Late Evening Coffee

Sep 17th, 2015 10:13 PM

The Fairest didn’t realize it had gotten so late. She was the last instructor at the studio, everyone else had signed out. For this, she had to triple check the building to make sure it was secure. Thankfully Nathan was patiently waiting.

Now, it would be time to finish the conversation they’d started. Her truck drove to the tiny little apartment she had, soon it would be a different path. L’aire was slightly apprehensive about bringing the Autumn over, but maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Her apartment had a small kitchen, barely enough room to move around in and next to it, a small table with only two chairs. There were a few boxes along the wall, and nothing that resembled ‘homey’ at all. Around the corner, the living room was entirely packed up other than a small stereo for an mp3 player sitting on the couch. All of it was shoved to one side of the room. There were no pictures on the walls, it only smelled of ‘standard apartment’ and coconut shampoo.

After they’d arrived, the Onyx had started a pot of coffee. She’d pulled out one larger mug, the other was her thermos mug. It was questionable if it was to make sure it retained the heat, or to keep it from L’aire’s hands making it chilly.

“Um, cream or sugar with your coffee?” As it slowly started dripping from the pot. “Or uh, maybe you don’t drink coffee?” Moving to the small fridge door. “I have water or coconut water, um… no soda though.” Looking back to Nathan Griffin .

**Nathan Griffin** · Sep 18th, 2015 01:07 PM

To say he felt apprehensive would have been selling it short. A part of him regretted coming here, or coming to the studio at all in the first place. But of course he couldn't leave well enough alone. He couldn't say no to her. So he didn't, and now he was here, hoping nothing terrible would happen. His mind kept running through the ways this night could end. They were of varying plausibility, but all without a fault were unpleasant. He tried to put his morbid imagination to rest by looking around. He realized that, somewhat naively, he had always pictured Sasha sleeping in silken sheets, surrounded by fancy ivory statues and big impressionist paintings. He wasn't sure if the truth made her more approachable.

"Coffee's good, thanks. I think I'll go with, uh, cream. If you have any."

The place smelled familiar. It took him a while to notice what it was but the sheer sensuous quality of it was overwhelming. The scents of civilization. It made him more uncomfortable than was reasonable. All of a sudden he did not miss the clinical cleanness of his own borrowed apartment, but he still wished he was back there.

"Been living here for long?"

Sep 20th, 2015 02:37 PM

“Oh, I have creamer. Many flavors. Just one brand though. That other stuff leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.” L’aire was a coffee snob, it would be prevalent soon enough. But, she enjoyed it enough, and craved it that sometimes desperate times called for desperate measures.

L’aire poured a little peppermint mocha creamer into her coffee container, then poured the coffee in after. A trick she’d learned years ago, no need to stir. The lid reclaimed her thermos and she screwed it on tight and moved to the side

“Live here long?” The Fairest nodded. “Yeah, I have, nearly more than a year now.” Her head cocked and she asked with a curious smile. “Why do you ask?”

**Nathan Griffin** · Sep 24th, 2015 04:56 PM

He sat down in one of the chairs, watching her prepare the coffee in silence. He was expressionless, but no matter how he tried he could not keep his fingers still or stop himself from moving in his seat from time to time.

"Do you need help?" he couldn't help himself, much to his chagrin. "I mean, I'm not saying you can't... I'm not trying to be..." he cleared his throat and looked away at the boxes along the wall. "Just, y'know, I don't want to give you trouble..." Everything would me much simpler if he could manage to keep his mouth shut, he thought.

He started playing with his pendant again. A year. Not that much longer than him. Though she had been around before that. He reddened a bit at her question.

"Uh, no reason. Was wondering whether you were moving or, or, ah..." Had just gotten to town? "...something," he finished, failing to keep the awkwardness out of his voice.

Sep 25th, 2015 07:08 PM

[COLOR="#56a0d3]“No, it’s okay. I make coffee all the time.”[/COLOR] L’aire practically bled coffee. This was a piece of cake compared to the talking she’d have to do soon. “I make it all the time, no trouble at all.”

The Dancer turned back and brought the mug and her tumbler with coffee to the table. “Well, I didn’t really fully unpack when I got back either.” Setting the mug in front of Nathan, and then sitting across from him.

She took a slow sip, savoring the mixture of creamer and roasted beans. “But, I was planning on moving again soon. That kind of got side tracked.”

L’aire froze for a moment, her gaze fell to the Hunterheart but she wasn’t necessarily looking at him. Instead, her mind wandered back to the last time she’d sat here with anyone. She’d drifted for longer than a moment.

