Work Text:
Yasmin Khan’s day was going about as well as a hen in a fox’s den. That is to say: it was not going well at all.
Not only had she forgotten to set her alarm the night before, but she’d only barely had enough time to dress for work. Work, which was another animal all its own, had thrown domestic after domestic at her. Her ears were still ringing from one rowdy drunk who’d thought it fun to scream directly in her ear when she booked him for indecent public exposure.
Needless to say, the day had been long and tiring, and all Yaz wanted was a hot cup of tea from her favourite shop and to end the night nestled in the comfort of her own bed.
She stood in queue at The Little Kettle. It was nearing nightfall in Sheffield but still people seemed to crowd the place. Usually Yaz would be delighted to see her favourite mum-and-pop shop getting more business, but after the day she had all she wanted was some peace and quiet.
She was waiting at the side counter after rattling off her order when she heard the ping! of a text notification from her phone. Her stomach bottomed out when she read the message.
are you ready for your date?? 6 o’clock. do NOT be late!!! x
Oh no, oh no no no. She’d completely forgotten about the blind date Sonya had set her up on. Panic stricken, she glanced down at her wristwatch to find it ticking steadily closer to 5:45. There wasn’t time to head to her flat to change.
If there was one small silver lining, it’d be that she’d taken the time to change out of her uniform at the station before she came to the shop. Though the bad news was that she wasn’t dressed for the occasion at all. She debated texting her sister back to tell her she wasn’t going. That she was sick or something. Or maybe dead. Dead could maybe work.
No, deep down she knew nothing would. Not even death could stop her sister. Sonya had been egging her about this for weeks now and Yaz had been blowing her off for just as long before she finally gave up and agreed to go on the date with her sister’s co-worker. If Yaz didn’t show up, she’d never hear the end of it.
She supposed she could do worse than an old purple jumper and a pair of comfy trousers. At least with the winter winds raging about she could probably get away with staying bundled in her padded leather jacket.
Her phone pinged again.
i’m going to take your silence to mean you’re busy getting ready. remember she’ll be the one wearing the rainbow scarf! x
Yaz pursed her lips, feeling the rainbow scarf a bit on the nose. To each their own, she guessed. She typed out a reply with speedy fingers.
Yes, very busy. I remember. Text you later. x
you BETTER have!!! now go get laid!!! ;))) x
Yaz felt her cheeks grow hot at the implication and resisted the urge to fire back a retort. Maybe if she bombed this date her sister would stop pestering her about her love life. Or lack thereof , she thought warily as she brought up the Uber app on her phone and hastily plugged the info for a ride request.
“Here ya go, love.” The kindly man behind the counter interrupted her thoughts as he handed her a steaming paper cup of tea.
“Thanks, Graham.” Yaz offered up a small smile before reverently taking the proffered cup. She brought it to her nose and inhaled, the fresh scent of peppermint invading her senses and filling her with warmth. The house peppermint blend, her favourite. After everything, at least she had this.
Or so she thought. Yaz spun around, ready to book it, when she crashed right into the person behind her. She let out a soft oof! as her poor cup crumpled on impact and hot tea sloshed over her hand burning it instantly.
“Oi!” Yaz snapped, pain throwing her on the defensive. She immediately bent down to pick up her cup which had fallen. Her frustration grew when she found it empty. “Why don’t you watch where you’re going?”
“Where I’m going? You’re the one who ran into me!”
Yaz’s mouth clamped shut when her eyes cut to her assailant for the first time, stomach making delighted little flips at what she saw which warred with the fight side of her brain. The woman had a height advantage, towering over Yaz at least a head in difference. Blonde hair fell just short of her shoulders, tucked behind an ear where a silvery chained earring glinted in the light. The long coat she wore was almost silly but seemed to somehow fit the woman wearing it. Curious green eyes watched her closely.
Embarrassment seeped into Yaz at being caught staring and she inwardly kicked herself for turning into a puddle at the sight of an attractive woman. Maybe Sonya was right. She really did need to get laid.
