Chapter Text
Erik cut the engine and let his forehead fall against the steering wheel with a defeated groan.
He was lost.
Again.
Mia wasn’t going to let him hear the end of it if she found out he managed to get turned around on the way home from the post office .
He pried his phone from where it had fallen between the seat and the console, and when multiple attempts to turn it on proved fruitless, he tossed it into the passenger’s seat. Of course it was dead.
Erik looked up at the gas station he’d pulled into and sighed as he kicked the car door open. Maybe someone here could tell him how to get back on the highway.
A noisy overhead bell rang when he walked in. A middle-aged woman with short, curly hair looked up at the sound and greeted him with a sweet smile.
"Anything I can help ya with, darlin'?"
Erik walked up to the counter and glanced around for a magazine stand or something with a map. "I need some help getting back to the highway. I got a little...turned around."
He almost jumped out of his skin when someone set a six-pack of beer down beside him on the counter.
"I can getcha back to the highway no problem. You're not too far outta the way."
Erik took a reflexive step back and turned to look at the person beside him. He was only a little taller than Erik, but his mud-stained boots made him look taller. He was pretty ; shockingly so.
The stranger’s long, chestnut hair was tied back in a loose, low ponytail, and his light blue eyes were partially shadowed by the brim of his trucker hat. His plaid shirt was unbuttoned just enough to show his collarbones and the hint of some serious muscle definition, and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Erik tried and failed to look like he wasn’t checking him out.
He smiled lazily down at Erik and held his hand out. "Name's El. Nice to meetcha, stranger."
Erik took a moment to register that he was speaking and not just a figment of fantasy before he grabbed El's calloused hand and shook it. "Erik."
El turned to the woman behind the counter with a guilty smile, and she sighed in faux exasperation as she set a pack of cigarettes on the counter. "Gemma told me to stop sellin' you these."
He laughed and rolled his eyes while he dug out his wallet. "She ain't my momma."
Although he could only imagine how upset Amber would be if she found out about his habit. At least Gemma managed to keep quiet about it despite her arguing. He paid his tab and turned to Erik. “Ready to head out?”
Erik blinked at him a few times before he ducked back towards the coolers to grab something to drink. “Just a minute! I’ll meet you outside.”
El shrugged and gave the clerk a wave before leaving. “Thanks, Carla. See ya next week!”
When Erik shuffled back up to the counter, she gave him a wide smile. “Ellie’s as sweet as they come, he’ll take good care of ya.”
He thanked Carla for her help and found El right outside, leaning against what he could only assume was his truck. He looked up when he heard the door chime and took a long drag from his cigarette.
“It’s a pretty straight shot east. We’ll have ya back in no time.” El’s eyes scanned the parking lot, then came back to Erik. “What’re ya drivin’?”
Erik pointed out a dated teal sedan a few spots over. The paint was chipping and the interior had most definitely seen better days, but Erik loved it all the same. Ol’ Reliable.
“It’s a bit of a beater, but it works.”
El gave the door of his truck a pat and tipped his hat up. “I hear that!” He snuffed out the butt of his cigarette and rested his hand on the door handle.
“Just follow me, I’ll keep an eye on ya.” He hoisted himself up into the driver’s seat, and Erik walked over to his car to do the same.
When the door was safely shut, Erik rested his head back against the seat with a sigh. “What are the chances…” He glanced at his dead phone, and startled when El’s truck roared to life beside him. He followed him out of the parking lot and allowed his mind to wander as he drove.
Sooner than Erik expected, El slowed to an idle and pulled over. He leaned his arm out the window and pointed at the street sign.
“Just follow due north and you’ll be back on the highway in a few miles. You good from here?”
Erik gave a thumbs up in reply. “Yeah, thank you!” Not sure what else to say, he shifted back into gear and drove off.
Another twenty minutes, and he was parked safely in front of his apartment. He’d gone over the events of the last hour or so in his mind several times on his drive back, and was unable to get El and his soft, lilting drawl out of his head.
