Alex Miller (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} alexinking) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} 20somethings,@ 2022-02-17 21:02:00 |
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Who: Alex and Aldrich
What: Kitties and blueberry muffins with a dash of flirtation.
When: 17 February 2028
Where: The Purrfect Fix
Warnings: None
Completion Status: Complete
Inspiration wasn’t the problem for Aldrich, Scarlett had provided him with plenty of inspiration. Everywhere he looked in the flat reminded him of the perky blonde, bouncing around. Even his breakfast nook reminded him of the morning he’d made breakfast, and ate her on the table, while having his coffee. That had been his favorite morning, except for maybe that morning that he’d spent the entire day in bed with Athena. Now that had been bloody amazing.
These thoughts were what had him out of the house writing. He had slipped into Purrfect Fix and stolen a spot off in the corner. A beautiful little long haired kitten had settled into his lap, soft purrs emanating from his furry little friend. While trying to find inspiration not sex related, he had stared off at one of the older cats that was sunbathing in the window. He had smoked a rather large blunt before arriving, so he found it easy to daydream.
It was far too late that he realized just under the cat was a young woman who was now giving him a rather odd look. How long had he been just staring at her? God, he had to look like a creep. Hans wasn’t going to let him come here to write anymore if he scared off a customer. He better get up and apologize.
“Will you help?” he asked the kitten as he moved it to rest on top of his now closed laptop. The only thing on the screen had been a half page about how fantastic Scarlett’s arse looked when she kneeled on the bed, bending her body forward, putting her gorgeous little body on display. Nothing that he needed to be putting to paper just then. He needed to stop thinking about her.
He lifted a hand from across the room to wave at the woman that wasn’t Scarlett, mouthing ‘sorry’ a bit dramatically, before motioning with his head towards the counter. He was attempting to ask her if she would like an apology muffin. Could he go over to her to speak to her? Would she think he was crazy? Hans was going to kill him.
When she'd first noticed the Purrfect Fix, Alex hadn't been so sure about it. Not because she didn't like little furry friends, but rather because she was allergic to most furry mammals. Unfortunately, she also absolutely loved being around animals. And so, after stopping in at the apothecary for the right potions, she'd brought her laptop to the little cat cafe library thing and set herself up in a nook in front of a wide, tall window adorned with shelves for the cats to wander and stretch out on for sunbathing.
Having opted to wear her glasses today, knowing that the allergens would irritate her eyes even with contacts and not wanting to have to deal with that later, she nudged them back up the bridge of her nose where they'd slipped forward as she scrolled back up a page in her word processor to reread what she'd just written.
Only, she couldn't shake that chills down the back sensation of being watched, and she glanced around. The man had charming, boy-next-door good looks, and it seemed he was looking right at her. Did she know him? Had he been one of the men who'd flirted with her at the Leaky Cauldron? She did try to put those men out of her mind, especially these days. The last thing she wanted right now was the complication of another man. With that in mind, she looked back at the screen. The feeling didn't go away, though, and when she looked up again, she couldn't help frowning uncomfortably at the way he was still looking over at her. And then his eyes met hers, and it seemed like he was trying to communicate something to her.
And like too many women had been taught, she offered him a smile that came off far more reassuring than uncomfortable, not having quite learned to stand up for herself loudly and firmly just yet.
The smile sealed it! He'd get her a muffin, those were hands down his favorite. He thought Blueberry might be the best choice, they were far superior to the chocolate chip ones that his father loved so much. He gave her a slight nod of his head, that ridiculous smile of his spreading across his lips as he got up from the seat. His large hand came up to ruffle the ears of the kitten that was fast asleep on top of the warm laptop, before he made his way up to the counter.
