The Perk, Sunday Morning

[fjordicswagger]

Nothing said 'good sunday' like a decent cup of pitch-black coffee and a day off work. No Ralph. No other troopers. No Tiny calling her at every hour of the goddamn day. Tamsin could... well, there was actually a ton she could think of she could be doing that was better than this.

But as far as island life went, it wasn't bad.

Add in a piece of chocolate cheesecake, and it was downright tolerable.

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Comments

[justlurkinghere]

And Derek was apparently back out in public now! Well, he was out to get himself some coffee so that he could continue his mature brooding thing.

So, Tamsin got a nod.

[fjordicswagger]

"Morning, broody," Tamsin called, because she only did head-nods when she couldn't be assed.

[justlurkinghere]

SHE WOULD.

"Morning," he replied with an eyeroll.

[fjordicswagger]

"Are you always like this before your morning coffee?" she asked dryly.

[justlurkinghere]

Yes.

"No."

Yes.

[fjordicswagger]

Tamsin rolled her eyes. "Then shut up," she said, nudging the chair opposite her back with her foot until it made enough room for Derek to sit. "Sit down, and don't open your mouth until you finish your drink."

[justlurkinghere]

"You're friendly today," Derek replied oh so dryly. But he took the seat offered. Because he wanted to drink his coffee.

Only reason.

[fjordicswagger]

"This is my second coffee, and I'm not going to let your brooding face ruin it for me," Tamsin said, taking a long sip of said coffee.

But she was still making him sit there, because reasons. Or boredom. Or both.

[justlurkinghere]

Probably both.

Derek rolled his eyes and took a sip of his coffee. And hey, wasn't it novel to talk to someone who wasn't all up in his business about... things. Yes. Things.

"Shouldn't you be working?"

[fjordicswagger]

And didn't care enough to be all up in his business, too! She might mock the drama, but that'd be the extent of it.

"I took the day off," Tamsin said dryly. "That happens. Sometimes."

[justlurkinghere]

And that was why there would be no sharing of things. But also why she was okay to talk to.

"Are you sure? Crime filled town like this..."

[fjordicswagger]

Ew. Sharing.

"Here's a deal," Tamsin said. "You see a bad guy, you call the station, everybody's happy. Except Ralph, but who cares about Ralph?"

[justlurkinghere]

Gross, right?

"I'll make sure to do just that." He'd do no such thing.

[fjordicswagger]

Totally gross.

"Didn't I tell you to drink your coffee before you got your grump all over mine?"

[justlurkinghere]

Bossy!

Derek shrugged like it was no skin off his nose to stay quiet. Because there was coffee. And no people threatening him.

[fjordicswagger]

"Thanks," Tamsin said dryly, and took a long sip of her coffee. "Mmm. You have no idea how nice it have to this stuff after drinking the crap at the station."

[justlurkinghere]

And up went Derek's eyebrows. Because he was too surly to reply apparently.

Okay, he actually was. It was a thing.

[fjordicswagger]

"You don't have to talk back," Tamsin informed him. Cheerfully. Sort of. "Keep drinking."

[justlurkinghere]

"You sound like my sister," he said because seriously. Why was he such a pushover?

[fjordicswagger]

Because he grew up surrounded by powerful women who didn't take no for an answer? Just a guess.

"And you have the worst eyebrows I've ever seen in my life," Tamsin said, raising an eyebrow. "Practically a monobrow."

[justlurkinghere]

...maybe.

"You don't say."

At least she hadn't noticed the adorable bunny teeth.

[fjordicswagger]

Yeah, Tamsin had known some werewolves in her life. Those were not the teeth of a werewolf.

"You ever think about waxing?"

She didn't think he had.

[justlurkinghere]

"Do you?"

And excuse you. He inexplicably shaved his chest.

[fjordicswagger]

"Nah, too much effort," Tamsin said idly. When you got to be a certain age...

[justlurkinghere]

Derek rolled his eyes because he was mature like that. "Are you just here to give me grooming advice?"

[fjordicswagger]

"It might liven up the Perk," Tamsin said, taking another sip of her coffee. "And wherever it is you live."

[justlurkinghere]

"My eyebrows will liven up the Perk."

[fjordicswagger]

"They might if you wax 'em," Tamsin said. "Or you stop scowling. Whichever."

Not that she didn't scowl all the time.

[justlurkinghere]

"How would you recognize me?"

[fjordicswagger]

"The dainty skip in your step?"

[justlurkinghere]

"Dainty." Really. Really.

[fjordicswagger]

"Like a six-year-old girl," Tamsin said, miming crocodile tears.

[justlurkinghere]

"If anyone here looks six, it's you."

Oh, witty!

[fjordicswagger]

Tamsin barked out a laugh. Then another one. "Oh, did you really just say that?"

[justlurkinghere]

"Going deaf, huh?"

[fjordicswagger]

"Did you learn that one in grade school?" Tamsin asked, giving him faux-big eyes and a pout.

[justlurkinghere]

"Just trying to be at your level," he drawled.

[fjordicswagger]

"Oh, honey," Tamsin said, sitting back, "My level is about fifteen stories above yours. What's got you brooding anyway?"

Since she was choosing to care for... oh... three... two...

[justlurkinghere]

"And you care... why?"

[fjordicswagger]

Tamsin glanced at her cup. "I still have half of my coffee left and nothing better to do?"