satoru gojo has never needed hashtags to break the internet.
he knows this the same way he knows his post-workout selfies could fund a small country's economy, the same way he knows that the gym mirror loves him more than his own mother ever did.
so when he drops his phone against his sweat-dampened chest and angles it just right—shadows cutting across the landscape of muscle he's carved with religious devotion, that mess of hair catching the fluorescent light like spun moonlight, eyes the color of winter storms narrowed in that signature smirk—he doesn't bother with captions longer than "cardio day."
six million followers don't need context. they need salvation, and apparently, he's their god.
the likes pour in before he's even toweled off. comments that would make his grandmother clutch her pearls, fire emojis that could melt antarctica, marriage proposals in seven languages. satoru scrolls through them with the bored satisfaction of someone who's never had to wonder if he's attractive, clocking the trending status of his latest flex, watching the numbers climb.
after a few minutes of basking in the chaos he just unleashed—thousands of girls twisting in their sheets, thirsting themselves half to death—he flicks over to reels. it's a casual, almost lazy motion, like a king turning away from the adoration of his court once he's had his fill.
his reels are the usual rotation: endless loops of protein shake hacks, questionable "science-backed" mobility drills, and gym bros flexing in worse lighting than his bathroom mirror. sometimes a cooking video sneaks in—grilled chicken recipes that look like punishment meals, pre-workout snacks no sane person would enjoy, the occasional steak sizzling on cast iron just enough to hold his attention. mindless fuel, background noise for someone who already knows he looks better than half the influencers trying to sell him their macros.
but then, the algorithm, in its infinite, mysterious wisdom, does that thing where it thinks it knows him better than he knows himself, and suddenly his screen fills with something entirely different. no thirst, no desperation, no familiar symphony of validation.
just hands.
soft, capable hands dusted with flour, moving with the kind of precision that makes his chest do something weird and unfamiliar. the voice accompanying them flows like honey over warm bread, explaining the mysteries of chocolate tempering with the patience of someone who actually gives a damn about their craft.
"temperature control is everything," you're saying, and satoru finds himself leaning closer to his phone screen like an idiot. your hands work magic he doesn't understand—folding, smoothing, creating something beautiful from nothing. there's flour scattered across your black apron like stars, and he realizes he's been holding his breath. "too hot and you'll seize the chocolate. too cold and it won't temper properly. you want that perfect balance."
perfect balance. right. satoru gojo, who can bench twice his body weight and has never met a macronutrient he couldn't calculate in his sleep, suddenly feels like he doesn't understand balance at all.
he's three videos deep before his brain catches up to his thumbs. your username—why.en_bakes—sits at the top of each video like a riddle he wants to solve. faceless content creator, obviously skilled, voice that could talk him through a panic attack or into one, depending on the circumstances.
his trainer would have an aneurysm if he knew satoru was mentally calculating the caloric content of buttercream roses at eleven pm.
his trainer doesn't have to know.
meanwhile, you're having your own crisis three hundred miles away, curled up in bed with your phone balanced precariously on your chest. you've been mindlessly scrolling through instagram, the kind of late-night brain rot that makes you question your life choices and wonder why you're not asleep like a normal person.
the dm notification pops up from @squatoru—and there's that little blue checkmark that makes your stomach drop because verified accounts usually mean one of two things: actual celebrities or influencers hunting for free stuff.
squatoru: hey, your hands are so steady, i'm pretty sure you could perform surgery. on my heart, maybe? kidding. mostly. anyway, the real question: do you take custom orders, or am i doomed to just drool over your perfect pastries through ig reels tutorials forever? my cardio needs a reward ;)
you frown, tapping on his profile with the kind of skepticism reserved for men who slide into dms and politicians. probably another influencer looking for free pastries in exchange for exposure. you've seen this song and dance before, and your content is specifically designed to avoid this—just your hands, your voice, and your pastries. no face, no personal details, no invitation for this kind of attention.
except his profile loads, and the image that fills your screen is so utterly, aggressively stunning that your breath hitches. your eyes go wide, wider than any pastry plate you've ever presented, and you feel a ridiculous, old-fashioned flush creep up your neck. like a victorian gentleman accidentally stumbling upon an exposed ankle, but instead of an ankle, it's an eight-pack, a smirk, and eyes that could unravel your very soul.
you swallow, hard, your mind temporarily short-circuiting at the sheer, unapologetic perfection. the phone, balanced precariously on your chest, finally loses its grip as your hands instinctively clench in shock, and it falls. with a sickening thud, it smacks directly into your face, the impact rattling your teeth and, far worse, triggering an accidental double-tap right on his latest thirst trap. specifically, right on his absurdly defined abs.
because @squatoru isn't just any influencer.
he's all sharp angles and casual arrogance, the kind of beautiful that makes you question whether humans are supposed to look like that or if someone's been editing reality behind your back. his hair defies every law of physics and good sense, standing up in ways that should look ridiculous but instead look like he's been personally blessed by some very attractive gods. and his eyes—they're not just blue, they're the kind of blue that makes you forget other colors exist, like someone liquefied lightning and poured it into his irises just to see what would happen.
the worst part? he knows exactly what he looks like.
every photo is a carefully constructed masterpiece of casual perfection. gym selfies that belong in museums, mirror shots that probably crash servers, candid photos that are about as candid as a hollywood red carpet. he's the kind of beautiful that makes normal people feel like potatoes, and he's just casually sliding into your dms like it's tuesday.
the little heart icon fills with red, mocking you. you immediately know you've made a mistake of astronomical proportions, a digital crime scene of embarrassment. you don't even look at this kind of content. your algorithm is carefully curated chaos of baking tutorials, cat videos, and the occasional pottery reel.
you wouldn't know a thirst trap if it personally introduced itself and asked for your number. but apparently, it just did, and you just liked it.
your phone buzzes almost instantly.
squatoru: oh, saw that 😉 figured you wouldn't be able to resist. it's okay, my content's usually pretty captivating. consider yourself caught admiring the view.
you scramble upright, nearly launching your phone across the room in your panic. your heart is doing something between a tango and a cardiac episode, and you're pretty sure you're about to die of embarrassment in your own bed, which seems like a particularly pathetic way to go. you wince, rubbing your nose where the phone left a red mark.
why.en_bakes: it was an accident. my phone slipped. literally. it just smacked me.
the response comes back quicker than you'd like, quicker than gives you time to construct proper emotional barriers or remember how to breathe like a normal person.
squatoru:suuuure it did. 😉 a very convenient slip. but hey, thanks for the unintentional validation. speaking of irresistible things... i've actually been genuinely obsessed with your videos. that chocolate work? absolutely insane. like, i'm genuinely curious about trying your stuff in person. my cheat day budget just went up.
he's been watching your videos. this man, human equivalent of a renaissance sculpture, is obsessed with your chocolate work? you, who usually only gets comments from sweet grandmas and fellow bakers, are suddenly being eyed by the thirst trap god himself. you stare at the message until the words blur together, trying to process this information like a computer that's been asked to run software from the future.
why.en_bakes: well, the cafe info is on my profile if you're actually serious. we're open from 8-6 tuesday to saturday. no freebies.