The reminder that she was heading to a date crashed around her. She made to glance at her watch but winced as her hand stung, the burn still fresh.
“Hey, are you alright?” The blonde took a hesitant step forward, but Yaz shrunk back, clutching at her hand and shaking her head. She must look a right mess.
Yaz took a deep breath and swallowed her pride. “Look, you’re right. My fault. Sorry.” And then she fled before the woman could say another word.
It was cowardly and unlike her, but she reserved herself to wait outside rather than inside where the (admittedly attractive) woman was, opting instead to hide away in shame in the cool night air. What had gotten into her? She’d made herself out to be a right arse, and to someone she just met! A fresh wave of embarrassment washed over her, competing with the chill to pinken her cheeks.
Yaz tossed the sodden cup in a nearby bin, mourning her tea. At least that woman was a stranger. Yaz likely wouldn’t have to see her again. Somehow that thought didn’t comfort her in the way she’d hoped.
A throat cleared behind her and she spun to see the blonde from before standing there, brandishing an obscene amount of napkins in her hand.
So much for wishful thinking.
“Didn’t see you grab any and I know first-hand that burns aren’t fun.” She said by way of explanation, offering the napkins. “Well, I say first-hand, but it’s really more second-hand actually. I mean, I just see them a lot, where I work.”
Yaz paused, mind reeling and frustration paramount. The woman seemed to sense this and opened her mouth to speak.
Suddenly, an old Volkswagen Beetle puttered up to the curb. A ping in Yaz’s back pocket signalled that this was her Uber. Thank god. Now she could leave and put this all behind—
“Oh, that’d be me!” Said the blonde as she moved to the car.
“What? No it’s not. This is my Uber.” Yaz said, vaguely aware that she sounded like a petulant child. She couldn’t help it. After everything that’d happened today, there was no way she was going to share a ride with her . The universe wasn’t that cruel, was it?
For good measure, Yaz presented her phone to the stranger. The blonde leaned in close to the screen. Yaz swallowed at their proximity, light notes of honey and clove wafted her way. Face scrunched adorably the woman said, “I think you’ll find you selected ‘UberPool’. Looks like we’re sharing!”
Yaz scrambled to check her phone. Sure enough, there it was in bright letters: UberPool Selected. She inwardly cursed herself. She must’ve selected it by accident in her haste.
“Oi! Are you two getting’ in or are you going to stand there yammerin’ all day?”
The Uber driver cut through Yaz’s thoughts. She glanced at the other woman who raised an eyebrow at her. A challenge.
“Fine.” Yaz huffed. “I’ve got no time for this.”
With that, she shuffled into the back of the small Beetle, quickly followed by the other woman after she’d easily stuffed what looked to have been an entire tray of napkins into her coat pocket. Yaz briefly wondered how all of that could fit into a pocket but her thoughts cut short when she found herself closely pressed to the blonde in the small backseat. The warmth emanating from the other woman was not all unwelcomed, offering a small reprieve from the winter chill outside.
They rode in relative silence after that. The only sound from the low hum of the radio. Yaz simmered in her self-imposed angst.
“I think we got off on the wrong foot.” The blonde said suddenly, breaking the awkward silence. “I’m Joan Smith.” The woman, Joan, wiggled in her seat, turning to face Yaz as best she could and extended her hand.
Yaz eyed the proffered hand for a moment before she acquiesced, taking Joan’s hand. The grip was warm despite the cold and Yaz’s own hand was left tingling when they parted. “Yasmin Khan.” She paused, and then, before she could regret it, added: “Yaz to my friends.”
Joan smiled broadly, taking the small peace offering. “Nice to meet you, Yaz.”
Yaz felt a flutter in the pit of her stomach at the quick adoption of her nickname. She hastily pushed the feeling to the side as she stared at the stranger. Joan was so odd . Yaz had been nothing short of rude to her since they met and yet it was like this stranger could somehow see the good in her and offered her a chance to show it.
She let out a sigh of defeat. She’d been the one who started this, this one-man feud or whatever it was. “I’m, I’m not usually… I don’t usually act like this, I swear. This isn’t me.”
