Title: All About the Coffee
Author: Commasplice103
Rating:T
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, just having a little non-profit fun with them. Also, this work is of a femslash/lesbian nature, please don't read if this displeases you.
Fandom: Law & Order
Pairing: Abby/Serena
-
"You're too skinny," George said from behind the counter. "You should have more than wheat with low-fat cream cheese."
"Well maybe that's why I always order the breakfast bagel and large coffee, and if you get my order wrong again, you'll see this skinny girl kick your ass," Abbie Carmichael said.
"So touchy," George said, "maybe you should cut down on the coffee." He handed her the order in a brown paper bag and watched her walk out the door.
Smiling, he turned his attention to his next customer.
"Why do you always do that?" Serena said. She'd watched him argue with the ADA almost every morning as she waited in line for her breakfast.
"Do what?" He responded with a shit eating grin.
"Get into it with her. Get her order wrong."
"Anything to hear that lovely smokey voice," he replied. "You should hear her
when I really make her mad… her accent slips out even stronger." He winked.
"Don't let your wife hear that," Serena said laughing.
"Ah, my wife." He put his hand over his heart. "She sounds sexy when she's mad too. She has the best Jersey accent you've ever heard."
Serena was still laughing. "So you're just a connoisseur of accents then?"
"Accents, pitch, cadence… anything unusual or particularly lovely in a woman's voice."
"That explains why you chat with me every morning," Serena said, her voice laden with sarcasm.
"You," he said pointing a finger at her, "Have an ever so slight little nasal with a sweet lilt."
She rolled her eyes at him.
"Here's your shmear and coffee, and the tea for the judge."
"George," she said smiling, "You're going to make me her favorite clerk."
"Well, it never hurts to get in good with the judges you know. And besides, you won't be her clerk forever," he said with that 'cat ate the canary look.' "Schiff's got an eye on you for the DA's office."
"How do you know that?"
"It's all about the coffee." He opened his arms wide, "Everybody comes through here. This place is better than a bar." He smiled again. "And I hear everything," he said. "By the way," he handed back her change. "You should ask Carmichael out."
"What?"
"You heard me."
"You want me," she pointed to herself, "to ask out the supermodel ADA?"
"Yes."
"You're crazy."
"That's what my wife says, yes."
"What makes you actually think that -she'd- go out - with me?" Her arms crossed defensively over her chest.
"Oh, that's right, you're just a beautiful blond, blue-eyed lawyer. I pity you. Now go before this crowd mobs me."
-
"God damn it George." Abbie marched back up the street toward the bagel shop. She almost plowed into the woman coming out. She stepped back, holding the door and allowing the blond to walk past her, eyeing her form as she did. Recognizing who it was, she stopped the blond, putting a hand on her arm.
"Hey," she gave a quick apologetic smile. "I think he may have switched our orders."
Serena looked into her bag, and sure enough, it wasn't her usual. She reached in and pulled out the bagel. "Breakfast bagel?"
"Yes," Abbie gave her a genuine smile. She looked in the bag she was holding. "And a shmear and, I don't know what else is in here." She held it out for Serena to look.
Serena smiled as they swapped bags. "Loose tea for Judge Berry."
"Berry," Abbie repeated and nodded. "That's right, you clerk for her don't you."
"Yeah," Serena said. Trying to fight the sudden shyness that was settling on her.
"I've always wondered… How does she boil water for tea in her chambers?"
"She has a self-heating kettle."
"Ah, that explains it." Abbie said. "You headed to the courthouse?"
Serena nodded. Abbie smiled and indicated for them to walk together.
"Sorry about the mix up," Serena said. Not exactly knowing what to talk about. Somehow picturing this scenario in her head, and actually living it, were two entirely different things. She didn't think she could ever prepare herself enough for actually talking to Abbie Carmichael.
"Don't worry about it. He does it to get a rise out of me," Abbie said.
Serena laughed. "You should hear him talk about your accent."
"You should hear him talk about your laugh."
'No amount of preparation…' Serena thought. She fought hard to keep from blushing, and to keep breathing evenly.
When they ended up in the lobby of the courthouse, Abbie paused and fished something out of her coat pocket.
She flashed Serena a full smile and handed the blond her card. "Call me if you want to get a drink sometime," she said before she disappeared into an elevator.
Serena thought she should've felt like an idiot standing there, in slight open-mouthed astonishment, staring at a business card. But really she couldn't keep from smiling and wondering if she had the guts to call.