because you're not about to make this easy for him. you've built a whole business on not making things easy, on the radical concept that good pastries require effort and patience and maybe a little suffering. if this man wants to waltz into your world with his perfect face and his ridiculous hair, he can follow the same rules as everyone else.
squatoru: oh, trust me, cupcake. i'm serious about good desserts. and good conversation. and maybe a few other things. consider me booked. see you soon.
cupcake.
he called you cupcake, and something in your stomach does a little flip that has absolutely nothing to do with the leftover anxiety from accidentally liking his photo and everything to do with the way that familiar, sweet word, usually piped with buttercream and sold by the dozen, suddenly tasted personal, a secret, delicious indulgence meant just for you.
satoru, meanwhile, is having his own moment of amused contemplation in his ridiculously expensive apartment, a smirk playing on his lips as he stares at his phone. because here's the thing that's currently piquing his interest in a way almost nothing else does: you don't know who he is.
not in the way everyone else does, anyway. you're not sliding into his dms with marriage proposals or asking him to promote your skincare routine. you're not breathless with excitement or falling over yourself to impress him. you claimed you liked his photo by accident—a blatant, adorable fib, if your mortified response was anything to go by. you immediately tried to take it back like it was a mistake, but satoru knew better. people didn't accidentally double-tap his abs. they just got shy when they were caught.
when was the last time someone feigned indifference to his attention?
he can't remember, and that bothers him more than it should. he's so used to being wanted, expected, demanded, that your casual dismissal, even if it was just an act of shyness, feels like a puzzle he needs to solve. you're talented and professional and seemingly unimpressed by the fact that he exists, and something about that makes him want to try harder than he's tried at anything that didn't involve weights or protein shakes.
plus, there's your voice. that soft, warm tone that guided him through chocolate tempering like you were sharing secrets, like you actually cared whether he understood the difference between seeding and tabling methods.
that night, he replayed your videos more times than he'd admit to anyone, and each time he notices something new—the careful way you handle delicate pastry, the little satisfied hum when something turns out perfectly, the genuine enthusiasm when you explain why certain techniques matter.
which is how satoru gojo, influencer extraordinaire and professional beautiful person, finds himself googling the address of a bakery at midnight like some kind of carb-obsessed stalker.
your cafe isn't far from his gym. isn't that convenient.
he screenshots the address and adds it to his calendar with the kind of focus usually reserved for competition prep, already planning his route and calculating what time he'll need to leave to avoid the morning rush but still catch you during business hours.
because apparently, satoru gojo has stumbled upon a new obsession—someone who makes croissants for a living and couldn't care less about his follower count, pretending she didn't just like his gym selfie.
his trainer is definitely going to have that aneurysm.
he timed it perfectly—after the morning rush had thinned and the café's cheerful hum had settled into something softer. strategic timing, really. fewer distractions meant more of your attention, and satoru gojo had never been one to settle for scraps when he could have the whole meal.
the bell above the door chimed, small and unassuming, almost absurdly inadequate for the entrance that followed. satoru filled the doorway like gravity had personally rearranged itself around him, a quality white tee draping effortlessly over shoulders that looked like they'd been carved by someone with a personal vendetta against moderation, hinting at the landscape of muscle beneath. well-cut dark cargo pants, practical yet stylish, hung casually on powerful legs that could probably crush watermelons, and his hair—that impossible mess of silver-white strands—caught the morning light like it was showing off.
he walked in with the kind of confidence that made people forget what they were saying mid-sentence. calculated but effortless, the way predators moved when they weren't particularly hungry but enjoyed the hunt anyway.
you recognized him instantly, and the mortifying memory of that accidental double-tap crashed through your mind like a wrecking ball made of pure embarrassment. heat threatened to crawl up your neck, but you shoved it down with the kind of ruthless efficiency that came from years of dealing with difficult customers and even more difficult ovens.
"welcome to flour & sugar," you said, voice carefully steady as you finished wiping down the espresso machine. your movements were precise, controlled, the kind of calm that came from having your hands busy while your brain short-circuited. he caught the swift dart of your eyes, the way they met his for a fraction of a second before skittering away, and a slow, knowing amusement bloomed in his chest. oh, you were definitely lying. "what can i get for you today?"
but satoru wasn't listening to your carefully rehearsed greeting. he was too busy having what could only be described as a religious experience with your display case.
"jesus christ," he breathed, and those storm-glass eyes went wide as they tracked across the pastries like he was cataloging treasures. his hands pressed against the cool glass, long fingers splaying as he leaned in closer. "is that—are those pain au chocolat actually laminated properly or are you just trying to make me cry?"
the croissants sat in perfect golden rows, their surfaces glossy and flaked to mathematical precision. next to them, danish pastries spiraled with fruit preserves that caught the light like stained glass windows. chocolate éclairs lined up like soldiers, their choux pastry shells piped so perfectly they looked machine-made, topped with ganache so mirror-smooth it reflected the café's warm lighting.
"showing off, obviously," you replied, corners of your mouth threatening to betray you with something dangerously close to a smile. your fingers found the edge of your flour-dusted black apron, smoothing it down in a gesture that was becoming embarrassingly predictable. "we just brush regular croissants with chocolate syrup and hope no one notices."
that earned you a bark of laughter, bright and genuine and so unexpected it made something flutter in your chest like a bird trying to escape. his whole face transformed when he laughed—the careful perfection cracking open to reveal something warmer underneath.
"oh, you're trouble," he said, grinning as he straightened up from the display case. ran one hand through that gravity-defying hair, messing it up in a way that somehow made it look better. the motion caused the soft fabric of the white tee to subtly shift and stretch over his chest and shoulder, a brief, undeniable testament to the power beneath, and he noticed you noticed. his grin widened almost imperceptibly. yeah, you definitely hadn't liked his photo by 'accident'. "i can tell already. so what's your best 'i'm definitely going to regret this later but it'll be worth every minute' option today?"
"the chocolate tart is popular," you said, gesturing toward where it sat in solitary splendor—a perfect circle of temptation with ganache so dark it looked like liquid sin. "our kouign-amann sells out by noon." you pointed to the golden, layered pastries that looked like edible architecture. "and if you're feeling particularly self-destructive, the salted caramel éclair has a cult following."
"dangerous recommendations," he mused, those impossible eyes still cataloging every curve and swirl of your handiwork. his gaze lingered on the fruit tarts, their pastry cream bases topped with berries arranged like tiny works of art, then moved to the cinnamon rolls that spiraled with mathematical precision, their surfaces glazed to perfection.
he was quiet for a moment, just looking, and something in his expression shifted. softer somehow, like he was seeing more than just pastries behind the glass.
"what about you?" he asked finally, those winter-storm eyes finding yours. "what would you eat if calories didn't exist and your trainer wasn't going to lecture you about macros tomorrow?"
the question caught you completely off guard. most customers just wanted their order taken, not actual conversation, not genuine curiosity about your preferences. your hands stilled on the apron, suddenly aware of how he was looking at you—really looking, like your answer mattered.