“Act like what?” Joan questioned, tilting her head to one side.
“Act like, like such an—” Yaz stammered. A blush bloomed across her cheeks and she chanced a glance at Joan to find the other woman smirking. “You’re having me on, aren’t you!”
Joan chuckled. “I couldn’t help it. You made it so easy!” She propped an arm on the headrest behind her, grinning. With a hand crooked under her chin and green eyes dancing, she asked, “So, who are you then, Yasmin Khan?”
Having the sole attention of this stranger was oddly intoxicating, Yaz would be remiss not to admit. “I’m someone who has had a very long day and is now late to a blind date her meddling sister set her up on.”
“Oh, a blind date! Never been on one of those before.” Joan frowned. “You don’t seem very happy at the idea, though.”
Yaz leaned her head back against the seat. “It’s not like I’m opposed to the idea. It’s just, been a while. I’m scared I’m a bit rusty. Plus, I completely forgot about it until twenty minutes ago so there’s that. I probably look a right sight.”
“Pah! I think you look rather lovely.” Joan said, then added teasingly, “If not a little homely.”
Yaz gasped with faux indignation, playfully swatting at Joan’s arm and instantly warming to the woman. “Cheeky! Some people really go for the comfy look, y’know.”
“I’m sure they do.” Something danced in Joan’s eyes then that Yaz couldn’t quite decipher.
Choosing to revisit that at a later time, Yaz echoed Joan’s earlier words, “So, who are you then, Joan Smith?”
“Me? Oh, I’m just a traveller.” Joan waved her off, but the vagueness of the statement, whether intentional or not, intrigued Yaz.
“A traveller? Where do you travel?”
“Anywhere I’m needed really! I’m a travelling doctor. My current station is at Northern General. Been there a couple months now.”
Joan’s earlier statement about burns suddenly made a lot more sense. “Is that why you said you see a lot of burns?”
“Yes! You wouldn’t believe how many coffee burns I see in a week. People really love their coffee here. I can’t drink the stuff. Makes my brain go all wibbly wobbly.” Joan chattered away until, as if suddenly reminded of something, she gasped. “Your hand!” Without further delay, she grasped Yaz’s hand in her own.
Joan’s face scrunched in concentration as she carefully examined the burn, delicate fingers softly grazing her skin. Yaz held her breath at the pressure. The tingle felt at their earlier contact was back in full force, as was the fluttering in her stomach.
“Thankfully doesn’t look too serious, but if it still burns later, I’d suggest running it under some cool water…”
The blonde chattered away about other methods of easing pain, but all Yaz could concentrate on was the move of her mouth and her expressive face. She wondered what her lips felt like… if they were as soft as they looked. Yaz felt the flutter in her stomach fly a touch lower at the sudden thought. Oh she really was a mess.
It was to her shock when she suddenly realized that Joan had stopped talking. Yaz glanced up to see her staring, green eyes dark with the same unreadable expression as before. Vaguely Yaz realized her hand was still softly cradled in the other woman’s grasp. It seemed neither wanted to pull away.
“Joan, I—”
“Yammerin’ again!” The Uber driver cut her off, causing them both to jump and spring apart. “We’ve been here five minutes and all you lot can do is talk!”
“Hey, you’re getting paid for this, so I don’t see how you’re complaining!” Yaz snapped. She made a mental note to leave a low rating for this particular driver before she all but dragged Joan out of the car with her.
As she watched the Beetle speed off, she realized with dawning horror that she never asked if this was Joan’s stop before hauling her away. “Joan, I’m so sorry! I never asked—where do you need to go? I’ll call another Uber for you.”
Joan laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, I’m exactly where I need to be!”
Yaz glanced at her wristwatch to see it was closing in on 6:20. There was no way her date would still be here. Glancing around, she confirmed her suspicion when she didn’t see anyone sporting a rainbow scarf. She should probably feel sad or angry or something about her date falling through, but she couldn’t find it in her to care.