As soon as he let the door close behind him, Mia popped her head out from the kitchen. “Geez, you’re late. Get lost again?” She started laughing as soon as she saw his face. “Seriously Erik, you couldn’t find your way out of a wet paper bag.”
He rolled his eyes and flipped her off as he walked down the hallway to his room. He dug a clean dress shirt out of his drawer while muttering something about bratty little sisters, and began to get ready for his shift at the bar. Eventually Erik shuffled back out to the kitchen, and gratefully took the plate of food Mia handed him. Maybe having her around wasn’t always so bad.
Once his plate was cleared, Erik checked his watch with a sigh. The day always went faster when he had to work.
“Gotta head out. Thanks for dinner.” He got up to ruffle her hair before he grabbed his keys and shut the door behind him.
El parked out front of the barn and waved over to Gemma, who was sitting on the covered porch with their dog, Sandy. She tipped her glass of lemonade at him with a smile that quickly turned to a frown when he got closer and she caught a whiff of lingering smoke on his breath.
Gemma’s look of disgust burned through the side of his head as he sat down beside her and gave Sandy a pat on the head. He already knew what she was going to say, and he waved her off.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll get a pack ‘a gum instead next time I’m out, promise.” He snapped the cap off one of the beers with his keys before he handed it over. “Here, trade ya.”
She gratefully took the bottle and flashed him a grin before taking a long swig. She leaned back on her elbows and looked out at the fields with a heavy sigh. “This summer’s gonna be a busy one, I can already feel it.”
El clinked his bottle against hers. “Don’t I know it. We ready for the market this weekend?”
Gemma nodded. “Yup. Remind me to wear somethin’ strapless, I don’t want weird tan lines this year.”
El laughed, and took his hat off to wipe the sweat from his forehead. “You care too much. Finally gonna take Serena out for coffee?”
He didn’t even get a chance to blink before she smacked his arm. A faint blush was already blooming under her freckles. “You hush. Watch out, the man of your dreams might just stroll up outta the blue. You just wait and see.”
Blue . The guy he'd helped earlier today, Erik...his hair was bright blue. Just like his eyes. El shook his head and tried to push the thought from his mind. There was no way a guy like him would be interested. Besides, he’d missed his chance. They probably wouldn’t cross paths again, and all he had was his first name. And the fact that he drank that god-awful energy drink garbage.
El snorted and drained the rest of his drink. “Yeah, sure. And Sandy’s gonna wake up tomorra’ and tell us the weather.”
Sylv set a glass down on the bartop with a smile. “Good evening, darling! Ready for another night of fun?” He twirled a wine glass in his hand before he sauntered off toward the kitchen.
Erik grinned over his shoulder as he tied his apron tight around his waist. "Yeah. I have a story for you later."
It was a typical week night with the regulars and a few new faces. Word about the bar was beginning to get around, and business was picking up even on weeknights. Good news for his paycheck.
The evening flew by, and it was last call before he knew it. Erik was exhausted. He leaned on the counter with a sigh and looked up when Sylv came out of the kitchen.
"You missed the crowd from Derk’s club." Erik laughed at Sylv’s sour expression before he stood up straight to stretch his back.
Sylv visibly recoiled at the name of one of their most notorious group of regulars. “Then I consider myself lucky. I thought I could smell cheap perfume from all the way back in the stockroom.” He waved his hand in front of his nose with a giggle.
“So, what’s this story? Did you get lost again?” Sylv rested his elbow on the bartop and looked up at Erik with a smug smile. They’d known each other long enough that Sylv had a good grasp on most of the stupid things that happened to Erik on a regular day.
Erik groaned. He really needed to start paying attention to street names. "I went too far from the courthouse and ended up on some country road. There was literally nothing for miles." He waved his arm around for emphasis before he turned to put a bottle back on the shelf. He grabbed a rag from the wash bin and started wiping the counter down.
"So I ended up at this gas station, and I met the hottest farmer guy I've ever seen. He helped me back to the highway to get home."
