Some Coffee with the Romance
Zoe walked down the dark, shaded streets of New York. Weaving through the schools of traffic and sauntering into the forests of lamp posts, their light flickering in the still night. She listened to the soft sirens and car alarms of the city and let out a slow sigh. It had been a long day in her world. She just left her job at the café and was on her way back to her apartment. She liked her job. It paid the bills, got her the all the food she wanted, and it was something that she didn't absolutely despise. Zoe was definitely a night dog; she loved the night which is mainly why she volunteered for the graveyard shift at the small coffee shop.
She always sat out on her balcony looking up at the smog-smeared stars on her way home, wondering what lied beyond. Even though it was easily one o'clock in the morning, she wasn't tired. The scent of coffee seemed to energize her with its caffeinated scent that remained in the bellbottom jeans and bright blue V-cut T-shirt as she walked to her apartment. Zoe walked up the short concrete stairs to the 3rd floor of the brick building. She reached her front door and observed the golden numbers 4 and 8 roosting on the door. She clicked open the silver handle and stepped inside her dwelling.
Zoe took off her burgundy colored apron and hung it on the metal coat stand sitting next to a mirror. She took a moment to observe her reflection in the full body looking glass. Zoe was a beautiful damsel, a pure bred Border Collie in fact. She had black hair, white streaks, and a cute fuzzy black tail with white on the end. It looked like someone dipped her tail in white paint. She took a moment to smooth out a few wrinkles on her shirt, check her watch, and then proceed to continue into her kitchen. She opened the light-brown cup board that sat right above her sink and reached into the compartment to pull out a large container of de-caffeinated coffee grounds. The soft 'tssssss" of the air rushing out of the brand-new container filled the entire room with the mellow smell of energy. Zoe loved it, which is why she wanted to work in a café. She lived for the warming smell of coffee. She didn't normally drink de-caf but it was late and she knew that she could use some sleep. She placed the open container next to the coffee machine, sound asleep next to the sink. She grabbed a large cup and filled it to the brim with cool water and poured into the top of the machine. Zoe was a pro at this; she knew how to make the most perfect cup of Joe on the planet. Anyone could ask her to whip up any kind of drink made with coffee and she could make it. She took out a small spoon and shoveled a few heaping spoonfuls of the coffee into the maker. She closed the lid and turned it on. The machine woke up from its slumber and blinked its sleepy LED lights. Zoe turned away and strode into her living room, gliding across the hardwood floor on her soft paws. She opened the sliding glass door and stepped onto her balcony. A small breeze pushed her hair out of her eyes as she inhaled the scent of the city. She loved the city; it had so many sights, smells, places, and things to do. It was always awake and full of life. She picked up the small tin watering can sitting on her patio table and carried it to the kitchen, filling it with water.
The coffee maker sputtered and steamed in excitement as each drop of brewed coffee filled the aluminum pot. Zoe carried the full can back to the balcony and proceeded to water the few plants that were able to survive the recent heat waves. The water splashed over the dry plants, soaking them to the bone. She walked back through the glass door and watered a few bamboo plants and tiger lilies that she had scattered about her apartment. She thought the greens and oranges of the bamboo and lilies added a nice color and feel to the brown and blue colored, modern-themed living room. The coffee maker gave a satisfying 'ding', causing her left ear to twitch a little as she recognized the sound and told her the masterpiece was complete.
Zoe walked to the kitchen, placing the empty tin watering can on top of the stainless steel microwave. She pulled out a small coffee mug out of the cupboard, two spaces to the right of the one containing the coffee grounds. Zoe gazed and the beautiful swirling design of red and blue, which had been glazed onto the mug. She admired the craftsmanship of the set of mugs she had purchased at a small artisan shop in downtown New York a few months back. She placed the mug next to the coffee maker and proceeded to the refrigerator. She opened the stainless steel door and pulled out her favorite coffee creamer, hazelnut. Perhaps the most basic of coffee creamers aside from vanilla, but she loved it. Zoe placed the creamer next to the coffee pot and poured the dark liquid into the mug, allowing the steam to float up and around her muzzle. She just stood there for 3 minutes inhaling the intoxicating scent. The moisture from the steam began to make the tips of her hair curl slightly. She poured about 2 table spoons of creamer into the mug and gave it a swirl with a chopstick sitting in a small jar next to the coffee maker. She admired the dark color of the coffee and the light brown swirls the creamer made when she gave it a stir. She picked up the drink and walked back onto the patio and sat down at the small stone coffee table with a few tiger lilies growing in a brown pot sitting in the center. Zoe sat there for at least an hour, sipping on her coffee and watching the smoky stars.
