Work Text:
“I thought you hated shopping?”
Aniline raised an eyebrow as Steffi, her girlfriend and childhood friend, tugged her along by the hand.
Only a few months ago were they facing off against ALTER as vigilantes Blitz and Donner, but now their lives had slowed to a steady crawl.
The most interesting thing ever since ALTER’s fall had to be Anne coming out about a week ago. It was only to her girlfriend, Chandra, and 42, but it was deeply important regardless.
Steffi had since made sure to shower her girlfriend in as much as support physically possible, and as such, was dragging Anne through a clothing store.
“I hate clothes shopping for myself,” Steffi corrected, “I wear so many layers all the time! And I’m fine with what I have already!”
“You could definitely afford to. No one’s making you wear the same thing every day.”
“You,” Steffi pointed at her, “Are so mean to me.”
Anne rolled her eyes with a fondness spared solely for her.
“I’ve decided! Next time you gotta change your wardrobe, I’m not coming with!
“Aren’t you the one who decided I needed new clothes?”
Steffi held a finger up to Anne’s face, over her mouth.
“Shhshsh, I’m getting my girlfriend nice stuff!”
Anne felt her face warm up at the prospect of being called Steffi’s girlfriend.
Yes, they’d been dating for a while now, but girlfriend felt so novel compared to boyfriend.
She wondered if it would always feel as such.
“You big dork…”
“I haven’t been in this shop since I was like… twelve.”
Steffi stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets as her head lazily swiveled around, taking in the environment.
Meanwhile, Anne was gleaning over the rows of coat hangers, all adorned with various T-shirts of all styles.
“I’m kind of surprised that you know the way around here, then.”
Steffi tore herself away from her aimless observing to list through an adjacent row of shirts, these instead being button-ups.
“I’m not that bad with directions.”
Her eyebrows raised as she reached halfway through her respective aisle of shirts.
“Ooh, check this one out!”
Steffi held out a deep blue, short-sleeved button-up with pale pink clams and white waves patterned across it.
“It’s kinda beachy, isn’t it?”
Anne looked over the button-up, inspecting it for a moment before resting the shirt across her shoulder.
“Y’know? It looks pretty nice. The colors are very nice. My collection of button-ups grows.”
“This one actually has patterns on it though! All of your other ones are so plain.”
“Fine, sure, but what about this for plain?”
She held up a T-shirt picturing the heads of three wolves howling at a full moon.
“Ohh, this is a good one.”
“Anne… be honest with me,” Steffi’s mouth tightened into a thin line, “Are you a furry?”
“That’s a dangerous question to ask me.”
“Is it?!”
She elbowed Steffi, who only laughed in response. Her laughing managed to make Anne laugh too.
The two of them giggled and chuckled together dumbly for a minute over the shirt.
“I am getting the shirt though.”
“Fiiine.”
Anne hefted the shirt onto the crook of her elbow. Then another, and another, and some other articles too…
She hoped that they weren’t getting too carried away.
Her girlfriend didn’t seem to mind, through, as she sped off to a changing room with Aniline in tow.
The first outfit was casual, yet not too unfamiliar. A metallic hair clip in the shape of a triangle, the wolf shirt and a pair of cargo shorts.
Steffi squinted at her.
“Isn’t this just how you normally dress?”
“Hey, I’m not completely overhauling myself. I can still like shorts!”
“I’m all for staying comfy, but you could spice it up a little bit!”
“Do you like the hair clip at least?”
“I never said I hated it!”
“Alright, alright, you don’t hate it, geez.” Anne rolled her eyes.
“Hey.” Steffi’s voice turned stern, then she dramatically pointed at her girlfriend, “You’re always cute. Even when I’m mad at you.”
Anne felt her cheeks grow rosy, a surge of euphoria emanated into her, like the sun shining down on her skin, but she managed to play off of her girlfriend’s comment.
“Yeah, yeah, alright.”
The second consisted of the beachy button-up shirt, paired with a knee-length skirt of a similar hue.
“Huh!”
“Is it too much?” Anne brushed her hands against the skirt with a sheepish expression.
“What do you think? If you like it, you like it, right?”
“That’s the thing, I don’t even know! I feel like I’m trying too hard, or something!”
“Well, I think you still look cute!” Steffi puffed out her cheeks in defiance.
Anne turned in place, her skirt twirling lightly as she did. The sight made her eyes widen like she was a cat enthralled with a simple piece of string.
“Oh, it spins?? Oh, it spins!”
A small smile crept onto her face as she swished the skirt about for a moment.
“Uh, I don’t know if I’ll keep this one, but it’s… nice.”
Steffi rested her cheek in her palm with a smug smirk.
“Uh-huh?”
“I’ll… think about it. Maybe.”
“Suuure.”
“Seriously! I’m actually mulling it over, I swear!”
The third and final outfit was upon them. Anne stepped out of the changing room with bated breath.
She wore a cap, her usual headphones around her neck, a graphic tee of a band that she liked, and a pair of overalls.
Steffi leaped onto her feet with stars in her eyes. This was definitely the one.
“You look so… you, Annie!!”
Anne couldn’t stop herself from smiling wide. That was exactly what she needed to hear.
“Like, just like that! You look dang cute!!”
She rubbed the back of her own neck as the fluttering feeling in her chest raced away.
“Aw, c’mon, Stef…”
Steffi trotted over and pecked her on the lips, and like clockwork, Anne returned the favor by pecking her on the cheek.
She proceeded to blush like a tomato and make a sound similar to a dryer that had a brick thrown into it.
Anne stood back and gave her girlfriend a moment to put herself back together, an amused look in her eyes.
“Okay, but hear me out, what if you could get new clothes while we’re here too.”
Steffi snapped out of her flustered stupor of giggles and fax machine noises just long enough to playfully elbow her girlfriend.
“Fat chance!”
Anne snapped her fingers.
“Damn.”