The Perk [Monday afternoon]

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime needed coffee.

And space.

Not really to think about things. He had no idea what he'd even think about. Or, more accurately, he wasn't sure what thinking would accomplish. On the one hand, seeing kids that could potentially have been his as relatively well-adjusted teenagers had been kind of cool. On the other hand, they really just

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[hijas_kawaii]

Elena detested coffee, but she liked the sweets the Perk always carried, so she was a fairly frequent visitor. Of course they didn't carry her cakes yet, so it was a grumpy teen who plopped down at the table, tray clattering.

"No Caff-Pow, no Sugar Cakes... How did mom live in this time?" She pulled the wrapper off one of the pile of small tea scones and plopped it in her mouth.

[weldedtomyspine]

"She's pretty tough, you know," Jaime pointed out fondly. "She can go whole days without sugar."

[hijas_kawaii]

"Days? We are so not talking about the same person," Elena rolled her eyes at that, but showing a hint of a smile. "So. Are you the same dad I came to visit last time?"

[weldedtomyspine]

"I think so?" Jaime shrugged. "You were a lot smaller back then, though."

[hijas_kawaii]

"I was seven; I totally hope I've grown." Another tea cake gone. "You were fun. Thanks for that; I didn't want to admit it, but it was kind of scary suddenly being here when I was just in my back yard. And then having the others run off..." Elena shrugged and unwrapped another cake.

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime managed a slight smile. "Well, you were pretty cute back then." No way was he going to say that about her now. Not when she was seventeen.

[hijas_kawaii]

"Thanks. I'll refrain from asking about now," Elena laughed. "My real dad is usually pretty good with the compliments. Or at least with the glowering at my boyfriends and telling me to go back and get dressed before leaving the house."

She bit into another tea cake, a bit of the sugar topping sticking unnoticed to her lip. "I wonder how he ever let me come to school here? It must be driving him totally mad."

[weldedtomyspine]

In that moment she reminded him almost painfully of Momoko. Smiling, sugar stuck to her lip, amused.

It took him a second to re-gather himself. "I imagine you inherited your mother's eyes," he suggested.

[hijas_kawaii]

"Nah. That's Sophy." She leaned forward, grinning. "See? Chocolate! I got yours! Even mom says so." Elena's voice almost purred with pride at that, too.

"It's how she knows I'm yours, she says."

Well, that and the pieces of various appliances littering Elena's room.

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime managed a snort. "Do you have any idea how weird that sounds coming from someone only a couple of years younger than me?"

[hijas_kawaii]

She laughed outright at that, sitting back and reaching for another cake. "I grew up with two Fandom High alumnis. I totally know weird; I was ten the first time you turned into a girl."

[weldedtomyspine]

"Seriously?" Jaime shook his head. "That long? Must have had a lucky streak or something."

[hijas_kawaii]

Or Fandom was being really responsible and not messing with the parents of babies in a DC world.

"I'm still waiting for it to hit me. I've been a tree, though! It was totally weird, but I got out of one of Ms Skywalker's tests because of it!"

Elena suddenly gave him a piercing look. "So. How are you doing, dad?"

[weldedtomyspine]

"It's still weird when you call me that," he answered.

SUPER-SUBTLE DEFLECTION!

[hijas_kawaii]

"Would you prefer 'papa'?" That smirk? Totally his. "I can call you Jaime, but that's weird for me. Which of us do you want to be uncomfortable, Mister Reyes?"

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime choked on his coffee. "That's way worse!" he objected. "So I guess stick with 'dad'." Weird, but not horrifyingly so.