Chapter Text
Over the following weeks, Richard found himself spending more and more time with Hernando.
Somehow, it had become routine.
Most evenings, Hernando would pick him up after his shift, usually waiting outside with a coffee, a snack, or some small gift he had spotted during the day that reminded him of Richard.
Nothing expensive.
Just thoughtful.
A keychain shaped like a cat because Richard had once pointed at a stray.
A book Richard had mentioned wanting to read months ago.
His favorite chocolate appearing mysteriously whenever he had a bad day.
The little things.
The things nobody had ever really done for him before.
Naturally, Evelyn noticed.
"Oh, look who's here," she would tease whenever Hernando arrived. "Richard's prince charming."
"Shut up."
"He's literally waiting outside with flowers."
"They're not flowers."
"They're flowers."
Richard hated that she was usually right.
The worst part was that he couldn't even complain.
Hernando was a genuinely good boyfriend.
Patient.
Affectionate.
Reliable.
And perhaps what Richard appreciated most,
Hernando never tried to change him.
He never criticized him for being distant.
Never complained when Richard needed space.
Never judged him.
He simply stayed.
And that was terrifying.
Because Richard was beginning to realize just how much he liked having him around.
Maybe this relationship would actually last.
Maybe for once,
Things could be different.
Or perhaps it was too early to think like that.
One evening, Richard found himself walking through town alone. The weather was pleasant. A cool breeze drifted through the streets while the moon hung high overhead, bathing everything in silver light.
As he walked, his phone buzzed.
Evelyn.
Of course.
Evelyn: R u with ur charming bf?
Richard rolled his eyes.
Richard: No. He said he's working late today.
A few seconds later:
Richard: We're going on a date tomorrow though.
Immediately:
Evelyn: OH MY GOD
Evelyn: Richard Sterling voluntarily mentioning a date?
Evelyn: Our cold-hearted king has fallen.
Richard groaned.
Richard: Stfu.
Richard: I'm not falling.
Richard: I just enjoy his company.
The typing bubble appeared.
Then:
Evelyn: That's somehow worse.
Richard immediately put his phone away.
Nope.
Conversation over.
Still...
As he continued walking, her words lingered.
Was he really that obvious?
Surely not.
He liked Hernando.
A lot.
But falling in love?
That seemed dramatic.
...Right?
His stomach growled. Well. Existential questions could wait.
Food could not.
As he glanced across the street, a familiar sign caught his attention.
Burger King.
He shrugged.
Might as well.
The restaurant was surprisingly quiet inside. Only a handful of customers occupied the tables scattered around the dining area, and the steady hum of the fryers filled the background. The smell of fries immediately hit Richard the moment he stepped through the door.
He shoved his phone into his pocket and walked toward the counter, already thinking about what to order.
"Welcome to Burger King, what can I get for-"
The voice suddenly cut off.
Richard froze.
Slowly, he lifted his head.
"...Hernando?"
Behind the register stood Hernando.
Not just Hernando.
Hernando in a full Burger King uniform.
The cap.
The name tag.
The black polo.
Everything.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Hernando smiled.
"Hello, mi amore. I didn't think I'd see you here."
Richard blinked.
Once.
Twice.
His eyes slowly travelled from the cap to the logo embroidered on Hernando's shirt.
Then back to his face.
"...You work at Burger King?"
Hernando glanced down at himself.
"Yes."
Richard looked genuinely horrified.
"Since when?"
Hernando thought for a moment.
"About six months?"
Richard immediately took a step backwards as though he had just learned his boyfriend was secretly a wanted criminal.
"Hernando."
"Yes?"
"You work at Burger King."
"Correct."
"Hernando."
"Richard."
"You work at Burger King."
"I feel like we're going in circles."
Richard stared at him in complete disbelief before placing both hands dramatically on the counter.
"You never told me."
Hernando frowned.
"I didn't think it was important."
"IT IS IMPORTANT."
Several customers turned to look.
A mother quickly covered her child's ears despite no swearing being involved.
Hernando immediately stepped around the counter and approached him.
"My darling," he said carefully. "Please don't start yelling in my workplace."
"Your workplace?!"
"Yes."
"The Burger King?"
"The only Burger King in town, yes."
Richard looked personally offended by the existence of the building.
Hernando looked completely lost.
Finally Richard leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"I work at McDonald's."
