a fic where eddie is just a regular office worker who hates his job and spends more time staring out the window of his tiny first-floor office people watching instead of actually working.
richie is just a guy who takes his dog for a walk every single morning past the same big office building downtown because it’s on the way to the dog park.
every morning, as eddie stares out the window dreaming of a better job, he sees cute dog walker guy walk past and he doesn’t like to admit it, but it makes his morning a little brighter.
even though it’s not necessarily the fastest way to the dog park, richie always makes sure to walk past that same office building every morning, because the guy whose desk faces out the window is always sitting there, his chin rested on his hand as he stares out the window and richie wonders how it’s even possible for someone to look so effortlessly beautiful.
one morning, cute dog walker guy doesn’t show up. not that eddie has memorized that he walks by every morning at 10:30, it’s not like eddie was waiting for him to walk down the street or anything, it’s just…. an observation. he doesn’t think too much of it, just tries to get back to his painfully dull work at this painfully dull job. after five more minutes of being unable to focus, he decides to take an early break and walk down to the coffee shop at the corner of the block and get some caffeine, maybe that will help him focus (he knows it won’t).
so he makes his way down the street, but when he reaches the little cafe, he notices something. it’s a dog, it’s leash tied to the bike rack outside the cafe. except it’s not just any dog- it’s the very same dog that walks past his window every morning, but… without it’s owner. it’s a very hot day, and eddie can see the dog panting in thirst, and he starts to worry. surely cute dog walker guy couldn’t have thought it would be okay to leave his dog out in this heat alone? eddie has never been much of a dog person, but even he wouldn’t do that to an animal. he walks over to the dog, trying to stand it front of it to at least attempt to give it some shade and a break from the sun, when the cafe doors suddenly burst open, and none other than cute dog walker guy steps out.
god, eddie thinks as he approaches, of course he looks better up close. the dog’s owner starts heading back to his dog, but startles slightly when he sees eddie standing there. his cheeks flush pink, but eddie is sure that that’s just from the summer heat.
“hey,” he says, coming to stand beside eddie. “you’re not trying to steal my dog, are you?”
now it’s eddie’s turn to blush, partly because he hadn’t realized what it might have looked like for him to be hanging around this dog, and partly because he can’t quite believe that cute dog walker guy is talking to him. “no,” he replies. “but you know you shouldn’t leave your dog outside in this heat, right?”
cute dog walker guy smiles, and crouches down beside the animal. “i know, and i would never normally leave her alone, but i just needed to go inside and get her some water,” he says, and eddie notices that the cup he’s holding isn’t a coffee for himself, but a cup of ice cold water. he takes off the lid, holding it up to the dog and letting her take a few big gulps.
now, eddie feels embarrassed. “oh,” is all he can say, and when cute dog walker guy looks up at him and smiles, eddie is even more lost for words. “thanks for your concern, though,” he says, standing back up. “lots of people probably wouldn’t have given her a second thought.” eddie shrugs, and he notices that the dog is also staring up at him with what almost looks like a smile on her face. “it’s really not a big deal,” eddie says, even though his hands are sweating in his pockets and his heart is racing.
cute dog walker guy introduces himself and richie, and eddie gives his name as well, though richie quickly opts for a nickname as he says, “well, eds, i feel like i kind of owe you a thanks.”
“that’s really not necessary, like i said, it was no big deal-”
“can i buy you a coffee?” richie asks, and eddie is about to once again protest that richie doesn’t need to repay him, until he analyzes the smile on richie’s face and the look in his eyes and eddie realizes oh. that’s not why he wants to buy me a coffee.
eddie, flustered, agrees, which seems to make richie smile even wider. “great,” he says. “although, if you don’t mind- could you watch her while i go get that?” richie’s dog, who seems to have taken a liking to eddie in the past few minutes, nudges her head against eddie’s leg. eddie once again agrees, sort of stuck in a haze of trying to convince himself that this isn’t all a dream.
with another smile, richie gets eddie’s order and heads back inside, and after a few minutes he returns outside with a drink for himself and one for eddie. richie unties his dog, and the two begin their goodbyes. “it was nice meeting you, eddie,” richie says as he starts down the street. “see you around.”
eddie almost asks what he means by that, until he looks down at his drink and notices something written on the cup. at first eddie thinks the scribbles was just the barista writing his order, until he takes a closer look and realizes it’s a phone number. richie’s phone number, with the message of ‘text me’, and a smiley face written underneath it. by the time eddie snaps out of his shock and looks up, richie’s gone, disappeared down the street, leaving eddie there as a smiling, blushing mess as he heads back to his office, typing richie’s number into his phone as he walks.
