Morning Rush

Buster Neally had been sleeping soundly not fifteen minutes ago, practically dead to the world after not only working his own shift but covering for one of his slutty coworkers. Now her being a slut wasn't the issue he'd had, considering he was one himself, it was that she hadn't even invited him along - the nerve! Instead he'd worked her shift for her while she was out getting railed and having the time of her life. At least she was good for it though, she'd pay him back when it was his turn to get laid. And now that he was all healed up, he could go out and prowl around again.

Well, unless work called him in to cover again.

Which was what had happened because of course it was. Of course Gina just didn't bother showing up again, of course he could come in right away despite getting home and faceplanting into bed just under six hours ago. No need to thank him, just let him grab a quick shower after rolling out of bed and he'd run right to work. Why'd he have to be so goddamn dependable again?

Oh yeah, because his mom busted her ass to raise him all by herself, that's why. It was why he was currently sprinting out of his house and into the streets while buttoning his shorts and pulling his t-shirt on over his head. His name tag and eyeliner pencil were clenched between his teeth as he launched himself up the side of a building and raced across the roof. Apron clutched in one hand and visor in the other, his arms pumped as he ran, vaulting across the rooftops.

Sure, he could've ran along the sidewalks or called a cab, but traffic was hopping even at this hour and this was the fastest way for him to traverse his island home. His fluffy two-toned hair flowed in the wind as he ran, slipping the top of the apron over his head and tying the straps around his waist. Securing the knot as he was coming up on a gap in buildings, his emerald eyes scanned the lanes of traffic. It was the early morning rush and of course there were plenty of vehicles on their way to work... which meant that traffic was slow enough to navigate it easily.

Leaping from the roof without slowing down, Buster caught a glimpse of an unfamiliar girl carrying a surfboard as he soared over her head and landed atop the vehicle passing her. He wanted to stop and look back but doing so would likely get him killed, so he pushed forward and leapt to the next car, then onto the traffic pole. He shot up it as though he were Spiderman and jumped onto the next roof. From that little glimpse of her, the boy decided that she was probably cute and he should see if he could maybe find her after work.

But for now, he had to get there before the morning rush flooded in and demolished his coworkers.

No sooner had he clocked in and touched up his eyeliner, the morning rush flooded into the little coffee shop he'd been working at for a few years now. There were only seven employees working there in total but that never seemed to make a difference. That unassuming little local coffee shop - The Daily Bean - did more business than both the Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts branches that had also set up shop on the island.

But that might've been because all their food was made fresh each morning instead of being shipped to them and reheated. They even baked all their bread and pastries there, and a few of the menu items were recipes that Buster had donated to the cause. This had been both a boon and a curse because on one hand, The Daily Bean had become the favorite eatery of locals and tourists alike, but it also meant that they depended on him so heavily that it bordered on ludicrous.

He'd trained all his coworkers on how to make his recipes but nevertheless, the food still tasted just a little bit better when he made it. And right now, he was baking up a storm. His hands flew as he spread an egg wash over the tops of some croissants and other breads and he tossed the trays into one of the waiting overs, then turned to grab some trays out of another oven and set them aside to cool. In just a minute, he'd pop them off the tray and replace them with the next batch.

The busy teen took a swig of the extra large mocha hazelnut coffee next to him that Toni had waiting for him when he'd first arrived. That was one employee he never had to worry about and they could make one hell of a brew. So Buster was used to working with his non-binary so much that it didn't take long for them to become casual friends. The easygoing blond sporting a similar hairstyle, but a far warmer tan than he had.

Veronica wasn't here today, considering he'd been called in to cover for her, but Gina was. That girl was a hot mess for sure with her internet-inspired fashion, fake nails and seemingly endless drama in her love life, but when she showed up to work she did a pretty good job. It was a shame that she just couldn't keep her shit together for long periods of time. Alexia and Leigh were racing back and forth between filling coffee orders and running the cash register, while Joey was replenishing supplies and assisting where he was needed.

