Pietro Maximoff (Himbo)

It’s a promotion you need, since you moved out of your ex-boyfriend’s place and into a place of your own.

The line for the train is endless, the weather is awful, so you decide to treat yourself to a macchiato and a rideshare, despite your growing concerns about finances.

A mysteriously pristine, white car pulls up to the curb, stopping brilliantly close enough for you to climb in without stepping into a puddle while not splashing your legs with the tire’s spray.

The climb in is a struggle as you barely juggle your bag, umbrella and hot drink. If you can just get home and into a hot shower, you’ll whip up something yummy to eat, if only to avoid spending more money on ordering food. 

The driver greets you neutrally, asking if the temperature of the car is comfortable. You let him know that it is, before leaning back in your seat to sip on your macchiato. The warmth of your favorite beverage soothes you from the inside out, and you don’t feel even a little bit guilty about the amount of sugar you’re enjoying.

Right as you start to relax in the surprisingly comfortable, luxuriously leather back seat, the car rumbles and jerks. The jolt of it sends piping hot liquid gushing out the cheap, ill-fitting disposable lid and right into your lap, but not before it splashes your jacket on the way down.

Your face crumples as you realize almost every drop of your beverage is gone. You can’t drink it, you’re wearing it, your clothes are stained and it’s hot. And despite your efforts, your umbrella and your rideshare, now you’re wet. Tears sting the corners of your eyes as your lip trembles.

“Are you okay?” your driver questions genuinely, pulling up to stop at a traffic light. With one arm around the passenger seat headrest, he turns all the way around to check on you. Sincerity pours out of his coffee colored eyes. Dark eyebrows arch with worry. “I’m so sorry. There was a pothole. I’m sorry.”

A horn honks behind you, alerting him to the fact that the light is now green. He whips back around to resume driving, giving you a good look at the inky curls flipping out from under his flat cap. The square cut of his jaw tenses as his eyes flicker up to check on you in the rearview mirror, before he reaches into the glove box for some napkins and sanitizing wipes. 

“Here,” he offers, handing them over the seat to you. “You can use these.”

“Thank you,” you sniffle, feeling a little overdramatic, but realizing that everything is catching up to you: your breakup, your job, your new apartment you can barely afford… You only wanted a simple, quiet ride home.

The driver checks on you again, realizing the napkins will do little to help this mess. So he asks you if it would be all right to pull over for a moment. You look at him like he’s crazy for a second, but the earnest way he says please gives you pause. Something about the way he utters it goes straight to your heart.

“There’s no charge for the ride, okay? But I have a clean towel in the trunk. I don’t want you to sit there like that for the rest of the ride. Is that all right?”

You nod, using the napkins to dab at the mess surrounding you. The man pulls safely off the road, but it’s public and safe, nothing suspicious or creepy. 

“Be right back,” he tells you, braving the rain to get the towel out of his trunk. It takes him a minute or two to get back in the car, and you briefly wonder how long it could take to retrieve something from the trunk.

“Here. My name is Jake. But you saw that on the app, I guess.” He repeats your name to you, apologizing again, his gaze holding yours long enough to steal your breath for the briefest moment.

“Thank you,” you whisper, grateful that the towel is cleaning up a lot more than the napkins were.

“You okay? Want me to head out or do you need a second?”

Releasing a trembling breath, you shrug. “We can go, I guess.”

Jake complies, easing out into traffic. “I know you probably just want to get home, but…you seem like you had a rough day. Wanna scream at somebody?”

You stare at his reflection in the rearview mirror. There’s a glint of mischief in his dark eyes, and the corner of his mouth curls. “You can kick the back of my seat if you want.”

You snort, caught off guard for a moment.

“Go ahead. You’ll feel better. You can give me a bad rating too. It’s only fair. It’s a shit drive.” He shrugs one shoulder. “Get nasty in the comments. I can take it.” He catches your eyes in the rearview mirror again and winks, seeming pleased that you’re chuckling in spite of yourself. 

“I wouldn’t do that,” you tell him. “Not the mean comment anyway. I mean, you were really prepared to clean up this spill. You hit a lot of potholes?”

“Hell no. I’m just a germaphobe.” He holds up one hand. “Why do you think I have on gloves? It’s not even cold out.”

“So you hit a pothole, spilled my drink and now you’re saying I’m gross and full of germs? Damn. One star for you.”

“See, it feels good right?” He jokes with you. “Now, go ahead and kick the back of my seat. I promise you, you’ll feel better.” 

So you kick it. And you laugh.

“That’s it? I thought you were having a bad day. I was expecting whiplash. Come on, kick it.”

