For your WIPs: Austen Over Cappuccino (of course!) 😆
It’s a coffee shop au and the draft is from 2016. Here are some little snippets. :X
@tuesdayisfordancing ;) the other one will take me a while. ;)
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Whenever Jimmy sat in his favourite spot at the window, listening to old-style music from the jukebox opposite the counter while sipping his cappuccino, time seemed to slow down to a pleasant pace.
From the table tucked furthest into the corner, Jimmy watched the morning pass, sniggering quietly behind his laptop at Thomas's witty remarks some customers didn't even get. Being the professional he was, Thomas did his best to always come across as friendly and polite. His smile, however, seemed to hold a particular softness only for Jimmy. Odd little frissons of joy jolted through his body everytime he caught Thomas stealing a glance or tossing him a smirk from behind the counter. Â Every minute spent at Carson's was pure escapism; Jimmy realized that here, he felt a little less tense. A little less lonely.
Eventually, at around lunchtime, Jimmy would leave the coffee shop with an almost blank word document and a far-away smile on his lips.
“What are you reading today, Jimmy?“ Thomas asked while cleaning the neighbouring table from crumbs and spilled coffee. “Pride and Prejudice,“ Jimmy said, sinking a little further into his chair. He felt irrationally embarrassed, as if Thomas had caught him doing something shameful.
Jimmy looked up from his book and saw Thomas's eyes sparkle. He waved a quick hand. “It’s for uni.“
“D'you not like it? So you’re not the romantic sort, then?“ Thomas wondered, a forced lightness in his voice. His gaze dropped back to the table as he wiped the same spot over and over.
“Dunno.“ Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. “For the right person I might be.“ Jimmy bit his inner cheek; he was sure he hadn't meant to say these words but immediately, Thomas's head shot up. He gave him a long examining look which Jimmy was sure turned his face a colour matching Thomas's cheeks.
Two weeks had passed and Jimmy was still sour about this whole business with Thomas. The thing was, Jimmy had liked the Carson's. And he had liked Thomas, until the idiot had to go and ruin everything with his stupid confession of … of love or whatever it was Thomas thought he felt for him.
Of course Jimmy had noticed the way Thomas was looking at him sometimes; as if he were some magical creature from another world.
Nevertheless, Jimmy had never thought of Thomas as a gay man and though part of Jimmy must have always known, the way you just know there's dust behind the cupboard, it had never manifested as a serious thought. He was just Thomas to him, with the bright eyes and a wit as sharp as his cheekbones.Â
Jimmy had always felt some sort of bond between them, like a thin silver thread that united them; as undefined and fragile as it may be. Now, it seemed that all Thomas wanted was-, well, his intentions were rather clear to Jimmy. Thomas was in love with him. Wanted to have sex with him, most likely, and that notion made something pull low in Jimmy‘s stomach. At the same time, an odd sense of betrayal tugged at his heart.
Because if Thomas was in love with him, it hadn't been a choice. Friendship was a choice, love never was. And for some reason it was crucial to Jimmy that Thomas had chosen him over everyone else.
“I-“ It felt like eternity until Jimmy managed to scramble the words together. “I'm sorry for what I said. For what I did. I didn‘t mean to. I was just so-, I was-“
“What can I get you, sir?“ Thomas was staring past him, a slight tremble to his lips as he spoke.
“What? Stop calling me sir, Thomas-“
“What can I get you, James?“ He was keeping his face blank as paper, but Jimmy saw his hand clench and unclench on the counter.
“I don‘t care. The usual. You know what I like.“, Jimmy said, confused for a moment.
“I used to think that, too. Turned out I was wrong.“ Thomas's mouth turned into a bitter smile. “So I decided not to presume things anymore.“
