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Lute didn't know what to say to Vel.
She started at the half-typed message on her phone, her tongue poking against the inside of her cheek.
Vel was… surprisingly neutral over text the past few days, to Lute's surprise—why was she surprised? She barely knew Vel, there was no expectation there.
There was expectation there.
Just not from her
Fucking Adam.
Lute groaned, dropping her phone into her lap and digging her heels into her eyes.
Still ruining everything.
"You okay, Lu?"
She cracked an eye open, glancing at Emily, who was stood in the kitchen of their apartment. A light blue eyebrow was raised at her—in concern, not judgement.
It was very easy to tell what Emily was thinking at all times—she wore her emotions on her face more than anyone else Lute had met before.
That , or she was a fantastic liar and had everyone fooled.
Lute was pretty sure it was the former.
Emily wasn't exactly fond of Adam while they were dating, but saying that the girl held any emotion worse than neutrality for someone would be inaccurate.
At least, she thought so.
She didn't think she'd ever hear Emily swear until that phone call.
"Just frustrated," Lute flopped into laying down on their couch, looking back at the last text Vel sent her.
Velvette <3: u down 2 get coffee tmrw?
It was a very simple text, all things considered. To the point, casual, a bunch of other discriptors Lute didn't feel like thinking up.
Coffee.
"Emily, are you doing anything tomorrow?" she sat up slightly, looking up over the edge of the couch.
Emily closed the container of strawberries she had been picking through, looking back at Lute. "I have a call with Sera at 3 for work, but other than that, no. Why?"
"…I might have a coffee date tomorrow."
"Really?!" Her eyes widened, abandoning the strawberries in the kitchen and practically jumping over the couch to perch on one of the arms. "Tell me everything."
"You know when I asked you to pick me up from Ace of Cups a few nights ago?" Lute asked.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"…I met someone while I was there, and she wants to go on a date with me."
Emily smiled widely. "Tell me about her. What's her name?"
"Velvette. She does content creation and fashion design." Lute had spent an embarassingly long time scrolling Vel's instagram the night before, looking through pictures of outfits she'd created and other videos she'd posted, not all fashion related.
There had been a video containing Vox, who she remembered being mentioned before, fuming at his boyfriend's (Val?) inability to "make good toast".
Part of her was sure he weren't actually talking about toast, but she had no idea what he was talking about.
She probably didn't want to know.
"Do you want to get coffee with her?" Emily asked. "You can say no if it's too soon."
Lute shook her head. "It's not too soon."
Probably not soon enough, if she was being honest.
She had only met Vel once, but she missed her. Missed her voice, her grin, the glint in her eyes under bar lights.
Her touch.
…Shit.
"Well? Do you?" Emily repeated, her legs dangling off the arm of the couch.
"…Yeah. Maybe." Lute looked back at the unanswered message, hesitating before typing something out.
Lute: what time works for you?
Vel answered moments later.
Velvette <3: 8?
Lute: sounds good
Velvette <3: c u there qt ;)
An address popped up a moment later, locating to a coffee shop not too far from the Ace of Cups. Lute hadn't been there before, but she remembered passing it a few times while out of the apartment.
It's a date.
——————————————————————————————
Lute arrived at the coffee shop earlier than she normally would put in the effort of doing.
Granted, that was only ten minutes early, but it was earlier than Vel, so she counted it as something.
After getting her coffee (black with sugar), she sat down at one of the empty tables, next to a large window that looked out onto the street. The occassional car passed, but it was slow for morning traffic.
Lute took a sip from her coffee as her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out, checking a new message that popped up from Emily.
Em: I have my car parked outside! Lmk what happens and if you need me to get you x
Lu: thanks Em.
Em: Ofc x
A new message popped up from Vel as she read Emily's last message, and she clicked on it.
Velvette <3: sry angel running late idiots fcked shi up again
Velvette <3: will b there soon
Lute bit back a sigh, putting her phone facedown on the table and taking a larger sip of her coffee.
Either she was telling the truth, or she was trying to get out of it. Either was possible, and Lute was expecting the latter.
Great.
She hesitated before picking back up her phone.
Lu: she just messaged, running late. if she's not here in 15 i'm coming out.
Em: Awh. I hope she shows up x
Lu: me too.
She checked her phone again after five minutes.
Then six.
Then seven.
It buzzed after the eight.
Velvette <3: k omw b there in 5
Lute: see you then.
Velvette <3: cya angel ;)
Lute bit back a smile. letting her gaze linger on the message for a few moments before ultimately putting her phone away.
Like she said, Vel was there a few minutes later, walking through the door of the coffee shop and picking up one of the to-go orders from the counter before making a beeline for the table Lute was sat at.
"Sorry for the delay, Vox was being an absolute fucking cunt this morning," Vel slung her bag over the back of the chair across from Lute before sitting down. "Had some sort of tiff with Val and the fuckers made me get involved."
"They sound like assholes," Lute sipped her coffee, her eyes scanning Vel.
She was…
A lot different compared to when she saw her last.
Her pink, black, and white hair was pulled back into two heart-shaped space buns, bangs framing one half of her face. She had a black ribbon choker wrapped around her neck and wore a burgundy tank top under her black jacket, which had been pushed off of her shoulders and rested in the crook of her elbows.
Still as beautiful, though.
"Trust me, love, that's putting it lightly," Vel sipped from her own coffee. "Val and Vox are an absolute fucking train wreck without me. Can't not love the idiots, unfortunately."
"…I'll take your word for it." Lute felt her neck flush at Vel calling her love.
It was a lot of things she wasn't used to.
Vel grinned. "Definately for the best. I only wish them on my greatest enemies."
"And I'm safe to guess I'm not one of those?"
"…I guess we'll have to wait and see, won't we?"
…I guess we will.