"What are you doing?"

She smiles as he pours her coffee, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"I believed you when you told me that there were reindeer in the town square."

"You did not."

"I did," his tone holds a hint of laughter and she can feel her smile widen to embarrassing proportions. "I always believe you."

"No you don't."

"Eventually."

"You're a liar." She crosses her arms over her chest and watches as his eyes drop down just for a second, something no one but her would likely notice, even though she knows every eye in the diner is on them. "Liar, liar, pants on fire."

"How old are you?"

"What kind of question is that to ask a lady?"

"You're a lady?"

She opens her mouth to be indignant, the words lost in her throat as he leans down and kisses her, surprising her, surprising everyone.

It, like him, is alien and foreign, comfortable and familiar. He hasn't kissed her since the night at the Dragonfly, certainly hasn't kissed her in public, even though everyone knows. She wants to wonder what it means, that he's kissing her here and now, but her brain shorts out as his tongue slides into her mouth, tentative and seeking, the hand not holding the pot of coffee snaking around her waist as he lifts her to her feet and brings her against him.

His body is solid and warm, smelling of good things like coffee and pancakes and maple syrup that she tastes on his lips as he pulls back just for a moment before diving in again, mouth moving over hers. Her lips feel full and swollen as he nips and licks at her lips, teasing her like he always teases her before finding her tongue with his, pulling it into his mouth and sucking gently. Her hands tangle in his hair, pushing his ever-present hat to the ground, and she moans softly, the sound of her blood pounding in her ears almost loud enough to keep her from hearing the crash of glass and his sudden oath as he pulls away from her, eyes bright with pain.

She looks down at the glass at his feet and blushes, the color heating her face as she sees the darkness staining the leg of his pants. "Did I do that?"

"Indirectly, yes." He almost snaps it, but no more so than he always has and, she suddenly realizes exactly what it means. "I have to change."

"Do you need help?"

"Changing?"

The titters of Miss Patty and Babette make the flush on her cheeks flare hotter and she shakes her head. "Yes. Er, no. I mean…" Her hand snakes up and brushes the rough stubble that decorates his cheek. "I have to go to work."

He nods, disappointment replacing desire in his eyes. "Yeah. Me, too." He glares at the gathered customers as if they've suddenly appeared to inconvenience them, and she feels like glaring too. "But I could see you tonight. If you're free."

"Depends." She sees his face fall but keeps smiling. "Do I have to pay for that whole pot of coffee?"

He nods and leans in closer, the kiss faint and barely there. "I could take it out in trade."

Her heart skips a beat and she wonders, like she wondered all night as she counted how many times she looked at him and never saw, how she missed everything when it was right there in front of her face. "Eight o'clock?"

"I'll make you dinner."

"So it'll be like every other night of my life?"

"Upstairs."

She smiles and backs away, her hand somehow caught in his and reluctant to let go. "Not like every other night then."

He smiles and she basks in the light of it, all aimed at her, as she opens the door to leave. "Not so far, no."