"...I know."
The silence stretched.
Then realisation slowly dawned on Hernando's face.
His eyes widened.
"Oh."
"Exactly."
"Oh my God."
"EXACTLY."
Hernando stared at him.
Then laughed.
Actually laughed.
Not a small laugh.
Not a polite laugh.
A full laugh.
The kind that made him bend slightly forward.
Richard looked ready to commit a felony.
"This isn't funny."
"It is a little funny."
"It is not."
"It absolutely is."
"This relationship is doomed."
"It's fast food."
"It's bigger than that."
"No, it isn't."
"It is."
"Hamburgers are not bigger than our relationship."
"You don't understand."
"Clearly."
Richard folded his arms.
"We work for rival corporations."
Hernando stared.
Then looked around the restaurant.
Then back at Richard.
Then around the restaurant again.
As if checking whether hidden cameras were recording this conversation.
"Richard."
"No."
"Richard."
"No."
"They don't even know we exist."
"That's not the point."
"What IS the point?"
Richard opened his mouth.
Then paused.
Then opened it again.
Then paused.
Because, admittedly, now that he had to explain it out loud, it sounded slightly ridiculous.
Only slightly.
"The point is..." he began.
"Yes?"
"The point is..."
Hernando waited.
Richard pointed dramatically at the Burger King logo above them.
"That."
Hernando looked up.
Then back at Richard.
"That's a logo."
"It's a symbol."
"A symbol of what?"
"Of betrayal."
At this point, one of the cashiers had completely abandoned all pretence of working and was openly listening.
Hernando rubbed his temples.
"I cannot believe this is a real conversation."
"I can't believe you're taking this so lightly."
"What exactly would you like me to do?"
"I don't know."
"Be upset?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because we are natural enemies."
Hernando stared.
"Natural enemies."
"Yes."
"We work at different fast-food restaurants."
"Exactly."
"My love."
"What?"
"You're insane."
Richard gasped dramatically.
"Hurtful."
"Accurate."
"You chose burgers over me."
"You literally work at McDonald's."
"That's different."
"How?"
Richard opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
He thought.
Then pointed at Hernando.
"Because."
Hernando blinked.
"Because what?"
"Because it just is."
"Excellent argument."
"Thank you."
"That was sarcasm."
"I know."
For a moment they simply stared at each other.
Then Richard crossed his arms.
"We're over."
The restaurant went silent.
Even the fryer seemed quieter.
A little girl looked up from her meal.
Her mother looked interested.
One employee quietly whispered, "Oh my God."
Hernando stared.
"...Excuse me?"
"We're over."
"You're breaking up with me."
"Yes."
"Because I work at Burger King."
"Correct."
Hernando looked toward the ceiling as if asking the universe for strength.
When no strength arrived, he looked back at Richard.
"You are genuinely unbelievable."
"I have standards."
"You have issues."
Richard pointed at him.
"There you go again, insulting your boyfriend."
"Ex-boyfriend apparently."
Richard hesitated.
"...Right."
Hernando immediately caught that hesitation.
A slow grin appeared on his face.
"Oh, we're already changing the wording?"
"Don't."
"You lasted approximately three seconds."
"Don't."
"You looked sad saying it."
"Hernando."
"You looked like a kicked puppy."
"Hernando."
"You looked like you were about to cry."
"I was not."
"You absolutely were."
Richard looked away.
Unfortunately, that only proved Hernando's point.
The grin widened.
"My shift ends in forty minutes."
"So?"
"I'm still taking you on that date tomorrow."
"No you’re not."
"Sure."
"No."
"Mhm."
"Hernando."
"My dramatic little McDonald's employee."
The moment Richard got home, he kicked off his shoes and collapsed face-first onto his bed.
For several seconds, he simply lay there.
Motionless.
Staring into the mattress.
Then he let out a long groan.
"Fuck..."
The word came out muffled by the pillow.
What a disaster.
What an absolute disaster.
Slowly, he rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.
The betrayal.
The deception.
The audacity.
A Burger King employee.
His boyfriend was a Burger King employee.
Richard dragged both hands down his face.
How had this happened?
For weeks they had been dating.
Weeks.
They had gone on dates together.
Spent evenings together.
Exchanged gifts.
Talked about everything.
Or so Richard had thought.
Apparently not everything.
Apparently there had been a very important detail that Hernando had somehow neglected to mention.
