Stacie couldn't believe she ever agreed to have lunch with this guy.

Regardless of context, she should have just sent him a fruit basket as a thank you for helping her find her cat.

"Excuse me, I'm just- I'll be back," she interrupts his story about his own mishap with his pet, getting up and quickly making her way towards the back of the café where she knows the bathroom is located.

She walks in and immediately shuts and locks the door behind her, leaning her back against it, letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

The sound of quiet whimpering alerts her to the presence of someone else in the room, and she quickly straights up and opens her eyes.

She sees a blonde woman in the far corner of the bathroom, knees pulled up to her chest, her arms locked around them, eyes screwed tightly shut, with tears rolling down her cheeks silently.

Stacie freezes for a moment, not quite sure what the correct procedure would be from here.

It's obvious to her that the woman didn't realize she hadn't locked the door behind her; Stacie's fairly certain she didn't leave it unlocked on purpose.

But since she did leave it unlocked, and Stacie is now in the same space as she is, the question is whether or not she should just turn around and leave, or stay and help, and Stacie has no idea-

"Oh God." The blonde's voice interrupts Stacie's thoughts, and she sounds so despondent that that alone makes Stacie's decision for her.

She tentatively steps closer towards the blonde, clearing her throat as she does so, hoping not to startle the woman.

She doesn't get a reaction, and Stacie's sure she isn't really aware of her surroundings.

Stacie drops down beside her and carefully reaches out as if to touch her, but then thinks better of it. She drops her hand down into her lap and clasps both of her hands together to stop herself from reaching out and touching the woman.

"Hey, hi...I'm Stacie, and- I'm not going to hurt you, alright? I'm just...I'm going to sit here with you, and maybe we can get your heart rate down to a regular rhythm together. Just concentrate on your breathing."

Stacie remains still, just silently sitting beside this beautiful woman, hoping she's helping if only a little bit, and at the same time wondering if she's causing more harm than good, when the blonde suddenly nods her head slowly.

Stacie relaxes some at that, and gently says, "Is it alright if I touched you? Your arms, maybe your hand to hold it? Would that be comforting, or would it not help?"

She asks, in the hopes that the blonde will engage and focus on her rather than whatever it is that's playing on in her mind.

The blonde nods again, but her eyes squeeze together even tighter and Stacie just really wants to help her out now because, okay no one should be reduced to feeling like this.

Stacie reaches out and places her hand on the blonde's shoulder, holding it there for a little while, waiting until she feels her shoulders relax just a little bit, before gently running her hand down her arm and then back again, in slow rhythmic strokes.

She gently says, "Inhale with me, when my hand reaches your shoulder and then exhale as you feel my hand move down your arm, alright? You're doing a great job."

They continue this for a few minutes and Stacie watches her for any signs that this is causing her more distress.

When they've managed to get her breathing regulated, she calmly says, "I'm going to take hold of your hand, alright? If you could let go of your own, I'd like to be able to take its place."

The blonde lets out a shuddering breath then, slowly opening her eyes as she carefully lets go of her own hands and Stacie is easily slipping her hand into hers and squeezing gently, "Thank you," she catches sight of a nametag and she realizes she works in this cafe, "Aubrey...thank you."

The blonde tenses and Stacie quickly shakes her head, "Your name tag, you've still got your name tag on. I'm sorry...I should have realized that that'd be a little bit creepy."

Aubrey lets out a shaky laugh, not really finding this amusing, throwing her head back, "God, you must think I'm a mess..."

Stacie bites her lip and remains silent, and instead just rubs her thumb across the back of her hand repeatedly.

Aubrey stiltedly tries and offer up an explanation as to why Stacie found her in such a state, "I don't normally wait tables. I work behind the counter...Chloe, she had an emergency, so I had to..." she has to pause to try and catch her breath.

Stacie nods and once again rubs her thumb across her hand.

Shaking her head, Aubrey lets out a frustrated groan, "I'm usually quite level headed."

Stacie nods, "I'm sure you are. There's nothing wrong with you though."

Aubrey huffs out a breath and then tilts her head forward so she's face to face with Stacie, "I dont like being touched unexpectedly. And...normally I can get a hold of myself before I-before I completely set into a panic..."

