Chapter Text
“Sir, are you sure it’s plugged in?” Fenris asked for what felt like the hundredth time. He rubbed his temples.
“I’m not an idiot! I’m telling you, it’s one of those virus things!” The gravelly voice shouted at him over the phone.
Fenris tried to sigh quietly. “I can assure you, I don’t think—“
“Or hackers!”
It was getting harder for him to stay professional. Or patient. Isabela peeked over the divider between their cubicles and grimaced in sympathy. Fenris chewed on a thumbnail.
“Well, I’ll be damned! It just needed to be plugged in!” The owner of the voice guffawed.
“I’m glad I was able to assist you,” Fenris said through gritted teeth. “If you don’t mind answering a few—“
Click.
“Thank the gods,” he muttered under his breath. It should be time to clock out.
He had just gathered his things when Isabela strode behind him and ruffled his hair. He bore it patiently. Isabela was just affectionate like that.
“You wanna go shopping with me?” She poked his arm, making him squirm.
“I don’t know, Isabela. I’m pretty worn out.”
“Pretty please? With a cherry on top?”
“I… Oh, all right. I’d like to pick up a new CD.”
“Oh please. Who even uses CDs anymore?”
Fenris raised his hand.
“Yeah, but you’re weird.”
He rolled his eyes and pulled the car keys out of his pocket. “I’m driving.”
---
Fenris was browsing the CDs when Isabela nudged his shoulder. He grunted, but didn’t look up.
“Hey, Fen,” she said, her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “I need you to distract that guy over there.”
He chanced a peek from the corner of his eyes. The poor clueless bastard whistled as he dusted off some monitors. The yellow uniform shirt was too tight on him, drawing attention to broad shoulders. Isabela was not subtle as she ogled his butt.
“Why me?” Fenris said, turning his attention back to the CDs. He was so close to finding the one he was looking for, he just knew it.
“Hm. ‘Cause I’m eyeballing these headphones.”
Fenris rolled his eyes. Typical.
“And he’s been checking you out since we walked our sexy selves in here.”
“I… What?” That brought him up short. He chuckled nervously, ignoring the blush that crept up his cheeks. “You must be seeing things.”
“Nope. Come on, what’s the worst that could happen?” She poked his arm. When that failed to get a reaction, she stuck out her lower lip.
He grumbled. Damn Isabela and her pouty face. “Fine. Just… Don’t actually steal the headphones. I’d rather not get kicked out of this store.” Or arrested, he added silently.
She held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor. I promise to be on my best behavior while you get to have fun with the cute tech guy.” She cackled at the look on his face before skipping (skipping, who the hell did that anymore?) to look at the cameras.
Here goes nothing. He sidled up to the electronics employee, who was still dusting off monitors, and pretended to browse. His mouth was dry.
“So, er, these are some, uh… Pretty nice monitors?” Smooth, Fenris.
The employee’s name tag was visible now. Garrett. He paused in his dusting and smiled. “Yeah, they’re pretty nice. I’ve seen better, though. The shop next door, for instance. They carry some really awesome monitors.” He grimaced. “Crap. I’m not supposed to say that.”
Fenris laughed in spite of himself. “I won’t tell anyone.” When Garrett smiled again, he had to remember how to breathe. That smile… A man could fall in love with it. He cleared his throat. “So, er… What should I be looking for in a new monitor?”
His brain automatically supplied the answer.
Garrett’s eyes widened before he scratched his beard and coughed. “Um…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “To tell you the truth, I know precisely jack shit about monitors. I work the appliances department. You come in a lot, and well, I just wanted an excuse to talk to you.”
Fenris ducked his head so Garrett wouldn’t see him blush. Well, this had taken an unexpected turn. “I… I see.” He had no idea what else to say, and so it became uncomfortably silent for far longer than he liked.
“Sorry. Should I get someone who knows what they’re doing?” He sounded so disappointed, Fenris’s chest felt like it was being squeezed. “And who probably won’t be inappropriate.”
