Who: Velma and Alyssa. What: Chatting about things. When: Before the Set Up Vel and Logan texts. Where: Coffee shop! Rating: PG-13 for language. Status: Complete!
After she’d gotten back from her mall stops, Velma felt like she needed to relax. She’d promised Alyssa they’d go get coffee sometime. Tonight seemed good, at least if it worked for her. She had the girl’s number, and rang her, hoping she wasn’t busy. It’d be good to talk to somebody who wasn’t a coworker. Or a family member. Or Logan.
Alyssa had readily agreed, and soon she was parking her Prius in front of an independent coffee house, smoothing her dress and waving when she saw Velma in the window. Alyssa was dressed smartly - a cute pink striped dress that showed off her legs, and a pair of grey ballet flats.
Velma had touched up her makeup since saying goodbye to Kitty, so hopefully the bruise on her neck was no longer visible. She waved to the girl when she saw her in the parking lot, moving her purse off the other seat at the table she’d taken. “Hey. How are you?”
“Well, thank you!” Alyssa sat down, crossing her legs and beaming. Her red hair was curled a bit in the heat, but she still wore it down anyway. Velma was stunning, even more beautiful than Alyssa had planned on. No wonder Logan liked her.
Velma raised an eyebrow. “ ... This will sound weird, but I actually had no idea you were British.” It wasn’t bad, just not something she’d thought about. She was a pretty girl, though, and she’d heard jokes about Logan and redheads. “Glad things are good. Are they getting more back to normal?” She wouldn’t have wished most of what this girl went through on anybody.
“Oh, it’s not like I let on I’m from England in every conversation.” She winked at Velma, curling a leg under herself. “Things are much better, yeah. I’ve been training in self-defense, and I haven’t heard anything from that ... woman since she took me. I hope she stays gone.” Alyssa had been glad she’d been able to get away.
“You and me both.” Velma growled. She couldn’t do all that much herself, but still. The very idea pissed her off. “From what you said she needs help, not prison, but you’ll forgive me if I hope somebody shanks her wherever she is.” Crazy bitch. “I should get back to training myself, if just for peace of mind. I was doing it with Logan, but that didn’t work out so good.” That was just fact; somebody like Kitty would probably be a better bet. Or at least maybe she knew someone.
“You shagged him. Probably during the training.” Alyssa couldn’t help grinning. “He’s so predictable.”
“Well yeah, that was the first time we met.” They’d just had chemistry. Then again, Logan likely had chemistry with a door. “He got me on my back and kissed me.” Velma had to smirk at the memory.
“Did he growl?” Alyssa laughed. “I hate that growl. Bastard.”
“Yeah.” Velma chuckled. “He knows what works.” She was just glad she’d covered the bruises from the other night. She shook her head. “It’s been ... weird for me lately. Another reason I’m glad it seems like it’s been calming down for you.”
“Weird for you?” Alyssa didn’t want to talk about her life drama; she’d talked it to death by the time she sat across from Velma. “What’s going on?”
“Mostly my family. Mom yelled at me the other night, you know that.” And she honestly wasn’t sure about whether or not to talk about the rest. Still, eventually it won out. Hopefully she wouldn’t get a lecture from a high schooler about her love life. “Logan and me also had a conversation that’s ... still weird.”
“What about? You got him to talk, that’s the weird part.” Alyssa crossed her legs again.
“I know, right.” Velma sipped her coffee, figuring she could at least give the capsule story. “We went for food after my whole thing with my Mom and were just talking. I asked him at one point if he thought I needed saving. He said no, but maybe some looking after. And I just ... I don’t know. I told him it wasn’t fair.” She laughed a little. “Told him that when he treats women the way he does, they get used to it. And then he pulls away and whether he knows it or not, it does hurt. I thought I pissed him off, but instead of yelling at me, he just ... I don’t know. Told me the truth.”
The redhead’s jaw dropped. “Holy crap,” she muttered. “He fancies you.”
“Oh, honey, I wouldn’t go that far. But he did tell me that he should push me away because he thinks I’ll get hurt.” Velma rolled her eyes. “I told him at this point I’d get hurt no matter what.” Because she liked him, and she had to admit that much. “He sort of looked down and was all, ‘well, I haven’t dated anyone in ten years.’ And looked all grumpy and thoughtful like he does.”
“I’d go that far. He’s thinking about dating you, you idiot. Why would you turn him away? Then he’ll just get grumpier. This is your window, Velma. Put on a short skirt and climb through it. And some sexy knickers so when you climb in a short skirt you flash him something good!” Alyssa punctuated her sentence with emphatic gesticulation.
