#and a uhhhh (looks at smudged notes) tank top for the other one

[dangofox]

summer vibes

[texanredrose]

*knocks on the drive through window* hii, can i get uhhhh, elderburn "My car broke down and there's this biker who fixed it and now we're having dinner tomorrow" au? Oh! Can i also get a side of shameless flirting and trying not to stare at each other's physique? *slides a 30* thank you~

Heh, well, I’d much rather a cup of coffee, perhaps we could- oh, wait, you meant shameless flirting in the fic, my bad, I got this, no worries. (I’m sorry; I couldn’t resist the joke.)

Winter cursed under her breath, pulling off to the side of the road as lights flashed on her console. She’d thought a nice drive through the countryside would reduce her stress, but now she found herself broken down at least five miles from the nearest service station. 

Shutting off the engine, she took a moment to calm herself. According to the message that flashed across just before the engine began to whine and sputter, she’d somehow forgotten to get her oil changed, leading to the stuff drying up within her engine block. From her limited mechanical knowledge, she understood that to be a very bad sign.

Before reaching for her scroll, she got out, popping open the hood and lifting it up, as if by simply looking she could will more oil into manifestation. The gentle breeze whipped at her coattail, making her wish she’d taken the time to change out of her dress uniform before leaving the court-martial, or at least taken off the outer coat. But she’d been in a hurry to distance herself from the higher ranks, not wanting to push her luck and get yet another mark against her. General Ironwood couldn’t keep sticking his neck out for her and she well knew that.

“Now what?” She grumbled, glaring down at the interior of the compartment. Despite the many assurances that she should learn, she never bothered delving into the minutia of operating her vehicle beyond driving it; she hadn’t the faintest idea where the oil stick would be, though she understood that should be the first thing she checked.

The roar of an engine coming up the road caught her attention but she didn’t bother trying to flag the person down; given her streak of luck, it would just be some greasy jerk with a gleam to his eyes she didn’t like, and she’d be back to square one.

As it approached, she registered it likely belonged to a motorcycle- obnoxiously loud- and rolled her eyes, finally figuring out that the yellow leaver with an oil can painted on it was probably what she needed. As she reached for it, the vehicle passed- a yellow and orange blur in her periphery- and a furrow came to her brows as she tugged on the handle to no avail.

Then the screech of tires on asphalt had her straightening up, looking around for the source of the noise and finding the motorcycle had skid to a stop, sideways across the lane, the rider kicking out one leg to stabilize herself. 

She didn’t know much about bikes, though she could acknowledge this one looked fast and sleek, but she knew a thing or two about people. The brown leather jacket, leather chaps, and brown boots looked like standard fare for a biker, and the yellow helmet seemed to indicate an inclination towards safety. The unruly blonde locks flowing from beneath the helmet and what looked to be a tattoo encircling her right forearm, however, spoke to a certain amount of wildness, freedom, rebellion.

Revving the engine, the biker drove onto the shoulder, heading towards Winter, and she subconsciously smoothed out her jacket and prepared herself. While dealing with a woman typically meant she didn’t have to be as on guard, she wasn’t in the habit of taking chances or giving others the benefit of the doubt…

… incidentally, that might’ve been how she’d gotten courts-martialed so many times in the first place.

Popping out the kickstand and shutting off the engine, the biker reached up and took off her helmet, shaking out her long hair and running a hand through it with a friendly little smile on her lips.

“Having some car trouble there, Ma’am?”

Two things occurred to her then. One was the standard biting nature of her demeanor, the urge to say ‘what was your first clue’ and take an aggressive posture. The other, quite simply, was that the biker was actually rather attractive.

“I believe so,” she replied, stumbling slightly for a proper response. “I’m not mechanically inclined, however.”

“Ya mind if I take a look?” She gestured towards the open hood. “I know a thing or two about cars.”

“Be my guest.” Stepping aside, she waved an arm towards the engine block. 

She watched as the biker dismounted, the shift and creak of leather- a rather form fitting outfit, and what a form it fit indeed. “Name’s Yang, by the way.”

“Winter,” she replied, quickly meeting the woman’s eyes so she wouldn’t be caught ogling the sway to her hips as the biker sauntered over.

“You, uh, heading anywhere specific?” Yang stopped setting both hands on the frame before leaning over the engine. “This could take a minute.”

“No, I was just… driving for the sake of driving.” She watched the way the blonde moved, how the dragon tattooed on her arm seemed to come alive with every flex of the muscles beneath, the way her biceps seemed to straight against the jacket’s cuff. “I find the scenery out this way pleasant.”

