Chapter Text
ELAIN
Mornings in the bakery were a part of Elain’s routine that she cherished deeply. Being able to watch the city wake up with life, the soft sounds of birds chirping. These soft moments allowed Elain to admire her life, this city, her family, and made the world feel more gentle than it seemed.
Elain walked down the streets of downtown Velaris as she neared the bakery; only a handful of people walked the streets, awake before the bustling city was. Elain reached into her purse and pulled out her set of keys as she jingled it into the front door, opening it and locking it behind her. She flicked on the overhead lights, opening the curtains, allowing the soft light of the rising sun to fill the room.
The bakery had become Elain’s prized possession. Her own creation. It was a decent-sized room with a few tables for patrons to sit and enjoy their baked goods. The walls were a light pink with small gold accents throughout. The clear display was sitting upon a gorgeous white counter. Elain gave a small smile to herself as she moved throughout the room to the back.
Working in a bakery was one thing, something Elain did in her college years, which had spawned the idea of opening her own shop, but owning one? That was a whole other obstacle that many people either forgot or sidelined. But Elain was always up for something new, and owning this shop had become her favorite thing in the world. Something many people would consider a downside was the early mornings of creating fresh bakery items for the day. Elain glanced at the clock in the back, 5:00 am. Perfect.
Elain set to her tasks, pulling prepped ingredients from the night before out of the walk-in. Nuala and Cerridwen, her best friends, had joined Elain in her bakery journey. All three of them met while in college and expressed their own love for baking, which Elain then called into favor when the two twins were looking for jobs.
Nuala and Cerridwen were the night owls and worked the closing of shifts, which helped prepare her for the following morning, which Elain thoroughly enjoyed. There were two other younger college students whom Elain employed who worked in the afternoons.
Elain grabbed her apron, wrapping it around her pink floral dress, and tying her golden brown curls into a messy bun. Soft music from the lobby filled the space as Elain grabbed her ingredients and began to bake.
Baking was something that allowed Elain to be in her thoughts, think about things without the nagging of the people in her life. Elain loved her sisters; she truly did, but both of them had been pushing her to get back into the dating market, but she just wasn’t ready.
She understood them and their intentions, even if it was coming off as pushy. Both were in relationships and were happy, and Elain simply wasn’t. Feyre had snagged the CEO of a company, and Nesta was with that CEO’s brother, or best friend, in a brotherly way? He was a private trainer, and that's how he met Nesta. Both her sisters and their significant others had this organic love story, but not Elain.
Feyre was pushing her to go on a date with her friend Lucien, but when Elain searched him up on Instagram, she scrunched her nose in distaste, not her type at all. Elain supposed she was still a tad hung up on Graysen, even though they had broken up four months ago.
Elain cracked her neck as she thought of this. She knew deep down that the end of the relationship was something good, but when it was all she knew, it was hard to let go. Elain continued her baking, pulling fresh cinnamon rolls out of the oven, rolling croissants, making muffins, and assortments of breaded items. She displayed them on the clear display, lining them with the name cards.
It had reached 7 am, which was the bakery's opening time. The streets were still on the quiet side, but many people would begin their commutes to work. Elain walked over to the front door, unlocking it and flipping the open sign on.
As she opened the door to pull out the chalkboard display that Feyre had designed for her, her eyes snagged on the tattoo shop that was across the street. It was painted a deep black, with gold letters across the top, NIGHTCOURT TATTOO SHOP.
Throughout the months that it had been open, she hardly saw it bustling with life, but she supposed that tattoo shops were different from her bakery shop. She saw what she thought would be the owner once, when he climbed off a motorcycle and opened the shop. He was tall, with dark hair that curled slightly at the nape of his neck, and tattoos peeking up over his neck.
Unfortunately for Elain, she never saw his face. Which was a shame because she knew that a man with that lean, muscular body had a face that was gorgeous.
