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 Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 8:04 pm
So far, he'd been back to the coffee shop twice since his initial meeting with the dark haired man behind the counter. And so far, Auguste had had a rather good time doing so. The first time he'd just sat there on his stool and watched as Chase worked; but the second time they'd talked more, Chase resting his arms on the counter and leaning over as Auguste showed him a few phrases written in French.
Now it was late - later than he'd intended. Rehearsal had run over, and it was nearing ten when Auguste made his way across the street and down a block to where the coffee shop was. He was wearing his usual post-dance attire; a pair of sky blue leggings and an oversized white sweater to ward off the early spring chill. It wasn't exactly cold, but the air was misty with rain and fog, and Auguste's long hair was, for once, free about his shoulders, cascading down his back in bright white strands.
He hoped Chase hadn't left yet, Auguste hesitating a moment before he pushed open the door and glancing shyly around, biting his lower lip as he stepped inside.
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2016 10:52 am
Chase didn't work often, but after that first meeting he'd made it a point to work at least a few hours on Tuesday nights. He always kept a second person on shift, one that'd been trained in closing, so that he could leave shortly after his company did. Yet, his expected company had not arrived and Chase was left with a complex feeling of something that he didn't understand.
Auguste always showed up around 8:20, or he had, at least, been showing up around that time the last two times. And he'd told Chase that practice ended at eight so the pink and black haired man had expected an arrival around that time. If he was disappointed in the lack of a certain white haired dancer, it didn't show.
Instead, Chase was focused on deep cleaning some of the machinery - he'd pulled apart the coffee grinder so that he could clean each of the pieces and ensure it was operating as it should, when the door opened and chimed to let him know that someone had stepped through the door.
Chase lifted his head, expression blank to see who it was around the grinder's separated components. It was Auguste.
He blinked slowly, head tilting and the slightest curl of a teasing grin threatening to form. "You're late."
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2016 6:53 pm
He didn't see Chase on first glance, the other half hidden behind one of the large machines that stood on the counter top. Auguste felt a wave of disappointment wash over him and he half hiked up his bag, wondering if he should just come back again another day.
But a familiar, low voice came wafting out to reach him, and Auguste jerked his head up, a smile blossoming across his pale, freckled face.
"Good evening!" he said, somewhat breathlessly, and came towards the counter, trying not to look too pleased. He slid into his usual seat at the counter and beamed up at Chase, Auguste letting his bag slip from his shoulder and drop to the floor with a soft thump.
"Yes, I'm sorry about that," he added, flushing a little, but the smile remained on his face. "Rehearsal ran over, we're having a performance at the end of the month."
He tucked a stray strand of hair behind one ear. "So how are you? I hope I didn't make you wait too long," he said quickly, looking somewhat distressed at the idea that he'd made Chase stay later than he'd wanted.
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Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2016 9:31 pm
"And here I thought you'd forgotten about me," Chase teased, placing a hand his chest as if the thought had physically wounded him. He wiped his hands off then slid over towards the register, leaning against the counter and giving Auguste a once over.
"Have an idea of what you might want?" He asked after a beat.
There was another pause and Chase shrugged, "don't worry about it." It was easy to brush aside the apology because, well it wasn't a big deal to him. He would have still been here anyway, because he needed to hire a few more people. One of his really good baristas had moved out of the city for school and he had yet to replace them.
So yeah, he probably wouldn't work the late shift if he wasn't expecting Auguste, but he'd be working anyway and right now -
Chase had too much restless, idle energy that he needed to burn. It was easy to distract himself by dismantling and deep cleaning the machines.
"I would've been here anyway," he faltered when asked how he was. He couldn't answer truthfully but then again, Chase had always been good a lying. "Restless, but I've got plenty to keep my hands busy." He gestured to the grinder.
"What about you?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2016 7:12 am
"I didn't," Auguste quickly reassured him, but he was smiling, knowing the tease was meant well. He settled himself comfortably in front of the counter and glanced at the boards behind Chase's head, letting his gaze skim over the list of choices.