“Hey, me too!” The woman looked at her then with shimmering lilac eyes and she quite nearly fainted as her heart stopped. “I was out riding to clear my mind. Guess that makes us quite the pair, huh?”

“I suppose so,” she replied, discreetly shaking herself, and mentally slapping herself when her gaze drifted towards Yang’s backside while she reached into the compartment to wrestle with the oil stick. “Oh, do be careful. I’m afraid it’s stuck-”

Pop!

With hardly any visible effort, the biker pulled the stick free, though a frown touched her lips. “That’s not a good sign. When was your last oil change?”

“I’m… afraid I’m not sure.” She coughed into one hand. “It’s… been a busy few months.”

“I hear ya.” With a hum, she pulled the stick completely free and wiped off the end, not terribly minding the bit of oil now smudged across black gloves before replacing the stick. “Unfortunately, missing out on little maintenance details like that can be bad news for your vehicle.” She pulled the stick out again and shook her head. “Looks like you’re bone dry on oil.” Lilac eyes flashed her way for a moment. “You know that’s no good for the motor, right?”

“I’ll admit I had my suspicions.” Leaning against her vehicle, she shrugged. “What, uh, exactly does that mean? Not having oil?”

“Well, you see, motors are… hardy but precise.” Her tongue darted out to wet her lips as she leaned over the engine block again, one hand reaching up to keep her hair back and putting the column of her neck on display- muscled and tanned with a light sheen of sweat. “The oil lubricates them, keeps all the parts moving smoothly, makes it so the friction doesn’t wear the parts down. I mean, don’t get me wrong, a little friction is good from time to time.” A smirk was shot her way and Winter suddenly realized they might not be discussing the actual, physical engine in front of them at all. “But the oil’s important for other reasons, too. Stops the oxidation process. Wouldn’t want to get all rusty, right?”

Scrounging for something to say for a moment, Winter mentally slapped herself a second time. She wasn’t about to be shown up by some blonde biker with a pretty smile; she was still a Schnee, damnit, and word games came part and parcel with the upbringing.

“Of course not, although I’ll admit I’ve been a touch too lax recently in that regard. It’s entirely possible there’s rust in the motor, but I’m sure there’s some method of… taking care of that problem, correct?”

“There’s a few that I can think of, yeah.” A fire burned in the woman’s eyes and she suddenly got the feeling that her willingness to play this little game had just made up for her lack of proper maintenance. Yang stood up straight, reaching up to start unzipping her jacket. “We’ll need some oil before we really get your motor going, though.”

“And I’m sure you know exactly how to provide that.” Winter leaned forward, just a bit. She didn’t want to come off as too forward of course; a pretty face did not a stable relationship make.

“Lucky for you, I do.” Pulling the jacket from her shoulders, the blonde smirked… and then gently shoved the leather into Winter’s chest. “Hold this for me? I’m going to pop under real quick.” She winked. “Pouring in new oil does us no good if you’ve sprung a leak.”

Belatedly coming up to hold onto the jacket, Winter blinked even as the biker got down on her knees. Either Yang had truly meant the engine the whole time or she’d just been very slyly informed to slow down.

“Please, be careful down there.” Glancing down, her attempt at recovering smoothly became effectively derailed as she noted the woman’s white tank top, giving her even more evidence that Yang worked out her upper body religiously. Those shoulders- it should be some manner of illegal to look that good. “I… wouldn’t… want you to hurt yourself on account of me.”

“Not to worry, Winter.” Another wink. “I’ve had frostbite before.” And then she began shuffling under the car. “I’m pretty sure nothing here can hurt as bad as that did. Anyone ever tell you that Atlas is too damn cold?”

Back to flirting.

Perhaps she couldn’t figure out Yang’s pace or ultimate end game- if she was teasing, just being friendly, or genuinely flirting- but she’d been on the defensive long enough. Time for her to launch a proper counter offensive.

“People have said that our winter’s are too cold, yes, but I think that’s just because some people have no idea how to handle them,” she said, watching the woman’s legs kick out to help her move, and noting that it wasn’t just the position; the fabric of her chaps and jeans were tight against her skin thanks to muscle. “As long as you know how to properly warm up, winter’s are rather enjoyable.”

“Is that right?” A bit more shuffling around. “I suppose you know all about keeping warm, huh?”

“Of course.” With a sly smirk coming to her lips, she knelt down. “It’s all about proper considerations, knowing when friction is needed and when it’s not, how hot breath can feel so good but might undo you, when it’s better to take your jacket off rather than to keep it on, that sort of thing. Oh, and hydration is important. Wouldn’t want your tongue dry.”

She waited, watching how the woman went still before beginning to shuffle back out.

