Chapter Text
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The late night conversation does not really change a lot between them; Wade and Stone do not suddenly become best friends who are inseparable, or something of the sorts.
But there is a shift nonetheless. From that day onward, Wade gets up earlier and earlier in order to be at the Mean Bean as soon as possible every morning, just so he could linger a little longer at the counter, sipping his coffee which was actually intended to be to go, idly chatting with Stone – or at Stone, because the other does not stop working the entire time. But he does make time, in his own way. He never sends Wade away, or makes it clear that he has work to do now and no time for conversation. Even though From time to time, Wade trails off in his chatter and checks nervously if the barista seems bothered to be used as a soundboard like that the annoyance never comes. if his constant ramblings do bother Stone, then the other is damn good at not letting any of it show. The barista hums in exactly the right places to let Wade know he is still following, or throws in a quip or a thoughtful and fairly deep take on things whenever his work lets him.
Wade likes to think they have struck up somewhat of an odd friendship, by now. Next to Tom and Maddie, Stone has actually become one of the people Wade feels comfortable enough with that he also dares to share stuff which actually bothers him, rather than simply plastering on a smile and pretending he is too oblivious and too naive to notice when something is just plain wrong.
Stone is also damned funny when he wants to be, Wade has found, delighted by the discovery despite the fact that most of the jokes are rooted in deep sarcasm the likes of which Wade still has sometimes trouble understanding. Even when the joke itself flies over his head more often than not, Wade is still thrilled every time when he notices it after, and feels a little proud of the fact that Stone had shared the joke with him.
Over time, it becomes increasingly clear to Wade that the Mean Bean might just be the most popular place in Green Hills, these days. It had always had a lot of customers ever since he had started coming here, but there are more and more every day. Sometimes both Stone and Brayden, though well-versed in their job barely manage to keep up with all the requests, and the queue never seems to shrink since there are new customers coming in by the second. Wade is both pleased and a little worried just how much work the two baristas are getting, here.
He decides to at least voice his appreciation a little, one day. “You know, it’s really impressive how you and Brayden handle all of this.”
“What do you mean?” Stone retorts, only briefly glancing up from where he is filling first one cup, then the other, expertly flipping them both out for the next two.
“All these customers! The place is filled to the brim, but you still manage to finish all the orders in time. And there’s only the two of you. Or – at least I think so,” Wade frowns thoughtfully, trying to remember if he has ever seen anybody else working here except Brayden and Stone himself. “Or are there more people working here? Did I miss that?”
“Oh, no. No more people,” Stone sorts all four cups in the designated cup holders and turns around to put the order onto the counter before looking up, answering in the same even, calm tone as usual. “But there are drones working in the back, taking care of the preparations and doing all the heavy lifting.”
Humming along at first, Wade nearly chokes on his sip of coffee when he hears the second sentences. What?! Resurfacing from his cup with a cough, he shoots Stone an incredulous look, trying to figure out of the other is serious about this. Stone’s tone had been absolutely deadpan, and his expression also looks fairly serious… until Wade thinks, only thinks, he sees the other’s lips twitch ever so slightly.
“Man,” Wade relaxes slowly, laughing a little - still hoarse from his near-brush with choking. “Okay, I might not have a poker face, but yours? That is terrifying.”
“Why thank you; I do try. It's quite helpful on the job,” now there is a very clear smile lurking in the corner of Stone’s mouth while he calls out for the customer to come pick up his order, then seamlessly turns back to the next task at hand.
Quietly impressed with the man’s ability to multitask and juggle so many responsibilities at once, Wade compares the image to how he has always seen Tom – Tom, who always seems to know what needs to be done, and then just does it – and finds the two men have more in common, at least in his mind, than he would have thought. Just like that, Wade comes to a decision which surprises even himself a little. Without even reflecting on it, he blurts it out immediately, “Hey, maybe you should meet my friend Tom at some point.”
Strangely enough, Stone actually fumbles with the cup he is handling, a slip-up Wade has not known him to make til now. He puts the cup down a little too harshly, a frown on his face while he reaches for a cloth to wipe up the spilled droplets of coffee. “You mean. Sheriff Wachowski."
"Yeah?" Wade watches him warily, hoping the other hadn't accidentally burned himself. "He's really great, I've known him all my life, and I think you two would get along."
An odd noise catches in Stone's throat - laughter? A scoff? It is hard to tell... but when he turns back around, his face is the same as ever, relaxed and a light smile on it. "I don't think that is a good idea."
He says it in passing, still with a smile, that Wade needs a beat to understand that his proposal had just been denied. "Oh. Uh. Really?"
"Really."
"Okay..." he can only wonder why; kind of hopes that Stone will elaborate on it. But he waits to no avail; Stone continues to work, not really avoiding his gaze, but also making it quite clear that the conversation is over. Huh. And here he had thought it would be a good idea...
He must have looked quite crestfallen over it, since Stone actually pauses in between new orders, even though he never interrupts his work for him. "Mister Whipple? Maybe another coffee?"
