Work Text:
McQueen glared down at the perfectly cut slice of apple pie as if it had personally murdered her entire family.
As far as she was concerned, it might as well have, and she was very much fighting the urge to return the metaphorical favor by taking a bite out of it.
Except that would be to her own detriment.
“Ya know, if you keep staring at it like that, you might set it on fire.”
McQueen let her eyes move away from the offending bit of pie, instead settling her gaze on Gold Ship, who looked all too happy to have gained her attention.
Gold Ship tilted her head playfully, lacing her fingers together and leaning her head on them. “Wait, keep staring at it, actually. I wanna see if you can make things combust on sight.”
“I can have it if you don’t want it.” Special Week suggested, earning herself a light head shake from Silence Suzuka, which most likely would do nothing to quell the former’s hunger either way.
“Someone else got it for you, no?” Vodka relayed boredly, munching on her own lunch. “Shouldn’t you eat it instead of staring at it?”
McQueen narrowed her eyes down at the offending pastry, reminded of the fact that she hadn’t even gotten it for herself, and that instead the plate had spawned in front of her as soon as she walked into the cafeteria. “She’s on a diet again.” Suzuka supplied quietly, finally having managed to wrangle Special Week into focusing on her own food again. “The pie might be too much.”
“Again?” Gold Ship questioned, earning herself an exasperated sigh from McQueen.
“I have a race to prepare for, of course I’m on a diet,” McQueen answered matter-of-factly, pushing the plate away from her. “This…This is just someone taunting me. I won’t fold over something so mundane.”
McQueen nearly missed the way Gold Ship’s ears drooped, though she didn’t do much with that information, since immediately after, a giant grin grew on the taller Uma’s face. “Aww, come on, McQueen, food is good for you.”
“I’m trying to stay in shape, Gold Ship-san.”
Gold Ship huffed, leaning her head on her hand and pouting. “But you’ve been training soooo much. You need more meat on you, Mackie. Eating this isn’t gonna hurt you.”
McQueen was poised to argue, ready to follow that up with an accusation of Gold Ship having been the one to set the plate there in the first place, but before she could say anything, Special Week chimed in. “Golshi-san is right, more training means more energy. It would make sense to eat more than usual.”
“I will not fall for such tactics.” McQueen maintained firmly, which most of her teammates seemed to take as the hard line that it was. But of course, never one to listen to anyone, Gold Ship persisted.
“Come on, McQueen.” Gold Ship drawled, plucking a macaroon from her own plate and holding it against McQueen’s mouth. “Say aah.”
McQueen’s brows furrowed, eyes zeroing in on Gold Ship’s smug expression rather than glancing down at the treat held millimeters away from her mouth. Of course, Gold Ship would tempt her like this. McQueen was usually unable to resist partaking in the delicate cookies when presented with them, but she was not going ot let her will falter now of all times. Not in front of Gold Ship and the rest of her team.
“You can have it.” McQueen forced out, pushing her chair back as she stood. “I’m going to go train.”
“With what energy?” She vaguely heard Gold Ship mumble, which in itself was very out of character because, if anything, Gold Ship was more likely to have yelled that question loud enough for McQueen and the entire cafeteria to hear her.
Instead of making that kind of scene, however, all McQueen heard as she walked away was Vodka giving some type of response to Gold Ship, not that McQueen could hear that part clearly since by then she’d already been able to put an ample amount of distance between herself and the table she’d just left.
She somehow managed to convince herself that she didn’t care to know what had been said after she left.
McQueen’s diet did not get easier as the week went on.
Twice already, she’d found little care bags of chocolates and other sweets left in places she was sure to find them. In her locker, on her bed, wedged between her bookshelves, hell, she’d even found one hidden in her desk case, though that one had also been half melted by the time McQueen had pulled it out of its hiding spot.
She’d initially thought to blame Gold Ship, but for once, the evidence wasn’t completely pointed towards the taller Uma. If anything, the loud cackle Gold Ship had let out when she’d found a half-squashed pastry in her locker made McQueen think that she wasn’t involved and was most likely just enjoying the show. Which in itself wasn’t that outlandish of an assumption.
