Work Text:
Honestly, working at a coffee shop wasn’t the worst thing in the world.
She loved working in them—she had already worked at Starbucks—but she hated the women who ordered as if they were doing her a favor, or who simply yelled at her. She didn’t need the money; it was just extra cash to buy music. Her family owned a music store on her grandfather’s side and a beautiful greenhouse from her mother’s side. But she liked working in coffee shops—it was nice to see people working and to see new faces every day. Still, Starbucks was the worst place, which is why she quit and found a small café near her university.
It felt like a dream: kind people, a kind boss, and an incredibly beautiful customer—but a very strange one.
She always showed up wearing different clothes and using a different name (though the same three kept coming up): Marceline, Stevie, and Jade. Marceline was a mix of formal and informal—she might wear blue jeans or denim skirts, gray shirts with moon patterns. Stevie was always very formal, as if she were going to work in white suits. And Jade... it seemed like she just wore whatever she found, but always with a small beanie.
Their first interaction was sweet—it was with Marceline. The others were awkward at first, but over time, Perse could tell what they were going to order just by looking at them, and they’d have a nice little chat, even if it was short, something like:
“Good morning, Stevie. The usual?” asked Perse, looking her up and down to be sure she had the name right.
“Of course. I must come here too often if you know both my name and my order,” Stevie replied with a charming smile. If Perse’s friends hadn’t been around, she probably wouldn’t have noticed she was blushing from head to toe.
“On your way to work or just getting off?” Sometimes being nosy made people come back. Some answered with smiles, nervous or uncomfortable, but she always managed to make them smile. That was all she worked for, really.
“I’m on my way to work. Quick question—Is your name Percy or is that a nickname?” Stevie asked, looking at her name tag.
“A nickname. My full name is Persephone, but it’s too long. Plus, there’s a book series where the main character is Percy Jackson, or Perseus.”
“So that’s a large latte, right?” she said, seeing Stevie nod.
“That’ll be $4.50—cash or card?” Silly question. She already knew—Stevie was the only one of the three who paid by card.
She saw the card in her hand and held the reader out.
“All set, that’s everything. Your drink will be at the end of the counter.”
Even if they were small interactions, they made Perse giddy with excitement. One of the perks of working at an independent café was that she could play her own '70s rock playlist. "Southern Nights" was playing, and she started singing softly while making Stevie’s drink. When she handed it over, she was at the part that went:
"Just beyond the eye it goes running through your soul, like the stories told of old,"
and she sang it looking right at Stevie before calling her name.
Clearly, she was a barista in love with her customer—nothing too unusual. Stevie thanked her with a smile, and honestly, if it weren’t for the next customer in line, Perse probably would’ve fainted right there.
-----
"It’s kind of pathetic seeing you act so dumb over someone,” Rocket started — her best friend, who had joined her now since there were quite a few customers.
“Oh, shut up. You only work here because of Groot,” Percy replied, rolling her eyes.
“I actually think it’s pretty cute that she has feelings for someone as pretty as she is,”Mantis chimed in. She was Perse’s sister, speaking from the other side of the counter. She came by from time to time to hang out with her friends — sometimes with her “friend” (everyone suspects they’re dating, though she denies it) — and spent time with them. She was great moral support for her sister.
"Mantis, you can’t just defend your sister!" Rocket said, clearly annoyed. “Anyway, take your romance outside this place. I don’t want to see you end up kissing your weird girlfriend.”
“Take that back, Rocket! She’s not my girlfriend — and she’s not weird!” she tried to argue, but a new customer showed up at the register, forcing them to stop fighting. She got paid well enough not to risk getting fired.
---
Marceline had started visiting different coffee shops. Some had terrible customer service, bad coffee, and there were always employees trying to flirt with her — writing their numbers on her cup. She always ended up throwing those coffees away while they watched. She was tired of it all, and decided to try a place near where Stevie worked.
As soon as she walked in, she was greeted by a cheerful cashier who treated all the customers like old friends. Of course, that wasn’t actually the case, but the café had a warm, lively atmosphere, and she figured she had nothing to lose.
And she was right — there was nothing to lose. She could even say she’d found a diamond.
The most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen looked at her like they had been waiting forever. A smile that could take the breath away from millions — and no, that’s not an exaggeration.
She could barely get her order out. Her voice was captivating — she was singing songs, quite old ones, probably from the '80s or earlier. Some songs Marce recognized, others she didn’t, but the passion was contagious. When her drinks were handed over, she noticed a small moon drawn on the cardboard sleeve — she must’ve seen her shirt that day.
