It's a rare moment when a café can find a complete lull. Always there is a constant stream of people coming and going, with some lingering for maybe hours on end. However, whether the shop was dead or slammed, it wouldn't have made a difference to Nina. The baker had a clear objective and nothing could have distracted her in that moment.
Her eyes moved in tune with the steady hands of the clock, desperately wishing time would hasten. It was nearly two o'clock, and through several encounters she had gotten the time down pat. It was almost excruciating to wait thirty more seconds, and then dreadful the last five.
Perhaps it was her fight or flight instinct, but suddenly the idea of running out the back seemed alluring. Nina fought against her fear and ground her feet into the tiled floor. This was the day and she was determined.
Her heart leapt at the sound of a bell chime. She couldn't contain the grin that spanned across her cheeks. Nina rounded the corner leading to the storefront and nearly ran up to the counter to greet her customer.
The first thing she noticed was his massive smile. His bright yellow hoodie was a stark contrast to the dark wallpaper surrounding the café, per his usual routine he had stopped by during his midday patrol. His hand stood straight on the counter, almost like a salute, "Hi there, Nina"
She returned his greeting, "How's it going today Fat". He had initially introduced himself with his hero name, but he insisted she call him 'Fat'. While it might have been a name he had given himself, and what many others referred to him as, Nina had some trouble getting used to it. The word never sat right with her when she used it to address him, but she forced herself to regardless.
He leaned back in his barstool, "Nothing too exciting, but I've been waiting all day to see what you'd have in store for me"
Nina was busying herself over by the cooling rack, "Well…I was feeling a little reminiscent today and actually decided to bring back an old flavor". She took a few items off the rack and placed them into a small wicker basket before heading back over to Fatgum, "So here we have honey cinnamon donuts, piping hot just the way you like"
His eyes devoured the treats before he could even touch them, "Oh man! I can't believe you made these again. I know how much you love trying out new recipes. What's the occasion?"
She smiled thinking about the reason as she poured a cup of coffee to accompany his food. While the food changed, he always enjoyed it with coffee. Three sugars and some cream. Yes…she had it down pat.
She sat the mug beside his food, "This was the first item my uncle agreed to let me sell in this shop, and it's thanks to you that it happened. I'd been trying for months to let me introduce something new, but it wasn't until you tried and liked it…well that I was finally able to start baking here"
He held a donut poised to enter his mouth as soon as the words left his mouth, "You're so talented, even without my recommendation, it wouldn't have been long before the old man let you in the kitchen"
Her heart swelled at his praise, "Maybe, but that's not what happened. Because of that I'm very grateful to you"
By this point he had already consumed half the batch, which was remarkable slow pace for him. He licked a little cinnamon off his finger, "I grateful to you too, my life would've been incomplete without your amazing cooking"
Nina giggled, "I guess we've reached an impasse then"
Fatgum chuckled along and scratched the back of his head, "Guess so"
As the conversation started to dwindle, Nina found herself becoming more restless. She was able to distract her hands by folding a carry out box. Her hair was a different matter all together. It continued to swoosh back and forth, conveying the anxiousness she was trying to hide. Nina was doing everything in her power to keep it's movements to a minimum, otherwise it might have torn the shop apart.
She had made her way to the cooling rack when she heard the sound of change hitting the counter, "Delicious as always, Nina"
She hurried to put the contents in the carry out box, "Wait for a second, Fat". With shaky hands sealed the box and came out from behind the counter.
Nina offered the box to the hero, "I hope you can forgive me for being deceptive, but I actually hid a few more donuts so you could take some for later"
She was so nervous she couldn't bear to look at him. She gasped as she felt his large hand lightly caress the top of her head, "You're amazing, Nina. What would I do without you?"
Fight or flight…the instinct started to rear its ugly head. The moment she felt he resolve ease up was when she decided to act. The words flew out of her mouth.
"I like you!"
Nina had prepped herself for this, and as much as she wanted to look away, she forced herself to look straight into his eyes. She was fixed on his shocked expression, she didn't even notice that he retracted his hand from her head.
