NIKKI & JOE, CASUALLY | ✓

80: flower

            Someone has fed static under my skin. My leg starts to bounce the moment I have the car parked and can remove it from the accelerator though I dull it before it can infest Cece too. They've got their hands deep in their pockets, eyes flitting around the car park.

I decided this to be the best place: Weatherspoon's. In the same way that you introduce dogs in neutral territory, I didn't want to do this anywhere with history. So Spoons it is. Cause no one that's right in the head goes there.

It's not meal time so Cece won't have to struggle through eating on top of the anxiety I know they're knotted in, nor will it be too full.

My chest blooms the moment I clock Joe. She's talking to the bartender though she already has her pint in hand and don't notice us until I greet her. Teeth gems sparkle in her smile. She hurries over, forgetting her pint, and her arms slide around me; hugging her back is all I can do to not float to the ceiling.

'I'm so happy to see you,' I whisper. 'Thank you for doing this.'

'Of course. Thank you for trusting me.' She mimics my whisper until she steps past me with a smile. 'Hi, Cecilio.'

Their lips move but whatever greeting they had intended on, it's inaudible. They linger several metres behind us, looking like they might pull their head into the collar of the black button-up they borrowed from me.

'Did your train trip go okay?'

He shrugs.

'What if I go grab us a table and you order?' She pulls her hand from mine and I reluctantly let her go though I know she has the right idea about leaving Cece and me alone for a bit.

Joe is handling this like she's not got a hint of nerves in her body. Cece, on the other hand, might actually turn into black matter. Once they judge Joe to be far enough, they scuttle to my side and do their best to hide behind me.

'It'll be alright. We don't gotta do this today if you're not ready.'

Cece shakes their head. And though they remain mute and hunched over, some of the shadow fades from their aura. They shift closer to me, a lean to tell me to continue. So I take the step I need to reach the till, Cece following at a slight delay like a companion NPC in a videogame.

Since it's a quiet moment, the server is waiting for us and it's a little awkward to only greet her now. I order myself a tea and turn to Cece.

'Hot chocolate,' they whisper. Finally given up pretending to like coffee then. I order the hot chocolate as if the server didn't hear Cece herself and dig out my wallet.

Cece stops me. 'I can pay.'

'What?'

'I sold some art online.'

They dodge my baulking and dig out loose cash from their pocket because obviously, a wallet is too uncool. Swear down, everything he does is designed to give me an anxiety attack.

I pick out my loose-leaf tea from the collection while Cece waits for his chocolate and I nod at the display on the counter. 'D'you want one of these drawing kits?'

'Those are for kids.'

'You are a kid.'

The server returns with their hot chocolate and a kind smile. 'You can take one if you like.' Is she just this good at her job or did Joe tell her about the situation while waiting for us? The latter, probably. Joe has become very talkative with strangers lately.

'I don't–' they start but I've already grabbed one.

Cece nails his focus on his cocoa to make sure he don't spill any of it. I let him determine the pace we walk at until we get to the round table by the window Joe picked for us. Of course, she thought it through to pick a round table so that we aren't divided into different sides the way we would be at a rectangular one. I sit beside her and Cece sits beside me, each of us easily able to face each other but also look out to the street when wanted.