Where The Love Light Gleams

December 3rd

It's just breakfast.

More than that, it's a breakfast she's done a hundred of times. With him.

They were both busy people, so they'd always make an effort to spend time with the people they love, no matter how difficult it was. Also a good way to escape the insanity of their careers for a little while. For her and Ian it was breakfast.

She remembers the first time they've done it. They were young, not quite a couple yet, but getting there. Back then, she thought breakfast dates were odd. But eventually she got it. She got how solemn it was. How great it felt to start the day with someone you really care about.

But this is not a date, right? It's just breakfast.

And yet there are butterflies in her stomach. The teenager kind.

So maybe she's in denial, just the tiniest bit. It's more like hiding, she thinks, because she's not denying that she's still attracted to him, she's just not doing anything about either. She's not blind or stupid. After all these years, he still has that charisma. No wonder people like him, and will keep on liking him. He's smart, strong and hot as hell with those knee-weakening smile. She's noticed now that he's a little too contained when it comes to his emotions, shoving them down a little too hard, but she likes that – maybe a bit too much.

She's not expecting anything from this. It's just breakfast, the same way it's always been. It's just a nice moment to catch up.

"Ready?" her younger sister asks, standing in doorway of her room.

"Yeah." She tries to make herself sound calm, normal, not nervous and breathless. Jazz's eyebrow arch tells her she's not very successful. Damn it. If she's like this in front of her sister, there's every possibility all of her feelings will be painfully on display when she's sitting across from Ian.

"Stop," Jazz grabs her shoulder. "It's just Kuya Ian."

"I know," Shin answers sheepishly, with just a touch of annoyance. "I'm trying."

But by the time the driver pulls up to the restaurant Shin has been to countless times, her stomach hasn't settled. It's ridiculous, she thinks, as she climbs out of the car.

He stands to greet her, which makes him thankfully easy to find. This time, he's the one to initiate the hug. She's sure the feeling of his arms around her would have made her more nervous if it weren't for her body's conditioned response to the smell of him.

"Morning," she murmurs into his neck.

"Hi," he answers.

Then she's stepping back, just barely brushing her mouth over his cheek.

He hands her the flowers, "for you."

She feels that damn blush in her cheeks again. It's an old habit. Nothing's changed, and yet, everything has.

"Thank you" she says as they both slide into the booth. He's already ordered her tea. She hums a little as she wraps her hands around the mug. "You remembered" she says quietly. He remembered her favorite tea. The one she told him about when he visited her in London years ago.

He looks stunned for a moment, long enough for her to catch it, before his face smooths out again. "I did." She smiles her thanks.

Then they order and talk, get caught up on each other's lives. He tells her about James, his favorite nephew. She met him two years ago when Ian's brother and his family visited London. He also tells her about James' new sister, Hanna. She knows he's been longing for something like this, a family of his own.

He learns how she's loving the low-key status she has in London. No fuss, no issues. He also learns that she's taking improv classes with her theater friends, a story she tells him with bright eyes. This makes her happy, he thinks.

It all flows so easily and she doesn't even realized they've been there for hours until he checks his watch and admits he has to attend a meeting. He offers to drive her home.

"I had a great time" he says as he pulls over in front of her house.

"Me too."

Then he pauses with an uncharacteristic hesitance. "I'll see you."

"You will," she agrees easily. "We can't avoid each other that long."

She pushes herself from the car – because that had sounded so much better in her head – and all but scampers into her house.

Sometimes, she can be such an idiot.