Chapter Text
“Well well...right on time as usual.”
Lena’s head snapped up, eyes immediately on the door as the bells chimed, indicating a new customer. Sure enough, there she was, just as she appeared every day.
Her face exploded into a fierce blush that matched the woman’s hair, and her eyes dropped straight back down into her mug.
Nielsen welcomed the redhead by name and quickly whipped up her usual coffee order, striking up a short conversation about weather and the like. Which was gloomy. Like always in London. A nice gloomy in comparison to the previous week, but still gloomy.
Lena gulped nervously, trying her best to stay casual with her eyes on the newspaper, elbow digging into the table, and chin jabbed into her palm to cover her face as the woman thanked the barista profusely and turned away. Lena waited a few moments before bringing her own mug to her lips, though she wasn’t taking a drink; she let the liquid rest along her lips as her eyes shot back to the woman. She walked to her usual seat in the far corner beside the storefront window and sat down.
Her cheeks continued to burn, despite the coffee she had ordered an hour ago having now gone cold. But she left a bit just for this moment, watching the beautiful painting happen before her eyes. She took a long sip of her drink and visibly melted into her seat, smiling to herself, happy to be there and take a proper break.
God, I’m gay…
It was nearly a month ago that someone new had come into the tiny cafe- not that this was particularly interesting, as this place was in the middle of a heavily business oriented area. Tall buildings surrounded it like castle walls, business suits and briefcases walked along these streets doing… something important probably, and Lena never paid much attention in general, let alone to who came in or why.
This place was out of her way, but she loved Neilsen’s coffee and talking with him, and there wasn’t a lot of people left in her life that had known her as long as he had. Whenever she could, she sat in the same seat- the closest one with a single chair and small table right beside the counter- watching him work and being within arms reach of a refill and earshot of the latest gossip.
She didn’t care for anyone else but her own pastries, until one day a particular redhead named Emily waltzed in, took her lunch break in the corner of the cafe, and walked out with Lena’s heart.
Since then she made it a point to come into the cafe around the same time, just to catch a glimpse of her. In retrospect, it could possibly have been a little creepy, but she was absolutely smitten. And yet, after all this time, she couldn’t find a single word to say.
Her first excuse was being completely unsure if she would even be interested, but after weeks of observing, watching guy after guy approach her offering drinks and attempting to strike up a conversation, it became clear as she rejected every single one.
“Perhaps she was taken,” was the next excuse, but as Nielsen asked what she would be doing for Valentine’s Day, Emily laughed and ordered extra pastries for herself to celebrate.
Placing the mug down, Lena’s fingers tapped the sides of it nervously as she continued to watch.
Emily kept to herself, quietly enjoying her coffee, making a point to keep her work bag at her feet, just barely in arms reach. She came here to relax and appeared to be forcing herself into doing so; on several occasions Lena witnessed an internal struggle, hesitantly reaching out for her bag but quickly put it back, then grabbed it again to write something down. It was absolutely adorable.
“Christ, you’re gay.” The cafe owner called out, leaning over the counter with his hand outstretched.
Lena sighed, placing the cold coffee in his hand before shooting him a soft pout.
“Thanks Nielsen, I’ll alert the media…” she mumbled, dropping her face in her hands, letting out a pathetic whine.
“Aw c’mon, you’re Lena Oxton!” He offered a laugh, reaching out and prodding her on the shoulder.
“Juvenile-delinquent-well-on-her-way-to-jail, turned Royal Air Force prodigy!”
Lena’s head shrunk between her shoulders, “Nielsen...I swear on me mum’s grave...”
“Youngest to be named Squad Leader and well on her way to representing God, Queen, and Country in a war no one will see the end to… and you still can’t ask that lass out?”
She shook her head, finally looking up with an honest to God look of fear in her eyes, “...I can’t do it mate.”
“Ooohhh no you don’t.”
Ripping the towel from his shoulder to slap it on the counter, he put aside her cup and pointed straight out, ”You see that woman over there?”
Lena slowly turned around and followed the accusing finger, she hadn’t notice it before but someone else had been watching her.
A different woman with dark red hair and a deadly smug grin, turned her seat around to sit facing Lena with a cup of tea and saucer in hand she raised it slightly to the two before taking a small sip.
“I bet that Aussie fifteen pounds that you’d ask that girl out this week. It’s Friday. Do you see the math here?”
“Hey, don’t drag me into your gambling problem!”
“Don’t you play dumb, look at you! All in your Sunday best for no reason?”
She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Unfortunately, He wasn’t wrong; she was hoping donning her combat boots and brand new bomber jacket would give her a boost of confidence, but that had quickly dissipated as Emily walked in and smiled. God, those dimples were adorable.
