Chapter Text
Eddie, so happy it's Thursday. Only one more day between me and THE WEEKEND! --Buck
Buck, happy Friday. Don't call me for bail money. --Eddie
Eddie had been working at The Daily Grind for a month. He worked the opening shifts because he has to be home when his son gets off the school bus. Christopher was the light of his life and he loved being a dad. Christopher had been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy as an infant. Eddie loved being his dad so much because Christopher was such a happy, lively child. Even though it was just the two of them now, Christopher never complained. He was happy with his life, and that made Eddie proud of their lives together. Selling coffee wasn't his dream job, but he let him live a good life with Christopher.
Eddie unlocked the back door and turned on the lights on his way through the door. 'Ugh, Mondays,' he thinks as he let the door close behind him. Inside, a small backroom was full of shelves, lined with boxes of cups, lids, stirs and extra coffee supplies.
Eddie walked to the time box on the wall and clocked in for the day. This was his favorite part of the work day. Next to the box was a sticky note which read:
Eddie - Giving coffee to a stone cold drunk guy only produces an alert drunk guy. If the men's room still smells like puke, just burn down the building. I've done everything I can. --Buck
PS, I'm looking for that kind of trouble ;p Hope you had a good weekend
Eddie chuckled and pulled the sticky note off the wall. Buck had been putting a sticky note by the time box for 3 weeks, and it was Eddie's favorite part of working at The Daily Grind. Buck was funny, often joking about customers or weird things that happened around the store. While Eddie had never met Buck, he imagined someone with a kind smile and a big personality. The Post It notes started with a note that said:
Who is Eddie? No one consulted me before hiring some new guy!
Eddie had found the post it when he came in the next day. He wasn't sure if he should be offended, but he thought it was funny. So he responded with a note of his own at the end of the shift. He stuck it by the clock in box on his way out the door.
I'm Eddie. New coffee slinger extraordinaire. Everyone saw how awesome I am, so no one needed your permission to hire me.
From there, everyday Eddie and Buck exchanged notes. Sometimes they were by the clock in box, sometimes they were hidden in other places. But everyday that Buck or Eddie worked, there was a note. Having silly banter was such a mundane thing, but Eddie enjoyed it.
Eddie opened his locker and stuck today's note to the pile already in there and then he grabbed his apron and walked toward the store to get everything started for the day.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Buck came in at 4 pm, groggy and tired. He had spent the weekend dancing at some new club in South LA, so he was still recovering. He nodded at Hen, who was working the register and walked through the saloon-style half door that divided the customer side from the employee side of the store, and walked to the back room. At the clock in box, he found a pink Post It.
Buck, bathroom was good. Or the weekend team fixed it up. No need to commit arson yet. But it's only Monday, no promises. -- Eddie
Buck smiled at Eddie's note, and clocked in. When Bobby hired Eddie a month ago, Buck was annoyed. Abby had been a cool co-worker, who turned into a close friend. Buck thought they were going to start dating, but then suddenly she left. She had just quit one day, and hadn't called or text him or anyone else in the shop. Even though he knew that Bobby would have to get someone to take her shift, he still felt like someone was replacing her. And that wasn't okay. He had been annoyed about the new hire when he had heard about it. But Eddie seemed to be a decent guy.
Buck opened his locker, untangling his apron from everything else in his locker, and sticking the note to the pile on the inside of this locker door. Looking at the pile, Buck lightly chuckled. Eddie had said some pretty funny things to him over the 3 weeks, so Buck was sure that he was a pretty cool guy. Part of him wanted to call him, maybe go get a beer together. But part of him didn't want to get close to another co-worker. Better to keep work and his life separate.
Buck's shift passes with people getting their coffee before their 2nd or 3 shift jobs, and people meeting friends dates meeting before going to dinner. In the middle of his shift, a couple of high school guys come in, ordering complicated drinks and staring at Buck like he is on the menu. 'God, I hates teenagers,' he thinks. Maybe because he's just in his 20's, but anyone under 17 was just annoying. And Buck isn't sure why teenagers hit on him, but they all seem to think that he wants to flirt with them. Buck likes to flirt, and has dated a little bit of everyone, but he had no idea why horny teenagers flocked to him.
At the end of his shift, Buck does all the closing shift tasks. Before he leaves, he writes his note to Eddie.
Eddie, I won't rule anything out. And if one more high school kid hits on me while I'm working, I might burn this place down just so I can get away. --Buck
Buck, stay away from the jail bait. Or you will receive all kinds of unwanted attention in jail. --Eddie
LOL! I'm sure that I would be very popular in prison. Everyone digs my skills. ;p -- Buck
PS, Tell Bobby to order different stirs. The new ones suck.
Buck, being popular in prison isn't something to be proud of.
Told Bobby, he said that your opinion doesn't count. -- Eddie
*-*-*-*-*-*-*
When Eddie reads Buck's note on Thursday morning, he was thrown for a moment.
Eddie, I'm proud of my skills. No complaints so far. Plus, I like to drop the soap occasionally. ; ) -- Buck
If Eddie had read that in any other situation, he would swear that Buck was flirting with him. Eddie wouldn't mind being flirted with by someone like Buck, but it has been so long since anyone had flirted with him that he wasn't sure what to do. Eddie spent the whole day contemplating what to say next. Flirt back? Not flirt? Was Buck even flirting? Eddie had not idea.
By the end of the day, Eddie still didn't know what to say. So, for the first time in a month, Eddie didn't leave a note.
On Friday, Eddie finds that Bobby, the manager of The Daily Grind, has taped a poster to the time box.
MANDATORY STAFF MEETING!!!
TUESDAY, 5 PM. EVERYONE IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND
Next to the poster, Eddie finds his note from Buck.
Looks like we finally get to meet. --Buck
Eddie pauses when he reads it, conflicted. On one hand, Eddie was curious about Buck. And some of that curiosity was attraction. Eddie was only attracted to people that he was already familiar with, so he could be attracted to Buck. On the other hand, he didn't want to be disappointed. He hadn't done a lot of dating since he had lost Shannon. Between being a single dad, and a single dad to a son with lots of medical needs, he didn't have the time to date. He didn't want to ruin the little bubble that Christopher and him had created. But when he thought about Buck, it felt different. It felt good to think about Buck and Christopher meeting, like they would enjoy the same silly jokes.
As someone who didn't let people in very well, Eddie was nervous about meeting Buck. 'But this is Buck, for God's sake' he thought. 'He's a good guy.'
Eddie was lost in his thoughts as he got ready for his Friday shift. At least he has a couple days to find a sitter for Christopher. And a couple days to worry about Buck.
Buck, looks like we are. Hope you're not an asshole in person. --Eddie
Eddie, only an asshole to those who deserve it. Otherwise i am a cuddly teddy bear. -- Buck