The Welcomed C/Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

[thisclinchesit]

Characters: Shoutarou and FemFrance will have their own separate thread for the first prompt, everyone is free to tag the second prompt.
Setting: The Cafeteria, afternoon-ish.
Format: Starts in prose, but I'm fine with switching to brackets.
Summary: HOT DAMN THEY GOT COFFEE IN THE CAFETERIA NOW
Warnings: Fluff-mush, some mildly suggestive flirting, maybe mild swearing depending on who shows up and how things go.


This one is closed to FemFrance.

--

Shoutarou's been busy doing exploring and research for nearly a month, as well as dealing with an eccentric British man taking up residence in his room and replacing Fletcher. The Doctor is a great fellow, but Shoutarou does miss the boy. He does hope he's okay, where-ever he wound up...

However, he would worry about that later. It was time to put the business aside for a bit - he had yet to follow up on Francisca's offer in the library, so in an effort to make it up to her, he had invited her to the cafeteria for coffee.

- - - - -

This one is open to everyone.

--

There was coffee in the cafeteria now.

Finally.

Screw all the other food, Shoutarou makes a bee-line for the coffee as soon as he finds out they have it. It apparently took him ten days to notice. Let's say that the habit of no coffee took root after a full month here, and took root pretty deep.

Once said coffee was acquired, Shoutarou finds an empty table to sit at, notebook out for later writing and looking-over,

Comments

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

Francisca had been pleasantly surprised at Shoutarou's invite for coffee, and found herself at the cafeteria perhaps a bit earlier than the time they'd arranged to meet.

Still, she was patient, so she took at seat and glanced around, waiting for Shoutarou to appear.

[thisclinchesit]

Fashionably on-time turns to fashionably-slightly-panicked when the detective realizes that Francisca had gotten here first, and that he'd made her wait. Granted, he had no way of knowing she'd be here first, but panic does not permit logic to enter.

Shoutarou approaches the table, smooth as can be. "Hope I didn't make you wait long."

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

She glances up and smiles brightly when she sees him approaching. "Ah, Shou~ Of course not."

She stood and kissed his cheeks in greeting. "I hope you have been well all this time?"

[thisclinchesit]

Shoutarou grins a bit at the greeting, and nods, removing his hat. "As well as one can be in this place, I suppose - what about you?"

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

She shrugged and reached up to smooth his hair absently. "Oh, not too badly. Could have been worse, I suppose?"

She looked around at the cafeteria again before returning her attention to him with a small smile. "So... coffee?"

[thisclinchesit]

While he couldn't help a goofy look at the hair-smoothing, the answer brought forth a small frown from Shoutarou, though he pushed it away with a smile. "Yes, yes, coffee," he answers, stepping away from the table and toward the area where said beverage is served.

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

She followed, peering around him in an attempt to see how the coffee was brewed. She commented, "For one nightmarish moment, I was worried 'this world' didn't have coffee." She shuddered at the thought and sniffed the air, a smile forming on her lips at the familiar aroma.

[thisclinchesit]

Shoutarou laughed, though it was an uneasy one. "Ahah... Try being here for over a month without it."

Said coffee was being brewed in a commercial pot, looks like - something you'd see at an average place that served coffee - get cup, push button, get coffee.

Grabbing a mug, Shoutarou filled it, then stepped away to let Francisca at it next.

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

She couldn't help the wince at Shoutarou's comment and actually looked ill for a moment. She shook it off though and went for her own cup. She was only mildly disappointed at the lack of trained barristas making the beverage, but then she didn't expect much to begin with.

She took a sip of the coffee and after having gone so long without, it tasted like a drop of heaven. "Oh la caféine bien-aimé, je vous ai manqué," she gushed, voice a low purr.

[thisclinchesit]

Shoutarou drank as well, letting out a heavy sigh, then raising an eyebrow at Francisca.

"...I don't have a clue what you just said, but I think I'm jealous of the coffee."

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

Francisca blinked and had the decency to look a bit embarassed, making a guilty little laugh. "Ah... non, you have no reason to be," she answered, leaning over to press a light kiss to Shoutarou's lips.