Suddenly a meteorite darted across the night sky. She quickly closed her eyes and made a wish. With her eyes still closed, she drank that last bit of her coffee and gave a small sigh and slumped even further into her chair, completely relaxed and absorbed into her own thoughts. Her small, copper wrist watch gleamed slightly in the moonlight, the clock hands glowing and brightly displaying the time. "two-thirty," Zoe whispered to herself. "Maybe I should head to bed and at least attempt to get some sleep," she thought to herself. She walked to her room and set her empty mug on Kitchen Island on her way. She entered her room, shut the door behind her, and changed into some bright blue pajamas. She threw back the giant feather comforter on her bed and gracefully slid into the sheets. Zoe closed her eyes and inhaled the clean smell of freshly washed linen. She slowly exhaled and floated into a deep sleep on top of her cloud.
~~~~~~~~~~~<3~~~~~~~~~~
Lisa looked onward down the street as she closed the club doors behind her. The neon sign flashed its letters brightly, proclaiming its name throughout the neighborhood. "COCKTAILS", flashed the green and pink sign. Cocktails was a club specifically designed for furs who wanted to dance and party, and it was almost always packed. Lisa loved to dance; she craved the movement and energy of the crowd and music, moving her tail and swooshing her blonde hair with blue highlights to the music. Lisa continued walking down the sidewalk away from the club when out of the corner of her eye she saw someone walking on the other side of the street. Lisa glanced over at her and paused for a moment to admire the being she saw. She gazed at the cute looking Border collie swiftly walking down the path, almost as if she were in a trance, gazing up at the stars, off in her own little world. From the looks of her, Lisa assumed she just got off work due to the apron she still had on. She watched as the beautiful girl walked up to the 3rd floor of the brick apartment complex, open the door, and step inside. The lovely black and white fur vanished into the dark doorway as the door slowly quickly closed behind her.
Lisa sighed, deep in thought. Lisa had never really had a "love-at-first-sight" instance before, but in this case, this was definitely one of those instances. She had also never fallen in love with another female before. It felt odd...falling in love with another fur of her same sex, let alone species. She felt kinda sheepish falling in love with a random fur she saw walking down the street. Lisa felt like a borderline stalker. She continued to walk towards her home a few more blocks away. The club's sign began to get smaller and smaller as she continued on her own, lost in her own thoughts.
Lisa was a blonde golden retriever with blue streaks in her hair. She had a poofy golden tail that would swoosh back and forth to her emotions. About a year ago she tried to dye her tail pink but it didn't turn out as well as she hoped. So now she just has streaks of an orange-ish color in her tail. Lisa loved dying her hair various colors. She felt like portraying her emotions through different colors, which she wore according to how she felt, was the perfect way to be.
At last she reached her house and opened the front door. The door handle turned with a satisfying 'click' and the door swung open almost automatically. Lisa walked into the entryway and took off her shoes and placed them neatly next to her metal and neon light sculpture of a martini glass sitting on a stone pedestal. She made it sometime in college while taking a welding class. She wasn't too thrilled about taking the class but she learned a lot about how to work with metal, which she used to create works of art. She created many art pieces that she had mounted all over the walls of her house. They were mainly designs with swirls and various types of metal. Her favorite metal was copper. She loved the rusty red color of and how easily it could be polished to shine like no other. Lisa sauntered into her kitchen sleepily and glanced at the iron clock hanging above her dining table. The steel hands boldly proclaimed the time of one thirty. Lisa had started to regret lingering at the club for this long. She normally came home around midnight. She blinked sleepily and poured herself a tall glass of water. She knew better than to drink at this time of night. Bad plan. Lisa guzzled down the glass and walked to her own room where she changed into a pair of comfy flannel pants that had swirling designs and hearts all over them and a t-shirt with the words "life is good" written across the chest of the shirt. She glided across the sheets of her feather bed, exhaling slowly and deeply to push herself to the edge of sleep. Almost instantly Lisa's body shut down
She dreamed of loud music, tons of furs dancing, and a girl...alone near the entrance to the club. Lisa recognized the girl as the cute Border Collie she saw on her way home. "What is she doing here?" she thought to herself. Lisa slowly began to walk towards her almost as if in a trance. Just as she was about 5 feet away, the girl turned around and opened the glass doors, glancing back at her with a cute smile of affection. Lisa smiled back and followed her out of the club. She watched as the girl walked down the street a few blocks and into a small coffee shop that Lisa had visited with some friends once or twice.
