Re: coffee: sam & neil
He couldn't help smiling as she spoke. It was fond, but laced with the understanding that he didn't expect perfect. And, because he didn't expect it, he didn't want it. Perfect days and perfect moments, they didn't exist. But he wasn't going to tell her as much, because she did deserve those things, and maybe, maybe, she could have them. At the very least he wasn't going to begrudge her how she wanted to live her life. "I grew up with content," he shrugged. "Nothing was ever perfect. So what I have now, it's enough. It's enough because it's better, and it's more than I ever expected when I was really low." Neil nodded when she said happier was good, because it was. For him, it was. As for being kicked out, arrested, and ending up on the Internet, he just laughed. "That's not the kind of publicity I need. But you're welcome to go ahead," he teased, gesturing like he was indicating for her to proceed.
No, he didn't put much stock in a higher power either. It had taken a lot of time and a lot of effort to get comfortable with talking; at first, he'd balked at the thought. "I messed up at first too," he told her. "You just can't give up." He looked down at his empty coffee mug when she asked what days. There were some things he couldn't talk about at meetings that he wished he could, sometimes, when other times he didn't want to talk about them at all. "After Micah," he said quietly. "And when Louis was... when I was with Zatanna, and I saw her trap him to bring him to Shadowcrest." Seeing his brother like that... it hadn't been easy. He shook his head when she asked if it would be too awkward. "No. I don't think so."
All she got was a look of innocence, like he had no idea what she was referring to. "Seriously what?" He hadn't meant to shift, but it had been a long time and he wasn't used to that kind of affection anymore. "Yes, happy, not content," he sighed, though honestly, he might not have told her if it were otherwise. "You don't think punching and hair pulling is bad?" Those things could only be counterproductive, but still, he didn't say it was a bad idea. His agreement stayed. "Alright. I'll let you know what she says." Cris, he suspected, might very well lose it, but he kept that to himself. And he raised his eyebrows when she poked his chest with her toes, feigning mild offense. "I am calm, and I didn't think you were going to jump me." He almost made a joke about her boyfriend not liking it, but thought it might not be very funny.