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Robin had strewn herself across the couch like a lazy cat, toying with an old Nintendo DS. She hadn't moved in hours, bored and almost irritated by the cosy yellow light in the corner.
Days like this, the comfort of the couch felt more like a vacuum trying to suck her into a dark, depressing void where all she had left was the memories of everything that went wrong—
And the stench of that dumpster way back then.
Step, step, step.
She could hear the careful feet of her tiny, human companion.
Lifting her head out of sheer curiosity, and slight agitation still, Robin narrowed her eyes into thin, crimson slits, watching Valencia stumble into the room.
Her skirt was long. Too long. Annoyingly long.
It made her look adorable in ways that served to agitate Robin further.
"Where are you going now?" Robin complained, abandoning the DS entirely. She didn't even understand how to play it anyway—
Valencia met her gaze, blinking. "Oh…" she stammered in a small, quiet voice. "Just heading out."
"... Out? Out? I need more information than 'out' you know."
Valencia blinked back at her, a little dumbfounded for half a second.
Robin wrapped her fingers around the back of the couch, the corner of her lip twitching into a smirk as those big, doughy black eyes met hers.
"I'm just…heading out," Valencia mumbled again, forcing her feet into some sweet, strap-laced black shoes that made her seem even tinier in Robin's eyes.
Pushing herself up from the sofa, feeling her emotional slump disintegrate into sheer curiosity, Robin dragged herself to the living-room doorway.
Right when Valencia was about to walk through, Robin pretended to lift her arms into a stretch, false-yawning loudly just to be that much more irritating, bringing her wings outward to span the entire door and block Valencia's exit.
"So, am I invited to 'out' with you?" Robin grinned from ear to ear.
Valencia's shoulders fell, and she released a heavy sigh. "I'm going to the store. But yes—" she shook her head. "You can come."
Practically beaming, Robin retracted her wings, leaving a single, white feather to fall directly onto Valencia's hairline before darting off to find something.
Left waiting, her eyes flickering back and forth to the clock on the wall, Valencia must have checked her bag ten times before Robin arrived back at her side, clutching a tiny, malformed plushy in her grasp.
Honestly? It wasn't terrible. Certainly wasn't great either.
It was Valencia. Tufts of felt had been glued together, starting with a mousy-brown at the top, connecting to an awkwardly cut piece of pink, before falling to a blonde piece at the bottom.
Across the head of the plushy sat a huge black stitch, and a set of huge googly eyes that used to give Valencia nightmares at first.
The thought was absurd. But, when a small chuckle escaped her lips, Valencia vanished to her room before reappearing with her own plushy of Robin.
Much higher quality, it practically looked exactly like her! Even the charcoal-grey jacket was cut below her ribs, with the collar stitched in place perfectly.
Valencia placed the plushy at the top of her bag, safe enough to not lose it, but high enough to be seen.
From the other side of the apartment, a deep WOOF resounded, and in bounded Sheryl. She rushed straight to Valencia's skirt, tangling against the striped fabric, rubbing against her high-knee white socks like an oversized cat.
Robin felt an involuntary huff escape her lips as she watched Valencia's gaze soften and her hands reach down to scratch behind the pointed pyramid of an ear.
When seconds of petting stretched into minutes, Robin folded her arms, glancing at the clock on the wall instead. "She stared at me earlier. Unblinking. I'm telling you…that dog knows I used to be middle-management in Paradise, and she definitely doesn't respect my authority."
Valencia kept scratching behind the dog's ears. "Sheryl likes you; she only stares at things she wants to keep."
Robin bristled slightly, sucking on the inside of her cheek while studying the doberman like an alien entity. "You know…I used to have celestial guardians lined up just to take bullet-points on my orders. Now, my literal saviour is a hound who licks his own nose and eats garbage off the floor."
She leaned down, whispering dramatically right against the panting dog's ear: "I'm holding you personally responsible for my current standard of living."
Her gaze flicked up to where Valencia stared down at her. Valencia said nothing, but Robin could see the way her eyes softened.
"Honestly though?" Robin continued, giving the dog one single pat on the head. "Best rescue team I ever had."
Robin pushed herself to her feet, sighing. "Okay, so where are we headed, Val?"
For a quiet girl, Valencia sure had a lot of trinkets on the keys she pulled from her skirt pocket. As the front door was unlocked, Robin found herself quietly transfixed on the various keychains and keys jangling against the wooden frame.
