Archive of Our Own

"Damn, I'm so tired. I'm not moving from this seat," Lucy Donato mutters sleepily.

"Well, we're here," Tommy stops the car gently in front of Lucy's building. "You got ten seconds to move your ass, or you'd be sleeping in a gym parking space. I get Muay Thai in an hour,"

"Ergh. Sounds exhausting," bemoans Lucy. She grabs her bag from the back seat. "I cannot believe you still have the energy to do freaking-Muay Thai after our shift from hell."

"I'm just a different kind of breed," Tommy puffs his chest.

Lucy scoffs, "You're disgusting,"

"You're annoying," Tommy spats back like a bickering sibling.

Lucy fails to come up with a retort when her jaw opens widely for a yawn. She shoulders her bag and opens the passenger door. "Thanks for the ride, man. Lucy bumps her fist into Tommy's hard bicep. "See you next shift,"

"Good night," Tommy says in farewell, even with the sun up high.

Were Tommy being honest with himself, he is tired and has no energy left for Muay Thai. But he canceled on his friends a few times already. Tommy didn't want to miss another one. His army buddies would pummel him to the ground the next time he made it to the training.

Never mind, Tommy survived worse things than shift from hell during his time in the army. He rubs his face to wake himself up. Right, it's time to find some coffee.

Tommy parks a block from the coffee shop that Lucy recommended. The shop is small, yet charming. It doesn't play any soft music in the background. There is a TV mounted in one corner, playing news on mute. The sounds of coffee grinder, milk steamer, and soft conversations harmoniously fill the space.

The café only has three tables inside with various chairs and beanbags. There is also a four-seater bar by the window with stools. The seats are not fully occupied, but the shop still feels vibrant by the rush of customers coming and going for their morning caffeine fix.

Tommy eyes the menu board as he waits in line. Before he could decide, Tommy was already at the front of the line. The girl working the register smiles and asks him to wait, "One second, sir,"

The girl turns sideways and pulls a ceramic cup under the counter. First, she takes a sip of her drink. Then she inhales it. The girl lets out a sigh when she finishes the cup.

The girl soon returns to welcome Tommy. "Hi there, sorry about that. It's been a busy morning," She smiles sheepishly.

"No worries. You gave me time to check the menu," Tommy ensures her.

"Great. So what would you like to order?"

Tommy points in the direction of her abandoned cup. "What was the drink that you just finished in one gulp?"

The girl looks down at her cup, "That? Oh, that was chai latte. We brewed our own chai from scratch. It is fresh and strong,"

Tommy hums. "Sounds interesting. It has coffee in it, right?"

"You can have one with or without espresso shots," She explains.

"Definitely with," Tommy slides a $10 bill on her counter.

The girl writes the order on a new paper cup, "Name?"

"Tommy,"

The girl lines up Tommy's cup and goes to sort the payment. She returns the change with a smile. "Thanks, Tommy. Hey, let us know what you think about the chai on your next visit, okay?"

Tommy is amused by the presumptuous comment. "Sure, sure," Maybe this is why the small coffee shop gets its steady stream of customers. It is by charmingly making friends with their customers.

Tommy steps closer to the pickup counter. That is when he finds another reason why the customers keep coming to the shop. Or, at least, why Tommy will come for another purchase even before tasting his first one.

Standing there is one hell of a fine-looking man.

That man. That barista guy. He might as well be the very definition of tall and handsome. The attractive man is almost as tall as Tommy. He has dark blonde hair. His short curls spiral at the tip. He looks young, maybe in his mid or late twenties. The guy wears a black t-shirt under his brown apron. The short sleeves bring Tommy's attention to the tattoo that rings around his bicep. That leads Tommy's eyes to the big hands that handle multiple things with a lot of grace.

"Here you go, Doc. A cup of brain stimulant for the brain doctor," The gorgeous barista slides an open cup toward the first man in the pickup line.