A detail involving flame-grilled burgers.
Richard groaned again and turned onto his side.
Was he overreacting?
No.
Absolutely not.
Probably.
Maybe.
Okay, perhaps a little.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was that Hernando had never told him.
What if he had never gone into that Burger King?
What if months had passed?
Years even?
Would Hernando have eventually introduced him to his coworkers?
"Hello everyone, this is Richard. He works for our greatest enemy."
Richard buried his face in the pillow.
This was ridiculous.
The worst part was that a tiny voice in the back of his head kept reminding him that Hernando had looked genuinely confused during the entire argument.
As if he truly couldn't understand why Richard was upset.
The idiot.
The beautiful idiot.
The beautiful idiot who worked at Burger King.
Richard groaned even louder.
He needed help.
Professional help, probably.
But Evelyn would have to do.
He reached for his phone and scrolled through his contacts.
A moment later, the call connected.
The phone rang twice.
Then:
"Richard?" Evelyn's sleepy voice answered. "Do you have any idea what time it-"
"I broke up with him."
Silence.
A long silence.
Then:
"...Excuse me?"
"I broke up with Hernando."
Another pause.
A much longer one.
The kind of pause suggested Evelyn was sitting upright in bed.
"WHAT?"
Richard winced and pulled the phone away from his ear.
"What do you mean 'what'?"
"I mean WHAT?"
Evelyn sounded fully awake now.
"What happened?"
"Did he cheat on you?"
"No."
"Did he lie about something serious?"
"...Kind of."
"Did he get arrested?"
"No."
"Is he secretly married?"
"No."
"Richard, you're scaring me."
Richard sighed dramatically.
"He wasn't honest with me."
Evelyn immediately became serious.
"Oh."
Richard stared at the ceiling.
"Yeah."
"What did he lie about?"
Richard hesitated.
Suddenly, saying it out loud felt significantly more embarrassing.
Evelyn waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Finally:
"...He works at Burger King."
Silence.
Richard frowned.
"Evelyn?"
Nothing.
"Evelyn?"
A strange noise came through the phone.
It sounded suspiciously like choking.
"Evelyn."
She burst out laughing.
Loudly.
Violently.
The kind of laughter that made breathing difficult.
Richard immediately sat up.
"It isn't funny."
She laughed harder.
"It is absolutely funny."
"It is not."
"YOU BROKE UP WITH HIM OVER BURGER KING?"
"It wasn't just Burger King!"
"Oh my God."
"Evelyn."
"Oh my God."
"EVELYN."
She laughed so hard Richard was genuinely concerned for her health.
Finally, after nearly a full minute, she managed to calm herself.
A little.
"Okay," she wheezed. "Explain."
Richard crossed his arms despite the fact she couldn't see him.
"We work for rival companies."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"Richard."
"Evelyn."
"They are fast-food restaurants."
"Exactly."
"That is not exactly."
"It is."
"No sane person has ever said that sentence."
Richard fell back onto the bed.
"You don't understand."
"Apparently not."
"He hid it from me."
Evelyn was quiet for a moment.
Then:
"Did he actually hide it from you?"
Richard opened his mouth.
Paused.
Then frowned.
"...No."
"Did you ever ask?"
"...No."
"Did he ever tell you he worked somewhere else?"
"...No."
Evelyn sighed.
"Richard."
"No."
"Richard."
"No."
"You are an idiot."
Richard gasped.
"Wow."
"I'm serious."
"He should've told me."
"Why?"
"Because we're dating."
"Richard, most couples talk about trust issues, communication issues, future plans..."
"He works for Burger King."
Evelyn groaned.
"I'm coming over."
Richard blinked.
"What?"
"I'm coming over."
"Evelyn, it's late."
"And you're clearly having a psychological crisis."
"I'm not."
"You absolutely are."
Richard opened his mouth to argue.
Then stopped.
Because honestly?
Maybe she had a point.
Evelyn sighed again.
"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
"You don't have to."
"I'm already putting on shoes."
"Evelyn."
"Fifteen minutes."
The call ended.
Richard stared at his phone.
Then slowly lowered it.
The apartment felt strangely quiet.
His gaze drifted toward the ceiling once more.
A date tomorrow.
A boyfriend who somehow wasn't technically his ex-boyfriend.
