He smells good, warm, woodsy soap used with such habit that it’s practically engraved itself on his skin. Xu buries her nose a little bit more into the curve of his neck, making a face at the scratchiness of the beard he’s apparently trying to grow out.
She is comfortable, warm. Small against him, almost delicate (never quite, always a mercenary).
“It could end up all lopsided.”
He chuckles, low in his throat, slipping a single arm around the petite young woman to secure her position. His cheek comes to rest lightly against her hair, settling into their embrace.
“I trust ya.”
Never mind her methodical perfectionism (ever the SeeD) giving him little reason to worry, even if he didn’t.
She is not very good at mornings after; Xu makes it a point to not have them, generally.
But Rude doesn’t really qualify, after months, as just a one-night stand, and it’s not like he’s going to go blab about what they’ve gotten up to in the small hours of the night.
Besides, when someone walks out of her bedroom looking like him, she’d be willing to forgive him for just about any hypothetical transgressions.
“I did, yeah.”
Xu convinces herself to relax, rising up on her toes to kiss him good morning before moving to take her coffee into the living room, settling onto her pale gray couch, an unspoken invitation to join her. They hadn’t done the grand tour of her apartment last night– more the direct route from the door to the bedroom. In the daylight, she’s a little conscious of how monochrome her furniture is, how nearly sterile the place looks.
She lives here, she swears. She’s just never here.
“Gotta admit that I feel kind of underdressed, though. It’s not thatbright in here, is it?” Gesturing with her mug at his face before she takes another sip of coffee.
The kiss must mean they are doing good. Right?
It’s over quickly and appears casual from Xu’s side. If she wanted him gone she wouldn’t have initiated it, Rude concludes. Though, she was difficult to read, and Rude didn’t have any of his friends in the room who could send him encouraging looks or gestures that implies if it is going poorly or not.
But Rude does relax if just a little by the act and take a sip of the coffee before following Xu to the next room. His eyes scanning the sterile living room before they settles on Xu.
“You’re fine.” He ensures, sincerely. Hoping his will and self-control is enough to push away the embarrassment that he could sense is creeping up his neck. Just to be on the safe side, he lifts up the mug to take another sip.
Letting Xu fully settle down on the couch before taking a seat next to her. Evading the question with one of his own, “Do you know of any good breakfast place? I could bring us something…” A pause, the thought he had when waking up returns, “Probably need to move the car…” he half-jokily informs.
Recalling from last night, Rude had been in such a hurry that he hadn’t cared to find an admissible parking spot. Not that he was concerned over any parking tickets. It would’ve been worth it.
“There’s a diner down the street– I think they’re open early.”
She’s starving, now that she takes five seconds to think about it. Deservingly so, considering the previous night’s/earlier morning activities. She really ought to invest in grocery delivery. Or something.
But that’s a problem to be solved for next time (next time, already? Jumping a little ahead of yourself, aren’t you?) and so she stays where she is, drinking her coffee and watching him study her apartment. It wasn’t like he’d had time to familiarize himself with new surroundings when they’d nearly taken the door off its hinges in their haste to get somewhere private.
She’s only aware that she’s smiling slightly, amused at the memory, when she catches her reflection in the dark tint of his glasses.
Happy? Or just entertained at the mental replay? Hard to tell, really.
“They don’t tow on weekends, so you’re probably fine.” The smile broadens, just a little. “In case you wanted to stay a bit longer.”
Xu was definitely difficult to read, especially that smile of hers. A smile that seems to gradually grow like the brightness of this morning’s glow. Strangely enough, Rude didn’t find her mystical smile off-putting. Nor did it make him feel self-conscious, despite not knowing if she is joking with him or not.
Either way, he’s momentarily calmed with the “probably”-promise of his car being undisturbed.
“…Are you inviting me to stay?” It’s not until Rude says that when he is aware that he has –unintentionally— been mimicking Xu’s smile. How embarrassing of him. Rude will himself to cool his expression down, just a little.
Nevertheless, he needs more than coffee and stale cereals to satisfy his appetite— “I’m starving. Are you not?” Both his tone and body language displaying readiness, an open invitation to pick them up something from the diner or go there together.
