Work Text:
Claire's vision was bleary as she awakened at the ping of her cell phone.
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Claire flipped it open, her strawberry cow shaped charm smacking her knuckles as she did so. She focused on the new notification on her phone.
One missed call.
She let out a soft groan, waiting for the inevitable ping notifying the voicemail of her parents leaving their standard message of “give me a call back when you get the chance”.
Claire stretched and yawned, waiting for the sound.
Nothing.
She flipped her phone back open to check missed calls.
Missed Call: Cliff
Claire sat up, her blonde locks flying wildly as she felt her cheeks burn and her heart pound in her ears. That sweet, endearing newbie that started working at the grocery store with her. He was polite, but rather soft-spoken and a bit shy. She had worked the cash register with him a few times and he caught on quickly, flashing her a warm smile every so often when their eyes met.
And they met a lot.
Surely she was overthinking it.
He was quick with stocking shelves, a task she prided herself on. Their last shift had been a late night shipment and restocking. They had been assigned as partners, much to her delight. She had caught a playful glint in his eye as he challenged her to a contest to see who could fill more of the new display.
Can after can had swiftly been added to the shelf – tidily so, with the labels all facing forward.
“Better pick up the pace,” he had teased with a laugh.
“I was about to say the same thing to you, slowpoke!” she returned. She stole a glance at him to see his progress.
His cheeks were rosy and as their eyes met, they both let out embarrassed chuckles, fumbling with their canned goods.
An announcement over the loudspeakers broke their spell. Claire couldn't help but feel frustrated – their interruption had been over a matter that didn't concern them.
They met in the middle of the display, the supply of cans running low. Claire reached for the can and gasped when a warm hand covered hers.
“S-sorry!” he stammered, looking down at their hands.
Despite his apology, he didn't move.
Their eyes locked again and she wondered if she was blushing all the way to her ears the way he was. Could he feel the electricity flowing through them as well? “I-it's okay! No harm done!” she giggled nervously. She gulped. “How about...? H-how about we put the last one in together?”
His eyes and voice were both soft. “I-I'd like that.”
The final can was carefully placed on the shelf. They twisted it forward, the label reading Value Brand Diced Tomatoes prominently displayed.
They shared a smile as their hands withdrew, and Claire couldn't help but feel that there was something very intimate about what they had just done.
Claire shook her head as she let the reverie leave her mind, forcing out a small chuckle. She really needed to stop reading into things. He probably needed her to cover her shift or something like that.
It didn't prevent her fingers from fumbling with the buttons on her phone as her heart pounded in her throat.
It only rang once.
“H-Hello?” Cliff's voice cracked and he nervously cleared his throat. “Ah, hello?”
“Hey, Cliff... uh... I noticed you called...”
She buried her forehead in her hand. Could she keep this from becoming more awkward?
“I'm sorry, I dozed off! So... wh-what's up?”
She cringed at her own stilted words.
Claire could practically see his deep blue eyes widening. “Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you!”
“It's okay!” Claire was unaware of the volume of her voice.
There was a beat of silence and the young woman moved her face away from the receiver, praying he didn't hear her heavily breathing into the phone.
“I was just wondering... I mean, well, I noticed you weren't on the schedule for tomorrow... Uh... I'm off tomorrow, t-too... Do you... have any plans? F-for tomorrow, I mean?”
Claire eagerly shook her head for a moment before she realized he couldn't see her. “No plans.”
“W-would you want to come to my place for dinner tomorrow night? I... I can cook us something.”
Her heart thumped. “Oh, I-I'd really like that! Do you need me to bring anything?”
“I... want to treat you. I uh, kinda have a menu already planned,” he chuckled, and she could hear the shy smile in his voice. “Is spaghetti alright? I was also going to make a salad and a cake... Is there anything you are allergic to?”
She nodded eagerly. “Thank you! That sounds amazing! And, nope, no allergies.”
“Great! I'll text you my apartment address. Maybe we could watch a movie or play some video games afterward?”
Claire beamed. She was eager to see that playful side of him again. “I do have to ask, though...”
“O-oh?” he stammered.
“Are you going to use Value Brand Diced Tomatoes for the sauce?” Claire smirked.
All tension left his voice as he laughed. “You better believe it! I got the tomatoes and Value Brand Spa – oh, I lied – it's Value Brand Angel Hair Pasta, and Value Brand White Cake Mix!”
A playful scoff left her lips. “I suppose I'll let it slide since you got the cake mix.”
“I'm really looking forward to it, Claire. Spending more time with you...”
She became aware she was twisting a lock of blonde hair around her finger. “I can't wait, either.”