Killer x Reader His profession AU

XXVI

The smell of coffee felt almost like the caress of a lover: warming and trusting. There was some chatter at the time of day as you arrived just before lunch-time, patrons waiting patiently at the counter for their coffee-fix or sitting with friends and savouring the taste of strawberry shortcake as they laughed. There was a pinch of longing in your chest as you took a few more steps into the coffee shop towards the counter to order something. Killer's hand rested on the small of your back as he led you forwards.

A warm smile grew on your lips at the atmosphere. The whole shop's comfort seemed to wash over you, filling you with a sense of happiness that you wanted to cherish and grew for as long as possible. It felt like a treat, being able to be here and you almost skipped a step in giddiness before you looked to the side at Killer as you moved to unzip your jacket. "Gods, there are so many kinds of beans here. What do you usually order?" Your gaze skimmed over the interior of the building. There were small trinkets of a mascot, a kitten hugging a paper cup of coffee. The chairs seemed plush with cushions that wouldn't hurt your butt if you sit here for a long time. There were small booths for some privacy and sockets in the planters that functioned as partitions between seatings for those who wanted to work in this place. Killer shrugged his shoulders a bit, his own gaze wandering over the interior.

"Haven't been here before. I only know it existed."

You tilted your head to the side in response. You wrap your arm around his waist playfully. The giddiness was making you more blunt, more naïve as you truly wanted to forget everything that had happened the last couple of days. You wanted to blame it on being cooped up in his house for so long that there had been lash outs between the both of you. "Did one of your friends tell you it was worthwhile then?" You asked softly, hinting at what he had said two days ago about that you'd like the place with his guarantee.

Killer scratched the back of his head as he looked away, nodding almost imperceptible as you stood at the end of the line to order. "Yeah, Heat had said it looked cute or something like that. It appears there is a cat here from time to time, but I don't see it anywhere right now."

You tapped your bottom lip with your free pointer finger in thought. "That does explain why the mascot is a cat and the cat flap at the door." You mused as you perused the different beans on display to decide what you'd want. Apart from wanting a good black coffee, you also felt a little peckish. Deciding for the Arabica beans, as nothing could go wrong with it, you looked over at the display case. There were different kinds of cakes, brownies, cookies and sweets on display and you gave a soft humming sound as you tried to decide before it was your turn to order. Everything just seemed so tasty and a soft sigh slipped from your lips as you were pondering what to get.

"Can't choose?" Killer asked, his hand slipping from the small of your back to your side as you shook your head 'no'. "Why not start with two different kinds of brownies or cookies? We can share them and come back later to eventually taste everything." He proposed and you hummed softly at that.

You looked up at him from your leaned over position, a soft smile curling up the corner of your lips. "Sounds good, but maybe use one option to try the seasonal pastry? Maybe it won't be there again next time we visit." You suggested instead and watched Killer swallow thickly, his gaze flickering from your backside to the glass case.

"Sure." His voice sounded tight, like his throat was squeezed shut before he walked up the next two steps to order for himself. You followed behind quickly to give your order when prompted. The man behind the counter wrote it all down, punched in what we owed him and grabbed the pastries for the two of you before he asked you to wait at the other counter for the beverages. "I'll get it, you go and pick out a spot to sit." Killer said, pressing a quick kiss to your temple as you grabbed the pastries and gave a soft hum in response, walking towards one of the booths.