She sighs, "There was a table of four teenaged guys...I- one of them tried to get my attention, I guess? But I was busy with another table and...he reached out and like, he didn't even grab my arm really, just sort of tugged at my sleeve, and that was alright. I didn't like it, but it was alright, I handled it. But when I came back with their drinks, he held my wrist and I-I just couldn't-"

She starts shaking and Stacie has to remind herself not to reach for her, the woman just finished telling her how she doesn't like being touched unexpectedly.

So she just squeezes her hand, "You're alright. You're no longer in that situation, it's the thoughts now that are bothering you."

She pauses and then says, "Remember what we said earlier? Inhale when my hand is on your shoulder…"

Aubrey nods and allows Stacie to help recalibrate her breathing.

Leaning her head against the wall, Aubrey quietly says, "Thank you. I…you didn't have to stay."

Stacie offers her a small genuine smile, "You're welcome. And no, I didn't have to, but there was no way I was going to just leave you here alone."

"You don't even know me."

Stacie nods slowly, eyes not leaving Aubrey's, "True…but I don't think I could have lived with myself knowing I left you alone here when I very well could have at least stayed with you. I mean, that's the decent thing to do, right?"

Aubrey searches Stacie's eyes and finds herself nodding, "Right…Thank you, again."

Squeezing her hand, "You're welcome, again."

They continue to stay seated for another few minutes, with Aubrey surprised that the brunette didn't just immediately leave.

"I think…you can go now, I'm alright."

Stacie tilts her head and offers her a smile, "Yeah? Alright."

She stands up and helps lift Aubrey up so she's standing as well.

"I'm Stacie…uhm I mentioned earlier but I…Hello," she trails off, suddenly not too sure why she'd even say that again.

Aubrey chuckles as she runs her free hand over her head, trying to pat down the flyaways before she locks gazes with her, "Hello. I'm Aubrey…but you already know that."

Stacie blushes as she shakes her head, "Yeah, I…yeah. So alright, I'm just going to go now. I'm uh glad you're alright!"

Before she could let go and fully turn around to leave, Aubrey is already tugging her into place, making sure that she doesn't.

"Stacie…honestly, that was one of the sweetest things anyone's done for me."

The brunette shrugs nonchalantly and gives her a little grin, "Well I'm just glad I could help, seriously."

Aubrey smiles at her bashfully, "I uhm, I'm sorry you had to see me like that though."

"Hey, no it's alright," Stacie tugs on her hand slightly, making sure she's listening.

A part of her is sort of proud of the fact that she's not scaring the blonde with how long they've been holding hands. She's glad it calmed her down rather than added to the panic she was feeling.

Aubrey looks down at their joined hands then and just sort of traces the way they're joined together with her eyes and trying to capture to memory the feel of her hand in hers, committing the calmness that exudes from the brunette to memory as well.

"I just wanted to make sure you understand how much I appreciate what you did for me just now," Aubrey says quietly, her green eyes boring into Stacie's, hoping she's able to convey just exactly how thankful she is.

Stacie gulps as she nods, "I know…I understand, and I'd do it again too so."

The door handle jiggling breaks the moment for them, and has Aubrey slipping her hand out of Stacie's grip and running both her hands down the front of her shirt, flattening out any creases before pulling on a professional smile, after giving Stacie one final real one, and walking towards the door and unlocking it.

Stacie stands there for a moment just contemplating what it is that happened here mere seconds ago, and is only brought back to reality when the older woman that interrupted them clears her throat pointedly.

"Sorry. I uh, I'll be leaving now."

She walks back to the table and isn't surprised to find that her 'date' had left. She's actually pretty thankful that she doesn't have to deal with him.

As she's gathering her purse, she catches Aubrey's eyes, the blonde now back behind the safety of the cash counter, and she blushes when she sees her smile brightly at her.

She wonders if it'd be weird to start coming to this particular café more often.

It's not like it's that far off route to campus.

Twenty minutes in the opposite direction isn't that bad.

And if she actually starts using her bicycle she could be here in less.

She rolls her eyes at herself as she walks out of the café, dorkily waving goodbye to Aubrey as she does so.

Trust her to lose it over a pretty, 'gorgeous' she thinks, blonde.