Dreams VS Reality--A Reynico AU

chapter two

PART 2: THEY INTERACT

[ starbucks AU ]

Reyna glanced up at Nico. "Starbucks?"

"Definitely." Nico looked up from his phone, "It's my hideout."

"Who're you texting?" She cocked her head at his HTC, "You've been hooked on that thing since we've gotten on the bus."

"Uh, nobody. I tend to play Asphalt 8 when I'm scared or nervous; it calms my stress." Nico said.

She hid a grin, but it was fighting to spread on her face; he'd just admitted something, though he didn't know it yet. 

Regaining composure, Reyna studied the screen where flashy sports cars were speeding across acres of desert and wasteland. He was manning the controls with great dexterity, manoeuvring the pixellated vehicle through numerous obstacles. 

"Racing cars? That is so out." she commented with a laugh. "Nah, just kidding, I play Asphalt too. I'm fairly addicted." She tapped her Samsung to show her version of the app. 

"Wow, really?!" Nico's eyes shone. "Which level are you on? How many stars do you have on Elimination? What about Classic Tokyo circuit? I can't believe you're a gamer!"

"Yeah, most people think I'm the outdoorsy type from my physical features, but, well, racing is fun." Reyna commented drily, which earned a chuckle from Nico. 

"I've never seen a girl say 'racing is fun' before." raising his eyebrows. 

"If you stereotype me, you'll find some surprises, cause I'm not the average girl." Reyna smirked.

"Aw, sorry, Asphalt Queen." Nico had to give this one to her. Smiling like an idiot. 

The whole ride they chatted animatedly about Asphalt, made stupid sarcastic jokes, laughed it all off, and she was glad that they'd found a common interest. Even if it was a bit like flirting. 

Screw it, it was full-on flirting. But she didn't care.

Hopping off the bus, Reyna led Nico around her streets to the Starbucks round the corner of Reyna's house. True that her dad didn't expect, or didn't want, more accurately, her to come home earlier that six in the evening, but she just wanted to be safe. 

Nico pushed the door open and they sidled in, choosing a small cosy corner with two red sofas. 

They went up, ordered, and settled down. A faint grin played around Reyna's cheeks as she momentarily forgot about anything related to Jason. 

This was a weird moment, sipping coffee in a shop with this boy she barely knew. 

But she felt content to be here, for some odd reason. 

Maybe it was just this streak of rebellion in her. 

*

"So...you can talk to me about it. Or not."

Nico glanced rather shadily at Reyna, not wanting to shock her out of her reverie. She was staring at her coffee mug, twirling the contents over and over. 

"I guess so. It's better to, like, spill it all out, right?"

"Yeah." Nico nodded adamantly: he'd experienced enough of this stuff already to know. "Definitely."

"But I'm not sure you can be trusted yet...?" Her voice trailed off with a question.

"Fair point." He threw his hands up in the air in mock submission, noticing her low laugh as she studied his bizarre reactions. "How about we each tell the other about an event that occurred in their lives, something deep that the average friend wouldn't know, then you tell me?"