It was chaos, but then again, the morning rush always was chaos. And it didn't slow down a bit, even when Buster finished all the baking and switched over to filling orders. In fact, it only served to heap the pressure on. Now that he was actually facing the customers, several of them - tourists, of course - were caught off guard seeing his tired but still quite stunning face. It made them gawk and stare at him openly and he had to gently encourage them to finish giving him their orders so he could serve them.

His looks had always been a bit of a double-edged sword for him. Buster had always been good-looking, even his baby pictures were among the cutest on the whole island, and people checked him out everywhere he went. The boy drew all sorts of attention - wanted or not - and his mother knew it, so he'd been trained in mixed martial arts since he could walk. Brazilian Jiujitsu was his specialization, and any potential threat to his safety was dealt with swiftly as needed. Still, Buster enjoyed being fit, healthy and attractive, so he made sure to take the best care of his body as he could. It paid off, both in his business and personal life.

Still, right now all he wanted was to get as many people out of here as possible so that they could have a few seconds to breathe.

A large blended coffee with oat milk, caramel syrup, whipped cream and chocolate shavings sat between himself and the current customer on the other side. Alongside the cold, refreshing drink sat a freshly made sandwich on toasted homemade bread, wrapped cleanly and ready to be carried away and eaten. Deft fingers punched the cost of the items into the cash register and totaled the order out, the numbers popping up clearly for the customer to see as the boy behind the counter turned to the customer. "That'll be seven dollars and ninety-eight cents."

"Oh man, I don't know what to do!"

A thick dark brown eyebrow lifted as Buster looked at the woman across the counter but he kept a smile on his face. "This is the part where people usually pay for their order." His tone was gentle, even though he was tired and frazzled from work, "We take cash, check, credit, debit, paypal, venmo, square, and a slew of other choices. Even money order. Not bad for a little coffee shop, huh?"

"That's not what I mean." The woman huffed, seeming less put out by his suggestions and more so because of some internal conflict, "Ugh, why do all the hot guys around here have to be gay?!"

He blinked at her in confusion, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me! Why'd you have to have to look so good if you're just gonna bang men?!" She groused, clearly annoyed at what was apparently an ongoing problem for her. As he was opening his mouth to tell her he wasn't gay but rather pansexual, she rudely cut him off, "And don't even try to tell me you're straight, because straight guys don't wear makeup!"

Though reactions like this were nothing out of the ordinary and he was fairly used to strangers making random judgements and assumptions, the fact that there was still a line of customers was his main concern. Hell, it wasn't like she was bad looking or anything. If she could've at least waited to start this bullshit until the rush was over he might've even offered to personally prove how good he was with women in bed. But right now he just wasn't interested in nailing her even to prove a point, and her attitude rubbed him the wrong way.

Nah, I'm skipping this bitch. Buster decided, trying very pointedly not to look as irritated as he felt. He motioned towards the totaled out number on the screen. "Um, okay Miss. But your total-" But she cut him off again, annoyed that he didn't even try to deny her claim... despite her having told him not to deny it. It seemed she was hellbent on making a scene.

Normally being ridiculed for an assumed sexuality was nothing new for the barista behind the counter, but no matter how much verbal abuse he could let roll off of him, nothing could prevent the pain from cutting into him when she dredged up his worst fear.

That no one would ever truly love him.

Not as he was, never as he was. No matter what anyone yelled at him for, cursed at him for, nothing ever hurt him the way this did. Because he knew deep down that he was fundamentally different than everyone around him, that while others around him were normal and had normal lives, he couldn't have that.

Sure, he was talented, handsome and fit. With a body that could bring others to their knees and worship him and stamina to long outlast even the local porn star. He could easily pick someone up or casually attend an orgy he was invited to, outlast everyone there, and still be horny enough to go home and livestream himself masturbating for hours. But continuously outlasting every partner always led to him remaining single. Not once had he ever had anyone even remotely attempt an actual relationship with him because of his monstrous sex drive. Sure his ridiculous sex drive was incredibly appealing, but the inability to satisfy him in bed always drove everyone away in the end.

The only thing he truly wanted was for someone to love him.

