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She didn’t mean to break it, really. The mug just happened to get in the way of her hand that’s all. March definitely did NOT knock it over. And there were definitely not shards of ceramic all over the floor of the express’ dining car.
“Oh this is so so so bad.” She muttered, hands scrunching through her cotton candy pink hair as she racked her brain for how to fix this absolute disaster.
She was just trying to take some cute photos of the cabinets but her fingers had to slip and break Himeko’s favorite coffee cup. If she confessed that would be a one way ticket to completing the worst chores Pom-Pom could think up.
Despite their fluffy appearance, Pom-Pom’s wrath was no joke.
“Think March, think.” She told herself as her vivid eyes frantically darted around.
With a couple deep breaths, she started picking up the pieces, “I’ll just put it back together good as new!” She somehow convinces herself that this is the perfect plan, before adding in a mumble, “And if anyone asks, Stelle did it.”
After collecting all the pieces, she spread them out on the counter. With her purple and pink patterned washi tape in hand March was ready to take on this challenge, “It’s just like a puzzle.” She told herself. However, March does not like puzzles, so this did not calm her in the slightest.
The whole ordeal suddenly felt 1,000,000,000,000 times more overwhelming with all the small, fractured pieces spread out like this. Nevertheless, like the trailblazer she is, she jumps into the task.
Grabbing the biggest piece first, she tried uselessly to fit another section to it. She tilted and flipped the chunks around in her hand, occasionally swapping pieces in the hopes that the new one would suddenly fit, but to no avail.
“Ok, well, maybe I have to improvise a little bit.” March giggled sheepishly before grabbing two of the fragments at random and putting them together where they fit good enough and secured it with the colorful tape.
Her eyes sparkled brightly at the progress only too fall into a look of shock as the tape slowly peeled off leaving the fragment to fall back onto the counter with a clink.
An amused, almost fond, chuckle came from the entrance to the dining car causing March to whip around only to be met with the calm teal eyes of Dan Heng.
“You can’t fix ceramic with tape, March.” He chides.
“How long have you been there!?” she shrieks in response.
“Long enough to know you’re helpless.” He sighed, walking up next to her, already planning on how to deal with the situation.
March puffed out her cheeks indignantly and leaned against the counter, “Hey! I’m not helpless!” she pouts, “I just don’t have glue.”
“So, you decided to use tape?”
“It’s cute tape.” She grumbles.
Dan Hengs lips twitched upwards ever so slightly, “Cute isn’t always functional.” He explains simply, putting two of the pieces together with ease.
March’s mouth dropped open as he easily accomplished what she had been struggling to do, “Sorry for not wanting to be boring.”
“It’s not boring, it’s efficient.” He explains, while applying a clear adhesive to keep the fragments together.
March takes the fragments from him and tries to fit another section too it while mumbling, “I still think my tape had much more personality.” She pats his shoulder playfully, “It’s okay Dan Heng, one day you’ll understand my brilliance.”
He simply sighs beside her, sliding another piece of the mug into place, “that’s one word for it.”
“What does that mean!?” She squawked, glueing two chunks together the way he pointed out to her.
Dan Heng shakes his head with a small huff, the upward twitch of a smile on his lips.
In the twinkling starlight of the darkened dining car, they spend another hour or two piecing the mug back together. Well, more like Dan Heng put the mug together as March watched him and slowly fell asleep on the counter.
Although it was far from perfect—the glued seams of the old cracks still visible—Dan Heng places it back into the cupboard.
March stirs slightly, her cheek squished against the counter, “I guess it doesn’t look that bad. But next time, we’re using glitter glue.” She mumbles sleepily.
“Alright.” He says softly as he drapes his coat over her shoulders, “goodnight, March.”
“Night.” She mumbles, snuggling into her arms.