Work Text:
Tonight was "special". At least that's what Gigi said.
Towering, floor to ceiling windows stretched around curved borders. The neighbouring mall could be seen in the distance, lit up with all the usual bright lights. Cars whizzed by like blurs down the highway, coming and going each with their own stories. There was a young girl and her mother, two college aged guys with a tablet and what looked like spreadsheets and a list of names, and an older couple enjoying a plate of overly glamourous pasta. In the corner was a table of older customers, one of them with a shirt brandishing the logo of the restaurant, likely a high profile meeting.
She turned her gaze back to the girl sitting in front of her. She was in a suit, neatly pressed yet ruffled at the collar, like it'd been tugged every few minutes. Her eyes drifted to the little orange bowtie, something small and cute just like her.
"A-ah... Is there something on me?"
Cecilia blinked. Gigi squirmed in her seat, tugging at the collar of her burnt orange suit. It suited her well. The automaton let out a small, quiet hum, bobbing her head side to side.
Gigi tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She had it down tonight, tied in a very low ponytail behind her shoulders. "Uh, Cece..?"
"You look nice," Cecilia said.
Gigi looked away. "Well, thanks..?"
Cecilia nodded. The clockwork key on her head spun slowly, steadily ticking away, mixing with the quiet hum of jazz from the speakers.
Gigi cleared her throat. She shifted one leg over the other. Her tail was clumped up behind her. She folded another napkin into a paper boat.
Cecilia folded her hands on the table. "Hey, Gigi."
"Y-yes?!" She squeaked, quickly clamping a hand over her mouth from the sound.
Cecilia only sighed, half fond and half exasperated. "What was your plan here?"
Gigi glanced up, then quickly back down. "I wanted to have dinner. With you!"
"I can see that." Cecilia waved her hand to the window. "But this fancy? I didn't expect this from you."
Gigi seemed to take that as a rejection. She bowed her head and sucked in a breath, shoulders tightening. "Sorry, I can just- we can go-"
"Gigi."
Cecilia let out a quiet sigh. Gigi tightened up further.
"It's okay, I'm sorry," Cecilia said. She reached out to place a hand over Gigi's shaking one. "I... appreciate the effort."
Gigi looked up. "You do?"
Cecilia put her chin in her palm, a small smile on her lips. "I do, Gigi. I really do."
-+-
The food had arrived.
She didn't necessarily have to eat, only to be wound up at times, but she had the capacity to eat. She picked at her food, a steaming bowl of tomato soup and a few pieces of garlic bread. On the side was a cup of jasmine tea.
She picked up said cup and took a sip, watching over the rim as Gigi ate her food.
Ate; was not exactly the right term. Maybe inhaled. Cecilia hummed to herself as Gigi swallowed up her entire meal in just a few bites. Some sort of chicken on a biscuit with gravy and syrup. It looked unhealthy.
"Gigi," Cecilia said. "You should burn those calories later. Maybe a quick jog around HQ."
Gigi nodded, almost like a meek child. Normally she would've cracked a joke like "I can burn these calories in bed, y'know, with you~" or something like it. But instead she was quiet.
Cecilia cleared her throat, setting the cup of tea down. "How's the food?" she asked.
"Um... fine, I guess," Gigi answered.
"Nothing else?"
Gigi looked down. "I mean, it tastes good. And I dunno. It was chicken."
Cecilia let out another sigh. "You can relax, Gigi. I'm not gonna bite you."
Gigi glanced up, poking her index fingers together. "But what if I want you to?"
Cecilia smiled, covering it with her hand. That was more like it. "I'll make sure to bite your hand off entirely," she said.
"Not my hand!" Gigi exclaimed. A smile formed on her face. "We've been through so much together! Like fisting things and even more fisting things!"
Cecilia groaned. "That sounds so bad out loud."
"But it's true!"
"Maybe you should stop fisting things, then."
"It's my job!"
"Get a new one."
"But then we won't be partners anymore!"
Cecilia rolled her eyes. "I can live with that."
Gigi scoffed before bursting into a giggle. The odd strand of chocolate hair fell back onto her cheek. Cecilia wanted to reach over and push it back herself.
"Thanks, Cece..." Gigi mumbled, pulling Cecilia back from her staring. "I was just a little..."
"Nervous?" Cecilia offered.
"Yeah." Gigi nodded.
"Well, I don't mind. Let's just enjoy ourselves tonight, alright?"
"Mmhm. Thanks again, Cece."
"Anytime, Gigi. Anytime.
-+-
There was a cake.
It was a small slice of burnt cheesecake, surrounded by a chocolate message saying "Happy Birthday!" and random piles of blueberries in jam. She tapped the edge of her fork on the plate.
"Gigi, why?"
The Grem in question snickered. "Gigi, why not?"
There was no fancy birthday music. The restaurant staff still milled around, tending to other customers. Earlier there had been a similar things at another table. A cake, candle, and song. But she only had the cake and candle.
