Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

1, 2, 3.

Alex hands the man his change. He grunts, takes his coffee, and leaves.

Jesus fucking Christ.

He sighs, and rubs the heels of his hands into his eyes. He’s working at Freedom coffee’s booth at the Strawberry festival.

“Son, are you tired? You can take your break. Go see the animals or whatever.” His boss, George Washington, speaks up.

“Thanks. Yeah. I think I will.”

He unties apron, folds it, and puts it under the counter. He waves at Mrs. Washington before he goes, and leave the expo hall. He’s immediately hit by the smell of deep fried food.

I should get fried Oreos later…

Despite that, he decides to go see the animals. He probably didn’t have time to get the Oreos anyway. He passes the fences, waves at the security guard, and goes to where they’re showing the cows.

Overall, they’re pretty cute. There’s a brown and white one named Poppy, and a black and white one named Meeov. Weird name, but it’s probably just not English.

He keeps walking, until he gets to one named ‘Jem’. It’s a brown and white calf. She has the most beautiful, soft, big brown eyes.

“Hi there, Jem…”

“You like her?”

Alex jumps, a bit startled.

In front of him, is a man, presumably Jem’s handler. He has honey blond hair tied back in a ponytail, and baby blue eyes. He’s taller than Alex by quite a bit, and is probably strong, considering he deals with cows.

He’s also pretty damn hot, according to Alex.

“Oh! Uh- yeah- she’s very cute.”

He laughs, and pets her head.

“Thanks. She’s six months old, and an ayrshire.”

Alex tilts his head.

“… I’m gonna be completely honest right now, I have no idea what that means.”

“An Ayrshire. It’s a breed of cow.”

He laughs again.

“I’m John, by the way. John Laurens. You from around here?”

“Yeah. I’m here for my works booth in the expo hall. It’s Freedom coffee shop. I’m Alex, by the way.”

John nods.

“Nice. I’m from South Carolina, but my dad moved my family down here for all the agricultural shit. It’s nice, though.”

John flashes Alex a bright smile.

“W-well, I know the lines really long, but have you had one of the corn dogs yet? The buttermilk ones.”

John shakes his head.

“No, unfortunately, I have not. They’re the ones with like, the hour line outside the stadium, right?”

“Those are the ones.”

John winks.

“Well, I think I’d rather visit your coffee booth.”

Alex gasps.

“Shit! Thanks for reminding me, I really should be getting back.”

Alex waves hastily.

“Well, hopefully I’ll see you again. Bye, Alex.”

Alex hurries out of the stables, washing his hands at the station outside, before rushing back to the expo stall.

“Sorry for being so long, Mr. Washington!”

George shakes his head.

“Don’t worry about it, son. We didn’t get many orders. Speaking of orders, someone’s coming your way.”

Alex turns around, and starts taking the man’s order. He planned to go back to the stables later, to see if he could find John.

Everything was pretty okay.

Chapter Text

All of John’s shows were done. Jem had done pretty good, for her first show. She had placed in a couple. John had handed her off to her dad to be sent back to the farm, and now could just enjoy the fair. Ride some rides.

Or he could visit the cute barista.

Ultimately, the barista wins out.

He walks into the expo hall, and looks around. He passes by a stall with bags made from real leather (whether or not he flinched is between him and God), and eventually finds the coffee shop.

Alex (that was his name, right…?) was arguing with a customer. The customer had fluffy dark hair, and was wearing a tank top of the most horrendous magenta color.

John walks up, and he can finally hear what they’re saying.

“-eriously, I’m just saying, I don’t think bisexuality is real-“

“I don’t think that fucking horrible magenta color your wearing is real, Jefferson.”

“Okay, but you can’t have both men and women, you have to choose-“

John was about to speak up, enfuriated on Alex’s behalf, before a man (whom he assumes is Alex’s boss) speaks up.

“Mr. Jefferson, I think you should be leaving.”

The Jefferson guy looks angry.

“Seriously?! Your on this greedy bastards side-“

John then decides, that if another word comes out of this idiots mouth, he going to deck him.

“He can’t have both, it’s stupid-“

Well then.

John moves from where he is unnoticed, and punches the man, directly in the nose. The man, even more pissed now, just cradles it.

“Fuck off, Jefferson.”

Alex spats behind the cash register. George just raises an eyebrow and turns around. Alex then seems to fully register John’s presence.

“…you didn’t have to do that. I could’ve handled him.”

“It’s fine. I was fixing to punch someone today anyway.”

Alex picks up John’s hand, the one that he used to punch Jefferson, and inspects it.

“You scraped it. Here.”

Alex bends over and grabs a few bandaids from under the counter. He starts putting them in John’s knuckles.

“Is now a good time to say I wanted to order?”

Alex jumps a bit, blushing.

“Y-yeah! Sorry- what did you want?”

“Just some peppermint tea, please.”

Alex ducks his head down, and puts it in the cash register.

“Five dollars.”

John hands Alex a ten.

“Keep the change.”

“T-thanks.”

