Summary: The only time Y/N gets during his shift to take off his binder is his lunch. It goes similarly every day when waiting for it to come around.
Tags: Trans Male! Reader; Fluff; Cashier! Reader
Word Count: 1,242 words
Notes: Bestie/coworkers Iwaizumi & Y/N is so important to me. Also, you should be taking breaks with your binder!!! I try to take mine off during my lunch so I don't hurt my ribs. Y/N's ribs aren't bruised in this, just sore from wearing it.
No gender dysphoria in this. It doesn't add anything to it, so I'm just going to keep the lighter vibe going on here.
_____
Breathing hurts—well, it's more his ribs than breathing. As he breathes, everything expands, and it hurts. So, he looks at his watch for the third time in 10 minutes to see how long until his lunch break. However, minutes feel like hours whenever it gets like this.
"Time doesn't pass by faster spending it like that," Iwaizumi says, and Y/N looks over at him. They're standing at the end of the aisles for the registers waiting for customers to checkout.
"Time doesn't pass by fast no matter what you do here," Y/N says, and he notices a woman with an empty shopping cart walk past them. He gives her a warm smile. Retail has to be one of the most painful jobs anyone can have for lots of reasons. One of them being time never passing by quick enough.
Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, and it's a better reaction than when he hits Oikawa for something stupid shit. He's never hit Y/N before, but Y/N doesn't think he's hit anyone but Oikawa before. It's most likely a childhood best friend thing that he only gets away with because no one in management has seen him hit sense into Oikawa.
Christmas music plays over the speakers as they straighten up around their registers. It's that time where there aren't too many customers in the store, but even if there are, they want self-checkout. Y/N focuses on straightening the gum boxes, pretending his chest isn't aching.
Don't look at your watch. Don't look at your watch. Don't—
"Are you okay, L/N?" Iwaizumi asks, and Y/N doesn't look at him, trying to get things perfectly straight.
"Uh, yeah?" he says, and the boxes aren't cooperating. "Why?"
"You just... You seem a little off."
Y/N looks over his shoulder at him, and Iwaizumi just seems concerned. Y/N is grateful to have Iwaizumi as a coworker, but he can't just say that he's in pain because of his binder. Lunch is the only time he has to take it off and breathe during his eight-hour shift, so he wants it to come faster. He can't say that, though. It doesn't matter that Iwaizumi wouldn't hate him. Y/N just doesn't tell people. It's safer, and he has more control that way.
"I'm just hungry," he says, which isn't a lie. Having to scan warm food from the deli that smells heavenly is making his stomach grumble. His pocket vibrates, and he quickly pulls his phone out. He can't stop himself from grinning. "I speak of food and get a text about lunch."
"Is Sawamura-san stopping by?"
Y/N nods as he tries to bite down his smile. "Yeah, he needs to buy some ingredients. I told him what register I'm on."
"So he'll be coming to my register," Iwaizumi says, and he doesn't sound upset. There's actually a faint smile there. (Oikawa once told Y/N that Iwaizumi thinks Daichi is great for Y/N and that he loves seeing Y/N happy. Iwaizumi would never tell him that, though.)
"Yeah, but it'll be a while, so you still have to have me for the time being."
"Hopefully, a customer needs to be checked out soon."
Y/N gasps, a hand immediately covering his heart. "Iwaizumi-san! You wound me!"
Y/N laughs while Iwaizumi just shakes his head slightly and goes back to straightening things. Y/N's laughter dies down, and he looks at Iwaizumi for a moment before going back to what he was doing.
He was 19 when he came out. It was an impulsive decision that he figures happened because he was so exhausted from shoving himself into some box that didn't fit him. He was forced to be somebody else—future and all. Absolutely no control of what he could do. So he snapped. He cut his hair, informed everyone around him he's trans, and cut out so many people for not accepting him. Although it seems so easy to some people, it was so isolating. It was the most alone he'd ever been, but then he met Sugawara and Daichi, and things fell into place. Sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago, even though it's only been three years.
"Are either of you open?" someone asks, and he looks up to see an older woman. He smiles at her—his retail smile—and nods.
"Yes, I can get you right over here," he says, and hopefully this makes time move by faster.
_____
Scanning the woman's groceries takes far longer than he originally thought. He hadn't fully processed she had two full carts of groceries until she had unloaded half the first cart on the belt. It's fine, though. He gets through all of it right as Daichi is in Iwaizumi's line. They make eye contact, and Y/N smiles at him.
"Your total is going to be—"
"I've already inserted my card," she says, and he nods as he goes through the motions. That's when Aran, his manager, appears behind him.
"Go on your lunch after this," Aran says before looking at the woman with a dazzling smile. It's the one he gives customers since it's so forced, but from first glance, you wouldn't realize that. "Ma'am, would you like a carryout today?"
She looks at Aran with wide eyes, probably not expecting to be spoken to by him. "Yes," she says, and the word sounds slightly choked. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Aran says before hurrying around to the other side of the register to help her and Y/N filling up her cart. As he does so, he speaks into the walkie talkie. "We need a carryout on register 14."
Kiyoko comes up behind them, and Y/N quickly logs out so she can log in. He looks at Aran. "I'm going to lunch now. I'll tell them to page someone when I pass customer service."
"Bye, Iwaizumi-san," Daichi says, and Y/N nearly runs into him at the end of the aisle. Daichi looks at him and smiles. "Hey there, stranger."
Y/N smiles back, and he wants to hug him. He wants to pull him in close, even if it'd hurt a little. It's okay because they'll go home for a while, and he can take off his binder to breathe for a bit.
Instead, he looks down at the reusable bag Daichi always brings with him to the store. Y/N should be more like his boyfriend in that regard, but he finds that the plastic bags work just fine. He also doesn't have to add another step when getting ready to go to the store.
"Hey there," Y/N says as he looks back at Daichi. "Want to get out of here?"
"And cook you a meal while you breathe?" Daichi asks, and he's smiling so hard it's easy to hear in his voice. Y/N loves him. He loves him so much, and he wants to say it. Instead, he nods. "Count me in."
"Alright, but I have to stop by customer service really fast," Y/N says, and Daichi quickly glances behind them.
"Does she need a carryout?" he whispers, and Y/N laughs as he nods.
"Yes, and you're not helping her, Mr. I-help-everyone-I-meet," Y/N says, and Daichi rolls his eyes. He follows Y/N to customer service before they head out the door and Y/N waits for his phone to clock him out. Once it's finished, he looks up at Daichi. "I'm free for an hour!"
Daichi grabs his hand and pulls him closer. "Then let's get you home to relax."
