Timelined for April 23rd
<@Fabian> Fabian sat back in the cafe chair, sipping his coffee and waiting for Cecilia to show up. He had slipped a note onto her bedside table, amused that he had finally managed to wake up before her as he had set out earlier this morning. He just hoped she followed the instructions.
<Cecilia> Cecilia wandered into what looked like a combination of a bookstore and a cafe with a number of comfy chairs where people were bent over their novels instead of their laptops - unlike most posers that sat in coffee shops.
<Cecilia> She shifted her backpack with the books as she'd been instructed and smiled when she caught sight of Fabian. "Hey," she said, stealing a quick kiss before sitting down. "I missed you this morning. You were gone when I woke up."
<@Fabian> "I had some last minute preparations to get through." Fabian explained, leaning up for the kiss and laughing. "Slept well I take it?"
<Cecilia> "Better than usual," she admitted. Which was surprising really, considering the shit that'd gone on recently. "So...what's this all about?" She smiled, patting the chair's armrests.
<@Fabian> "Well, one, I thought we could use a nice day with everything and, two, it's St. Georges Day so I get to be a stereotype while giving you a nice day." Fabian explained, picking up his paper bag from a purchase he had received earlier, holding it out to her.
<Cecilia> "St. What Day?" Cecilia said, confused. Was this some American holiday nobody'd bothered to tell her about? How the hell did she miss this after nearly sixteen years in this country? She smiled at the bag. "Is this why you asked me to get books? So we could do a book exchange?"
<@Fabian> "It's...similar to Valentine's only not so grotesquely sappy?" Fabian shrugged as he attempted to convey what the day generally was. "Typically books are gifts and roses but I figured you'd feel a bit ripped off if I showed up with a rose and took your books."
<Cecilia> "You're damn right I would!" Cecilia said, raising an eyebrow. "One rose for a book? That's a big difference in price. Smart guy," she said, grinning and handing Fabian his own bag before opening hers. "Per a tu, meu amor."
<Cecilia> ((Catalan: For you, my love.))
<@Fabian> "Not that I couldn't just get both, of course." Fabian grinned, motioning to the bag and both sets of gifts inside as he took his own. "I per a tu, amor. Espero que gaudeixin."
<@Fabian> ((And for you, love, I hope you enjoy.))
<Cecilia> Cecilia smiled at the books. The Time Of The Doves and Death in Spring by Merce Rodoreda, The Enormity of the Tragedy by Quim Monzo, Solitude by Victor Catala. "Are these all Catalan authors?" She chuckled. "Are you trying to make me into an honorary Catalonian?"
<@Fabian> "Like you're not going to be guilty of similar things when I open your bag?" Fabian teased her, chuckling. "I figure you're probably tired of me going about Camus I might as well aim for something closer to home you wouldn't know necessarily."
<Cecilia> Cecilia laughed, "Touche." She took out the roses and smiled all the more widely. "They're so beautiful. Thank you, Fabi." A spark of something entered her eyes in the next second though. "Flowers are nature's flashers though so I know you're up to something nefarious giving me these." She said, recalling their day at the Met.
<Cecilia> She got up and squeezed next to Fabian in his armchair. "You're still sweet though..."
<@Fabian> "What can I say? Pistols, stamens? They're the traditional acceptable flashing love symbols. Nefarious? I've no idea what you mean." He wormed his arm around her, laughing as even he didn't buy his innocence.
<Cecilia> She hummed happily as she lay her head on his shoulder. "You always know just what I need." She stole another kiss. "Happy St. Georges' Day then, Fab. I hope it's a good one."
<@Fabian> "Of course it will be, now, what can I interest you in now?"
<Cecilia> She eyed the confections longingly. "Just coffee, cake and your time...that's all I really need now," she said honestly.
<@Fabian> "That we can definitely do." Fabian replied, pulling their tray of treats closer to her. "So does that mean my scheme is working?"
