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Coffee. Americans were obsessed with their coffee. Every other block had a coffee shop, whether it be a corporate franchise or a small artisanal mom and pop shop. Damian would not have minded it so much if it wasn’t for the fact that the majority of them served horrible tea. He had high taste, preferring loose leaf tea that had not been over steeped. While he did appreciate a good black or green tea, there were so many other varieties that the masses seemed to be entirely unaware of.
It was a herculean task, possibly an impossible one, to find a shop that would cater to all of the tastes in the family. Holland Brothers did not carry the overly sweet concoctions that Richard craved. Squarebucks had very strict regulations when it came to how many shots of espresso could be added to a drink, something which had caused Timothy, who was in the midst of caffeine withdrawal to almost leap over the counter to get his fix. That had been the final incident that had made both Timothy and Father acknowledge that Timothy had an addiction. If it were not so pathetic, Damian would have laughed at Drake’s teary eyes whenever he was handed decaffeinated coffee.
Father may claim that he liked his coffee black. That, however, was not fooling anyone. The man liked lattes. Jason enjoyed coffee as well, but preferred those atrocious energy drinks. Monster was his favorite brand. Brown was also in the energy drink camp, though she was far less picky about the brand. Cassandra was the only one with good taste, in Damian’s opinion. She preferred tea as well. Unfortunately for him, his only sane sibling (in terms of their drink choice) was often on missions that took her out of Gotham.
As to why Damian preferred to be the one to get the drinks? He often went with Pennyworth. It was a nice outing for the two of them. Pennyworth was often busy; the care and upkeep of the manor being left to him, as well as ensuring the BatCave was well stocked and spotless. Not only that, Pennyworth often drove different members of the family around the city. Procuring groceries and items from food establishments was one of the few times Daiman could spend time with Pennyworth one on one. Not only that, Pennyworth did not attempt to dissuade him from assisting with these tasks.
When he was younger, Damian would have found this entire exercise beneath him. It was the work of the help. Of servants. Learning more about the world, and about emotions had opened him up to the different ways to show love. And Pennyworth? He was a classic case of showing his care through Acts of Service. Damian participating was hitting two different ‘love languages’. Not only was he spending time with his pseudo grandfather, he was also assisting Pennyworth, therefore completing an act of service for the elderly man.
There were other positives of Damian tagging along. Pennyworth should not have to lift such heavy items. Damian was more than strong enough to place any such item in the cart. When it came to ordering at food establishments, Damian could ask additional questions to ensure that his meals would be vegetarian. This had become less necessary in recent years, as vegetarianism and veganism gained popularity among the general populace.
Whether or not the rest of the family requested coffee or some sort of drink, Pennyworth and Damian would always grab tea together at a small, local shop located a block or two from Robinson Park. It was a bright, clean shop with an assortment of potted plants hanging from the ceiling. There was macrame art on some of the walls, a hammock hanging in one corner. It was rather ‘hipster’. That was how it usually looked.
To Damian’s horror, the shop had been repainted, and looked as though it was in the process of being refurbished. It seemed that his and Pennyworth’s haunt had been bought. Part of him wanted to rage. To threaten people till things went back to the way they were. However, that would be unacceptable behavior. They would need to find a new coffee shop.
***
The internet had failed him. Damian had been unable to find an acceptable replacement for his weekly outings with Pennyworth. They had visited seventeen of the supposedly top ranked coffee and tea shops and none had been up to par. They were visiting the eighteenth. The shop was nothing special, bland, boring. There was a young man behind the counter. He couldn’t have been much older than Damian. He was moving around behind the counter, making orders.
Damian perused the menu while Pennyworth took a seat. It was one of the few times Pennyworth let someone else wait on him. As expected, they had earl gray and a few herbal teas. It wasn’t a large selection, but they would not truly determine the worth of this shop until they tried it.
Stepping forward, Damian ordered, then grabbed the teacups once they were ready. Absently, he thanked the boy. It would not do for him to forget his manners. He sat down across from his pseudo grandfather and took a sip after blowing softly.
