Simmering Thoughts

*click*

Zephyr finished securing the final bolt to secure the conduit to the wall. After this last part, the storm shutters would be ready. All that was left to do now was test it.

He pressed a button on the remote he was holding, and the shutters slid down with a loud clank, covering the windows completely with half-inch thick metal plating.

He stood back and admired his handiwork as it drizzled.

Manually having to pull each of these down would have been tedious for Minerva, so he was glad to see the system working.

He checked the time on his watch. It took just about an hour and a half to complete.

He had to admit, despite his procrastination, it felt nice to help Minerva out like this. She had done a lot for him, so it was only fair that he did the same.

With the shutters up, her windows would be protected from any flying debris that would be inevitably kicked up by the storm. Heck, it'd probably be useful as a security measure too, though he doubted she needed it.

The thought suddenly drudged up a memory from their early days in The Bygone, getting a chuckle out of him despite the wind's chill. His eyes drifted over toward the direction of town where it'd all happened.

He'd been coming home from a service job when he'd gotten jumped by three guys looking for money and a fight. And while he'd managed to knock one of them out, the other two had pinned him after and beat him pretty badly.

That was until Minerva had shown up. She'd ran up like a pro wrestler and dropkicked one of the guys. Then she'd elbow-slammed the other into the pavement. He remembered the way she had picked him up after and rushed him over to the closest clinic like some sort of damsel in distress.

At the time that had happened, he was already indebted to her from the month prior—she'd allowed him to grab some stuff for free from her scrapyard. He'd ended up showering her in presents using whatever funds he could afford for a few months afterward.

Even now it seemed like he was always thanking her, and yet he could never repay her enough.

After testing the shutters several more times, he shook his head to himself.

He should probably go back inside now before any more memories popped up. Plus, it was pretty cold outside.

The door clicked as he opened it, and a blast of warmth hit him.

"Hey, girls, I'm done—" he paused mid-sentence, staring at the scene in front of him.

Audra and Minerva were sitting on the couch, talking and laughing like old friends.

"…Pft, really?! That's what—Ah, Zephyr… you are back!"

Minerva pivoted on her seat to face him.

"Apologies for the loudness. I was just telling Audra… about some of the things… you have done here in the past."

"You were telling her stories about me?" His brow raised at the glint in her eyes. "Like what?"

A chuckle.

"Remember when you tried to make… a jet-powered skateboard? And how when you activated it, it just… flew itself out to sea? I still remember you… screaming at it to turn around and come back."

Audra covered her mouth, clearly amused.

Zephyr rolled his eyes and sighed; he could feel a twinge of heat creeping up the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I forgot to add some foot straps. In all fairness though, with how much thrust it had, it was probably for the best that I didn't ride it properly. I might've ended up a pancake on the side of a building."

"Or in the water," Minerva added.

"Or in the water…" he affirmed.

"Regardless, I hope you have the sense not to make another… deathtrap like that one."

"Don't worry. I learned my lesson," he assured her, walking over and taking a seat in the armchair across from the two of them.

"But enough about me, it seems you two have become friends pretty fast. How'd that happen?"

"Audra's a sweet girl. We had a wonderful time… talking with each other. Didn't we?"

"Yeah. We were talking about fashion. And boys. Minerva's got a crush on this guy, but she's too scared to tell—"

"Audra, shush!" Minerva clamped a hand over her mouth, her face flushed red.

"Whoops," Audra mumbled, her words muffled by her hand. "It sorta just slipped out."

Zephyr blinked awkwardly before coughing, trying to smooth that over.

"Really? You've got a crush? Who's the lucky man, then? I think anyone would be head over heels to have someone like you."

Minerva removed her hand from Audra's mouth, glaring at the younger woman, who simply grinned sheepishly.

"He's just someone… I've known for a long time. He is also very stubborn." Her expression softened. "But I'm not… giving up on him."

The comment smacked him in the heart, though he didn't show it. He just nodded in understanding.

"Well, whoever it is, I'm sure they appreciate your persistence, even if they may not deserve it."

Minerva looking at him intently for a few moments before sighing and getting up.

"Well, thank you for… wiring the shutters, Zephyr. I owe you a big one for that. If you need anything else done… let me know. You too, Audra. If you ever need help… just come by and ask. I am happy to provide assistance."

