Coffee is a wonderful thing

[the-enemy-ace.livejournal.com]

WHO: Aaron Grey and Hans Von Hammer
WHERE: The nearest place where food and coffee is sold
WHEN: Thursday evening
WARNINGS: Possible war memories.
SUMMARY: Von Hammer has a penchant for coffee, and he drags Aaron into it.
FORMAT: Para



He sat back, savouring the cup of coffee. He always did. Being deprived of it on the front line for years had engendered a love of good coffee in him. Also cigarettes, but those were, at least, still available even at the worst of times.

Now was hardly then, of course, but he had to admit - the Americans had figured out coffee well. Hitler had wanted to conquer the world with guns and tanks...it appears the Americans had done it with coffee, gum, and Coca-Cola. He wondered, for a moment, what the man opposite from him thought of that. Probably not as much of an appreciation, given his circumstances.

"The best thing about America," he said, "I think has to be is the easy access to coffee. But you can get anything here. Better than Germany, even in the good days."

Comments

[grey1911.livejournal.com]

As much as Hans may think he's dragging Aaron out for coffee, he's never complained, and he never will. He really doesn't need coffee, but he certainly enjoys it, and he finds his usually somber expression twitching into faint amusement at Hans' remark.

"It has certainly benefited from it's days as a 'melting pot'."

[the-enemy-ace.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes, I think that Europe's best all went across the sea. Took all the smells and tastes with them, and they mixed together with American things."

He smiled, briefly.

"The German food is better here, many times, than 'home', for lack of a better word. You know, the longer I am here the less and less I think of Germany as home."

He paused a moment, and when he spoke again he was a bit more quiet.

"My home died in 1918, I think."

[grey1911.livejournal.com]

He takes a moment before he speaks, to honor that reflection from Hans.

"America seems to have a way of doing that. When I came over, I didn't expect to settle here as long as I have. I know others, much older than myself, and they all seem quite content here. Even with the differences between this country, and the one I know, it still seems to have the same effect."

[the-enemy-ace.livejournal.com]

"You know, I do not even want to know what happened to my land. It died twice, in my lifetime. The second time...the second time was worse. But the revival after '18...that was merely prolonging the agony."

He sighed, sitting back.

"Whatever came after that...was not my land. Nor am I part of it. Better that I be forgotten, I think."

[grey1911.livejournal.com]

Aaron finished his coffee, nodding as Hans spoke.

"A lot has changed, but I have no interest in returning to Poland, either." He set his cup down, a thin smile on his face. "This country has been good to me."

[the-enemy-ace.livejournal.com]

He nodded in response.

"Alas for Poland, a strong, vibrant nation - but cursed by geography. Difficult to defend, and in the end? Stuck as the main invasion route on the West-East axis."

"When we invaded, in '39...that is when I knew Germany had lost its soul."

[grey1911.livejournal.com]

Aaron frowned at the turn of the conversation. Sometimes he did almost forget Hans was fresh from a dying war that was decades in Aaron's past. He shook his head, he was enjoying his night, and would like to avoid talk of the war if he could.

"But now here we are in America, enjoying coffee while the places we once called home flourish. That is a comfort I try to enjoy. And you, knowing that all your county's ingenuity is spent on such amazing advances in technology. There is much to be proud of; all those people you fought for will make something good of all that."

[the-enemy-ace.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps you are right," he said, finishing his coffee and pushing the cup aside, "but I wonder sometimes who I really was fighting for."

"If we were fighting for anyone at all, or were just all prisoners of the killing ground. But, we are alive, and that is, I suppose, the important factor."

[grey1911.livejournal.com]

Aaron finished his own coffee a moment after, nodding quietly at Hans' words. He set his own cup down and stood, fixing his jacket as he did. On or off duty, it was rare he was out in public in anything less; at least he wasn't wearing his glasses inside tonight.

"Shall we?"

[the-enemy-ace.livejournal.com]

He nodded, standing up and stretching.

"Of course," he replied, fishing in his pockets for change.

[grey1911.livejournal.com]

Aaron pulled out his wallet and dropped a few bills onto the table, enough to cover both coffees. He gave that faintly amused smile of his at having beat Hans at paying for coffee and put his hands into his pockets. He wasn't going to make a big deal out of it, but Hans had already paid for his coffee in the past, it was simply good manners. Without another word, he turned and headed for the door.

[the-enemy-ace.livejournal.com]

He nodded, acknowledging the gesture. The man was very fast indeed. It was, in addition, always something of a pleasure to watch a professional at work.

He walked behind him out the door, a hand held casually behind his back, the other joining it when there was no door to avoid.

[grey1911.livejournal.com]

Hans liked to indulge in coffee, Aaron was fond of his walks. He missed his strolls through Serenity, and while The City was nothing like it, he could still walk and just be around people. He picked up a calm pace, and started in any direction, giving off all appearances of not being particularly concerned about where he was going. He was quite aware of his direction, and where he was but he was letting his feet do the thinking about where he'd end up.

[the-enemy-ace.livejournal.com]

He said nothing, indulging his comrade-in-arms - and his friend, perhaps. He has no objections to walking. He used to roam his family's estates frequently. If anything, the city is a bit of an alien environment for him. He had spent most of his life in the far reaches of the German hinterland, and much of the rest on airbases.

A closed urban environment is thoroughly unfamiliar to him. But not objectionable, he finds, with some surprise.