Kylie Malikov (sinkorswim) wrote in thedoorway, @ 2013-03-10 11:06:00 |
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It was pretty clear the festival was meant for professional coffee sorts - whatever they were called - but there was no way in hell Olivia was missing out on a convention that showcased her newest obsession. Coffee was a delicacy back home, something rare and expensive. Walking into the convention hall had been just a jolt of coffee aroma pleasure. So it’d really been no surprise that the day before, she’d decided to drag Lincoln along. He was her go-to for seeing things around the city, if only because he understood that she had the massive amounts of differences to still deal with and was usually willing to explain. There was workshop after workshop involving tasting and smelling different coffee and teas, and they emerged from one with a the best feeling coffee high. Liv wrapped an arm around Lincoln’s shoulder, not paying any mind to personal space or bubbles as she leaned in so he could hear her over the bustle of coffee enthusiasts around them. “I am never going to sleep again. I hope you’re ready to stay up all night with me, Linc.” It didn’t take much for Olivia to get him to do what she wanted, but even less so when the goal was something they both appreciated. Still, Lincoln had shuffled indecisively in front of his closet, trying to decide what said ‘casual outing with a friend who I wouldn’t mind looking attractive for but since I have no idea what she really likes, I’ll settle for not looking like a hall monitor’. Needless to say, it was a tall order when his closet was mostly full of neutral colored business wear. He’d eventually given up and blindly chosen a black, long-sleeved polo shirt and khakis. It was likely the only spontaneous decision he’d make all afternoon. Adjusting his glasses with the hand that wasn’t awkwardly trapped against her side, Lincoln smiled at her comment and prayed he wasn’t blushing. “After the last two espressos, I think I’ll be good for at least one all-night buzz. After that, you’re on your own,” he teased. “I did buy a few movies I haven’t bothered to bring out of my room yet, though. So I’ll leave you with entertainment at the very least.” Liv’s eyes flicked down to his lips as soon as he started talking, her mind instantly flipping to the switch where she was thinking more about how nice his mouth was rather than the words that were actually coming out of them. But she was quick to recover and slowly pull away from his personal zone in a slightly jerky, awkward movement. She made up for the awkward pull with a genuine grin, one that was frequently in place when she was giving Lincoln a hard time. “I’ll take one all-nighter if you’re offering it. And we’ve still got one more workshop to go, and I’m really hoping to bring home about five pounds of chocolate covered espresso beans from this place.” Liv’s hand reached out to snag his while they moved through the crowd of people, and she stuck close enough to his side so she wouldn’t have to shout for him to hear her. “I’ve gotta say, you’ve got me wondering if the movies are of naughty nature.” Lincoln hadn’t looked directly at her yet, the noise and commotion around them just enough distraction to add to her nearness that his focus was scattered at best. He might have questioned that look if he had. Instead, he was left a little startled when her putting space between them last only a moments before her hand was tugging him along. Spending time with her was a bit like riding a vintage roller coaster - exhilarating but nerve-wracking. If he got brave and stuck his hands in the air, metaphorically speaking, would he lose them to a safety hazard that lost its warning sign a long time ago? Annoyed that his brain was now supplying unhelpful metaphors when it should just be focusing on what she was saying and not running into strangers, Lincoln shook his head and laughed nervously. “No, no. I just--I went looking to buy Clue and realized there were so many recent movies I hadn’t seen. I haven’t really had time for that sort of thing. Back...home.” Lie. “I mean, I had a lot on my mind before coming here and leisure time really wasn’t high on my list of priorities,” he corrected, dodging two loudly arguing businessmen. “Are you sure you need a five pound bag?” he redirected. “That seems like a dangerous purchase.” She glanced over at him with that grin even wider now, if that was possible. It was probably sad that the highlight to every day was seeing just how flustered she could get him. The “date” night had been a pretty high set standard, but it was good that she could still make him stutter with her blunt questions and crazy remarks. “Uh huh,” Olivia agreed, pulling him a little closer and dropping his hand so she could loop her arm through his. “If you need any help... Roommates, you know.” The words were out of her mouth before she even thought them through, but coupled with the grin on her face? It could easily be taken as a joke. Probably. Not that she thought he’d do anything more than blush and shuffle his feet at that kind of joke anyway. She turned them slightly, as if she had an actual destination in mind. “But I need a bag that’s going to last me at least a week? Maybe I’ll stick them in one of those pill cases so I get an allotted amount everyday...” “Help with--” Lincoln cut himself off as he realized what she was getting at and the question turned into a half