savetheearth | Black Coffee [closed]

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Black Coffee [closed]

Who: Lucas Evans and Steven Huguenot
What: NOT A DATE, THAT'S FOR SURE. Steven and Lucas meet for coffee to discuss... Whatever this is. Or was. Or what's going on.
Where: A chain coffeeshop in the city.
When: May 9th

Lucas had been sitting around in the coffee shop doing homework anxiously for an hour or so. As the scheduled meeting time neared, he even started getting a little twitchy. Of course, that could partially be because of the coffee he's been drinking. He taps his fingers on the coffee mug, having lost interest in the essay he was working on on his laptop. He checks his phone for the hundredth time, looking for a text from Steven.

He's not even late, either. He's got like ten more minutes. But it's only natural he'd be nervous, right? I mean this guy... This guy... He thinks back to the first time they talked, when he was pretty high, and winces. I mean, it made it so he didn't flip out too hard, but the impact of the moment didn't really hit him until he'd sobered up. This guy... he was kind of destined to meet him. One of those once-in-a-lifetime things that most people never really expect to experience, and he's got it. But he'd kind of already screwed it up by making such a bad impression.

He sighs and messes with his hair, again. Well, all he can do now is try to make a better second impression. He clears his throat and pages to his browser, where he's currently reading Steven's online comic.

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The echo pulses back, and Steven shuts his eyes. Then, in a flurry of movement, he rustles around for his sketchbook and a pencil.

He sketches as he talks, reliving the knowledge. "One side... green. One side... black. With purple. And a scarf," he says. "And... antenna." The sketch is messy, but certainly the rough design of the green-and-purple form in his memory. He looks up, coming down from his rush. "Sorry, I... Sorry. Got carried away," he says, with a sheepish sort of smile.

He watches Steven draw, the skill and speed of his hands exhilarating to see. The sketch is quick and dirty, but definitely parsable. In fact, as he looks at it...

This time, the distance in his eyes as he gets an echo is wiped away by an anxious smile, trying to hide the coldness he felt in Philip's mind in the memory. It wasn't... coldness, maybe, so much as complete emotional apathy. The only feelings that burned bright in this memory of Philip were curiosity and amusement. He feels strangely hollow.

But it's weird he's been silent so long. "No! I mean, no, yeah, that was cool. I like watching you do your thing, it's pretty impressive, you know?" He leans his head on his hands, flirty. If that was the kind of echo he was going to be getting, maybe he should focus on something else for a while. Then again, it felt like Philip didn't know Shotaro very well yet. It felt like he barely knew himself, barely had an identity at all.

Steven's pencil hovers in midair as he watches Lucas' face change. When Lucas doesn't volunteer anything, just compliments him, he looks back down, adjusting the design across W's chest. But if Lucas doesn't want to share something, Steven can't - and won't - make him. He looks back, smiling a little at Lucas' bare coquettishness.

"Thanks," he says, and and there's clear gratitude in it. "It helps get the idea out." He wonders what Lucas saw, again, and watches him as he nonetheless continues. "And they say people... forget, sometimes. I'd hate that... remembering stuff and then not. So I draw it." He'd left the rest of the sketches he'd done at home, unwilling to have them in his portfolio at school, but now he wishes he hadn't. It'd be a better distraction. "I can show you the ones I've got next time, huh?"

He nods. "I bet. I wish I could. Even if I write something down, that just means it's in my head twice. Though that sometimes helps me organize things." He smooths his fingers through his hair.

He considers... "Oh yeah... People forget that they were ever on the network. Do they forget the people they met, though? Or just... the network stuff." He wonders if Steven will remember him, even if he doesn't remember Philip.

Next time is a good phrase. Next time is something he can hold on to. "Maybe next time I'll meet you at your place."

"I guess remembering everything's not all good, huh," Steven muses, quietly. Idly, he settles his hand once more against the table, since he's feeling an annoying urge to muss Lucas' hair.

"I don't know," he says, "I guess I'll ask next time I'm looking for things worth watching." The Network is kind of like Facebook, in that regard. Lots of shares from people who don't know what's worth sharing. Not that he hates it that much, really, it's a nice reminder they're all human.