Her knuckles were turning white from her grip. Both her hands were pressed against her chest, subconsciously attempting to ease her raging heartbeat.
With a gulp she continued, "I know neither of us knows much about the other, but isn't that the whole reason people date? To figure that stuff out. I just want the opportunity to…do that". The words felt a bit uncertain now that she had said them aloud.
Nina searched his face, but saw no reaction in his unusually stoic face. The smile she loved to see was nowhere to be found, instead his lips were pressed in a straight line.
She was anxious to say the words in the first place, but thought everything would be better as soon as she said them. It was stupid to think it would be so easy. The worst part by far was waiting for his response.
After what seemed like an eternity she got what she was looking for…sort of.
"Can I have some time to think about it?"
Nina felt her heart drop to her stomach. It wasn't the response she wanted to hear, and it sounded less than hopeful. Regardless she didn't want him to see her so dejected, the last thing she wanted was a pity date.
Instead she plastered the fake smile she made mastered while working the counter, it was one reserved for the rude customers and times she'd been wiped out from dealing with too many people. With that soft smile she said, "Sure thing"
He matched her grin, "Well then, I'll see you tomorrow"
As impossible as it seemed, Nina managed to keep face till the hero left her line of sight. When she knew he couldn't see her, then she finally relaxed.
Her smile fell simultaneously as her shoulders dropped. With a deep sigh she dragged her feet to the counter. Instead of resuming any work, she simply took a seat at the counter. She folded her arms against the counter and slowly lowered her head to lean against them.
Nina was content to stay there for sometime until she heard a distinctive 'clink'. Peaking through her hair she saw an iced tea had found it's way beside her. Pushing herself off the counter, she briefly saw her uncle walk back into the kitchen.
She took a sip when she heard, "It's about time for your break".
Nina savored the sweet flavor of her first sip. Then she chugged the rest of her drink. She jumped out of her seat and hopped back into the kitchen with her empty glass.
"I think I'll pass today" She answered tossing the glass in with all the other dishes. The last thing she wanted was time to think. The best, and only, thing she could do was stay busy.
That day she prepped hundreds of loaves of bread, baked as many cupcakes, and even worked on a wedding cake alongside her uncle. Then she scrubbed the store clean into the later hours of the night. Even after her uncle forced her out of the store, she continued to keep herself busy. It was often that she stayed up late crafting new recipes and flavors to test out. This night wasn't any different, save for the fact that after she hit a wall…she started cleaning her room.
Anything to keep her mind occupied.
Pretty soon she was back at work. Doing the same thing as the day prior. She didn't even feel any exhaustion as she ran back and forth throughout the store. She jumped through the stations: baking, selling, and even dishes.
However, nothing could have distracted her from the clock. Nina watched it like a hawk. It was the funniest thing. Yesterday time seemed to standstill, but today it was going a million miles an hour.
He'd be stopping by soon, and she wasn't ready to face the music.
She already untied her apron, "I'm gonna take my break while we're slow"
As she turned to leave out the back, she nearly ran into her uncle's plump figure. His stoic expression remained unfazed, and likely would until the end of time. While most people were intimidated by his stern disposition, Nina knew how much of softie her uncle was.
Or rather, she was just the apple of his eye.
"Unusual time for you to go on break"
A nervous chuckle escaped her lips, "Well, I just figured I better get it out of the way before we get slammed"
He shrugged and stepped out of her way. Not before patting her shoulder reassuringly, "Take as much time as you need". Nina smiled and turned back towards him.
She gave him a quick peck on his cheek before skipping over to the door, "I'll be back soon"
And with that, she was gone.
Nina walked a block down the street to a park, as she usually did for her breaks. The park was rather famous for the ornate fountain at the center, but Nina steered clear of it. She favored a spot just off the beaten path. She nestled herself in her usual nook against an old oak tree. It was a stubby, thick tree surrounded by protruding roots.
She had no special connection with the tree, other than it helped relax. No matter how foul a mood she was in, this tree could undo it all. Sometimes she even wondered if it was magic…before laughing at the though naturally.