"Huh? Oh yeah sure, what would you-..."
"I know just the one." Stone interrupts their usual back and forth easily, shooting him a quick quirk of a smile. "It will be on the house, of course."
"What?" Already in the middle of reaching for his wallet, Wade freezes, eyes going wide when what he just heard registers. "Wait, no, you don't have to..."
"I rarely do anything because I have to, Mister Whipple." And Stone just leaves him standing there gaping, moving away gracefully to get him a new coffee.
Wade stares after him with his lips parted, half poised to call out to him to stop him, but already knowing it won't work. He might not really be able to make sense of Stone, but he already knows that the man is damned stubborn and arguing with him is difficult; he always has the better arguments than Wade could ever hope to come up with.
But at least, he thinks with a tired sigh, at least he has not offended Stone with the suggestion.
Maybe he will simply have to start with Tom, instead of his strange new barista friend.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wade puts his plan into action that very morning, right after entering the police station. He is slightly late, having been held up with the second coffee and pondering if he should ask Stone why not, so Tom is already there, just hanging up his jacket when Wade comes rushing in, wheezing out a greeting "Morning! Sorry, I'm late."
"Morning," Tom glances back with, taking in his colleague with an amused look. "Woah, calm down Wade. You're, like, one minute late."
"Still. My bad."
"You're here, that's all that counts."
"Mhm." Wade begins shrugging off his own jacket and setting down his stuff. He is trying to glance inconspicuously at his friend, pondering how to go about this. He wants to simply blurt out with his question, but since he had been basically shrugged off by Stone when he had proposed it directly, Wade decides to tread a little more carefully this time around. “Hey, uh, Tom?”
“Yeah?”
“Have you ever been to the Mean Bean by now?" Start casual, Wade, easy does it. "You know, the coffee shop I told you about? Because it’s really good, I mean you know, you tried the coffee, and I thought you might… like it?”
The last part turns into a question when Wade watches Tom's face morph into a grimace while he talks, and he suddenly becomes unsure if he said something wrong. Scratching the back of his head, he wonders, "You... don't think so? Or what's with that face?"
"No, no, I do think so but - I've already been there. Didn't go so well."
"It didn't?" Now Wade is genuinely baffled. "But you liked the coffee I let you try, right?"
"I did! The coffee is not the problem, man. You know, it's almost funny," letting himself drop into his chair, Tom shakes his head, waving a hand around while he explains “I took Sonic there last week, and. Well. Turns out there are actually people who are allergic to big hedgehogs from space.”
"What."
"Yeah! Not like we could have known that beforehand, but the guy behind the counter started coughing and hacking like crazy the moment we stepped into the shop," Tom looks worried just recalling the events, a frown marring his face. "Actually thought I’m gonna have to call a doctor, right there.”
“Oh.” Is that why Stone had reacted so strangely when he had suggested meeting Tom? So maybe it is not a good idea for Stone and Tom to meet. Who knew if that wouldn’t give Stone another attack, given how much time Tom spends around Sonic nowadays? Completely reasonable, but Wade still feels a little crestfallen over it. He had really thought his best friend and his maybe-new-friend would get along great, if only they met.
He must have been visibly disappointed, since Tom frowns and leans in, getting Wade's attention with a knock to his desk. “Hey. “Just because I can't go myself, doesn't mean I can't try the coffee and gush over it. why don’t you bring me a cup with, next time? I’m paying.”
"Yeah," Wade agrees, smiling distractedly. "Good plan. Let's do that."
It won't be the same, of course, but. At least he can make Stone's coffee a little more well-known among the residents of Green Hills, this way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next shift between them happens suddenly. Surprisingly.
Wade is not even sure if it is a good shift, or simply... a wake-up call.
It is a Saturday and Wade is of the clock today - and yet, he gets up relatively early, eats a light breakfast, and then makes the familiar trip down to the Mean Bean. It is habit, at this point, and he is loathe to skip his favorite coffees and a quick talk with Brayden and Stone even on a free day.
That is a weekend is made incredibly clear when Wade steps into the shop and immediately has to pull to a sharp stop, else he would have collided with the back of the customer in front of him. Blinking rapidly Wade glances around, whistling soundlessly when he realizes that the coffee shop is packed full; there are two queues, and reach from the counter all the way to the door. Wow . Still flabbergasted, Wade settles in for a long wait, and for a very short talk to the baristas.
Wait takes long, as he had expected. Wade passes the time by reading the menu above the counter idly wondering about the fancy names, or chatting with the people he recognizes when they pass by him their way out.
Finally, it's his turn to order. It is Brayden who greets and serves him that morning. Poor man looks hurried when he darts over from the other side of the counter, nearly stumbling when he comes to a sharp stop. "Morning Mister Whipple. Sorry, the boss is busy right now, so I will be taking your order today."
"Oh, geez, don't apologize for that," Wade splutters, embarrassed despite himself that the young man seems to think he will insist on talking to Stone. "I can see you guys are busy. Just give me a simple coffee, and I'm out of your hair again."
