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Coffee Conundrum DLC

It was four in the morning, and the coffee was just about finished percolating. Just a few more drips and Teisel would be able to shut off the coffeepot, pour himself a cup, and retreat downstairs to his room before Aero showed up.

Even though it had been months, he still felt skittish about getting in Aero's way when he was in the base. No matter how much the gang tried to convince him to the contrary, it just wouldn't stick, so as soon as the construction on Teisel's room was complete, he started taking his coffee downstairs at night. Aero had the kitchen table first, he'd decided. He didn't want to accidentally wind up cornering her again in the middle of her morning routine. Besides, his room was nice and cozy. It was lacking for furniture and decorations, for the most part, but perhaps morning coffee in bed would be his new morning routine. A morning routine he could never let any of the others know about, because deep down he knew running all the way up to the kitchen to make coffee, only to take it back downstairs again, was more than a little bit odd.

Still, he figured, better safe than sorry. He silently urged the last drops out of the coffee maker and poured the coffee into his mug once he was sure it was done brewing. He'd put the cream and sugar into the mug already. The spoon was back in his room. He wouldn't even have to stir it upstairs.

When he made his way out into the hall, he heard some shuffling from behind Aero's door. He was cutting it pretty close. He quickened his pace, taking care to make sure his footsteps remained as quiet as he could make them, and slipped through the door to his subterranean abode.

Teisel, unfortunately, wasn't as used to climbing down a flight of stairs to get to his bedroom as he thought he was. He missed a step on his way in and tumbled down the stairwell, spilling the coffee all over himself and unceremoniously crashing face first into the ground at the bottom. The mug had broken somewhere near the fifth step, and the pieces were scattered all over the place.

"Teisel!" He heard Aero shout from up in the hall. "Jeez, Teisel, did you fall down the stairs or something?!"

"I'm okay! I've had worse. Just slipped on my way back from the shower!" Teisel replied, but Aero descended the stairs nonetheless to check the damage for herself.

"That's funny. Most people just drink the coffee." Aero knelt down next to him and picked up the broken mug handle. She suppressed a smirk when Teisel's face started to flush. "I was going to say I missed seeing you up in the kitchen, but now that I know you're showering with that coffee instead, I'm way less interested."

"I started using coffee-scented shampoo! It's artisanal!"

"You keep telling yourself that. Are you going to get up off the floor anytime soon, or do I need to get the stretcher?"

Teisel pulled himself up to his feet and cracked his joints. "I'm fine. If a series of major explosions won't even scratch me, then falling down a flight of stairs is nothing. Sorry if I worried you, Aero."

He tried to shuffle off to bed, but Aero grabbed him by the damp, coffee-stained collar and said, "Hold on, buddy. We're not done yet."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm going to put another pot on, and you're coming with me. Seriously, Teisel. Why would you run off with a cup of coffee this early in the morning? You're not scared of me, are you?"

"No," Teisel admitted, "I just...coffee was your thing, long before I got here. I feel like I'm butting in on something that wasn't really mine to butt into. Like I might say something wrong again and wreck it for you."

Aero frowned. "Most of the time, we don't even talk when we have coffee. Either way, I like having company in the morning. You can't let one mistake ruin a good thing forever, Teisel."

Teisel glanced awkwardly around the room, but didn't say anything.

"Pick up the mug and come on," Aero insisted. "I really want to hear more about your explosion resistance. Max says he's seen it in action, but I'm having trouble believing him. You know how he exaggerates sometimes."

She started up the stairs and glanced back over her shoulder. Teisel looked a little unsure as he picked up the pieces of the mug, but as soon as she rolled her eyes in frustration, he followed her up and into the kitchen.

He never felt a need to sneak coffee to his room again.