“Look, I’ve been saving this for awhile now. My secret weapon to surviving the day.”
He quickly disappeared underneath the counter, leaving Lena to listen to glasses clinking and liquid being poured out. She bit her lip, glancing at the clock- Emily didn’t stay long, and she would nearly finished with her coffee by now.
She was running out of time.
“Here! You’ll feel better!” he declared, offering her a new mug with light strings of heat slipping from the top.
She grabbed it with a sigh and took a quick sip; the bitter taste nearly had her spitting it out in surprise until she realized it was whiskey.
“...Are you serious.”
But he just shrugged, turning around with his back to his customers to take a quick swig from his flask before putting it back into his apron.
Lena sat there for a moment completely still, staring at the drink in her grasp, then back at Emily. From the corner of her eye she spotted several others, glancing at their watches and beginning to pack up. Lunch was over, and soon the herd of business people would return to their towers until the sun came down.
Knocking the mug back in one long drink, Lena slammed the mug back down on the counter and walked off.
Nielsen turned around at the sound and froze on the spot as Lena finally approached.
Somewhere in the back of the room, the australian woman straightened up in her seat and watched the show.
And what a show it was.
Alcohol temporarily obstructing her nerves, Lena marched right out there standing before Emily’s table and earning her attention.
For the first time since she laid eyes on her, Emily looked back.
And God help her, the woman had freckles, beautifully peppered dots across her cheeks in an adorable pattern that made Lena’s mouth numb, heart jumping straight out of her chest and into traffic while her brained promptly turned off, completely unprepared for this.
Nielsen remained frozen, feeling his wallet about to become just slightly lighter within moments, until finally Lena opened her mouth to the first thing she could possibly think of.
“H-hey um, do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?”
A soft groan was heard from behind the counter in pure agony.
But just as Lena contemplated hurling herself out of the window...she smiled.
Emily held a hand to her lips to try and stop herself, but she couldn’t hold it in and began to giggle, and then began to laugh.
“Sorry, but you owe me a drink.” She paused for dramatic effect, “When I saw you I dropped mine.”
Lena’s eyes widened, her heart leaping from the street and back to thundering against her ribcage. She had her attention, but now she had to keep it; luckily, a new bag sat on the table she had not noticed before. It was open just enough to recognize the device inside.
Excited, she pointed to it, “Are you a camera? Because I smile every time I see you.”
Emily laughed again, shaking her head at the ridiculous conversation, but had no intention of stopping it anytime soon she gestured Lena to sit across from her.
“I’m a photographer… And I can picture you and I together.”
Lena’s cheeks were burning from smiling so much, “Mind if I use that picture to prove to my friends that angels exist?” she winked, taking a seat as requested.
Emily grinned, tilting her head curiously; she seemed to be scanning Lena with her eyes for a moment.
“Are...you a pilot...?” Judging the way Lena’s eyes sparkled at this, her guess was correct, “I get nervous when I fly, mind if I hold your hand?”
“Are you a runway? Because you make my heart take off.”
For a moment they locked eyes, smiles and laughter bubbling from their lips, Emily shook her head once again, ”Oh...my God… That was… The best thing to happen to me all day.”
“My name is Lena, glad to uh, make your acquaintance.” She smiled sheepishly, now vulnerable without the cover of ironic and terrible pickup lines, she held out her hand.
“Emily,” she replied, reaching out for a firm and friendly handshake, but something else had caught her attention.
One by one customers began to leave, returning to work as lunchtime was over. ”Oh damn... That was fast…” She muttered, glancing down at her own watch.
She was out of time.
Lena’s heart sank straight into her gut but kept her composure together, ”Ah well uh, it was...nice meeting you?” She laughed, shrugging it off.
“Yeah! It was…” Emily stood up, bags in hand and ready to take off, but paused a moment, biting her lip in thought with a familiar look of hesitance in her eyes. She dug around in her bag, until finally she looked back at Lena and smiled.
“I seem to have lost my phone number. Can I have yours?”
Emily grabbed her things, placed a small tip in the jar on the counter, and said her goodbyes to the owner as she went. She turned the corner of the cafe with a smile on her face and a warm feeling in her stomach.
But as she turned to continue on her way, she could still see into the window of the cafe she was just in. Though she was unable to hear much, she could guess the way Lena was literally jumping in the air in victory, clutching the slip of paper with her phone number scribbled on it like it were gold. She then proceeded to hurl herself across the counter and hug Nielsen so hard that he was turning red.
However she was able to hear him shouting after a woman swiftly walked out while he was being strangled.
“DOOLAND YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK ‘ERE YOU OWE ME FIFTEEN POUNDS“