A best friend who was undoubtedly coming over to make fun of him.
And somewhere across town, Hernando was probably still working his shift while telling everyone about his insane McDonald's employee boyfriend.
Richard groaned and buried his face in the pillow again.
Why did this always happen to him?
More importantly,
Why did Hernando have to look so good in that stupid Burger King uniform?
The next day, Richard looked like a man who had lost a custody battle, a divorce settlement, and a war all in the span of twelve hours.
He stood behind the register at McDonald's with dark circles beneath his eyes and a permanently annoyed expression on his face. His hair wasn't styled the way it usually was, and every few minutes he would stare blankly into space before remembering he was supposed to be working.
The result of spending most of the previous night complaining about Hernando to Evelyn.
Poor Evelyn.
At some point around three in the morning, she had started falling asleep while he complained, only for him to wake her up, and for her to respond, "go to sleep."
Richard hadn't listened.
Now he was paying the price.
Evelyn glanced over from the fry station and sighed.
"Richard, you look terrible."
"I know."
"You look like you've been possessed."
"Thank you."
"You look like someone dug you out of a grave this morning."
Richard finally looked at her.
"Can you stop?"
"No."
She crossed her arms.
"Seriously, just leave early. I can handle the rest of the shift."
Richard immediately shook his head.
"No."
"Richard."
"No."
"Richard."
"No."
Evelyn groaned.
"Why?"
"Because work takes my mind off him."
Evelyn stared at him.
Then slowly looked around the nearly empty restaurant.
"There are currently three customers in this building."
"Exactly."
"How does that help?"
"It gives me time to think."
"That is literally the opposite of taking your mind off him."
Richard opened his mouth.
Paused.
Then frowned.
"Shut up."
Evelyn rolled her eyes so hard Richard was genuinely worried they might get stuck.
For a few moments neither spoke.
The restaurant remained quiet.
A customer collected his order.
A child cried somewhere near the play area.
The ice cream machine made a concerning noise.
Then Evelyn sighed.
"You know you're being unreasonable, right?"
Richard immediately looked offended.
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
"No."
"Richard."
"Evelyn."
"You're mad because your boyfriend works at Burger King."
Richard pointed at her.
"Ex-boyfriend."
"Not according to literally everyone who heard your story."
"He is my ex-boyfriend."
"Did he agree to that?"
Richard hesitated.
"...That isn't important."
"Oh my God."
Evelyn rubbed her temples.
"We had this exact conversation yesterday."
"And I was right yesterday too."
"You were not."
"He should've told me."
"He works in fast food, not the mafia."
Richard looked scandalized.
"That's not the point."
"What IS the point?"
"He hid it."
"He didn't."
"He omitted it."
"That's not the same thing."
"It is to me."
"Richard."
"What?"
"Do you hear yourself?"
Richard opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Then opened it again.
Then sighed dramatically and dropped into one of the nearby chairs.
There weren't any customers waiting anyway.
He rested his head against the table and groaned.
"Fuck..."
Evelyn's expression softened immediately.
For all her teasing, she wasn't completely heartless.
She walked over and sat across from him.
"You know you messed up, right?"
Richard stared at the table.
"...Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"Okay. Fine."
He buried his face in his arms.
"I definitely messed up."
"There we go."
"I don't need your satisfaction."
"I know."
Richard sighed.
A long, miserable sigh.
The kind that came from deep within the soul.
"I miss him."
Evelyn smiled slightly.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The real problem."
Richard didn't answer.
Because, unfortunately, she was right.
The Burger King thing had been shocking.
And stupid.
And mildly horrifying.
But that wasn't why he felt awful.
He felt awful because, for the first time in weeks, Hernando hadn't texted him good morning.
For the first time in weeks, there wasn't a message waiting when he woke up.
No "Sleep well?"
No "Did you eat breakfast?"
No stupid heart emoji hidden somewhere in the conversation.
Nothing.
And somehow that hurt far more than he expected.
Richard rested his forehead against the table.
"I think I'm an idiot."
Evelyn laughed.
"I've been saying that for years."
"Not helping."
"Sorry."
She wasn't sorry.
Richard knew she wasn't sorry.
A few moments passed.
Then Evelyn suddenly snapped her fingers.
"I know."
Richard looked up.
"What?"
"Want some ice cream?"
He blinked.
"What?"
"Ice cream."
