Sunday

Octavia opened her eyes to the new day.

Though she was awake, she was still day dreaming about her date last night. About him.

She'd forgotten what falling in love felt like.

Now, it all came rushing back.

Last night, she'd fallen asleep with a smile on her lips, just thinking about Lincoln. She shook her head in wonder, still smiling as she thought about the surprising turn of events last night that had brought them together.

Still, dread consumed her.

When was she going to see Lincoln again? Was she going to see Lincoln again? They'd had a wonderful time last night, yes. But was that enough in the harsh light of day? What if changed his mind? What if he realized her baggage was too much to handle?

She didn't think she could bear it.

Her phone beeped, signaling a new text message.

Still up for coffee? –L

Octavia felt her heart soared. Lincoln.

She was grinning at her phone like an idiot when the door of her room burst open and Raven came in.

"What the hell happened?" she demanded.

Octavia stared at her, startled.

"Excuse me?"

"With Jasper!" her friend clarified, out of patience. "I just called him to ask how your date went. He sounded miserable, said you left with some other guy. What happened? I thought you said the date went great…"

Octavia frozen for a second, like the proverbial 'deer in headlights'.

"Jasper. Right." She was quiet for a second, unsure of how to explain it. Last night had been filled with twists and turns. She'd started her date with a man and ended it with another, for God's sake! "Well, he was a very nice guy, like you said. But it didn't work out. Good news is… I met someone new. And he's kind of amazing."

Raven didn't say anything. She just stared at her friend, stunned. Octavia went on, "Look, Rae… Jasper seriously was not my type. He bored the hell out of me."

"How did you even meet this new guy?"

Octavia told her everything. The dinner, the necklace, the pizza, the flower, the kiss… By the end of this retelling, Raven was speechless again. For someone who was hesitant to get back on the dating scene, Octavia had certainly returned to the game with a bang…

"So, things didn't really work out with Jasper. So what?" Octavia argued. "I met someone! Wasn't that what it was all about?"

"Well, okay," Raven conceded. "And he's a good guy?"

Just thinking about Lincoln brought a huge smile to her face. "Yes! I promise."

Raven hesitated. She sat down on the edge of the bed and took Octavia's hand.

"Just please be careful, O. I don't want another creep mangling your heart."

"Look, I know I just met him, but I really don't think you have to worry. Lincoln's seriously great. I'm sure he'll get your 'Raven stamp of approval' if and when we come to that."

Raven sighed.

"Okay…" she said and got up from the bed. "Well, I'm gonna make some breakfast. You want in?"

She smiled at her concerned friend. "Sure."

When Raven left the room, Octavia looked back at her phone and Lincoln's message.

She wanted to see him again. Soon.

After having her heart broken, Octavia had a second chance at love. And she wasn't going to throw it away.

She typed back: Yes.

After breakfast, Octavia showered, brushed her teeth, and nearly tore her wardrobe apart.

She had no idea what to wear!

She wanted to look good, but she didn't want it to seem like she was trying too hard. Ugh! She'd forgotten how hard this dating thing was, especially when you liked the guy and wanted to impress him.

The weather was surprisingly nice for Winter time. So she decided to go with something simple and casual. Black jeans, a sweater, a denim jacket and sneakers. She finished the look with very light makeup.

Much like the previous night, Octavia stood in front of the full length mirror, staring helplessly at her reflection.

Her phone beeped again and she could feel the butterflies in her stomach. She hadn't felt this way in a long time. In fact, she wasn't sure she'd ever felt this way before.

Octavia picked it up from the bed and saw the new text: I'm here.

And just like that, she no longer felt scared. Only the excitement, and a healthy bit of nervousness, remained.

She picked up her purse and walked out of her room.

When Raven saw her, she lifted a brow.

"Going somewhere?"

"Coffee. With Lincoln."

Octavia took one last look at herself in their hallway mirror before saying a hurried goodbye and leaving.

Raven had never seen her friend this nervous. Part of her was undoubtedly excited to see her friend so nervous and thrilled at the prospect of a new romance, but another part of her was screaming for Octavia to be careful. She didn't want her friend to go through all the misery of a failed relationship again.

For now, she would give it a chance.

She just hoped this Lincoln guy was worth it.

Octavia tapped her phone against her hand nervously as she rode the elevator down to the main floor of her building.

She couldn't wait to see Lincoln again.