Sylv arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “You don’t say…” He slapped his hand down on the counter before he stood up to dump the citrus rinds. “Well, did you flirt? Get his number?” Sylv knew Erik was useless around anyone he found attractive. He already knew what his answer would be before he’d asked, but he hoped maybe this time Erik had actually been able to seal the deal.
Erik shook his head with a frown. "I didn't. I didn’t even think about it until it was too late. All I got was his name." He took the last bin of dishes back to the sink. "And his preference of beer. Not like that helps. I can’t imagine he’d ever end up here." He let his head fall back with a sigh. He’d completely blown it.
Sylv bumped Erik’s hip with his own as he passed by. “Remember the last time you went after a ‘country’ boy? That silly dancer in the cowboy hat, what was his name? The one who wouldn’t leave you alone.”
Erik rolled his eyes at the memory. “Faris.” He filled the sink with warm water and began to scrub at the dishes with refreshed vigor. “I set him up with Derk a while ago and they hit it off well enough.” He set the now-clean dishes out to dry and came back for the last few glasses. “I was shitfaced that night. A lot of bad decisions happened.”
Sylv remembered well. He was the one who had peeled a passed-out Erik off of the bathroom floor and drove him home before he could get himself into any more trouble.
“Besides, this guy had the whole look, not just some cheap getup. He looked like he could snap me in half if he tried.” He looked back at Sylv, who was smirking.
“What?”
“I bet you wish he would!”
Sylv ducked away when Erik turned to fling dishwater at him in response. “Hey! You wouldn’t be acting that way if it wasn’t the truth! So all you have is a name and a beer…” He put a finger to his chin in thought. “Are you gonna try to find him?”
Erik bit at his lip. “I’ll get a second job at the gas station,” he joked. He dropped his hands into the soapy water and some of it splashed some up onto his apron.
“Lost my opportunity, I think.”
El pushed the tailgate of his truck up until it locked into place, while his other hand was full of cartons of fresh blackberries. He set them down next to Gemma’s fresh jam and brushed a stray hair behind his ear.
“That should be all of it.” He sat back under the pop-up canopy and spit out his gum before he reached down to crack open a soda from the cooler stashed behind their setup.
Gemma turned and put a hand on her hip. “You just couldn’t wait, could ya? At least you kept your promise about the gum.”
“One vice for another, you know how it goes.”
Another Saturday morning, another busy market. They usually did pretty well here between the fresh produce and Gemma’s confections on the side. El was pretty sure most people just came to chat her up and were polite enough to buy something to earn her favor, but it didn’t matter either way. Once folks had a chance to taste just how fresh and sweet their produce was, they’d be back.
Besides, Gemma’s attention was elsewhere. El followed her gaze over to the tea and herb stand where the twins were still setting up. Serena, the taller of the two sisters, met her gaze with a sweet smile and a wave. Once Gemma snapped back into reality she waved back and covered her mouth with her hand to try and mask the blush, but it had already reached her hairline, poor thing.
“Go help em’ set up. I’ll be fine over here by myself for a while.”
Gemma’s glare quickly faded into something resembling gratefulness when she realized he wasn’t making fun of her. “You sure?”
El nodded with a smirk. “M’ sure. Almost more painful to just watch ya stand there daydreamin’.”
And there it was. Gemma rolled her eyes before dusting her skirt off and double-checking that she didn’t have anything on her face. With one final deep breath to calm her nerves, she tried her best to look casual and not break into a skip as she walked over.
Erik woke to the sound of his phone alarm blaring on the nightstand. He reached out, blindly slapped around until the abhorrent ringing stopped, and rolled out of bed with a yawn. He was up earlier than usual for a Saturday, but it was the only chance he’d have to run to the local farmer’s market before Mia ran out of her tea. He shrugged on his hoodie and called out to her before grabbing his keys and wallet. “I’m heading out, need anything?”
