Chapter Text
You pulled your black trench coat tighter around yourself in an attempt to ward away the chilly night air that had fallen over the city. Your breath come out in small clouds of white every time you exhaled, which meant that it was much too cold for you to be wandering around in a dress at night. The sound of your heels on the grubby cement seemed to echo through the silent streets of Ebott City. Despite the fact that wandering around after sunset in the city was a dangerous endeavor, you found yourself doing it once more after a long night at work.
The clicking of your heels stopped as you reached a familiar bench with a bright light above it. As the only well lit place on the entire street, the bus stop was hard to miss. You took the bus to and from work to and from work every day. You didn’t have the money for a car, but it didn’t really matter when you lived in the middle of a city.
You didn’t mind walking either, though you would prefer not to when it was late at night. The problem with that, though, was that you often found yourself walking to the bus stop from a late night at work. Or, ungodly hours into the morning in your case.
You really enjoyed your job. It didn’t always pay well, and you had to deal with drunk assholes more often than not, but you still loved it. You loved doing your job, and you loved the people you worked for. They were a lovely middle aged couple, who, at some point, you had become very close with.
The scuffling of shoes next to you brought your attention to the figure that had walked up to the stop. The unmistakable scent of cigarette smoke hit you before the odd features did. You had to crane your neck slightly to look up at the cat-like monster. He let out another puff of smoke, staring tiredly at the street in front of him. You looked away from him. It was rude to stare, after all. It’s not like monsters were big news anymore.
They had been above ground for almost 5 years now. Despite them being a bit rough around the edges, you had never had any qualms with them, but you weren’t naive. You had seen all of the fear and hate that people showed towards them. There were even groups adamant about putting them back into the mountain, or worse. You scowled slightly. You couldn’t understand how some people were so hateful. Most monsters you had met weren’t that dangerous. While there were a number of them that you would not like crossing paths with, the number of humans that have some unwarranted hate for monsters is far greater.
But then, you also knew about the mafia. While humans most certainly had already set up an underbelly to the city, monsters had their own ‘businesses’ that they quickly set up in the city. But, could you really blame them? The rights for monsters were not… fantastic. Honestly, you were a bit surprised that there were only a few groups of monsters that resorted to crime when most of them didn’t even make ends meet. Especially at this time of the year, when the weather gets colder and food gets more expensive. Winter was truly your least favorite season. Your ‘uniform’ didn’t really make it easy for you, either. With flashy dresses came mostly bare legs.
As if to prove your point, a particularly cold rush of air blew past you. You shivered almost violently and wrapped your arms around yourself.
“You alright there, Lady?” He asked. You looked back over at the monster. His brows were pushed together in confusion. “Why the hell aren’t you wearing any pants?” You let out a breathy chuckle at the question and shook your head. His face only scrunched up more.
“I ask myself the same question on a daily basis. And yet here I am. Pantsless in winter.” You gave him a once over. He was wearing a nondescript black polo shirt and slacks. His shoes looked well-worn. He was probably a solid six inches taller than you, even though he was slouching. He narrowed his eyes at your obvious inspection, and you gave him an unapologetic shrug and continued with your explanation.
“I work at a bar down the street.” You gestured to the direction of said bar. He only gave you a noncommittal hum in response. You stared at each other for a few more seconds before tearing your gazes away. You both looked in different directions, trying in vain to find something to rest your attention on. Well, you had already started an awkward bus stop conversation. Might as well keep it up to fill the empty air.
“I’ve, uh,” He looked over to you as you began speaking, “never seen you around here before. What brings you to this neck of the woods?” He held up a bag in his hands that you had failed to notice, but didn’t answer you otherwise.
“Shopping? At-“ You looked at your phone, ”two in the morning? Why?” He shrugged irritably. Whatever the reason was, he seemed a bit peeved about it. It felt like he didn’t want to talk about it though, so you dropped the issue. That, however, put you at a loss for any more conversation topics. You leaned forward and looked down the street. Still no bus. From the corner of your eye, you noticed him roll on his feet.
“You a bartender?” His question surprised you slightly. You looked back at him in surprise.
“No, actually. I’m a singer.” You gave a quick explination. He nodded, and you were put back into awkward silence. Then the telltale sound of an engine grew nearer, signaling the bus’s approach. It stopped in front of you and the monster and the doors swung open with a swoosh. You gave a nod to the driver as you stepped onto the empty bus, scanning your card as you went past. You took a seat in the front and watched as the monster stepped in. The driver narrowed his eyes as he passed.
“Bus pass?” The driver asked.
The monster stopped, mumbling softly to himself before patting his pocket. Then his eyes widened. He tapped his other pockets before looking in his bag and groaning. “Look, I-“
“No card, no bus.” The monster looked as though he was going to argue, but thought better of it. He gave a huff and turned to leave the bus. You quickly stood up and pressed your card against the scanner once more. At the sound of the small ding that the machine emitted, the monster turned around and stared at you with a curious look. The bus driver scoffed.
“Whatever, lady. ‘S your money.” He turned back to the wheel with a sour look on his face. A glare settled on your face but dropped as you sat back down. You smiled at the orange cat as he passed you. He let out a quiet chuckle.
“Thanks, little buddy, I owe you one.” With that, he sat down at the back of the bus. It lurched forward and you turned your attention to the city as it passed out the window.
The bus was quiet, as per usual. Only the soft sounds of the engine and the occasional car horn could be heard. You found your thoughts wandering to the monster sitting in the back of the bus. You wondered what his story was. You had gathered that the underground had not been a particularly nice place. Despite that, most of the monsters seemed nice, if not a bit standoffish. He seemed to be no exception.
You felt the bus lurch to a stop. You turned to see him pass you in the isle. You gave him a smile as he left the bus, getting a nod in return.