Work Text:
Ever since I started my business of making pastries and coffee. There was always one man that always come here exactly at 5:30 in the morning. He usually gets iced coffee and beignets. Never said anything just paid his amount for the items. But once school ended he began to bring someone that looked like they were from the 00s.
The girl was always trying something new. But there was a day that he didn't came with her, and he looked like he was in mind thinking of something. His hands were shaking while trying to get his ice coffee off of the counter. "Sir, are you okey..?" I said while I was putting the cash he gave me into the cash register.
"Yes, I am just.. Do you have any Cronut?" He said while he looked out of the bakery windows. "I do sir! But they are in the oven." I said giving back his change. "Could you get me one its for my daughter." He said grabbing another $10 from his wallet.
"I can but why isn't your daughter here?" I said as I got one of Cronut from the oven. "Well my daughter is in the hospital for something she shouldn't done." He said putting the $10 onto the counter. As while I was putting it into a box. "It's on the house sir. I know your worried about her." I said handing him the box. "Thank you." He said grabbing the box before just walking out the bakery.
"WAIT SIR YOU FORGOT YOUR $10!!" I said as I grabbed the $10 but there was a rose petal next to the $10.. But after that day, he hasn't came back once. It has been a month since that incident. The rose petal hasn't wilted. Then he finally come back with his daughter. "Yeah, i know i won't drink glittering water again.." She said while looking at her dad. "You said that multiple time.. but you still do it anyway."
He said as he walked towards the counter. While the daughter was looking at the pastries in the window. "I will get the usual, ice coffee and beignets but add Cappuccino and Kroštule with it." He said grabbing a $20 bill from his wallet, before placing the cash down on the counter.
"Dad, how do you know alot of the pastries names?" The daughter asked while she pointing at a pastry. "Whats this pastry name is dad?" "That's a Semla, its from sweden." He said as while he only glanced over towards her.
"Here you go the coffees, here or go?" I said as I placed the coffees on the counter. "To go as I have to get to work." He said looking at the clock mounted on the wall. I pulled some of the pastries from the display and placed them into a box. "$15.67 with tax." I said as I take the $20 and placed it into cash register before getting 4 dollars and 33 cent. "Wait, sir I have a question." I said as I placed down the box of pastries onto the counter.
"Is it about the rose petal?" He said not even glancing at me. "Yes I-" He cut me off. "The rose petal is just a symbol go to the church near by a show it to one of the nuns, they know what it means." He said grabbing the box of pastries and the coffee before grabbing his change. He gave the change to his daughter and left with the pastries. Once the day finally ended, I ended up visiting the church to show one of the nuns the rose petal the guy gave me.
"Oh you must of been nice to our head priest. He always been kind." One of the nuns said. As there were 5 nuns in the room surrounding the rose petal. "I have heard, he has been going to a pastries shop. We should go there one day!" Said another nun. "Are you looking for him?" Said a nun looking at me.
"Well, he said ya'll would know what it means.." I said fidgeting my t-shirt end. "Oh, yes! We know what it means, but he's at the garden in the back. We warn you to not go there until he's back from the garden." The nun said. "When is it possible to see him as I have to go back home soon." I said before putting the petal back into my pocket.
"Wel-" The nun tried to say something but the entrance door opened as the man walked in. "Sorry, I was making sure the flowers were growing." He said as he waved his hands towards the nuns. "You may return madames." He said before the nuns bowed down to him before walking out of the entrance.
"What might you be here, (name)?" He said looking down at me slightly. "Well I was here asking the nuns about the petal but, how do you know my name? Sir?" I asked. "Well I did some research of your bakery and you can call me Dusk. And the petal its from my garden." He said. "How hasn't wilted, Mister Dusk?" I said looking at him. "That's a question that shouldn't be answered, you should get back home, now. As the sun is gonna set soon." He said grabbing a piece of paper from his pocket.
"Just text me when you get home. Okey?" He said before I shaked my head yes. "Now get home." He said. I walked out of the Church now confused on why he didn't even tell me why the petal haven't even wilted. Once I finally got back to my small apartment. I put in the number he gave me into my phone before texting the number. "Is this dusk?" As soon as I sent the message I got a response back. "Yes, it is. Are you back home?"
