venimem:

       ”Don’t get your undies in a twist Lou, I got 
        what you meant.”

        Natasha couldn’t help but laugh a little bit, 
        leaning further into her chair.

       ”And you’d be surprised…there are a good 
        number of people who hate noodles in a-
        nything. I’m fortunate not to be any of them. 
        Either way, want to do this right after we’re 
        done here?”

( ♬ )       A relief. He doesn’t want to come across assuming or predatory.
              He likes Natasha, he likes food, and he doesn’t see any reason for
              them not to overlap. Plus, it’s been a long day at work, and he’d
              rather unwind with company than alone in his shitty little
              apartment.

             "I was hoping to.“

venimem:

       Was she imagining things, or was that 
       a small smile forming on his lips?

       Natasha can’t help but feel both honored 
       and accomplished. Dinner with someone 
       was always better than being alone, tho-
       ugh she would never freely admit it.

      “Italian. Always been a fan of good ol’ pasta.”

( ♬ )      “Who isn’t?” Lou throws the strap of his bag over his shoulder and
               steps out from behind his desk. “I know a place. Right near your
               building.” ——Not that he’s expecting anything. He isn’t –
               expecting anything.

              “That sounded – shitty. I only want dinner.”

venimem:

       ”Just dinner?”

        It’s such an odd thing for her, as it is rare when 
        a man asks her to just eat. Usually something 
        else is wanted afterwards and she never tends 
        to give in. This was definitely a nice change of 
        scenery. Smiling, she nods.

       ”I can eat my weight when needed. Dinner sounds good.”

( ♬ )      “Better answer,” he says, lips twitching upwards at the corners.
               It’s nice to have someone to ask. Especially someone he doesn’t
               feel he’s inconveniencing in some way.

              “What’re you in the mood for?”

venimem:

       Natasha merely shrugs, hoisting herself onto 
       the kitchen counter.

      “You just don’t seem like the type. But I do a-
       ppreciate the offer. Homemade cookies are 
       always better than store bought stuff but I c-
       an’t cook to save my own life.”

       She smiles, her own hands rubbing her arms 
       as Llewyn makes a comment on the weather. 
      “A normal person would call the cops on you f
       or breaking back into my apartment for a ligh-
       ter but as we both know I’m not normal.”

       She smirked. “And you wouldn’t last in jail anyway.”

( ♬ )      “I’d be fine in jail. What do you mean I ‘wouldn’t last’? I can – I’d
               be fine.” More offended than he should be, Llewyn climbs back
               onto his feet and searches Natasha’s cabinets for ingredients to
               make chocolate chip cookies. She doesn’t deserve chocolate chip
               cookies, but—-

              “You’re such a pain in my ass.” He’s one to talk, really.

• venimem ( ♪ )

       ”What exactly are you suggesting?”

       She chooses her words carefully. This came out 
       of nowhere. Sure, they hay spent enough time t-
       ogether that dinner wouldn’t be a big deal, but she 
       had to be sure what catagory this would fall under. 
       Natasha would always be cautious, even in social 
       conversations.

( ♬ )       "That we – get food?“ He finishes packing up his things and lifts
               his eyebrows at Natasha. "Do you not do that? Eat?”

venimem:

        “You know how to bake?”

         It’s said much more loudly than she would like, 
         emphasizing how much of a surprise that was. 
         Still, the idea of freshly baked cookies over store 
         bought was was very enticing. And free food is 
         always welcomed in her mind.

         ”I like chocolate chip,” she states slowly, a smile 
         curling. “Don’t just stand there, take a seat. I’m 
         not going to kick you out into the cold.”

( ♬ )       "Yeah, I know how to bake. Why is that so surprising?“ Llewyn
               pulls out a chair and sits down across the counter from Natasha.
               "I appreciate the hospitality. Fucking freezing out there.”

venimem:

       ”Because I’m telling you to and it’s completely 
        worth it.”

        A biased response yes, but Natasha was dete-
        rmined. Anyone who hadn’t seen the films was 
        missing out, and Llewyn was always so grumpy. 
        Perhaps a film viewing with a friend would perk 
        him up..maybe she’d finally see him smile.

       ”I’m offended that you think I’d order anything but.” 
        Her tone is teasing, gently nudging his shoulder. 
       ”I’ll make sure to order two. One for me and one 
        for you. Pizza is one thing I don’t usually share.”

( ♬ )       "——You don’t actually think that pizza is the ‘one thing’ you
               don’t usually share. Nat, I know nothing about you. And that puts
               me ahead of the curve.“ Lou nudges her shoulder in return and
               almost – almost – smiles. 

               "I’ll be there at five.”