<Cecilia> "So there is a scheme," she teased. "I dunno, which scheme is that?"
<@Fabian> "Just to cheer you up and get free books. I have the books, just wanted to see how you are."
<Cecilia> Cecilia took a slice of banana bread and began nibbling on that. "Well, it's working." She had to put on the smile a little there though. That just reminded her of the things that were getting her down, but she pushed that down though. "I'm alright. Better than a lot of people, I think."
<Cecilia> "...What did you hear?" She asked, a little curious if he knew Mayday had seemingly resigned from their friendship.
<@Fabian> Fabian chuckled just a little bit. "I don't need to hear things to be able to figure out your mood...most of the time anyway. I'm sure that I'm pretty clueless now and then but it doesn't take a rocket scientist, especially when I'm used to digging such things out of family and friends back home."
<Cecilia> Cecilia didn't know how to word this exactly, so she just said the first thing that came to mind. "Mayday best-friend dumped me the other day," she said bluntly. "Whatever friendship we might've had is over - or so she decided."
<@Fabian> "...o...kay?" Fabian was just confused. Well, there went the reasonable discussion he had with her before. "...what the fuck then?"
<Cecilia> "My point exactly," Cecilia said, scowling as she poured herself and Fabian some coffee. "Basically while I was downstairs making eggs a couple days ago and recovering from an epic hangover she marches in and says she figured I'd be ready to apologize for 'being mean to everyone' on the last mission."
<Cecilia> "I offered her some eggs and we sat down to talk about it, which of course, basically consisted of her insisting I feel bad for being an asshole when I didn't really think I was being that bad to begin with. All I did was say what happened and Illyana couldn't be a fucking grown-up and come to terms with the fact that her back-up boyfriend lost his shit and tried to kill me. Hell, she actually told me I deserved it 'cause I was 'a bitch.'"
<Cecilia> "I did apologize for my timing and freaking out at her - even though she was actually the one who flipped shit at me first - but apparently that wasn't good enough," Cecilia sighed irritably. "She called me a bitch, selfish, arrogant and overly deliberate and stormed out when I pointed out she was being unreasonable. So there."
<@Fabian> "Well then, fuck her." Fabian shrugged. "She's behaving like some moody thirteen year old so she'll either grow up or she won't. In any case she's taking her frustrations out about life on you and you don't deserve that and she can either apologize and actually keep some friends or not."
<@Fabian> "Just because she's not getting laid anymore is no reason to forget people who were there for her through her other problems or I suppose it's easy to forget just because some new crisis is going on in her life...because, you know, everyone else's lives right now are just peachy."
<@Fabian> He chuckled and held out one of the tarts for her. "And people are always hung up on us being the selfish people here, they just can't see themselves as clearly as we see ourselves."
<Cecilia> "I know, right?" Cecilia said, taking a lemon tart. "I even told her if she continued being this judgmental and holier-than-thou to everyone she knew she'd end up very alone. Hell, it's already happened! Did you know she friend dumped Adam last year 'cause they had a fight over him being in X-Force?"
<Cecilia> Cecilia sat back, eyes narrowed. "It grinds my fucking gears that I put up with so much shit from her this semester over her relationship dramas and what do I get in return? Nothing." She sighed. "Clearly they can't...watch yourself alright? It's only really a matter of time before she decides you don't play nice enough for her either."
<@Fabian> "Yet she is friends with me, has no problem with other people who were in X-Force, as far as I know has no big problem with Lukas or with Reed?...and she has a problem with you talking about Eddie attacking you because you used to think he was a monster. Yeah, and you're the only one that could ever be hypocritical about anything. There's no such thing as a consistent person."
<@Fabian> "And forget relationship drama, we've been damned good friends to her overall, quite frankly. So because she doesn't know how to deal with her own shit she is just going to push people away. Well good on her, hope that works out just fine."