Brayden actually looks relieved for a beat before he catches himself, assuring, "You can still ask for a recommendation, it's no problem at all-..."
"Nah, leave it. Just a cup of coffee with sugar. Thanks."
"Great. Okay, on it," Brayden hurries off to prepare the requested thing. Over the rumble of the coffee machine, he calls over his shoulder, "You know, if you don't mind taking the coffee here, I'm sure the boss will find some time for you once the morning rush is over."
"Uh..." Well, it is Sunday, so he does not need to be at work today; Tom is taking the on-call duty this weekend. And he did look forward to talking to Stone today, as well - part of his routine, and all that. Hesitantly, Wade decides ah screw it, and makes up his mind. "Yeah sure. Give me a cup for here."
"Yup, on it. One coffee to take here, coming right up."
Wade nods, not feeling offended at all when Brayden gets distracted twice while preparing the coffee, having to hand out other cups to customers who had been waiting longer than the deputy already. While he waits, looking around for something to occupy himself with, Wade's gaze lands on the chalkboard in the middle of the shop, advertising a Stoneacchino with steamed Austrian goatmilk. That is probably the only drink Wade has not yet gotten to try since coming here. He had asked Stone about it, only once, but the other man had shaken his head and told him, not unkindly but firm, that it wouldn't fit Wade's taste at all. He had been so adamant about it, Wade had never dared to ask again.
"Here you go Mister Whipple!"
"Oh thanks - woah," Wade mutters when Brayden nearly shoves the full cup at him in his hurry. By the time the deputy has gotten a good grip on the beverage, the barista is already gone again, hurrying away to serve a bulk of people at the other end of the counter.
God, they are stressed today. Wade can only shake his head and ducks out of the way of another throng of customers, steering clear of the crowd.
While looking around for a free table, Wade pulls a face when he realizes everything seems to be occupied already. Damn, there really is a lot of people in here today! While he is still turning in place, he hears someone calling out his name, and turns, perplexed.
"Wade! Over here!" Carl is waving enthusiastically at him from one of the tables, nearly knocking over his plate full of sausages, crisp bacon and eggs in the process.
Oh. Well. He hadn't been looking for company, exactly but Carl is alright and he hasn't talked to the old man in a while. A little embarrassed over all the attention the loud calls are attracting, Wade makes his way over, greeting the other with a chuckle, "Hey Carl. Calm down, I hear you."
"You was looking so lost over there, just had to," Carl grins at him, eyes crinkling warmly while he pushes his plate a little more into the center of the table. "Want some? Servings too big for ol' me."
"Uh, no thanks, I ate already." Taking a seat, Wade marvels at the huge serving right there."They also do breakfasts now?"
"On Sundays, 'pparently. It's awesome," Carl spears up a sausage and pops it into his mouth, chewing with a pleased hum. "You been wanting to speak to Mister Stone too?"
"Too?"
"Like to talk to the guy," Carl shrugs, but his eyes are sharp and assessing when he shoots Wade a glance. "He listens when I talk. And 's nice about it."
He sounds almost challenging about it, as if he expects Wade to say something like don't bother Stone, or so. Wade frowns briefly then shakes his head. "I get it; he's a good listener. Uh hey - you know what I will try some of that breakfast, after all. Can I?"
Its a clumsy attempt to change the subject, but Carl takes it easily enough, brightening instantly. "Sure, sonny. Go ahead!"
"Have you been coming here a lot?"
"Almost every day!"
"Oh, you too-..."
For a while, Wade and Carl chat over their shared plate of breakfast, catching each other up about what had happened lately. Around them, the morning rush eases up slightly as early morning shifts into mid-morning. Once or twice, Wade looks up to see if Brayden and Stone have managed to catch a break by now, but he decides against getting another coffee yet, wanting to wait until there are less customers around.
Just when the crowd is thinning out a little and Wade is considering getting up to grab another cup, maybe see if Stone has time for a quick chat by now, there is a commotion close by the shop's entrance. A table rattles when something is slammed down onto it with force, and someone yells, "What the fuck?!"
While Wade is still jumping in shock, swiveling around to see what's going on, there is the sound of a chair scrapping loudly over the floor and then a startled yelp from a familiar voice. Wade's gaze finally zeroes in on the source of the commotion - Brayden is standing next to one of the tables closer by the entrance of the shop, looking pale and nervous. No wonder; a customer, a broad-shouldered man with a biker jacket and a face flushed with anger, is basically towering above him, gesturing about with a full cup under the barista's nose as if its existence is an offense in itself.
"What the fuck is that supposed to be, huh?!" He thunders right then, shoving the cup closer to Brayden. The young man flinches back a step and holds his tray tighter to his chest like a shield,. "You think that's funny or something?!"
The murmur of conversations around the shop falls silent as if someone had turned off the volume.
"What's going on?" Carl cranes his neck to see better.
"No idea," Wade mutters, wondering if he should get up and do something. He does not know what yet, but. Well. He is a deputy, right? Maybe just making that clear is already enough to get the other guy to back off.
