Chapter Text
Lio had jammed the sesame bagel (with avocado spread) into his face while he hastily pulled his hair back into a food safety approved half-ponytail when he noticed the unfamiliar face staring at him in the break room. This newcomer was tall, wore his dark hair spiked up on top, and might have been good looking if not for the slack-jawed expression with which he was watching Lio. Did he have something on his shirt? Was it the bagel? Technically, he wasn’t on the clock so he wasn’t supposed to just help himself to the store food, but if this guy saw the state of Lio’s bank account, he’d have a little pity. This guy wasn’t going to narc on him, was he?
Lio tied off his ponytail and swallowed a bite of bagel, all without breaking eye contact. “What?” he demanded.
“I-uh..” The other man’s voice trailed off.
With a swing of the break room door, the shift leader Aina entered. “Oh good. I see you two have met. Lio, this is Galo. He’s coming in from another store to help out for a bit. Galo, Lio.”
Galo stood up from the table, shut the textbook he’d been reading and held his hand out to Lio. He flashed the shorter man a bright smile. “Hi. I’m Galo. Galo Thymos.”
Lio brushed bagel crumbs off his hand. Galo’s hand engulfed his own. “Lio.”
“We’re going to be friends, I’m sure of it!” Galo proclaimed loudly, too loudly.
Aina glared and smacked Lio in the shoulder. “I left you alone with him for 30 seconds. What did you say?”
“This is workplace harassment.” Lio rubbed his shoulder. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Whatever Lio said, don’t listen to him.” Aina turned to Galo. “He has a mouth, but he’s good with the espresso machine. That’s why we keep him around.”
“He didn’t say anything. Don’t worry, Aina.” Galo turned his smile to Aina and Lio saw the look in her eyes. Ugh, straight people.
“I’ll introduce you to everyone else.” Aina motioned Galo should follow and the two of them left the break room.
Now alone in the room filled with signs advising hand washing or warning of work place hazards, Lio hastily devoured the other half of his bagel. Out of curiosity, he picked up the textbook Galo had been reading. Some kind of anatomy book and, flipping through the pages, a detailed one at that. Galo had looked more like a jock than a doctor, but the idea of Galo running around in a white coat with a clipboard while trying to look like he knew what he was doing was intensely funny. And hot, fuck.
Once he’d finished his breakfast, or lunch since it was technically afternoon, Lio draped his apron over his shoulders and tied it around his waist. He gave himself a quick once over in the mirror before going out front to begin his shift.
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Jazzy renditions of holiday music blared over the speaker system. The store had been decorated in rich red and golds, blinking lights strung along the ceiling. All the shelves in the store were piled high with holiday themed mugs, coffee making accoutrement or other stocking stuffers. Coffee aromas mingled with the smell of gingerbread and vanilla.
Customers, or guests as corporate insisted on calling them, came in at a rapid pace, their arms loaded up with bags of holiday shopping and their cheeks pink with the cold. No matter how cranky the customer looked when they stepped up to the counter, Galo’s bright smile disarmed them and no one seemed able to refuse returning that smile. Lio couldn’t help sneaking a few glances at his new coworker nor could he help looking at the rapidly filling tip jar. Maybe he’d underestimated Galo.
Lio made an endless stream of holiday drinks. He couldn’t tell the names of the any of the regulars at the coffee shop, but he knew all of their drinks.
“Grande vanilla soy latte for Thyma.” Lio called out as he placed the drink up on the bar.
A mousy looking, small girl took the drink and scurried away.
“Lio!” an impish voice called out behind him in a brief pause between customers.
“Lucia, my favorite gremlin.” Lio crossed his arms over his chest as he faced his coworker. She’d twisted blinking Christmas lights up into her buns today. Out of all the store employees, she was one of the few that could rival him in shortness.
“Heh heh.” Lucia chuckled for dramatic effect. “Aina and I have decided that since you decidedly lack in holiday spirit—”
“What?” Lio asked, deadpan.