“What? No.” Fenris grabbed the larger man’s arm before he could stop himself. He had a hard time making himself look up at Garrett’s warm brown eyes. “You’re not… Would you like to join me for coffee sometime?”
“Wait, really?” Garrett looked around, like he was expecting someone to jump out and yell, “Just kidding!” When that didn’t happen, he grinned. “Oh wow. You… Wow. I’d like that,” he stammered.
“So would I.” Fenris didn’t even try to fight back the smile. Honestly, he hadn’t been expecting a positive response. “Are you free tomorrow morning?”
“Yes. Fair warning, I’m not much of a morning person. Bit of a bear,” Garrett said with a self-conscious chuckle. “Get it? Because I’m… Oh, never mind.”
“Don’t worry about it. I like bears.” He did not mean to say that out loud. It made Garrett laugh, at least. He decided then and there that he would do just about anything for that laugh. Oh, if Isabela found out, he would never hear the end of it!
They confirmed the time and place, Fenris’s pulse racing the entire time. He felt like he must have had the stupidest look on his face. To be fair, Garrett was wearing a dopey grin as he started to head back to the appliances. Then Fenris realized… He darted back to catch up to Garrett.
“Fenris, by the way.”
“Huh?”
“My name.”
“Fenris. Well, then.” Garrett held out his hand for Fenris to shake. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
Fenris felt like he was in a dream as he left the store. He was barely aware of the other people around him. He had almost reached the car when Isabela’s giggle pulled him out of it.
“So, any luck?”
Fenris resisted the mad urge to start dancing in place. Instead, he broke into a wide smile as he announced, “He said yes!”
Isabela’s whoop echoed through the parking lot. “Let’s go get drinks to celebrate.”
---
Fenris groaned into his arms as he waited for Garrett to show up. He definitely had too much to drink the night before. Hangovers are a bitch.
He heard footsteps approaching, and he made himself sit up straight despite the pounding in his skull and the sick feeling in his gut. Garrett smiled at him nervously before taking a seat. Fenris had to tell himself not to stare, despite the other man wearing a red polo shirt that was definitely too tight around his broad shoulders and chest.
“You look terrible,” Garrett said. Then he clapped a hand to his mouth. “Crap. Sorry. That was rude.”
Fenris waved a hand. “It’s fine. I feel terrible.”
“Oh. Should we do this another time then?”
Fenris shook his head and regretted it. “I’ll be fine. Really.” He started to get up, but Garrett held out a hand.
“I’ll pay. You’re not feeling well.”
Fenris opened his mouth to argue. Then he sighed and smiled. “All right. I’ll allow you to treat me this time.”
“Sweet! I’ll be right back.” Garrett headed in the general direction of the counter, paused in mid-step, and turned around with a sheepish grin. “I didn’t ask what you like.”
Fenris bit his lip to keep himself from laughing. Too cute. “Just a black coffee, two cream.”
“Got it!”
He watched Garrett waiting in line and whistling something tunelessly. He felt certain that he was being a little weird, but at least he could make the excuse that he was hungover. Garrett looked over, noticing that he was being watched, and flashed Fenris with a cheery grin. Fenris returned the smile. I must look like a fool. And I don’t care.
---
Fenris took a few small sips from his cup of coffee. He couldn’t decide if the warmth felt amazing or torturous.
“Feeling a little better?” Garrett asked.
“Much better. Thank you.” Fenris hesitated, then held his hand out on the table in a silent invitation.
Garrett stared down at his hand, blinked, then said softly, “Oh.”
He reached out and took Fenris’s hand, his thumb caressing along his knuckles. Fenris felt like his heart was going to explode. Was this too much? He looked down at their hands, his smaller darker hand being held gently by Garrett’s huge hand.
They started talking shop then, Garrett sharing his (rather extensive) knowledge of washers and dryers and the like. The kinds of conversations he’d had with some more… colorful… customers.
“Will this wash out blood stains?” Garrett had said, mimicking a seedier customer.
Fenris explained that he worked tech support.
“No kidding?” Garrett said. “Then you should know about… monitors…” He trailed off.