But hearing this woman say that he'd never have that no matter what he did... it was not only a knife to the heart, it was as if she relished in twisting it. And no matter what efforts he put forth, nothing could stop the shudder that rippled through his body nor the burning in his eyes as they began to water. Casting his eyes downward, his lips pressed together to stop the quivering he knew would eventually win out. No, he was not going to cry. Not here at work with a line of customers watching as this woman latched onto his biggest insecurity like a tick gorging itself on a blood bank.

A sudden sound caught Buster's ears and he looked up just as a girl his age was hopping onto the counter - somehow not landing on the woman's order - and running her hands from his shoulders up to cup his face. Long strands of dark silky hair with blue streaks, clear mocha skin, and the prettiest teal eyes he'd ever seen. She was pointedly lamenting him not being done with work yet and telling him she was hot and ready for him.

And then she was kissing him before he could even look surprised, before he could piece together where he might've seen her before, moaning into it and asking for entry with her soft pink tongue. His lips parted automatically, his pierced tongue capturing hers as his arms wrapped around her and pulled the girl over the counter, to his body as if he'd done it a million times before. As if this beautiful girl was his longtime lover and not a complete stranger.

Maybe it was because his heart was still hurting from the cutting words, but his kiss held a note of desperation that he couldn't quite restrain as he welcomed the taste of sea salt from her mouth. It mixed with the rich mocha hazelnut coffee taste that lingered in his own as he slowly lowered her feet to the floor, letting her slender figure slide down his rigid body slowly. Once her feet were firmly planted on the floor, he begrudgingly pulled away from her pillowy lips, his voice thick.

"Thanks, I needed that."

But his arms stayed locked around her waist, holding her closely as though he was afraid she'd disappear if he let her move even an inch. He didn't even so much as bother looking back to the sputtering woman on the other side of the counter. Joey, having been the closest employee during the whole fiasco cleared his throat and took over as cashier, flatly repeating the price to the woman. She threw some money down, grabbed her order and left in a huff, and business resumed.

Alexia leaned over towards him, her voice low so as not to be overheard. "That bitch was totally out of line and had no right saying any of that to you. You gonna be okay?" Buster's eyes flickered over to her and he nodded numbly, still visibly frazzled by everything that had happened and unwilling to let go of the sweet girl who'd come to his rescue. Alexia's eyes swept up and down the girl in his arms, giving her an appreciative smile. "Pick out whatever you want to eat and drink. It's on us." She then turned to the boy, "And go ahead and head out early. Veronica's shift is almost over and I'm not making you stick around after that shit."

It wasn't until they'd walked out the door and she'd snatched up her surfboard that it finally clicked where he'd glimpsed her before. This was the girl he'd leapt over on his way to work a few hours ago! He suddenly felt very lucky that she'd taken the initiative to not only come to see him but to rescue him from an awful situation as well.

And yet here she was, sweetly apologizing for kissing him unexpectedly.

Buster shook his head, the motion sending the shock of sky blue curls flopping around him. "You never have to apologize for kissing me, whether I need it or not." He told her sincerely, his voice still soft as she played idly with their intertwined fingers, "Your lips are so soft and addicting that I could kiss them without ever tiring of them." He smiled at her and leaned closer, tugging her hand to brush his lips over her knuckles.

She was such a pretty girl, slim with curves in all the right places, silky looking dark tresses with streaks of blue through them, her skin warm and invitingly mocha-toned, and a flirty air to her that was tempting him right out of his melancholy state. And he sure as hell was going to give into that temptation without so much as a second thought. After all, he didn't consider himself 'too good' to put out for the girl who rescued him, especially since she definitely seemed to be interested in getting him naked.

That was his favorite kind of comfort.

"You know, it's really considerate of you to offer to comfort me after what you've already done for me." He pulled her hand to his chest over his heart and gave her his sweetest 'I still need comfort' smile, "I think I'd like to take you up on that offer. If you don't mind, we could go back to my place and get to know each other better? I think it'd be a great spot to comfort each other. No one would bother us there, with maybe the exception of my pomeranian, and I could show you my appreciation for the comfort you're offering."