AH collections

the dwight timing

Jeremwood
Word count: 7307
Chapters: 1

Jeremy sighed in dismay at the 'out of order' sign on the elevator. A glance at the pizza box revealed he was going to the fifth floor. Stairs it was, then. As he walked, he passed the time by trying to guess how much he would be tipped. The apartment block was one of the better ones in the city, not that that meant much. Los Santos was a hellhole, and even that was putting it mildly. Delivering takeout didn't usually get a lot of tips, the tippers either too poor themselves or just plain stingy in the suburbs.

He needed to work on his stamina, he decided, when he reached the fifth floor panting heavily.

Jeremy double-checked he had the right door before pressing the button. The doorbell rang with a deep, ominous gong sound. Jeremy stared at the spyhole, trying to get his breathing under control. It took a moment, and another, but finally the door opened.

A black skull mask greeted him. Jeremy paled, taking an involuntary step back.

"Ah, the pizza," the Vagabond drawled, his deep voice echoing in the hall. Jeremy swallowed hard, hands shaking slightly. The Vagabond cocked his head. "Why, hello there."

"H-hi?" Jeremy stuttered, clutching the pizza box to his chest. He was so, so dead.

"How much?" the Vagabond asked patiently, and Jeremy flinched.

"Uh, I, ah-" Jeremy glanced down at the box, blinking until the numbers swam back into place. "T-twenty-seven and n-ninety-four c-cents. Sir."

The Vagabond nodded, trading two bills for the pizza box.

"Have a nice day," he said politely, before shutting the door in Jeremy's face. Not that Jeremy noticed, too busy staring at the two fifty dollar bills.

Matt gaped at him for a solid minute when Jeremy brought home nearly a hundred dollars in tips, without having to risk getting caught skimming by the sharp-eyed owner of Dwight's Delivery services. The woman had been awfully suspicious lately, and Jeremy had carefully hidden his tips before coming in. They had a communal tip jar that he fed a couple dollars in reluctantly, just for show. Everyone knew better than to expect to see most of the group tips ever again.

The Vagabond's generous tip paid off their bills from the last month. They'd been lagging behind a little, it was a relief to come even for once.

Between the three of them with currently four jobs and some, uh, extracurricular activities, they might even be able to save up some money. Maybe get a second bed or a new couch if they were frugal for a while. Or try to get out of their hellhole of an apartment - the ceiling started leaking recently, and their complaints fell on deaf ears. They didn't dare make too much noise, either, with the three of them sharing a one bedroom flat.

That didn't make him any less nervous as he stood before the same door again, with the same order. He gulped, rubbing his sweaty palms one after the other on his pants, juggling the pizza box. Taking a deep breath, he rang.

"Hello again!" Vagabond said cheerfully, and Jeremy handed over the pizza wordlessly. "About thirty dollars right? Here."

He handed Jeremy a fifty dollar bill. Jeremy licked his lips. Did he expect change this time? Was it a test? The Vagabond was known for his unpredictability and murder sprees, and he kept looking at Jeremy expectantly.

"R-right," Jeremy stammered, reaching for his wallet. He pulled out a twenty dollar bill. "Y-your change, s-sir?"

The Vagabond did a double-take, fortunately looking more surprised than offended.

"Oh! No, no, keep the change," he said quickly, backing into his apartment hurriedly. "Nice to see you again, bye."

The door fell shut, but Jeremy was too glad to still be alive than to wonder at the strange behaviour.