"Just to get some groceries," Valencia reminded her, stepping slightly aside so that Robin could squeeze past and linger in the hallway while the door was locked.
"Groceries? Val, you work in your parents'…grocery shop," Robin internally winced, realizing she couldn't even recall what a human store officially was.
They marched down the winding stairs of the apartment complex in sync.
"Supermarket," Valencia uttered softly, her shoes clicking a steady rhythm against the concrete steps.
"Right, supermarket," Robin echoed, rolling the word from her mouth like it tasted strange. "Because obviously regular markets simply weren't super enough. Look at you all, inventing grand titles for places that sell bread."
Valencia didn't turn, but her shoulders gave a subtle shrug. "I also need to pick up some more socks. And coffee."
"Aha, a legendary quest for beans and footwear. Lead the way!"
Valencia pushed open the heavy glass exit door, stepping into the cool air of an autumnal night. As they stood there, waiting for Valencia's gaze to decide which direction to travel in, an old sedan zoomed past blasting Uptown Funk from its blown-out car speakers.
The brassy trumpets and heavy bass rattled the rusted trunk, and Robin immediately reached to cover both ears from the 'messy human noise.'
Valencia spun on her heel, walking into a new direction, forcing Robin to follow while gritting her teeth.
Valencia seemed completely immune to her surroundings. When a man walked by, his face illuminated by the blue glow of his iPhone 6, concealed in tangled, white earphones like a mummy, Robin recoiled slightly.
"I swear, mortal music gets louder and dumber every decade," Robin grumbled, finally removing her hands from her head. "Whatever happened to harps? A nice, soothing lute? Why does everything have to…sound like a tractor falling down the stairs?!"
Valencia didn't blink, her eyes lingering on the glow of a flickering streetlamp across the road. "It's catchy."
"It's stupid," Robin complained. "Why are we going this way? Your parents' store is that way," she nodded behind them both.
"The register at my parents' place buzzes every time someone scans a card. I thought you'd want to stop somewhere quieter," Valencia said plainly.
Robin paused for half a second, her teasing smile softening into something genuine before she quickly masked it with a light chuckle. "Look at you! Keeping track of my divine sensibilities. You really are an angel, are you?"
"No," Valencia clutched at her skirt, bringing it higher as she navigated down a set of steps. "That's your job."
Walking down the main street, Robin couldn't help but pause completely in front of a faded, tearing poster of Chris Pratt surrounded by velociraptors.
"Is that supposed to be a dinosaur?! Please." She scoffed, smirking at Valencia. "They had way more feathers. God spent four whole days on the plumage alone, and you humans turn them into giant scaly lizards for cheap entertainment!"
Valencia stared at the poster, deadpan, then up at Robin with a quiet curiosity. "You saw them?"
"I ruled heaven, Val," Robin closed her eyes, puffing out her chest to boast. "I had a front row seat to the Cretaceous period. And, frankly… that meteor was a mercy."
Valencia's deadpan expression sharpened with morbid realization before falling back into that straight line she constantly wore, turning without another word to walk on.
"Hey! Didn't you hear? I said I saw them, Val!" Robin's voice echoed through the city streets as she caught up to her with hurried steps.
The smell of cheap curry and the steam from drains wafted over the two girls, signalling that they were now deep in the city. The pavements began to splinter beneath the order of a thousand footfalls daily, and the light from store windows pooled out onto the sidewalk, bathing both Valencia and Robin in a golden light.
Valencia paused her walking, turning to find Robin staring into the window of a simple clothing store. There were three mannequins set up in the window, each wearing an equally fashionable statement piece, designed to draw customers in.
Instead of looking at the fabrics, Robin had uncurled her arms from her sides, staring at her fingers glowing against the gold.
Robin stayed there for a long, lasting moment, slowly turning her hand against the artificial light. Her usual smirk dimming into something quieter, filled with longing.
When Valencia stepped to her side, reaching into her bag, Robin slowly retracted her hands, acting like that had never even happened. Then, gently placed in front of her, Valencia held out the two plushies.
Robin's crimson gaze flickered from the plushies to Valencia and back, finally reaching for the superior 'Valencia plushy' before squeezing it tight to her side— and then her chest when Valencia turned to walk ahead.
Valencia slowed, matching her pace to Robin's wounded stumbling, her eyes flicking onto the taller woman.
Robin noticed.
