Chapter Text
Morning
Kate kneels carefully, taping up a huge box containing a 55-inch television. She works with practiced precision — straight lines, tight corners.
Lucy: (approaching, sleeves rolled up) "Let me help, Kate. I know how to lift."
Kate: (without looking up) "I said I’ve got it."
Lucy: (smiling) "You always say that."
Lucy crouches, gripping the other side of the TV. She lifts easily enough — she’s strong, not fragile. But as soon as Kate leans forward, Lucy’s eyes drift up, watching the sharp concentration on Kate’s face, the way a stray strand of hair brushes her cheek.
Lucy: (whispering to herself) "Beautiful…"
Kate looks up sharply.
Kate: "What?"
Lucy: (startled, grip slipping for just a second) "Nothing!"
Thud!
The box tilts and drops on one corner, narrowly missing Kate’s foot. Kate stiffens, jaw tightening.
Kai: (from across the aisle, chuckling) "Careful, Lucy. You’ll break more than the TV if you keep staring like that."
Lucy’s cheeks flush red. She quickly rights the box, embarrassed.
Lucy: (quietly, to Kate) "Sorry… I wasn’t paying attention."
Kate: (icy calm) "Clearly."
After sometime
Kate demonstrates a vacuum cleaner for a middle-aged woman, her voice steady, her gestures professional. Lucy hovers nearby, genuinely interested.)
Kate: "It’s lightweight, adjustable, and the suction power is top of the line. Here—"
Kate bends to adjust the settings. Lucy’s eyes follow her, not the vacuum. The woman notices, smirking.
Customer: (teasing) "Your… assistant seems very fond of you."
Kate: (stiffening) "She’s not my—"
Lucy: (quickly, flustered) "I’m just… admiring how thorough she is!"
Kai, lurking at the counter, bursts into laughter. Lucy, desperate to cover her slip, grabs the vacuum to demonstrate herself. She does fine at first, but as Kate leans in close to point at the filter, Lucy’s breath catches. Her grip falters, and the hose whips around, knocking over a stack of boxed kettles.
Crash!
Lucy’s mortified. Kate pinches the bridge of her nose again.
Kate: (low voice) "Lucy…"
Lucy: (softly, apologetic) "I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where the hose was."
Kate: (sighs, muttering) "No, you were watching me."
Lucy freezes. Kate quickly covers, addressing the customer.
Kate: (polite) "Let me show you again."
(The customer, smiling knowingly, agrees to buy the vacuum. Lucy, meanwhile, silently burns with embarrassment… and adoration.)
After Work
The evening air is soft, the streets humming with traffic winding down. Kate walks briskly, her work bag slung over her shoulder, posture straight, stubborn even in her gait. She looks like she’s carrying the weight of the day but refuses to bend under it.
A few steps behind, Lucy follows, hands in her hoodie pockets, moving lightly, like a cat. She isn’t trying to be creepy — she just can’t help herself. She tells herself she’s only making sure Kate gets home safe. But her eyes sparkle with mischief — it feels like a secret mission.
Lucy: (muttering to herself) "Agent Tara on surveillance duty… target in sight. Objective: figure out why she never lets me walk her home."
She almost giggles, but then something changes. A tall woman in a sharp black coat appears from the other side of the street. The woman moves with confidence, her shoes clicking against the pavement. Her dark hair is tied back neatly, a white shirt visible under the coat, businesslike and crisp.
Kate’s face softens the moment she sees her. To Lucy’s shock, Kate stops — actually stops — and smiles. A real smile, the kind Lucy has been fighting so hard to draw out.
The Woman: (warmly) "Katie."
Kate steps forward, and without hesitation, they hug. It’s not a stiff hug, not formal — it’s… familiar. Close. Natural. Kate lingers a second too long before pulling back.
Lucy: (frozen, whispering) "Katie? Who calls her Katie…?"
Her stomach twists. She quickly ducks behind a parked scooter, peeking like a spy. Kate and the woman exchange a few more words Lucy can’t catch, and then — laughing softly — they head into a nearby coffee shop together.
Lucy: (straightening, determination in her eyes) "Oh no. No way I’m letting this mystery lady just waltz in. Operation Shadow begins."
Inside the Coffee Shop
The bell above the cafe's door jingles as Kate and the woman step in. Lucy sneaks in moments later, tugging her hoodie up, pretending to study the pastry display. The rich scent of roasted coffee and cinnamon fills the air.
Kate and the woman take a booth by the window. From Lucy’s angle, she can’t hear much — just faint tones, laughter that fades, then seriousness creeping in. She slides into a nearby table, pretending to stir sugar into an empty cup.
Kate leans back, relaxed, her usual stubborn edge melting away.
The woman talks animatedly, her hands moving, her eyes catching the light. Kate listens, nods, even laughs — really laughs.
Lucy: (watching, biting her lip) "She makes her laugh that easily…?"
Her heart tugs painfully. But then — the shift. The woman says something, her tone lower, weightier. Kate’s smile fades. She leans in, elbows on the table, face tightening with seriousness. The woman’s hands stop moving; she folds them, her eyes steady on Kate’s.
Kate: (barely audible from Lucy’s angle, lips firm) "…you don’t understand."
The woman replies quickly, leaning forward too. Their voices rise a little, though not enough for Lucy to make out words over the coffe shop's buzz. Kate shakes her head. The warmth from earlier has vanished, replaced with a strange tension.
Lucy: (murmuring, notebook out like a detective) "Okay, so… Mystery Woman knows Kate well. She calls her Katie. They hug. They laugh. Then… something serious. Conflict. Could be business. Could be personal. Could be—"
A barista clears his throat. Lucy realizes she’s scribbling in a napkin, hunched over like a spy novelist. She grins sheepishly, then ducks her head, still stealing glances.
“Anything else needed ma'am?” he asked.
“No... Thanks” lucy replied amd he walked away.
Lucy: (thinking, biting her straw) "Who are you? A sister? A rival? Or worse, someone Kate still cares for? Her ex girlfriend??"