Chapter Text
Eternal Gardens Strip Mall. Your one stop shopping place for all your needs. The best strip mall this side of the river. Which river, none of them are sure. Nor are they sure what exactly is supposed to be on the other side of the river. But it’s probably better that way. Greener grass and all that; no matter how much the worn signs around the various shops tried to tell you different.
Right then Issei didn’t really give a shit about the mall or its unique glass roofed courtyard in the center of the strip or the random possibly fictional river or the blossoming trees or the dull sunshine coming through the large front windows of Oaky’s Discount Goods and blinding him. He was not a morning person, hence his requests for the evening shifts, not this awake at the buttcrack of dawn bullshit. But, apparently, the scheduled worker couldn’t make it because of an emergency. Also apparently they forgot that they had added Issei on Snapchat therefore he can see exactly what emergency they seem to be having at the waterpark downtown. But, Issei thinks as he swigs another mouthful of coffee from his extra large travel mug, that’s not really his concern.
His current concern is making it through the next twelve hours because he was now the only person scheduled today and their manager, or lack of one really, only cared that the store was open, not so much about whether or not the guy working the register knew jack shit about receiving and stocking new shipments or if he got a break.
As he smiles politely at the fifteenth person that hour - he’s not exaggerating he’s been counting - to remark on the nasty storm on its way he wonders just when this “quiet morning” his boss promised him is supposed to start seeing as how it is almost noon and he’s never seen this many people inside this shop before. He regrets answering his phone last night.
“Well hello there my ray of sunshine.”
“No.”
“Rude.” Hanamaki props his hip on the counter and rustles a bag in Issei’s face. “And here I brought you sustenance.”
Issei eyes the bag suspiciously. It’s from Witchy Delights and he’s pretty sure Iwaizumi is working today so its most likely his favorite sandwich made just the way he likes it. Then again it could also be half a cookie and the butt ends of Hanamaki’s favorite sandwich waiting to disappoint him. Again. But hey. Third time’s the charm. Or something like that, right?
“Please note that I am suspicious but also too tired and hungry to care.”
“Suspicion noted.” Hanamaki glances out the window and Issei stops him before he can even open his mouth.
“Yeah I know. The weather sure looks bad. Hope it doesn’t get too nasty. Lots of rain. Evil clouds. Lightning ripping through the sky and starting the entire world on fire. Whatever. It’s a storm.”
“Someone woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning.”
“One: I had to wake up before it was even morning fuck you. Two: you would know seeing as how someone stole all my blankets and nearly kicked me out of bed. Three: don’t try to blame Oikawa he was up before I was that asshole.”
“You know you should be nicer to me. I brought you your favorite sandwich from our favorite sandwich maker and I brought you this.”
Hanamaki whips his phone out of his pocket and nearly shoves it in Issei’s face. Issei nearly chokes on his sandwich - yes he’s eating at the register, no he doesn’t give a rat’s ass right now his boss can fire him if he wants to Issei’s the one pulling a double shift today thank you very much like - at the sight of Iwaizumi in a frilly pink apron wearing a panda bear ear headband with panda face paint. He looks out the window longingly like he can maybe see the other end of the strip mall where Witchy Delights is located and see this magnificent sight in person. He can make it there in five seconds. Hanamaki timed him once. Iris Prawn Shop was right next to Witchy Delights on the opposite end of the strip from Oaky’s and Hanamaki had clocked him at 4.8 seconds from one end to the other, including the time lost while he fumbled with the lock on the pawn shop door that he really should have realized was engaged seeing as how Hanamaki had spent the last twelve minutes in his lap in the beanbag chair behind the counter with his hands up Issei’s shirt and his tongue almost down Issei’s throat. It had been a great way to spend his fifteen minute break even if he had been more distracted than usual the rest of his shift imaging all the other things they could manage to get up to in under fifteen minutes and whether or not Hanamaki did that with Oikawa or Iwaizumi when they took refuge in his shop.
“Why does he have to be all the way over there in that? And I am stuck in this discount hellhole with you. No offense, babe.”
“Offense slightly taken but excused cause I know I can’t beat Iwaizumi in a frilly pink apron unless I get some of that cheap ribbon you sell and come back wearing nothing but that. Which hey, if you really want me to I’d do it cause it’s you.”
“You flatter me but you’d do it for a few corn chips and a box of cream puffs.”
“I would do a lot of things for a box of cream puffs.”
“Oh. I know.” Issei winks at Hanamaki and gives him a lecherous grin, licking his lips dramatically.
Which is, of course, when the door opens and a gaggle of little old ladies shuffle inside. They barely even glance at Issei with his elbows on the counter, half eaten sandwich in one hand, Hanamaki’s phone in the other, and a lecherous look on his face.
“Do either of you boys know when that pawn shop will be open again?” One of them asks while her companions spread out through the store. Issei can hear them chattering on about the glass vases and the display tiny glass figures and the aisle of cheap perfumes that he dubs his own personal level of hell because of all the small delicate glass things there.
“Not a clue, ma’am,” Hanamaki answers. “But someone should do something about it. I swear that place is never open. Don’t know how they manage to do any business at all.”
Issei scarfs the rest of his sandwich down, saves the cookie for later, and takes a swallow of almost cold coffee.
“It’s a shame. I’d suggest trying again once you’re done here. It’ll probably be open then but it’s hard to say. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the guy who works there asleep behind the counter.” He stares at Hanamaki as the old lady thanks him and wanders off to find her friends - most of whom seem to be excited over something down in the kitchen utensil aisle.
Hanamaki leers back at him, leaning over the counter to pull him into a quick kiss. “I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him doing plenty of things behind that counter and if you weren’t stuck here til close I’d invite you to see some of them. Maybe I’ll see if Oikawa can swing a long break today.”
Thunder booms through the strip, rattling the windows, and Issei shakes his head.
“Begone little demon. Don’t wait up for me tonight. Not sure how long closing books will take.”
“Love you too, babe.”
The door shuts behind him and Issei watches Hanamaki jog towards the other end of the strip where his pawn shop, Iwaizumi’s sandwich shop, and Oikawa’s coffee shop, Grounds, were all located. Some days he hated being so far away from the others even if they were still technically in the same block.
“So.” Issei steps from the counter with a charming smile. The visit from Hanamaki - and the lunch and picture of Iwaizumi - had refreshed him into something almost as charming as Oikawa drunk off wine. “What can I help you young ladies with today?”