Realistic or Modern Brushstrokes, Coffee, and I Think I'm Falling for You

[katsch_99]

Grace held onto Teddy's soft, mumbled words all the way to the train station, her heart leaping to her throat knowing the gesture had been received as she'd intended it to be. Releasing a content sigh as she inhaled the already familiar scent of the other girl, still lingering on her scarf, her thoughts drifted to all that lay ahead in the coming days. It felt good to make plans she was actually looking forward to for a change. Her giddy smile was hidden by the warm navy fabric she had her face buried in as she stepped onto the train the second the doors slid open.

Grace stared out the window at the blurred city rushing past, one leg propped up on the seat beside her. The excitement from their short exchange had begun to wear off, replaced by the slightly mood-dampening realization that she was scheduled at the bar tonight. Mondays weren't all that bad, she supposed -- most students were too swamped with work and exhausted after a weekend of fun to even think about heading out for drinks, and the bar itself was in a spot near campus where few tourists ventured. That meant her regulars mostly, with a few lost or adventurous travellers sprinkled into the mix. Most of the tourists had gone back home when the new semester had started, whether for work or school or whatever else always drew them away this time of year -- their families, perhaps. The thought reminded Grace of the promise she'd made to herself (her parents, more so), and she resolved to give them a ring this afternoon when she reached her flat. She wondered if her parents still worried about her as they had when she'd first left. Surely her father had faith in her ability to fend for herself, but her mother was always fretting over her daughters for some reason or another -- a simple call home never failed to give her some peace of mind, though.

The ride felt longer than usual, and Grace soon found herself nodding off. It was a bad habit of hers, one that frequently resulted in her jolting awake two stops after her own, or a kind stranger rousing at the end of the line. To keep herself awake and busy, she pulled out her sketchbook and a ballpoint pen from the bottom of her bag, flipping to an open page and letting her hand drift across the blank space as it pleased. By the time her stop was announced, the drawing was only a rough outline, but definitely resembled the pretty face of a smiling girl.

_____
There was no sign of her roommate when Grace stepped into the flat, closing the door behind her with a tired sigh. She rubbed her hands together, flexing her thawing fingers gently as the feeling slowly returned to them. Teddy's hat and scarf found a home on the empty coat rack and the second Grace was out of her shoes she was sprawled across the couch, per her usual afternoon routine. She drew her phone from her pocket and turned it on, glancing up at the time before scrolling through her contacts.
Three-thirty in the afternoon here in Berlin, nine-thirty at night back home. That left exactly two hours before she had to be clocking in at work -- if her father picked up, that would surely be enough time. Her mother, on the other hand...
Grace selected her home phone number from the list, bringing the phone up to her ear with a smile.

 

[Knudeli]

While Thomas slept, Teddy kept herself busy. He was a heavy sleeper, and once knocked out could easily sleep for more than twelve hours without waking. Of course that didn't come with its own downsides. After more than eleven hours he woke up groggy and confused as he'll. Teddy knew to avoid that. Plus she couldn't really stick around for more than five hours today. Still she wanted to spend time with her best friend. Not to mention the fact that she was in desperate need for some love advice. The kind you could only ever get from close friends.
She'd let Thomas catch some sleep first. Charity livestreams usually ended around six in the morning so he still needed some rest. She set an alarm for two hours and began to work.
First she straightened out the kitchen, dishes had started to pile up in the sink and dirty pans littered the stove. It didn't take long to clean and put everything where it belonged. Everything else was remarkably tidy if not a bit dusty. The chaos was always limited to the streaming room and kitchen. Since the streaming room was off limits she decided to go through the remaining rooms with a broom, then call it a day. She did just that, the monotone movement was relaxing and she found her mind wandering and wandering, everytime it ended up by the same thought, Grace.
She imagined what she was doing right now. What she was thinking about. If she was even interested in something serious. What her lips felt like. The look on her face. The unspoken truths between them.
Teddy emptied what she had swept up into the trashcan.
Then she started dinner. Simple Asian style fried noodles would do. While she waited for the water to boil her gaze fell to her phone, still lying facedown on the counter. She chewed on her lip. Yes or no? She picked up her phone and dialed her newest contact.