"I'm very sorry, sir-..." Brayden starts, his gaze darting nervously between the man and the cup which is being held right under his nose. "This. Is not your cup, I apologize-..."
"Damn right it's not my cup!" Another wave with the cup; hot liquid splashes over the rim, dripping to the ground. "You think I want to find some weirdo's face drawn onto my coffee, huh?!"
"I'm so sorry-..."
“It’s just a mix-up,” someone calls from the other side of the shop; a quick glance tells Wade that it’s Francis, who has risen half-off his seat now as well, looking as ready to jump up to go help as Wade feels right now. “Happens.”
“Yeah,” someone else says; a woman’s voice, but Wade cannot make out immediately who it is, and he does not quite dare to look away from the events unfolding in front of him for too long to take a closer look. “Leave the boy alone, will you.”
Despite the tense situation, Wade cannot help the fond smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Green Hills might seem like a boring little place full of laid-back people, but the truth is that the locals become kind of… protective, over those they consider one of their own.
He has rarely loved his home town more than right now.
The show of solidarity does nothing to calm the customer down; if anything, he only seems to be more angered by it. “Just a mix-up,” the man echoes with clear derision in his voice, barely sparing Francis a glance before rounding on Brayden again, demanding, "Where's your boss? Let's see what he thinks of you fucking up orders, eh?"
Brayden pales so fast he goes possibly green with it, and he immediately starts shaking his head wildly. "Oh nonono, trust me, you don't want to talk to him..."
“What is going on here?”
Wade nearly jumps when Stone suddenly appears in the middle of the shop ; he has not seen nor heard the man approach. Even Brayden and the Biker Guy seem to startle a bit when the man slides in between them, putting himself right in between his employee and the angry customer.
Strangely enough, Brayden does not look relieved to see Stone. If anything, he looks more nervous than ever, wringing his hands together and shifting uneasily in place while he launches into an explanation, “I’m sorry boss, there was so much going on, and I didn’t pay enough attention, and I just grabbed the cup thinking it’s the right one but it was yours instead, and…”
„Ah“ Understanding dawns on Stone‘s face. Very briefly, he closes his eyes - barely more than a long blink - before turning back towards Biker Guy. „I see the problem then. A mix-up; I apologize for the inconvenience -...”
„Inconvenience, my ass“ the man spits - literally; Wade can see the spittle fly from his mouth from all the way over here. „What kind of freak draws strange guy’s faces onto their drink, anyway?“
A twitch goes over Stone’s face, the briefest of wavers in his otherwise calm exterior. „Well,” he says with a smile too sharp and a voice to cool to be friendly. “That freak would be me in this case, sir.“
Obviously stumped by the answer, Biker Guy does not immediately fling something back, which gives the barista enough time to take charge again. „We will prepare the correct order immediately of course. Brayden-…“
“On it!” Obviously glad to be out of the situation at hand, Brayden hurries back behind the counter to do as he is told.
"Ey" while Stone is half-turned away, Biker Guy reaches towards him and pushes him in the chest roughly, rudely, to get his attention back. "Tell him to go grab the money I left for that shit, as well. I want a refund."
Stone stumbles half a step backwards under the force of the shove before he catches himself and goes still. Kind of – too still, Wade notes, gulping with a sudden nervousness he cannot quite explain. It’s not like Stone is a guy who is very animated and moving a lot; him holding still and quiet should not be a problem, but somehow, the way the barista is holding himself now – unnaturally quiet and slightly stiff – has all alarm bells going off in the back of Wade’s head, more an instinct than any real reason behind it. What the hell? He isn’t afraid of Stone… right? Right?
Stone reaches up and brushes over the spot the other man had touched with a flick of his wrist, as if flicking away crumbs. Even though he speaks quietly, his voice seems to echo in the entire shop, audible to all. "It would be healthier for you,” his voice is even icier than before, devoid of all emotions, “if you didn't touch me."
In stark contrast, the Biker is immediately even angrier, stepping closer to crowd Stone in while an angry red flush travels over the back of his neck up to his face, turning it near purple. "Oh? That supposed to be a threat, then?"
"An observation,” Stone does not seem overly concerned with the fact that he is being towered over by a man nearly double his size. He smiles up at the other in a way Wade has never seen of him before – neither the quick quirk of lips hidden behind a joke, nor a true brilliant smile when he is amused, but a glint of teeth not unlike a knife being drawn. “You see, I have been having quite the bad day today, and I'm not the most patient right now. So I’m saying this for your own good – do. Not. Touch. Me."
It is the wrong thing to say; of course it is. The big guy goes so red in the face so fast Wade would be worried for his health in any other situation, veins visibly bulging in his neck and his forehead. With a snarl, he reaches for Stone, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and drawing him in uncomfortably close. "Now listen here, you clown-…!”
