#sccb

The rain pattered hard against the window panes, blanketing the space in a wash of soothing greys and greens and drowning the quiet of the coffeeshop in its own ambience. But it wasn't enough to quiet the hammering in his heart, or hers. Jax finished up wiping down the counter and turned the faucet on to finally wash his hands of the day. The cases were emptied and food packed away, all espresso machines, steamers, and tools cleaned, floors mopped, and garbage tossed. It was his shift to close on his own this round, and he was thankful for it. His mind had been strangely calm through it all, the methodic and familiar routine numbing his mind just enough, but he could feel her eyes watching his back the entire time. Pomni had stopped typing long ago, nestled back into her seat and facing him as she nursed her favorite drink and his last order of the day. He had snuck a glance in her direction once as she looked particularly lost in her own mind, before the trip in her attention had snapped back right when he looked back down at his work. Her eyes had been glazed over, knuckles pressing to her lips warm with coffee and sugar. He had allowed his heart to backflip once at that before reeling himself back in. Jax now hung the towel back onto its hook and took a slow, deep breath to calm his mind before stepping out from behind the counter, taking his time to close the counter's door, and walking out onto the floor. His heart fluttered as he rounded the corner, seeing Pomni startle despite clearly watching for his approach, and he stifled his nerves as he stepped over to her. Carefully, he leaned one hand on the table she was sitting at, watching her eyes as they lasered in on him, both wide yet heavy-lidded as she gazed up at him, and he reached his other hand up to gingerly trace a stray lock of hair from her face. He watched a weak breath shake out of her at his touch, and he traced his fingertips so slowly down her cheek to ease her racing heart. Lingering for a moment longer, he then reached the same hand down to the one sitting in her lap, sliding his fingers under hers, underneath the concave of her palm, and then along the tendon of her wrist. He held her so gently, as if he worried he'd break her or shatter this quiet they were so wholly submerged in. But then he realized, he couldn't wait a moment longer, and so he spoke up with a whisper just for her ears, "Hey Pom... Let's get outta here... okay?" And there it was; that beautiful hue of blush blossoming across her cheeks, nose and under her eyes. He felt a gravity pull him closer to her, or maybe it was her getting closer to him, almost close enough to kiss her, and it felt like there was no one else there in the world but him and her. "Yeah... Let's go..." she agreed, her own voice barely above a whisper as it dripped with longing promise.