Chapter Text
Pete Mitchell liked to work on cars. He was good at it, and truly enjoyed doing it. He started learning about cars and fixing them when he turned sixteen and started driving, and now, being in his forties, the love he had for his passion never faded.
Three years prior, Pete’s best friend, Nick, had proposed the idea of opening a business together. Nick & Pete’s Auto Repair is what they decided to call it. Despite living in a small town in California, the business took off, and the shop had been thriving since. Pete couldn’t have asked for anything better than that.
Until he met Onyx, his beloved black Labrador retriever.
He had found her near the dumpster behind the shop, left in a box that, he supposed, wasn’t supposed to be found. She was ten or eleven weeks old at the time, barely old enough to be self-sufficient, and Pete knew he had no choice but to keep her.
She went everywhere with him, the whole town knew who she was, and she became the auto shop’s official mascot. She was there with Pete every single day since he rescued her. People came by the shop just to give her treats, gift her a toy, or just to see her. Onyx loved the attention.
She was fiercely loyal to Pete, and he only wished he could find a partner with that same trait.
Nick had told him to wait it out, that his future partner was out there somewhere, but Pete lost hope on that once he turned forty. Nick’s wife, Carole, had tried to set him up with numerous friends of hers, but none ever lasted that long.
Pete decided that he would just put his heart and soul into the business instead.
The day started like normal, Pete and Onyx went on their morning walk before heading to the shop just after sunrise. They were the first ones there, and Pete opened the shop while Onyx snoozed in her bed that was tucked away in the corner of the shop. The shop wasn’t very busy that day, a few oil changes, a tire repair, and a tire rotation. All easy things for Pete.
Thirty minutes before closing, he told Nick to go home and spend time with Carole and his son, Bradley. Nick happily obliged, and Pete was left alone with Onyx in the shop. He didn’t expect anyone to show up within the last half hour, but remained prepared just in case.
Pete was finishing up some paperwork at his desk when he heard the front door open. He stood and prepared to greet the person, but couldn’t find the words to say when he saw the man in front of him.
A tall and frankly beautiful blond man entered the building, and Pete’s brain short-circuited at the sight. The man was wearing scrubs, which Pete found incredibly attractive for some reason. Something about a man in uniform.
He realized he was probably staring, and shook his head to pull himself back to reality. “Evening! How can I help you?”
The man looked in his direction, and Pete could’ve collapsed right there. He was usually good at maintaining his composure, but clearly, he was faltering that day.
Then the blond smiled at him, and Pete hoped the man couldn’t hear how loud his heart was beating.
“Hi, my car battery died earlier and the jumpstart almost didn’t work. I think it needs replacing. Do you do that here?” The man’s voice was calm, collected, and sounded as smooth as butter.
Pete nodded, returning a smile to the blond. “Absolutely. If you want to bring the car around to the first garage on the side of the building, I can help you out.”
The man breathed out a sigh of relief. “Oh that’s great, thank you.”
Pete nodded again, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in as the man did as he instructed. Pete went out to the garage, watching as the man (Pete really needed to learn his name) pulled into the garage and turned the car off, stepping out of it. Pete instructed him to pop the hood, and he did.
The shorter man hummed as he searched the engine bay for the battery, finding it within seconds. After inspecting it for a moment, he spoke up. “Definitely needs replacing, hang tight while I go get a new one.”
The man nodded, with a look of relief and exhaustion. Pete went to check their stock, and summoned all his strength to lift the new car battery for the pretty man’s car. He headed back out to the garage, stopping short when he laid eyes on the sight in front of him.
The blond was crouched down, scratching Onyx’s ears and talking to her, a big grin on his face. The man noticed Pete walk back in and met his gaze.
Pete set the battery down, and Onyx came running over to him. “I see you’ve found a new friend, Onyx.”
“She’s beautiful,” the man spoke up, and Pete smiled. He knew that.
“She’s my pride and joy,” Pete said in response, and the man’s expression softened.
The taller man made his way over to Pete, who couldn’t do anything but watch as this man approached him. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“Pete,” he held out his hand, which the blond grasped in a firm handshake.
“Tom.”
Tom. So that was his name.
