killingsoftly | Coffee with Fred

He wasn't accustomed to having coffee later with people he'd so thoroughly seduced, but then, she'd been nice to him before that and after that and didn't seem to be running away, ans she'd offered to let him talk and he'd already apparently told her about Warren, so that made her slightly safer to talk to than the redhead who he barely knew.

He called her and invited her for coffee. He arrived at Starbucks a little early, parking the bike, then fidgeting outside on the step while he waited for her. He lit up one of his clove cigarettes, moving away from the door to the ashtray a bit further down. People might have given him disapproving looks on his own account, but at least no one coughed pointedly at him.

He was still fidgety, but at least the nicotine helped a bit. And there would be coffee. Which might make him fidget more. But it would be good and she was a calming sort and he might not end up talking about Warren at all, really, even as VERY confusing as things were now.

He leaned against the wall and tried to make himself stop fidgeting, which got him looks from the Barbie clones who walked by, flashing him an inviting smile. Bike. Leather jacket. Sunglasses. Cigarette. Too pretty for words. It was what he used to get such creatures in his bed to give him what he needed, but he was too fixated on Warren to do more than just smile back at them with a nod.

Some things were instinctual.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I just never..." He shook his head a little. "I'm not that guy. The guy people get attached to and give pet names to."

She considered that, considered him.

"I'm sure there's been people that wanted to get attached, I just don't know if you were ever ready to get attached right back."

"Labels are...they're just labels, just words. And I'm saying this as a lover, well, a user of words and maybe being a bit hypocritical too. Because I'm quick enough to be 'a girl', 'just something', or even 'the crazy..." She thought some more. "And I used to be really good at assigning them to. 'The brains', 'the heart', 'the muscle'. But it limits things that should never be limited, builds walls when there's more than enough already. And I stopped looking. I saw just the role I'd assigned for each of them, just like that was all they were. I I got caught into missing things for a while, missing too many things."

She had a point.

"You're not 'that guy', and more than I am. You're Devin, and to Warren you're 'Dev', also known as the Devin he's attached to, I'm guessing.

He flushed a little bit, remembering the woods, the house.

"Maybe."

Fred didn't want to push the idea too much, for once. She figured whoever this Warren was, he'd show Devin soon enough.

Devin smiled a little. "I guess time will tell."

Her chin dipped, the smallest of nods.

"It really will."

He gave her a sweet smile.

Fred just blinked. He should do that more often. And if directed all those more oftens in Warren's direction?

Then whoever Warren was, he didn't stand a chance.

"I meant what I said before, but you might not remember? So, I'll say it again. You can call anytime you want, ok? If you'd like to talk."

He blinked and nodded a little bit. "Okay...."

"I mean that," she said firmly.

He tilted his head. "Why?"

"All sorts of why's," Fred admitted quietly.

"First of all I like you, I liked you, even before, in case you hadn't noticed. But talking, and..." She pointed to the table. "Coffee, and whatever else, maybe it makes us friends then. And friends, well, it selfishly helps my head, makes there be a line. But mostly? You helped, a lot. You...saw things, and you didn't treat me any differently the next morning."

Okay, next three mornings, but?

"That makes you nice," Fred used her old word. "And a good person, and I selfishly like to fill my life with those sorts of people."