Today, however, it was not so simple. She was constantly fidgety and anxious, and it was clear nothing was going to help her relax. Not even her special tree.
Perhaps because it was different. This wasn't some terrible customer, or an overbearing workday. Those problems left her the moment she left the café. Her issue was still ongoing, with no one to blame but herself.
It was inevitable, she knew that. And yet, she also knew that she was going to run away from the problem as long as possible.
While Fatgum hadn't rejected her on the spot, he wasn't exactly overjoyed by her confession. Nina had come to know Fatgum enough to know his character, she knew that he wouldn't take her feelings lightly. As such, he probably needed time to figure out how to turn her down nicely. That was why he asked her to wait.
She wanted to scold herself for being so optimistic, but maybe it was better this way. To get these feelings nipped in the bud before they evolved into an actual heartbreak. Nina didn't bother to hide her groan, not that she'd need to since she was alone…or so she thought.
A voice from behind her appeared, "Everything ok?"
Her head whipped around to see who had intruded in her secrete hideaway. What she found was a boy, maybe six years old, standing behind her with a bright red ball in his hands.
Nina relaxed after realizing it was a child who snuck up on her and sighed, "Yeah"
Suddenly she felt his hand grab at one of her ponytails. Immediately she stood up to prevent him from doing more. While she looked irritated, the body continued to give her a curious look.
"Miss, what's up with your hair? Is that your quirk?"
Nina inspected her hair to get a better understanding of what the boy was asking. And then she understood. She motioned the section of her hair over her shoulder to show the boy as well, "Sort of. My quirk lets me move my hair just like my arms and legs. It's pretty handy where I work, except for the fact that I work with food. So I created these kinds of 'gloves' to go around each section of my hair so it doesn't directly touch the food"
Nina had created the 'gloves' a few years back. They looked just like plastic tentacles the way they adorned her hair. In a busy environment like a kitchen having any additional set of hands was too valuable to just keep in a hair net.
As she looked at the plastic coating around her hair, she came to a horrible realization. In her previous excitement, she'd failed to take them off before her confession the day prior. Nina prayed the earth would open up and swallow her whole to save her from the humiliation that encompassed her being.
Nina could hardly stand to look at the 'gloves'. She loosened the ties and let the set fall to the ground. Strands of her lilac hair flowed free of their restraints. It was starting to make sense why Fatgum might've been apprehensive. She completely lost sight of how she might have looked yesterday, and since she was in the middle of a shift she could only imagine the worst.
PFFFFFFFFF
The sound tore Nina away from her negative thoughts. She returned attention to the boy and was horrified at the scene in front of her. His mouth was attached to the end of one of her 'gloves' and was furiously blowing air into it.
Nina wasted no time in snatching it away, "Don't put your mouth on that! It's dirty!"
Instantly guilt swarmed inside her realizing she'd been too harsh, "I'm sorry, it's just that…"
The boy threw his hands up in the air and yelled, "No sweat". While most children would be upset with an adult shouting at them, this kid wasn't fazed in the slightest. His reaction was far from expected, and he smiled.
"I wanted to make you a balloon since that always cheers me up when I'm sad"
His answer drove a knife threw her heart. Whatever guilt she felt was magnified tenfold. Nina toyed with the plastic and shuffled her feet nervously while trying to find the right words. After some deliberation, none could be found. Although…she eventually came up with an idea.
Nina tossed the glove to the ground before crouching to meet the boy at eye level. She smiled, "You know what would really cheer me up? I would really like it if we could play with that ball of yours"
As soon as the words left her mouth the kid had dashed to fetch his toy. Nina stood up straight and exhaled, it was the first time that day she could relax. Just as she started making her way back onto the pathway the boy raced up to her side. When they reached pavement he ran up in front of her. Without any warning, he hurled the ball at her. Even though she flinched, she managed to catch it. Albeit with a few fumbles.
