a new world hangs outside the window
beautiful and strange
it must be I've fallen awake
I must be

"You definitely are better than half-dead." As Sebastian took the bait of her joke, the only way she knew how to truly deal with the shared raw, awkward experience they'd had together, and made it his own, she physically relaxed, if only for a moment. The thin dark hunter sighed deeply, her shoulders rolling forward and the muscles in her arms, chest and back releasing. She didn't know how to communicate on a normal level -- it was usually only filled with wit and irony or direct, aggressive demands. Buffy felt like Sebastian knew her well enough by now to expect only that. She listened eagerly as he explained what he was doing here, all the way on the south side of town in the suburbs. Given the early hour, Buffy was sure he would be heading back to the city soon. And she wasn't naive enough to withdrawal the idea from her mind that he was indeed, out hunting tonight. But given the current dynamic between them, she figured she could let him off the hook just this once. "Got a thing for MILF blood now?" She said brashly, regretting it as soon as it came from her lips, but it was too late now. "I'm taking some time off, so don't worry." She says hurriedly, trying to rush past the poorly-executed joke.

Gia fidgeted in her seat now, noticing that the yoga mat was still danging from one shoulder. She hadn't planned on staying after ordering her coffee. But she was distracted by her text conversation with her sister. Perhaps if she waited just a second to respond, she wouldn't have had to run into Sebastian at all. Despite her longing to never have this first interaction after what had happened between them last time, she knew it was inevitable. And she might as well get it out of the way now. Buffy sighed again, sending a scrawny arm over the back of her head to itch at her shoulder. She let it linger there awkwardly, her elbow sticking up out of the back of her head while her hand lazily gripped at her neck. "Yeah, so... I, uh, I figured I owe you an apology for what ... happened the other night." She rambled, her dark brown eyes dropping to the floor as she struggled to find the right words. "I, uh, clearly wasn't in the right mind, and uhhh. Who knows what would have happened with those guys, you know? So, I guess, um, what I-I'm trying to say is..." She forced her head up again, her arm finally falling with a thwap into her lap. "... is thank you. And I'm sorry. Really. Like, really thank you. And sorry." This last part could be the most sincere she's ever been.

She offers the vampire a half smirk before squirming awkwardly in her chair again. She turned to face the bar then, and slapped both open palms onto the bar top in a loud clap, and breathed in deeply. "There, I did. I said it. You understand that'll never happen again, right?" She said almost cheerily, cocking her head to one side as she stared at him. Buffy felt a wave of relief overtake take her then, leaving her feel lightheaded briefly in its wake. She was happy, however, that the conversation turned to other topics quickly. There was no use belaboring the tension, that's for sure. A smile never left Buffy's lips as Sebastian explained his upcoming wedding. How funny it was to her. A rich, old Fae man of all things, too. Buffy never would have guessed. But she realized she had never stopped to consider Sebastian's interests or hobbies or lifestyle outside the bloodsucking he had to do to stay alive, or well, undead. And that was on her. It made her feel guilty for a second, the heat of embarrassment rose to her cheeks. Put a ring on it! Good for you, dude." She said with a toothy grin. So how old is he? Like a million years old? That's got to feel, wild." She said, staring off into the distance for a second as she considered it.

When Sebastian offered casually that she could attend his wedding, her eyes nearly bugged out of her skull. She snorted once and then laughed. "Oh come on, you don't want me at your wedding." But he seemed serious. "Trust me." She reiterated with a nod of her head. It wasn't like she could afford to get to Italy right now, anyway. "But maybe I can buy you a drink after, or something." She offers in replacement. "Not a fancy drink, but a drink."

GIA BUFFY JONES