Work Text:
“So, what are we looking at?”
Kotallo wasn’t proud of the way he jumped at the sudden appearance of his best friend’s voice over his shoulder, startling him out of the daze he’d been in for the last few minutes. It was a sunny Wednesday morning and he was standing in front of their shop with an armful of colorful gerbera daisies. It was still relatively early in the morning, earlier than Zo usually comes into the shop, and he hadn’t realized she was there until she’d snuck up on him. Looking over his shoulder, he was greeted with the sight of the shorter woman smirking up at him over the rim of her coffee mug. He scowled at the look she was giving him but couldn’t help glancing back across the street.
In the three years since they’d opened Ink & Stem, he’d never gone to great lengths to try and meet the other business owners and people who worked on the same street that their shop was on. It just wasn’t something he enjoyed, the chit chat and the networking. He preferred the company of his plants and the few close friends over the potential connections to be made through the local chamber of commerce. So it wasn’t really a surprise that he hadn’t recognized the redhead standing outside the auto repair shop across the street. The surprise was that he’d found himself completely distracted from his task at hand as he watched her go about what he assumed were a morning routine at her own shop. He’d stood there like an idiot, holding his flowers and watching as she put out signs on the sidewalk and raised the garage door for one of the two bays the shop had. And he probably would’ve stood there longer if it wasn’t for Zo’s interruption.
“You thinking about finally getting that check engine light taken care of, buddy?”
His only response was a growl of annoyance, a sound that no longer did anything to intimidate the woman who’d been his best friend for over a decade. Instead, she let out a loud laugh that echoed down the quiet street and managed to catch the attention of the very redhead who’d been distracting him. He felt his entire face start to flush as her eyes locked on him from up the street, head tilted in what seemed to be curiosity before she raised a hand in a polite wave. He should have waved back. That would’ve been the simplest thing to do. It would’ve made perfect sense. But something about her had his arms locked in place and his brain short circuiting.
“You’re infuriating,” was all he grumbled as he turned around and went back inside, leaving Zo out on the sidewalk with her coffee and mocking. He could hear her call back “You still love me!” as he dropped the flowers behind the counter and made a beeline for his office, grumbling under his breath as he locked himself away to read over their invoices and try to pretend that the morning hadn’t happened.
“I need coffee. Like a vat of coffee. Oh and one of those blueberry scones that’s like the size of my face.”
When it came to people who frequented the shop, Makarra was there almost as often as he and Zo were, usually for no other reason than pestering him like she’d done since they were children. It had been that way since they’d first opened the shop, her poking around while they worked with a rambling commentary that she could keep going without any contribution on his part. He’d complain occasionally that she was distracting him or getting in the way but there was never any true malice behind it. Unfortunately, she knew that and was happy to take advantage of the fact he’d never kick her out of the shop. Not to mention Zo was usually quick to encourage any teasing or tormenting she liked to inflict on her big brother.
“So go get coffee,” Kotallo told her, eyes focused on the arrangements that were getting picked up in the morning, a dozen centerpieces for some bridal shower. He had piles of flowers lined up along the work table in the back, roses and daisies and carnations and others all being bundled together into small vases. He paused just long enough to glance her way when she grumbled at his suggestion. She was stretched out on the old couch they’d shoved against the back wall, legs dangling over the arm as she scrolled through something on her phone. “It’s not exactly a long trek and you’re clearly not busy.”
That earned him an annoyed sigh as she looked over at him, face scrunched up in protest of what he had to say. “Okay but I brought you coffee last time so it's your turn. House rules, remember?”
He turned on his stool, facing her properly now at that comment and shooting her a narrow look. “What? You mean three weeks ago when you showed up with a four pack of frappuccinos and said I could ‘help myself if I wanted to’? Not the same, Kar.”
“I also brought donuts, thank you.” She grabbed for the novelty pillow tucked under her head, flinging it at him only for it to land half a foot too far to the right. “Besides, don't you need to take a break or something? Like isn’t there some law that you can’t make people work for more than so many hours without a break.”
“Pretty sure that doesn’t apply when you’re your own boss. Besides, you're the one who wants coffee, not me.”
“Ooh, who’s going on a coffee run?”
