Ruby was late. Really, really late.
It wasn’t like her. Ruby prided herself on being the one who got to work early, leaning against her bike with a coffee while everyone else stumbled in half-awake. But this morning? A trainwreck.
First, her alarm didn’t go off. She’d forgotten to plug in her phone the night before, so she woke up to the pale light of dawn and a dead battery. Ruby launched out of bed like she’d been electrocuted, scrambling to pull on clothes and grab her things.
Then her bike decided to betray her. She turned the key, and instead of the familiar roar of the engine, there was...nothing. Ruby gritted her teeth, crouched beside it, and fiddled with the wiring. Twenty minutes of muttered curses later, she hauled the bike to the nearest shop in defeat.
The mechanic, a fresh-faced kid who probably couldn’t grow a full beard yet, gave her a condescending smile. “Looks like your carburetor might be shot—”
“I know what a carburetor is,” Ruby snapped.
Unfazed, he shifted gears and started talking about spark plugs.
By the time her bike was fixed and she roared off toward work, Ruby’s nerves were frayed. She mentally rehearsed excuses, cursed every red light, and tried not to think about how much Terry was going to yell at her. Ruby was late. And Ruby was never late.
~
When she finally burst into the kitchen, helmet tucked under her arm, she barely noticed Joey leaning against the counter and Nicole pacing in front of him.
“Joey, listen to me,” Nicole said, her frustration boiling over. “You need to stop messing with Amber. This isn’t high school!”
Joey rolled his eyes, smirking. “Messing with her? She’s the one who keeps blowing things out of proportion. I barely said anything.”
Nicole froze mid-step, narrowing her eyes. “You told her she wasn’t worth the effort. In front of the entire line. Are you serious?”
“She asked why I didn’t text her back,” Joey said, his tone dismissive. “I wasn’t about to lie.”
“Do you hear yourself?” Nicole’s voice rose an octave. “You’re a walking red flag, Joey. You can’t treat people like garbage just because you’re bored.”
Joey shrugged, his smirk unwavering. “Not my fault she can’t take a hint.”
Ruby, still yanking on her chef’s coat, didn’t see Nicole’s arm fling out in exasperation.
Smack.
Ruby stumbled back, clutching her face as pain shot through her nose. “Jesus fuck!” she hissed, blood already dripping onto her hand.
The kitchen went dead silent. Even Nico and Pickles, perched on the counter eating stolen muffins, froze mid-bite.
Nicole’s jaw dropped, her hands flying to her mouth. “Oh my God. Ruby!”
Joey blinked, then scrambled for a rag. “Here! Press this on it!”
Ruby grabbed the rag, pressing it to her nose with a wince. “What the hell, Nicole?”
“I—I didn’t mean to!” Nicole stammered, her voice high-pitched. “Why were you standing so close?”
Ruby shot her an incredulous look over the edge of the rag. “Why was I—? I was walking! You were flailing like a lunatic!”
Joey, the opportunist, smirked. “Nicole, if you wanted to get Ruby’s attention, there are less violent ways to do it.”
“Joey!” Nicole snapped, her face flaming red.
Ruby snorted, immediately wincing in pain. “Careful, Joey. She might punch you next.”
Before Nicole could respond, the kitchen door swung open, and Terry stormed in, his gaze sharp.
“What’s going on in here?” he demanded. His eyes landed on Ruby’s bloody nose, then darted to Nicole’s guilty expression.
“Nicole punched her,” Joey offered helpfully.
“It was an accident!” Nicole practically shouted, throwing her hands in the air. “I didn’t even see her!”
Terry pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly. “Ruby, your nose looks broken. Go to urgent care. Take the rest of the day off.”
Ruby didn’t need to be told twice. She grabbed her helmet, shooting Nicole a smug grin as she walked out. “See you later, sunshine.”
~
That evening, Ruby was sprawled on her couch, an ice pack balanced on her face. She’d resigned herself to a quiet night of brooding when a knock at the door broke the silence.
Groaning, she shuffled over and opened it. Nicole stood there, awkward and sheepish, holding a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates.
Ruby blinked. “Uh. What’s this?”
Nicole thrust the items into her hands. “It’s...an apology. For punching you. And for earlier.”
Ruby stepped aside, waving her in. “Come on. I can’t stand here holding these forever.”
Nicole hesitated before stepping inside. “Is it actually broken?”
“Yep.” Ruby smirked, setting the chocolates on the counter. “Clean break. The doc said I’ll live.”
Nicole winced. “God, I feel like such an ass.”
Ruby raised an eyebrow. “Well, you did deck me pretty hard.”
“I didn’t mean to!” Nicole protested, her voice cracking slightly. “And then I blew up at you. I just...I thought after the Christmas party...” She trailed off, staring at her shoes.
Ruby’s smirk faltered, her voice softening. “Nicole, you were drunk. I didn’t want to—”
“I wasn’t that drunk,” Nicole interrupted, looking up at her. “I meant what I said. I just didn’t think you...”
Ruby sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I didn’t text because I didn’t know what to say. You kind of scare me, you know?”
Nicole blinked, startled. “I scare you? Ruby, you ride a motorcycle like it’s no big deal!”
Ruby chuckled, wincing as the movement jostled her nose. “Yeah, well, you care too much. That’s way scarier.”
Nicole bit her lip, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “You’re an idiot, you know that?”
“Probably,” Ruby said, her smirk returning.
Nicole stepped closer, hesitating for just a moment before leaning in. “So, do I get to kiss you now, or—”
Ruby’s eyes widened as Nicole’s lips brushed the edge of the ice pack, bumping her nose in the process. Ruby yelped, jerking back with a grimace.
“Oh my God!” Nicole gasped, her hands flying to her face. “I’m so sorry!”
Ruby stared at her for a beat before a laugh bubbled up. Despite the pain, she couldn’t stop herself. Nicole joined in, her giggles shaky but genuine.
“Well,” Ruby said between breaths, “that’s one way to break the ice.”
Nicole groaned, smacking her forehead. “You’re impossible.”
“Yeah, but you’re stuck with me now,” Ruby teased, her grin wide despite her swollen nose.