Chapter Text
The red scarf around his shoulders swayed by its tasseled ends as he walked along the bustling streets of St. Louis. Crisp air of autumn bit at the tips of his ears causing them to twitch every so often. The sunshine hardly did anything to warm him up with the clouds obscuring its light.
An underlying sense of aggravation coiled within his chest from the bitter cold.
A tea house was soon in view and his brisk pace slowed to a casual walk. Mordecai could faintly see the glimmering of fairy lights that hung inside as he got closer.
Lavender and Honey Tea.
An oddly specific name for a tea house, but it seems to promise a rather calm atmosphere.
Atlas had offhandedly mentioned that this would be a pleasant place to visit for someone like himself. Escaping from the chattering of the surrounding people this cold morning was quite a welcomed idea for Mordecai.
His tail flicks as he pushes the door open.
The scent of lavender was evident, but it was rather faint. Much like the whispering talk among other customers. Good. He made his way to an empty booth in the corner and took a seat.
This place was becoming his favorite already with its ambience alone.
Mordecai makes a mental note to come by again in the early mornings, his gaze wandered along the interior and then something…peculiar happened.
He locked eyes with ones the color of sapphires.
Mordecai has seen many individuals in his time, a few pleasant, many to his dismay, and yet…none have captured his attention like this before.
One word comes to mind when describing this particular feline before him.
Resplendent.
He wasn’t prepared for the way his mind blanked upon seeing the gray tabby. Nor of the way his heart began beating loudly in his ears as if he had run a mile.
Mordecai blinked upon realizing he was being handed a menu of teas available. He took it before he could make a fool of himself any further. If he even did make a fool of himself.
He couldn’t pay attention to the menu if he tried.
Appreciating the lovely shades of the other’s fur, he couldn’t help but stare. A sight for his sore eyes. Heat crawled up onto his cheeks as he felt his heart beat against his ribs harshly.
Like a bird beating itself to death against its cage.
Mordecai cleared his throat as he jerked his head away. He attempted to peruse the menu with his brows furrowing. Aggravation grew entangled with a myriad of unfamiliar emotions.
This feeling of…flushed embarrassment was quite unlike him. That is, until he caught sight of that particular tom once more.
Mordecai’s chest ached as emotions intensified tenfold.
With wide eyes, the fur upon his cheeks stood on their ends as he stared. The shine of his nametag caught Mordecai’s interest. It sat above the tabby’s heart with the name Roark R. inscribed neatly in print.
Mordecai pushes the door open to his office with a peculiar look of contentment. Tail flicking idly behind him, he hangs his coat up before moving further inside.
Warm sunlight filtered past the lace curtains. A bitter cold draft fogged the window by the corner, steadily threatening to cover it entirely. The sky was the same beautiful blue Mordecai has come to associate with a certain someone.
Though it could never match Roark’s vibrant eyes.
Nothing could.
A yearning settled deep into his heart to see the gray tabby. Alas, he resigns himself to a long and boring day of work with a deep sigh.
How long has it been since we met? Six months now? The stoic tom muses as his pen scratches against paper. Knowing that fact brings some degree of delight.
Much to his chagrin, he uses the term meet rather loosely.
Mordecai regrets not speaking to Roark as much as he should. It would be apropos of nothing however. Even if Roark is quite charming and…cute, the tuxedo finds himself content being able to watch from afar.
In any case, love is a frivolous thing. Indulging in his desire to be closer, and hope his feelings would be reciprocated is an utter waste of time at best.
And desecrate at worst.
His thoughts were interrupted from knocking on his door. He stopped writing as the door swung open to reveal a bothersome figure. Or rather two bothersome figures.
“Hey there, sugar. Did you get to see your little boyfriend? How was he?” Her sweet tone grated against his senses. It was jarring how it carried the false illusion that the older woman was harmless.
Mordecai narrows his eyes into an aggravated glare. Placing his pen down, he lifts up his gaze to see Mitzi looking oh so smug with her husband trailing behind her inside the office.
What bothersome employers.
“…He’s fine.” He bit out the words as if they weighed down his tongue like boulders.
“…How very descriptive.” Atlas tilted his head. Amusement glimmered in his eyes despite his poker face. “As usual, you lack a certain repertoire when it comes to matters such as these.”
The tuxedo frowns.
“There isn’t much to say in the first place. We’re hardly even acquaintances-”
“Well, that certainly has to change, sugar.” Mitzi leans into her husband's side as she cuts him off. A look of mocking pity marrs her features.
“You’re sorely lacking…” She trails off before looking up at Atlas. “Some tack.” He finished for her and took her hand into his. The gentleman brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm with a wry smile.
Mitzi rolled her eyes, but a simper bloomed despite her mocking pity.
Could this pair be any more vexing?
Eyes full of annoyance, Mordecai didn’t bother to hide the venom in his tone. “If you’re done picking at me, then I would like to eat my lunch now. Undisturbed.” The amount of times he’d go through this same dance and song was getting old.
“Now, now, no need to bare your teeth.” The older man scolded him like a child which made Mordecai bristle further.
“What exactly are you waiting for with this boy? For all you know, he’s already taken.”
Mordecai felt his blood boil under his skin. An unfamiliar sense of unease bloomed in his chest and festered like fire. The flames need not to be fanned as it coursed through him, his pupils shrinking until they were comparable to that of a needle’s tip.