It didn't take long for him to pick up the muffin for her, there had only been a couple of people in line. He came over to where she was seated, holding out the bag that held the muffin. "An apology for staring, but gorgeous gingers in the window are incredibly distracting," he said, motioning with his head towards the kitten that lay on the shelf directly in the sunspot. His cheeks may have even be a bit flushed, knowing it was a terrible line. It was nice to harmlessly flirt though, he swore he'd just hand over the muffin, then he'd go back to his seat. Maybe he'd talk to Hans about adopting the kitten, maybe that'd help him think of anything but sex at the flat.
When he stood up, Alex couldn't help noticing just how large he was, tall and broad enough to be intimidating even with that ridiculous smile. The smile might have said he was nice and harmless, but Alex had known far too many men who used that to their advantage. Not sure what he was doing, she watched as he went to the counter, not nearly as surprised as she ought to be that he came over to her and offered the pastry bag.
And that line. Good god, did that really work for him? She nudged her glasses again before tucking a bit of hair behind her ear and glancing up at the cat above her, noting that it was a rather orange tabby. "The kitties are really distracting," she agreed lightly, purposefully sidestepping the flirting and doing nothing to hide her accent.. "I'm good though, thanks," she added, nodding toward the bag he'd held out. She didn't think he'd actually done anything to it, as she'd just watched him buy it, but it was better to be safe.
The rejection hurt, he knew it shouldn't have. He didn't even know the girl! He wasn't supposed to be flirting with her. This was supposed to be an apology pastry, wasn't it? He couldn't just set the bag down now though, and the look on his face likely conveyed that he had no idea what he was going to do. Did he leave the bag or not leave the bag? Gods, he was being ridiculous. Finally, far too long in his opinion, he gave her a nod. "Alright, thank you," he finally sputtered out, before he was turning to head back to his own corner. He needed to keep his eyes on the screen and hands on the cat. Maybe he should leave, had he made her feel uncomfortable. Gods, Hans really was going to kill him.
He looked so damn much like a kicked puppy that Alex couldn't help wanting to fix it. Especially because he'd accepted her rejection and was walking away. He hadn't even called her a bitch! Wow, her standards were low, weren't they? Alex nearly cringed at the thought, and before she could stop herself, she was calling out to him again. "Hey, wait," she said, completely ignoring the voice in her head cautioning her to let it go. Knowing that it wasn't her job to make men feel good about themselves didn't mean she was any good at remembering it in the moment, after all.
"What did you pick out?" she asked for lack of anything better coming to mind. She'd got a drink when she'd arrived but hadn't wanted to spend money on a snack, and she didn't want him to think she was rude.
Hearing her ask him to wait had him pausing, maybe Hans wouldn't murdered him. There was still hope. He turned back to her, lifting up the bag to show her it again. "Blueberry, it's hands down the best. My cousin would swear it's the chocolate chip but it's not nearly as good, there's something about the sugar Hans sprinkles on top," he said, thus sharing far too much of himself and his life. He was at least proud of himself for not telling her how Hans owned the shop, though he may as well have. He was just stepping all in it, wasn't he?
"I'm Aldrich," he finally finished by introducing himself, and taking the few steps back so that he might be able to place the muffin on the table. It really would be a shame if it went to waste.
"Not much beats chocolate, but I won't be able to know for sure without trying both, will I?" Alex asked rhetorically, a small grin playing about her lips. She did have a soft spot for blueberries, though. It always reminded her of exploring the nearby wooded area while growing up and picking blueberries off the bushes in the summer. She wondered if Eve remembered doing that, too, and felt a pang of missing her sister.
She shifted the bag after he set it on the table, moving it next to her laptop, not having decided whether she'd eat it here or at home yet. Home felt safer, just in case. "I'm Alex," she returned. "So... Do you do this often? Buy pastries for random women in stores?" It wasn't meant to be flirting, but she couldn't help it if he read it that way anyway.
There was an almost overwhelming urge to go back up to the counter to get her a chocolate chip one. That was the polite thing, wasn't it? He was having a mental fight with himself, but then she was introducing herself, flirting with him even! Maybe he hadn't totally put his foot in his mouth. Why was he thinking of dating when he'd just had his heart stamped, and was maybe making headway with Violet, he really didn't need to be flirting with another pretty girl, but she was gorgeous, and that accent!
