𝐑𝐔𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃, robin buckley ¹

ᵒ³. ʳᵒˡˡᵉʳ⁻ˢᵏᵃᵗᵉˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ˡᵃᵗᵉ⁻ⁿⁱᵍʰᵗ ᵇⁱᵏᵉ ʳⁱᵈᵉˢ.

          The dinging of the counter's bell broke the two out of their interaction, turning their heads in that direction. An annoyed woman stood near the register with two snotty children. There was a scowl on her face and she'd clearly been standing there for a good moment without being served.

          "Oh, sorry—what do you want?" asked Rain, much-too-quickly slipping on her Ahoy hat and leaving Robin's warm side. If she noticed the disappearance of that heat, she did not show it. She straightened her collar fidgetingly as she served the woman and almost dropped the ice-cream as she handed it over. The lady just glared at her as she threw Rain the coins. "Grumpy old bitch," she grumbled after the woman had left, shoving the money into the cash register. A figure loomed in the edges of her vision and she turned her head towards the person who had arrived across the counter. Who it was took her by surprise, "Oh—Mom?" She pulled her eyebrows together in confusion, leaning on the counter with both arms. Her mother hadn't visited her work before, and she couldn't see a reason why she would now.

          "Hi, Rainbow darling, you forgot your wallet," she just smiled at her daughter and held the dainty purse out over the counter. Robin made a slight noise in the back of her throat, and tried to pass it off as a cough. The expression on Rain's face turned from a carefree smile to one with slight mortification. "I'm pretty sure you need that to buy yourself some lunch."

         "Right, thanks so much, Mama." She took the peach-coloured wallet and tucked it behind the counter. "Thanks for running it out here for me." Her mother just smiled, a perfect, mirror reflection of Rain herself, and nodded in reassurance.

          "It's no problem, baby." She shot a glance towards Rain's co-worker, who was standing back with both amusement and slight shock written across her features, eyebrows raised ever-so-slightly. The next words she directed to Robin, smiling. "It's nice to know my daughter's making friends, by the way," her mother said, rather embarrassingly, "she hasn't had many good ones since high school."

          "Thanks, Mama," Rain droned, teeth gritted together in a hard line as she winced a little, and her mother just waved goodbye and left the parlour. The short girl was just left with her hands pressed against the counter, blinking.

          When Rain's mother had disappeared, Robin let out a loud snort. "Your real name is Rainbow?"

          Rain's mouth slipped open in shock and she practically leapt on the girl. "Oh my God, Robin, shut up!" She covered Robin's mouth with her hand, refusing to let her speak. "It's mortifying! Do you want to subject me to public humiliation?"

          "Why the Hell is your name Rainbow?" Robin mumbled through Rain's closed fingers. To get Rain's hand off her lips, she stuck out her tongue and licked the girl's palm.

          Rain pulled her hand away in disgust. "Ew!" She wiped it on Robin's uniform as the taller girl hopped onto the counter to sit on it. "Gross, Robin. And I don't know, my parents were major hippies. They're past that phase now, but I'm stuck with a name from My Little Pony." Robin snorted, swinging her legs, and Rain looked over. "If you tell anyone, I will seriously never speak to you again." Her arms crossed over her chest and she gave Robin a short glare. "Do you really have to sit up there? You're tall enough already. This is just humiliating."

          "You're just short," said Robin, fondness creeping into her voice. She placed her palms down, leaning back against them so she could peer at Rain without having to crane her head down too far. She looked very pretty like that—it was quite unfair on poor Rain.

          Rain scrunched up her face, "You're taller than Steve!"

          "Steve is short!" Robin defended, raising her eyebrows. Her lips were curled up in amusement, she was trying not to laugh.