no secrets this year (liam x reader)

cambridge

sorry for not posting a chapter last month. july was busy for me. i'm posting this one ahead of my own schedule to make up for it.

two ocs will appear in this chapter, but both of them are side characters who i don't plan to have show up much. only one of them will appear again. know the beginning of this fic has been kind of slow but it's gonna pick up after this i promise!!

“Liam, could you handle the register for me?” You called, smiling as the backpack entered the room and joined you at the counter. He seemed to be in a hurry to leave the kitchen he had been assigned to, and you felt a twinge of amused sympathy at his utterly relieved expression.

“You didn't tell me you worked at a café!” Liam exclaimed as he stared up at sign above your workplace.

“It was…kind of short notice.” You replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of your head as you shuffled your paws. “It's not like you'll be working here for the rest of your life. What's the problem?"

“I can't cook.” He reminded you pointedly. “Remember? There's no way I'll be able to keep this job for more than two weeks.”

“You'll be fine.” You assured him. “I've told my manager about the situation ahead of time. You're gonna be doing the register! You probably won't even know what the kitchen looks like by the time we're ready to leave!”

What a blatant lie that had been. Well, it isn't like it was your fault, exactly. Moreso the fault on your rather incompatible airhead of a manager. Pit, a petite little Chelan cherry, was the manager and owner of the café diner that you worked at. Speaking of which…

“Oh, Y/N!” The familiar dark red cherry called to you as she spotted you and Liam at the counter. “I wasn't aware you even had a shift today, silly me!"

She pushed past the waiters and patrons alike that swarmed the quaint little building for that day's busiest hour. “As for you! You're doing a good job for your second…how long have you been here? Two days, right?” She threw you both a sacchirine smile as she approached. “I was just about to head out for the day, but I couldn't help but stop to check on you when I saw you, mister…”

“Uh, Liam Plecak. Thanks…” Liam looked meek, shrinking into himself from all of the praise as he offered Pit a wavery smile. You smiled too, but your emotions faltered and your mind halted, gears grinding as Liam repeated his name to her. Then came over you the mind-numbing familiarity, stirring a faint memory that you had long forgotten. The hustle and bustle of the café faded to the background as your ears began to ring and your vision swam, the objects around you becoming little more than colorful blobs.

“So you'll be okay to handle the kitchen today? Right?” Pit's feathery voice broke you out of your stupor and you hastily nodded in agreement. The cherry beamed and clasped her paws together.

“Great! I'm gonna take off. I trust you two not to burn the place down while I'm gone.” Chuckling at her own joke, Pit departed, leaving you with a rather dumbfounded Liam (who was muttering something under his breath about being assigned to the kitchen).

You patted Liam on the shoulder, giving him a sheepish and apologetic smile. “Sorry you had to work back there. I guess she forgot what I told her…”

“It's okay. It can't be helped.” Liam was frowning despite this. “I'll just have to relearn how to cook.”

“Uh…yeah. I'm…sure it won't be that difficult.” Your smile faltered, but Liam didn't seem to take notice of his slip-up. Muttering a quick good luck, you left him to the register and headed back into the kitchen.