Little Red Riding Hood;

β & Ω

"Wha—" He began and beamed. It certainly took no real effort for Jongin to ease up and warm to people. (He suppose the sweetness had a large thing to do with that.) He nodded and smiled coy, "Thank you! I will go be patient." He said as he went to go back and sit. Sure, as an alpha he was expected to behave a certain way but admittedly being that way was too tiring and restricting if he was all the time. Anyway, he preferred getting along with other wolves than to not. Plus, she wasn’t from a pack. So it was harmless, he thought. (He figured he was much nicer to girls than boy wolves anyway— it was nearly impossible to resist someone who reminded him thoroughly of his older sisters. They would have beaten him if he was rude to a girl.)

Her gaze followed him as he left the counter to sit again before she turned back to her work. Making cakes wasn't all that difficult, and it was something that Tiffany prided herself in. The phrase "baked with love" was practically created for Tiffany, as she put much effort and passion into each delectable good. Baking was relaxing for her, and she enjoyed it thoroughly. She hummed to herself as she prepared the crust before a thought crossed her mind. She hadn't asked him what kind of cake he wanted. She looked at the boy, as if that would give her the answer. Then, she smiled to herself. She decided she would surprise him with a different kind of pie. It was going to be October, and pumpkin pie was always a popular selection. Humming to herself, she slipped the pie crust into the oven to bake for ten minutes. The alpha was sitting by himself. As another thought crossed her mind, she didn't hesitate to walk up to the boy. She chewed on her bottom lip before saying, "Hey, do you have any allergies? I don't want to give you something that would have a bad effect on you."

Tiffany nodded unconsiously. She remembered the excitement when she told her father what she wanted to pursue as a career and how proud he had been. It had been a whirlwind from there. Medical books and lots of online research had followed her decision. And then, it was all gone in a single night Just like that. That dream had become something seemingly impossible and left her confused and worried. Still not fully accustomed to shifting, a job as serious as a nurse just wasn't going to happen for her--not yet, anyway. "Yes," she murmured. "Things have defintiely changed since then." She let a sigh slip through her lips. "At least it's not that bloody. You know me and serious gore. I just... nope." She smiled and shook her head to emphasize. The conversation was drifting, or so it felt like it. Jieun must have been curious as to why Tiffany's post high school aspirations were never fulfilled and why she had stayed away for so long. Tiffany adjusted her position in the seat, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. If Jieun found out, what would she do? Would she judge? Tiffany could smell the scent of a beta all over Jieun, so she assured herself that there was nothing to fear or hide. Still, she couldn't quite convince herself.

All thoughts of worry or tenseness left him. He was solely concentrating on the cake before him. He could much less care if she wasn’t from his pack anymore. Jongin’s heart certainly laid within his stomach and his own lack of skill in the kitchen made him put her in a good light. He finished a bit too quickly and went back to the counter after taking another sip of his espresso.  He pulled out his wallet. “Can I get another piece?” He asked, with a tilt of his head.

Comepletly engrossed in searching for cake ingredients, the alpha's words made her jump a little. She whipped her head in his direction before his words sunk in. He wanted another slice. She couldn't help but grin. This alpha knew how to be flattering, that was certain. Obviously he must have liked the cake. She nodded in his direction. "It'll be a bit of a wait. I hope you don't mind. I'm making a fresh cake right now." She gestured to her setup on the counter. "If you can wait, I'll bring it out as soon as I'm done." She felt compelled to return his indirect kindness. She didn't even think before saying, "Don't worry about the money. It's on the house."

