Joseph stepped out of the shower, steam following behind him as he wrapped himself in a towel. It was three in the afternoon and he needed a refresher before meeting Y/n.

Droplets of water trailed down from his hair as he attempted to shape it. His hair had a mind of its own and would go any way it pleased.

The towel hung slightly above his hips as he riffled through his closet. Joseph wanted to wear something brighter since he was growing tired of his neutral clothing.

He decided on a deeper red sweater for a pop of color against his pale skin. He slipped on a white collared shirt underneath his solid burgundy colored sweater.

While he searched for his pants, he applied a musky cologne to his pulse points. He hoped that she would like the smell, or at least notice it.

He eventually found his favorite pair of baggy black denim, quickly putting them on as he realized he was running out of time.

Joseph hastily grabbed his few pairs of rings and a plain silver necklace. He slid on his ink-colored shoes and ran down the stairs.

He locked the front door to his house and started his motor bike. Y/n didn't live too far, and he remembered where her house was from the first time he dropped her off.

He exited his driveway and sped up on the road. As he drove, he thought about what he would say when he got there. He wanted to be punctual, since he didn't want her to hold anything more against him.

He remembered Vergoux's words and took them into consideration. Maybe Jean could get over her, but what if he didn't? Would that mean the end of their friendship?

Jean had stuck beside Joseph throughout all of his issues, whether it was losing his eye or losing his father. They had a brother-like bond that he could never break.

Before he noticed, he was already outside of her house. Joseph swallowed dryly as he turned off his bike and hopped off of it.

The feeling of dread overtook his emotions.

He rubbed his thumb anxiously against his engraved silver ring, feeling the etched in marks. Whenever he was nervous, his fingers would always find their way to his ring.

His father etched his birthdate into the ring, and it had been the final gift he gave to Joseph. It comforted him to wear it, since it felt like a piece of his father would always stay with him.

He walked up to the door to knock, but he hesitated at the last second. What would she say if she saw him outside of her door? Would she just brush him aside?

He debated with himself for what felt like months before pushing his negative thoughts away and attempting to focus on the positive outcomes.

Joseph finally built up his confidence, preparing to knock on the door.

Before his fist could meet the door, it opened. His hand paused mid-air while Y/n stared at him awkwardly.

"I saw you pull up. What took so long?" She tilted her head quizzically.

He couldn't tell her that he was internally panicking, so he attempted to choke out some excuse.

"Well I.. I was...I wanted to..." He sputtered, getting quieter with every word. She stood in front of him blankly as he tried to connect his words.

"It's fine, you don't have to explain." She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. Y/n snapped the lock into place before dragging him along with her.

"Coffee? Tea? Water?" She inquired as she let go of his arm. She gestured for him to take a seat at the table.

"Uh.. water should be fine." He stalled slightly, distracted by her outfit.

She was dressed in a basic tank top and shorts, but Joseph thought she was ethereal. Whether she was dressed up or wearing loungewear, her beauty was otherworldly.

Shockingly, she hadn't been acting cold towards him. It was a stark contrast from the day before. She didn't express much emotion towards him at all.

He hoped that she would slowly forgive him at whatever pace she chose. It wasn't the right time to worry about it since they had a project to work on.

She sauntered back to the table, resting the ice-cold glass on the table in front of him. Before walking away, she noticed a refreshing earthy scent wafting from him. The smell was relaxing, almost putting her to sleep.

Joseph didn't smell like the usual combination of cigarettes and chocolate, but something new. She didn't mind since it matched him well.

Y/n grabbed a seat with her notes and textbook in hand. She began to work, barely acknowledging his existence. It stung him a bit, but he didn't take it too personally.

He began to work on one of the categories, but he couldn't shake off the silence.

"Do you like cats?" Y/n lifted her head up to look at him with a furrowed brow.

"What?" She questioned him.

He fidgeted with his rings before replying. "I'm just asking.. you seem like a cat person."

"Why is that important?" She said impatiently, waiting to get back to her work.

He rubbed the back of his neck as the painful dialogue went on. "I want to know more about you. It felt like we jumped into things way too early."

"You don't need to know anything about me." She snapped back, shifting her attention to her paper.

The silence echoed throughout the room as the two held back words from each other. Joseph looked back down and continued to work.

After a few minutes of silence, she silently gazed at him. They were forced to spend this time together so she would have to eventually talk to Joseph.

She sighed as she made the realization. She knew she had no right to snap at him.

"I like cats, especially tabby cats. I used to have one when I was younger." She tapped her fingers on the table while she waited for his response.

"Really? What'd you name them?" His eyes lit up, waiting to hear about her past.

"Cat." She spoke blankly and stared into his eyes.

"Yeah, what'd you name them?" He urged her to go on.

"The cat's name was Cat." She said straightforwardly while Joseph processed.

He took a glance at her serious face before bursting into laughter. "Who came up with that?"

"Are you saying my name choices are bad?" Her stern face changed as a smile creeped onto her face. She glanced at him while he continued to chuckle.

When she saw him laugh, she couldn't help but notice the warm feeling growing inside of her chest.

When she was with him, she felt so carefree.

Maybe they could settle on being friends. Dating clearly wasn't either of their strong suits, so why not stay platonic?

Getting into a relationship would just ruin their natural dynamic, and there was just some things she couldn't forgive him for.

She broke out of her thoughts, shifting her gaze back to him.

He grinned before starting to speak. "We should probably work, we've accomplished barely anything!"

Y/n nodded her head in agreement as they began to work and communicate. This was the most they had talked in weeks.

She didn't mind if they started from square one.