"Not often, only when I realized I've been a total creep," he admitted with that ridiculous dopey smile that seemed to help get him in many places. He was hoping one of those places might be her phone number. It couldn't hurt to get to know her better. Scarlett and Athena had dumped him, Violet was sort of seeing Wes, wasn't she? He should get out there too, right?
He got points for recognizing that he'd been a creep, Alex thought, amused. "Self awareness is such an important quality," she pointed out, her tone just this side of dry. She wasn't sure how buying a pastry for a woman he'd been a creep to was somehow making up for being a creep, but she'd never claimed to understand men.
Curiosity won out, and she found herself opening the pastry bag and tearing off a bit of muffin. He'd been right, the sugar on top really did make the difference. "Oh! This is good," she admitted.
Her compliment about his selfaware nature had him winking at her, laughing. "You can thank my sister, Fiona for it," he admitted, giving credit where credit was due.
That smile only grew as she loved the muffin. How did he ask for her number? Was there a smooth line he could use? Suddenly he found himself at a loss for words. Instead of asking for her number, he pulled his wand from his pocket, pointing it to the bag. His number appeared in black script along the bag, name above it. "I know it's a long shot, but if you ever want to go out sometime..." he said with a shrug.
Sister named Fiona, right. Alex filed it away, thinking that she rather liked the name Fiona. It was one of those names that could bring to mind either the delicate, feminine woman or the confident, maneater sort, and she wondered absently what sort of woman his sister was.
Alex raised a brow behind her glasses when he pulled his wand out, though she resisted doing the same. Her breath exhaled on a little puff of air when his name and number wrote itself on her pastry bag. "Right, thanks," she said, not wanting to hurt his feelings but neither wanting to commit to contacting him. He'd been strangely pushy and respectful at the same time, and she would have to give it some thought to decide if she was attracted to him enough to contact him. Or if she even wanted that sort of complication after going halfway around the world to get away from a guy.
Aldrich took his cue to lope off back to his table to gather his things. He noticed that his friend hadn't left the top of the laptop. That sealed it, didn't it? He scooped the kitten up, while gathering his things up. He was taking his new friend home, at least someone might cuddle with him tonight.
These thoughts were what had him out of the house writing. He had slipped into Purrfect Fix and stolen a spot off in the corner. A beautiful little long haired kitten had settled into his lap, soft purrs emanating from his furry little friend. While trying to find inspiration not sex related, he had stared off at one of the older cats that was sunbathing in the window. He had smoked a rather large blunt before arriving, so he found it easy to daydream.
It was far too late that he realized just under the cat was a young woman who was now giving him a rather odd look. How long had he been just staring at her? God, he had to look like a creep. Hans wasn’t going to let him come here to write anymore if he scared off a customer. He better get up and apologize.
“Will you help?” he asked the kitten as he moved it to rest on top of his now closed laptop. The only thing on the screen had been a half page about how fantastic Scarlett’s arse looked when she kneeled on the bed, bending her body forward, putting her gorgeous little body on display. Nothing that he needed to be putting to paper just then. He needed to stop thinking about her.
He lifted a hand from across the room to wave at the woman that wasn’t Scarlett, mouthing ‘sorry’ a bit dramatically, before motioning with his head towards the counter. He was attempting to ask her if she would like an apology muffin. Could he go over to her to speak to her? Would she think he was crazy? Hans was going to kill him.
When she'd first noticed the Purrfect Fix, Alex hadn't been so sure about it. Not because she didn't like little furry friends, but rather because she was allergic to most furry mammals. Unfortunately, she also absolutely loved being around animals. And so, after stopping in at the apothecary for the right potions, she'd brought her laptop to the little cat cafe library thing and set herself up in a nook in front of a wide, tall window adorned with shelves for the cats to wander and stretch out on for sunbathing.
