The cold October evening greeted her as she stepped out the comfort of her dormitory. She decided that a cup of brewed coffee would help her stir her attention as she studies for her upcoming examinations. It was a little after ten in the evening, the streets of Charles Avenue and Canal Street slowly thinning as people return to their homes, trying to escape the cold that sank into the skin. In Vivian Edwards' case, it was her time to fuel her system to an all-night burning of the midnight oil; a whole evening of burying herself to quantum physics and thermodynamics.

The thought made her exhausted. Nevertheless, there was no going back. Here she was, turning the last corner to her favourite café; a small, ubiquitous place near the Tulane University where students usually gather for habitual study-outs and meetings.

The leaves crunched underneath the soles of her shoes as she paced down the worn-out pavement, eager to flee from the cold. She could finally make out the light illuminating outside the dark street, its warm and inviting ambience beckoning her closer.

The café came into view, and through the clear windows, it was apparent that not many people were around. She pushed the glass door open, the sweet aroma of coffee beans and refined espresso wafting through the air. The mellow ambience and toasty feel quickly made the bitter cold from outside dissipate, earning a breath of relief from Vivian. There were no more than ten people in the café, so the place was quiet and peaceful. She made her way to the counter where a red-haired girl stood reading a book. Vivian knew the girl studied at the same school as her, working the night shifts to help pay off student loans.

"Alana," Vivian greeted as she neared the counter. The girl looked up from her book, her attention now on a familiar, loyal customer and she smiled whilst putting down her novel.

"Hey, V. Pulling an all-nighter I see?" She guessed, tapping on her screen, waking it from sleep mode and awaited for her customer's order. "I'm studying for tomorrow's test as well. It's a blessing there are not many people are around tonight."

"I know, couldn't bear to study without a little energy boost. Can I get my usual?" Vivian asked to which Alana nodded. It followed by a quick tapping on her screen; her fingers glided down in a familiar dance against the monitor.

"Why don't you sit for a while? I gotta brew some fresh batch of beans, so it'll probably take a little while. You wouldn't mind, right?" Alana asked as she stepped away from the counter and proceeded to fill the machine with a cup of ground coffee.

Vivian nodded, turning away and sitting on a table closest to the counter, considering it would be easy for the barista to hand her order. She glanced down at her watch, telling her it was a quarter to eleven. An exhausted sigh escaped her lips as she thought of going over her notes, committing to memorise a handful of equations she reckoned she would need for tomorrow.

The sound of the door opening snapped her out of her thought. A sudden gush of wind barged into the room, along with the appearance of a tall man. He had a dark jacket on, and the hood was placed over his head, hiding his face.

Just as sudden as it happened, the glass door closed and the cold slowly faded away with the warmth inside the café. The people paid no mind to the new visitor, but Vivian kept her blue eyes glued to him. The longer she stared, the more she realised how dirty his clothes were and how his shoes were soaking wet, leaving soils of brown footprints behind him.

Vivian watched as Alana slightly jumped at the sudden sight of the man, the cup she held in her hand almost dropped to the ground. Vivian stood and decided to save the red-haired barista from the trouble, nearing the counter and gesturing for Alana to give her drink, offering her a reassuring smile as she did so.

With a shaking hand, Alana gently placed the cup down on the counter. Her scared eyes never left the tall man who waited quietly. Before grabbing the cup and leaving, Vivian took one last glance at the man, debating to herself if she needed to stay a little longer to make sure her friend felt safe as she took this mysterious man's order.

Her thoughts were once again disrupted when the man suddenly looked at her; a fiery, annoyed pair of green eyes glowered, making her feel small and weak underneath his stare. Her fight-or-flight response motioned her to leave, but her feet refuse to move. Instead, the two were head-on having a staring contest, leaving the scared Alana standing behind the counter, unsure of what to do.

"Alana," Vivian squeaked out, quickly clearing her throat as she tried to swallow the fright in her tone. Her eyes never left the man's face. "Will you be okay? Or do you want me to stay a while longer?"

Before the barista could answer, the man's raspy voice silenced them both.

"What do you see in me that you honestly think I'd hurt someone??"

A chill ran up Vivian's spine as he exclaimed. His voice was deep and cold. His green eyes held anger and irritation, dark circles outlined underneath that showed signs of restless nights-or no sleep at all.

Vivian's fright slowly turned into a curiosity laced with a small amount of worry. She suddenly felt guilty for assuming ill-bearing thoughts towards this man, when he could be another poor soul in need of warmth from the cold streets of New Orleans.

She slowly shook her head and looked away, not bearing to stare at his face any longer.

Without saying a quick farewell to her red-haired friend, she scurried off and went out to the harsh cold, her thoughts only filled with a pair of green eyes and pale, dirty skin.