He texted back. "Well, yes I am." I texted back. "Good, I don't want you gone. As my daughter likes your pastries and you make the better than I have tried." He sent back. Before sending another message. "Get to bed. Will be there as usual." Before I sent another message. "Alright, as usual?" I sent but I remanded on sent. Once I finally got finished and got into bed. Before I fell asleep, I felt something watching me. If was just creepy.
The following day, once I got to the bakery he was standing infront of the builds window looking up at the sky while it was raining. He was soaked wet. He must of walked in the rain. "Your here early sir!" I said as I moved pasted him to unlock the door. He kept his eyes up to the sky not even looking at me.
"Yes, I know. I just didn't get enough sleep." He said finally looking down after up opened the door. "I will make you your coffee but it the pastries will take some time due to baking the fresh as I don't want my customers sad as they aren't hot." I said walking into my bakery.
"I will be back just make sure my usual is ready." He said still standing outside before just walking off. Finally, I got the pastries finished, I placed his regular pastry into a box and had his ice coffee on the side. But once he finally arrived, he wasn't in his normal priest outfit when I usually see him.
He was wearing a suit with a rose on it. "Sorry for being late. Had a meeting with some friends of mine." He said putting down $10 onto the counter before grabbing the box and his coffee before just walking out.
But now on top of the dollar bill was a black rose. Just like that rose that was on his suit. But once it was the late night due to more people coming by in the afternoon and cleaning after the whole bakery, making sure everything is off. Once I got outside, I made sure to lock the door so no one will break in. It was dark outside the only lights are the street lights and the full moon out.
I began to get paranoid as I don't usually leave around this time. Every sound was alarming. But I thought something was following me but everytime I turn around there is nothing. Every second, I keep seeing a shadow in the corner of my eye. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my waist pulling me into a back alley as while the person covered my mouth with seems to be a black glove.
"It's dangerous at your place." The man said but it almost sounds like Dusk. "It's fine just be quiet. There was a group of men following you since you left the bakery and I rather not have my favorite baker be killed." He said before slowly removing his hand from my mouth but kept it on me as he rested it on my shoulder. "Just come with me. You can stay at my place. But just stay with me." He said as he removed his hand from my waist. He walked down the alley but kept his walking speed to my speed.
But made sure to have me keep up with him. But once we got to his house. His house looked like a normal Victorian house. He walked me towards the door before fishing for his keys in his pockets. He unlocked the door and opened it. He pulled me inside before closing it and locking it. "You can look around but just don't go downstairs or to the 3rd floor." He said as he removed his coat from his suit and placed it on a hanger. Before he walked towards the living room and sat down on the couch.
"DAD YOU'RE HOME!!" A girl said while running down the stairs that were right infront of the front door. She stopped at the bottom of the floor. "Your the bakery person? Why are you here?" She said before walking towards the couch. Then flopped down on the other side of the couch.
"Yes, it is. Due to a group of men following them around." He said grabbing a remote and turning on the TV. The channel was a discovery channel. "So Am I staying the night here?" I said walking towards the couch before sitting in the middle.
"Well, yes due to the fact as those men were some teenagers trying to well.." He said before going quiet. "The men were trying to rob people while they were inside of their homes." The daughter said. "Oh yeah this is Mira my daughter." He said not even looking. "Well not biological daughter just she see me as her father. But she's still my daughter." He said. "Mira, do you have any clothes that they can wear?" He said looking at Mira. "Yeah, I do."
Once everything was sorted, I was gonna be sleeping on the couch. I was wearing some clothes Mira gave me. Now I was resting on the couch, my head resting on a pillow as I dislike the feeling of the hard arm rest against my neck, while the channel continue playing.
Dusk walked down stairs wearing a sweater and shorts. Before he sat down next to my head. "Sorry for scaring you earlier. Didn't mean to." He said changing the channels to a random movie.
"You should get some sleep." He said. Before he placed a hand on my head and slightly began to pat it. I would agree but I was already droppy due to the comfortable couch.
"I would of killed those teenagers but I couldn't due to my reputation here around this area as you are new. I didn't won't you to be scared of me. My daughter is actually pretty happy that your hear for the night. Later this weekend she wants to make pastries with you."
My eyes began to slowly fall as while the noise around me slowly faded away. I felt happy that his daighter wanted to make pastries with me.
Cliffhanger. I will continue it when requested:3