Work Text:
Sara doesn’t like doing nothing. In fact, she hates it. If you’re not doing something productive with your time, you are useless. Thus, she struggled with handling the days off Ei and Miko insisted she take. However, like the rest of her life, she’s settled into a routine.
On her days off, she wakes up two hours later than usual and makes breakfast for her girlfriends. Then she trains – less vigorously than her usual exercise – and stops by the hot spring afterwards. She then makes lunch and delivers it to both Ei and Miko. This is where Sara finds herself on her current day off, walking through Inazuma City to the Yae Publishing House to bring Miko her lunch, but . . . something is off.
Miko is standing behind the front counter, looking rather annoyed as she fends off a customer’s questions. Her scowl turns into a smile as soon as she sees Sara approach but returns to the scowl when the customer asks her another question.
“Well, this book is about a magical talking puma,” the customer muses out loud. “But this one is about a mystical singing panther . . . hhm what to choose . . .”
“Why not both?” Miko attempts to helpfully supply, but her voice is a pitch higher than usual.
“You’re right!” the customer agrees, and hands Miko the mora.
“Thank-you for your patronage!” Miko says sickeningly saccharine, but as soon as the customer turns around, she rolls her eyes. “Archons, I thought he’d never leave.”
“Is everything alright?” Sara asks as she’s finally able to approach Miko. “It’s strange to see you out here working the front of the publishing house.”
“Hello to you too, little bird,” Miko reaches out and grabs Sara’s arm, pulling her into a kiss. “And no, everything is not alright. Kuroda is sick and can’t work, but everyone else is busy since today is the final day for revisions before the next batch of novels are printed. Thus, it leaves me to handle the customer service end.”
“I’m sorry,” Sara says. She knows that this is one of the busiest times of the month for Yae Publishing House from Miko’s usual complaints, “Is there anything I could do to help?”
“You can feed me,” Miko says as she leans over the counter and smiles. “What did you bring me today?”
“I made you fried tofu, noodles with mountain delicacies, and rice buns,” Sara says and she hands Miko the packed lunch.
“You certainly know how to treat a lady right,” Miko says. She digs into the lunch, and moans as she takes the first bite, “Sara, I love you, this is wonderful.”
“Ah,” Sara blushes. “I’m glad.”
The two make idle conversation, which is more comfortable silence than talk because Miko is eating and Sara hates small talk, until another customer arrives and begins to look at light novels. With a mouth full of food, Miko mumbles, “Oh fuck, back to work.”
“I can handle it,” Sara says.
Miko raises a brow, “What do you mean?”
“Let me handle customers while you finish eating,” Sara says. “After all, 30-minute lunch breaks are mandatory when you are working more than six hours in a day.”
She chuckles, “Well, you know the law better than I do. Please, come in.”
Sara quickly enters the Publishing House and joins Miko in the front room before the customer can start to bother her. Miko moves off to the side as Sara stands in the window at attention. When the customer steps up to pay, he looks surprised that the cashier has suddenly changed. With Sara at the front, the interaction is swift, concise, and painless.
“Hey, you’re good,” Miko says as the customer walks away. “Maybe I should hire you full time.”
“Maybe not full time,” Sara says. “But I can do it for the rest of the day.”
Miko blinks, “What do you mean?”
“I know you’re quite busy yourself, and the rest of my plans for today are not pressing,” Sara says. “I can handle the front-end of the Publishing House so you can finish your work for the day.”
“Sara, it’s your day off,” Miko sighs. “As much as I would like to extort you for your work, you need to relax.”
“This is much less strenuous than what I usually do,” Sara says. “And you can pay me if it troubles you so.”
“I said nothing about paying you.”
“It’s illegal to work without compensation.”
“What compensation do you want?”
Sara has to think for a moment, “A kiss for every hour I work.”
Miko smiles, “I like those rates.”
“I assumed you would.”
“Then, I will accept your offer,” Miko stands up. “But, if Ei gets mad at me for working you on your day off, then I’m blaming you.”
“I’m doing this to help you, I’ll make sure she doesn’t get mad,” Sara insists.
Miko stands up and kisses Sara on the cheek, “Thank-you Sara, you are truly wonderful.”
Sara blushes again and Miko chuckles, which was probably her goal.
“All you need to know about the front end is that if someone asks you for a suggestion, point out our new releases first and then you can give them your personal suggestion. Truly, just be polite to the customers but I know you won’t have any trouble with that,” Miko instructs Sara. She quickly scrambles to grab a sheet and quill to write all this down. “If someone asks for a particular novel that is not on display, you can check in the back where everything is alphabetized. If you have any questions, just call for me, but I’ll come back out here every hour to deliver your pay,” Miko punctuates with a wink.