Inevitably, however, he did not choose one of them, and instead, said a little shyly to Chase, "Something warm and dark flavored, maybe?"
Chase had already proven himself to be well adept at figuring out the most delicious of drinks, and Auguste had started trusting him to figure something out, rather than order something directly. A part of him still felt awkward about imposing, but Chase was in his element here at the coffee shop; he seemed to have an innate knack for reading people.
He was now, however, fiddling with some of the machines and Auguste watched him curiously, hiking up the sleeve of his falling sweater as he leaned on the counter. "Why are you restless?" he asked and then gave a little laugh, "Just one of those weeks?"
He couldn't say he didn't understand. Auguste had had quite the exhausting week as well, and it showed a little, his face somewhat paler than usual, long hair draping down his back in white sheets.
"I've been well, save for a few minor things," said Auguste, a little ruefully. "I have to say, though, I like coming here after a tiring day. There's something very relaxing about being here."
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 11:32 am
"Of course you couldn't, I'm unforgettable," he joked, grinning wide and bright with the points of his canines showing. Chase Black was, ultimately forgettable, his other identity however was very memorable and truthfully that was the way he preferred it, but he still wanted to tease the dancer.
"Warm and dark, got it," Chase mumbled, pulling away from the counter to pour milk into a pitcher and steam it before plucking a medium sized cup from a tower of them and slipping over to the coffee urns. He snagged three packets of raw sugar, opened them and tapped the crystals into the cup before pouring coffee halfway into the cup.
Returning to the milk that was hissing at him he glanced over at Auguste. "It's the nature of things is all, it comes and goes." An incredibly vague response that didn't really give his companion any true answer to his question. "Tell me about these minor things," he encouraged, sliding the milk from the steam wand and blowing it out before he plucked a spoon and poured the sweetened milk into the cup, mixing it with the metallic spoon before carefully drawing a little star with the remaining foam.
Carefully he brought it over to Auguste and offered it with a quirked brow. "Well, I do my best besides, I've heard rumors that you can find good company here."
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 6:37 pm
He smiled a little, his cheeks flushing. "Well, you're certainly something," said Auguste with a little laugh, his tone light and teasing. "But I like coming here, I think it'd be rather hard to forget when it's such a pleasant place to be."
Good drinks, good snacks, good company, good atmosphere, Auguste thought, as he watched Chase move. It was always somewhat interesting to watch him move around behind the counter; here, Chase was in his element, knowing where he was doing, where he was going. It was impressive; there was no second guessing, he simply knew.
"I suppose that's true," said Auguste, resting an elbow on the counter and propping his chin up in the palm of his hand. "Ah...well..." His other fingers curled around the counter, his expression shifting a little. He couldn't talk about his secondary life, all that had happened over the course of the last few weeks.
"I got into a fight," Auguste settled for, finally, which was also vague, but also true. He lowered his hands as Chase came back over. "It...didn't really end well."
There was a sad note to his voice, a little strained. Auguste looked down at the cup and brightened almost immediately, however, at the little star.
"Oh! That's wonderful," he said with a laugh, and wrapped his hands around the cup, letting the warmth seep into his fingers. "And yes, I've heard that rumor as well," he added, glancing up at Chase as he lifted the cup. "I've heard rumors that there's a really nice guy who makes delicious drinks."
He took a sip of the drink and then closed his eyes momentarily, the heat spreading through him.
"This is wonderful," said Auguste happily. "Exactly what I wanted. You have some sort of incredible talent for this, you know that?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 10:56 am
"Only something huh?" Chase contemplated Auguste's response before settling back against the counter. "I was going for memorable at least, but - " he shrugged watching perhaps too intently as Auguste spoke. The relaxed posture immediately stiffened, tension lining his shoulders as he stood up slightly, though his hands remained on the counter, when Auguste mentioned a fight.
"Now who'd want to fight you?" It was a genuine question and there might have been the tiniest ounce of concern. In truth the young man couldn't fathom who would want to pick a fight with Auguste, the boy was too soft, too quiet, too well - Auguste looked like he was someone that needed to be protected. Chase couldn't imagine him in a fight.
