one for the price of two [poesy]

Without meaning to, Poesy gave a nervous laugh in response. Hunter was probably right and he had a point. She just couldn't really think of a reason why people would want to buy rats - unless to feed them to their pet snakes. Her stomach churned.

It didn't matter, though. She offered Hunter a small and sympathetic smile as she nodded. Hunter needn't say it. The wounds were still fresh with a lot of people and it was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that he needn't be hiding his heritage but what did she know? She'd never been a target. Poesy laughed, easier this time as she returned his grin. "Smart," she added, tapping her temple for emphasis. While her shop was technically wizard-safe, she didn't know if it was muggle-safe.

Poesy didn't so much blush as turn the colour of a sunburned tomato. Her bright eyes widened in panic. Was she flirting? She meant "we" in the biblical sense, of course. "No!" She blurted out as the blush spread all the way to the tips of her ears. Fear was rising as her heart sped up and there was a faint ringing in her ears. Poesy was about to be tipped over the edge before she caught the sparkle in Hunter's eye and she let out a big sigh of relief.

Maybe she was flirting. A little bit. It was accidental but not unpleasant. Through no fault of his, she did feel a bit daft. Blinking at him, she chewed on her lower lip before sipping her tea. She cradled the mug between her hands, finding comfort in the way the heat seared her palms. "Maybe a little bit," she admitted with a small smile which she hid behind the rim of her cup.

She laughed quickly. "You're a modern man," she observed. "I doubt you can't handle it. I have one," she added and tried to fix her face before it told how she really felt about her sibling. Poesy loved Constance but she didn't particularly like her. "Constance. She's a few years younger. I didn't do much nappy changing," she remarked. "She spent most of her time throwing them at me," she admitted with a wan smile.

"Candid," she echoed with a grin. That was codeword for "messy". Upon hearing that Hunter wouldn't be taking the photograph, Poesy sat up a little straighter. "You won't?" She asked, sounding disappointed. She'd feel a lot more comfortable if he was the one wielding the camera. "But you will be there?" She asked, needing to make sure. Quickly, she snorted into her tea. "Not my style," she said truthfully and with a touch of derision. She'd dated a good looking photographer with a French accent before and she made sure she'd burned that bridge.

There was something flickering between them, like electricity, simmering. It was probably all in her head, though. It was early and she'd been spooked so it was something she was making up. Her gaze lingered a fraction too long before she remembered where she was.

Unable to help herself, Poesy's face creased when Hunter so casually spoke about his home when he was younger. She was a terrible person. She'd been holding onto some sort of teenage grudge about her upbringing when people like him would have killed to have a nice house in the countryside. His mum was mentioned briefly and she could only imagine what she'd been through. It was a sobering thought - she needed to get over herself. Fast.

Hunter reached for her hand and she turned it, palm upwards, ready to take his but he'd changed his mind. Rather than let it bother her (it did), she folded them together and rested her hands in her lap quickly as she cleared her throat, her full attention on him as he spoke. Her nerves were still jangling. It was like she'd been bounced around in a pinball machine. He spoke about how smart rats were and she simply offered him a bemused smile because no, she did not. But she believed him.

Poesy looked across at Freddie who was happily sitting on the windowsill, meowing at a pigeon. "Can you train cats?" The blonde asked Hunter with wide eyes. The phrase dogs have owners, cats have staff bumbled around her brain. She frowned at the fluffy white cat. She didn't want to burst Hunter's bubble but she had a sneaking suspicion Freddie wouldn't give a flying fart in space about behaving.

In theory, it sounded great. If Freddie could stay on the floor, not knick food, chew holes in her socks or come when he was called, it'd be ideal. "We can definitely try," she finally agreed with a smile. It couldn't be that hard, surely? "It's a date," she replied quickly with a smile, not missing the undertone. If Hunter wanted to make this training a weekly thing, Poesy would be thrilled. That way, she could spend time with him, too. And Freddie, of course. "Do you think I should get him a little bell?" She mused. If he wasn't going to respond to his name, she'd at least have some idea where he was.