The customer takes a sip of the lidless cup. He hums, "Perfect," His fingers make the universal OK sign. "As always," The satisfied customer puts the cup gently on the counter.

The barista grins widely at the compliment. The man applies the lid on the cup before returning it to the customer. He smiles so brightly that Tommy feels warm by its radiation.

"Thanks, Buck. Have a good day," The customer shakes his cup in farewell. "Bye, May!" He shouts to the girl at the register as he makes his exit.

Buck. Tommy guesses Buck is the name of the barista. Not that it matters now. Tommy already calls him ‘sunshine’ in his mind. The man definitely brightens up his morning.

The stunning man continues working on the order. Tommy cannot stop watching his big hands work. They move efficiently with confidence and competence. It makes him wonder how good they would feel on his body.

Wait, what is he even thinking?? Having indecent thoughts in public under broad daylight??

"Hey, Terry. You pulled the short straw today, huh?" Tommy hears the beautiful man greet the next customer.

"I did not. Sue got the short straw, then she pulled the big boss card,"

"Ouch," says Buck empathetically.

"So here I am for the coffee orders. Good thing to see the online order works out well," Terry waves his phone.

"Yes, it works wonders. We cannot thank you enough for helping us set it up, man," Buck packs several cups into a spun-bond bag.

"I'm happy to help. I cannot wait to tackle the next development. Deliveries!" Terry makes a finger gun gesture.

"Yeah, me too! Sorry we haven't got the chance to work for that service yet," Buck looks slightly embarrassed. "I know it will help a lot for big orders like yours,"

"Take your time, man. I'm always happy to come here on company time," Terry laughs.

Ha! Tommy seconds that assessment. Hell, Tommy would gladly pay to come here every day.

After Terry leaves with a bag full of drinks, a little girl moves to take his spot. The girl stands on her tippy toes to reach the pickup counter.

"Good morning, Sophia," Buck leans down on the counter, greeting her with a gentle smile. "What's it gonna be today, sweetie?"

Being a male, albeit a gay one, Tommy never gets the term "my ovaries exploded". But witnessing this moment of a gorgeous man being adorable to a cute preschooler, he understands it now.

"Hot chocolate," The little girl answers softly. "It's my favorite,"

Buck fakes a gasp. "No way! It's my favorite too! Let me make you my extra special hot chocolate. Do you know why it is extra special?"

Tommy sees Sophia shake her head. Her pigtails bounce around with the same energy as Buck's steps. Tommy hasn't said a word to his dream guy, but he is already planning the color of their baby's nursery.

"He's single,"

Tommy jumps at the sudden voice from his side. He finds a black woman with coiled curls who smiles knowingly at Tommy.

"Excuse me?" Tommy thinks he knows what the woman is talking about, but he is embarrassed that she caught him staring at the dreamy barista.

"Buck," The woman tilts her head towards the exquisite man. "He is very nice. And cute. And he's good with kids. 100% boyfriend material,"

Tommy chuckles apprehensively. "So how come he's single?" In his experience, a man like that would be a hot pick and quickly off the market.

The woman hums, "He..," She stops and shakes herself. "Well, you should ask him out, get to know him better. I could tell that you're interested. And I just happen to know you are totally his type," She winks at Tommy.

Tommy ducks when he feels a blush creeping out his cheeks.

"Okay, one extra special hot chocolate for my sweet girl, Sophia," Buck secures the lid and adds the cup sleeve before handing the small cup to the girl. He doesn't release the cup until Sophia gets a perfect grip. The girl walks carefully to the closest table. Instead of sitting on the chair, she parks her butt on the floor and starts sipping her chosen beverage.

"One flat white for Carla, the best home health aide on this hemisphere," Buck hands a large cup to the woman who just chatted with Tommy. "I followed her last dietary restrictions," Buck nods in Sophia's direction. "Nothing new to add, right?"

"No, she's good. Sophia responds well to the new meds. She hasn't had any seizures in a month," Carla proudly shares.