Kotallo groaned as Zo joined them, bare feet quiet as she made a beeline for the couch and squeezed in next to Makarra. There was no point in arguing now that they were both going to gang up on him. He’d learned that lesson years ago. Instead, he just grumbled to himself as he set aside the four finished arrangements and reached for where he’d tossed his wallet earlier. “You guys are obnoxious,” he informed them as he headed out, not needing to listen as they both shouted out requests that he already knew by heart.
The Grove was one of the few shops on their street that he’d frequented since they opened the shop up, stopping in whenever they were out of coffee at the shop or when one of them was craving something from their bakery selection. There were a few people working there he knew well enough to greet by name - the barista Sokorra who was a little bit younger than Makarra and the manager Kalla who’d come by the shop last summer for a tattoo from Zo. Both of them were behind the counter when he came in, stepping into the line for what he guessed was their afternoon rush.
He pulled his phone out as he waited, a string of texts from his sister waiting for him with messages ranging from the coffee orders just in case he needed a reminder to half a dozen tiktoks she had sent him links to even though he still refused to download the app. He swiped to clear the notifications, pulling up the e-mail for the shop to see if any new orders or alterations had been sent in since he’d logged on that morning. The line moved quickly enough with names being called out for customers to get their drinks. He stepped forward, still reading over an order that had come through for a charity dinner next month that would require an extra set of hands to help him pull together.
“Next!”
Kotallo finally stepped up to the counter as the woman in front of him moved out of the way. He did his best not to chuckle as Sokorra’s customer service smile fell away for a minute when she realized it was him, the forced grin falling to a more natural scowl that seemed better fitting to the hotheaded girl. He’d seen her deal with rude customers and knew for a fact any of the pleasantries she gave to customers when they placed their orders were complete bullshit. “Hey, Sokorra. Can I get a salted caramel cold brew in the largest cup you’ve got, a medium caramel macchiato with an extra shot, and a medium chai latte? Oh, and three of the blueberry scones.”
“You got it,” she replied, punching in the order and swiping his card quickly. “Make sure you talk to Kalla if you’ve got a minute. She said something about her and Dukkah looking for flowers for their engagement party but I think she’s been too overwhelmed with planning to remember you’re down the block.”
“Thanks, I’ll try and grab her.” She offered him a brief smile, a genuine one that was a little crooked, before the customer service mask slipped back into place and he stepped out of the way.
“Next!”
There was a small crowd gathered around the spot designated for order pick up and Kotallo did his best to maneuver around the other customers. He was almost successful until a woman spun around with two drinks in hand, colliding straight into his chest. The cups immediately spilled on impact, the only saving grace being that whatever she’d ordered had been iced rather than hot. He bit back a curse as he felt the cold sticky liquid soak through his shirt but the woman didn’t, mumbling a string of “shit, fuck, fuck, dammit” as she stepped back. Looking up at him with an apologetic smile, he felt every inch of him lock up in surprise.
It was the redhead from across the street. The one he’d seen two weeks ago when he was opening. The one Zo had caught him staring at like some dumb lovesick teenager. But now she was a whole five inches from him, looking up at him with the brightest green eyes he’d seen as she stumbled through an apology that he only half heard. He must have been staring for a few moments too long because her face had darkened a few more shades of red by the time he snapped out of it and replied. “It’s fine, nothing to apologize for.”
“Hey, Red, got replacements for you.” Kalla’s voice carried over the chatter of the cafe, putting an end to the awkward moment as the woman stepped over to grab the new drinks. He watched as she dug a five out of her pocket to put in the tip jar, thanking Kalla and giving him one last apologetic look before she made a break for the front door. He watched, eyes following her until she disappeared out of sight across the street. It wasn’t until he heard Kalla calling out again that he turned back around, feeling his face flush a bit at the amused look she gave him. “You gonna keep dripping all over my floors or are you gonna get your order?”
He ducked his head as he stepped forward, carefully grabbing the drink carrier and the bag of pastries. “Sorry. Sokorra said you guys need flowers for the engagement party. Stop by the shop one day this week and we can come up with some ideas if you want.” She gave him a smile and a nod which was enough acknowledgement before he headed out as well, making sure not to look across the street as he went.
“What the hell happened to you?” That was the greeting he got when he made it back to the shop, setting the drinks and food down at the end of his workbench before digging a spare shirt out of the small closet and heading back to clean off the cold coffee that was making his skin sticky.
