Work Text:
Chela slammed the seven eleven back door. He broke down in tears. “Mister Keiji, you need to start working more! I understand if this isn’t the right job for you, but you gotta help me out here!” Keiji kneeled down to try to comfort chela, but chela swatted him away. “I can barely pay the bills here, let alone my own house bills! Why don’t you help me? Why doesn’t anyone help me? I don’t want to do… this.” Chel said as he knocked keiji to the floor by sweeping his leg. “Why’d you do that..?” Keiji said before Chel tossed some sleeping powder into the room. “We’ll talk in the morning, after I’m able to work my full shift and actually make some money for this place.” Chel said as he locked the employee door behind him. Keiji tried to call for help, but his vision blurred and his hearing muffled as the sleep powder set in.
“That will be 30 W̶.” Chel said as an elderly woman bought a lighter. Working at 7/11 was boring when you don’t have anyone to talk too. Chel heard noises from the employee room. Hours had passed since keiji fell asleep. He has to have been awake right now. He went to got check, and he found keiji talking to spike on the phone. “I’m sorry for everything, he just gets a little jealous- er, chealous when he sees us.” Keiji didn’t notice chel enter the room with a pocket sized hammer. Chel aimed the small hammer at the transmitter. He tossed it and it jammed the signal completely. “I should’ve destroyed that ages ago!” Chel said, his pupils seemed to have dilated. “Chel, buddy, are you ok?” Keiji said as he held the broken telephone. Chel gathered the shattered bits of the phone. “I’ve had it. I’m done. I’m sorry. Take my shift for me, will ya?” Chel said as he stormed out the building, crying.
“Why did I do that? Why can’t I stop? Why do I hurt my co workers?” He thought to himself as he ran to his home. He lived in a small shack by the water. He sprawled the bits out on a table, and tried piecing them together. After about an hour, he had a successful repair. Chel took deep breaths to calm down. He went to check his mail and saw his bills. They weren’t much, but they were enough to cause more panic. He couldn’t pay his bills because his co worker wasn’t co working. He was livid. Chel grabbed his compute and began typing out a bounty. “Keiji Shinogi. Description: Dyed blonde hair, aged late 20’s, current workplace of 7/11, past career: Police officer. Crime: Stealing: 90,000 W̶. Reward: 3 million W̶ ” Chel posted up the bounty. He was a bit hesitant, but he needed this.
“Eh? A new bounty was posted.” Jet noticed the notification pop up on his screen. “OooooOooo, and we’re nearing mars right nowwww!” Ed exclaimed as she ran around the ship. “A theif, they can’t be that dangerous to take. Unlike that one assassin, they don’t seem like the type of person to commit an Armed robbery.” Faye was completely uninterested. “I’ll go track down this guy and get the cash” Spike said as he board the swordfish without hesitation . He pulled up a copy of the bounty and stared in shock. “There’s no way he could’ve done this…” Spike commented as he flew down to the 7/11 location. He parked the ship, and ran to the building. “Oh, hey spike! I had an argument with Chel, and now I’m on the night shift wahaha…” Keiji’s laugh was cut short as spike pulled out his weapon. Keiji put his hands in the air, genuinely terrified with the situation. “So you’re a thief now?” Spike said as he aimed the pistol towards Keiji’s leg, to prevent him from running if he tried. “I don’t think I’ve ever stolen in my life. Please put the gun away, that’s gonna freak out customers…” Keiji said in a clear tone. Spike put it away. “Let’s chat outside, but let’s make it quick because chel won’t like it if I’m out for too long.” “Chel put a bounty on you.” Spike said as he flicked at his lighter.
They stepped outside, even though it was nearly midnight. The two locked eyes. Even through the dark, Keiji could see a variation in Spike’s right and left eye. “Does chel really hate us that much?” Keiji asked as he leaned on the side of the building. He looked to the sky, and saw stars, scrap, and ships amongst the abyss. “Sorry for accusing you of stealing, I could feel that you didn’t do it.” Spike said as he too, stared into the night sky. Keiji moved closer to him for comfort. “Will chela pay for my bounty?” Keiji switched his focus from the stars to spike. Spike exhaled cigarette smoke, and shook his head. “We’ll let him off the hook. He seemed a bit angry and disoriented, that’s all.” “Are you upset that you can’t trade me for 3 million woolongs?” Teased keiji, as he ruffled spike’s hair. “Not upset at all actually, I’m glad I got to spend some time with you.” Spike wrapped his arm around Keiji. “For a 7/11 employee, you are very understanding and caring. What’s your History, keiji?” Before keiji could answer this question, Chela ran up to the couple with the repaired phone in his hands.
“Keiji im so so so sorry about earlier, I’ve not been thinking straight! You don’t ever have to forgive me, but please please just know I don’t hate you.” Chela was rambling and frantically apologizing for his actions. “Hey kiddo, I know you’re tired. Go home and get some rest, and I’ll take the rest of the night shift.” Keiji was almost like a big brother for Chela. Chel looked up to him. Chela promptly ran back home and got a full nights sleep for once. Spike realized it was a bit late for him too. “One last thing before I leave.” Spike whispered before walking towards his ship. Spike kissed keiji under the starlight. Keiji embraced Spike, and the two seemed very content. Keiji waved as he walked back to his ship.