forum Runes and Coffee (1-1, Closed)

Started November 24, 2022 by @Serpentess health_and_safety language

tune

(Grin)

“Well, it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one with a strict diet. Yet, it sucks too, knowing that someone else suffers the annoyances and inconveniences of it,”Jonathan remarked.

When he finished speaking, Jonathan noticed how tense Andromeda had gotten. It concerned him. Was it something he said? Was there more to the diet thing? Or… was there something else going on between her and her mother? He pondered over it as she cooked, but decided to leave it alone. He didn’t want to stress her out anymore than she already seemed to be.

He couldn’t help nodding at her words.

“It certainly can be. I’ve gotten used to it over the years, yet it nags sometimes,”he replied.

Jonathan was somewhat glad when Andromeda looked away. It meant she would likely miss the sad expression that breifly came over him. In truth, it was very lonely. He was raised in a communal society, and had practically raised his sister after their parents died. He hadn’t seen his sister in so long, and it was eating at him. He also had never been in a relationship before, and he had long yearned for a companion.

Andromeda picked at her food, not feeling very hungry anymore. “You know, it doesn’t have to stay like that,” she remarked. With a small laugh, she added, “I’m sure there are plenty of women who would love to keep you company.”

Though she wanted to deny it, Andromeda knew in the back of her mind that she was one of those women. Despite only knowing Jonathan for a few days, the two had grown very close, and she had a desire to be near him for as long as possible. He was one of the many reasons she was dreading going back home.

“I would offer to keep you company myself, but I live a couple of hours away from here. I’m not sure it would work out.”

She looked down, picking at her nails. She wanted to stay up here, abandon her old life, but she was scared of what her friends and family would think. Besides, the other citizens in the town seemed to hate her, and she wasn’t sure if she could deal with so many people disliking her for no reason.

Jonathan looked at Andromeda when she spoke, a clear hint of timidness in his eyes.

“I know. Yet… there is… well… not as many women as you think,”he stammered, avoiding her eyes.

Despite his appearance and charm, it seemed like females avoided him. Jonathan had never known exactly why, though he knew a big part was because of his trances. But, they were an inconvenience, nothing more. So, why did most women still avoid him?

“I understand,”he replied softly, not sure what else to say. He didn’t know if she wanted to stay with him, or if she had things to take care of, or what. So, he wasn’t going to force her into staying with him if she didn’t want to.

He stared at his plate of food, his mind whirling so much that he couldn’t even touch the tempting eggs and bacon. It bothered him that he was so flustered, but this was an encounter he’d never imagined having. He had no idea what to do.

Andromeda noticed how timid he was being around her. Now that she thought about it, she was feeling rather shy as well. She had talked to multiple people of the opposite gender before, but never had she been this anxious around any of them. Any of them except for Jonathan.

“Oh, I’m sure there are plenty of women,” she teased softly. “They’re just too nervous to say anything.”

Once she finished eating, she sat there for a while, staring out the window. This all felt…strange. For most of her life, Andromeda had always lived alone, and she never ate meals with anyone. But she loved the feeling of it.

“You know, once things calm down, I could come back up here and… well…” She blushed, staring down at her hands. What was she even asking? “It would be nice to live here…”

Jonathan chuckled a bit, then sighed and shook his head.

“There’s none, Andromeda. With the possible exception of Marie, the waitress at Lucky’s. Though, she’s never done anything more than flirt with me, even after I made it clear that I was alone. Then, of course, there’s you. Otherwise, there is no one. And, I honestly cannot say why,”he replied.

After a moment, Jonathan finally decided that he should eat. It was a good idea too. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was despite the current attitude of his conversation with Andromeda.

Her words caught his attention and he gazed at her, a bright gleam appearing in his eyes. He wasn’t sure if she was meaning living in the neighborhood, or living with him, but either way, it was a pleasant thought. Though, he wasn’t sure how his other tenants would react. Andromeda, at a first glance, was just a human. Jonathan would have to convince them that she was more than that. That… that he was quickly coming to care about Andromeda.

“It’d be nice to have you here,”he replied softly, a smile growing on his face.