“Wade,” Carl says, the same moment he leaps out of his seat and to his feet. The warning is not even necessary anymore, though, since Wade is already moving, pushing past the few tables standing between him and Stone and the other guy, muttering, “Okay, no, that’s it-…”
All around them, there are chairs scraping over the ground, people standing up, muttering and moving uncertainly – unsure if to step up and do something, or leave it to someone else, maybe – but Wade is ignoring all of them, eyes only on the events unfolding in front of him.
Why the heck are you provoking him? He thinks, rather hysterically, in Stone’s general direction while moving so very slowly, slow like in a nightmare. God it is like you want to be used as a punching bag!
He is still too far away, making his way past tables and onlookers too slowly foe his taste, so he only hears bits of the conversation taking place between the two men. The next thing Wade hears clearly is Biker Guy snarling, "... don't know if you're trying to be funny or something, but if you think I'm afraid of a little barista like you..."
"Oh, no, I don't think so," somehow, Stone's voice carries through the shop even though he does not raise his voice, that strangely knife-like smile firmly in place the entire time. "I highly doubt you're intelligent enough to recognize a threat even when it is right in front of your nose."
Still moving, Wade just knows what is going to happen next, and part of him wants to close his eyes so he does not have to see it. As if in slow motion, he sees Biker Guy raise his free hand, drawing it back for a swing...
And then everything goes way too fast.
Wade is right there, only a few meters away, and yet he could not have say what happens next for the life of him if anybody had asked him. One second, he is afraid that he will have to watch Stone getting pummeled into the ground and will be helpless to stop it-.. And the next, Stone simply kind of shifts, and the fist flies past his left ear, missing it by a hair's breath. That is the last thing which is really clear to Wade, because everything after that happens too fast. He sees Stone's hand snap up, reach for the other man's arm, and then between one blink and the next, biker guy goes flying, ripped clean off his feet. He does half a somersault over and past Stone and comes crushing down belly first, landing on the ground with a sound half grunt and half scream and a force which seems to shake the entire shop. Wade is damned sure he hears all the cutlery and cups rattle on the tables from the shock wave of it.
Silence descends over the ship, heavy and suffocating. Wade is fairly sure he is gaping openly first at Stone, then at the fallen man who is damn well double the berth of the barista, what the fuck, and he is not even ashamed of it. The other visitors in the shop are doing the exact same thing, after all. Only Brayden looks slightly pained, and Carl looks actually delighted by the whole thing, whistling lowly.
Stone, in stark contrast to the rest of the shop, looks as calm as one man possibly could be. He dusts off his shirt, smooths out the wrinkles the biker's tight grip had left behind, and then speaks up, firm and easily heard in the utter silence. "Mister Whipple"
Huh?! Being addressed so suddenly, Wade nearly jumps, blinking owlishly at the other. Had Stone known he's there the entire time? "Y-Yeah?"
"I'm sure you will agree that this counts as self-defense, since he attacked me first."
That... sounds not quite right - but you provoked him - but Wade is too out of it to argue. Still shocked, feeling as if he is dreaming and would like to wake up right now, he blinks again, stuttering out feebly, "Yeah. Yeah, right that makes-…”
Movement in the corner of his eyes makes Wade trails off, and he snaps out a "Watch out!" at the same time a woman somewhere in the shop gasps, loud and high. In Stone's back, Biker Guy has pushed himself to his knees and from there now launches himself forward much like a charging bull, making a wild grab for Stone's waist with a shout.
Without so much as turning around, Stone sidesteps the forceful approach; once the enraged man is on the same level with him, Stone's hand snaps out and shoves the other between the shoulder blades. Paired with his own force, the shove is enough to practically launch Biker Guy forward, has him stumbling forward without a chance of catching himself or slowing down. He trips over his own feet nearly falling to the ground again, before careening straight against the door. It flies open under the weight, bell overhead ringing wildly, and Biker Guy crashes through it and out onto the side walk right outside in a flail of limbs.
Without even taking a second to check if the other man finally stays down, Stone whips around on his heels, crosses the few inches over to where Biker Guy had been sitting before. He picks up everything still laid out on the table – wallet, keys – with one grab and then walks back towards the door, stopping it before it can fall closed entirely. Teeth bared in the facsimile of a smile, he tosses the man’s belongings out onto the street next to the fallen man. “Don’t forget your things. And-…,” a quick dig through a pocket in his apron, and he tosses a handful of coins out as well. “Your refund. Do me a favor and don’t come back; our coffee is wasted on the likes of you.”
With that, he lets go of the door, allowing it to fall closed with a sharp ringing of the bell overhead.
Once he turns back, Stone is faced with a good dozen of people, all staring at him in different stages of shock, surprise and awe. He pauses, blinks, and then smiles – a real, true smile, Wade notes, stunned, the one smile he only ever saw a handful of times from the other man.
“I’m very sorry you had to witness this,” Stone declares, loud and firm and endlessly friendly, towards the shop as a whole. “Please, do go back to your drinks; of course it will be on the house today, as a reparation for the unfortunate events. Enjoy.”
There are some murmurs, the shuffle of feet moving and people shifting in place. Someone calls out from the back, “Nice moves!”, garnering a round of laughter and a few hissed “man, really?”