She then pulled back and smiled smugly as she sat, licking her lips. "Mm, though I must say, the combination of you with coffee is... délicieux."

[thisclinchesit]

He wasn't going to turn that kiss down, but he chuckled after Francisca pulled back. "Apologies - I guess my joke fell a little flat."

Following suit, Shoutarou takes a seat next to Francisca with a smirk. "Same to you - though..." His mood turns a bit more serious. "May I inquire as to the reason for 'not too badly', earlier?"

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

She shrugged and combed her hair back, coffee set down on the table. "Apologies, cher. By 'not too badly' I meant as I would say it in French - pas mal. It means that I am fine..."

She sighed and took a sip of her coffee again. "Well. As fine as can be given the situation. I suppose I could find some means of distracting myself..." she trailed off and smiled cheekily. "Perhaps I should go for a dip in that new pool, though I have no swimsuit."

[thisclinchesit]

Shoutarou let out a relieved sigh, then sipped at his coffee. "That's good to hear - though I hope you don't blame me for worrying - there's no telling what - or who - could happen in this place."

The mention of a lack of swimsuit caught him off-guard at the thought, swallowing his coffee wrong, followed by a small fit of coughing.

[champagnedelis.livejournal.com]

Francisca widened her eyes innocently and asked, "Are you alright, Shou?" She reached over to pound him on the back, just in case he did choke.

She then grinned. "I don't suppose you would fancy going for a dip with me later~?"

[spacehipster]

The Doctor was just doing his Doctor thing. Being a dork, exploring the landscape, making ridiculous faces, when he spotted his new favorite companion relaxing with his coffee and notebook.

The Doctor popped up behind Shoutarou.

"Afternoon, Sherlock! What are you up to on this fine day...actually I don't know if it's a fine day. Hard to judge the weather while indoors, you see. Of course, the expression could refer to it being a good day, a wonderful day even. Although, as we are locked in a tower, today may not be a fine day in thst regard."

The Doctor paused, thinking this over.

"Soooo, what are you up to on this hypothetically fine day?"

[thisclinchesit]

The sudden appearance of The Doctor caught Shoutarou off-guard - and knowing Shoutarou's usual luck with the situation, he's caught off-guard mid-drink. He lurches forward, spraying a fine mist of coffee, then coughing and wiping his face while the other man rambles.

"...having coffee. They finally got some in this godforsaken place after a month or so."

[spacehipster]

No apologies from The Doctor.

"Oooooooh, I think I like coffee. Maybe. It's possible. My taste buds are a bit odd this time around. Don't like apples, bread with butter, or beans, but beans are evil. They should stay away from here. Do you think they've got fish sticks and custard in the kitchen?"

[thisclinchesit]

"...'this time around'?" Shoutarou gives The Doctor a strange look.

"I'm...not sure, to be honest. I kind of honed in on coffee and didn't think to check the other items."

[spacehipster]

"...did I forget to mention that? I'm a Time Lord, yeah? And Time Lords don't die, they regenerate. I transform into a new Doctor. New face, new personality, new taste buds, and so on and so forth. You get the idea. There's a bit of glowing and other things involved, but that's the gist of it. It's how we live for so long--Time Lords that is."

The Doctor grins.

"Well, I'll go look for some food in a moment then. They might even have Jammy Dodgers."

[thisclinchesit]

Shoutarou stares for a moment, wondering for just a moment if this man is serious, or off his rocker.

"No, you didn't mention the regenerating thing the first time around." Admittedly, it sounds ridiculous. However, Shou is a man who wears bugman armor to punch people hopped up on transformation-inducing USBs, so he has no place to call stuff weird.

[spacehipster]

"It's not the most pleasant experience. A bit painful, for eveyone involved."

[thisclinchesit]

"I would imagine..." Yet he did something similar on a regular basis, though he had more control, and it was more of a superficial change, and wasn't necessarily painful.

"Rather interesting way to do things, though."

[spacehipster]

"It's normal where I'm from!" He winks. Heavy subjects are something he's rather avoid.

[thisclinchesit]

Shoutarou chuckles. "Fair enough, then."