Tyler Joseph x Reader

Black Coffee

Warnings: None

Word Count: 816

Three minutes. That was all that was left until your shift was over and you were free to go home, curl up in bed, and binge watch as much Netflix as you wanted. It had been another terrible day at work, and you were pretty sure that if you had to deal with one more naggy customer or spilled cup of coffee, you would scream.

The bell over the door of the café chimed, and you bit down on the inside of your cheek to keep yourself from sighing loudly. Instead, you pulled out your notepad and plastered a smile on your face.

"Hey, how are you doing?" you asked the man that walked up to the counter. He seemed familiar, and you were pretty sure he had been in here a few times before.

He had a beanie on that was pulled down to just over his eyebrows, and a scarf was wrapped up to cover most of his neck and mouth. His nose was bright red and he was sniffling, but you figured that was just from the cold weather outside. It had been one of the coldest winters on record this year. He reached up with a gloved hand and pulled the scarf down, allowing him to speak more clearly.

"Could I just get a black coffee, please?" he sniffled.

He seemed upset, but you tried to ignore that. You didn't have time to deal with upset people right now, your shift was almost over and your warm bed was practically calling your name.

"Sure thing. Is that for here or to go?"

"For here."

"Alright, your total is $2.89."

You slid the order down to your coworker while the man dug around in his pockets. After a moment, he pulled out three crinkled dollar bills and handed them to you.

"Keep the change," he managed a weak smile, but his eyes were watering.

You opened your mouth to say something, but he walked away before you had the chance.

"Y/N, you shift is over," your coworker called to you.

You nodded and walked to the back of the shop, taking off your coffee stained apron as you did so. With one swift motion, you pulled on your coat and bag and headed back out to the front of the café.

"See you tomorrow," you smiled at your coworker. They gave you a small wave in return.

You started to walk towards the front door, but stopped and glanced at the guy from earlier. He was sitting at a table alone, fiddling with his mug. Tears were now visibly falling down his face, and you knew you couldn't walk home with a clear conscience if you just left him here. With a sigh, you walked over to his table. Your warm bed would have to wait.

"Do you mind if I sit?"

He hastily wiped away his tears before looking up at you, "Sure."

You swung your bag over the back of the chair and took a seat.

"I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, but I couldn't help but notice how upset you are and you're here alone, so I wanted to make sure everything was ok."

A hint of a smile flickered on his face for a second before fading once again.

"Thanks. I'm just going through a bit of a rough patch right now. I learned that I'm getting evicted today, which means I'm probably moving back home to Ohio."

"That's quite a ways from here."

"Tell me about it. I guess it's for the best, since I don't really know anybody here. It's just hard because all my friends told me that I couldn't do it, and I wanted to prove them wrong."

You nodded solemnly, not quite what sure to say to help reassure the stranger.

"You don't have to sit with me, if you don't want. I'm sure you have places to be."

"Trust me, I don't," you smiled. "Turns out you're not the only one who's alone in this city."

"Well, I appreciate the company."

You ended up sitting with the stranger until well past the end of your shift. By the time you decided to part ways, he had completely forgotten about his eviction notice and the thought of Netflix had been pushed to the back of your mind. He ended up walking you back to your apartment, claiming that he would feel guilty if anything happened to you during the dark walk back.

"Tyler, by the way," he said as you reached for the door to your apartment building.

"Y/N," you smiled in return.

"Thanks again, I don't know what I would have done had you not sat and talked with me."

"Don't mention it."

He gave you one final smile before turning on his heel and walking down the sidewalk. You hoped that wouldn't be the last time you saw him.