[New Uni-Stripper-Verse] // Donuts and Coffee

[arloscales]

This week had been rather tame compared to the end of last year.

He’d just ended an early shift and to start the year he’s headed to the Club <i>without</i> having to arrest anyone! Yeah, there are a lot of places he could go. Home for starters, a different bar, anywhere <i>but</i> here but and yet Arlo pulled onto the street a few car lengths outside of the club and headed inside.

At the door he holds his hands up in mock surrender and heads inside. The club is on his usual route so anytime there is a disturbance he’s one of the units that ends up called out. He knows most of the faces, but not all of the names. Bishop, Daeshim, yes. Sungki is mostly just a very pretty face. He’s never in the. Back of the car, just at the station signing papers.

He makes his way towards the bar and sits down out of the way. Some people recognize him but the badge is MIA so no one seems to care. He orders a beer and Hunter pulls out a different container of nuts; cashews, and slides them over which is surprising but earns Trouble Maker #3 a smile.

And now— he drinks, he snacks and he just absently watches the show and the people, shutting his brain down for the day. 

Comments

[bubblewrap]

"That's awfully specific."

He takes a sip from his drink as it arrives, though he doesn't look away from Arlo.

[arloscales]

“Well, I did say it would have to be the right cat,” Arlo feels around in his palm for a good cashew.

“Do you have a cat?” He finally asks.

[bubblewrap]

"Mm, but didn't you know, it's the cat that chooses you, not the other way around."

Stealing a few more cashews, Saiph sits back, leaning against the bar.

"I have three."

[arloscales]

“How do you know if you’ve been chosen?” Arlo asks, reaching for his drink and he lifts one foot to perch it on the little bar at the base of Saiphs stool.

“Can I see?”

[bubblewrap]

"They tolerate you and let you feed them."

His eyebrows raise at the request, but Saiph just takes a moment to search Arlo's face before he decides it's good enough and he takes his phone out.

His cats are all black, three voids in different sizes, besides one that sticks out like a sore thumb like an orange little fluffball.

[arloscales]

Arlo can’t help it but he almost smiles. His eyes flicker between Saiph and the cashews. Does that count? It has to count. Right? Maybe? Maybe he’s teasing you.

He’s patient, waiting until Saiph does decide to pull up some pictures. Leaning in he looks them over and chuckles quietly; the voids are cute but, “I like the orange one. What’s that ones name?”

[bubblewrap]

Saiph ignores the look. Whatever Arlo is thinking, he can think. And Saiph is stealing the cashews, make no mistake.

"Saffron. She's the baby."

[arloscales]

Thief.

But Arlo doesn’t mind. He’s busy looking at someone’s kitty cats and they’re adorable.

He smiles, “She’s cute. Thank you…”

[bubblewrap]

"Thank you? For what?"

What if he steals the whole bowl?

[arloscales]

“Sharing that with me,” Arlo chuckles and sits back, twirling his drink between his fingers. He reaches for more cashews.

Look, Magpie, if you want his nuts just say so.

[bubblewrap]

Maybe you should voice your thoughts outloud.

He shrugs, letting the bowl stay between them, as if it wasn't Arlo's to begin with.

"You asked."

[arloscales]

We’re not there yet, Magpie. Soon.

“Didn’t mean you had to humor me,” Arlo points out, finishing the cashews in his palm before leaving them be to enjoy his drink. He waves down for one more and then just lets himself relax more.

That’s the point of being here after all. Relaxing after dealing with bullshit.

He manages to catch Sungki and Hunter, and smiles a bit back at the blond before his focus slides back over to Saiph, “You can have my nuts if you want.”

There.

[bubblewrap]

"True. But you asked about the cats."

Clearly, this is some rite of acceptance, in as much as acceptance goes when you're a thief having a conversation with a cop. A hot cop, of course. Still someone Saiph would consider running from in most other instances, or trip up. Depends on his mood.

Saiph blinks for a second before his lips purse into a vaguely amused smile.

"Oh? I thought I already had them."

[arloscales]

A thief and a cop walk into a bar…

There’s a joke somewhere.

This had to be one of the biggest cliche’s , Arlo thinks to himself because he can’t deny that that little smile is the cutest thing he’s seen all day.

He bites the inside of his cheek but his own smile sneaks its way up again, “…I have a weak spot for cats.”

[bubblewrap]

Maybe they should work on that joke one day.

Saiph doesn't drop his smile, but it stays small and amused.

"Mhm, everyone should be."

[arloscales]

One day.

Arlo isn’t sure what’s going on but this is nice. It’s a nice way to end a typical day for him. And he might even enjoy the next time he gets called out on a theft call.

He hooks the toe of his boot around one of the legs of Saiph’s stool and tugs him a little closer. Someone else sits down on the other side of Saiph and maybe that’s the reason. Or he just wanted the cat closer.

“So why do you do it? Thrill?”

[bubblewrap]

Saiph wouldn't admit it, but successfully avoiding the cops and escaping is a thrill in it's own right, besides the actual stealing something part.

His smirk curls up a little, and he shifts on the stool as Arlo pulls him closer.

"Do what, officer?"

[arloscales]

“You know what,” Arlo leans into his hand and watches Saiph as if he has no cares in the world.

Right now he doesn’t.

“You don’t need any of it. So it has to be thrill, right?”

[bubblewrap]

Saiph shifts on his stool to sit more comfortably, meeting Arlo's stare with his own, mouth twitching up into a vague smile.

"Tell me officer, what would you do with your life if you had everything at your fingertips?"