The only good news, in her opinion, was that she’d been able to get an ample amount of training done despite the constant setbacks, and regardless of their attitude towards her diet, the entirety of Team Spica had been more than ready to help McQueen in her task.
Which was being demonstrated currently, as most of them had agreed to spend their afternoons running drills with McQueen.
They’d been at it since lunch if McQueen could remember correctly, and as the hours had ticked by, it was practically impossible not to notice the dwindling number of Uma’s on the track and the growing number of Uma’s sitting at the benches.
As of yet, Vodka and Scarlet were the only ones who were still doing high-knees with McQueen; meanwhile, Special Week was busy using Teio’s shoulder as a pillow while they both sat on one of the aforementioned benches.
Gold Ship and Silence Suzuka were absent since they’d left a few minutes ago to get food, but beforehand, they’d been mirroring McQueen’s current training regimen. A training regimen that, admittedly, was turning into less of a regimen and more of a competition as Vodka and Scarlet kept goading the other into giving up.
McQueen was about to tell them she would be switching to doing laps, but before she could get a word out, a familiar voice called out from behind her.
“Hey, guys!” McQueen looked over her shoulder, feeling a strange sense of relief upon noticing Gold Ship.
“We got tteokbokki.” Gold Ship grinned, holding up the stack of containers she was balancing on one hand, all while Suzuka made a beeline for Special Week, who was already smiling widely and making grabby hands at her.
The rest of Team Spica was quick to get their shares from the stack Gold Ship was carrying, and during it all, McQueen made sure not to be a part of that group.
Yes, she was glad to see Gold Ship, but her training wasn’t done, and the tantalizing smell of spicy rice cake would not make her forget that.
She glanced at the track, tapping the tip of her right foot against the ground a few times before starting her run, keeping her pace even and her posture at ease. She’d already done her more rigorous runs earlier, so she wasn’t going to go all in now when this was supposed to be a jog essentially.
The prospect of food was definitely still on her mind, especially after having barely eaten that day, but McQueen couldn’t abandon her training, not when she was so close to finishing things up nicely. It was easy for her to visualize the list in her head of all the training she had left, and because of that, she found it surprisingly simple to convince herself that she just needed to finish her endurance training, then she could finally eat.
At least then she’d be able to feel like she’d earned it.
McQueen forced herself to run for another thirty minutes, only choosing to stop when she could feel the muscles in her legs protesting with every extra step she took.
Panting heavily, she forced herself to keep going until she came to a halt near the bench where Gold Ship was still sitting, happily munching on a piece of rice cake as she watched McQueen try to catch her breath.
It was strange to be looked at like that, with eyes completely devoid of malice, or interest really, all while McQueen was in a, in her opinion, vulnerable state.
Gold Ship set her food on her knees, which was McQuene’s cue to straighten her posture, and at least try to look like she wasn’t completely winded by a light jog. She took a moment to stand still, eventually exhaling one last lungful of air before stepping towards Gold Ship and thankfully taking the towel that was offered to her.
She slowly began toweling her face, internally cringing at the amount of sweat she felt on her forehead. Goddess, how long had she been out there?
“I saved you your food.” Gold Ship interrupted her train of thought, holding the single unopened foam container towards McQueen with a smile. “Gotta refuel after all that running, yeah? And don’t worry, I ate real slow so you won’t have to eat alone.”
McQueen refused to acknowledge the stutter she felt in her chest, instead taking the offered container. “Thanks.” She said, voice too weak to sound like anything more than a whisper, but the small smile that followed seemed to make Gold Ship preen all the same.
McQueen would like to say that she was completely blindsided by Gold Ship’s choice to wait for her, but really? It wasn’t that surprising.
For all of her bravado and blunders, Gold Ship was probably one of the most caring people she’d ever met, so much so that it was staggering at times.
Regardless, McQueen accepted the kindness, taking a seat next to Gold Ship and immediately unlatching the top to look at the contents inside. The food looked as good as it smelled, and it didn’t take much for McQueen to temporarily ignore the poise and respectability associated with her name in favor of properly savoring the food that, while slightly cold, tasted absolutely divine.