“I’m pretty sure he was just ... I don’t know, I mean, I hear what you’re saying, but this is Logan Howlett. The idea that he knows the meaning of the word monogamy is still new and foreign.” Velma said a little caustically, but it wasn’t at Alyssa, rather at the situation. “The brain doesn’t quite take it in. And after all that talk, he was like ‘maybe we should set some ground rules.’ And then it sort of went by the wayside, because we went back to my place.”
“Ground rules equals mono - why am I forever giving adults relationship advice?” Alyssa blinked.
“Because you’re about ten times more mature than most people your age, and because dating’s fucked up no matter how old you get?” Velma rolled her eyes again. “Young kids are a lot more honest. You guys just tend to be like ‘hey, let’s go out.’ It’s adults who talk about ‘do we want to be tied down’ and ‘needing time to ease into it’ and then it’s all vague. I’m gonna need more coffee.”
“Actually, my boyfriend’s an idiot sometimes and thinks I don’t know he’s jealous of Logan. But really. You two are going out and doing things together. You call each other. You know each other’s last name.” Alyssa shifted her weight and leaned forward. “That’s dating.”
“Except the fucking other people bit.” Velma shrugged. “But seriously, your boyfriend is still jealous of Logan?” Never mind that he thought Alyssa wouldn’t notice; this was one sharp kid. “Hasn’t it been long enough for him? You said it’s been a while. And let’s be honest, you could have had Logan almost anytime you wanted.”
“Exactly. If I wanted Logan, I’d have him.” Alyssa wrinkled her nose. “I want Damian to give me a little credit. I haven’t even seen Logan in person since he helped me out of that kidnapping thing.” She sighed. “Boys are ... difficult.”
“So are men, I hate to break it to you. Though Logan’s a special kind of difficult.” Velma shook her head. “Unfortunately, you have to explain shit to them more than once. Most of them. Have you actually sat him down and said that you feel like he doesn’t trust you?”
“We’ve talked about it, yeah. He says he does. But back to Logan. What ground rules did you set up?” Oh, Alyssa wasn’t going to fall for your tricks, wiley Velma.
“Nothing. Literally. We sort of brought it up, he said he needed time, I said I didn’t think he knew what monogamy was, so it was okay with me, and then we went into my bedroom.” Velma shrugged. “Not exactly sure where that leaves it.”
“He wants you, he’s just buying time until he can reconcile losing his freedom or some bullshit machismo codswallop.” Alyssa shook her head. “Sorry. Sounding like Mum again. But still, my point is, you’d better tell him where that leaves you two. If there’s one thing I learned with him, if he’s doing something wrong - which he is by not dating you when he wants to - just guide him in by his ears.”
“I’m not gonna throw myself at him.” Velma stuck out her tongue. Childish, yes, but who cared. She was about to ask a question, but then she stopped a minute. “I was going to ask what there was to tell, but he’s a man.” Even a man as perceptive as Logan probably did need to hear it in words of one syllable. “So what you’re saying is to grab him by the neck and say if you can wrap your head around it, I’d like to date you.”
“Exactly. If that doesn’t get it through his thick skull, maybe stick figures will work. Interpretive dance. Frying pan to the head. Something.” Alyssa chuckled to herself.
“Interpretive dance.” Velma snickered. “Given that in my dreams I’m a showgirl, that might actually work. Did I tell you I got one of my costumes? Fits great, actually.”
“Lucky! I got my bow, but that’s been more practical than fun,” Alyssa groused.
"Still, I bet that's come in handy." Especially with that crazy bitch still at large. Velma did worry. "I've been thinking about learning to pole dance. Not for the obvious reasons, but it's also supposed to be the best arm workout ever."
“Probably, I mean, it seems that’s how you’d support yourself. Bit like chin lifts, really.” Alyssa wrinkled her nose. Even sexy chin lifts in disguise would suck.
"Which would just be weird, really." Velma sighed. "So, you been singing any more lately?" She'd managed to hold off, thank God. Maybe it was done with.
“Not much, thank god.” Alyssa grinned. “Just in the shower, but I did that all the time already.” She shook her head. “I’m wretched.”
"I apparently don't make people want to barf. But still glad I'm not making a habit of it anymore." Velma had to laugh. "I made it without singing directly at Logan, too."
“Did you do it on voice mail or anything?” Alyssa grinned knowingly.
"I did it right after he left the other day." Velma shook her head. "Two minutes he was out the door and fuckin' Heart comes out of my mouth." She'd dodged a damn bullet there. "Magic Man."
