rating: general
categories: F/M
words: 1.2k
ship: charmer
summary: âCaitlin is having a pretty horrific hockey game date. Things only seem to be worsening when they show up on the Sharks Kiss Cam.â
tags: NHL Player Chris âChowderâ Chow, SJ Sharkie Chowder, Meet-Cute, Kiss Cam
read on ao3
to @loveyoutoobits
i hope you enjoy this as much as i enjoyed writing this! c:
from @corgiberus (numberfifteenjersey on ao3)
Caitlin was on the worst date she had ever been on in her life. Her date, a lacrosse player she first met at college back in Massachusetts, invited her to a Sharks game, only to be engrossed in his phone nearly the entire time. Sure, she reasoned that things come up and you just canât ignore it, but he had been chattering away into his phone literally the entire time. Would you not at least apologize to your date for something like that, and at the most just leave and let your date enjoy the game on their own for free and for their time?
He had tried, she supposed. He invited her to the game in the first place, although she wasnât quite sure he remembered that she liked the Sharks; he was, after all, decked out in full Aces merch and memorabilia. Before the game, he bought them some nachos with salsa and queso to share and then both of them their own sodas; although, when she offhandedly wondered if they had ginger ale, he shrugged her off and bought her a Sprite instead. He had done it under the reasoning that it was the same as, or at least just as good as, ginger ale. Which, was absolutely wrong, but she was not about to get in a fight over carbonated drinks in the concession line when plenty of others were in line and wanted to get food as well.
Minus the Aces fan bit, and the thing about Sprite vs Ginger Ale, and the constant ignoring her for his phone, her date had been running pretty well. (Obviously, there wasnât much else for her to go off of.) Things really soured when the Kiss Cam rolled around, though.
After two older couples, Caitlin and Chad happened to be the third couple to appear on the Sharks Kiss Cam. Catching a view of herself and her date on the big screen, Cait of course eagerly tried to get Chadâs attention.
âChad! Chad, look!â Swatting his arm a few times playfully, Caitlin grinned in excitement as she hoped for her date notice their big screen debut. He easily brushed her off by giving her that âone-secondâ hand signal, so she herself easily brushed that off. Heâd set his phone down soon enough, theyâd have their once-in-a-lifetime moment on the Kiss Cam, and everything about the date would be a-okay.
The Sharks crowd camera team passed through three more couples before Caitlin and Chad made a reappearance. Cait obviously tried again to get his attention, still wearing that eager and optimistic smile that she had had the first time around.
âChad, itâll take just one second! Just look up!â
âHold on,â Chad scolded her lightly through gritted teeth, gesturing to her and then his phone with that â one-secondâ sign again before returning to his incessant chattering.
Fed up but not wanting to make a huge scene, she looked away and laughed it off. What was this date to him, a joke? An excuse to jabber incessantly beside her, as an amazing game between Las Vegas and San Jose went down below unbeknownst to him? What a prick, an absolute douche canoe, the biggest bag of dicks.
Five more couples got their chance. Then the embarrassing hockey date-gone-awry popped up once more. But this time around, Caitlin was not happy about her dateâs oblivion to their appearance and was definitely unafraid to show the fact.
âChad,â Caitlin repeated once more irritably, roughly jostling the jock to try and get his attention one last time for the Kiss Cam.
âWhat?!â He immediately and finally snapped, head moving away from his smartphone more than two inches for the first time in the entire game. âGood grief, Katy. Itâs a damn important call, what could be so great or fantastic that you have to bother me three times!?â
Cait held her tongue on both explaining how strangely beautiful hockey could be and correcting him on her name. She could somehow sense the fact he even spelled it with a âKâ and a âyâ over a âCâ and an âieâ, which quite honestly ticked her off even more. This date had been absolutely horrendous, and she really wanted to cry, but she resisted. She was absolutely not, under zero circumstances, crying on the Kiss Cam. Instead, she just angrily huffed and fell back into her seat, trying hard not to crush the stupid Sprite that Chad thought would be the same as, or at least just as good as, ginger ale in her hand.
All of a sudden, though, SJ Sharkie stood beside their seats, and he quickly leaned over Cait in order to promptly smack Chad over the head. He then gently pulled Cait up from her seat, and sort of gestured toward her Sprite in order to take it from her to pour it over Chadâs head. She shook her head and pushed his gloved hand away, though, and then completely just upended the soda over his head before throwing the cup down to the ground.
Since his soda plan had fallen through, Sharkie instead took the remaining nachos with queso and salsa and threw them into Chadâs face with just as much as fire and force in it as Caitlin had had with her Sprite. Then, wanting to get the poor girl out of the situation as much as she did herself, Sharkie picked up a one singular Caitlin Farmer in a bridal-style carry and booked it up the stairs. Chad was thus left in the dust, still on screen for a moment, to assess damage to both his pride and his reputation.
Sharkie didnât stop running with Cait in his arms until they were far enough from the scene of the crime to be safe, to which then he finally set the poor bewildered Sharks fan down.
âAre you okay?â The costumer finally spoke, huffing and puffing to himself slightly in overexertion.
âYeah, Iâm okay.â Caitlin smiled. âThanks for getting me out of there, that dudeâs honestly a huge prick. I have no clue why I let him take me on a date.â
âMore like he took his phone on a date and you just third-wheeled. Plus, itâs fine! Iâm glad to have been your savior from an Acesâ fan.â Sharkie faux shuddered beneath the costume, clearly still sticking with the Las Vegas hating that the players carried.
âWell then, can I see my saviorâs face? Gotta be able to put a face to the shark for my friends.â Caitlin smirked, half amused by just talking to the wide-mouthed shark head of SJ Sharkie.