"I used to command the actual sun, Val," Robin reminisced, her expression scrunching beneath a large, green illuminated cross beside a pharmacy. Covering her head as she walked past it, she shook her head: "Now I'm getting burnt by a discount star while walking past a trash can. The disrespect is actually unreal."
As they continued on, the city only continued to grow.
The roads became choked with the sharp tang of fuel in the air, and the roads were consumed by a blockade of endless cars honking at one another. Flashing signs boldly controlled the narrative at every inch of every street. And when Robin tried walking, or focusing on her plushy, a thousand shoulder-blades were just as ready to crash into hers.
"Watch it!" A man scoffed in her face.
Robin blinked, her eyes set on a short, plump, bald man stuffing a cigarette between his yellowing teeth. Astonished by the sheer audacity of this random guy in a cheap suit, she made a dramatic show of clutching her heart, leaning heavily into Valencia's side like a Victorian lady fainting on a couch.
"Did you hear that, Val? The audacity! The absolute nerve!" Robin gasped out loud, letting her shoulder press warm against Valencia's. "I'm being bossed around by a guy who looks like he buys his ties at a gas station."
Robin scrunched her face, urging her chest out in the direction of the fleeing, irritated man: "SHRIMP!"
Valencia quickly wrapped her fingers around Robin's wrist, slowly sliding her digits against hers. "He was in a hurry," she soothed quietly.
Robin's eyes flickered from the disappearing man to Valencia, her head whipping back and forth with a desperate uncertainty, before finally settling on Valencia with a frustrated betrayal. "I don't care if he was running from a dragon, he disrespected us," Robin grumbled, though she conveniently forgot to stop leaning on Valencia as they kept walking. "You should have tripped him with your bag, Val. Defend my honour and all that!"
"I need my bag for the socks," Valencia replied smoothly.
Robin released a puff of air with finality, blowing off steam. But when Valencia's softened gaze momentarily met hers, the tension in Robin's shoulders began to evaporate.
They kept moving onwards, hand in hand, before Valencia's quiet voice spoke: "So, did you see dragons?"
"Dragons!" Robin roared in triumph, completely forgetting her surroundings. "Oh, I have to tell you about this!"
***
"...and that is exactly why Michael isn't allowed anywhere near the reptilian realm anymore," Robin concluded solemnly, matching Valencia's slowing pace down a quieter corner of the city.
"He sounds reckless," Valencia answered with a tiny nod.
"He's an idiot," Robin corrected smoothly, looking behind Valencia.
They had stopped outside of a weathered, old-looking building. It was painted an off-green. The kind of green that looked like pond water, but only after a long summer's day had forced the algae to become completely rancid.
The sign on the door said 'GOODLIFE THRIFT STORE' in bold yellow letters— though the 'T' was missing.
Robin grinned at Valencia, teeth bared, a wicked glint in her eye. "So…what are we doing at the GoodLife Thrift Sore?"
Valencia looked around the street, noticing only one straggler. "It's quiet here," she murmured. "We can get you some clothes."
"Pfft. Clothes? I have clothes," Robin boasted.
Valencia didn't answer, pushing the wooden door open with a deafening creak, listening to the brass bell above give a simple, friendly chime as she dragged Robin out of the city noise and into the quiet sanctuary of the store.
The air here was instantly different. Everything smelled like old wool, lavender detergent and aged paper. The entrance was surrounded by rusting white shelves that were completely laden with unwanted trinkets.
Dolls with rotting faces, glasses and vases smeared with age, picture frames with forgotten relatives. Wall to wall was completely lined by things that many would call junk, but Robin was already letting out a long, heavy sigh of relief as the residual buzz from the traffic finally faded from her skull.
While Valencia was busy studying a vase engraved with a stranger's face— an elderly woman staring back at her in a grainy photograph— Robin stepped closer, playfully nudging her shoulder with her own.
"Hey, she didn't get into heaven."
Valencia looked back at Robin, completely mortified.
"I was kidding!" Robin laughed, earning a look from the worker who was slouching behind a desk with a huge fan drafting heavy gusts against her skin. "(Sorry, sorry!)"
With a disapproving huff, Valencia wrapped her fingers around Robin's wrist, dragging her through the aisle and deeper into the store. Robin unwittingly found her eyes blown wide, glancing between the shelves with expectancy to hear CRASH, BANG, WALLOP, of her wings smashing into everything.
Even with her wings entirely retracted, her back felt oddly heavy. The sensation didn't last throughout every second of her existence, only in moments like this, where she expected herself to feel them.
