; — @dealtgod CONTINUED from X🩸
A DECADE OF RUNNING, of LATE NIGHT DIVES, of backwater diners, of PEOPLE WATCHING — it'll make one SELF AWARE in a way that feels a lot like STARING DOWN THE BARREL. She's become WISE to those who look a little bit HAUNTED or HUNTED or both. A little bit LIKE HER. The SCENT of him has her masking the CRINKLE of her pert nose, smelling like tobacco and cologne and OLD WOUNDS.
Like SANUINE lakes have lingered under the skin in places HER EYES CAN'T FIND. It's a scent she's grown accustomed to from him. SYRUPY HEART aside, there could be any number of reasons THIS is the case. BUT THE HUNTED EYES. They led her to believe otherwise.
She's never actually said words to him, KNOWING BETTER than to break the boundary of what is CLEARLY his method of operations. COME IN, SMOKE, COFFEE. HACKLES RAISED, devoid of conversation. AND WHY PRESS?
It's absentminded, the slide of BLACK COFFEE in front of his stool. TOO BUSY trying to decipher exactly how OLD old wounds were based on SCENT alone. BUT HE SPEAKS — the sound of his voice prompting a startled BLINK to break the thoughts BUZZING around her pretty little head. BLEACHED curls swaying out of her NEON PINK scrunchie to frame the high apples of her cheeks, DIVINELY falling into place with the TILT of her head at him.
❝I believe these days 's called coffee,❞ she murmurs gently underscored by the ROLL of her freckled shoulder in a SHRUG. The motion crinkling the pale CANARY waitress uniform that's CINCHED around her, the garb a size too big and SLIPPED into easily as the last girl SLIPPED out of it and OUT OF TOWN ENTIRELY. JUST AS SHE'D DO. Her apron KNOTTED tight around to lessen the PAPER BAG effect of it.
BARBIE PINK CLAWS smooth the wrinkles at her arm before gesturing idly to the cup then to him, ❝you come in and order that. Often enough that half the time, I don't remember if you've truly told me or not.❞ Her voice is all SOUTHERN CHARM, flowing out of her more like SONG than speech.
❝Would you like it to be a trick, honey?❞ A dark brow arches at him, LEVITY giving a slight curl to the corners of her GLITTER GLOSSED lips. TRYING TO COAX THE HINT OF A SMILE, AT LEAST. ❝Or do you prefer 's just a cup of coffee?❞
❝'m afraid only one of those options is actually in my job description.❞
