#zerofate

When she first met Jane she thought that the clock on her wrist was mistaken. This was her soulmate, it didn’t matter that the number said almost 10 more years. 

This was happy. This was good. How could it get any better? 

Apparently it could get worse. Life shattered around Julia and she struggled everyday to keep whatever pieces she could together. She stopped caring, gave up on feeling.

Ten years was a long time… The clock was ticking. Late at night she’d stare at her wrist, rubbing the passing minute section, then with a sigh turn on her side and stare into darkness unable to sleep.

Finally almost ten years later, she’d found herself on a precinct in another city, trying to report a burglary. Bit rougher on the edges, with duck tape on her broken soul. She wasn’t waiting any more, wasn’t hoping. Too much happened in too small of a time span. 

"Aw, fuck…!" 

She nearly jumped out of her skin hearing someone behind her. An angry looking, older blue man, fighting in vain with the coffee machine. She walked up to him. 

"Blasted machine…!" the blue man huffed hitting it with his palm.

He wore completely wrinkled suit, which cried for some proper iron, scruff on his cheeks and a really impressive scowl on his face. She never seen anyone expressing displeasure on vending machine like this one. Chuckling she walked up to him.

"Usually rubbing the coin over this metal part over here…" she took the coin from his hands and he stared at her surprised by her presence there, trying hard to glare but it wasn’t working like he wanted. She rubbed the coin over the metal rim of the machine and put it into the slot.

Coffee Machine swallowed the coin and a text appeared on the screen: "Credit accepted, pick your drink."

He blinked, dumbfounded. “H-how did that…” he quickly pressed buttons and waited for his coffee, adding as much sugar as he could.

Julia chuckled again. “Magic.” she winked and turned around to leave.

"Hey, wait!"

She stopped and glanced back at him.

"Yes?"

"Do you want me to buy you a drink? You know…" he pointed to the coffee machine. "As a thank you for this?"

She looked between him and the vending machine. “That would be lovely.” 

He walked up to her with a coffee in hand. “Detective Phideaux Rex, homicide department.” he bowed a bit to her.

"Yulia Straszyńska, written with J, spoken with Y. Therapist."

He eyed her suspiciously. “You won’t be doing a psychoanalysis on me, will you?”

She laughed then looked seriously at him. “Only if you annoy me.”

He grinned. “Riight.” he sipped the coffee from his cup. “So you are new consultant?

"Actually, I came here because someone broke into my house." she informed him, walking by his side.

"Mhm! We’ll see what can we do about this." he offered her his arm. "Madam."

She chuckled. “Sir.” she bowed her head to him curtsying, slightly taking him by his arm.

This moment was when she glanced at her wrist and she blinked, seeing the six zeroes, slowly fading away, he noticed her stare and asked.

"Something wrong?" 

"No… on the contrary… I think it’s going to be very good." she smiled at him.