She bounced the ball onto the ground towards the kid, when she had a thought. Or rather, a few questions. She figured the best way to go about this was to start slow, "So, my name's Nina"
The kid hurled the ball into the air, "Mine's Kenta"
Nina jumped forward to catch the ball, "And are you here with anyone"
She tried to hide her irritation when she heard him answer, "You". Instead she played a little prank. Nina positioned herself like she'd throw the ball far. When Kenta braced himself to try and catch it, she simply rolled it across the ground.
Chuckling at the boy's annoyance she continued to ask her questions, "What I meant was there anyone else you're here with today: parents, or siblings?"
Kenta kicked the ball back over to her and replied, "Yeah, I'm here with my older brother. He sells ice cream over by the fountain". Nina caught the ball, relieved to discover the kid hadn't run too far off from his guardian.
She hurled the ball over her shoulder in his direction. She wanted to end their game on a high note, with some pizazz. Kenta caught the ball in a tight hug, making Nina want to reconsider her next action. However, she had been gone too long from the café and his brother was no doubt worried about the kid.
"I'm sorry Kenta, but I have to head back to work. So I'll have to bring you back to your brother"
Kenta slumped in disappointment, and Nina waivered in her resolve. She knew there was no other alternative; it was time for them to part. Nina wanted to cheer him up, in the same way he had done for her.
She started closing the gap between them just as she thought to remedy the situation. Nina crouched down and held her knew to balance herself, meeting the boy at eye level. Since she was a child, her uncle had drilled into her the importance of looking into someone's eyes—where you were able to measure someone's sincerity.
"Kenta, did I mention I work in a cake shop?"
He was immediately intrigued, "No"
Nina smiled, "Well, since you helped cheer me up, I'm wanna invite you and your brother to stop by for some snacks. You might even take home a small cake to share with your family after dinner".
And it would all come out of her pocket, not that she would mention it now. That would be something she'd discuss with his brother. She figured it wouldn't bother Kenta one way or another.
His response was a holler and throwing his ball towards the sky, without a care where it would land. Nina chuckled at his answer and offered her hand to hold while they went to find his brother.
He took her hand and used his other hand to point straight ahead, "My brother should be right over there"
Where Kenta was pointing should have been the path leading to the fountain.
Nina tightened her grip on Kenta's hand, "Where did this fog come from?"
The path was still partially visible, but anything in the distance was completely obscured. The sun continued to shine without a cloud in the sky. Nothing in weather would have led to the sudden appearance of a fog, which was coming closer and closer.
A wheeze drew her attention to the ground. Nina watched a squirrel scamper out from the fog's obscurity. It scurried across the pavement, but its movements were shaky. It couldn't run in a straight line…and then it couldn't run at all. Nina gasped as it started to convulse.
But what scared her most is when it stopped moving altogether.
Nina released her grip on Kenta, instead placing her hands beneath his armpits. She hoisted him up to her chest. While Kenta didn't understand what was happening he hooked his arms and legs around her without complaint.
Nina tried to speak clear devoid of any fear so as to not scare the boy, "Kenta, hang onto me and if that smoke gets close to us you need to hold your breath as much as possible"
She felt him nod against her chest. Nina turned and sprinted to the nearest park entrance, which fortunately was in the opposite direction from where the fog was coming from. The destination was quite far from where they were. While Nina was running with everything she had, she was also carrying an extra fifty pounds. With some heavy lifting under her belt from the café she had some strength, enough to give them a chance to escape the situation.
"Wait! My ball!" Kenta cried, clutching her shirt.
"I'll get you another one!" Nina shouted back.
The entrance was coming into her line of sight, they were getting close. It seemed like their troubles would be over soon.
They were lucky the fog was behind them, and had a steady progress. It was fortunate thing that they unfortunately lost. Nina saw the fog enter her peripheral first, and then she felt the gust of wind that propelled it in their direction. The wind threatened to knock her down, and all she could do was brace herself against the sheer power.
"Hold your breath!" She screamed.
Nina felt the wind die down, and immediately started running again. The fog surrounded them now, even more dangerous than before. Now Nina was starting to become fatigued. As desperately as she was trying to hold her breath it was quickly becoming impossible. Her lungs craved air that her exhausted body needed to continue running. She choked with resistance as her mouth opened to inhale. She couldn't stop herself now, her body was acting on its own accord. Nina attempted to mediate it, taking as little breathes as she could.
