muses_w_remotes prompt 10.8
8. "No need to be snippy, dear. Especially since I come bearing treats. You never get a second chance to make a first impression." | Boston Legal
"What can I get for you?" Claire barely glanced at the man standing before her as she put the cash from the last patron in the register.
"Hello Claire." The voice wasn't threatening, it was warm and low on her ears but it was the use of her name that got her lifting her head sharply to look at him. Only her regulars used her name after getting to know her a bit but this guy wasn't a regular; though she did recognize him.
She noticed the honey colored waves and the light color eyes, recognizing them even if he didn't have the firefighter suit on. Her heart jumped into her throat a little before it started to speed up and she could feel her body tensing even as he gave her an easy smile. Her eyes darted over to Ethan who was working just a few feet away and then she looked back to the guy in front of her. She could demand what he was doing there but instead she cleared her throat, schooling her features into an expressionless mass, "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
Duane chuckled a little, knowing that he had caught her off guard but her reaction to first seeing him had given her away; so acting like she didn't recognize him now wasn't going to work. "We met once. In an apartment building, that was on fire." His tone was almost humored as he kept his voice soft, his eyes darting sideways to the boy who was standing nearby.
"Shut up." She hissed now, her eyes flashing angrily as she glanced at Ethan and back to him. She started down towards the end of the counter, heading away from her friend and manager, watching the blond as he followed her. At the end of the counter, they came face to face. Despite her diminutive size, she seemed to grow in size as she was resplendent in her fury. "How did you find me?"
"I followed you." He admitted, smiling almost sheepishly.
"You...what?" She squeaked just a bit, her eyes growing wide.
"I followed you. I started from the apartment building and took a walk one day, I saw you coming out of here." He motioned around the coffee shop, "Found out you worked here and I've been waiting for the right time to talk to you."
"There is no right time." She clenched her jaw.
"Don't be like that." He murmured, almost cajoling her as he went to touch her elbow but she flinched away from him. "I needed to talk to you, Claire."
She seemed to bristle at the use of her name before her eyes narrowed, "Who are you?"
"My name is Duane Ferguson, I'm a firefighter as you know. And I needed to talk to you after seeing what you..." He motioned at her, "After seeing what you could do."
"I can't do anything." She answered quickly, shaking her head.
"You healed." He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper as he frowned a little bit at her. He knew that he had seen it, he knew that he had seen the burns fade from her skin, the charred black tone becoming soft and pink once more. He had seen the wariness in her eyes just like he could see it right now.
"You were mistaken." Even as a bit of blood drained from her face, she looked annoyed at him as she shook her head, "Must have inhaled too much smoke, now please leave."
She started to turn away from him but he caught her wrist, feeling the pulse jump beneath his fingers as she turned back with wider eyes and it almost startled him to see the tiny flash of fear before it was masked by annoyance. Did she really think that he would hurt her? "It's important, I need to ta..."
"Hey." Ethan was there then, his brows drawing together as he stepped closer, squaring his shoulders as he wasn't short like Claire. He was actually a couple inches taller than Duane and he looked pissed off. "Get your hands off of her." He growled, reaching to pull Claire behind him as Duane was quick to let go.
"Look, there's nothing to worry about. I'm Du..." Duane lifted his hands in a slight surrender.
"I don't care who you are, there is no harassing my workers. Now get the hell out of the store before I call the cops and don't come back." Ethan stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he clenched a hand into a fist. He was looking for any reason to hit the blond man and Duane could tell.
He looked at Claire, almost forlorn, before he nodded and started to back away. "I hope, Claire that you will talk to me someday. It's important." He met her gaze as she peeked around her friend and then he turned, slipping out of the store as he cursed silently at himself. He had botched that up bad and definitely made a horrible impression. She was scared of him now and that meant it was going to be harder to convince her that she needed to talk to him. That he wasn't some freak looking to hurt her, he was just another freak who looked to know someone like him.
Claire sighed a little, swallowing as she felt herself shudder a bit as the guy named Duane left the store. Ethan whirled around to face her then, "Claire, are you okay?"
"Just a little shaky." She admitted, wetting her lips as she reached back to start untying her apron, "Do you mind if I leave early?"
"No, go ahead. Nicky will be here in a half an hour, I can manage it till then." He looked worried as he touched her shoulder, watching her turn as she hurried from the front area. He sighed, glancing back at the front door as he was half tempted to hunt the guy down and beat his head in. He thought back to how jumpy she had been after Christmas, to her beating on some guy outside the movie theatre; did this guy have something to do with that?