<Cecilia> Cecilia waved a hand dismissively. "If she comes 'round, she comes 'round. If she doesn't, well, good luck." She sighed. "If she doesn't...well, it hurts. This would be the third friend I've lost in four months. Granted, I ended one of those myself, but still..."
<Cecilia> She studied another tart. "I don't wanna constantly feel like shit around the people I hang out with...it's interesting, now the only friends I have are all guys...I wonder what that says about me?"
<@Fabian> "People will get over themselves, I wouldn't worry about anything 'lost' either because they'll either come back or it wasn't worth it anyway. I for one don't bother closing doors because there's just this certain satisfaction of watching people crawl back up." He chuckled just a little bit.
<@Fabian> "Luckily, you've got fantastic people about so you don't have to worry about feeling like shit, hmm? Anyway, that's enough of people being idiots."
<Cecilia> "I do, don't I?" Cecilia said, smiling and nudging him a little. "I've had you since the beginning...you've been a great friend to me and an excellent boyfriend...clearly I made a good investment."
<Cecilia> "...Crawling back? So were you taking some perverse satisfaction when I came back to you after sleeping in the treehouse?"
<@Fabian> "You didn't come crawling back, I had to go and pull you out. I don't think we can say anything about that night was particularly enjoyable other than the end." Fabian grinned though. "Good to know you think so, I think I did quite well with you, too."
<Cecilia> "...Oh yeah..." Cecilia grinned a bit sheepishly. "No, I don't think the snow facial was the highlight of your day there..." She leaned against him a bit bonelessly. "So far so good."
<Cecilia> She perked up a little. "Well, here's something to look forward to: both our birthdays are coming up and then we're off to the Caribbean!" She paused at that thought. "Shit man, I better start thinking about what I want to take...I'll pack plenty of sunscreen for you pasty," she teased.
<@Fabian> "I grew up on the beach, I know how to pack sunscreen." Fabian teased her back. Oh God, he had to think about a birthday present and now who he would use to help him is being a cow, great. "It's going to be a great trip, yeah?"
<Cecilia> Cecilia nodded happily. "It's gonna be great! I've never really been on vacation before this last Christmas and most of it's just us! We're gonna have so much fun!" She raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Well, I was born on a beach. Beat that!" She grinned. Well, a slum right on the shore, but close enough. "Can we snorkel? It's on the bucket list."
<@Fabian> "Of course, we're going to do all sorts of things, whatever you like." Fabian replied, rubbing her back. "And the same thing goes for today."
<Cecilia> Cecilia thought a bit. "Can we look up some things we might try on the island? I'd like to see what's out there and then once we're there we got that in mind and can just make detours wherever we like when something comes up."
<Cecilia> "That and I like having something to look forward to," she grinned. "I'm up for more suggestions though. It's not all about me here. What you want matters too."
<@Fabian> "You know me, Cee, I generally always do something I want." It couldn't be denied, when Fabian had a fancy to do something he just generally went for it.
<Cecilia> She raised an eyebrow and smiled playfully. "I've noticed. Being one of the things you want."
<@Fabian> "Thing doesn't quite describe you." He prodded her and laughed, stuffing a tart into his mouth.
<Cecilia> "No...it doesn't. I'm indescribable," Cecilia said, smiling at her roses. Oh yeah, someone was definitely getting laid today. She was a sucker for flowers. "So once we're finished stuffing our faces - and possibly our pockets - wanna hit the road and enjoy this spring day?"
<@Fabian> "A day out sounds like a perfectly fine idea to me." Fabian agreed. "...maybe I'll even let you drive." He jingled his keys at her temptingly.
<Cecilia> Cecilia raised an eyebrow. "Don't tease me now and not follow through, Fabi." She said, eyeing the keys longingly.
<@Fabian> "Not at all, you can drive, we'll head up to Peekskill." Fabian promised, holding the keys out to her properly now.
<Cecilia> Cecilia made grabby hands for the keys, grinning widely before flinging her arms around Fabian. "God, I fucking love you!" She laughed.