"Now, now. I wouldn't say he's nice," Chase was grinning again, perhaps in an attempt to lighten the mood a little. "But he does make a mean drink."
He might've watched Auguste taste his drink with too much interest. "You make it easy. I don't think you're too hard to please as long as I try."
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 2:50 pm
He laughed, his fingers raising to cover his mouth to stifle some of the sound. "You are memorable," said Auguste teasingly. "Who else would make me such lovely drinks and keep me company after rehearsal while he takes apart coffee machines?"
He took a sip of his drink again, letting the heat warm him. It was hard to explain the fight; it was a fight that was not a fight, and going into too much detail would be problematic; but Chase was looking at him curiously, and perhaps concernedly.
"Someone who doesn't like me," said Auguste truthfully, his tone saddening a little. "I couldn't...meet his standards. It didn't end well."
He tried to lift his voice again, even as Chase was grinning at him, which was slightly distracting, because it was a very nice grin. Auguste laughed again, his fingers toasty warm from the drink. "He's very nice," he said, grinning back at him.
He shook his head. "I'm an easy guy to please, I'm not particularly picky - but you do have a talent for knowing what to give me that's just right for the occassion."
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 7:58 am
"Oh I'm sure you could find a replacement easy," Chase retorts, tone light and teasing. There's a partial hint of truth to it, though it's not verbalized, because DC is full of various coffee shops and Chase's own has some pretty stellar baristas if he says so himself. Still, there's a certain feeling of pleasure, as dull and muted as it is, that spreads through him when Auguste talks fondly of him.
I couldn't meet his standards. It didn't end well.
The phrasing makes him stiffen, smile twisting into a tight press of lips as Chase suddenly stands up straight, fingers tapping against the edge of the counter before he moves behind the dismantled grinder and resumes cleaning it for a few minutes before even looking at Auguste.
"There are some bad people in the city. You should do your best to avoid them," he said finally, putting pieces of the machinery back together. Chase doesn't know what Auguste does when he's not at rehearsal but he really, really hoped it had nothing to do with the things Chase does when he's not racing or making coffee or any of the other things he does as Chase not Labyrinthite.
"Try and stay safe," he mumbled once he'd put the thing back together, wiping his hands on a clean rag.
The conversation shifted again and Chase tried to loosen the tension that built between his shoulders by coming out from behind the counter and sliding into a stool beside the dancer. He knocked his knee against Auguste's and offered a strained smile. "I've noticed. Maybe it's just me, but I think you're easy to read."
Bright eyes, optimism, hope. An overall positive outlook on life like a little ray of sunshine.
Chase could use a little bit of sunlight in his life, he thought, looking at Auguste.
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 10:09 am
"I doubt it," said Auguste with a bright smile. "I'm pretty sure you're one of a kind, which makes it all the more delightful to come to this coffee shop in particular. Besides," he added, his tone a little teasing, "I doubt other baristas have hair as nice as yours."
He took another sip of his drink, but his eyes had slid to watch Chase as he worked; the strong, tense line of his back, the breadth of his shoulders as he shifted to reach for something. It wasn't until he snapped the final piece together that Auguste realized he'd been staring, and he hastily averted his eyes, a flush to his cheeks.
It was hard to ignore the warmth that spread over his chest at stay safe. Auguste found himself stupidly pleased by the sentiment, and he gave a little nod, lifting his drink to his lips, but not drinking, merely inhaling the scent of it, steam wafting up.
"I'll do my best," he said softly, and finally took another sip as Chase came out from behind the counter to sit next to him. Auguste felt their knees knock together, and he smiled shyly at him, unused to them being on the same side, but rather liking it.
"People tell me I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve," said Auguste, a little sheepishly.
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 10:40 am
The comment about his hair made him instinctively reach up and slide his hand into the pink stock of hair that had been styled, sort of. It'd reached a point where his hair naturally gravitated towards the fauxhawk style after years of taming it to be that way.
