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Working in a large cafe in a busy area of Naples, you saw countless different people throughout your day. Some of them were kind, thanking you when you brought them their food and drinks and always smiling as you walked by. Some of them were regulars who slipped you large tips even though they knew you technically weren't supposed to accept them. Others were rude, throwing their drinks on you because it wasn't up to their standards and then demanding a free meal. Despite the uniqueness of each person that visited, there was routine to your day: Take their order, tell the kitchen, bring it out to them, check up on them every now and then, and bring them their check. No matter how the customer treated you during that process, the steps were always the same.
Your days began to blur into each other the longer you worked. You could no longer differentiate the odd from the normal, as you had grown accustomed to the most bizarre situations. From the polygamous couple that frequented, to the foreigners who demanded you speak their language, to the people who brought dogs in strollers; none of it made you bat an eye.
You were so used to the crazy scenarios that you barely looked up from your notepad as you took the order of the customer before you. You confirmed the man's order, repeating it to him to make sure everything sounded right. Looking up from your scribbles to tell him his order would be out within the next few minutes, you noticed for the first time that the man was covered in blood.
"A-are you okay?" Out of instinct, you reached into your pocket for your handkerchief. Without much thought, you leaned forward and began scrubbing away the the dried blood splattered on the stranger's cheek. You pulled away once it was gone, not yet comprehending what you had done until you registered the confused expression of the man before you.
"Oh my god. I'm so sorry!" You bowed profusely to the man, muttering an endless string of apologies for your unwarranted actions. His confused look was replaced by one of amusement, and you swallowed harshly at the attractive smirk plastered on his face. "I'll be right back with your food!"
You darted away from the stranger, embarrassment making itself clear on your cheeks. Fumbling with the clips, you secured his order onto the belt and rushed away from all your coworkers. A few of them shot you concerned glances, but most were too busy with their own tasks to notice your panicked state. You ran to the bathroom in the corner of the large interior, locking yourself in a stall and taking deep breathes in an attempt to calm yourself.
You dragged your palms down the skirt of your apron to wipe away the sweat that had quickly developed. Counting to five with each inhale, you were able to steady your pulse and regain your composure. That's when the images of your customer welcomed themselves inside your mind, materializing behind your eyelids every time you blinked.
His cocky smirk after you realized what you had done was etched into your mind. His unnatural lilac hair was complimented by his bright teal eyes. Having never seen anything like it, the clothing he wore would forever be burned into the depths of your memory. His shirt and pants seemed to be connected as one large piece, although much of his top half was exposed, half of it covered only by two thick straps wrapping around his body. His shirt, if you could even consider it that, only had one full sleeve, yet he wore dark gloves on both hands. A dark purple mask was tied around his face, completely covering one of of his eyes. For once you fully understood how strange your customer was. Not only did he show up to a popular cafe covered in blood, but he did it in broad daylight as if it were an every day occurrence. He was also unbothered by you cleaning the rusty red stains off his face. He seemed to find it more entertaining than anything else.
From the distance you could hear one of the chefs shouting your name, signifying your order was ready to be brought out. You took one more deep breath, mentally preparing yourself to encounter your customer again. Thanking the chef as you scooped up the dish, you made your way back over to the mystery man. As you approached you noticed most of the blood that was on him before was now gone, the only remnants being what he couldn't get out of his clothing. He was staring intently at the screen of a computer, tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth ever so slightly as he focused.
Your cheeks flared up at the sight. This was the first time a customer had ever made you feel so flustered, and you weren't sure if it was because you made a fool of yourself within the first five minutes of meeting him, or if it was because you had taken detailed note of just how beautiful he was. You cleared your throat nervously, earning the attention of the lilac haired man before you.
"Your order, sir." You waited till he moved his laptop out of the way to set his dish down. You bowed curtly and turned around to leave the awkward situation as quickly as possible, but stopped when you felt a slight tug against the back of you apron.
"Ah... excuse me, miss?" You spun back around hesitantly, not knowing if you were about to get scolded or not. "What's your name?"
"Y-Y/n." You stuttered, anxious from the direct eye contact he was holding with you. You could see your own reflection in his shining eyes, and you tried to swallow your nerves down.
"Thank you for cleaning my face off earlier, Y/n. I had completely forgotten I was such a mess. It saves me much of the embarrassment." He smiled gentle at you, a glint of something darker hidden beneath his eyes. Just from the way he looked at you, you could tell he knew the effect he had on you.
"I-it was nothing. I just kind moved on instinct..."
"Still, most people would have been shocked and greatly worried to see someone covered in blood seated in their cafe. You, on the other hand, didn't even look fazed by it."
"You see a lot of weird things during the day when you work as much as I do," you chuckled. "I guess I just didn't register what it was and went straight to mom mode."
The man before you laughed at your joke, which only made your cheeks turn an even darker shade of red.
"Say, I like you a lot. I'd like it if we could meet up again, maybe outside of your work this time?"
Your mouth dropped before you could answer. You closed it quickly, not wanting to look like an idiot.
"I don't even know your name." You leaned into your hip, trying to show some sort of self confidence.
"Melone," his name spilled from his lips like honey. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
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This is a little short and I wasn't really sure the direction I wanted to go with it, but I hope you guys still like it :) I'm trying to look for more inspo for these oneshots cause I've been lacking lately, so if there's anything you guys wanna see feel free to comment or message me!
Header Image Link: https://static.zerochan.net/Melone.%28Vento.Aureo%29.full.2496052.jpg