1x1 w/ deco. + Moe

[deco.]

Fallon felt her cheeks heat up again when he continued to address her as ‘Miss Fallon.’ She waved her hand dismissively and a bit flustered, “P-please, Fallon is just fine. No need to be formal.”[/b She said rather quickly, [b] “But yes,” she cleared her throat, “I do like being open at night… At times it’s like you see a different and more calm side of the city.” She answered. To her, nighttime was always a moment of calmness and it had always been her dream to run a coffee shop that was open late into the night and of course, her dream became a reality. “That… And honestly? My sleep schedule hasn’t gotten any better since highschool.” She said with a small laugh. During that period of time she decided to teach herself the wonders of brewing coffee. It wasn’t a hard task but trying to figure out people’s likes and dislikes was mostly a challenge. Some people like their coffee bitter while others prefer it sweet. There also came a task with not overpowering the original coffee flavour. She sighed as thinking about it was a bit of a headache. Fallon couldn’t help but peer over the counter as Jena rummaged through his bag. She returned to her original state when he stood up to hand her the money.

She could feel that he had handed more than he needed to. “Oh um, you can take this back.” She said, sliding the extra cash back toward him. Fallon now couldn’t tell if he was being nice or trying to flirt with her. Either way, at least he wasn’t trying to kill her like she originally thought. “Oh and if you ever need anything just let me know… If I’m not at the counter just ring the bell and I’ll be right up.” She informed him with a smile.

[м o e]

Jena Ruita

He wasn’t the best at showing emotion, but he had no control over the pink that rose in his cheeks when he realized she really did not like him addressing her as ‘miss’. “Pardon me…Fallon, I’ll do my best to remember that.” He quickly assured her, not easily flustered but showing it a little in that moment. He fell silent and listened to her, nodding and shrugging a little when she handed back his tip. That was fair of her to do, he was definitely coming off a little too strong and was obviously embarrassed about it. He slipped the money into his pocket and picked up the warm cup of coffee.

“I love the city at night as well. Most of the time.” He murmured, staring at the cup in his hand for a moment lost in thought. ”Thats relatable, sleep schedules are a difficult thing to keep but you seem to be holding up well.” He said and shrugged himself out of his thoughts and gave her another genuine smile. ”Thank you so much…Fallon. You’ve been very helpful, I’ll let you be.” He replied and stepped away from the counter. “That was not your best first impression.” He thought with a small inward sigh. He took his stuff and sat in one of the comfortable chairs facing out towards the window that watched the street. He tried to shake off his awkwardness and gently set down his cup, pulling out his laptop and putting one earbud in. He turned on some music and scrolled through his online assignments. He quickly found he couldn’t focus and leaned back in the chair, staring outside and sipping his drink.

[deco.]

Fallon kept a soft smile on her face and couldn't help but smile a little wider when she saw a shade of pink flush over his face. She nodded in acknowledgement when he said he would do his best to remember to just use Fallon instead of ‘Miss Fallon.’ Fallon decided she should leave him be, she was about to step away before he had replied to her. “No problem! That’s what I’m here to do.” She said and stepped back from the counter, “I hope you enjoy your drink.” She repeated, not wanting to drag out the conversation so as to not let his drink get cold.

She watched Jena walk down and take his seat, she decided to take a look at the upcoming work schedule and see who would be working the morning shift. She ran her finger down and saw Milo was slotted to work the morning opening shift. She sighed, thinking about the rebel. He was a good worker and put in a lot of effort but she knew that he carried a sort of reputation with him… Not that it bothered her as long as she didn’t catch him doing anything while at work. Out of sight, out of mind was her way of going about it. Milo was sweet nonetheless. Fallon hung the schedule back up and gave Jena one last look before disappearing into the back. She remembered about that note she needed to leave and figured it was better to do it now rather than forget to do it later. The brunette went into the break room and grabbed a piece of paper from a desk that sat in the corner. She quickly scribbled down a reminder to make sure everything is clean before clocking out and hung it up on a bulletin board inside the room.