“Those, uh, sound like pretty good tips. Might have to try a few myself, next time winter comes.” Out from under the car, Yang offered her a smirk. “‘Course, I might not be around when that happens, but I’d like to be.”

“Plans on going somewhere?” She extended a hand, helping the woman to her feet, and considered her strategy carefully. She’d left the question just vague enough; if the biker wanted to make a move, now would be the time to do it.

For a moment, it looked like Yang just might take the bait… but then she differed at the last second. “I’m, uh, actually not from around here, so I was thinking of heading back home this year for a visit.” She shrugged, brushing off the back of her arms in a rather flashy fashion. “I’m still not sure if I’m Atlas material.”

Reading between the lines, she thought she might see where the woman actually intended to take that last line, and opted to respond in kind. “Have you considered you’re just too good for this kingdom?” Sweeping a hand towards the countryside around them. “It might look beautiful, but it can be cold and unforgiving at times. Sometimes, I find myself wondering why anyone would want to live here.”

It stood as truth in a multitude of ways. Atlas, in the colder months, was nigh uninhabitable without the advances in heating technology, and it reflected in just how much of the kingdom remained uninhabited just north of where they were. However, in reference to herself… it wasn’t untrue; she could be just as harsh as her namesake and she’d made enough mistakes over the years to recognize that now with the benefit of hindsight.

“Yeah, well… nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?” Yang nodded towards her bike. “How about I give you a ride? We can grab a few quarts of oil for ya, see if we can get this beauty up and running.” She nodded towards the door. “I just need to check the info panel inside your door.”

“That sounds reasonable.” Winter reached up, undoing the knot on her outer coat. “And I think I could do without this.”

“I thought you were cold,” the biker said, opening the door and looking for the information she needed.

As she peeled the coat off, she chuckled. “No, it’s actually a rather nice day. I’m afraid I just had to be in full uniform.”

“Full uniform, huh? What are you- whoa.” Lilac eyes glanced her way and then returned, widening a bit as she threw the coat onto the passenger seat. “Uh… military, huh?”

“Yes.” Her brow twitched. “For a while longer, at any rate.”

“Sore spot?” Yang frowned while putting her own jacket back on. “Wanna talk about it?”

She quite nearly shot back a quip about discussing her personal life with strangers but… well, it wasn’t like she had many sympathetic ears, and she could only yell inside her own head for so long before she hated the sound of her own voice rebounding off her skull.

“Three months ago, I got into a bar fight,” she said, smoothing out her collar and sighing. “Perhaps it would be more accurate to say I started the bar fight. I didn’t appreciate the way I was being addressed and the words ‘leave me alone’ didn’t seem to be in his vocabulary, so I attempted to leave. When my path was blocked, I attempted to remove said barrier by breaking a pool cue on his jaw.” She paused. “And then a chair against his ribs and maybe a table over his back. After the third punch from a stellar, upstanding good Samaritan, I’ll admit my recollection gets fuzzy.”

“Sounds like self defense to me.” Yang shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest. “I mean, when words fail, physical means tend to be the next step, right?”

“Not by regulation.” Winter shook her head. “Today, the court dismissed the charges, but only because my superior officer made the case that I was protecting Atlesian military property by defending myself, and I’m not sure which irks me worse: the idea that I should’ve allowed myself to remain trapped in the situation or the concept that my personhood has more rights when viewed through the lens of military equipment rather than as a person at all.”

“I’m guessing this isn’t the first time you’ve gotten into a scuffle like that.” A little grin came to her lips, tilting her head and cocking her hip out. “Bit of a hothead, huh?”

“It’s one of my many flaws, yes, thank you for noticing,” she replied dryly, waving a hand in front of her. “At any rate, it’s not getting us any closer to fixing my car.”

“Right. Come on.” As they approached the bike, Yang hurried ahead and grabbed her helmet, turning around and holding it out. “Sorry, but I’ve only got the one.”

“I- are you sure I should be the one wearing it?”

“Hey, I have a policy.” Her voice turned seriously, bereft of the cheery quality it had while they bantered by the car. “If you’re going to trust me to get you safely to the gas station and back, then the onus is on me to do it safely, and that means I do everything in my power to protect you. That includes not speeding, driving like a maniac, and letting you use my helmet.”

“Hard to argue with that.” Winter took the helmet into her hands, noting the bright yellow color and the little dragon decal painted above the brow.

“Uh, just one thing.” Yang winced, though something about the expression seemed… slightly insincere. “I’m afraid it’s not going to fit over that bun of yours.”

She raised a brow but acknowledged the truth in the words. “Very well. I’ll not be a burden on your conscience.”