"oh, definitely the chocolate tart," you said, and a sudden, unexpected spark lit up in your eyes. you leaned forward just a fraction, your voice gaining a soft, enthusiastic edge. "it's not just chocolate, you know? we use a blend of valrhona guanaja for that deep, almost bitter cocoa base, but then there's a hint of madagascar vanilla bean in the custard, just enough to bring out the sweetness without making it cloying. and the crust—it's a sable breton, a really buttery, shortbread-like texture that just crumbles perfectly. it's about the balance, the way the intensity of the chocolate plays with the richness of the butter and the delicate snap of the shell. it's… everything."
you finished with a quiet, almost breathless sigh, a small flush on your cheeks from the sheer passion of your explanation. you hadn't even realized you were practically lecturing him until you saw the look on his face.
something flickered across his face then, a slow dawning of satisfaction mixed with a captivating curiosity. his eyes, usually so sharp and teasing, were softened, fixed entirely on you. he hadn't understood half the technical terms, but he'd understood the passion, the genuine love that radiated from you when you talked about your craft. that, he realized, was even more intoxicating than the thought of the tart itself.
"sold," he declared, his voice a low, pleased rumble. "one chocolate tart for me. and—" he paused, head tilting as he studied the menu board behind you. "matcha latte. extra sweet, if you don't mind. gotta balance out all that virtue somehow."
the way he said it, low and curious, made your pulse skip in a way that had nothing to do with caffeine. "mr. gojo—"
"just satoru," he interrupted, and that easy smile turned softer somehow, more genuine. leaned against the counter on his forearms, bringing himself closer to your eye level. the sleeve of his white tee shifted, briefly revealing the impressive curve of his powerful biceps, practically begging for your gaze, and you felt that familiar, involuntary tightening in your throat again. he was far too aware of the space between you, of the way the air thrummed with unspoken things. "i'd prefer it if you called me satoru. 'mr. gojo' makes me sound like my father, and trust me, that's not the vibe we're going for here."
heat crept up your neck despite every attempt at professional composure. he was close enough that you could smell his cologne—something clean and expensive that probably cost more than your monthly ingredient budget—mixed with the faintest hint of lingering workout endorphins.
"satoru, then," you managed, fingers finding the register keys with muscle memory while your brain tried to process the way he smiled when you said his name. "find a seat anywhere you'd like. i'll call you when it's ready."
he pushed back from the counter with fluid grace, all loose-limbed confidence and predatory satisfaction. chose the corner table by the window—of course he did—prime real estate for people-watching and and, more importantly, you-watching. settled into the chair like he owned not just the seat but the entire building, phone out but screen dark, attention fixed entirely on your workspace.
you tried to ignore the weight of his stare as you moved through your routine, but it was like trying to ignore sunlight streaming through windows. persistent, warm, impossible to escape. steamed milk for his matcha latte, the bright green powder swirling into pale foam like liquid jade, sweetened just enough to match his request for extra sugar.
selected his tart from the display case with the reverence it deserved, the chocolate ganache mirror-smooth and perfect, reflecting the café's warm lighting like dark water.
"order for satoru," you called, and watched him unfold from the chair with that fluid grace that made ordinary movements look choreographed.
"that was fast," he said, accepting the small plate and cup. his fingers brushed yours for just a moment—warm, callused from whatever weights he threw around when he wasn't terrorizing bakeries. "efficient."
"i try not to keep people waiting." the words came out steadier than you felt, professional smile firmly in place even as your skin tingled where he'd touched it.
"and here i was hoping you'd take your time," he replied, that insufferable smirk back in full force. tilted his head just enough to catch your eye, silver hair falling across his forehead in a way that should've looked accidental but absolutely wasn't. "guess i'll just have to savor this extra slowly to make up for it."
back at his table, satoru lifted the fork like he was about to perform delicate surgery. cut into the tart with surgical precision, watched the ganache yield to reveal the perfect custard beneath, dark chocolate giving way to pale cream in a contrast that made his mouth water before he'd even tasted it.
the first bite rewired something fundamental in his brain.
it wasn't just the flavor—though that was devastating enough, rich and balanced and absolutely perfect. it was the memory that came with it, sudden and overwhelming. his grandmother's kitchen on sunday mornings, flour handprints on her faded apron, the smell of butter and vanilla thick in the air like incense in a church dedicated to sugar and love.
he'd been a chubby kid back then, all round cheeks and soft edges before growth spurts and gym obsessions carved him into something else entirely. back when sweetness meant safety, when dessert wasn't the enemy but the reward for scraped knees and hard days and just existing in a world that sometimes felt too big and too scary.
this tart tasted like coming home to a place he'd forgotten existed.
he tried to eat it slowly, really tried. wanted to analyze the flavor profile, identify the techniques, make it last. but his body had other plans entirely. each bite melted on his tongue like a prayer answered, and before he knew it the plate was empty and he was staring at the evidence of his complete lack of self-control.
worth every single burpee he'd have to do tomorrow. worth twice that many.
he pulled out his phone, angled it to catch the crumb-scattered plate in afternoon light. typed out "found heaven" with thumbs that were steadier than they had any right to be, tagged the location, posted it to his story without a second thought.
let his trainer try to explain that one.
when he looked up, you were watching him from behind the counter, expression carefully neutral but eyes curious. caught in the act of caring whether he'd enjoyed it, whether your work had lived up to whatever expectations he'd built in his head.
"verdict?" you called across the space between you, voice carrying just the tiniest hint of genuine interest beneath the professional politeness.
"devastating," he called back, not bothering to hide his grin or the way he gestured to the empty plate like it was evidence in a criminal trial. "absolutely devastating. i'm going to have to come back tomorrow just to make sure it wasn't a fluke."
"tomorrow's monday. we're closed." the correction came automatically, but there was something softer in your voice now, the professional mask slipping just enough to let real personality peek through.
"then tuesday," he said without missing a beat, standing up with that fluid grace and reaching for his wallet. "and probably wednesday. thursday's looking pretty likely too."
you ducked your head, but not before he caught the small smile you were trying to hide. watched you wipe your hands on that flour-dusted apron in the nervous gesture he was already learning to catalog alongside all your other tells.
"same time tuesday, then," you said, like you were discussing the weather instead of planning his return to the scene of his carbohydrate crime.
"wouldn't miss it, cupcake," he replied, dropping a twenty on the counter for a twelve-dollar order and heading for the door before you could argue about the change.
he walked out into afternoon sunshine already calculating how many extra miles he'd need to run to justify coming back in two days.
spoiler alert: he was coming back regardless, and you both knew it.
the cafe, which once felt like a carefully controlled universe of flour and sugar, now had a new gravitational pull. satoru gojo had become a regular. not just a customer, but a fixture, like the espresso machine or the perpetually overflowing tips jar.
except this fixture came with perfectly tousled hair and a smile that could probably power half the city.
tuesday morning, 10:47 am. the bell chimed and there he was, silver hair catching the morning light like he'd been personally blessed by some very aesthetic gods. today's ensemble: a loose knit sweater that somehow managed to look both cozy and criminally expensive, draped across shoulders that belonged in a renaissance sculpture exhibit.
he approached the counter with that easy confidence, long fingers already drumming against the glass as those winter-storm eyes conducted some kind of pastry reconnaissance mission.
"just making sure the integrity of your laminated dough hasn't... suffered since yesterday, cupcake," he said, leaning against the counter like he'd been doing it his whole life. the casual way he invaded your space should have been annoying. instead, it made something flutter stupidly in your chest.
you barely suppressed an eye roll, busying yourself with restocking napkins because your hands needed something to do that wasn't embarrassing. "my laminated dough is doing just fine, satoru."