Yeah, Jimmy was smart. Street-smart, and that was more important than the other kind, in Hunter's opinion. That was what got them through the war unscathed, how he'd managed to hide those scared little kids who realised they couldn't go back to Hogwarts and known where they would be relatively safe. There was a sadness in his eyes as there always was when his thoughts turned to the war, and he was glad for the distraction.

Even if he was afraid he'd upset Poesy for a minute. Hunter was about to say he'd been teasing when she realised it for herself. Though...suggesting that someone was flirting...technically that was flirting in its own right, so as he flirting with her..? Well, if he was, it was pretty enjoyable. He raised one hand, holding thumb and forefinger a tiny distance apart “just a little bit..?” he asked, feigning innocence, though when she said he was a modern man...

He liked that. Didn't even stop to consider whether it was true, but he like the way it sounded. Yep, that was Hunter, a totally modern wizard, climbing out of windows to go for breakfast at stupid-o-clock in the morning, in the company of a cat. It would make a good story, actually. Pity he wrote reports rather than fiction...

“Oh Merlin, that sounds...” Hunter's face showed exactly what he thought that sounded like, though he was trying not to laugh. Maybe being an only child was the best option! “Do you get on any better these days, now she's grown up?” he asked, oblivious to the probability that this might not be a good topic of conversation.

“Hey, I could take photos if you like...” Hunter said. He supposed he could borrow a camera, but whether they would get any decent  pictures, given his general lack of experience in that field, was another matter. It was becoming clear to him that Poesy was definitely a behind-the scenes sort of person. The kind of someone who loved helping others and making them happy but who was never going to be comfortable in the public eye. “ I think you'd be a lot better off with a photographer who knows more than which end of the camera to look into, though. I'll be there, though. Especially if you make pancakes again” he added hopefully.

He noticed her face change when he mentioned where he'd lived as a kid though, and mentally withdrew a little. It was okay. He was used to people being shocked that he hadn't grown up in a pretty little cottage somewhere, and felt it said more about them than him. Hunter felt he couldn't have been more fortunate during his childhood. Sure, there hadn't been a lot of money, but he'd been surrounded by parents who loved him, and Jimmy's friends, and lots of fun. He said nothing though. It was only a look after all.

Besides, he was enjoying spending time with Poesy and didn't want to say anything that might make her not want to invite him back. Even if he didn't really have the first clue how to train cats, he was sure they could figure it out between then. How hard could it be, anyway? “I don't know, but cats are intelligent. The trick is to persuade them that they want to do something, rather than make then think they don't have a choice. See, Jacko knows she'll get another treat later if she stays outside, so she'll decide to do that. So if we convince Norman...Freddie I mean that he'd rather be on the floor that the counter, that kind of thing...” Once again, Hunter innocently proved that he knew very little about cats.

“Okay, I'll bring the cat treats. What d'you think, mate? Cheese flavour?” he asked, turning to the fluffy white cat who paid no attention whatsoever. He continued to pretend to include the cat in the conversation “Hear that? You're going to get a nice collar with a bell, so all the pigeons know you're coming” That wasn't the main purpose of it, but if Freddie was going to be a house cat they should probably discourage him from chasing birds just for fun. He turned back to Poesy "Maybe I'll bring some chocolates, too" he added on a whim "You know, to say thanks for breakfast..."

Hunter held his hand up and Poesy cracked a grin, genuinely feeling light and airy. Swiftly, she reached across the table. With a gentle touch, she widened his fingers a little bit before retracting her hand. "Just a smidge more than that," she replied with a smile as she tucked some hair behind her ears. This wasn't really flirting. Poesy didn't know how to flirt. She wasn't so much subtle as she was cripplingly awkward. She hadn't gained any boyfriends with her feminine wiles.

But it felt nice. She was buoyant and there was something akin to champagne bubbles in her stomach - light and fizzy and pleasant. It was probably nothing but she was still excited.

