Work Text:
“HUGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
Hugo took off his headphones and tossed it to his desk, almost hitting his precious computer. “I swear one yell and I’m going to rip those kids’ head off,” Hugo mumbled under his breath. He’s been trying to isolate himself from any other noises outside, including his two seven-year-old-nephews that kept asking him to play Sonic Adventure. But, of course, it’s useless.
Hugo went out from his room. He found his two little nephews staring and grinned innocently at him. “Can we play Sonic Adventure, please?,” said Victor.
“Go play it by yourself,” Hugo said. “It’s not multiplayer, anyway.”
“You have to see it! We have came up with some ideas, though!” Enzo said.
“Why don’t you go out with uncle Louis, boys? America is bigger than France and you need to explore more while you’re here, you know,” Hugo said. He’s trying so hard to hide his annoyance and spoke as gently as he could.
“Uncle Louis is no fun, Hugo!,” Enzo said. “But Sonic Adventure is!”
Hugo loves kids, indeed. But treating them isn’t his forte. He always leave his nephews play alone because Hugo has no idea what kind of conversations that he should initiate with them. That’s why, he always leave his two little nephews to his sister. Besides, Hugo has an endless paranoid if those kids can entered his “mini-studio” and land a finger on his his vinyl collection, or even his Nintendo collection, or worse, his DJ set.
Hugo sighed. “How about one round and then, don’t bug me, alright?” Victor and Enzo nodded enthusiastically. “You guys go first in the living room and turn on the game, give me few seconds.”
Without further ado, Victor and Enzo already bolt into the living room. Then, Hugo went back to his room. Of course, that bait always works, he thought.
He immediately put his headphones back and immersed himself into his own music. Okay, he loves America and he needed to go out while he’s having a family holiday. But his mind was currently filling up with some crazy melodies that were impatiently came out to make a beautiful harmony.
Just put a melody here... A peak in the soundwave here.. Bass here... Play.
It sounds perfect! But, something was off....
Hugo played the song once more to re-examine the music when he heard loud knocks on the door and another “HUGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”. Hugo cursed under his breath over and over, tossed his headphones again. Okay, that’s enough, Hugo thought.
Hugo quickly opened the door. “What?”
“You promised us to see us play!,” Victor said.
“Come on, Hugo!,” Enzo said while tugging Hugo’s wrist. Hugo draw his hands from his nephews and folded it.
“Can I buy you guys some Doritos?” Hugo proposed. Enzo and Victor nodded enthusiastically, jumped like crazy and begging Hugo to buy them some Doritos. “But promise me to not to bug me in my room, okay?”
“Promise!” Enzo and Victor said simultaneously.
“Okay, I need to get my jacket and wallet. Wait for me in the living room, okay?”
Enzo and Victor nodded. They ran to the living room again. Hugo shook his head, trying to relate his childhood with Enzo and Victor, but he never been that crazy kid. He was a comic book nerd (also deep down a music nerd), an introvert, a very quiet kid that discreetly judged anyone – well, probably until now.
Hugo closed the door behind him and snatched his jacket, his phone, and wallet. He glanced at his watch and found out that it’s already past 10 pm. He needed to hurry and tried his luck, at least. For his new album sake.
Once he got out from his uncle’s house, he saw some bright neon lights from afar and a flashing neonbox. That must be a grocery store, he thought. He jogged to that place, surprised that the New York’s night wind breeze was warmer than Nantes.
When he reached the place, he pushed the door and strode in. “Oh hi!,” Hugo instantly turned around and found someone stood next to the fruit aisle. There was a lot of papers on his hand. Hugo assumed that was probably some work reports. “We’re going to close soon, we’re so sorry.”
“Dude,” Hugo walked to him. “I need some Doritos for my nephews to keep them from bugging me while I’m having a -,” Hugo couldn’t say his real profession. He just didn’t want to initiate any ‘oh you’re a DJ?’ conversation. He couldn’t stop to think a lot of genius melodies inside his head and he needs to go back soon. “school assignment.”
“It’s summer holiday, dude,” the employee boy said. He leaned and somehow, that made Hugo went mental : the employee boy looked...... horribly wrong damn sexy. And that hoodie made his medium-length brown hair looked a lot sexier – just like a tame lion. The Buc-ee’s logo on his hoodie made him even cuter. Well, a tame cute lion, then, Hugo corrected himself. “You know, you can leave your school assignments during summer, though. Besides, we already cleared out this place and we’re going to close like really soon, you know.”
