Between the Ice [h.s]

03 || Coffee & Tea

-Eulalia-

Coming home from practice is one of the best feelings. I have accomplished something at practice and now I'm allowed to go home and sleep until my day is restarted in the morning. The feeling of slipping your shoes off your heels, grabbing a late night snack from the kitchen and then going back upstairs to get all snuggled under your blankets, turning on some soft white noise and passing out in seconds.

By the time I've reached the second floor of my apartment, my phone is ringing in my pocket, and I'm wondering if I should just ignore it. Not certain who it could be and worried that it might be important I pull my phone out and check who lovely would be calling so late at night.

Louis.

No surprise.

Raising the phone to my ear, I mumble, "hello?"

"Hi, Kiddo!" The unnecessary nickname reminds me of the Louis I know. Mentally punching myself that I should have left him to a voice mail. Knowing Louis anyways he would have spammed my phone once I'd answer a silly call for a short conversation, maybe getting made fun of a few times.

"What's up?"

"I'm checking in," he answers.

My restless body falls in top of my bed, slipping the covers under my legs and planting my head in my pillow. I shove the phone between my ear and my shoulder, determined to unwrap the protein bar I got from my pantry.

"How was your day?" I shove the food into my mouth, chewing softly on the texture. The goodness of the chocolate melts in my mouth while I wait for him to answer my question.

I hear a sigh on the other side, some other rustles before he's speaking, "slow, boring. Shit." I try not to laugh out loud from his answer or he would give me an attitude about being unserious. I control myself, relaxing the smile that settles on my face that he doesn't know about.

"And why is that?" I question, lifting myself lightly on my bed, my back rested against my pillow more comfortably. I take a bite of my food once more to pass time.

"Long story..."

"One of those days?"

"Yes," he groans, a loud thump is echoed through the phone followed by curse words, "motherfucker! Fucking shit!" He shouts and goes quiet for a few seconds.

"What did you do?"

"Ran my fucking toe in the corner of my desk," he grunts, groaning in pain from the toe stub. I bite my food, keeping quiet or my laughter would make a call be ended in a split second.

"Well to change the subject," I smile, "my day was exhausting and I could really sleep!" I hint, squeezing my eyes shut, hopefully him getting the idea of what I'm trying to announce to him. But when he doesn't say anything back, I have a feeling he's not paying attention, "did you hear what I said?" I wonder, hesitant about my question.

"Sorry, no, what did you say?"

"Never mind," I roll my eyes.

"No, tell me what you said," he says, somewhat apologizing for not listening by wanting to listen this time. I shove the last bite of food in my mouth, throwing the wrapper in my nightstand that is besides me. I swallow hardly, not wanting him to wait any longer.

"I'm exhausted and I could really sleep..." I tell him, licking the gums of my mouth to get the extra food off, trying to act as if I didn't say "get off the phone with me because I want to go to bed" and not feeling guilt of being somehow rude to him.

"Oh no, what a shame." He sarcastically follows through, making me scoff quietly in my bedroom. Hearing his breathing on the other end I want to whisper to him that I'm ending the call any second but when he beats me by saying, "I called to ask something, do you want to go to the coffee shop? With me.Tomorrow?" He sounds embarrassed, shy of even asking something like that.