Chapter Text
Emon, the capital of Tal’Dorei, was a gorgeous city, with good public transportation and walkable streets. It was also fucking expensive to live in, especially when you only had one job between two people living in a shitty apartment. But, it also happened to be the twins’ best option when they finally left Syngorn to get away from their father. They were free from his overbearing presence, but they were also flat broke. Syldor’s money paid for a year of Vex’s college, and the money they saved up paid the first two month’s rent on their shitty apartment, but Vax knew he needed a job.
That was how he got back into contact with an old ex. Shaun Gilmore, Vax’s most unforgettable ex boyfriend. Their relationship hadn’t ended explosively like so many others, but that didn’t make texting him any less awkward. Vax sat on the couch, biting his nails nervously, rewriting the text over and over again. Finally, he decided on one.
[Shaun Gilmore]
[11:45am]
hey shaun
no idea if u still have my # saved
its vax
how have u been?
Vax didn’t expect a response. He definitely didn’t expect a call. And yet, five minutes after he finally sent his text, his phone buzzed. He took it out of his pocket, nearly dropping it when he read the caller ID. Shaun Gilmore. Vax felt his mouth dry, but he answered the call. “Gilmore?” Vax’s voice wobbled, and he hated himself for it.
“Vax’ildan! My favorite half-elf!” Gilmore’s voice exploded from the speaker. Vax cringed and moved it away from his ear. “And here I thought I’d never hear from you again. How have you been? How’s Vex’ahlia? Why did you text me?” Vax tried to process the words, placing his phone on speaker so Gilmore wouldn’t blow his eardrum out.
“I’ve been good. Vex is still in school.” Vax laid down on the couch, setting the phone on his chest. Trinket jumped up on the couch, settling his head on Vax’s stomach. Vax brushed a hand through the big dog’s fur. “I… I texted you for… well…” Don’t be awkward, Vax reminded himself.
“For well? How riveting,” Gilmore teased. Vax chuckled, his heartbeat slowing slightly. He’d forgotten how easy talking to Gilmore was. He ran a hand through his hair, taking a breath. “To answer the question in your text, I’ve been good. I opened a coffee shop in downtown Emon. Well, coffee shop and bakery. I’ve been struggling to find early shift workers. No one wants to come in at 4:30am, even for $15 an hour.”
“15?!” Vax practically shouted. He cleared his throat, trying to act like that wasn’t way more than he’d seen offered for jobs around Emon. The best he could get with a record for thievery and no degree was $10. “Uh… what… what would the hours be, exactly?” Vax asked, trying to play it cool. He was failing miserably, based on the laugh from Gilmore.
“Monday through Friday. From 4:30am to 12pm is the first shift. Of course, if someone was interested in more, the bakery closes at 10. And there’s always Saturday and Sunday shifts, but I know some people like to keep weekends open for family.” Vax smiled at Gilmore’s teasing tone. “And if the interested party could start… say, this Monday? They could get their first paycheck by the end of the week, just in time to pay rent.”
“You’re a life saver, Shaun. I can definitely work that early shift for you. And the late shift, if you wouldn’t mind?” Gilmore chuckled, and Vax could hear the smile in his voice. “Send me the address. I will see you Monday at 4:30.” Gilmore blew a kiss over the phone before he hung up.
Vax regretted his decision the moment Monday morning rolled around and his alarm for 3:30am was blaring in his ear. He groaned, grabbing his phone to turn it off. At 3:35, another alarm attempted to burst his eardrum. He turned that one off as well. At 3:40, when yet another alarm roared to life, he was slammed in the face with a pillow. “Vax, turn off your fucking alarm and get up,” Vex grumbled as she hit him in the face again. Vax groaned, and was promptly shoved off the bed. He laid face down on the floor before finally getting up to shower.
By the time he was done with his shower and was dressed, Vex had already fallen asleep, Trinket taking his place on the bed. He pet the fluff that was the huge dog before grabbing his phone off his charger. He ruffled his sister’s hair, earning a sleepy, annoyed noise, but she was fast asleep. Vax smiled and left the room. He grabbed his keys and a thin jacket from a chair.