(the use of Duane, notanother_face , was approved by me since I write him as well. this is also set for the following Wednesday, the 25th)
"What can I get for you?" Claire barely glanced at the man standing before her as she put the cash from the last patron in the register.
"Hello Claire." The voice wasn't threatening, it was warm and low on her ears but it was the use of her name that got her lifting her head sharply to look at him. Only her regulars used her name after getting to know her a bit but this guy wasn't a regular; though she did recognize him.
She noticed the honey colored waves and the light color eyes, recognizing them even if he didn't have the firefighter suit on. Her heart jumped into her throat a little before it started to speed up and she could feel her body tensing even as he gave her an easy smile. Her eyes darted over to Ethan who was working just a few feet away and then she looked back to the guy in front of her. She could demand what he was doing there but instead she cleared her throat, schooling her features into an expressionless mass, "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
Duane chuckled a little, knowing that he had caught her off guard but her reaction to first seeing him had given her away; so acting like she didn't recognize him now wasn't going to work. "We met once. In an apartment building, that was on fire." His tone was almost humored as he kept his voice soft, his eyes darting sideways to the boy who was standing nearby.
"Shut up." She hissed now, her eyes flashing angrily as she glanced at Ethan and back to him. She started down towards the end of the counter, heading away from her friend and manager, watching the blond as he followed her. At the end of the counter, they came face to face. Despite her diminutive size, she seemed to grow in size as she was resplendent in her fury. "How did you find me?"
"I followed you." He admitted, smiling almost sheepishly.
"You...what?" She squeaked just a bit, her eyes growing wide.
"I followed you. I started from the apartment building and took a walk one day, I saw you coming out of here." He motioned around the coffee shop, "Found out you worked here and I've been waiting for the right time to talk to you."
"There is no right time." She clenched her jaw.
"Don't be like that." He murmured, almost cajoling her as he went to touch her elbow but she flinched away from him. "I needed to talk to you, Claire."
She seemed to bristle at the use of her name before her eyes narrowed, "Who are you?"
"My name is Duane Ferguson, I'm a firefighter as you know. And I needed to talk to you after seeing what you..." He motioned at her, "After seeing what you could do."
"I can't do anything." She answered quickly, shaking her head.
"You healed." He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper as he frowned a little bit at her. He knew that he had seen it, he knew that he had seen the burns fade from her skin, the charred black tone becoming soft and pink once more. He had seen the wariness in her eyes just like he could see it right now.
"You were mistaken." Even as a bit of blood drained from her face, she looked annoyed at him as she shook her head, "Must have inhaled too much smoke, now please leave."
She started to turn away from him but he caught her wrist, feeling the pulse jump beneath his fingers as she turned back with wider eyes and it almost startled him to see the tiny flash of fear before it was masked by annoyance. Did she really think that he would hurt her? "It's important, I need to ta..."
"Hey." Ethan was there then, his brows drawing together as he stepped closer, squaring his shoulders as he wasn't short like Claire. He was actually a couple inches taller than Duane and he looked pissed off. "Get your hands off of her." He growled, reaching to pull Claire behind him as Duane was quick to let go.
"Look, there's nothing to worry about. I'm Du..." Duane lifted his hands in a slight surrender.
"I don't care who you are, there is no harassing my workers. Now get the hell out of the store before I call the cops and don't come back." Ethan stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he clenched a hand into a fist. He was looking for any reason to hit the blond man and Duane could tell.
He looked at Claire, almost forlorn, before he nodded and started to back away. "I hope, Claire that you will talk to me someday. It's important." He met her gaze as she peeked around her friend and then he turned, slipping out of the store as he cursed silently at himself. He had botched that up bad and definitely made a horrible impression. She was scared of him now and that meant it was going to be harder to convince her that she needed to talk to him. That he wasn't some freak looking to hurt her, he was just another freak who looked to know someone like him.
Claire sighed a little, swallowing as she felt herself shudder a bit as the guy named Duane left the store. Ethan whirled around to face her then, "Claire, are you okay?"
"Just a little shaky." She admitted, wetting her lips as she reached back to start untying her apron, "Do you mind if I leave early?"
"No, go ahead. Nicky will be here in a half an hour, I can manage it till then." He looked worried as he touched her shoulder, watching her turn as she hurried from the front area. He sighed, glancing back at the front door as he was half tempted to hunt the guy down and beat his head in. He thought back to how jumpy she had been after Christmas, to her beating on some guy outside the movie theatre; did this guy have something to do with that?
(the use of Duane, notanother_face , was approved by me since I write him as well. this is also set for the following Wednesday, the 25th)