âNuh-uh,â Sharkie shook his head, the mouth slightly bopping up and down with the movement, âNot while the gameâs still on and Iâm on SAP Arena grounds.â
âOh, gotcha.â Caitlin hummed in understanding, despite a vague feeling of disappointment eating at her. âHis nameâs Chad. He played lacrosse for my college,â She explains without Sharkie even asking her, somehow sensing his curiosity even beneath the Sharkie exterior, âI played volleyball. Sports hookup, y'know?â
Sharkie barked out in laughter, immediately reminded of some two very close friends of his. âYeah, I definitely know.â He grinned beneath the mascot head even though Cait couldnât see it. âHey, I have to go, but⌠can I give you my number? Maybe I can rescue you from more bad dates some other day.â
âUh, yeah, sure.â Now it was Caitâs turn to laugh. âHey, since youâre giving me your number, can I get your name? Feels weird just calling you, y'know. Sharkie.â
âUh⌠just put me in as Shark Chowder. I can explain it later.â
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Summary: Caitlin is in New York, ill prepared for the cold weather and just a bit lost, in the week of Valentine's Day. Enter the hottest guy she had ever seen.
Caitlin stood in the middle of New York City, unsure of which way to turn. Sheâd only been in New York for a couple days, but, despite the numbering system, she had no clue if she should go up or down or left or right. She was outside Penn station, she knew that much. Her phone was dead, unable to pull up google maps, and she knew better than to waste her money on a New York taxi. But the later it got, the colder it got, and she had never bought a heavy winter coat; she was too used to the California sunshine even in San Francisco. She shouldâve known her job would take her places with different weather, but February is usually the end of winter out west, not the middle of it.
She shivered for the umpteenth time, looking left and right, trying to remember how to get back to her hotel from where she was. She made a note to herself to buy a coat and a scarf while she was here, cursing the wind that blew her hair off her neck and the below-freezing temperatures that had plagued her entire trip. Caitlin only ever got below freezing in California once or twice a winter. Never for an entire week, which was what the forecast for her trip looked like.
Another gust of wind blew and she hunched down, trying to keep the collar of her too-thin coat high while keeping her hands shoved deep into her pockets. She chewed on her lip, bouncing on her heels, trying to make the decision to move from the corner one way or the other. Taking a deep breath, she decided to go whichever way the light changed, and hope for the best. She stepped forward, and immediately got run into by someone. She hadnât been paying attention to people as much as she probably shouldâve, with how crowded New York was.
Whoever it was had knocked her over, and she was about to be indignant that it was a hit and run situation, when she looked up to a hand in her face. She blinked at it a few times, before looking at the face attached, catching her breath. The man staring down at her was simply gorgeous, right down to his nervous smile. A nice looking man in a nice looking suit and a nice, warm looking jacket was standing over her, and Caitlin was finding it hard to breathe a little.
âIâm so sorry! I wasnât looking where I was going and then suddenly there was a person there--a person who was you-- and I definitely couldnât stop in time but oh man are you alright?â He rambled, and she finally managed to remember to both breathe and take his hand. He helped her to her feet, and Caitlin almost forgot to answer him, she was too busy staring at his face.
âOh-- no worries. I was the one not paying attention. Iâll be honest, Iâm a little lost, and had just made the decision to move⌠right into you. So Iâm the one who should be sorry!â Caitlin rambled a bit, but she couldnât help it, she didnât want to make this man just disappear from her life like that without even knowing his name.
âOh, where are you trying to go? Iâm not too well versed in New York, but maybe weâre going in the same direction and I can help you at least somewhat!â He smiled wide, and it made Caitlinâs heart flutter. She hoped that they were going in the same direction, because being near him made her warm.
âIâm trying to get back to my hotel⌠itâs on 35th street? Um, I couldnât decide where to turn to go there.â Caitlin pointed at the street sign that said 31st street, and she chewed on her lip again, deciding that she definitely was about to turn the wrong way.
âOh yeah, my hotel is over there too! Maybe weâre at the same one.â Hot Guy checked his watch, glancing at Caitlin briefly, then over his shoulder at Penn Station. âYou know, Iâve got some time to kill, I could walk you over?â
âOh you donât have to, if you have somewhere else to be?â Caitlin was disappointed in herself for saying no, but she knew that she couldnât force someone to hold her hand and walk her through the streets (though she sure would like to hold his hand).
âNo no, donât worry, itâs the least that I can do!â He held out his hand again, and Caitlin looked down at it, still thinking about holding his hand, before she realized that it must be for a handshake. âIâm Chris by the way.â
âCaitlin,â she smiled as she shook his hand, and he smiled back wider. Caitlin could feel the heart eyes just oozing out of her, but she quickly took her hand back, thanking the gust of wind for the excuse to let go no matter how much she wanted to hold on. She shivered again, despite how warm she felt standing next to Chris.
Chris noticed the shiver. And he looked absolutely mortified, either in her choice of coat or his own manners, Caitlin couldnât be sure. âOh you must be freezing in that coat! Youâre definitely not from around here, Iâm guessing?â
Caitlinâs teeth were chattering, so she only shook her head. Chris started to take his jacket off, and Caitlin shook her head harder. âI-I c-couldnât t-take y-your j-jacket. Y-you n-need i-it t-too.â
Chris only shook his head, draping his jacket on her shoulders. The warmth the jacket gave was in part from itâs own makeup but also in part to Chrisâs body heat, and Caitlin pulled it in tight, breathing in his scent sneakily as she did so. He smelled like home. Not that she was imagining him as home, but that he smelled a bit like California.
âCome on Caitlin, letâs get you to your hotel. I definitely canât let you go off alone if you are that cold.â He put a hand on her elbow, a light touch, simply used as a guiding hand, and Caitlin didnât pull away. They walked in silence until they were on the other side of Penn station, and Chris looked at the building with an almost guilty look.
âIf you need to be somewhere else, Chris, I shouldnât be keeping you.â Caitlin chewed on her lip, reaching up to pull the jacket off to give back, but Chris stopped her hand.
âNo, the guys will understand. I canât leave you alone.â They walked past Penn station, and Chris breathed what sounded like a sigh of relief to Caitlin.
A few more steps of silence, and it seemed like Chris couldnât take it anymore, clearing his throat a couple of times, with a glance in Caitlinâs direction. âSo, Caitlin? Where are you from? If not New York or the East coast where winter coats are the norm.â
âIâm actually from California. Iâm here on a business trip until Friday,â Caitlin said.