Audra gave her a smile. "Thanks, Minerva. I'll keep that in mind."

"I guess that means we'll be off, then." Zephyr stretched his limbs and popped his back to get his circulation going. "It was nice to see you again, Min. I promise I'll try not to be such a stranger in the future."

"You better not," she said, giving him a tight hug. "Take care. And remember… to bring her around sometime. We need to have… another tea session together soon. I have some new blends that I would… love for you all to try."

"Will do," he replied, returning the embrace before stepping back. "C'mon, Audra. Time to head back."

She nodded, hopping off the couch and following him towards the door. Once they stepped out into the cold air, Zephyr closed the door behind them.

It was just a little past 1 PM now. It was still drizzling outside, although the wind had calmed down considerably. He and Audra hopped back into the truck, buckled themselves in, and drove away.

He gazed at their surroundings and took in the sights of the town as they did so. Despite the dreary atmosphere, there seemed to be more people than before. They were walking down the streets and talking to each other or huddled beneath the awnings of stores to escape the rain.

"…Say, before we head back, how about grabbing something to eat? It's about lunch time. There's a place that serves some good soups and sandwiches that's on the way home for super cheap."

"Is the place busy?"

"Right now? Probably not."

"Then sure," Audra replied, nodding her head in agreement. "Although didn't you say you weren't doing so hot financially?"

"Well, yeah, but it's cheap."

They drove along the streets, passing by the various shops and restaurants until they reached a small strip mall. In the corner of the parking lot was a tiny restaurant with a sign that read, 'The Soup Spoon.' Zephyr parked the truck and they both got out.

"Here it is. I think you'll like it. They have a lot of options."

"That's a big hecking spoon," Audra commented as she stared at the shop's sign.

"Isn't it? I helped make it, actually. It's made of recycled plastic and some metal. Took me a whole day to make the backlight not look awful. That thing can get super bright if you turn it all the way up."

The two of them stepped inside where they were greeted by the smell of freshly baked bread and soup broth wafting through the air. It was warm, cozy, inviting, and most importantly at the moment, dry.

The interior was simple yet elegant with a long counter running down one side and a row of booths lining the opposite wall. Behind the counter stood an older Asian woman who smiled at them as they entered.

"Hello, Zeph! Long time no see. How have you been?" she asked in a slight accent.

"Hey, Lieu. Good to see you again. How's business?"

"Same old, same old. Can't complain. You here to eat?"

"Yeah. I'll have the usual, please."

"Good, good. And who's the young lady?"

Audra seemed to take the initiative before he could speak up, extending her hand out to shake Lieu's hand.

"Just someone tagging along on his errands. Nice to meet you."

Lieu chuckled as she took it.

"About time Zeph got a shop helper. Now what will you have, dear?"

"I'll have the… uh…" She paused to study the menu on the wall. Her eyes seemed to hover over the options.

"…" Wait, didn't she have allergies?

"I'd go with the chicken noodle," Zephyr suggested, pointing to one of the items listed. "It's a personal favorite of mine. Plus, I think a handful of ones you were looking at have shellfish in the broth."

Audra blinked and nodded, looking up at him. "O-oh, thanks."

He pat her on the shoulder. "Anytime. Now go ahead, pick whatever you want from that part of the menu."

"Alright, then I guess I'll go with the… tomato bisque."

"Good choice!" Lieu said, jotting down her order. "What about your drink?"

"Water, please."

"Add a black coffee as well," Zephyr said handing the woman a few slips of paper.

Audra eyed the money with a raised brow.

"Thank you~ Your orders will be ready quick. Feel free to sit wherever you'd like."

"…Did you just give her cash?" Audra asked once they made it to a table, wiping at some small droplets off her cybernetics with a napkin. "Isn't everything electronic nowadays?"

Zeph shook his head.

"Just wait until you see what happens if I try to pay using my phone with her register. Trust me, you'll be wishing the transaction went as fast as when I handed her the money."

As if on cue, their food and drinks were brought over. The smell alone was enough to make both of their mouths water.

"Here you go, a chicken noodle, a tomato bisque, a black coffee, and a water." The waitress set their orders before them, then left to attend to another customer.

Zephyr lifted the cup of coffee to his lips and took a sip. He savored the smooth, bitter taste of his drink.

He looked over to see if Audra had started eating, but she'd only picked up her spoon to stir her bowl.

