Working the night shift is as stressful and boring as they all say in various TV shows and magazines.
The store is too quiet, empty, and pretty much creepy. The few patrons that do come to buy stuff are either shady as hell (you know, the ones that immediately activate your fight or flight response) or completely drunk (and/or heavily medicated).
This is exactly the reason Asakura Yoh hated (if said person can actually hate something, that is) night shifts. Plus, this type of schedule pretty much disrupts his sleeping pattern, and by God does Yoh love his sleep.
Now normally, he never has the night shifts, student that he is and all, but Ryu had an emergency (something about his friend's friend's uncle being in a hospital or something) and Yoh never had a choice because his boss was practically begging him to take the shift until he relented.
But man, is he really regretting it now, what with this headache coming out of nowhere and his eyes drooping as if forcing him to sleep damn it.
He is about to take a snooze, because he deserves the break, really he does, and besides it's not like anyone with their right mind would come waltzing--
The door chimes that familiar tone and in comes someone definitely not in their right mind waltzing through the store's doors... And looking like a damn model in the catwalk at that.
Yoh gapes, throat suddenly dry, as THE Kyoyama Anna (campus beauty, resident brainiac, and famous Ice Queen) makes a beeline towards the aisles to take a can of coffee (decaf) and a pack of rice crackers. As if silently debating, she takes one good look at the can in her hand, nods to herself, and grabs another one.
By the time she is done with her midnight (actually the time reads 1:35 in the morning) groceries, Yoh is already fidgeting in his post, almost drenched in cold sweat. When Anna finally makes her way to have her items checked out, Yoh's hands shake as he takes in her purchases and his voice quivers when he tells her the exact amount she needs to pay.
Not once does he make eye contact with her though.
"Give me a sec," Anna says as she rummages her pockets for her money.
Yoh, in an act of trying to make things less awkward for him, makes a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders and says, "Don't worry, I can give you all the secs you need."
And cue the most humiliating, most nerve-wracking, silence ever known to man.
Anna actually freezes, eyes wide as saucers. A very candid look. Yoh, on the other hand, can already feel his own soul departing from the human realm, screaming the whole way to heaven about his stupid sleep-deprived brain and his stupid big mouth.
He expects a scream, a slap or two maybe, but he doesn't expect the can of coffee being shoved against his cheek.
He blinks rapidly, chancing a glance at Anna who is still pressing the can at him. Anna glares at him. He gulps.
"Take it." Anna insists, doesn't even relent until Yoh does as told. "You definitely need that."
Grabbing her stuff, she then makes a hasty exit (see: retreating), stopping by at the doors to give him a nod and a soft, "Good night, Asakura-san."
She doesn't wait for an answer. She is out of the store before Yoh can even swallow his spit.
"G-Good... Night?" Yoh mumbles as he watches her leave, then takes a long and deep relieved sigh.
It takes him five minutes to recover, another three to realize that Anna didn't exactly pay for the stuff she bought, and a full one minute to conclude that paying for her was definitely better than getting his ass kicked.
He takes another breath, looks at the can of coffee he still has in his hand, and (weirdly enough) chuckles so hard tears are pouring out of his eyes.
Because that may have been the most unpleasant situation he's been put throughout his life, but damn is it all worth it just to catch a glimpse of the famous Ice Queen unguarded (and very much cute).
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College AU (maybe?) inspired from when I went grocery shopping with my parents. My mama was telling me to hurry up, I told her "Just a few secs", and my papa gasped because "SHE SAID SEX!!!"
Then idk what happened next but I think my mama left us while me and papa were busy doing those finger-guns at each other coz Aaaayyyyyeeeee!!!!
