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 Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2020 8:08 pm
"Coffee is coffee," Jace said, and he wouldn't turn away anything Holden picked out for him, even if he was over there, teasing him by calling him sweet and dangling the dessert on a fork.
Jace would have been fine letting Holden keep the heart, he probably would have enjoyed it more. He would have even been fine without taking the first bite. But, Holden was offering it, and he was still flustered from before, so he did the only thing his overworked, overtired brain could think, and he leaned forward to capture the whole bite in his mouth. He pulled it off without really touching the fork, keen not to leave some gross, unhygienic trail of spit, but he leaned back in his seat and chewed contemplatively.
It was sugary. It was sweet. Too much for him to really enjoy, but he nodded approvingly. "You'll love it," he said; his cold hands wrapped around his colder drink and he drew it closer, eager to wash away the sugary clinging to his mouth.
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Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2020 8:29 pm
“Oh… Sorry! At least the …the cake is Dark chocolate?” He offered hopefully. Sometimes in his indulgences he did get carried away. “I should have…mmm they had bagels.” He worried. “It should go well with the cold brew? I think with the extra espresso it will be the right kind of biter!” He said hopefully and carefully forked himself a piece of the cinnamon roll. It COULD use more cinnamon, but oh he did enjoy it. Butter cream frosting and a good cinnamon roll, oh his toes could just curl. “I got the spicy chai too, so… perhaps you won’t mind that.” He tapped his own drink thoughtfully. “Still sweet though, ah…I’m sorry I had a craving.” He blushed.
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Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2020 4:59 pm
"I didn't say I didn't like it," Jace countered, even if he could have easily lived without never taking another bite. "I bet all you've had to eat are vegetables and protein. And eggs. So go wild," he gestured to the cinnamon roll.
"Thank you for sharing. I wouldn't have tried it on my own. I know you like sweet things," he shrugged, and hated the way the phrase 'You are what you eat' magically appeared in his mind. He grit his teeth and shoved it away as he took a long sip of the coffee--and paused. A shiver ran down his spine and he exhaled through his nose as he held the flavor in his mouth.
"Oh," he said when he swallowed. "...Whatever you got me, this is good. I love it. I might get another one before we leave. Unless yours is better."
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Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2020 5:06 pm
“Cold Brew, three pumps of vanilla flavoring and sweet cream…oh and of course a shot of espresso! It was a thing of beauty watching them make it, it’s like watching clouds fall!” Holden said enthusiastically waving at your cup. “If this is just a pop up we’re going to have to hope they can do as well somewhere else!” He lifted his cup and took a sip and then shuddered in clear delight. “Oh... it’s delightful, creamy, rich, I think I taste honey… I’m not sure, I don’t know…it’s so GOOD! Oh please do try!” He slid the cup over to Jace with a delighted expression. “it’s not as sweet as the roll I promise!” He added.
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Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2020 5:43 pm
Jace didn't want to pry his lips from the straw he'd been sipping on, but Holden sounded like he'd just fallen in love and he suspected that if he didn't take a sip now, it might be gone before he had the chance.
He took the drink and took a sip, not the least bit concerned about any cooties Holden might have--which, objectively, was probably less than what Xander had, and Jace wouldn't have hesitated to drink from his cup.
The flavor was immediate and he found that he liked Holden's almost as much as he liked his own.
...He didn't want to give it back. A fleeting thought in the back of his mind wondered if he could get his mother to sue to keep the place open.
"Mm," he said; words escaped him for the few seconds after he had a small sip, and he had to force himself to give it back. "...We should come here again." Was tonight too soon? "...I'll ask if they've got any other store front that's open year round. I'd pay extra for someone to make these for me whenever I wanted."
...Honestly, especially because Holden looked so happy. He'd missed it, missed how contagious it was. Exasperating, too, but Jace couldn't even find it in his heart to be embarrassed about Holden gushing over something as silly as a drink. He'd been gone for too long, and maybe it was being away from his computer, or maybe it was just being around Holden, but the weight on his shoulders seemed a little less than it had an hour ago.
