I pushed through the café door at 6:55 AM, five minutes early like always, and immediately noticed something was off.
The place was too quiet.
Marco was behind the counter, prepping the espresso machine and checking inventory like he did every morning. He was the one who usually opened the shop—had the keys, got everything ready before the rest of us showed up.
But Danny wasn't there.
That was weird.
Danny, for all his annoying faults, was punctual as hell.
The guy showed up half an hour early to every shift without fail, just to prove to Mrs. Karen how dedicated he was.
She ate that shit up too, sometimes slipping him extra cash under the table as a "thank you for your hard work" bonus.
Not that I cared about the money. I made way more from tips anyway, even after half of them got split with the café.
But Danny's absence was... strange.
I walked over to the counter, tossing my jacket on a hook in the back.
"Hey, Marco," I said, grabbing an apron and tying it around my waist. "Where's Danny?"
Marco glanced up from the espresso machine, raising an eyebrow.
"You didn't hear?"
I frowned. "Hear what?"
"Danny quit yesterday. Mrs. Karen sent it to the group chat."
I blinked.
"Ah," I said, pulling out my phone and opening the group chat.
Sure enough, there it was—a message from Mrs. Karen sent late last night.
Danny has resigned effective immediately. We'll be looking for a replacement. Keep an eye out for candidates.
I stared at the message for a second, then shoved my phone back in my pocket.
And I never do, I thought to myself.
I rarely checked the group chat.
It was mostly Mrs. Karen complaining about something, or Marco asking if anyone could cover a shift. Nothing I needed to pay attention to unless it directly affected my schedule.
But Danny quitting?
That was... unexpected.
I leaned against the counter, thinking.
After what happened yesterday in the storage room—MJ's moans echoing through the door while Danny stood outside, listening to every filthy second—I'd figured he'd be too embarrassed to look either of us in the eye for a while.
Maybe avoid shifts where we were working together. Maybe take a few days off to lick his wounds and get over it.
But to quit outright?
That was next-level.
I felt a pang of something I didn't want to name. Guilt, maybe. Or just... discomfort.
As annoying as Danny had been—always hovering around MJ, always trying to cockblock, always whining about one thing or another—he wasn't a bad guy. He was just... Danny.
Awkward, shy, desperate for attention, he didn't know how to ask for.
And now he was gone because of me.
Well, because of me and MJ. But mostly me.
It left a bad taste in my mouth.
Danny had been saving up for college, too. Working double shifts whenever he could, pinching pennies, trying to make something of himself. And now he'd just thrown it all away because he couldn't handle the humiliation?
I didn't regret what I'd done. MJ and I were both adults. We could do whatever the hell we wanted. Danny had no claim on her, no right to get in the way.
But still.
The kid shouldn't have poked his nose into my business.
I shook my head, pushing the thought aside.
"Why'd he leave?" I asked Marco, trying to keep my tone casual.
Marco shrugged, wiping down the counter.
"Kid got into a university in another state. His parents offered to pay for his tuition, so he's packing up and heading out. Guess he figured he didn't need the café anymore."
I blinked again.
"Wait, what?"
"Yeah," Marco said, not looking up. "Mrs. Karen said he told her he got accepted somewhere out west. Full ride from his parents. He's leaving next week."
I stared at him.
Then I laughed.
Relief flooded through me like a cold drink on a hot day.
"Oh," I said, grinning. "Now that's better."
Marco glanced at me, confused.
"I thought he locked himself in his room and quit because of me," I explained, still grinning. "You know, after the whole... storage room thing."
Marco snorted.
"Nah. Kid's moving on. Good for him, honestly. This place was eating him alive."
"Yeah," I agreed, the weight lifting off my chest. "Good for him."
I was happy for Danny. The kid deserved a fresh start somewhere that wasn't this shithole café in Queens. Somewhere, he could actually focus on his future instead of pining after a girl who was never going to give him the time of day.
And it meant I didn't have to feel like shit about yesterday.
Win-win.
"So how's this gonna work?" I asked, leaning against the counter. "New hires? Or are we just running short-staffed until someone shows up?"
"Mrs. Karen said to keep an eye out for candidates," Marco said, shrugging. "Until then, we split the extra shifts. She's giving us a raise to cover it."
I nodded.
A raise was nice—more money for ESU tuition.
"If you find anyone, let her know," Marco added.
"Sure," I said, though I didn't have anyone in mind.
Who the hell did I know that wanted to work at a café for minimum wage?
Marco headed to the kitchen to start prepping sandwiches for the lunch rush, and I got to work setting up the front.
With Danny gone, there was a lot more to do.
I started pulling pastries out of the boxes we got from our supplier—some small bakery a few blocks over that delivered fresh every morning—and arranging them in the display case. Croissants, muffins, and cinnamon rolls, all lined up nice and neat to catch the eye of the morning crowd.
Once that was done, I wiped down the tables, refilled the napkin dispensers, and checked the coffee machine to make sure it was ready to go.
Then I pulled out my phone.
Still had about twenty minutes before the first real rush hit. Might as well kill some time.
I scrolled through the news, half-paying attention, just skimming headlines to see what was going on in the world.
Most of it was the usual—stock market doing something, someone saying something stupid, a new movie breaking box office records.
But one headline caught my eye.
Mutant Protests Erupt in Midtown Manhattan
I clicked on it.
The article was short. A group of anti-mutant protesters had gathered outside a government building, demanding stricter regulations on powered individuals.
Counter-protesters—mutants and their supporters—had shown up to push back. Things got heated. Police had to break it up before it turned into a full-on riot.
I stared at the screen, frowning.
Mutants.
I wondered, for the first time, if I'd be considered one.
I mean, I have powers now. The ability to create constructs out of light. That was definitely superhuman.
But was I a mutant?