“I bought you your vat of coffee, don’t worry about it,” was his reply as ducked out. He could hear the two of them chattering, speculating about what had happened before the conversation switched back to whatever they’d been talking about before he’d come back. He had no intention of letting either of them know what had happened, knowing that the second Zo found out he’d be on the receiving end of constant teasing from the both of them. He got enough of that without giving them any extra material to work with.
“Welcome to Ink & Stem, be with you in just a minute.”
It was a slow Wednesday afternoon and Kotallo had been staring at the stack of invoices for the last hour, trying to update the shop’s records and figure out what some of Zo’s scribbled notes actually said. For a talented artist who had no issues with the tiniest of details in a tattoo, her penmanship had never improved enough for him to decipher without her help and she was in an appointment for another twenty minutes. Grumbling quietly to himself, he gathered everything back up into a neat stack that he tucked under the counter.
“What can I do…” His question stalled when he saw the redhead from across the street standing in the shop, looking at him with a polite smile. He hadn’t seen her since the encounter at the Grove, though she’d popped into his mind every morning when he opened the shop and found himself looking over towards the shop across the street. Zo had continued to tease him about it whenever she caught him, a recurring joke in the shop now that she’d even looped Makarra in on.
“Hey. I, um, I was hoping to set up a consultation, maybe sometime this week. I want to get my first piece done and I’ve got a few ideas but I need a little help getting everything properly designed. I’m definitely not the most artistic person so I was hoping you could help me give it that finesse it really needs.”
This wasn’t the first time someone had assumed that Kotallo was the ink half of Ink & Stem. If he had to put a number on it, he’d say about two-thirds of the people who saw him behind the front counter when they came into the shop jumped to the conclusion that he was the tattoo artist. It was a fair enough assumption he supposed. His arms were practically covered at this point, the result of being best friend’s with a tattoo artist who’d been using him as a practice canvas for the past decade. Normally, he wasn’t bothered by it, didn’t have any issues explaining that they’d need to meet with Zo. But the redhead was looking up at him with an almost nervous expression and all he could think was that he didn’t want to make it any worse.
Finally, some gear in his brain started turning again and he told her, “I’m not actually the tattoo artist here. That’s Zo. I just handle the floral side of things.”
“Oh.” Color flooded her cheeks again like he remembered happening the day in the coffee shop and he did his best not to cringe. This wasn’t how he wanted this to go, trying to figure out what to say as she glanced awkwardly around the shop. “I can just, um, I can come back later. Is there a number I could call or…?”
“She’s free in like half an hour. If you’ve got time and want to come back then.”
She stood there for a minute, like she was contemplating what exactly she wanted to do before nodding. “Okay, if you’re sure she’s free, I can come back. Think I’ll just…” She gestured towards the door, taking a few steps back. He just nodded in understanding, offering a smile that he was sure didn’t come across as friendly as he’d hoped, and then she was gone.
He sat there for a minute, debating if he wanted to try and go back to the invoices he’d been dealing with before deciding his focus wasn’t going to be any good at this point. Grabbing his phone and earbuds, he headed down the hall to poke his head in on the session Zo was wrapping up. She looked up from the intricate geometric she was doing for the woman in her chair, eyebrows furrowing in concern for a moment. He usually did his best not to interrupt her work but he needed to make sure she knew about the appointment before he disappeared up to his solitude. “You’ve got someone coming in for a consult in half an hour. I’ll be up on the roof if you need me.” And with that, he made a beeline for the back stairs and went up to his sanctuary.
One of the first things Kotallo had done when they started renting the space for the shop was check out the rooftop access and see what kind of space he had to work with. Once he’d taken stock of everything and gotten the okay from the building owner, he’d quickly turned the space into a makeshift garden with a variety of different plants he kept for his own collection and things that didn’t quite fit the mold of a flower shop. He’d been known to disappear up there every now and then when he needed some time to himself or to clear his head. And some days, it was where he and Zo went to just decompress from whatever nonsense had occurred throughout the idea. So it wasn’t particularly strange for her to come up an hour later, two beers in hand as she joined him on the outdoor loveseat they dragged up there last summer.
“So…” She handed one of the bottles to him as she sat, legs folding under herself and leaning back against the sun bleached cushions. “You forgot to mention that the consult was your girlfriend from across the street.”
