Coffee shop| Simon Riley x Reader

The boys

You had just finished preparing Simon's daily cup of tea, and the familiar routine of waiting for him to walk in filled the cafe. Playing with the hem of your apron, you eagerly anticipated his arrival, shifting your weight from one foot to the other as you stole glances at the clock on the wall.

However, worry began to creep in as minutes passed, and he was late. Your mind started to conjure worst-case scenarios. What if something had happened on his walk here, especially with the rain outside? Concern etched your features as you walked around the counter, making your way to the glass door, peering off to the side he usually approached from. Yet, there was nobody in the distance.

Trying to calm your racing thoughts, you considered the possibility that something might have come up for him. Sighing, you walked back to the counter, putting your own money in the register before taking a sip of the tea you had made for him. Pulling out a new book, you attempted to distract yourself by reading, but frustration lingered as your gaze kept involuntarily drifting towards the door, hoping to see him walk in at any moment.

As your break arrived, any hope that he would show up today dwindled away. Alone at his usual table, you sighed, looking at the small droplets of rain running down the glass window, the cafe feeling emptier without his presence.

Your day had been painstakingly slow without Simon's presence; the coffee shop seemed grey and dull without him sitting at his usual table. As your shift ended, you tried to convince yourself that you would see him tomorrow, hoping for a more lively and enjoyable day.

However, the next day, during Simon's usual arrival time, you waited patiently for him to walk through the door. Thirty minutes passed, and Simon still hadn't arrived.

With his absence it was now crystal clear that you developed feelings for him, and the warmth he brought to the cafe seemed to dissipate with his absence. It was an unexpected void that left you feeling unsettled.

Two weeks went by, and you couldn't shake the concern that something might be wrong. You replayed the last interactions in your mind, wondering if you had unintentionally upset him. The possibility that something bad had happened to him haunted your thoughts.

The cafe felt emptier without him, and you found yourself missing him more than you had anticipated. The smiles and small talks, the routine exchanges, all became voids that echoed his absence.

The realization that you had grown more attached than you anticipated hit you, and you regretted not asking for his number the last time you saw him. The uncertainty about his well-being and the absence of his presence weighed heavily on your mind, creating a void in both your heart and the cafe.

Millions of miles away from you, and you were still on Simon's mind. Each morning when he woke up and made himself tea in the rec room, he would almost grimace at the taste.

"Tastes like a bloody burnt tire."

He missed the way you made his tea. Occasionally, when he walked into Price's office, and it smelled strongly of coffee, he couldn't help but think of you. The way you would wait on him with his tea ready, the warm smile you gave him when he walked in, the inviting aroma of freshly baked goods and coffee beans—your presence that made him feel warm.

Despite his best efforts to push thoughts of you away, Simon often found himself trying to convince himself that he was only thinking about you so much because he missed the tea you made. It was a futile attempt at self-deception, as the truth lingered in the warmth and familiarity your presence brought into his life.

Simon told Johnny and Gaz about how good your tea was and how you went on a ten-minute rant about a book he had just started reading and accidentally spoiled the whole thing for him. Johnny gave Gaz a knowing look, and they both smirked.