Tropes included in this chapter (check teaser for full tags) : Mechanic Caleb x college student f.reader (works part-time at a coffee shop) + grumpy x sunshine + clumsy and awkward reader (second-hand embarrassment?? lol) + slow-burn + our girl has a teeny crush (??) and she lives life like it's rainbows and sunshine
"I don’t think it’s the only time we saw each other."
Author Note: let me know what you guys think!!
Your fingers stop above the screen for half a second. Of course. It would be him.
You quickly recover, forcing a smile before he can notice your lingering gaze.
“Welcome!” You greet him with a gentle grin.
He gives a brief nod as a greeting, hands already moving inside his jeans pocket to grab his wallet, “An Iced Americano.”
You nod quickly, typing in the order.
Was this his usual order?
You can feel his gaze on you.
“And your name is…” You trail off.
Caleb parts his lips to answer for you, but you finish your sentence.
“Caleb, right?.” You nod yourself, pressing in the letters.
Caleb quirks a brow at that.
“Anything else?” You question, raising your eyes to meet him.
Caleb tilts his head slightly at that, blinking slowly before clearing his throat. “No. Thank you.”
The hour passes by and you fall into your same work routine. With your 6 hour shift over, it was a bit over 2 pm. You remove the apron, placing it neatly into your tote bag.
The soft splattering of rain against the restaurant windows makes you pause with one hand on the door handle.
You stare outside for a second, watching umbrellas bloom across the sidewalk like flowers.Of course it would start raining five minutes before your shift ended.
You glance into your tote bag anyway. Wallet. Keys. Apron. No umbrella.
You step outside, the rain greeting you almost instantly. The streets move in a slow rhythm—umbrellas bobbing through the crowd, couples sharing small spaces beneath one canopy, children perched on their parents' arms as they chatter endlessly about their day.
Cars passing by and the tires aggressively forming splashes of water that coat the pavement.
You place your hand above your head as you rush towards the bus stop.
No matter how much you tried to cover the wet droplets from hitting your form. It leaves your hair damp, droplets slipping from the ends onto the shoulders of your black bomber jacket.
By the time you arrive at your apartment complex, you run a hand over your wet strands of hair, entering the elevator.
Your eyes focus on removing some droplets from your cheeks using the reflecting elevator doors, before they glance at the silhouette standing next to you. You raise your eyes to the figure, a soft grin appearing.
He just had to see you when you looked like a wet mouse…
“Oh! Hi. You’re Caleb right? We’re neighbours." You exclaim. This is the first time you tried to strike up a conversation despite seeing him often. Where did the courage come from? You have no idea.
His gaze shifts from the elevator doors to you...giving a curt nod. Oh, so he remembers? And knows you’re neighbours? You take this as a sign.
You clear your throat, patting your chest to make sure your throat doesn’t get dry.
“We saw each other twice in the restaurant. I don’t know if you recall, but it was yesterday and this morning. Exactly 8:15 a.m. I took your order-–”,You pause when you realize you’re rambling.
You shift your weight from one foot to the other, letting out an awkward chuckle.
It’s silent. The lighting numbers on the elevator blink quietly. 1, 2, 3…
“I don’t think it’s the only time we saw each other.” He said flatly.
Your head turns toward him so quickly you're surprised your neck doesn't protest.
A soft grin reappears, “...Uh…right, we–”, You pause.
“So, you remember me?”, You exclaim with big eyes, hands gripping the strap of your bag.
He sends a brief glance your way, before pushing his hands into his jean pocket, letting out a low sigh.
"You leave quite an impression.", He mumbles, eyes flickering to your wet hair before averting it quickly.
Your grin morphs into an awkward grimace.
Oh, he remembers…so the bed hair and fallen cherries you scrambled to collect?
“I’d rather you think we only met twice. Let’s ignore the other times.”, You shake your head while pursing your lips.
Caleb’s lips twitch slightly at that, running a hand through his tousled hair. You glance at him before looking back at the numbers on the elevator display ascending.
He looked tired today, maybe a long day? You also catch the small scar near his cheekbone which you never noticed before.
The elevator felt smaller with his presence.
The dinging sound brings you back.
The elevator doors open and he waits till you walk out before stepping out as well. You clear your throat as both of your footsteps echo down the silent hallway.
“So…we never talked before.”, You trail off, trying to make small talk.
“And…I think getting to know each other is helpful?”You end with an awkward smile.
He glances briefly, pausing at his door unit as you also stop. Your doors face each other and you turn to face him with a wide smile.
“How would it be helpful?”, he questions, hands hovering to his keypad.
You shrug, fiddling with the edge of your jacket sleeve. “We could ask each other for help with basic things. Like…”, You trail off.
“Oh, like…borrowing something, for example sugar!”
"We got a convenience store nearby for that."
You rub the back of your neck.
"Right... we do, don't we?"
An awkward laugh escapes you.
"Well... if you ever need extra sugar..."
You gesture toward your apartment.
"...you know where I live."
Your social skills quietly submit their resignation.
You nod, shifting from one foot to the other. He types in his passcode on the keypad and your gaze flickers away to give privacy as you also turn to press on the number-printed buttons.
The beep sound signals his door opening as you turn to glance at him. He pauses, turning around, dark eyes running across your form.
You glance down at yourself. Well, you knew that?
His gaze lingers on the droplets slipping from your hair before settling on your rain-darkened jacket.
"Go warm up." He mumbles dryly before his door closes behind his form.
You bite back a grin, pushing your door as you walk into your apartment, closing it quietly as you stare at your apartment door for a second. Maybe getting to know your neighbour wouldn't be so impossible after all.
Picture credits from Pinterest to the rightful owners!
Divider credits to @muerdida
Tag list: @smeetywerben @yes-ishipit @rxelarailuj @redp4ndaz @youkoden
