Work Text:
Anne glanced at her phone. The appearance of Athos’ phone number on the screen filled her with dread. She set it to mute and immediately shoved it into her purse as her friend sat down with their drink.
“Who was that?” Ninon asked as she placed Anne’s espresso in front of her.
“No one.” Anne snapped and grabbed her cup, taking a sip of the scorching hot liquid before she gave herself the chance to say anything more. Even at the expense of a burnt mouth.
“So, how did the dentist appointment go?” Ninon asked casually. Only Anne knew her friend so well that it wasn’t meant to be a casual question from the blonde’s teasing sparkle in her eye.
“Getting right to it I see?” Anne muttered.
“Uh-hmm.”
“And I thought you were against gossiping?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Technically this isn’t gossiping. I’m playing the part of a concerned friend.” Ninon continued to smile.
“And where was this award-winning performance when I needed it that day?”
“You’re stalling.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” Anne shrugged and took another hurried sip of her coffee before she said anything further.
“Although, he left me some soup and a basket of food outside my door. That’s it.” She didn’t know why she confessed that bit of information to her friend. Maybe she was hoping that it would distract Ninon into another conversation if she was baiting her with something, anything other than what really happened.
“Aww…” Ninon teased but Anne was quick to put a stop to it with one of her cold glares.
“Don’t. Don’t start.”
"Well you have to admit, it is cute.” Ninon further commented while she sipped her Thai tea.
“Then you date him.”
“Tried to, remember?” Ninon arched an eyebrow.
“Right.” Anne swallowed, recalling the time she lashed out against her in a very public setting when she first saw Ninon and Athos together. Ninon and Anne weren’t friends then and she would never admit it was jealousy. Jealousy was a petty, needy emotion she had no time for.
“He’s set on you, sweetheart.” Ninon smiled.
Anne groaned and lowered her head to the table. “It’s what I was afraid of.”
“There has to be some small part of you that wants this?” Ninon reached across the table and placed her hand over her friend’s.
“Oh yeah, there is. And that small part just had to make itself known at the dentist’s. Bloody brilliant.” Anne blurted out.
“I thought you said nothing happened?” Ninon pretended to act as if she didn’t know what happened already.
“Forget I said anything.” Anne raised her head and took another sip of her espresso and looked away. She suddenly found the random groups of people walking past the coffee shop window more interesting than the conversation she didn’t want to have. But that didn’t keep her from feeling her friend’s silent urging for her to elaborate. With a frustrated huff, Anne finally looked at Ninon.
“Fine.” She strummed her fingertips against the tabletop to help keep her anxious feelings at bay.
“I couldn’t be sure if he heard me or not, I was on the laughing gas after all, but,” She emphasized and braced herself. “I said things. All kinds of things I would never ever say otherwise.”
“Sounds like we need to keep an ample supply of that around.” Ninon quipped.
“Haha. Funny.” Anne narrowed her eyes.
“But I can’t be sure if it was him for certain or if I was hallucinating him being there.”
“Don’t you want to find out?”
“Absolutely not.” Anne sighed. “It’s why I’ve been avoiding him since.”
“That’s fool proof.” Ninon quipped with a chuckle.
"Why can’t he be like any other commitment-phobic asshole out there who runs the minute he feels you’re falling for them?”
“Should have slept with Aramis.”
“You think if I do sleep with Aramis, he’ll back off?” Anne smirked.
They collectively laughed at the ridiculous thought but the laughter was cut short when Anne spotted a very familiar dark-haired man walk into the cafe and head for the register to order a coffee.
“Merde.” She cursed under her breath and stood up, grabbing her bag. “I have to go.”
“Why? What’s the big – ” Ninon followed Anne’s gaze and turned around. She looked back at her friend with a mischievous sparkle in her blue eyes.
“Don’t. Don’t you dare…” Anne threatened which Ninon ignored as she turned away and hollered,
“Athos! Over here!”
Anne dropped her bag and slumped back down into her seat. The features of her face narrowed into a point and if they were a laser, it would have went straight through through Ninon. blonde friend shrugged it off and said instead,
“You were going to run into him sooner or later. Why not sooner? And I’m here.”
“That’s a comfort.” Anne muttered all the while praying he wouldn’t approach them. She hoped against hope that somehow Ninon’s holler was lost in the rest of the noise of the cafe. But her prayers were left unanswered as she watched him pay for his coffee.
Thanks a lot God. Anne thought to herself.
“Athos, how are you?” Ninon started off the conversation. “Sit with us!”
“Can’t. I’m on my way to class.” Athos looked over at Anne.
“How are you feeling?” He asked her.
“Fine, thank you.” She replied, sipping at her coffee.
There was a few moments of uncomfortable silence between the three of them before Athos decided to speak up again. Anne refused to acknowledge his presence. She simply stared straight ahead. Not the most mature way to handle the situation, she would admit, but the only one she knew would make him disappear.
“Did you get the package I left for you?”
“Yes, thank you. It helped a lot.” Anne forced herself to glance up at him and attempted to smile but it felt awkward. She can only imagine how it looked.
Again, silence before Athos said,
“Well I don’t want to be late for class. I’ll see you around.”
“You too.” Anne muttered, her gaze back on being straight in front of her.
Athos retreated away from them and Anne felt his gaze on her the whole time. She forced herself not to look up and meet his eyes. She didn’t want to give him any signals or cues.
Anne didn’t realize she was holding her breath until she saw his shadow leave the cafe. She sighed.
“Well, there’s no telling what can happen from this.” Ninon remarked.