"Gigi, it's not my birthday."
"They don't know that!" Gigi stage whispered, leaning almost over the table to her. "Plus it's more an anniversary cake!"
Cecilia stared flatly. "Anniversary to what?"
"Anniversary of our friendship!"
Cecilia glanced at the cake. Then the chocolate scrawl. Then back at Gigi. "I still don't see it."
"Come on, free cake! Just eat the yummy yummy cake!"
Cecilia sighed and tapped her fork again. At least there wasn't any loud singing or awkward performances.
She'd noticed Gigi whisper to one of the waiters earlier. She could guess that Gigi had requested the lack of song.
She picked up the fork and stabbed it into the pointy cake. "Well, it is what it is."
Gigi grinned. "That's the spirit!" She reached on the table but there were no other forks left. She turned around, hand already half up. "Oh, well, excuse-"
"Hey, idiot."
Cecilia held out the fork across the table. A piece of the cake was skewered on it.
Gigi turned back, throat going dry. Cecilia shook the fork in front of her, as if to say "come on."
The Grem tucked the strand of chocolate hair back, the same one she always tied up in her pigtails, and accepted the morsel with a hum.
Cecilia nodded and pulled the empty fork back. She poked another piece of cake and quickly popped it into her mouth.
She caught Gigi staring.
"What?" she asked. The smirk on her face was hidden by the fork. "Isn't it easier if we shared?"
Gigi blinked. The dusting of pink in her cheeks was by far the best thing Cecilia had seen tonight.
-+-
The cake didn't last long.
Gigi let out a quiet burp after eating the last piece. She licked her lips, pink tongue darting out before disappearing back inside. Cecilia glanced away quickly.
Her eyes landed on the bill. It was expensive, as expected of a classy restaurant like this. But it wasn't anything they couldn't afford.
Her eyes caught something else hidden between the appetizers and the meals. A price tag to the cake.
Gigi snatched it from her hands, sticking out her tongue as she pulled out her wallet. "My treat," she said with a wink.
Cecilia stared at her for a moment. At the empty plate between them. The free-but-not-really-cake. She sighed to herself, putting her face in her palm.
At least the candle was free.
-+-
They were walking.
The warm night air fluttered in her dress. It was the same strapless green dress, flowing down to her ankles, that Gigi had gotten her on that festival night. Come to think of it, Gigi was also wearing the same suit.
Down below, cars drove through the darkness. Tall lamp lights lit their paths, but otherwise it was completely black. The moon was covered behind the clouds, something Gigi had wallowed about on their drive here.
"Hey, Cece?"
Cecilia looked down. Gigi had her suit unbuttoned. The slight curve of her chest puffed out, but otherwise she was as flat as the automaton. She had one hand on a bag around her body, the other laced with Cecilia's.
"Yes, Gigi?"
"Did you..." Gigi glanced aside, at an odd looking restaurant. It had cheese wheels in the window. "Did you enjoy the night? Like, was it fun?"
"Hmm," Cecilia tilted her head back and forth. "It was pleasant."
Gigi shook her hand a little. She looked up with nervous pink eyes.
Cecilia sighed. "I... mildly enjoyed it, Gigi."
"Yay!" The Grem cheered. She bounced around, pulling Cecilia's hand along with her. "Mission success!"
"If only you were this successful on our actual missions," Cecilia scoffed, not at all bothered being dragged around like a doll.
"I am extremely; successful, excuse me! Like, super duper uper successful!"
"More like I have to bail you out every time."
"Teamwork!"
Cecilia couldn't help but smile. Gigi was grinning, bright as the sun, and tugging her down a long hallway. The mall was relatively new, so most of the stores weren't even open yet. It was only a long hallway filled with pink arches. A sign Gigi had skipped past called it "Petal Hall".
It was probably meant to be romantic. It looked like it, with all the pink and rosey lights. But all Cecilia could focus on was Gigi's smile.
She liked Gigi's smile, even if she never said it.
And that was that.
-+-
They were making their way downtown.
That's what Gigi kept singing as the radio was set to nearly the max, until Cecilia ticked it down herself.
"Walkin' fast, faces pass and I'm homebound!"
Gigi bobbed her head along to the music, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel as she overtook a gray car. It was surprisingly careful for someone who was half screaming lyrics.
Cecilia had her elbow on the armrest, chin in her palm as she stared out the window. The gray car passed by before fading into the night.
"Starin' blankly ahead," Cecilia muttered. "Just making my way. Makin' a way through the cro-o-owd."
Gigi giggled. She glanced over, setting her palm face up on the center console. Cecilia's fingers interlaced with hers as smooth as a fine tuned gear.
It wasn't any super special moment. It was just the two of them.
Cecilia caught Gigi's eye. The Grem winked back at her.
That was all she really ever needed.