His eyes widened.
He looked down in surprise at the perfectly brewed tea.
“The tea does have a rather unexpected quality, doesn’t it Master Damian?”
“It does.”
Damian glanced back at the teen once more. He was busy pouring liquid from a blender into a clear plastic cup before topping it with whip cream and chocolate shaving. The boy had inky black hair, a dusting of freckles, and icy blue eyes. It was impressive that the teen was competent in regards to brewing tea.
“It seems we have found our new rest spot,” Pennyworth commented.
Damian could only nod in response.
***
Nearly every time Damian and Pennyworth visited the store, the teen was there, assisting the other baristas. Sometimes he was mopping the floor and cleaning off tables. After visiting the store nearly sixteen times, the teen was finally manning the register. His name tag proclaimed his name to be Danny.
“Let me guess, you’re one large earl gray and one large jasmine tea, right?” Danny asked with a confident smile. Damian eyed him suspiciously.
“Correct.”
“Wonderful! That’ll be $5.50.”
Damian paid and waiting while Danny prepared their drinks. Sliding them out to Damian, he stated.
“Have a tea-riffic day! See you next time!” Danny said with a wink and a grin.
Damian glared, but he could still feel a faint blush spread across his cheeks. He grabbed his drinks and made his way back to Pennyworth, who looked amused.
***
The tea puns did not end.
Nor did the flirting.
“You’re a cu-tea!”
“I think you’re beau-tea-ful!”
“Awwww, don’t be like that Damian! Admit it, my puns are tea-riffic!”
“Chai there Damian! The usual today?”
“I think you’re tea-riffic Damian!”
“Everything I brew, I brew for you.”
Danny would often pair these with a charming smile and a wink, once even making a heart with his hands.
It was cheesy and dumb and stupid.
But it was working.
Damian found himself looking forward to whatever ridiculous pun Danny would come up with next.
So it was surprising when he arrived one day with Pennyworth, only to see that Danny wasn’t there. He was not behind the counter, nor was he elsewhere in the store. Damian couldn’t help his heart sink a bit. Danny had been there every time.
Damian had been sitting and conversing with Pennyworth for half an hour when in rushed Danny. His raven hair was ruffled and askew, his freckled cheeks flushed from having run into the store. Danny raced to the back, pulling on an apron and washing his hands. Looking up, while washing them, Danny looked around the shop, his gaze meeting Damian’s. Danny grinned, and Damian turned away with a flush.
“You should talk with that young man, Master Damian,” Pennyworth encouraged.
“Tt. He knows nothing about me. He can’t actually like me,” Damian argued.
“You will never know unless you speak to him.” Damian huffed.
Pennyworth was unfortunately right.
Getting up, he made his way over to the counter.
“It’s been so oolong Damian! It’s good to see you! Is there anything I can get you?” Danny said with a smile.
“I would like a refill on my tea.”
“Okay! I can have that ready for you in a sec.”
Damian hesitated. Usually while Danny boiled the water and seeped the tea, Damian would wait in silence.
“Where are you from? Your accent, it’s Midwestern. You’re clearly not from Gotham.” Danny glanced up in surprise before smiling.
“Oh, I’m from Amity Park, Illinois. My parents got recruited to work for Wayne Enterprises to work on making shields and security systems for them.”
“They must be very intelligent.” Did that count as a compliment? Damian thought so.
“Yeah, they’re both super smart. It also helps that no one else has really been studying ectoplasm, which is now a big deal with that whole treaty with the Infinite Realms, ya know?”
“Indeed.” Danny grabbed a fresh cup, scrawling on it before pouring the steeped tea into it.
“Enjoy!”
Taking his drink, Damian made his way back to his table. He knew more about Danny now.
“Congratulations, Master Damian.” Damian looked at Pennyworth confused.
“Whatever for, Pennyworth?”
“You should read what is on your cup.”
The writing was cramped and somewhat difficult to read, but it said:
I like you very matcha.
Text me? XXX-XXX-XXXX
Damian smiled.