Onyx barked, wanting to make her presence known, and Pete turned to look at her before looking back at the man - Tom. “And you’ve met Onyx.”
“That I have,” Tom nodded, a quiet chuckle escaping him. “Sage, my golden, would love her.”
Pete raised an eyebrow at the sound of Tom also having a dog. Common ground. “You have a golden?”
Tom nodded, digging his phone out of his pocket and tapping it a few times before turning the screen to face Pete. A photo of a gorgeous golden retriever with a light blue bow tied into her fur near her ear was on the screen. “That’s her.”
Sage was adorable, just like her owner. Pete wasn’t going to tell him that, obviously.
Before Pete could swoon any longer than he was supposed to, he got to work, disconnecting the old car battery. Tom just watched him, almost intrigued. Usually, Pete would have the customers go back into the waiting room, but he couldn’t work up the courage to ask Tom to leave. The man was intimidating, to say the very least.
“Have you been doing this long, Pete?” Tom spoke up, continuing to watch as Pete worked. The way Tom said his name gave Pete many feelings that he didn’t have the time to acknowledge at that moment.
“Over twenty years. Ever since I learned how to drive, really,” Pete answered him, lifting the old car battery out. “I enjoy it a lot.”
Tom inclined his head at Pete’s response. “Is this your shop? I’m assuming you’re the Pete in Nick & Pete’s Auto Repair.”
“That assumption would be correct,” Pete gave him a soft smile. “My buddy Nick and I started this shop about three years ago.”
“Sorry, I don’t mean to badger you with questions,” Tom seemed flustered, but Pete didn’t dwell too much on that. He didn’t want to get his hopes up that Tom was flustered just because of him.
“I promise I don’t mind it,” Pete only laughed and shook his head, trying to reassure the man in front of him that he wanted to keep talking to him. “It’s nice having someone to talk to other than Onyx, she doesn’t have much to say usually.”
Tom’s face scrunched up as he laughed, and Pete had to try very hard to focus on the task at hand. Focus, Pete. Put the new car battery in and stop ogling him.
The voice in his head was pretty annoying sometimes.
Pete continued to work, putting the new battery in the car and securing all the appropriate connections. “Alright, start ‘er up.”
Tom swung his keys around in his hand before reaching into the car to start it. Lo and behold, the car started. Pete smiled at his handiwork.
“I really appreciate this. I’m sorry for making you stay late, I know you were getting ready to close,” Tom let out a sigh of relief, flashing his big, gorgeous blue eyes at Pete.
Pete couldn’t avoid making eye contact with the taller man. “It’s not a problem at all, I’m happy to help.”
“How much do I owe you?” Tom fished his wallet out of his pocket, rifling through some cash.
Pete guesstimated a number in his head for the cost of the battery but didn’t bother charging Tom the shop’s labor charge. He couldn’t help but give a discount to such a nice, good-looking man that he may or may not have had a crush on. Pete closed the hood of the car while Tom took some cash out of his wallet, handing it over.
“Thank you again. I’ll see you around, Pete.”
Pete gave him a nod and a smile in response, and watched as Tom backed the car out of the garage, turning out of the parking lot soon after.
There were a lot of customers that came through the shop on a daily basis. Gorgeous women, and good-looking men, but never anyone that Pete got that flustered around. Tom definitely threw him for a loop there.
He hoped that Tom didn’t see right through him. He didn’t think so, but it was still something that sat in the back of his mind.
Pete closed down the garage, finalizing all of the invoices from that day and locking all the doors. As if on cue, his phone buzzed with a text from Nick.
N: Carole, Bradley, and I are headed to the Hard Deck for dinner if you and Onyx want to join!
P: Sure thing! I’ll finish closing up the shop and we’ll be there
N: Awesome, we’ll get a table outside
Pete hoped Nick didn’t question him about the day's last customer.
Just as Nick had said, he got a table outside, and Pete and Onyx found the Bradshaw family with ease. Bradley immediately got up to greet Onyx, who became excited and unable to focus on anyone except the 16-year-old.
Pete was sure that Onyx loved Bradley more than him sometimes.
