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Veronica is tired.
No scratch that.
Veronica is fucking exhausted.
Her shift at Gap was worse than normal – two Karen’s shouted at her for no reason, she got hit on by way too many teenage boys and she was on her feet for hours. On top of that, she has a Midterm next week that she is really not ready for and the only thing she knows how to cook is cereal.
And she ran out of milk.
And her roommate practically lives at her boyfriend’s so it’s not like she got the memo of buying it.
She had to close the shop tonight, that meant dealing with customers trying to get in a minute before the store shuts and getting angry, so ridiculously angry, at something that she cannot change. She trudged home on the bus, trying not to fall asleep, ready to get home, make herself some tea then head to bed. Except there’s no milk.
Veronica remembers the moment vividly, she opened the fridge, after finally relaxing slightly (she had even put her jeggings on, judge all you want, jeggings are fucking comfortable and no she will not take any criticism on that) and there was only an empty carton.
The betrayal she felt toward her previous self was immeasurable.
Jesus Christ, she just came home and now she has to leave again?
She’s lucky that there’s a Walmart a few blocks down. She’s, again, lucky that it’s Summer so she doesn’t have to layer up too much, she also feels safer walking at night when it’s slightly warmer – it’s something she can’t explain. Maybe Winter just gets her paranoid.
Anyway, that is what leads her here, Walmart at half past midnight, on a Wednesday. Bone tired and ready to fall asleep right in isle three. Grocery stores are kinda scary at night, there’s no one else there and there’s a flickering light in the frozen section. She walks past isle after isle, until they start to blend into one.
Finally, dairy isle.
Her eyes are trained on the milk that she doesn’t notice the only other person in the store doing the same thing. She grabs for the milk at the same time as someone with a red scrunchie around her wrist. She turns and sees maybe one of the most attractive people she’s ever since in her life, she’s serious. There are hot people at college, vaguely attractive people in High School, but this woman is another breed of attractive. She’s got a pair of glasses hanging loosely on her nose, as if they could fall off at any second. Holy shit. Not only is she one of those people with a crazy symmetrical face, but her eyes are, intelligent? She can’t describe it, but Veronica can tell that this woman will stay with her mind for a while. The other woman is looking at her like she’s waiting for her to answer.
“Sorry what?”
“Is it possible for you to get any other milk?” Her tone is pointed and she gestures around the isle.
“Um, I can only make cereal. And I just had an eight hour shift.”
“You didn’t answer my question.” The other woman gets through gritted teeth.
“I’m lactose intolerant.” The woman purses her lips and stares at the milk.
“Take it.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yeah, I can grab some more tomorrow.”
She gives Veronica the last soy milk and begins to walk away. Damn Veronica didn’t want to deal with complex emotions tonight but it seems that she is.
“Hey, uh, wait.”
The woman turns around, her shoulders slightly slumped, she looks sad.
It’s at this point that Veronica wants to make this woman smile. Or laugh. Or just not look so damn miserable.
“Do you want a bowl of cereal?”
The woman takes a second, as if evaluating Veronica's statement.
“Are you- are you inviting me to your place?” She looks confused, her eyebrows furrowing in a cute way and her mouth slightly open. Holy shit her lips, they are very nice, very kissable lips.
“Uh, yeah?”
She smirks slightly, eyes still a bit baffled.
“I could be a serial killer.” She raises one of her eyebrows.
“That’s not a very serial killer thing to say.”
Her smirk splits into a smile, point for Sawyer, she stares at the ground for a second before walking towards Veronica.
“Okay, but you better not be a serial killer.”
“I cannot guarantee anything.” She rolls her eyes, and Veronica has the idea that she’s the kinda person who rolls her eyes a lot. Her demeanor seems slightly less sad and Veronica takes that as a win. The woman is slightly shorter than her, but she has the energy of a tall person. That was a Martha thing to say, she should call her soon, she’s getting off topic. They starts walking toward the checkout.
“Let’s grab a drink, then we can verify if either of us are killers.”
“I thought we already established that you’re not.”
“What’s your name?”
“Hm, that’s a murderous thing for you to say.” She jokes, the woman seems just has an air of heartache around her.
That makes the woman laugh a bit, another point for Sawyer, she is on a roll. That makes Veronica smile, it’s nice to make people’s days slightly less shitty. The woman stops and Veronica walks for a few steps before realizing that the other woman stopped.
“Seriously though, I need to know the name of the woman who is gracefully giving me a bowl of cereal and paying for my drink.”
“Veronica Sawyer.”
“Heather Chandler.”
“Hey! What looks like I can afford drinks?”
“You’re buying milk.” She says, cheekily nodding toward the milk dangling from Veronica’s fingers.
“Yeah, it’s 60 cents. I’m a struggling student I’ll have you know.”
“So am I,” she looks at Heather up and down, taking in her jeans and tucked in shirt and overall slightly disheveled look. “I know a good place, plus my friend bartends there so she gives me some money off now and again.”
“Doesn’t she get in trouble?”
“Nah, she owns the bar. She’s mega-rich.”