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Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2020 6:58 pm
“Ohh…yes please.” He said sounding dreamy. “I’ll even order something healthy if I can do this drink again.” He murmured. “Ohhh even if they do have a permanent storefront I want to learn how to MAKE it this good.” He leaned back for a moment with a wistful expression. “I want to make clothing as pretty as this -tastes. Does that even make sense?” “You look so much less tired with some good coffee in you too! I wonder how hard it is to make a cold brew…Maybe I could learn.” He mused. “I wonder what kind of clothing designs I could think of just based on the drinks.” He tapped his chin.
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Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2020 7:21 pm
Jace stared for a minute, nursing his drink as he listed to Holden and processed the words.
"Yeah," he said when he drew off of it. His drink was nearly halfway gone already. "It makes sense. But I think you should stick to one project at a time. I don't want you to get overwhelmed. And you should spend time trying to relax. You don't want to overwork yourself."
All advice he clearly had heard Q and Holden say, and yet still could not seem to follow.
The irony was lost on him, who was speaking with such sincerity that it was hard to think he brushed the same concerns off so easily and kept to his same unhealthy habits.
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Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2020 7:31 pm
Holden’s eyes sparkled at the irony, an amusement but without saying a word that would shame Jace. Not this time at least. “Fair…” He sighed. “But I might have to take a day here with my sketchbook and some good company.” He nudged at Jace’s foot under the table, hinting at who he’d prefer that company to be. “I might have to see if you have a day where you can risk studying in public. Maybe I can make a … law, coffee, and trees theme.” He grinned. “Besides, at least I can honestly say that creating is relaxing for me? I know I work hard at it too, but mentally it’s just…freeing.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2020 8:19 pm
The cold of the drink seemed to be catching up with Jace; he felt a tickle up his nose and just barely managed to raise his elbow to his face as he sneezed into it. Usually, he managed to sneeze almost silently, preferring not to draw attention to himself, but it was so fast that he couldn't control it. He thought little of the burst of cold into his elbow and just shivered, leaning back into his seat--and closer to the air vent they were under.
He nudged the foot back a bit without giving it much thought.
"Mom said I wasn't getting enough sun. She says I'll make us look bad if I look like I never get out. I could make time."
He didn't want to admit that he knew how mentally and emotionally freeing it could be to make something; he'd never admitted that he had any sort of creative hobbies, and he'd done such a good job hiding all of his crochet supplies in his room.
"I like watching you work. You're talented." He shrugged, like this was less of a compliment and just a fact. "I don't know if I'll be good company for a while, though."
He chewed on the inside of his cheek for just a second, biting so hard he drew blood. "I filed to take the exam last week."
He wouldn't look at Holden and drew his drink closer. "So I've got two months left to study."
He took a long swig of his drink, so cold that he could feel the brain freeze instantly, but he didn't even flinch; he just kept drinking more to keep the excuse not to have to say anything else about it.
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Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2020 9:37 am
Holden reached a hand across the table to rest gently against his arm. “You’re going to do great… you are very smart, and you have been working at this for so long! I know how scary your mother can be, but if you ever need a break or an out or even just a sleepover for sanity you know that I’m here, so is Q! He gazed meaningfully as he could at Jace, like meeting his eyes could drive home that they were there for him, that no matter how scary it was to break away, that there were people there waiting to catch him when the world felt like falling. It was hard, so hard sometimes to care so much, and be unable to say anything as pointed as calling Jace’s mother’s behavior exactly what it was. You couldn’t make someone break away from that, or distance themselves from the worst of it. It had to be a choice. He wanted to say those words again but didn’t want to scare Jace more than he already had. And he just didn’t know how else to show it, other than the gently squeeze Jace’s arm pain. Which was of course when something tickled in his nose, it was all he could do not to sneeze, must have been the draft from the door tickling really. He took another sip of the drink and was grateful for the small luxuries they now shared together.