“—that you should wear this holiday spirit hat!” Lucia held up a long red and green striped stocking cap with white fur trim and a pompom at the end.
Lio immediately covered the top of his head with his hands. “No way! You’ll mess it up.”
“Think of the tips, Lio. The tips!” Lucia held the hat out to him.
Letting out a long sigh, Lio took the hat from her and arranged it on his head. “Fine.”
“Ha! You owe me a dollar, Aina! I told you he’d wear it!” Lucia pointed across the store in Aina’s direction.
She rolled her eyes, but pulled a dollar out of her pocket and held it out to Lucia.
“I hate you two so much.” Lio muttered so they could hear.
Lucia snorted. “Just think how boring the store would be without us.”
She had a point, but Lio wasn’t about to concede defeat. “Next time, I want my cut.”
“Remi!” Galo’s loud voice cut through the noise of the store. He had escaped wearing a hat, but instead had on a red and white striped scarf over his uniform. “Hey! What are you doing here?”
“Getting coffee.” The man in glasses answered evenly. Lio knew him as tall americano. “I didn’t know you worked at this location.”
“Just filling in!” Galo chimed in cheerily. “Through the holidays and then back at my old store probably. Hey, guys, this is my classmate, Remi!”
“Hi, Remi.” Aina waved, looking amused by Galo’s antics. “Looking forward to holiday break?”
“Have to make it to the break first. I think Ignis is trying to kill us with homework, the bastard. I’ll have a tall americano.” Remi rifled through his wallet to pull out the correct method of payment.
Lio tuned out the rest of the conversation and set to work making the drink. He was not jealous that even apparent idiots like Galo could afford college and that Galo got to casually talk about quizzes and holiday breaks with his classmate. Stupid rich kids.
He set the americano up on the bar and Remi took it with a nod.
“Hold on, watch the till.” Galo dashed away from the register, placing a hand on Lio’s shoulder as he scooted behind him. “Rem, we on for that study group tomorrow?”
Remi took a moment to fix his glasses and readjust his scarf. “You’re bringing dinner, right?”
“Of course!”
“Then the study group is on. I’ll see you tomorrow, Galo.” Remi exited the store into the chilly December day.
Lio must have been glaring, because Galo looked startled when he turned around. “You okay, Lio?”
“Fine.” Lio replied, grabbing a towel to wipe the counter down with a little more force than absolutely necessary.
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The rest of the evening passed in a blur of customers. Sunset came early, Christmas lights on the street adding a cheery glow to the night. Lio counted down until the store closed and he joined the others in closing out the store as quickly as possible. Holiday hours hadn’t begun quite yet, but it was still dark by the time Lio left the shop.
Aina locked the store on her way out. “See you tomorrow, Lio.”
“See you.” Lio tucked his hands into his pocket to keep them warm. His jacket wasn’t quite enough to keep the chill out.
Galo stopped next to him. He wore a heavy woolen peacoat with a red hoodie underneath. “What’s up?”
“What do you mean?” Lio asked, eyeing the other man suspiciously.
“You uh… not going home or something?” Galo asked.
“I’m waiting for my ride.” Lio snapped irritably.
“Oh.” Galo waited for a beat before asking, “Wait, are you not old enough to drive?”
“Are you stupid? I don’t have a car!” Lio exclaimed.
Galo breathed onto his hands to warm them. “It doesn’t seem right to make you wait out here by yourself. You could get kidnapped or something.”
“No one is going to kidnap me. It’s fine. You really, really don’t need to bother yourself with it.” Lio hoped that Galo would take the hint.
“It’s not a bother.” Galo smiled warmly.
Lio pulled his knitted hat a little further down on his head to give himself something to do that wasn’t try to make small talk with Galo. “Ugh,” he muttered under his breath.
