Bread Crumbs - Jercy Coffee shop AU

Olympus Café, where every coffee is served with a smile.

Jason is a curious by nature barista who is saving up for college. Percy is a high school drop-out who lives for the day. When life pushes them together, will their priorities change?

“Are you burnt?” The man with the furrowed eyebrows asked me as he placed his hand on my shoulder.

I’m emotionally unstable, sporting painful bruises, and scarred for life, but thank the Gods I’m not burnt. I chuckled at my sarcastic thoughts. “Don’t worry about it.”

The man immediately removed his hand, but instead of letting the subject drop, he pushed forwards with even more enthusiasm. “Are you sure? You look like you’re in pain.”

It was as if he was genuinely worried about me, but I knew from experience just how good some people can be at faking emotions. “I’m fine.” I subtly tried to put space between us by taking a small step backwards. I made sure to avoid his eye contact at all times, but his hands were another matter. My eyes seemed drawn to them. They looked soft and warm, very different from the hands I was used to seeing. This man’s hands looked like they’d seen their fair share of hard work, but somehow they still came off as gentle and caring. I had never wanted to hold someone’s hand as badly as in that moment.