Odoroki
seventeen.
“Natasha-chan? I didn’t get a call from you today…I just wanted to make sure you were all right. I know you said you’ve been stressed, but I just wanted to check in on you. Call me later, okay? I love you. Bye.”
“Natasha? It’s Kiera. Honey, what was with you today? Are you sick or something? Melissa looked worried- it’s no wonder she sent you home for the day. Listen, I know you might be napping or something, but call me when you get this- I just want to make sure you’re okay. All right, um…so I’ll hear from you later. Bye!”
“Hey, it’s Yuu again. I hope it’s all right that I’ve called again. But, it’s been a few hours, so I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay. Call me, okay? Don’t worry about the time. I love you, Natasha-chan. Mata ne.”
Her head throbbed angrily as the last beep sounded- telling her that her messages were over- and she felt her heart pang as she realized that Yuu, with his heart of gold, was worried about her, and as she realized that Kiera- as well as her boss- was concerned, too. She couldn’t say that she regretted napping, though, as the headache was, for the most part, gone, and the tension she’d felt earlier had ebbed away. She felt refreshed, and she could stretch and smile as she rose from the couch and headed toward the kitchen.
She set the phone on the counter next to the coffee maker, and she eyed the latter warily- something about making coffee didn’t sound so great to her empty stomach, and she sighed as she continued to the refrigerator. She found that she had more options here, and she bit her lip as she eyed them all. She’d bought ingredients for making subs earlier that week, and with the stress-induced weight she’d put on, something healthy sounded perfect.
She took out the essentials, found a cutting board, and picked up a knife, and the poor fruits and vegetables beneath her blade met their end as she chopped away her confusion. By the time she’d sliced the tomatoes, cut up the cucumbers, and shredded the lettuce, she found that she definitely felt better, and she picked up a few black olives to snack on as she finished her work. And as the minutes passed, her attention centered on the task at hand, and she jumped, barely avoiding slicing her finger, as the phone began to ring.
She cursed, uncharacteristically, and picked up the phone without bothering to check the caller’s ID. “Hello?”
“Natasha?”
She smiled. “Hello, Kiera.”
“Are you feeling all right? You didn’t seem like yourself today…honey, if there’s something wrong, tell me.”
She sighed. “Firstly, I’m feeling fine now. I just haven’t been sleeping well, so today, I slept. And secondly, I wish I knew what else is up. I think I’m going to have to lighten my load again, is all. It’s not a problem, hon. I’m fine.”
“Mhm, sure you are.” She sounded doubtful, and Natasha rolled her eyes. “I just worry about you, you know? And I know I tease you about him a lot, but maybe you should talk to Yuu about it. He’s been pretty good at calming you down, right?”
“Yeah, he has. I just..I don’t want to trouble him with something like this.”
“Sweetie. You’re his girlfriend. Long-distance or not, as his girlfriend, you are one of the highest priorities in his life. Trouble him. Seriously.” She sighed. “I’m just saying that if he helps you, and if he makes you happy, you should talk it through with him. Maybe he’ll come up with something you haven’t yet. It’s a better option than spending a paycheck on a therapist, right?”
“Yeah.” She sighed, and she turned to the cutting board once again, picking up the knife. “I guess you’re right. It’s just strange, you know? We’ve only been together, officially, for three weeks. It’s still new to me that I have someone like that, someone I can always go to.” She placed a pepper on the cutting board, and she was quiet for a second as she sliced it.
“From what you’ve told me, though? He really cares about you. And if you tell him all of this? He’ll be honored that you trust him, and your relationship will be that much stronger.” Natasha could hear her tone changing- the caring friend side of her could only last so long before the semi-sardonic side of her began to slip into place. “Trust me, Natasha. You’re talking to someone with enough failed relationships to write an entire handbook on them. Have a talk with him.”
“You know, I really do hate you sometimes.”
“Yes, well, I’ll take what I can get. Seriously. Promise me that you’ll talk to him?”
Natasha sighed, her gaze lingering on the untouched bread for her almost-finished sub, and with lack of a better option, she sighed again as she said, “All right, fine. I’ll talk to him. Want me to check in with you later?”
“No, but if you’re not gushing tomorrow, I’ll go to Japan and kick his ass myself. Kay?”
Natasha laughed softly. “Got it. I’m about to eat, so I’ll let you go, but I’ll see you at work tomorrow, yeah?” She heard Kiera sigh and respond with some form of ‘yeah, whatever’, and she smiled, laughing to herself, as she ended the call and set the phone aside.
