putmeback

[putmeback]

also we fucked up as a society the moment we started telling teens and aspiring artists to conflate being an artist with building a brand as if the two things are inextricable. the name of the game if you want to share your art is to work a job and sell yourself as aesthetizied content. back in my day we could just POST SHIT. to deviantart! what the fuck!

[putmeback]

everybody wants you (but i don't like a gold rush) | Part 1

Summary: Y/n has a part-time job in a cafe right by the beach of the city she lives in. She’s been saving for college. What happens when a certain blonde customer steals all of the employees' hearts, leaving Y/n to deal with it?

or

Y/n denies she's in love with Taylor Swift until she can't deny it anymore

Pairing: Taylor Swift x Reader

Warnings: College debt. 😭

A/N: Hello :] you can find this fic on Ao3 as well, under the same name! (by moshiyooh)

For the last 3 months, you’ve been focusing on nothing else but latte art. You spend a lot of time decorating beverages: a branch with heart-shaped leaves here, a multi-layered heart there, you even make kitty ones sometimes. That’s only for special customers, though, since they take a lot of time.

You just finished another branch, handing the cup to your coworker and friend, Tom. He calls out the customer’s name before handing the cup carefully across the counter, then, he cleans his hands on his apron.

“That one looked cute.” He smiles, wiping the coffee powder off the counter.

“Are you talking about the latte or the customer?” You ask him, smirking.

“Probably both.” Your other customer, Taylor, is the one to answer, making both of you laugh. Tom slaps him playfully.

“Very funny, Lautner.” He rolls his eyes. “Just for that, you’re the one to shout the names now.” He takes this opportunity to run to the kitchen.

“Oh no!! Tom no!!” Taylor runs after Tom, leaving you alone behind the counter.

The cafeteria isn’t really full today, which you are grateful for. Only god knows how hard it is for you to focus with all the noise and orders. You hear the bell ring, but you don’t really look at the customer, too busy fixing the syrups that sit on the counter. 

Once you look up, though, you are met with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes you have ever seen.

She gives you a little smile and a nod before asking something, but you can’t tell what it is, since you were not paying attention, instead, you were focusing all of your energy in keeping your cheeks from blushing under her gaze.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” You smile back at her, trying to breathe. You were mentally hoping she wouldn’t notice, and that she wouldn’t mind repeating it.

“Oh I’d like a chai latte, please.” She simply replied. Her smile did not falter for even a second. 

“Right away!” You say, and, realizing your friends weren’t around, you took your pen from your pocket. “Your name, please?”

“Taylor.”

#############################

You glare at Tom and Taylor L. for the thousandth time in the last 3 minutes. They have been discussing who’s gonna shout the blonde’s name.

“I’ll shout it, give me the cup, Tom.”

“No! I’m just building up my courage to do it.” He says, furrowing his brows.

“Give me the damn cup!” Taylor L. tries to grab it, but Tom reaches the cup beyond his reach. “We have the same name, it’s destiny, Tom.” He tries.

“No! You’re not taking away my chance, young man, that girl is mine.”

You sigh, tired of it. You just know they ruined the simple latte art you’ve made, and you convince yourself you have no choice but to make another one. You take a new cup, making a new chai latte for the blonde girl. You glance at her for a second just to notice she doesn’t seem to care about it taking so long. You look at your coworkers to see they haven’t given up yet.

And then you glance at the cup, just to finish the cat latte art you’ve been making without realizing.

This doesn’t mean anything. You tell yourself.

I’m just practicing, that’s it.

You take a last glance at your coworkers before approaching the counter and shouting.

“Taylor?”

But you were already looking at her, and as she looks up from her notebook, you see her smile at you again.

And boy, it’s hard to convince yourself the butterflies in your stomach aren’t there.

Taylor goes to the counter, and you hand her the cup. She smiles when she sees the kitten in her latte, but doesn’t say anything. Instead, she just turns around and goes to her table again.

It’s better that way, honestly. Now, you have to deal with 2 annoying coworkers who are glaring at you like their eyes could burn you alive.

“What?” You roll your eyes. “You guys were taking too long. And also the latte art in that one is probably ruined.”

Tom widens his eyes and looks inside the cup. It is, indeed, ruined.

“Oh shit.” He whispers. “Here, you can have it, I’ll pay for it, sorry” He smiles apologetically, and you can’t help but smile back.

“Thanks, Tom. I really could use a latte right now.” You glare at Taylor L. “Now, you, kitchen, now. I don’t wanna hear it.”

“Ugh, fine.” He rolls his eyes. But you all know, by the end of the expedient, it will be fine. It always is.

You and Tom work side by side in silence, only enjoying the quietness as you make lattes and Tom cleans the tables and shouts the clients names, occasionally taking turns with you.

“So, what did you think of the girl?” He asks. 

“What girl?” You furrow your brows, and he giggles.

“The blonde one, of course.” He nudges you. “Taylor.”

“Oh.” You notice it’s an innocent question, so you don’t really mind. “I don’t know, what should I think?”

“Oh please, Y/n, you’re telling me you didn’t find her appealing to the eyes? Not even a little bit?” He whispers, leaning against the counter.

You have to fight every urge in your body not to tell him she’s the most beautiful girl you have ever seen. You don’t wanna give them the satisfaction. Also, it’s not like you have any chance with her anyways. You bet that, by the end of the day, Taylor L. will have her contact number saved in his phone and a new date scheduled. That boy is unstoppable.

“Well, she is pretty I guess.”

“Right.” He says, not convinced.

You look up, pretending you’re analyzing the place and the tables you should clean, but in reality, you’re looking for her, only to realize she’s already left. Tom looks at the table at the same time, and as the both of you look at each other to decide which one of you will clean the table, Taylor L. is already there.

“Oh hell yeah!” He exclaims once he’s back at the counter. “Look at this!”

You look at the napkin he has in his hands, a little cat face and a phone number. You and Tom exchange glances again. You shrug. You don’t mind.

You don’t mind, right?

So why are you feeling so envious?

The morning passes quickly after that, and the end of your shift comes soon, at 2pm. You bid goodbye to the boys and grab your bag inside your locket before leaving. You have 2 hours to shower and get ready for class, so you get your bike and start pedaling.

At your apartment, you drop your keys on the table before leaning down to pet your cat, Benjamin. He meows at you softly before heading to his bowl, and you laugh.

“Are you hungry, my little pumpkin? Alrighty, here.” You grab his food and fill his bowl. You also fill his water bowl before grabbing some clothes and showering.

You finish your routine brushing your teeth and grab your backpack, giving Benjamin a few kisses before leaving again, only this time you’re headed to class. The building is not far from your house or the cafe, perks of living in a small city. You can even see the beach as you ride to class.

You park your bike in the assigned place, and walk to the door. You see blonde hair and blue eyes and you stop in place, seeing Taylor inside the building. You wonder what she is doing there, and how you never noticed her. You consider staying there and trying to catch her eyes, just, you know, to be polite, when you see her talking to a tall, brunette guy.

You don’t give her time to see you, walking fast to the stairs. Maybe you look like you’re running, but you don’t mind. 

You’re in a rush, you decided.

Yeah. That's it. I’m late for class, if anything.

But you arrive 15 minutes earlier than your teacher. You sit, grab your earphones, and put on some music while you wait. 

15 minutes later, the teacher arrives, and you decide to focus.