He couldn’t help the quiet growl at the teasing, popping the cap off and taking a long drink. “She’s not my girlfriend. We’ve barely even talked.”
“Yeah, you’re gonna have to find a way to get over whatever brain block you’ve got going there. Because she’s coming back for at least three more sessions and you need to be able to have decent small talk with her. You haven’t had this much trouble around pretty girls since we were fifteen and you were still a virgin.” He elbowed her at that comment, digging into her side until she shoved him away. They both settled into a quiet after that, sounds drifting up from the street below as they both took their time with their drinks. “Oh and her name’s Aloy, by the way. Thought you might like to know that bit.”
The first appointment that Aloy had with Zo was a week later and all in all, he thought it went better than any of the other times he’d encountered her. Probably because he had a heads up instead of being blindsided with whatever feelings he’d been dealing with since the first time he’d seen her. Also probably because Makarra had been in the shop at the time and it was hard to freeze up when he was busy trying to rein her in. He’d practically had to shove her into the back when he saw the dots connect for her about who Aloy was and knew she was about to launch into some kind of embarrassing commentary that would set back any comfort he’d found. Instead, he’d given the redhead an apologetic look and disappeared into his workroom with Makarra, dealing with the teasing he’d expected in relative privacy. Though he was sure his sister’s laughter could still be heard from the front of the shop.
The second appointment was better. It was a Sunday morning, the shop just barely opened as he went through the orders for the coming week. He looked up when the bell over the front door rang, smiling with relative comfort at Aloy when she came in. He was still aware of the little swoop his stomach did when he saw her, dressed the most comfortably he’d seen so far in a loose shirt that looked like she'd cut the sleeves off of herself and a faded pair of shorts. But he pushed that aside in favor of curiosity when she sat a bag from the Grove on the counter.
“What’s this?” he asked, skipping past the awkward greetings as he tentatively picked up the bag. A quick look inside showed half a dozen pastries that were fresh and still warm. “Why did you-”
“It’s an apology,” she quickly replied, cutting off his question. Her hand reached up to push at a curl that had fallen loose from her messy bun, that bit of color back in her cheeks. “For the other day. When I spilled coffee all over you. I kind of just bolted out of there and well I wanted to make up for it.”
“It was an accident, nothing to apologize for. Still just glad they were iced.” Some of the tension in her shoulders seemed to ease up at that and he felt himself relax just a bit as well.
“Oh you’re here, awesome!” Zo came out from the back, looking a good deal more awake than she had when she’d first come in an hour before with a large coffee and a mumbled greeting. Her eyes were brighter and her smile was wide as she came around, pulling Aloy into a quick hug that seemed to surprise the redhead for a moment. It made him smile to himself. Zo had always had a way of getting around people’s walls; he knew that better than most. She spotted the bag he was holding, quickly snatching it away and taking a look inside. “And you are officially my new favorite client. Come on, let’s get started.”
Zo was quick to lead the redhead down the hall, chatting about the session as they went back to her workroom. “Save me one of those,” he shouted as they disappeared in a last ditch effort for breakfast, a successful one considering a bagel was flung at his head a few seconds later followed by the sound of the door closing. “Thank you!”
“Okay, no, explain to me why you aren’t asking this girl out if you’re so obviously head over heels for her? Like I need an actual legitimate reason. Like she’s a lesbian or you dated her sister or something. Not that evasive bullshit you do when you don’t like the question I’m asking.”
It had been three weeks since Aloy had come in for her first appointment and he’d been dealing with constant questioning from both of the women in his life. Zo had been slowly nudging him to make some kind of move whenever Aloy showed up at the shop, dropping hint after hint that he should say something. Makarra was far less subtle but thankfully those conversations were always away from the shop and just meant to frustrate him more than anything else it seemed. He’d just been happy they’d developed somewhat of a friendly routine when she came by for her sessions, the conversation getting easier the more encounters they had. He’d even gotten a few new customers thanks to her giving his name out, something he was still trying to figure out how to thank her for.
“Why are you suddenly so concerned with whether or not I ask someone out?” he asked, hauling the new planters on the roof to the spot he’d designated for them. He’d been up there since he’d gotten back from a delivery that morning, taking the day to work on his own projects and field questions from his sister when she’d shown up half an hour ago. She was pacing around the open space as they talked, occasionally on her phone, mostly just shadowing him and handing him tools when asked. “You’ve never shown any interest in who I date.”