Evelyn pointed toward the machine.
"When life gets bad, ice cream helps."
Richard considered it.
Then shrugged.
"...Sure."
"See? Progress."
Evelyn stood and walked over to the machine.
A few seconds passed.
Then ten.
Then twenty.
Then she sighed.
"Oh."
Richard immediately knew that tone.
"Oh no."
"Oh yes."
"The machine?"
"The machine."
Richard closed his eyes.
"Of course."
Evelyn poked a few buttons.
Nothing happened.
She hit the side.
Still nothing.
Then she returned.
"It's broken again."
Richard looked toward the machine with genuine hatred.
"How does that thing break every week?"
"I think it's cursed."
"Probably."
Silence fell again.
Then Richard sighed.
"How do I even fix this?"
"Call the repair guy?"
Richard slowly lifted his head.
"Evelyn."
"What?"
"Not the fucking ice cream machine."
She stared.
"Oh."
"My relationship."
"Right."
She leaned back in her chair.
For a moment, she seemed to genuinely think about it.
Then she shrugged.
"Apologize."
Richard looked horrified.
"That's it?"
"That's literally it."
"It can't be that simple."
"It is."
"I need a strategy."
"No."
"A plan."
"No."
"A speech."
"No."
Evelyn pointed at him.
"You call him."
Richard immediately looked away.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
"What if he's mad?"
Evelyn stared.
"Richard."
"What?"
"You broke up with him because he works at Burger King."
"I know."
"You are lucky if he doesn't throw a burger at your head."
Richard groaned.
"You're supposed to support me."
"I am supporting you."
"This feels like bullying."
"It can be both."
Richard dropped his head back onto the table.
Everything was a disaster.
His relationship was a disaster.
His sleep schedule was a disaster.
The ice cream machine was a disaster.
And worst of all...
He really missed Hernando.
Evelyn watched him suffer for another few moments before speaking.
"You know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think Hernando is probably sitting somewhere right now, wondering why his boyfriend lost his mind over a Whopper."
Richard let out a long groan.
————————————
Near the end of their shift, Richard was accomplishing absolutely nothing.
Technically, he was supposed to be wiping down the counter.
In reality, he had cleaned the same spot three times and spent the last twenty minutes staring into space.
His thoughts kept circling back to the same thing.
Hernando.
The argument.
The breakup.
The fact that he had somehow managed to destroy a perfectly healthy relationship over fast food.
Richard let out a frustrated sigh and rested both hands on the counter.
"Fuck this guy..." he muttered. "Maybe he'll just forget about me, and everything will go back to normal."
Even as he said it, the thought made his chest ache.
Because he didn't want things to go back to normal.
Normal had been lonely.
Normal had been going home to an empty apartment and pretending he didn't care.
Normal hadn't included good morning texts, surprise gifts, or someone waiting for him after work.
Evelyn, who was counting the register nearby, looked up.
The entrance door had opened.
A familiar figure stepped inside.
She immediately smirked.
"Yeah," she said. "I don't think he forgot you."
Richard frowned.
"What are you-"
Then he turned around.
And froze.
Hernando stood near the entrance.
Still wearing his Burger King uniform.
Apparently, he'd come straight from work.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Hernando finally broke the silence.
"Richard?"
Richard rolled his eyes.
"What are you doing here?"
Hernando walked a little closer.
"I came to talk."
His voice was calm.
Almost annoyingly calm.
"Since you didn't let me yesterday."
Richard looked away.
That was fair.
Yesterday he had essentially declared war, ended the relationship, and stormed off before Hernando could properly respond.
Not exactly mature behavior.
Evelyn glanced between them.
Then immediately started gathering her things.
"Nope."
Richard looked at her.
"What?"
"Nope."
"Evelyn."
"Nope."
She grabbed her bag.
"I'm not staying here for whatever this is."
Richard pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Evelyn."
"I'm leaving."
"Evelyn."
She pointed at both of them.
"Talk."
Then she pointed specifically at Richard.
"And use your brain this time."
"Evelyn."
"Goodnight."
She looked at Hernando.
"Good luck."
Then she disappeared through the door before Richard could stop her.
The restaurant fell quiet.
The last customers had already left.
The fryers hummed softly in the background.
Outside, the evening sun was beginning to disappear below the horizon.
Richard sighed.
"So?"
Hernando stared at him.