âYou were going to be here for an entire week with that coat? Itâs the middle of February!â Chris was incredulous, and Caitlin shot him a shameful look.
âI was going to buy a jacket tomorrow!â
Chris laughed, a clear, beautiful, joyful laugh, and Caitlinâs heart skipped a beat. She hadnât believed in love at first sight until meeting Chris, and she knew that was irrevocably screwed.
âBut still, youâre also from California! Thatâs crazy. What are the odds? We must be the only two true Californians in all of New York.â Chris smiled widely, and Caitlin definitely didnât miss the implication.
âOh, where in California are you from?â She was hoping it was northern California. She was tired of everyone talking about LA and assuming that was all that California was.
âIâm originally from San Francisco, but I live in San Jose now for work.â He winked, though she couldnât fathom why.
âOh, thatâs awesome! I live and work in San Francisco, but I travel a lot.â
Chris laughed again, that beautiful laugh, though it was like he was laughing at inside joke with himself. âI travel a lot too. Half the time, Iâm on the road.â
They chat mundanely about San Francisco, about things they mightâve done at the same before he moved down to San Jose. They reached 35th street, and Caitlin told him her hotel, and he turned right, walking her to the front of the building. Caitlin didnât want to say goodbye just yet, but she knew that she was keeping him from something important.
âYou know, it must suck to be in New York far from home on Valentineâs day,â Chris said.
âOh, itâs not so bad, not like there was anything for me to do. I donât even have any meetings that day.â Caitlin was hinting heavily, though Chris wasnât taking the hint.
âIn that case, you should definitely go see the hockey game! Itâs the Sharks vs. the Rangers. It should be a real good one.â He winked again, and Caitlin definitely had no idea why.
âMaybe I will.â She moved to take off the jacket to give back, but Chris held up a hand and shook his head.
âGive it to me the next time. Plus, in the pocket is a bit of a gift.â He smiled widely, before turning to leave with a small wave. Caitlin waved to his back, watching him walk back the way they came. Watching until he turned the corner and was out of sight.
~~
She got up to her room, shaking her head at the odd interaction. Chrisâs jacket stilled smelled like him, and she took a deep breath now that he could no longer see her. He didnât ask her out, despite asking about Valentineâs day, but she didnât think she would be that lucky, even if he had been the man of her dreams.
She opened her laptop and looked up the hockey game. It was on Valentineâs day, and it was a matinee game, starting at 1. She hadnât had any plans that day, so a hockey game would at least be something. She checked the ticket prices, and decided that, maybe it wouldnât be anything. Madison Square Garden is far too expensive.
Caitlin laid on her bed, still wearing Chrisâs jacket, staring up at the ceiling. She put her hands in the pockets, and felt something in one of them. She remembered what Chris had said, that there was a bit of a gift in the pocket. She pulled it out now, bringing it up to her face, only to be face to face with a ticket to the Valentineâs day hockey game. Imagine that.
She thought that maybe this was his way of asking her out. Maybe he had a ticket in the seat next to hers, and he had an extra, and he gave it to her. Caitlin smiled widely. Maybe Chris was just shy! She would see him at the game if she went, and itâs a date that she agrees to and they both cheer on the Sharks from seats in New York!
But the horrible thought that crossed her mind was, what if he cheered for the Rangers, despite being from California and living in San Jose? She wracked her mind over and over again, before deciding that she would just go to the game in plain clothes, and hope that Chris would be there so she could give back the jacket. And she would cheer on the Sharks no matter what, because hometown loyalty is bigger than trying to suck up to the guy she likes. Even if sheâs never watched a Sharks game in her life.
~~
On Valentineâs day each year, Caitlin usually wears red, white, pink, the usual, cliche colors of Valentineâs day. That day, she paired it with her brand new teal jacket, that she had bought for warmth and for the hockey game. She needed to have something to represent, right?
She walked the way to Madison Square Garden, hoping that Chris would be there. She looked at the ticket for the umpteenth time, amazed at how close the seats were. She had looked up where her seat was, and it was on the visiting sideâs goalie net. An odd location, but for her first hockey game, Caitlin wasnât about to complain.
The line was long to get into the building, and she didnât see Chris anywhere. She was beginning to think that maybe he had the ticket but couldnât go to the game so he gave it to her and she had fooled herself into thinking it was going to be date. She had styled her hair and her outfit for nothing. She shouldnât have come to a game she knew nothing about.
She stayed in line. She already had the ticket, and she was holding on to the hope that maybe Chris would be there. She had his jacket folded over her arm. It had stopped smelling like him and more like her the longer she had worn it, so she had finally bought her own jacket to preserve what little of him was left. Yes, she knew that was a bit creepy. No one else except herself was going to know though.
She finally got into the building, and found her way to her seat. The people on either side of her were already there, and she tried to hide her disappointment. Chris wasnât there after all. She shrugged, and turned her attention to the ice, as warmups got started. The Sharks came out to her side of the ice and began.
Caitlin had never watched hockey in her life. She knew nothing about the players. But, as the game progressed, it was the most fun she had ever had. The Sharks won, 3-0, and Caitlin felt like she had been the only Sharks fan in the audience, but she didnât care. At times, she had noticed the goalie looking her way when he was at her end of the ice, and he seemed familiar, though she couldnât pick why. When the game ended, she stood outside the arena, still buzzing from the excitement. She was looking up places to go for dinner, when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
Behind her stood Chris. He was a bit out of breath, his hair was wet with sweat, and he had hastily put on his suit, but he was smiling from ear to ear.
âCaitlin! You actually came! I was really worried you wouldnât since I thought, maybe you wouldnât see the ticket, or if you did, you wouldnât want to go to the game, or maybe you didnât like me as much as I liked you and so there was no point for you to go to the game and-- oops.â Chris covered his mouth, and Caitlin knew how gone she was.
