Chapter Text
After an eternity of procrastination and a chaos of a move, Tina had finally moved to Vegas and unpacked all of her belongings in the basement of Ryan's basement, or the basement of the basement to his baseme— whatever Ryan calls it, she was in the room down the hallway from Sykkuno's.
Ryan's estate is really big, and he keeps his rent cheap because he likes his friends and Tina wasn't alone and could camp in someone's room when she's feeling lonely or anxious. Hafu was close too and she gives great hugs.
Also having Sykkuno just a few steps away from her room was like having an awkward but loving and caring older brother figure just within reach and that was pretty cool.
Sykkuno, amazing guy that he was, went with her to the nearest Walmart so she could grab a few ingredients and attempt to cook for her friends a 'thank you for having me' meal. Ryan said it wasn't necessary and it was his pleasure to have her live there but Tina insisted so he let her have her way. Dinner was on her and it was going to be great.
She hoped.
Sykkuno was dutifully pushing their still empty cart as she wandered around looking at the isles.
"What are you making by the way?"
"Oh God, I have no idea yet." Tina whined as she mentally weighed the pros and cons of making a burrito bowl over pasta.
"Eh?" Sykkuno looked over at her from where he was examining packages of ramen.
"Do you think I should attempt pasta or burrito bowls?"
"Oh, well, um, you know how I feel about burritos?"
"You like 'em frozen?" She teased.
"Okay, okay. Why not both?"
"Hmm? Both?" She turned to look at him.
"Burrito bowls and a side of ramen? Everyone loves a good ramen broth." He pointed with his finger to the shelf next to him. "Plus they have a discount on all ramen right now."
She looks closer at the ramen options. " Yeah but do you think making ramen would be considered cooking?"
"Tina, we'll eat anything as long as it tastes good. You don't have to go high end. We'll eat it even if it tastes weird because you put the effort in it." He said kindly.
"Still..." She slumped against the cart as she eyed the ramen options, mind still not made even though Sykkuno had a pretty good idea.
"You could do one of those tiktok ramen hacks to make it seem high end." He suggested with a smile behind his face mask.
"Is that what you do on tiktok? Watch food hacks?" She eyed him suspiciously.
"Among other things I won't mention." He replied in a way that implied he knew she'd wonder about it forever and he'd enjoy her torment over it. What a troll.
"Ok, I'll go look at the veggies while you pick the ramen. Anything but the generic kind." She decided, taking the cart with her and heading for the vegetable stands.
"Alright." Sykkuno agreed, holding two packages and trying to decide between them.
Tina was only standing by the veggies for a few minutes before she felt someone behind her. "You think it matter what kind of lettuce I use?" She wondered as she held two different types.
"I wouldn't care which one if you're cooking for me, cutie."
Wait, that's not Sykkuno.
Tina yelped as she was startled by the strange voice, she looked behind her at the guy who was definitely not Sykkuno and was standing closer than a stranger had any right to be.
"Oh, sorry. I thought you were someone else." Tina said awkwardly as she stepped to the side and put enough space between them, hopefully enough to translate that it was clearly a mix-up and she'd rather if he didn't talk to her some more. She put down the lettuce for extra emphasis and went to look at the cherry tomatoes.
"I'm Tyler." The guy said, taking a step closer.
"Um, okay?" What the heck, she's clearly uncomfy and taking steps away why is he trying to step closer?!
"I didn't catch your name." He said, probably going for a light tease but he just came off creepy to her.
"I didn't throw it." she replied instinctively, dragging her cart to stand on the other side of the veggie stand. She didn't want to cause a scene but she was getting close to yelling Stranger Danger! in hopes the guy would run off
For a second the guy was quiet, then he let go of his own cart and was stepping around the veggie stand, closer to where she was. "That was a little rude, don't you thi-"
"Oh, there you are!" Sykkuno cheerful voice came in like a lifeline as he walked over with arms full of ramen packages that he disposed in their cart "I got your favorite ramen flavors." She didn't remember ever mentioning to him her favorites and what he brought was not exactly it.
"Oh great!" She tried to match the enthusiasm but the Tyler guy was still there with a glare directed at Sykkuno now. She minutely inched a little further away from the guy and clutched at Sykkuno's sleeve.
Sykkuno took only a moment to analyze her body language before looking over at the guy, his voice cooler than its usual warm tone. "Do we know him?"
"No." Tina had the feeling that Sykkuno's choice of word in that simple question was meant to deliver a message, and whatever the message was, the guy clearly wasn't a fan of it.
"We were having a conversation." Tyler sneered, buffing up his chest like he was trying to intimidate Sykkuno.
Sykkuno raised an unamused brow. "I doubt a one sided conversation is considered a real conversation."
Sykkuno what are you doing?! Tina looked wide eyed at her friend who suddenly looked twice his usual size.
Tyler took a step closer, pulling down his face mask with a harsh movement. "Who the fuck do you think you are, smartass?" He hissed.
"Someone she actually welcomes to be around her." Sykkuno didn't miss a beat. "I'm not really surprised that you're single and bitter, considering the fact that you can't seem to take the hint when you make a girl uncomfortable. I suggest a change in personality and a brain scan, just in case your lack of awareness has any medical explanation." He turned to her, his demeanor shifting back to his usual warm and gentle one. "Shall we?"
The Tyler guy was left spluttering and Tina took the chance to clutch Sykkuno and power walk with their cart to the register.
As soon as they paid (Sykkuno paid before she could pull out her credit card) and loaded the bag into the car they borrowed from Ryan, she turned to Sykkuno who was in the driver's seat and ready to pull out of the parking lot.
"Sykkuno?!"
"Are you okay? Did I make you uncomfortable? Sorry about that." He turned worried eyes at her, giving her a once over to check if she were okay, and rambled in the normal Sykkuno tone she was used to.
"I'm fine, but what was that?!" She demanded in astonishment, because she'd never witnessed that side of Sykkuno.
"What was what?" Sykkuno asked after he was satisfied that she was, in fact, alright, driving out of the parking lot.
"That! That attitude shift!"
"Um..." Sykkuno chuckled awkwardly. "I just noticed a guy and you stepping away and I thought it's just a guy being too forward and making you uncomfortable, but then he didn't look like he was getting the hint so I, um, did that."
"You turned into a total bamf?" She poked at his rib lightly, not enough to disturb his driving, just enough to say 'I'm onto you'.
"What's a bamf?" He was clearly playing clueless. "He just seemed rude and you seemed really uncomfortable and I got kinda mad at him for making you feel that way." He said like it was no big deal, like that was not a new side of him that she'd never seen.
"Hmmm..." She hummed suspiciously, making him squirm, like she might bring it up on stream or something. Which she wouldn't because he clearly wouldn't want that, but she let him squirm as payback for the foodtok thing anyway. "Okay, mister." She concluded, finally paying attention to the road. "Where are we going?"
"You couldn't buy what you wanted so we're trying at another place."
"Okay."
~~~~~~~
Tina created a new group chat
Tina: A, no one mention this group chat or anything spoken here to Sykkuno or else >:T
Tina: And B, you guys will not believe what happened today!