"So?"
"Yeah."
Hernando looked genuinely offended.
"You broke up with me over Burger King, and your opening line is 'so'?"
Richard winced.
Okay.
That sounded bad when someone else said it.
"You make it sound stupid."
"Because it was stupid."
Richard groaned.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Richard leaned against the counter and looked down at the floor.
"I was upset."
"Clearly."
"I mean it."
Hernando's expression softened slightly.
Richard sighed again.
"I was mad you didn't tell me."
Hernando folded his arms.
"Tell you what?"
"Where you worked."
"Richard."
"What?"
"I work in fast food."
"I know."
"So do you."
"I know."
"And somehow you acted like I was secretly working for an international crime syndicate."
Richard covered his face.
When Hernando put it that way...
Yeah.
It sounded ridiculous.
"All my training here basically taught me that rival companies are the enemy," Richard muttered.
Hernando stared.
Then stared some more.
Then rubbed his forehead.
"Oh my God."
"I know."
"Richard."
"I know."
"No, I don't think you do."
Richard laughed weakly.
For the first time all day, he actually laughed.
And somehow that made him feel worse.
Because now he could clearly hear how ridiculous the entire situation had been.
Hernando sighed.
"Do you honestly think people take that stuff seriously?"
Richard hesitated.
"...Maybe?"
"God, you're stupid."
There wasn't any real malice behind the words.
Just disbelief.
Richard looked away.
Because honestly?
He deserved it.
For a few moments, silence settled between them.
Not an uncomfortable silence.
Just a heavy one.
The kind that comes after an argument when both people are exhausted.
Finally, Richard spoke.
His voice was quieter now.
"I don't know what happened."
Hernando looked at him.
"I was angry."
He swallowed.
"And I handled it badly."
A pause.
Then another.
"I'm sorry."
The words felt surprisingly difficult to say.
Not because he didn't mean them.
Because he did.
Because admitting he had hurt someone he cared about wasn't easy.
Hernando studied him for several seconds.
Then his shoulders relaxed.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"There he is."
Richard blinked.
"What?"
"The intelligent Richard."
"Oh, shut up."
"No."
Despite himself, Richard smiled.
A genuine smile this time.
And apparently, that was all Hernando needed.
He closed the distance between them and gently cupped Richard's face.
Before Richard could react, Hernando leaned down and kissed him.
It wasn't dramatic.
It wasn't rushed.
Just warm.
Familiar.
The kind of kiss that immediately made Richard realize how much he'd missed him.
When they finally pulled apart, Richard's face was bright red.
"Hernando..."
"What?"
"You can't just do that."
"I just did."
Richard opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Because unfortunately that was true.
Hernando chuckled.
The sound alone made Richard's heart feel lighter.
"There isn't anyone here," Hernando said softly.
Richard glanced around the restaurant.
Empty.
Completely empty.
Even the lights seemed dimmer now that closing time had arrived.
A slow smile appeared on his face.
Without another word, he walked over to the entrance.
Hernando watched curiously as Richard locked the door.
Then he flipped the sign around.
CLOSED.
When Richard turned back around, Hernando raised an eyebrow.
"Feeling rebellious?"
"Maybe."
"Should I be worried?"
"Definitely."
Hernando laughed.
The sound filled the quiet restaurant.
Richard found himself smiling again.
God.
He'd missed that.
He walked back over until only a small distance separated them.
"Come on."
Hernando tilted his head.
"Where?"
Richard tried, and failed to hide his smile.
"The staff room."
Hernando's grin immediately widened.
"Oh?"
"To talk."
"Of course."
Richard pointed a warning finger at him.
"Don't start."
"I'm not saying anything."
"You were thinking it."
"I absolutely was."
Richard groaned.
The McDonald’s staff room was dark and quiet, long after closing time.
The only light came from the faint glow of the security monitors in the corner.
The doors were locked,
and the restaurant was empty except for Hernando and Richard.
Richard was bent over the small break table,
his McDonald’s work shirt still on but pushed up his back.
His pants and boxers were pooled around his ankles.
Hernando stood behind him, gripping his hips firmly as he thrust into him with long, deep strokes, the sound of skin slapping skin filling the small room.
“Fuck… right there…”
Richard moaned, pushing back to meet each thrust.
Hernando groaned, slamming into him harder.
“You still pissed at me?”