âChris? I didnât see you at all! Why are you all out of breath and sweaty?â
âI-- Caitlin, have you ever watched hockey before?â
âNo, this was my first game.â Caitlin gave a sheepish smile. âI thought, that maybe, this was going to be a date? But you werenât there where I was sitting⌠but you were here?â
Chris laughed, harder than he had laughed before, so full of joy and happiness. He stopped suddenly, hitting himself in the forehead with his hand. âOh man no wonder you looked so confused yesterday when I was talking to you. You didnât know who I was at all! I thought you were starstruck but clearly you werenât!â
Caitlin was offended, but before she could say anything Chris stopped her. âNo, listen! Itâs a really funny story. You see, my whole name is Chris Chow. I am the goalie for the San Jose Sharks.â
And Caitlin understood, in that moment, what all the winking was about, and just about everything else that had made no sense to her.
âThat⌠explains so much.â Caitlin shook her head, but she was smiling all the same.
âI do have just one question⌠why did you seem so starstruck when we first met? It was the first time Iâd met someone in another state who really seemed to like me, but since you didnât know about hockey?â
âOh, well...â Caitlin blushed, looking down at her hands, still holding onto his jacket. âI thought that you were the most beautiful man I had ever seen and I kind of fell in love with you?â
âOh.â It was Chrisâs turn to blush. âWell⌠in that case⌠do you want to get dinner tonight?â
âWhat, like a date?â Caitlin didnât think she heard right, but she hoped to god that she had.
âYeah, like a date.â Chris smiled shyly, and Caitlin matched it.
âYeah, dinner sounds great.â
âAwesome! Let me just go get my things and Iâll meet you right here, ok?â Chris turned to leave, probably back to the locker room, before he remembered something. âBut first, can I get my jacket back? New York is way too cold.â
It was quiet in the house when Caitlin woke up. She looked over to the other side of the bed to see that Chris was already gone. She didnât remember him saying he had an early morning wake up today, and when she looked at her phone, she saw it was only 8am. She frowned at the light a bit sleepily, but decided to get up and get ready for the day.
She didnât have anywhere she needed to go, but she had hoped that maybe Chris had had something planned. Maybe there was an emergency meeting that he had to get into. That was the only explanation for why he wasnât there. There was nothing else she could think of. She checked the weather. It was a beautiful day, bound to warm up later, nice and sunny, so she pulled on one of her favourite dresses. It was a shade of blue that matched her eyes. Chris had bought it for her some years ago, and he loved it on her.
She wasnât in a rush, so other than the clothes, she took her time getting ready, doing her hair and makeup in hope of going somewhere later in the day. She had a sudden thought that maybe Chris had forgotten, but he hadnât forgotten since she met him. Of course, she would expect after 5 years of dating and 10 years of marriage that he definitely wouldnât forget, but he was sometimes scatterbrained and she wouldnât blame him if he had. Ok, she wouldnât blame him a lot.
She finally finished her hair, pulling it back into a bouncy ponytail, giving herself a once over in the bathroom mirror. She had no reason to try to look so presentable, but she always liked dressing up on special days, even without special plans. She sighed, thinking of the lack of special plans.
She opened the bedroom door, only to hear a tiny gasp at the end of the hall, as a tiny head popped its way around the corner and the sound of tiny feet pitter pattering on the hardwood floor floated back to Caitlin. She chuckled at what had to be her son, though she was a bit confused by his actions, and a little hurt. Today of all days and he had to run away from her.
She was about to follow him when her daughter rounded the corner with a too bright smile on her face.
âMom! Youâre awake! Howâs it going, whatâs good?â
Caitlin narrowed her eyes, instantly suspicious. âAvery, whatâs going on? Why are you and Lucas being so strange?â
Avery shifted her eyes back in the direction of the kitchen, nervously shifting her feet. Lucas peaked back around the corner at the two of them, quickly ducking away again when Caitlin looked in his direction. Caitlin put on her best Mom pose, raising an eyebrow, cocking her hip, crossing her arms, and Avery gulped.
âYoung lady, you will tell me right now what is going on or--â Caitlin didnât like punishing her kids for mundane things, but it also wasnât like her children to lie to her. âOr you wonât be allowed to have dessert after dinner today.â It was the most mundane thing she could have come up with, to fit the mundane crime.
Avery looked stricken, and, seemingly before she could stop herself, exclaimed: âBut daddy said--â She clapped her hand over her own mouth before staring wide-eyed at her mom, probably hoping Caitlin had not heard the slight outburst. But she had.
âOh? And what did your father say?â She narrowed her eyes, suspecting something. But Avery wasnât talking anymore, and Caitlin wasnât going to push it. She sighed deeply, and went around her daughter, towards the kitchen. That got Avery moving again.
âNo! Wait mom⌠ummmâŚâ Avery was frantically pulling on Caitlinâs arm, but Caitlin was of course bigger and stronger than her nine year old daughter, so all she ended up doing was dragging her daughter down the hall.
Lucas was frantically running ahead of them, toddling along, but he couldnât move very fast, only being three. Caitlin caught up and scooped Lucas up into her arms, and he giggled despite himself. And thatâs how she entered the kitchen, three year old in her arms while her nine year old futilely tried to hold her back.
What greeted Caitlin in the kitchen was her husband sheepishly looking at her from the island, covered in flour, a nice vanilla scent permeating the space.
âUmmmâŚâ Chris was just as intelligible as their children. âGood morning Cait.â
âAre you⌠baking?â Caitlin stared at him incredulously. He could cook, sure, but baking had never been his strong suit.
âAh⌠yeah, sort of? Bitty sent me this recipe for your-- for me to try, and he said it should be so easy that even I couldnât mess it up.â Chris scratched behind his ear, like he did when he was trying to placate her when she was angry. She wasnât angry right then, but she was confused.
âAnd you just decided today of all days to try it?â Caitlin watched his reaction carefully, but all he did was stare at the oven. âAnd what are the kids doing?â
âOh⌠that. Well, Avery was helping me? With the baking. And Lucas was on the lookout for⌠well⌠youâŚâ Chris looked down at his feet. Caitlin wouldâve thrown her hands up in exasperation if she didnât still have a toddler in her arms.
