OOM: afternoon coffee

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Even people who pride themselves on supporting independent shops end up at Starbucks sometimes.

There's one within walking distance of Steve and Orpheus's apartment -- there are more than one if you're up to walking a bit more -- so Steve brings Felix there, so he can see what it's all about if nothing else.

It's a quiet Sunday afternoon. Steve has his sketchbook, but he hasn't opened it yet in favor of looking through a copy of the Express someone left on the table instead.

Comments

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus leans over to press a soft kiss to Steve's temple. Any other comfort he can offer he takes as given.

[mr_gaeta]

"Room 372." He smiles. "Door's open anytime."

It's the very least he can do, considering Steve opened his home to Gaeta.

"And, uh, in the meantime..." Very sheepishly, he holds out the remains of the frappucino. "Want the rest?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve laughs and takes the cup. "Happy to."

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus peers over at the drink. "Of all the things you could order..."

[mr_gaeta]

"It was in the name of cross-cultural experience," says Gaeta, as primly as he can when he's close to laughter himself. "Steve told me about them, I had to see if the poor coffee really was mistreated so badly."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve grins around the straw and then slurps loudly.

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus laughs, shaking his head. "That's not a coffee, it's a dessert," he says. "But I suppose someone has to like them.

[mr_gaeta]

"Exactly." A firm nod. "On both counts."

Beat.

"And that someone might be me, in smaller doses, every six months or so."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Any time you want one, just say the word," says Steve, beaming.

[golden_lyre]

"This is not the best this world has to offer," Orpheus points out, lest Felix get the wrong idea here.

[mr_gaeta]

"Thank you," he says to Steve. And to Orpheus, laughing, "So do I get to try the best, too?"

The coffee he inadvertently stole yesterday was pretty good, after all.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"What kind of hosts would we be if we didn't show you the best the city has to offer?"

[golden_lyre]

"I think you can take your pick as well, and we can find you whatever the best of that is."

[mr_gaeta]

He grins.

"Coffee to start," he says. "and..." A glance to the Express. It did say the exhibit wouldn't be opening for a while yet, so maybe it wouldn't be too awkward to ask:

"Do you think I could see that Air and Space Museum, too?"

It'd put some context to the awe that still gets thrown at him every so often: you lived in space?

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"I think that's an excellent idea," Steve says and looks at Orpheus for confirmation.

[golden_lyre]

Orpheus glances between them both with a smile. "I have no objections." It's Steve's city more than his own for many reasons.

[mr_gaeta]

"Great."

Museums, coffee -- it's like playing tourist, not like waiting for the all-clear after an emergency evacuation. This is a vacation, he tells himself. Relax. Enjoy it.

So long as he can manage that much, he's sure everything will be fine.