Short work written as a gift for hcibara, godsend to CoAi/ShinShi shippers and surely many more!
A girl is sitting at the couch, alone in the dark. Strawberry blonde locks fall across her face, making it difficult to see her expression. Has she fallen asleep on the couch again? The quiet intruder fetches a blanket and carefully drapes it on the girl. She doesn't stir, and he wears an expression of exasperation, though a fond smile makes it way on his face and stays.
For a while, he stands motionless, just staring at her. But the break of dawn is near, and he must go—he visited this early only to check on her after all, however much he tries to convince himself otherwise. But he needs to do one last thing, for himself too, later, he thinks, but he almost laughs at how absurd he's acting, sneaking into his friend's house just to make coffee for a grumpy old lady. He smirks—she'd hate it if I told her—then flushes—no, this is NOT for her—as he shuffles around the kitchen and fusses over the coffeemaker.
He leaves as silently as he had come.
They meet moments later in the same house. As she brings the cup of coffee to her face, she takes in its aroma with her eyes closed, and she smiles a full second. A scene he first witnessed three days ago when he stayed over and prepared coffee. His undoing.
The rim reaches her lips and she drinks. As the cup is placed back on the saucer, the usually frigid air around her during mornings has considerably warmed, which, for a few days now, is seemingly becoming her new norm.
Today, though, she raises her brow at him, asking, "Problem?"
Countless. How about you, do you only ever smile at pets and... coffee?
He brings his own cup down, answering, "Nothing. Nothing at all."