When the elevator doors opened, she saw him through the glass door of the building. As soon as she laid eyes on him, all the nervousness evaporated. He was standing right there in front of her, and it was like they'd never parted. She felt complete again.

Lincoln looked a lot more casual and loose than he had last night. The suit had been replaced by a long sleeved tee and a leather jacket.

"Hey," he greeted her with a smile as she walked down the main steps of the building.

"Hi." He laid a gentle kiss on her cheek, leaving her a bit flustered. "I'm glad you texted," she said once she'd recovered. "I had fun last night."

"Me, too," he replied. However, there was something he needed to get off his chest. "Listen, before we do anything, I want to say something."

Octavia was weary, but listened. "Okay."

"If we're gonna keep seeing each other," he began and reassured her, "and I want to."

"I do, too."

He grinned and continued, "I want you to know…" He paused. "I know you just got out of a relationship and that it didn't end well."

Octavia looked uncomfortable.

"What I mean is…" Lincoln went on. "If you need time, I completely understand. We can take it slow. No rush, no pressure, no expectations. Let's just get to know each other and have fun."

She nodded. "I like that plan." Then, she smiled sweetly at him. "Thank you."

Weight lifted off their shoulders, they felt invigorated.

"You got it. Now, where are we going then?"

"Well, I happen to know the best coffee shop in the city."

He pretended to consider. "Hmmm… Well, you were right about the pizza last night." He gestured her to go on. "So lead the way."

They walked into The Brew and approached the counter.

Lincoln took in the space. The coffee shop was so cool and open, with plenty of natural light coming into the room.

"I swear, you know the greatest spots in the city," he remarked in awe. "How did you find this place?"

"Hmmm, well… I actually work here."

He raised his eyebrows and grinned. "Really?"

"Yup. Best coffee you will ever have."

"Hey," a female voice greeted Octavia. "I thought you weren't working today."

"Oh. Hey, Niylah," she said. "I'm not. I'm a customer today."

"Mhm." Niylah squinted her eyes, checking out Octavia's company. "I see."

Niylah Chapman was one of her closest friends, along with Raven and Clarke. Clarke and Niylah had even dated for a while, but that had ended badly and was better off left in the past. And, as any good friend, she knew all about Octavia's recent trouble with her cheating ex and Raven trying to set her up with someone new.

Octavia turned to Lincoln with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"Do you trust me to pick your coffee?"

He laughed. "Sure."

"Two House Specials to go, please," she told Niylah.

"Coming right up."

When Niylah left momentarily to get their order, Octavia turned to Lincoln, uncertain.

"Is this okay? Coming here, I mean. I wasn't sure."

"Yeah, it's fine. Perfect, even. I just realized how little I actually know about you. I mean, I had no idea you were a barista!"

Niylah returned with their coffees.

Lincoln took a sip and almost moaned.

Octavia grinned. "Good, right?"

"Yeah! It's amazing." Then, his thoughts returned to the matter at hand. Lincoln considered and said, "We should get to know each other better."

"That's kind of what this date is for, right? Come on."

They paid for their coffees and left.

It was so nice out, they decided to go to the Park. Without meaning to, she remembered the lily he'd given her last night and smiled to herself.

They sat down on a bench, facing each other and sipping their coffees.

"Okay. Let's start with the basics," she declared. "Age?"

"31."

"27. Last name?"

"Hunter. You?"

"Blake. Middle name Anne."

Lincoln grinned.

"So, Octavia Anne Blake…" he teased, making her shudder. Oh, why had she told him that? "I know you're 27, you're a barista and you have a brother. What else is there? Parents?"

"My mom died when I was a teenager. Never knew my father. You?"

"My mother died in childbirth. My dad raised me. He died when I was 10. After that, I was raised by close family friends."

She thought her life had been tragic. Her life certainly hadn't been easy, but she'd always had Bellamy and her friends. At a loss for words, she settled with, "I'm sorry."

He placed his free hand over hers. "It's okay."

The touch startled her. He hadn't touched her since that kiss on the cheek that morning. She craved his touch. They'd shared a wonderful kiss the previous night. Was he going to kiss her again?

"So, you never told what you do for a living," she continued, changing the subject.

"Oh! Right. I'm an EMT."

"Really? That's awesome!" Her eyes were lit with excitement. "You get to help people. I mean, it's certainly better than being a barista."

"You help people."

She scoffed. "Sure."

"Seriously, you do. You help them with their caffeine fix. And not just any fix. This," he said, holding up his cup. "This is premium quality."

