alisanne

Title: Finding Love at the Ambrosia Cafe
Author:

alisanne
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Teddy Lupin/James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter/OFC.
Summary: Sometimes love is only a cup away.
Word Count: 2500
Genre: Pre-slash.
Warnings: Angst, fluff.
A/N: Written for

hp_coffeehouse/

hp_coffeehouse prompts # 2 Black as Night, Sweet as Sin, and 3: Coffee, Because Adulting is Hard.
Beta(s):

sevfan and

emynn.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.

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Finding Love at the Ambrosia Cafe

~

“I’ll have a caramel macchiato, oh, sorry, I guess that’s called a Love Potion Number Nine here, and one of your blueberry bliss scones.”

Nodding, James reaches for a cup. “What’s the name?”

“Ellen.”

Writing ‘enchanting Ellen’ on the cup, James rings up the purchase and says, “It’ll be a few minutes. Would you like your scone now or with your beverage?”

“With the beverage, please.”

He nods. “I’ll call your name when it’s ready.”

Ellen moves away, and James greets the next customer. “Welcome to The— Al?”

Al grins. “Your coffee shop’s named after me? Flattering but creepy, bro.”

“Prat.” James rolls his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

Al’s eyes sparkle with amusement. “Can’t I visit my brother in his new job?”

“You can, but knowing you, you’ve an ulterior motive.” James crosses his arms. “So spill.”

Al hums. “Don’t you have a drink to make for the cute bird who was just ahead of me?”

“Yes, which is why I’m trying to get you to state your purpose so I can get on with it!” James’ voice is a bit louder than he intends, and the various people seated around the coffee shop turn to look at him.

“You’re making a scene,” Al says soothingly. “I thought this place was supposed to be soothing and romantic. Go make the…whatever that was she ordered, and we can talk when you’re done.”

“Fine. Are you going to order anything?” James asks as he busies himself behind the counter. Waving his wand, he starts the macchiato.

Al shrugs. “Sure. I’ll have a coffee, black with three sugars, and a hot chocolate.”

“A Cupid’s Cup and a Luscious Libation coming up.” James smirks. “Since when do you drink coffee?”

“Oh, that’s not for me. It’s for…a friend I’m meeting here.”

“Girlfriend?” James asks, ringing it up. “It’s been a couple weeks since your last one, so I suppose it’s time.”

“Ha! Funny. And no, it’s not for a girl.” Al winks, handing him money.

James glares at him, but goes ahead and casts more charms. The macchiato takes some concentration, so by the time he’s finished making it, and pulls out a scone to go with it, he’s no longer worrying about what Al could be up to.

“Ellen,” he calls out, smiling at the woman as she drops a sizable tip in the tip jar. “Thank you.”

He begins making Al’s hot chocolate, and as he’s working, he smirks. Pouring it into a mug, he scrawls on the side, ‘hot chocolate for baby Al, who can’t handle actual coffee because adulting is hard’.

As he goes to pour the black coffee, however, he pauses. There’s just one person he knows who takes his coffee like this. ‘Black as night, sweet as sin,’ he used to call it as they’d sit across from each other in the morning after a night of spectacular sex. But he’d left. Walked out like a sodding coward. Was he back? “Fuck,” James whispers. Surely Al hadn’t…

The door jingles, indicating someone’s walked in, and James closes his eyes and breathes to calm himself. He knows who it is without looking, the powerful edges of Teddy’s familiar, seductive magic tugging at his senses.

James takes a moment to centre himself before turning around with Al’s drinks in his hand. “Al,” he calls out, not looking up.

“James.”

Teddy’s voice makes shivers go up his spine. James closes his eyes and exhales. “Theodore,” he finally says. “Welcome to The Ambrosia Cafe. How may I help you?”

Teddy sighs. “Don’t be like that, Jamie.”

At the sound of his nickname falling from Teddy’s lips, James’ head pops up and he glares at him, trying not to notice how bloody good he looks. “I’m sorry, only family and close friends get to call me that.”

Teddy’s shoulders slump. “Are we not family? Friends?”

James wants to scream, to shout. Instead, he grits out, “Were we ever?”

A hurt, pained expression crosses Teddy’s face and James feels ashamed.

“Right,” says Al, leaning across Teddy to scoop up his hot chocolate before backing away. “I think I’ll go introduce myself to…What was her name? Ah, yes, Ellen.”

“She’s out of your league,” James sneers, dragging his eyes from Teddy.

Al grins. “That sounded like a challenge. I’ll be back with her Floo coordinates in ten minutes, bro.”

James rolls his eyes, turning away. He pauses when Teddy’s hand shoots out and grabs his arm. “We need to talk,” Teddy says softly.