Reaching up, she pulled out a few bobby pins, years of military service providing her with not only an expedient method of getting her hair within regulations but also one to get it out. And, seeing as she wasn’t due to be standing before anyone else in her chain of command again today, she went ahead and pulled out the tie as well, allowing alabaster locks to flow freely over her shoulders.

She didn’t miss the low whistle that Yang let out nor the way she quickly averted her gaze and pretended to check over her bike. “That’s some long hair.”

“Thank you. Yours is rather long as well, and it looks smooth to the touch.” She reached out, almost touching but not quite, and found her wrist caught in a steel grip.

“Sorry, Winter.” Yang gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “But that’s gonna have to wait until after you buy me dinner.”

“Sore spot?” At the biker’s nod, she shrugged. “Noted. I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Thanks.” Rolling her neck, the woman shook herself before mounting her bike, kicking on the engine and throwing a look over her shoulder. “Hop on. You ever ridden before.”

“No,” she replied, trying to make the motion look as smooth as Yang had while fastening the helmet into place. “Any tips?”

“When you see me lean, lean with me, just a little.” Over the roar of the engine, she called out the instructions with a smile. “And hang on if you feel scared.”

“Why would I-” at the first lurch, the motion unexpected and entirely out of her control, she quickly reached forward and grabbed the woman’s hips, mentally chastising herself. “You did that intentionally.”

“Well, we wouldn’t get too far just sitting here!” Turning the bike up the road, she started laying on the throttle, putting her feet up on the rests as they began to pick up speed. “It’s almost a straight shot! Just relax!”

Now there was a novel idea if she’d ever heard one. Winter didn’t relax very often, always expecting her next step to be fraught with some manner of peril, some test to pass. Yet, as she mustered the nerve to look around, she could admit being the passenger for a change… well, it was actually rather nice.

The roar of the engine, the wind in her face, catching in her hair, and now that she had plenty of reason to be so close, she could catch the other woman’s lavender perfume on the wind. 

This wasn’t so bad, really, and when they pulled into the gas station, she almost lamented it being over so quick.

“Okay, let’s go grab that oil,” Yang said as she shut off the bike and kicked out the stand for it, waiting until she’d dismounted before doing so herself. They walked into the store, finding the small automotive section off to the side, and the biker went through explaining the different types of oils, what each weight meant, and helped her pick out one for her car. “’Course, this won’t be a permanent fix. You still need to go to a shop and get a change, probably a flush to be on the safe side. And get everything else looked over, too; you might be running low on coolant.”

“How do you know all this?” Winter gestured towards the isle. “I’d say this is a bit more than the average person’s knowledge about automobiles.”

“Well, I’m a mechanic.” She shrugged. “Learned it from my Dad. I work at a garage just a few miles up the road.”

“I haven’t made you late for work, have I?”

“Nah, it’s my off day.” Lilac eyes flicked over her form. “Not that I’d object to being late even if I was, of course.”

They started towards the check out. “Ah, so you’re the type to get fired over a pair of pretty eyes, is that it?”

“Okay, one, they wouldn’t fire me for being late one time.” She reached up, tapping a finger against her chin. “Two, you’re not exactly wrong but I’d like to think I have a little more self control than that.”

“I do hope your partner isn’t the jealous type,” she said offhandedly, producing a few lien to pay for the oil. “I’d hate to get you in trouble for your assistance.”

She waved off the comment with a chuckle. “Oh, I’m single. I don’t really do relationships anymore.”

“There’s a story there.” Winter glanced at the line of her shoulders, noting the smooth and relaxed slope; no trace of the tension that appeared when she’d tried touching the woman’s golden strands. “Any chance I might hear it?”

“I’ll, uh, give you the cliff notes version: can’t find anyone who’s willing to put in the time.” Her gaze went over to the bike as the receipt printed off. “I’m like Bumblebee over there. Clutch is kinda funny, takes a while to really get me, know when to shift, but most people just… want to grind my gears and hope they don’t burn me out.” She shrugged. “I got tired of it.”

“That’s understandable.” While she didn’t have quite the same grasp of vehicles, she had enough to make a suitable analogy. “For me, there’s always a disconnect. People take one look and think of me like a Bugatti or Ashton Martin- expensive, high class, only the finest, a symbol of status. That’s how I was raised, so I suppose I can’t fault them for the presumption.”

��But you’re obviously a Jeep,” Yang said with pinched brows and a frown. “You’re tough, you take on anything, you can turn right around in the blink of an eye, and I’m willing to bet you can handle a lot of stuff that would break other people. Who would think you’re a Bugatti?”

