「𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗘」❝ I am not my parents and I will never be ❞
▪︎ Synopsis ▪︎
Cassidy Crane was not only the daughter of one, but two super villains and that meant she was going to live a life of prejudice. However, she was nothing like her parents, and he...
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An hour later, Warren was no longer present, and Cassidy made her way downstairs to eat dinner. However, when she entered the dining room, she found only her grandmother's plate set on the table, signaling there was no food for her. Glancing towards the kitchen, she saw no traces of dinner preparations either.
A look of confusion and disappointment washed over Cassidy's face. She stood motionless, wondering if she had done something to warrant being excluded from the meal.
"Uh, Nana?" Cassidy spoke up slowly, turning towards her grandmother who had already begun eating.
"Yes?" her grandmother replied nonchalantly, not glancing up from her plate.
"Did I do something to make you angry?" Cassidy asked hesitantly, her voice laced with a hint of worry.
Her grandmother looked up and maintained a neutral expression as she responded, "Of course not, my dear."
"Then... where's my dinner?" Cassidy questioned, a puzzled expression on her face.
Her grandmother returned the question with a question of her own, "Where does that Warren boy work?" Cassidy's confusion deepened, and she tilted her head in response, wondering what her grandmother's intentions were with this inquiry.
"He works at his aunt's diner, The Paper Lantern" Cassidy answered dutifully.
Nana perked up with a smile upon learning this information. "Oh, that's wonderful," she replied, her eyes lighting up. "I've heard the food there is quite exceptional."
"Well, I suppose? I'm not sure," Cassidy responded tentatively. "I've never tried it before."
Her grandmother's reply came swiftly, "You ought to give it a go."
Cassidy stood there, stunned and slightly disbelieving, frozen in place by her grandmother's words.
"Wait... now?" Cassidy's voice rose, her surprise evident. But her grandmother didn't speak, instead nodding her head in affirmation and glancing out the window.
"There's a chill in the air, so make sure to wear a coat, my dear," she instructed gently.
"I can regulate my own body temperature, Nana," Cassidy protested.
But her grandmother just shushed her gently, her request leaving no room for argument. Cassidy couldn't help but chuckle and comply, placing a kiss on her grandmother's cheek before making her way upstairs to freshen up. As she left the house, her thoughts fixated on her missed opportunity earlier in the day.
A small sigh escaped her as she recalled the missed opportunity she had in her room with Warren. She had been on the verge of asking him on a date, but her own doubts kept holding her back. Despite this not being quite the scenario she had in mind, the idea of watching Warren work at the 'Paper Lantern' piqued her curiosity all the same.
As she pondered, three questions crossed Cassidy's mind: 'Does he smile?' 'Does he chatter more than usual?' and the most persistent one, 'Does he have regular visitors who come merely to gaze upon him or attempt to flirt?' Her thoughts kept circling back to the last question, unable to shake the possibility from her mind.
On her way to the 'Paper Lantern,' Cassidy caught a public transportation vehicle. She spent the journey interacting with several familiar elderly members of her grandmother's book club, enduring the usual questions: being pinched on the cheeks and constantly queried about her relationship status. It was the typical line of questioning common among elders.
Cassidy briskly made her way to the diner, the desire to see Warren propelling her forward. Upon entering, her eyes quickly adjusted to the dim lighting, immediately locking onto Warren.
Cassidy, seeing Warren's back turned, seized the moment to tap gently on his shoulder. However, her heart sank when he failed to turn in response. Instead, he just let out a weary sigh.
"If it's regarding the stew, it'll be ready in a couple more minutes," Warren replied without looking back, mistaking Cassidy for another customer.
"I've never tried the stew though," Cassidy responded with a hint of confusion, slightly puzzled at his initial assumption.
Upon hearing her voice, Warren instantly whipped his head around, recognition dawning on his face.
"Cassidy," he murmured, surprise in his voice. She waved at him and looked around the restaurant, taking in her surroundings.
"I must say, the place looks lovely," Cassidy chimed in, her eyes roving over the colorful interior. "It certainly suits you, Mr. Peace."
Warren gave her an amused look, slightly puzzled by her presence. He asked, "What are you doing here?"
Cassidy unfolded her arms and turned to look at Warren, her voice faltering slightly. "Well... my grandmother must have spotted that missed opportunity for me," she began, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I was intending to ask you out on a date, but...," her words trailed off, the missed chance hanging heavily between them.
Warren couldn't help but chuckle at her statement, thinking she was just teasing. "Wait, you're joking, right?"
Cassidy immediately shook her head, a determined look in her eyes. "No, I'm serious," she affirmed firmly
Warren exhaled a sigh of relief, his shoulders slouching just a touch. "I've been meaning to ask all day too," he confessed, "but yeah... the timing wasn't exactly ideal."
Cassidy rolled her eyes in agreement, "Yeah, tell me about it." Her tone turned hopeful as she inquired, "When's your next break?"
"Half an hour from now," Warren responded with a nod.
Cassidy quickly interjected, before he could object. "Great! I'll wait!" Her hand shot up, cutting off any protest from him.
"Hey, can you blame me? I want to witness you in work mode," Cassidy grinned, playfully defending herself.
Warren chuckled and gave her a light nudge toward the empty booths.
Cassidy made her way to the nearest table and seated herself, her eyes darting around the diner in fascination.
Warren observed her for a moment, allowing her time to absorb the environment before he had to get back to work.
Luckily for Warren, it was a fairly ordinary, slow day. Given that he was already feeling flustered with Cassidy there, he didn't want to make any mistakes on a busy day—the prospect of facing his aunt's fury if he did was quite intimidating.
Warren narrowed his eyes at Cassidy, a stern expression on his face. "Be good," he warned, unable to hide the hint of playfulness in his voice.
Cassidy reacted jokingly, rolling her eyes and sticking out her tongue at him before he walked away to get back to work.
Cassidy found herself fixated on Warren, her gaze following him as he moved about. Whenever he glanced her way, instead of looking away in a shy manner, he would just offer a subtle smile. In response, she would wave enthusiastically at him every time.
While the diner remained mostly devoid of customers, the atmosphere wasn't uncomfortable. Cassidy continued to observe Warren intently, their stolen glances and silent waves creating an underlying sense of anticipation between them.