“That’s because most of your relationships have either been with girls who were so wrong for you or just hook ups that weren’t going to stick around anyway. Besides it’s been like two years since you went out on more than like two dates with someone. Time to get back in the saddle or whatever. And she seems like the first to actually keep your attention in ages.”
It was a fair point but he wasn’t about to tell her that. He was fine with the friendship they’d started working on. Anything more wasn’t necessary. He had his hands full most days with the shop and the business they were still trying to grow. And from what he could tell, she hadn’t been sending any signals that she was the slightest bit interested in him. He didn’t feel like taking a chance and putting his pride on the line without some hope of success.
“Besides, you’re getting pretty close to thirty and if you don’t find someone soon you might just be stuck alone and then I’ll be the one saddled with you when you’re all old and wrinkly and senile.”
That got a snort of laughter out of him, still surprised every now and then by the dramatics she could throw his way. “I don’t think you need to worry about that. At least not any time soon.”
“So you’re not going to ask her out?”
Kotallo gave a heavy sigh, setting down the potted succulent he was holding and folding his arms over his chest. The stubbornness she had could be endearing at times and frustrating at others. It was partially a learned behavior, one they’d both picked up from their dad after years of dealing with his own stubbornness. It tended to lead to moments when they would butt heads with one another and this was starting to feel like one of those times. “No, I’m not planning on asking her out. Now will you just -”
“Fine. I’ll ask her out. She’s gorgeous and somebody in this shop needs to make a move.”
His brain short circuited at her declaration as she spun on her heel and made a dash the stairs back downstairs. And then he bolted after her, going down the stairs two at a time as he shouted her name. This was definitely not something he’d seen coming nor what he wanted to happen once she finally gave up on trying to push him towards the redhead. “Makarra! Get back here! Don’t you dare-”
He skidded to a halt when he hit the bottom of the stairs and turned the corner, stopping just before he could slam into a body. Except it wasn’t his sister at the bottom of the stairs. It was Aloy, looking up at him with wide eyes as they practically collided. He felt everything in him lock up just like it had that first day he’d seen her across the street. Her hair was braided today, a long French braid that hung down her back with a few strands falling loose, and her right shoulder was covered in a large bandage that meant her last session with Zo was finished. And that meant she wouldn’t be coming back by any time soon.
“Uh, hey, Kotallo,” she said, adjusting the strap of her bag as she took a step back to put a bit more space between them. “Your - I think she said she’s your sister? She said that you wanted to talk to me about something before I left?”
Glancing past her, he could see both Zo and Makarra peeking around the corner with curious looks and making gestures for him to get on with it. He should’ve known better. “Um, right. I - they - well…”
Kotallo was stumbling over his words and it was making him want nothing more than to disappear back upstairs, to go back to how things were before he’d seen her that morning, before he’d fallen down this rabbit hole of fascination with her. But he powered forward anyway.
Taking a deep breath, his hand ran nervously over his hair before he met her curious gaze and just bit the bullet. “I was wondering if you’d be interested in going out, maybe grab dinner or a drink sometime this week?”
He could feel the nervousness flooding his stomach as her expression changed from curiosity to surprise to something else. He was prepared for a polite no but then she smiled and there was a light in her green eyes that sent his stomach into a whole new whirlwind. “I’d really like that actually. I’m free Thursday, if that works for you?”
“Thursday’s perfect.” And just like that she was handing him her phone, letting him plug in his number before shooting him a text so he’d have hers as well. Another bright smile and then she was gone, saying a thank you and goodbye to Zo as she went. He could feel his heart hammering away in his chest even after she’d left and the girls had come from their hiding spot with excited cheers and I told you so’s. He didn’t care in the slightest, still stuck on the reality that he had a date lined up for next week.
The next week was spent in a permanent state of nervous excitement that made him almost useless around the shop. He’d taken to locking himself away in his workroom, music blaring out anything else as he made arrangements for the orders that needed fulfilling. He’d been grateful that Makarra had been too busy with some upcoming birthday plans for one of her friends to hound him for more details about where they were going and what they were doing. He’d gone through all of that with Zo and it had been enough to make him drop two vases and cut his hand on the broken glass. He’d gone home early after that, left alone in his apartment to putter around nervously about the plans.