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Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2020 12:54 pm
The weight on his arm was unexpected but not unappreciated, and though Jace generally didn't seem to know how to respond to gentle contact, he didn't find an excuse to move away.
He only held Holden's gaze for a few second before it was too much for him and he just grunted and cleared his throat. The need to sneeze was back so he just inhaled a sharp breath through his nose.
"People older than me, who have studied for longer than me, still fail. I mean. I don't have the same schooling as they do. Not that my mother isn't a persistent teacher. She's very passionate about lesson plans, and she's clear about her expectations. But. Thanks," he said, and flashed a quick smile; he wanted to accept the praise. He liked hearing Holden say nice things about him.
He just didn't think he deserved it. Not yet, at least. When his mother said he'd done good, then he could accept the praise. Until then, he just had to keep trying; he couldn't let any of it get to his head.
He opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't fight the sneeze; he barely managed to cover his hand over his mouth, and even then when he sneezed, a small burst of snowflakes slipped between his fingers and he stared in mild horror, drawing his hand away to look at it as if it were on fire. He was too surprised to be embarrassed--because there was no way his hand was covered in ice, and his throat and mouth were so cold that...
That he...
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Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:36 pm
“She certainly has expectations.” Holden sighed. “Thankfully for you- age does not mean wisdom or skill. So try and be kind to yourself.” “Eh? Are you alright?” He registered the look on Jace’s face even as his own nose started to tickle again. If this pop up shop survived they really needed to find a way to negate that cold draft! “I have an um...” he started to offer a tissue when he sneezed into hastily lifted hands.” “Oh gosh I’m sorry ...There must be...” he blinked at the... slush that seemed to have come out of his nose. GROSS!! oh no what would Jace think?
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Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2020 8:09 pm
He'd gotten sick and infected Holden, that was the only logical answer. In the seconds that had passed since Jace first felt the tickle and sneezed, he must have transmitted it to Holden, and now they were both going to be sick, and Holden's brother was going to show up and berate him about mistreating his little brother and--
Jace sneezed again, and this time the little flurry of snowflakes was so painfully visible that he thought he might die. He was grateful that they only seemed to blow out a few inches, sparing Holden and the desserts in front of him.
"--I'm really sorry," he blurted, absolutely appalled.
"I must have swallowed some..."
There was an awkward silence while he tried to piece together some logical explanation, and in the end he could only manage a poorly concluded and weakly delivered "...Win...ter..."
Swallowed some winter.
Swallowed some winter?
Holden had just thought he was smart, how had Jace ruined that in thirty seconds?
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 7:31 am
“Ermm…” Holden blinked glancing at his own hand and hurried to brush it off on a napkin. “I…I think I did too…” he murmured embarrassedly. “I… bit of a draft.” He stammered. A fine way to enjoy time with Jace, now they were both sneezing the strangest things. “M-Maybe I should have ordered us warm drinks.” He said shrinking slightly in embarrassment. at least Jace's statement had been -adorable-.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 7:44 am
"Maybe," he agreed, but he loved his coffee and, cold or not, he was determined to finish it. "...We can get some on the way out."
Oh, the tickle was back; he was going to sneeze again. "--I'm so sorry, I don't know what this is," he said--and sneezed another burst of cold into his elbow.
Okay. That was it. He was done. No more sneezing, he'd made up his mind.
"Guess it's colder than I thought. Are you okay?"
It didn't hurt when he sneezed, it was just cold.
What did hurt, just slightly, was the way he was now trying to force the need to sneeze again away; his lips were pursed and his eyes squinted, like sheer resolve could keep the sneezes--and snowflakes--at bay.
It didn't exactly give him a friendly face though; he looked like he was preparing some death glare.
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