And as a way to return even half of the care that had been offered to her, McQueen chose not to mention the fact that Gold Ship was doing a very bad job of pretending not to stare at her as they ate. Though part of that was for McQueen’s own benefit too, because, admittedly, she did find herself enjoying the attention.
So, McQueen gladly spent the rest of her afternoon sitting next to Gold Ship, eating away at a meal that she would later probably regret, but at the moment tasted like the best thing she’d ever eaten.
McQueen spent much of the following days doing the same thing.
She’d wake up, ignore whatever choice pastry had been dropped off at her desk, and immediately get to training, regardless of whether anyone decided to join her again or not.
Weirdly enough, Gold Ship was the one who always seemed present during said training, and to McQueen’s surprise, she had done nothing except play the part of a training partner. A good one at that.
McQueen had an inkling that it may have to do with the meals that Gold Ship kept sharing with McQueen after said bouts of training, but considering how long they usually trained, McQueen figured that one extravagant meal a day wouldn’t hurt.
Not that she could really deny Gold Ship during those moments either, but it felt like less of a surrender if McQueen thought of it that way.
That peace wasn’t meant to be long-term, though, as McQueen quickly found out on the sixth day of her vigorous training when Gold Ship slammed her locker closed right in her face before McQueen could even get her track uniform out.
“...What did you do?” McQueen asked immediately, sighing to herself as she waited to hear whatever mess Gold Ship had prepared.
Glancing up, McQueen did do a double-take upon seeing the way that Gold Ship was avoiding her eye. “I-” She cleared her throat. “I left something in your locker.” Gold Ship started, sounding surprisingly serious for once. “But, I only want you to take it out after your race.”
Well, that just sounded like an elaborate prank, considering McQueen’s race was quite literally a day away. And the fact that Gold Ship was apparently choosing to warn her beforehand didn’t change much of that.
McQueen sighed. “Gold Ship, if it’s another jack in the box joke you’re going to be cleaning it up as soon as you get back-“
“It’s not!” Gold Ship assured. “I swear. I wanted to give you that stuff in person, but I’m gonna be away, so this was the next best thing.”
Despite that elaborate performance, McQueen wasn’t convinced, and it must have shown on her face because Gold Ship’s ears visibly drooped. “Um.” She glanced down, which was, all in all, a very rare thing for her to do in general.
The illustrious Gold Ship? Caught looking uncertain? Oh, the horror.
Gold Ship straightened slightly, pressing her palms together and squeezing her eyes shut. “Please? I promise it’s nothing bad, but I really need you to see it after your race.”
“And I’m supposed to believe that it isn’t very convenient that you’re going to be off in Dubai during this?” McQueen questioned, unable to stop herself from enjoying the way Gold Ship squirmed under her attention. “I don’t know...”
“Please, please, please, it’s so important. I swear on the three Goddesses, I-I’ll eat my socks if it’s a prank!”
McQueen nearly snorted at that, needing to press a hand against her mouth to stop the embarrassing sound from escaping her.
Gold Ship, meanwhile, only seemed to perk up at her reaction. “I’m serious, McQueen. I won’t be able to watch your race, but I really wanted to give you something at least…I mean, I guess I can show it to you now, but it’ll kinda ruin the surprise since you’re supposed to win first then-”
“Okay.”
“-Getting to see it after would make it more worth it-Wait, what?” Gold Ship paused mid-sentence, arms held up as she tried to explain her apparent plan of action without giving anything away. “Okay?”
“Yes.” McQueen nodded, crossing her arms tiredly. “Okay.”
Gold Ship grinned, strangely looking like she’d just been told the best news in the world. “Really? Yes! I swear you won’t regret it, Mac-mac!” She practically scooped McQueen up into a hug, rubbing her cheek against the top of her head, and despite the rough treatment, all McQueen could do was laugh.
“Yes, yes, I hope I don’t.” She admitted lightly, waiting for Gold Ship to put her down before the reason behind Gold Ship's request made itself known.
Because while this was all very nice, Gold Ship still had a race to go to the next day, an overseas race no less. Which, by default, meant that she would be away and would not be there blabbing in McQueen’s ear, despite tomorrow being the last day before McQueen’s own race.