She raised an eyebrow at his mention of Marie. She didn’t feel jealousy towards the waitress; after all, it seemed like Jonathan didn’t have any interest in her. But Andromeda could feel a twinge of something in her chest. She just couldn’t tell what it was.

“Hm… well, that’s their loss, I suppose,” she said, smiling softly at him.

Andromeda glanced over at him a few times as he ate, and she couldn’t help but smile when he told her that it’d be nice to have her there. She wasn’t sure how he would take it at first. Was it weird for her to suggest moving to the town when she’d just met him? She wasn’t sure, but his reply to her comment gave her more confidence. Maybe she wouldn’t wait for this situation to die down. After all, she needed a break from her life; maybe moving away was a good option.

“You know, maybe I will,” she said, gazing out the window. “I’m always complaining about my life back at home. Maybe- maybe moving away is a good idea.”

Jonathan noticed her look, and chuckled.

“If you’re wondering, I have no interest in Marie. I had interest, once, yet she never acted upon it. She is simply a flirtatious young woman that is obsessed with making coffee for me. Confusing, yet harmless,”he mentioned.

He snorted in mild amusement at her words, smiling back at her, but melancholy creeped into his expression. There had been so many times when he’d craved for companionship, and never received it. He’d had a rather lonely life. And, it was nagging at him.

Jonathan gazed at her as she spoke, intrigued. Some part of him was even enthusiastic about her words. But, he didn’t want to push her into doing something she eventually decided not to do.

“Well, however you decide to do things, I will be here. I could even save one of the open houses for you, if you want,”he cooed, smiling softly.

“Oh? Well, if that’s so, who do you have an interest in now?” A few moments after saying this, Andromeda cleared her throat, her gaze flickering down to her hands. What was she thinking, asking such questions when they’d only recently met? “Never mind. You don’t have to answer that.”

If there was one thing Andromeda seemed to be good at when talking to men, it was making conversations awkward. She always said the wrong thing, and she quickly regretted it afterwards. But, even with the slight uneasiness in the pit of her stomach, she was somewhat glad to hear that he no longer had an interest in Marie. She wasn’t quite sure why she felt this way, but she tried to convince herself it wasn’t because of her jealousy.

“You know, actually, maybe you won’t have to save one for me.” She smiled faintly as she looked back up at him. “I’ll move in now.”

This seemed like a sudden move for Andromeda to make; she went from being uncertain about the move to wanting to move in immediately. She was just so… desperate. Desperate to get away from her situation, desperate to finally have a new life. She felt so lonely in her current town, and everyone there hated her. In fact, she probably should’ve moved away earlier before things went downhill.

Jonathan couldn’t help a grin at her question. He was about to answer, but he decided to watch her for a second. She was so unsure of herself, the poor woman. Maybe, he could help with that somehow.

“‘Tis alright. My interest is solely in you,”he answered.

It was strange, saying that, particularly so soon. He barely knew Andromeda, and he was probably just blindly desperate, but there was something about her. She was indeed quite intriguing. And, she wasn’t the usual kind of woman. She understood the esoteric, the ‘different’ side of life. Jonathan was nothing if not esoteric and different.

His eyebrow rose at her next words. Her sudden decision was surprising, but he couldn’t help being a bit excited about it.

“I could show you your choices if you want,”he offered.

“In me?”

Andromeda laughed softly, surprised with how easily he confessed to her. Sure, she knew he probably liked her, or at least found her attractive considering they’d only known each other for a few days. She felt the same way towards him, but she also knew that her feelings were likely much more complicated than his.

Despite her complex feelings, Andromeda still allowed her hand to brush up against his as she spoke. “Well, I’m flattered. I can’t say that I’ve ever had someone be this straightforward with me before.”

Now that he had at least somewhat confirmed that he felt something towards her, she felt even better about moving here. It would not only get her away from her complicated past, but it would also allow her to get to know Jonathan better. However, even with these benefits, there were still issues she had to consider before moving. First off, she needed a job.

“Yeah, I would love that,” she said. “And, Jonathan, do you know if they’re hiring at that coffee shop we went to yesterday?”