Lisa thought to herself, "A coffee shop? Hmm...interesting."
The light at the crosswalk turned red, signaling safe passage for her to cross the street. About halfway across the street, a pair of bright lights cam blazing towards her. Lisa froze, not knowing what to do or think. Just as she was bracing herself for the worst, a scream was heard.
Lisa woke up with a start. The bed shaking from her sudden jolt. Lisa bolted upright in bed and immediately glared over at the clock and relaxed a bit at the sight of the flashing letters of the digital alarm clock, flashing the time of 4:30 A.M. Lisa didn't feel like going back to sleep, especially after having such a traumatizing dream. First she sees the girl she likes then almost gets hit by a car...yikes. She threw back the sheets and walked straight to her kitchen. She turned on the stainless steel coffee pot and prepared to make some coffee to relax away her troubles.
~~~~~~~~<3~~~~~~~~
The day slowly creeped by as Lisa sat at home doodling some designs for her next metal piece, waiting for the time to come for the club to open. Lisa needed to move and dance. Ever since last night's dream she had been in a much quieter mood that kinda darkened her entire house.
At last, 10 o'clock rolled around the corner and Lisa began to walk towards the club, ready to become filled to the brim with the energy and excitement of the entire joint. Lisa arrived at the club and opened the doors just as one of her favorite songs was playing, immediately putting her in a much better mood than she had been in all day. Lisa walked over to the bar and had a nice conversation with the bartender for a few minutes, and ordered a mango martini. She sipped on the drink and bobbed her head to the beat of the music.
After the drink was finished, Lisa got up and walked around near the door. The crowd was a lot thinner there and you had more elbow room. Out of the corner of her eye Lisa saw a bit of familiar movement and noticed the cute girl she had seen the night before walking towards the coffee shop. Lisa thought this was odd because you would think that she would be walking away from it, Lisa supposed she worked so you would think that she would be leaving, but she could be wrong. It was just a guess after all.
Lisa opened the big glass doors and walked out of the club. She shivered as the chilly New York air brushed her fur. She looked at Zoe and gave a slight wave. Zoe returned the wave. This gave Lisa a few sparks in her heart.
Zoe made a gesture to her, beckoning her to come into the coffee shop with her. Lisa nodded in reply, she would be over there in a second.
Lisa stepped up to the crosswalk, waiting for the lights to turn red.
The light flashed red, signaling her safe passage. She began walking across the street eager to get to the other side. Suddenly the expression on the girl's face changed drastically. It went from a happy smiling face to a scared, almost protective look.
Lisa noticed her surroundings getting brighter and brighter. She whirled around to look behind her just as pair of two bright headlights were rapidly drawing closer. Lisa froze in pure panic. She couldn't move no matter how her mind commanded her.
A shrill, "LOOK OUT!!" Was all Lisa heard before she felt a pair of strong, feminine arms grasp her side. She caught the feint smell of coffee swish into her along with the pair of arms and paws.
Lisa glanced over the side to see what was going on. All she saw was a flick of a tail with white on the end. It looked like someone had dipped the tail in white paint.
The girl collided into her just as the car rushed over the spot Lisa had just been standing in. Everything was happening so fast, Lisa and the girl were airborne now. Lisa glanced down to look into the face of her savior. She looked into the eyes of the Border collie.
Lisa was astonished that the girl that she has had a crush on for the past few days would come out save her life. Zoe didn't even know her but she must have cared about her enough to do something this kind. You don't just put your life on the line for a complete stranger in a split-second's time. Could it be possible that the girl had a crush on her too? Or she just a kind citizen trying to do the right thing?
Lisa and Zoe both collided on the shoulder of the road with a thud, Safely out of the street.
"Are you alright?" Zoe panted as her eyes pleaded for her to be okay.
No response. Zoe placed her paw along Lisa's maw, trying to look into her eyes. Lisa's eyes were closed; she was still alive with a heartbeat and her rising and falling chest.
Lisa groaned a little, bringing her hand to her head. Zoe brought her hand up to the spot Lisa was feeling, just behind her ear. A small lump could be slightly seen, apparently from hitting her head on the ground from the fall. Zoe picked Lisa up and supported her on the walk back to her apartment.
~~~~~~~~<3~~~~~~~~
Before this instance, Zoe had originally needed to stop at her work to pick up a few things she forgot. Little did she know at the time that this was going to happen. She was really glad she had found an opportunity to get to know this girl. She thought this girl was really pretty; she seemed like the kind of fur that wasn't afraid to speak her mind. She liked furs that emanated their personalities just by how they dressed. She had only seen her a few times before in the past, walking home from work and such.
