Cafin and Roll Joint CHP - 1 (Patreon)

Lapis asked if i was planning on continuing with them babies and i am ABSOLUTELY writing a whole small book about them and will fill it with illustrations and hope you like it. So <3 just so you don't think imma leave you hanging, here is my first **UNEDITED** Chapter. (also, I'm kinda making all the chapter titles into Musical references)

1. What’s Inside

“Sugar, Butter…. Flour”

Mateo sings to himself in the cold of dusk while pouring the filling of a pie into its mold. His apron full of flour and egg stains. He’s been at it for a while, early enough to be dangerous in the reef, but Mateo has always had little disregard to his safety, forever thinking he’s on borrowed time. 

He finishes the pie placing an intricate braid over it. 

“My whole life is inside...” He sings.

“Again with the musicals?” Undine chatters in. “You’re going to get us fired, Ma’am said she doesn’t want us singing in the kitchen again” 

Undine wraps the apron around her waist as she approaches Mateo. She kisses his cheek lightly and grins.

“Good Morning Love, didn’t hear you leave the house” Undine takes the pie from his hands “Let me help you with that”

Mateo chuckles “We ain’t married Undie, we’re just roomies, plus, you were too comfortable to wake you up”

Undine places the pie in the oven and casts an angry look at him. 

“Mhm… And i suppose this doesn’t have anything to do with you leaving before there’s any light outside?”

Mateo looks away and busies himself by cleaning his worktable.  

Undine hugs him from behind “Please take better care of yourself. If anything happened to you”

“Nothing is going to happen to me” Mateo squeezes out of the hug “I’m too handsome to be eaten” 

Undine rolls her eyes and busies herself. It’s time to open shop and they must get started, she would be pouring the Coffee, whilst Mateo would be placing the pastries, he baked overnight, on the counter. It’s hard work, but they love it. Five years ago, two little teens met while temping at this very same coffee shop and became the tightest friends ever. Mateo offered Undine to crash over his place to cut expenses and they have been roommates ever since. 

To Mateo there has never been anything as constant and reliable as baking. Sure it relies on a  basic knowledge and an overall recipe but everything else is confetti. Endless possibilities and yet, everything would still have to stick to the same measurements any other pastry of that kind has. Baking was a constant he needed in his life. Not unlike Undine, who loved the smell and texture of Coffee, the variety it could be morphed in, a latte, a moka, a cappuccino… etc. So many possibilities and all thanks to her. She loved going back home to rest and finding her hair smelling to coffee still. She was happy, as happy as she could be. 

They were a easy combo to serve together and they were happy to do it every day. It was almost comforting that things never changed around there. Until they did.

Undine makes herself at home behind the counter, counting cups and labelling the milk cartons to use for later.

The bell rings signaling their first customer of the day, it does not however warns of the headache it’s bringing.

“Good Morning, Honey” A siren approaches the counter, her scales shiny as gold and blinging to every touch of light.

A chuckle can be heard from the kitchen.

“What are you doing here so early?” Undine groans as she turns to face her.

“Well, I could not wait one second more to see your beautiful face my love!”  She says with a wink.

Mateo emerges from the kitchen, clucking and carrying a freshly baked pie to place on the counter “Morning Aglaia” He says

Undine shoots him an angry look “what side are you on pipsqueak”

Aglaia beams at the recognition and waves at Mateo with excitement. “Hello Mr Baker! How are you today.”

Undine side smiles “Miss Aglaia please, if you’re not going to order anything…”

Aglaia cuts her before Undine has the time to finish “Oh of course, Love. Business first! May i have one of your breathtaking cappuccinos and one slice of that pie” She says signaling the pie Mateo just brought in.

“of course…”