Fenris snickered. The sick pounding in his head was finally starting to go away. “Among other things, yes.”
Garrett took a minute or two to process that tidbit of information. Then he started laughing. “Wow. Now I feel stupid.”
“You shouldn’t. I should’ve been up front with you.” Fenris squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not mad. I just think it’s funny,” Garrett said. He rested his other arm on the table. His elbow bumped his cup and tipped it over. “Oh crap.” He winced. “Damn. I’d hoped I wouldn’t be a klutz. At least it’s empty.”
Garrett’s phone made a chirping noise. He cursed under his breath and let go of Fenris’s hand to check his phone. He sighed and made a low groaning noise. “Sorry, I’ve gotta take this call.”
Fenris shrugged. “Go right ahead.”
Garrett answered and quickly slipped outside. Fenris took the opportunity to check his own phone. Isabela had texted him some time ago, demanding to know how the date was going. Should I answer or leave her hanging? Both options sounded appealing.
He didn’t have much time to consider it. Garrett came right back to the table with an apologetic smile.
“Hey, uh… I just got called in. I guess the district manager is coming by our store. Something about making sure we’re operating up to corporate standards.” He snorted. “So I, uh, guess that means I should go.”
“I’ll drop you off,” Fenris said.
“Are you sure? I don’t mind just walking home.”
Fenris paused. “I’ll drop you off,” he repeated.
Garrett blushed. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
---
“Over here. The house with the red roof.”
“All the houses have a red roof, Garrett.”
“Okay… The one with the beat-up minivan.”
“A minivan?”
“It belongs to my ma.” Garrett coughed. “I moved back over here once I graduated college. Kinda hard to find a decent job in this economy, you know?”
Fenris hummed in agreement as he pulled along the curb. “It’s not that beat-up. This is the right house?”
“Yup!” Garrett unbuckled himself and paused after opening the door on his side. “Um… Thanks. For everything. I had a really good time, and you’re great. Really great.” His expression lit up in a grin. “Really cute too, if it’s okay to say that.”
Fenris blushed and failed to stuff down a nervous giggle. What the hell? I never giggle. “So are you. If it’s okay to say that.” He found himself getting out of the car to join Garrett on the sidewalk. “I wouldn’t mind doing this again.”
Garrett brightened. “Really? Really really, for reals?” He laughed and threw his arms around Fenris in a hug.
Fenris stiffened, then forced himself to relax. Relax. He’s not going to hurt you.His hands rested on Garrett’s shoulders as he looked into those brown eyes full of laughter. That red scar along the bridge of his nose that he wanted to kiss. The freckles dotting his cheeks. The beard he wanted to run his fingers through.
Then Garrett leaned down to kiss his forehead, his beard lightly scratching his skin. He wasn’t sure who initiated it, but one of them kissed the other on the lips. Fenris imagined fireworks going off in his brain. Garrett sighed and pressed his body against Fenris’s. His beard tickles, he thought as his eyes slid shut. His hands rested on the larger man’s cheeks.
One of Garrett’s arms slid down around Fenris’s lower back, holding him as he deepened the kiss. That was definitely a good thing. His knees were going weak, much to his annoyance. One of his hands traveled up to run his hands through Garrett’s hair, drawing out a soft whimper.
Then Fenris pulled away, his whole body feeling like it was floating. He leaned back against his car, eyes still closed. He took in a deep, shaky breath and breathed out, “Wow.”
“Heh. Yeah. Wow,” Garrett echoed weakly. His entire face had gone bright red, making him resemble a candied apple. “S-sorry. If that was too much, that is.”
We need to slow down, he thought. Too fast. This was moving too fast. “It’s fine. But, uh, shouldn’t you be getting ready for work?”
“Oh. Oh crap! I’m gonna be late.”
Fenris had no idea what possessed him to do so, but he offered to drive Garrett to work. For the entirety of that ten minute drive, Garrett talked about his family, particularly his brother and sister. Thankfully, he didn’t ask about Fenris’s family. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for that conversation. Not yet.
Fenris pulled in front of the store.
