Matty Healy Imagines

A Cup Or More

Word Count: 1,513
Summary: "You got stood up on a date at the coffee shop I work in here let me get you a drink on the house au" but instead of a drink it's a croissant

Working in a coffeeshop, you were used to seeing groups of people gather to share cups during the day. You could practically sort them into types. You had your stressed student type that either came as a large group or alone, eyes struggling to fight off sleep and the existential dread that plagued them, and your busy businessman or woman, hustling in frantic and always in need of an extra shot of espresso to get them through their work schedule. There was also - and this was one of the more frequent types - the couple looking to share more than just a cup together.

They would either come in together or separately. One would always order for the both while the other either found a seat or hurried to meet the other there. They would spend ages gazing into each other's eyes, talking about typically random topics that you had gathered to range anywhere from their days to 'how in the world chocolate is actually made'. These groups never proved boring to you. They were the entertainment you craved on slow days, and the reprieves you cherished on busier ones.

One day, a particularly slow day where you found yourself singing along to the music playing in the shop to keep awake, a couple showed up. Rather, half of the couple. He was dashing, a real stunner in skin tight jeans, a black floral shirt, and boots. He stepped into the shop as if he did not want to be seen, ducking his head and not gazing at anyone particular. You would have thought him to be looking for trouble had you not picked up on the nervous innocence in his eyes as he approached your counter. Man, his eyes were gorgeous. You shook yourself, telling your mind to focus as you gave him your well-rehearsed welcome and smile that would impress any boss. He looked to appreciate your warmth, but did not smile back. His eyes looked up to scan the menu behind you.

"I'll have a regular cup of coffee, and a Vanilla Latte please." His voice left smooth from his lips, and you found yourself attracted to it immediately. But, two orders meant he was ordering for two unless he was a man of variety and in desperate need of caffeine, and you had to be professional. Clearing your throat, you wrote his orders on two cups and offered him another smile. You hoped this one came off more genuine than the last.

"May I have your name?"

"Matty," he spoke, giving you a nod. Matty. Not the most unusual name you had come across, but it certainly was catching. With a thank you, you told him where to wait and went to making his order. His coffee came first, and you made sure to make it perfect, not too hot, not too cold. You handed it to him after calling out his name telling him to enjoy, and for the first time you saw him smile warmly back to you. It was certainly a wonderful smile. You pondered whether or not you would act more genuine if every customer had such a lovely smile waiting for you when handing them their order. Next, you moved to the latte. You made this one as you would any latte: quickly, but with quality. It was up for Matty in no time. He looked just as appreciative of it as he had been for his coffee, which he had been sipping at nervously in the time you were away.

"Thank you," he said, genuine, soft. You offered him a grin.

"Of course. Let me know if you need anything."

Nodding, he left his spot by the counter for a seat. His seat of choice was one by the window, a rather nice one considering a tree blocked out the harsh sun and it overlooked a pond your shop shared with the shop nextdoor. You watched as he placed the latte in front of the empty seat opposite him and then pulled out his phone. He looked to be reading. You wondered fleetingly what sort of book he would be into before going back to work.

Had it been a busier day, Matty would have slipped your mind. He would have taken his place amongst the ranks of other halves of couples, a story about a pretty face with a soft, attractive voice to tell your friends later. However, it was a slow day, and you were able to watch him as time went on. Ten minutes turned to fifteen, fifteen to thirty, and eventually you were sure he had been sitting there alone for over an hour. The latte remained untouched and unclaimed. Matty, who had been a ball of nerves before, looked to be even more nervous, or rather anxious. He sat bouncing his knee, eyes still trained to his phone but posture more slouched and less proper. He looked to have lost a lot of the confidence he had had when you first saw him walk in. He looked hurt.

Fortunate for you, at the hour and fifteen minute mark, the end of your shift came. Stripping yourself of your apron in the back, you went to warm up a croissant and decided to go and check in on Matty, your half of a couple that never became a whole. You went up to him and waited for him to notice you, his eyes falling on the croissant you had bagged before approaching.

"Mind if I join you?"

Sending a sad gaze over to the forgotten latte across from him, he nodded and brought it closer to him. You sat, giving him a soft smile.

"Here," you said, scooting the croissant over to him, "it's on the house."

Matty opened the bag and eyed the croissant with an appreciative nod. "Thank you."

"When did they say they were going to be here?"

You watched as his face fell, hands reading to tear off a bit of his gift. "Five minutes after I arrived."

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

"Honestly," you told him, bringing his eyes to look into yours. "You seem like a sweet guy. She or he or whoever it was is a right prat for standing you up like this."

Matty huffed. "I suppose you're right. I just thought she would give me a chance. We seemed to click when we met."

"Yeah well," you said, "don't let this get you down, okay? I've worked here for far too long and I've seen guys like you come in and get stood up like this, and they always leave looking so down on themselves. You're better than that."

"You barely know me."

You smiled. "You waited almost an hour and a half to meet some girl you barely knew here. Most guys I know would have left thirty minutes in, if that. That shows you care and, call me crazy, but I think that that proves you worthy of not being stood up."

This must have touched Matty, for you got to view another wonderful smile. This one put butterflies in your stomach. He was way too good looking for his own good. "Look...I'm in no mood to do much right now, and neither is my ego, but would you fancy getting lunch together sometime?"

As if he had to ask. "Of course," you replied eagerly. He smiled back at you, tearing off another piece of his croissant. Some of the confidence you had seen from when he walked in seemed to make its way back into his eyes. It felt wonderful to know you caused it, despite only knowing him for under two hours.

He exchanged numbers with you and got your name before apologizing for leaving. You were quick to let him know it was no issue, you had to leave anyway now that you were off your shift, he was far from wasting your time. Standing up, he gave you a friendly hug and then told you goodbye, offering a small wave. You watched and waved back as he made his way out of the shop, an extra skip in his step, less of a hunch in his shoulders. Man, he was wonderful. Gazing at his newly shared contact in your phone, you pulled up a message and began typing.

It was fantastic meeting you, Matty. Have a lovely day. xx

Moments later, your phone buzzed with a reply.

Likewise, {Y/N}. Thanks for the croissant & talk. Truly made my day better. -M

Shutting your phone and stepping out of the shop, you let your hair down and smiled into the sun's rays. Work might have been long, and you may have been dreading having to go back the next day, but you got to interact with a brand new type of person. You encountered the sweet, soft soul type looking for redemption and comfort in the bottom of their coffee cup. Walking down the street to your car with an extra bounce in your step, you decided that this type was going to be, unequivocally, your new favorite.