Having opted to wear her glasses today, knowing that the allergens would irritate her eyes even with contacts and not wanting to have to deal with that later, she nudged them back up the bridge of her nose where they'd slipped forward as she scrolled back up a page in her word processor to reread what she'd just written.
Only, she couldn't shake that chills down the back sensation of being watched, and she glanced around. The man had charming, boy-next-door good looks, and it seemed he was looking right at her. Did she know him? Had he been one of the men who'd flirted with her at the Leaky Cauldron? She did try to put those men out of her mind, especially these days. The last thing she wanted right now was the complication of another man. With that in mind, she looked back at the screen. The feeling didn't go away, though, and when she looked up again, she couldn't help frowning uncomfortably at the way he was still looking over at her. And then his eyes met hers, and it seemed like he was trying to communicate something to her.
And like too many women had been taught, she offered him a smile that came off far more reassuring than uncomfortable, not having quite learned to stand up for herself loudly and firmly just yet.
The smile sealed it! He'd get her a muffin, those were hands down his favorite. He thought Blueberry might be the best choice, they were far superior to the chocolate chip ones that his father loved so much. He gave her a slight nod of his head, that ridiculous smile of his spreading across his lips as he got up from the seat. His large hand came up to ruffle the ears of the kitten that was fast asleep on top of the warm laptop, before he made his way up to the counter.
It didn't take long for him to pick up the muffin for her, there had only been a couple of people in line. He came over to where she was seated, holding out the bag that held the muffin. "An apology for staring, but gorgeous gingers in the window are incredibly distracting," he said, motioning with his head towards the kitten that lay on the shelf directly in the sunspot. His cheeks may have even be a bit flushed, knowing it was a terrible line. It was nice to harmlessly flirt though, he swore he'd just hand over the muffin, then he'd go back to his seat. Maybe he'd talk to Hans about adopting the kitten, maybe that'd help him think of anything but sex at the flat.
When he stood up, Alex couldn't help noticing just how large he was, tall and broad enough to be intimidating even with that ridiculous smile. The smile might have said he was nice and harmless, but Alex had known far too many men who used that to their advantage. Not sure what he was doing, she watched as he went to the counter, not nearly as surprised as she ought to be that he came over to her and offered the pastry bag.
And that line. Good god, did that really work for him? She nudged her glasses again before tucking a bit of hair behind her ear and glancing up at the cat above her, noting that it was a rather orange tabby. "The kitties are really distracting," she agreed lightly, purposefully sidestepping the flirting and doing nothing to hide her accent.. "I'm good though, thanks," she added, nodding toward the bag he'd held out. She didn't think he'd actually done anything to it, as she'd just watched him buy it, but it was better to be safe.
The rejection hurt, he knew it shouldn't have. He didn't even know the girl! He wasn't supposed to be flirting with her. This was supposed to be an apology pastry, wasn't it? He couldn't just set the bag down now though, and the look on his face likely conveyed that he had no idea what he was going to do. Did he leave the bag or not leave the bag? Gods, he was being ridiculous. Finally, far too long in his opinion, he gave her a nod. "Alright, thank you," he finally sputtered out, before he was turning to head back to his own corner. He needed to keep his eyes on the screen and hands on the cat. Maybe he should leave, had he made her feel uncomfortable. Gods, Hans really was going to kill him.
He looked so damn much like a kicked puppy that Alex couldn't help wanting to fix it. Especially because he'd accepted her rejection and was walking away. He hadn't even called her a bitch! Wow, her standards were low, weren't they? Alex nearly cringed at the thought, and before she could stop herself, she was calling out to him again. "Hey, wait," she said, completely ignoring the voice in her head cautioning her to let it go. Knowing that it wasn't her job to make men feel good about themselves didn't mean she was any good at remembering it in the moment, after all.
"What did you pick out?" she asked for lack of anything better coming to mind. She'd got a drink when she'd arrived but hadn't wanted to spend money on a snack, and she didn't want him to think she was rude.