They get to the checkout where a teen who looks like he could fall asleep at any second scans the milk and she pays and she’s really about to get a drink with a total stranger.
Well, not a complete stranger, she knows her name.
Veronica has been intimate with people she knows less about.
They pay, well Veronica pays while Heather watches her get the exact change out of her wallet, because she’s learnt that they are a lot more efficient when it comes to carrying money when you don’t want to carry a bag or shit. They leave the store to find that the temperature has dropped slightly, Veronica hides in her a hoodie at the sudden change but is fine really, Heather, though, is shaking slightly.
“Do you want my jacket?”
“No, I couldn’t possibly-“
“Heather, you’re shivering, like, physically shaking.” She says while shucking off her hoodie and handing it to the woman.
“But then you’ll be cold.” She says but Veronica can tell that she’s already chosen to take the item of clothing.
“I’ll be fine, take the goddamn hoodie.”
She puts it on and zips it up, it’s too big for her and she makes these cute little hoodie-hands. She gives Veronica a grateful smile.
“Now where is this miraculous bar?”
--
Veronica has learnt a lot about the woman since they left the grocery store and since they entered the bar.
The funniest of which is that her best friend is also called Heather, and her best friends girlfriend is called, you’ve guessed it, Heather. It make Veronica laugh for a while when she found out about that.
She finds out that Heather is doing a History bachelors before going into a law program, that she hates the taste of beer and that when she laughs her nose crinkles. A lot. And that Veronica thinks it’s adorable. She finds out Heather’s sense of humour, stupid things, mixed with a healthy dose of watching other people faceplant; there was this guy who was wasted off his ass and he tried to get to the bar and his face went headfirst into a stool, it made Heather almost cackle.
Then she went into a story about how Mac, the best friend who owns the bar, did competitive cheerleading throughout their high school experience and did a double back flip while being blackout drunk, she neither threw up nor landed well, thank god for rich friends who can afford health insurance. That made Mac give them a middle finger and was going to threaten Heather with paying full price, until she knew that Veronica was paying and she just gave Heather a death glare (as if someone who is the human equivalent of a golden retriever could give a death glare) and a smile at Veronica.
Veronica reveals a lot about herself too, she tells her that she’s getting a major in English lit and a minor in psychology and that it is kicking her ass. She tells Heather about how she adores Fleetwood Mac and how her comfort food is hot dogs. She finds the man falling into the stool funny but not as hilarious and she admires the way that Heather’s smile is wider than it has been all evening and how beautiful she looks when her eyes are full of mirth.
Heather also finds it hilarious when Veronica calls her pint of milk Danny and gives him a bar stool of his own.
“So why did you invite me for a bowl of cereal?” She asks Veronica, leaning on the bar, while staring at her directly in the eyes, it makes Veronica shiver.
“Uh, it’s kinda really cringy.”
“Come on, most people would say a drink or something but you’re here like, a bowl of cereal.” She smiles freely and Veronica accepts the small joke at her expense.
“Hey, it’s the only thing I can make.”
“That’s kinda sad.”
Veronica rolls her eyes and takes another drink of her beer.
“C’mon, I’m having a great time, I’d love to know what started it all.”
Veronica feels hot and is suddenly aware that she is most likely blushing, she scratches the back of her neck and clears her throat awkwardly before answering.
“I, uh, thought you looked sad and I wanted to make you smile or laugh. Plus you’re like really cute and you let me have the last pint of soy.”
Heather seems a bit taken aback at what she said. To be fair, it probably is not what she was expecting. God, she sounds like a creep, she should probably go.
“I think you owe me a bowl of cereal.” She grabs Veronica’s hoodie and waves bye to Mac. She starts leaving and Veronica quickly follows, Heather starts moving in the direction that the Walmart is, the other woman follows her, trying to keep up with her fast paces.
“Are you not gonna say anything?” Heathers stops and Veronica almost walks into her.
“What is there to say?”
“Just any kind of reaction.” She speaks so earnestly that Heather actually feels a bit bad at her short reply – that was barely a reply if she’s honest. She curls into herself slightly.
“It’s just, so nice, I didn’t expect that. Also it’s getting late and I know that the bar gets rowdy after a certain time.”
“Okay, let’s grab a bowl of cereal, I’ve got Danny.” She gestures to the pint of soy in her hand and Heather smiles and shakes her head in slight disbelief. They don’t talk until they reach Veronica’s apartment. When they reached the halfway point of Walmart, Heather’s hand slipped into Veronica’s and she blushed so hard that she was worried that it would look like a rash. Her hands are soft all over and Heather’s thumb rubs in comforting circles at the base of Veronica’s thumb. It was colder than it had been earlier and yet she felt the perfect temperature with Heather’s hand in hers. Regretfully, when they reach Veronica’s block, Heather’s hand has to leave hers. Her hand suddenly feels cold and she tries to get the door open.
“My, uh, roommate shouldn’t be in. She’s never in actually.” She flicks on the light at the door and is eternally grateful that she tidied the place this morning. Heather doesn’t make a face at her apartment, just looks around, taking it in. Veronica leaves her in the hall and makes it to the kitchen, putting Danny in the fridge and looking through her collection of cereals.
