petal [book 1] ❊ l.s.

one - three words

The October wind sent shivers scurrying up Louis's spine, and he pulled his thick jacket more securely around his shoulders. He only had two more meetings to attend before leaving work for the day, but he couldn't stand to stay in his depressing office for another moment longer; rather than asking his secretary to drop off lunch for him, he had decided to venture out on his own to find his own food for once.

He had plenty of options. Living in a city like Chicago came with those types of luxuries. To the core, Louis had always been a creature of habit; as hard as he tried to act spontaneously and to change up his routines sometimes, he often found himself settling into a comfortable rut that led straight from his apartment to his work building and back again.

Today, he decided, was the day that he tried a new spot for lunch.

It was a small step, but it was a step nonetheless. Even his lunch orders had started to feel repetitive; most of the time, his secretary could guess his request before he actually told her. To be fair, she had a one in three chance every time, considering the fact that he cycled through the same three restaurants where he ordered the same three entrees.

God, he had grown boring as he got older. The sudden realization made his stomach churn. At only twenty four, he already felt burnt out; like an old man too set in his ways to change them even though he secretly hated them.

The bell tingled cheerfully as he pushed into the small coffee shop. The distinctive smell of raw coffee beans and freshly-baked bread filled his nose, and he smiled to himself as he stepped into line. He spared a few glances around while he waited, already knowing his order; even at a new spot, he still knew the food he liked. Even on an adventure, he was still a creature of habit.

The curly-haired boy in the corner of the shop caught his eye immediately. Louis studied him carefully, fascinated. He had his eyes closed, his head tilted back against the wall behind his chair, and he looked almost unnaturally peaceful. His curls sat in a wild, unruly mess atop his head, sticking out every which way; Louis generally preferred a more polished and collected look, but there was something inexplicably intriguing about this boy.

He pushed his feelings to the back of his mind. He stepped up to order, sticking with his typical chicken salad sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes. On a whim, at the very last second, he added a strawberry soda to his order. He wasn't sure why.

Leaning casually on the high counter, Louis tapped away on his phone while he waited for his order, deciding to answer a few relatively-urgent emails to pass the time. He couldn't resist stealing a few more glances at the curly-haired boy in the corner. The boy looked much more alert than before -- he sipped calmly on his warm drink, and his eyes were open now, casually observing the other customers in the cafe. His gaze didn't skip from person to person; instead, he seemed to take his time analyzing each individual in turn, his eyes scanning slowly across every detail before moving on to the next subject of his observant stare.

And his eyes were green. A deep, forest green that Louis already found himself falling into.

Louis jumped in surprise when he heard his order number. He had been so lost in his emails and his thoughts that he hadn't actually been listening, so it was almost a miracle that he had actually heard. He briefly thanked the cashier who handed him the plastic container, and then he headed for the door with the full intent of retreating to his office and enjoying his spontaneous lunch in complete peace and familiarity.

Spontaneous, Louis reminded himself. Be spontaneous.

He exhaled sharply, pausing on his way out of the shop. Riding a brief moment of confidence, he turned on his heel and headed toward the back corner. Without asking for permission, he set his lunch order down on the mysterious boy's table, pulling out the open chair and sitting down across from him. The boy looked a bit surprised, but he smiled graciously at Louis.