Now she couldn’t forget the eyes of that girl. Probably never would.
So, she kept going back to that cozy little café — with the prettiest cashier.
Months passed by as she continued to visit. Even on bad days, she knew which days she wouldn’t be there, so she avoided going. She didn’t want to get used to the scent of anyone else — the smell of coffee and flowers that made you feel like you were floating through the universe.
Stevie, ever the bold one, finally asked the question everyone was wondering: Was her name really Percy? Of course not — she had to be named Persephone, the living embodiment of the feeling of springtime.
She was also ridiculously thoughtful. How could she always know who each person was just by seeing them? She remembered their drinks and seemed to guess where they were going. Maybe she was a witch, casting spells, because it wasn’t normal how enchanted she had them all — Stevie and Jade were just as smitten.
Then came the day when Marce finally worked up the courage to ask for her number.
“So, an espresso?” Percy asked the moment she saw her.
“Yes and…” she hesitated, then regretted starting — but the confused look on Percy’s face was enough to make her sigh for days.
“Can I have your number?” she asked, embarrassed beyond words.
She hadn’t expected that. Now the cute cashier was blushing from head to toe. It wasn’t like she never got hit on — Marce had seen annoying men before, but her tiny-yet-intimidating coworkers always scared them off.
“Of course!” said the girl with bright eyes, lighting up Marce’s whole week. She pulled out a little notebook with planets on the cover, filled with purple pages, and tore one out to write her number.
“Thank you,” said Marce.
“That’ll be six dollars — her number and your drink,” Rocket jumped in — probably also a nickname, like “Percy.”
Marce laughed as Percy froze. She didn’t see why not pay the extra two dollars — she’d pay millions just to see her.
“Sounds good to me,” she said, handing over the six dollars.
“No!” Percy shoved her coworker. “It’s four, just four!” she insisted, refusing to take the money.
“Consider it a tip,” Marce smiled.
“I can’t! You always tip too much. If I take this, you’ll still leave another tip!”
“Buzzkill…” Rocket muttered, taking the money anyway. He stuffed two dollars into Percy’s pocket and the rest into the register.
“Be a good girlfriend and make her drink. Thank me later,” he whispered, pushing her toward the back where the drinks were made.
“She’ll hand you your drink at the end of the counter.”
---
When Percy handed her the drink, she couldn’t seem to meet her eyes. So Marceline decided to speak.
“Do you want to go out with me someday, maybe after work or on your day off?”
It was like she’d just won the lottery, judging by the smile she received.
“Of course! I’d be more than happy to go out,” Percy nodded, and as she headed for the exit, a voice stopped her.
“Thank you for asking for my number! I really wanted to talk to you!”
Everyone nearby was laughing, and she just waved goodbye and walked away quickly. It was embarrassing, but it was worth it.
---
As soon as she saw her leave, Percy rushed to the back where Rocket and Groot were, hugging and shaking them.
“SHE ASKED FOR MY NUMBER! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!” she shouted while jumping up and down.
“Finally. I couldn’t take one more of those sweet stares turning into nothing,” Rocket rolled his eyes, then looked at his friend, who was hugging Percy back.
“I’m really happy for you, Perse,” Groot said. He often acted like a father figure to them, just like Drax — a few years older, overly protective, but trustworthy.
“Even my fifteen-year-old little brother has a boyfriend now, and you’ve got nothing,” Rocket added, trying to get out of her grip.
“WHAT?!” both Percy and Groot turned to Rocket.
“SAM? Your brother Sam Alexander? What!” Percy let go to grab Rocket by the shoulders.
“He’s finally dating that kid?”
“The delinquent?” Groot added.
“Let’s define delinquent,” Rocket rolled his eyes.
“He’s a graffiti artist — that’s different from being a criminal. We were the real delinquents in high school.”
Everyone looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
“But you know what? They’ve been staring at each other like you and your girlfriend do. The difference is he actually asked him out.”
“In my defense, sometimes customers don’t want you giving them your number.”
“I can’t believe Sam and that troublemaker Miles are dating,” Groot muttered, still in shock. They had basically raised Sam within their friend group.
---
Their first date was as romantic as it gets. They ended up holding hands as Percy walked her home. Time flew so fast they ended up saying goodbye at 10 PM, with Percy giving a small kiss on her cheek.
