Work Text:
“Phwew!”
Tsubasa wipes her brow, flicking off the few beads of sweat dampening her forehead. Honestly, a garage doesn’t feel like a garage if you don’t put a little greasework in! She sets down a spraycan of paint on her service cart, and grabs her water bottle, relishing in the taste of water on a dry tongue.
“There you go, babygirl…” Tsubasa speaks softly to the bus before her, and places a hand on a dry part of its newly-refurbished paneling. “You’re just like new, hun. No, even better, now…”
She chuckles to herself, beaming with pride over her beautifully-done body job.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you again, I promise.”
“Whoa! Tsubasa is objectum!?” A shrill voice cackles from inside the bus itself.
“Bus-co!? Is…Is that you!?” Tsubasa takes a step back in shock, nearly tumbling backwards.
“Yes, it’s me…Bus-co Amemiya!” Darumi pokes her head out from the bus door with her mouth hanging open in a huge grin.
“D-Darumi!? H-How long have you…!?”
Her world starts to twirl and wobble; the heat of embarrassment quickly overtakes her body faster than the heat from working up a sweat. Instinctively, she covers her mouth, fearing her nerves would trigger her reflex.
“Since last night. But don't worry, I only listened to some of the weird shit you said!”
“You mean…urrrk…you heard…” Tsubasa’s knees wobble and drop her to the cold garage floor.
“All about your undying love for Bus-co da Gamma the third,” Darumi spoke teasingly as she approached Tsubasa, poking her cheek with her right hand and twirling her unbrushed-taintail with the other.
This can’t be…this can’t be happening…
Tsubasa isn’t ashamed of her passion for machines and automobiles. She’s not ashamed of what she does at all…but having someone hear all the embarrassing, cringy stuff she said in private…
She’s mortified! She could just drop dead!
“You look like you could drop dead! Kyokkyokkyo!” Darumi squats by Tsubasa’s side, staring directly into her flustered face. “Wow, that makes two of us! Except you’re way cuter about impending death.”
“Hrrrk…” There it is. That blasted bile. She grabs her scented sick bag in a hurry from the bottom shelf of her service cart and lets loose, hiding her face from Darumi by almost burying it in the bag’s opening until she’s done.
“Gross…I love it! I think I just unlocked a puke fetish!”
A…what!?
Darumi’s insensitive comments, combined with her just…staring only made Tsubasa feel the urge to let it out again. But…
“Sorry. I didn’t know what to say. Like, when I throw up, I just have to laugh at myself, you know? It makes it taste better to me.”
Darumi’s face seemed a little more sincere, but still…that’s no way to comfort a girl. Surprisingly, she did hand Tsubasa her water bottle, though; a small relief.
Once her nerves died down, Tsubasa would have to chew Darumi out a little…but her head was too wobbly to think of what to say.
“Anyway, don’t be embarrassed. I barf up candy all the time. And saying weird, crazy shit? That’s just like me!”
“Just like you…?”
“I thought it was really cool, actually. I was laying on the floor there thinking, ‘Wow! I wish I was a bus too so I could have a cute girl talk to me like that!’”
“Cute!?” Tsubasa’s hands now fly to her chest, and her eyes water reflexively from the whirlwind of emotions. “Wh-What I was doing wasn’t cute at all…”
“Kyohoho! Are you serious!?”
Somehow, Darumi’s overemotive response helps Tsubasa start to recover her senses as she lets out a hefty sigh.
“It was so cool. Have you considered being a yandere but for cars?”
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about, Darumi…”
“Sorry! I forgot you’re a ‘normie’,” Darumi makes little bunny ears with her fingers as she speaks.
“I guess, but what’s with the air quotes?”
“Because, when I was listening to you, I felt like I finally understood you for the first time. I mean, not really. I don’t really understand people at all.”
Tsubasa closes the sick bag, and starts spraying the air with an air freshener, accidentally almost spritzing Darumi in the process.
“Like…now I see that you’re a weirdo, too. So I’m gunna start sleeping here more~”
“Ugh…Why were you sleeping in the bus, anyway!?”
“Your babygirl’s comfy!”
“Don’t say it like that…”
Wait…but if Darumi’s been in there since last night…and Tsubasa noticed that dent and damaged paint this morning…
“Did you take the bus out yesterday!?”
“Guilty!” Darumi smiles brightly, pulling up her mouth with her fingertips.
“You’re the one who did this to her!?”
“I love driving!”
“Nope, nuh-uh!” Tsubasa’s face contorts with disgust and frustration; the kind of emotions she won’t even treat her enemies to in combat. “I’m revoking your bus rights. Don’t take her back out, or else!”
“Whoa…you’re seriously a bus-yandere? Tsubasa’s bossing me around and threatening me!” Darumi pants a little and sticks her tongue out like a puppy.
Now Tsubasa’s the one who feels like she doesn’t understand people at all…and yet, somehow, her nerves from earlier have completely drained away thanks to Darumi’s antics.
“No, I mean…I guess I don’t really own the bus, but as the one in charge of maintenance…” Tsubasa puts a finger to her chin, and closes her eyes.
Why did Darumi go out, anyway? Was she just feeling cramped up here? Maybe she longed for the feeling of the open road, driving free…maybe they were both ‘weird girls’, in a way.
“Okay, next time you want to go out, just come find me. I’ll handle the driving.”
“...Hanya?” Darumi tilts her head and her eyebrows alike.
“I-I mean, if that’s what you were doing. Just trying to get away for a little while…I think I get it! I like alone time, too.”
“But then you aren’t alone anymore!”
“Heheh…you caught me.” Tsubasa chuckles, and continues, “Maybe I just want more excuses to get behind the wheel of such a babe…”
For some reason, the thought of going on road trips was starting to get her excited, in spite of the reasons why her brain got here. And being able to be open about her passions to someone who already saw her embarrass herself…it seemed nice.
“Whoo! Bus dates with Tsubasa!” Darumi flung her hands into the air, excited.
“Dates!?”
“C’mon, let’s go! Let’s hit the road, now!”
Darumi suddenly leans forward and leered at Tsubasa with a menacing glare like a haunted doll.
“I saw an abandoned hospital, and an old mansion with blood on the gates…I want to go check them out.” Darumi sauntered behind Tsubasa, then put her hand on her back and starting pushing her towards the bus doors. “It’s field trip time~!”
What did I just sign up for!?