The shop was definitely closed, the sign that indicated when open was dark, and the dark-tinted windows didn’t even let a slight light be discovered. Elain turned away and walked back inside, but cast one more glance over her shoulder at the tattoo shop.
She shrugged her apron off, hooking it back onto the hook that held aprons. She undid the bun and ran her fingers through her curls. Her hair tumbled down her back, but she quickly put it into a messy French braid, with the front of her hair framing her face.
Elain walked into the back and pulled her phone out of her purse, quickly scrolling through her notifications. A few texts from her father asking her to visit, Elain pursed her lips at the thought but kept scrolling. Feyre sent her a cat meme, but otherwise her phone was quiet. She learned to love the quiet.
She shoved her phone into her dress pocket as she made her way to the front of the shop, behind the counter. The bell above the door rang, having her look over. “Gary! Hello,” She said in response to the older man who walked through the door.
Gary had become a regular since the two years she opened the shop, and he was one of her favorite customers. “Hello, dear Elain,” he supplied in response as he set his newspaper on his normal table. Elain was already moving as she grabbed his usual cinnamon roll and then a black coffee with two creamers. She poured the coffee out of the pot and put it in the creamer. “Oh, you are a doll, Elain.”
She gave a sweet smile. “Anything for my favorite customer.” Elain had learned a good handful of her usual customers' orders, but Gary was definitely her favorite. “How are you?” She asked as she rang him out.
“Oh, you know, living my life till I collapse one day!” He said with a big laugh at the end. Elain scowled at him. “I know, I know! But I am doing well, my granddaughter is visiting today, so I am taking her to the zoo.”
“Aw, how sweet!” Elain said while smiling at him. The two carried on a light conversation before he sat down.
Time passed, and more customers came and went, most being adults going to work. As Elain’s back was turned to the door as she made a new pot of coffee, the door chimed, indicating a new customer.
“Just a minute!” She tossed over her shoulder to the guest waiting by the counter, who she guessed was looking at the baked goods. Elain spun around and faced the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. She wasn’t even sure gorgeous was the word to describe him. “I-,” she said, opening her mouth, but only one thing came out of her mouth. She closed her mouth.
He only stared at her with those fierce hazel eyes. A small grin threatened at the tips of his lips. Elain sucked in her breath as she took the male in front of her in. He was tall, muscular but lean, had bronze skin that seemed to glow under the light, his deep hazel eyes, lips that looked soft and were full, a sharp nose, and dark, inky hair that looked so soft Elain wanted to run her fingers through it. He wore a leather jacket, his hands shoved into the pockets of the jacket.
“Hi, what can I get you?” Elain finally asked breathily, her fingers dug into her dress. He caught the movement but didn’t say anything. The mystery man finally broke eye contact and looked at the display. Elain sucked in her breath, watching him look at her work. She suddenly became self-conscious.
Why was she so worried about what this breathtaking man thinks?
“Any preferences for what you like?” She supplied as he continued to survey the baked goods. “The cinnamon roll personally is my favorite, but the muffins are popular too, and so are the chocolate croissants.”
He finally pulled his eyes away from the display and looked back at her. Elain was sure her eyes were filled with anxiety and nervousness. “I’ll take the cinnamon roll.”
Oh my god. His voice was smooth with a bit of roughness behind it. Before Elain could think more about the man in front of her, she moved to the display. “Of course!” She beamed while grabbing a box and rolling out. “Anything else?” She asked, hoping not to sound too eager.
He glanced behind her. “A black coffee too, please.” Elain only managed to nod her head as she set the pastry box down, turning back to the pot of coffee she had just made. She quickly poured the coffee into the cup.
Elain turned around and set the coffee down on the counter. “Lucky for you, I just made a fresh pot.”
The male in front of her only stared at her in response, a small smile playing at his lips before he subtly shook his head. Elain could feel her face heating, a blush working its way up her neck to her cheeks. “The total is $8.50,” she muttered.