He thinks. "As long as it's... after the end of the month, and before middle of June," he says, wondering if that's going to surprise Lucas. "I gotta go home that weekend," he explains, "my sisters are graduating."

He swallows. "It's not, really. It's not even mostly good, sometimes." Sometimes, all he can think of is every disappointed look his father has ever vaulted his way. From the surprised glare of a man just hearing his 11-year-old son likes to watch American Idol, to the dismayed glance of a man watching his 15-year-old son looking too entertained by a men's cologne commercial.

He gives Steven a distantly hungry look, "I, uh... I guess I just feel like it would be nice not to forget you, even if we're not partners anymore."

He looks away, smoothing his hair back and down. "Uh, oh, sure cool. Are they older or younger?" He keeps averting his gaze, nervous as all hell.

"I'll leave notes to myself," he says, his voice and brow firm. His eyes are very serious. "Even if I forget. You'll be... in my notes," he finishes, lamely. He sets his pencil down to take a sip of coffee, as a distraction.

He puts it back down after, like, three sips. "Younger," he says, "twins. We live in Pennsylvania." Will offering more information help? What happened to wanting to be a little hands-off with this high school kid? He was younger than his sisters, dammit!

He gives a shy, flushing smile. "Good. I'll leave myself notes too." He wants to take a selfie with him and make it his phone background but that would probably be a bit much.

"Oh, okay." It is probably a little weird to Steven that he's younger than his little sisters... "I have two older sisters. They're both in their early twenties." Maybe the fact that he grew up with two sisters older than Steven would set his mind at ease. "I hear you lose your echoes if you leave town. So I'm sure you won't miss me."

'If I read something, it's in my mind twice'. Steven wonders if that counts the same when you don't remember the first time.

He looks up his coffee. "Figures," he says, "there was no way you didn't have older sisters... unless I guess you had older brothers. But sisters are scarier." He cracks a smile. "I'm sure you'll text me anyway," he says, eyes knowing.

"Haha, is it that obvious?" He grins. "They did kind of spoil me, just a little. I guess I got paid back by being their toy when I was a baby."

"Oh yeah! I will totally text you." He mimes texting. "Dear Steven, remember me? I'm a special friend of yours from town, and I have a surprise when you get back. The surprise is echoes."

"Better that than getting to be their beloved big brother," this is said with appropriate little-girl voice, "and then turn into 'that nerdy brother of mine'." He pulls a face.

Then he rolls his eyes. "You say special friend and you're gonna get texts from my sisters," he says, "or my friends, they signed me up for some nerdy dating site last month..." He clears his throat. "A-anyway, don't ruin the surprise by telling me what it is, the hell kind of guy are you?" He's laughing now.

"I dunno, it would be kind of fun to be looked up to." Not that he's exactly a good role-model. Not that he wants to try to be, either.

"Haha, you let them read your texts? You're whipped, for an older brother." He raises his eyebrows. "A nerd dating site? Do you not want to date outside your type, or do they just expect you not to want to? And I won't ruin the surprise, that was just me clarifying it!!"

"Up until they stop," Steven complains, leaning down against the table.

"You say 'let' like I have a choice," he admits. "If I look away for two seconds, somebody's reading my texts." He shakes his head. "This site was awful. I didn't know 'queer nerds' meant so many weird douchebags..." He did, a little, but still. "I think they thought it'd get me out of my no-dating zone. I think it shoved me further in."

"Aw. I'm sure they still think you're okay, or they'll start to think you're cool again someday soon." He pats him on the shoulder consolingly.

"Haha, no privacy, huh. That sucks. I wouldn't get away with half this shit if my mom snooped. She keeps up on me, but she doesn't snoop."

He listens to the sad, sad, dating woes and purses his lips curiously. "Well, maybe you just need... to find someone who isn't a nerd?" He shrugs, the picture of innocence. "I'm sure you'll be fine. You seem okay on your own, anyway, right?" He wonders if Steven has the same hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach that he has...

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Black Coffee [closed]

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