"is it though?" he tilted his head, hair falling across his forehead in a way that was definitely not accidental, studying a pain au chocolat like it held state secrets. "because that one right there looks criminally perfect. almost offensive, really. i might have to do something about it."
the way he said it, all mock seriousness with those ridiculous blue eyes sparkling with mischief, made your lips twitch despite your best efforts. "such a hardship for you."
"devastating," he agreed, pressing a hand to his chest like he was physically wounded. then that grin broke through, the one that made him look less like a fitness god and more like a kid who'd found the cookie jar. "i'll take two. and one of those." he pointed to a lemon meringue tart, its peak of toasted meringue golden and proud. "for balance."
you reached for the pastries, trying to ignore how he watched your every movement like he was memorizing the choreography. "balance?"
"very important nutritional concept. sweet, then tart, then back to sweet. it's basically science."
"that's not how nutrition works."
"says who? my trainer?" he waved a dismissive hand, the gesture fluid and careless. "he thinks protein powder counts as a food group. clearly not a reliable source."
wednesday brought a different satoru—button-down with sleeves rolled just so, revealing forearms that should probably be illegal in most countries. he ordered three chocolate éclairs this time, each one a perfect torpedo of choux pastry and dark ganache.
"consistency test?" you repeated, watching him pull out that expensive wallet like he was performing surgery.
"scientific method, cupcake. very important." he peeled off crisp hundreds with the casual air of someone who'd never met a price tag he couldn't ignore. the bills looked fresh from the bank, and you briefly wondered if he requested new ones specifically for pastry purchases. "can't make proper recommendations without thorough research."
your fingers found the edge of your apron, smoothing down imaginary wrinkles. "recommendations to who?"
"my trainer, obviously. gotta give him fair warning about what's destroying his careful work." that laugh again, bright and completely unrepentant, the sound warming something deep in your chest. "speaking of which, what's the caloric damage on these beauties?"
"you don't want to know."
"try me." he leaned forward slightly, chin tilting in challenge, and you caught yourself staring at the way his collar bone disappeared beneath the cotton of his shirt.
"about three hundred each."
he paused, éclair halfway to his mouth, and you watched something flicker across his face. not regret exactly, but the quick mental calculation of someone who'd spent years thinking in macros and meal plans. then he shrugged, a movement that somehow made his shoulders look even broader, and took a bite that was pure bliss.
his eyes actually fluttered closed for a second, and the small sound he made was borderline indecent. you busied yourself with the register before your brain could process the implications.
"worth every burpee," he declared, and the conviction in his voice made something warm unfurl in your stomach. this wasn't just politeness or customer service charm. he meant it.
thursday he showed up in a perfectly fitted black tee that left absolutely nothing to the imagination, and your professionalism took a brief vacation. the fabric clung to every angle and curve like it had been painted on, and you spent an embarrassing amount of time pretending to organize the already-organized pastry display.
he ordered what could only be described as half your case. two kouign-amann, a slice of blood orange tart, three of your dark chocolate cookies, and a danish that had been sitting there looking particularly photogenic.
"research again?" you asked, voice carefully light while your eyes decidedly did not linger on the way his shirt stretched when he reached for his wallet.
"training day," he said, and there was that subtle flex again, the movement so casual it might have been accidental if not for the way his lips quirked slightly. he knew exactly what he was doing. "need the fuel."
you handed him his order, fingers brushing his for just a moment. warm, slightly callused from whatever torture routine he put himself through daily. "for what, exactly?"
"deadlifts. squats. the usual punishment for having a sweet tooth the size of tokyo." he examined the danish like he was conducting a forensic investigation, head tilted just so. "my trainer keeps threatening to fire me, but joke's on him—i'd just find someone who appreciates the finer things in life."
the mental image of satoru gojo interviewing personal trainers based on their pastry tolerance made you duck your head to hide a smile. "how much extra cardio are we talking here?"
"for this haul? probably an extra hour. maybe two." he bit into the danish with the kind of focus usually reserved for important life decisions, and you watched his expression melt into something approaching reverence. "but look at this thing. the way you've layered that fruit, how the glaze catches the light... that's art, cupcake. you can't put a price on art."
heat crept up your neck at the genuine appreciation in his voice. "apparently you can. it's twelve dollars."
"cheap for a masterpiece."
the compliment hit different when it came wrapped in that soft tone, without any of his usual performative charm. just honest appreciation, and it made your chest feel tight in ways you didn't want to examine.
by friday, you'd started doing something incredibly stupid. anticipating his visits with the kind of precision usually reserved for oven timers and proofing schedules. you knew his patterns now—tart first, then creamy, then something with crunch. complex flavors that demanded attention, just like everything else about him.
so when he walked in wearing a cream-colored sweater that made his hair look like spun moonlight, you'd already committed the crime of setting aside a perfect almond croissant and a slice of your new cardamom pear tart. just sitting there on a small plate behind the counter, waiting like evidence of your growing soft spot.
he stopped short when he saw them, and something shifted in his expression. softer somehow, like you'd surprised him in the best possible way. "you read my mind, cupcake."
"just good service," you mumbled, but your hands betrayed you, finding your apron and smoothing the flour-dusted fabric with nervous fingers.
"is it though?" he leaned forward, elbows finding the counter, bringing himself into your space in a way that made your pulse skip. up close, you could see the faint freckle near his left temple, the way his ridiculously long eyelashes cast shadows on his cheekbones. "because this feels suspiciously like you've been paying attention to my very sophisticated palate."
the teasing lilt in his voice made your stomach do something acrobatic. "your very expensive palate, you mean."
"that too." those eyes were studying you now with the same intensity he usually reserved for pastries, curious and warm and entirely too perceptive. "so what made you choose these? professional instinct or..."
"or what?"
"or maybe you're starting to like having me around."
the question hung between you like sugar dust in afternoon light, sweet and impossible to ignore. your cheeks felt warm, but you kept your voice steady through sheer stubborn will. "you're a good customer."
"just good?" he tilted his head, hair falling across his forehead in that way that made your fingers itch to brush it back.
"you tip well."
"ah." he straightened up with fluid grace, grinning like he'd just solved a particularly entertaining puzzle. "so it is about the money."
the lie sat bitter on your tongue, but you'd rather eat raw flour than admit the truth. that you looked forward to his visits. that you'd started timing your baking schedule around his usual arrival. that the ridiculous tips were just an excuse to let yourself enjoy his company without feeling guilty about it.
"everything's about money, satoru."
"everything?" that voice dropped lower, softer, and you felt it in places that had absolutely nothing to do with business. "what about the art? the passion? the pure, unadulterated joy of creation?"
your breath caught slightly at the way he said 'passion,' like the word meant something more than flour and butter and sugar. "rent doesn't pay itself with passion."
"fair point." he took a bite of the almond croissant, and you watched his entire face transform. the careful composure melted away, replaced by something raw and genuine and absolutely devastating. "jesus. okay, this is... this is stupid good."
pride bloomed warm in your chest, the kind that came from watching someone truly appreciate your work. "just stupid good?"
