Starry Bakery

Chapter 1

Danny:

It was an early Monday morning and the alarm started to buzz. Danny gave a moan of aggravation from the ungodly sound of his alarm clock at 5:30 in the morning. Danny hasn't been getting a lot of sleep for the past few months now. He has been waking up in the middle of the night from restlessness and then having to wake up so early so he could get to work for the early morning crowd at the bakery.

Danny rolled out of bed after hitting the off button on his alarm clock rather harshly for its persistence and its unwillingness to seize to exist. He patted over to his bathroom in his small apartment to do his morning routine of showering, brushing teeth, and taking care of any toilet business. 

After he got out of the bathroom, he changed into a black longsleeves shirt and black jeans that gripped his form nicely. Danny looked neat enough in clothing, but his dark raven black hair was still unruly as ever. No matter what product seemed to be placed in Danny's hair, it always seemed to go its own way in making him look like he just rolled out of bed.

Danny decided that he looked as presentable as he was going to look this morning, and grabbed his keys and walked the four flights of stairs down to the ground floor and two blocks to his bakery.

Once Danny got there, he opened the door with his key and made a beeline for the kitchen. He quickly started to make the batter for different types of muffins, scones, cupcakes, and cookies. Although he waited to cook the cupcakes and cookies till later, he still decided to do the prep work for them. Danny only had a half an hour till the shop opened, giving him just enough time to make the mornings baked goods and set up shop as well as turn on any and all espresso machines because frankly, he needed one himself.

He quickly got done with the morning work before 6:30 with practiced graceful movements, and turned the closed sign over to show that his bakery was in fact open. It didn't take long for his normal morning crowd to appear one by one. Danny greeted each of them by name and a guess of what their order is, he normally got it right or was in the ballpark. Every one of his customers loved Danny and felt comfortable with the young man's presence. Danny gives everyone who comes into his shop a nice smile and treats them as if they were the best of friends. Many customers find him endearing and would do anything to protect the boy despite not knowing him long enough.

Danny loved his work and he loved bakery and customers more. He decorated his bakery himself giving it a nice gentle blue hue to the walls that resembled a clear morning horizon just before the sun comes up. Any tables or chairs are black with grey cushions and the countertops are a black with little specs of grey and white in it. None of this decoration could even compare to the ceiling. The ceiling is all black with stars painted with actual constellations, hand painted personally by Danny himself. Danny is very proud and happy that he was able to decorate his shop to his satisfactory and the customers love it.

Danny feels a connection to his customers and he is always trying to strike up a conversation so that he doesn't feel as lonely. He tries to make everyone feel welcome in his "sanctuary"as he likes to call it, so that nobody feels uncomfortable.

It's finally the end of the morning rush around 9 o'clock to give Danny a little more time to make the bakery items and put them in the display case. Danny then planted himself in his high chair placed right behind the cash register where he is able to read on his phone and keep an eye on all his customers who are able to have a small sit down morning breakfast.

Danny was in the middle of reading a new romance book on his phone, what can he say he loves cheesy romantic book with a happy ending because it makes him feel better knowing the characters get a good ending even though he won't, when the familiar 'ding' of the doorbell sounded alerting Danny of a customer.

In walked an old lady around the age of 68 (AN: I really wanted to put 69 because I have the mind of a 5th grader). Danny smiled knowing happily as one of his favorite people came into his shop and he immediately started making a medium size cup of herbal tea for her.

"Hello Mrs. Sprites, how's your morning going?" Danny greated as he was finishing up the cup for her.

Mrs Sprites squints her eyes at Danny in a way that makes Danny chuckle a little. "How many times do I have to tell you that you are allowed to call me Debb?" Debb responds not answering Danny's question.

"Only once more before Wednesday considering you will tell me again tomorrow." Danny retorted with a cheeky smirk on his face. Debb has accepted the fact no matter how many times she tells him to call her by her first name, Danny won't stop being polite, yet formal with her.

"You can count on it, even though you never listen." As Danny continued with his checking her out on the cash register,even though he already knew what it would come out to: $2.17. Debb took this time to stare at Danny noticing the growing bags under his eyes  shaded with a blueish purplish hue. "Are you getting enough sleep Danny because you don't seem too good?" Mrs. Sprites asked in a genuine tone.

Danny being Danny didn't want to worry the old woman about him despite having a  close relationship with the woman after cleaning her house on several occasions as well as doing yard work for her after one meeting outside her house. "I'm fine Mrs Sprites, you have nothing to worry about from me." he responded in a light tone as to make his message more convincing despite how he actually felt.

Mrs. Sprite gave him an unconvinced look, but left the matter alone, deciding that she will only step into a motherly role when it got a little worse and Danny was a little too tired to argue with her about getting enough sleep. Mrs. Sprite changed the subject to make Danny more comfortable and keep a conversation of what has been happening in Danny's life. "So meet any nice young ladies," she lowered her voice, "or men recently?" she questioned.

Danny being use to these blunt questions, but not the mention of his sexuality, was left a little stunned by the question. Danny sobered up quickly enough. "No but I already have a nice lady like yourself in my life." Danny deflected a semi serious question with a joking answer to keep her at arm's length. Danny does care for Mrs. Spites a lot, but he doesn't want anyone to be too close to him despite her being his closest friend at the moment.

Mrs. Sprites persisted, "Come on Danny, there is a nice young lady who is the daughter of one of my bingo friends. I'm sure you two would hit it off."

Danny shifted his eyes away from her for a second realizing that she is still persistent on this idea to get him to go into a relationship with someone. "I'm fine right now Mrs. Sprites. I don't feel like I'm ready to be in a relationship right now. I work too much for something as minor as a romantic relationship." Danny deflected yet again. "I think it might be a little while before I'm ready to commit to any real relationship just yet and even if I was ready right now, I don't know if the person would really fit my personality or if I would be able to give them the full attention they would need from any relationship..." Danny trailed off at the end of his mini rant.

"Okay if you're not ready now hun it's fine I wasn't trying to force you into a relationship just yet, but I don't like thinking about you alone." Mrs. Sprites said. Danny started opening his mouth to retort when Mrs. Sprites cut him off before he got a word out, "And don't say that you're not alone because you have me. I'm talking about a real relationship with close friends you can hang out with, not an elderly lady who comes to your work place once a day for tea." she ended as Danny deflated closing his mouth.

Danny then passed her tea over to Debb giving her a small smile as he said, " I know you want the best for me and I really am working on the relationship thing. I'll make more of an effort I promise."

Mrs. Sprites returned the smile and responded, "That's all I'm asking for Danny." They talked for a little more on trivial matters, only getting interrupted a few times by customers who walked in for a drink or muffin, before Mrs. Sprites had to leave to get to a little get together with her friends, leaving Danny with a wave and a reminder of his promise.

Danny then returned back to his phone to continued reading wondering why he can't make good strong relationships like the ones he reads. What was he missing?

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Okay end of first chapter. How did you like it? I'm going to try to update another time this week because it's spring break, it will probably be on Vlad. I'm sorry it's just getting a feel of the characters right now but I don't want to rush the relationship.  R&R please