Work Text:
For Sarah…
...You’re welcome
Thank you to Quite_Magical for the mood board! :)
Alec had been on shift for around 5 hours. He'd spent the whole time on the checkout, sending items through the scanner one by one, beep after beep— he was slowly going insane. He'd worked here just over a year on the weekends to get by, but every day was the same.
He saw the same people every weekend and sent through the same items. Letting out a sigh as the line had been cleared for the moment, he checked his watch. Still another two hours until he could go home. He’d had his 15 minute break. He preferred to work as long as possible and take a shorter break than to take the full 45 and eat something.
“Hello, Alec.” A little old lady’s voice came from in front of him, the top of her head poking over the top of the til.
“Hello, Mrs. Smith.” Alec smiled his bright ‘customer only’ smile as he put through her bottle of port and pack of brie, a favourite for the regulars Saturday night. They made polite conversation before she left, trying to give him a tip as always. He slipped it into the charity box once she was out of sight and smiled round to the next customer.
As he did, his eyes widened a little and he could feel the words escape him as he looked at the man next in line. He was in a perfectly fitted suit, and in his hands held a bottle of champagne.
“Celebrating?” Alec asked as he took it and sent it through the til, flicking through the ID request screen as he did.
“Something like that,” the man hummed. “Card.” His voice was smooth and Alec couldn’t help smiling and almost getting lost as he passed him the receipt before letting out a deep breath as he left. The man had been the most attractive he’d seen in awhile. He wondered where he’d come from. He’d never seen him around before. He wondered if he’d ever see him again.
Just as Alec was clearing a large queue of people, his question was answered and once more Mr. Designer Suit waltzed through the checkout,
“Card.” He spoke again and answered once more. This time, his eyes met with Alec’s and the two of them simply smiled before he went again. This time he’d bought a pack of strawberries, clearly having forgotten them earlier. Alec watched him leave again before he shook his head carrying on with the queue.
It took ten minutes for the same familiar face to be in front of him. Alec looked up from the pair of socks in his hand and back to Mr. Designer Suit. He opened his mouth before he found himself smiling quite shyly, putting them across to the packing side and asking for the total, already turning the card machine before the man could even speak.
“Thank you, Alexander.” The man chuckled as Alec blushed a little, cursing his name tag for being printed with his full name and smiling.
“Alec...You can call me Alec.”
The man hummed before he took his socks and left once more. Alec grinned and watched him leave, then looked to his watch, still another hour of his shift to go.
He was unable to contain his laughter as the man reappeared moments later holding a magazine. Maybe he was just terrible at buying things in bulk. Turning the card once more, Alec sighed and waited for the accepting beep.
“Magnus,” the man mumbled. “My name’s Magnus.”
“Nice to meet you, Magnus,” Alec smiled and passed his receipt. “You know we have baskets right? It lets you carry more than one item at a time…”
“I know...but where’s the fun in that?” Magnus gave him a little wink before heading off again, magazine under his arm. Alec laughed and shook his head. The next few minutes were starting to make him a little excited. He was keeping his eye out for the gorgeous man with his finely trimmed goatee and and sparkling eyes.
Alec opened his mouth to speak again as he reappeared right on queue, this time with a bag of apples and handed them directly to Alec, not putting them on the conveyor belt.
“Thank you, Magnus,” Alec smirked and scanned them. “You know if you got a full basket...you’d be able to say more than small talk,” he chuckled as Magnus stroked his fingers over a silver cuff attached to his ear.
“Perhaps...I’m in a little bit of a hurry now, though,” Magnus sighed and checked his phone. “I’m already late.”
Alec felt a little sad and nodded. “No worries then.” He smiled and handed him the apples. “Enjoy your Saturday night.” He watched Magnus leave slowly after turning back to give a little wave. Once he was gone, Alec groaned as he only had 45 minutes left and no longer had eye candy to pass his time.
It was the final fifteen minutes and Alec was feeling tired now. Hunched over a till all day was taking it’s toll on him as he rubbed his eyes before he heard someone loading up the belt. Looking round, his eyes widened and he leant on his arm, propping it on the back of the chair as he activated the belt causing Magnus to jump from where he was stacking various items on.
The man looked up and gave Alec and smirk as he finished, heading down as Alec began to slowly put them through. “I thought you were late for something?” he mused.
“I was...so late my date blew me off,” he chuckled as Alec’s eyes widened.
“Oh god, I’m sorry...I hope you can reschedule.”
Magnus wafted his arm. “I certainly hope not...Anyway, I took your advice...and look at us now. We’ve spoken at least two whole sentences to each other.”
It was true, Alec was getting lost even more in the man’s voice.
“I’m in the carpark this time...Could you sign the ticket?” He slid the slip of paper over the til as Alec nodded and finished putting the items through. It looked like a normal daily shop, taking the slip off as Magnus was putting his items in the bags, using his card with a contactless swipe before he checked the weights of the bags. Alec took a moment while Magnus was looking away to scribble on the receipt just under the car park ticket before he handed both over smiling.
“Thank you.” Magnus took the papers and picked up the bags, he turned for a moment before he looked back. “Do you have any plans...later?”
Alec opened his mouth and closed it again with a frown.
“I do…” He sighed, he had to cook for his siblings tonight. He’d promised this for months. “Sorry...but...If there’s any issues with the items on the receipt...just…” He couldn’t get his words out. “Just come back and find me, yeah?” He smiled as Magnus frowned and nodded.
“Okay…” Magnus smiled and picked out his receipt causing Alec to blush brightly not expecting him to look at it right in front of him so soon. Magnus’ eyebrows rose before he smirked and delicately placed the paper back into his pocket. “I’ll call you, Alexander, don’t worry about that.” He hoisted his bags once more and walked to the exit.
“Promise?” Alec shouted after him, not sure why he did, but it just came out. He couldn’t help smiling as Magnus rose his hand to wiggle his pinky finger.
“Promise.” He winked and backed out the door and away.
---
That night, Alec spent a good hour sending messages back and forth to Magnus. They’d already agreed to meet up for breakfast Sunday morning and suddenly Alec realised that working Saturday nights on the checkout wasn’t such a bad thing afterall.