"life-changing. earth-shattering. the kind of good that makes me question every life choice that led to me discovering it this late." he took another bite, slower this time, actually savoring it like it deserved. watching him eat something you'd made with such obvious pleasure did dangerous things to your equilibrium. "where did you learn to do this?"
the question caught you off guard. not his usual surface-level compliments, but genuine curiosity about you, about your story. you found yourself answering before you could think better of it.
"culinary school. then a few years working under other people before i saved enough to open this place." you gestured around the café, at the warm lighting and carefully chosen décor that had taken months of planning and every penny you'd managed to scrape together.
"other people?"
"a french pastry chef who made gordon ramsay look like a teddy bear. learned more in six months with him than i did in two years of school." the memory still made you wince slightly, even wrapped in gratitude for everything it had taught you.
satoru's eyebrows rose, and something shifted in his expression. less playful, more attentive. "sounds intense."
"he once made me remake the same batch of croissants seventeen times because the lamination wasn't perfect." the words came easier now, maybe because he was listening with such focused attention. "i cried in the walk-in cooler."
"and the eighteenth time?"
"eighteenth time was perfect." you surprised yourself with how much warmth crept into your voice. "finally understood what he meant about respecting the process. about not cutting corners just because you think you know better."
"and now?"
"now i can make them in my sleep." you gestured toward the display case where your croissants sat in golden, flaky perfection, evidence of countless hours and stubborn determination. "muscle memory and spite, mostly."
that drew a laugh from him, rich and genuine. "deadly combination."
he was looking at you differently now, those impossible eyes softer somehow. like he was seeing past the professional politeness to something more real. it should have been unsettling. instead, it made you want to keep talking, keep sharing pieces of yourself you usually kept locked away.
"so this chocolate work you do—the tempering, the ganache—that all came from drill sergeant pastry chef too?"
you found yourself actually wanting to explain it, to share the thing you loved most about your craft. "some of it. but chocolate is... different. more temperamental. you can't bully it into submission like dough. you have to coax it, understand what it needs."
he leaned closer, genuinely interested, and you caught a whiff of his cologne mixed with the lingering sweetness from the pastries. clean and expensive and entirely too distracting. "what does it need?"
"patience. the right temperature. respect for the process." you pulled out your phone almost without thinking, scrolling to a video you'd posted last week. "see this? the way the chocolate looks when it's properly tempered versus when it's not?"
he moved around the counter—when had you said he could do that?—to look at your screen. close enough that you could feel the warmth radiating from his skin, see the way his hair curled slightly at the nape of his neck. "show me the difference."
your fingers were definitely not steady as you pointed to the glossy, perfectly smooth chocolate in the video. "this one. snappy, shiny, stable. versus this." another clip, chocolate that looked dull and streaky. "seized because someone got impatient and tried to rush the cooling process."
"someone like me, you mean."
the self-awareness in his voice made you look up, and suddenly you were much too close to those winter-storm eyes. "someone exactly like you."
"ouch." but he was smiling, that soft genuine smile that made your pulse forget its rhythm. "so you're saying i need to learn patience."
"i'm saying chocolate will teach you patience whether you want to learn or not."
"and if i wanted to learn? hypothetically speaking."
the question settled between you like powdered sugar, sweet and impossible to brush away. your heart did something complicated against your ribs. "hypothetically?"
"completely hypothetical. just curious about the... educational process."
you studied his face, looking for the usual playful smirk, but found something more sincere instead. something that made your chest feel tight and warm and terrified. "it's not easy. takes time. messy. lots of failures before you get it right."
"i'm not afraid of messy." his voice was softer now, and you realized you were still standing much too close, could see the faint gold flecks in his impossibly blue eyes.
"no," you said quietly, taking in his perfectly styled hair, his carefully chosen outfit, the way he carried himself like problems were just puzzles waiting to be solved. "i don't think you are."
he stayed longer that day, nursing his matcha latte and working through the cardamom pear tart with the kind of focus usually reserved for meditation or very important life decisions. every so often he'd look up and catch you watching him, and instead of that cocky smirk you'd grown dangerously fond of, he'd give you something softer. more real.
when he finally left, he paused at the door, hand on the frame, looking back like he wanted to say something else.
"same time monday?"
"we're closed mondays."
"tuesday, then." that smile again, the one that made your knees forget their primary function.
"tuesday works."
he pushed through the door into afternoon sunshine, and you watched him pull out his phone to photograph the empty plate he'd left behind. the story that went up an hour later was just the image with no caption, but your café's location tagged like a promise.
your phone buzzed, not with an explosion, but with another steady pulse in what had become a low, constant hum of new activity over the past few days. each time he'd posted and tagged you, a new wave of curious followers would wash over your small page—a few hundred more likes, a dozen more comments asking who you were. this post felt different, though. more potent.
it felt less like a ripple and more like the tide starting to turn. you stared at your phone screen, watching the new notifications roll in, a knot of anticipation tightening in your stomach. you realized you were in trouble. the kind of trouble that was only partly about the looming threat of viral fame, and everything to do with the way your heart had started keeping time to the rhythm of a certain someone's visits.
the cafe visits had become routine, but so had something else entirely. late-night video binges. satoru, tucked into the ridiculously expensive italian leather couch in his penthouse, would scroll through your youtube channel like it was late-night cable, airpods in, the city lights a distant hum.
your voice, a warm honey he'd once only associated with chocolate tempering, now filled his ears, a constant, comforting presence. it was oddly intimate, an exclusive soundtrack to his solitary evenings. he'd watch you explain the subtle art of a perfectly proofed brioche, the meticulous fold of a puff pastry. and as he watched, as your gentle explanations filled the quiet of his apartment, he started associating sweetness with more than just taste.
it was in the warmth of your voice, the patient way you corrected a common baking mistake in a tutorial, the quiet dedication in your hands as they measured flour. sweetness became patience. sweetness became quiet strength. sweetness became you.
he'd drift off to sleep with the soft cadence of your voice in his ears, and that's when the dreams started. not about gym glory or brand deals, but about pastries that didn't exist yet. wild, impossible creations: a lavender-infused crème brûlée that shimmered like moonlight, a pistachio and rosewater financier that smelled like spring, a miso-caramel tart with a delicate sesame crust. he'd wake up, confused and disoriented, craving flavors you hadn't invented yet, a strange, persistent ache in his chest.
and then, the texting began.
it started innocently enough, a playful jab after a particularly indulgent visit.
squatoru: seriously, that pain au chocolat today? should come with a warning label. my trainer cried.
why.en-bakes: glad to be of service 😃
but then, the messages started appearing at odd hours. 1 am, 2 am. sometimes a simple, nonsensical emoji. sometimes a flurry of half-baked ideas.
squatoru:what about a churro croissant? is that legal? asking for a friend. (the friend is my sweet tooth).
you'd wake up to the ping, groggy and annoyed, but then you'd read his absurd suggestions, and a small smile would tug at your lips. sometimes, inexplicably, they were good ideas. too good.
your fingers would hover over your phone, considering the absurdity, then find themselves scrolling through your pantry. a few days later, a churro croissant would appear as tomorrow's special, flaky and cinnamon-sugared, a tangible reply to his late-night musings.
he'd walk in the next day, a triumphant grin on his face. "i knew it," he'd say, leaning against the counter, eyes sparkling. "you're secretly taking commissions from my dreams, aren't you, cupcake?"
