#maya!!!

My first sharkrock fic ahshddj i dont usually write but this one just came out so ENJOY!!!

10:30 PM. Who knows why some high schooler was walking around at this time on a school night. For Nero, it was a passtime. Going to stores that were still open around this hour and getting a quick snack, usually a gas station. Lo and behold, there he was, outside the doors of a gas station in the cold, only the warm store lights from the windows and a streetlamp a few feet away making him visible. They rustled through the pockets of their light blue sweater and pulled out a newly purchased box of… something. He pulled out a thin object and stuck it in his mouth. In the darkness of the night, one might mistake it for…

“Aren’t you a bit young to be smoking?” a cheerful woman’s voice rang in Nero’s ear. They jolted and turned towards the sound of clicking heels and spotted a woman with long dark hair walking out of the store, the bell above the door chiming softly. Nero quickly raised the box in an act of defense.

“I’m not! It’s pocky,” she explained. The woman examined the box for a moment before chuckling to herself.

“Oops!” she gently bumped herself on the head with the palm of her hand, “well, you can’t blame me for thinking that! You’re out at a gas station late in the night!”

“Yeah, I come here when I can’t sleep... Which is pretty much all the time,” Nero explained to the woman, taking the opportunity to examine her. What immediately stood out was the vibrant pink hearts plastered on her chest and the loose blue tie strung over her. It shocked them to see her with nothing covering her legs in such cold weather, but she didn’t seem bothered one bit. Nero glanced back up at the woman’s eyes, quickly noticing she was doing the exact same thing, examining her. It was clear her eyes were drawn to the vibrant shark tail swishing behind them. Anyone would be stunned by that. Before they could respond, the woman’s eyes lit up.

“Oh, wait! I know you!” she exclaimed, which made Nero’s mind rush with anxious thoughts before she could finish her sentence.

“Shit, here we go…”

“You’re Eikichi’s partner, aren’t you?”

Nero felt his heart drop and heat immediately rush to his cheeks, jumping back in shock, “B-BWAAAH?! NONONO! WHO TOLD YOU THAT?! THAT’S NOT RIGHT!!! IS THAT IDIOT SPREADING RUMORS ABOUT US?!?!”

“Hey, hey!” she grinned and put her hands out in reassurance, stopping Nero’s panicked ramblings, “I’m just messing with you!”

They sighed in relief, their tail drooping into a relaxed state and pressing a hand to their chest, “oh, good.”

“Though… with the way you reacted…”

“STOP! STOP!” Nero pleaded, earning another laugh from the woman. They sighed and composed themself, “how do you know Eikichi? Feels like everyone I talk to knows him…”

“Ah, we’re good friends! He’s helping me with my reports on rumors at high schools!” she excitedly explained, it was clear she was passionate about her job, “Maya Amano! Writer for Kismet Publishing! Currently working on the magazine ‘Coolest!’”

“Oh, well, nice to meet you, Amano. My name’s--”

“Nero, right?” she interrupted with a warm smile, “he talks about you a lot.”

Nero looked down at her feet with a smirk and red hot cheeks, “I bet he does…”

Maya put her hand on her hip and stared at them for a moment, watching as they hid their blush after she mentioned Eikichi. She knew how this went.

“By the way, you can just call me Maya,” she extended a hand to Nero, causing them to look up, “need a ride home?”

They looked to the side nervously, before looking back up at the slightly taller woman, “would that be okay…?” they asked in a small voice.

“Of course! Any friend of Eikichi is a friend of mine!” she grinned.

“Ehh, I wouldn’t say ‘friend…’” Nero scratched the back of their head, “we’re more rivals, I guess…”

Maya simply laughed at that, taking their hand and leading them to her car, which looked like it had been through way too much. Scratches, dents, missing parts, all of which made Nero doubt the safety of this driver.

“Uhh… is this really your car?” she asked with a nervous gulp.

“Oh, not to worry, I have a license!”

“....You better not tell me you just drank all those....”