He asked, voice rough with exertion.
Richard turned his head,
glaring over his shoulder even as pleasure made his legs shake.
“Yeah, I am. You didn’t tell me you worked at Burger King.”
Hernando let out a sharp laugh and drove into him particularly deep,
making Richard gasp loudly.
“You’re seriously bringing this up while I’m balls-deep inside you?”
He gripped Richard’s hips tighter, fucking him with steady,
punishing thrusts.
“You’re being unreasonable as hell.”
“I’m not unreasonable!”
Richard shot back defensively,
Though his voice cracked into a moan when Hernando angled his hips and nailed his prostate.
“Ah- fuck! You hid it like you were ashamed or something.”
Hernando leaned forward, pressing his chest against Richard’s back as he continued thrusting,
his breath hot against Richard’s ear.
“I didn’t hide anything. You just made assumptions, and I didn’t feel like hearing your judgmental bullshit.”
He reached around and wrapped his hand around Richard’s leaking cock,
stroking him roughly.
“You work at McDonald’s, genius.”
“You really think I give a fuck that I work at Burger King?”
Richard’s fingers gripped the edge of the table, knuckles turning white.
He tried to stay defensive,
but the way Hernando was fucking him made it difficult to think straight.
“I just… I told you before… -” he panted, voice strained.
Hernando slowed his thrusts, rolling his hips deep and deliberate,
grinding against that sensitive spot inside Richard.
“That’s exactly why you’re being unreasonable...”
He murmured.
“I like you, dumbass. Not your job title.”
Richard stayed quiet for a few moments,
only broken moans and the wet sound of Hernando’s cock sliding in and out of him, filling the room.
Finally, his shoulders slumped slightly.
“…Fine…”
He admitted breathlessly.
“I was wrong. I was being a dick about it.”
Hernando smiled against his neck and rewarded him by picking up the pace again,
fucking him harder.
“Good boy,” he growled, stroking Richard’s cock faster.
“Now cum for me.”
Richard’s body tensed hard.
With a loud, broken moan,
He came across the break table, his hole clenching tightly around Hernando.
The intense squeeze pushed Hernando over the edge right after.
He buried himself deep and groaned as he filled Richard with thick, hot pulses of cum.
They stayed like that for a minute, panting heavily.
Hernando pressed a lazy kiss to the back of Richard’s neck before slowly pulling out.
“Next time you’re mad”
He said, amused,
“just talk to me instead of acting like a jealous little brat, yeah?”
Richard let out a tired chuckle, still catching his breath.
“Yeah… shut up.”
Hernando smirked and parted Richard’s legs again…
“Now, I’m far from done with you, Mi Amor”
——————————————————
The following morning, Evelyn arrived at work expecting a completely normal start to her shift.
That expectation lasted approximately seven seconds.
She entered the restaurant, and headed toward the staff room to put away her bag.
The moment she opened the door, she froze.
For one horrifying second, her brain processed what she was seeing.
Then,
"EEEEK!"
The door slammed shut so hard it rattled the frame.
Evelyn staggered backwards, covering her eyes dramatically.
"My poor eyes!" she cried. "My poor, innocent eyes!"
The door opened again a few moments later.
Richard stepped out looking like a man who had gotten dressed in record time.
His shirt was slightly wrinkled.
His hair was a complete disaster.
And he looked exhausted.
Not tired.
Exhausted.
The kind of exhaustion that only came from getting absolutely no sleep whatsoever.
He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.
"Uh..."
Evelyn pointed at him immediately.
"No."
"Sorry."
"No."
"I can explain."
"I don't want an explanation."
Richard sighed.
"Fair."
Evelyn looked him up and down.
Then she narrowed her eyes.
Then she looked him up and down again.
"Wow."
"What?"
"You had one hell of a good night."
Richard immediately looked away.
His ears turned red.
"Something like that."
"Something like that," she repeated mockingly.
Richard groaned.
"Evelyn."
"What?"
"Evelyn."
"What?"
"I said I'm sorry."
She folded her arms.
"So you two made up?"
Richard hesitated for a moment before nodding.
A small smile appeared on his face despite his efforts to suppress it.
Evelyn saw it instantly.
"Oh my God."
"What?"
"You're smiling."
"So?"
"You never smile."
"That's not true."
"It absolutely is."
Richard rolled his eyes.
