AFTER THE ONE WITH THE PEDIATRICIAN

Half past eleven.

The collection of low voices and city rhythm blending together into a ceaseless, dreamy hum around him suddenly catches his attention. A little while back, he seemed to have heard nothing else than the sound of her voice but at the abrupt pause, her sentence melts quickly enough into the background and he wonders for a second how long he's been staring at her. Wordless.

Mike tenses.

"I had a really great time," Phoebe smiles. Her eyes searching his face.

His fists open and close, fingers tucking themselves into his palms the way they do in situations like this. Just like when he walked on stage toward the baby grand on his very first recital. Or every moment since then that he had to give a very good impression.

"Great," Mike manages to croak out before straightening himself up again. "That's… er… great. I'm… I had a great time, too."

She giggles slightly, shifting her eyes down to her feet.

"Now, I feel bad."

Mike hesitates. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I gave Joey a really hard time last night for what happened. You know, I was so busy being mad that I didn't… even realise how… cute the stranger he picked off the street for me was."

Her green eyes sparkle against the smoky, blue filter of the lamp post lights and he badly wants to understand how his heart could be beating that fast already.

"Can I tell you something?" he distracts himself as they walk on, lifting his gaze from her and pinning it to the ground.

"Of course," Phoebe replies.

"We've actually seen each other before."

"Really? I don't…" she bites on her lip before finishing. "When was that?"

"Around a month or a little more than a month ago."

She stares at him, curious, in reply.

"At the coffee shop."

Phoebe squints a little, tips her head slightly to the side. "I'm sorry. I can't remember."

"I figured you wouldn't," Mike chuckles. "You were rushing out and I was going in at the same time. Said your friend was having a baby. You almost bashed my nose in with the door."

Her eyes widen as though a light bulb just went off her head. "Oh, that's right! Yea, I remember now. Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't hurt you though, did I?"

"Nah, you barely caught me. I leaned back just in time."

"Oh, okay. Good."

Mike watches as his feet take one step after another. A smile pasted on his face. For a beat, they carry on in silence. He, happy enough to watch their strides going on in the same direction. The words in his head though seem to have a mind of their own.

He looks up at her again and the words just come out of his mouth.

"To be honest, I hung around the coffee shop more often after that happened."

Phoebe tosses her hair back and they stop walking.

"How come?" she slides one hand up and down her arms before crossing them in front of her.

"Well, I was kind of hoping I would see you again. I wanted to check if you were really that beautiful or… if my dreams were exaggerating."

It might have come out cheesier than he intended, however true it was. But her cheeks are flushed when she turns away from him and if he does not walk away that night with at least a kiss, he can take that moment with him to bed until the next time he sees her and that would be enough somehow.

"So have you checked now?" Phoebe asks, a little sheepish.

He looks at her as intently as he can. The periphery suddenly becomes a blank navy sleet. "You're gorgeous," he whispers.

She looks away, runs her hand up and down her arms again.

Mike feels a crash back to the city. The moment, over just like that. Everything and everyone on the street returns just as quickly as they disappeared for a split second.

"Are you cold?"

"No, I'm…" she looks up behind her, toward the building. "I'm here. This is me. Erm. This is where I live."

"Oh, okay," Mike stumbles, catching her hand to lead her to the door. He realises it might have been a little too forward but her hand fits snugly enough in his, he does not bother thinking twice anymore.

"Well, I had a great time," he exhales with a laugh. "I know I said already but… I really did."

"I know, I had a great time too." Her fingers tremble as they fiddle with the keys.

"I'll buy Joey a cappuccino tomorrow… since he sort of got us together in the first place," Mike notices her shaking hands and something that lights up in her face exactly when his eyes lock onto hers. "Are you sure you're not cold?"

He holds his coat by the lapels in a move to take it off but never gets to it. All of a sudden, her lips are against his. Her body is against his. And her hands are on top of his own on the lapels of his coat that hung an inch away from his back after that all of a sudden.

A gust of wind brushes against his neck just when she pulls away.

"Erm. Do you want to come inside?" Phoebe asks with a slight shiver. "I'd really like to try on your coat."

Author's Note: New Mike/Phoebe story up. My hard drive crashed a month ago and everything is gone now. So, while I'm bored trying to get everything back still, I'll do drabbles instead for now. If anyone would like to be a sweetheart and cheer up an old miserable creature with a read & review of this little slice, it would be much appreciated. Cheers!