 

[katsch_99]

"Hello?" A man's gruff voice sounded on the other end of the line, prompting a wide smile from the brunette.
"Hi dad, it's your favourite daughter calling," she joked. "Just wanted to say hello."
"Ah, Gracie!" he exclaimed, letting out a short laugh at her remark. Grace smiled. "How've you been, sweetheart? Berlin is treating you well I hope?"
"I've, um..." she trailed off then, pulling her lower lip between her teeth and narrowing her eyes in thought, "...I'm good, actually. School's keeping me busy of course, work too. Oh, and I'm joining a campus yoga class this week as well -- that should be fun," she added.
"Ah, that's my girl. Always keeping busy," he praised her affectionately. A few beats of silence passed between them, and Grace shifted into a more comfortable position on the sofa. "So, kiddo, is your roomate -- what was her name...Anne? She's still treating you well?"
"Anja," Grace gently corrected, "But yeah, we get along great, Dad," she assured him. Gracie paused, chewing on the inside of her lip. "I made a new friend too, actually."
"Just a friend, eh?" he asked suggestively. "Those cute German boys must be all over you -- still no boyfriend in the picture?"
Grace let out an awkward chuckle, running a hand down the back of her neck. "Nope, no boyfriends here. She's a girl, first of all," she told him. A nagging voice in her head told her to go on, but she pushed it aside. "She -- um, I'm joining yoga with her, her name's Teddy. She's really...sweet. Friends with Anja too, actually. We get along...really well," she finished, bringing her palm up to her reddening face. Fuck. Why was it so hard for her to just tell him? Grace was half sure he already suspected she was interested in girls too -- why not just make it official?
"Teddy, eh? That's great, Gracie, I knew you'd make friends in no time," her dad replied. Grace swallowed, deciding against informing him that Teddy was the first real friend she'd made since meeting Anja. It was better he believed otherwise, for both of her parents' sakes. "Well," her dad continued, "You ought to give me some more good news to tell your mother -- you know how she worries about you and Jess."
Grace's smile returned, and she relaxed. "Sure do," she replied, sighing. "Gosh, where to start..."

The conversation lasted longer than she'd expected it to, once she'd gotten to telling him about school and her life in Berlin. He was pleased she'd found a job, and even more so that she was staying out of trouble -- as far as he knew, anyway. By the time Grace said her goodbyes, it was nearly quarter to five. Anja had returned roughly an hour ago and offered her a vegan wrap, as well as her coat for when the other girl went to work, both of which she had gratefully accepted. Her roommate had since retired to her bedroom to study, leaving Grace alone again. With a heavy sigh, Grace dragged herself up from the couch, stretched her stiff muscles and headed into her room to get changed for the night.

In front of her mirror, Grace pulled on a tight-fitting black turtle neck, her usual pair of straight leg work pants and a dark belt. She removed her hair tie and fixed her messy bun into a lower, more presentable one, finishing off the hairstyle with a black bandana that was neatly folded and tied in a knot at the top of her head. Checking the time, Grace found she had only a few minutes before she had to leave. She hastily grabbed a gold chain necklace, along with her apron, Anja's coat and Teddy's scarf before heading out the door of her flat, calling a short farewell to her roommate to which she received no reply.

It was colder now, with the sun dipping behind the tall buildings on either side of her. She let out a shiver against the brisk wind and tucked her face deeper into the navy scarf. Just as she dug into the coat pocket for her phone, the device's screen lit up with a call from Teddy -- Grace's face lit up with a bright smile in return. With fingers that were slowly going numb, she let out a breath and answered the call.
"Hey, Grace speaking. Is this Teddy?" she asked sweetly.