A tingle ran up her spine, and Robin subconsciously urged her frame sideways, trying to avoid the fragile glasses and items, despite her frame being nowhere near touching them.
She glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see a flurry of white feathers before something would fall and smash to the ground. She expected to feel the slight tap against the bone of her wing, but all she felt was air. Cold, cruel, weightless air.
Coming to the end of an aisle that split into three ways, Valencia paused for a very brief second, before pulling Robin into the widest aisle. The gesture didn't go unnoticed. Robin just didn't know how to voice it with a ruthless, wrinkling shopkeeper breathing down her neck.
Phantom sense sucked at the best of times…
Pulled to the back half of the store— that felt more like a decrepit warehouse the deeper they went— Valencia simply wanted to find a safe space for Robin to cool down before their walk to the grocery store.
Instead, seeing an endless maze of clothing staring back at her, Robin immediately lost her mind.
She scurried over to a mountain of purple fur staring back at her, nearly sending the entire coat rack flying to the floor, she snatched the hanger so fast. In her hands dangled a hideous, furry, purple jacket.
It was the non-human equivalent of dreadlocks. An old head of a mop that had been dyed purple in some horrific nuclear waste accident. Yet Robin was grinning at it like a prized trophy, stepping closer to Valencia who shrunk beneath its brightness.
"You're trying this on," Robin beamed, ecstatic.
Valencia, immediately regretting her decision to come here, stared at the monstrosity of a garment, before meeting Robin's gaze. "Uh— no thanks."
"What?" Robin whined, lowering the coat against her hip. "Why not?
"It's just…" Valencia blinked. "Purple. Very, very, purple."
Robin glanced at the garment again, before pinning it against Valencia's body. "Come on, just try it on. What harm could that do?"
With possibly the heaviest sigh in her life, Valencia extended her arms, allowing Robin to place the coat over her frame. As expected, it swamped her, making her feel like a prey animal being swamped in heavy pelts.
For an autumnal day, the item was… manageable. In the summer? It would have been like a sauna to Valencia.
The interior lining was a sheer, plastic type of consistency. It reeked of old sweat, making Valencia shudder. And when she moved, she could feel the weathered, old tassels of coagulated purple muck dance against her wrists, causing her to shudder.
Robin opened her mouth to applaud her own efforts, before her head snapped to the corner, where a mannequin was helplessly pinned beneath a gigantic, floppy brown hat.
A gasp tore from Robin's throat as she bound across the length of the store, snatching it up, looking at it like it was the winning lottery ticket before dumping it unceremoniously onto Valencia's head.
It sank slightly down her forehead, leaving Valencia as little more than a nose, lips and a huge pile of purple fluff.
Then, catching sight of a pair of leggings, Robin tore back down the length of the store, completely oblivious through her excitement now to the shopkeeper shaking her head, studying them like they might just swipe ten coats in their tiny backpack before leaving— somehow.
When Valencia finally tipped her hat back, feeling like a bootlegged cowboy, Robin was standing before her, holding up a neon-green pair of leggings. "Look me in the eye, Valencia, and tell me that this isn't high fashion. You'd dominate every aisle in this entire city!"
Starting completely deadpan at the garment, Valencia replied: "It hurts my eyes…"
"That is called impact, Val."
To add insult to an unintended injury, Robin dragged Valencia towards the changing room, much to the horror of the shopkeeper who was now entirely convinced they were here to steal, forcing her in front of a dust-coated, smeared wall mirror.
"So?" Robin beamed, placing her hands on her hips. "What do you think? It's very stylish for a mortal in this year, right?"
Valencia stared at herself in horror, blowing off steam. A single purple strand shuddered against her collarbone.
"It's…definitely something."
Robin practically squealed in delight, clenching her hands around Valencia's shoulders, giving them a squeeze. "What would you do without me? You're so lucky I'm here to save your wardrobe, Val."
Valencia removed the hat, abandoning it on the coat-peg on the wall behind. "How about you, though? Do you want any clothes?"
Robin waved her hand dismissively. "I don't need any silly mortal clothes to feel powerful! I already have everything I need."
Valencia slumped the purple coat from her shoulders, silently extending it as a prompt for Robin, who immediately pushed it away like the plague.
The nerve! Valencia thought fondly, but she didn't stay to argue. Instead, she moved to the open aisles again, quietly sifting through clothes before eventually pulling something out.
