After Coffee (Luther and Darcie)

Luther was a very paranoid man.

He worried constantly about every type of attack that was even vaguely feesable. So it was not really a surprise that he'd altered the tracking charm he'd placed on Darcie to track her mood. That way he would know that if something was wrong with her. He'd gotten the alert that she was distressed. Not in physical danger, but someone had upset her greatly.

Instead of just rushing straight over to the coffee shop he first stopped by the Faerie Glade to pick up one of every flower in the glad into one large bunch. He disapparated to the entrance of the coffee shop with the flowers transfigured into a newspaper. He sat down opposite Darcie with a small smile,

"Hello Darcie... you're looking rather sad..." he changed the newspaper back into the large bunch of flowers, "I was thinking that maybe these could help to cheer you up?"

Darcie had been rushing out of the coffee shop, Tigon in her arms, when she almost bumped into someone, as soon as that someone spoke her name she knew that it was Luther and she could not help but feel a little bit happier about what happened.

When he said she didn't seem happy Darcie looked up at him and her black eyeliner was smudged all down her cheeks, at this point in time she had to agree with him that she was not very happy at all, and she could not stop crying for the life of her. Even if she wanted to as Tigon was more than a little wet.

"Yes im a little sad..." she said with a small smile "But you neednt have bought me flowers Luther, they're beautiful though."

Luther had to admit that her rushing into him on her way out was not exactly something that he'd expected even though he had been given the warning by the charm. Seeing her so visibly upset and in so much pain, Luther wrapped his arms around her in a hug at he stroked her hair gently,

"You're more than a little sad and that's okay Darcie." he told her quietly, "As for the flowers... I thought they would be nice for you."

He smiled a little bit and looked the slightest bit sheepish,

"Also... well..." he looked a little bit nervous, "I got you other things in case the flowers didn't work... chocolates, some expensive hot chocolate and a trip to a beach if you wanted to."

Darcie was a little surprised when Luther wrapped his arms around her and hugged her, she had not thought that he would do that especially because they had only really met once or twice before, although she was very glad he was coming to be more friendly with her.

"Well thank you, they are nice for me, but you're squishing Tigon." Darcie smiled, pointing to the cat she was cradling in her arms, who mewed indignantly at Luther as Darcie managed to make space for her in the hug.

Without meaning to let them, Darcie's eyes widened and she couldn't help but wonder why he would have gotten all of these things for her, tilting her head to one side Darcie asked;

"Thats very nice Luther but why did you think to get me all of these things, you know I would just be happy with having a nice talk with you." she smiled.

Seeing Darcie's surprise, Luther could only see the surprise and reacted. If she was surprised then it might be because his hug was unwelcome. He broke away looking a little bit ashamed,

"Sorry if the hug was inappropriate." he said quietly before kneeling down to be at eye-level with Tigon. The two stared at each other for a moment before Tigon licked his nose. Luther stood up again, smiling slightly, "I think he's forgiven me."

When she asked him why he had gotten her all of the stuff he looked a little bit sheepish and a small amount of red appeared in his cheeks,

"Well... it's been a long time since I've had a friend Darcie I just... I just wanted to make sure that something I did made you happy again..."

Darcie giggled a little and threw her arms around Luther, poking him on the nose before drawing away and standing at a respectable distance once again, she couldn't believe that he was so unsure about her, hardly anything made her upset.

"Well then I don't think SHE is going to be very impressed with you if you think that shes a boy Luther, you silly, and I also happen to like all types of hugs, so it wasn't unwelcome at all."

Seeing Luther blush made Darcie giggle again and she poked his cheek where he was flushing, it was so sweet of him to think of her so much, and to want to please her;

"You know you don't need all of these things to make me happy again, I just need a good chat with you, in the warm, do you want to come out for a coffee with me, or come home?" she asked.

Luther blinked a little bit when Darcie launched herself at him in a hug but the giggle made him smile a little bit and hug her back. He was glad she was such a hug-y person, it felt nice after years of isolation. He looked down at Tigon,

"Sorry madam I was labouring under a misconception. Please accept my humblest of apologies." he told the cat before smiling up at Darcie, "Well then I'll be sure to try and hug you more often. If you enjoy my kind of hugs."

