A Star for Baby (boyxboy)

Hercules

Love you all x

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"Thank you for shopping at Pages, have a nice day," Oliver told the customer monotonously.

The next person in line came up to the counter, book in hand.

"So I wanted the third in the series," the woman immediately started off with a bitchy tone. "But you guys only have the first and second. Is the third somewhere in the back?"

"Ma'am if it's not out on the shelf then we probably don't have it," Oliver told her.

"Probably? Shouldn't you get someone to check?"

Oliver sighed, and looked down at the book she was holding. He frowned, recognizing the cover.

"Ma'am, I don't think the third in the series is even out yet."

"This is ridiculous! Are you insinuating I don't know what I'm talking about?" the woman scoffed.

"Not at all, I just know this particular series and we only have the first two books."

"It is my daughter's birthday tomorrow," the woman sounded appalled. "And all she likes are these books. I want the next in the series."

"Ma'am, I'm telling you we don't have it."

"Do you even understand the hardships I've had to deal with today?" the woman snapped. "Where is your manager? I would like to speak to them."

"Hold on one second ma'am," Oliver said.

He spun around in place slowly until he was facing the woman again.

"Hi, I'm the manager of Pages Booksellers, what can I do for you?" Oliver asked.

"This is outrageous!" the woman slammed the book on the counter. "You've lost my business here for good, that I can assure you!"

She turned on her heel and left the shop.

"Thank you for coming to Pages, have a nice day," Oliver told the empty air in front of the register.

"Hey Oliver," a young woman popped her head out of the back room. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Katie."

"You've been acting really weird," she said, coming up to stand next to him at the counter. "Like, all closed off and empty."

"Thanks for the astute observation," Oliver said stonily, voice filled with icy sarcasm.

"See? That was decidedly un-Oliver like."

"Katie, we just work together. You don't know me."

"Fine," she said, standing up from the counter. "But I know something is up. You can talk to me if you need to, yeah?"

Oliver nodded absently. He stared at the back wall, wishing his shift would just get over so he could go back to the hospital. Baby was sitting in there all alone while doctors ran all sorts of tests, and Oliver was stuck at work.

You can't put your life on hold, idiot. Go into work.

Baby had wanted him to go, but that hadn't meant Oliver had wanted to go. He would've done anything to stay by Baby's side. But the doctors wouldn't let him stay back for too long anyway, since he wasn't blood related to Baby, and there was the small fact that he would probably get fired if he didn't show up. But it was still agony to sit and deal with shitty customers while Baby was alone across town. Alone with... with a disease. An unnamed, unknown disease. Oliver couldn't bring himself to say the word.