The Coffee Date

Chapter 29 - Meet Hope

There they both madly worked.

The brunette sat at the table, hands pressing pens to paper, scribbling down sweet acknowledgements as quickly as she could. Her bun had quickly unraveled as she sat at her station, drooping to the back of her neck while her eyes kissed each word she wrote. Each more warm-hearted than the last.

Nathan stood in the kitchen, the gentle beeps and hums of the oven stirring him whenever he grew idle, whether that be messing around on his phone or watching the brunette to his left. The coffee pot whirred with exhaustion from its overuse, though Nathan knew now that the case was over it would be able to get a break from its heavy schedule. There would no longer be a need for 3am coffee runs or caffeine boosts throughout the day. For the first time in their shared life they could be normal together.

Hazel sighed. "At this rate I'll be up all night trying to finish these cards."

Or not.

Nathan smirked, wandering forwards and setting a palm on the back of her seat. "It's not like we haven't pulled all-nighters before." He gave a gentle chuckle. "This coffee pot might not make it."

"Another funeral? Perfect."

Nathan smiled at her playfulness as he heard the oven call for his attention once more, the lovely scent of cookies filling the air. He dismissed himself from his love and instead made his way towards his project at hand. Gracefully, he removed two trays of cookies out of the oven, shifting them onto cooling racks but leaving one single pastry on a plate.

Almost as quickly as he had removed the batch, he whisked the treat over to the brunette's side, placing it beside her mess of papers, pens and cards. "For you, my love."

Hazel smiled, gleeful heat settling into her cheeks. Her favourite kind; oatmeal hazelnut. It was just like him to make her favourite treat after a rough day. Gingerly she split the warm pastry in half, placing half in her partner's hand. "If we're going to be up late we'll need more cookies." She commented, biting a chunk out of her sweet treat. Before she had been able to fully chew she could feel a pair of tender lips press themselves to her temple, leaving a sensation of tingles jolting through her body.

She glanced up, only to see him beaming down at her. The male gave a cheery salute. "No problem, chief."

With nothing more than an adoring gaze he turned back to the kitchen, tossing his half of the treat into his mouth, double checking the state of their coffee and tossing ingredients together in the same bowl as before.

Hazel watched, a sweet smile tugging at her lips at the sweet distraction.

There he stood, chewing on the lower corner of his lip, squinting down the recipe displayed on his cell screen, all for her.

She was wrapped around his finger just like he was wrapped around hers.

To Hazel, that was the perfect way to have a relationship. Two people so in love and so infatuated with the other that they would do anything for them. It was mutual. The love they felt was equally matched by the other. That in itself was beautiful.

The way that he would turn to smile at her when she was nearby. How he would wake up in the middle of the night and see her lying beside him only to pull her closer in. How he always felt the need to touch her or hold her or breathe her. How the highlights of his days were the times she smiled or laughed because of something he said. How the only thing that made his heart tumble and leave him speechless was the way she looked at him before bed the way she said "I love you", the way she would lean in for permission to kiss him goodnight.

The way that she would turn and fold into him whenever they sat side by side. How she always laced her pinky in his fingers when she wanted to hold hands. How her face would light up whenever he entered a room. How flushed her cheeks would get whenever he told her he loved her or asked to kiss her. The way she would wake up in the middle of the night and see him beside her and burrow herself into the crook of his neck. How she stared at him in awe whenever they went out, mystified that he was so proud at showing her off. Showing off the beautiful girl he could call his own.