Chapter Text
Motion-activated doors swooped open as Abby approached the Last Bank of Night Vale, and she pushed Janice through the threshold. Her three-year-old would eventually demand to push herself, but for now, Abby walked briskly with Janice leading, the pair reaching the window and Janice giggling as she pressed a bell at the counter. The man who turned to attention was a touch shorter than Abby, with clean-cut short brown hair, and big blue eyes.
“How can I help you two?” He asked, smiling.
“We need money!” Janice announced, and Abby put her hand on her daughter’s shoulder. The man chuckled, and Abby returned an apologetic glance.
“No,” Abby whispered as an aside to her daughter, “I’d like to transfer an account to this bank.” She declared, a bit louder for the bank teller.
“Of course! Now, where’d you previously go?”
“The Northwest Citizens Bank of Night Vale.”
“Oh, yeah, that was a huge accident that took it out, huh?”
“Yes, it was.”
“I’m sorry that your old bank fell into a sinkhole, but we’re happy to see you utilize our bank’s services! Now, we can send in a request to get your information over here, and that shouldn’t take too long! If you’d like, we can get you a temporary account that’ll merge with your other one once everything’s transferred!”
“I’d like that, yes.”
“Alrighty! We’ll need a name for the account.”
“Mommy!” Janice said, triumphantly. The man laughed again, then leaned onto his counter.
“What’s your mommy’s name?”
Janice paused, then contemplated. “Mommy,” she decided on with a nod, and Abby laughed too.
“Abigail Palmer.”
“Pretty name!” He chimed. Before Abby could respond, Janice leaned forward.
“I’m Janice! What’s your name?”
“Nice to meet you, Janice, I’m Steve!”
“‘Teve,” Janice repeated, then looked up to Abby. “The bank man’s name is ‘Teve.”
“Steve is also a pretty name,” Abby hummed. Steve chuckled, one that was lighter than his previous laughs, and scratched at his cheek. He pressed a key on his keyboard.
“Welp! You’re all set up!”
“That’s it?” Abby blinked, pushing her long hair over her ears as Steve gave her a smile.
“Yes ma’am,” Steve nodded, “Oh! And, here, kiddo!” Steve rummaged in a bucket, pulling a sticker of a smiling scorpion out. He slid it across the table to Janice, who took it and gasped.
“T’ank you, Mr. ‘Teve!”
“Thank you, Steve, see you next time!” Abby said. They exchanged waves, and Abby stepped to the door; Steve lowered his hand slowly and awkwardly sat it on the table, watching the pair leave. With a soft swipe, he cleared the dust from his computer’s screen; customer service had to be his favorite part of his job.
The next time Abby stepped into the Last Bank of Night Vale, she was alone; Cecil had demanded his niece to spend the day with him, and Abby hated letting Janice out of her sight, but she trusted Cecil. As she approached the window, a family face grinned at her.
“Afternoon! Oh, I like the hair!” He pointed to her, and Abby brought a hand to the back of her bare neck. The decision to cut her hair into its current pixie cut was rash and made at 11:39pm last night.
“I like yours too,” Abby nodded, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. Steve brought his hand to his neck all the same.
“Oh, thanks, I’ve...” he chuckled, “Nevermind.”
“No, say it.”
“I’ve wanted to grow it out, but that wouldn’t be too professional, huh?”
“I think it’d look nice,” Abby said, tilting her head as she spoke. Steve, again, smiled and chuckled before turning to his computer.
“Oh,” he hummed, “Ah! Now, what can I do for you, Miss Palmer?”
“Abby is fine, and I was wondering if the transfer went through?”
“Abby! Abby,” he mumbled to himself, “Let’s see!” The keys on Steve’s computer clacked and echoed in the bank’s lobby, Steve’s hands moving quickly to tap in Abby’s information.
“Yep, you’re all set up!”
“Oh, good, good. Thank you, you’ve been very helpful through all of this.”
“It’s my job to help our customers out!” Steve said, and Abby leaned against his counter.
“Well, you’ve been especially helpful, Steve. Thank you.” Abby noted. Steve tapped his hand against the counter.
Steve spoke, softly. “Anytime, Ms. Palmer.”
Abby always entered the bank at around noon, and when his supervisor tried to change his shift, Steve made a very good case for staying on the afternoon crew. Steve appreciated all of his customers, but Abby made him smile. He loved seeing her own peek through, too, when they would be chatting about their personal lives between business. Abby knew about Steve’s softball team, and Steve knew Abby was a carpenter who was excellent at her job. On an impulse, Steve had called her boss about buying a shelf he didn’t have room for, all because Abby claimed she had a rough time making it. Sometimes Janice would join these conversations, sometimes they’d be two-sentence interactions between him and Abby. He enjoyed seeing her step through the doors, and the ding of the customer bell brought him face to face with her once again.
Abby held an envelope in her hands, which she traded between her left and right.
“I’d like to put this into my account.”
“Of course!” Steve hummed, taming the envelope from her. He unsealed it and slid the money out. A piece of paper fell out as he gathered the bills, and he let out an ‘oops!’ as he picked it up off the floor. He reached it out to her.
“I think you forgot a letter in there! Don’t worry, happens to me all the ti—“
“No, no,” Abby pushes his hand back. “That’s for you.”
Steve said nothing and unfolded the note. It read, in thin well-written letters:
‘You’re one of the kindest people I’ve met, and I would love to go to dinner with you.’
Steve reread it over as Abby held her hands behind her back, her eyes stuck on Steve for any reaction. He smiled, wide, and put the letter onto the table. After rummaging through his cup of pens, he pulled out a 'Last Bank of Night Vale' brand pen and scribbled, in letters almost Abby’s opposite:
‘I would love to if it means I get to see you smile again and again.’
He slid the paper to Abby, who picked it up immediately and read it just as fast. She smiled and glanced at Steve, who returned the sentiment.
“I think the Applebee’s has been broken out of that time loop,” Abby said, laying her hand on the counter. Steve’s own overlapped it.
“Sounds like a plan.” He rubbed his thumb over her hand. “Now! Let’s get this money into your account!”
“Oh, that was honestly just a trick to get the letter to you? Can I have that back, actually?”
Steve paused and chuckled, neatly arranging the bills and sliding them back into the envelope. He passed it over, and Abby returned it to her bag.
“I need something to pay for dinner with.”
“You don’t have to pay!” Steve said, quickly, and Abby patted his hand and stood upright. She started for the door, still chuckling to herself.
“We’ll see about that! See you soon, Steve!”
“See you!” Steve waved. He sat daydreaming until another customer snapped him out of his trance.
“How can I help you?” He asked, but his mind was honestly still stuck on the image of Abby smiling and laughing as she ran out the door.