Stone’s lips twitch while he crosses back over to the counter, miming a bow towards the caller in the back, much to another round of laughter. “Thank you.”
“You okay?” Carl asks, blunt as ever, when Stone passes by him. The old man seems to be the only one who is not nearly struck speechless by the display. If anything, Wade thinks, if anything, the man looks impressed right now.
Perhaps Stone sees that, as well, since the smile he shoots Carl’s way is a little less his usual customer care smile, brilliant and wide, but closer to grim satisfaction. “Quite alright, thank you.”
A rumbled huff of laughter bursts out of Carl and he makes an aborted motion, as if he wants to reach out and slap Stone’s shoulder, but decides against it at the last moment. With a nod and a grumbled, “You showed him, sonny,” the old man turns back around and wanders back to his table, taking a seat and resumes eating his breakfast.
And that just… seems to be that. Wade, still standing frozen to the spot, watches with wide eyes, feeling a little as if he is seeing all this from far away, how the people retake their seats with varying degrees of hesitance, some still looking shocked, others oddly amused. But every single one of them turns back to their coffees and breakfast, only the dull hum of lively conversations. By this afternoon at the latest, these events are going to be the talk of the entire town, but for now, things seem to settle.
This is almost too easy; Wade wants to ask aloud Really? Just like that?! But does not quite dare to. Are they simply going to pretend this had been a normal occurrence? He wonders, following, without really thinking, in the barista’s footsteps and wandering over to the counter. As if things like this happened around here once a week or so?
Stone is dusting himself off and straightening his clothes out, waving away Brayden’s stuttered apologies while he does. Wade only catches the tail-end of the conversation when he steps up to them, “… my own mistake, for leaving it standing around out here. It has been a busy morning today. Go clean up the spills out front and then take a break, Brayden.”
“O-Of course, boss! Thanks so much, boss!” Brayden looks like he wants to bow or salute for a beat before he nods eagerly, and hurries away to get a broom.
Now there is only Stone and Wade, and this seems like the perfect opportunity to ask… expect Wade does not really know what to ask. He has so many questions right now, but none of them are really well-defined, more of a mess of what the heck just happened? Repeating over and over in his mind. Where to even start with this?
His mouth decides for him, in the end. "Are... Are you alright?"
“Hm?” Stone looks up, blinks, then smiles lightly when he recognizes him. "Ah, yes. I didn't get hurt. In fact, I’m feeling quite alright.”
And he does look alright, he really does. It should be a relief, except it isn’t. Not really. It dawns on Wade then that that is exactly why he is worried - Stone looks too at ease after what just happened. Wade has seen people after fights - fights which had only been verbally and loud, and the few and far in between when there had been physical interactions. And always, always, the people involved in those fights had been shaken, afterwards. Nervous, or shocked, or simply jittery; leftover energy still buzzing inside of them.
But Stone? He is completely at ease. Not only that - he very much looks like he had enjoyed all of that; the provocation, the violence. Like it was fun. Wade had never seen him quite this truly relaxed before. It is a bit like the whole thing has invigorated him.
Who enjoys something like this? Wade wonders, gulping a little. Suddenly he remembers that he had thought Stone must be provoking the other man on purpose, before; it had been a spur of the moment thing, confusion and fear driving it, but now he finds himself wondering if he hadn’t been right with it. If Stone hadn’t been looking for a fight.
This counts as self-defense, Stone had said. As if he had known that all too well. As if he had counted on it.
“That’s not the first time you did something like this…” Wade begins, surprising even himself a little; he hadn’t seen this one coming. “Right?”
The surprise is mutual; he can see Stone pause in his movements, smile dropping slightly before he catches it again. For once, Wade can really see the other think and consider at high-speed – he might not be the most observant guy around, but he has spent weeks with seeing Stone every damn day, and he might not know him, he now understands that painfully clear, but he knows some of his tells. He can almost hear the other man consider what he should say next, weighing if he should lie. And he is fairly sure the answer he finally gets is the truth, because Stone holds his gaze firmly and speaks slow and clear, “...Correct.”
it does not come as a surprise, not after what just had happened. But it stings a little, and certainly makes Wade feel like an idiot. He had asked Stone a lot of questions, ever since coming here. What do you recommend, to start with. How do you do this, or that, later on. And lately, everything else which had come to his mind, silly or serious, interesting or inane; simply questions to keep the other man talking.
Now, Wade realizes that he might have forgotten to ask the most important question out of all of them. The most impossible to ask, perhaps.
Who exactly are you?
“… If I asked you about that,” Wade licks his lips, and frowns, suddenly feeling like he might know the answer already, but still determined to ask anyway, “would you tell me anything?”
A slow blink. Stone’s smile is long gone, well and truly hidden behind an expression which can only be described as cool, distanced professionalism. It is a charring change from the always smiling face he presented usually around here. Poker face, indeed. “No.”
“No,” Wade drags a hand through his hair, then laughs; humorless and brittle. “Of course not. Geez.”