âWhy were the kids on lookout for me, Christopher Chow?â She put down Lucas, and Avery finally let go of her arm, instead grabbing on to her little brother. Caitlin stepped around the island, and Chris followed her movements, until they were standing face to face in front of the oven.
âHave I ever told you how much I love you in that dress?â
âOnly five times each time I wear it from the day you bought me it. You canât escape the question.â
Unfortunately, one thing could save Chris, and it was the oven timer going off. He quickly shoved on an oven mitt, and pulled whatever was inside of the oven out, setting the pan on the stove. Caitlin looked over at it, before placing her hand over her mouth.
âIs that--â She didnât finish, but Chris nodded at her sheepishly.
âI wanted to get you something you loved, but you always lamented how the only person who you could find who made it right outside of your family was Bitty. And so I asked him for his recipeâŚâ
They both looked at the pan on the stove, staring at the cake. It was a bit lopsided, but it was definitely a cake. There wasnât a name for it, at least, not that Caitlin knew, and the only reason why Eric had a recipe is because she had asked him to make it once for her. It seemed like an ordinary chocolate cake, and it might have been if not for the very particular ingredients that Caitlin liked.
If it could be called anything, it could be called Caitlinâs Birthday Cake.
It had been awhile since she had had the cake on her actual birthday. Her parents rarely had the time to come visit around it, usually coming closer to a month later with a cake. If Eric was in town, heâd come by as close to the time as possibly and bake the cake, but he only traveled on Jackâs schedule sometimes, and his own schedule rarely.
Chrisâs adventures in the baking department meant he had never made it, or tried to make it, and Caitlin had been glad, no matter how much she loved him. His cooking skills were great, he made dinner most nights that he could. But anything he had baked just ended up⌠well, lopsided in both appearance and taste.
Caitlin hadnât realized she was crying until Chris had wiped a tear off her cheek, leaving a bit of flour behind, which he softly apologized for. Or maybe he apologized for some other reason, she couldnât be sure.
âUmm⌠so you woke up earlier than we intended and we canât eat it yet and probably wonât be able to eat it until after we get back from dinner but um⌠Happy Birthday Caitlin.â He smiled softly at her, and she laughed, before pulling him close and kissing him.
So maybe he did actually have something planned after all, even if she had ruined the surprise.
Happy Bitty's Valentine's! I hope you find this sweet!
_________
Itâs a slow day when She first comes in, and Chris is bored, which is what inspires him to try it.
The setup at Frogsâ Coffee and Tea is such that Nursey takes orders at the register and grabs pastries from the case before sending customers down to the other end of the counter where they can grab their drinks from Chris. (This arrangement is always the same- the one time they had switched jobs it had taken 3 hours to clean up the mess.)
When Frogsâ is busy, itâs all Chris can do to not spill scalding milk all over the floor, let alone make his lattes and mochas look elegant. However, the first day that he sees Her, itâs 2:00 on a Tuesday and for whatever reason they havenât had a customer in over an hour. That, combined with the fact that his first thought when he sees Her is omg so pretty, is why he attempts swirl a delicate flower into the top of her hazelnut latte. He slides it across to the counter to Her and smiles proudly.
She smiles back, but when she looks down at the latte, her smile freezes and she cocks her head to the side confusedly. Chris looks down at the latte again and has to admit it looks more like a blobby sun than a flower. He cringes a little inwardly, but when he glances back up at her, he finds no hint of disdain or mocking on her face. Sheâs still smiling, a little softer now, and she simply says, âThank you,â before taking her drink and heading out.
Chris gazes after her stupidly until Nursey comes down and pokes him.
+
Chris is finishing a drink for the last in a long line of customers, relieved to finally be getting a break, when he hears the jangle of the door opening once again and inwardly groans. However, when he glances up and sees Her again, this time surrounded by a few other people -all, including Her, wearing Samwell Volleyball sweatshirts- his annoyance transforms into butterflies in his stomach.
Instead of looking up at the menu, they are all looking straight at him.
âYouâre right, Farmer, he is cu-â one of Her companions says in a loud whisper, cut off by Her elbow and dissolving into giggles.
She - Farmer - rolls her eyes and shoves her friends toward a table before striding up to the counter and placing her order: the same as before, hazelnut latte.
She clearly remembers him (??!!) but he doesnât want her to forget or think he isnât interested, so he tries the latte art again, this time just the fern-leaf pattern heâs seen on so many cups on the internet (simpler is better, right?).
It comes out looking like a tipping-over Christmas tree, but he smiles as he slides it over to her anyway. She grins big, knowing, when she sees it, but still only says, âThank youâ, and joins her friends at the table.
âWhat was that all about?â comes a voice from behind him, and Chris turns to see Dex, Frogsâ delivery guy leaning against the counter next to a box of espresso beans.
âSeriously,â adds Nursey as he wanders down and throws his arm around Dexâs shoulders and leans against him. (Chris doesnât miss the way Dex slides his hand into the back pocket of Nurseyâs jeans.)
Chris explains, which elicits awws from Nursey, romantic (âbut, like, a chill one, Chowderâ), and eye rolls from Dex, who asks, âWhy donât you just write your number on the cup?â
Before he can answer, Nursey shoves his phone into Chrisâ face. Chris pulls back enough to focus on the screen, which shows YouTube videos on how to do fancy latte art.
Chris glances over at Farmer, only to find her looking back. They both smile. Chris turns back to Nursey.
âText me those links, will you?â
+
He practices during every shift, when itâs not busy, and he thinks heâs getting better, but itâs slow going. Farmer comes in a couple times a week and every time, he serves her the best he can do- flowers, faces, suns, bunnies.
+
âHey, Chowder, man, come check this out,â Dex says one day. âI found it through a Buzzfeed article.â
He shows Chris his phone. Itâs an Instagram account called cutebaristafails. The bio reads, âHeâs cute and heâs tryingâ. The pictures, when Chris scrolls through them, are all undoubtedly his lattes, specifically the ones heâs made for Farmer.