“Ouch.” Alyssa winced, shaking her head. “Yeah, that would’ve been shambolic. But if you can sing that song well, good on you!”
"I wouldn't say well." Velma did grin, though. "Your boyfriend never heard you singing live? I bet he'd say you weren't bad."
“I can only sing when I’m properly soused.” Alyssa grinned, shaking her head. “But he wasn’t singing at all. Lucky bastard.”
"Aw, shit, that isn't fair." Velma fidgeted with her coffee cup. She wanted more, but she'd probably had enough caffeine. "Even Logan sang some. Though not in my presence, which sucked. I bet he's either got a great voice or a terrible one."
“Great. You’ve heard him do the rumbly thing, of course he’d have a great voice.” Alyssa laughed. “He’s a bastard.”
"The fuckin' worst." Velma shook her head. "I told him, to his face, that he was a special kind of bastard. Because he tries to make everyone happy, and he can't, so no one's happy, least of all him." She should probably stop talking about him. Alyssa would mock. "I don't know. Whole thing makes my head hurt."
“Yeah, he’s an idiot that way. It’s why I left. I’d keep on trying to make him as happy as he made me, but I’d never be able to. There’s this void where his heart should be, sometimes.” Alyssa sounded sad.
"You think he doesn't have a heart?" Velma figured she'd misunderstood. "I think he has a huge one. It's just like ... I don't know. Locked up. Sorry. I should stop blabbering. It's stupid."
“I think it’s broken. I think it’s a fine sand, and he keeps trying to give it to people who need love. Maybe he take in strays to help fix himself.” Alyssa smiled, looking down at the table. “Don’t listen to me, though. What do I know?”
"Hey, you're fuckin' smarter than me. You closed the muffin shop." Vel grinned.
“I started it, I figured I’d end it.” She grinned to herself, but her voice was a bit sad. Alyssa was a poor liar.
She had to ask, as stupid and, well, high school as it sounded. "You gonna hate me if something does work out?" She knew damn well that both Alyssa and Logan still cared about each other.
“Of course not. I’ll always love him, but he’s more like ... a weird pervy uncle.” Alyssa smiled. “I want to be married to Damian someday. I want to be with him. Forever. I just want Logan happy at this point.”
Velma wasn't entirely sure of that, but if Alyssa wouldn't talk about it, so be it. "That'd do me good to see, really. No matter who it's with. He's a good guy. Shouldn't be so sad."
Alyssa nodded hard. “He’s such a sweetheart.”
"Don't say that in his presence." Velma laughed, settling back. She just appreciated that there wouldn't be any drama from this end of her life. Things were just weird right now. "My life was so much less difficult up in San Francisco."
“Doesn’t make it any less true.” Alyssa grinned, shaking her head. “What was going on up there?” She blinked. “That is north of here, yeah?”
"Few hours, yeah. Nothing was going on up there. No Wonderland, no singing, no sexy brooding guys with claws. Just my annoying family, and my work." Velma shrugged. The OC definitely wasn't bad. Just weird. And difficult.
“Hey, the sexy brooding guy sounds nice. You should go out with him more.” Alyssa couldn’t help teasing her.
Velma rolled her eyes indulgently. "That would assume 'going out' in the first place. Honestly, I've just been trying to avoid those words because no matter what you are to a guy, most of 'em hear 'dating' and think 'in prison'. Unless it was their idea."
“You don’t have to take him to the bloody opera. Men like eating food as much as we do, Velma.” Alyssa grinned. “Damian’s lovely. He’s gotten me flowers, twice. Some of them were in pots, actually. He helped me plant them. Obviously Logan won’t do that, but he’s sweet in his own way. He used to pet my hair when I slept and he didn’t think I’d know.”
"The point remains. Dating is a dirty word. There needs to be some kind of euphemism." She did smile at the men in Alyssa's life. "That's all just so fucking sweet. I could barf." She didn't ever really expect that kind of sweetness in her own life. She wasn't that ... lucky, really.
Alyssa shook her head. “No there doesn’t. Logan just needs to deal with the fact that he fancies you and you fancy him. It should be simple.”
"When is it ever." But she sighed. "I should probably get going, though. I'm depressing myself." Vel grinned a little.
“Would you like a hug?” Alyssa stood up and gave her one anyway.
She didn't really care one way or another. But she appreciated the sentiment. "Thanks, honey. You take care of yourself, okay?"
“You too. I’m glad we met, I hope we can be mates.” Alyssa smiled as she walked outside toward home.