♡
Love? Ha!
You have no idea of what love is.
Why would you?
Your family is the only love you've experienced.
Is it even possible for someone like you to be adored by a man?; blind to all your flaws,
cherished every moment spent in your presence,
desired every inch of you,
treasured like gold in a mine,
much less loved.
It isn't in the cards for you, it won't be foreseen in your future...
"Meow"
Waking up from her nap to Harvey's orotund voice, she was dispirited those words were thrown at her by her own conscience. She felt somewhat helpless, the words hurt. A part of her head was throbbing, she closed her eyes again and when she opened them again she looked at her desk, laptop, stray papers, and pens.
"Oh Harvey, what am I going to do?"
He only stared at her with his light green eyes piercing into her, as if communicating through their minds.
"At least you love me, right?"
Her sad look replaced by a grin when he purred into her palm while she stroked his beautiful dark hairs. He leaned his whole body against her hand in a comforting manner. They stayed in her room for long before she got up to set up his bowls and clean his litter box. She made a list for groceries to shop for, sent a message to know how Heidi was doing at work and called her dad to inform him of the change from mornings to afternoons in her work schedule.
She went to the hospital to start her daily duties and also in hopes of distracting her mind for a while. As if on cue when on her way to help her not so favorite patient, she ran into Elijah once more. He had worn jeans and a lavender v-neck shirt complementing his riverside eyes, two paper coffee cup in hand.
"Coffee?" with his generously offered smile.
Shaking her head in denial she raised her hand up to the paper cup, "No thanks, I'm more of a tea drinker."
"I guess I'll have to donate it to a worn out nurse then," slightly shrugging his shoulders careful as to not drop the cups.
"Can't help, but be a hero huh?" she smirked his way, "again."
He chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck he looks away to the left not wanting the praises.
She thought it charming, his shyness and behavior towards her teasing, "See ya' later, Elijah," giving a short laugh.
"Oh, Mina, I'll come by the bakery soon," he added making her slow her steps.
"You better," she squints her eyes at him in threat, but with a smile on her lips then waves goodbye.
Walking right to Mr. Grumpy's room after some rhythmic knocks, she heard a few words before stepping inside.
... Silence, that's all that was heard. He had no shirt, clothes hanging on a nearby chair, she saw him with his underwear on, then looked down and at the wall. She didn't know he had just walked out the bathroom after a visit from his sister who had bought fresh clothing for him to wear this week. He'd been grateful for it and had lifted his mood to know what was happening in his life outside of the hospital.
"I said don't come in!" He relayed in his rough voice, faintly blushing and redressing himself hastily.
"Sorry, I only heard the second part..um, nice boxers," hoping her the blush hasn't climbed from her chest to her face. From what she could peek up without it seeming pervasive his navy blue, white, and red striped boxers were stylish.
It was pretty awkward after that, on both sides. Mina avoided eye contact too afraid she'd stare at his body instead. Mr. François did blush but played it off to having had his guard down. He said she had come to the room like a silent cat to check on him, which was partially true because she did need to walk him to his appointment this morning. Although she had heard wrong when she knocked on the door and heard him say something that was not. So, they arguably agreed it being accidentally on purpose. A few days into the week she did notice his mood change, not by much, but it's a start.
"I see your bandages are coming off," she said making the observation.
"Yeah, my left one."
Keeping the conversation air light and trying not to ask the question at the tip of her tongue, she nodded as she took out her small paper bag shed brought over along with a water bottle she set on the table. Eating a few bites and drinking some water, she wipes her hands with soft tissue from a tissue box close to them at the waiting room of physical therapy.
"What's that?" He asked when the aroma of her food was too much to bear for his senses.
"Oh, it's my version of a ham and cheese sandwich I made earlier this morning," she commented proudly at her delicious work.
She felt his stare on her and at the sandwich. She secretly smiled on the inside as she kept eating a triangular piece of her sandwich. His curiosity carried on as stared on at the tasty looking sandwich halves. It was a bulky sandwich of toasted bread and melting cheese. He could feel his stomach begging for a bite of it.
"Tired of hospital food, huh?" Mina asked, taking a sip of water.
A look of disdain on his face appeared and confirmed her thought. It was easy to tell, hospital food is okay for some, but after a while, it got old and tasteless. In this case, Mr. François was practically starving himself from having so little eatable foods to his liking. It wasn't as if he was a picky eater, but he did have certain standards for his food.
"You can have a piece if it'll make you stop watching me eat," she said with laughter in her voice.