you'd just shrug, a faint flush on your cheeks. "just a good baker with good ideas, satoru."
he began to wonder if this was what inspiration felt like, this constant buzz in his brain, these unexpected surges of creativity that always, always, revolved around you and your world. it was foreign, intoxicating.
the teasing messages started to shift, to soften. the playful jabs giving way to something more sincere, more vulnerable.
squatoru:that apple crumble changed my life, no joke. thought i peaked, then tasted that. turns out i can still be surprised.
a message like that would arrive late at night, catching you off guard. you'd be scrolling through a supplier catalog, exhausted, and then his words would bloom on the screen, a quiet warmth spreading through your chest.
squatoru: didn't know honey could taste like that. your honey cake. it's something else.
you'd stare at your phone screen, a strange mixture of fluster and genuine pleasure unfurling inside you. these weren't compliments about his abs or his follower count—they were about your work, your taste, your ability to create something beautiful. when you thought no one was looking, usually tucked under your covers or in the quiet pre-dawn hours of the cafe, you'd screenshot them. little digital keepsakes of his quiet adoration.
squatoru: you made winter feel kind today. the lemon tart. tasted like sunshine.
you didn't know what to do with messages like that. they weren't flirting, not exactly. they were… observations. gentle, heartfelt observations that chipped away at your professional armor, one sweet, unassuming word at a time.
back in the gleaming, sterile environment of his gym, satoru's performance was, to put it mildly, suffering. his focus, once laser-sharp, now drifted like dandelion fluff on the wind.
he dropped weights mid-set, the heavy clatter echoing through the gym, startling the other lifters. he'd be thinking about the impossibly smooth texture of your lemon curd, the delicate balance of your custard. the way it melted on the tongue. the exact shade of the toasted meringue.
his trainer, a no-nonsense man named masaru who believed in pain and protein above all else, crossed his arms, a vein throbbing faintly in his temple. "satoru. you've dropped that sixty-kilo bell three times this week. you sleeping enough?"
satoru grunted, wiping sweat from his brow with a towel, his mind still halfway back in your cafe. "yeah, fine. just… distracted."
"distracted by what? another brand deal?" masaru eyed him skeptically. "you're hitting your protein, right? macros are still on point?"
"yeah, yeah. all fine." satoru lied, easily, smoothly. he hadn't logged his macros properly in days. he hadn't done his usual post-workout cardio in favor of replaying your new almond croissant tutorial. he wasn't fine. not in the way masaru meant.
he was falling. falling faster and harder than any deadlift he'd ever attempted. and the landing, he suspected, was going to be deliciously, terrifyingly sweet.
satoru's multiple story posts tagging humble your café's location, each one a testament to your baking prowess and his insatiable sweet tooth, had brought chaos. glorious, sugary chaos.
by the next morning, tuesday, there was a line winding around the block of flour & sugar—a serpent of eager customers stretching down the street, smartphones out, food bloggers scribbling furiously into notebooks, and a worrying number of local influencers trying (and failing) to recreate satoru's "found heaven" aesthetic shots outside your unassuming facade.
you opened the doors at seven, expecting your usual tuesday hum. instead, you were hit with a tidal wave. your tiny cafe, usually a haven of quiet contemplation for pastry lovers, became a buzzing hive of anticipation.
by 9 am, the display case was utterly, tragically barren. empty shelves stared back at you, pristine and devoid of life. you were sold out, completely overwhelmed by the sudden, unprecedented influx of customers, all asking for "whatever satoru gojo ordered."
you'd spent the last hour politely explaining that satoru gojo had a different order every day and, no, you couldn't just whip up a fresh batch of everything right now. the exhaustion was real, but so was the faint, bewildered pride.
when he showed up at his usual, leisurely time, strolling in at 10:47 like he owned the sunshine outside, he stopped short. the bell above the door gave its usual chime, but for once, satoru's fluid confidence faltered. his storm-glass eyes, usually so sharp and discerning, widened, then slowly swept across the utterly desolate display case.
the devastation on his face was almost comical—like someone had just told him christmas was cancelled, forever, and replaced it with a mandatory kale cleanse. his impossible silver hair seemed to droop slightly, mirroring the sudden collapse of his shoulders.
you, wiping down the already spotless counter, saw his expression crumble, the playful mischief in his eyes replaced by a profound, almost childlike grief. a genuine wave of apology washed over you.
"i'm so sorry," you started, stepping closer to the counter, your voice softer than intended. his gaze flickered to you, briefly losing focus on the tragedy before him. "we… we sold out early today. there were just… a lot of new customers." you gestured vaguely towards the lingering stragglers outside, still hopeful.
he ignored them. his eyes were fixed on the barren shelves, staring at the empty spaces where his beloved pain au chocolat and lemon meringue tarts usually sat in gleaming rows, like they had personally betrayed him. his perfect posture, usually so effortlessly arrogant, sagged just a fraction. "all of it?"
you nodded, a small, sympathetic frown creasing your brow. "all of it. the pain au chocolat, the kouign-amann, even the cinnamon rolls. everything." you watched him process this profound tragedy, the quick flicker of shock, then disbelief, then a truly dramatic despair. a strange, soft tug pulled at your chest. it was ridiculous, of course, but also… kind of sweet.
you couldn't help it. his absolute, unadulterated heartbreak over a lack of pastries was surprisingly endearing. "but… i could make you something?" you offered, the words tumbling out before you could fully censor them. "fresh? if you don't mind waiting."
his head snapped up, those storm-glass eyes widening again, now alight with a sudden, improbable hope. it was like you'd just offered him the moon, gift-wrapped and topped with ganache. "you'd do that?"
"well," you said, trying to ignore how his entire face lit up, a blinding sunrise of relief and joy. you felt a blush creeping up your neck. "can't have you wasting away to nothing, satoru. i imagine your trainer would send me a very strongly worded email." you added, a small, wry smile touching your lips.
what you didn't say: that you'd already set aside ingredients for his usual favorites—an almond croissant, a chocolate tart, a couple of those irresistible dark chocolate cookies—before the morning rush hit, carefully hidden in the back like a secret stash, just in case. just in case he showed up, heartbroken, and needed a little private magic.
he seemed to take this as a cue, a permission granted. a wide, relieved grin spread across his face, lighting up the entire cafe. "you're a lifesaver, cupcake. a literal, delicious lifesaver." he pushed off the counter, moving with renewed purpose towards his usual corner table, settling in with the patience of a cat waiting for milk. "anything you make will be perfect. take your time. i'm in no rush."
you ducked your head, a smile finally escaping, feeling a warmth that had nothing to do with the espresso machine. the cafe was empty of customers, but suddenly, it felt very, very full.
you disappeared into the back, the familiar rhythm of your kitchen a welcome balm after the morning's chaos. pulling out the pre-portioned ingredients, you began to work, your hands moving with skilled precision. you rolled the pastry for his almond croissant, its buttery layers promising flaky perfection, then assembled a miniature chocolate tart, ensuring the ganache was extra smooth, the sable crust extra crisp. the aroma of warm butter and dark chocolate began to waft through the now quiet cafe, a comforting, familiar scent that promised indulgence.
satoru, at his table, watched the kitchen door, an expectant, almost puppy-like eagerness in his posture. when you finally emerged, a small plate held carefully in your hands, he practically vibrated with anticipation.