She is not very good at mornings after; Xu makes it a point to not have them, generally.
But Rude doesn’t really qualify, after months, as just a one-night stand, and it’s not like he’s going to go blab about what they’ve gotten up to in the small hours of the night.
Besides, when someone walks out of her bedroom looking like him, she’d be willing to forgive him for just about any hypothetical transgressions.
“I did, yeah.”
Xu convinces herself to relax, rising up on her toes to kiss him good morning before moving to take her coffee into the living room, settling onto her pale gray couch, an unspoken invitation to join her. They hadn’t done the grand tour of her apartment last night– more the direct route from the door to the bedroom. In the daylight, she’s a little conscious of how monochrome her furniture is, how nearly sterile the place looks.
She lives here, she swears. She’s just never here.
“Gotta admit that I feel kind of underdressed, though. It’s not thatbright in here, is it?” Gesturing with her mug at his face before she takes another sip of coffee.
The kiss must mean they are doing good. Right?
It’s over quickly and appears casual from Xu’s side. If she wanted him gone she wouldn’t have initiated it, Rude concludes. Though, she was difficult to read, and Rude didn’t have any of his friends in the room who could send him encouraging looks or gestures that implies if it is going poorly or not.
But Rude does relax if just a little by the act and take a sip of the coffee before following Xu to the next room. His eyes scanning the sterile living room before they settles on Xu.
“You’re fine.” He ensures, sincerely. Hoping his will and self-control is enough to push away the embarrassment that he could sense is creeping up his neck. Just to be on the safe side, he lifts up the mug to take another sip.
Letting Xu fully settle down on the couch before taking a seat next to her. Evading the question with one of his own, “Do you know of any good breakfast place? I could bring us something…” A pause, the thought he had when waking up returns, “Probably need to move the car…” he half-jokily informs.
Recalling from last night, Rude had been in such a hurry that he hadn’t cared to find an admissible parking spot. Not that he was concerned over any parking tickets. It would’ve been worth it.
Her apartment is normally absolutely silent in the morning, early sunlight breaking through the open window that faces the harbor, the distant shape of fishing boats out at sea a peaceful sight.
Today, though, she hears movement in the bedroom, and there are deliberately two coffee mugs full of coffee instead of just one.
That’s not weird. That’s polite. It’s the polite thing to do when the guy you’re sort of dating spends the night for the first time, right?
Is it dating, if their relationship up to this point has been primarily layovers at various points across the globe, a few hours here and there. Lunch once at a crappy Esthari airport bar. Hardly dates,if you ask her.
Rude emerges, and she glances up, feeling like it might have been a better choice to put on actual clothes, rather than the tank top and shorts she normally slept in. “Morning. There’s coffee. I don’t have any food in the fridge, but there might be a box of cereal somewhere if you’re hungry.”
Which is not unusual for someone who works a hundred hours a week and eats primarily whatever the cafeteria has available. Now that she thinks about it, the cereal might actually be a box of wheat crackers.
Whatever.
“Did you sleep okay?”
Pants are on. Socks on. Shirt tucked neatly inside the waistband and buttoned besides from the top two ones. He had yet to retrieve his jacket or tie –frankly he wasn’t sure where the tie had landed. Not certain of the preferred dress code nor what to say, he had tried to look as presentable as possible with what he had before leaving the bedroom.
Hoping the host can’t tell how much thought he’s put in his presentation, neither under nor overdressed. More so, he hopes she’s not disapproving. Not awkward at all.
At least Xu spoke first. Setting the tone.
Rude meets her eyes briefly before he puts his sunglasses on. The sun was up after all.
“Morning,” he replies politely, the first vocal sound from him in the morning sounding too hoarse for his own liking, “Thank you.” And he walks up with straight back to where Xu stood by the mugs. He gently takes the one he assumes is meant for him, not lifting it up yet.
“Hmm… I did.” He then clears his throat to settle his voice and to calm himself. Be confident.
Now he looks at the mug and lifts it up. “Did you?”
