Elias lowered the frying pan slowly, his wrist trembling with the weight of adrenaline. His pulse was a drumbeat in his ears, loud enough to drown out the painted groans and the terrified whimpers of the people.
That odd guy that called himself Nico was doubled over laughing, with actual tears. Now that he thought about it, there was a Nico dude in the book. He could not really remember what role Nico played as Elias skipped through the pages of the book after a while.
Cassian stood still tense, his suit dusted with ash, gun still dangling casually at his side. Lisa muttered something about "unhinged" before Cassian shoved her toward a waiting car.
"Nope," he blurted, dropping the frying pan on the pavement with a clang. "I'm done. That's it. I've reached my limit." He spun on his heel, muttering at the cracked pavement. "First the café. Then the lamp post. Then the vending machine. Now I'm beating people with a frying pan like Rapunzel. Nope. Done. Elias Quinn, signed out of this cringey mafia smut hell."
"Cute," Nico drawled behind him. His deep voice slithered like smoke, annoyingly amused. "I love how you get all riled up like a cute little bunny..."
"Don't you dare." Elias whipped around, jabbing a finger at him. "Do not even think about turning this into one of those creepy mafia-falls-for-the-feisty-side-character tropes."
Nico's grin widened, slow and hungry. "Feisty, hm? I like feisty."
"Well, I don't like you!" Elias threw his arms up. "I like boobs! And asses! And women!" He paused for a breath and continued yelling, "I like omega women. Leave me the hell alone!"
Silence. A few heads turned. Somewhere down the block, someone groaned from being half-conscious and probably concussed.
Nico blinked, then smirked again, like Elias had not just embarrassed himself in front of everyone present.
"I don't think that was a very needed information, Elias." Kenzie winced, lifting her leg from the broken glasses that gathered at the step of the cafe.
Elias groaned, frustrated and embarrassed. "I want to go home. Damn it."
He stormed off, shoving through the wreckage of café tables and broken glass, ignoring the way his heart was beating out of his chest.
The bell over the café door jingled as Elias shoved it open hard enough to rattle the frame.
"Elias." She said his name like a sigh. "Are you hurt?"
"Nope," Elias shot back, marching to the back of the counter and tearing off his apron. "I am officially resigning. Consider this my two weeks' notice, but condensed into two seconds." He dropped the apron on the counter with theatrical finality.
Kenzie peeked around him, hair bouncing. "You quit? You can't just up and quit!"
"Yes, I can. How are you comfortably working in this environment?!" Elias pointed at the ceiling, counting off his fingers. "Gang shootout with absolutely no regards for people them and their jobs. I'm out."
"Out where?"
"Anywhere. Somewhere. A normal city with normal people where the most exciting thing to happen in a bicycle accident and maybe an entitled Karen demanding things she knows she should not demand because it is not right just because it is her citizens right."
Kenzie leaned on the machine, unimpressed. "You're serious?"
"Dead serious." Elias stabbed a finger at his chest. "This place is a nothing more than a messed up, horny jungle written by an author who really needs to get laid. I am not the main character. I don't want to be the main character. I don't care about mafia politics or tragic love stories. I just want to binge Netflix, play games and die at a ripe old age surrounded by empty takeout boxes."
Keira pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, you might have hurt yourself on the head earlier. You've had a long shift—"
"I quit." Elias's voice cracked. "I'm not crazy and I am scared for my life. I will not wait around to become a tragic person in someone else's angsty mafia romance novel."
Kenzie hesitated, then came around the counter. She stopped in front of him, frowning up at his pale face and jittery hands. For a moment, she looked like she wanted to slap him and hug him at the same time.
"Eli," she said softly, "you're shaking."
He blinked down at his trembling hands. "That's just… rage tremors. Definitely not trauma."
"You're not fine."
"Of course I'm not fine! I've been living in a bootleg omegaverse novel for a week!"
Her lips quirked despite herself. Then she reached forward and tugged his sleeve. "Do you want me to come over tonight? Me and you in your bed? Cuddle you until you stop making self-destructive life choices?"
Elias froze. "Kenzie, no offense, but you're like… aggressively..."
"Not the point."
"Also, I don't cuddle. I curl up in a corner like a dying Victorian child."
"Bullshit." She rolled her eyes. "Then let me sit in the corner with you."
For a second, Elias felt the lump in his throat swell until he had to look away. "...Thanks," he mumbled, "but no. I need to… figure this out on my own."
"Fine. But if you end up dead, I get your clothes."
"Bitch."
"Beta."
For the first time all day, Elias laughed. It sounded weak, but it was something.
Elias helped out a bit, cleaning up broken glass, mugs and mashed up pastries. Most of the customers had left anyway, some stayed behind to watch the ambulance and cops do their jobs. As his shift ended, he left and hurried home. He began to pack his things and checked online for neighbouring towns to move into. The prices of apartments had his eyebrows disappearing into his hair.
When he checked his account balance, he winced and ran his hand through his hair. So many he did not think his escape plans through.
Besides, there had to be some better jobs out there than being a coffee counter dude. It wasn't like he was important to the story anyway.
He set a notebook open on his desk. He needed a new plan. Get a new apartment. Get a new job. His mom here is shit so no help coming from there. He had several skillset both from the real world and in this fictional world. The labour market was still shit in either world.
As he wondered on the job markets to apply for, he heard a knock on his door. He checked the clock, a bit surprised Kenzie came earlier than he would have thought she would.
He opened the door to see a group of three men grinning down at him menacingly.
"You must be Elias," the bigger of the three said.