When Tiffany walked into the cafe, she had immediately noticed Baekhyun--it was hard not to. The boy was sittting alone silently, clearly lost in overwhelming thoughts. She wanted to approach him but didn't want to make him any more upset than he already seemed. She wouldn't forgive herself if that happened. Unsure of what to do, she moved to the side and watched him curiously. When he laid his head down in a sort of defeat, she gave up resisting her need to get involved. How could she not go to him when something was clearly on his mind? That was unforgivable, and she wouldn't let herself be that kind of careless person. Baekhyun was a friend, and she knew he had gone through terrible things before. Drink long forgotten, Tiffany walked behind him and tapped on his shoulder. Making eye contact, she pressed her lips together and tilted her head to the side to mirror his. "Hey, you all right?" She raised her brows questioningly before pulling out the seat across from him to sit. "You look....troubled, Baekhyun. Did something happen?" She didn't mean inquire him accusingly or rudely. She only had concern for the older.

β & Ω

He took the plate happily and the drink almost forgetting she was another wolf he didn’t know and that was seemingly dangerous. Instead he took a bite of the cake and a happy smile formed on his face. Yes, he needed better eating habits but boy was it worth it. He grinned faintly as he decided to utilize the coffee before he fell asleep sitting up. He gave her a thumbs up, not wanting to offend her with his mouth full of cake. He hummed to himself and swallowed. “Very good.” He said, “Man, I need to learn to make this stuff.” Then he would never eat healthy again.

Tiffany nodded in appreciation. "It's really not that hard," she replied. "You could probably figure it out really quickly." She paused, debating on whether or not to retreat behind the counter again. After all, it would be uncomfortable to stand around like this when someone is trying to eat. Tiffany wasn't one to be rude, so she dips her head in a small bow before moving to the display case. She would have to start a new batch of sweets soon before the supply in the display disappeared. She tapped her cheek twice before moving behind the counter. As she pulled out a mixing bowl and other necessities, she kept an eye on the alpha just in case he have the nerve to try anything. She wouldn't let that happen, not in her beloved cafe.

He handed over the money, stomach growling loudly. He probably should of choose something more healthy but he had always been a unhealthy eater. He probably eat a real meal later when he got a lunch break. He instead turned to go sit in a empty table by the window to wait for her to get finished. He was pretty sure he was going to devour the sake within a few seconds. He rubbed the back of his neck to ease the tenseness. He looked up when she finally was done and heading to him with his order. “Thanks.” He said simply. “I was told the food here was to die for.” He mused aloud.

Tiffany slid the cake on the table when she heard his comment. Though she hadn't decided how she felt about this stranger, the boy's statement was taken as a compliment. Most mornings, Tiffany would take the earliest shift to come in and help bake fresh cakes. She smiled and bowed her head in thanks, still pleasantly surprised. "Ah, really?" She said. "I'm glad." She wasn't sure what else to say. What else would someone say? Realizing that she's still holding his cup of espresso, she placed it onto the table. "Sorry, here you go." She gave the boy another smile, the comment clearly having broken some ice. "I hope you like it." She almost told the boy how she had been the one to make the very slice on his place but refrains from doing so. She could tell he needed his energy. "Please enjoy!"

He was curious. As anyone would be when approaching a new wolf. But it wasn’t his place to question her. At least not there. If she belonged to another pack she wasn’t a friend. If she was indeed packless as he imagined she would be then it wasn’t as bad. But she still couldn’t be trusted. He’d make sure he watched her. “A large please.” He said. He would need something to keep him on his feet during his coming shift. He didn’t know why he hadn’t slept much knowing he had to work. Well, he knew why. But sleeping was sometimes a second priority given his duties and responsibilities. 

Tiffany, all to familiar with the ordering process, nodded. "All right. Your total is 8,500 won. Feel free to take a seat." Her eyes flickered to the tables and chairs assembled around the interior then to the boy's gaze. "I'll bring it to you once it's ready. It shouldn't be more than five minutes." Tiffany would always bring out the customer's orders to them personally as a kind gesture, but in this situation, she couldn't help but want some space from the boy. She set to work behind the counter and started up the coffee machine. His espresso didn't take to long to make, to her dismay. Espressos were never difficult for her. She pulled out a fresh slice cheesecake from the display. Glancing at the boy again, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves before approaching him with the coffee and cake.