Negotiate a Peace, Or Negotiate a....Romance? {Charles Lee x Female!Reader}

Chapter 4: Coffee Shops & Rain Drops

(Y/n)'s POV

I left Herc's dorm at around 1 o'clock and made my way to my dorm to get ready. It was unusually hot for this time in autumn, so I pulled on a simple blue tee and a pair of thin leggings. I brushed my hair to make sure it wasn't unruly, but I didn't do anything fancy to it. Satisfied with how I looked, I walked out of my room and grabbed my keys. I poked my head into Peggy's room and said goodbye to her.

"Bye, (Y/n), have fun on your date~" Peggy teased me, looking up from her phone.

"It's not a date, Pegs," I rolled my eyes, laughing. I started towards the door, shaking my head at her childishness.

"Don't forget that I won't be home until late at night," Peggy yelled after me.

"I won't forget. Later!" I called over my shoulder, making my way out of the dorm.

The Starbucks where we were meeting was nearly all the way across campus, but I didn't mind the walk. It probably would've made more sense to meet up and walk there together, but oh well. The campus was so beautiful, and I liked being able to take it all in. I was walking along so absentmindedly that I'm not entirely sure how I got to my destination, but I somehow managed it.

I open the door of the shop and look around for Lee. I found him sitting at a table near the window on the opposite side of the room, one hand running through his hair while he tapped his fingers on the table nervously with the other. He already had a cup of coffee with him, and he was looking out the window absentmindedly.

I made my way across the room to Lee, weaving in and out of other customers. As I wound my way through the tables I caught Lee's eye, and he smiled when he saw me approaching. I slid into the seat across the table and greeted him.

"It's nice to see you," Lee said. "Sorry about already ordering a coffee for myself, I really needed one after last night."

"Oh, don't worry about it, I'll go get my own," I replied and was about to stand up again, but Lee shot to his feet.

"Now, what kind of gentleman would I be if I made you do that?" he joked and drained the last of his coffee. "Besides, I'm going to get another coffee myself, so I can get us both our drinks. What do you want?"

I told him to get a (f/d) (favorite drink), but I argued that I should at least pay for them. After much insistence on his part, I could see that he wasn't going to let me pay. I finally gave in, and Lee left to get our drinks wearing a triumphant smile. I laughed to myself at how stubborn he was.

Not too long after, Lee sat back down and handed me my (f/d). He took a sip of his coffee, and silence fell — I could tell that he wasn't exactly sure what to talk about. I thought for a moment, then a smile spread across my face.

"Want to play 21 questions?"

~

Lee's POV

"—and then he pulled me into the pool with him! My phone got ruined because it was in my pocket, and ever since then Sam and I agreed to stop having prank wars. They escalate wayyy too much," I emphatically ended my story, letting out a chuckle at the memory. I looked over at (Y/n), who was practically doubled over with laughter. I took the opportunity to notice the little things about her: the way she fiddled with her necklace, and the way her (e/c) eyes twinkled when she laughed. Wow, she was beautiful.

Stop that, I chided myself. I barely knew (Y/n), and she was so nice that I didn't want to ruin any chances of being friends with her. I wasn't on the best terms with her crew, and I knew I was lucky that she was even giving me the time of day. Still, my mind butted in, that means you could have an opportunity to date her.