“Do you mind taking your shoes off?”
“Of course not.”
She comes into Veronica’s kitchen and leans on the counter.
“Are you some kind of cereal connoisseur?” She nods toward the many cereals Veronica has stacked up.
“Uh, I may or may not have a critical addiction to cereals.”
Heather hums and smiles slightly, she still hasn’t taken off Veronica’s hoodie. She’s just undone it and rolled the sleeves up.
“Cocoa Krispies?” Veronica asks, holding up the packet. Heather nods and watches her fondly as she puts the cereal in first then the milk. She’s not a heathen after all, the cereal always goes first.
They end up on Veronica’s couch, half watching a re-run of friends. It’s the one where Ross has to get them all out on time to one of his functions. Veronica hates Ross but she applauds his ability to not murder any of them during the episode, Heather expresses the same view, even equating her friends to various moments during the episode.
“Do you wanna know why I was sad?” Heather suddenly says, it’s halfway through commercial and she hadn’t talked in a while so Veronica jumps slightly at her talking.
“As long as you want to tell me and not feel obligated or anything.”
“I do.”
“Okay then.” Veronica puts her bowl on the shitty coffee table – she found it on the side of the road but a coffee table’s a coffee table right? – and faces Heather so she knows that she’s fully listening.
“My girlfriend of two years broke up with me.”
“Oh shit man.”
“Yeah. Do you wanna know why?”
The worst part of Heather saying this is that her voice remains eerily calm as her eyes focus on the TV, she only glances at Veronica now and again while speaking.
“She said I’m no good at emotions and that once I found out how to be a normal person then I should concentrate on a relationship.”
“That’s rough Heather.”
“Yeah well, it is what it is.”
Veronica nods, the episode starts to play again.
“You know that scene in the Breakfast Club where the girl who barely talks for the movie says her parent ignore her. You know? The trauma sharing scene?”
Veronica nods again.
“That’s what my parent were like, and now I can’t function in relationships.”
“I don’t know how to respond to that.”
“It’s okay, you listened and that’s enough.”
They watch the episode for a bit longer before Veronica notices that Heather’s bowl is empty.
“Another bowl?”
--
“I’m glad I invited you for a bowl of cereal.”
“Me too.”
They’ve been watching re-runs of old soaps for a while now. Their bowls have been left in the sink – Heather almost made them wash up but Veronica pouted and she quickly conceded. Heather’s finally taken off Veronica’s hoodie – although it lies just in reach next to her couch – and is leaning on Veronica’s shoulder with the other woman’s arm around it, she’s curled up into her with Veronica leaning on her head. Heather’s glasses have taken the place of the bowls.
“Thank you.”
“For what.”
“Wanting to make me smile.”
“Eh, it’s my empathetic spine.” Veronica feels more than hears Heather smile and her arm across Veronica’s stomach moves slightly. Every part of Veronica’s body is on fire where Heather is touching.
She’s decided she loves the feeling.
“What does that even mean?” Heather’s voice is a far cry happier than it was a few hours ago and it makes Veronica’s heart soar.
“I dunno I’ve been up for like, fourteen hours.” She shrugs, slightly disrupting Heather, but she’s up anyway, pulling Veronica to meet her eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I like being here, with you.” She says bashfully. Heather smiles at that then goes back to her previous position.
“For the record, I like it to.”
They remain like that for a few minutes.
“Veronica?”
“Hm?”
“Can I kiss you?”
“Of course.”
And then they do.
And Veronica wonders if this is what it’s like to die and be resurrected.
Because Heather’s lips are so soft and they move against hers with so much confidence that she’s happy she’s sitting down because she’s pretty sure she would fall over if she was standing. Heather’s hand comes to rest on Veronica’s head while one of hers lies across Heathers back, the other holding her waist close.
They don’t kiss for long, nor does it descend into the wet and messy kind of kissing that leads to sex and things that Veronica would love to do in the future, but she’s content with hands staying in (mostly) PG places and the feeling of Heather’s lips on hers. They pull away and Veronica leaves one last peck on her lips then one on her forehead and then they go back to how they were before.
“Are we gonna-“
“Sh.”
“But like we should talk about this right?”
“Veronica?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t ruin the moment.”
And with that Veronica concedes and snuggles closer to Heather.
--
Veronica wakes up with a crick in her neck.
Crap, she fell asleep on the sofa again.
Wait. Where’s Heather?
There’s light streaming in through Veronica’s shitty, oh dear Lord, they are so bad, blinds as she stretches from her place on the couch. She’s not quite ready to get up yet. Her shoulders feel more relaxed than they have in a while and she’s contented as she scans her living room.
There’s a note on the coffee table.
Sorry I left, I had a 9am class :/
I’ve done the washing up btw
And here’s my number xx
Ps. I have your hoodie hostage
Pps. Give Danny a kiss from me.
The note makes Veronica laugh slightly.
She will definitely be calling Heather.