She poked her head out of her room, towel wrapped around her still-wet hair. “Can you get me peppermint tea and some blackberries? Thanks bro! I’ll pay you back later.”
He added her requests to the list on his phone and headed out. Luckily he’d driven this way enough times that it was almost impossible for him to get turned around or lost.
Erik parked his car, and rolled his windows up before getting out. He glanced across the gravel parking lot while he grabbed his bags out of the back seat, and stopped dead.
El's truck. He stared at the back of it enough the other day to recognize it. He fumbled for his phone and dialed the one person he knew would be able to give him a pep talk.
Sylv picked up after a couple of rings. "What is it, honey? I installed maps on your phone, you know."
"He's here . At the market," Erik hissed into the phone. "What do I fucking do?!"
Sylv’s voice came through the other end as soothing as ever. "Alright, listen. And don't get your undies in a twist, I can hear you hyperventilating through the phone. Take a deep breath for me. Now, you march up to that beautiful boy and you get his number. You can do this."
Before Erik could protest, Sylv bid him goodbye and good luck before hanging up. Erik let his head fall slack as he looked up at the cloud-dotted sky, and shoved his phone back into his pocket. He took a deep breath as instructed, and set his shoulders before he made his way over to where the stalls were set up. Just because El’s truck was here didn’t mean he’d run into him. There was a decent crowd here already. Maybe they wouldn’t cross paths at all.
And of course, as soon as he walked into the main row of stalls, there he was. Just as pretty as the other day, and standing behind a table of fresh fruit and vegetables. Erik took another steadying breath and began to walk over. It was now or never.
El leaned back in his folding chair, his eyes falling on a familiar teal car. It was probably just coincidence, but El found himself hoping it wasn't as he watched people walk by. Then he spotted him. Bright blue hair stuck out from the crowds. And he was making a beeline for their table. El stood up and began to nervously move stuff around, trying to look busy. He looked up when Erik stopped in front of their stand.
"Hey, partner! Never imagined I'd catch you here. How are ya?" El held his hand out, and gave Erik a warm, welcoming smile.
Gemma eyed him from the other side of the stand. She'd never seen El jump up to greet someone like that before. She assessed the other man, shorter and smaller than El with bright blue mussed hair. Definitely not who she would have guessed was El's type, but the grin on his face definitely said otherwise.
Erik froze , slowly meeting El’s eyes as he returned the handshake with a nervous smile. “Hey, just doing some grocery shopping.” He could already feel his face heating up, damn it.
“You’re in the right place.” El jabbed a thumb over his shoulder where Gemma was finishing up with a customer. “My sister Gem an’ I just started settin’ up shop here bout a month ago. S’a little further out but the foot traffic’s worth it.” He shyly adjusted the brim of his hat. “But that’s probably more’n you care to know. Anything I can help ya find?”
Erik knew El had said something, but he was too caught up in trying to decipher the exact mix of blue and grey in his eyes to comprehend it. He gulped, and tried to think of something to say before the silence got too awkward. Sylv’s pep talk flashed through his mind.
Now, you march up to that beautiful boy and you get his number. You can do this.
"Uh, your phone number."
Smooth, Erik .
He looked down at his shoes for a moment, face bright red. "You…can help me find your phone number. And maybe a time when you're free to go out."
Gemma almost dropped the jar she was holding in shock. She wanted to look over, but didn’t want to make it obvious she was listening. If she knew anything about her brother, he was probably even more dumbstruck than she was.
And he absolutely was. El opened and closed his mouth, his eyes wide. A few agonizing moments of silence passed before he remembered how to speak.
“Yeah. ‘Course.”
He reached over to tear off some spare receipt tape and dropped his pen, still staring at Erik like he’d asked him out in an unfamiliar language. After picking it back up and purposefully avoiding eye contact, he scrawled down his number. He swallowed hard as he handed it over, praying that his hand wasn’t too sweaty, or that he didn’t mis-write the numbers or something. He finally managed to look up, and Erik looked just about as nervous as he felt.