His first thought is to be hurt, or embarrassed, but Nursey points out that Farmer doesnât seem to be making of fun of him- she clearly thinks his tries at latte art are adorable and is charmed by the fact that he tries to make these creations for her. Her pictures never show him, his name, or the name of the shop, and are always zoomed in so that the shop canât be identified by the background.
After thinking about basically nothing else for 24 hours, Chris decides that what he actually feels is excited- his crush thinks heâs cute and heâs impressed her enough that she made an instagram account!
This feeling increases when, one day, he sees that Dex has commented on cutebaristafailsâ latest post. The picture is a wonky dogâs face that could also be the state of Texas, depending on how you look at it. The caption reads, âDonât know exactly what itâs supposed to be, but #hearteyesemojiâ.
Dexâs comment reads, âI think itâs supposed to be a way for the barista to get your attention because he likes you.â (Chris will shove Dex hard for that later.)
Best of all, cutebaristafails has replied, âhaha if thatâs true then itâs working!!â
+
Chris does worry, though. He needs to be seriously impressive, not just goofily impressive, or else when he does ask her out (which he will, he totally will), she might think itâs a joke.
So he picks up extra shifts so he can practice more. He takes a class at a coffee shop the next town over. Gradually, heâs able to do intricate designs- swans, human faces, dragons, classic works of art, and memorably, on Dexâs birthday, a penis.
(Nursey had laughed so hard that heâd knocked over a whole tray of danishes.)
Heâs gratified to see that his hard work is paying off when cutebaristafails posts a picture of his latest creation for her, a fierce tiger, with the caption, âI donât know if I can call these fails anymore, heâs getting really good!â
Dex comments, âjust change the account to cutebaristaflirts because thatâs what heâs doing,â and when Chris sees it, he throws a measuring cup at him.
(But the name of the account does change.)
+
When Chris realizes that Valentineâs Day falls on a Wednesday, one of the days Farmer regularly comes in, he starts working on his most intricate project yet.
When he slides the drink across the counter that day, there, swirled in milk and espresso, is his phone number. Farmerâs eyes light up and she grins bigger than she ever has before. This time, she doesnât just say thank you and leave.
+
Later that night, a new post appears on cutebaristaflirtsâ feed:
(If you canât see the photo: A picture of a latte with an intricate heart swirled on the top and a caption that says, âfirst dateâ with a string of heart emojis after it.)
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Chris Chow hadnât always been a merman. he'd been a regular human being for the majority of his life, until the night he was swimming in Half Moon Bay under the light of the half moon. This shell had caught the light of the moon, some type of conch shell, and he'd reached for it. To give to his mom, or for a special someone someday.
The moment he touched it, the water swirled around him. He couldnât see anything, except for the shell in his hand, which shone silver, brighter than the light of the moon could allow. When the water settled back to normal, he was nowhere near land, and he no longer had legs. Instead, he had a silver and grey shark tail. He could breathe underwater, talk to sea creatures, and swim great distances. And he was so utterly alone.
It had been five years since he'd spoken to another person. As far as Chris knew, there werenât other mermaids, and there was no way he was getting close to ships. All the stories heâd heard about mermaids when he was a kid had them captured or killed because sailors had heard of sirens drowning them. Chris didnât want to take any chances.
The fish werenât fun to talk to, dolphins were assholes, and as much as he loved them, he steered clear of sharks. He didnât know how they'd react to a merman with a shark tail. So for the most point, he stayed to himself. It'd been a lonely five years.
Chris didnât mind the loneliness sometimes. Staying away from fish and ships meant that he didnât get chased by them. He hadnât been sure if it would happen, but now that he is, he could only think he picked the wrong time to look through a shipwreck.
He'd watched as the ship sank, and as the crew escaped, and thought there wouldnât be any harm in looking through what was left behindâmaybe something he remembered from back when he was human, a memento to keep of a life he once had. All the other shipwrecks heâd come across had been completely destroyed, nothing worth saving, but a fresh wreck like this one might be fruitful.
Swimming through the debris, he'd hung himself on a plank, looking over something from the ship. He liked to rest his tail like this, never having thought before it happened how difficult it was to swim like a mermaid. Caught up in looking at the item in his hand he didnât notice the ship approaching until he could hear the shouts of the crew.
He turned in surprise, that quickly turned to horror, when he saw the flag flying from the topmast. Skull and crossbones. The figurehead drained the color from Chris. The fearsome shark that adorned the front of the ship meant this pirate ship was Los Tiburones. There was no way Chris was staying where he was.
Shouts of âget him!â came from the deck, and Chris shook into gear, pushing off the plank and trying to escape into the water. The shipwreck swirled around him, taking out almost all lines of exit. Panicking, Chris tried to swim from one end of the shipwreck to the other, trying to find a way out. As hard as he tried, he couldnât escape, scraping himself against the planks and jutting pieces of the ship he'd once thought harmless.
Swimming near the surface, he stared up at the boat, hoping they wouldnât bother going after him if he was underwater. To his horror, theyâd lowered a boat, going to where Chris had last been. Some of the pirates looked ready to dive into the water. The only escape Chris could see was by remaining at the surface, and if he did that he would be rediscovered.
The pirates reached where heâd been, stopping their boat near the plank. Chris watched as two of them prepared to dive. As far as he could tell, no one was looking over to where he was. It was now or never. He only had one shot at this. He spun away from the ship, breaching the surface.
âThere he is! Heâs over there! Capture that merman!â A voice called from the main ship, and Chris knew, just knew he wasnât going to escape in time. A rope looped around his waist, and as they tightened it, Chris stopped fighting. The rumors about pirates and mermaids were about to become his life. Killed or sold to the highest bidder, his hopes of ever being human again were ruined.
Chris crossed his arms as they pulled him onto the deck, trying not to give them the satisfaction of seeing how scared he was. Once theyâd pulled him all the way up, he lay on his back staring at no one, a determined look (he hoped) on his face. A shadow passed over him, and he angled his eyes back to see a pirate peering down at him.
