No major content warnings minor warning for alcohol use.
648 words
She should just be a stranger, Kiyoko thought, glancing behind the bar for the fifth time in as many minutes. The woman, spinning a bottle in her small hands, was a stranger, strictly speaking, if someone you’d met twice four years ago could be called that.
“Shimizu, are you listening?” Michimiya was tapping her hand where it held her glass.
“Yes.” She lied, tearing her eyes from the bar and back to her friend across the small table.
“Who’s the babe?” She cocked her head towards the bar.
Kiyoko shrugged.
“She can’t be nobody. You never check out anyone.” She sounded astonished.
Kiyoko wanted to protest, but it was sort of true. She wasn’t attracted to people often. Part of her suggested maybe she’d been broken for other people the first time she saw Tanaka Saeko.
Michimiya stood up, throwing back the dregs of her drink.
“What are you doing?” Kiyoko asked, sounding worried. Michimiya eyed the bar with the type of look in her eye that Kiyoko had learned to mistrust.
“Talking to her.” She replied.
Kiyoko reached over and grabbed her sleeve, pulling hard to make her sit down. She didn’t budge but the fabric stretched. Michimiya laughed.
“Don’t talk to her, please.”
She sat down. “Sure, but only if you talk to her.” She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest, smiling wide like she’d executed a successful plan. Kiyoko knew an ultimatum when she heard one. She considered arguing, but knew it was hopeless. The only thing harder than fighting Michimiya was fighting Michimiya drunk, she was liable to tackle her.
Kiyoko found herself, hands shaking, crossing the half full room. Tanaka was busy, pouring drinks for a few new patrons, and Kiyoko glanced back while leaning against the counter. Michimiya gave her a thumbs up and Kiyoko rolled her eyes.
When she turned back Tanaka was staring at her, and a drink was spilled in front of her.
“Shimizu-san?” Her voice was quieter than Kiyoko remembered, almost too quiet to hear in the loud bar. She opened her mouth to respond, and then closed it again. She hadn’t expected to be remembered.
“Hello.” She answered eventually, though too much time had passed. Tanaka hadn’t moved though, and she was still staring.
“You remember me, right? I mean, um, hey. You went to school with my brother?” Responding seemed to pull her out of her trance and she grabbed a loose towel and wiped up the spilled liquor. A few other patrons were vying for her attention and the other bartender was sending her dangerous looking glares but she just took a step closer to where Kiyoko was standing.
“Tanaka-san. Yes, I remember you.” She figured her face was red and hoped she could use the excuse of alcohol.
“You wanna drink?”
Kiyoko shook her head.
“Oh, well….” Tanaka replied and Kiyoko realized the problem.
“I’m sorry!” She inclined her head slightly in apology. “I’ll let you get back to work.” She turned and walked away from the bar before she got a response.
If she’d turned around she would have seen the short woman climb up and over the chest-high bar, heavy boots dangerously close to full drinks, and drop down on the other side. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned.
“You can’t just walk away now.” Tanaka said and Kiyoko didn’t know how to respond.
Her hand on her shoulder didn’t move, even when Kiyoko had turned and it felt nice, like it was something that could belong there.
“What’s your number?” Tanaka asked, and Kiyoko didn’t hesitate to answer. Once she’d saved it in her phone, finally pulling her hand away, she looked up and smiled again.
“What?” Kiyoko asked, prompted by the look on Tanaka’s face.
“There’s no way I’m letting you get away again.” She replied.
FILL Team: Nishinoya Yuu/Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Rated: T
648 words
She should just be a stranger, Kiyoko thought, glancing behind the bar for the fifth time in as many minutes. The woman, spinning a bottle in her small hands, was a stranger, strictly speaking, if someone you’d met twice four years ago could be called that.
“Shimizu, are you listening?” Michimiya was tapping her hand where it held her glass.
“Yes.” She lied, tearing her eyes from the bar and back to her friend across the small table.
“Who’s the babe?” She cocked her head towards the bar.
Kiyoko shrugged.
“She can’t be nobody. You never check out anyone.” She sounded astonished.
Kiyoko wanted to protest, but it was sort of true. She wasn’t attracted to people often. Part of her suggested maybe she’d been broken for other people the first time she saw Tanaka Saeko.
Michimiya stood up, throwing back the dregs of her drink.
“What are you doing?” Kiyoko asked, sounding worried. Michimiya eyed the bar with the type of look in her eye that Kiyoko had learned to mistrust.
“Talking to her.” She replied.
Kiyoko reached over and grabbed her sleeve, pulling hard to make her sit down. She didn’t budge but the fabric stretched. Michimiya laughed.
“Don’t talk to her, please.”
She sat down. “Sure, but only if you talk to her.” She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest, smiling wide like she’d executed a successful plan. Kiyoko knew an ultimatum when she heard one. She considered arguing, but knew it was hopeless. The only thing harder than fighting Michimiya was fighting Michimiya drunk, she was liable to tackle her.
Kiyoko found herself, hands shaking, crossing the half full room. Tanaka was busy, pouring drinks for a few new patrons, and Kiyoko glanced back while leaning against the counter. Michimiya gave her a thumbs up and Kiyoko rolled her eyes.
When she turned back Tanaka was staring at her, and a drink was spilled in front of her.
“Shimizu-san?” Her voice was quieter than Kiyoko remembered, almost too quiet to hear in the loud bar. She opened her mouth to respond, and then closed it again. She hadn’t expected to be remembered.
“Hello.” She answered eventually, though too much time had passed. Tanaka hadn’t moved though, and she was still staring.
“You remember me, right? I mean, um, hey. You went to school with my brother?” Responding seemed to pull her out of her trance and she grabbed a loose towel and wiped up the spilled liquor. A few other patrons were vying for her attention and the other bartender was sending her dangerous looking glares but she just took a step closer to where Kiyoko was standing.
“Tanaka-san. Yes, I remember you.” She figured her face was red and hoped she could use the excuse of alcohol.
“You wanna drink?”
Kiyoko shook her head.
“Oh, well….” Tanaka replied and Kiyoko realized the problem.
“I’m sorry!” She inclined her head slightly in apology. “I’ll let you get back to work.” She turned and walked away from the bar before she got a response.
If she’d turned around she would have seen the short woman climb up and over the chest-high bar, heavy boots dangerously close to full drinks, and drop down on the other side. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned.
“You can’t just walk away now.” Tanaka said and Kiyoko didn’t know how to respond.
Her hand on her shoulder didn’t move, even when Kiyoko had turned and it felt nice, like it was something that could belong there.
“What’s your number?” Tanaka asked, and Kiyoko didn’t hesitate to answer. Once she’d saved it in her phone, finally pulling her hand away, she looked up and smiled again.
“What?” Kiyoko asked, prompted by the look on Tanaka’s face.
“There’s no way I’m letting you get away again.” She replied.