[sub] Collab with [@Snagglepuss89][/sub]

"[color=00ffbf]Lizzy[/color]"

Sophia nodded, her blue eyes meeting the Lizzy's stone cold gaze. "[color=dodgerblue]She's cute.[/color]" She fiddled with her phone in her lap, tossing it from one hand to the other in an attempt to distract herself from the growing silence. 

You could cut the tension in the room with a knife. Everything she could think of to say didn't seem right, and even if she tried to speak the words caught in her throat. What was she supposed to say exactly? Hey, how are you asshole, what have you been doing for the past five years?

"[color=00ffbf]So, am I going to get charged for that show earlier or is that your way of saying welcome back?[/color]"

Just like that, the sarcastic and often snarky Elliot that she had always known was back. 

She smiled, her muscles relaxing. This felt familiar, nostalgic. "[color=dodgerblue]This one is on the house, baby. [/color]" She gave him a playful wink, then broke out in light giggles.  

With a sigh of relief, she stood up. "[color=dodgerblue]I'm glad you're back, Elliot.[/color]" She offered a hand down to him to help him stand. "[color=dodgerblue]I'd love to stay and chat, but I [i]really[/i] need to change out of these clothes. Do you want to come back to my house with me and then we can have breakfast... or something?[/color]"

The nerves of asking him to join her in something so normal made her stomach twist. He had the power to crush her all over again with the flick of his wrist. 

Elliot raised an eyebrow at her as she offered him a hand. Breakfast would be nice, coffee too, especially if he didn't have to cook it or waste groceries. Still, that wasn't what was bugging him. [i]Something else[/i]. What the hell did that mean? The way she paused before she said it triggered alarms in his head. Was she... nervous? Why would Sophi of all people be nervous? Unless...

Considering the show she put on earlier... She was so quick to brush off his comment, surely she would have been tripped up at least a little if it were an accident? This was all a bit more than he was expecting so early in the day. What was that phrase they used online? Slap-slap-kiss? Slap-kiss at the very least, seemed appropriate to his situation. He wasn't immediately refusing her, which confused him even more.

[i][color=00ffbf]Breakfast first. I can fend her off with my cane if I really need to.[/color][/i]

Turning red at the mental image, he quickly grabbed her hand and pulled himself up, dusting himself off with his free hand in an attempt to distract her. Elliot's antics only earned him a cocked head from Lizzy, and her tail was soon wagging with the realization that they would be going outside. He gave her a scratch behind the ears before turning once more to Sophi.

"[color=00ffbf]Breakfast sounds great, I'm sure you're a much better cook than I am at this point, working at the diner so much.[/color]

As soon as he finished speaking he blinked, before jerking his hand back like it was on fire. He hadn't noticed until then that he was still grabbing her hand from earlier. He did [i]not[/i] need this sort of confusion today.

Sophia’s hand hung in the air as he ripped his hand away from hers. She stared at it for a moment, wondering why he considered her so vile. “[i]Alright then…[/i]” Apparently this was fifth grade and girls had cooties. She had held his hand all night, why was it so bad now? 

“[color=dodgerblue]Riley is the good cook in the house...I’m okay.[/color]” She shrugged, making her way for the door. “[color=dodgerblue]Do you have a car?[/color]” She stepped outside and turned around to face him, waiting for him to lead the way. Her eyes followed Lizzy as she made her way to the door, seemingly set on following the two of them. 

As she waited, her phone buzzed with another text message. Probably James reaming her for disappearing in the middle of the night without a word. Pulling out her phone she prepared herself for his ten page essay of a text message detailing what a crappy person she was. 

“[color=FF3030]Apparently Kylie owes the IRS money, and Riley is going to help her find a job, so go straight to the Diner if you can. I'll drive the car over there myself.[/color]”

Nope. It was worse. 

“[color=dodgerblue]Fuck…[/color]” was all that escaped her lips as she stared at the phone. What sort of trouble had Kylie managed to get herself into this time? She quickly typed back a reply; “[i]How does she owe the IRS money? How much money?[/i]” 

[sub][@Saint Girralo][/sub]

Sighing, she looked back up at Elliot. “[color=dodgerblue]I have to go to the diner after I change out of these clothes… breakfast there instead?[/color]” 

"[color=00ffbf]Sorry...[/color]"

He mumbled, looking at her hand hanging in the air. How often had the two apologized to each other the last couple days? Way too often to be healthy. He'd need to get over that reaction of his sometime, not that it'd particularly been a problem before now. With a stretch and a sigh he made his way across the room, passing her as she pulled out her phone to text. He ignored her muttered "fuck" and took a breath of the fresh outdoor air. He had always been an indoors person as a child, now that he couldn't get around as well he'd found a newfound appreciation for the outdoors.

"[color=00ffbf]A car? Sorry, I thought we'd walk? Get some fresh air? Catch up a little...[/color]"

Just what sort of text had she gotten? She certainly seemed annoyed at something now. Knowing them as well as he did, he had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with the other Reeses. What though, he could hardly imagine. Especially after what he'd witnessed at the mall.

She paused for a moment, watching him walk ahead of her. Walking? Could he walk that far with his leg? “[color=dodgerblue]Uhm…[/color]” She snapped out of her thoughts and caught up to him again, shoving her phone back into her pocket. “[color=dodgerblue]Are you sure?[/color]” Her eyes quite obviously went to his leg that she had just seen him practically screwing on. Eventually, she’d have to ask about that. 

Looking ahead, she took in the quiet of the city in the morning. Birds chirping, the light breeze through the trees, and the crisp fresh air surrounding them. “[color=dodgerblue]Walking sounds nice…[/color]” She hadn’t taken a real walk in a long, long time. She was always jogging, or running when she was outside, which could have been a metaphor for her entire life. Always running. 

“[color=00ffbf]Of course I’m sure. Besides, it’s not like you have to worry about getting your clothes dirty.[/color]”