Coffee Time
A series of shorts centered around Elizabeth Keen, coffee, and the various people she shares it with.
Ch. 1, Agent Ressler
It was just a coincidence.
The elevator had only just arrived when Elizabeth saw Agent Ressler walk into the lobby of the "Post Office", coffee in hand.
Starbucks.
Just like hers.
Elizabeth felt her spirits drop at the sight of him. She stepped into the elevator, straightening her shoulders and keeping a neutral expression on her face as she prepared to deal with Agent Ressler's perpetual hostility.
He distrusted her, he disliked her, and while it was wearing on Elizabeth (it certainly was not the ideal working situation); she didn't really blame him.
Walking with heavy steps, Agent Ressler moved into the elevator beside her, offering a tight, unfriendly smile as she pressed the appropriate button.
The elevators doors slid slowly closed and they began their descent.
Donald Ressler shifted in place, refusing to acknowledge her further, and Elizabeth observed him casually.
She was surprised by his selection of coffee, he didn't seem like the type.
She tried picturing him ordering from the list of overly complicated names on the menu and couldn't make it work.
Seeing him with coffee like this, Starbucks, not some office brew in a chipped ceramic mug, was certainly a change. A crack in the uptight-federal-agent costume Ressler seemed to have perfected.
Judging from the dark circles around the corners of his eyes, Agent Ressler needed the coffee.
It was something Elizabeth Keen could relate to. Her stop at the coffee chain that morning was a direct result of her sleepless nights at home.
Worrying about this job, about Tom, about the box she had found...all the doubts that Reddington had planted in her mind despite her best efforts to shut them out. Elizabeth had not been sleeping well lately, and it seemed neither had Agent Ressler.
The elevator continued its slow decent and the silence was becoming oppressive.
"Late night?" Elizabeth ventured, trying to keep her voice neutral.
Ressler frowned at her anyways.
He looked as if he was going to reply, but the elevator dinged merrily, announcing that they had arrived, and he seemed to think better of it.
When the doors opened he was out in a flash, striding down the hallway quickly, seemingly glad to have his back to her.
Barely resisting rolling her eyes, Elizabeth Keen trailed after him, arriving in the war room a few steps behind him; coffee in hand.
She noted that Reddington was already present, his eyes flicking to her as she enterred the room just behind Agent Ressler.
Having Reddington skulking about at such an early hour was a sure sign that the day would go well.
Not. Elizabeth thought sarcastically to herself, sipping her coffee and listening as AD Cooper briefed them on the situation.
Ressler stood a few feet away from her.
He had set his cup down on one of the FBI tech's desks, hands on his hips as he frowned through the explanation. Some things didn't change. Starbucks or no.
Heaving a sigh and wishing her tiredness away through sheer force of coffee and willpower, Elizabeth Keen resigned herself to another day at work.
She took another gulp of her coffee and resolutely ignoring Reddington as he strolled to stand beside her.
Raymond Reddington looked as sharp as ever, despite the early hour.
He obviously had no difficulties sleeping, and Elizabeth resented him for it.
Reddington acted guiltless but they all knew otherwise.
If not for him, Elizabeth would have still been sleeping soundly beside her husband...instead of spending the nights tossing and turning with doubt.
It wasn't fair. But there was nothing to be done about it.
Elizabeth glanced at Reddington as he chimed into the conversation brightly, interrupting AD Cooper with a snappy remark.
Seeming to sense her attention, his gaze slid to meet hers; sharp eyes piercing through her with their focus.
What he was looking for Elizabeth didn't know.
The intensity of his gaze remained, but he smiled at her; a self-satisfied smirk that crinkled the edges of his eyes. Like just the two of them shared the joke.
He gave a little puff of laughter and Elizabeth turned her eyes back to her coffee.
She could feel his eyes, feel their disappointment that she had broken away, feel them staring straight through her...and she did not like it.
Ignoring him, she took a drink and waited for AD Cooper to continue, glancing past Agent Ressler to their director.
This seemed to prompt Reddington to say something else- another short witticism critiquing the FBI's competency- baiting Ressler into an angry response.
Standing in the middle of the verbal sparring match, Elizabeth Keen drank her coffee and concentrated on the warmth radiating from the cardboard cup in her hands.
It was going to be a long day.
Xxx
xxx
Author note:
Hope you enjoyed it! I'm trying to write as true-to-the-show as I can while still giving y'all:
A little bit of grumpy Donald Ressler, not knowing how to interact with Lizzie.
A little bit of Elizabeth being stuck in uncomfortable situations.
And a little bit of Reddington misinterpreting things and acting possessive of Lizzie.
...
Read it how you want to, it all depends on you! Lizzie/Ressler, Lizzie/Reddington, Lizzie/coffee!
More coming soon...