“People who don’t take the time to get to know me,” she replied, offering a smile and picking up the bag with the motor oil. “Shall we?”

As they rode back to her car, a plan solidified in her mind. She simply couldn’t let this chance meeting end and never see the woman again; Yang possessed one to many traits she found desirable to let that happen. But, she had to tread carefully. The last thing she wanted to do was push too far, too face, and run the risk of rejection. But another thought occurred to her, one that made her hesitate only briefly.

“Okay, I’ll pour this into your car, and we’ll try turning her over.” Yang lead the way back to her car, unscrewing the cap on one bottle.

“I don’t suppose you get any sort of incentive for referring customers to your shop, do you?”

The biker winced, glancing over at her. “Well, we do, about fifty bucks a pop, but… uh, I wasn’t going to refer you.”

She raised a brow. “Any particular reason?”

“Well, since you spoiled the surprise,” she said, chuckling slightly. “I was gonna suggest that, since I helped you out with the ride and all, maybe you could pay me back with dinner tomorrow night? Not- not actually pay for the meal, of course, I don’t mean that kinda pay back, just, um.” Yang shook her head. “Dang, I was gonna be real smooth about this and now I’m thrown off, heh.”

Ah, a sign that she had read the entire encounter correctly from the start. The biker might’ve pulled over out of friendliness and not abandoning her to her own problems, but she’d been flirting with Winter just as Winter had been flirting with her.

“May I propose an alternative?” She leaned against her car again, not missing the way lilac eyes flicked over her- apparently, someone rather liked her uniform. “How about you do refer me to your garage, and that pays you back for your assistance here. Then we have dinner tomorrow on equal footing.”

The corners of her mouth twitched up into a smile. “Ya know, if someone told me this morning that a pretty lady was going to ask me out on a date, I’d think they were crazy.”

“If someone told me this morning that a beautiful woman was going to accept my offer for a date, I’d think the same.” She made a motion to the engine. “Yet here we are.”

“Oh, someone is confident, huh?” Yang laughed, emptying one bottle and grabbing the second. “You’re lucky I think that’s hot.”

“I agree,” she replied, tilting her head slightly. “But you’re right; you haven’t accepted yet.”

“Oh, I’m accepting, I’m accepting as hard as I can, trust me.” The biker smiled wider. “And, uh, as good as you look in that uniform- and, believe me, you look good- think you could dress a bit more casual? There’s a place over on seventh I’ve been dying to try- it’s a little Mistrali restaurant.”

“You haven’t been there yet?” Surprised, she shifted. “It’s one of my favorites.”

“Well, then, I really hope I like it, too.”

“I think you will.” She hummed. “And you could get away with wearing leather there, though I wouldn’t mind if you’d rather I pick you up.”

“Oh, come now, you really want to see me in a different outfit?”

“I think you’d look rather fetching in a tank top and gym shorts, frankly.”

“I’ll wear that if you wear a bikini.”

“I do know of an indoor pool.” At the way Yang ducked her head, she opted to give the woman a break. “But I think we should both aim for ‘casual’ attire. We’d probably be a little less out-of-place that way.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Finished with the second bottle, she nodded towards the driver’s seat while screwing the cap back on the tank. “Now try turning her over. Let’s see what happens.”

Winter walked around, sliding into her driver’s seat and doing as requested, relieved when not only did the vehicle start, but all the warning lights on the dashboard disappeared. “Thankfully, that worked.”

“Yeah, you’re telling me.” Yang chuckled, appearing by the door. “Not sure if I’d look as smooth if it hadn’t.”

“I’d be willing to forgive you,” she said, smirking. “Though I think I would demand a second date on principle alone.”

“Oh, I take it back, I wish I’d been wrong.” The biker winked. “How about you follow me down to the garage and we can keep talking while they do your oil change? I can call ahead, so you don’t have to wait as long.”

“How about we do those first two but skip the third.” She lifted her shoulder. “I’m in no rush if you aren’t.”

“I’m not.” Yang took a step away. “Oh, and try to watch the road instead of my ass.”

“You’re lucky I prize such straightforwardness.”

“Oh, I’m definitely forward, but not so much straight.” Another wink. “C’mon, let’s get going. We can play twenty questions when we get to the shop.” As she started walking away, she smiled. “And I’m letting you know that now so you can come up with some good ones, alright? Don’t disappoint!”

“I’ll do my best.” She smiled, watching as Yang turned around and sauntered back to her bike, and in the privacy of her own mind she could admit that the biker’s warning was warranted. It would be rather difficult to watch the road when she had something much more enticing in front of her, but the mental exercise of coming up with questions would likely keep her busy.