It was early fall, so the air was just beginning to get colder. Vax tugged the jacket over his shoulders as he made the walk to Gilmore’s coffee shop. Gilmore’s Guilty Pleasures was not open to the public yet. The lights inside were on, but Gilmore had to unlock the door for Vax. He gave him a bright smile and a hug. “You look tired,” Gilmore commented as he allowed him inside.
“I woke up at 3:30 in the morning after going to bed at 12.” Gilmore shook his head. “I know, I know. Which is why it’s good you’re showing me how the coffee machine works so I can make myself a cup.” Vax flashed Gilmore a smile, and got a flirty wink returned.
Gilmore taught Vax how to use the machines, though he already knew pretty much how things worked. He’d gotten a job as a waiter in a small cafe when he still worked in Syngorn, and he sometimes had to work behind the counter because of short staffing. Snotty elves didn’t want to work retail, which made his position that much more valuable. Unlike the cafe Vax used to work at, however, Gilmore insisted on one thing.
“Always ask the customer if they’d like a pastry.” Vax gave him a look that said what are you, crazy? Gilmore narrowed his eyes. “Whine all you want about customer service. If you remind them about the pastries, they will remember their sweet tooth and buy more. It’s just one word, Vax. You can manage one word.” Vax glared at the flamboyant human, but he was just tossed a kiss. “Company policy. I don’t make the rules.”
“You literally do!” Vax called to his disappearing form. Gilmore’s laugh echoed from the back, and Vax smiled. At 4:50, he unlocked the door with the new key Gilmore had given him. He prepared cups, and waited for customers to arrive. He prepared himself a coffee – iced americano with a pump of vanilla – and drank while waiting for the first customer to arrive.
It took about two weeks for regulars to begin showing up at the shop. It was fairly new in town, so once the hype died down, Vax had a much more settled routine. Around 7am every morning, Pike and Grog came in post-workout. The shop was normally mostly empty before the morning rush when they came in, which was good. Grog’s shouts could’ve blown out their eardrums and driven customers away forever.
“I am the king!” The goliath's voice boomed from the door as the bell jingled, signaling it had been opened. Vax already had a cup prepared for a chocolate shake, Grog’s usual order. “I am the strongest ever!" Grog flexed as he walked towards the front counter. Pike wasn't far behind, giggling and laughing.
“Hell yeah, buddies! Celebration shake!" Grog roared in victory as Vax blended the ingredients into the shake. Pike examined the display case critically. “A chocolate muffin and a breakfast sandwich please, String Bean.” Vax rolled his eyes good naturedly at the nickname, but he removed the items from the case. "And a vanilla tea with honey." Grog looked through the display case. Vax grabbed the hot water for the tea and set the items on plates.
“A blueberry muffin!" Grog proclaimed loudly. Vax chuckled and grabbed one from the case, plating it. Grog nudged Pike with a grin. "I'm tryna be healthy.” Pike nodded in approval, and Vax didn't comment that the muffin definitely wasn't healthy. Gilmore put a shit ton of sugar in his muffins, not that Vax complained. The customers seemed to like their things sweet, and if they had a problem, they really didn't want to say it to the unapproachable brooding half-elf barista.
Vax rang them up, and Pike paid. They took their normal two person table near the window. Grog downed his shake in seconds and absolutely tore apart his muffin. Pike wasn't much better with her food, but she took time with her tea. “How's Gilmore?" Pike asked as she drank from the paper cup. Vax glanced in the back, where Gilmore was currently flirting with his cookies as he baked.
"Flirting,” Vax answered, turning back to cleaning his workspace. Pike snorted into her tea. "So why is Grog the king?” Vax knew what he was doing. Grog's eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas. The brightest grin stretched his face and he flexed.
