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Rehersal had ended some time ago, though Agott still lingered in the studio. Tetia and Richeh had finished packing up their instruments and said their goodbyes for the night, and Coco should have been on her way home as well. After all, the buses only ran so late. Being fortunate enough to live within walking distance had its perks— no rush to head home. Only after she was the last one standing did ideas seem to flow best.
One lazy strum of her guitar melded into another, and Agott remained off to the side of the room beside the amp as she hummed under her breath.
The sound of the city outside faded into the background the longer she rehearsed, eyes closed as her fingers flew across the fretboard. Honestly, times like this should have been when her mind was at its clearest, and yet…
Coco had been looking at her all day. At first, she thought perhaps it was a coincidence. Maybe it was where she had been standing, or maybe she was just trying to be attentive, but it was undeniable. Those green eyes had been trained on her from the moment she walked through the door.
It was distracting.
Agott very nearly snapped a string as she abruptly stopped playing, her face red and her heart stammering in her chest. Damn it…
"Um, Agott?"
The guitarist stiffened and whipped her head around, nearly making herself dizzy from whiplash. "Coco?"
The green-haired girl waved shyly, her mp3 player tucked in her other hand and one earbud still in.
How long had she been listening in? More importantly, how long had she been there? The last bus ran at 9:30, and from the looks of her watch it was…right about 9:41. Agott sighed and lifted her guitar strap over her head before setting it gently aside. "What's wrong? Miss your ride?"
"Something like that, yeah." Coco smiled sheepishly as she twisted her finger around the wire of her earbuds. "I was about to start walking, but I saw the light was still on and figured I'd wait up for you."
Agott raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "…You were about to walk home? How far is that, again?"
"A few miles?" Coco said sheepishly.
"Mhm. This late at night?"
"I guess so?"
"Alone? In the rain?"
Coco's face had turned red the more she was scolded. "It's not even-" Before she could finish, thunder crackled loudly outside.
Agott scoffed with amusement and leaned against the wall beside them. "You were saying?"
"…you were gonna walk home too," Coco argued as she crossed her own arms.
"That's true, though unlike you I checked the forecast and brought an umbrella." Agott jerked her head towards the corner of the room where her bag was resting. Sure enough, a long purple umbrella was tucked against the wall as well. "Somehow I doubt you would have bothered to pack one, seeing as you usually take the same bus route as Tetia."
Coco deflated and slumped against the wall herself, sliding down until she was sitting with her knees to her chest. "Of course you remember that. Well, not much I can do about it now…the next bus won't run until morning."
Agott hummed as she thought about it. The rain was forecasted to persist well into the following day, and it would be far too expensive to spring for a ride-share app this late in the city. It was only a few blocks to her own apartment, though it would be overstepping to dare suggest she crash at her place. The only obvious solution would be… "I'll walk you home, then. My umbrella is pretty large, and I'd feel better knowing someone was walking with you."
The other girl frantically waved her hands dismissively. "No, no! I couldn't possibly ask that of you! It's way too far, and besides, it's so late! I'm the one who was too distracted and missed their bus; you shouldn't be punished for my silly mistake."
"First of all," Agott cut off her rambling with a hand on her shoulder. "Helping you isn't a punishment. As I said, I'd rest easier knowing you made it home safe."
"I'd still feel bad making you walk that far in the rain," Coco mumbled as she tucked her head into her knees.
Agott hummed as she thought about it, taking a seat beside her on the floor about a foot apart (enough distance to maintain her composure, but not so much so that it was awkward). "If you'd like, we can wait and see if the worst of it passes? It's supposed to let up around 11, but that's a good while from now. I'd hate to make you wait so long if you're tired."
"I don't mind waiting! I just don't want to make you stay any longer." Coco looked up momentarily, her expression conflicted.
The guitarist shrugged and rested her cheek in her palm. "No use walking while it's coming down like this. I was planning to spend a bit longer experimenting anyway."
Coco perked up as if Agott had just said her favorite words. "What are you working on? I heard a little from the hallway, but not all that much."
Agott exhaled sharply through her nose and smiled. So she had been eavesdropping. Cute. "Nothing in particular. Just trying to think of a chord progression to match some of the lyrics you sent us the other day."
As she spoke, Coco's eyes grew wide and sparkly. "Really? It sounded so good! Here, I was actually listening to some older songs the other day that I think have a similar sound? There's this one I heard on the radio, and these two I added to my playlist. I think they've done something cool with the drums, but I'll have to ask Tetia what she thinks. Here!" She scooted over until their shoulders were touching and held out one of her earbuds, waiting for Agott to accept it.
Oh god. The proximity, her expression, that unwavering joy in her voice— it was nearly too much. Agott covered her mouth to hide her smile as she looked away and slipped the earbud in.
Coco leaned over until her head was practically on her shoulder, holding the mp3 player between them so they both could see as she scrolled through and hit play. As the song began, Agott watched as Coco's expression moved with the melody. It was the simplest thing, and yet her earnest love for music still shone so brightly in everything she did. In a way, it was almost magic.
Rain continued to drum against the roof in a steady downpour, and the two girls remained curled up together in the corner. The glow from the small screen illuminated their faces in the darkness of the studio as the lights of the city dimmed one by one.