forum Unusual Partners // Buddy Cop One-On-One // Open

Started May 18, 2019 by @WriteOutofTime

tune

"I mean, it's still stupid, but if you're deadset on being tired I won't bother you," she replied, finally getting into the passenger's seat.

"I am." Alex grinned, turning the car on and carefully pulling out of the parking lot. He drove for a few hours before stopping somewhere for coffee and a meal.

Nyir opened her eyes as they pulled into a restaurant. She hadn't slept or even been close to sleeping, but she didn't want Alex regretting his choice to drive. Taking off her headphones, she asked, "Are we going through the drive thru or stretching our legs?"

"Stretching our legs. We've made good time, no one can be mad at us for stopping." He parked the car and opened the door, stretching his legs out one at a time.

Nyir slid out of the car, double checking to make sure the doors were locked. The air was heavy and thick with humidity. "Oh, gross," she mumbled, feeling the air sticking to her back. "I already don't like the south."

He walked ahead of her and held open the door. "Don't judge it yet, they have the best barbeque. From what I've heard, at least." The small diner was clean, at least. It was cozy, borderline tiny, but the arrangement and décor made it seem airy and spacious.

"I have heard good things about mom and pop diners like these," she admitted begrudgingly, walking inside and taking a deep breath of the grease-drenched air. It smelled amazing. She suddenly realized how hungry she was. The decor was a lot more like someone's dining room than it was a diner, but it was cute. A smiling older woman greeted them as they walked in.

Alex raised a hand in greeting, guiding himself and Nyir over to the counter. The menu was up on a blackboard, scrawled in with chalk. The woman leaned against the counter, slowly drying a cup as she studied the visitors.
"Ya'll gonna be in town long?" The southern drawl leaked through the words, and Alex had to hold back a grin at the familiar accent.

"We're not really sure," Nyir replied simply, squinting at the menu. "Hopefully not too long," she said under her breath.

Alex nudged her foot with his. "We're passing through, on our way a little further south. Just visiting, though, probably only for a week." He kept his tone pleasant, quickly singling out the meat items from the menu. He ordered coffee and the steak, then turned to Nyir for her order.

"I'll have a coffee as well," she said, narrowing her eyes at the menu, "and the pulled pork sandwich, please." She was never over concerned with whether or not she was being rude. The lady nodded at them with a large grin and headed into the kitchen.

"Play nice." Alex whispered to her, drumming his fingers gently on the table. The diner was quiet, as they were quite early for dinner. A few teens were sitting in a corner table, talking quietly among themselves.

"I'm being perfectly civil," she replied, glancing around the room. She realized suddenly how long it had been since the two of them had had a case together in which they had to travel. She wasn't quite sure whether or not she missed it yet.

"Alright, then be polite." He kept talking in hushed tones, not wanting to interrupt the atmosphere of the place. He watched her for a moment before realizing what he was doing, and quickly looked away.

Nyir unashamedly stared at him. She was trying to read him. She was usually quite good at reading people, but she'd never been able to see through whatever mask he constantly kept up. Calm, cool, and collected. That's all she ever knew him as. "Hey," she said, knowing full well she might come off as crazy, "how have you been? This is me being polite, by the way," she added.

Alex raised an eyebrow. So she'd taken him literally… "I've been doing pretty well. How about you?" He shifted towards her, resting an elbow on the table and his chin on his hand. He met her eyes, trying to see into them and figure out the puzzle behind them.

She consciously mirrored his body language, hoping to encourage him to let his guard down. "I'm alright," she said, studying his face. "You know," she began rather abruptly, "I don't know much about you. You could have a secret wife for all I know."

Alex laughed, turning down to the table and leaning both elbows onto it. "Hardly. I keep my home life pretty quiet, nothing real happens there." He looked back at her, wondering how much she would tell him. "Besides, the same thing goes for you. You aren't exactly an open book either."

"There's not much to say about me," she said nonchalantly. "I think you know all the important stuff. Not many people get the privilege of knowing my first name." A touch of a smile came to her mouth to show she was joking.

Alex chuckled, still watching her. "And I'm truly honored." Their food came out, and the woman set their plates down in front of them, smiling at them both.
"So, is this like an anniversary trip for you two?"

Nyir snorted lightly. "Do people often come here for their anniversaries?" Realizing just how cruel that sounded, she amended, "You know, most people go to grand places, not lovely underrated diners like these."

Alex cleared his throat and nudged her again. "But if this were our anniversary, we would probably come here. We just aren't having an anniversary, just a business trip. We work together we aren't…" He was turning red, he could feel it and it bothered him. He decided to trail off with a cup of coffee, the warmth of the coffee taking the blame for the warmth of his face. "Good coffee, isn't it?"

"Oh, he's blushing," Nyir said with an airy laugh. "Yeah, no, it's strictly professional here." She decided to sample some of her own coffee, ignoring the raised eyebrows and the teasing smile from the waitress. "And yes, it is good coffee."

Alex coughed. "We're really very professional." He hid his face behind his hand and focused on the steak, trying not to laugh and concede defeat. He was used to being poked fun at, but he wasn't sure how Nyir would react if he started doing it back.

The lady continued to grin at them. "Well, ain't y'all just the cutest!"

"Oh, yes, we're adorable," Nyir agreed, still largely unperturbed. Slight sensations of embarrassment were trying to inch their way into her consciousness. "Just not together."