A Café, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday

[whenshewasnice]

Apparently Natalie had a new favourite place outside her apartment: the café near her building.

She'd meant to just visit for a little bit of fake Thanksgiving last week, but the pastries were good, the tea was great, and the place itself was cozy. And maybe she needed to get out of her apartment for reasons that weren't meetings elsewhere in the city. Of course, she'd come here on the way back from a meeting, but, still.

It was a good place to unwind before going home.

Even if Natalie's way of unwinding involved sorting through emails on her phone. Whatever, her unwinding time, her rules.

[ooc: NFB, open for texts and calls and stuff!]

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[pursuedthestars]

Jim's classes were done till Friday so he was laying on his bed with his phone in hand. He hadn't heard from Natalie since her voicemail a few days ago and decided he'd send her a quick message, just to see how she was.

hey. you still alive?

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie quirked one of her faint half-smiles at the message that distracted her from her work emails. Then she snapped a photo of her half-empty cup of tea and the remains of her decadent pastry snack, and sent it to him.

Unless these were poisoned, yes.

[pursuedthestars]

just thought i'd check. hadn't heard from you in awhile.

He wasn't doing anything as cool as eating pasties so he didn't send a picture back.

[whenshewasnice]

Hadn't heard from you either, but I assumed you were alive.

She sent the text with one hand, while picking up her cup with the other.

[pursuedthestars]

okay. well. just thought i'd check and all.

Jim Kirk: not a master of small talk at the moment.

[whenshewasnice]

When was he ever?

Natalie drank some of her tea and let some time pass before sending another text.

Missed you.

[pursuedthestars]

me too.

He smiled slightly as he sent the message back.

[whenshewasnice]

She smiled too. And for a fleeting second, she considered sending something like a heart.

But that was not really her style. Or the style of this relationship.

Want to come over for a visit?

That was.

[pursuedthestars]

sure. when?

He probably would have chuckled at the heart if she had sent it.

[whenshewasnice]

Soon?

Maybe that was her version of a heart.

[pursuedthestars]

i'm sure i can make soon happen. i'm pretty free for the rest of the week.

Nothing on his agenda right now.

[whenshewasnice]

I'm the usual levels of busy. But the worst is over for today.

As was perhaps evident from the pastry and tea stuff.

[pursuedthestars]

so you want me to come today? or tomorrow?

Either was fine with him.

[whenshewasnice]

Today.

Missed him, see?

[pursuedthestars]

okay. gimme me a few hours?

The portal people were going to know him very well at the end of the year.

[whenshewasnice]

Okay. I'll be waiting.

She had to get back to her apartment and everything.

[pursuedthestars]

It took Jim a few hours but he soon showed up at her door. And he had something...well, meaningful, in his backpack that he'd brought for Natalie. Just something to tell her that he trusted her or cared or something. So, there was that to look forward to.

He knocked and waited.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie had hung out at the café for a while longer, but she'd been home (well, at her apartment, guess that counted?) for a good while by the time he was knocking.

She came to the door in a simple wornout hoodie rather than a suit. Yeah, not going anywhere else tonight. "Hey."

[pursuedthestars]

"Hey," he said, giving her a small smile. "You look comfy."

[whenshewasnice]

"That's because I am," she said, stepping out of the way so he could come in. "No heels, either."

She got enough of all that stuff while doing work things.

[pursuedthestars]

"I like when you look like this," Jim told her, stepping past and putting his bag down on the floor. "It's a good look."

[whenshewasnice]

"It's a lazy look," Natalie retorted as she closed the door, but her tone was amused, a bit. Pleased too, maybe. She shoved her hands into her hoodie pockets. "Although there's effort that goes into removing the makeup."

[pursuedthestars]

"And I like lazy looks," Jim told her, looking back at her. "Trust me. You look good."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie smiled a little, and stepped closer to him so she could give him a light little kiss. That was pretty lazy too, in its own way.

"Thanks."

[pursuedthestars]

"Welcome," he said, nodding and moving to take a seat on her couch. He stretched his legs out and sighed comfortably.