𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 | 𝑫𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒖𝒌𝒆 𝒙 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

₊· ͟͟͞͞➳Past Meets Present

Back to Work ♘

It's a few days after Christmas, and the remnants of the holiday season still cling to the atmosphere.
Frost clings to the windows, and the cold breeze nips at your cheeks as you step into Pony Express Inc.

The familiar hum of machinery, the distant murmur of co-workers, and the faint smell of coffee brewing in the break room all hit you at once.
The warmth inside immediately makes you forget the freezing morning outside.

You head straight for the back room, pulling off your coat and unwinding your scarf. Your boots thud softly against the tiled floor, and the cluttered rows of lockers greet you like they always do. You toss your things inside without much thought, adjusting the shelves so everything fits.

"Morning,"
comes a familiar voice from across the room.

You turn your head to see Anya, leaning casually against the edge of the long counter by the coffee maker. She's cradling a chipped mug in her hands, wearing her usual expression.

"Morning,"
you reply, still smiling as you close your locker.

She narrows her eyes at you, a knowing smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Alright, spill,"
she says, taking a slow sip of her coffee.
"You've got that look on your face."

"What look?"
you ask, trying to sound innocent as you turn back to your locker, fumbling with the lock for longer than necessary.

"That look. The 'I'm way too happy for someone who just walked into work at 7 a.m.' look. So, what's up? How were your holidays?"

You can't help it.
The grin spreads across your face before you can stop it.

"Amazing,"
you admit, turning to face her. "Absolutely amazing."

"I'm glad to hear your holiday was amazing,"
she smiled.

"Daisuke stepped up, huh?"
Anya's words catch you off guard, freezing you in place, even though you should've seen it coming.

"Oh, God,"
you groan, laughing nervously as you wave your hands.
"Okay, fine. It's about Daisuke.
But it's not what you're thinking!"

"Sure, it's not. Funny though, because he's out there smiling like he just won the lottery, and here you are, glowing. Hm, coincidence?"
She teased lightly.

"You know what, I'm actually glad for the exchange,"
Anya says, flashing a grin.

"Daisuke came to me, all eager, asking if I could swap so he could get you for Secret Santa.
But honestly, Im not mad about it, he has his reasons."

"Guess he's got a thing for you, huh?"

she adds with a sly grin.

You shrug, trying to play it off, but your heart is racing just thinking about it. "Maybe. I don't know. It just... caught me off guard. In a good way."

"[NAME]! COME TO MY OFFICE,
I REPEAT, [NAME], COME TO MY OFFICE NOW!"

The sharp voice blared over the intercom, reverberating through the room like a cannon shot.
You nearly jumped out of your skin, dropping the clipboard you'd been holding.