laugh, half cough. Clearing his throat, he scrunched his face in indecision. He was getting better at playing along with her jokes, but it was slow progress and he had no idea how to respond to this one. “Right. Roommates,” was all he did say, as he let her direct where they were headed next. “Five pounds and a pill case. Because that’s not excessive at all,” he smirked. A nearby sign caught his attention and he pointed in its direction. “There? I’ve heard good things about McNulty’s.” The fact that he’d maybe, possibly, researched the best places to get her favorite sweet in the city didn’t get a mention. As it was, he was doing his damnedest not to embarrass himself today. “Right,” Olivia echoed, tossing another grin over her shoulder, but this one was a little more forced than usual. How he wasn’t visibly twitching, she had no idea - but at least he was proving to be pretty resilient to her teasing. Or just painfully stubborn. The latter not so much something she was too pleased about, but she couldn’t exactly blame him for not flirting back, given the awkward history they had. Or didn’t have. Complications. “If I’m going to do something, I might as well do it above and beyond.” Or just that she was maybe a teeny bit addicted to chocolate covered espresso beans, and with his direction she immediately turned them in that direction. “Yeah?” She didn’t even question his knowledge. “Okay, then that’s where we’re going. Oh great wise one.” Lincoln wasn’t oblivious. He knew he hadn’t given the right response there, but he was getting to the point where nothing seemed like the right response with her. Playing along didn’t get Olivia to take him any more seriously than his awkward responses did, so he was apparently going to flail around somewhere in the middle. “You think maybe we could...uh, get some real food after we get your chocolate fix resolved? All that coffee is starting to make me feel like an angry badger got loose in my stomach,” he mumbled, lifting his hand to his midsection as he maneuvered through the crowd to their destination. The truth was probably closer to nerves. And a little bit of self-loathing. But he was ignoring those potential causes. “Food, yeah.” Olivia agreed with a shrug, more focused on getting to the booth than looking at him - tunnel vision, it was a bad habit of hers - but she kept her fingers threaded through his and a glance back at him still had the smile on her face, even if it was a bit smaller than her earlier grin. “I could go for some food. Like mmm, avocado salad.” They reached their destination, and luckily the noise inside the booth area was quieter and Liv was able to lower her voice to a normal level. Her mouth was already watering at the rows of coffee and candy mixes. “You know, I never thought I’d end up eating this healthy, but if I’m going to get the opportunity, I’m gonna take it.” She grinned at Lincoln, “I’ll make up for it in chocolate covered espresso bean poundage.” Shifting around to her other side, Lincoln only pulled his hand out of hers because staying next to her on that side would have required he squeeze between her and a burly man the size of a small building. And he really wasn’t the ‘make any excuse to stand close to her’ type, even if he often wished he was. Instead, he tucked his hands into his pockets and inspected the candy selection distractedly. “Seems like a fair trade to me. If we have to come up with a better way for you to burn of the candy calories, then so be it.” The second the absent-minded thought left his mouth, Lincoln winced and adjusted his glasses, glancing sideways at her with an apologetic smile. “That...came out wrong.” Liv plucked out the packages she was buying almost immediately and began absently wandering around the booth, making only occasional glances up at Lincoln after they separated. She had moments of being clingy, but usually only when it held purpose, and touching him came more from an innate desire to make sure he wasn’t going anywhere. Ugh. She pushed that unpleasant thought out of her head right in time for his well-placed comment. She did a double-take while he backtracked, but the grin was already plastered right on her face. “You know,” Liv tossed the bags of candy gently on the purchase table, but was barely paying attention to the guy behind the register. Instead her attention was on Lincoln and just what to say to make him flush as red as possible. “I can think of a few things, but we probably shouldn’t go through them in public.” She hit the mark she was aiming for, that’s for sure. Lincoln blushed, cleared his throat, choked on a startled laugh and then smoothed a palm over his mouth in a quick succession of flustered reactions. There was even a long bit of silence as his brain catalogued responses in degrees of stupidity before settling on the least likely to make him feel like a complete idiot now or later. “Iiiii...completely set myself up for that one. Nicely done,” he laughed, shaking his head. A nod at her purchases followed before he glanced towards the main thoroughfare. “If you’re done...,” he smirked, “...I think that promised food will help cure my foot in mouth disease.” She grabbed her bag and strutted back to Lincoln, clearly pleased with getting that look on his face and showing it in her stride and on her face. “Now you’ve got me tempted to starve you, nicely done.” Liv linked her arm in his and gestured in front of them. “But I’m not that cruel. Lead the way, Linc.” |