At this point, all she could do was prolong the fog's effects and help Kenta get to safety. Her legs pounded against the pavement to propel herself forward. She was approaching the gate, but the fog seemed to go beyond the boundary. Their goal had gotten farther.
With that realization, Nina started to shiver. Her muscles were becoming tense. No longer could she run. She hobbled past the gate, and hoped she could last long enough to get Kenta to safety.
One foot in front of the other.
It was her mantra that pushed her through the last cloud of the fog. As soon as she registered they had escaped, she finally dropped to her knees. Her breathe was still shallow and quick, despite that it felt like her lungs weren't getting any air at all. She loosened her grip on Kenta, and she was relieved to see him standing unaffected.
"Nina, are you okay?" He asked hesitantly.
She struggled to stay erect so she wouldn't alarm him, "I'll be alright, but you need to find help: police, firefighters, or heroes. Okay, bud?"
Nina couldn't even recognize her won voice, it sounded so hoarse. Kenta nodded and ran down the street, recognizing the sirens there.
Now that she was alone, she allowed herself to crumble. Her breathing was still shallow, but nowhere quick enough to deliver the oxygen she needed. Her muscles felt like cement. She could feel the sweat run down her body, but wondered why she was shivering if that were the case.
Some break? Nina had defiantly been gone longer than she intended. It hurt her heart to think of how worried her uncle would be.
Her hands formed into tight fists, as her legs huddled closer to her body. This was against her will, but damn did it feel comforting.
"Nina!" That voice sounded familiar, and it was coming from the same direction Kenta had gone. If she were able, she'd have turned her head to see who it was calling her.
Nina felt someone's arms wrap around her body, they were warm and she didn't mind at first. Then her fragile form was shifted and pain radiated throughout her body. To weak to cry, she whimpered against the stranger.
"Just bear with it a little longer" A tender voice tried to reassure her, but it was getting harder to breath. With the jostling she could only assume that her rescuer had started running, and with that her pain grew tenfold.
Through the pain, she forced herself to look at her savior. Her vision was hazy, but she couldn't quite make out a face. There were a few clues she was able to detect. His shoulders were massively broad, and he was clothed in something yellow.
A firefighter?
Nina wasn't familiar with any.
Wherever they were heading, it was rather loud. People shouting, sirens blaring, it was mayhem. Nina couldn't make out any details; all she could make out were colors and shapes. None of which made sense to her oxygen depleted brain.
She felt her body being lowered to the ground, making her want to sigh in relief. Nina was vaguely able to see two individuals beside her, one was the yellow figure who had carried her. She couldn't hear what they were saying.
Something felt cool on her face, something stiff and plastic cupped her nose and mouth. It felt like a mist. As she breathed it in she felt her throat loosen up, she was finally getting the air she craved.
Nina couldn't savor the feeling enough, it was pure pleasure.
Unconsciousness beckoned her, and she wanted to go. She looked again the yellow figure. She saw him move before she recognized his warm touch on her cheek. Nina could slowly start to make out more details of this figure.
When it 'clicked' she whispered, "Fatgum"
And that was it. Her mind went dark as exhaustion consumed her being.
It was a dreamless sleep. One that seemed to last only a short time.
The first thing Nina saw when she awoke next was a stark white ceiling. She could feel her body tucked into a warm bed, and that her jeans were gone. Her previous outfit had been completely replaced by a hospital gown. That plastic thing was on her face still. While she was grateful to it initially, now it felt uncomfortable. She resisted the urge to remove it, instead opting to try and sit up. The key word is 'try'.
Her attempt was immediately thwarted by a massive arm extending over her body, "Easy there, it's too soon to try that"
With her movement's stopped the arm motioned back to it's owner. As it neared the edge of the bed Nina reached out a grabbed it. Her hands were tingly and strange to move, but she ignore the feeling. She looked at the gloved hand that dwarfed her own.
