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The card reader beeps angrily for the second time. Rhys closes his eyes, takes one deep breath, and pulls his card out. He wipes the chip with the bottom of his shirt, then tries again.
It beeps for a third time.
He cringes, fingers tight around the part of the card that sticks out from the machine.
He’s not even buying that much. It’s not even thirty dollars. Less than a dozen items that barely fill the basket halfway. All store brand too.
Rhys takes a slow breath in, willing himself to stay calm. He can’t have a breakdown in the grocery store self checkout. After a long moment, he takes his card out, and starts looking over everything. There has to be something he can take off. But he really can’t… everything he grabbed was absolute essentials. There’s no food at home and he doesn’t get paid for another four days. It’s just enough to survive until then, but it seems he can’t even afford that much.
He’s determining how much he actually needs bread, and if he can just eat rice for the next four nights, when someone approaches him. His hackles rise, shoulders tightening in preparation for some worker to shame him.
“I can pay for those,” a stranger says.
“N-No it’s okay,” Rhys’ voice wavers far more than he’d like. He refuses to look over at the stranger, who stands just behind his right side.
“I don’t believe that,” the stranger says with confidence.
Rhys recoils at that, finally looking over at whoever had the gall to say that.
The stranger is just a touch shorter than him, but far broader. He’s, god, he’s handsome. Of course it had to be some unfairly handsome guy witnessing Rhys’ misery. The man’s got a strong jaw and sharp features, lips curved into a small smirk.
“Look, pumpkin, it’s twenty bucks. Let me help you,” the man says.
Rhys considers it. He really doesn’t want to have to rely on a stranger’s kindness in order to eat. The stranger raises an eyebrow at Rhys’ silence, and that causes him to cave. He nods weakly, taking a step back. The man’s smile brightens, and he steps up to the self-checkout to scan his own items.
Rhys looks down at his shoes. They’re worn to the soles and then some. His jeans are in rough shape as well, just starting to edge into the “unfashionable” category of ripped jeans. In a few months, they’ll only be worse.
The card machine chimes happily, accepting the stranger’s card. Rhys looks up then as the man takes the receipt.
“Thank you,” Rhys says as they head towards the door. “I… I don’t… I don’t know if I can repay you.”
“You don’t need to,” the man replies with a dismissive hand wave. “What are ya, a college student?”
Rhys nods.
“Yeah, been there before kiddo. Shit’s rough, especially these days,” the man says.
Rhys nods again, unsure of what exactly to say. “Still… thanks.”
“Of course.” The man grins, brighter than the sunlight they’ve just stepped out into.
“I just feel bad,” Rhys says, guilt still swirling in his stomach. “I can’t pay you back, I’m so sorry–”
“Pumpkin,” the man cuts in. “I wouldn’t’ve offered if I didn’t want to help.”
Rhys closes his mouth, looking down again. They’re walking through the parking lot. Rhys’ car isn’t in this aisle; he’s just following the stranger.
“Buuuuuut, there is a way you can pay me back…”
That gets Rhys’ attention and he slows to a stop. The stranger stops as well, turning towards Rhys and setting his hands on his hips.
“How ‘bout you give me your number?”
“Oh, so you can contact me later for…?”
“No, dum-dum,” the man snorts. “It’s ‘cause you’re pretty when you blush.”
Rhys didn’t know he was blushing, but he sure notices now as his cheeks heat. “O-Oh…”
Rhys swallows nervously. The man is really really handsome. Someone Rhys would fantasize about, but never get because the man is obviously way way way out of his league. Oh god… he can hear Vaughn’s voice in his head, scolding him for this, because this man has to be at least fifteen years older than him.
“You don’t have to, I’m not going to force you,” the man says after a moment of Rhys hesitating.
Vaughn’s gonna make so much fun of him for this… but fuck, Rhys has always had a bit of a thing for older guys.
“N-No, it’s okay,” Rhys says with a shake of his head. “Do you have your phone?”
The man chuckles, pulling his phone out of his back pocket and offers it to Rhys. Rhys types in his name and number, then passes it back. The man looks it over, then glances up at Rhys.
“Reese?” He says.
“Rhys,” Rhys corrects.
“Nice to meet you, cupcake,” the man replies. He slips his phone back into his pocket. “Hopefully I’ll be hearing from you soon.”
The man grins, then has the audacity to wink. Rhys’ breath catches in his throat. The man chuckles at it, then turns away. Rhys watches him walk off, and doesn’t realize until he’s in his car that he never got the man’s name.
He gets it an hour later, when he’s recounting the story to Vaughn at home.
[unknown number] heya cupcake, it’s Jack. you available for lunch tomorrow?