Work Text:
Cassell's Music is a good place for a first job. The payment is decent, there's a lot of buses and a metro stop near - you can even request a parking slot! The owner, Sarah's dad, is a kind mind who treats his younger employees as kids of his own. Also, it being an old music shop, there isn't a lot of entitled customers, those are a rare occasion rather than the norm; in contrast to other public-facing jobs.
Sarah's dad is the one managing those, and its always funny seeing the customers lose their patience with him. That man is the real definition of rage-baiting.
So, in conclusion - Nikki really likes this job. She doesn't want it to be the job of her life, she is thinking of quitting in a few months after saving up a little more so she can focus on writing her novel and try to be a full time writer. Her dads are more than willing to support her; they have told her she could quit at any moment, but Nikki doesn't want to be fully dependant on them, after all they have already done for her.
She also has her friends as coworkers. Sarah has been her best friend since Nikki and Simon moved from Phoenix to San Francisco, they instantly clicked together when they were eight and have been together since. Ian went to the same high school as them, but the three only became friends when they started university, as they all had to take the same train. Ian and her had a rough months almost a year ago, but Nikki thinks they have worked through it and its all in the past.
Bear was the last addition to the group. He moved to San Francisco to live with her grandmother and do his last year of university here, and started working at the music shop a few months after the friend group started working there too. Nikki thought of him as another brother - Bryan jokes about being jealous of Nikki choosing another brother - even if she had knew for the past few weeks of the growing crush Bear had on her. She would wait until Bear said something to politely reject him; or if it got too weird and uncomfortable, she would comfort his friend directly.
They usually meet after work a few times a week. More often than not someone always can't go, unless is their weekly game night.
Tonight is a rare occasion where the four of them are going out. They have planned to go to a pizzeria at the city center and then stay at a park near there.
Nikki and Sarah were in charge of closing the store, Ian and Bear finished their shift early today, so they would arrive anytime soon and one of them would give the other three a ride to the pizzeria.
"I'm gonna call my dad to let him know we're finished at the store." Nikki says turning on her phone.
"Ok, I'll leave the store keys on my house while we wait for the boys. You know i just have to cross the street" Sarah says as she starts to walk away, Nikki gives her a thumbs up while the call starts.
She doesn't have to wait too long, Grace picks the phone at the second ring.
"Hi dad! Me and Sarah have already finished work, we're gonna go eat dinner now. Just letting you know"
"Thanks for letting me know. I'm already home and your appa should arrive soon, if you need anything don't be scared to let us know" Nikki can only smile at his dad concerns.
"I'll be fine. You two should focus on having a romantic dinner while lil bro and I are outside."
"He told me he's picking you up right? I don't want you coming home alone so late at night, Si and me can pick you up too no matter the hour"
"Yes dad he is picking me up, he knows where we're gonna be, stop worrying too much or you'll get more gray hairs-" she can hear his dad gasp "- I have to hang up, Sarah is back and I can see the boys' car. See ya' "
The moment Nikki hangs up, the car parks in front of her, Sarah stands at her side seconds later. A moment later, the four of them set off to the pizzeria.
Bryan finishes his last delivery of the night at 2 am. He has been talking to Michelle until moments ago, she fell asleep and Bryan hung up when he was sure she wasn't waking up.
They have been talking when Michelle would come for dinner at his house and what would she like to eat. His dads really liked Michelle, and his girlfriend has expressed the same towards them too, and she and his sister got extremely well; Bryan couldn't ask for more, he didn't want to fuck everything up with her, she really was the love of her life.
It was a scary thought, really, he sometimes still felt like a young teenager stuck in an adult body.
A few blocks away from where Bryan and his sister agreed to met, Bryan called Nikki to confirm she was where she said.
And that everything had gone correctly, he couldn't help the feeling of paranoia. He works late at night, he has seen a lot of things - He vividly remembers threatening a guy who was trying to approach a girl while she shouted at the guy to stay away. Bryan stayed with the girl waiting for the police to arrive.