"That is the best news I've heard today," Buck grins, earnestly happy about Sophia's health progress.

"Well, it's still early. You might have better news after this," Carla says cryptically. She fondly giggles at the bemused look on Buck's face. "Enjoy your day, Buckaroo," Carla throws a pointed look at Tommy when she turns away from Buck.

Tommy doesn't know what to do about the encouragement from the stranger. He had flirted and picked up cute guys in public places before. But it never went anywhere other than hooks up and one-night stands. After assessing Buck for the last 10 minutes, Tommy knows Buck is too precious for a meaningless hook-up. It would be insulting to put this amazing man into the same box.

"One dirty chai for Tommy," Tommy hears Buck call his name. It makes him wonder of other wonderful circumstances where Tommy could make Buck shout his name.

Tommy feels slightly guilty about the thoughts. "That'd be me," He croaks. Gosh, Tommy hopes he hides his nerves well.

Tommy finally gets a good look at Buck's handsome face. Their eyes meet over the pickup counter. Oh my, Tommy would gladly get lost in those ocean eyes. He cannot help but smile at the thought.

And what is that? Is that a shiner around his eyes? Tommy wants to find the person who dares to mark that handsome face. Wait, no, Buck doesn't look hurt. It is not a bruise. Could it be?

Buck must have been born under a lucky star. He must have been so blessed to have an angel's kiss on his gorgeous face. Tommy is no angel, but he desperately wants a chance to do the same.

"Buck, give the man his coffee before it gets cold," Tommy is startled. Again. This time, it is May, who's watching the interaction from the register. Geez, Buck captivates Tommy's mind so much. Tommy starts to forget his surroundings.

"Of course, sorry. Right. Dirty Chai. Tommy,"  Tommy could hear the nerves in Buck's stammer. Dare he hope that Buck might be interested in Tommy, too?

Tommy smiles at the possibility. He doesn't want to chase his dream guy away. This will be a delicate operation. Tommy has to plan it perfectly. Even if it means he has to back away for now. "Have a good day, man,"

Tommy turns around and exits the shop. If he adds some swagger to his steps... Well, let's just say, it's the first part of the plan.

◢◤

After recuperating from a hellish shift and tiring Muay Thai for a couple days, Tommy feels fresh and ready for another day at work. He gets a late shift this time. Naturally, Tommy needs coffee. And if Tommy takes a different route to work for his 'coffee', it'd be his secret.

Tommy checks his hair one more time in the side mirror of his car. He has never been a vain person. He doesn't know what changes one should expect by the third time he checks his reflection. Tommy inhales deeply to calm his jitters. He could do this. He will step into the coffee shop and talk to Buck. Preferably without making himself look like an idiot.

Tommy hesitates when he reaches the shop door. He finds the stools are turned on top of the window bar. Shit, is the shop closed already? Is he too late?

Tommy looks through the window. There are still some lights, but overall, the shop is dimmed. Tommy catches a silhouette of a tall man moving inside. Maybe Buck is still working? Here is hoping.

Tommy tries the door. It's not locked. He finds Buck cleaning the floor with a mop near a woman who lounges on a beanbag.

"Hi, are you still open?" asks Tommy. Please say yes, please say yes, Tommy chants internally.

"Uh, ye-yes," Buck throws the mop down, unbothered by the splashing water on the floor. He steps behind the register. "Hi, wel-welcome. What can I do, uh-get you, uh-for you?"

Buck is too adorable. Tommy sees him mouthing something to himself. When Buck looks up, Tommy offers an encouraging smile. He wants Buck to know that it's okay to be nervous because Tommy is nervous, too.

"Can I get a large, hot, dirty chai?” Tommy makes his order. If it sounds a bit flirty, well… “And make it triple dirty, extra hot?" Tommy could acknowledge that he might lay it on a bit thick.

Tommy pays attention to Buck’s responses. He sees Buck swallowing his throat, stopping himself to make a sound. Buck definitely catches his entendre.