Alex spins around to start making the tea. John hums, and leans on the counter. He sees Alex’s boss and a women standing next to him talking to each other, and glancing at him occasionally.

Alex taps him in the shoulder when his tea is done. John takes the tea and takes a sip.

“Wow! That’s good. Where’s the shop, I need to visit there.”

“On 60. Next to the cold fire pizza place.”

John nods.

“When’s your next break?”

Alex turns almost as bright as his hair.

“N-not for like- an hour.”

The lady next to Alex’s boss speaks up.

“You can end your shift now, Alex. We still have Meade!”

Alex mutters something that sounds like a ‘thank you’.

“Well, do you want to get the strawberry shortcake with me?”

John smiles.

“Yeah. I’d like that.”

Chapter Text

John had just been walking around the expo hall. Alex had already gone back on shift. He wasn’t really expecting to buy anything. He wasn’t too into strawberries, and that was most of what they had.

That was until he saw the mini ceramic booth. He had been thinking, maybe get a little cat for his sister, Martha. She liked cats. Maybe a little cow for himself. Then he saw the lion. It really reminded him of Alex. With his fiery personality and bright red hair.

So he bought it.

Sure, it wasn’t his smartest financial decision, but hey. It was cute.

Besides, three of them were only 15 dollars. So he got one for him, one for Martha, and one for Alex.

He made his way over to Liberty coffee, to give Alex the little trinket.

Alex didn’t have any customers, so he was writing in some notebook. John walked up, making sure his steps were quiet to suprise Alex. He rang the bell.

“I saw you coming.”

“Damnit.”

Alex sets down the notebook and gives John a soft smile.

“You here for another peppermint tea?”

John shakes his head.

“No, actually. I was here to give you something.”

John grabs the small box the ceramics are in and hands Alex the little lion.

“It reminded me of you.”

He places it in Alex’s hands, who immediately tries to give it back.

“I can’t- I can’t take this!”

John’s face falls.

“Do you not like it?”

“No- no! I do like it! I just can’t accept a gift from you!”

“Cmon, take it!”

Alex looks down at the little lion. He blushes.

“Only if you're fine with it.”

“If I wasn’t fine with it, why would I buy it for you?”

Alex groans.

“Fine. I’ll take it. Thank you.”

John smiles.

“Your welcome, darling.”

Chapter Text

Alex was worried, to say the least. Everyday since the strawberry festival had ended, John had come in to order peppermint tea and a chocolate chip cookie. He didn’t even have to order it, they just knew when he came in.

Yet he hadn’t been in for the past three days. Which was odd.

Thank God for Lafayette.

Lafayette was this French dude John had brought to the cafe once. He and Alex had hit it off a bit, chatting in French.

He had come in today, and Alex could finally ask about John.

“Hey, can I get-“

“Where’s John?!”

Lafayette blinks.

“He didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what.”

Lafayette looks around.

“He got into a car accident, mon ami.”

Alex just stares at Lafayette, for like, a full minute.

“He. Got into a car accident. Is he okay?! You can’t just say that, Lafayette!”

“Do you- want me to take you to the hospital? I can-“

“Yes! Let me just-“

Alex stalks over to the back where he yells that he’s leaving to George, who looks thoroughly confused. He walks back out to Lafayette.

“Is it too late to order-“

“Yes.”

Alex drags Lafayette out.

“Which car is yours?”

“The lambo-“

“Aren’t you a fucking college student?! You should be broke like the rest of us.”

Lafayette unlocks the car, and Alex slides into the back. Lafayette starts the car and starts driving.

“He’s at- fuck… uh… I forgot the hospital name.”

Alex rolls his eyes.

“Hurry the fuck up. Speed, if you have to.”

They get to the hospital ten minutes later, with Lafayette really stretching the speed limit. Lafayette rushed a reason to be let into the hospital to the receptionist, who just points them in the direction of John’s room.

To say it was hard for Alex to walk in there was an understatement.

He was so scared of what he might see.

He didn’t expect to see John bickering with some girl.

The girl had brown hair and baby blue eyes that reminded him of John’s.

John stopped bickering when he noticed Alex.

“Hey…~”

The girl stands up.

“May I apologize for anything my brother says in advance? He is currently, as he would say, ‘high off his balls’ on pain killers.”

“Is he- okay?”

She sighs.

“Yes. He unfortunately broke one of his ribs, so they’re just keeping him here for observation for now.”

“Hey cutieeee~”

Alex blushes, and the girl sighs again.

“John. Shut up.”

“But Marthaaaaaa-“

“No. Sh.”

John groans. Martha just looks extremely exasperated.

“Did you want a moment alone with this idiot?”

“…If your okay with it, yeah.”

“I would like nothing more than to be out of this room. Thank you.”

Martha drags Lafayette out of the room with her.

“Hey babygirl… you wanna come over here?”

“Not really, no.”

“Okay!”

Alex sits down next to John.

“You fucking idiot. Getting in a car accident.”

“Well, the other guy was drunk.”

“Not an excuse.”

Well. At least John was okay.