HEART OF GOLD | CORIOLANUS SNOW

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 82

As all students liberated from university did, Lilith slept in on Monday. The uncertainty arising from the sudden lack of purpose that didn't typically hit for another few days, however, struck her before lunch. Now that she no longer worked in the lab, did she still report to the Citadel at three?

Without emailing Gaia or texting Snow, whose thread had been briefly revived to inform him that she couldn't come in the Friday of Andromeda's wake—no problem, he'd replied, without enquiring the reason she never provided—and was currently hidden in her archives, where it would remain, Lilith decided she would go in earlier. She had promised to make it up to him, exactly thrice that day furthermore including her verbal claims, to say nothing of all the other instances she had skipped out due to a myriad of other unfortunate events.

On a whim, she asked in the gang's group if anyone wanted to grab brunch at Juliet—her treat. It wasn't just about the eggs Benedict she was craving, or the onion soup she loved (no offense to Cook). With its wooden furniture, hanging vines, and unmatched crockery to match its unmatched menu, it had this quaint charm she couldn't explain. It also had a view of the river, still more fetching from seats on the roof, and served ice cream from Frostbite, albeit at double the price.

Everything there was at least twice as expensive as at Pop and not quite affordable for the average undergraduate. Lilith always got the bill if they came, wishing to share the experience with her friends without burdening them. They wouldn't let her do it regularly, though, so she didn't suggest it often anymore.

Marcus was always down for anything she paid for. Archie would be there, but she didn't have to buy. Did she need a ride? That would be nice, thank you. No responses from Olympia and Regulus, both of whom were probably curled up alongside someone in a bed that belonged to none of them. Nor Clemens; if Lilith had to guess, he was fighting his neighbour's cat, whom he was watching, into a bath. Athena, she knew, was at her annual summer job at the Academy's administrative office, where she had a flexible lunch hour but was apparently drowning in matriculation documents for next year's intake.

Calling the maître d' on his personal line, Lilith reserved a table for three on the roof and a parking space in their private garage. Archie was downstairs in fifteen minutes, and though his message insisted she did not rush, Lilith was stressed out as she flew around her room in search of a laptop sleeve she hadn't used in years. Not finding it, she gave up, but instructed Mae to continue looking as she raced down to his car. The naked device clutched in her hand stirred Archie's curiosity, and he frowned at her explanation.

"Haven't you already made up enough with all those late nights?"

As he checked for traffic before pulling them smoothly onto Presidential Place, Lilith stared at his focused profile. It had totally slipped her mind that Snow had mentioned he'd make it up to her, too.

"I still have work to do" was all she mustered.

"I thought we could go for a picture. You haven't seen that film you wanted to since giving away your premiere tickets, no?"

Captain Nemo. Her birthday gift to Pontius Penworth.

"We can watch it tonight. That way, everyone can come."

Lilith heard the beat but didn't take it to heart. Drivers, as she had learnt, needed to take note of a great many things. Conversation was not, and should not be, their top priority when behind the wheel.

"Sure," said Archie.

At the next red light, he whipped out his cordless, typing furiously. It wasn't for particularly long, but the light changed, and the driver behind was an impatient one. Chucking the gadget into the storage compartment on his interior door handle, Archie responded to the honking by accelerating to eighty kilometres an hour before gradually slowing to the speed limit of sixty, which she had never known him to breach.