"Uh, that's a lot of shots," Buck timidly giggles. "Pulling an all-nighter?"

"Yeah, I got a shift in a half hour," Tommy hands Buck a $10 note for his order.

"Oh? What do you do?" Buck asks as he returns the change.

"I'm a firefighter," Tommy replies with a teeny-tiny bit of smugness. Everybody loves firefighters, right?

Buck stumbles, almost dropping the paper cup on his hand. "Really?" He sounds befuddled.

That's an unusual response, Tommy wonders.

“Where do you station?" Buck continues to ask. Tommy gets a feeling that he is trying to sound casual about it.

"At the Harbor," Tommy answers the question nonchalantly as Buck does.

"Air Ops?" Buck perks up behind the espresso machine. "Are you a pilot?"

"Yeah," Tommy tilts his head, curious. It seems the more Buck talks, the more mysterious he becomes.

"Wow, a firefighter and a pilot. That's very cool," says Buck excitedly.

"Thanks,” Tommy takes the compliment. “Uh, you seem to know the Fire Department well," He fishes for more details.

"Do I?" replies Buck, offering Tommy nothing more except his coffee order. "Here you go. Large triple dirty chai for Tommy," Buck slides the cup slowly across the counter.

"Ah, you remember my name,” With the way Buck treats his customers, Tommy bets he remembers all of their names. “Any chance I ever got yours?" Tommy knows people call him Buck, but Buck doesn't know that Tommy knows, does he?

"It's Evan," Buck offers with a smile. Tommy pauses. Why does he give Tommy a different name than what other people call him?

Maybe ‘Buck’ is reserved for close friends only, and Tommy is not one yet?

"Nice to meet you, Evan," Tommy nods. Alright, challenge accepted, Evan/Buck. Tommy is ready to play a long game. His endgame is to call Evan/Buck ‘mine’.

Tommy takes hold of his coffee cup that still wraps around Evan's hand.

"Uh, right, here, sorry," Evan awkwardly lets go of his grip, inevitably brushing their fingers. It's like what they say in love songs and books and movies. Tommy feels the sparks.

"Careful, it's extra hot," Evan warns him.

"He sure is," replies Tommy, still dazed by the tingling feeling that spreads from his fingertips to his chest.

Someone coughs loudly somewhere in the cafe. The sound jolts both Evan and Tommy.

God damnit, Tommy needs to get a grip on himself. Nothing could get past him when he was in combat mode. Yet, half an hour in the presence of his dream guy turns Tommy into a jumpy one.

"Right, gotta go," Tommy takes a difficult step away from the counter. He wanted to linger, maybe hang around when Evan closed the shop. Talk about what Evan knew about LAFD. Get to know him better, as Carla advised him.

But Tommy needs to get to work. Argh, screw work! Next time, Tommy will come here on his day off. He will sit down from opening till closing time as long as Evan is on the premises.

"Be safe," Evan wishes him softly.

"Yep. Have a good night, Evan," Tommy turns around to find the remaining customer observing him on his way out.

"Ma'am,” Tommy offers a polite nod. The woman looks familiar, but Tommy cannot place her in his memories.

Tommy walks to his car, still stupefied by the encounter with his dream guy. He almost missed it when Tommy heard someone calling his name.

“Kinard? Is that you?”

Now, this is someone Tommy remembers. “Captain Nash? How are you doing, sir?” Tommy moves his coffee cup to shake his former captain's hand.

“Very well, thanks. You good?”

“Yes, sir. Just getting coffee before my shift,” Tommy shows his purchase to Bobby. “Would love to chat, Cap, but I gotta run,” Tommy unlocks his car.

“Yeah, of course, I understand. It's good to see you," Bobby smiles. "Oh, you come to the coffee shop often?” Bobby points to the shop Tommy just left.

“Uh, I plan to,”

“Great! I'm sure we will meet again soon. Take care of yourself, Tommy,” Bobby claps Tommy's shoulder before he enters the door that Tommy exited a few minutes ago.