"It's okay, it's funny, you can laugh," Poesy admitted with a playful eye roll as she blew across her tea. Rather than respond to Hunter's question, she pulled a grimace before she could fix her face. "We see each other a couple of times a year," she went on to explain, mainly Christmas and birthdays. "Connie thinks that's too frequent." Poesy didn't sound upset, just a bit tired. "We're very different. I know the expression is chalk and cheese, but we're more like oil and water." And that was putting it mildly. They just didn't mix.

Shrugging it off, she offered him another smile. "Ah," she laughed, looking down. "Maybe get the photographer, then. I need all the help I can get to look normal," Poesy replied, her bright blue eyes wide in faux shock before she snorted with laughter. He mentioned pancakes and she nodded. "Of course," she replied graciously. "Any time. I owe you one," she reminded him gently. By any time, she really meant it. He was definitely welcome.

Swiftly, Poesy leaned forward a little with rapt attention and mentally kicked herself for not taking notes. Cats were intelligent, noted. She'd never owned any sort of pet as a child. She was sort of like the anti Snow White - animals didn't run to her, they ran from her.

"Oooh," she cooed gently as though Hunter's words made perfect sense. Maybe cats were a lot like people in that respect. It was easier to get them to do something they enjoyed than to try and stop them from doing it completely. They were more receptive if they thought it was their idea. She nodded as though everything had suddenly become crystal clear. It made perfect sense. He mentioned his rat casually and Poesy's eyes slid towards the door automatically to just make sure she was still outside like Hunter said she would be. Then she flashed him a sheepish grin.

"Norman?" She asked as she sliced into her pancakes and chewed, amused and heartened by him naming the stray cat, too. "We could call him Ned," Poesy offered with a casual shrug. "Smoosh the names together or something," she added, keen not to be a single cat parent and leave Hunter out of the development of the furball. She was actually insane.

She laughed again, genuinely, high and tinkling as Freddie was included in the conversation. "A cute little blue one or something," she offered. "It'd match the jumper I got him." As soon as that little nugget of information was offered, she turned a deep red shade. "I thought it'd be funny," she admitted in a whisper. "It definitely was not. I've got the scratches to prove it."

Her blush of embarrassment faded, only to be replaced by one of pleasure. "You really don't have to," she insisted quickly as she chewed her lower lip.  "But I like the ones with bits of fruit in it," Poesy offered helpfully. She liked the ones with chunks of strawberries and raspberries or chopped nuts or...well, anything. Looking up, she caught his eye and flashed him another grin. "But we can start the training whenever you have time," she told him with a nod, adding too much jam to her pancake in the process. "Maybe after I close up? It'll be nice and quiet." And they'd be alone. As if to prove a point, Freddie turned around and curled his tail, rudely brushing it across her stack of pancakes.

"That much, really?" Hunter was enjoying himself. It was well worth being woken at such an unearthly hour for the fun he was having, not to mention the breakfast. He took another couple of bites of his rapidly-diminishing pancakes, intending to finish them before they got cold. He had a feeling Poesy would offer to cook more, but he didn't want to take advantage. The reporter was quite happy to accept the free snacks and drinks that were generally on offer at sporting events, but from a friend was another matter entirely.

Did that mean Poesy was a friend? Yes, he decided firmly. Especially if they were now joint cat-parents, as they seemed to be, not to mention sharing family tales. Maybe being an only child was best. Certainly Hunter had gone through the phase of wanting a brother or sister when he'd been quite small, never considering that the phantom sibling might be someone he didn't get on with at all. At least this way he didn't have the disappointment of having a family member who didn't want anything to do with him. "That's kind of sad, though" he said, subconsciously mimicking Poesy and blowing on his own drink to cool it. He was glad they didn't linger on the subject, and pleased he'd convinced her that a photographer was an essential for any sort of publicity effort. Actually, he might try doing an interview with Poesy and seeing if the Prophet were interested. Nice little up-and-coming cafe was the sort of feelgood story they might go for to fill a few column inches.

