A/N: For superstarultra's birthday! SHIT I DON'T EVEN HAVE AN EXCUSE FOR HOW LATE THIS IS I'M JUST REALLY SORRY OKAY /BRICKED
This is set in the same universe as Growing Pains and features our sweet AU lovebirds Ryoko and Kyon! Lets see what kind of mischief they'll be getting into this time.
After Hours
"It's been a while since we were on cleaning duty together," Ryoko Asakura mused as she began wiping down the windows with a small cloth. From the other side of the room, Kyon sighed.
"Not since elementary school, huh?"
The two had been sharing the same classes from a young age but fate hadn't partnered them up for class cleaning duties since the fifth grade. It felt a lot easier to talk, Ryoko realised, when Kunikida and Suzumiya weren't hanging around as well.
"I recall you were never all that helpful," Kyon remarked, erasing the chalk from the blackboard. "I was always the one sweeping the floor and cleaning the windows while you sat back and took all of the credit."
"I told jokes and cheered you on! I was your motivation!" Ryoko defended.
"Yeah, yeah. Tell me another." He glanced at her. "I'm not even convinced you can run a vacuum cleaner around by yourself."
"Honestly. How many years ago was that? I'm not a child anymore. I'm more than capable of cleaning. I clean my apartment all the time! You're the one who messes the place up whenever you come round!"
As she wrung out the cloth and examined the room, satisfied they'd done enough for the day, Kyon raised his eyebrows.
"There's still the bookshelf that needs organising. Don't think you've escaped that easily, class rep."
Grumbling, Ryoko ambled over to the bookshelf and set them apart on a desk, picking out individuals and reorganising them alphabetically.
"So I heard you joined the literature club the other day," she said casually, flipping over a particularly dusty excuse for a book and squinting to examine the cover. Kyon looked up.
"Oh, yeah. It's not really a literature club, actually." He rubbed the back of his head. "It's a, um… what do you call it… a donation to Suzumiya's cult. The clubroom, that is. Maybe you'd consider joining?" Kyon's expression was a conflicted one; part of him wanted to beg on his knees for her to join so there'd be somebody else to endure the insanity of the SOS Brigade with him, and part of him was wondering if introducing Ryoko to the club would be such a good idea, seeing the way her and Suzumiya butted heads.
Ryoko laughed.
"Sorry, sorry, I can't. Being class rep has a lot of responsibilities. More than you give me credit for. Being in a club with Suzumiya would only eat up my time." She looked a little apologetic. "Besides, you know she doesn't like me. It'd only cause trouble."
"I guess so." Kyon sighed and leaned back in his chair, glancing around at the classroom. "Hey, look. I guess we're done."
"Great!" Ryoko pushed the last book carefully into place on the bookshelf and picked up her bag. "Guess we're ready to go!"
Walking back alone through the school halls gave off a feeling of isolation, as though they were the only ones in the building, despite the faint din of after school clubs that were held in the main building. The echoing of their feet bounced from the floor, danced off of the walls, found each other at the ceiling, spun in the air.
When they got to the shoe locker room, Kyon turned to Ryoko.
"Turn around for a second."
"Why? I don't even have my shoes yet, you know," she complained, reluctantly obliging.
Staring at the doorway, she failed to miss the ruffling of tissue paper and the fumbling of his hands. He tapped her shoulder.
"You can look again now."
As Ryoko turned a pale blue parcel was pushed into her arms.
"I know it's during golden week but I'm spending the week with my folks, so… happy birthday, Ryoko."
Her face broke out into a grin.
"I'm surprised you remembered, given how occupied you are now you're hanging out with Suzumiya," Ryoko teased, unwrapping the parcel. A photo frame fell into her hands. Behind the glass was a photograph of the two, as small children, playing in the sandbox at their kindergarten.
She clapped a hand over her mouth.
"I don't remember this photo being taken… where'd you get it?"
"An old photo album of my mom's," Kyon said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "It's a little sentimental, but I thought you might like it."
Ryoko handed him the photo frame to hold as she pulled on her shoes, before heading out through the doors and into the cool afternoon air.
"We're sentimental," she replied with a shrug. "It was very fitting. Ten out of ten, no questions asked."
She grabbed his hand and the two began the long journey downhill, inhaling the fresh air and gazing at the photo fondly.
A/N: Oh my god. That was just I'm so sorry. It's so short, so shooort. I can't even show my face /hides