Nina knew whose it was, but couldn't stop herself from looking at him. He sat to her left, donned in his usual heroic attire. In the short time she had known him, she had never seen him make an expression without that contagious smile most people knew him for. Yet here he was…somber. He'd been the same the day prior.
Perhaps it was means, but see him like that made her want to see more. She wanted to know more about him, the expressions he was capable of.
The good and the bad, she wanted to know it all, even if he didn't feel the way she did about him. Nina would accept being a friend because, above all else, she just wanted to be by his side.
But now wasn't the time to discuss such things.
There were more pressing matters.
It was a little awkward talking with the mask, "I was with a boy…Kenta"
Fatgum offered a slight smile, "He's doing great, thanks to you"
Nina sighed, "That's good"
"My clothes…" She started, looking at the drawer at her bedside.
"Right here" Fatgum replied opening the drawer with his free hand.
"Is my wallet in there too?"
"Yeah, I've got it" He removed it and held it close to her.
Nina was suddenly feeling a little more tired, but ignored it. There was something she had to do, or rather…
"Fat, will you do me a favor"
"Anything" He answered as soon as she finished her question.
"That boy lost his toy because of me, a ball. Would you mind taking some of the money I have in there to buy him a new one? I promised I'd get him a new one, but I don't think I'll be leaving here soon enough"
There was a look that crossed his face. Was he conflicted? Nina suddenly felt guilty for her request. She began to move her hand away from his, but he prevented her. His grip was held her down, and was anything but hurtful.
When she looked at him she saw his smile, the one she'd known him for.
"I'll do it" Fatgum assured her, and with that sense of relief she drifted off back to sleep. Where no dream could compare to being with him.
When she awoke the next Fatgum was gone.
In his place was her nurse, checking on her vitals. Her nurse was able to fill her in on the details since she had been unconscious.
It had been four days since the incident at the park—the result of a terrorist attack. Their intentions were still unknown, but they had successfully launched a gas attack at the park to hundred of unsuspecting people. The attack didn't yield any fatalities, but many were hospitalized.
The weapon of choice had been a neurotoxin. As the name suggests the poison directly attacks the body's nervous system. It started with immobilizing the victim and soon work to shut to the respiratory system.
In treating people affected by the toxin, the priority was to get them away from the source. Hardly an easy task when the gas covered the most populated area of the park. First responders couldn't risk entering without becoming victims themselves. A hero tried to disperse the gas with his quirk, something wind based. While it was the reason Nina and several others were affected, it was effective in clearing the gas and enabling people who were most in need to get help.
It was far from an ideal scenario, but nothing could have been done better.
It was a miracle there were no fatalities, and it goes to show the quick and diligent work of first responders.
Nina only wished that the offender would be apprehended quickly, and prevent any future attacks.
'So four days had passed since that day', Nina mused as the nurse finished up her assessments. Before she left, the nurse assured her that she would be able to leave that day. It was good news; being discharged from the hospital would quickly lead to her resuming her work.
It was worrisome having been absent from the café for so long. There was always so much work to be done, which was usually done quickly considering she shared responsibilities with her uncle.
Concerned about him, Nina reached for her cellphone. Thankfully, it was still charged. Her uncle was usually her most frequent contact, therefor making it easy to dial him. She played with her sheets absently as she waited for him to answer. Just as she heard ringing on the phone, she heard it in the doorway.
There he was. For the first time, seemingly, without his apron. There was hardly ever a reason for him to be in casual clothes, he was always working.
He steadily approached her bed, and when he was close threw his arms around his niece. There was no hesitation to return his embrace, even if the whiskers of his beard pricked her skin. Her uncle held her for some time, a shocking amount of time. Usually he hardly ever displayed these acts of affection, and when he did it was brief.
Nina liked to think he was just shy.
With a final squeeze he pulled away, "I'm told I can take you home today"
"They said the same to me just now, but I think we should hurry up before they change their minds" She joked, although her uncle hardly ever laughed at them. His only response was to offer her a backpack of fresh clothes for her to change into. He didn't expect her to be released today, but wanted her to have something ready to go whenever. Which apparently was now.
