Modern Monsters

Rian the Lizardfolk

Female Reader x Male Monster

The mornings now have more meaning to you than an unwanted slog fueled by coffee and a quick breakfast burrito. Now you rise early and breeze out the door, knowing coffee and breakfast will be waiting for you when you arrive. You doze on the bus sometimes, but often you keep yourself alert. Even at the bus stop, you can smell it wafting across the street - the fragrant, comfy scent of fresh bread. The owner of the hole-in-the wall bakery swiped you up a few months ago, impressed with your skills at the chain coffee place. He'd been wanting to start serving more than drip coffee for ages, he just needed the right person to serve it.

"Good morning, Rian!" you call as you come through the back door. The only other employee is the baker, who gets so swept up in his work, he gets scared easily when you come in unannounced.

"Good morning!" Rian sings back. "Your pastry is at the front."

You beam, wondering what Rian has made today. "Thank you." You go up to the front to get everything going, snatching up your breakfast as you go - fresh strawberries and cream wrapped in a cone of delicate flaky crust. "Oh, God bless you Rian!" you whisper under your breath before taking a big bite. You turn on half the lights and start taking chairs off the tables, then turn on the equipment behind the counter and start grinding the coffee beans. People are already waiting, but it'll be a bit before your doors open at six.

"How's it going back here?" You go to fetch the trays Rian has lined up on the table, to set inside the glass display.

"Same as it ever was." Rian's been here baking probably since three in the morning, and his blue-gray scales are covered in flour and bits of dough. "How was breakfast?"

"I'm starting to think you can read my mind from blocks away," you chuckle.

Rian wipes off his face and smiles. "It's not hard to tell you like strawberries. What will be the special coffee of the day?"

You take out the little notebook in your bag. "I had a couple of ideas last night."

Rian's smile lifts the corners of his mouth. "Didn't we just have that meeting with the boss about not taking work home with us?"

You clutch your notebook to your chest. "I like being prepared and memorizing what I have to say to customers. Not all of us can be witty and charming like you."

Rian's silver eyes widen. "Oh, so you think I'm charming?"

Your cheeks become heated. "Well sure, in a... you know, not anxiety-ridden sort of way like me."

Rian stifles what you're certain would be a big guffaw. "You seem pretty charming yourself once you get used to someone."

"That's just life." You pick up a tray of baked goods. "I'd elaborate, but I'm pretty sure the early morning masses will be beating down the door soon."

"And the boss said we'd be replacing the glass next time it broke," Rian teases.

You go up front, filling the glass case to the brim with all the baked goods. People are knocking and trying to pull the door open, but you still have fifteen minutes before opening. You decorate the outdoor sign to feature your drink of the day, then open the doors to admit the rush of customers.

After the breakfast stampede, things calm down and you can clean before the next rush. Rian comes out with new baked goods and you hand him his coffee. "Thanks," he sighs and leans against the counter. "Are you alright?"

You shrug. "Everything goes so fast, I don't really have time to worry about being anxious." You rub at your neck and roll your shoulders. "At least there are some good tips today."