Handing him a third of the sandwich she watched him take it slowly then watched his face and saw nothing. Not caution, no graciousness, not any distinctive emotion. Mina wanted to know his opinion, but not exactly why.
After a beat of his munching, she changes the subject to keep him on a roll. "You're name's french right?"
He looks at her briefly then back again to finish eating, "Yes."
She completes her sandwich and wipes away crumbs from her mouth and hands. Standing up to throw away her trash of paper bag, used tissues, and empty water bottle, she pats her blouse over and twice her denim jeans. She sits back full on her seat of the sofa and sighs.
"So, did you like it?" she asks him finally wanting an answer.
"Croque-monsieur," he hummed to himself after he'd completely devoured the piece and licked off the remains on his fingers. He wiped his fingers clean one by one as she stared at him from her spot.
He said neither a yes nor a no only wiped his fingers and handed her the tissue as asking her to throw it away for him. She huffs as she snatched it from him and swiftly traced her path to the trashcan again. Everyone's a critic, she thought, he probably did.
"What does that mean?"
"It's a dish that tastes almost like this, I eat all the time back home."
Mina smiled assuming the best by his words, full sentences from his mouth. "Well I'm glad you like it, I'm a pretty good cook if I do say so myself," she boasted.
"I wouldn't classify making a sandwich as cooking."
She saw him shake his head doubting her skills. Promptly making her raise an eyebrow at his remark.
"Well according to the customers' happy faces when they eat my cooking, they'd definitely say otherwise."
"Customers?"
"Yes, customers I see at work every day at our family bakery," she mentioned head held higher now.
"Really? Business must be low."
His name was called at that moment and he slowly walked off without further comments. She fumed watching his back turned to her go into another room, she straightened up and almost slammed the door on her way out. Deciding to be the bigger person she drops it, composed herself and headed to the vending machines wanting more food to feed her belly.

The next day, Mina was taking her afternoon shift at the bakery and was glad she had eaten a good amount of Chinese food for lunch before coming to serve these sweets otherwise she'd be drooling right now. Elijah comes by around seven spotting Mina almost instantly. It was hard to ignore the long legs and even longer hair in a ponytail still reaching down to her hips. She steps out behind the register, telling her mother she was going to take some orders now. He smiles at her strides his way and stands to meet her next to the table he had chosen. She was happy he kept his promise to come by and made the rest of her day better. He greeted her and she grabbed him in a half hug with her notepad and pen in one hand. He asked about her favorite desserts off their menu and then made the order twice. She laughed at all he had ordered teasing him on the bill. He didn't care though and told her she was to eat with him because they were her favorite sweets. She accepted even if it was well over enough food to make her puke later.
"Well, lookie what we have here."
Mina rolled her eyes at the clear voice and sight of her coworker coming closer than needed. "What, Alden?"
Elijah smiles extending his hand at the stranger standing before him. Which is examined by Alden first then taking in a rough shake making his tattooed arm bulge in the process, intentionally.
"Hello to you too kitten, and why haven't you introduced me to your friend?" He gestures to her with a nod over to Elijah.
Her stone face was replaced with a grin when she steps closer to him leaving Alden to stare at their close proximity, "Elijah this is Alden, he's a waiter here."
"And her lover," Alden added smirking at him.
Startled at the words she instinctively punches his arm with force. Knowing her better than she thought he did Alden clenched his muscles as she tries to inflict pain. Mina angrily frowns at him and shakes her head denying the statement.
"Good to meet ya, Alden," Elijah only smiles tentatively and unfazed by the banter.
"Likewise," he replies still analyzing his stance near Mina, hands and all. "So where'd you two meet?"
"Oh, that wasn't one of my best days, very memorable night thou-"
Mina intervened Elijah's explanation seeing as Alden got rigid and uncrossed his arms, "Mr. Hero here got in a fight with a jerk-hole that was too drunk to understand rejection last week when Heidi and I went to a club with Kalam."
He turned to her reaching a hand to her cheek, "You didn't tell me about that."
"It wasn't that big of a deal," she said to him shrugging nonchalantly.
"Well we were kicked out, my fault," Elijah takes blame awkwardly chuckling.
"Good," Alden states nodding. "Nightclubs are dangerous for most beautiful women," then winks in her direction.
"You can go now Alden," she shoos him away with one hand motion, but a giggle slipped from her mouth making him smirk even more.
"Mhm, I'll be right over here arranging this week's specials.." He gives one last look between them before walking off, "in hearing distance," he murmurs to himself as he cleans some tables close by.
Elijah looks at Mina while she rolled her eyes at Alden's behavior, "He seems nice," was all he could say.