"Can I get you a cup of tea?" She'd wandered into his living area at a time that felt unbearably early, she was drowsy. It had made her jump a bit, his voice. She was surprised she felt tired. She may have woke up a bit early, but they had turned in really early too. There was only so much you could say to a total stranger who had inadvertently kidnapped you, and was also the subject of your daydreams at one point in your life. They'd had a bit of an awkward first night, maybe wordless was a better word.

She'd wanted to kick herself for agreeing to quarantine with him so easily. Especially when they sat across from each other at his kitchen table in fallow silence. She was hoping today they could both find their voices, or these 14 days were going to be miserable.

His voice was like a desert backroad, this morning, graveled and with ruts like a washboard. It wasn't helping her speak with ease. She'd heard his morning voice before, had screamed over it at 17, in secret because the fixation had fallen out fo fashion for her age. Elise had clearly forgotten how devastating it was.

"Um," great now her voice was funny too. It wasn't all deep and sexy though, it was an embarrassing high pitch, if he had a dog it was about to come running. She didn't think he had a dog. "I don't really like tea, no offense." She squealed. Her roommate had been visibly offended, but too polite to say it when she'd turned down her brew.

He burst into a laugh at that, "your face! It's not like you insulted my cooking or looks or something. It's ok to not like tea!"

"You sure about that, the girl I live with may beg to differ. When I shared the same sentiment with her she looked at me like I was wearing an American flag cape and was about to douse myself in ketchup and fire a gun in the living room." She had to ask, as he was very un English about this, in her limited experience.

"That's an image!" He ducked his chin, bit his lip to stop speaking.

"What?" She asked.

"Just the cape?" His cheeks warmed, but not like hers. They were flaming. "Anyway, I prefer coffee, actually."

"Oh!" She opened her mouth in faux shock. "I'm horrified! You are a bad Brit!" She laughed with him a little.

"The worst! Just ask my friends. I'm even losing my accent."

"Sounds pretty strong to me." She shrugged. "I pick up accents easy. Maybe you do too."

"I do, it will be interesting to hear what we both sound like once we can rejoin the world." He turned around then and started rummaging in the cupboards.

"Can I get the key to your flat? And do you want hot coffee or iced? Do you have to designate when coffee is hot? That's default right? I basically live on iced coffee, it keeps me going and such. Think it started when I was on my last tour, but you know, we never really slept on tours with the band either, like."

"Harry, Harry! Harry! Stop!" He was firing questions at a concerning pace. She thought he talked slow.

"What? Have you gone off coffee? I was hoping we'd keep that in common." That was interesting, but she didn't let it distract her.

"No, no, that's not it. Why do you need my house keys?" She was sure he had been rambling about semi important things, but really, she was a bit lost on that part.

"Oh, so I can leave them for my assistant to go get you the necessary articles for the next couple of weeks. She can drop them on the doorstep. That way we need not expose her and vice versa." He said it matter of factly.

Elise was momentarily distracted by the French press he was seeing to now. She could taste the strong bitter flavor already and she was already imagining how his forearm would flex while he applied firm steady pressure to the top.

"Yeah, ok, but, I probably should have asked this before I agreed to stay the night last evening, but, why are we holed up here together? I could just as easily have gone home. Furthermore-"

"Oooh, furthermore, you an English major or summat?" He was smirking a little and the expression was so familiar and yet devastating she nearly lost both threads of conversations they were weaving.

"No, international relations and antiquities."

"That sounds...niche."

"It is. It's also extremely pertinent to current British politics. But we can talk more about that later-"

"Gonna hold you to that." He nodded for her to go on.

"You are very good at evading questions."

"I know." He looked like he'd just signaled dawn, cock of the walk.

"Good skill in your line of work?" She imagined necessary.

"It's useful. I've been trying to do it less lately."

"Can you do it less now?" She gave him her play school eyes, from when she had the 3 year olds at her first college jobs. She'd been in early childhood education. She switched soon after. But the eyes were effective, apparently, Harry fessed right up.

"Listen, I feel extremely guilty. I knew, dammit, I knew I should have just ordered delivery, or sent someone else to pick up the things that I wanted, but, well." He sighed. "I really value my independence and a sense of normality, little things like going to pick my own avocados matter to me."

"Did you get avocados?" She was hungry.

"Yeah. Did."

"Can you make avocado toast and we can finish this conversation over that?" Her stomach growled and the coffee smell started to really permeate the air. They were connected, coffee and her appetite. That smell meant yum to her. She lived for breakfast.

He grinned. "Sure. Coffee is about done. Wanna start there."

"Yes, please." He poured her a cup and placed it at her elbow.

"How do you take it?" He stopped and screwed his mouth to one side. "Though I should explain I only have some oat milk and if there is any proper cream, it might have gone off."

"Oat Milk is fine. I've been trying to eat less dairy."

"Yeah me too, bad for my voice."

"Your voice seems so much better though." She exclaimed while fixing her coffee and looked up with her lip between her teeth and her tail between her legs. That and recognizing him plus the squeak and her readiness to move on it, must expose her as a fan girl, former at least.

"Hmmm." Was all he said, knowingly. Wait, he was supposed to be on the hot spot.

"So you broke quarantine for avocados, and then sneezed on me."

He blushed at least then, so he had a little shame.

"Yes, yep, I did do that."

"So, why didn't I just go home? Shelter in my own place, get my own things?"

"Ok, I'm about to sound like a pompous arsehole. Promise to forget it?"

She nodded.

"I, well, you look like you're my age, a little younger proabably, a student. And London is expensive. I assumed you have roommates?"

She pursed her lips but nodded for him to continue.

"Well, I just wanted to mitigate my guilt. And also." He stopped then and played with his lip before realizing he wasn't supposed to and washed his hands. Before pulling the toast out and mushing avocado like he'd worked at a sub shop, not a bakery.

"Also," Eise prompted, when he turned back and topped her toast with an egg.

"I just.....this way I can pay for everything. Including if you get sick. Cuz it's my fault, I just had to pick my own produce." He flapped his arms uselessly. And she just let it go. She could have put up a fight. About him whisking her away, or getting her things, or going home, or even thinking she wouldn't chip in for the food she'd eat. But instead she gave him her keys, and filled her belly with the food he made, and laughed at his jokes. It wasn't a crazy thing, or so horrible to have company while they were both stuck inside. And there were her roommates to consider. London was expensive, and he was negligent.

Plus, he was lovely and even more lovely than she had built him up in her mind to be, years ago. There were lots of sentiments she agreed with upon listening to them.

Mostly, she knew a bit about making decisions out of guilt. She could spare him this easily. She had nothing to lose, and at worst, wonderful company to gain.