In all actuality, there wasn’t much to worry about. They’d texted a little bit over the days following the plans being made, deciding on grabbing drinks and food at a pub they were both familiar with. He’d vetoed the idea of Zo coming over beforehand to make sure he had a decent outfit picked out. He loved her and trusted her judgment on just about everything but he was pretty sure having her there right before would just make him overthink everything that could happen.
And then before he knew it, it was Thursday and he was pulling up to the address Aloy had sent him, a four story brick building about five miles from their shops that looked like it had been around for the last fifty years. He’d parked and made his way inside, jogging up the stairs to the third floor landing. He’d paused outside her door, smoothing down his shirt and brushing away any hairs that had stuck to the fabric. It only took one knock for the door to swing open and the redhead to quickly step out into the hall. He got the briefest glimpse of two men inside the apartment, ones he’d recognized from the shop she worked at who shouted goodbyes and teasing advice as she closed the door. He could hear one last shout of “make good choices!” through the door and did his best not to laugh when he saw the color starting to flood her cheeks.
“Sorry,” she apologized with a sheepish grin as she stepped away from the door. “My roommates can be kind of obnoxious when they feel like it.”
“Please. You’ve met Zo and Makarra. You really don’t have to apologize. Trust me.”
That earned him a laugh and he watched a bit of the tension leave her shoulders. They started to make their way back downstairs and he couldn’t help stealing a long glance at her, trying to ignore the way his stomach was somersaulting. She was dressed for the warm weather they’d been having, a colorful romper that showed off strong legs and arms as well as the new half sleeve that had started to heal nicely. Her hair fell down her back, loose waves with a few small braids that he was tempted to run his fingers through. He felt a little underdressed in his maroon henley and jeans but he tried not to linger on it. She’d outshine him in a paper bag and he was perfectly okay with that.
The Forge was one of those hole in the wall places that every town seemed to have and it turned out they’d both been coming there for years even if they hadn’t ever crossed paths there before. Usually it was only crowded on weekends or event nights, the rest of the time just busy enough for a low hum of noise to fill the space. They’d snagged a booth when they got there, Aloy waving at the woman behind the bar that she was friends with before they slipped into a surprisingly comfortable conversation.
Between drinks and dinner, they managed to cover a variety of topics. Where they grew up (her in a small town in Colorado, him about twenty minutes from where he was living now), how they got into their current jobs (her lifelong skill with machinery and tinkering away on vehicles, him having an early interest in plants thanks to his mother), and favorite things (she was a fan of Hozier, food truck tacos, and rock climbing at the local gym when she had the time; he’d always loved old black and white mysteries, the spicy curry Zo made a few times each month, and camping out in the summer when they had a break in business and could close the shop for a week). The conversation had slowed a bit as she worked through the meaning behind her tattoo that Zo had helped design. He’d listened carefully as she talked about her dad and how the landscape now decorating her shoulder was the view outside the home she’d grown up in, the home she’d had to sell two years ago when he’d died suddenly from a heart attack. He’d carefully laid a hand on top of hers as she told the story, voice wavering just enough to notice, and squeezed when she turned her palm up to him and laced their fingers together.
And then he’d felt his phone buzzing in his pocket, the long buzz of a phone call that he did his best to ignore. Except as soon as it stopped the first time, it started up again, another call coming through. By the third time, he’d dug his phone out, giving her an apologetic look as he checked his messages. Three missed calls and a string of text messages from Makarra stared back at him, the last reading SOS and tying a knot in his stomach. She knew where he was tonight and wouldn’t have bothered him for no reason.
“I’m - I’m sorry. Something’s up with my sister. I just need to check in with her real quick.” Aloy just nodded with a small smile and he hit the redial quickly. The call picked up after one ring and he got an earful of noise that made him cringe and start to pull away. “Makarra?”
“Ko? Can you hear me?” She was shouting over the noise, something in her voice setting him on edge.
“What’s going on? Where are you?”
“I’m - fuck, I need - can you come get me? Something’s wrong and I feel like I’m gonna be sick.”
He remembered the birthday plans for her friend - Akirra, Alirra, something like that - and did his best not to sound judgmental as he asked, “How much have you had to drink, Kar? It’s not even ten yet.”
