( she'd done well for awhile, keeping to herself, brushing over that tug within her that wondered, always wondered where he might be, if that glowering red of headlights lingering outside her apartment building was him, the rare rumble of her phone tangled within her sheets in the middle of the night. she knew better; every time she knew better. but it didn't keep her from indulging the idea. that sliver of hope she couldn't quite cut off, that the last time she'd seen him could never really be the last.

he catches his reflection in the coffee just as a meager waitress comes over with a fresh pot. she accepts with a soft nod, and just as quietly as she'd come, she goes. lithe fingers meet each side of the mug, reveling in the heat that's there. her own pause doesn't come from chasing an honest tongue—how many times she'd caught herself wanting to share something with him, and when he sits before her now, she just... wants to be. )

Guess I missed you too. ( it's that playful bite they share so well, and while the smirk that finds one edge of her lips is tired, strained, it's there. )

Some part of me thinks it'd be nice. Leave the city, become someone else... anything else. ( she draws in a breath, shoulders pulling into a thoughtful shrug as tongue clears across her lips. ) It's only a matter of time before you catch up with yourself.