[м o e]

Jena Ruita

He calmed down from his embarrassment after a few minutes of staring out the window. He was pretty efficient at shutting off his emotions when needed. He took a deep inhale, then set back to work on his laptop. He enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere and his cup of coffee was gone pretty quickly. He didn’t care that it would keep him up even later, he never worked very early in the morning so for now he was just going to enjoy being up late. He kept his back to the counter and made sure to keep good posture, lithely crossing one leg over the other as he sat. It made him think of how he’d always sit on his friend Milo’s counter every time he would visit the guy’s bachelor pad that he lived alone in. Those were some fond memories, though he was glad to not be getting into trouble anymore.

He stayed in the store until about 1:00am, the weight of drowsiness finally starting to hit him. He quietly stood and glanced around. He didn’t see Fallon so he set his cup in the bin that was set out for dirty dishes. His eyes lingering on the menu again. ”Hopefully our next encounter goes better.” He thought, not really realizing how long he stood there thinking. He tended to zone out a lot. He smiled to himself and ran a hand through his long black hair, tightening his ponytail and looking himself over. ”Alright enough of this, go to bed.” He told himself. He picked up his backpack and walked out, heading towards the house he was staying at. He was couch-surfing currently, but the family he stayed with rarely saw him because of work hours so they really didn’t mind. He walked inside the tidy suburban home as quietly as possible and put all his stuff away; liking to stay organized. ”I hope Holden doesn’t call me in early tomorrow.” He whispered to himself, pulling his jacket off and falling asleep on the couch quickly.

{Feel free to time skip to the morning

[deco.]

Fallon Westbrook


Fallon spent a long while sitting in the break room, she really didn’t want to disturb her customer with her presence. She wouldn’t emerge from the break room until she heard the bells on top of the door jingle, she didn’t catch Jena leaving and she felt a bit rude for not being able to say goodbye to him. She wondered if he would ever come back. Fallon figured that she made him a bit uncomfortable and sighed, hoping she hadn’t scared off a customer with her small talk or maybe it was her face…? “Oh no…” She whispered to herself and felt embarrassed. She figured that he probably caught wind of her face when he first entered the store. Fallon rested her head on the counter as thoughts ran across in her head. Did she make a bad impression? Only time could tell.

Fallon spent the next two hours cleaning, she was a perfectionist in that regard but not a germaphobe. She just would have preferred if her establishment was not a mess for when people came for the morning rush. She tapped her foot to the beat of the song that was currently playing and smiled as she finished mopping the floor. She set the broom down in the back and went to go check her phone and see that she had a notification from a worker she had hired. Fallon let out a displeased sigh but there was nothing she could do if the person was sick. She would have to fill in for them this morning, she didn’t trust Milo to be able to handle it alone. She sent them back a message telling them no worries and they should take it easy. Fallon then found herself looking for Milo’s number to let him know that the two of them will be working together now that the other person wasn’t feeling well. Fallon sat down on the couch in the break room, there was no point in going home now. A nap on the couch wouldn’t hurt, besides it’s not the first time she has done so.

_______________


Holden Court


Stepping out of the shower, Holden grabbed a towel and dried off his body. He had woken up early but that wouldn’t be a problem since he had to get to work fairly quickly and lived an hour away from the tattoo parlor. There were a bunch of appointments scheduled for the day so he figured he should call for some backup. Though, he would evaluate the situation before deciding if he should bother anyone today or not. He sauntered over to his bed and sat down with a towel still wrapped around his waist. He stretched his arms a bit before finally deciding it was time to get dressed. Holden ran a hair through his damp blonde hair and headed toward his closet, deciding what he would wear. He looked at his collection of white t-shirts and decided on one that had a flower design on the front. He then opted to wear a pair of black jeans that had rips in the knees. Once he was done getting dressed went back toward the bathroom and brushed through his hair styling it so most of it laid on one side.

Finishing up at home he grabbed his car keys and wallet and walked out to his carpark and started his drive to work. When he was about halfway there he realized that he had forgotten to grab his work keys, he swore under his breath and slammed his hand on the steering wheel in frustration. He shook his head at himself and pulled over to call someone who lived close to the store and the unlucky victim was Jena. Holden was put off by Jena’s appearance the first time he met the guy but after working together for a while he figured that he was alright.