“Glad you could join us, Pete,” Carole gave him a sweet smile, and Pete couldn’t help but give her one back. The woman just exuded sunshine and happiness.
“I appreciate the invite,” he said in response, turning to instruct Onyx to lie down. She listened, choosing to lay underneath Bradley’s chair.
“Anything exciting happen after I left?” Nick picked at the appetizer of shrimp they had ordered prior to Pete getting there. “I checked the cameras briefly but there wasn’t anything going on when I looked.”
Pete’s face flushed a light pink when he thought of the last customer interaction that he had. He hoped Nick and Carole didn’t notice. “Just a battery replacement, nothing too exciting.”
Carole’s eyes narrowed. She noticed. She turned to Bradley and spoke quietly to him. “Bradley, sweetie, why don’t you take Onyx and go walk the pier?”
Bradley’s face lit up. “Can I, Uncle Pete?”
“I’m sure she’d love it,” Pete nodded, handing over Onyx’s leash. “Be careful.”
Bradley nodded and happily took the leash from Pete, and Onyx immediately stood. The two walked off in the direction of the pier, and the focus was on Pete once again.
“The mere mention of this customer seems to have you flustered,” Carole spoke as Bradley walked further and further away. “Was she cute?”
“Or he,” Nick interjected, and Carole agreed, both of them giving Pete a hopeful look.
Nick and Carole had been nothing but supportive when he had come out to them. It’s not like he was afraid to tell them that he liked men and women, he was just nervous about other people finding out. Granted, where they lived, it was pretty LGBTQ+ friendly, but people still judged, and Pete couldn’t risk the loss of customers to the business if he were to be out completely.
“I get that my love life is borderline hopeless, but you guys don’t have to set me up with everyone I come into contact with, makes me seem desperate,” Pete raised his eyebrows at the two and their valiant efforts to set him up with someone.
“You’re avoiding the question,” Nick pointed out, and Pete sent him a glare.
“I replaced their car battery, that was it. I’ll probably never see them again and that’s okay with me.”
Was it really okay with him that he would probably never see the heavenly blond that came wandering into his auto shop that day? Pete didn’t really know the true answer to that question.
He did have to be realistic though. This wasn’t some romance novel or Hallmark movie, this was reality. The chances of him landing a date and falling in love with some random stranger he met off the street were slim to none.
“You’re a real Debbie-downer,” Carole rolled her eyes at Pete’s stubbornness.
“I’m actually a Realistic-Randy,” Pete replied in a smart-ass tone, which got a laugh out of Nick and another eye roll from Carole.
The Bradshaws decided to drop the subject because they clearly weren’t going to get any further in that conversation. Nick brought up the conversation of teaching Bradley how to drive, and how nerve-wracking it was. Pete then offered to teach for him, but that was shut down all too quickly. Apparently, he was “too reckless.”
Whatever that meant.
Out of the corner of his eye, Pete saw Bradley and Onyx making their way back over to the table. Bradley sat down and handed the Onyx’s leash back to Pete. “We saw the cutest golden retriever on the pier.”
“Is that so?” Pete gave the kid a smile, glancing down at Onyx, who was lapping up water out of the bowl that the waiter had set down. Surely, the golden retriever was a different dog than the one Tom had. It was a fairly popular breed.
“I’ve been begging Mom and Dad to get me one, but they won’t let me,” Bradley gave the meanest case of side-eye Pete’s ever seen to his parents.
“A dog is a big responsibility, Bradley,” Carole pointed out, and Nick only nodded, agreeing. “Plus, you have Onyx.”
“Yeah, but she’s not my dog, she’s Uncle Pete’s dog,” Bradley huffed, but Carole and Nick didn’t budge on their answer.
“I want to hear more about this golden retriever,” Pete cut in, in an attempt to change the subject, and Bradley happily started to tell him all about it.
“She was adorable, she had a blue bow on and she liked Onyx a lot. They played for a couple of minutes even.”
Pete tried his best to maintain the same expression, but couldn’t help but think back to the photo Tom had shown him earlier. A golden retriever with a light blue bow.
There’s no way it was the same dog.
“…and her name was Sage, I think,” Bradley concluded his ramble, and Pete’s eyes went wide.
No fucking way.