Once Upon a Time x Reader One Shots

Neal - Coffee

You blew out a tired breath, about to prepare for your break when the door to the shop opened and he walked in. You plastered on a smile as he approached the counter like he did every morning at this time. His medium brown hair stuck up in all directions and his eyes were the color of the coffee beans you had just finished grinding. He came in every morning with a friendly smile on his lips and ordered a simple vanilla latte and a bagel. You were trying to work up the courage to talk to him about something other than his order, which you now knew by heart, but every time you opened your mouth to ask his name, his phone would ring and he would glance at you apologetically while he answered it. His eyes told you that he didn't want to put you on hold for the person at the other end of the phone call, but it must have been important, because he would always take his goods and saunter off to a quiet table to continue the conversation. That would leave you feeling deflated as you went back to work, wondering why you were so attracted to this regular customer whose name you had yet to learn.

Today, however, was different. Just as you handed him his coffee and bagel, his phone rang, and your heart fell at the familiar signal of your conversation ending. But he surprised you by ending the call before it could begin, stuffing his phone back into his pocket and smiling at you.

"I'm Neal," he introduced, offering you his hand. You placed your hand in his and your heart fluttered at his touch.

"(y/n)," you countered, staring into his cocoa brown eyes.

His smile widened. "When do you get off work?"

You were taken back by the question, quickly glancing at the clock. "I came in early to set up, so I'll be done in about an hour."

"Care to grab brunch with me?" he asked, sipping his latte.

You smiled softly. "I'd love to."

"Great. I'll wait for you over there," he said, gesturing to his usual table. You nodded and watched him shuffle over there, sitting so that he could see you while he waited. A blush stained your cheeks as you went back to work, mixing drinks and fetching pastries from the display case, your heart thundering in your chest as you waited for the last hour of your shift to pass.

When the time rolled around, you hung up your apron and clocked out of the system. You made your way to the table in the back where Neal was still patiently waiting.

He smiled at your arrival and stood. "Ready to go?"

You nodded. "Where are we going?"

"I know a nice little diner down the road," he replied. "I thought we could go there. Unless you wanted to go somewhere else...?"

You shook your head. "The diner sounds perfect."

He grinned and offered you his hand. You shyly took it, your heart leaping out of your chest when his fingers intertwined with yours. You followed him out of the cafe, letting him lead you down the sidewalk to the local diner. You couldn't help but squeeze his hand as you walked, smiling when he returned the gesture.

Brunch went wonderfully. You felt more comfortable sitting across from him than you had having a meal with any of your past interests. The conversation never lagged, and you found that you had a lot in common with Neal. You loved the way his eyes lit up when he talked about the things he liked, and the way his smile took over his whole face when he laughed. You especially liked the way he reached across the table to hold your hand while you ate, wanting to keep contact with you.

When you were done eating, he paid and insisted on walking you home. You were reluctant for the date to end, but you happily held his hand and leaned against him as you led him to your apartment, which happened to be in the same building as his.

He stopped in front of your door, one hand resting on your cheek. You leaned into his touch and stood on your tip toes, looking into his eyes. He understood and dipped his head, his eyes fluttering closed as his lips ghosted over yours. You pressed closer, giving him a proper kiss, a sigh falling from your lips.

"Today was great," he murmured.

"Yes, it was," you agreed.

"Same time tomorrow?"

"Absolutely."