Evelyn stared at him for another few seconds.
Then she sighed dramatically.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"Both of you can go to hell."
Richard laughed.
"I'm serious."
"Okay."
"No, seriously."
She pointed toward the staff room.
"First you spend an entire night crying about him."
"I was not crying."
"You absolutely were."
"I wasn't."
Evelyn rubbed her temples.
"Now I walk into work and find you two asleep after doing god knows what in the staff room."
Richard looked away.
"Yeah..."
"Fuck you."
"Fair."
"Fuck Hernando."
"Less fair."
"And fuck my single life."
That made Richard laugh again.
Evelyn immediately looked offended.
"Don't laugh."
"I'm trying not to."
"You deserve suffering."
"Probably."
"Damn right."
A few minutes later, Evelyn disappeared into the staff bathroom to recover emotionally from her traumatic experience.
A little later, the restaurant officially opened.
The morning rush hadn't started yet, leaving the dining area relatively quiet.
Hernando had already left for his own shift, though not before shamelessly kissing Richard goodbye in front of everyone.
Evelyn was still angry about that.
Mostly because Richard had looked disgustingly happy afterward.
Richard stood beside the register watching the empty entrance.
Eventually, he glanced toward Evelyn.
"Sorry again."
Evelyn looked up.
"Oh, of course."
Richard sighed.
"No, I mean it."
"Naturally."
"You're still upset."
"I'm not upset."
"You are."
"I'm perfectly calm."
Richard raised an eyebrow.
"Evelyn."
"What?"
"You threatened to spray me with cleaning chemicals ten minutes ago."
"I said I was considering it."
"That's not better."
Evelyn crossed her arms.
"For the record, I still think getting laid in a staff room is insane."
Richard nearly choked.
"EVELYN."
"What?"
"We are at work."
"So were you."
Richard covered his face.
"I'm never recovering from this."
"Nope."
For a moment they simply stared at each other.
Then Richard tilted his head.
"Are you sure you're not just mad you're single?"
The silence that followed was immediate.
Dangerous.
Evelyn slowly turned toward him.
Richard instantly regretted everything.
"What did you just say?"
"Nothing."
"You absolutely said something."
"I value my life."
"You won't for much longer."
Before the argument could continue, the entrance door opened.
Both of them instinctively turned toward it.
A woman entered.
She looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties.
Elegant.
Poised.
The kind of person who somehow made walking into a fast-food restaurant look sophisticated.
Her light brown hair fell neatly over her shoulders, and her dark eyes calmly scanned the menu.
Evelyn froze.
Completely.
Richard noticed immediately.
Oh no.
Oh this was going to be good.
The woman approached the register.
Evelyn stared.
The woman stared back.
"Evelyn," Richard whispered.
Nothing.
"Evelyn."
Still nothing.
"Evelyn!"
She jumped.
"Huh?"
"The customer."
"Oh."
Evelyn immediately straightened up.
"Right."
She attempted a professional smile.
Attempted.
It came out looking more like she was having a minor medical emergency.
"U-uh... hello, madam."
Richard bit his lip.
This was incredible.
"What can I get for you?"
The woman smiled politely.
"Hm. A medium Coke and a cheeseburger."
Evelyn nodded so quickly that Richard worried she might injure herself.
"Of course."
She entered the order.
"T-that'll be ten dollars."
Richard looked between them.
Then a wicked grin appeared on his face.
Oh, he was absolutely not letting this opportunity pass.
"And the pretty lady's phone number."
Evelyn went bright red.
Instantly.
The woman blinked.
Evelyn looked ready to murder someone.
Specifically Richard.
"Shut up," she hissed.
Richard looked innocent.
"I was just helping."
"You are the opposite of helping."
The elegant woman looked between them.
Then laughed softly.
A genuinely warm laugh.
That only made Evelyn redder.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The woman reached into her purse.
She handed over a ten-dollar bill.
Then, after a brief pause, she placed a business card on the counter as well.
Evelyn stared.
Richard stared.
The woman smiled.
"Very well."
She gently pushed the card toward Evelyn.
"Ten dollars and my phone number for the pretty cashier."
For a moment, Evelyn's brain completely stopped functioning.
The woman pointed toward the card.
"Call the number under the name Vera Nair."
Then she smiled again.
Richard watched the colour drain from Evelyn's face before returning twice as strong.