“I’m free most nights after four, and weekends after two.”
Erik managed a shaky smile before he pulled his phone out to type in the number. With his luck he’d end up losing it if he didn’t do it right away. He sent a short text so El would have his too, and then remembered why he was here in the first place.
Groceries. Duh.
He pulled the list up on his phone and grabbed a few things, setting them down on the table in front of El. Erik handed him more money than he owed, refusing the change.
El looked confused, and then shook his head. “Guess I’ll just use it to buy ya a drink, then.”
“How long are you here today?”
“Market’s here till two, but we don’t stay that long. Usually pack up around noon and head back.”
Erik looked over to Gemma, then back to El. “Think you could sneak away for half an hour?”
He glanced over as she flipped through her book, trying to pretend she wasn’t intently listening.
“Hey Gem?”
She turned to him with the most snide smile he’d ever seen.
“Whatever could it be, Ellie?”
She only called him that when she was either asking for something or about to tease him to death.
“Mind if I take a walk?”
“‘Course not. Try not to scare the poor boy.” She winked, and El held his mouth in a firm line as he died a little on the inside. He’d get her back for this.
El made his way around the side of the table to join Erik. “Where to?”
They walked around, stopping here and there until Erik had everything on his list plus a few extra things (he couldn’t say no to the dark chocolate salted caramels). They sat at a picnic bench, each with their own smoothie.
“So what kinda stuff do you grow on your farm? Do you have any animals?” Erik wasn’t sure what to talk about, but he figured it wouldn’t hurt to try and get to know him a little.
“Mostly just produce, whatever’s in season.” He took a long sip of his drink and looked across the table at Erik. “We have some chickens, pigs, n’ horses but they’re not for commercial use or nothin’. Not my thing. How ‘bout you? What do you do for a livin’?”
“I’m a bartender downtown. Relatively newer place, but we have a good group of regulars.”
El nodded with a small smile. “Sounds like a good gig. Maybe I’ll have to swing by sometime.”
Erik returned his smile and rubbed at the back of his neck, not sure what to say next. El wasn’t at all what he expected, which was great. The more he learned about him the more he wanted to know.
“That would be really cool. You’re really cool.” He grabbed his drink to try and hide his growing blush, but it was already spreading across his face.
Now it was El’s turn to blush, giving Erik the worst case of butterflies. “We’re uh...havin’ a little bonfire next weekend. Would you wanna come along?”
Erik bit back his immediate response, trying not to sound too eager. “Yeah, I’d love to.”
A week later, Erik dug through his closet, throwing clothes over his shoulder with a frown. He was quickly realizing he had no idea what to wear to a bonfire out in the country.
Mia stood leaning against the doorframe, and watched him with an amused smile.
“Lose your favorite sweatshirt again?”
Erik turned and shot her a scowl. “Fuck off.”
She laughed, and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “Geez, someone’s testy. Got a date tonight or something? You usually don’t care what you’re wearing.” She looked around at the piles of clothing. “At least not this much.”
Erik clammed up, and Mia laughed even harder. “Man, he must be pretty great for you to be acting like this. Where are you going?”
Erik plopped down beside her with a huff, and laid back on his bed with his arms folded behind his head. “A bonfire. Out in the country.”
Mia raised a very curious eyebrow. “Meet someone at the market last weekend? I never expected you to be into that kind of thing.”
“Maybe I did. And neither did I, but here we are.” He spread his arms out and gestured to the ceiling, as if it could have an opinion on Erik’s love life.
Mia got up and sifted through the clothes on the floor, and dropped a pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt on Erik’s face. “Bring your zip-up, it’ll get cold once the sun sets. So when do I get to meet him?”
Erik eyed the outfit and changed his shirt, smoothing the new one out against his stomach with a small smile. Sometimes Mia really came through.
“Hopefully never. I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to unleash you on the poor guy. He’s too nice.”
She snorted, and made for the door. “Then what in the hell is he doing with you?”
Erik shook his head with a laugh. “I have no idea.”