Oh L;fe

Coffee Grounds and Roses

Vic sat staring at the cup of coffee he'd bought nearly an hour prior. He couldn't really drink it, not with all the caffeine. They'd been out of decaf. Even so, the rogue was skeptical that they could truly remove all the caffeine anyway. His Hybrid heart couldn't handle stimulants very well. Even the miniscule caffeine in chocolate could set him off if he wasn't careful.

He would've bought a pastry or something, but he didn't have a lot of cash on him and his line of work didn't allow him credit cards. The coffee happened to be the cheapest thing. All he wanted was to hang around the manager.

He admitted, it could be considered creepy. But he justified it because he never bothered her, or stared at her for more than a second, and he only came in about twice a month.

The long-haired assassin simply enjoyed her presence. She was small, but acted well as a leader. She was also quite cute. Victor wagered that, back on Earth at least, she would've been of Asian lineage. Her dark hair was mostly in a bun a little high in the back, yet she let some of the silky strands form bangs and frame her delicate face. He also admired her work ethic. But he always stayed away, because he couldn't ignore the ring on her finger.

Victor's only long-term relationship in this life had been with a co-worker named Lyndsay. She was insanely hot, but she cheated on Vic about a year after he thought they had gotten serious. He broke it off and wouldn't give her anymore chances. He wasn't about to be stepped on, and he wouldn't hurt the manager's marriage.

It then occurred to Victor, that despite coming here on and off for about a year now, he didn't know her name. He returned to staring at the cup, even occasionally stirring it to see the foam swirl into strange designs. Then, the scent of roses melded in with the scent of coffee and hipsters. Vic's head snapped to attention to find the source. Part of him wanted to run and scream, while the rational part of him kept Vic sitting shyly in his seat; the lady manager was sitting across from him sipping a cup of tea. They were barely two feet from each other. His anxiety was starting to creep up. He tried to stay calm.

"Good morning, Sir. How are you today?" the manager asked. Victor tried to speak, but his voice felt small, almost nonexistent. His throat felt like it would close, so he focused on breathing and trying to say anything.

"Ah, um, okay. I'm doing okay. A-and you?" Vic barely managed to squeak out. He was on the cusp of hyperventilating, but could she tell?

"I'm doing fine. Thanks for asking. So, Vic, how's the coffee? You haven't drank any of it?" She responded. Vic went absolutely still. How did she know his name? He hadn't said it, had he? He was suddenly very alert. The woman across from him noticed how worried he got. Her eyes betrayed her otherwise calm demeanor; she was worried too.

"How did you know my name?" the assassin asked in a low whisper.

"It's on your cup." She responded simply, "My name is Diana, if that makes you feel better." Vic wanted to believe that, but the stress was getting to him. How could he be sure this woman wasn't an enemy spy sent to kill him? He felt a little faint.

"Do you need me to call someone?" Diana asked. Vic stared at the coffee, felt the warmth between his hands. He needed to stay grounded. He shook his head. Louis was at work, and Jamie was in school.

"Don't have anybody to call," Vic mumbled, long hair draping partly over his paling face. Diana thought for a moment. She got up and walked to Vic's side of the table.

"Can you walk? You can stay in my office for a while. There would be less people and a couch to sit on." the small woman offered. Vic nodded silently, but he felt a little unsteady. He took a moment to stand on wobbly legs. It was hard enough walking on prosthetic legs when he wasn't freaking out. He could feel people staring, hear some whispering, and could see worried glances around the cafe. Diana boldly put a hand lightly at the base of his spine, trying to direct the equally-short stranger. Eventually they made it into her office.

The small room was quiet, but as promised there was a small leather couch. A filing cabinet stood tall next to it, and a work-space took up the farthest corner from the door. The muted tones of the room and near silence made Vic a little less on edge. He was still wary of his host, but he would be able to just let his training take over if she posed a tangible threat. But right now he was Victor, not a killer. Victor was nervous, a tad antisocial, and sometimes unable to take care of himself. If his training kicked in, then he wouldn't really be Victor for a while.

After sitting stiffly on the couch for five minutes, Vic began gradually leaning back and trying to be comfortable. Diana had simply been looking through papers and getting work done while her guest attempted to settle. He just focused on breathing and organizing his thoughts. He couldn't do anything until he got himself under control. It was nearly an hour later that his limbs stopped feeling stiff and frozen, yet he was shivering a bit. He may have been running a fever. His fire powers were likely acting up from stress. He still needed to keep his shadow abilities under-wraps though. If they made an appearance, then even the light from the bulbs could cause major pain and even some damage.

"Thank you," he finally said. His chest still felt a bit tight, but he was nowhere near as bad as earlier. Diana jumped a little. She'd been so engrossed in her paperwork that she had forgotten about the man sitting on her couch.

"It's no problem. I'm sorry if I caused all that. It's just that I recognized you coming back every so often. One of my baristas even had a crush on you. She says you're mysterious. She wasn't wrong though; you always come in twice a month, order coffee, sit way in the corners alone, then leave without even drinking it. It's a bit strange, I must admit." the observant manager spoke.

"It's a nice place." Vic explained, "But I can't really have caffeine, and I always forget the cash for the little cakes 'n stuff."

"Why do you come in to a coffee house if you can't drink anything there?" Diana questioned bluntly. Vic could feel a hot blush rise from his neck and blossom to his ears. He couldn't think of a good response. Diana was concerned.

She began apologizing, "Oh, but don't feel like you need to answer if you don't want to. You're welcome anytime. I guess I just wanted to meet this mystery-man myself. I apologize for making you so uncomfortable." Vic just nodded. A mildly awkward silence fell over them.

"You know, my husband heard about this mysterious-stranger, too, when he picked me up from work one day." The lady said, a sly tone playing at her words, "He joked that I should bring him home for dinner one night. What do you say? Dinner at my place next week? It'd be interesting, if you'd like to come that is. Or- you know what- why don't I let you think it over? Here's my number." She pulled a business card from her apron and handed it gingerly to Vic. He pocketed the delicate, rose-scented card. He quietly thanked her, struggling to make eye-contact.

"I probably need to get back out there soon, but if you'd like to stay a bit longer you're welcome to. We'll be closing in about an hour, so if you want to wait for most of the other people to shuffle out, you can." Diana offered.

"That'd be very nice. Thank you," Victor replied. Diana locked up her belongings and went out to the rest of her customers. At the end of the work-day, Diana went to check on her guest. She was greeted by an empty room. She noticed that the window was slightly ajar when a small breeze fluttered the curtains. She smiled fondly out the glass.

"Mysterious Stranger, indeed." She whispered to herself before grabbing her purse, "Wait until Geoff hears about this."