"almond croissant and a chocolate tart, fresh out of the oven," you announced, placing the plate gently before him. the croissant gleamed, its toasted almonds a fragrant crown, and the chocolate tart was a miniature masterpiece, its surface still faintly warm. "and a fresh matcha latte, extra sweet, just like you like it."
he stared at the plate, then up at you, his impossible eyes wide with genuine awe. "you… you made this? just for me?"
you felt a blush spread across your cheeks. "it's part of the job, satoru. making people happy with pastries."
"you're doing a very good job," he said, his gaze lingering on your face for a beat longer than strictly necessary. he reached for the croissant first, breaking off a piece with careful precision. the warm, buttery scent filled the air around him. his eyes fluttered closed for a second, a soft, appreciative hum escaping him as he chewed slowly, savoring every flaky, almond-laced bite.
this wasn't just a pastry. this was a personalized act of kindness from the one person who seemed utterly immune to his usual charms. and it tasted like pure, unadulterated happiness.
he devoured the croissant, then moved to the chocolate tart, taking a huge, satisfying bite. the warmth of the chocolate, the sweetness of the ganache, the unexpected crunch of the crust—it was pure bliss. he ate it with the focus of a man who'd been starving for days, yet somehow also with a deliberate slowness, trying to make the moment last.
when he finished, the plates were impeccably clean, as if licked. he pulled out his wallet again, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "i'm going to need the damage report, cupcake. and i have a feeling this kind of bespoke service warrants… extra compensation." he placed two crisp hundred-dollar bills on the counter, pushing them towards you. "for the trouble. and for the extra miles i'll have to run tomorrow."
you stared at the money, then at him, a genuine smile finally breaking through. "satoru, this is ridiculous. it's twelve dollars. the ingredients were already here."
"nonsense. that was a private showing of artisanal genius. worth every penny. consider it a down payment for future emergencies." he grinned, then stood, stretching with a languid grace that drew your eyes to the way his t-shirt draped over his chest. "so. tuesday, then? same time?"
you watched him, a warmth spreading through you that had nothing to do with the oven. "tuesday. we'll try to save some for you."
"no need," he said, a playful wink accompanying his words as he headed for the door. "i have a feeling you'll make something special just for me."
and as the bell chimed, marking his departure, you couldn't help but smile, already thinking about what new creation you could conjure up for his next visit. he was right. you probably would.
the cafe had always run on rhythm. espresso machine hissing, ceramic clatter, quiet conversation hum. but lately, that rhythm had acquired a distinct satoru-shaped beat that threw off your entire carefully orchestrated world.
he'd been coming in daily now, not just tuesday through saturday, but every moment the doors were open. his excuses were increasingly transparent, delivered with charming smirks that you almost bought—would have bought, if you weren't becoming dangerously familiar with the way his mouth curved when he was particularly pleased with himself.
"needed caffeine," he'd declare one morning, striding through the bell's familiar jingle with the kind of confidence that made gravity seem negotiable. never mind that his penthouse probably housed equipment worth more than your monthly rent. he'd stretch deliberately, quality fabric pulling across shoulders that belonged in renaissance sculptures, while storm-glass eyes swept the display case like he was conducting some kind of sacred inventory.
another day brought, "had a meeting nearby." vague gesturing down the street with long fingers that moved like they were conducting invisible symphonies, as if his presence wasn't the actual purpose. he'd unwrap an éclair before fully paying, chocolate scent momentarily masking cologne that probably cost more than your weekly flour budget.
then came the most audacious: "thought i smelled something burning."
perfectly straight face, not even a twitch in those ridiculous cheekbones. dramatic air-sniffing that somehow made him look like a very expensive bloodhound. you'd given him your flattest look, the one usually reserved for customers who asked if your croissants were "really" made fresh daily.
there was, of course, no burning anything. just your patience, slowly crumbling like overbaked cookies.
today was thursday. he walked in wearing a dark long-sleeved shirt that committed actual crimes against your ability to concentrate and cargo pants that somehow looked effortlessly expensive on legs that went on for geological ages. ordered his usual—chocolate tart, almond croissant, extra-sweet matcha latte that matched his ridiculous sweet tooth—but bypassed his customary corner table.
instead, he chose a small two-person spot against the wall. direct, unobstructed view of your main workspace. the audacity was breathtaking, really.
you felt his attention immediately, warm weight settling between your shoulder blades like a cat claiming ownership. moved to the prep station where vanilla cupcakes waited for rosettes, your hands usually surgeon-steady despite the early morning rush. but under his unwavering focus, fingers felt clumsy, disconnected from your brain. delicate buttercream swirls wobbled slightly, and you bit back the urge to hum—your usual working soundtrack felt too intimate with him watching.
annoyance mixed with growing heat that had nothing to do with the ovens. furious blush threatened to betray every professional instinct you'd cultivated.
during a lull, you glanced up, and immediately regretted it. his table sat maybe six feet away but felt impossibly close, like he'd somehow bent space around himself. no pretense today—phone abandoned beside his matcha, screen dark as those winter-storm eyes. just watching. chin propped on palm, elbow on table, head tilted with languid grace that suggested he had all the time in the world to study your every movement.
his expression was soft, unguarded. usual playful glint replaced by something direct, seeing. it made your chest tighten strangely, breath catching like you'd forgotten how to process oxygen properly. awareness jolted through you like touching a live wire.
"you're staring," you called across the space, voice steadier than your pulse deserved. the words came out sharper than intended, defensive armor against the way he was looking at you like you were the most fascinating thing in his very curated world.
he smiled slowly, easy stretch reaching those impossible eyes. blue depths softened, losing glacial edge for warmth that made something flutter stupidly behind your ribs. lifted his matcha with deliberate grace, sipped without breaking eye contact. the movement was calculated casualness, performative in its confidence.
"just appreciating the artistry, cupcake." his voice carried new weight today, rougher around the edges. more honest than his usual smooth control, like he'd forgotten to put on his public persona along with that perfectly fitted shirt.
"the artistry of cupcakes?" you countered, fingers tightening around the piping bag until plastic creaked in protest. forced attention back to swirling white frosting, but your mind kept circling back to how his gaze felt like warm spotlight, illuminating corners of yourself you usually kept professionally dim.
he chuckled, low and private, the sound meant for your ears alone despite the public space. head tilted again, silver hair falling across his forehead in a way that should have looked messy but instead made him look like some expensive magazine's idea of casual perfection. storm-glass eyes held yours, reflective depth replacing sharp teasing.
"the artistry of you making them." the words fell between you like powdered sugar, sweet and impossible to brush away.
this compliment rewired something fundamental in your chest. bypassed professional pride entirely, sailed straight past the fluster you'd been fighting, and landed somewhere dangerous. settled like comfortable weight against your ribs, warm and persistent. wasn't about pastries anymore, or technical skill. about you.
the quiet passion, focused dedication you poured into everything you made. like he'd reached past counter, past flour-dusted apron, past practiced customer service smile, and seen something essential you rarely let anyone witness.
heat crept up your neck in a slow burn, spread across cheeks like spilled cinnamon. you ducked your head, suddenly exposed in ways that made your skin feel too tight. terrifying and exhilarating simultaneously, like standing at the edge of something vast and unnamed.
foolish joy blossomed behind your ribs anyway. he really sees it. sees you.