Her uncle stepped out to work on her discharge while she changed. While some people gave her grief about wearing the same thing everyday, it hardly concerned Nina. Her usual ensemble consisted of jeans, a tunic, and flats. She could testify that was a bland attire, but she valued comfort above all else.
The only thing that changed from day to day was the color of her top, and today's was a minty green. After Nina brushed and split her hair into ponytails, she finally felt like herself.
She met her uncle in the hall moments later, and from there they left the hospital. Well, just the building at least. Her uncle had parked too far for her to walk, or so he insisted. So he went on ahead to pick it up, leaving Nina resting on a bench by the hospital entrance.
It wasn't quite home, but she was happy to be outside the hospital. She was also happy that her stay had gone by rather quick, especially since she was unconscious for most of it.
Before Nina could relax too much on the bench she caught a glimpse of yellow. Without a thought, she dashed around the bench. After a moment, she realized how childish it was to behave as such. She wasn't even sure if it was Fatgum, her reaction was solely based on the color.
As she glanced up, she realized her assumption was correct.
There he was. His figure towered over the bench; from there his eyes found her easily crouched in her hiding spot.
"Whatcha doing down there?" He asked curiously.
Nina leapt to her feet and tried to think of an excuse to spare her any excess humiliation, "I was—I'm looking for…". Just as she had found a story to go off of, the words died on her lips. It wasn't right. She couldn't lie to him. Not after how he'd helped her.
"I was hiding…from you" Nina mumbled the last part, but she knew he heard her. Despite everything her uncle had taught her about meeting someone's eyes, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was too ashamed.
"Will you sit with me?" His friendly tone called her attention. He had already taken a spot on the bench and patted the vacant seat beside him, to further indicate his request. Nina silently complied.
Fatgum leaned his elbows on his knees, "I know I kept you waiting on a response, will you hear me out"
Nina dreaded the outcome, "Sure"
He inhaled, "In the work that I do, dating is near to impossible". Nina gripped her shirt, grit her teeth and continued to listen. "This lifestyle barely leaves someone with any free time, let alone time for significant others. Besides that there is a constant threat looming over me, I jump headfirst into danger and I don't always make it out in one piece. If anything, that's a rarity that I do"
"In spite of all that, I have seen plenty of people maintain a relationship in this line of work. However, I have also seen those relationships used against the hero in question. We are public figures, our identities aren't a secret. While the people close to us aren't broadcasted alongside ourselves, it's not difficult for villains to get a hold of them. I want you to understand the dangers that surround us if we started dating"
"Fat" She whimpered, gaining his immediate attention. There was nothing she could do at this point. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. Fatgum was visibly shocked to see such a sight, and quick to wipe them with his gloves fingers. His action only brought more.
"I'm sorry, but I'd rather you get this over with. I can handle the rejection, despite how I look right now" She sniffled, desperately trying to get her tears to stop.
"Oh my God, no! Shit. I didn't mean…" He completely lost his train of thought, while trying to remedy the situation. Perhaps it was for the best, since things were going opposite of how he intended them too.
"I'm not rejecting you" He said adamantly, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"You can call it whatever you want, but…"
"I like you too!" He shouted, his words effectively silencing the crying girl.
He continued while the iron was hot, "You're the reason I visit the shop everyday, hell you're the reason I started showing up in the first place. I go there the same time everyday because it's during a change over in the district I patrol, and I get a little free time to run and see you"
"I never thought you might feel the same way…and I can't tell you how happy I was to find out that you did. However, the last thing I could do is rush into this without heavy consideration for your well-being. And after I thought it through…I did intend to decline"
Nina forced herself to be silent, "That was until that day at the park. I was never more scared than I when I found you collapse outside the park. I couldn't tell if you were alive or dead. All I could do was bring you to a paramedic. I realized that it's not just me that's dangerous, but this world. Something could happen to either of us at anytime, regardless of my involvement. But I'm more afraid of what happens if I'm not there"
Nina's tears had stopped as she listened intently to him. Her eyes ached, and she had little doubt that they were red. Fatgum chuckled to himself, "This has been a really roundabout way of saying things. I'm sorry about that".