Hearing her ask him to wait had him pausing, maybe Hans wouldn't murdered him. There was still hope. He turned back to her, lifting up the bag to show her it again. "Blueberry, it's hands down the best. My cousin would swear it's the chocolate chip but it's not nearly as good, there's something about the sugar Hans sprinkles on top," he said, thus sharing far too much of himself and his life. He was at least proud of himself for not telling her how Hans owned the shop, though he may as well have. He was just stepping all in it, wasn't he?
"I'm Aldrich," he finally finished by introducing himself, and taking the few steps back so that he might be able to place the muffin on the table. It really would be a shame if it went to waste.
"Not much beats chocolate, but I won't be able to know for sure without trying both, will I?" Alex asked rhetorically, a small grin playing about her lips. She did have a soft spot for blueberries, though. It always reminded her of exploring the nearby wooded area while growing up and picking blueberries off the bushes in the summer. She wondered if Eve remembered doing that, too, and felt a pang of missing her sister.
She shifted the bag after he set it on the table, moving it next to her laptop, not having decided whether she'd eat it here or at home yet. Home felt safer, just in case. "I'm Alex," she returned. "So... Do you do this often? Buy pastries for random women in stores?" It wasn't meant to be flirting, but she couldn't help it if he read it that way anyway.
There was an almost overwhelming urge to go back up to the counter to get her a chocolate chip one. That was the polite thing, wasn't it? He was having a mental fight with himself, but then she was introducing herself, flirting with him even! Maybe he hadn't totally put his foot in his mouth. Why was he thinking of dating when he'd just had his heart stamped, and was maybe making headway with Violet, he really didn't need to be flirting with another pretty girl, but she was gorgeous, and that accent!
"Not often, only when I realized I've been a total creep," he admitted with that ridiculous dopey smile that seemed to help get him in many places. He was hoping one of those places might be her phone number. It couldn't hurt to get to know her better. Scarlett and Athena had dumped him, Violet was sort of seeing Wes, wasn't she? He should get out there too, right?
He got points for recognizing that he'd been a creep, Alex thought, amused. "Self awareness is such an important quality," she pointed out, her tone just this side of dry. She wasn't sure how buying a pastry for a woman he'd been a creep to was somehow making up for being a creep, but she'd never claimed to understand men.
Curiosity won out, and she found herself opening the pastry bag and tearing off a bit of muffin. He'd been right, the sugar on top really did make the difference. "Oh! This is good," she admitted.
Her compliment about his selfaware nature had him winking at her, laughing. "You can thank my sister, Fiona for it," he admitted, giving credit where credit was due.
That smile only grew as she loved the muffin. How did he ask for her number? Was there a smooth line he could use? Suddenly he found himself at a loss for words. Instead of asking for her number, he pulled his wand from his pocket, pointing it to the bag. His number appeared in black script along the bag, name above it. "I know it's a long shot, but if you ever want to go out sometime..." he said with a shrug.
Sister named Fiona, right. Alex filed it away, thinking that she rather liked the name Fiona. It was one of those names that could bring to mind either the delicate, feminine woman or the confident, maneater sort, and she wondered absently what sort of woman his sister was.
Alex raised a brow behind her glasses when he pulled his wand out, though she resisted doing the same. Her breath exhaled on a little puff of air when his name and number wrote itself on her pastry bag. "Right, thanks," she said, not wanting to hurt his feelings but neither wanting to commit to contacting him. He'd been strangely pushy and respectful at the same time, and she would have to give it some thought to decide if she was attracted to him enough to contact him. Or if she even wanted that sort of complication after going halfway around the world to get away from a guy.
Aldrich took his cue to lope off back to his table to gather his things. He noticed that his friend hadn't left the top of the laptop. That sealed it, didn't it? He scooped the kitten up, while gathering his things up. He was taking his new friend home, at least someone might cuddle with him tonight.