It was a simple charcoal knit cardigan. Zero graphics. Just quiet, comfortable stitching.
She flipped the fabric against her stomach, reaching for the label, reading: 100% cotton.
Quiet, as always, Valencia crept up to Robin, who was still desperately searching through the coat rack for an even more extravagant jacket.
The second Robin noticed the garment in Valencia's hands, an amused, yet soft, smile crept across her face.
"Oh, you're not bringing that to me, for me, are you?"
Valencia nodded. "It's nice."
"Val, it's a used piece of blackness."
Valencia said nothing, standing still like a small, polite statue, until Robin finally relented and took it from her.
Robin was only wearing her crop top beneath her jacket anyway, making the ordeal all that more smoother as she stripped her jacket off, and slipped the jumper over her head.
The effect was instantaneous.
The ache in her back. The phantom sense of believing her wings were outstretched. It all immediately settled into a soothed, soft, state of comfort.
"This is…" Robin uttered, marching back to the changing room mirror, tugging the fabric further down her stomach. "This is…nice, yeah. I like it."
Her eyes moved to where Valencia joined her in the small space, lingering.
A few months ago, she was an all-powerful Seraphim ruling Heaven, now she was standing in a smelly thrift store, wearing a thrifted jacket, next to a quiet human girl who had pulled her out of a dumpster with a doberman that took her seat and crushed her head while she slept…
And yet, instead of feeling miserable about her fall, she felt remarkably safe.
Of course, that wave of internal warmth had to be immediately smothered.
Robin turned, shaking her head with a bright grin on her face. Barely out of view, the shopkeeper was rising on her toes, desperately trying to watch what the two girls were doing in there.
"So," Robin smirked, nodding at the shopkeeper so that Valencia looked her way too. "Do we make out now? Or…smash the mirror? What are we thinking?"
Valencia closed her eyes, stepping out of the changing room to head towards the counter with Robin trailing behind.
"Hey, um…you're helping me buy this, right, Val?"
"You're unemployed, Robin."
"Ouch…straight for the throat!"
They stepped to the counter, where the woman stared down her nose at the two of them. "I hope you found everything you were looking for?"
Robin opened her mouth to reply. Most likely a witty joke about 'finding what she needed' in the changing room, just to piss the shopkeeper off, while also leaving it ambiguous about whether she meant stolen goods or Valencia, but before she could even breathe a word, Valencia was handing over some paper notes.
"Yes, thank you," Valencia uttered.
The shopkeeper began ringing up the total, giving Robin a chance to lean her weight against the counter. "Take good care of those paper slips, Ma'am. They carry the divine favour of a former celestial being."
The elderly woman stared at Robin, refusing to blink, before handing over Valencia's change with a disapproving shake of her head at the 'failed joke.'
The two girls stepped out into the cool air again, with Robin's new jumper tucked safely in Valencia's bag, they began heading to their final stop for the night.
***
Ding, Ding!
The glass door slid open automatically as both girls stepped into a quiet, pristine white store.
The pungent scent of vegetables and fruits hit them first, seeming a little less brutal than the overbearing clinical lights overhead.
Valencia bent down, grabbing a small, green, plastic basket before rising to full height, stepping towards the small clothing section of the supermarket.
"Remind me why we're not going to your family's 'super' market?" Robin bristled. "You get a family discount, they sell those delicious…chocolate…things—"
"Donuts."
"Yes, donuts!"
Valencia stopped at a small rack of socks and underwear neatly hanging on display. Each one had a large, red square sticker with SALE written over.
"Because of the sale," Valencia murmured, mainly to herself, while putting some simple, plain black socks into the bottom of her basket.
"Because of the sale," Robin echoed, rolling her eyes. "If this is because of me, it's fine! We can go to your families… 'super' market!"
Valencia ignored her for the most part, placing one more pair of socks into her basket before navigating towards the coffee and tea aisle, breathing in the earthy scent of tea-leaves before stopping still to find her normal brand.
Robin, taller and slightly annoyed now, instantly located the usual, red, round tin, snatching it from the top shelf before dropping it into the basket.
Valencia turned, sighing as she met Robin's gaze.
"Because the last time we went there, you looked like you were scared of the ice-machine."
Wide-eyed, Robin was struck with deep, awkward shame, before blowing off steam loudly. "Scared? Are you kidding? I was just…just confused!"