She kept going to the café, though now their conversations were so long Percy started taking her breaks during Marce, Stevie, or Jade’s shifts just to chat.
For their second date, it was raining hard. Marceline confessed she had Dissociative Identity Disorder, and that every time she came in with a different outfit and name, it wasn’t because she was being weird — it was literally another mind and personality in the same body.
“I don’t care. I fell in love with every single one of them,” Percy said, cupping her face and kissing her.
They ended up running in the rain, laughing, while some men yelled homophobic slurs at them. But it didn’t matter — all they needed was each other to be happy.
Their third date didn’t quite feel like a date. It started more like an interrogation with Mantis, Percy’s sister, and her friend Loki— definitely her boyfriend.
“You love her, don’t you?” Mantis asked bluntly.
“Ever since I saw her blue eyes, I knew I wanted to see them every day.”
“You don’t just want her for sex?” Loki chimed in — and got punched in the arm for it.
“I don’t care if we ever have sex or not. I want to be with her, even if someday she decides we shouldn’t be together anymore.”
The two dark-haired siblings looked at each other and smiled.
“Good. I just don’t want to hear you regret it in the future,” Mantis said with a kind smile.
Dates four and five were at the movies — where Perse cried — and a theme park, where Percy ended up vomiting in the bathroom after eating too much and going on a rollercoaster. She was so embarrassed she couldn’t even look at Marceline. But Marce simply handed her juice and kissed the corner of her mouth. Clearly, she didn’t care.
They kept going on more and more dates, practically inseparable — like gum that just won’t come off.
Two months in, Marceline met Percy’s family — her grandfather and mother, who felt straight out of a fairytale. They were so kind, they let her stay the night and told her she was welcome anytime.
So, Marceline decided it was time for Percy to meet her father.
---
Just like their first date, time flew by. Two months became a year, and they decided to move in together. But before it could happen, Marceline got scared — afraid she wouldn’t be enough for Percy, the sun of her life. Maybe she only brought darkness, like the moon.
The fear consumed her. Stevie and Jade could only watch helplessly. They hated that side of Marc — the self-sabotaging one.
Their move kept getting postponed. It was going to be at Marce’s place — it was bigger and she made more money.
Then Marce stopped going to Percy’s café — which felt strange. But Percy let it go.
Days passed. Weeks. Months. Until Marceline started pulling away and stopped answering messages altogether.
Tired of it, one night after work, Percy went to her apartment. Silence greeted her.
A week later, on a dark night, she returned — this time, Marceline answered.
“Marc, open the door,” she demanded. And it worked. The door opened, revealing a worn-down, gaunt Marceline.
"Baby, what’s wrong?”she asked, gently cupping her girlfriend’s face.
"Nothing, please go home...”
“I can’t. I won’t. You haven’t spoken to me in weeks. You haven’t come to the café in months. I know something’s wrong.”
"I’m fine. Leave.” Marce stepped away.
“No,” Percy grabbed her hands tightly. “I’m not leaving.”
That’s when Marce broke down crying.
"Go away. I don’t want to see you.”
“Did I do something wrong? Tell me what I did. We can fix it.” Percy’s voice was trembling.
“No, Percy. I just don’t want to see you anymore,” Marce said, pushing her.
“Marce! Please talk to me.”
Percy grabbed her arm before she could close the door.
“You don’t get it! I don’t want to see you, I don’t want to talk to you, I don’t want anything to do with you!”
Marceline wiped her tears with her free arm.
“Tell me what happened! Tell me what I did! What can I do to fix it?” Percy begged, trying to read her eyes — she had learned to read her better than her own palm.
“PERCY!”
The scream froze her in place — she had never yelled at her before.
“Just leave! I don’t want to see you again! Don’t be stupid...”
And just like that, she let go, and closed the door in her face.
“Marce!” Percy cried, desperate for one more chance.
No response.
So she sat down outside and started talking.
“Marce, I don’t know what I did wrong. Was it too soon to move in? We could’ve waited. Or was it something about me? I could fix it. Just... open the door.”
Still, nothing.
She looked up at the sky from the stairwell, and soon enough, she fell asleep.
A neighbor — a woman who seemed ready for her early morning diner shift — woke her up.
“Sweetheart, she’s stubborn. Go home. Talk calmly another day.”
And that’s what she did. She came back the next night.
“Marce, baby, open the door" she said breathless, having run up the stairs.
“Go away.”
“I know you don’t want me here, but we need to talk.”
