Work Text:
Yukina shivered, pulling her coat tighter around herself. The late winter cold felt brutal after being out in it for longer than a minute or two, wind nipping at her exposed hands and face. Thick, gray clouds blanketed the sky, preventing the sun from warming things up a little. Despite that, she lingered in the middle of the sidewalk, shooting a glance at the convenience store up ahead. She should really go do something productive, either at home or CiRCLE, but here she was anyway, unable to ignore the fluttering in her heart.
She was being ridiculous.
Even so, she didn't turn around. She kept walking, the bell above the door jangling as she stepped into the convenience store. The fluorescent lighting, the aisles of snacks and other goods, it was all more familiar than it probably should be. And of course, standing behind the counter was the reason she came in to begin with.
Lisa was radiant. A cheery smile on her face, a friendly sparkle in those warm eyes. The soft, wavy hair that Yukina knew smelled like vanilla. Even her work uniform looked unfairly good on her. All she could do was stand there, captivated by her every movement as she completed a transaction. As soon as this customer walked away, Lisa would surely notice her standing here like the useless lesbian she was, but just for this moment, she could stare and pretend she wasn't pining for her best friend.
"Oh, Yukina!" Right on time. The man had barely turned away with his purchases by the time Yukina heard Lisa's voice call out to her. "What brings you here?"
"I just happened to be in the area and thought I'd get out of the cold for a minute or two." She shrugged, trying to act casual as she approached the counter. Maybe it wasn't right for her to still put up a mask around her oldest friend, but desperate times called for desperate measures. There was no way Lisa saw her in a romantic light, therefore she could never find out.
"I'm glad you did, you look freezing!" Leaning over the counter, she grabbed Yukina's hands, immediately giving an exaggerated shiver. "Yukina! What am I going to do with you?" Thankfully, she seemed too caught up in her usual doting to notice the way Yukina immediately stilled, focusing on the soft warmth of her hands enveloping her own. She could feel the calluses from the hours of bass practice, and that only served to make the moment more endearing.
"Make me a hot chocolate, maybe?" she quipped, needing an excuse to disentangle their hands before she started blushing. Never mind the fact that she was just at the cat cafe drinking tea. Lisa didn't need to know that. Gently, Yukina pulled her hands away, reaching into her pocket for her wallet.
"You got it," Lisa affirmed with a giggle. "And hey, don't even think about it," she added, gesturing to her wallet. "It's on me."
Maybe her slightly rosy cheeks could still be blamed on the cold she just came out of. Reluctantly nodding her assent, Yukina took the opportunity to glance around the store, looking for Moca. She often worked the same shifts as Lisa, and her being present to witness all this would make it even more embarrassing.
"If you insist," she said. "I'll simply have to return the favor later on."
"Maybe at the cat cafe next weekend? And Moca's in the back, if you were looking for her." The comment was tossed over her shoulder as she got to work on making the hot chocolate, but Yukina still found herself crossing her arms defensively. Was she really so transparent? She didn't bother to deny it, knowing that Lisa would see through any flimsy lies she offered up.
Still, the knowledge that they weren't likely to be interrupted gave her the courage she needed. When their fingers brushed as Lisa handed her the cup, she lingered for a few extra seconds, savoring it. Then, Lisa leaned in and kissed her cheek, lip gloss leaving a faintly sticky smudge. Ordinarily, that would bother her, but something about this quiet, easy moment meant she only felt happy.
"I'm actually almost done for the day, if you want to stick around for a little while? We could head over to the mall or something."
"Sure," Yukina agreed, resolve broken with two simple sentences. A day of relaxation wasn't so bad once in awhile, she supposed.
And if when she took her first sip of hot chocolate, she imagined the taste of Lisa's lip gloss instead, well, nobody had to know.