The day had started awfully, but she’d genuinely had a good time with Joan, and she was starting to realize she didn’t want it to end just yet.
Oh, what the hell ? she thought. She took a deep breath and took a calculated risk. “I, uh, would you like to maybe get dinner? With me?”
Joan’s eyes widened. “What about your blind date?”
“Well, I’m late. Massively. She was supposed to be here wearing a rainbow scarf, but, as you can see,” Yaz made a sweeping motion to their surroundings, “I am left rainbow scarfless and without a date.”
When the blonde said nothing, Yaz mentally kicked herself and tried to backtrack. “Wait, I completely forgot, you probably were meeting someone here, weren’t you? I mean, why else Uber here? Ugh, why am I so daft?”
“No, no! Wait, I mean yes ! I mean, hold on!” Yaz paused her mental tirade while Joan rooted in her coat pocket. A soft gasp escaped her lips when the other woman pulled out a rainbow scarf and wrapped it around her neck, smiling shyly. “I was late, too. Didn’t have time to put it on.”
“I—you, you’re?” Yaz gaped at her, pointing at the scarf. “When did you know?”
Joan's smile grew broad. “Pretty early on, after you mentioned the blind date and meddlesome sister. That and Sonya may have mentioned your name once or twice…” She paused, thinking. “Okay, so maybe it was like every day for the past three weeks, but who’s counting!”
Yaz couldn’t help but laugh, the shock making her giddy. “Good to know my sister has other people to annoy than just me. I should’ve known you were that eccentric new doctor she’s been talking about.”
Joan took a step towards Yaz, her breath showing in the chilly air. They were almost touching now. The moment felt oddly intimate and warmth flooded Yaz despite the cold.
“So to answer your earlier question: yes, I would love to have dinner with you.”
Later when she and Joan had had their fill of dinner, they found themselves waiting outside the restaurant for another Uber.
“I think I love blind dates,” Joan breathed into the night air, a content sigh on her lips.
Yaz turned to face the object of her affection. “Me too,” she agreed with a soft hum. “Though I’m a bit miffed that I have to actually thank my sister for it.” Her eyes fell upon Joan’s lips then which were pinkened slightly from the winter chill, looking soft and inviting. Okay, maybe she wasn’t too miffed. Yaz shivered, but not from the cold as her thoughts drifted elsewhere.
“It is a bit chilly out.” Joan slipped part of the scarf from her neck and looped it around Yaz’s, connecting them together. She pulled Yaz closer, until they were flushed against one another, firm hands grasping the others in an attempt to warm them.
Yaz flushed as a different kind of heat coursed its way through her. This woman had no idea what she did to her.
Their breaths mingled in the night air. Joan’s gaze dipped to Yaz’s lips, then to her eyes in silent question. Yaz rolled her eyes affectionately as she realized Joan knew exactly what she was doing. Smooth .
She’d already thrown caution to the wind that night and now she was on a roll. Yaz took the tacky scarf in her hands and pulled Joan down to finally close the gap between them.
The touch was soft and perfect . A small sigh escaped her lips as she drew back to gaze into green eyes. Joan’s cheeks were flushed and Yaz took pride in knowing that she’d done this to the normally composed woman.
“I think we definitely have to thank your sister.”
Joan captured her lips again with fervor, silencing Yaz’s answering giggle and deepening the kiss. Yaz all but melted when a soft tongue danced at her lips, pleading for entrance and Yaz let her have it. She tilted her head to give better access--
“Oi! Not you two again!” A loud voice rang out, effectively taking a jackhammer to their perfectly crafted moment. Yaz and Joan sprung apart, flushed and slightly panting, to see a familiar Volkswagen Beetle parked at the curb.
“Are you gonna stand there or are you gonna get in?”
Yaz narrowed her eyes at him, but made to move to the car. She stopped when she realized that Joan wasn’t following her.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“I, uhm, didn’t select UberPool.” Joan flushed adorably.
Yaz felt her heart clench, affection flooding her. “Don’t worry,” she said with a smile as she grasped the blonde’s hand, “I did.”
~