Keith x Reader Oneshots

Arcade Games

{Requested}

Café AU

        The strong smell of grounded coffee beans and cinnamon was evident in the air, soft chatter and a low hum of music was buzzing inside the small cozy building. Just another day in the College Campus Café. A sigh escaped past my lips as I reached for my bag, pulling out my laptop and setting it on the polished wooden table. The chair scraped against the tile floor as I pulled it out to sit down, opening my laptop and dragging the courser to my documents filled with reports, thesis, and essays.

        Immediately I got to work, the warm air in the shop engulfing my body in a cozy hug. My eyes trained on the screen and my shoulders relaxed as I typed away, pausing once in a while to glance through my papers, then continuing again. Being here in the Café was really something that brought ease to me, something about it relieved my stress from the mountain of assignments, and somewhat reminded me of home.

      In the middle of writing my body paragraph, a simple jingle of a tune grabbed my attention, making me glance up at the source of the noise. A child and her father, what I assumed, were walking away from a classic arcade game. The Claw. The small brunette child was embracing a stuffed animal which looked like an elephant, a bright smile on her face whilst her dad ruffled her tousled short hair that stuck in all different directions. A smile tugged at my features upon seeing them walk out the door, then I thought, 'How about I give it a try?'.

        I shuffled through my bag for some quarters or a dollar, I closed my laptop and made my way to the luminescent machine.

     A loud Click! Was heard when I inserted all four quarters, then the machine began to light up. I grasped the joystick and shifted it, the claw swiftly going in the direction I led it to.

       The palm of my hand hovered over the polished blue button when I eased the claw over a red hippo plushie.

        Upon pressing the button, the claw opened and began to decend down until it surrounded the soft plush animal. My eyes sparkled with hope as it closed around it.

       The claw began to ascend except the hippo was being left behind, my shoulders slumped and I let out a losing sigh, the claw returning back to its corner while the lights blinked to the tune of a chime that let me know that I lost.

      That wasn't gonna stop me though, I fished for more coins in my pocket, a crumpled up dollar bill.

      I straightened it out the best I could and inserted it into the machine, the lights illuminating brightly and I grasped the joystick, declaring the red hippo as mine.

▪▪▪

     From across the confined café, a barista with raven locks and pale skin watched a girl about his age, possibly older or younger, attempt to master the claw. A small smile gracing his lips as he watched her shoulders slump after, yet another, fail. He had seen her before many times, they haven't formally met however. She would always come in the Café to finish assignments from school or to hang out with her good friend, Lance.

         The familiar tune chimed, signaling she lost. He shook his head and popped the cash register open to hand one of the customers their change.

▪▪▪

      I was running out of change and all I had left was a five dollar bill, the machine only took ones and coins. Guess I had to go change it for one dollar bills, I was going to win that hippo plush, no matter what.

        I walked over to the counter, the employee had their back faced towards me while they refilled the coffee machines.

      I cleared my throat which got their attention.

      The barista turned around, his eyes widening slightly, his charcoal strands falling over his forehead.

       I felt myself lose my train of thought while I scanned his face. He was the cute barista I told Lance about, Keith I think his name was.

       I mentally slapped myself out of my thoughts and put the five dollar bill on the granite counter.

      "C-Can I exchange this for ones, please?"

   Smooth move. Nerd.

       I felt a blush rise from my cheeks, down to my neck, the tips of my ears were scorching in embarrassment. Keith smiled and took the five and opened up the register.

        "Which animal you aiming for?" He asked whilst counting the ones and handing them to me.

        "Oh, uh, the red hippo."

       This made his eyes light up.

   "Good choice, hippos are my favorite."

       This made me let out a short giggle, our fingers brushed against eachother ever so slightly when he handed me the money.

     "Same here, I think they're cute."

     I think you're cute too...

        I glanced down at the dollar bills and saw he had given me six instead if five, perhaps he miscounted?

       "Don't worry about it, every chance counts." He answered as if he read my mind. I smiled and thanked him before turning on my heel and towards the arcade machine, my head spinning and my heart racing.

      I was gonna win this.

▪▪▪

      That annoying jingle chimed, signalling my loss, I just spent my last dollar and I was officially bankrupt. I was going home empty handed without a hippo plush and without money.

   How unfortunate.

    I sighed wistfully and let my forehead meet the glass. I stared down at the red fluffy plush, it's polished button eyes staring right back at me in mockery.

       "Stupid claw..." I whispered.

   "It's impossible to get the hippo." A familiar voice resonated from behind me. I glanced behind me and saw Keith except he wasn't in his barista uniform, his shift must've ended.

        "Maybe you should've let me know ahead of time." I grumbled, he let out a deep chuckle.

         "Maybe, but I just wanted a reason to talk to you since I always see you come here." He replied bluntly, crossing his arms which made him look like a cliche bad boy with his wierd mullet styled hair.

        "I'm not hard to approach... am I?" I turned to face him with a raised brow, an amused glint flashed in those metallic stormy eyes of his.

        "Well, not that I know of , I'm just not one for approaching people." He stated matter-of-factly.

      I smiled softly.

   "I guess we have one thing in common, well actually two if you count the liking for hippos."

       A lazy smile made its way onto his lips.

     "Speaking of which, I'll help you get it." He made his way to the side of the claw and I watched in curiosity as he kneeled down.

      He took out some keys and inserted a specific one into a keyhole, opening a small trap door. He reached his hand in and after searching, he pulled out the red hippo. My eyes lit up with happiness.

        "Sometimes we have to take a shortcut to get things we deserve, and you definetly deserve this." He held out the plushie for me to take, I reached out and took it.

       "Thanks, knight in shining armor." I let out a short laugh and he chuckled.

                 "Don't mention it."