Coffee, Benny decided, was the only thing that made life possible at this hour. And, more often than not, he was the only one awake at this hour – at least, since Mark had been fired from his job at Starbucks, leaving Benny the only one in the loft currently employed. And someone had to make sure there was enough money to at least... well... eat.
I just wish it could be someone else, Benny thought as he finished pouring himself coffee and, coffee mug in hand, walked to the table. He sank into one of the chairs and stared into his coffee, wondering abstractly if he could endeavor to get himself fired just so he wouldn't have to do this. Granted, he would likely regret it later... but the prospect of being able to actually sleep in some time in this lifetime was tempting.
The sound of a footstep on the bare floor startled him enough that he jumped, just barely missing spilling very hot coffee on his hand. As it was, it spilled on the table, and he got up to get a towel to wipe it up with, glancing up as he did to see Mark's new girlfriend. Maureen, that was her name – Benny had met her once or twice before, but this was the first time she'd spent the night here at the loft.
"Oh, hey, babe," he said, giving her a quick smile. "I didn't wake you up, did I?" Well, he had to have – people didn't get up at this time of morning unless they had to, in Benny's experience. She returned his smile, though with her smile that could have meant any of a hundred things, vague and lovely and baffling.
"No, I just–" She stopped, pushing dark curly hair from her face, and her smile shifted to something bemused and teasing, and how it was both at once Benny couldn't guess. "Did you just call me babe?"
Benny froze – had he actually said that? The word had just slipped out without thought, he hadn't... "I'm sorry, if it bothers you I didn't mean to–"
"No," she interrupted, before he could get out that stumbling, slightly awkward apology. "Don't worry, it's... I like it."
"Oh." Hesitantly, he smiled back at her again, while she walked past him, all grace and entrancing beauty, to pour herself a cup of coffee. After a moment, Benny pulled his eyes away from her, glancing down at the table still smiling, and realized suddenly that he felt much more awake than he had before.
Maybe coffee wasn't the only thing that made life possible right now.