Zoe thought and wondered to herself what this girls name was. The only reason she had beckoned her to join her at the coffee shop was because she was all alone and it was cold out. She loved meeting new people and what better chances of meeting an attractive golden retriever than on a cold night with a coffee shop close by?
Zoe helped the stumbling girl all the way to her apartment, up the stairs and through the doorway. She placed the girl on her couch, she looked on the verge of passing out. Zoe walked back to the entryway. She placed her apron on the small coat rack next to the mirror. Lisa turned around and walked into her kitchen, her paws moving automatically, almost with a mind of their own, and began preparing some Carmel mochas. One with espresso for herself, and one without caffeine, for the girl. Zoe figured that she should keep an eye on her in case she needed anything. The coffee maker sputtered and gargled as she walked back into the living room to check on the girl, who had fallen dead asleep on the couch.
Zoe went to her room and retrieved a blanket and a spare pillow she kept in the closet really cold nights. She spread out the blanket on top of the girl and placed the pillow gently underneath her head. The girl moved her head slightly, which was a good thing. She then proceeded to the kitchen, opened the freezer, and retrieved an ice pack for the girl's head. The ice would make the swelling go down and hopefully numb the pain away. She put the ice pack behind the girl's ear where the lump had now swollen to more than three times the size it was before.
The coffee maker chimed in its note, telling her the coffee had finished. Zoe poured the coffee into two cups she had set out earlier and mixed it with a rich chocolate syrup. The steam from the cups died down a bit as the chilled syrup entered the drink. She then took a small can of caffeine powder and added a small dash to her drink. That stuff will do wonders.
She carried the drinks over to the sleeping girl and placed the drinks on the table. She looked at the cute face of the passed out girl. She was indeed pretty.
Zoe sat in a leather lounge chair, across from the couch, sipping her coffee. The sleeping girl wasn't moving at all. The only thing that signaled to Zoe that she was alive was the rising and falling of her chest. Zoe figured that the girl wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, so she drank the second mocha as well. Besides, it would be cold by the time the girl did wake up, and cold coffee is a disgrace to the art of brewing (with the exception of iced coffee). She would just have to make another one in the morning
A good amount of time passed before Zoe was finally beginning to feel sleepy. She looked at her watch. The small silver hands read 2:00 A.M.
"Yikes," Zoe whispered to herself.
Zoe went to her room to grab one of her pillows. She took the big green one and walked back into the living room. She placed the pillow onto the chair and promptly curled up on top of it and drifted into a light sleep.
~~~~~~~~<3~~~~~~~~
The sunlight shone brightly through the sliding glass patio doors, making the room feel ten times brighter. Lisa opened her eyes and blinked as they adjusted to the light. She stretched and inhaled a huge yawn. The air smelled like coffee. It was a pleasant, warming, and welcoming smell.
Lisa noticed her head was hurting really bad. Not quite as bad as a headache or migraine though. She placed a paw onto the back of her head and rubbed the sore spot, looking around the room wondering where she was and how she got here. She remembered seeing the girl across the street, going to cross the street, and seeing the face of her savior. Everything was blank after that. She gazed around the room and where she was sitting.
She arouse from the couch, glancing at a few of the paintings on the walls above the couch. They were all signed with some kind of squiggly mark. She admired the art work; they reminded her of some of her sculptures at home.
Lisa walked around the room, looking for any signs of who owned the place. Then it all became clear when she saw the apron by the door, it was the exact same color of the apron that the girl who saved her life was wearing. Coffee. That's what she could smell. The apron, it smelled the same from when the girl rushed into her to save her from the speeding car. She lifted the apron off of the rack and looked it over. She saw what appeared to be a nametag. The name "ZOE" was written in bright red letters. It matched the apron's color perfectly.
"So that's her name," Lisa thought to herself. "Beautiful name." She than began day dreaming, holding the apron. She was almost certain that this was the Border collie's house. Zoe's house.
Lisa walked out of the entry way and back to the couch. She looked a bit more closely at the paintings, taking in every detail.
"Do you like my paintings?" said a small, tender voice behind her. Lisa turned around to see Zoe standing there, peeking around the wall.
"I-I love them," Lisa said nervously as she answered the pretty collie's question, suddenly becoming very shy.
"I like them too," she said in a gentle voice.
