[Team 1] Magic Brownies and Burglar Bears

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

Last shiritori of the new year for Team 1! I didn't think I had any writing juice left in me, since I'm spending all my non-work time working on my graduate thesis, but you get one more blob of Dream Drip Distance AU with Sora and Roxas running a coffee shop.

Sora/Riku, Roxas, Axel, Xion, PGish, ~1100 words.


“See you later!” Sora paused loading mugs into his bus tray to wave at the last of the regulars going out the door. He heaved a sigh of relief as the door swung shut. “Whew! Man, why do we even have open mic night?”

“Uh, because we service a college campus,” Roxas replied, distracted while cleaning the espresso machine. “And you love open mic night.”

“I really do,” Sora chuckled, hefting the tray mugs back up and lugging them over to the counter. “And we always sell a million brownies.”

“Because you told everyone they were special brownies!”

“They are special! I put cinnamon in them.” Sora grinned at the dirty look Roxas threw over his shoulder. “Hey, is Axel ok? He’s been staring at his laptop since before open mic started. He didn’t even look up when beat poetry guy started up, and he loves heckling that guy.”

“His advisor told him he has to have two chapters turned in by the end of winter break,” Roxas said. Both of them looked across the room, to the corner where Axel had his head in his hands. “He’s just in the zone, he’s fine.”

Xion came up, finishing sweeping up. “His laptop isn’t plugged into anything. He’s been staring at a black screen since kazoo Wonderwall.”

“Yikes,” Sora said, he and Roxas grimacing. Sora patted the pizza box on the counter left over from their rushed dinner earlier. “Axel? Buddy? Want some pizza?”

“Oh, stop feeding him, it’s why he never leaves,” Roxas said, fitting the cover back on the machine.

“Shut up, he’s not a stray cat.” Sora shook the pizza box, the last few slices rattling inside. “Axel! Pspspsps!”

“Oh, give me that,” Xion laughed, taking the box out of Sora’s hands and shoving the broom into them. “Snap out of it, Axel, it’s not that bad.”

“I’m never going to graduate! I’ll be stuck here forever!” Axel wailed, snapping back to reality suddenly. He blinked at his dead laptop. “AHH! MY FOOTNOTES!”

The jangle off the bell over the door could barely be heard over Axel’s breakdown, but Sora’s head snapped up anyway. A wide grin spread over Sora’s face at the sight of the bright red jacket and cap.

“Hey,” Riku called, pulling the door shut. “Oh, am I too late for the lesbians with the bongos? Darn it all.”

“One of these weeks I’m gonna get you here for open mic night,” Sora insisted as Riku came over. He pointed imperiously at his cheek, beaming with delight when Riku leaned in dutifully to kiss it. “Namine told me you play the guitar.”

“The betrayal,” Riku said, rolling his eyes.

“Shoud’ve come tonight and had some of Sora’s special brownies to take the edge off,” Roxas said.

“The cinnamon ones?” Riku asked, sharing a grin with Sora when Roxas groaned at both of them. Axel’s noise rose in pitch, apparently not placated by cold pizza. “Is he ok? He doesn’t usually take open mic night that hard.”

“I’m worried we’re only five pages away from him living in our dumpster like a coconut crab.” Sora nudged Riku with an elbow. “Help me carry these mugs back, hm? Use your package carrying muscles.”

“What on earth is a coconut crab?” Riku asked, obligingly picking up the bus tray. “Do crabs really live in dumpsters on the Islands? Here it’s raccoons.”

“They pick through the trashcans at the beach, and sometimes they fight seagulls for french fries,” Sora explained, scooping up the last few mugs from tables on the way by. “What’s a raccoon?”

Fifteen minutes later found both of them sitting on the kitchen counter, lights out, Sora on his knees to peer through the blinds out at the back alley where they’d scattered half a dozen stale bagels liberally smeared with peanut butter.

“This is the worst date I’ve ever taken you on,” Riku muttered, eyes glued to his phone as he scrolled pictures of coconut crabs with growing horror. “Oh my god, why are they so huge? And blue? I’m cancelling this.”

“Uh, this is a great date, first of all, and secondly I would love to see you try and cancel a coconut crab, like, to its face.” Sora whacked Riku in the arm. “Quiet, I think one’s coming!”

“You’re the only person talking!” Riku hissed; Sora shushed him again.

Sure enough, a raccoon of fairly significant size was lumbering up the alley, sniffing the air. When it waddled into the dim circle of light from the porch light, Sora punched Riku in the arm again.

“It’s like a round little bear with a burglar mask!” Sora gasped in delight, voice squeaking as he tried to keep it to a whisper. “He’s washing his little hands in the puddle! His little manners!”

“Mmm, delicious,” Riku said, wrinkling his nose.

“GEE, I HOPE NOTHING’S GOING ON IN HERE!” Roxas hollered, flipping the kitchen light on and making Riku and Sora panic freeze. Roxas frowned. “Wait, what is going on in here?”

“We’re watching the burglar bears eat bagels!” Sora pointed out the window.

“The…bears?” Roxas repeated.

“I got this!” Axel declared from behind Roxas, shifting him to the side and marching towards the back door. “Being mauled by a bear has to buy me a week’s extension at least!” Throwing open the door, Axel marched outside. “All right, do your wor—oh it’s just a raccoon. Hi, buddy, whatcha got there…whoa! Hey!”

Roxas leaned out the doorway, filming the whole thing. “This is going right on the TA Problems message board.”

“Date spot upgraded to three stars,” Riku admitted. “No privacy, but the live entertainment is good.”

“Want to come see one for yourself?” Sora asked. He glanced down at Riku’s phone. “Coconut crabs. I’m going home for a few days around new year’s, but Roxas is staying here to start spring semester reading and keeping the shop open with Xion. And keep Axel out of our trashcans, apparently.” Riku blinked at Sora. “If you don’t want to, that’s fine! You probably have work, and the train ride’s long for just a few days…”

“I want to!” Riku interrupted. “If that’s ok. Not for the crabs, those are terrifying. Just for…um…”

“Me?” Sora teased, leaning in. Riku muttered a yes, the tips of his ears turning pink. “Good, because my mom has been bugging me about meeting you ever since Roxas sent her the video of you trying to help me bake.”

“No, come on,” Riku protested. “Not cool!”

“Aw, buck up, nerd,” Roxas said, eyes still fixed on his screen. “After meeting our family, open mic night won’t seem nearly as scary. Oh shit, I think the bear’s friends just showed up. Come on, Axel, at least put up a good fight!”

“Their center of gravity is too low!” Axel hollered back. “Tell Professor Evan I died bravely! And that he has to edit his own indexes!”

“That’s indices!” Riku called back helpfully. Lea looked up to flip Riku off through the window. “You really aren’t going to graduate.”


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Next up is greeneggs101! Happy new year!