"It is unique," Chase commented, tugging on the tips before dropping both hands onto his thighs. His hair was something that was people often liked to talk about. Samuel had hated it, but that was precisely where the origin had come from. Once upon a time it'd been completely black but he'd brought it back, simply because he liked it.
"It'd be a shame if you stopped coming round," Chase admitted a little quietly, though his gaze was steady and possibly intense as he met Auguste's too-blue eyes. He liked the color of them, how they reminded him of the infinite blue sky, or lake ocean when it was pure and clean.
Auguste struck him as something pure.
The thought made him shift, angling his body away from the dancer. Chase shouldn't touch pure things, he was tainted and would only spread it. "I think you do, you've got an earnest face." He had looked away when he spoke, directing his attention to the glass windows, watching as people wandered by. "That's not a bad thing, but - " people will take advantage of it. "Tell me more about yourself Auguste."
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 3:57 pm
"I like it," said Auguste agreeably. "I like unique, and it suits you very well, I think."
The pink was unusual, but it didn't seem out of place for Chase. And Auguste liked the abrupt difference in color, the way it seemed to stand starkly out from the black of the rest of his hair, the strong jaw and his well defined features.
He opened his mouth now, to say something and then abruptly shut it again. For a moment, Auguste couldn't seem to say anything at all, his eyes wide as he stared back at Chase, and the steady gaze he received in return was almost overwhelming.
What does he see when he looks at me like that?
But then Chase had turned away, the moment snapping, and Auguste felt slightly dazed by it. He curled his fingers together around his drink, tried to steady his heartbeat, pushing aside the thoughts and the questions and the confusions.
"What...about myself?" he asked, and he was relieved to note that his voice was almost level. "I grew up in France. I love to dance, and I love learning things. I used to go around and explore Destiny City, when I could," Auguste added, a smile on his face. "I still do, sometimes. Oh, and I love the rain. Rainy days have always been my favorite, especially storms."
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 3:51 pm
"Me too, went like a year without it and, well it wasn't the same."
He wasn't sure how long it'd actually been but it was close enough. The rise to general hadn't been as quick as he had intended, what with his family issues and then - everything with Iris. He tried not to think about it, or the memories that haunted him, plagued him.
He still had nightmares of a world that didn't exist.
As Chase looked at Auguste he was cataloguing all of the things he liked about the boy. The freckles were a big, yes and the blue eyes, Chase had always been fond of blue. There were a myriad of other things but he couldn't keep staring in silence because there were things to do and besides, he was probably unnerving poor Auguste.
His leveled stare was often unyielding. Samuel had always hated it.
"Rainy days are the best kind of days," Chase agreed leaving the counter completely to clean up the supplies he'd used when making Auguste's drink. "Something peaceful about a wild storm." There was a part of Chase that thought himself to be like a hurricane or even just a raging storm. Calm in the center while outwardly chaotic.
"Tell me about your friends - or the important people..?"
Maybe he was fishing and maybe he wasn't so smooth.
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2016 7:24 pm
Rather than be intimidated by Chase's apparent tendency towards prolonged staring, Auguste found it more...overwhelming, almost. It was as though he was trying to read him, trying to gauge him, figure him out - or something. Auguste wasn't entirely sure, but it wasn't exactly...unnerving.
His eyes followed Chase as he got up, a little smile on his face. "That's exactly how I see it," Auguste said with a laugh. "I love the chaos of rainstorms and the excitement, the sound of the rain and the thunder, the flashes of lightning..."
His gaze was bright, his face flushed with pleasure, though a second later it became a little bashful and shy as he said quickly, "I just - really like rainstorms."
Auguste took a swallow of his drink and tilted his head a little. "Well, there's Nadia, my roommate," he said with a smile, reaching for a straw and absently turning it over in his fingers. "She's amazing; and her boyfriend is Lorne, he's over all the time, they're like my brother and sister, I suppose. Their best friend is Colin, he's - " Auguste tried to figure out how to word it, but it was always difficult to describe Colin to anyone who didn't already know him.
"He's a wonderful man," said Auguste, his tone clearly affectionate when discussing all three of them. "They're probably the closest thing that I have to a family here."
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