She was beautiful. Teal eyes that shone like the sea framed by auburn hair falling over her shoulders. Better dressed than the rest of them, she seemed to be held in respect by the crew, who gave her space on all ends. Chrisâs eyes traveled down to the ornate sword at her hip, and he could see why they gave her space. He wanted to give her space. But on land (or deck), he was useless.
âHello, Mr. Merman,â she said softly, only for him to hear, wonder in her voice. âYouâre gonna fetch me a pretty sum, somewhere.â
She straightened up, eyeing Chris up and down. If he wasnât trying so hard to avoid everything about his situation, he would have squirmed under her scrutiny.
âAlright men. Take him to my cabin. Put him in the pool.â She turned her back on him, and Chris was hoisted by his arms by two of the men. He didnât have time to question how there was a pool on a pirate ship, as he was dragged along the deck.
He stared after the girl, who mightâve been the captain. he'd heard of Captain Farmer, of how feared she wasânever that she was a woman. She sailed the seven seas, sinking ships but never murdering the crew. No one ever saw her ship until it was too late.
 Chris had fallen right into her trap.
Or rather, he'd accidentally placed himself in her scheme, by being curious about the shipwreck. Now he was a captive of the Pirate Captain Farmer, sold to the highest bidder at her earliest convenience. At least he wasnât lonely anymore.
The men holding him shoved open a door, and he looked over his shoulder, curious to see what this pool was. But, when he looked through the door, there didnât seem to be any pool at all. Just a normal shipâs cabin.
âShe musta turned it off, then,â one of the pirates grunted. He let go of Chris, who watched as the pirate moved to a mirror in the corner. He pawed at the back of it, muttering to himself, before giving a satisfied huff, as the mirror began to glow. He placed it on the ground, and Chris watched in awe as it expanded into a sizeable pool. The pirate walked over and grabbed Chris again, and they dragged him over to the pool.
Chris moved his tail in order to make it easier for them, and slid into the water. He didnât think it'd be wise to fight back. There wasnât anything he could do in the center of the ship. he'd resigned himself to his fate. Five minutes ago, and five years ago.
~
It took another hour before Captain Farmer entered her cabin, slamming the door shut and sitting at her desk with a huff, waking Chris from a nap. He lazily looked at her, wanting her to make the first move.
She finally looked at him. Chris had seen the sea too much over the last five years, yet he loved her sea colored eyes. Ironic, considering the glare she fixed on him.
âSo, Mr. Merman, are there more of you?â She couldnât hide the curiosity from creeping into her voice, but her question only amused him for a moment, before he remembered his predicament.
âNot as far as I know. I havenât seen any,â he said. Thinking for a moment, he added, âMy nameâs Chris.â
âI guess Mr. Merman isnât a name.â She shook her head, moving on. âI wonder if youâve heard about me. Iâm Captain Caitlin Farmer, and you are my prisoner aboard my ship, Los Tiburones.â
âIâve heard of the captain of Los Tiburones. No one ever said it'd be someone like you,â Chris said, laying his head down on his folded arms. This probably wasnât the time to flirt, but if this was to be one of his last chances, he might as well take it.
âWhat, a woman?â
âNo, a beauty.â He smirked up at her, catching the flush of her face before she turned away with a huff. He smiled wider. This might be fun.
âWell, Chris, youâre going to earn me more money than I could get selling trinkets.â She turned back to him, the blush gone and her manner all business. Chris flicked his tail in agitation. The first time he got to talk to a human in five years, and it had to be a pirate.
âRest up, because this will be quite the journey for you.â
~
The next morning, Chris awoke to Caitlin sitting at her desk, huddled over a map of the area. He was content to watch, but she noticed him staring.
âChris, what's that shell youâve tied around your waist?â She pointed to the water, and Chris resisted the urge to look down. he'd kept the shell that'd made him a merman, hoping it'd turn him back someday.
âWhat, no âgood morningâ?â He joked, but before she reacted he sighed, pulling the shell out to show her. She reached out as if to touch it, and Chris pulled it a back. âI wouldnât do that if I were you.â
âWhat do you mean?â Caitlin pulled her hand back anyways.
âI wasnât always like this, you know.â He flicked his tail out of the water. âA merman, I mean.â He told her what had happened to him, and she looked at him in sympathy.
âYou havenât talked to anyone in five years? Yet you talk to me so easily. If I were you, Iâd be more apprehensive,â she responded when he finished.
âI couldnât escape the shipwreck. The moment you caught me, I decided not to fight it. If I was going to be sold and probably killed for whatever magic they thought I had, I might as well have the first actual conversation Iâve had in five years, you know?â He sighed, remembering his fate. It was easy to forget when talking to Caitlin.
âYou think when I sell you, theyâll kill you?â She asked. Her voice seemed impossibly small, like she hadnât considered that possibility.
âHavenât you heard? Mermaid scales have magical propertiesâto heal, to make someone fall in love with you, anything anyone could want. I havenât found mine to be any more magical than this dumb shell is now.â He glared at the shell in his hand, but even if he knew it wouldnât get him anywhere, he held on to it. It was his last bit of hope.
Caitlin looked at him with sad eyes. He didnât want the pity of a pirate who was going to sell him away. He dove into the pool as deep as he could go. Heâll just stay there until the end.
~
 For a week, Chris stayed at the bottom of the pool. Someone would toss food in, and was grateful, but he missed talking to Caitlin. The first time he'd talked to anyone and the only chance he would get, and he was avoiding it. He decided, rather than stay down there for the rest of his life, heâd let it go. It wasnât Caitlinâs fault, he figured.
He swam to the surface, breaching the water, and connecting hard with something solid. Rubbing at his head, he looked over to see what it was, only to find Caitlin doing the same.
âChris! I thoughtâyou wereâsorry. Iâm sorry that I didnât know.â She looked apologetic, but she didnât say she wouldnât do it.
âWhy were you leaning over the pool, Cait?â
âOh, that⌠I didnât know how to apologize with you down there. I donât know⌠I was trying to figure out how to talk to you. I considered jumping into the pool, but it isnât really big enough for two people,â she answered. She was sincere. Chris didnât know how to deal with that.