When Valencia sent her a tiny, comforting smile, Robin decided she needed to immediately be back in charge of this situation. So, seeing as the store was entirely empty, she marched up to the snack section just at the end of this current aisle, snatching a packet from the shelf.
There, she held up a bright blue bag of chips like they were a divine artifact. "If I eat these 'Cool Ranch' triangles, do you think that my divine light will come back…or do I just get diabetes?"
She paused, before lifting the chips higher. "We must test this for science!"
With quiet steps, Valencia approached, taking the bag. Her dark eyes scanned the ingredients before placing it back on the shelf, rounding a corner before returning with a box of four chocolate donuts.
"We came for coffee and socks. But you can have these."
Robin gasped, clutching the donuts to her chest. "Val…you quiet, beautiful tyrant. I take back everything I said about your keychain collection yesterday."
With Robin now pacified, they began heading to the checkouts, allowing Robin to breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of a self-serving unit.
Before they could make it, an unfamiliar voice piped up:
"Valencia?"
Both girls stopped, looking to where a young man was kneeling with a rag and some multi-purpose spray beside a lower stack of shelves. He was wearing a green apron, and a bright, comforting smile on his face.
He rose to his feet. "Yeah, it is you! Haven't seen you around this store in a while," he cheered, coming closer, abandoning his cleaning duty,
"There was a sale," Valencia muttered.
Robin instantly shifted, leaning into the conversation, grinning sharply. "That's right. We are on a very high-stakes mission. Beans, footwear and— apparently— my personal safety. So, if you'll excuse us…"
The young man blinked awkwardly, before completely bypassing what Robin had just said.
"Yeah, it's a fairly decent sale," the man chuckled, his badge reading: TOM.
"So, how is your family store doing? What have you been up to?" he continued.
"They're good. Just like always…" Valencia replied plainly.
Robin wasn't used to being brushed aside, and especially not by a mortal in an apron. So, naturally, her arm found its way to drape lazily across Valencia's shoulders.
"That's…great," Tom nodded, leaning casually against an end-cap display. "You know, we should catch up sometime! Maybe—"
"Oh, Tom," Robin purred, her voice laced with theatrical sweetness. "That is so sweet of you, truly. But her schedule is strictly booked. Full-time duties managing her household, her dog and her local celestial deity."
Tom blinked. "Her…what?"
"Her roommate," Valencia corrected. "We have to go now. The donuts are melting."
"They're…not even frozen?" Tom stammered.
"They are very delicate," Robin snapped smoothly, steering Valencia down the aisle with a victorious grin. "Lovely chat, Tommy. Keep up the good work!"
As they turned the corner toward the registers, out of Tom's line of sight, Robin finally let her arm drop and turned from the machine as Valencia began scanning the items.
"That was my old middle school lab partner," Valencia mumbled, not really bothered.
"He had shifty eyes, Val," Robin grumbled, clutching her plushy closer to her side before clipping it onto the chain around her waist. "And he was eyeballing the donuts. I couldn't risk it."
Valencia let out a quiet puff of air— the closest she got to a laugh out in public. "Right. The donuts."
***
Stepping out into the autumnal air for a final time tonight, Valencia carried the bag of socks, Robin's new jumper and her coffee, while Robin clutched the donuts against her chest like a lifeline.
The cars had slowed, and the city air turned oddly fresh as night began rolling in.
"I had fun, Val," Robin suddenly murmured. "...Thanks."
"You're welcome," Valencia replied, keeping her eyes ahead on the road home.
"So, what shall we do when we get home? You have work tomorrow, right?" Robin asked.
Valencia nodded.
"I have to walk Sheryl before anything else—"
Robin let out an exaggerated groan.
"But you can stay and eat your donuts while I'm out," Valencia added, and the taller woman immediately stopped complaining.
"Then…?" Robin asked. "I'm thinking…awful, mortal comedy movie while you drink your bean drink and I complain about having no donuts left?"
"Deal."
Seeing Robin rolling her shoulder blades back, releasing short, angry puffs of air from back pain, Valencia silently slipped her cool, quiet hand against Robin's arm, feeling Robin shift the donuts beneath her other arm before Robin accepted her hand back at her side.
"You know…even with the cars, the yellow-toothed shrimp and the buzzing register…the mortal realm isn't half bad," Robin mused.
"Because of the donuts?" Valencia asked.
Smirking down at her, her thumb gently tracing Valencia's knuckles, Robin laughed. "Because of the rescue team, Val. Mostly the rescue team."