“Lunch, of course,” he groaned and slid from the bed, his own bare feet landing heavily on the floor. His shoulders hunched as he propped his elbows on his knees and scrubbed his face with his hands, feeling the bristle of new growth on his face. His eyes burned from the lack of sleep, turned bloodshot with how dry they looked. Already, he also had a pounding in his temples that threatened to become a migraine. Underneath it all, though, he felt the tingle of power starting to grow like a plant inside him.<br/><br/><br/>Grunting, James pulled his weight up like he had suddenly gained two tons, green eyes slanting a look at the blonde from the corner of his eye. A slight smile curled the edges of his lips, “Are you ready?” The question felt like gravel on his tongue.<br/><br/><br/>Passing a hand through his hair so that it stood up in short spikes, he stumbled his way into his bathroom to splash water on his face. “I do have a spare toothbrush,” he called out into the hallway to her. “And you can grab a shower if you want, too.”<br/><br/><br/>It was an oddly domestic thing to say, spoken casually, with his toothbrush already shoved into his mouth as he proceeded with his morning ritual like this were any other day. “At the very least, I can make us some coffee before we head out,” he mumbled from around the toothbrush before turning and spitting the paste down in the sink. The offer was only polite; he was going to make the coffee anyway.<br/><br/><br/>Seceding the bathroom to her needs, James turned to the kitchen, again just like this was any other day and put on a pot of Folgers, his attention seeming riveted to the brew once it started filling the pot.<br/><br/><br/>“Do you think that we’re overdressed for the occasion?” The joke was dry, spoken absently and off to the side, with one corner of his mouth hitching. Without looking up, he pulled the pot from the burner and took it with him as he pulled open a cabinet and set two mugs on the counter, pouring the brew black in them. Taking his just like that, he finally turned and sipped, ankles crossing in front of him. He waited until she had made it out into his living area before he pushed himself forward, leaving his mug behind after only a few swallows. As casual as James seemed, he was nervous about this particular meeting.<br/><br/><br/>Once they were almost out the door, however, he stopped with his hand on the knob and turned to face her again, his eyes searching, jaw set. His hand lifted and fall again as his arm curled around her waist, dragging her suddenly to him. His head dipped, lips landing on her forehead, his voice a whisper. “I love you, OK? I know i”m an asshole, but…” His voice scraped against the rasp in his throat, the corners of his mouth piquing slightly. “Don’t show any mercy with Fiora.”<br/><br/><br/>Then he was releasing her just as suddenly as he had her, the door swinging open so that they could be on their way to the restaurant. He drove. Hands gripping the wheel as tightly as his lips pressed together, his eyes focusing a little too hard on where they were going.