“I’m working right now,” James snaps, dragging his arm out of Teddy’s grasp and trying to ignore the sizzle of awareness that Teddy’s touch sends racing through him.

“Later then?” Teddy’s expression is determined.

James knows that look. Nothing short of a hex will deter him now. He nods curtly. “I’m off in an hour.”

Teddy steps back. “I’ll wait.” Picking up his coffee, he sips, his eyes closing in pleasure. “Damn. You always did make the best coffee.”

James almost groans as his cock responds to Teddy’s expression. Not sure he has anything to say to that, he turns his back on Teddy and starts cleaning the coffee equipment.

Nine minutes later, after making several more customers’ beverages, James sees Ellen leaving. Alone. He smirks. “I thought you were going to get her coordinates?” he says as Al approaches the counter.

Al grins, patting his pocket. “Oh, I did. We’ve a date later.”

“Prat.” James shakes his head. “Of course you do.”

“And I’ve you to thank for it.” Al points to the cup. “She read what you wrote. It was the perfect conversation starter. Turns out, people call her wimpy for drinking that…whatever it was she got, too.”

James sighs. “Trust you to turn an insult into a pick-up line.”

Al smirks. “Some of us just have it, I guess.” He narrows his eyes. “Now, stop avoiding the Erumpent in the room. What’s going on with you and Teddy?”

James raises an eyebrow. “Right now? Well, he’s over there drinking coffee, and I’m over here working, so nothing’s going on. Although I can’t believe you brought him here.”

“Sorry.” Al leans close. “I wasn’t going to tell him where you worked, but he swore to me he wasn’t going to hurt you, and I believed him.”

“Right. Whatever.” James turns away, but Al grabs his arm.

“I’m serious, Jamie.” Al’s gaze locks with his. “I know you and I prank each other all the time, but when it comes down to it, you’re my brother, and I’ll always have your back. If I thought he was here to hurt you, I’d never let him near you. You do know that, right?”

James exhales, the tightness in his chest that’s been there since Teddy walked into the shop easing a bit. “Yeah,” he says. “I do.”

“So you’ll talk to him?” Al persists.

James rolls his eyes. “I already told him I’m off in an hour, so yeah, I’ll talk to him.”

“And you’ll listen, too?”

James shrugs. “I suppose. Although I’m not sure there’s anything he can say that will make up for what he did. Plus,” he tosses out, “I’m over him.”

Al laughs, releasing his arm. “You’re joking. You still fancy him to a ridiculous degree.”

James scowls at him. “I used to maybe.”

Al shakes his head. “Bro, you’re head over heels for him, always have been, always will be. And trust me, he feels the same.”

James blinks. “You can’t know that.”

“Oh yes I can.”

“How?” James gapes at Al. “Godric! You didn’t Legilimise him, did you?”

Al snorts. “Fuck, no. He’s a big-shot Hit Wizard now. I doubt I could get anywhere near his inner thoughts.”

James glances over at Teddy, who’s seated in a chair, long, lean legs crossed, eyes fixed on him. Yes, he looks like he could be a Hit Wizard. There’s an aura of intensity, of danger around him. James licks his lips and Teddy’s eyes darken. The air between them seems to sizzle before James manages to look away.

“Oh yeah,” Al says, tone dry. “You’re totally over him.”

“Shut it,” James mutters, feeling himself flush. “Don’t you have an older woman to seduce?”

Al grins. “Ellen’s only five years older than I am. That’s nothing for wizards. When I’m fifty, she’ll be forty-five, and everyone will forget the age difference.”

“You’re already planning to marry her?” James shooed him away. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Nope, I’m just optimistic. I go into every conversation with a potential partner thinking she could be the one.” Al hums. “You could probably stand to take the same approach.”

James groans. “Goodbye, Al.”

Al waves as he moves away from the counter. “Bye.” And, after a brief stop at Teddy’s table, he leaves.

For the rest of the forty-five minutes of work time he has, James can sense Teddy’s eyes boring into him. He does his best to ignore him, but it’s difficult. He feels Teddy’s gaze like a caress at times, and by the time his co-worker comes in to relieve him, James is trembling with anticipation.

Pulling his apron off over his head, James hangs it up and looks towards Teddy’s table. It’s empty, and frowning, James comes out from behind the counter and looks around.

“I’m here,” Teddy says from behind him.

Jumping, James turns. “How’d you do that?”

Teddy shrugs. “Hit Wizard. Blending into the background comes with the training I guess.”

“Makes it easy to disappear. Must come in useful,” James mutters.

Teddy closes his eyes. “I deserved that,” he says. “Now that’s off your chest, can we talk?”

“I suppose.” James nods towards the door. “Outside or—?”

Teddy smiles faintly. “I’d rather stay in here. Going outside feels too much like we’re duelling or something.” He hums. “Although I suppose we always were good with our…wands.”