Hugo almost forgot that he made up about the school assignments, he didn’t even remember at all how it felt to have a bunch of school assignments, though. It’s been few years since he left school and chose music as his career.
“That’s why,” Hugo said. “I need to finish all of my school assignments so I don’t have to worry about them again, you know. And please, I really need to buy some Doritos for my nagging nephews.”
The boy chewed the pen cap and oh my god, Hugo just went crazy. Then, he pointed Hugo with the pen and said, “we need to hurry. I’ll show you where.”
“Yes!,” Hugo threw his fist and grinned to the ‘tame-cute-lion’ boy. “Well, thanks dude!”
The boy just shrugged and proceeded to lead the way to the chips aisle. When they reached the chips aisle, Hugo quickly snatched three bags of Doritos while endlessly muttered ‘thank you’ to the cute boy.
“You’re welcome, but please be hurry,” the boy said. He about to leave Hugo when all of sudden, all of the lamps turned off but the lamps from the food corner and display beverage cooler.
***
Here they were, sat on the floor near the beverages aisle, trying to calm theirselves. Their phone batteries were almost died. They have been walked around to find plugs in the grocery store, but once they found it, they didn’t bring any charger for their phones. The boy was about to make calls from the phone inside the office, but nobody answers. Besides, he couldn’t call his house since he was living alone. And Hugo forgot about his uncle’s house phone number. He remembered his parents’ phone number, but of course, it was french phone numbers.
Hugo sighed. He took one bottle of orange juice from the display refrigerator and screwed the cap. “Hey! You can’t do that!,” said the boy. Hugo took a big gulp of his orange juice. “I already cleared out the whole store and looked around so I’ll make the janitors job easy, okay? You can’t do that!”
Hugo had no idea that he’s that thirsty. He already drank all of the juice until it left nothing. He’s usually picky about taking packed beverages due to its content; he always thinks that the packed beverages tastes too artificial and dangerous. “I’m sorry!,” Hugo said. “I’m so thirsty from running and walking around when we tried our luck, okay?”
The boy sighed. He fished out his phone from his pants pocket. “Shit, my phone’s died already.”
Hugo mimicked what the boy has been doing. “Mine’s too. We trapped.”
The boy sighed again. “I can’t believe my manager could be this mean to me.”
“He probably doesn’t know that you’re – “
“I was joking, okay?,” the boy spat. Then, he looked at Hugo that already curled like a frightened kitten and sat few inches far from him. “I’m so sorry, okay. I’m so sorry.”
Hugo sat near the boy again. “It’s okay, though. You probably having a panic attack right now.”
The boy buried his face on his hands. “I have no idea that this will happened,” the boy said behind his hands.
“Well, nobody knows that this will happened, indeed,” Hugo said.
The boy looked at Hugo confusedly. “Why don’t you feel panic, though? I thought you’re having school assignment to do.”
Hugo looked at his empty bottle of orange juice. “The truth is, I’m not a student.”
“I should’ve known.”
“I’m a DJ.”
“You’re a what?”
“DJ,” Hugo shrugged. “Well, or music producer.”
“Dude, whoa,” the boy chuckled. “I have no idea that a guy like you could do such a cool thing.”
“Hey, I’m cool!”
The boy chuckled again. “You seemed like a nerd university student that always bury yourself on books.”
“Hey!”
The boy chuckled again, seriously. Although those statements were a bit annoyed Hugo, Hugo found that this boy’s chuckle was so cute. “Okay okay, I’m sorry,” the boy said. “Anyway, what it has to do with your endurance?”
Hugo fixed his eyeglasses back to his nose. “Well, I’m already getting used to with my DJ controller acting up during the gig, or even pressed wrong button, and all that.”
The boy nodded. “Then, what happened with the chips? It’s not you working on your school assignment, right?”
“I’m having a new album coming up, though,” Hugo answered. He looked at the boy and he had no idea that the boy also looked straight to him, listened to him carefully. Deep down inside his heart, he thanked the lights from the display refrigerator that shone the boy’s face. Those beautiful brown eyes, that nose, that perfectly chiseled sharp jaws, beautiful soft dark brown hair... Whoa.
“Are you currently making your song and you don’t want your nephews to bug you?,” the boy asked.
“Yes. That’s why I came here to buy some Doritos,” Hugo chuckled. That made the boy chuckled too, almost made Hugo melted on the floor. “Those kids are crazy about Doritos. They always asked me to bring some Doritos when I have tour here.”
“What’s so special about Doritos, anyway?,” the boy grinned.
“Well, I have no idea about kids’ taste buds works, though. But they’re usually into salty food, though.”
