Daybreak

VIII

I wasn't afraid to admit I was out of my element when we entered the small shop, it's inside was dotted with plants and a cozy atmosphere hanging in the air. Despite having just finished my last semester of college, and being well acquainted with the caffeinated rush most days required, it was normally Amelia or Trish who ordered food or brought the coffee, and I never bothered to go out and explore new places on my own very often.

Big surprise this was one place I had never been to before despite being just down the road.

As Noah approached to order I found myself wandering instead to an empty two-person table sitting by the large storefront window peering to the street.

Figuring it was a better spot than any, I sat down, resting my head on a hand and watching the vehicles stop and go through the traffic light on the corner, drumming my fingers mindlessly against the table.

This was such a weird position to be in, I wasn't going to lie to myself about that.

And it just kept getting weirder with the fact that I now had- an elf bodyguard? Was that what this was? Noah had said the other guy didn't like to leave things unfinished, so technically, on one hand nobody else was getting hurt as he was chasing me down.

On the other hand-

I looked over at the brown-haired figure still chatting with the barista at the counter, hand occasionally waving delicately through the air as he explained something or another and I sighed looking back to the street.

I didn't know exactly how I should be feeling about all this, despite now knowing a big bit as to why the guy gave an off feeling (he wasn't human, duh-), I still couldn't help but feel that there was something else he wasn't telling me. His ducking out of my prods about him and his life didn't exactly help ease suspicion.

And I hadn't even voiced my question as to why and how he'd managed to paint a familiar bird from my childhood in the gallery the night before, which, at this point, I was sure was the exact same creature that had gifted little rocks and things when I still lived in my quaint little hometown all those years ago.

There was still so much left to unpack with this guy before I could allow myself to trust him-

"How do you do that?"

"Hm?" I hummed, sitting back up with a start, my cheeks lighting with the embarrassment of getting caught daydreaming again as Noah approached with two steaming cups in hand.

He placed one down in front of his seat, reaching over to set the other in front of me before sitting down, "How do you zone out like that sometimes? You were doing it again just now."

My heart thudded at the thought of him just looking at me while I stared dumbly into space, "I, uh, just do it I guess. It sucks sometimes cause I can't really help it," I laughed, nervous. What I just said made zero sense in my own ears, much less what he heard-

"Well, I'm jealous you can tune everything out so easily," Noah chuckled with a gentle smile, seeming to not notice how my face was becoming about as bright as the fire truck that passed the window, siren silent.

"You're serious?"

He laughed again, "Yeah, there's been more than a few times I wished I could retreat inside my own head," he seemed relaxed giving this one small look to his past and I wanted to know more-

"How come?"

His expression went hard at my question, green eyes going back out to the street, jaw clenching before he spoke, tone far away, "Let's just say it's complicated."

I sighed at that response and opted for staying quiet after that, wrapping my hands around the warm coffee cup and looking back out the window, looks like the heavy overcast finally released in a drizzling downpour, little splotches of rain polka dotting the pavement outside.

"So, do you have a plan for catching this guy?" I asked after a long pause, being sure to keep my eyes on the view outside instead of looking at him the entire time.

Noah took a long breath, and I watched through the glass reflection as he took the time to sip from his coffee before looking at me to answer, "It might be safer to set some sort of trap. Leave the illusion that you're by yourself."

"And you'll be there to catch him- somehow, right?" I asked, worried he didn't mean he would be watching.

Noah chuckled, taking another sip, "Yes, of course I would, it wouldn't be a trap if you didn't have backup."

I sighed, leaning back in my chair, picking up the coffee cup with one hand to take a tentative sip, chocolate and caramel washing over my tongue and I looked up at him in surprise at the taste.

"Carmel hot chocolate," he said simply, shrugging at my expression, "you looked cold."

"Thanks," surprised, I gave a shy smile, setting the cup back down on the wooden table.

Noah nodded with a soft smile of his own, taking another sip from his cup.

"So," I wracked my brain for a safe topic, unrelated to elves or any of that whole ordeal, "You like to paint?" I internally groaned, I sounded like some forty-year-old trying to start up small talk with a child-

To my surprise Noah's face split into a large grin at the mention of painting, "Yeah, it's one of my greatest passions," he said, adjusting his glasses. "I know you've seen my one at the gallery, but the next time you come to my place you really should see my studio."

"You have your own studio?" I asked in awe, I had gone for an art degree here in New York but I could never afford to get my own art space, it drove my roommate crazy when I had to bring paint and things to the dorm to finish my assignments.

The elf chuckled, nodding, "Yeah, well I mean it's just a spare room I kind of turned into my own studio for the time being but yes. Do you like to paint?"

I shook my head, "I'm more into colored pencils, they're much easier to control than paint."

"I can see that," he smiled at me, the gesture warm and kind, "Though I will have to argue that paint is better."

I laughed at the joking prod, "No way, pencils are one hundred times superior-"