All of a sudden, he feels angry. Feels hurt . Because, yeah, sure – why would Stone tell him anything? After all, it had always been Wade who told him everything; anything which came to mind. Because he had thought Stone would listen, would be interested . Would be honest with him.
Because he had thought they had actually become something like friends .
Great. Way to be delusional, Wade.
Wade is still staring blindly at the counter top and trying to get a grip on himself – he is not going to storm out, he is not going to shout, and he will be damn well not get teary-eyed over this – when Stone speaks next, voice still low, but still gentler than before. “Up until now, Mister Whipple, I have made sure to not tell you any lies. I would… actually like to keep it that way.”
Huh. Blinking quickly – nope, not because of his burning eyes – Wade looks up at the other with a frown, puzzling over why anyone who can lie with a smile on his face and without so much as blinking would choose to be honest with good ol’ Wade Whipple. It just doesn’t make sense, and Wade finds himself blurting out, “Why?”
“I had no reason to. And, well. You supported me.”
“I… what?”
“That is not something which happens often.” Stone frowns briefly, the first flicker of his impassive expression he has allowed himself since this started. “And I am not in the habit of simply taking the favors someone shows me for granted.”
Wade blinks a few times, trying to understand what the other man is saying – in a very convoluted, complicated manner. He sometimes thinks Stone uses especially big words whenever he feels out of his element.
And if he feels like that… does that means he is being honest? His face certainly does not show it, once again impassive and cool, but he is looking at Wade directly, not avoiding eye contact – but then, he has never avoided eye contact before, and who knew how much that mattered… but he had said that he had not lied, ever…
Aaaah, this is giving me a headache! With a sigh, Wade runs both hands over his face, hiding behind his palms while he thinks.
The truth? He wants to believe that Stone is being honest. He has come to view the guy as a friend, dammit – had believed that the other might come to think the same of him, as well. All those talks, and shared jokes, that couldn’t just be for nothing, right? Right?
Suddenly, Wade recalls that one night in the middle of January; the day he had shown up at the Mean Bean’s doorstep to awkwardly hand Stone a container of casserole, hoping to cheer him up because he had looked so sad that day. The memory gives him pause. That, there, had seemed honest – that sadness reflected in Stone’s eyes, etched into his features, when he had talked about a colleague he obviously missed dearly. That could not have been a lie; Wade cannot imagine anyone can act so well to play the part so convincingly. And if that had been the truth – if Stone had appreciated Wade reaching out to him for that , then…
With a bone deep sigh, Wade drops his hands and instead crosses his arms on the counter, letting his chin dropped on top of his folded fingers. “Okay.”
Next to him, there is the rustle of clothing – had Stone simply not moved the entire time Wade had been thinking this over? “Okay?” there is something like surprise even in that flat tone, and when Wade looks up, Stone’s eyebrow has climbed up to nearly his hairline.
“Yeah, it’s okay. For now,” he means to say that firmly, but Wade suspects it simply sound a little unsure, in the end. “I will probably have to ask you again, at some point, and then you will probably lie to me, but – I’m glad. That you haven’t lied to me ‘til now. So I kind of… don’t want to ask, so you don’t have to lie.”
He interrupts himself, listening to the echo of his own clumsy words, and pulls a grimace. “Uh. Does that make sense, somehow?”
There is a twitch around Stone’s mouth, which Wade recognizes by now as a badly hidden smile. It is kind of comforting to know that that is still the same. “Not really.”
“You could have lied about that, right now” Wade mumbles, trying to sound cross, but he suspects he lands closer to relieved. Stone being cuttingly honest and sarcastic is familiar and comforting, and makes him a little more sure of the fact that not everything had been a lie. Drawing circles into the counter with one finger, he says louder, “And anyway – I don’t think anyone would believe me when I told them that you’re some kind of ninja barista.”
There is a cut off sound above him, sounding suspiciously close to a laugh, “Ninja barista…”
“You aren’t… are you?”
“Nothing like that, no.”
Wade squints his eyes at him, suddenly unsure if he has to question everything the other says right now. “Are you even a barista?”
Stone raises his second eyebrow and spreads his hands in a way which indicates everything – pristine white shirt and black apron and the coffee shop around him.
Despite himself, Wade has to laugh; if it sounds a little hysterical, a little disbelieving around the edges, then so be it. Damn. What had he gotten himself into, when he had set out to befriend this strange man?
Maybe trouble. Maybe a whole lot of trouble, he thinks while sitting up a little straighter, gaze darting between Stone and the empty seat by the window, where Biker Guy had sat only ten minutes ago. (It feels like an eternity now.) And maybe, one day he will regret being this – this naive, to think that a man like Stone can be friends with him.
But for now, he wants to believe. That can’t be too much to ask.
Feeling tired, and suddenly a little bashful, Wade rubs the back of his neck and glances at Stone from the corner of his eyes. “What’s something I can ask you without…?”
He trails off, unsure how to explain what he means. But Stone picks up on it anyway, smile becoming a bit more pronounced when he answers, “You have been doing quite well, so far.”