**Nathan Griffin** · Sep 29th, 2015 09:51 PM

He took a sip from the mug as she explained. Warm. He wondered, not for the first time, if his mental observations had always been so simplistic and unhelpful.

"You're still doing it though?" he tried his hand again at looking at her eyes. They had that unique sort-of-purplish tint, giving her a more hypnotizing look than he cared to admit. "Moving, I mean. Guess that explains it."

His last comment came accompanied by a small, quivering smile that vanished as quickly as it had appeared. He sipped from his coffee again and noticed it had a distinct flavor. He tried to identify it, but was distracted by her sudden absent-mindedness.

"Hey, you okay?"

Sep 29th, 2015 10:59 PM

“Yeah, I’m still moving.” L’aire sipped the coffee, savoring it before speaking again. Trying to snap out of her memories.

“I mean, not away. Just to a different place.” Although, the Dancer didn’t want to say where yet, not until it happened. And it would be a really awkward explanation when she finally had to explain.

“Um, yeah. I’m okay.” Pausing, she pursed her lips and looked to the side of the table for a moment. “The last time I sat at this table with someone was a long time ago.” Her violets flickered back up to the Autumn’s, they may have been bright and sparkly, but there was a heavy look within.

Sighing deeply, she paused to take another long sip of her coffee. It was stalling while she debated on saying what it was. "It was with a man who I haven't seen in two years. I wish I knew what happened to him." There was that awkwardness about her again and the chill rose slightly as old emotions crept up.

Many reasons why she used an insulated tumbler.

**Nathan Griffin** · Oct 3rd, 2015 08:24 AM

"Cool," was all he said. It was a rather weak response, but he didn't dare to say much else.

You don't look okay. He thought, but decided to keep that to himself as well. He stayed silent, waiting for her to explain further. Why am I here? He wanted to ask so badly, but the answer scared him. And just for once, he wasn't afraid for himself. He had nothing to lose. But she looked so fragile. He remembered the time he and Sarah had visited the New York Botanical Garden. She had given him a butterfly, and he couldn't stop dreading that his rough, clumsy fingers would squash it without his meaning to. He went back to his coffee, hoping it would hide any insecurities showing in his face.

The moment he told him about the other guy she had been here with he knew it was the big reveal, he knew that was what she had been stalling for, what she had wanted to say all along. What he still couldn't tell for the life of him was why him, and as much as he feared the answer he was thirsting for it. It felt extremely personal, and his knowing it seemed almost invasive. But was that a bad thing? Yet even all that had been relegated backstage, and in the forefront a very old feeling he had almost forgotten was coming back to him, overpowering everything else. He looked into the coffee mug for a while, in silence.

"Why?" he didn't raise his head. His voice was emotionless. "How will knowing help?"

Oct 3rd, 2015 08:27 PM

The Onxy shouldn’t probably shouldn’t have revealed it. But L’aire didn’t want to be a typical ‘woman’ who stared off, then replied ‘nothing’, leaving someone hanging. She detested it herself so why should she do it to Nathan. “If someone ditched you, with no word, no note, no response from texts, phone calls, anything… wouldn’t you need to know?” Her fingers flickered his direction off of the tumbler as she took another sip.

“At least Chris had the decency when he left to leave a note.” Maybe it’s because she gave him a small rundown of John’s departure.

The Fairest shook her head, shrugging. “I don’t know, maybe it’s because of my Season. The need for closure. Preparing your goodbyes.”

“I don’t like things left in limbo, I guess.” Her violets suddenly looked at Nathan. “Much like resolving things with you.” L’aire nearly lashed out at the Hunterheart for what he pulled. But the IceLaw was the barrier.

**Nathan Griffin** · Oct 7th, 2015 06:20 PM

He stared straight into her eyes.

"Need? I don't think you need to know anything," he sounded almost sad, his shoulders slumped with exhaustion. "Did I ever tell you how I got taken?"

It wasn't something he had ever told anyone, not even Alf. Not beyond some vague remarks, anyway. Maybe, just maybe, he could make her see. Maybe he could help out after all. Or maybe he would just upset her and end up being kicked out of the house. The mention of Chris (or Kyle, the way he had gotten used to calling him) hurt. He tried to convince himself that it was because he missed the guy, with moderate success. When she stared back at him... Was that anger? Defiance?

"If I hadn't decided to stay," he spoke slowly, "I would have forgotten about you quickly enough. I was over a year hitchhiking from coast to coast, but I can't for the life of me remember most of it. You would've just been another in a long list of mistakes. I'm not trying to resolve things with you cause I need closure. I'm doing it because I'm tired of running."

Now it was he who looked defiant. His fingers, however, were trembling, forcing him to let go of the mug.

Late Evening Coffee

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