Octavia laughed.

"Okay. Well, I'm glad you liked it so much. If ever you're feeling tired during a shift, you could stop by The Brew whenever, get your fix." See me, she complete internally.

He smiled. "Maybe I will."

They spent the rest of the morning on that Park bench, talking and laughing. The time just flew by and before they knew it, it was lunchtime and their stomachs were beginning to complain uncomfortably.

"I have an idea," Lincoln announced.

"What?"

He nodded toward a food truck serving… pizza.

Octavia chuckled and nodded. "Okay." Then, she smiled deviously at him as they walked. "Is this our thing now? Do we have a thing?"

"It seems that way."

They each got a slice of pizza and a cup of soda. They walked through the Park as they ate, juggling the food and drink, and talking at the same time.

Afterward, he noticed something. There was a little bit of grease from the pizza on the corner of her mouth.

"Hold on," he said, bringing them to a halt.

Lincoln reached over with an unused napkin and wiped it away.

Ugh! This was killing her!

Until, finally, she could take no more.

"Are you gonna kiss me again?" she demanded.

The sudden outburst took Lincoln aback. "Do you want me to?"

"Yes. Do you want to?"

"Yes."

They leaned in and dove at the same time.

When they parted, she was out of breath.

"We should do a lot more of this."

Lincoln grinned.

"Agreed," he said before returning to her lips.

It was a blissful Sunday afternoon. They had the rest of the day to themselves and neither one of them was in the mood to be anywhere else than right there with each other.

"Where should we go next?"

"Ooh, we could go ice skating," she suggested. "There's a ring here in the Park."

He nodded. "Sounds good."

"Although, fair warning?" she said in a provocative tone. "My balance isn't always great, so you might have to hold on tight to me."

Lincoln grinned widely. "I can do that."

They put on the skates they were given and set out onto the ice.

Octavia was trying to stabilize herself on the unstable surface (the dig she'd made about her lack of balance hadn't been totally unfounded) and nearly fell on her ass, but Lincoln was there in a flash, grabbing her and holding her close.

"You okay?"

She grabbed onto his shoulders and looked into his eyes. "Never better."

Then, she leaned up as best as she could to kiss him. A kiss he returned eagerly.

Together, they swirled and swerved around on the ice, always holding hands and keeping each other steady. Octavia almost slipped and fell a couple of times. Good thing she was with an EMT… she thought ruefully.

"That was fun!" she exclaimed as they returned the skates. "What should we do next time?"

"Hmm?"

"The next date."

"I guess we could for coffee again?" he suggested lamely.

"Did you really like the coffee that much?" she teased. Lincoln chuckled. "How about breakfast? Do you like pancakes?"

He grinned. "Sure."

"Breakfast, it is. Tomorrow? At seven?"

He nodded.

Monday

Raven knocked on her bedroom door.

"Come in," Octavia told her.

"Good morning, sunshine."

"Morning."

"I'm making French toast for breakfast. Do you want some?"

Octavia finished buttoning her dark dress shirt. Sadly, today was work day, so her choice of outfit was limited by the customary uniform worn at The Brew.

"No, thanks. I'm getting breakfast with Lincoln."

Raven leaned against the doorframe and smirked. "This is getting serious… You spent all day yesterday together and now you're having breakfast. It's like you can't enough of each other."

Octavia looked down, bashful, and gave a little laugh.

"It's just breakfast, Rae," she muttered. "We're taking it slow. I told him about… you know. The ex."

"You did?"

"Yeah. He was really understanding about it. It was actually his suggestion that we go slow."

Raven realized something in that moment.

"This Lincoln guy really makes you happy, doesn't he?"

"Yeah." Octavia smiled. "Yeah, he does."

They'd agreed to meet in front of the pancake place.

The place they'd picked for their breakfast encounter was pretty close to The Brew. In fact, it was somewhere she often went to for breakfast before work.

It felt good to include Lincoln in little routines like this.

Speaking of whom… Lincoln was waiting for her by the door.

Octavia hurried to his side and leaned up to kiss him. "Good morning."

The kiss took him by surprise. But he wasn't complaining.

"Good morning to you, too."

She backed up a little to take in his clothing. He was dressed casually.

Octavia frowned and teased, "I thought EMTs wore a uniform."

"We do. But my shift doesn't start until later. I still have time." He took her hand and pulled her with him. "Come on. I'm starving."

"Wait." She put a hand on his arm to stop him. "You got up this early just to have breakfast with me?"

