Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

“I’m a pediatric social worker! I work in a private school as a counselor and then I work for a non-profit organization for troubled kids when I’m not there.” he grinned, always eager to discuss the one thing he was most passionate about, hands moving to pile up his plate until it was very much at danger of overflowing. “I’m actually about to graduate with my doctorate in pediatric social work. I can definitely say I found the right career.”

“That’s amazing!” Lottie smiled widely as she nodded and looked up at him. “What ages do you work with?” She asked taking one of the small wraps and popping it into her mouth. “Wow, that’s impressive, nearly Doctor Crane” She smiled warmly. “And the cool doctor at that”

“Art types are the best types to be around, I think,” he teased, that signature smirk still tugging at his lips. “They can go on and on about what a piece means in its truest form, but they’re also the biggest introverts I’ve ever come across. That’s my kinda people.” Theo let out a soft, lingering sigh at her suggestion, his head nodding just once as they passed through multiple showrooms. “Lottie, don’t act surprised,” he warned, giving her a quick glance. “We’ve established on multiple occasions that I’ve had feelings for you for a while. Why wouldn’t I think of you while I’m here?”

“I think they are pretty nice to be around too. Anyone who is that passionate about something is always interesting to know” she nodded, looking around as he lead her through the different show rooms. “Oh no, no I didn’t mean it like that...I just meant this sounds like a place you come to I dunno...just be and not think about a whole lot so knowing you still do think of me makes me feel special I guess..and that you wanted to bring me here to show me it makes me happy” She gave a sheepish half shrug. “Sorry, sticking my foot in my mouth is a specialty, clearly.” She let out a soft, short laugh. “Just....thank you Teddy” she looked up at him, a small smile on her lips

~

“It’s easy to do. Especially as a woman, where we always feel inferior compared to the more masculine genders. But I think, as women, it’s our right to put our foot down. It won’t happen overnight, though.”

“You...have a really good point” She nodded as she cocked her head to the side. “It’s a work in progress for everyone really...trying to break the stereotype and all when it’s really just been the norm for so long to let it happen. But you’re right”

Finally, Jett let herself smile softly, a smile that only Lottie could get out of her at this point. It was a smile of understanding, of compassion as she listened to her friend. “Does it help if I tell you you don’t need to apologize to me for these things? I want you to be unapologetically yourself around me, if you can. I promise to do the same with you.” Jett knew that, sometimes, all it took was telling your friends that you were there for them. “Alright, alright. As long as I don’t die, we should be fine.” With that, she took a rather large bite of the treat, a near groan leaving the back of her throat as the taste hit her tongue. “Lottie, you absolute goddess.”

“Yeah....that..makes me feel a little more at ease” She admitted with a sheepish smile, “There’s not a ton of people I feel like I can be....I can count on one hand, and one of those people is my grandma so that’s kind of sad” She snorted softly. “Thank you” She added with a nod before a laugh bubbled past her lips. “I promise you won’t...just give me your honest opinion” She cocked her head to the side as she eagerly watched Jett take a bite. “Oh!” She clapped her hands excitedly. “I’m so glad they turned out well! I also did brownies, and blondies.” She motioned. “Try those next! I mean..if you want to that is”

“Hey, it got you to consider coming out, didn’t it?”  She flashed Lottie a smile.  “Hey, why invest if you have the materials to just make it yourself?  Then it’ll have some Lottie Flair, and you’ll still probably get drinks cuz you’re hot.”

“That’s...true” she laughed a little before nodding, “Also a good point...It’d give me a chance to decorate something other than cookies and cakes too” She pursed her lips in thought before a snort fell from her lips. “Yeah maybe.”

“Isn’t there studies or something on that?  Nature versus nurture?”  That hadn’t exactly been Tate’s line of schooling, but that sounded right.  “Well, I guess that just means once they enter the real world, they’re gonna get a very rude wake up call.”

“Yeah I think so...something like that” She nodded slowly. “I only took psychology back in high school though so I’m hardly an expert” she added with a snort. “That’s how it goes though, they get away with things without consequence and then suddenly boom...reality check”

“If I wasn’t so concerned that the apartment might kick me out for it, I might actually take you up on that suggestion,” he laughed.  “I’m lucky that I only live on the fourth floor - any more and I’d probably be huffing and puffing every day by the time I finally got up to my apartment.”

“That’s fair they seem to like to do things their own way and on their own timeline around here” She nodded with a slight laugh. “That’s definitely much better than the eighth floor like I am...quite the cardio work out I’m getting...which is not really wanted when I’ve just been running around my bakery all day” 

Freya breathed a small sigh of relief as the girl in front of her finally agreed to allow her to replace the object she’d so recklessly destroyed. “Yeah, of course! If I ever need a favor, I’ll make sure to call it in,” she assured the other with a warm smile and cocked her head in leading her down the street. “C’mon, there’s a store a few blocks down,” she added.

