The sound of clinking cups and the soft hum of idle chatter filled the quiet little café, but Druvis barely registered any of it.
She sat still, her hands folded neatly over her lap, green eyes slightly lowered and distant. To anyone watching, she likely appeared calm — composed even — but beneath that façade, her thoughts were looping, tangled like threads she couldn't quite untie.
She wasn't even sure why she was hesitating with her thoughts. It wasn't the nature of the thought itself — no, she'd entertained far more controversial ones before. It was the timing, the place, the company beside her.
And yet… that company — him — was precisely the reason the thought kept surfacing.
She inhaled quietly, then let it out through her nose, subtle and measured.
Then, as if sensing the tremor in her stillness, Isaac spoke.
"So." He began, leaning back against his chair with that usual air of easy nonchalance. "Out of all the cafés in this fortress of gray halls and unspeakable horrors, you picked the one with lace curtains and soft jazz. I'm impressed, Ms. Druvis. You have taste."
Her gaze flicked to him, just briefly, before falling again. "…I told you, I only found this place recently."
"And you can quit adding the 'Ms.' prefix. There's no need for formalities here."
"Force of habit." He shrugged. "As for the café... Found it while scouting out potential espionage hubs for your shadowy network, I assume?"
She blinked. "…Something like that."
"Well, I'd call it a lucky find." He said, glancing toward the counter. "Any café that doesn't serve instant coffee out of a vending machine deserves a preservation order."
Druvis's lips lightly twitched — not quite a smile yet, but close. She stayed quiet. However, the man in front of her noticed this immediately.
Isaac continued casually, "Honestly, though, I needed this. A break. Somewhere without sirens or paperwork or angry arcanists yelling about voting rights."
"…You deal with that often?"
"Oh, all the time. Yesterday someone accused me of rigging a game during break time in the east wing." He paused. "Which I did not do, for the record. I just happened to provide a bit of... strategic consulting to one of the players."
Druvis blinked, her brows lifting just slightly. "That's… oddly specific."
He tilted his head. "What can I say? I believe in underdogs. Especially the ones who owe me favors."
The corner of her lips curved, subtle but definite. A little sigh escaped her — not from exhaustion, but from the soft unraveling of whatever tension she'd been holding.
And then, finally, as he casually muttered something about "probability guessing being an underappreciated form of art and not gambling," Druvis gave a quiet, unexpected laugh.
It was small. Barely a breath. But it was genuine.
And Isaac, pretending not to notice too directly, only gave a small smile in return.
"So we can get a laugh." He smirked. "Unexpected, but a welcomed one. I'm glad you're loosening up, Druvis."
"I'm guessing the reason you've invited me for a drink is because of the recent problems piling up?"
Druvis deliberated for a moment before answering. "Although that is true... I suppose now is not the time to talk about it, I'm assuming?"
"You're gosh darn right." He agreed instantly, pointing a finger gun at her. "All that messy stuff should be thrown out the window when given the time to relax. We're here to wind down — not figure out the next best course of action."
She slightly tilted her head. "I'm sometimes amazed about how good you are separating your responsibilities."
"It's not that amazing." He shrugged. "In fact, it's quite easy to do. I'm more than happy to teach you how, you know? I mean, with how much you're dealing with... I'm sure this has somewhat taken a toll."
She didn't give an immediate reply and instead internalized what he said. No, she didn't even have to think deeply about it for long — she already knew that his words were true.
For a druid like her, who much preferred to be a recluse along with plant life, what she had been doing these past few months has indeed taken a certain amount of toll on her psyche.
It wasn't serious, per se, but it was definitely affecting her.
Druvis found herself staring at her own hands — delicate fingers folded in her lap, pale knuckles slightly tensed. Her shoulders, now that she thought about it, had been slightly raised all morning. Her breath, although controlled, always needed that little push to even out.
And now that she had started noticing these things, more began to appear. The dull ache behind her eyes from lack of proper sleep. The subtle unease she'd been carrying around people. The overlong silences that weren't part of her usual quietude — just... emptiness.
She had brushed it off until now.
Isaac, watching her go still and quiet, leaned forward just slightly. His eyes, once teasing and amused, softened.
"...You know," He said gently. "You don't always have to hold it all together."
Druvis blinked slowly.
He offered her a more subdued smile this time. "I mean, look at you. You've been doing everything; organizing people, dealing with panicked agents, sorting out crisis after crisis. It's okay to take a break. Actually — no — you deserve it."
His voice never once lost its calm warmth.
"And if you ever feel like you're going to snap or fall or crumble a little, well... I'll be there. We'll be there. Everyone in the suitcase, remember? You're not alone."
His words hung in the air like a warm coat over chilled shoulders. She felt it settle over her slowly — unfamiliar, but comforting.
And that comfort grew, slowly unwinding the invisible coils around her chest.
"...Isaac." She said quietly.
He tilted his head.
She met his gaze — not fully, but just enough to let him know she was truly there now. "...You're right. I suppose I... forgot that for a little while."
Her voice was small. Honest.
And then, after a pause, she smiled — not her usual brief, polite one, but a real, open one. Gentle and grateful. But most importantly...
...beautiful.
"Thank you."
Isaac gave a slow, satisfied smile. "Anytime."
Just then, the bell above the counter chimed, and the barista approached their table with two ceramic cups on a wooden tray.
"Here we are. One honey lavender for the lady, and an Earl Grey with extra citrus for the gentleman."
The drinks were placed down carefully. Steam curled upward in gentle tendrils, the aroma wrapping around them like a blanket.
Druvis looked down at her tea, then to Isaac — and that smile remained, soft and sincere.
It was time for her to enjoy her break.
---
Outside the café.
"That went better than I expected." Isaac said while doing a light stretch. "Aside from that Barista's attitude, everything else was flawless. Especially the tea."
He then turned to Druvis. "So? Will we go back here some time again?"
"Do you want to?" She asked, her eyes slightly shining with an expectant gleam.
Isaac, feeling a bit cheeky, decided to test the waters for some kind of reaction. "That depends if this elegant lady here would accompany me again. Pfft, haha—I'm sorry, that was..."
"That's fine."
"Eh?"
Isaac blinked, his smirk faltering for the briefest moment.
He hadn't expected her to actually accept.
His gaze flicked to Druvis — and for a second, just a second, he caught something in her eyes. A strange gleam. Calm, thoughtful… and maybe — just maybe — she was looking at him in a way he hadn't quite seen before.
But he didn't entertain that thought. Not seriously, anyway.
He coughed into his fist, playing it cool. "Ahem—uh, well, I guess that's a yes then? I-I mean, I'd be honored, really. You know, to have the company of such a—"
"Refined individual such as myself?" Druvis finished for him, her voice smooth and poised, almost regal.
Isaac paused.
"...Yes, actually." He said with a mock defeat, holding his hands up. "That's exactly what I was gonna say. Word for word."
A beat of silence passed between them… before they both chuckled.
The laughter wasn't loud, but it was real — mellow and warm under the gentle afternoon light.
As their steps soon resumed, Isaac shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced ahead.
'That makes two people today who flipped my own teasing back at me.' He mused internally, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. 'At this rate, I'm going to need to level up my game.'
Still, he couldn't say he minded it too much.
Not one bit.
Not far away, the subtle faint mist drifting in the distance silently churned, while the flower blooming under the shade of a tree enjoyed the moisture it brought.
The two enjoyed each other's presence and company.