His laughter faded fast, his expression was determined. The grip on her shoulders loosened, his hands journeyed down to cup her hands.
"Nina, I would be the luckiest man in the world if you agreed to date me"
She made a sound indistinctive between crying and laughter, but Fatgum felt at ease when he saw her smile. Nina laughed weakly, "This is such a different turn than I expect, and I'm so happy. My answer is yes, if you couldn't already guess"
Her body slumped into his own, her head found a home on his shoulder. She'd been discharged from the hospital for almost thirty minutes and was already emotionally fatigued.
"What a week" She murmured, closing her eyes. Nina might have fallen asleep right there with Fatgum…but someone had to object. Her eyes bolted out of her head after a series of long, drawn out 'HONKS'. It didn't take long to find the source.
Her uncle had finally returned to take her home. His timing was lousy, although from his perspective it must have been immaculate.
"Can I see your phone" Fatgum said, unfazed by the scene unfolding in front of him. Nina handed it off, and after a few short clicks from him, it was promptly returned. She looked to figure out what he did, but all she found was a text to an unknown number. It was nothing in particular, just the letter 'N'.
"Now you have my number, and I have yours" He explained, showing her the same text on his screen.
Fatgum gave her hand a squeeze, "We'll talk later and hash together a proper date"
Nina could hardly believe everything that had happened…that was happening. It felt like it should be a dream, but no matter how she looked at it, this was reality.
Another 'honk' hinted at her uncle's waning patience.
She stood up and took one step towards the car. He still held her hand, and likely would have until she'd walk away.
Nina couldn't help but think of everything that had happened thus far, it had exceeded her expectations. And still…she wanted more.
There was no hesitation when she spun around on her heels. Nina knew she had to act fast before she lost the resolve. Fatgum hadn't moved from the bench, but he was shocked to see her sudden change in course. Her hands moved to rest themselves on his shoulders while her body stepped in between his legs.
Then she pressed her lips to his.
His hands wrapped around her waist, then her moved his lips to mold against her own. Despite the electricity each of them felt in that moment, this was a simple kiss. And it would be left at just that. This kiss acted as an introduction to the relationship.
It would be the first of many.
Nina pulled away, her face flushed. Once she had, she finally heard her uncle's onslaught against the car horn.
"I better get going" She managed to piece together.
"Talk to you later?" He suggested with a wide dopey smile, he too was a bit dazed after that kiss.
"Definitely" Nina confirmed before skipping off towards her uncle's car. She hurried a bit, mostly out of fear of what else she'd do if left alone with this man.
She hadn't even buckled in and her uncle sped down the road. He didn't say a coherent word in their drive; only grumbles could be detected from his speech. Nina was too giddy to give it much attention.
The only thing that pulled her out of her head was a slight vibration from her phone. She tried to hide her excitement when she saw it was from Fatgum, which read as follows:
Oops I completely forgot about one of my reasons/excuses for looking for you today. Kenta wanted me to give this to you, after I brought him that ball like you wanted. But, I'll just pass it along the next time I see you ;)
Attached to his message was a picture. Wild colors spanned across the page and decorated two humanoid creatures—her and Kenta. She could tell from the purple hair he'd given her, and the massive red ball beside the boy. Nina wondered if Kenta was exaggerating, or if Fatgum really got him such a massive toy.
Was it too early to say she loved him?
Maybe.
This stage of their relationship was like the appetizer before the meal…not even.
This was more like bread in a basket.
Hi Everyone!
Hoped you enjoyed the story.
This is the first installment of a series I want to make following this couple through different stages of a relationship that are mirrored in stages of a meal-I thought it would be fitting for the BMI hero.
I also might add another chapter to this story in particular, from Fatgum's perspective to meeting Nina for the first time.
Anyway...
Please favorite/follow/review.
Feedback is always appreciated.
Best,
MorningWhispers