A/N: This is a late submission for Day 7/free prompt of Bravely Ship Week.
A bead of sweat slid down Tiz's temple and reached his cheek before he swiped it off with the back of his hand. Due to the grease splotches staining his hands, the movement left a streak of black. Oblivious, he leaned down to continue working under the car's hood.
Being the only one still at his father's mechanic shop, the metallic clinking of his fingers skillfully moving parts and the drone of the pitiful fan standing in the corner filled his ears. The fan had no chance of standing up to today's humid heat. Tiz carried on, checking a gauge before screwing a plastic cap back in place.
Some may believe such backbreaking work was unappealing and tedious. He, however, found it satisfying in its simplicity. Find the problem, fix it, and send the vehicle on its way.
Two pairs of light footsteps entering the garage caught his attention. After he finished tightening a washer, he stepped back and closed the hood. "Sorry. I wasn't watching the time," he apologized.
"It's all right," Agnes reassured. While her long bangs remained swept to the side across her forehead, the rest of her thick brown hair sat in a neat bun at the back of her head. An off-white short-sleeved dress with brown accents complimented her lithe frame.
"We're not in a hurry," Yew agreed, absentmindedly adjusting his messenger bag. He, too, had dressed more appropriately for the weather with shorts and a T-shirt with the Al-Khampis school logo scrawled across the chest.
Tiz smiled to himself. They looked comfortable and stunning, and here he was with ruffled hair and an old tank top.
"Let me take a shower before we go," he said. Walking over to a nearby table, he set down his tools and grabbed the half-full bottle of water he placed there a couple hours ago. After pushing his bangs out of his eyes—he really needed a haircut—he uncapped it and took a few long gulps. Sweat glistened on his skin, from his jawline to the lean muscles of his arms, and the damp tank clung to his torso.
When he finished soothing his dry throat he tossed the empty bottle into a nearby trash can. He turned back to the others only to see that their faces had suddenly turned bright red. "...are you two okay?"
"W-we're fine!" Yew insisted, voice a tad higher-pitched than normal and sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. The deep red hue coloring his face matched that of Agnes', who nodded quickly in agreement.
"If you're sure…" Tiz shrugged. "You can wait on the couch until I'm done."
"Okay," Anges squeaked.
Sending them another odd look, Tiz opened the door to his father's house and stepped inside.
The second he was out of earshot, Yew and Agnes turned to each other with equal muffled excitement.
"That was just like out of a movie…!" Yew exclaimed.
"We were truly blessed to have that moment." Though more sedated in her reverence, Agnes had clasped her hands together.
They continued to fawn over Tiz's handsomeness as they headed inside and sat down on the couch. Since no one else appeared to be in the house, they assumed Tiz's father and little brother weren't at home.
Yew reached into his bag and pulled out a worn book. "The campus library was giving away books no one reads any more, and I thought you might like this one."
She accepted the thick book and examined the cover. On the green cover read the title Sweets Around the World.
"Oh my," Agnes breathed as she flipped through a few pages. She spotted pictures of mouthwatering desserts along with text explaining the foods' history and making. Closing it before she temped herself into making one in that instant, she leaned over and pecked his cheek. "Thank you, Yew."
Yew smiled shyly. "You're welcome. While I was there I also saw a book that I thought would be perfect for Edea, but I decided not to get it."
"What was it?"
"How to Keep Your Cool When Your Boyfriend is a Ladies' Man."
They both gave a small laugh.
"I had a feeling she'd throw the book at me or Ringabel if I gave it to her," Yew explained.
"You made the safe choice," Agnes agreed lightheartedly.
Tiz returned a few minutes later. Wearing faded jeans and a solid blue shirt, he attempted to tame his long bangs for a moment before giving up. "Ready to go?"
They unanimously decided Tiz would drive—Agnes had an abysmal sense of direction, and Yew tended to drive far more carefully than necessary. After a five minutes they reached their favorite coffee shop and headed inside.
"Bonjour!" Magnolia greeted as she untied her work apron and handed it to a fellow employee. "I didn't know you three were coming here today."
"We didn't decide on it until this morning," Tiz explained.
Magnolia's gaze flicked between them, and then she shot them a teasing wink. "On a coffee date, are we?" She released a dreamy sigh. "You're all so mignon! It was worth the nightmare of setting you 'blockheads' up together, as Edea would put it."
"We would have figured it out eventually," Yew said, though his uncertain tone revealed otherwise.
"Where are you going now?" Agnes asked.
"I'm going home to freshen up. Janne and I are heading to a club tonight. You're welcome to join."
Yew glanced at Tiz and Anges before shaking his head. "No thanks. We plan on hanging out at Agnes' house tonight." None of them were huge fans of parties anyway.
"All right. A bientôt!" She waved farewell and left the café.
"I'll put in our orders," Tiz offered.
"We'll find a seat then," Agnes suggested.
They found a table small table near a window. As they sat down, Agnes' phone pinged. She pulled out her phone and glanced at the screen.
"It's Edea."
"Isn't she at the carnival with Ringabel?"
"Yes. She just told me that she let him hold her hand on the roller coaster, and he practically crushed it."
"I can't blame him." Yew shuddered. "Roller coasters, my one fear."
Agnes shook her head with a fond smile. Yesterday his "one fear" was ghosts, and last week it was "accidentally eating moldy pudding."
"They said it'll be ready in a minute," Tiz announced. Approaching their table, he purposefully brushed his hand across Yew's back while walking to his own seat. "What are you talking about?"
Their conversation resumed until their orders were ready. Agnes walked to the counter, picked the drinks up with a polite thank you, and returned to the table. She handed a packet of creamer to Tiz, who had a plain black coffee.
Yew swirled the straw in his caramel frappuccino before taking a long sip. Across from him Agnes raised her iced sweet chai latte to her lips, and when she placed it back on the table a spot of foam remained on the corner of her mouth.
Tiz and Yew exchanged amused grins.
"Agnes…you have something on your lip," Yew informed.
She swiped her tongue across her mouth. "Did I get it?"
"No," Tiz said. After she tried again and failed, he reached over and swiped it off with his thumb. "Got it."
"Th-thank you."
They stayed at the café for well over an hour, idly chatting long after they had finished their drinks. After leaving a tip in the jar at the counter, the trio eventually started for Agnes' house.
Tiz stifled a yawn as he parked his car in her driveway.
"Tired?" Yew asked.
"A little," he admitted.
"You don't have to stay up," Agnes reminded.
"I'll be fine," he insisted. "I don't have to work tomorrow anyway."
Upon entering the quaint home Agnes turned on the television. She then settled in the middle of the couch, and Tiz sat down beside her. Yew took his preferred position; lying down on her other side with his head in her lap. The fact that his feet hung off the edge didn't bother him. While Agnes found a mindless romance movie they had already seen before, the youngest pulled out a book and opened it to the bookmarked page.
Halfway through the movie Tiz's head lightly fell against Agnes', indicating he had fallen asleep. With a soft, affectionate smile she looked down to see Yew also snoozing quietly. His book lay face down on his stomach.
Their dates often went like this: hanging out in a peaceful place and enjoying each other's presences. Compared to their friends, the trio preferred simpler pastimes and subtler romantic gestures. She relished every second of it, and she knew Tiz and Yew did, too.
She turned off the television and carefully placed the remote beside Yew. She didn't have the heart to wake them up, and sleepiness was beginning to tug at her eyelids as well. Relaxing against the couch, she fell asleep to the warm weight of Yew's head in her lap and the sound of Tiz's soft breathing.