Kara comes to work

The dull hum of the overhead lights buzzed above Gino as he stood behind the counter, arms crossed, watching the rain paint slow trails down the shop window. It was a quiet lull between orders, the kind that made you wish for either a rush or a nap.

The bell above the door jingled.

Gino glanced up and blinked.

A blonde walked in, glowing like a streetlamp in the gloom of Gotham. Her long hair bounced slightly with each step, glasses perched on her nose, and an oversized hoodie hanging loosely over her skirt. But what really caught Gino off guard was the way she looked around the shop like she was looking for something—or someone.

“Hi!” she said brightly, her eyes darting toward the counter. Then she frowned, just a little. “Where’s…?”

Gino blinked again, piecing it together. “You mean my guy? The kid who usually works nights?”

Kara nodded, hugging herself slightly as the door swung shut behind her. The familiar smell of tomato sauce and melted cheese filled the room, but it wasn’t the same without him behind the register.

“Out on a delivery,” Gino answered, leaning forward on the counter. “Should be back soon. You, uh… wanna leave a message?”

Kara hesitated for half a second, then smiled—wide, warm, and impossibly sweet. “I’ll wait.”

Gino looked her up and down, then glanced toward the door like someone else might walk in and explain what exactly was going on. “He… do somethin’ for you I should know about?” he asked, only half-joking.

Kara’s cheeks turned just the faintest shade of pink, but she didn’t back down. She shrugged a little, like she didn’t know the answer herself. “He’s just… nice,” she said.

Gino raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He slid a napkin over the counter and pretended to busy himself with cleaning, watching her from the corner of his eye as she moved to a booth near the window.

Kara sat, folding her hands in front of her, tapping her thumbs together. She tried not to bounce her knees. Tried not to grin too hard every time the bell above the door jingled, only to reveal someone who wasn’t him.

Ten minutes passed.

Then fifteen.

Finally—

The bell rang again.

The door opened.

And there he was.

Hair tousled from the wind, helmet tucked under his arm, still in his work hoodie with the Gotham Pizza Co. logo slightly faded on the sleeve. The pizza guy looked a little damp from the drizzle, a little tired, but his eyes lit up the second they met hers.

Kara nearly launched out of the booth. She stood, halfway considering tackling him in a hug—but she caught herself, folding her hands behind her back and bouncing slightly on her heels instead.

“Hey,” Kara greeted, her voice soft but excited.

He looked surprised to see her. “Kara?”

Gino stepped aside with a knowing smirk. “I think she’s been waitin’ on you.”

Kara nodded sheepishly. “Just wanted to see you.”

He blinked, still catching his breath from the ride. “Oh. Uh… yeah, wow. That’s—cool. I mean, I’m glad.”

Kara stepped closer, biting her lip slightly, like she wasn’t sure if she was moving too fast. But his smile—his easy, genuine, goofy smile—settled her nerves like sunlight through a cloudy sky.

She wanted to hug him. Just fall into him. Breathe in that familiar mix of pizza grease, laundry soap, and whatever cologne he always forgot to mention.

But instead, she just stood close and let herself look at him.

“How was the delivery?” she asked.

“Rainy,” he said with a chuckle. “But no Bane-gang this time, so… can’t complain.”

She laughed, the sound light and real. “Good. You didn’t forget my standing offer, right?”

“The pizza-on-the-house thing?”

“No, not that. Lunch!”

“Lunch…?”

Did he agree to that or was she lying to spend time with him? Wait, huh, even if she was lying, why was he complaining?

“Sure.”

Behind the counter, Gino just whistled low under his breath. “Man’s pullin’ stunners in this dump. I gotta get tips from him.”