They skipped right up to the door of the Rainbow Bean and threw it open with a flourish. Frankie, one of the owners, popped his head out from behind the pastry display and grinned. “Hey! Holy shit, I love the haircut!” he exclaimed, before turning to elbow Diego, the other owner. “D! Look at Aspen’s new hair!”
Aspen skipped around a few patrons who were looking over the extensive coffee menu and artfully arranged pastries. They came to a flourishing stop in front of the counter, and Diego looked up from where he’d been fighting with the receipt printer. His warm brown eyes crinkled at the edges as he took in Aspen’s hair in all its blue glory. When he smiled, his teeth caught the light and shone almost as brightly as the trans pin affixed to his lanyard.
“Wow, it looks great!”
“It sure fucking does! Lopi did something sort of like that when they first came out. Shaved on one side with some blue highlights,” Frankie said as he began loading up a plate with what looked like a cherry muffin and some sort of scone. “This week’s special is cherry themed. Are you okay with cherries?"
“He asks, after he’s already put them on a plate,” Diego grumbled, as his husband handed him the plate to give to Aspen.
“You’re in luck, I love cherries,” Aspen said, eagerly accepting the plate from Diego.
“No Noah today?” Frankie asked as he turned to make Aspen’s favorite drink, a latte with double espresso, oat milk, chocolate, and vanilla.
“He’s in the office today, so he has to wait to see all this,” Aspen said, flipping their hair with an easy twitch of their head.
Ethan had never visited the cafe with Aspen. It was far too “loud and proud” for him, which meant it was exactly Aspen’s style, and a place Noah felt safe, even if he wasn’t quite as loud about his gender.
While Aspen had a gay rainbow wreath on their front door, Noah preferred to keep his flags in his room, where only those who were important to him would see them. He wore a trans flag pin at most queer events and was always the first to offer pronouns and write them on a nametag, but he didn’t have atrans wrist strap for his smart watch, or a pansexual phone case like Aspen.
“I think you should absolutely be proud of yourself,” he’d said when Aspen had asked if the watch band made them look tacky. “You should show that off however you want.”
Aspen rubbed the nonbinary watch band Noah had bought them recently as Diego attempted to unjam a wad of receipt paper from the machine's teeth, while Frankie yammered on about ordering vanilla beans from a new distributor.
As the loud whir of the espresso machine filled the front area of the cafe, a small child toddled by, with a handful of crushed muffin in their little fist. Aspen barely had time to wonder who they belonged to before an exhausted-looking man hurried after them, calling out a series of flustered pleas for them to come back, to no avail.
There were a few seats available right in the heart of the cafe, but as Diego began to grunt angrily at the printer and Frankie launched into a series of rapid-fire questions about the salon, Aspen decided maybe they’d sit outside today. They loved being around people and activity, but sometimes it all got to be a bit too much, and their brain would buzz like an overloaded dryer, and they’d need to be alone for a while.
Or with Noah. He always had a knack for sensing when Aspen’s brain got overwhelmed, and they needed a few minutes to collect themself.
Thankfully, Diego was also observant, and he glanced up right as Frankie turned around with the finished drink. “Do you think I would look good with an undercut or do I–”
“Querido? Why don’t you go offer to help that gentleman extricate his munchkin from your tea display?”
Frankie whipped his head around, his eyes going comically wide. “Oh shit, uh, yeah, can you ring Aspen up?”
Diego clicked the receipt machine closed like he hadn’t just been fighting for his life a moment ago. He accepted a peck on the cheek from Frankie as he hurried around the counter to go help the man.
“Can I get you anything else? A blueberry danish for Noah?” Diego asked while typing in Aspen’s order with one hand and holding up a to-go bag with the other.
That little thing fluttered behind Aspen’s sternum, and they once again thought of butterflies and metamorphosis. “Actually, can I get a danish, a mini chocolate cake, and a cold brew with no ice?”
Diego’s lips parted in surprise, but he swiftly typed in Aspen’s order. “Special delivery for him?”
“Something like that,” Aspen said, and when Diego cast them a curious look, they easily relented. “I’ve been thinking about something for a while, and I might finally be ready to talk about it. I figure cake for dessert and a cold brew offering for the morning can’t hurt.”
Diego set about gathering the rest of Aspen’s order. Meanwhile, Frankie hefted the child up into his arms and handed them a pride flag crocheted octopus. As Diego returned to the register, the look he cast at his husband was one born of years of love and longing.
Aspen swiped their credit card, and Diego attempted to hand them the to-go bag and plate, but they both eyed the coffees sitting between them.
“Let me help you. Where are you sitting?” Diego asked as he rounded the counter with the coffees, gesturing for Frankie to watch the register.
“Outside, if you don’t mind,” Aspen said, pushing open the door with their shoulder and leading the way out onto the shaded patio. The Rainbow Bean hadn’t always had outdoorseating, but business had been booming, and they’d done several renovations to the inside and outside of the shop.
They made their way to the farthest table, which offered the best view for people-watching. Diego set down the two coffees and waited for Aspen to deposit their food before he clapped them on the shoulder. “Good luck with your conversation tonight.”
Aspen was tempted to ask whether Diego, like Blair and Dani, thought there was a chance in hell that Noah might be having some of the same confusing feelings as Aspen. Dani had been so sure she’d bet Aspen plane tickets to come visit her. Aspen had under no circumstances been willing to bet that kind of money, so she switched her bet to a bribe. If Aspen took a chance and talked to Noah about what was going on in their scattered brain, then she’d pay for their next flight out to visit.
That had been two weeks ago, and they weren’t sure if bribes like that had an expiration date, but they weren’t willing to rush a conversation this important.