James snorts, leading him over to a secluded table. “Maybe that wasn’t such a good thing.”

“Do you honestly think that?” Teddy asks as they sit. He waves his hand, and a Privacy Shield shimmers into place around them.

James swallows hard. “No,” he finally admits. “We were always great in the sack. Which is why I don’t understand why we had to break up—”

“You were too young.” Teddy sighs as James raises an eyebrow. “Don’t give me that look. I…I felt guilty, all right? You were a kid. Still are, really. By rights I should’ve stayed away from you. At least until you were a bit more experienced, knew what you wanted.”

“That was all I needed to do to keep you?” James spits out. “To sleep with other men? Wish I’d known. I could have taken care of that. In fact, maybe I have. Should I provide references from all the other men I’ve fucked—?”

“Don’t.” Teddy’s expression’s pained. “It’s been difficult enough thinking about you dating other men without hearing a blow-by-blow description of what you’ve been up to.”

“I haven’t—” James exhales. “Why are you here, Ted?”

Teddy smiles faintly. “Ted, hm? At least it’s an upgrade from Theodore.” He sobers. “I…I still fancy you, James. I’ve been away training, as you know, and then, well, I’ve been avoiding you since I got back, but I can’t anymore. Even if we can’t be lovers, can we at least be friends?”

James shakes his head. “I don’t think I can be friends with you.” Reaching out, he clasps Teddy’s hand before he can move away. “What I feel for you isn’t friendship.”

Teddy nods. “Yeah, I wasn’t sure I could swing that either.” He swallows, eyes locked on James’. “What about being lovers? Think you could manage that?”

James hesitates, but he already knows his answer. Teddy’s so fucking gorgeous, how can he say no? “I’m willing to give it another go,” he finally says. He smirks. “If I can fit you into the schedule with all my other lovers—”

Teddy’s eyes go hard. “I don’t share,” he bit out. “So if we’re doing this, it’s just me, got it? No others.”

James licks his lips. “Yes, sir.” He hums. “Although all my other boyfriends are going to be disappointed—”

“Too fucking bad.”

James rolls his eyes. “Idiot,” he says fondly. “There are no others. I mean I’ve dated a few blokes since you—”

“James, I don’t want to hear this,” Teddy grates out.

“I think you do, actually.” James smiles. “I haven’t slept with anyone but you.” He shrugs as Teddy’s mouth drops open. “What? You’re a hard act to follow—” He moans as Teddy clasps his face in his hands and kisses him.

Their tongues entwine, Teddy’s fingers spearing into James’ hair as the kiss deepens, slows, goes sensual. It’s as if no time at all has passed since they were together, and as James groans into Teddy’s mouth, all the hurt and anger falls away, just leaving pure need.

James pours everything into the kiss, all his desire, all his desperation, and Teddy answers with dizzying passion.

“You—” Teddy exhales shakily as he pulls back. “Come on,” he says, clasping James’ hand and tugging him to his feet.

“Where are we going?” James asks, feeling dazed.

“To mine.” Dissolving the Privacy Shield, Teddy steers him towards the door.

“Teddy, what—?”

Teddy spins, pinning James with a stare. “I’m going to fuck you,” he says, tone dark. “That’s happening no matter where we are. So if we stay here, these people are going to get an eyeful.”

Desire, sharp and sweet, flares in James’ core. He grins. “Maybe we should Apparate directly there,” he suggests. “I’d hate to cause a scene.”

“Smart man. I knew there was a reason I—” Teddy shakes his head, his fingers tightening on James’. “We can talk about that later.”

“Fuck now, talk later? Sounds like us,” James says as he’s dragged out into the street.

“Except I promise not to abandon you this time.” His eyes holding James’, Teddy leans in, kissing him. “Now come on,” he whispers, “I need to fuck you.”

James smiles. “What’s stopping you?”

“Not a damned thing.”

Once they disappear, Al steps emerges from an alleyway onto the pavement, grinning. “Right. That’s James sorted. Now to tackle Lily.”

“Who’s Lily?” asks Ellen, stepping out behind him. Her mouth’s swollen and she’s wearing a dazed expression.

Al hums, reaching over to tuck a curl behind her ear. “My sister. You’ll probably meet her eventually.”

Ellen laughs. “Maybe we should make sure we’re compatible first,” she says. “Sounds to me like your brother and his boyfriend had the right idea.”

Licking his lips, Al smirks. “It does, doesn’t it?” Extending his arm, he says, “Shall we go to mine and…ensure we’re compatible?”

“Absolutely!”

As Al wraps his arm around her waist, he glances up at the coffee shop’s sign which reads, ‘The Ambrosia Cafe, Where Romance Brews’. Maybe there’s something to that, he thinks before they Disapparate.

~