Work Text:
Another afternoon at the convenience store was going rather slowly for Moca and Lisa. Not many customers were coming in, so they were instead making small talk about everything and nothing during their shift, sharing funny pictures on their phones, and occasionally shooting a text to some of their other friends. Eventually the conversation between them had died down, and they were settled into a comfortable silence for several minutes before Moca spoke up.
“Hey, Lisa-san…” Moca leaned back in the chair she was sitting in, staring up at the ceiling as she talked. “Do ya ever feel like you’re not what you’re ‘s’posed’ to be?”
Lisa looked over at Moca, an inquisitive look on her face. “What do you mean by that, Moca? Is something bothering you?” She did think that Moca looked a bit troubled as she studied her face, which was certainly a strange expression to see on the usually carefree Moca.
Moca chuckled a bit as she sat back up properly, and looked down at her lap. “I guess you could say that ol’ Moca-chan’s got somethin’ on her mind…” She paused for a second, thinking about how to word her thoughts. “It’s a bit difficult to explain… Do you ever feel like you’re not actually a girl?”
She turned to look at Lisa as she muttered that last part, being met with a rather surprised and confused expression. “Heh, sorry, that was probably a weird question, just forget I said an-” Moca said before being cut off by Lisa.
“No no, I don’t think it’s weird! It just surprised me, that’s all.” She reassured Moca before continuing, “I can’t really say that I’ve ever felt like that but… Hmmm, if you feel like you’re not a girl, does that mean you think you might be a guy?” Lisa asked carefully, unsure how to really handle the situation.
Moca just shook her head, sighing a bit, forcing a small smile. “No, I don’t think so… I know I’m not a boy but, it feels like I’m not a girl either, so what does that make me?” She looked down dejectedly, dropping the smile. Lisa gave Moca a concerned look, scooting her own chair closer, and taking her friend’s hands in her own.
“Moca, it’s okay if you don’t know what you are, and you don’t have to force yourself to be anything you’re not. Just do whatever makes you happy, alright?” Lisa spoke gently, lightly squeezing her hands as she continued. “Take your time to figure it out, there’s never any rush. I’m here to help you if you want me to, this all sounds like it’s really confusing to take on alone. Thank you for trusting me with this.” She offered a small smile, which Moca returned.
Moca’s entire demeanor had seemingly gone back to normal as she spoke. “Moca-chan feels way better now~'' She said, standing up. “Looks like our shift’s just about over now, wanna come by the bakery with me before headin’ home?”
Lisa playfully rolled her eyes, typical Moca, always thinking about bread, but she accepted the offer. They put away the aprons they wore during their shifts and collected all their belongings before heading out in the direction of the bakery. They were walking mostly in silence before Moca gently grabbed the sleeve of Lisa’s sweater.
“Hmm~? What is it, Moca?” Lisa turned to look at her friend, who was seemingly avoiding her gaze. Moca hummed quietly in response, speaking up a few moments later. “I just wanted to say… thank you. For listening to me and offering to help. I’m not always the best at expressing my gratitude, but I really appreciate it.” She sounded sincere and a bit vulnerable, having dropped her usual sing-song tone, and Lisa could swear she saw the smallest hint of a blush across Moca’s features.
Lisa smiled again, and gently tugged her sleeve away from Moca’s grasp, instead replacing it with her own hand. “Don’t mention it, I’m happy to help! And I was serious earlier, feel free to text or call me if you ever wanna talk about it again.” She felt Moca’s hand tighten slightly around her own as she muttered another thank you before returning to her regular ol’ self and insisting they hurry up before the bakery closed.
They were both a bit out of breath from having to rush to the bakery, but admittedly, the delicious pastries were definitely worth it.