“You sounded like a university student.”
“No, I left school since I was seventeen and decided to pursue my career in music.”
“You’re like, so smart, dude. You have every answers to any questions.”
“Thanks,” Hugo could feel that his cheeks were flushed red. He looked at his empty bottle again. He didn’t know what to do when there’s a cute guy stared at him like crazy. Then, he stood up. “I’m going to pick some snacks to eat, I’m hungry.”
“Dude! I told you to not making these janitors worked even harder –“
Hugo already walked to the snack aisle and yelled, “I’m going to clean and pay those all! I promise!”
***
They have been locked for three hours and their phones were dead already. They already killed hours by talking and talking. They even cooked some sausages for hotdogs in the food corner. They finally moved their conversation in the food corner; they sat on the chairs in the food booth and kept talking.
Hugo learned that the boy was originally lived in North Carolina. He moved to University to pursue his bachelor degree. He had just graduated from the university. He took linguistics major because he just simply loved language so much. He worked in the grocery store because he would like to go to Japan and started his life there.
“Why Japan, though?,” Hugo asked while he took a big bite of his hotdog.
“For a simple reason : I love anime and games. I love their culture and the language,” the boy said. “I’ve been studied Japanese linguistics for so long – well, I’ve been studied linguistics from any parts of the world, but I’ve learned Japanese too.”
“Weebs,” Hugo said while grinned to the boy.
The boy chuckled. “Thanks, I’m flattered.”
“What games do you play?”
“A lot. I’ve been into DDR so much, and... well, I played anything.”
“We should go the amusement arcade sometimes”
“I bet you play games a lot too”
“Man, I love Sonic Adventure too much. And I also play DDR, don’t worry.”
“You can’t beat me in DDR.”
“Oh, challenge accepted.”
After they finished with their little banters and food, they wandered aimlessly around the grocery store until they found the trolleys. All of sudden, the boy pushed one trolley. “Oh god, I always wanted to do this!,” the boy climbed on the troller and sat on it. “Come on, French boy! Pushed me!”
Hugo grinned. He also always wanted to do that.
Then, Hugo pushed the troller. Man, this boy was lighter than he looks, Hugo thought. He added speed and soon, they ran like mad men around the dark grocery store, giggling and shouting like crazy.
***
It’s three A.M when they heard the door cracked open and the lamps have been turned on. Hugo blinked his eyes over and over, trying to familiarize himself with the sudden lights. He found his head on the boy’s shoulder. They have sat in front of the beverage display refrigerator and falling asleep there.
Hugo blinked his eyes over and over again to make out some figures that were approaching them. He could feel that the boy next to him shifted his weight. He must be awake, now.
There, Hugo saw his parents, a man in the same uniforms as the boy’s, a man dressed in t-shirt and jeans were stood before him. Hugo stood up straightaway and embraced his parents. His parents kept telling him that they were worried about his sudden disappearance. The boy also stood up and having a long conversation about the mishap.
When everything was settled, Hugo approached the boy. He gave an empty bottle of his orange juice and his empty bag of chips. Then, he shoved him few dollars onto his hands. The boy raised his eyebrows. “You know, just in case you need to scan the barcodes. Don’t forget about the hotdogs. And here, I paid everything already.”
The boy chuckled. “I know you’re going to do that.”
Hugo shoved his hands onto his jackets pocket. He has no idea that the temperature inside the grocery store grew colder. “When can I see you again? I don’t have your number anyway.”
“Remembering you by your name, I guess. I hope your name is easy to pronounce. Can you come by tomorrow?”
“It’s my last day in the US. Well,” Hugo chuckled and shrugged. “my mishap last day in the US.”
The boy chuckled again. “Well, what’s your name?”
“I’m Hugo. Hugo Leclerq.”
“Damn, that’s hard to pronounce.”
“Hugo, Leclerq. Leclerq.”
“Your surname, it is. I mean, it’s hard to pronounce.”
“I’ll go with Madeon. That’s my stage name.”
“That’s a lot easier. Madeon.”
“What about you?”
“Porter Robinson.”
***
When Hugo reached France and turned on his phone, his phone rang. One notification from Twitter. When he opened the mention tab, he’s swooned :
@porterrobinson : @madeon hey, hugo. How’s France?
Along with one attachment. One photo. He opened the photo and oh my god, that was Hugo’s empty bag of Doritos.
When everybody thought it was creepy, for Hugo, it was sweet. He rapidly typed a DM to Porter and asked for his phone number. He just couldn’t wait to hear Porter’s sweet voice again.