Sweet Peony | John Wick fanfiction

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A wet sensation on John's face woke him up from his sleep. He blinked, trying to determine the cause of the sensation. He chuckled when he found Daisy. The little beagle left by his deceased wife standing on the pillow next to him. He patted her gently and checked the time on his nightstand clock , slightly early than his usual wake-up time but he didn't complain. 

John entered the kitchen to fix himself breakfast for himself and Daisy. He prepared two bowls of cereal and milk. He made a mental note to buy dog food for the new resident.

"I will grab you some food later." John said after giving the hungry beagle one of the bowl.

John searched for some coffee powder to fix himself some coffee, only to find it empty. He let out a sigh; now he has to buy dog food and coffee powder. After he finished breakfast, John got ready in his usual attire consisting of a plain black shirt paired with dark jeans and a leather jacket to complete the look. He grabbed the key and drove to town, intending to make the trip quick.

The cold wind hit John's face once he stepped out of the supermarket with a bag of dog food and a bag of coffee powder in his hands. He got into his car to head home, hoping that he would be able to avoid traffic due to the bad weather. After he managed to get out of the city centre he drove past a small coffee shop.

The coffee shop is only a couple of hundred meters away from his house. He recalled Helen telling him that he should visits the cafe someday. John smiled fondly at the memory of Helen smiling while telling him about the cafe; how the owner was so sweet, how the cafe was well-decorated and how great the coffee and the desserts were. He could still hear her voice clearly in his mind as he recalled the good memory they both once shared.

John decided to stop by after he drop off the grocery at home. He could use a hot cup of coffee on a rainy day like this.

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Behind a counter, Bella swayed along to the lofi-beat she put on inside her cofffee shop, at the same time putting away her freshly made strawberry cream cake into the display cabinet. There weren't much customers today due to the bad weather but she hoped that there will be more coming to grab some hot drinks to warm themselves (and that way she could earn more as well). There were only a handful of customers in the shop, two being a middle-aged couple enjoying their time while the rest are three college students studying for their exams. She empathised with the college students as she had been in their shoes before opening her business. Her eyes darken when an unpleasant memory crawling its way from the back of her mind. 

A (not-so) subtle curse snapped Bella out of a daze as she whipped her head around to identify the sound. It was from one of the college students. A girl had spewed some of her coffee onto the table and some on her notes. Bella quickly shook her head to get rid of any distraction, making sure to stomp her thought and locked them away before grabbing a wet towel to clean the table. She also didn't forget to grab a few napkins for the girl to clean her notes with as well.

She returned back to her position, standing behind the counter, after she cleaned up the mess. The coffee shop only has her as the only employee. Being both the owner and the only staff, things can get hectic but she will have to manage in the mean time seeing that she currently didn't has enough fund to hire another staff yet. She sighed and glanced at a clock on the wall; three hours before the closing time and the rain hadn't stopped. Bella decided to fix herself an iced latter to pass the time. Even though it was raining but it was quite warm inside the shop.

A nut-like aroma started to fill the shop as the fresh, coffee beans finished grinding. Bella took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar aroma that always managed to unwind her after a stressful day. The espresso machine buzzed as she prepared herself two shots of espresso. She then prepared a small glass that she filled it with milk, leaving a small room for the espresso. When the espresso shots were ready, she gently poured them over milk. The dark liquid gradually mixed with the milk, creating a swirling patter that she liked. Bella happily sipped her coffee as she enjoyed the slight bitterness of her iced latte while she waited for her next customer.