Gunned | SatoSere

Chapter 7 - Sudden Desire

There is one thing that Serena does better than Ash. In the months of training, they fell into a routine.

At first, Serena would walk cleaned up into the kitchen, most of the time Dawn and Misty were already sitting at the marbled island drinking coffee with a plate of breakfast that Sawyer had fixed up for everyone. Supposedly, it was one Cilan had taught him to make which Sawyer took note of to remember. Ash was leaning against the opposite counter, dressed in a dark gray waistcoat and a usual tie against a black button up shirt. He had a coffee mug in silver ringed fingers, and a tablet in the other.

Serena doesn't know what compelled her to do it — the sheer appearance of Ash should've stopped her right in her tracks. Instead, she took the coffee mug from his hands and took a sip. Misty and Dawn look at her oddly, and maybe a bit stunned that all he did was watch her with a bit of surprise on his face.

All their jaws went slack when Serena immediately winced and spat out the coffee into the sink.

"Ash, what do you think you're drinking?" She asked with a grimace.

His brow raises up. "Coffee?"

"I don't know who told or possessed you to think that's coffee," She denied, setting the mug down on the counter. "But that is store bought dirt."

"What's the matter? Is something wrong with instant-coffee?" Dawn piped up.

Serena gaped at her as if she had been slapped. "What's wrong with-? You know what, never mind. Sawyer!" The advisor peeked from behind the stove range, his green eyes looked over with confusion. She knew she had experience with making coffee, especially when she need it, and with a side job in a cafe she used to work at, so why not do it. "Could you take me to the city?"

Sawyer's eyes panned nervously to Ash whose expression was blank. He shrugged his shoulders and handed Serena a steel black credit card, and went back to what he was focusing on.

"The limit is about a couple hundred of thousands," He remarked easily and she immediately paled. His golden eyes looked at her again, brimming with curiosity. "Something wrong?"

"How much do you think an espresso machine is?" She asked, exasperatedly.

Ash's lips pursed, humming in thought. "Don't know. I never really pay attention to price tags."

Serena did her best to wipe the shock off her face before looking positively victorious when she bounded across the kitchen and up to her room to get dressed. Meanwhile Dawn and Misty were looking between her exit and Ash, who paid them no mind. He seemed to sense their stares and peered up from what he was examining, narrowing over the mug he continued to drink.

"Dont you two have work to do?" He questioned.

They winced and left shortly after that. The next day in the kitchen and every day that followed, Serena was awake before all of them, the smell of espresso perfuming through the air in warm tones of spice and chocolate. Ash walked into the room with a yawn, his hair messy as always and his eyes brightening at the sight of her behind a brand-new espresso bar. The sounds of shots glasses clinking and steam whistling filling the space.

Serena looked up and instantly smiled in Ash's direction, the leader not quite knowing how to react to the early morning beauty. She slid over a mug, a perfectly crafted pretty, rosetta swirled on the surface.

"Here, try it. If anything, you'll never go back to instant-coffee ever again," she announced confidently. He took one sip and pulled the mug away, eyes flickering with surprise. Serena prods with a knowing grin. "So? How is it?"

He smirked over the rim of the mug before speaking in the low tone that made Serena pause her ministrations with the shot glasses. "It's delicious," he drawled. "How do I tip?"