Or was I something else?
The system didn't explain where the powers came from. It just gave them to me. No X-gene. No gamma radiation. No super soldier serum.
Just... points and a lottery roll.
Did that make me a mutant? Or something completely different?
I don't know.
And honestly, I wasn't sure I wanted to find out.
Because if people found out I had powers—if they labeled me as a mutant—my social life would be over.
I'd seen it happen before.
There was this celebrity a few years back. Singer. Actress. Millions of followers. She was huge. One of the biggest names in entertainment.
And then she came out as a mutant.
She didn't have to. She could've kept it a secret.
But she thought—genuinely believed—that her fans would understand. That they'd see past the label and still love her for her talent.
She went public with it. Did interviews. Talked about wanting to be a voice for mutants. To show people that they weren't monsters.
She thought she'd be the first mutant celebrity. A symbol of progress.
Instead, she got destroyed.
Her own followers turned on her overnight. Hate campaigns. Sponsors dropped her. Her shows got canceled.
And then, a few weeks later, she just... disappeared.
No one knew what happened to her. Some people said she went into hiding. Others said something worse.
Either way, she was gone.
She'd underestimated humanity's fear of what they didn't understand. Or didn't want to understand.
And even though I was human—or at least I used to be—I thought she was stupid for doing it.
But at the same time, I had immense respect for her.
She'd tried. She'd put herself out there, knowing the risks, because she thought she could make a difference.
That took guts.
Mutant spokespeople were rare. Especially back then, when the X-Men weren't as active, when people hadn't seen much good come from the mutant population.
The Brotherhood of Mutants didn't help either, running around causing chaos and reinforcing every negative stereotype.
It was only after the X-Men started stepping up—neutralizing threats, saving people, showing that mutants could be heroes too—that public opinion started to shift.
Slowly.
The Avengers vouching for them helped, too.
But even now, not everyone was on board. Acceptance was a process. One that would probably take decades to play out fully.
I didn't hate mutants. I didn't have any reason to.
But I didn't want to be one.
Not because I thought there was anything wrong with them. But because I knew what it would cost me.
My normal life. My ability to just... exist without people looking at me like I was a threat.
I knew the day would come when I couldn't hold onto that anymore. When my powers would drag me into something I couldn't walk away from.
But I wanted to hold onto it for as long as I could.
The door chimed, snapping me out of my thoughts.
A customer walked in—a middle-aged guy in a suit, already looking annoyed even though it was barely 7 AM.
"Morning," I said, forcing a smile. "What can I get you?"
And just like that, the shift started.
The hours crawled by.
Morning rush. Mid-morning lull. A second wave around 10 AM, when people came in for their second cup of coffee.
Marco stayed in the back, prepping food and handling inventory. I handled the front—drinks, register, small talk with customers who didn't want to be there any more than I did.
By 1 PM, the place was dead.
No customers. Just me wiping down the counter for the third time that hour.
Then the door chimed again.
I looked up.
MJ walked in, grinning as she'd just won the lottery.
"Hey there, Tiger," she said, her voice warm and teasing.
I matched her energy, leaning on the counter with a smirk.
"Hey, yourself, Red."
She walked over, tossing her bag behind the counter and grabbing an apron.
"So," she said, tying it around her waist. "Danny's gone, huh?"
"Yep. Got into a uni out west. His parents are covering tuition."
"Good for him," MJ said, though she didn't sound particularly invested. "He was always kind of... intense."
"That's one word for it."
She grinned.
"Well, at least now we won't be disturbed."
I raised an eyebrow.
"True," I said. "But the storage room's getting boring. And dusty."
MJ paused, thinking.
"Yeah," she admitted. "How about you come to my apartment tonight? We can... discuss strategies to grow this café even more."
I grinned.
"Oh yeah? If I come to your apartment, something else is gonna grow."
Her eyes sparkled.
"Mm-hm? And what could that be?"
I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice. "Something that'll make you feel a lot of things."
She bit her lip, clearly enjoying this.
"So does that mean I should prepare myself for your visit? For our... discussions?"
I sighed, shaking my head.
"Sadly, not tonight."
MJ's grin dropped.
"Ugh. Buzzkill." She crossed her arms. "You almost got me wet right now with that sweet mouth of yours. Why not?"
"I'm celebrating with Gwen tonight. We both got into ESU."
MJ's eyes widened.
"Holy shit, Tiger! You didn't tell me!"
"I wanted to tell you in person," I said smoothly.
I forgot, actually. I thought.
She narrowed her eyes.
"Nice cover-up." Then she smiled. "But seriously, I'm happy for you. Congrats."
She paused, her smile fading slightly.
"Does this mean I won't be getting enough of you from now on?"
I smirked.
"Nah. I won't leave my favorite redhead dry."
She grinned again, stepping closer and pressing a quick kiss to my lips.
"You better not."
Then she pulled back, her eyes lighting up.
"Oh! Guess who performed in her first opera last night?"
I blinked.
"Wait, what? You finally got a part?"
"It was a surprise for me too," she said, practically bouncing. "I was supposed to be a minor role. But the main actress didn't show—car accident or something—and they gave me the part."
I grinned.
"That's amazing, MJ. Seriously."
"Thanks," she said, beaming. "It was terrifying, but I killed it."
"I'm sure you did."
I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice again.
"I'll congratulate you in a more... physically extensive manner. Soon."
She understood immediately, smirking.
"Can't wait."
The door chimed.
A wave of customers walked in—office workers on their lunch break, all talking over each other and looking impatient.
MJ and I exchanged a glance, then got to work.
....
Author's Note: Finally, we are back!!
And, I will be regularly updating from now on, Mon-Friday.
There are also other fics that will soon be incoming.
So, wait patiently. Once again, thank you very much.
.....
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