Even though it was Rude’s day off, one could still always argue there is more important places for him to be, but when it comes to his own personal preference… he certainly wouldn’t mind staying if his host wishes to explore any of last night’s activities.
He catch himself quietly admiring Xu as she moves fingers through her dark hair. The morning light painting her with warm tones.
Never leaving wouldn’t be too terrible, Rude first thought, before he firmly corrected that absurd idea. One cannot sustain on only coffee and the promises of great sex, at least not Rude. Therefore he hums agreely.
“Certainly.” He sits up straighter in the sofa and slowly finishes the cooling coffee while he waits.
Pajamas are swapped for a casual light cotton dress she’s always found particularly flattering (unless every mirror on the planet was lying to her), and she spends a few extra minutes brushing out last night’s tangles from her dark hair. An extra minute gets her fresh eyeliner, mascara, a swipe of lip balm.
It’s more effort than she normally puts in for the weekend; usually she puts on a pair of giant sunglasses and whatever she’s planning on wearing to the beach and hits up the coffee shop at the corner.
She doesn’t mind giving up a weekend of surfing for this.Xu grabs her bag off the hanging rack in the hallway, and comes back into the living room.
“Ready whenever you are. It’s right down the street– we can walk.”
Rude had been ready for some time now, so when Xu comes back she can find her taciturn guest standing up from the couch before finishing her sentence. Not impatiently, just ready. He leaves the empty mug on the coffee table, aware of not placing it directly on its surface, to avoid any potential stains or moisture-marks.
Walking towards Xu, there’s a small pause as Rude lays his eyes on her. Pausing in the middle of adjusting his shirt sleeves. Giving an approving low hum, with a slightly softened expression.
“Never seen you wearing that dress.” Admitting that it looks flattering on Xu. If it weren’t for his bodily needs for nourishment, Rude would definitely not have minded taking her out on a walk in the sun, warming her up before returning back to her apartment where he could admire her beauty…
He moves up to her and bends down to give her a quick kiss –before he has time to overthink about it which would lead to him missing the moment.
Xu was definitely difficult to read, especially that smile of hers. A smile that seems to gradually grow like the brightness of this morning’s glow. Strangely enough, Rude didn’t find her mystical smile off-putting. Nor did it make him feel self-conscious, despite not knowing if she is joking with him or not.
Either way, he’s momentarily calmed with the “probably”-promise of his car being undisturbed.
“…Are you inviting me to stay?” It’s not until Rude says that when he is aware that he has –unintentionally— been mimicking Xu’s smile. How embarrassing of him. Rude will himself to cool his expression down, just a little.
Nevertheless, he needs more than coffee and stale cereals to satisfy his appetite— “I’m starving. Are you not?” Both his tone and body language displaying readiness, an open invitation to pick them up something from the diner or go there together.
“If you want,” she offers, and shrugs one slender shoulder. “Unless you’ve got somewhere more important to be.”
The smile hides behind the rim of her mug– it’s been a while since she was this relaxed, and given a lazy morning (a lazy whole weekend, shockingly enough) to enjoy herself, even longer since that enjoyment came with company that wasn’t just a one-night stand or a morning alone entirely.
She finishes the cup, setting it neatly on the coffee table, and stretches, back arching, fingers coming to rake through thick dark hair as she considers the options.
“We should go out. If we stay in, I have a feeling we wouldn’t ever leave.” Not that she would complain about that, but, alas, one can’t exist on mindblowing sex and coffee alone.
Not for lack of trying on her part.
“Give me a few minutes to put on real clothes, and we’ll head out?”
Even though it was Rude’s day off, one could still always argue there is more important places for him to be, but when it comes to his own personal preference… he certainly wouldn’t mind staying if his host wishes to explore any of last night’s activities.
He catch himself quietly admiring Xu as she moves fingers through her dark hair. The morning light painting her with warm tones.
Never leaving wouldn’t be too terrible, Rude first thought, before he firmly corrected that absurd idea. One cannot sustain on only coffee and the promises of great sex, at least not Rude. Therefore he hums agreely.
“Certainly.” He sits up straighter in the sofa and slowly finishes the cooling coffee while he waits.