He nodded.

"Why?"

Lincoln shrugged. "I like spending time with you. It's no big deal."

But it was to her.

Two Weeks Later - Friday

Octavia and Lincoln had gone out together almost every night since they'd met. Although, their schedules didn't always allow them the much desired free time a new couple needed. On Friday, they were both off work, so they'd agreed to do dinner and a movie. There was a brand new release in theaters that they were both dying to watch.

When the movie was over, they walked outside of the theater, huddling together for warmth against the cold night air.

Octavia leaned into him.

"You know, my roommate is out for the night. You could… stay over, see where things go."

Lincoln was stunned but very much interested. "What happened to taking it slow?"

"Screw that!"

She grabbed his face and pulled him down to her lips. Lincoln was into the moment. Then, pulled back, searching her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

It was a shock to both of them when they managed to arrive at Octavia's apartment with their clothing still completely intact.

They were making out against her front door, when it suddenly opened.

Raven stood there, grinning like a Bond villain.

"Raven?" Octavia asked, perplexed. "I thought you were going to spend the night out."

"Change of plans," she explained easily. Then, she eyed Lincoln with narrowed eyes. She still wasn't sure she could trust him with her friend's heart.

"Who's this?" she asked innocently.

"Raven, this is Lincoln," Octavia introduced them. "Lincoln, this is Raven, my best friend and nosy roommate."

"Hi there."

"Hey," Lincoln replied awkwardly. He turned to Octavia and spoke softly, "I should go."

"No, stay. Please."

"It's okay. Another time." He kissed her cheek and promised, "I'm not going anywhere."

Then, he turned to Raven. "It was nice meeting you, Raven."

"Yeah, same."

Lincoln gave Octavia one last kiss and promised, "I'll call you tomorrow," before leaving.

When he'd gone, Octavia glared at Raven.

"Thanks a lot for the cockblock. I thought you were going out."

"I was. Like I said, there was a change of plans." After a moment, she continued, "So that was him, huh? The infamous Lincoln I've been hearing so much about. What happened to moving slow, O?"

"I changed my mind." She sighed. "I'm tired of wasting time."

"But he didn't pressure you, right?"

"No! No, of course not. The sex was my idea." Octavia hesitated. "Was it a bad idea? Is it too soon?"

Raven shrugged one shoulder, unsure of how to phrase it. "I mean, a little. You met him what, two weeks ago?" At her friend's dismayed look, she pressed, "Look, if this was just sex, I would say 'go for it!', but it isn't, right? You actually want to build something with this guy."

Octavia nodded.

"Well, he seemed nice," Raven admitted. "And he said it himself, he's not going anywhere. You guys have plenty of time."

Maybe Raven was right. Maybe she was jumping into things too early… She felt like she'd known Lincoln all her life, but the reality was they'd only met two weeks ago.

"Besides, I'm just glad you're finally getting back out there," Raven continued on a happier note. She teased, "He's a good guy, right? Or am I gonna have to kick his ass?"

"He's a great guy," Octavia repeated, smirking. "And there's any need for ass kicking, I can handle it myself."

Saturday

The following night, they went out for a drink or two.

Or six, in Octavia's case.

In her drunken state, she could barely walk. Lincoln had to half-drag, half-carry her along. Good thing he'd decided to remain sober.

Lincoln had decided to cut the night short before she got alcohol poisoning, and he took her home. Now, he faced a problem. He didn't have a key, but he didn't want to snoop around her purse either. It felt wrong. He could only pray her roommate was home.

He knocked on the door. It opened to reveal Raven's shocked expression when she saw her friend's condition.

"I think she had a few too many," Lincoln explained.

Octavia giggled drunkenly and kissed his cheek. "You're so sweet, you know that? You're adorable!"

She tried to walk inside on her own two feet. Then, she stumbled and almost fell. Lincoln's reflexes were quick, however, and he picked her up into his arms before she could hit the ground.

"You're so strong," Octavia complimented in an awed and slurred voice. "He's so strong, Raven. Look at him!"

"Yeah, I'm looking."

Lincoln adjusted his hold on Octavia and carried her inside.

"You got her?" Raven checked.

"Yeah."

She led the way into Octavia's room.

Lincoln placed her gently on her bed and took off her high heels.

Octavia held on to him to the best of her drunk and sluggish abilities.

"Noooo," she whined. "Stay. Please."

"Shhh. Rest," he said, covering her with the comforter. He laid a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back tomorrow. I promise."