"Naah...I kind of like Freddie. It suits him" Hunter briefly wondered whether they were both wrong in assuming the little cat was in fact male, but he supposed Freddie could fit a girl cat more easily than Norman. Definitely the right choice! "Yeah, blue would go nicely with his fur..." he began, and then his mouth actually dropped open (it was a good thing he wasn't eating just then). Was she actually insane? "You bought a jumper...for the cat..?" he managed, sounding faintly appalled and telling himself firmly not to say anything else.

Ah. Not insane, just...not very experienced with animals. Hunter tried to imagine putting a jumper on one of his rats...actually, there was no comparison, Jacko would assume it was a new trick she was supposed to learn and would probably put her little head through the neck hole just out of curiosity. It helped that the rats trusted him of course. If he tried to dress a wild rat he would get "scratched? Oh, no" he exclaimed, reaching out and taking her hand to examine for scratchmarks before he could stop himself. He held it just for a moment before muttering "sorry" and releasing her hand again. Again, he subconsciously mimicked her movements, adding maple syrup to his own pancakes...

Chocolates. Chocolates were a much better topic of conversation. "Okay, I'll see what I can find later" he said. It had been a couple of weeks since he'd visited his mother, he realised. It would be a good excuse to buy a box for her and apparate up there with them tomorrow. But before then "I could do this evening. If you like" he offered "what time do you close up?" It felt a bit odd, asking what time she closed when she hadn't officially opened yet. For most people, the day had barely begun. Then he added "Make sure Freddie's inside though, otherwise I can just see us wandering the streets for hours, looking for him to find out where he's gone to find his supper!"

"Near abouts," Poesy told Hunter cryptically with a quick smile, breaking eye contact as she looked out of the window. It was fun. They weren't saying a lot but, to her, that said volumes. It was easy and playful and she absolutely did not expect him to ask her out on a date because he looked far too sane for that. Plus, he'd heard about her trainwreck of an evening speed dating...but what if he did?

The other smile she offered him wasn't sad, just a little small. Sipping her tea, she shrugged as nonchalantly as she could manage. "It's not so bad," she assured him. The distance between her and her sister had some benefits. Now that she'd left home, Connie had no one to blame for her mistakes because they were all her own. "I can't miss what I never had," she added gamely, alluding to her never really having a "normal" family experience.

Slicing into her pancakes, she laughed. "I don't think he cares either way," Poesy commented lightly as she blinked at the oblivious cat. She was quickly developing the traits of a typical cat owner - she was bending over backwards for the animal, spending too much money, getting scratches and yet, here she was, ready and willing to forgive for the off chance that he may pay her attention. The parallels between the cat and her past relationships were clear as day.

But sensing Hunter's reaction to the jumper comment, Poesy's eyes widened. "Well, yeah," she mumbled as embarrassment flooded in, causing her to wriggle in her seat in pure shame. Looking back, he was right - how much of a plank was she? She swallowed and chewed her lower lip anxiously. "I'd seen photographs that Muggles take, dressing up their animals. I thought he might be cold," she admitted, forgetting about how much fur Freddie actually had. "I was inches away from buying a sailor costume," she admitted, grimacing. "It came with a little hat."

She hadn't been expecting Hunter to inspect her wounds but she let him take her hand willingly, relaxing at his touch as she looked down at their joined hands. His touch was very gentle, almost experimental. She flicked her eyes up to his face to catch a glance before clearing her throat again. "They're fine," she added with a quick grin as she rotated her hand, showing him her palm as the back rested in his and then back again, palm to palm.

They were still red but healing, a traditional cat scratch where poor Freddie had grabbed her and flicked, bunny kicking at her with his feet. Poesy was careful to keep her hand still and relaxed but she caught his apology. She parted her lips to tell him that it was perfectly fine and he should definitely do that again but the moment had passed and it didn't seem appropriate.