"What's the matter, you're not hungry?."

"…Be honest with me, how much did this cost?"

Oh. Was she concerned about the price?

"Around nine dollars for the both of us," he replied with a shrug.

"Nine dollars? That's it?!"

"I did say this place was cheap, didn't I? That's one of the reasons I come here so often."

Audra stared at him incredulously.

"Are you sure you're not extorting this poor lady for half-off prices?"

"Will you lay off of the baseless accusations? It's getting old, just like me." He smirked and pointed at her food. "Now eat, it'll get cold if you just sit there and blab at it all day."

"Fine," she murmured, scooping up some tomato bisque to try it. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately went back for more, devouring her bowl of soup.

Zephyr chortled slightly at the energy, wondering if more his life could've been more like this had he not made so many mistakes.

"…" The melancholy returned once he'd processed the mental tangent.

It seemed like ever since Audra had shown up, those thoughts were beginning to pop up in his head a lot more frequently.

He took another sip of his coffee, letting the warmth flow through him as he pushed it away. There would be plenty of time to wallow in self-pity and atonement later.

"What about you though? Something on your mind, Zeph?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at Audra who was staring intently at him.

"Not really," he replied with a smile. "Just thinking about how good this soup is. Well, that and being a little heartbroken that you decided to ignore my suggestion and get the tomato bisque."

"Really, that's it?"

"Yup. So, do you like the soup?"

She slurped another spoonful before letting the metal clank against the porcelain.

"I mean, it's good, but the way you just said that is making me feel guilty."

"Well, don't. I was just teasing you. Though maybe next time we can come back and grab something different if you'd like."

Audra's shoulders loosened slightly before glancing around at their surroundings.

"…Random question, do you know how long this place has been around?"

"Hm? The shop? Probably about twenty years. It's one of the older buildings on the island, but it wasn't always a restaurant. Used to be an electronics repair store that also did some manufacturing. Lieu and her husband bought it off the owner when they moved back to the States."

"…They made an electronics repair store into a soup shop?"

"Yep. Gotta admire their commitment to the reclamation theme, don't ya think?" he said, gesturing around at the repurposed furniture that decorated the interior.

Audra followed his hand, identifying the various pieces of junk that had been fashioned into furniture.

"Oh, I guess I'm only now noticing that."

"Yeah. For example, the table we're sitting at was probably a desk before. They sanded it down, stained it, cut off some of the wood, and voilà, a new table. And the chairs we're sitting on?" he pointed at the seat beneath him. "These were definitely car seats at some point. Pretty sure they were joined together and had the upholstery redone."

"You serious?" She leaned over and examined her own chair closely. "Wow. I would never have guessed. They look so normal."

"You'd be amazed at what you can transform a bunch of old, discarded crap into. That's the beauty of reclamation. Even seemingly useless things can get another chance."

"Another chance…" she murmured, her gaze returning to her empty bowl of soup. Zephyr noticed her eyes seemed to glaze over.

"Hey," he said gently. "You okay?"

She startled slightly, turning to look at him.

"O-oh, yeah. I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

"Good. I was worried there for a sec. Seemed like you were having some sort of existential crisis."

He smiled at her reassuringly, hoping to lighten the mood. She returned the gesture, though it was a bit weak. Her attention was still on the rain, and Zephyr could tell something was bothering her.

*crash*

She nearly dropped her spoon as thunder shook the room.

"Damn it!"

Audra pulled her hand off the table and placed it in her lap. She preemptively shook her head before Zephyr could respond.

"Before you ask, I'm fine. It's just, I had a… bad experience during a storm somewhat recently. I'll get over it though."

"…" Zephyr's expression softened as the droplets continued. A few more memories stirred.

"I'm sorry, Audra."

She blinked.

"Why'd you say that for? It's not like you control the weather."

He paused as if to ask himself the same question.

"…Just figured you would like to hear it, I guess."

Zephyr eyed Audra through the steam drifting up between them as her hand fidgeted.

"Just remember I'll be here for whatever."

The rain pattered against the glass. Her amber eyes lightened slightly.

"Thanks, old man. Now just eat your soup already. You bugged me about it, but you haven't even touched yours yet."

He looked down into his bowl and set aside his coffee.

"Fair enough."

It'd be a welcome reprieve from the bitter taste in his mouth.