You kick the back of his seat a few more times, chuckling a little more until a true laugh bubbles up in your chest. 

After a moment, you calm down, realizing how ridiculous you’re acting. 

You smile at Jake in the mirror, noticing his eyes soften. 

“Wanna talk about it?”

Honestly, this guy got your mind off things for just a few, stupid, silly minutes. The last thing you want is to talk about your screwed up life.

“No, it’s okay. But thanks. For the towels. And the kicking. Maybe I’ll give you two stars.”

“How about some music?”

Soon enough, soothing old jazz filters through the speakers. You think you recognize the voice, but you don’t know a thing about jazz.

“Who is this?”

“Sarah Vaughan. You like it? Want something to scream to instead?”

You laugh. “No. This is good.” Jazz-filled moments pass, with rain pattering on the tinted window and you feel…peaceful. A semi-contented sigh passes your lips as you realize how good this driver is at his job. Well, maybe not driving, but making a pleasant journey of a simple ride home.

“I had a bad day at work,” you find yourself confessing. 

“I know the feeling,” he casually fires back. “This amazing looking person got in my car and I hit a damn pot hole. Spilled coffee right down their coat. Can you believe that? Gonna give me a shit rating.” He glances up at you in the mirror again. “Then I started talking about myself for some damn reason.”

You’re both laughing before he can finish his melodramatic tale. 

“Back to one star,” you tease.

“Told you - worst day at work,” he adds, shrugging his shoulder, giving you a wink. “What happened to you? Need me to drive someone into a pothole?”

“I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” you joke. “Well, except maybe the guy who got promoted instead of me.”

“Did you kick his office chair?”

You snort, a little embarrassingly, honestly. “Maybe I’ll do that tomorrow.”

Jake asks a few open-ended questions about what went wrong, without getting too personal about what you do at your job. He listens as you ramble on for a few minutes, unburdening yourself more than is probably necessary to do with a stranger, all the while nodding and saying uh-uh at the right time. He asks questions deep enough to express genuine interest, without sounding downright nosy. 

“The answer is obvious,” he tells you. “Quit.”

“Maybe I will at some point. Just moved into my own place. So I need the job for now.”

“Me too. But after one star, I better start considering a career change.” He flashes you a genuine smile. “Mind if I pull over one more time?”

You shrug. “Might as well.”

After driving another block, he stops the car, puts it in park and rolls down the window to receive a delivery. He offers his thanks and a cash tip before turning around to hand you a disposable coffee cup.

“Dairy free macchiato, right? I read your cup’s label.”

You catch your slack-jawed, wide-eyed stare in the rearview mirror. “You got me a macchiato?”

“It’s the least I could do after the pothole ate the last one.” His eyebrows shoot up underneath his flat cap. 

“Are you serious?” You laugh out, gratefully accepting the piping hot beverage. 

He smiles at you brilliantly before pulling out into traffic once more. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

“Want me to kill your boss?”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

“Do you want another macchiato all over your back seat?”

“Touché.”

Enjoying a few sips of your drink, you reflect on what a crazy and interesting ride home this has been. “You know, Jake, threats of violence aside, you definitely cheered me up tonight.”

“I aim for a minimum of two stars - I really do.”

You finally pull up to your apartment building and thank him again. Twisting around in his seat, he holds out a gloved hand. “You have my info if you ever need another ride. Or a seat to kick.”

“Or threats of violence?”

“Or some good jazz,” he concludes, shaking your hand. “I hope your boss falls down an empty elevator shaft.”

“I hope your boss ignores your two-star rating.”

“It’s your call, but without this job, I won’t be able to afford to take this hot person I met to dinner.”

“How is that my problem?”

“You don’t eat dinner?”

A handshake probably shouldn’t last this long, but your hand rests comfortably in his.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

You decide to move into a smaller, more affordable place. It’s a little further away from work, but you have three job interviews lined up. You save a lot of money, some of which you use to indulge in a certain white rideshare car and its handsome driver.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

edited by @reallyrallyauthor featured in the @the-oscar-isaac-collective A Sip of Coffee ZINE

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

Jake Lockley Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Join my tag list

•Peter being your best friend from community college and is the person who suggested that you move in since you’re looking for roommates already. At first you think it’ll be just him and you. But then he explains that he has roommates and you’re more excited since you were kinda nervous to be living with one guy.

•Before moving in Peter suggest a test run to see how you’d do with the guys. So you spend the weekend at the boys apartment.

•You meet Bob first. He’s watching TV and he’s shy around you because he forgot that you were coming over. But when you actually show interest in what he’s watching he warms up.

