Chapter Text
The coffee machine in the break room gurgled its last gasping breath, and Odysseus wondered if that was some kind of omen. He'd come up to the fifth floor specifically because the third floor machine had finally died this morning, and it had sparked a minor revolt among the tech support team. Now here he stood, watching dark liquid dribble into his chipped mug that read 'Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again?' while voices drifted from around the corner.
"I'm just saying, you could do better than pining after someone who lives like a hermit." The voice belonged to someone from marketing, Odysseus thought. He didn't recognize it specifically, but it had that particular quality of someone who thought their opinion mattered more than it did.
"He's not a hermit." That voice, Odysseus knew intimately. Hermes. Even annoyed, there was a melody to it that made something warm and uncomfortable twist in Odysseus's chest. "He's selective about his social interactions. There's a difference."
"Selective? The guy literally eats lunch in his office with the door closed. That's a hermit!"
"Because people like you exist." Hermes shot back quickly and easily, and Odysseus found himself smiling despite his better judgment. He should leave. He should grab his coffee and go. He definitely shouldn't be eavesdropping on a conversation about himself.
Yet he stayed. Some part of him needed to go where this was going.
"Look, I'm just saying if you actually want to date someone, maybe aim for someone who, I don't know, actually leaves their house? Goes to bars? Doesn't treat social interaction like a part-time job?"
Odysseus's grip tightened on his mug. That was... actually pretty accurate, if quite rude.
"First of all," Hermes said, and his voice had taken on that sharp edge that meant someone was about to get verbally eviscerated, "Odysseus is my best fucking friend, and I won't have you talking about him like he's some kind of project. Second, who said anything about dating?"
The words hit Odysseus like a physical blow. Best friend. Of course. What else would he be to Hermes? They worked in the same building, grabbed lunch sometimes, and texted each other stupid memes at two in the morning. That was friendship. That was all it was ever going to be.
The tickle in his throat came suddenly, sharp and irritating. He tried to suppress it, but his body had other ideas. The sneeze tore out of him, loud and mortifyingly wet, and he barely managed to catch it in his elbow.
"Bless you!" Hermes called, and then footsteps, quick and light. Suddenly Hermes was rounding the corner, blonde hair slightly mussed from running his hands through it, blue eyes bright with something that looked like genuine delight. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear!"
Odysseus froze, coffee mug halfway to his lips, throat still itching.
"How much did you hear?" Hermes was grinning now, that slightly smug expression that made him look like he'd just won something. He stepped closer, crowding into Odysseus's space in that way he always did, like personal boundaries were suggestions rather than rules.
"Just got here," Odysseus lied smoothly, years of customer service training keeping his voice level. "The coffee machine downstairs is dead."
"The one down there too?" The other marketing employee appeared, looking vaguely embarrassed. "Damn. I'll put in a ticket."
"Already did," Odysseus said, taking a careful sip of his coffee. It burned his tongue, but at least it gave him something to do with his hands. "And don't put it in with tech support or I will hunt you for sport. Put it in with maintenance."
"See? This is why he's the best." Hermes threw an arm around Odysseus's shoulders, casual and comfortable and absolutely devastating. He smelled like expensive cologne and the peppermints he constantly ate. "Ody, tell Luka your opinion on that new project management software. He thinks it's revolutionary. I think it's garbage wrapped in a nice UI."
Odysseus's throat tickled again, worse this time. He swallowed hard, trying to focus. "Haven't used it yet. Still evaluating."
"Diplomatic as always." Hermes squeezed his shoulder, and Odysseus tried very hard not to think about how warm his hand was, how solid his presence felt. "You coming to the thing on Friday?"
"What thing?"
"The team building thing. Bowling. There's going to be terrible nachos and even worse beer."
"Sounds like my personal hell."
"Come on, I'll make it worth your while. I'll even let you win a game."
"Let me?" Despite everything, Odysseus felt his lips quirk. "Bold of you to assume you could beat me in the first place."
"That's the spirit!" Hermes's grin was incandescent. "Friday. Seven PM. I'll even pick you up so you can't bail."
Before Odysseus could protest, Hermes was already pulling out his phone, fingers flying across the screen. "There. Calendar invite sent. You're contractually obligated now."
"That's not how calendar invites work."
"It is in my world." Hermes winked, actually winked, and then he was moving away, throwing a wave over his shoulder. "See you later, Ody!"
Odysseus stood there, coffee growing cold in his hands, throat still itching, and tried to remember how to breathe normally.