It was 6:30am and Jay was trudging into work exhausted beyond belief. The night before had been spent fighting with his brother on if their dad was a homophobic asshole like Jay had evidence he was.

"Jay, bro, you look like shit!" Called Al, the shift lead opening.

"I feel it too" he retorted back while putting on his apron.

Al looked at the DCR and noticed that Adam had called off once again.

"So, Adam called off. With you looking like shit, do you want to just handle dialing in the expresso and getting ice? I can handle the cold brew and brew machine."

"Sure! We can tag team food whenever that gets here too!" Yawned Jay while grabbing what he would need for dialing in.

8am rolled by real fast and pretty soon the first wave of zombie like customers were walking in ready to get a cup of jo and start the day!

Jay was placed at register because he was the most perky post cup of coffee

"Good morning! What can I get started for you?" He asked as a man walked up to the counter. He seemed very fidgety and uncertain about being at the coffee shop all together.

"Do you guys have tea? For the next 30 days I'm trying to not drink coffee" the man asked

"Yea! We have chai, matcha, herbal tea, and some other tea packets you can choose from" replied Jay

The man fidgeted with the ends of his collared shirt while muling over his options. "I think I'll get a chai tea latte with uh soy milk? Yes soy milk" he finally said

"One chai latte with soy! Anything else?" Exclaimed Jay!

The man just shook his head

"Can I get a name for the order?" Jay asked when he finished ringing up the order.

"Mouse" was all the man responded with.

Once Mouse walked away, Jay just stood there thinking to himself, what a peculiar name for a peculiar person.

//

The next morning Jay worked, once again he was put on register. Jay realized it wasn't because he was perky after a cup of coffee, it was because he could put on the best customer service voice before 9am.

Once again the first wave of zombies came rolling through, a fidgety man walked up.

"What can I get for you" exclaimed Jay

"Uh a chai latte with soy please" mumbled the man while pulling his sleeves past his hands.

"For sure!" Jay exclaimed while ringing it up.

"What's the name for the order?" He asked

"Mouse" the man stated and quickly walked away.

Jay threw the receipt out and thought, "what makes that man so fidgety and why do I feel so excited when he comes in"

//

The little dance Jay and Mouse were doing had been going on for a little over two weeks now. It has gotten to a point where Mouse didn't even need to say his name or order, Jay just knew it of memory! Until one morning.

"Chai latte with soy, right?" Smiled Jay when Mouse walked up to the counter.

Mouse gave a shy smile and replied, "that and triple shot hot Americano"

Jay froze while putting the order in, "what happened to no coffee for 30 days?"

Mouse fidgeted with his sleeves and laughed, "oh it's still happening, the triple shot is for someone else"

Jay could feel his heart drop in the pit of his stomach at that response.

He faultered for less than a second before recovering and finishing the order, "alright! One chai latte with soy for Mouse and one triple shot Americano for someone else" he handed over the receipt and smiled.

The second Mouse walked away his smile fell and he started wondering why it bothered him so much that Mouse was getting coffee for someone else.

"Dude, it's obvious. You like him" stated Adam while clapping Jay on the back. Jay hadn't realized that Adam had been watching the whole interaction until he spoke up.

//

Mouse frequented the coffee shop my most mornings only occasionally slipping in the triple shot Americano. Finally one day Jay got to meet the "someone else" that Mouse often spoke of.

"Mouse! Your usual?" Asked Jay when Mouse stepped up to the counter.

Smiling, Mouse replied, "yea, and -

"a triple shot Americano" stated a female who stepped beside Mouse.

While Jay rang the drinks up, the female spoke, "you were right Mouse, it is cute the way his customer service high pitched voice gets more high pitched when he is talking to you"

Jay froze, "Mouse talks about him?" His inner dialogue was going rampant with this knowledge

"Ask him" she said with enough conviction that Mouse knew he had to

"Uh, hey I was wondering what you were doing after work today" stuttered out Mouse while rubbing behind his neck with his hand.

Jay froze for the second time that morning.

"Nothing, why?"

"Wanna get drinks with us?" The female asked.

"I wouldn't want to third wheel" replied Jay, very confused on why this couple was asking him to third wheel with them.

"Actually, we are polyamerious and would love to date you if you want to" replied Mouse shyly.

"Uh" Jay was stunned with what he was hearing!

"Dude! Say yes!" Exclaimed Adam and Al who were standing off in the corner watching the interaction.

"Sure!" Stated Jay

"Cool! I'm Hailey by the way, we can meet at Molly's Bar at say 6?"

“Penny for them?” He started as Kim slid opposite him, her lilac dress matching his tie. “If you want to leave you know he won’t mind.”

“I’m fine.” His friendship with Burgess had somehow survived his tours after leaving Chicago, Kim giving him texts and writing letters every few months. He’d received the one saying he was going to be an uncle the day he’d gotten the text saying she’d lost the baby. But she was his closest friend apart from Jay now.

The dance to Bruises by Train drew to a close, the people surrounding the dance floor clapping for the not so newlyweds. Platt had the microphone, standing in front of what was used as the top table holding it out.

“And now that they’ve danced, Greg has a few words to say.” She passed it to him, Mouse giving a glare as he took it.

“Thanks, Mom,” he drawled, a smile from those close by at his words. He stood, giving a wave to Makayla who grinned and waved back from her place between Adam and Kevin.

“I’ve known Jay for more than fifteen years. We were scared kids in boot camp, sticking together because we were both from Chicago. And when we got out he pulled me out of a spiral. Gave me the courage to go on. Gave me the faith in myself to tackle my demons and go back.

“I could tell you a million stories about Jay, about when we worked together either time. But the one I always come back to was shortly after he moved up to Intelligence. He needed tech help, and came to me. Got me food, gave me cash. Let me know I could call him if I needed anything.

“And I did. He helped me get healthy. Showed me where to get the help I needed to screw my head on. I couldn’t have done it without him. Jay proved, time and time again, that when he believes in you the only time he’ll break that trust is if you do something awful.” He paused and took a drink of the coke on the table, watching around the room as Hailey looked up at her husband with love, biting down the jealousy he felt.

“Hailey, you’ve married a man who will move heaven and earth to make you happy. Who loves fiercely, and cares deeply, even if he doesn’t know how to show it and his dislike of candy is a little off putting. I wish both of you the very, very best. To Hailey and Jay!” He held up his drink in a toast, the rest of Jay and Hailey’s friends joining him in a toast.

He didn’t last long at the rest of the wedding, dancing with Kim and teasing her about how Adam was looking at her before taking a spin with Makayla and twirling her around before delivering her to her parents. It was a final hug from Trudy and a promise to come for lunch some afternoon, and handshakes to the other members of Intelligence.

Jay and Hailey gave him hugs, Jay holding him tightly for a moment with slightly wet eyes.

“Meant every word,” Mouse whispered before turning to hug the bride.