“Alas, this is where we part ways,” Garrett said in a faux-Shakespearian voice. “Perchance we shall meet again?”
“I don’t have your number.” Fenris pulled out his cell phone and passed it to Garrett. “Here.”
Garrett laughed softly. “It seems like we’re doing this in an odd order. Promise me you won’t spam me with kitten pictures at random hours.”
“No promises.” He texted something random to Garrett. “There. Now you have my number.”
Garrett shuffled in his seat. “Mind if I do something really stupid?”
“Sure?”
Garrett leaned over and pecked Fenris on his cheek. He grinned and started to pull away. Fenris grabbed his arm, pulled him close, and tried to kiss him. He must have been too excited; he ended up just knocking their teeth together. He hissed and pulled back again.
“I think I cut my lip,” Fenris said. He grabbed a couple of tissues from the backseat and dabbed at his upper lip.
Garrett snickered. “Sorry. I know it’s not funny.”
“No, I deserve it.” Fenris sighed. “I would manage to make myself look stupid.”
“You’re not stupid.” Garrett cleared his throat. “Wanna try again?” he asked once Fenris tossed the tissue (only a little bit of blood) somewhere in the back of the car.
It was nowhere near the drawn-out affair from earlier, just a lingering brushing of lips. Fenris thought he tasted peppermint. He left another kiss on the corner of Garrett’s mouth.
With a smirk, Garrett slipped out of the car and practically danced into the store. He even jumped up and clicked his heels together.
For the entire drive back home, Fenris could only think, What have I gotten myself into?
---
Isabela was lounging on the couch watching one of her crime dramas on Netflix when Fenris got home. She glanced over her shoulder and threw him a smile as he sat on one of the arms.
“So how’d it go?” She tilted her head.
“Wonderfully. Absolutely wonderful. He’s sweet and funny and awkward…” Fenris trailed off with a groan and scrubbed at his face with his hands. “And unbelievably handsome.”
“So why’re you looking like your dog just died?”
“Because it’s too good to be true.” His voice was muffled by his hands.
“And you can’t just enjoy it because…?”
“You don’t understand. There’s got to be a catch.”
“Fenris. Maybe you shouldn’t poke at it, expecting something to go wrong. Maybe, just maybe, and feel free to call me crazy or whatever, this one’s gonna work out.” She poked his cheek with one pedicured toe. “Hm?”
He pushed her foot away. “What if it doesn’t?”
“Then you’ll worry about it if it happens.” She poked his side with her foot, giggling when he swatted it. “Seriously, Fenris. You’re worrying too much.” She sat up straight with a frown. “It isn’t about that thing, is it?” At his blank look, she sighed. “That thing with what’s-his-butt. Danny or whatever.”
“Danarius. And it might be.” Fenris scratched the back of his head. “I don’t know. It’s kind of funny that he still affects my life after all this time.” His phone buzzed, letting him know he had a text.
“I wouldn’t call it ‘funny,’ Fen.” She jerked her chin at his phone. “You gonna check that or will I have to steal it?”
“Please don’t,” he sighed. Then he saw who the text was from. “Oh. Oh.”
“Ooh, is that who I think it is!?” Isabela snatched the phone out of Fenris’s hand. She stared at the screen, her eyes huge. “Goodness.”
He took his phone back, cheeks and ears burning.
“Well, don’t leave me hanging. Read it! Pretty please.”
“Fine…”
Garrett Hawke: Hey, Fenris! This is Garrett!! Had a great time today! I’d like to do it again!!! Pref without you being hungover lol.
He stared at his phone in disbelief. Holy shit. “What should I tell him?” he said, his voice coming out embarrassingly high-pitched.
“Do you wanna do it again?”
“Whatever you’re thinking, that’s not what happened. It was just coffee.” He glared to make his point. “But yes, I’d like to go out with him again.” He huffed out a short, self-conscious laugh. “He’s really cute, Isabela.”
“Maker’s breath. Then what’s the holdup? Just say yes!” She threw her hands up.
With shaking fingers, he texted back three words.
I’d like that.