His hands balled up into fists. Claws dug into his palms, threatening to spill his own blood onto his desk.
He hated that they were right.
To be content watching from afar?
What a farce.
Love was like a snake.
It coiled around his heart, strangling it until he was out of breath.
And when he would be reduced to a dying man it would devour him whole.
Mordecai’s eyes were narrowed in focus as he combed back his fur neatly in place. It’s strange. The normally put together tom was replaced by some cat riddled with anxiety. He hadn’t even made his bed yet despite being wide awake.
Glancing at his watch, he winced upon reading the time. 7:00 a.m. “...Am I sincerely panicking over an outfit at this time?” Mordecai massaged his temple to ward off an incoming headache.
And yes. Yes he was panicking over an outfit an hour earlier than he usually wakes up.
Smoothing out his suit one last time, Mordecai looked himself over in the mirror before nodding in satisfaction. He mumbled under his breath as he pried himself away from his dresser to fix his bed.
“Could I have…? Is that polite enough…? Perhaps you could give me… Could you give me…”
He can’t mess this up.
He felt like burying his face in his hands with how…deplorable this behavior is. Mordecai refrained from doing so and made his way towards the door. Grabbing his keys, he let out a deep and shaky sigh of suffering.
It was ridiculous that he found himself in this limerence.
With not much confidence, the tuxedo cat departs for Lavender and Honey Tea.
Mordecai’s eyes softened when he caught sight of the beloved feline that captured his heart as he entered. The familiar scent of lavender clung onto him in an instant.
Attempting to keep his composure, Mordecai took a seat at his usual spot, tail flicking idly.
Heat gathered in palms as he pressed them together. It was an uncomfortable kind of heat that threatened to make him swelter. The crisp air inside the tea house did little to cool him down.
Lingering thoughts toiled away in his mind with his gaze slowly drifting back to Roark. Akin to a ship being drawn into a whirlpool, Mordecai couldn’t stop himself if he tried. And he had tried.
He found himself startled when their eyes met.
Roark gave him a smile. A smile reserved for customer service no doubt, but it stole Mordecai’s breath away regardless.The urge to run intensified as the tabby began walking over, notepad and pen in hand. But he stayed put despite that.
By the by, Mordecai hardly registered that he said thank you as the tabby set down his usual tea before him.
He was breaking into a cold sweat at this point.
Just before Roark could leave the words tumbled out on their own accord. Tentative hope crept into his voice before he could hold it back.
“Could I have your number?”
Mordecai felt tempted to clear his throat after asking, but he refrains. He didn’t want to ruin the moment of savoring the gray tabby’s reaction. And it was positively captivating.
Roark’s brows were raised high with his lips ever so slightly parted.
His long lashes fluttered with every blink and too many emotions flitted through his vibrant eyes for Mordecai to really catch other than surprise and confusion.
The gray tabby looked so beautiful that it hurt.
Mordecai’s heart hammered in his chest with such brutality he felt as if he was about to pass out.
“Oh- Uhm- SUre?” Roark’s voice squeaked an octave higher. His fur was even standing on their ends upon his cheeks and tail. How delightful, the tuxedo mused as the corner of his lips twitched upwards.
Relief washed over Mordecai like water dousing out the wild fire of anxiety and embarrassment that had built up to this.
The gray tabby scribbled quickly on his notepad before handing the ripped piece of paper over to Mordecai. He took it from Roark’s hand, careful not to make direct contact.
Green eyes trail after Roark’s retreating figure.
He tore his eyes away reluctantly. Mordecai carefully folded the paper with the tabby’s number. Supposedly it was the real thing.
For now, he’ll treat it as if it is.
Putting the paper away into the breast pocket inside his coat, the tuxedo nursed his tea between his trembling hands. He stared into its contents for a moment.
Then he lifted it to his lips to drink.
He reflects quietly upon himself on his way back to his apartment with long and even strides. Mordecai wasn’t in a hurry.
Initially, he had feared the possibility of rejection. Though being given looks of pity from Atlas and Mitzi didn’t sit well with him either. But now… This piece of paper in his pocket…he closes his eyes as he takes a deep breath to calm his heart.
Damn thing is still beating in my ears.
When he stepped into his apartment he slumped against his door.
A piece of paper…with his number on it…
Mordecai can feel his face heat up all over again. Gingerly, he took it out of the pocket he had put it to keep it safe. His hands moved slowly to unfold it, scared to even leave a single mark from his gloved claws.
The fur on his tail puffing up in a flustered manner similar to Roark’s prior. Which made him flustered even more upon remembering that precious moment.
“…Did I go mad?” Mumbling under his breath, he carefully caressed his thumb across the numbers, reverent in the way he held it in his hands.
What…what do I do…? Do I call later in the evening? At what time is acceptable? Is Roark even free later? Did he give me a fake number?
Was this real?
It certainly felt like a dream…
Mordecai took his shoes off and stumbled further inside to his bedroom. He flopped onto the bed unceremoniously back first. Holding the paper as if it were sacred, Mordecai made his decision.
I’ll call…later.
Later…
Tomorrow.
Yes, that will do just fine.
Tomorrow evening is when I’ll call.