He only nodded his head before removing his hands from his pocket and answering the questions on the screen before tapping his card. Elain's throat bobbed as she looked at his hands. Deep scars were all over his hands, but they were beautiful. His hands were truly beautiful. They were large, and the underside looked more rough. A small tattoo crept out from under the jacket and onto his wrists.
The screen flashed that the transaction was finished. She grabbed the cup of hot coffee and the pastry box as she shoved his card back into his wallet and back into the jacket. She held the two items out as he finished. He reached out for the items, their fingers grazing over each other as she handed the items off, the connection between them.
She sucked in a breath at the soft contact. His eyes met hers again. “Have a good day,” he muttered before slowly walking away.
“You too,” she whispered, but he heard it and gave her a soft smile. Elain watched his backside, the way the leather jacket moved alongside his back. All she could do was watch him. Her eyes were on his back and moved up, seeing the tattoo peeking up over the neck.
It all clicked. The mystery tattoo owner. It only made sense, she mused, that he was that beautiful and owned a tattoo shop. Elain thought back to the hazel color of his eyes.
She often thought that pink was her favorite color, but those eyes. The colors that swirled together in them had now become her favorite. She thought of their small touch, the graze of his calloused finger over her own fingers, and at that thought a shiver raced down her spine.
Elain looked back at the register, and her eyes almost bulged out of her head. A tip of $100. What the fuck!
Elain looked up and across the street, watching him cross the street with the two items in his hand, reaching the door of his shop. He looked back over his shoulder, even from across the way, and through her clear windows, they made eye contact. He gave her another small smile that had her stomach tightening.
Gods, she really needed to get laid.
___________
The morning passed in a blur, Elain in a slight daze the rest of her shift. Her eyes kept darting over to the tattoo shop across the way, praying she could catch another glance at him. She practically spent her whole morning wanting him again. One of her hires, Alice, walked in for her afternoon shift.
Elain quickly excused herself to the back, muttering about starting to bake more items. Alice only nodded at her as she dropped her own stuff back and took to the front. Yes, she needed to bake, but most importantly, get away from the front of the store to stop staring out the window.
She wasn’t sure the last time she was this obsessed with a man, it definitely wasn’t Graysen. Comparing Graysen to the mystery man was laughable, which had Elain let out a soft giggle.
Graysen was mellow and seemed to lack any charm. Elain wondered why she had been with him for over two years.
With a small curse, Elain wondered why she didn’t get the mystery man's name. They were basically shop neighbors, and neighbors knew people's names. Right? She certainly knew her neighbors' names in her apartment building.
Elain shook her thoughts out and set to work on baking. The afternoon passed, and Alice left after her shift. Elain waited for Nuala and Cerridwen to come in for their shifts. Elain leaned against the front counter and went onto her phone.
She went to Instagram and typed in the search bar: Nightcourt Tattoo Shop. A profile popped up, which highlighted pieces that had been done, inked permanently into the skin. Elain scrolled through the profile, trying to catch anything about an inker or maybe even the owner.
The door opened, and Elain looked up to see the twins walk in. She smiled at them and continued to scroll, looking for any hints. Nuala walked up behind her and looked at Elain’s phone.
“Why are you looking at the tattoo shop on Instagram?” She asked as she leaned over and let her finger scroll through the profile. Elain gulped at the question.
She shrugged. “Was just curious.”
Nuala glanced over her as Elain stood up straight. She slipped her phone back into her dress pocket. Nuala only gave a soft ‘mhm’ in response as Elain walked into the back. Cerridwen appeared and glanced over at her as well, before giving her a grin and walking to the front of the shop, taking the broom with her.
Elain untied her French braid, letting her fingers untangle the curls before they spilled down her back in waves. She reached for her purse. “I’m off, see you two tomorrow,” she stated.
“I'll get an answer out of you tomorrow, Elain,” Nuala voiced as Elain walked to the front. Cerridwen laughed, and Elain smiled before slipping outside into the crisp autumn air.
Elain slung her purse over her shoulder as she began her walk to her apartment. She glanced back over across the street, giving a small shake of her head as she headed off.
