Sweet cherry pie

Nyx stands behind the counter in Neon Pie, looking slightly out of place in the colorful chaos. The Neon Pie was the type of place that looked as if it was frozen in the '80s, but somehow, it still managed to stay cool. The walls mix hot pinks, neon greens, and electric blues, with checkered floors and a jukebox blasting retro tunes in the background. Her dark, bold, and alternative style stands out like a Moth in a room of monarch butterflies. She felt like a goth in a candy store, but she was making the best of it. Her piercings shine and glint under the bright fluorescent lights, and her heavy black eyeliner contrasts sharply with the cheery surroundings. She stands at the grill, flipping pancakes like an old pro, with a kind of silent rebellion in her every move. The jukebox blares an old-school rock tune, and she mutters under her breath, clearly annoyed by the lack of volume control on the old ass machine. The diner is packed with customers, and the scent of fresh coffee and grease hangs in the air.

Her manager, Jannay, a bubbly woman with electric blue hair sashays her way over to the dark girl, checking in on her for what felt like the thirtieth time tonight. As she gets closer she's all smiles, and Nyx gives back a half-hearted grin. It's one of those jobs she doesn't mind but doesn't exactly love either. Still, the tips are decent, and it keeps her busy. Plus, it's easy to escape from her thoughts in a place like this.

"Nothing says 'I'm stuck in my twenties' like working in a diner that thinks it's still 1985." Nyx laughs to herself flipping pancakes. Lana, the other waitress walks over visibly tired. "Hey Mama do you have my order ready" she sighs exasperated With a nod She slides the pancakes onto a plate, then hands them off to a server with a wink. "One pancake special, extra syrup. Don't say I never did anything nice for you." 

Ms. Jannay approaches again with an overly cheerful smile."Nyx, sweetie, I know you're having fun back here, but Martin is here for his shift. You know, we have a special—Superstar Sundae today. You should try one honey and put some spark in your smile and color on your cheeks. You look like someone who's into sprinkles." she laughs. 

"Sprinkles? What am I, twelve?" Nyx smirks.

Ms. Jannay laughs, clearly not getting the sarcasm but in a way that's kind of endearing. She pats Nyx's shoulder, shooting her in the direction of the waiting tables.

Nyx continues to work, taking orders at the counter, refilling coffee, and cutting pies when a regular customer walks in. It's Jake, a local cop with a charming smile, wearing a uniform that looked a little too tight for comfort and a slightly too-smug expression. Nyx immediately stiffens when she sees him approach. He's harmless enough in the way that only small-town guys can be, but he always manages to get under her skin.

Nyx stood behind the counter in Neon Pie, looking slightly out of place in the colorful chaos. The Neon Pie was the type of place that looked as if it was frozen in the '80s, but somehow, it still managed to stay cool. The walls mix hot pinks, neon greens, and electric blues, with checkered floors and a jukebox blasting retro tunes in the background. Her dark, bold, and alternative style stands out like a Moth in a room of monarch butterflies. She felt like a goth in a candy store, but she was making the best of it. Her piercings shine and glint under the bright fluorescent lights, and her heavy black eyeliner contrasts sharply with the cheery surroundings. She stands at the grill, flipping pancakes like an old pro, with a kind of silent rebellion in her every move. The jukebox blares an old-school rock tune, and she mutters under her breath, clearly annoyed by the lack of volume control on the old ass machine. The diner is packed with customers, and the scent of fresh coffee and grease hangs in the air.

Her manager, Jennay, a bubbly woman with electric blue hair, sashays her way over to the dark girl, checking in on her for what felt like the thirtieth time tonight. Nyx noticed that Jennay was all smiles the closer she got, so she gave her back a half-hearted grin. It's one of those jobs she doesn't mind but doesn't exactly love either. Still, the tips are decent, and it keeps her busy. Plus, it's easy to escape from her thoughts in a place like this.

"Nothing says 'I'm stuck in my twenties' like working in a diner that thinks it's still 1985." Nyx laughs to herself, flipping pancakes. Lana, the other waitress, walks over, visibly tired. "Hey Mama, do you have my order ready?" she sighs exasperatedly with a nod she slides the pancakes onto a plate, then hands them off to a server with a wink. "One pancake special, extra syrup. Don't say I never did anything nice for you." 

Ms. Jannay approaches again with an overly cheerful smile."Nyx, sweetie, I know you're having fun back here, but Martin is here for his shift. You know, we have a special—Superstar Sundae today. You should try one honey and put some sparkle in your smile and color on your cheeks. You look like someone who's into sprinkles," she laughs. 