"I beat my record!” He loudly proclaimed. Vax cringed at the sound, still not fully used to the volume. "I benched 1,275!" Vax allowed his shock to show. The goliath preened like a peacock, flexing like his life depended on it. “I could lift you!" He pointed at Vax, who nodded. At 136 pounds, Vax would be shocked if Grog couldn't lift him. Hell, Vex could lift him if she was determined.
Pike and Grog mingled for a little less than an hour. They talked to Vax on occasion until the rush began, and then they mostly talked amongst themselves. Around 7:45, when Vax was too busy dealing with the influx of customers to say goodbye, they were gone. Pike went off to her ICU to work as an emergency nurse, and Grog went off to… well, Vax honestly didn't know. The goliath wasn't specific when he talked about his job. Something with his muscles. Grog was more interested in talking about his gym exploits than work.
When the breakfast rush ended around 9:30, Vax was thoroughly exhausted. It was just barely the second half of his first shift, and yet he felt worse than he did at 5 in the fucking morning. He was allowed to take his break whenever – the perks of being Gilmore’s favorite employee – so at 10, he almost always took it. It was a half hour of playing on his phone, bothering Vex, and, on occasion, going to talk to Kiki.
Keyleth ran the shop across the street. With the huge windows in Gilmore’s shop, Vax could see exactly when she got into work. The hours posted outside were technically 8-5, but it actually tended to open around 9, and close around 6 or 7. Keyleth slept in, and almost always forgot to set her alarm. Her shop, Fern & Fable, sold plants and books. Vax stopped by on his breaks.
Keyleth was an old friend from high school. Well, technically an ex, but she was one that Vax didn't absolutely ruin in the break up. She always gave him a smile when he walked in, and today was no different. She had a stick bug on her shoulder, and her hair was tossed over the other. “Vax! How was the morning shift?"
“Exhausting," he replied easily as he skimmed the shelves. “I don't know how I ever let Gilmore talk me into coming in at 4:30 in the morning. Or stay until 10pm every night." Keyleth laughed to herself, setting the stick bug on one of the various plants crawling around her store. In all honesty, Keyleth’s store was 90% plants, 10% books, 100% Kiki. Vax didn't mind. He likes the vines crawling up the walls and the roots creeping out of pots like they were trying to travel across the tiled floor.
“Well, it pays well, right?" Vax nodded. The paycheck was enough to pay for the apartment’s rent, plus the occasional treat. With how they were saving, Vex might be able to continue to afford college next year when daddy’s money dried up. “What brings you to the shop anyways?” Keyleth set a book in a bag, probably preparing a pick up order for one of her customers.
"On my break. I've come to wreak havoc on your potted paradise.” Vax picked up a small succulent, eyeing it critically. "I think I'll buy this one…" Kiki laughed and took it from his hands. She knew how terrible he was at taking care of plants. He was always too worried about not giving it enough water and sunlight, and ended up killing it with over watering. “Had any interesting faces today? Any newbies in the shop?"
“No one yet. Just making an order for a friend. We're meeting up later, so I'm packing a new book for him." Kiki set the succulent back down. Vax watched a caterpillar crawl across a branch and held out his finger. The creature crawled onto him, and he smiled. “Lucky for you. Creatures like you better than plants." Vax nodded, watching the tiny bug move across his hand. The feet were fuzzy, and felt strange on his skin.
"Yeah. Trinket still tries to lick every inch of my face when I come home. Nearly knocks me to the ground. I swear, I don't know what Vex feeds him, but he is too damn big.” Kiki giggled and nodded along to Vax’s statement. She knew Trinket when he was still a puppy, back when he was supposed to be an emotional support dog and not the giant bear cub of a dog he was now. There wasn't a day that went by that Vax wasn't sure Syldor regretted buying Vex that dog. He was a menace of fluff and growls, especially when he didn't like someone, and Trinket did not like Syldor.