[м o e]

Jena Ruita

He wasn’t sure what time it was when his phone went off. The punk groaned and rubbed his eyes; he’d thankfully remembered to take out his contacts last night. Reaching a hand down into his bag he pulled out his cellphone, trying to sound as awake as possible when he answered. ”Hello this is Jena.” He answered in his usual polite greeting. He knew instantly it was Holden calling and he swung his legs down to the floor and sat up, more alert. ”Of course, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He replied and hung up. Lovely, this was not the best day for Holden to see him tired in any way. Jena quickly changed into a different set of ripped jeans, a loose fitting black T-shirt with grey roses, and his favorite grey and white soft leather jacket. He pulled his long black hair back into a high ponytail, letting his bangs fall freely off the side of his face. Then he put in contacts that covered the whites of his eyes black and made his iris’ pink.

He didn’t bother to eat as he pulled on his black combat boots and grabbed all his stuff. The mother that owned the home was up already and waved goodbye to him as he walked swiftly out the door; double-checking that he had keys to the store so he didn’t end up looking like an idiot. Holden was new to him still, but he was very interesting to watch and he enjoyed learning from him. Jena didn’t own a car so he lengthened his strides, cursing not having long legs like most the guys at the shop who towered over him. It was a good 10 minute walk but he managed to arrive before Holden. Jena bit his lip ring as he unlocked the shop doors and went inside to start switching on lights.

————

Milo Scott

The Irishman hadn’t been up late, so he didn’t see Fallon’s text until that morning. He was up by 5:00 getting ready, as he always liked to have time to shower and eat before doing anything. It also made him feel like he was still in control of his life, instead of some boss at some shop he was a simple employee at. He ran a hand through his vibrant red hair as he put his dishes away and checked himself over in his standup mirror. He wore cuffed jeans, a maroon shirt with his favorite caramel colored jacket, and a red velvet bowler hat. He might like to make trouble, but he could look good doing it. He smiled to himself as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door. He lived alone currently, always had actually. He skipped steps as he jogged down two flights of stairs and walked through the apartment complex to his car. He didn’t bother to text Fallon back, it didn’t seem like a text he needed to respond to.

He made it to the shop before 6:00 and went in through the backdoor. He clocked in and the first thing he saw was Fallon asleep on the couch. He smirked at her, briefly considering pulling some sort of prank. He looked around the break room, itching to make trouble, then finally used his better judgement against it. He was new to this job and he was aware how badly he needed to keep it. So instead, he walked around with no amount of silence getting ready for the start of morning rush. He took his jacket off and hung it up, then pulled on an apron. ”Aprons and tattoos are attractive, right?” He tried to tell himself. Of course every counter was already spotless, Fallon made sure not to leave anything behind for him to clean. He yawned loudly and leaned back against the front counter, facing away from the door as he pulled out his phone and scrolled.

[deco.]

Fallon Westbrook



Fallon’s alarm went off at 6:15. It would be another 15 minutes before the store would be officially open. She sat up and stretched a bit. Standing up she yawned and did her best to fix her hair but she wasn’t too worried about it. She rubbed her face as she slowly made her way over to the front and saw Milo on his phone. “Morning.” She greeted mid-yawn and checked the coffee supply at the front. Satisfied with the amount she opted to make herself a cup of coffee before the store opened, she turned to her red haired coworker before doing so, “Would you like a cup too?” She offered him. It wouldn’t come out of his paycheck but she wasn’t sure if he knew that already or not. Effortlessly she prepared herself a latte and drew some simple latte art on top. Taking a sip of the warm drink she let out a satisfied breath. As much as she loved tending her shop, if she had known she’d be working extra she would’ve closed up early so she could at least get a good night’s rest.

Feeling more energized from the latte she made, she put the mug in the dishwasher and turned it on. “You ready to go?” She asked Milo as she went to go open the door and put the doorstop in to let passerby's know that they were open and ready for business. She also flipped the sign on the door so it read “OPEN.” Fallon let the cool morning breeze hit her face for a moment before she turned back into the store, “Oh and can you check to see if we have enough to-go cups out? If not, I’ll go grab some from the back.” She asked of Milo.