Lisa smiled a little as an awkward silence fell over the two girls. Lisa walked around the couch and up to Zoe, reaching out her arms and giving her a big hug.
"Thanks for what you did back there," Lisa whispered into her ear. "You didn't have to do that you know."
"I know," Zoe replied, blushing a little. Her ears pulled back a little so she could see her clearly.
"Then why'd you do it?"
"Because I've seen you before and to be honest...i...i think you're very pretty. I waved you over to the coffee shop because it seems we always see each other at that same area, plus you looked cold," Zoe said shyly, her voice trailing off.
"Well even though you didn't have to, I'm glad you did," Lisa said and gave her an affectionate hug.
"Judging by the nametag on your apron, I'm guessing your name is Zoe?" inquired Lisa.
"yup yup! And you are?"
"Lisa."
"Nice to meet you Lisa!" Zoe replied happily. "So umm...welcome to my house. Make yourself comfortable," She said casually.
"Thank you," Lisa said with a blush.
Lisa was in one of the greatest moods she had ever been in. Her life had been saved by the girl of her dreams, then she was taken to the house of the girl of her dreams BY the girl of her dreams, AND spent the night in the house with the girl of her dreams, now she was being welcomed. This made Lisa's heart bubble with excitement.
Lisa watched as Zoe glided into the kitchen, grabbing a few things from one of the cupboards next to the sink.
"Do you like coffee?" Zoe asked.
"Yea it's not bad," Lisa replied.
"Got a favorite drink?"
"Hmmm...I like lattés a lot."
"Then I'll make you a latté," Zoe stated excitedly.
This opened up a world of choices for Zoe. After much personal debate she decided, in a matter of seconds, that she would make Lisa a vanilla caramel latté. Yes. Perfect.
Lisa walked towards the patio, and looked out the window to get an idea of where she was. She opened the sliding glass doors and stepped outside. The sun glinted down through a few clouds and reflected off of her fur. She could see the traffic and the street lights down below. A few blocks down, Lisa could also see the flashing sign of the club and the coffee shop across the street. Not far away at all. No worries.
Zoe walked stepped onto the patio carrying the mocha and vanilla latté. She sat down at the small stone coffee table and motioned for Lisa to join her. Lisa sat down in the sun-warmed chair and picked up the vanilla latte. The steam from the drink rose around her nose and tickled her ears. Lisa sipped a small bit of the hot drink.
Her eyes closed slowly as she savored the unbelievable flavor of the coffee. She had never EVER had a coffee that was this good. So...a girl that had guts and could make a killer cup of coffee. Lisa's heart skipped a beat when Zoe put a paw on her fore arm.
"Do you like it?" Zoe inquired.
"Do I like it? Are you kidding me? This is fantastic!"
Zoe blushed a little bit at the string of compliments. She was relieved that she didn't over-do it. She didn't want to blow possibly the only chance at getting to know Lisa a bit more.
The two continued to talk about random things and carry on with small talk about coffee, life, family, etc. Then it started to get late. The sun started to go down and it began to get cold outside. The girls walked into the small dwelling and sat down at the couch and continued to talk for a few more hours. Soon the clock reached 12:30.
"Well, I suppose id better head home," Said Lisa with a sad-ish look on her face.
"Alright. See you round." Replied Zoe, glancing down at her paws.
Lisa began to walk towards the door, step after step after step after step. She didn't want to leave, but she couldn't stay forever. She felt like she had already overstayed her welcome and she didn't want to wear down a future relationship.
Just as Lisa grabbed the door handle. She felt two warm, arms embrace her from behind and a warm nose brush against the fur around her neck. Lisa froze in disbelief, not knowing what was going on and fully knowing how Zoe was feeling at the same time. Two totally different emotions colliding at the same instance resulted in sparks. Lisa turned around and returned the warm hug.
"I don't want you to go," Replied Zoe almost in tears.
"Neither do I."
"i-I love you," Zoe softly whispered into Lisa's ear. "I don't want anything to happen to you." Her words brought tears to Lisa's eyes. Sending her over the brink of love, Lisa cupped Zoe's face in her paws and brought her maw close to her own.
alright well there ya go xD
_i hope you enjoyed it :P _
if you have any questions regarding my stories feel free to ask, also feel free to gove feedback<3 i like feedback<3 this is one of the few non-yiff stories that i have written so please tell me if i did okay by ratings/faving. <3
also if you have a request for a story regarding sexual orientation, charachters (such as different speices of furs), and/or yiff feel free to PM me and ill see what i can do :D
thanks~
-shaggydog<3