“I think he's perfect. The best cuddle buddy." Vax shook his head. Keyleth loved cuddling Trinket when she came over for sleepovers, even with all his slobber. “The back is empty," she added with a soft smile. “I just got new blankets and pillows, and I need someone to break them in." Vax sighed in relief, already feeling exhaustion pull at him. "I'll get you at 10:45!” Vax gave the ginger a thumbs up, already walking to the back.
Keyleth had a small back room dedicated to comfortable places to read. Vax turned off half of the lamps, grabbing a few blankets and pillows, before he settled into a dark corner. He really only got thirty minutes to sleep, and given his commitment to staying up until at least midnight every night, they were the only real chance at sleep he got. The moment he laid down, he was out. At 10:45, Vax awoke to Kiki shaking him and he blearily got up. He got back across the street to Gilmore's just in time to pour himself a cup of coffee to jolt him back to the land of the living, and for the lunch rush to start.
Vax was absolutely swamped from 11:30 to 12:45, Gilmore usually joining him to help take care of customers. Sometimes the rush waned early, sometimes it bled into his lunch break. Today, it ended right around 1, a half hour before Vax’s lunch break and his hour-long nap. The shop emptied just in time for Scanlan Shorthalt to come waltzing in, looking like he'd just come back from either the worst or best night of his life. “Vax! My favorite brooding half-elf! Bring me back to life!" Vax chuckled behind the counter, already preparing Scanlan's usual order. He took up his normal spot up near the display case, scarf thrown around his neck, probably to cover a few telling bruises.
“Party too hard?” Vax asked as he poured Scanlan’s normal brew for mornings like these. “You look like you woke up in someone’s bed across town with no memory of ever even talking to the person.” Scanlan made a noise of agreement from his perch, hiding behind his sunglasses. “Did they try to get you to stay?” Vax stepped out from behind the counter to set the coffee cup on Scanlan’s table.
“Yep. I told them I would call. I will not,” the gnome stated matter-of-factly. He took a long sip from his coffee cup, sighing in relief as the iced latte slipped down his throat. “Cute guy, though. I considered giving him my number.” Vax laughed as he took a seat beside Scanlan. The shop was less crowded, and he sat close enough that he could get behind the counter if someone else came in.
Vax had met Scanlan in college, when Syldor was still trying to make something of his disappointment of a son. Vax spent most of his time sleeping and partying, which was how he initially met Scanlan. After one particular blackout of a party, Vax woke up in Scanlan’s bed. Neither of them remembered getting there, but Vax was offered the gnome’s number, and he took it. Nothing ever became of the hook-up — Scanlan was very particular about not being pinned down — but they remained friends. When Vax started working at the coffee shop, Scanlan started visiting. He only lived a few blocks away, so it was a reasonable distance to walk, even with a hangover.
“Worked on anything new lately?” Vax asked. Scanlan grinned, launching into a story about meeting the most beautiful lady he’d ever met. Vax had already heard the story before, heard Scanlan wax poetics about this blonde gnome he met when he went to the gym once, but he let him talk anyways. Scanlan talked about the songs he was writing and the party he’d gone to, successfully keeping Vax occupied until his lunch break at 1:30.
“Vax, either get in the back or get out!” Gilmore’s sing-song voice called from the back. “I’m not paying you for overtime!” Vax chuckled and waved goodbye to Scanlan. The gnome was already on his way out, off to write songs about his mysterious love. Vax walked to the back to grab his hoodie and remove his apron. Gilmore placed a kiss on his temple as he walked by. “Don’t sleep in your car. You’ll ruin that pretty hair of yours.” Vax smirked as he set his apron down.
“Bold of you to assume Vex and I don’t share a car and that I wouldn’t keep a hairbrush in there,” he snapped back playfully. Gilmore smiled softly, but there was worry in his eyes. “I’m fine, Shaun. I’m going to nap at home.” The human nodded, placing one more kiss on his head as he walked by. “See you at 3,” he called over his shoulder before the door closed.