âIâm glad you didnât. Itâs not even big enough for me. My tail was getting cramped.â As if to prove this, he flicked his tail, spraying her with droplets that made her laugh. Chris thought he liked her laugh. He smiled at her, accepting her apology.
They talked for awhile about in particular, avoiding the topic of his eventual sale. They found that theyâd grown up not far from each other, though of course Chrisâs reason for leaving and Caitlinâs reason for leaving were far different. They talked about the irony of his shark tail and her shipâs name.
They talked right up until one of her crew members called her away. She didnât want to leave, but her duties as captain required her to go. Chris was sad to see her leave. He would be sad to leave her when it came time to do so. He swam to the bottom once again and began a tally counting down the days until he had to leave, but until then, heâd make the most of it.
~
For the next few weeks, he and Caitlin talked daily. He looked forward to their talks more than anything. He didnât know if it was because heâd gone the five years without it, or if he really did like her.
After three weeks, he thought he loved her. She was easy to talk to, and the more they talked, the more they found they had in common. He flirted with her, and he thought she flirted back. But he knew it wasnât going anywhere. They only had a week left together, before they reached his final destination.
Chris knew when theyâd gotten to their destination when he heard the call for land. Caitlin had gone silent for a few moments, before turning back to Chris.
âThat means I should go. Today is your last day here⌠but by the end of tomorrow youâll be gone.â She looked so sad for a moment that Chris wanted to reach out and touch her face, wipe away the tears if they fell. But the moment ended, and she left her cabin.
Chris swam to the bottom. The four weeksâ worth of tallies stared back at him, and he drew the final tally. One more day, and then he would never see Caitlin again. One more day to live. He didnât want any more regrets. He couldnât see his family or go home ever again, but he didnât want to leave with this last regret.
He went to wait for Caitlin. He thought he loved her, and he wasnât going to die regretting never saying anything.
She came back a few hours later, but she didnât look at him at all, instead going to her bed, where he couldnât see her. He wanted to say something but couldnât. It was only when he heard the stifled sobs that he said anything.
âCaitlin⌠I need to talk to you,â he said, and he heard her shift.
âThereâs nothing you can do to save yourself,â she said, but she still moved to the pool. Her eyes were red, and Chris reached out to wipe away the lingering tears. She leaned into his hand, closing her eyes to the touch.
âI love you, Caitlin.â
She opened her eyes, and looked at him for what seemed like forever, searching for something, though he couldnât figure out what. He stayed where he was until the tears began to stream down her face.
âNo, please donât say that. Please,â she whispered, and Chris pulled his hand away. She closed her eyes, and her tears dropped into the pool. This wasnât the reaction he expected. He knew that she couldnât do anything about it, with her crew expecting the money they'd get from his sale.
âItâs the truth, Cait. But it's ok. You donât have to say the same.â He really wanted her to say the same. âI know that you have an obligation to your crew. I just didnât want to leave with any regrets.â
She cried harder, sobbing softly. He moved to pull away, and her eyes snapped open, fear he didnât expect painted over her face.
âNo! Donât go. Please. Chris⌠I love you too.â She put her face into her hands, and Chris stared in shock. He didnât expect to hear it back. He reached over and pulled her hands away gently, holding them as best as he could while holding himself up.
She looked at him with such sadness, Chris decided he would leave without any regrets. He pushed until he was level with her face and kissed her.
The water swirled around him, like it had five years prior. But instead of growing a tail, he lost it. He was human again. He pulled himself out of the water, marveling at his legs.
âWhat happened?â Caitlin moved to where he sat, and Chris shook his head in amazement.
âHave you heard of true loveâs kiss, with the power to break any spell?â He smiled at her, and she pulled him into another kiss. And he could keep kissing her for the rest of his life.
How about some farmer and chowder? There's not enough of that!!!
Chris felt his jaw drop when the door swung open. Caitlinsmiled back at him from the doorway.
âI went out with Hailey earlier,â she said,tugging at the edge of her blue dress. It sparkled. âHow do I look?â
He suddenly felt ten degrees warmer under the dress shirtBitty had all but forced on him earlier. Caitlin lookedâ wow. Chris couldnât even describe how she looked.
Her dress fit her perfectly and sheâd pinned her hair up andand sheâd done that smokey thing with her eyes that Chris didnât understand at all andâ
How did she look? She lookedâ Of course, she always lookedâ
âYou look amazing,âhe said, awed. Then he quickly added, âNot that you donât look great everyday! Youâre always really pretty! I meantââ
Caitlin laughed and walked down the steps to meet him,looping her arm through his. They were the same height, but Caitlin was half aninch taller than him in her heels.
âAnd it looks like you got dressed up too,â shesaid, nudging him with her elbow as they walked toward the road. âYou looknice.â
Chris felt his face get hot. Caitlin always made himflustered. In a good way.
âThanks!â He said. âBitty helped.â
Caitlin laughed again, and Chris felt his heart swell.
âIs that for me?â She asked, pointing at his hands. He suddenly remembered the rose heâd been holding. Heâd forgotten about it when sheâd stepped outside, so Chris quickly handed it over.Â
âYes!â He said just as Caitlin said, âThank you.â
They both paused, waiting for the other to continue. Then Caitlin smiled widely, and he couldnât help but do the same. She tucked the rose behind her ear as they walked.Â
âWhat time does the bus get here?â She asked. Theyhad made it to the corner. A cool breeze blew by, and for a moment Chowderwished he had brought his hoodie no matter what Bitty said so at least he couldoffer Caitlin a jacket if it got too cold. That was what his dad always did forhis mom.
Then again, Caitlin was already wearing a light sweater. Somaybe she was already thinking ahead. She was really smart like that.
âI think it should be here in the next tenminutes,â he told her.
They were the only ones at the bus stop, but Caitlin steppedcloser until her side was fully pressed against his. The night was cool, butthe air around them felt very warm. Chris couldnât help smiling back at her.
Olive Garden had nothing on the food Bitty had made fortheir lunch date last week, but Chris was pretty sure they were going to have agreat time anyway.