Picking at her skirt, McQueen cleared her throat and asked. “...You’re leaving tomorrow, right?”
“Yep. Gotta be on a plane by 3, so Trainer-san is prob gonna force me to wake up early. Ugh, it’s gonna be so annoying.” Gold Ship complained, leaning her head over McQueen’s, which, for once, didn’t even feel bothersome at all.
McQueen hummed, letting herself think over the question that she had been about to ask, if only to assure herself that the chances of a rejection were incredibly slim.
Inhaling quietly, McQueen reached up to tug at the fabric of Gold Ship’s track shirt. “So, your morning is free?”
Gold Ship let out a low sound of confusion. “Huh? I mean, yeah. Meno already forced me to pack, so I’m good on that.”
“...Then, would you be available to train with me in the morning? I want to see how well my running style would hold against a runner of your caliber, which I am sure there will be many in my next race.”
Strangely enough, Gold Ship was relatively silent after McQueen’s question, though even from where she was standing, she could tell that Gold Ship was probably just thinking over her answer. But as seconds ticked by, McQueen could feel a pit forming in her stomach.
Maybe she shouldn’t have asked. Gold Ship had her own race to prepare for, or do whatever version of preparing Gold Ship did. Regardless, she didn’t necessarily have the time to continue to solely help McQueen with her training; asking Suzuka might’ve yielded better results at this rate.
She should probably just tell Gold Ship to forget about it. It wouldn’t get rid of her embarrassment, but it would at least–
“Yeah, sure thing.”
McQueen looked up suddenly, surprised at the easy response Gold Ship had apparently elected to take over a minute to give. She expected some sort of smug look to greet her, but instead, Gold Ship was smiling, looking content at the simple fact that McQueen had even asked for her help in any conceivable way.
“Oh.” Was all McQueen managed, eyes immediately turning to the floor as she folded her hands over her lap. “Okay, good.”
There was undoubtedly more that she could say; a simple thanks would have been enough, really. But as McQueen stood there, basking in the comfortable quietness that existed between them, she found that no words in existence could truly capture how grateful she was for Gold Ship’s presence in that moment.
It made the reality that Gold Ship would not be in the stands cheering her on later that week feel all the more worse. Unfair, even. Because what was McQueen supposed to do without the person who had done the most to better her chances? What result would even be acceptable?
The answer was, admittedly, not hard to figure out.
Win, McQueen decided. She’d win.
If Gold Ship couldn’t be there, then McQueen would do her damn hardest to at least have a trophy for her to look at once she got back to Tracen.
It was the least she could do.
And that was exactly what she did.
For all McQueen’s worries and concerns, the race was decidedly much easier than she’d expected.
Sure, she was disappointed at the lack of a certain Uma in the stands, but it hadn’t affected her run much. And as it was, Trainer had already been gleefully talking about her next G1 race the second she walked towards the stands to celebrate with the rest of team Spica.
She would fervently deny rushing away from her hard-earned celebration, especially considering where she was rushing towards. But sue her, maybe she was a little curious to see what exactly Gold Ship had left for her.
McQueen paused when she finally reached the rows of lockers in the building near the track, finding herself suddenly in need of a minute to breathe. She was sure that it probably had to do with the amount of energy she used during her race, and strangely, her first instinct was to go for a pastry, anything sweet, really.
But then again, with her luck, Gold Ship’s surprise would end up being one of those things anyway.
Reaching out, McQueen carefully pulled her locker open and almost let out an audible ‘huh?’ at what she saw.
A compact, rectangular box had been left on the top shelf of her locker, along with what looked to be a card, but neither of those things caused her pause. No. That particular reaction was purely attributed to the mid-sized plushie of what seemed to be a rendition of Gold Ship. A plushie that was also being used as a holding stand for the aforementioned box and letter.
Well, it could be worse, and to be honest, this was probably toned down considering who exactly had left all this stuff in her locker.
McQueen picked the card up, eyeing the weirdly spot-on plushie version of Gold Ship and the box of chocolate that came with it for a second before turning her focus back to the card.