•You meet Joaquin next. He brings in pizza and beers. He’s super chatty and friendly. He then remembers that Johnny is most likely there. Peter says he isn’t. And then what would you know? Joaquin who basically broke into Johnny’s room pulls him out.

•Johnny was pouting cause he didn’t want another roommate but then he sees you and is all like. Wait? You’re the potential new roommate??? But you’re a girl?!

•Peter is like yeah? What about it.

•Johnny figured you’d be a boy since the rest of his roommates are boys. But since you’re a girl? He’s extra flirty.

•Which brings us to the birth of the douche jar. Johnny being somewhat douchie and has to have a douche jar. (similar to the one in New Girl) He claims y’all are robbing him blind and Peter suggests that if he stop being creepy around you then the jar wouldn’t exist.

•Surprisingly you agree to move in even after Johnny being on his worst behavior.

•Joaquin waking up early and does his workout routine so loudly that it wakes either Johnny or you up. You nicely tell Joaquin to be quiet. While Johnny throws a hissy fit talking about how he needs his beauty sleep and that all of this (his face) doesn’t look like this normally. Nobody knows what he’s talking about because he’s literally got no skin care routine. He’s just being dramatic.

•Bob doing the dishes and cleaning out the refrigerator without being asked to do it basically being a little Angel (unlike Johnny who is the messiest) Everyone gives him some extra cash or a gift as a reward for his hard work! And tells him that they appreciate him.

•Peter being the “leader” of the friend group and everyone but Johnny taking him seriously as the leader. Johnny constantly points out that Peter is the youngest and that by that point he shouldn’t be the leader. But you tell him that the friend group really doesn’t need a leader in the first place. And that it’s just a joke.

•Joaquin being the one to remind everyone when rent is due, reminds y’all to eat, take your meds, etc, and is low-key the most put together out of everyone in the group (though it should be noted he is the oldest.)

•Bob falling asleep on the couch while watching baking shows typically he always wakes up with a blanket on him he never knows who puts it on him (everyone including Johnny puts a blanket on him)

•Johnny takes the longest showers, next would be Peter, you, Bob, and Joaquin would take the shortest ones (obviously y’all don’t shower together unless…) 😏

•Peter, Johnny, and you are the worst cooks. While Bob and Joaquin are the best. Bob probably cooks the most for everyone.

Peter and you are good at baking and you guys make the most baked goods.

•Johnny isn’t allowed to cook or bake because he’ll burn everything even though he’s determined he won’t. (He always does)

•Joaquin is the one to always suggest that everyone go out to the movies, to parties, or sporting events, and is super big into team-building exercises

•Bob being the best at video games and loving to read and watch nature shows he’s also the best at cuddling

• In the winter Johnny is everyone’s heating pad. Johnny likes it at first cause you give him more attention and then Bob starts to cuddle with him too and he’s like waittttt and before he knows it everyone is around him and he’s like get off of me while having a huge blush on his face

•Peter and Johnny are best friends but they’re constantly bickering and Joaquin and you have a bet to see if they’ll end up together. Bob has no idea about this he’s just concerned about the friend group. And doesn’t like the fighting.

•Johnny one day early on thinks he can impress you (cause he has a major crush on you) by telling you he’s been to space. Peter overhears this and laughs loudly and says he’s also been to space. And Johnny is like Oh yeah??? Source?! Peter then pulls out his phone and shows the videos he took. And Johnny’s like shit gotta make up something to sound even cooler. “Well, I fucked an alien.” Everyone stares at him and you gag and walk off.

•Meanwhile, Joaquin who knows Johnny has a crush on you tells him he has no game. (He did at one point but he’s not used to this dimension. And that it’s 60+ years into the future for him.)

•In the hallway you tell Bob that Johnny fucked an alien. And he runs into the kitchen asking for details. Not because he’s a perv. But he wants to know what the alien looked like. And Peter laughs and tells him that Johnny didn’t fuck an alien. And you best believe Johnny is thinking but I could!

•As a joke you start to point out popular aliens from pop culture and ask if that was his lover. He’s so embarrassed that he just pouts.

•Joaquin (ever the dad friend) has to go and check on him

•You jokingly say that you’re in a reverse harem one night and the boys take this and go to some really funny places with it.

•Johnny calls you a Mormon and that you’re greedy cause one guy isn’t enough for you

•Peter starts singing the Ouran High School Host Club song cause he knew you loved the show in high school (you told him once when you were drunk)

•Joaquin asking who’s you’re favorite boyfriend and playfully winking at you