Grace sighed as the coffee shop queue shunted slowly forward. She didn't have much time before her next lecture began and she had already been waiting in line in the packed shop for half an hour. The redhead pulled her phone out and spent the next few minutes responding to Norm's impassioned text messages about the new branch of biology that he had been reading about that week. Grace put her phone away and breathed a sigh of relief, she'd finally made it to the front of the queue.
"What can I get you?" Ivory asked, not looking up from the till.
"Iced coffee. Black." Grace said decisively, struggling not to smile at the sight of Ivy wearing a slightly wonky baseball hat and dark green apron.
Ivory's eyes darted up immediately. "Grace."
"I had some time before my next lecture." Grace said casually.
"How's it goin' ?" Ivory asked, turning away to make Grace's drink.
"Great. The students are so smart and they really want to learn. I feel like I'm actually getting somewhere with them."
"Sounds like it's going well then." Ivory put a lid on the cup and handed it to Grace.
"How much is it?" Grace asked, taking the drink.
"Drinks are on the house for pretty girls like you."
"Idiot." Grace rolled her eyes and took her drink, unable to hide her smile. "Thank you."
"Go on or you'll be late for your next class."
"See you at home doll." Grace gave Ivory the smallest flicker of a wink then disappeared from the shop, her red hair swinging behind her.
Ivory stared after her girlfriend for a moment. She missed working with Grace, although Ivory knew that she didn't need to be around her girlfriend all the time her job didn't feel the same without Grace's sarcastic remarks and the private smiles that Ivory received when no one else was watching.
"Are you even listening to me?"
Ivory jerked back to attention.
"For god's sake I've been trying to order for the last two minutes I've not got all day." A man snapped, pushing his steamy glasses further up his nose. "Would it kill you to make me a large latte?"
Ivory bit her tongue, exhaling slowly. "Four dollars and fifty cents."
"Card."
"Manners would be nice." Ivory muttered.
"How was work?" Grace asked immediately as Ivory trailed inside, hanging her hat and apron up.
"Delightful." Ivory pulled the pins out of the tight bun that she had pulled her hair back into for work.
"Ivy if-"
"I know, I know." Ivory shook her hair loose and yawned.
Grace's brow creased. "Do you want anything to eat?"
"I'll sort something out for us in half an hour, I just want to shower the coffee off first."
"I can cook. What do you want?"
"It's fine Grace I can sort it out."
"Ivory I'm cooking tonight." Grace said firmly. "What do you want to eat?"
Ivory shrugged. "I don't mind."
"Come on you must have some idea."
"I really don't mind."
Grace changed tack. "Lasagne or meatloaf?"
Ivory pulled a face at the mention of meatloaf. "Lasagne."
"Dinner will be ready in two hours then. There should be some clean towels in the top of the cupboard."
Ivory nodded distractedly, dropping onto the floor to greet Tigger who had just pattered into the room. The cat immediately clambered into her arms and rubbed his head on his owner's cheek, determined not to be ignored for a second longer. "Hey boy, I missed you." Ivory murmured into his fur as the cat began to purr noisily.
For what seemed like the first time in forever the street outside the apartment block was silent. Despite the rare break from road noise Ivory was still awake. She rolled over slowly, cringing slightly as Grace's hand slipped off of her waist. Ivory sat up and grabbed the lighter from her bedside table, sliding it into her sock so that it was one less thing to carry outside.
"Ivy?" Grace whispered, half raising her head from the pillow.
Ivory froze.
"How long have you been awake? Did I wake you up?"
"I just woke up, I wanted a drink." Ivory was surprised by how quickly the lie formed. She hated lying to Grace but it seemed easier than watching the woman's face fall when she admitted that she hadn't slept at all.
Grace nodded, settling back down under the duvet. "Tigger," she groaned as the cat crawled out from under the blanket and settled himself on her pillow.
Ivory snorted. "Told you we should have gotten him his own pillow."
"I'll get one tomorrow, I don't have to teach until two o'clock." Grace put her head back on the pillow with difficulty.
"Take the money out of my wallet." Ivory laid back down, shifting uncomfortably as the forgotten lighter dug into her ankle.
"Didn't you want to get some water?"