“Understood,” Sara nods. “Do not worry Miko, I will do my best.”
“I know you will,” Miko kisses Sara on the cheek one more time before leaving the front end of Yae Publishing House in her care . . . but not before reminding her, “Oh, and no refunds!”
The first half-hour passes by without incident. Those who stop to peruse, or buy are no trouble to Sara. Some are surprised to see the General of Inazuma not in her uniform and working at Yae Publishing House, but when she mentions Guuji Yae they seem to understand.
“Welcome to Yae Publishing House,” Sara greets someone who doesn’t appear to be from Inazuma. She looks at the Publishing House curiously, and her style of clothing is from Mondstadt, similar to the bards Sara saw during the last festival.
“Oh, hello!” the bard greets Sara warmly, and she must be warm since her cheeks are red. Mondstadt’s heavier clothing probably isn’t appropriate for the warmer weather in Inazuma currently. “Is this a . . . bookstore of some kind?”
“Yae Publishing House is the premiere seller and publisher of light novels in Inazuma,” Sara explains. “If you’d like to take a look around, I’d suggest you start with the new releases right there.”
The bard smiles, “I think I will, handsome.”
Sara furrows her brow, not sure why the bard has bothered to call her handsome. Maybe it’s a Mondstadt thing? The last bard she met was certainly odd . . . and an alcoholic.
“I must admit, none of these catch my eye,” the bard says. “Do you have any other recommendations?”
This is the first time someone’s asked her for her opinion so far today, so Sara lights up at the chance, “My personal favorite is ‘The Greatest Knight’. It may be long, but the story is intriguing and the characters are interesting.”
“Oh,” the bard picks out the latest volume and reads the back. “Did you suggest this because I’m from Mondstadt too?”
“No, but I must admit I assumed that. Are you a bard?” Sara asks.
“Why yes, I am,” the bard smiles. “The name’s Jess, what’s yours?”
“. . . Kujou Sara.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sara,” Jess says. “You know what? I think I’ll get this one.”
“Are you sure you don’t want the first volume?” Sara asks. “That’s where the story starts, and I can check in the back to get it if you don’t see it out there.”
“It’s fine,” Jess insists. She hands Sara her mora and waves as she walks away, “I hope to see you soon, Sara.”
“. . . Okay?” Sara isn’t quite sure what happened in that interaction.
The next notable customer is Yoimiya, about an hour later.
“Sara, what are you doing working at Yae Publishing House?” Yoimiya asks as she steps off of the street. “Did Miko put you up to this?”
“No, I offered because Kuroda is sick,” Sara reveals.
“You’re too good, Sara,” Yoimiya sighs. “So, are you enjoying yourself?”
“It is consistently engaging, so I have not become bored, but I must admit I believe my limit is one day only,” Sara says.
“Too much interaction?” Yoimiya guesses. Sara nods, and she laughs, “Yeah, you have to be pretty sociable for this customer service stuff, but I’m glad you aren’t over-whelmed.”
“So, is there anything I can assist you with?” Sara asks.
“Actually, I was going to stop by on my way back from the Kamisato Estate, but it’s not every day I get to be served by the top general in Inazuma so I’ll browse now,” Yoimiya says. “Do you know if the latest volume of ‘Pretty Please, Kitsune Guuji’ is out?”
Sara sighs loudly, “Are you just asking me that because you know who I am involved with, or do you genuinely want to read that drivel?”
“I was wondering if maybe the next volume has Kistune Guuji dealing with a stubborn Tengu General,” Yoimiya says. When Sara glares at her, she laughs, “I’m kidding, I’m kidding! No, actually, I’m looking for the next volume of ‘A Legend of Sword’. Lumine finally convinced me to read it and I was surprised, I got pulled in. Now, I can’t wait to see what happens next!”
“I think the next volume should be there, I saw a few people purchase it earlier,” Sara says.
“Thanks!”
As Yoimiya browses, Jess the Bard returns. She smiles as soon as she sees Sara, “You were right, I didn’t understand a thing that was going on.”
“That is why there is a numerical order,” Sara says. “Would you like me to get the first volume for you?”
Jess leans against the counter and smiles, “Yes please.”
Sara steps into the back and returns quickly, where Jess is waiting for her and Yoimiya is watching curiously. She quickly rings Jess up, in case Yoimiya is already ready to check out, “Here you go, and thank-you for your patronage to Yae Publishing House.”
“Thank-you once again,” Jess says. She takes the book, but doesn’t move, “So, Sara, how long have you worked at Yae Publishing House?”
“Oh, this is not my job. I am working here for the day as a favor,” Sara says.
“How selfless of you,” Jess says. “So, you’re not just handsome, you’re kind too.”
“. . . I suppose?” Sara says.