She was still smiling as she pulled her hand back to safety. Almost instantly, she nodded, maybe a little too eagerly as he said he'd call back later. "Yes," she answered, just to clarify. "Around six," Poesy replied. Heck, she owned the coffee shop, she could close right now but she needed to just chill out. Hunter really needn't bring her chocolates. Him attempting to help her understand their pet was payment enough. But if there were going to be raspberry ruffles…

She laughed again, genuinely tickled by his remark. "It's been a while since I've taken up jogging but I think I can tempt him back inside with a few cheese treats." Here, she waited a beat. "Could I tempt you back inside with some cheese treats?" She asked Hunter innocently, catching his eye and then looking back down at her plate as though she was busy cutting up her bacon.

"That makes sense" he said, nodding thoughtfully as he lifted the cup to his lips and took a long drink " When I started at Hogwarts...I mean, I knew that it was pretty unusual to have grown up in squats and transient housing instead of having a posh little house with a garden and my own bedroom, but it was still weird, the looks I got from other kids to begin with. You know, like they pitied me or thought I was missing out. Really, I thought they were the ones who were missing out because they had no freedom"

Hunter sensed that Poesy wasn't being truthful though, which was why he'd shared his own experience. He had a feeling that she wished she did have a better relationship with her sister. A bit like he wondered sometimes what it would be like to meet his biological father, though knowing what he did of the man he thought most of the time that it was best to remain comfortably anonymous in Britain, with his name that had been taken off a road sign and doing exactly what he wanted.

Which, thankfully, didn't include trying to put a jumper on a cat. Hunter knew he shouldn't have looked quite so appalled, but it was to late to backtrack now. He actually snorted with laughter at the thought of the cat in a sailor suit, with or without a hat and was about to say something about that being why people had babies, but managed to stop himself in time. "He might get cold in winter..." Hunter suggested, trying to be diplomatic as he glanced across at the cat who was now sitting in a windowsill washing his own bottom with fastidious attention to detail "but maybe just stick with the collar to begin with? Once he's used to that, you could..." Could what? Dress the cat in an evening suit complete with waistcoat and tie? Hunter felt himself grinning again as his voice tailed off.

He'd grimaced at the healing scratches on Poesy's hand, but it wasn't until after he'd let go that he realised they were staring at each other and he had the fleeting thought that he should have held on for longer. He banished it quickly and nodded. "Okay. Well, I could come over at say...five past?" he suggested, and then laughed. He was sure she'd see it as good-natured rather than flirting. Because they weren't really flirting of course, just talking about making sure Freddie stayed safe and behaved himself, Hunter reminded himself firmly, even as he was also thinking about where to go to find suitable chocolates. He turned his attention back to his rapidly disappearing breakfast before he said anything else, but then he was quickly distracted by Poesy's next comment.

"You could...but it's probably best not to put them in a dish on the floor. I'm actually pretty well housetrained" he suggested, trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably "or you could just try waving blueberry pancakes and bacon outside my window..." Yes, that was undeniably flirting, and he decided he didn't care. It was fun, and there was no law against having fun with a friend. Even if that fun did involve training her cat so it stopped trying to scratch her hands to pieces. 

Poesy found herself smiling gently as Hunter spoke - she liked the rise and fall of his voice. As soon as he said the kids at school had pitied him, she tried to fix her face. It was the natural thing to do, to comfort someone who was less fortunate than herself...though it didn't sound like he had been. Poesy had a posh little house with a garden and her own bedroom but Hunter's childhood sounded a lot better. "You turned out okay," she stated, a weak jab at a joke to break any uncomfortable air before she grinned to show she was kidding.

She wanted to know more. Her complaints about Connie now sounded like the whining of a stroppy toddler. "Freedom sounds nice," she added lightly as she drained the last of her tea and placed her mug down gently, deciding that Hunter was a rather lovely young man.

She grinned lopsidedly, pleased and flattered that he was playing along. Or humouring her. "Exactly," she nodded - Freddie could get cold. "Especially if he's splitting his time between us," she offered. Or any other of their neighbours. Following Hunter's gaze, Poesy wrinkled her nose as she got a full-frontal view of the cat's goolies. "We should put both of our addresses on it," she offered as she dipped her pancake piece into too much syrup. "I don't know why you're laughing," she flicked her bright eyes up to his. "You're helping me get him into his elf costume in a few months," she winked.