Holden Court


Holden tapped his leg impatiently as the phone call went through, “I left my keys at home and it would be a waste of time to go back for them… Sorry to bother you but do you mind unlocking the shop for me?” He asked Jena. When his coworker agreed he let out a sigh of relief, “Thank you, I’ll meet you there soon.” The blonde informed him as he ended the call. Holden started his car again and pulled back on to the road. He turned on the radio to stop himself from being too annoyed about the fact that he had forgotten his keys. If there was one thing Holden hated it was unprofessionalism. Sure forgetting his keys was an honest mistake but it still bugged him that he didn’t double check to make sure he had them. He shook his head as worrying about it now would only cause him to get distracted and he needed to focus on driving.

About 20 minutes after he had called Jena he arrived at the tattoo parlor, he drove around back and parked his car and walked around front and saw that Jena had turned on the lights. He scanned around the room for the boy and gave him a nod in thanks before going to the back room and prepping for the customers he had lined up for the day. He hoped his appointments were spaced out enough, some people were requesting work on intricate designs. Of course he wouldn’t finish them all in one day but he didn’t want to cut into anyone’s appointment time and cause a push back.

[м o e]

Milo Scott

The red-head barely looked up from his phone when Fallon got up and asked if he wanted coffee. He smiled at a text he was looking at, then sniffed and put his phone in his back pocket quickly; crossing his muscular arms over his chest. ”Coffee would be great.” He replied, raising his eyebrows at her in a ‘good morning sunshine’ type of way as he watched her yawn. He turned around against the counter as Fallon went to open the store and nodded in response, then shrugged. “If I get to play my music today I’d be even more ready.” He commented sarcastically, knowing she’d never allow it. It didn’t fit the cozy vibe.

He drummed his hands on top of the counter, humming to himself and nodding again as Fallon asked him to check the cups. Without putting much effort into it, he leaned back and looked under the counter, then around himself briefly. “Hmm…yeah no that would be a negative on to-go cups.” He announced, pushing his hat a bit further back on his head. He felt antsy any time he opened the shop, especially with his boss around. It was like he subconsciously knew he risked getting into trouble and his body automatically tried to get him into more trouble. Not a very helpful reaction at the moment. He shook it off and started pouring himself a cup of coffee just as their first morning customers started entering and he had to put on his customer-service happy face. This was going to be a long shift.

-

Jena Ruita

The shorter male nodded back to Holden as he saw the man enter the shop and he stepped out of his way. Now the fun part of his day started. He really did enjoy observing the artists, though he wished he was able to do more of his own stuff or try out a few of his designs on people. He knew that day would come eventually though so for the moment he set about dutifully helping setup. He set his backpack in the staff lounge and made sure everything was cleaned and sanitized for the first appointment. Then he sat down for a moment and checked the time, about 6:30 now. He still hadn’t eaten and he knew from experience that could have ramifications on his energy very quickly.

“Would you like me to do a coffee run?” Jena asked Holden, poking his head around the corner to address him from the other room. He hoped the blonde male would say yes, it would give him an excuse to go get a muffin or something for himself. Most didn’t know it but Jena was a fabulous cook and enjoyed anything that meant getting to help or serve others in some way. He watched Holden with a light smile, pink eyes always keeping steady eye contact; he also liked to keep things professional.

[deco.]

Fallon Westbrook


Fallon couldn’t help but crack a small smile when Milo mentioned something about his getting to play his music. “I would let you but… You don’t seem like the kind of person who likes calm music.” She said as she found her way back behind the counter. Fallon looked underneath the counter, her hair falling to the side as she looked to see how many they would need. Seeing as they were basically completely out she figured she would need to grab two packs. “I’ll be right back with those cups, if you see anything else that we might need more of in the meantime, let me know.” Fallon instructed as she headed to the back of the store and grabbed two packs of to-go cups. She then made her way back behind the counter and crouched down, tearing open the bag of cups and putting the stack of cups in their place alongside the lids. She stood back up and brushed off her apron and smiled seeing the customer had begun to roll in. Fallon took the other cash register to shorten the line on Milo’s side, she didn’t want him to have to handle that all on his own.


It was still fairly early when customers rolled in. It was mostly her regulars who had early shifts. They would often make small talk with her if she was working. Each time she made a drink she would take note of the coffee grind and tea levels. She felt it would be a tad bit embarrassing if she had run out of something this early in the morning. Plus, she hasn’t had much time to go on a big restocking trip. One thing she needed to incorporate into her business was being able to order her supplies online. Fallon was fairly picky about what products she’d serve, so she wasn’t fully trusting of trying something new if her normal coffee bean wasn’t in stock or wasn’t sold online. Fallon also hoped her presence wasn’t making Milo too nervous or like he had to show off in front of her. She really wasn’t that kind of boss nor did she want to put too much pressure on her employees. She looked at the line and let out a small sigh, it was going to be a long morning.





