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English
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Published:
2025-12-21
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1,266
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1/1
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Therapy Sessions & Coffee Dates

Summary:

After Connor picks Riya up form her weekly therapy, he treats her to coffee. They talk and Riya resonates on how much she's changed.

Notes:

Consider this an early Christmas gift to you from me, buddy pal! 😁💖😁💖
(Give me more Tomden and Jaja fanart lmao jk I'm only kidding)

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

The winter air hit Riya’s face as she pushed open the door, her heels clicking against the pavement. Connor was leaning against his car in the parking lot, looking up as he spotted her.

 

"Hey." He said with a smile, pushing off the vehicle and pulled her into a hug. "How'd it go?"

 

She wrapped her arms around him. "It was nice. My therapist said I'm making really good progress. Stacy wanted me to tell you she said hi."

 

He placed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm glad to hear that. You'll have to tell her I said hi back next week." He pulled back, smiling down at her. "So, since you had a good therapy session today, I was thinking we could go get coffee? My treat."

 

"Oh, Connor, you don't have to."

 

Connor shook his head. "I want to. You deserve a little something special for all the work you're doing."

 

She felt her heart melt at his words. "You never cease to find a way to make me feel so special."

 

"What can I say? You make it easy." He took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. "Come on, let's go get caffeinated."

 

Riya chuckled lightly, allowing him to lead her towards his car. "You know I can't say no to coffee."

 

Connor also chuckled in response, opening the passenger side door for her. "Oh, do I ever."

 

She slipped in, fastening her seatbelt. He shut the door and circled around to the driver's side, getting into the car himself. Connor turned the key in the ignition, the vehicle humming to life.

 

"Alright, so where to?" He asked as he pulled out of the parking lot. "The usual place, or did you wanna try somewhere new?"

 

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "As much as I love our usual spot, I think I want to try that little café we passed last week."

 

"Sure. I'm always in the mood to try something new." He replied, turning onto the main road.

 

Riya looked out the window and watched as the scenery passed by. She smiled, a sense of peace washing over her. The drive was quiet, save for the soft hum of music playing from the stereo. She glanced over at Connor.

 

Even in his old age, he's still handsome as ever in her eyes. To hell with what the news had to say, he's hers just as much as she's his.

 

 

A small bell jingled as they stepped inside the coffee shop. The sweet aroma of coffee and baked goods filled the air, giving the entire place a pleasant vibe. The interior was cozy and inviting, with rustic-style decor and comfortable-looking seats. There were a few customers at some tables, sipping on their drinks and chatting amongst themselves. The barista looked up from wiping down the counter.

 

"Hi there. Welcome in." He greeted them as the couple approached. "Wait a minute.... Are you Riya Sharma?"

 

A look of surprise came across on Riya's face. "Uh, yeah, that's me."

 

Sure, she's been recognized by fans before, and normally she'd be thriving in the spotlight and attention, but lately, she hadn't been recognized as much. Probably because she's been so busy with therapy that her and Connor hadn't been out all that much.

 

The barista beamed. "Oh, my gosh! I'm a big fan of your work! I loved you in 'Resisting the Flow!'"

 

Riya's face lit up, a smile spreading across her lips. "Aw, thank you so much!"

 

Even though this was a smaller coffee shop, she still felt the rush of admiration and attention from this fan. Connor grinned, watching his girlfriend soak up the recognition. Not in her usual spotlight-seeking way, but with genuine gratitude.

 

"Would it be alright if I got a photo with you before you order?" He asked her. "My sister loves your movies! She’ll freak when I show her I met you!"

 

Riya nods. "Of course!"

 

Connor stepped back as the barista hurried around the counter, pulling out his phone. He snapped a quick selfie with her, who effortlessly slipped into her "public smile," though he noticed it didn’t feel as performative as it used to.

 

"Thank you!" He gushed, returning to his post. "Now, what can I get for you two? It's on the house!"

 

"Oh, you don’t have to—"

 

Connor nudged her shoulder. "Take the win, babe. You did just make his entire day."

 

She laughed. "Alright, alright. I’ll have a caramel macchiato, then. Extra shot of espresso and with oat milk."

 

"You got it! And for the gentleman?"

 

Connor glanced at the menu before answering. "I'll take a vanilla latte and a muffin, please."

 

"Coming right up!" He quickly getting to work on their order.

 

Riya glanced around, spotting an empty table. "Oh, there's a spot. I'm gonna go snag it before anyone else does."

 

The older man nodded. "Alright. I'll hang back until the order's ready."

 

She sat down at the table, setting her bag beside her chair. She pulled out her phone and opened Instagram, aimlessly scrolling through her feed to pass the time. A few minutes later, Connor approached with their drinks and his muffin.

 

"Alright, one caramel macchiato with extra espresso and oat milk for the beautiful queen." He teased as he set down her coffee. "And one vanilla latte and a muffin for the old man who still looks good enough to be her date."

 

Riya laughed. "You're ridiculous." She took a sip of her drink, savoring the rich flavor. "Mmm! That's good."

 

He settled into his seat across from her, biting into his muffin. "So, what did you and Stacy talk about? Anything you wanna share?"

 

"We talked about the All-Stars finale again and how guilty I still feel sometimes." Her fingers traced the rim of her cup. "But she helped me realize that I can't change the past, but that I can choose what kind of person I want to be moving forward."

 

Connor reached across the table, gently holding her hand in his. "That's really brave of you, Riya."

 

The Bollywood actress gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "It helps having you by my side through all of this."

 

He smiled softly. "Always, babe."

 

They sat in comfortable silence, sipping their drinks and enjoying each other’s company. The soft hum of chatter around them and the occasional clink of cups created a cozy atmosphere. After a moment, Riya spoke.

 

"You know… I was thinking." She says. "Maybe at some point when everyone's free, we could invite Tom and Jake out for coffee? Or lunch? Tony and Eesha can also come along."

 

Connor looked pleasantly surprised, but in a good way. "I think that's a great idea, babe."

 

"And at some point, when I'm ready on my own terms..." She continues. "I wanna face Aiden, James and Rosa again..."

 

"They're gonna take some time to forgive." He reminded her gently. "But I think if anyone can pull it off, it's you."

 

Riya smiled. "Thank you for believing in me, Connor."

 

He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "I'm always gonna be there for you."

 

The Bollywood actress smiled at him. Despite everything, he was still here for her and supporting her completely. He was her rock, her steady presence when the world seemed to spin out of control. And in this quiet moment in the café, with their hands intertwined, she felt peace settle over her.

 

They had a long road ahead of them, but she knew she could face it knowing Connor was right there by her side.

Notes:

Hope you liked it, Knight! Sorry for the wait! 😅

And I hope you all liked it as well!