Work Text:
“We’ve got another full service coming in at 5 today,” Yuki said, flipping through their clipboard and being careful with their oil-stained hands on the pages. “They are also asking for some mods on their car.”
Yang fought not to throw the wrench she had in her hand at a wall. That wouldn’t accomplish anything but make her feel slightly less tense. The past few days had been nothing but work, work, work and Yang really wanted a day to relax. It was getting frustrating at this point but their store was down a few men and that left her and Yuki doing most of the work by themselves.
“Aren’t we backed up with repairs?” She asked.
Yuki clicked their tongue. “Unfortunately,” they muttered. “But, good news is that Ma is coming down from her department and bringing some boys with her. So, we should have enough for us to get off on time.”
Yang was at least able to give a small laugh at that. “Big Boss comes in to save the day once again,” she mumbled.
Yuki rolled their eyes, goodnaturedly, before heading to their office. Yang looked at them through the small window for a moment as they placed the clipboard back and started searching through other papers before focusing back on the task at hand. The car she was working on currently was one that needed the most attention. The owner wasn’t sure what was wrong but they knew that something was wrong with the engine. Looking at the model, it probably needed to be replaced. Ten-year-old cars sometimes required a little more maintenance than usual.
Yang went to work, the sound of tools being all she could hear. The crch, crch of the wrench as Yang started the process of removing things was a familiar tune as well as the clink sound as the tools on her belt tapped each other as she moved about.
It was a steady beat as she worked and Yuki soon joined in after coming out of their office to work on another car next to Yang, the sounds making a somewhat discordant harmony. The two always managed to work in sync and make music of all sorts of kinds. When the two were younger, Yang had always found herself at Yuki’s place while their mother was working on something in the garage. Yuki was always somewhere trying to help whether it be with tools or helping her get parts. Yang had fallen in love with the rhythm of the sounds as they did before eventually asking to be taught how to help. Soon, the two young people came to work together and create their own music in the garage when Asami was backed up with work.
The two also made actual music together, occasionally. Yuki learned to play a variety of instruments as a kid- guitar, trumpet, piano, and the saxophone and Yang played the drums and guitar- but they always found more solace together in this.
“Pass me a rag,” Yuki called out.
“Did you forget to bring one over there?” Yang inquired as she placed her replacement parts down and peered at Yuki sitting on a stool next to one of the cars.
They gave a somewhat embarrassed smile. “Yeah,” they responded.
Yang only gave a good-natured sigh before doing what was asked and grabbed a rag off of the nearby rack and threw it at her friend. Yuki’s muscle memory kicked in as they caught it in one hand.
“Thank you,” Yuki responded before going back to work.
And the music continued, Yang finding herself lost in it. The sound of metal on metal made it easy for her to focus on something other than her frustration from earlier even if she briefly wondered what Blake might be making for dinner tonight. Or if she was making something at all. Blake knew some things about a kitchen but it could catch fire real quick if she decided to experiment. Yang constantly wondered how her girlfriend survived this long and put it on her list of reasons why she fell in love with her. Most would say that Blake was lucky to find someone like Yang who would keep her from burning a house down but the blonde thought that she herself was extremely lucky to find someone determined to learn things despite the dangers they might pose.
The harmony between Yuki and Yang was interrupted as the sound of a car engine reached their ears. Yang fought off a growl and peered over the hood of the car she was working on but relaxed as she recognized the familiar black Cadillac of her boss.
Asami stepped out and Yuki was quick to approach her and attempt to hug their mother but was stopped with a hand. “You got grease all over you, sweetheart,” the older woman chuckled.
Yuki pouted. “You can still hug me, Ma,” they complained.
“I thought you were twenty-five, not fifteen,” Asami teased, which Yuki stuck their tongue out at before their mother removed her hand out of the way.
“Thank goodness you’re our boss,” Yang breathed out. “I was about to drive myself crazy thinking about possible overtime.”
“That’s extra money you get paid,” Asami chuckled.