“I think we might have gotten off on the wrong foot this morning.” Galo said after a length of quiet. “It’s just… this morning, when you walked in, you looked so cool and I wanted to say something cool, but my brain was still on anatomy. All I could think was ‘wow, nice clavicle!’ but that would have been pretty weird to say. So then I just kept staring and, I guess, maybe that wasn’t the best thing to do either.”
Lio cursed himself internally as he felt a flush creep into his cheeks. “Nice clavicle?”
“You know—” Galo pointed patted himself over the area in question “—your collar bone?”
“I know what a clavicle is.” Lio snorted. “But you’re right, that’s weird. Are you some kind of Victorian maiden getting all excited about clavicles?”
Galo laughed and Lio felt a little pleased with himself.
“Clavicles get tips, so…” Lio shrugged.
“Ooh, risque.” Galo commented with a laugh. “Hey. Can we start off on a fresh foot tomorrow?” he asked, his expression earnest.
Lio sighed. He wanted to dislike Galo, but he was making it very difficult. “Yeah. Okay.”
Galo smiled so brightly it almost hurt to look at. Instead, Lio stared upward at the moon as it peeked through a crack in the clouds. A soft silvery glow lined the clouds, but it was too overcast to see the stars. Still smiling, Galo followed his gaze.
“The moon, huh?” Galo asked as if he couldn’t stand not talking. “Are you for or against the moon?”
“People have opinions on the moon?” Lio asked.
Galo shrugged. “It’s a thing. Everyone has thoughts on the moon.”
“Oh, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circled orb, lest that thy love prove likewise variable.” Lio quoted from memory.
Galo’s jaw dropped. “Is that poetry?”
“It’s Shakespeare.” Lio suddenly wanted to disappear into his coat collar. “Romeo and Juliet.”
“Wow.” Galo uttered in absolute awe. “That’s amazing.”
“It’s not. Everyone knows that.” Lio turned his face away from Galo to hide that he was blushing. In truth, he’d been voted to understudy Juliet in his middle school’s production of an abridged version of Romeo and Juliet. He’d never actually had to go one stage in that dress and perform, thank whatever powers that be.
“Want me to fight the moon for you?” Galo offered.
“What? Why?”
“You seem like a moon hater. I’ll fight the moon for you.” Galo braced himself, taking a stance like he was about to get into a fight.
“Yeah, sure. The moon. What is it doing up there, acting all high and mighty like it knows better than us?” Lio had to force himself to keep a straight face. “Fuck it up, Galo.”
“Get down here, coward moon! You think you’re so much better than us! I’ll fuckin’ fight you!” Galo forcefully made a few punches into the air.
“You idiot!” Lio laughed, grabbing Galo’s arm and pulling it down from punch position. “Don’t shout.”
Galo straightened his stance, beaming at Lio. “I finally made you laugh.”
“You’re an idiot, you know that?” Lio grinned in spite of himself.
“Yup. World’s number one idiot. I have a coffee cup that says that and everything.” Galo agreed happily.
A car horn honked, interrupting their conversation. Lio glanced that direction to see a familiar red head poking his head out of the passenger side window.
“My ride’s here.” Lio took a few steps toward the battered looking car before turning back to Galo. “Thanks for, uh, hanging out.”
“Any time.” Galo waved before turning to make his way to his own vehicle.
Lio let himself into the back seat, relieved that the car interior was warm. There wasn’t much else he could say complimentary about this old beast of a vehicle, but at lest the heater was still working.
“Who was that?” Gueira asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Just some idiot I work with.” Lio rubbed his hands to work some warmth back into them.
“Huh.” Meis put the car into gear. Gueira and Meis exchanged glances.
“What are you getting at?” Lio asked, not liking the insinuation in Meis’ tone of voice.
Meis glanced over his shoulder at Lio. “You don’t usually smile like that at a lot of people.”
Lio jammed his boot into the back of the driver’s seat. “Please just shut up and drive.”