Ylisse High (Fire Emblem: Awakening fanfic)

Cafe chatting

"So..." I lift my paper cup of cheap (read: awful) coffee from the cafeteria to my lips, steam clouding my vision momentarily.

"Sooooo?" Zara stares at me, eyes glinting with hyperfocused mischief. "Tell us about YOU!"

The question catches me off guard, though I suppose it really shouldn't. It is slightly customary to ask for a bit of ground knowledge, after all. Still, how do you reply to that without making it like a job interview or dating profile?

"Where do I start...?" I add, "And where's the bakery? I don't really know where we're going, but for some reason, I'm leading us."

"How about... Your childhood?" Stahl suggests as the gray-haired girl bounces ahead, finally taking charge. I open my mouth, then remember.

"Well, to be honest... I move around a lot, so I don't have much of a childhood to speak of. We were never in a place long enough for me to make very many memori--" I'm cut off by arms suddenly bearhugging me. With what little movement I could manage, I angle my head towards the area of warmth to see Zara. "Uh... Za...ra...?"

"That's... You're giving me feels, Becca!" she says, her voice muffled as she presses her face into my sleeve. Stahl chuckles, almost awkwardly. Suddenly, Zara grabs his arm with a very tight-looking grip and abruptly pulls him forward. He stumbles, tripping a bit, guided by Zara still holding his wrist. His arms spread out as he tried to keep balance and half-falls onto me. His face heats up a bit as he stammers apologies. Zara waves her hand dismissively.

"Quiet, we allll know you wanted to. You're welcome, by the way." We're stuttering in an offbeat unison now, our voices almost meeting. She laughs, almost devilish sounding.

"U-uh... Bakery! Where's the bakery?!?" I blurt, desprately trying to change the subject. Seems that I chose exactly the right thing to distract her; her entire demeanor, and focus, switches completely as she runs ahead.

"Well?!?" she calls from afar. "What's taking you so long?"

Stahl and I catch each other's gazes. I arch my eyebrows in response to my new friend's almost flightiness, then quirk the corners of my mouth up in an almost unintended smile. He quickly, almost instinctively, returns it, until we're both laughing behind covered mouths like how you see in manga. That is, until we're actually dragged by the shockingly-determined Zara.

Once we actually get to the bakery, Zara stops us, actually looking quite serious.

"Now, guys. I feel obliged to warn you." I lean forward unintentionally, her voice drawing me in. "The guy at the counter, he's cool, yeah? So don't let first appearances get to you. Or the lizard."

"Wait, what?!?" My question's possibility of being answered dies as she swings open the tall glass doors.

"Welcome." A fairly tall boy with combed-back black hair and glasses doesn't even look up from his wiping of a teacup behind the counter.

"Yo, Gerome!" Zara calls, her voice finally drawing the boy's shielded eyes away from his task.

"Zara." He nods in greeting. Not exactly the friendly type...? He takes a notepad and pen out from under the counter, then looks up, his eyes asking for our orders instead of his voice. I have absolutely no clue what to get, having no notion of what was even on the menu. Luckily, Zara is ready.

"We'll take six--no, a dozen--chocolate cookies--"

"Zara, NO--"

"Quiet, Stahl, I got this. Three eclairs, and uh, four cinammon buns to go. And Swiss rolls!" During her ordering, my mouth drops lower and lower. Who orders that many sweets?!?