Maybe she was imagining it (she was) but she bit down softly on her lower lip as her mouth suddenly became dry. Her skin was tingling but she was just slowly going insane. She hadn't been touched by anyone in such a long time, her body was just remembering how it felt.

Five past six, Hunter had said, and panic gripped her. She needed to shower. And get changed. And put makeup on to make herself look a bit more human. Oh. He was kidding. Poesy let out a shaky laugh as she rolled her eyes in jest. She'd at least have to ditch her apron and find something cute to wear. "Five past it is," she agreed with a smile and a firm nod, her foot bouncing underneath the table in her tell-tale sign that she was excited.

She had to admit, though - she'd been heavy-handed with the cheese treat comment and wanted to bang her head against the table. But Hunter, being the absolute diamond geezer that he was, simply rolled with the punches as a swell of affection washed over her.

She snorted loudly, clasping her hands over her mouth as she flushed deeply, sounding like a piglet. Now she was embarrassed. "Sure," she added demurely. "It'd give you a sore back anyway," Poesy added lightly with a small smile as though they were sharing a private joke and it was nice that they were.

"Well, I know where you live," came the light reply as she smiled, gathering their plates as she turned to carry them over to the counter as every fibre of her being tried not to look over her shoulder as she stacked them, wiping her hands on a tea towel. She didn't want the bubble to burst but she had to open up and Hunter probably had lots of important things he needed to be doing. Poesy hesitated. She hated saying goodbye.

Abandoning the dishes, she stepped back over to the table, reaching out to stroke Freddie who chirped in response. "So, I'll see you later?" She asked Hunter, checking and double checking again. Poesy suddenly became very aware of her hands and wasn't sure what to do with them, so she simply folded them behind her back as the tips of her ears turned pink.

Somehow while they'd been talking Hunter had found the time to devour most of his breakfast. Although it was still early and he didn't really count himself as a morning person, he decided he wouldn't mind being woken up at the crack of dawn more often if this was what happened as a result. "See, I've got you fooled" he said with a grin. Really, on the whole Hunter was happy with his life. He had no desire for money, or fame, or a high-powered job. He noticed that Poesy looked briefly sad when he talked about his childhood, but it had only been for a moment. She wasn't the sort of person who insisted on imagining that he'd somehow missed out on something because he hadn't lived in a solid house and been given a restrictive bedtime.

"It was. It is" he corrected himself "I know I shouldn't, but feel sorry for the people who have to rush off to their jobs and can't just go for breakfast on the spur of the moment like this..." he actually did mean it, but he knew a lot of people found his world view a little odd. Even the idea of owning 50% of a cat was more commitment than Hunter had expected to be dealing with. It was fine, though. Poesy could be the parent who catered to their feline child's every need. Hunter would be the parent who let it stay up late and offered cheese for breakfast because he'd forgotten to buy cat food.

"Wait...what?" Putting both their addresses on a collar was one thing but an elf costume? "You do actually like having skin on your hands yes?" he asked, and now he couldn't stop laughing. Okay, so maybe in a few months the cat would consider Poesy enough of a surrogate mother that he wouldn't mind being dressed up, but all the same... "I guess he'd make a good mascot for the shop that way. If you could persuade him to sit still long enough to be photographed" Hunter suggested, even as he hoped that he wasn't going to have to help dress the cat. He doubted he would be able to keep a straight face for long enough to be any use at all.

He drained his cup, finishing just before Poesy did, and feeling a small unexpected twinge of regret that this pleasant time was coming to an end. What if he came back this evening and they weren't so relaxed, and they couldn't find anything to talk about? That would be disappointing...perhaps he should just go now and keep the memory of the morning as a perfect memory.

