She coughed, blushing and suddenly wanting to change the subject, "Nope, not answering that since it's actually my turn. What are you afraid of? I'm going to guess spiders."

"Actually, I don't mind spiders." He said, a little proudly, though when realizing he had to give an answer, he grew hesitant. He bit his lip again, this time a little harder, as if fighting off something unpleasant, "I'm claustrophobic." He coughed, trying to regain his composure, "Same question, and I'm guessing…the dark?"

"Nope, but…ugh," she gritted her teeth before sighing;"…I hate mice."

"Wait, what?" His eyes brightened again, "Really?" He snorted a bit in surprise.

"They are disgusting, helped spread the bubonic plague and most irritatingly," If she could turn pale, she would, "…they squeak."

He nodded, his lips quivering as he tried to not laugh, "Okay. Favorite food?" He smirked, "Chocolate croissants."

"I like anything with chocolate. Favorite animal? Cats?"

"Dolphins actually. I like the ocean."

She would have never guessed with eyes like that.

He continued, "Favorite kind of weather? Considering your tank top, sunny days?"

She shook her head, "I actually like it when it rains. It feels nice and cool on your skin. Favorite color?" She looked back at those eyes, "I bet it's blue."

He grinned, nodding, "You are correct. I'm stealing that one and going to go red."

She couldn't help but turn her head side to side, letting her wild curls move, "That obvious?"

"First thing I noticed; your bright red hair and how your eyes match…as cheesy as that sounds."

She grinned, enjoying this light moment, this morning gift. A few more questions passed between them, each one with quick answers. It was all indeed a game to cover the small talk, but it was something she enjoyed with such exquisite company.

His smile, his laugh, some of his more nervous mannerisms when he gets a little shy or embarrassed all these things she enjoyed and memorized. It was back to her turn once more, and she brought a finger to her lips, tapping them as she tried to think of one more, "Coffee or Tea? Maybe…tea?" She motioned over to his empty side, "Doesn't even look like you ordered a thing here."

"I like their pastries, but..." He laughed, "Coffee is too bitter."

"Coffee is delicious. I can barely function without it, especially with an early start."

Tristan chuckled softly, "It seems you didn't finish your first cup yet."

She blinked, looking down at the now quite cold coffee, "Oh my... that's a shame." She looked around, realizing that the crowd had thinned a bit in the cafe. How much time has passed between them? "So, this is how it feels to have good company."

"I'm happy to entertain you." He moved to grab his book, having not even bothered with reading it, a mere excuse he used to sit with her, "But I guess I should be going." He slowly stood up, one hand still on the table, "It was a pleasure, Miss…" He trailed off, giving a slight, embarrassed laugh, "In all that time, I guess I never got your name."

"Well, I never gave it to you." She looked back down to her cold coffee, deciding to finish it instead of letting it go to waste. She made the silence hover in the air a bit, enjoying teasing him a little, "It's Ira."

"Ira…" He smiled, his fingers curled a little against the surface of the table. He hesitated to leave, "That's a lovely name. It suits you."

"You never lose your charm, do you?" She looked up at him, that slight smirk still on her lips.

"For you? Never." He tilted his head a little, his hand moving from the table to scratch his cheek a bit, "In fact…if my charm did finally win you over, I'd like to see you again. Maybe tomorrow morning?"

Ira rested her head on her hand, gazing at him, staying silent for a moment. She memorized his face, his dark brown locks, his gentle smile, and, most of all, those deep blue eyes, "I'd like that, Tristan. I'll see you tomorrow."

Tristan's' angelic smile widened, and he gave a little wave as he turned to walk away, "It's a date."