Closed Sunset Dreams

Lou sighed, snuggling into Erik and shutting his eyes. He was asleep really rather quickly, and he slept comfortably most of the night. He woke the next morning, a little later than he usually did, and trudged out in his pajamas. He smiled shyly at Olivia before moving to the kitchen. "Do you want some breakfast? Coffee?" He asked, peeking into Eriks fridge to see what he could make.
 
Olivia was just waking up when Lou wandered out. He really was a handsome man, though Olivia was careful not to ogle him. She still wondered what he was to Erik. She yawned, stretching and running her hand through her wild curls. “Coffee sounds nice. I can make breakfast,” she said.
 
Lou moved to set the coffee on, shaking his head. "I can help, it's no big deal." He smiled at Olivia, tsking. "He keeps nothing good in here. I can go grab some fresh veggies from the farm. Hashbrowns and omelets maybe?" He mused.
 
Olivia pulled her exposed feet back under the blanket. “I’d take hashbrowns and vegetables. Not to be a pain, but I’m vegan.” She sighed at the smell of fresh coffee in the morning. It was one of the world’s best smells. Her sister could go to hell with her tea.
 
Lou blinked. "Oh, that's cool," he looked over to Olivia, genuinely interested. "Could you teach me to make something you'd like then? I can help, I'm a good assistant." He smiled brightly, pouring her a cup of coffee. "Black, sugar?" He asked.
 
“Black, please,” Olivia replied, accepting the cup of coffee. She loved the feeling of the steam on her face. “If you can bring back some fresh onions and tomatoes, I’ll pop home and grab the rest. Does he have eggs?”
 
Lou shook his head. "No but I do. I can pop out and meet you back here?" He offered, and quickly took off. He was back within ten minutes, with a small basket full of fresh berries as a gift for Olivia- mostly an apology for barging in the night before.
 
Olivia still hadn’t finished her coffee by the time Lou returned. She smirked back at him. “That was quick. Sorry.” She rose, setting her mug down and slipping into her shoes. She disapparated to her cottage and shoved all of the ingredients she needed into a bag. Arty hooted at her, offended that she’d abandoned him for the night. She promised to be back soon after patting the owl to comfort him. Then, she returned to Erik’s flat, unloading the canned beans, canned tomatoes, hot peppers, garlic, and other spices onto the counter.
 
Lou smiled, waiting for Olivia to get back. He made Erik a cup of coffee but didn't move to wake him up yet, fixing his own cup. He smiled as Olivia appeared. "Hello," he greeted.
 
"Hi again." Olivia rummaged through Erik's kitchens for usable tools. She wrinkled her nose at his cheap chef's knife that no chef would ever want to own. Digging out an old cutting board, she grabbed one of the onions and got to work. "You grew these?" she asked approvingly.
 
Lou practically snatched the knife out of Olivia’s hand, pulling out his own set of knives and cooking utensils from his bag. He knew better than to trust anything in Erik’s apartment. “I did,” He responded shyly, looking over the ingredients they’d gathered and asking her what he could do to help.
 
Olivia's mouth nearly dropped as Lou took the knife away from her. He presented a much more quality one, so she couldn't complain. She nodded when he said he'd grown the onions. They were fat and healthy. She gave him step-by-step instructions for making a sort of stew out of the ingredients.
 
Lou followed Olivia’s instructions easily, chatting idly with the woman while they worked. His shyness slowly faded, and he grew less aware of the fact he was standing shirtless in the kitchen, barefoot, with his hair tousled from sleep. He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. He was telling her more about himself and Erik, smiling warmly and shaking his head. “I’m not really sure what we are. We’ve gone out a few times, and the first time he kissed me it was completely unexpected,” Lou blushed a little, chuckling shyly. “I threw him in the river, it caught me off guard,” he admitted.
 
Olivia listened as Lou spoke, trying not to interject too much. She snorted with laughter when Lou said he'd thrown Erik in the river. Olivia almost pointed out that he kissed a lot of people, but she stayed quiet. Lou seemed sweet on Erik. But one thing she knew about her uncle is that he'd broken a lot of hearts (and had his own broken in turn) many times over his life. "He deserved it," she replied, stirring the fragrant mixture of tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Lou was kind and affectionate, and he'd really opened up in the space of a half hour.
 
Lou chuckled, and turned the conversation more towards her. "Tell me more about yourself." He asked, finishing a task and picking up a new one. Breakfast smelled good so far. "You said you own a business?" He asked, curious.
 
Olivia stirred the pot. "I grow and sell magical plants. It's very small scale, nothing like a farm," she said, grinning back at Lou. She'd visited large Herbology operations in the States before, and wondered if Lou's was anything like that. "Do you know any other local Herbologists?" she asked, wondering if Lou had met Chalcedony.
 
Lou listened, nodding. He imagined a small business was much more freeing. He shrugged at her question. "Just this odd older fellow," he thought about it, "I'm not sure he really cares about his shop though, but his gardens are gorgeous," he chuckled. "He came out to the farm once. Wanted me to go apprentice for him, but I had to say no," Lou looked a little sad when he said it.
 
Olivia's eyes brightened a little. "Chalcedony?" She supposed the Herbology world was small. Other than Chal, she'd only met a few others. Luckily, it wasn't an insanely competitive market here. "Why did you say no?" she asked curiously.
 
Lou nodded. "Right, that was it." He murmured. He blushed, shaking his head. "I can't leave the farm," he replied softly. "I was born and raised to work the farm. Its the only thing I'm really good for," he admitted quietly.
 
Olivia raised an eyebrow at Lou. "What are you, an ox? I just don't think that's true." She cracked open the can of beans and drained it, then stirred it into the pot. "If you want eggs, you can start them now. This should be done soon."
 
Lou shrugged, not really believing her. He chuckled and shook his head. "No, we're eating together." He smiled. "I should probably go wake up Erik." He mused, moving to wash his hands.
 
Olivia nodding, spooning the stew into the few ceramic bowls Erik owned. She toasted bread to go with it and set the table. "Good luck, Drages are heavy sleepers," she teased. It wasn't untrue, though.
 
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