Work Text:
You flopped yourself onto your bed, letting out a sigh of relief as another long shift came to a close. The mental exhaustion of having to deal with customers all day long left you out of breath. Your limbs were all sore from a long day of being on your legs. You weren't sure you'd have the energy to clean your apartment. The dirty dishes, laundry, and groceries on the countertop could be taken care of later.
The biggest worry on your mind was getting something to eat. You wanted to bodyslam your past self for not taking your lunch break because now you were left with weak arms and an empty stomach. You figured getting something to eat would give you the energy to not pass out before night came.
You opened your phone and clicked on a delivery app. It was 6 pm, so only a few places would be open. You decided on Wild Pig Noodles since it's usually the cheapest option, and you weren't going to spend too much money, you had more than enough problems to deal with. Plus, you already have a standard order for that place, it wouldn't hurt to be predictable. But then, something caught your eye.
It was a Pigsy’s Noodles advertisement (which you didn't even notice the app had). You remembered hearing how that place had the longest noodles in the entire city, that, and arguably more interestingly, the city’s up-and-coming hero worked there as a delivery boy. You honestly didn't know why somebody with that kind of power was working in the food service industry.
You’d seen him a few times here and there, and you’d be lying if he wasn't cute. Whether it was his chestnut-colored eyes that seemed to always be full of life or his somehow always-kept hair that always blew in the wind in such a way that it rivaled masterpieces. But he was a total dork and according to some friends of yours, the current holder of the highest score on Monkey Mech. The Anti-Gravity Arcade was not exactly your cup of tea, it was pretty much a Chuck E’ Cheese equivalent of a hardcore nightclub.
You clicked on the ad to find that Pigsy’s Noodles was doing some kind of new Limited-Time deal to gain traction. If you ordered anything, and the delivery boy didn't get it to you in 30 minutes your meal would be free. You figured it was because the delivery boy was an actual superhero, because apparently nobody had actually checked in the deal yet. He had managed to get in every single order.
The shop was still open, so you figured it was worth a shot. You got good food either way, so why did you care? You placed your order and put your phone down next to you. Your eyes darted back to the assortment of clothes and dishes around the room. If you managed to clean everything up, at least the food would be considered an award right?
—
You wiped your forehead as you looked around your apartment. It wasn't exactly spotless, but it was far better than it was before. The dishwasher was running, and you could smell the faint scent of the soap in the air. It was humming, and the sound mixing with the dryer nearby was enough to give you a small headache.
You walked over to the couch, and sat down. You glanced over to your phone, and you paused. It'd been 29 minutes since you placed the order, and yet you still hadn't gotten your food. You honestly didn't think an impulse buy on your part would be the cause of this guy losing his delivery streak.
You jumped a little as you heard rumbling from outside your door. It sounded like somebody was sprinting so fast it was shaking the entire apartment. And when your remote fell off the table in front of you from the sheer force, you were absolutely terrified. You’d been in the city long enough to know that demons could be anywhere, and you were not in the mood to be caught up in some scheme tonight.
“Pigsy’s Noodles!”
Oh, that was a relief. You stood up from the couch and walked over to the door. Sure enough the delivery boy was right there, a little shaken up sure, but he was there. His uniform was covered with a few dirt stains here and there, and his usually flawless hair was loosely kept together by his bandana. He looked like he ran to your apartment from the other side of the city.
“Here's your order, and with a minute to spare!” He shoved the bag into your arms completely out of breath.
“You’re a little late for that.” You said, causing him to whip around in confusion.
“Huh?”
You used your open hand to show him your phone. It was 6:30, he had managed to get there right when the time went out. He started panicking, rambling on and on about how “Pigsy was going to kill him” and how he was going to lose his job. You assumed Pigsy was his boss, but the way he rambled about him made it seem like he was his dad.
You felt bad honestly, not just because the man was on his knees at this point.
“I won’t tell if you won't.” You said, offering him a hand. He sniffed a few times and reluctantly grabbed it.
“What do you mean?” He asked, and you felt your heart flip from the sight of his water-stained cheeks. God he was adorable.
“I mean I won’t tell him you got the order a little late,” You explained. “you only missed by a few seconds after all.”
He grabbed onto your hands and shouted a very fast and unintelligible thank you, nearly throwing you off balance by how fast he was shaking your hands. He stood up, quickly fixed his hair after realizing how messed up it was, and turned around to go towards the elevator.
“Aren't you forgetting something?”
He stopped walking mid-step and tapped his chin in confusion.
“Oh right! My name’s MK!” He stated, very proudly. How was the hero of your city this stupid? “What about you?”
“[Name], and I meant the receipt and you know the payment?”
He mumbled another apology and walked back to the door. You handed him the money while he got the receipt from his pocket. He grabbed a pen and scribbled something down onto it before quickly handing it out to you.
He shouted out a very rushed goodbye before running towards the window. He summoned his staff and shot himself through it. You figured that a magic golden staff was probably faster than an elevator.
You shut the door to your apartment and walked inside, placing the bag onto your counter. You looked at the receipt, and stopped moving. He wrote his number onto the receipt, that and a small doodle of yourself. It was really good considering he made it in a few seconds, and you’d be lying if you said it didn't look exactly like you.
You grabbed the styrofoam container from the bag and opened it, making a mental note to order from this place more often. Maybe you’d get another free doodle from the guy next time, assuming he kept his job.
He did keep his job, but not without a thorough scolding from Pigsy.