Compared to how busy the last few weeks have been, today's felt so slow. It wasn't like having some free time was an unwelcome thing, it's just that you'd gotten used to the rush and bustle of appointments, events, and shifts at work that finally having a chance to sit down and do what you wanted felt unfamiliar. You'd decided to come to one of your favorite coffee joints as a little act of celebration: a small business that your friends had initially introduced to you- though you found it was a lot more peaceful when you came alone or with only one other person. Today you were alone.

Sitting at your favorite seat, you doodle and sketch in your sketchbook without much thought to where the pencil's moving, bringing whatever idea comes to mind onto the paper expertly and quickly. You're so immersed that you cover 3 full pages by the time you finally realize that there's someone staring at you from where they stand waiting for their order. Your eyes meet his- and he quickly looks away, embarrassed that he'd been caught staring. Weirdo..

Though that thought fades once the man gets his order and he approaches your table and the free seat- earning you a full view of his metal arm, ho-ly- and speaks quietly to you, careful not to disturb the peace of the small shop.

"I'm so sorry I was staring at you like that. I'm not trying to be a creep, I promise, I was just mesmerized by your art and how nicely you draw." He pauses, hesitating for a moment "Is this seat taken?"