She weaved between crowds of people as she turned the block and headed into her favorite deli shop, picking up her food. Elain walked the streets of Velaris as she headed for her apartment.
During her walk, her phone rang, she pulled it out of her pocket, and looked down.
DAD
She quickly declined the call. She didn’t want to hear whatever excuse he had prepared for her this time. Elain bristled at the memory of her last meeting with her dad, hoping to repair somewhat of a bond between them, but in the end, it didn’t matter.
The walk from the bakery to her apartment was around twenty minutes, which Elain enjoyed. It allowed her to be somewhat fit but also to enjoy the beauty of the city.
Velaris truly was the city of beauty; every morning was breathtaking with night being just as gorgeous with sparkling lights. She could hear the soft sounds of the river as it made its way throughout the city. Elain got to her apartment building and entered the code to the building, stepping into the rusty building, setting up the stairs.
Elain liked to see that the building had its own rustic charm, and needed to be shaped up. She truly believed that it once was a beautiful building, but it fell apart due to shitty landlords. She knew she could move; Nuala and Cerridwen had said they could all look for a three-bedroom apartment, but Elain enjoyed her silence and comfort.
Living alone allowed a different sort of privacy, and Elain wasn’t sure she was ready to let go of it yet. Graysen had wanted her to move into his apartment, but Elain had declined, which she believed started to be the downfall of the relationship.
Graysen had started to pull away, only to care for his own sexual desires, and cast her aside as a last thought. Elain started to think more about it and decided she was grateful to get away. As Elain finished the climb up the four flights of stairs, she reached her apartment, punching in the code.
She swung the door open and stepped in, slipping off her ballet flats and setting her purse down, pulling her sandwich out. She moved throughout the apartment, opening the curtains farther to let the sunlight in. She reached her vase of blue hydrangeas, reaching out to touch the flowers. “How's my beauty doing?"
Even though the flower couldn't speak, it seemed to straighten in response to her. A smile lifted on Elain’s lips as she sat down at the table, eating her sandwich.
Throughout her meal, her phone rang again, and Elain leaned across the table to grab it.
FEYRE
She answered on the third ring. “Hello,” she said into the phone.
“Elain! Hi!” Her younger sister gushed through the phone. “How are you?”
“I am doing well, just got back from work, so I am enjoying the rest of the afternoon. How about you?” She asked back, eating the last bit of her sandwich as she waited.
She could hear Feyre moving around through the phone. “I am doing well. I wanted to ask you something exactly. Well, two things.”
“Okay,” she replied as she grabbed her phone, putting it on speaker as she stood from the table and moved to her couch.
“So tomorrow night I have an art show, and I want you to come. Nesta is coming, along with Cassian. Rhys will be there too, well, all of my friends are, and I wanted to see if you wanted to as well.”
Elain nodded her head. “Yeah, of course I'll come, just text me the address and time.”
“Perfect! It's a classy type of museum, so will be formal wear, by the way.” Elain hummed in agreement. “And I wanted to ask you about Lucien…”
Elain sat up straighter. “Feyre, I love you. But I do not want to date him. I am sure he is nice, but it's a no from me. Again,” she gritted out at the end. She could hear Feyre sigh.
“Well, he is going to be there, and he was asking about you, Elain.”
Elain rolled her eyes. “I don’t care if he is asking about me. I don’t want him.” Her voice was sharp in response.
“Okay, Okay. I'll drop it, just wanted to let you know. Just be nice to him, Elain. If he comes up to you, he is a nice man.”
Elain wanted to hang up and tell her sister to go screw off somewhere else, but she refrained. “Text me the details, I have to go.”
They gave their short goodbyes before hanging up. She loved Feyre, but this pestering was her last straw. Elain leaned forward and grabbed her remote, flicking on the TV. She watched a bit of it before reaching for her phone and instantly opening Instagram.
She went to the profile last viewed and began her search again for any hints about the mystery hot man.