Chapter Text
The gas station. Not her first choice, or second, or third…though choice was a luxury for her these days. Her gigs had long since dried up and couch surfing wasn’t a sport, according to Constanze. But she had needed a second job before Constanze got tired of her. So now that she worked at a library and a gas station, she could afford an apartment she spends no time in.
Akko dropped her fidget toy (lovingly 3D-printed by Constanze), letting it clatter against the vinyl-sheeted countertop. She leaned forward in her chair and dropped her elbows on the counter, head propped up by her hands. At least it was Fall; The AC didn’t work quite right.
Her wristwatch said it was sometime past midnight (daylight savings coupled with a bad battery). The store appeared a pale-blue shade of fluorescence, with a dash of buzzing. The floor was tiled, hard on the feet—good for washing with harsh chemicals. The advertisements in a box (vending machine) washed the aisles in a mixture of stark white, red, green, and blue.
Some rando along the back of the store was currently pretending to browse the drinks, slowly making his way toward the entrance. She saw him pocketing some stuff earlier, but policy and her lack of caring about anything right now meant it was really nothing but a charade.
Instead, she let her mind meld with the harsh overhead fluorescent lighting—likely pushing way past its ‘lifetime guarantee’. If she closed her eyes it sounded like a chorus of cicadas. If she wasn’t careful she could fall asleep to this white noise.
She felt exhausted, depleted, drained, running on fumes…One of her coworkers quit recently, meaning Akko had to pick up the slack. More hours, more money, less time, less sleep, and less food. She’d always sucked at keeping her weight up, but it had been getting easier and easier to just skip meals. Like, who cared? She certainly didn’t. It took time, energy, and an appetite she didn’t have. Probably why she had a habit of dozing off.
“Akko?”
“Mmm, w-wha?” Akko mumbled, lifting her head, a headache pounding behind her eyes.
“Akko, is that you?”
That voice…
Akko rubbed her eyes and blinked the sleepy haze from them, immediately wishing she hadn’t.
Diana Cavendish. The Diana Cavendish, stood right in front of her, iced coffee in hand. The girl who she had hated for some time then had a mad crush on. Then…she went away to medschool. Okay Akko, just pretend you’re someone else and she’ll go away. Yeah. Improv, don’t fail me now.
“Nope, no Akko here. Name’s Ahhhhh—Vivian! My name’s Vivian,” Akko stuttered out and only managed a nervous smile. She wanted to slap herself after literally almost saying her name. God she was tired.
Diana quirked an eyebrow. “Right. And I’m Amanda.”
“Tsk, now that’s funny.” Akko failed to hold it in and cracked a genuine smile, sharply exhaling in amusement.
Diana’s face shifted to concern. “Akko?”
Akko swapped her amusement for a neutral one and a passive tone. “Is that all?” she asked, keeping her hands clasped to prevent them from fidgeting.
“Sorry?”
“The Iced coffee. Is that all you’ll be buying tonight?”
“Are you trying to ask me to leave?”
“Do you care?”
Diana narrowed her eyes, looking Akko up and down. “I did. I do.”
Her breath caught. She became increasingly aware of her heart and lungs as they seemed to call for oxygen, louder and louder. Demanding for the inevitable. That she’d cave and give them what they wanted. “You do?”
“I never stopped,” Diana said as softly as her expression looked. Her features softened the same way marshmallows melted into hot chocolate. And Akko felt just like the warm drink was currently cascading down her internal pathways. But then she felt the sugary guilt stab her in the gut.
Akko pulled away from Diana’s encroaching hand, too quickly. Akko closed her eyes rather than looking at Diana’s reaction. “I-I’m sorry. I can’t.”
“Hmm? You can’t sell me this iced coffee?” Diana asked in such a stoic manner that it threw her off.
Akko opened her eyes to a confused Diana, then laughed, unrestrained until her chest hurt. The joy overwhelmed her frayed nerves, senses somehow finding the energy to sharpen and take in all that Diana was—smiling fondly in a way that could only inspire disbelief in her. Now she couldn’t remember why she wanted to throw Diana out just a second ago. Akko pouted, “you’re not playing fair.”
Diana smirked. “Takes one to know one.”
Akko let out an exasperated breath, trying in vain to flatten her frizzy, greasy hair. “Why are you really here, Diana?”
Diana raised an eyebrow, still smiling. “I wanted an iced coffee? Bumping into you was a delightful coincidence. Now I want you back in my life,” Diana said like she hadn’t once again knocked the air out of Akko’s lungs. Diana pulled out her phone and handed it to her, a ‘new contact’ page staring up at her.
Akko sighed. “Diana, I can’t. I—”
“For heaven’s sake, Akko. I won’t leave until you put your damn number in my phone.”
Stunned at Diana’s cursing, she entered her number and handed the phone back to her.
“Thank you,” Diana said, slotting the phone back into her purse. “Now, as great as it was seeing you again, Akko, I must be on my way.” Diana gave a little wave and an accompanying smile, leaving before Akko could say anything in return. As if she could’ve, because fuck…
“What the fuck just happened?”