Holden Court


Holden took off his jacket and hung up in the back room and rubbed his face as he looked at the designs he was going to be working on later in the day. He hummed and fiddled around with drawing them out, with more tricky designs he would typically break them up into pieces and do it one at a time. No one would be walking through the doors for a while so he had time to prepare and make sure he was satisfied with what he had come up with. He would also make sure the customer was satisfied with the design before tattooing it on, he didn’t want them to regret their choice later and him having to deal with the customer backlash if that were to happen. Holden looked up and away from the paper when he heard Jena call out to him asking if wanted a coffee run. He thought for a moment before nodding, “That’d be nice.” Holden told the pink-eyed coworker.

Holden then reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, looking for a bill to hand Jena. “Not sure if you’ve been there before but not far from here is a place called The Steamed Bean. I’m pretty tight with the owner, Fallon." He said, pulling out a 20 dollar bill. "If it’s not too busy you can go there and tell her Holden sent you and she’ll know what to make for me. If the line’s too long and you end up someplace else then I’ll just get a black coffee nothing fancy in it.” He said somewhat relaying his order. Fallon was like a younger sister to him and he hadn’t talked to her in a few days. He sighed figuring he should go and visit her one day when he has a break. Holden also enjoyed the coffee she’d make more than other places, he found it hard to top coffee from Fallon.

[м o e]

Jena Ruita

Jena smiled lightly, pleased Holden had agreed to it. He walked out from behind the wall and moved to stand next to his coworker. When Holden mentioned the Steamed Bean, he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Yes. I was there last night actually. Lovely place." He said, though his tone was almost empty of emotion. The exchange he'd had with Fallon still made him feel very unsure of himself, or where he stood with her; so he didn't want to portray either positive or negative feelings about it all. He shook it off quickly and listened to Holden's instructions for his order. They had enough time before the first client today that he could afford a little bit longer wait in a coffee line. Jena watched the taller man pull out some money and waved his hand a little at him. "Please, allow me. I'll be back as soon as possible." He told him, not really realizing how painfully polite he was being again.

He stepped past Holden and went to the door, making sure his own wallet was in his back pocket as he exited the shop and started across the street. He enjoyed mornings, though not quite as much as the late night. Everything felt fresh and slightly wet as everything dried off from an early rain that had hit sometime in the night. There it was, the coffee shop he'd worked a block away from for months and this was only his second time in. He stopped outside the door, again, and observed who was inside before entering. He couldn't see super well because of the line but he thought he recognized a man's voice. Was that-? He peered around someone's shoulder and saw his old friend Milo behind the counter with Fallon. A genuine smile alighted upon Jena's face, wondering if the older guy would remember him.

-

Milo Scott

Milo double-checked everything in his immediate surroundings but to his knowledge they were going to be fine for the morning rush when it came to supplies. He gave Fallon a thumbs up in response then turned to greet the next costumer. They wanted some fancy latte that he was trying hard to act like he knew exactly how to make, when in reality he was clueless. Basic drinks and mixes? Fine sure throw it at him all day. This particular order though felt out of his league...or just out of his willingness to put in the effort. He wrote down the order on the side of their cup then asked them to wait a moment as he spun around to stand beside Fallon at the next register. He cleared his throat, grinning at her to hide what an amateur he was as he bent down a bit to whisper in her ear and show her the cup. "I've not a clue what in mother Mary this is lass." He chuckled, setting the cup down in front of her then quickly going back to his register. Problem solved!

He let the costumer know his order would be up in a minute then looked up as the next person approached. His green eyes lit up
and he raised his arms in the air suddenly. "Ey look et this! My lad Jena back from th' dead! You still wandering about our ole stompin' grounds mate?" He exclaimed loudly, his Irish always coming off stronger when he got excited. He didn't wait for Jena to respond before turning to Fallon, oblivious to the growing line. "I bet you's two would get along, would ya mind takin' his order so he can catch me up where's he's been?" He asked, though it came out more like a statement.