She flipped it over, brows raising slightly at seeing Gold Ship’s neat signature at the back.
The actual neatness of her handwriting surprised her more than the fact that Gold Ship had decided to sign her crime away this time. But either way, McQueen didn’t linger on it too long and instead flipped the card over again to read it.
It was lengthy by Gold Ship’s standard, but it really shouldn’t have taken McQueen long to read it, and yet she felt like it took her hours to properly register what was written.
Salutations Big Mac,
Congrats on your big win! Knew you could do it. Also, don’t tell anyone but I may have been cursing your opponents with voodoo all week so really your win is also because of me. You’re welcome Mac-mac.
(I hope you did actually win or this would be really awkward for me heh)
This is gonna be my last care package to you, at least until I get back, because yes, I was the one leaving you food all week. Which, sidenote, you should seriously eat more if you’re gonna train that much, how else do you think muscles happen?
But anyway, of course, the great and honorable Golshi spares no expenses so I got you some luxury chocolate (I actually forced Orfevre to get them when she went to France but don’t worry about it) AND a limited edition Golshi plush that you can hug after your victories.
Only for hugging purposes though! And maybe kissing…But please don’t soak her in milk and throw her against the wall, she’s veeeery fragile.
Also, sorry I couldn’t see your race, but don’t worry, I’ll be back in a jiff, then you can properly thank me for my generous gifts.
Love ya Mac-chan~
P.S. I knitted the plushie BY MYSELF, so it’s a Golshi exclusive in two ways!!
McQueen’s eyes read over each sentence again and again, until she’d practically memorized it enough to still hear it even when her eyes flew back towards the rest of her supposed gifts.
So, this was what Gold Ship had been planning? It was elaborate enough, but McQueen almost expected something more egregious to happen the longer she stood there.
Evidently, nothing of the sort happened. So McQueen took that as her cue to continue to inspect her gifts.
She reached for the plushie next, surprised by how soft and light it felt in her hand. Goddess, she could not believe Gold Ship had actually made a literal plushie of herself for the sole purpose of giving it to McQueen.
Ironically, that was probably the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her, and McQueen couldn’t tell if she should feel as flattered about it as she already did.
“Unbelievable,” McQueen muttered to herself, clutching the plushie to her chest.
Her ears lowered slightly, rubbing her cheek against the soft cotton that made up the top of its head. The recreation of Gold Ship’s headgear had also been fashioned in the same soft material as the rest of the plushie, and McQueen had to admit that the texture was doing a great job at soothing her.
McQueen glanced at the card again, rereading the last few lines and humming as her eyes lingered on Gold Ship’s apparent planned use for the plushie.
Only for hugging and kissing purposes, huh? McQueen looked at the plushie, lightly squeezing it in her palm. She briefly debated kissing the plushie’s small forehead, in hopes that maybe Gold Ship would feel it even miles away, but McQueen managed to stop herself just in time.
Goddess, Gold Ship had been gone for little more than a day, and McQueen was already losing her mind, apparently.
Sighing to herself, McQueen let her arm drop to her side, reaching out to grab the chocolate box and tuck it against her side, fully planning on enjoying said treats in the comfort of her own dorm. She had already tested her luck by avoiding anyone walking in during her little gift discovery, and McQueen wasn’t willing to test out how long that luck streak would continue.
She continued reading the card as she walked, finding herself unable to put it down or even focus on where she was going. The entire thing just felt like a fever dream.
McQueen was many things, but she wasn’t stupid. She could tell when she was being courted, or when someone was making a clumsy attempt at doing so. And based on everything she was seeing, she could only assume that courting was exactly what Gold Ship was doing.
She quietly rolled her eyes to herself upon making that particular discovery. Of course Gold Ship would pull something like this then fly off to Dubai of all places.
Well, she could put it off if she wanted to, but McQueen wasn’t going to let it go, especially not when she at the very least owed the taller Uma a genuine thank you for what she had done.
Yes, that was a great plan.
She could enjoy her gifts now. But whenever Gold Ship was back from her race abroad, McQueen would confront her.
And until then, she was more than happy to content herself with hugging her gift.