But there was something...he wanted to come back. "Yeah...that's true...I'd have to get someone to massage it for me" he said, genuinely not realising what he'd implied until after the words were out. He grinned and looked down at his empty plate, momentarily and unusually lost for words. It was probably a good thing that Poesy decided to clear the table then. It gave Hunter a moment to collect his thoughts, though what happened was that Freddie let out a delighted feline chirrup and daintily stepped onto the table, sniffing out and devouring a small scrap of bacon that had somehow got caught beneath one of the plates.

"You and this one both" he agreed, tickling the little cat's head and being surprised by the amount of force with which Freddie rubbed against his hand. Hunter got to his feet at the same time Poesy returned to the table and the cat immediately switched alliegance. "Yeah, I'll see you later...see you both later" he said, and then hesitated, wondering if he should shake hands (too formal), kiss her cheek (too forward?) or something else entirely.

Hunter opted for the something else, once again petting Freddie's furry head "You look after her until later, you hear me?" he said to the cat, and then, to Poesy "thanks for breakfast. It's been fun." He waited just a second longer in which their eyes met and then he headed for the door, bending down as he got outside for Jacko to scramble into his hand and from there into a pocket. "Okay girl. Fancy an adventure?" he asked the rat as he walked up the street "we've got chocolates to buy..."

[out]

Poesy nodded eagerly in agreement, pausing to spear the last bit of her pancake and use it to mop up some of the strawberry jam she'd previously heaped on to it. "An old lady in Italy chastised me for doing just that," she smiled, suddenly nostalgic. "She said they worked to live and we live to work. But she also called me English so I took that with a grain of salt," she shrugged. Though not fiercely patriotic (she hadn't gotten the dragon tattoo), it was still a mild annoyance to be referred to as an Englishman. She was sure the Scots felt the same.

Hunter laughed and she couldn't help but follow suit. "I'm only kidding!" (she wasn't) but snorted all the same because yes, she might just be absolutely bonkers. "I don't think I'd be able to persuade him to do anything," she added lightly, her tone soft and wondrous, like the traditional cat owner when finding out their pet had chewed up one of their shoes. "Might be cute though," she offered with a toothy grin.

It was early for Christmas but she'd been planning since July. Her little coffee shop had to survive the festive season, it'd break her heart to see it go under in the new year. Failing now just was not an option.

But did that someone mean her? She flushed again, biting down on her lower lip as she caught Hunter's gaze. The silence that settled around them was not uncomfortable, but it was heavy with a parallel conversation. She decided to just go for it. "You'll be wanting Roman chamomile, then," she added quickly before she lost her bottle. "It's good for pain and inflammation," she scratched the tip of her nose before she grinned again quickly. "And a warm pair of hands to help." With that, she wiggled her fingers in his direction. He'd be in safe hands - literally - she was a potioneer.

Freddie butted Hunter's hand with force and then leaned into her own much more gently, his tail curling as it brushed her wrist and he sat, letting her rub the insides of his left ear patiently. Hunter stepped forward and then stopped, causing her to do the same. Should they hug? She shold do something. A high five? Poesy lingered, snapping out of it as the cat not so politely nibbled on one of her fingers.

Her insides did a flippy somersault at his words. Poesy knew he was taking the mickey, but it still made her feel warm and fuzzy and she curled her toes in her shoes. "Yeah, sure, no problem," the petite blonde blabbered, still dazed as she followed him to the door and held it open for him to exit. "Thanks for coming. And taking care of that little scallywag," she added, nodding to Freddie.

"I'll see you at five past," she joked but also deadly serious. She smiled and stepped back, offering him a cheery wave as she closed the door behind her. She rested against the wood, head tilted back as she inhaled deeply. Opening her eyes, she grinned. Unable to help herself, she let out a little shriek of delight as she bounced up and down, her body barely able to contain her excitement. In the middle of punching the air, a polite cough distracted her and she turned to see a customer waiting to enter.

She blushed all the way to the roots of her hair as she stepped back and opened the door with a sheepish grin. "Morning," she greeted them, tying her apron around her waist as they found a seat, awarding her time to indulge in a brief shame spiral. "What can I get for you?"


[done!]