Nikki picks up the phone a moment later, Bryan can hear her laugh and joke with her friends before turning her attention to the phone. "Are you here already? Should I go somewhere?"
"I'm like - 5 minutes away or something, just go to the entrance and I'll pick you up" Bryan can hear Sarah's voice at a distance, she's telling Nikki something, and she laughs again.
"You have a perfect timing little brother, Sarah's dad has just arrived too. Everyone is going home now."
"Being on time is part of my work. More or less"
5 minutes later, Nikki is saying goodbye to everyone and getting in the car.
Nikki adjusts herself on the car while Bryan drives towards their house. There's no traffic, so they should arrive in like 25 minutes easy, but he is sure both their dads are asleep by now; they'll have to be quiet as to not wake them up.
The siblings start talking about nothing, commenting what bullshit the radio is putting at this hour, before Bryan remembers he hasn't told Nikki about what Michelle and him were talking about.
"Michelle is coming? That's amazing! We both can team up against you like last time, and appa would make even more perfect food. I'll have to thank her"
"I don't fucking appreciate that you and my girlfriend team up - very unfair by the way - against me, you know? I hate you so much." Bryan laughs, eyes at the road.
"Don't say that, stupid raccoon, you love both of us and you know it" Nikki kicks his brother's arm, not strong enough to mess with his driving.
"Ugh… I do love you, sadly" His eyes soften before talking again. "… and I love Michelle too. Gosh is that pathetic to say? tell me it's not" Bryan can sense his face start to blush, and he is glad there's not enough light for Nikki to see it.
Nikki, even if she can't see it, definitely knows it. "not at all, I think its very cutesy" she teases her brother before continuing. "You really love her, uh?"
Bryan smiles without thinking. "Yeah… she is just… amazing. Nobody is perfect but - but I feel she is so close to perfection… and I know that's because im head over heels for her, but even when she messes up my heart is still so full of love and appreciation for her." Bryan giggles. "And I just, wanna hold her hand and walk through all the hardships in life, you know? Even if I'm scared of all this changes of adult life and about fucking messing it up with her - because I can be a scared bitch sometimes -… This is embarrassing please make me shut the fuck up" He covers his face with one hand, glad there's a red traffic light now.
"What a strong declaration. But you will never win against dad and appa's one" and Bryan takes that comment as what is it, a compliment.
"Shut up you too." he gives back the hit that Nikki gave him moments back. "Any knight with shining armor that has conquered your heart?"
"Ew, no, don't gross me out like that"
"You were the one that said it first. And besides, you said your book was about love"
"Yeah but… you don't get it. I need to feel the kind of love I want to write about; the kind of love dad and appa feel for each other"
"Something hard to wish for, their shitty love is unique in every way"
"I know, their love is…. They went through a lot together and on their own… a connection so hard to explain…" Nikki looks outside the window, not stopping the urge to play with her hands to get the point across.
"It's not just about the romance, right?"
"It's about everything else"
They both stay silent after that, and without looking at the other, they know both of them are smiling.
Bryan speaks again the moment he parks the car.
"Hey Nikki" the girl move her eyes away from the window. "I love the everything else about you"
And Nikki can only bursts laughing.
"That's worded so wrong, dork"
"Yeah yeah, you fucking brat"
"I love 'everything else' about you too. Bastard"
They look fondly at each other for a few more seconds before leaving the car and entering the apartment building.
Just as they both predicted, their parents are nowhere to be seen around the living room, and all the lights are off. The (not anymore) kids scramble around the house doing as little sound as possible.
They can see two plates covered. Leftovers from their dads, the siblings are sure; just in case they were hungry when they arrived. There's a sticky note on each plate with their names and a little heart
But sometimes they have to fight against the chuckles and giggles that spur as they push and mess with each other's balance. Both are grateful their appa doesn't appear to scold them for all the noise.
They say their good nights, and close the door of their respective bedrooms; getting ready for a very needed and deserved sleep.