Work Text:
Neither Tomoro nor Reina was someone that people tended to flirt with. They both gave off a hostile aura in how they carried themselves, and they seldom gave openings to start conversations with them. Tomoro was always off in his own world, his earbuds in and his mind worlds away. Reina tended to move with a sense of urgency, having a task to be done and wanting to waste as little time as possible in doing it.
This meant that if anybody did try their luck with either of them, it was a memorable event. The singular time someone had dared to hit on Reina, it wasn’t the flirting itself but Tomoro’s reaction that stuck in her head. The audacity to look at her like it was the most unbelievable thing he’d ever heard! Reina swore, if he wasn’t so fragile, she’d kick his ass one of these days.
With all the pettiness of someone who’d grown to view that brat as a younger brother, Reina bided her time until she’d be able to get back at him. Someday, somebody was going to hit on that little punk, and she would get to look at him judgmentally and say, “Really? You?”
There was one time when Reina thought she would have her chance—that day it seemed like Hitomi was going to ask Tomoro out. Of course, revenge wasn’t the only reason Reina was rooting for those two. She’d also hoped it would give Tomoro a chance to have a normal teenage experience and help him get over his crush on his former rival.
Revenge was still the main reason, however.
Reina had been all geared up to tease Tomoro the second he finished talking to Hitomi, only for her plans to be dashed when he came back rejected and depressed. She couldn’t possibly bully him then. Waiting for him to cheer up hadn’t been an option either, as the whole thing turned out to be the work of a meddling Mummymon and not any real feelings.
Considering how many times she’d imagined the moment in her head—usually on days when Tomoro was being particularly irritating—Reina shocked not only Tomoro but herself with how she reacted when someone finally did hit on him.
“Don’t touch him!” Reina snarled, smacking the dirtbag’s hand away.
At first, Reina hadn’t clocked anything unusual about the interaction. Maybe the cashier at the store had been a tad too friendly towards Tomoro, but Reina’d thought it was just the guy’s customer service voice. Then he’d started throwing in pet names and kept leaning in while Tomoro kept backing up. The final straw had been when Tomoro had said, “I’m going to a different register,” and tried to leave, only for the guy to grab his wrist to stop him.
“Whoa there. What are you, his girlfriend?”
Tomoro and Reina shared a glance, then said, “ew,” in tandem.
“Then what’s the problem here?” the cashier crossed his arms.
“Are you blind or just stupid? You’re obviously making him uncomfortable!” Reina yelled.
“If that’s true, he can tell me that himself. Can’t ya, sweetheart?”
Rather than saying anything, Tomoro tensed and moved further behind Reina. Truth be told, Reina did wonder why Tomoro wasn’t telling this guy off himself. He wasn’t exactly shy or polite, and he was no stranger to making a scene. That didn’t matter right now, though.
“Take a hint, will you!” Reina slammed her fist on the counter. “What do you think he was trying to switch registers for? Ugh, why am I still having this conversation? Come on, let’s shop somewhere else.”
Uncaring that she was leaving the cashier to deal with a pile of unpurchased groceries, Reina stormed out of the store with Tomoro close at her heels.
“Unbelievable. Men are the worst!” Reina exclaimed once they were outside, kicking a street sign in blind rage and biting back a pained scream at the impact. “Are you okay, Tomoro?”
“Yeah…” Tomoro nodded. “Sorry about that.”
“What are you sorry about? You didn’t do anything.”
“Exactly. I didn’t do anything. I stood there like an idiot while you had to defend me.” Tomoro grit his teeth.
“What was up with that, anyways?” Reina asked. “I’m not mad. Just curious.”
“I’m not sure.” Tomoro shrugged and began fiddling with the strap of his bag. “I’m used to dealing with people who are being jerks. I’m used to dealing with people who are tryna kill me. But this? It was different. The way that guy was looking at me felt…wrong. I dunno, I guess I got kinda scared for some reason.”
“That’s completely normal. Don’t beat yourself up about it.” Reina patted Tomoro’s head and smiled reassuringly. “Look on the bright side: it’s not like you’ll have to get used to it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tomoro narrowed his eyes.
“Just that I doubt anyone’s ever gonna hit on you again,” Reina teased.
“Gee, thanks,” Tomoro grumbled. “Look who’s talking!”
“Hey, I’m a catch. It’s not my fault nobody has any taste.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
“I don’t wanna hear it from the guy with the worst taste of them all!”
“Argh! Aren’t we supposed to be grocery shopping?” Tomoro huffed, already over their silly argument.
Tomoro’s earlier guilt was overridden by annoyance, making Reina grin widely. Comforting him and getting back at him—two birds with one stone. She deserved a degree in Tomoro handling at this point. Now to find another store with reasonable prices that she hadn’t gotten banned from…