“Ah-hem,” Yoimiya coughs. “Sorry to interrupt, but do you mind if I check out?”
“Oh,” Jess’s face falls. “Alright. Well, I’ll see you around Sara!”
Sara nods as Jess walks away, but once the bard is out of earshot Yoimiya huffs, “The nerve of that bard.”
“What do you mean?” Sara asks.
Yoimiya stares at her and chuckles, “Oh, you didn’t notice?”
“Notice what?” Sara says.
“Never mind, what you don’t know won’t hurt you,” Yoimiya shrugs and hands Sara the novel she picked out. “Anyways, this is the last copy of ‘A Legend of Sword’, I don’t know if restocking is in your job description but since this is a popular book you may want to put more out if you don’t want to have to keep on running into the back.”
“Understood, thank-you Yoimiya,” Sara checks her out and bids her goodbye, with Yoimiya promising to check in on her on her way back from the Kamisato Estate.
Two hours after Sara began working, Miko finally appears.
“Sorry about that Sara, I got trapped in an editorial meeting and no matter how much I glared at Junkichi he wouldn’t shut up about his run-away ideas for the latest installment of ‘Onibudou’,” Miko sighs. She leans against Sara’s side, “How have you been handling the front?”
“It has been fine,” Sara says. “But I do have one problem.”
“Oh?” Miko glances up.
“I have been working for two hours and I’ve yet to receive my pay of one kiss per hour,” Sara says. “Not properly compensating your workers for their efforts is against the law, Ms. Yae, and so is withholding payment.”
“Only you could use the law to flirt,” Miko chuckles. She wraps her arms around Sara’s waist and pulls her closer into a kiss. Sara eagerly leans into, and the second lasts longer than the first. Miko smirks against her lips, “Is that satisfactory compensation?”
“I believe it is,” Sara sighs.
“Good,” Miko’s hands travel lower, down her sides to her hips, “Maybe later, if you’ve proven yourself a competent employee, you can come into my office and we can talk about . . . a raise?”
“What would a raise entail?” Sara asks huskily.
“I’ll leave you to wonder.”
“Then you have piqued my interest.”
“I’m sure I have,” Miko steps away, squeezing her ass as she does so and causing Sara to blush deeply. “But I must get back to work, as much as I would rather be distracted by you.”
“We’re in public,” Sara reminds her, glancing out the open window of the Publishing House. “Do you want everyone to see us?”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time.”
“Miko!” Sara wants to distract Miko before she is too far gone, and she welcomes the return of Jess. “Oh, welcome back Jess!”
“Yes, sorry, I actually read through the first volume and came back for the second,” Jess says. She leans against the counter, and Sara feels the air become staticky next to her. “Plus, it gives me another chance to see your wonderful face . . .” Jess’s eyes trail off to the side, and Sara follows to see a glowering Miko behind her. She clears her throat, “Anyways, could I get the second volume, handsome?”
“Sure,” Sara walks away, but Miko grabs the back of her kimono. “Miko?”
“Oh Sara,” Miko says, her voice forcefully sweet. “Before you get back to work, let me give you your compensation for the next hour.”
Miko pulls them back into her arms, and their lips collide. Sara barely has a second to think before she’s consumed by all that Miko is. The kisses are heated, morphing into something that’s open-mouthed, and Sara takes it all. They separate with a wet pop, and Sara is left panting to catch her breath.
“Now,” Miko smirks. “Why don’t you get the book . . . whoever this bard is, wants, little bird?”
Sara remembers that Jess is there and turns towards her with wide eyes. Jess is standing up straight, slowly backing away, “Uh, actually never mind! I just remembered I am tight on mora, so uh . . .” Jess all but runs away.
“Miko,” Sara sighs. “You just scared away one of your customers.”
“I don’t want customers like her,” Miko means.
“You mean bards?”
Miko shakes her head, “Sara, she was flirting with you.”
“Oh.”
“You didn’t notice?”
“No!” Sara insists. “I had no idea!”
“Sara, you handsome, dense bird,” Miko laughs as she grabs Sara’s hand.
“Even if I knew that, you know I wouldn’t have done anything,” Sara says. “I am fully loyal to you and Ei, so you didn’t have to scare her away.”
“I know that,” Miko sighs. “I can’t help but be jealous when someone looks like that at something that is mine.”
“Well,” Sara lifts Miko’s hand up to kiss her fingers. “I am yours and nothing can change that.”
Miko smiles softly, “Good.”
“That bard also isn’t paying me with kisses, so the grass is not greener on the other side.”
“I am a generous employer, aren’t I?” Miko leans over and shutters the front window of the publishing house.
“What are you doing now?” Sara asks.
“Closing early,” Miko decides. “Because I think I want to have that talk about a raise right now.”