Page 6 of Sugar

A dirty old man, a voice whispered.

He shoved that thought aside. He probably wouldn’t act on what he really wanted to do, but at the very least, he could be a friend.

He changed from slacks to jeans, then pulled the security polo over his head and shoved it into his locker. Just as he was shrugging into one of his more comfortable T-shirts, the door opened, and Mike walked in. He was dressed sloppily and looked half-baked, but Piper couldn’t bring himself to give a shit. It wasn’t like there was going to be some massive rush of mall patrons that required the man to be sober.

This wasn’t the eighties.

“You see that bakery place is closed?” Mike said as he flopped into a chair.

Piper shrugged. “Yeah. Juno had to take a sick day.”

Mike laughed. “The fuck kind of name is Juno?”

“A Roman goddess, a spacecraft orbiting Jupiter…”

“Oh shit, isn’t that like the capital of Alaska or some shit?”

“No,” Piper said blandly. He grabbed his bag. “Nothing to report. Have a good shift.”

He started for the door when Mike called his name, and when he turned, the man smirked at him. “Feel free to dislodge that stick from your ass before I see you next.”

Piper didn’t respond. It was far easier to ignore him, especially when he had Juno waiting for him. He made his way down the security tunnel so he could clock out, then around the side of the building where employees entered and exited the garage. He saw Juno standing at the far end, covering his left eye with two fingers, and his stomach twisted again.

There was nothing he could say or do to make this better. He could get him a drink and give him a shoulder to cry on. He could even take him home and fuck him until he forgot his name if that was something Juno wanted. But nothing would change his reality.

He shifted his bag to his stronger shoulder, then fished out his keys as he approached the younger man. Juno offered him a wobbly sort of smile, and Piper wanted to kiss him until all the tension drained from his body.

Fuck, he really was a dirty old man.

“Sometimes, when you look at me, you get this weird expression,” Juno said, his voice soft and thoughtful. “Did I do something wrong?”

It’s because I want you, and if you knew, you’d probably think I was a total weirdo.

He didn’t say any of that aloud. Instead, he smiled and offered his hand. “My car isn’t parked too far. I have a disabled plate.”

Juno blinked at him. “I don’t need a guide.” The yet was unspoken, but Piper heard it anyway.

“I wasn’t offering that. I was trying to be comforting,” he explained.

Juno glanced down, his face full of shame. “Sorry. I think I’m still panicking? Like…like my whole world was just turned upside down, then I had to come to fucking work and just get on with my day as though my doctor hadn’t just dropped this goddamn asteroid on my head.”

Piper’s lips twitched at his choice of words. He was pretty sure Juno didn’t know about his past and what he used to do. It felt a bit like kismet, though he didn’t believe in that sort of thing. “Panic away. We’re going to get comfort food.”

At that, Juno hesitated, then reached for Piper’s hand and pulled him to a stop. “I don’t think I can.”

“Can what?”

“Go out.” Juno’s breath trembled on his exhale. “I can’t…seeing is getting harder out of this eye, and my right eye is fine, but the way it’s all uneven is making everything all weird and wobbly. And right now, I think my anxiety is fucking me up because everything seems so loud and so chaotic, and…”

“I have a house. Well, a town house.”

Juno’s jaw snapped shut with an audible click. His cheeks went pink.

“I’m not trying to be forward,” Piper said in a rush. “I’m saying that it’s quiet there. We can order food, and I have this amazing weighted blanket my brother got me to help with my panic attacks. It’s super warm, but we can crank the A/C and put shitty reality TV on silent. And you can vent. Or sit quietly. Or nap. Whatever you want.”

Juno swallowed heavily. “Why are you being so nice? I mean, I’m not going to turn you down,” he added with a bitter laugh. “I have basically no one, and I really don’t want to be alone right now. But is there something you want from me? Like…sex or…”

“Christ,” Piper said a little too loudly. He felt like shit when Juno jumped back from him. Slapping a hand over his face, he groaned as he searched for the right words. “I like you, Juno. A lot. You made my weird mall job worth going to every time I see you. You’ve made me smile every single day that I’m here, and trust me, not a lot of people can do that. I’m a grumpy old asshole.”

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