When she poked his cheek, highlighting his blush, he almost blushed more but was able to control himself. Luther wanted to make her happy because she made him happy and to his mind it was the least he could do,

"Well I just wanted to be sure... like I said it's been awhile since I've really had a friend." he said sheepishly before smiling, "Come on back inside for now. I'll buy you a hot chocolate. Then later I can take you to my house and make you an even better one."

Darcie giggled a little when Luther talked to the cat, she didn't understand why she seemed to misbehave for Mikhail so...but then as she thought about him, her eyes grew sadder again and she found herself replaying over the conversation to see if she had sad anything wrong.

"I do enjoy your kind of hugs, they're lovely, and I think you need to give more out, it makes you happy to give them." she smiled gently "You need one of those 'Free Hugs' shirts."

Luther seemed so darn cute when he wanted to make her happy and to keep her friendship strong, it would be nice to have a friend that was so interested in her own happiness, although it would be awfully strange.

"A hot chocolate sounds fantastic." she smiled broadly and bounced back into the cafe, waving to Niobe who was a little bit surprised to see her back again but smiled back anyway "Niobe is one of my friends, she's the waitress here and very nice."

Luther didn't know why but animals just seemed to get along with him pretty well. He would have thought with the mixed scent of machine and man that they'd stay away from him but the opposite was true. He wasn't about to question it, he loved animals. As he stroked Tigon he caught the sad look in Darcie's eyes,

"Well thank you. I don't think many people would come up for a free hug from me I'm afraid Darcie." he smiled crookedly, "They tend to be afraid that I'd crush them with my arms by accident. Strangely enough you're the only one who doesn't."

It was going to be hard to ensure that he kept Darcie happy considering his inexperience with having friends, especially friends who were women, but it would be a fun little journey for the two of them,

"Alright then lets see if they can make a good one." he agreed and followed her into the cafe. When she waved to a waitress, Luther glanced at the woman for a second before nodding, "Niobe Maestas right? I know of her from Viktor."

Darcie didn't like to think that she had made Luther think of himself in a negative way once more, and she hung her head, feeling more than a little guilty about the whole situation, but she bit her lip and smiled when he seemed happy that she was not like the others.

"I guess that just makes me even more special than normal then," she giggled "Which makes me feel pretty good about myself, but all those other people are silly, you give the best hugs."

Nodding her head Darcie smiled and was glad that he had heard of Niobe, she had been one of the people who had gone to see her in the play that she had put on, it was wonderful.

"Did you happen to see the play she acted in, Phantom of the Opera? She was an amazing Christine!" Darcie grinned "I'm so jealous she can sing so well. I cant do anything like that at all."

When another waitress came over she smiled and ordered a hot chocolate waiting for Luther to order hers.

Luther could see that his words, while nothing but the truth, had hurt Darice a little bit. He smiled a little bit and cupped her cheek gently in his hand. His thumb lightly stroked her cheek,

"Be of good cheer Darcie. I would rather have one hug from you than a hundred hugs from others." he told her with a smile before chuckling, "You are a very special person Darcie. I like to think I'm getting better at hugs."

He didn't know much about Niobe, he knew that her and Viktor were an item but he didn't have much in depth research on her. Perhaps he'd have to rectify that later but right now it didn't matter,

"No I'm afraid I didn't." he replied, he really was a little bit disappointed. He liked The Phantom of the Opera, "Shame I like that play. As for you my dear, everyone has their talents. Yours just aren't the same as hers."

He ordered a coca cola from the waitress. Thankfully she understood what it was.

Darcie blushed a little bit and moved her head away from Luther when he stroked her cheek, it was strange for her to bring someone out of their shell so much and she was not going to stop him although she wondered why he had decided to touch her in that way.

Maybe he liked her? She thought with a small smile developing on her lips, although she dismissed the thought, after all, she was just silly old Darcie, nobody ever liked her like that.

"You are getting better at giving hugs!" she smiled happily "You can practice all you like on me until you are the best hugger this side of Berlin." Darcie giggled.

With a little laugh escaping her lips Darcie shook her head and sipped at her drink; "What am I possibly good at apart from Soothsaying? Which let's be fair isn't getting me very much interest at the moment." she pouted.