So far . So far, Wade had babbled about every day things at the other, and coffee, and everything ranging from serious to silly which had popped up in his mind, all of it entirely unfiltered. Surely that’s not.. the most interesting thing a ninja barista (yeah, still not convinced that’s not a thing) could listen to. Even more embarrassed now, Wade casts around for something simple and easy to ask, and lands on, “And you’re sure you’re okay, right? Because that looked pretty dangerous right there-…”
It seems to work, in a way; Stone’s smile deepens, reaching his eyes, and he moves to pick up his work behind the counter again – which, Wade realizes now, he had not done the entire time this conversation had taken place; as if listening had been more important. That is… strangely nice. “I’m fine.”
“Okay. Okay that’s good. Uh.” he just feels inhibited and awkward now, unsure of where to start without getting them to a point where one of them has to lie, and the other will get angry.
Thankfully, Stone seems to see his dilemma, and comes to his aid with a surprisingly simple solution. “Maybe another coffee?”
“Yeah,” Wade breathes out in relief, feeling his shoulders sag when he finally relaxes somewhat. “Yeah, that would be – yes, great.”
Stone nods, but makes no move to get the desired thing. For a moment, they simply stare at each other – what exactly are they waiting for, Wade wonders… before it dawns on him, and he has to chuckle a little. “Uh. Right. What – what would you recommend?”
Maybe he is not the only one who craves the comfort of well-worn and beloved habits now and then, around here.
Nodding again, Stone turns around – a beat to late to hide his crooked smile – and explains, “I know just the thing. One moment.”
“Yeah, sure,” Wade settles back against the counter more comfortably, watching the other go about the by now familiar moves of preparing a cup of coffee. It is almost hypnotic to watch, and for a beat, it could be so, so easy to simply forget about everything which had just happened.
But as nice as that would be, as easy as that would be, Wade finds he can’t really bring himself to. He is a deputy, for god’s sake. Shouldn’t he, you know – do deputy stuff?
Gaze fixed a bit longingly on the cup of coffee Stone is handling – man, forgetting about all this and pretending it never happened would be so nice – Wade swallows a sigh and offers hesitantly, “You, uh. Do you want to press charges against this guy?”
“This guy?” Stone says without looking up, just this side of confused.
Somehow, Wade does not really it is an honest emotion. The guy you threw around like he weighed nothing , rests on the tip of his tongue, but he says instead, “You know. He basically attacked you.”
That also does not seem quite right. He is still half-convinced that Stone provoked him into it. But he is not really sure about it, and he can’t very well ask if it was a provocation. God, this is all so complicated.
“Ah,” Stone makes a sound as if he only just remembers the events and shakes his head, smile curving his lips upwards. “No, no need. A difficult customer, no more. I will not want to file charges every time that happens – I would never get anything else done.”
“Right, right,” Wade nods uncertainly, forcing a laugh which threatens to get stuck in his throat. Better not think about something like that happening more often. How often have you dealt with difficult customers this way? Don’t ask, Wade, don’t. “I guess the paperwork would be troublesome, anyway…”
“Oh, for sure. You would need to help me with it.”
“Me?”
“Of course, who else?” Turning around, Stone adds the last touches to the coffee – sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, stir it all together with a spoon. He does it without even really looking, gaze unwavering on Wade while he smiles, a tad sharply; a hint of that knife-glint-smile. “Knowing a deputy sheriff personally might just be useful for me then, don’t you think?”
“Useful,” Wade sputters, not sure if he feels amused or more worried over how that sounds. “I don't know if that’s really the word I would-…”
The smile never wavers. “But I would, Mister Whipple.”
“… okay, fine. If you say so.” A bit bashfully and still not fully comfortable, Wade rubs a hand over his neck and chances a crooked smile at his… friend? Maybe friend? Acquaintance?
He wants Stone to be his friend, he realizes with a light start. Part of him is yelling at him, ringing every alarm bell in his mind simultaneously with the question of what the hell is he thinking? Part of him is telling him to turn around and walk away and never come back. But Wade ignores all of that, maybe stupidly so, because a small but very adamant part of him insists that he trusts Stone. Knowing him or not - at some point he had looked at the other, and seen something... good, in him. Something kind. And Wade might not be the most observant, nor the smartest guy around, but he had always had a good gut feeling for people. If his gut had decided that Stone is a good guy to have as a friend, then, well. He is going to trust that feeling. He has done stranger things in his life – and isn’t that a thought! But it’s true: He had shot at a ranting guy in an egg-shaped pot; he had befriended a blue talking hedgehog from space. That’s already two strange things more than he had ever expected to happen in his entire life.
Surely, Wade reflects with a smile and a mumbled thanks while accepting the cup of coffee Stone hands him, the warmth of it comforting and welcome, surely , befriending this stranger with an, okay, slightly dubious past, perhaps, is not the weirdest thing he has ever done.
At least the coffee is worth it, Wade decides with a quiet chuckle while he sips carefully at the hot beverage.