Tommy sips on his hot beverage as he starts his car. He sighs when the spices of the chai warm his throat. It feels almost as warm as Evan's smile. He doesn't bother to wipe his grin during his drive to the Harbor.

◢◤

It takes another week before Tommy returns to the coffee shop again. He admits that it'd been too long for his liking. The cafe is even busier than the first time Tommy was here. There is a long line of customers in front of the register, which is not ideal for Tommy because he's cutting it close to his clock in time. Tommy watches Evan and May dance around to complete the orders. When Evan catches his eyes, Tommy brings his hand to wave at the guy. Which Evan replies with a nod and a smile.

It is probably the case of time and relativity, but Tommy feels like the line moves so slowly. It will be a shame if he has to leave the shop without a caffeine fix. And even worse, if Tommy leaves before getting his Evan fix. Tommy is not a substance abuser, but he guesses this is what drug withdrawal feels like. Tommy fidgets in his spot, willing the line to move quicker.

"Tommy!"

Tommy looks up at the lovely voice calling his name. Why is Evan calling him before he orders anything? Tommy scrunches his nose in confusion when Evan points at the cup in his hand, then at Tommy. Does Evan mean he already made Tommy's coffee?

Tommy walks cautiously towards the pickup counter. He feels bad for other customers. Technically, Tommy cuts the line, even if it's not by his own doing. "But I haven't ordered anything?" Tommy baffles at Evan.

"I'm guessing you're late for your shift. So, I take the liberty to make you dirty chai," Evan explains.

Oh, wow, Tommy never has someone prioritized him before. Not even his parents and family. Now, here is Evan. Sweet, adorable Evan, who is practically a stranger, treats Tommy as if he is special.

Tommy gets lost in his mind. He doesn't realize that he takes too long to reply to Evan. "If you don't like it, I could make you another," Evan pulls the cup back.

Tommy immediately grabs the cup and Evan's hand. "No, no, you're right. I am late, and I was going to order the chai," Tommy rubs his thumb over the back of Evan's hand. "You don't have to do this, but I appreciate it,"

Evan trembles as he exhales. "But you look, I don't know, upset?" Tommy keeps touching Evan's hand gently in hopes of calming him down.

"I'm not upset. I just... I could-should've waited in line. If I were late, I could leave without a drink. But... I kinda wanna see you," Tommy divulges softly.

"I wanna see you too," Evan echoes. That's it. Tommy is drowning in Evan's deep blue eyes. He's gone. Don't bother to call SAR.

Tommy squeezes his grip on Evan's hand. "Damn, I gotta run,"

What had he been doing over the past week? Tommy promised himself that he would stay in the shop for a whole fricking day on his next visit. Apparently, he is a liar now.

"Ye-yeah," Tommy regrets losing the warmth when Evan lets his hand go. He reaches for his pocket to pay for his coffee.

"No, no," Evan's big hands engulf Tommy's again. "Don't worry. It's on the house,"

"Evan, I can't..." Tommy tries to refuse the offer.

"Don't argue with me now. You're already late," Evan reminds him.

Can this man be more perfect? How could Evan still be single? Tommy should not waste his chance. Fuck his meticulous plan. He's going for it now. Tommy leans forward. He guides Evan's chin and lands his lips.

It takes a second for Evan to catch up. When he does, Tommy feels like flying. His feet don't touch the ground. This feels a million times better than piloting a helicopter.

Which reminds Tommy that he's late for work. Shit.

Tommy begrudgingly breaks the kiss first. "I'll come back after my shift?" He maintains eye contact with Evan, trying to discern if Evan has any objection to Tommy's advances.

Luckily, Tommy doesn't find any rejection on Evan's face. In fact, Evan looks dazzled and agrees with his approach. "Okay,"

Tommy steals one more peck before running out of the shop with a large cup of chai and a potential date. He cannot wait to finish his shift.