door, opening it as he peered back.

"Thank you Elsie." And he left.

She was stunned for only a moment, wondering how he knew her name without asking before she mentally slapped herself in her forehead, looking down at her name tag.

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AN:

Hiya, yes I did just post a second Soap fic shhhh. I have a really good idea and I need to explore it lol. This is going to be a slow burn fic :) stick around for some tension ahaha