“Natasha? It’s Kiera. Honey, what was with you today? Are you sick or something? Melissa looked worried- it’s no wonder she sent you home for the day. Listen, I know you might be napping or something, but call me when you get this- I just want to make sure you’re okay. All right, um…so I’ll hear from you later. Bye!”
“Hey, it’s Yuu again. I hope it’s all right that I’ve called again. But, it’s been a few hours, so I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay. Call me, okay? Don’t worry about the time. I love you, Natasha-chan. Mata ne.”
Her head throbbed angrily as the last beep sounded- telling her that her messages were over- and she felt her heart pang as she realized that Yuu, with his heart of gold, was worried about her, and as she realized that Kiera- as well as her boss- was concerned, too. She couldn’t say that she regretted napping, though, as the headache was, for the most part, gone, and the tension she’d felt earlier had ebbed away. She felt refreshed, and she could stretch and smile as she rose from the couch and headed toward the kitchen.
She set the phone on the counter next to the coffee maker, and she eyed the latter warily- something about making coffee didn’t sound so great to her empty stomach, and she sighed as she continued to the refrigerator. She found that she had more options here, and she bit her lip as she eyed them all. She’d bought ingredients for making subs earlier that week, and with the stress-induced weight she’d put on, something healthy sounded perfect.
She took out the essentials, found a cutting board, and picked up a knife, and the poor fruits and vegetables beneath her blade met their end as she chopped away her confusion. By the time she’d sliced the tomatoes, cut up the cucumbers, and shredded the lettuce, she found that she definitely felt better, and she picked up a few black olives to snack on as she finished her work. And as the minutes passed, her attention centered on the task at hand, and she jumped, barely avoiding slicing her finger, as the phone began to ring.
She cursed, uncharacteristically, and picked up the phone without bothering to check the caller’s ID. “Hello?”
“Natasha?”
She smiled. “Hello, Kiera.”
“Are you feeling all right? You didn’t seem like yourself today…honey, if there’s something wrong, tell me.”
She sighed. “Firstly, I’m feeling fine now. I just haven’t been sleeping well, so today, I slept. And secondly, I wish I knew what else is up. I think I’m going to have to lighten my load again, is all. It’s not a problem, hon. I’m fine.”
“Mhm, sure you are.” She sounded doubtful, and Natasha rolled her eyes. “I just worry about you, you know? And I know I tease you about him a lot, but maybe you should talk to Yuu about it. He’s been pretty good at calming you down, right?”
“Yeah, he has. I just..I don’t want to trouble him with something like this.”
“Sweetie. You’re his girlfriend. Long-distance or not, as his girlfriend, you are one of the highest priorities in his life. Trouble him. Seriously.” She sighed. “I’m just saying that if he helps you, and if he makes you happy, you should talk it through with him. Maybe he’ll come up with something you haven’t yet. It’s a better option than spending a paycheck on a therapist, right?”
“Yeah.” She sighed, and she turned to the cutting board once again, picking up the knife. “I guess you’re right. It’s just strange, you know? We’ve only been together, officially, for three weeks. It’s still new to me that I have someone like that, someone I can always go to.” She placed a pepper on the cutting board, and she was quiet for a second as she sliced it.
“From what you’ve told me, though? He really cares about you. And if you tell him all of this? He’ll be honored that you trust him, and your relationship will be that much stronger.” Natasha could hear her tone changing- the caring friend side of her could only last so long before the semi-sardonic side of her began to slip into place. “Trust me, Natasha. You’re talking to someone with enough failed relationships to write an entire handbook on them. Have a talk with him.”
“You know, I really do hate you sometimes.”
“Yes, well, I’ll take what I can get. Seriously. Promise me that you’ll talk to him?”
Natasha sighed, her gaze lingering on the untouched bread for her almost-finished sub, and with lack of a better option, she sighed again as she said, “All right, fine. I’ll talk to him. Want me to check in with you later?”
“No, but if you’re not gushing tomorrow, I’ll go to Japan and kick his ass myself. Kay?”
Natasha laughed softly. “Got it. I’m about to eat, so I’ll let you go, but I’ll see you at work tomorrow, yeah?” She heard Kiera sigh and respond with some form of ‘yeah, whatever’, and she smiled, laughing to herself, as she ended the call and set the phone aside.