“What else is there to talk about? Your perfect life? How you don’t need me, yet you refuse to admit it?”
The door finally opened. Dark circles shadowed Marceline’s paler-than-usual skin. Her curls were a mess.
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t act dumb. Ever since I told you about me, you wanted to run. I’m messed up. I know it. But you still stayed. I’m not a charity case, you know? Just leave. We have to break up. I can’t be with you.”
She closed the door, leaving Percy speechless.
And that’s when she broke. Percy fell to her knees, sobbing.
“I don’t want to leave you! You’re everything to me! I know your eyes say something else!”
The only reply was:
“I’ll call the cops if you’re still here.”
She had no choice but to leave.
She cried for
hours, so much that the next morning her eyes couldn’t even open. She called in sick — she was a model employee, so they gave her a week off. She went to her mom’s and cried.
Mantis was so angry, she wanted to confront Marce directly, but Percy stopped her.
---
Back at work, Percy couldn’t smile at customers anymore. But when they started asking if she was okay, she decided never again would she let a breakup affect her this deeply.
Not even her breakup with Rider had hit her like this — why should this one?
---
After the breakup, Marceline’s mind spiraled into chaos.
She had to deal with awful coffee, rude staff, and sleazy flirting again.
She tried to forget Percy by going to clubs and hooking up with women — all of them somehow blonde and blue-eyed.
But just before things got intimate, she’d always notice: this blonde wasn’t the same shade as hers, this blue had green in it, those were colored contacts...
She even almost slept with a guy who looked exactly like Percy — same hair, same eyes. But his gaze was empty. Neither could go through with it.
They ended up admitting they were trying to forget someone — strangely, their exes resembled each other too much.
They laughed and shared stories instead.
She had gone to the other side of town to seal a deal with some random millionaire. Her routine was back to how it was before Percy.
She’d met her in winter, in a greenhouse. Now it was spring. She didn’t know if she missed the goddess Persephone or her ex.
Taking the subway home, she saw Percy.
She was with a tall blonde guy with gray eyes — holding her things. A full-on date.
She froze. She couldn’t move.
They disappeared into a train car. She missed the train — and lost her love.
She cried, took the next one, and got off near Percy’s café — hoping it wasn’t true. But Percy wasn’t there.
Her coworkers were cleaning up. Mantis was with them.
“What the hell are you doing here? You made it clear you weren’t coming back,” Mantis snapped.
“You’re a—” Rocket was cut off by a look from Groot.
“What happened?”the tall barista asked.
And that’s when Marceline dropped her lie
“I messed up. I miss her more than anything. I don’t want anyone else. I don’t want to undress for anyone else. I don’t want anyone else to know me. Or her.”
She collapsed to her knees.
“I don’t want to kiss people pretending it’s her. I want nothing without her.”
Groot and Mantis embraced her as she sobbed. Rocket put a hand on hers.
“You don’t owe us an explanation.”
“I know\... but she’s with someone else now. What can I do?”
They looked confused. Mantis gave her a little smile.
“She’s not with anyone, is she?”
They nodded. Her voice trembled. She felt like a fool.
---
After going out with Adam, Percy felt good — but it wasn’t special.
Then the doorbell rang.
It was Marceline — or maybe Stevie — dressed in a suit, her face puffy from crying.
Percy couldn’t help it — she cried too.
“You’re such an idiot, a moron, a...” Percy began, tears falling.
“I realized I could never forget the woman I love. The woman who enchanted me with her voice while calling my name,” Marce said, reaching for her hand.
“I’m stupid. I don’t deserve anything you gave me, but I’m here, because I’m selfish and I don’t want anyone else to have kids with your eyes. I don’t want to smell anyone’s perfume but yours. I don’t want to have sex and pretend it’s with you.”
She started crying again — but Percy laughed at the “sex” line.
“Sorry, sorry — you know I’ve never been good at staying serious,” she said, pulling her into a hug.
“I’ll never have kids unless your hair is in them.”
“I’m sorry for everything I said. Stevie and Jade never agreed — it was all me. I messed it up.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
“No, you don’t, Perse... I said terrible things. I treated my whole world worse than anyone ever has.”
“I admit it hurt — more than I can explain. You left with no reason, no explanation. Just when I was loving you — loving all of you. I cried, screamed, felt like dying, not knowing if I’d ever see you again.”
She hugged her tighter.
---
Teresa Butler (Guest) Fri 25 Jul 2025 09:18AM UTC
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