“One beer!” she insisted, voice raising higher. “I had one beer and then this guy - I don’t know who he was but he offered to buy us drinks and I just - I thought I was paying attention when they made it but…” She trailed off and for a minute all he could hear was the noise of whatever club they had gone out to. “I feel sick and I don’t know where Arikka went and - hey, back off! No, I said back off. Just - just stop okay. Go bother someone else.”
Big brother instincts were kicking in and he found himself pulling out his wallet as he tried to listen to what she was saying. “Makarra…Makarra! I’m coming, okay. Where did you guys go tonight?” He tossed a few twenties on the table and started to stand, Aloy following his motion in the corner of his eye.
“Scalding Spear. Can you hurry? My head’s killing me and the lights are making me dizzy.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Just hang tight, okay.”
“Okay…Thanks, Ko. Love you.”
“Love you too, Kar. I’m on my way.” Reluctantly, he hung up and shoved the phone back into his pocket, turning to Aloy with an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry. I really don’t want to bail like this but something’s up with Makarra and I need to go get her. I can drop you off if you want or-”
She held up a hand to stop him, the concern on her face mirroring what he was feeling and warming something in his stomach. “Don’t apologize. Let’s go get her.”
And that was all that needed to be said before they headed out of the pub, her hand squeezing his in reassurance as they got back into his jeep.
He’d made a few calls on the drive to Scalding Spear, white knuckling the steering wheel the entire time. He was grateful that she’d chosen a club where he knew people, starting with the manager who’d gone to school with him and Zo. Yarra wasn’t working that night but she’d been quick to text him the number of the bouncer there who could keep an eye on Makarra until they got there. He’d thanked her and quickly dialed the number she sent him, grateful that the guy picked up his phone after a few rings. Kotallo had explained who he was and what was going on and had been given a reassuring if cocky reply that Makarra would be in good hands until he got there. He’d hung up after that and focused on the drive, keeping an eye out for any cops that would have an issue with the speed he was driving. The one thing anchoring him was the feel of Aloy’s hand on his arm, slowly rubbing circles and squeezing reassuringly as he zipped through a few lights that he probably should have slowed for. He was grateful for the contact and was glad it stayed until they pulled up in front of the club, parking hastily just outside the entrance.
A weight lifted when he saw Makarra leaning by the front doors, looking a bit wobbly on her feet but otherwise okay. There was a guy next to her, some kid who looked like he was barely old enough to drink and wearing a shirt with the club logo on the back. He seemed to be half the reason she was still standing and Kotallo was quick to jump out of the jeep and join them.
“Hey, you Drakka? Thanks for keeping an eye on her for me.” Kotallo was quick to wrap an arm around Makarra, taking a step back when he felt most of her weight lean into him at the sudden shift.
The kid from the club offered him an easy grin, nodding as he spoke, “Yeah no problem, man. Couple of guys were bothering her and some of the other girls inside so we got them out of there. She seems kind of out of it though.”
Any energy she’d had when he talked to her on the phone seemed pretty much gone by now and he did what he thought was best, bending down just enough to scoop her up like he used to when she was still a kid. “Thanks again. I’ll make sure to let Yarra know you helped out.” One last nod to Drakka and he turned to head back to the jeep. Aloy had hopped out, coming around to his side and moving the seat so they could get Makarra into the back without too much difficulty. She was quick to slump down on the seat, legs curling up to squeeze in as she mumbled something he couldn’t hear. Once he was certain she was okay, he turned back to his date, any confidence he’d had during dinner quickly evaporating. “I’m so sorry about this. I can-”
She cut him off for the second time that night, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder this time. “Look, if you really want me to go home so you can handle this on your own, I’ll respect that. But otherwise, I’d like to help out if I can.”
Kotallo let out a long breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and took a step closer to her. He was tempted to pull her into a hug, holding back the urge out of fear of overstepping his boundaries. Giving a small nod, he simply told her, “That’d be nice,” and that was that.
The drive back to his apartment had been quiet, a slower trip than the one to the club as his nerves calmed down significantly. The radio had been off and the only noise really came from Makarra when she’d mumble something that neither of them could make out. When they finally arrived, Aloy had taken his keys from him, leaving his hands free to scoop up his little sister once more and carry her inside. The front entrance had been empty and it only took the old elevator a minute to bring them up to the fifth floor. He’d led the way down the hall, pointing out which door was his and following when Aloy had unlocked it.