"I love you," she mumbled sleepily.

Lincoln smiled and kissed her forehead again.

I love you, too.

Sunday

Octavia opened her eyes to the new day.

Oh shit…

Her head was killing her.

She blinked and squinted her eyes at the harsh morning light coming through the window.

"Oh God…"

Her stomach felt like it was tumbling inside her. She got up as hurriedly as she could and ran into the bathroom, where she promptly puked her guts out.

It had been a long time since she'd been hungover.

She had not missed the feeling, at all.

Octavia reeked of alcohol. Carefully, she removed her clothes and her smeared makeup, donning on a pair of yoga pants and an old t-shirt, and pulled her messy hair into a loose bun.

As she brushed her teeth, Octavia tried to recall the events of the previous night. All she remembered was that she and Lincoln had made plans to go out for drinks. Oh God…

Moving slowly, she walked out of her bedroom and into the living room where Raven sat, watching TV.

"Good morning!" her friend greeted her loudly.

Octavia groaned in response and slumped down on the couch next to Raven.

"What happened?"

"Apparently, someone had too much to drink last night."

Octavia sighed. She was in no mood for Raven's snark.

"Yeah, I gathered that much, smartass. I meant, what happened next?"

"Well, after you got spectacularly drunk, your boyfriend brought you home safe and sound before you did something stupid. So that was nice of him."

Octavia was mortified. She couldn't believe Lincoln had seen her in that state.

There was a knock on the door.

Octavia moaned in pain, massaging her temples.

"Ugh. Who the fuck…?"

Raven got up and checked who their visitor was through the peephole.

"It's your boyfriend," she told Octavia with a grin.

Octavia panicked. "What?"

She looked down at herself. She was such a mess…

Oh, what the hell! He already saw you drunk last night!

At least, she had brushed her teeth.

She motioned to Raven, a signal that it was okay to open the door.

Raven opened the door and let him in.

Lincoln came inside, a box and a cup holder in his hands.

"Good morning," he greeted them both.

"Hey," Octavia replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I promised I'd be back," Lincoln explained with a grin. His expression grew serious. "I was worried about you. How are you feeling?"

"Generally speaking, I feel very crappy at the moment. But I'm better now that you're here."

Lincoln smiled sweetly at her. Then, he remembered.

"Here. I stopped by The Brew. I figured you might need it." He handed her a cup of coffee. Then, he motioned to the box. "I brought something to eat, too. I hope you like doughnuts."

Octavia accepted the coffee gratefully, though she was still too sick to eat.

"You're basically the best boyfriend ever. You know that, right?"

He chuckled. "Sure I do."

Then, they noticed they were alone in the room.

Raven had gone into the kitchen area, making herself busy and pretending not to listen to their conversation.

"Come on," Octavia took his hand. "Let's go somewhere more private..."

She led him into her room.

"Leave the doughnuts!" Raven called out.

They walked into her room and she remembered too late.

Oh… Her room looked like a war zone.

"Hmm. Yeah, I'm still kind of in the middle of moving in," she tried to smooth over the situation. That was a total lie! She sighed and admitted sheepishly, "And I'm pretty messy."

He laughed. "It's okay."

They sat on the edge of her bed.

Octavia took another sip of the coffee and set the cup down on her nightstand.

There was something bothering her. She'd mostly gotten over the mortification of him seeing her drunk, but she still didn't know what had happened exactly.

"Did I… say something stupid last night?" she wanted to know. "I tend to do that when I'm drunk."

Lincoln lifted a shoulder in a casual shrug.

"Well, you did declare you undying love for me."

She froze in shock.

"I'm kidding," he said, grinning.

He wasn't being totally honest. She had said those three little words last night. At the time, they had thrilled him. But she'd been drunk. Maybe she had meant them, maybe she hadn't. Either way, it was something she wasn't ready to say and that was okay. He could wait.

Octavia seemed relieved and he knew he'd done the right thing by not telling her.

"Well, you've seen me drunk. And now you've seen me hungover," she grimaced slightly as she spoke. "This is definitely a new stage of our relationship."

Lincoln nodded. "It is." He paused, then joked, "Though maybe we should lay off the drinks for a while. Let's just stick to pizza"

"Lincoln?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

He grinned. "Okay."

Lincoln leaned in to lay his lips on hers.

Their relationship was still very new and untested in some aspects, but they were sure about each other and they couldn't wait to see where it would take them from here.