Reed + Jewel snippet (pre-New Year’s Eve) 1/2

The push is smooth, and the key buries itself inside the lock like a knife in a block of warm butter, flicking twice to the right then sliding out of the latch just as easily as it had entered.

Taking a deep exhale to taste the fresh frost on her tongue, Jewel hides the keys inside the breast pocket of her blazer, patting the material here to make sure it’s secured properly. Once she’s done, with a spring step she pivots, ready to return home, only to pause when a familiar silhouette blocks her path.

“Reed.”

The name shoots out of her mouth in a startled croak; if Jewel wasn’t taken off guard, she might have contained herself better. Alas, at the dryness of the greeting, Reed glances in her direction, eyebrows already half-way up his forehead, either out of genuine surprise or plain amusement.

“Jewel.” His answering tone is a faithful copy of Jewel’s own, perhaps more sardonic where hers was simply cold. However, he does pause, standing with his back towards the bar. “Finishing late?”

The question is nothing more than a courtesy; Reed’s never cared about Jewel’s affairs and so she doesn’t feel bad about not giving him a proper response. She shrugs, biting down the ‘obviously’ and replacing it with a perfunctory, “Annual sales report.”

Reed hums, as usual quite indifferently. Once his hot breath meets the freezing air, it turns into a cloud of mist, cut off when he pulls his woven scarf tighter around his jaw.

The silence stretches and Jewel clears her throat in a bid to buy herself some time before responding with an inquiry of her own. “Working tonight?” is what she settles on. A poor attempt at small-talk, but an attempt nonetheless.

The subject of work, surprisingly, is one of the safest ones; the last time they spoke about the weather, it didn’t end amiably. Neither of them knows why they even bother. They did promise $name to try and get along, so they do, stiff and overly polite, balancing on the thin edge of animosity.

“Well...” Reed’s smirk turns a bit lopsided, as though he too is aware of the absurdity of the pretense. “It’s a busy night.”

“That it is,” Jewel mumbles, finally having enough and dropping her gaze. She knows that if she keeps staring at him any longer, she’ll be unable to hold down the grimace; despite the grin Reed dons 24/7, his eyes are always sharp and aloof. Not outright mocking, but remarkably close to it. His demeanor unnerves her, not to mention all the rumors Jewel can’t help but believe in; after all, she has no reason not to.

Though she’s ready to leave, for a moment she considers asking Reed about $name. This week their shifts didn’t overlap, and they rarely saw each other since the winter season began. The 2+2 system isn’t making it easy for them to meet, and Jewel doesn’t want to be a nuisance. But if there’s a topic that makes Reed unnaturally tight-lipped, it’s $name. Reed talks about $them a whole lot, but without ever /saying/ anything of importance. Then again, half of the things Reed’s spouting are utter nonsense, anyway.

Jewel’s thoughts are interrupted by a large snowflake that lands on her cheek, right beneath her eye partially catching on her lower lashes. The touch of ice on her bare skin causes her blink as her eyes slide upwards, completely of their own violation.

The black sky brightens slightly, filling with specks of white as more snow joins the thick layer that is already spread over the ground.

Jewel's eyes widen at the sight in barely disguised pleasure. Reed’s, on the other hand, squint. His nose scrunches, prompting Jewel to conclude their sham of a conversation. “Happy New Year, then,” she says promptly, lest she feels compelled to comment.

The frown remains on Reed’s face, but he answers with a shallow nod and a rather terse, “You as well.”

His focus seems to drift towards the bar. It’s nothing shocking; Jewel can imagine he’s all but dying to join his friends. What’s more, someone’s already waving through the window, banging at the glass like an overexcited pup. Not that Reed notices it, though, even as he enters the building with a last, “See you around.”

“Yeah,” Jewel mutters, mostly to herself and shaking off her stupor, she walks away.