“Of course...whatever you need! Well..at least whatever I can actually help with that is” She let out a short laugh and followed quickly down the street. “Okay, perfect!”

“Tons of people don’t really account for being here, though. At least here I feel calm; it’s just about how often I want to wander into Manhattan. And, unfortunately for the both of us, that’s not very often.” Theo gave Lottie a soft smile as she linked their fingers, his feet already leading them towards another room. “There’s a painting I look at every time I’m here that reminds me of you. I’m not sure why, because it’s just a landscape, but something about the colors just scream ‘Lottie’ to me.”

“That’s fair. Most of them that are here are here to not socialize as much” She noted with a small smile. “Well...maybe we can come here more often together...whenever they get new installments and stuff. I like it here” She gave his hand a light squeeze as he lead her towards another room. “You’ve thought of me while being here?” She asked with a blush creeping up on her cheeks again before shaking her head. “Well I do love landscapes.” She noted

“It’s hard to break habits that we’ve settled into in our lives,” she began, flashing Lottie a sweet smile. “But you should never have to apologize for anything. Unless it hurts another person’s feelings or is harmful? Don’t apologize.”

“Right...that makes sense.” She nodded slowly before smiling a little. “Sometimes I get stuck in the cycle of sorry’s too where I apologize then apologize for apologizing and so on and so forth” She admitted with a soft snort

“Exactly!”  Tate gently pushed her fingers into Lottie’s shoulder.  “At the very least, come visit me at my bar.  I’ll give you a couple free drinks, as long as you don’t tell people so they think they can get the same treatment.”

Lottie scrunched her nose at Tate before smiling a little. “You don’t have to go doing all that” She laughed. “I could invest in one of those ‘buy me a drink, it’s my birthday’ pins they have or something. That way we can try conning people into tipping you”

“I know, right?  I feel like some people would rather be liked than anything else, but your kid isn’t supposed to be your friend, they’re your kid, you gotta teach them how to act, you know?”  Tate laughed a little.  “Though I guess I don’t really have a lot of room to speak on that, since I don’t actually have any.  It’s probably harder than it seems.”

“Too many parents these days want to be their kids friends rather than punish them, as if they’ll learn anything that way” She sighed a little. “Kids are a product of their environment” She wrinkled her nose. 

~

“The general assumption of people shouldn’t be the way that you see yourself,” Jett pointed out, tucking a few strands of dark hair behind their ear. “It sucks to be perceived outside of who we really are as people, to have people look at us and draw conclusions based on what they see on the outside. But you shouldn’t write everyone off that you meet, y’know? The more comfortable you feel with yourself in your own skin, the more people won’t see your flaws. Just like me.” Their shoulders lifted to their ears in a simple shrug, though they hoped the subject would shift. “Oh, you’ve tried your hand at plant-based?” they teased, reaching forward to gently pluck a cookie from the tray. “You’re not trying to poison me, are you?”

“I know, I know...it’s one of my fatal flaws” She shook her head a little with a small sigh. “Work in progress and all” She added before pushing the tray of goodies towards Jett and leaning forward to rest her elbows on the counter and her chin in her hands. “I am trying my best.” She laughed softly. “No! I would never! You’re one of the few people who visit me here on a semi regular basis and I can’t have that disappearing on me” She teased before motioning to the cookie. “So...opinions?” 

For once, he didn’t mind being surrounded by strangers. Everyone at the museum had one thing in mind, and that was to enjoy the art they were surrounded by. It brought them all together, and Theo didn’t feel the need to isolate and hide himself away. He’d been planning this date for weeks, and knowing that Lottie was enjoying it just as much as he was made him smile. “I can’t believe I never dragged you here until now,” he teased, leaning to press a gentle kiss to her lips before he pulled back, reaching for her hand. “Come. We have more to see.”

“Well I know that you’ve never been big into being around tons of people and Manhattan is full of them” She laughed softly before her eyes widened just slightly as he leaned in and kissed her. Her stomach did a somersault and her face filled with color as he pulled away and reach for her hand. “Right, yep...” She nodded, her fingers linking with his as she followed him. “What’s next then? 

“Oh trust me, I know. Thankfully, I had people who were able to talk me out of it. I could’ve ended up in a very different place in life they hadn’t managed to get through to me. That’s exactly what led me to my current career.” he smiled gently, not wanting to drone on about his job. He was so passionate that he could go on forever if someone got him started, but he didn’t want to bore the girl. “Since you helped me locate the snacks, it is only right that I let you get your fair share before demolishing the remains. Everyone else is shit outta luck for the night, though.”

“Oh and what’s your current career?” She perked up a little. She loved hearing people talk about things they loved to do or were passionate about, and by the look in his eyes it was both of those things. “Well thank you kind sir, I appreciate the thoughtfulness” She picked up a few things to fill her plate before motioning to the rest “Have at it”