“Sorry things are kind of cluttered. Make yourself at home. I’m just gonna get her settled real quick.”
Aloy waved him off with a smile, slowly meandering her way through his living room with a small spark of curiosity. He’d lingered to watch her for just a moment before making his way back to the bedroom to deal with Makarra. Her shoes and bag were tossed onto floor once he’d set her on the bed, making sure she was laying on her side as he brought over a trash can just in case.
“I’m sorry I ruined your night,” she mumbled as he covered her up, grabbing onto the comforter and pulling it up under her chin. Her voice was small, reminding him of the times when they were kids and she was scared she’d done something to make him truly upset with her. It had him pushing back her hair and pressing a kiss to her forehead in reassurance.
“I don’t think you ruined it. Just made it a little strange, that’s all.” He stepped back, disappearing into the bathroom long enough to fill a glass with water and leave it on the nightstand. “Try to get some sleep, Kar. Holler if you need me.”
She hummed something that he assumed was along the lines of goodnight and he ducked back out, leaving the door cracked just enough to hear if something was wrong.
Kotallo wasn’t surprised that when he came out Aloy was poking around curiously, taking in the little bits of decoration he’d filled the apartment with. He just wished she hadn’t managed to stop in front of the collection of photos he’d brought with him when moved out, photos of him and his family from his high school years that were equal parts nostalgic and embarrassing. And he couldn’t help but cringe when she zeroed in on one from his sophomore year when he’d been rocking the emo boy haircut and a mouth full of braces. He could see the amused grin spreading across his face and knew there was no escaping this embarrassment.
“I would just like to say, I was going through a phase and haven’t had hair like that in over ten years,” he commented as he came to stand next to her, hands in his pockets as he looked up at the photos she’d found. She laughed at his comment which made the embarrassment of it all a little bit better and he was more than relieved when she stepped away from them willingly, heading over to his couch.
“How’s your sister doing?” she asked as they sat down, sitting close enough that their legs touched as she leaned back against the cushions.
“I think she’ll be okay, just needs to sleep if off at this point.” His arm stretched across the back of the couch, fingers ghosting over the back of her shoulder tentatively. “Thanks for going along with everything. This wasn’t exactly how I planned on things going but…”
“But it’s still been a pretty good night,” she finished, her smile warm enough to restore some of the confidence that had slipped away earlier. “Besides, you were the knight in shining armor for your little sister. Doesn’t exactly hurt your image. Not in my book at least.”
“That mean if I ask for a second date there’s a chance you’ll say yes?” He let his hand move down, finally rest on her shoulder and draping more comfortably when she leaned over into him.
“This one isn’t exactly over yet. Guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
“I can live with that.”
When Kotallo woke up the next morning, there was a crick in his neck that made it painful to move and a weight on his chest that he couldn’t quite figure out. He’d fallen asleep on the couch, that much he could tell without even opening his eyes but the rest, he wasn’t so sure. He shifted, trying to sit up a bit and finding himself being held in place by a surprisingly tight grip. Cracking one eye open, he glanced down and saw a mass of red waves fanned out across his chest and the woman sleeping on top of him. Aloy was still there, fast asleep and snoring softly into his shirt, and he couldn’t help the grin that quickly broke out across his face. He reached tentatively to push back some of the hair, looking down at her curiously where she was sleeping.
“Ugh, you guys are already disgustingly cute and it’s been like one day. I can’t believe I wanted you to get together.”
He had to bite back a laugh at his sister’s words, head tilting to watch Makarra stumble her way to the kitchen. At some point between last night and that morning, she’d stolen a pair of sweats and a t-shirt from his closet, looking every bit as hungover as he assumed she was feeling. He could hear her rattling around, the telltale sounds of coffee being made and the fridge being opened echoing across the room. It was enough to have the redhead stirring in his arms, a sight that he could certainly get used to if she was still up for that second date after all.
Bending his head just enough, he pressed a kiss to her hair and did his best to slip away without waking her, stumbling a bit before stepping back and joining his sister in the kitchen. The least he could do was let her sleep a little longer and have something for her to eat once she did wake up, hoping maybe things had gone better last night than he’d anticipated. Maybe everything would work out after all.