"Sprinkles? What am I, twelve?" Nyx smirks.

Ms. Jannay laughs, clearly not getting the sarcasm but in a way that's kind of endearing. She pats Nyx's shoulder, shooting her in the direction of the waiting tables.

Nyx continues to work, taking orders at the counter, refilling coffee, and cutting pies when a regular customer walks in. It's Jake Stanton, a local cop with a charming smile, wearing a uniform that looked a little too tight for comfort and a slightly too-smug expression. Nyx immediately stiffens when she sees him approach. He's harmless enough in the way that only small-town guys can be, but he always manages to get under her skin. But then again, were small towns harmless? 

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the queen of darkness herself. Got the place all to yourself today, huh?" Says Jake, placing his hat on the counter. The dinner was all but empty. Lana split, and so did Jannay. The only ones on the clock were Herself and Martin. Nyx looked around and was glad Lana was gone as she picked the hat up off the counter and shoved it into his chest. Lana loathed Officer Stanton just as much, if not more than she did. Nyx rolled her eyes and forced a smile, the same one she had worked so hard to perfect over the years to deal with people like Jake. She places a napkin down on the counter with a coffee mug following. Grinning sarcastically, Nyx says, "Oh, it's you. Mr. I think I have a great smile, but I can't take a hint. What's up, Officer Stanton? What are you here for today, your usual greasy food and bad decisions?".

 Jake lets out a full belly laugh, seemingly undeterred."Why yes, I am. You know me so well, Nyx. I'll take a stack of those pancakes y'all can make a normal morning- Oh, and a side of your charm if it's on the menu." He winks, licking his lips. She looks at her notepad in pure disgust, scribbling down his order. As if she didn't know it already, as if he didn't come in every day, sometimes twice a day, ordering the same thing. Sitting in the same spot. 

"Coming right up," She says, turning toward the kitchen and handing Martin her slip.

 She turns back in the direction of the counter and begins to wipe it down leisurely. The hairs on the back of her neck begin to stand up, and her skin begins to tingle in all the right places. The sound of Martin ringing the bell broke her train of thought. She grabs Jake's pancakes lazily and puts the plate in front of him, her smile feeding ever so slightly better humor still sharp. At this point, she was done with all the small talk and knew Jake all too well. She knows him well enough to know when he's fishing for something. She begins to walk away from him when that strange feeling begins to fill her body once more. The door of the diner opens with a soft ding in shits all the same. She looks up and smiles. "Welcome to Neon Pie," She says, looking up at the customer. There he stood, Zane, standing at the entrance, looking as dark and brooding as ever, in the middle of the highlighter-painted diner. He looked at her with a raised brow, his voice low and cool. 

"Well…This is a lot to take in." Nyx freezes in place, her pulse racing so fast can almost hear it in her ears. She didn't expect to see him, especially not here in this loud neon-lit space that feels like it belongs in another era. Her heart stutters, and for a second she forgets how to breathe. She is still trying to figure out the strange feelings she has for Zane, but seeing him here, of all places. This completely throws her off balance.

Jake notices it immediately, his eyes now ring. He gives Zane a curious look, which means he's speaking with a tone that is way too casual for her taste. "Woah, Mr. Blackwood, what's with the Mysterious emo look? You know if you're into the whole wanna-be vampire look, you're gonna have a hell of a time in here. I mean, with all the neon and sugar-fueled chaos of this place. I don't know if the dark and brooding thing fits." Jake says mockingly as he cuts into his Pancakes.

Zane glances at Jake, his ice flashing briefly with something dangerous-something almost predatory, but then he gives the other gentleman a half smile, one that's as cold as it is disarming. He wasn't here to engage, At least not the likes of Jake. Ignoring Officer Jake, Zane walks over to the counter next to her. Her posture is tense as she tries to act like she's not rattled by his sudden presence. 

He gestures to the diner around them, his eyes scanning the chaos of color. His Expression adorning mild to taste in very little amusement, "I wasn't expecting… this." Zane says in a low and husky voice, only for her ears

"Maybe I should've dressed for the occasion. Should I get a pair of neon sunglasses or a pastel polo to blend in?" Nyx chuckles lightly.

Nyx Stood there, blinking rapidly, clearly flustered but trying to regain her composure. To sleep

"I told you it's not all dark alleys, Tattoo shops, and clubs, Zane. Sometimes it's just greasy food and way too much eye-popping color."

