A small bell jingles nearby, informer her of another customer's arrival. She looks up from the cup she's pouring, brushing her silver hair from her eyes, to look at the newcomer. Her eyes hover over the cheery face for a second too long, and the cup starts to spill over. Damn. She does this every time.
He's never alone, always accompanied by more of them. The one wearing coats and carrying briefcases just like his. It's usually the same four or five, but occasionally he's joined by others. Like that black haired dove, with the stitches in his face... Juuzou? She thinks that's his name, she's heard it a time or two while he's there(not that she's listening for such things, she only hears them in passing, although she can't deny that she always passes by his table a little more often than the others). He also comes with a woman sometimes, one that looks familiar, no less.
But it's not his companions that interest her. It's him, with his familiar scent, that same unkempt hair. And the stupid, happy facade. The one he wears to convince the unknowing that everything is fine, that there's no need to worry. It's that very same facade that assures her that he hasn't changed. Only he could be so considerate so as to neglect himself so much. Even as he was tearing apart Aogiri at the seams, he thought of his friends at Anteiku before himself.
Sometimes, when he comes in, and she begins to think of him and the past, her old self flares up demanding that she knock him to the ground and scream at him and throttle his stupid, smiling face-
One of his companions(it's the loud red-headed one who always scares off the other customers) hails her for the check, snapping her out of the momentary psychotic breakdown. She delivers it with a convincing smile, but accidentally makes eye contact with the white haired man she's been observing. He returns her smile easily, and somehow she can tell it's genuine.
"Say, have we met before?" he asks innocently.
She gives him a deceptively cheery smile before answering.
"No sir, I don't believe we have."