Chapter Text
It's been chilly out this autumn season and Mike's night shifts make the nights all that much harder.
He and Abby are wolfing down their breakfasts, both having chosen pancakes. Abby's are covered in syrup, and Mike's got a fried egg and some just-alright coffee.
Mike has gotten into the recent habit of taking Abby to Sparky's because Jesus Christ, after a long night he can't always muster up the energy to make breakfast for the two of them. Mike knows that going out to eat every few days is ripping a hole in his budget but he can't help it. He gets off work with just enough energy to drive home, get Abby up and ready for school, and take the brisk walk to Sparky's. And that's how he manages to get through the week. Barely scraping by.
Sparky's is the best. Yes, it's a bit of a hole in the wall and yes, it's got the ambiance of a motel lobby, but for Mike and Abby? It's perfect. It's comfort served on a plate. Literally. It's got breakfast that's always warm, dishes you don't have to do, and employees who have just about always been friendly to them.
This pattern started a couple of weeks ago, when after a few straight days of no sleep due to his constant nightmares, Mike decided that he and Abby were headed to Sparky's. He simply couldn't handle everything and just needed, for once, not have to have to hold the weight of everything. He needed someone else to make breakfast and for someone else to do the dishes. Everything else could be handled if he could just not have to do this one chore. So at 8 am, they headed over, and it was almost like a dream, all delicious food and warmth. Mike made Abby pinch him to make sure they weren't in heaven. He got served by this guy with the most cheery attitude for 8 in the god-forsaken morning, and it even seemed genuine. The man was tall, a bit lanky, and had perfectly coifed brown hair complete with a perfectly pressed uniform. Mike in his possibly delirious state wasn't sure that this man wasn't in fact a Ken doll come to life. It was the best food Mike had ever had, and that was probably just his exhaustion talking, but god, it was good.
Thus, this was their pattern. Sparky's twice a week for breakfast. Apparently, the Ken doll of a man is named "Ness." He always makes sure Abby has extra crayons every time they come in, which Mike always appreciates. This man just makes his life so much easier. It's great. Mike brought Ness up to Vanessa, his somewhat... friend? Neither are very friendly so they just kind of exist around each other enough that they could be classified as. But, he brought it up to Vanessa and they've joked and theorized on how in hell he could be so energetic in the mornings.
"He could just be a stoner. If he's always chill then he might just be high out of his mind. If I had to work there I would be too,"
She says, the water gently rippling in front of them. Vanessa had read somewhere that just looking at the water running is good for you so they both just... sit in the grass and talk while watching it flow past them.
"Nah... He's like, energized. He seems content, and calm, and perfect. God, that guy is a mystery and a half."
Mike sighs as he throws a leaf into the water and it floats upon the top far into the distance like a boat on the ocean.
"Sounds like it. Didn't you once call him your 'patron saint of pancakes and mediocre coffee'?"
"I did. You should see the guy. He's so comfortable to be around. You'd like him. He mentioned that movie you told me you liked."
Vanessa's nose scrunches up as she thinks, as it always does when she's thinking too hard.
"Are you talking about Scream??"
She asks as if it's insane that Mike doesn't remember one of the most popular movies to have come out in the past half a decade.
"Oh yeah. Scream. I was gonna call it 'Ghostface's Boogie Bash',"
Mike deadpans. Vanessa snorts which quickly turns into a full-on cackle, while he combs one of his hands through hair.
"Mike, I literally can't believe you are this bad at movies. How do you even survive in the modern day? You could at least read that little review drabble that gets posted in the paper once a week. It goes over all the newest movies. It's surprisingly on trend for this middle-of-nowhere town."
He lays down comfortably on the grass, resting a little before his night shift at Freddy's.
"I just don't have the time or the money to go to the movies all the time. I can barely afford to go to Sparky's twice a week. I definitely can't afford to stay up to date with all the newest movies."
"Yeah well, Scream came out 4 years ago. You should know that one at least. Especially since Halloween just passed. That would have been the perfect time to rent it."
Vanessa lays down too.
"Speaking of the diner, is that guy cute? Saint Ken doll?"
Mike chuckles at Vanessa's words. If only Abby had heard that she would've loved it.
"I don't know? He's a guy? He's got a nice smile and freckles but other than that-"
He shrugs and makes a vague 'I don't know' sort of sound, how is he supposed to know if the guy is cute? Mike likes girls, always has. He continues
"You could join us, sometime, for breakfast so you can meet Ness. Also, the pancakes there are pretty good. Not too sweet not too salty. Perfect."
"Eh, I'll see if I can make it sometime. I've got a busy schedule."
"Yeah yeah, I know. Just thought I'd offer."
Mike pauses a minute just to enjoy the present. He takes a deep breath, enjoying the cold air in his lungs, keeping him awake and very much here in this moment. He's been enjoying this chapter of his life. He's got an alright job, one friend which is more than last year, and a place where he is completely at ease, where he can rest all his worries, knowing that he can tend to them in a minute. God, he loves Sparky's. A home away from his own shitty little home.