Her voice betrays a hint of humor, but there's a noticeable shift in her demeanor now that he's here. She can't quite explain it. Maybe it's the comfort of seeing him, despite the weirdness of the situation—or maybe it's because, in a sea of fake smiles and small-town weirdness, Zane feels like the only real, honest thing. He felt like a breath of fresh air. 

Jake looks between the two of them, eyebrow raised, before snorting and taking a sip of his coffee. Mockingly he says, "Well, looks like we got ourselves a low-budget Edward Cullen and Rainbow Brite. This should be an interesting mix." 

Nyx glares at him, but Zane just smirks, leaning against the counter casually, a dangerous glint in his eyes, amused by Jake's commentary. In a smooth voice, he says 

"Don't worry, officer. I won't bite… unless she asks." 

Zane tucks her hair behind her ear, his smirk turning into a full-blown smile. Officer Stranton clears his throat in disgust. 

"When you two weirdos are finished Canoodling, I'd like a fresh cup of joe and some pie to go." 

"Do you need more pie, Scranton? Your seams are bursting," Zane retorts rudely. "It's Officer Stanton to you, and aren't you supposed to be imitating an emo band at that bar of yours? Or did the Mayor's office finally shut it down? You know, with all those code violations." Jake sneers as Nyx slides away from Zane, grabbing a to-go mug and boxing up Jake's usual slice of pecan pie. 

"Go ask your daddy, Trust fund cop. Stop pestering Nyx, you are not worth her time. You're a stack of pancakes and a pie away from needing your daddy to buy you a new uniform. Maybe Mayor Daddy can get you a sheriff sticker to go with it." Zane snorted. The tension between the two men was so thick that not even a sharpened deboning knife could cut it. Nyx tried her hardest not to laugh as she placed his pie and coffee in front of him. The two men were having an unnecessary pissing contest. She could almost smell the motors turning in His head as he thought of something clever to respond with. 

Jake set his mug down aggressively, "You might think you're clever black wood, but you've got no idea what you're dealing with. You keep pushing, and maybe you'll find out how the town folk get their revenge. Keep your jokes up, we'll see who gets the last laugh." 

"Still me Stanton, still me," Zane says, his focus homing in on Nyx. This seemed to frustrate Jake more. He hated to lose especially to town residents who were out of sync with the rest of the town.

"Ohhhhh that's the problem, you think I want the low-budget queen of the damned over there. No thanks, I don't do Hot Topic eyeliner and bad decisions. Relax PonyBoy, go write poetry about her" 

"You made a bad decision. Just say you don't know how to handle a real woman, especially someone like Nyx." Zane said sharply as he stared at Nyx in adoration. That last comment shut Jake Stanton up for good.

Nyx chokes on her breath, her face flushing bright red. A weird tension hangs in the air now.

"Can you not make this more awkward, Zane? Please?" she nearly whispered. Jake blinks and looks from one to the other, clearly having no idea what's going on. Jake threw money on the counter, popped on his hat, and grabbed his to-go items as he made a swift exit. "Have a good night protecting and serving, Officer" Zane hollered, laughing and waving as the bell dinged and the door shut behind Officer Stanton. 

Zane just grins at her—mischievous, playful, and as enigmatic as ever. He leans forward, and for a moment, it's like the world around them fades away. The bright colors, the jukebox music, the conversations—it all becomes a dull background to the electric charge between them. But Nyx knows better than to let herself get lost in this. Not now. Not here.

"He started it, Nyx. You can't blame me for finishing it. I can't help myself, Stanton is too easy to mess with, and look at your beautiful cheeks," he gestures to her redding cheeks teasingly, his eyes flickering with amusement. 

Nyx throws a dish towel at him, laughing despite herself, but her heart is racing. And as Zane steps back, she realizes that, for all the weirdness of this place, something feels... right about him being here. Even if it's just for a fleeting moment amid the chaos.

 Zane orders a coffee and sits down at the counter, his presence still felt, a constant undercurrent of mystery. Nyx goes back to wiping the counters and filling the mugs of the patrons who remained for the night, her thoughts swirling, half-finished conversations with Zane lingering in her mind. Jake, clearly still trying to figure out what's going on between them, shoots occasional glances her way, but for now, she's content to let the weirdness of it all wash over her.

It's just another day at Neon Pie but with Zane here? It might just be the most interesting one yet.