Coffee break [open]

[beckysmash]

When you're a busy college student currently working on your graduate degree in biological engineering, it's a feat if you get anytime to just take a break and relax. And while Becky Ross-Banner was often up to her eyeballs in work, she found that sometimes, it was nice to take a break from spending time in library cramming, or working on writing twenty-page papers at home, to just unwind a little and relax. Breathe. Pause and take a couple of minutes before going back to hitting the books.

Like right now. Becky had decided to take a break from her all day study session at the library to go down to her favorite little coffee shop and order a nice hot chai tea and a cranberry muffin. She went over to the table at the window where she normally like to sit and just watch people as they walked by. Sometimes, it was nice to just relax and people-watch.

Studying could wait for a few minutes. Right now, Becky was having some precious me-time.

Comments

[lil_hulk]

Jay had a slightly and occasionally squirmy backpack on his back. He was on his way back to the Avengers Mansion from wandering around. He nearly walked by a coffee shop before deciding he wanted something to drink. He u-turned and made his way in.

Only to stop in his tracks at seeing his cousin sitting by the window. Someone may have run into him as he stopped and stared. "Can this be some alternate universe where my cousin is not studying all the time?"

Jay pinched himself.

[beckysmash]

Becky turned her head over her shoulder when she heard her cousin's voice, smiling at him. "I don't always study you know, Jay. Sometimes, I like to take a little break."

She raised an eyebrow at his backpack. "Is your backpack...moving?"

[lil_hulk]

Jay strolled over to the table Becky was sitting at. He gave her the best grin he could manage, which wasn't quite full but happy enough. "Of course you do. You're the smart one. I am just the beauty."

He fluttered his eyelashes at her as he slung his backpack off his back. He glanced down at it. "Most likely. Boo is sometimes restless in small, not-unzipped places. Can you watch my pack to make sure he doesn't escape and take down overly broody people while I get a chai?"

[beckysmash]

Becky rolled her eyes at him. "Of course you are. I got all the brains, you got the looks. I've always been so jealous of your stunning beauty." She laughed.

She smiled at him. "I can do that. You let him get a little air, though. That's probably why he's so fidgety."

[lil_hulk]

"Well, I do make women jealous of my hair," he noted. It had grown out quite a bit, he had it pulled back out of his face today. Traditional hairstyle would wait until his bangs were just a bit longer.

Jay unzipped the backpack a bit and set it down in front of Becky. A pair of eyes peered out the opening at her, blinking. Then small, fuzzy fingers grabbed at the zipper.

"I'll be right back. Promise." Jay scooted toward the counter.

[beckysmash]

Becky picked up the backpack, letting Boo wrap his hand around her fingers. "Hello, Boo," she said. "Are you hungry? I bet you are." She broke off a piece of her muffin, offering it to Boo through the tiny opening.

[lil_hulk]

Boo squeezed and patted Becky's fingers, feeling them up and deciding it was not the slider. The space hamster snatched the piece of muffin, smiled at it, and shoved it in its mouth. It made happy humming sounds as it ate.

It took Jay a few minutes, but he returned with a chai latte and a raspberry scone.

[beckysmash]

"You were just hungry, weren't you?" Becky cooed. "You want a little more?" She offered him some.

[lil_hulk]

Jay chuckled a bit as he sat down at the table. "When he's done with your muffin, he's got a scone."

He sipped his steaming hot chai carefully as he set the wax paper wrapped scone on the table. Jay would let his cousin have a moment or two with his miniature giant space hamster. Until she tried to hamster-nap him.

Boo, for his part, snatched some more muffin and stuck it into his mouth until his cheeks puffed out.

[beckysmash]

"He is so cute," Becky said, watching Boo.

[lil_hulk]

Jay sniffled dramatically. "You used to say that about me. I've been replaced by a miniature giant space hamster."

He kept an eye on the interaction but let things happen as they were. The backpack bulged a bit as Boo stuck his nose out the opening and sniffed.

[beckysmash]

"You're still cute. Just not tiny and fuzzy cute like Boo here is." She stroked the fur on the bridge of his nose lightly.

[lil_hulk]

Boo sneezed at the snout rubbing and fell back in the backpack.

"I'm big and not hairy. It's a burden, but someone has to." He picked up the scone and loosened the wrapping. He reached across the table. There was a happy squeak, and then the scone disappeared inside the backpack. "He likes raspberries, by the way. So you can spoil him at the next holiday."

[beckysmash]

"Bless you," Becky said, giggling a little. "I'll make sure to bring him lots of raspberries. "Would you like that, Boo?"

[lil_hulk]

"So, outside of getting entranced by my new companion, what you been up to, Becky?" Jay settled back in his chair. He could hear the sounds of Boo munching noisily on the scone.

[beckysmash]

"The usual. Classes have been insane. Graduate work is....intense. Not that I can't handle it or anything."

[lil_hulk]

"Well, you can handle the brainy stuff better than me," Jay admitted with a shrug. He sipped his chai and happily did not burn his tongue. "What're your plans once you get your smartypants degree?"