𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐬 || 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 - 𝐍𝐞𝐚𝐫 ||

𝙿𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚔𝚒𝚗 𝚂𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎

Summer had made its appearance, and now it's gone again, with the heat of the sun being replaced by a bitter autumn wind which had arrived, and with it, the visible changes in scenery. The trees had started to lose their leaves, green turning to shades of fiery red and orange, twirling around like dainty dancers as they fell to the floor and got swept into another dance by the wind.

You breathed out a sigh, watching your breath fog up in front of you and mix itself within the steam which radiated from the hole in the cup you held in your hands, clutching it tightly to savour the warmth it spread through your fingertips and through your hands. A contrast to the chill which surrounded your body and turned your nose pink.

Pumpkin spice lattes were your favourite type of hot drink, no matter what the weather was, but it was difficult to find places that served them all year around since it was a seasonal treat. Of course, that meant you attempted to perfect your coffee brewing skills back at your apartment, but unfortunately you were never able to truly perfect the perfect balance between coffee, and the distinct taste of autumn when you tried to recreate the drink.

You had purchased yourself a relatively tall latte, and sighed happily as you walked back to the investigation headquarters you worked in, sipping your drink slowly as to maintain the taste on your tongue, and the warmth it put into your body.

"Pumpkin spice?"
Halle asked the moment you stepped in, and you gave her a nod along with a wide smile as you made your way over to your desk, pushing papers aside to make room for your precious cup of coffee. The scent of your drink filled the room quickly since it was quite warm thanks to the heating, and you nestled into your fluffy scarf with a sigh before sitting down.

"These drinks are finally being sold again at my favourite cafe a few blocks away,"
you answered happily, as your cheeks which were coloured pink from the cold, became coloured from the warmth of the heating in the room.
"I could always make it myself, but cafe's always seem to make it so much better"

You looked over to Near who was sat at his space a few meters away, papers on the floor and surrounded by a multitude of toys and computer screens. Eying him closely you could see his complexion had become more pale than usual, and that he was struggling to hold back yawns every few minutes. You also noticed how his eyebags looked worse than usual, and his body was shivering slightly from what seemed to be the cold. Taking a cautious sip of your drink, you rolled across the room in your chair, over to Halle, not taking your eyes off the young, long haired adult, who was laying on the floor.

"Halle, has Near taken his meds yet ?"
You looked to the blonde, who furrowed her brows and shook her head with a confused stare.

"Near needs medicine?"

You looked at her ludicrously and put your cup of coffee down.
"Have you seen that man's immune system? It's a miracle his body hasn't bailed on him yet."
You put your drink down with a sigh, standing up and walking over to Near who stopped playing with his dice, and he looked over his shoulder slightly as you got closer to him, a grimace apparent on his face.

"My health is just fine."
The white haired man muttered, and you rolled your eyes.

"Cut the bullshit, Roger sent me a yearly reminder to prevent the cold from killing you young"
You ignored the muffled groan that escaped Near, knowing full well that he despised the bitter taste of the medication he needed to take for the next couple of months until the weather improved again. However, the cold months had just started now, so Near was just going to have to deal with the medication for now. You watched his body shake with a violent shiver, and sighed as he promptly went back to tapping at his laptop as though nothing had happened. Taking in his surroundings, you scrunched your nose at the mess he had made around himself with the toys, and prodded a couple of his dolls with your feet.