“Yeah, but I also have a beautiful girlfriend to get back to.” Yang wiped her hands of grease as she said this and closed the hood of the car. She really did want to relax and listen to Blake read or rant and rave about whatever new book series she had gotten into. Working like this got exhausting at times especially since summer had come along and decided to be hotter than usual.
Asami seemed to understand her concern as her eyes sparkled in sympathy. “Seems I’m your guardian angel, then,” she murmured before turning back to Yuki. “Mind getting me up to speed while we wait for the others, Sparky?”
Yuki’s deep blue eyes brightened at the nickname before giving a very horrible and sloppy salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
The younger mechanic went about and went over everything that needed to be done while Yang went to start on other things while they did. There was a lot to do, so Yang found herself halfway done with a car before Asami came to help her out.
“Why don’t you go and take a break, Sunshine?” She told Yang, gently. “I know you and Yuki have been working your butts off the past few days. You gotta be tired.”
Yang looked between her and the car she had been working on but Asami’s green eyes left no room for argument so she eventually ended up conceding and stepping away.
“I’m also gonna do something about the damn AC in here. Why is it so hot?” The older woman complained, much to Yang’s amusement.
The rest of the crew arrived as Yang decided to sit down in Yuki’s office where the fan blew and ransacked the mini-fridge for her lunch. A simple sandwich that Blake had made and some sweet tea she made. Yang was happy that she could carry Blake’s love around with her to work.
The lull of continued work in the garage relaxed Yang as she ate. Despite the strenuous work, she wouldn’t want to do anything else for work. Not because she knew the owner or because she was friends with her boss’ kid (though those were bonuses) but because she enjoyed it. Most people say don’t make your hobbies your job but she couldn’t disagree less. If you weren’t having fun or disliked your job, what were you doing with your life?
Yuki stepped inside the office, apparently being pushed to take a break as well, and came to sit next to Yang, laying their head on the desk with a loud groan. “She’s right about that AC,” they grumbled. “It’s not right that it’s so hot in here.”
“Your mom is pretty awesome,” Yang mumbled around a bite of food, Yuki handing a napkin over to her with a small admonishment of speaking with her mouth full. (As if Yuki was the older one in this relationship.) Yang swallowed before speaking again. “Both of them are. I could barely get mine to call me growing up.”
“Because Raven is an asshole,” Yuki scoffed while Yang shrugged in nonchalant agreeance. The two were silent for a moment before Yuki spoke up again, softer. “Summer would be proud of you, though.”
Yang paused for a second before giving a small smile. “Yeah,” she breathed out. “She would.”
After finishing with her food, the two decided to take a well-deserved power nap, though Yuki seemed to fight against it as they were feeling a bit anxious about not helping before Yang convinced them to relax and set a thirty-minute timer. That thirty minutes proved to be the most useful because Yang woke up rejuvenated despite her back hurting. Sleeping in a chair was bad for one’s posture and she made sure that Yuki stretched out, thoroughly, knowing the issues they had with cramps in their legs and wrists.
Heading back to the garage, the two fell back into rhythm with each other even with some silly banter here and there. At one point, the two started smearing each other in grease before Asami gently scolded the two (mostly Yuki). At another, the two started performing tricks with the tools as they worked, trying to one-up each other before getting exhausted with that and falling into a fit of giggles. Yang heard someone that Asami brought along complain about their behavior but Yuki was quick to put him in his place with a sharp retort. Yang found it almost eerie that it almost sounded like her own voice coming out.
The two worked without mishaps and they were released early without having to worry about the cars that needed servicing. Asami was very serious about not overworking them it seemed.
“ Ugh . Cool air!” Yuki exclaimed as the two stepped out. “I felt I was going to melt in there if we stayed any longer.”
Yang gave a noncommittal grunt. She was feeling too tired and a little overstimulated to respond which Yuki caught onto.
“Going home?” They asked while signing.
Yang responded with a nod before signing back tired .
Yuki laughed at her response as she gave a dramatic frown. “Understandable,” they said before heading to their car. “See you later, Yang.”
Yang waved after them before heading to her own vehicle. Time to head home and get a good night’s rest with the woman she loved.