Vax popped in his headphones as he walked home. The air was starting to chill as winter creeped in. His hands were cold when he finally got up to their apartment. He opened the door, only to get practically tackled by Trinket. He laughed as the dog licked his face. “Down!” Vax tried to order. Trinket had never listened to him before, and he certainly didn’t start now. After a bit of struggle, Vax finally stood up. He brushed fur from his black pants as he walked to the kitchen.
“Vex! You home?” There was no answer. Vax grabbed leftovers from the fridge and sat in his usual seat on the couch. Trinket sat in the middle of the seats and nuzzled his hand. “Let me eat first, bud.” Vax pet his head before turning to his food. He was starving from not eating anything but coffee, and absolutely demolished the leftover pasta at a pace that could’ve rivaled Grog. Once it was empty, he set it on the coffee table and laid down. Trinket immediately laid on his stomach. “Wake me up at 2:45, ok?” Vax swore he saw Trinket nod. He set an alarm on his phone anyways.
At 2:45, Vax was violently woken up by an alarm and a dog licking his face. “Ok! Ok! I’m up!” He sat up on the mildly uncomfortable couch, wiping the slobber from his face. Trinket still sat on him, his tail wagging. “Good job, boy,” Vax mumbled as he pet the fluff. He stayed in place until his second alarm at 2:50 went off.
The late shift had significantly more people. It felt like half of Emon came in to get a sweet treat. Vax poured himself another cup of coffee when he got in so he didn’t feel like death when he finally got off at 10. Outside of one rude customer, things went pretty smoothly. Gilmore offered to lock up, allowing Vax to leave at 10:05. He arrived at the apartment about 15 minutes later, but did not get pummeled by a ball of fluff.
“I left the meatloaf on the counter,” Vex called from the living room as Vax stepped inside. He shrugged off his jacket and walked into the living room. Vex was sitting on her spot on the couch, laptop balanced precariously on her crossed legs, Trinket at her side. The dog was fast asleep, but he looked up when Vex stopped petting him. She looked up from her computer as he leaned on the back of the couch. “You look like death.”
“Thanks. I feel like it.” Vax ruffled Vex’s hair as he walked past. She slapped his hand away, but she had a smile on her face. “How was class?” Vex shrugged, not giving a real answer. He grabbed a few pieces of meatloaf from the kitchen before taking his seat on the couch. “You had enough energy to make meatloaf, so it couldn’t have been that bad.”
“Nothing really special," Vex mumbled as she scrolled through notes on her computer. She clicked over to flashcards, and Vax rolled his eyes. If there was one thing he absolutely did not miss about school, it was studying. It was a pain in his ass, and cheating off Vex was far easier. Even if that did lead to them getting in trouble more often than not. But, hey, it certainly improved Vax’s ability to sneak around.
Vax glanced up at the dark TV and reached for the remote. Vex immediately smacked his hand away with a sharp glare. “I have a test in two days. I can't be distracted by TV while I'm studying." Vax narrowed his eyes at his sister and reached again. She smacked his arm away, though this one hurt far more than the previous one. “I said no, Vax! This exam is very important!"
Vex looked up from her computer long enough to glare at him. Vax gave her a glare right back and shoved her halfway off the couch. The motion disturbed Trinket, causing the dog to look up from his nap. “Ugh! You're fucking impossible!" She stood up, laptop in hand, and stormed off to their bedroom. A whistle was enough to send Trinket running after her.
“Have fun studying! Thanks for the meatloaf!" Vax yelled out. It earned him a middle finger, but he didn't care. He turned on the TV, changing to some crime show as he ate. He set his phone on the charger next to the couch, focusing on the show. It was some true crime drama about a famous family that was murdered over ten years ago. Vax watched with interest, eventually laying down when he finished his meatloaf.
He must've fallen asleep, because he woke up to his 3:30 alarm. He had a blanket thrown over him, probably from Vex when she came out of the bedroom to get her charger. Vax groaned as he sat up on the couch, his back aching from sleeping on it. He turned off the alarm and grabbed his phone off the charger. He was really regretting his decision to work for Gilmore.