"well, thank you, satoru," you managed, voice softer than intended, betraying the carefully constructed composure you wore like armor. squeezed the piping bag, and a perfect rosette bloomed—slightly lopsided but charming in its imperfection. "it takes a lot of practice. years, actually."
your fingers trembled slightly as you set the cupcake aside, reached for another. started humming under your breath without thinking, a soft melody that always accompanied your work. caught yourself, stopped abruptly.
he made a thoughtful sound, those long fingers drumming against ceramic in a rhythm that somehow matched the song you'd been humming. like he'd been listening, filing away even your unconscious habits. "years, huh? that's..." he paused, rolling the word around like he was tasting it. "dedication."
something almost wistful colored his tone, like he was trying to imagine that kind of sustained commitment to anything that wasn't maintaining his ridiculous physical perfection. his thumb traced the rim of his cup, absent gesture that drew your attention to hands that were probably softer than yours despite all his gym time.
"some people think it's obsessive," you admitted, surprising yourself with the honesty. smoothed your apron with nervous fingers, flour transferring to already-dusty fabric. you'd heard it before—friends who didn't understand the 4am starts, the burned fingers, the endless pursuit of perfect crumb structure.
"obsessive?" he repeated, eyebrows rising toward that impossible hairline. familiar smirk tugged at lips that were unfairly well-defined, but gentler somehow. less performative. "coming from someone who's memorized your operating schedule and has been conducting what could generously be called 'pastry surveillance' for months?"
the self-awareness in his voice, paired with that slight flush across sharp cheekbones, made something warm bubble up in your chest. despite yourself, you snorted. actual snorted. like an undignified, very unprofessional sound that would have mortified you with any other customer.
his grin widened into something brilliant, transforming his entire face. less magazine-perfect, more genuinely beautiful. the kind of smile that made you forget he was probably genetically engineered for maximum visual impact.
"touché," you murmured, ducking your head to hide your answering smile. started humming again, softer this time, the melody weaving between words. "though i'd hardly call buying excessive amounts of baked goods 'surveillance.'"
"excessive?" he pressed a hand to his chest in mock offense, the gesture making his shirt pull across torso that defied reasonable proportions. leaned back in his chair with fluid grace, all long lines and casual power. "i prefer 'thorough research methodology.'"
"is that what we're calling it?" the question came out teasing despite your best efforts, fingers moving in familiar patterns as buttercream spiraled into perfect peaks.
"absolutely. very scientific." he took another sip of matcha, eyes sparkling with mischief that made him look younger, less untouchable. "can't make proper assessments without comprehensive data collection."
you paused in your piping, tilted your head in challenge. "and what exactly are you assessing?"
something shifted in his expression then, playful mask slipping slightly. "everything," he said simply, voice dropping to something more intimate. "the way you move when you think no one's watching. how you hum when you're concentrating. the fact that you always check the oven timer twice, even though you could probably bake blindfolded by now."
the observation sent warmth spiraling through your chest. he had been watching, really watching. not just appreciating the view but memorizing details, cataloging habits you thought were invisible.
"speaking of which," he continued, leaning forward slightly, elbows finding the table. closer now, close enough that you could see the way his lashes cast shadows on those ridiculous cheekbones. "how does one even begin to learn something like this? hypothetically speaking."
the question caught you off guard, made you pause with piping bag hovering over another cupcake. something in his tone had shifted—less flirtatious banter, more genuine curiosity. like he was actually interested in your answer rather than just enjoying the conversation.
"hypothetically?" you echoed carefully, studying his face for signs of his usual performative charm. found something more sincere instead, vulnerability creeping around the edges of his confidence.
"completely hypothetical," he assured, but that flush across his cheekbones deepened slightly. fingers stilled against his cup, waiting for your response with the kind of focus he usually reserved for gym routines or camera angles.
you considered this, set down the piping bag to give him your full attention. "well, hypothetically... most people start with basics. measuring, following recipes exactly. learning to fail gracefully."
"fail gracefully?" curiosity brightened those storm-glass eyes, head tilting like he was genuinely trying to understand a foreign concept.
"burned cookies, collapsed cakes, chocolate that seizes because you got impatient." you shrugged, began humming again as you arranged finished cupcakes on a tiered stand. the melody helped organize your thoughts, made the explanation flow easier. "it's part of the process. you mess up, figure out why, try again."
he was quiet for a moment, processing this with the kind of intense focus that probably made his personal trainer weep with joy. thumb traced patterns against ceramic, unconscious gesture that somehow made him seem more human.
"sounds like it requires patience." something rueful colored his voice, like he was recognizing his own shortcomings.
"tons of it. and thick skin. and the ability to get up at ungodly hours because bread waits for no one." you glanced up, caught something almost vulnerable in his expression. like he was actually considering this impossible scenario, measuring himself against requirements he'd never had to meet.
"ungodly hours," he repeated thoughtfully, hair falling across his forehead as he leaned closer. "like how ungodly are we talking?"
"four am, sometimes earlier during busy seasons." you watched him wince dramatically, all sharp angles and exaggerated horror. the reaction was so genuine it made you laugh, soft sound that seemed to catch his attention like a hook. "different kind of brutal than your workout schedule."
"definitely different," he agreed, then found yourself adding, voice softer, "but worth it. when everything comes together perfectly, when you create something that makes people happy..." you trailed off, humming resuming as you lost yourself in the thought. "there's nothing quite like it."
the way you said it, gentle and genuine and completely unguarded, made something shift in his expression. that performative confidence melted away entirely, replaced by raw curiosity and something that looked dangerously like longing.
"you really love it," he observed quietly. not a question, more like a realization. like he was seeing you—really seeing you—for the first time.
"yeah," you admitted, suddenly shy under his intense focus. smoothed your apron again, nervous gesture that left more flour streaks across the fabric. "i really do."
silence stretched between you, but it wasn't uncomfortable. charged instead, humming with possibilities and the weight of his attention. you could feel something shifting in the space between counter and table, subtle but significant. like tectonic plates moving, rearranging the landscape of whatever this was becoming.
and maybe, just maybe, you were starting to see him too. past the perfect exterior and calculated charm, to something more genuine underneath. something worth the risk of letting your guard down.
"well," he said finally, voice softer than usual, that vulnerability still threading through his tone. straightened in his chair but somehow seemed less distant. "hypothetically speaking, that sounds like something worth learning about."
you met his gaze, heart doing complicated acrobatics against your ribs. started humming again, melody filling the space between words. "hypothetically."
"of course." that slow smile returned, different now. less performative, more real. like sunlight breaking through carefully constructed clouds. "purely theoretical interest."
"naturally," you agreed, trying to ignore how your pulse had shifted into overtime.
but as you watched him settle back in his chair, something had definitely changed. the air between you felt thicker, more charged with possibility. and for the first time since this whole thing started, you weren't entirely sure who was in control of this particular game anymore.
not that you minded being a little lost, especially when the alternative was finding your way back to the safety of professional distance. some risks were worth taking, even if they came wrapped in designer clothing and impossible blue eyes.