Work Text:
Lucas likes working in a bookstore.
The store, called CozyReads, is exactly how the name displays. It’s nuzzled into the corner of a street block on the end of a main road. The shelves, while stacked full of books, are not intimidating to a newcomer. It’s easy to navigate and once you find your precious story there is a place for you to sit and read quietly.
Lucas finds themself reading in the ‘CozyCorner’ way too often than they should. They are so easily tempted by the pages all around them. Their favorite spot is a chair in the back of the store. There’s a worn pillow sat up on the back of it, and there is a full view of the store and the door at the front. So, they can easily see any customers and walk up to help them and check them out.
Today, they’re in their special spot. The book for today has been Misery by Stephen King. The book has been so intense that they can’t hardly put it down. So interesting that they barely notice whenever the bells on the door ring, registering quickly that someone is in the store.
They all but slam the book closed and hurry to the front, sliding behind the counter and glancing down one of the aisles. There’s a boy, probably close to their age, running his fingers across the spines of the fantasy books.
The boy is genuinely very handsome. His features are prominent, although displayed softly. He is beautiful. Lucas thinks one of the best things about their job is getting to see beautiful people like him, even more pretty since they are shopping for books.
Next to the boy is a girl, around the same age as the boy. She has short, dark hair that curls and almost touches her shoulders. Lucas notices quickly how coordinated her clothing is. The undershirt to her overalls matches the pink in her hair clips which matches the pink of her braces. She has three pins on the front of her overalls, but Lucas is unable to read them. The only one that can make out is a pronoun pin reading she/her! .
“This one is really good,” Lucas hears her say. She is pointing toward Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey. It’s one of the classic fantasy books that is an “oldie but a goodie”. The girl continues, “But I may be a little biased because I love dragons and I love girls.”
The boy laughs. Lucas hears a choir of angels in their head singing around a growing flower. Beautiful!
“Oh my god… Micah!” the boy says to the girl, presumably Micah, “They have the deluxe edition of Dune here. I’m gonna have a breakdown I have to have this.”
He pulls the book off the shelf and begins turning it in his hands and flipping through the pages.
Dune is a good book, Lucas knows it very well. For it’s time its been extremely influential to environmental crises along with even being one of the inspirations for Star Wars.
“Shit- Will, it’s thirty-five. We only have twenty on us right now,” Micah frowns.
Will frowns back. Will. It suits him nicely. He looks like a Will. “I really want this,” Will thinks for a moment, “Let's come back tomorrow. Maybe we can get El to donate to my charity.”
“Yeah,” Micah giggles, “The Will Byers charity fund for buying him way more books than he needs. They’ve already donated enough to your relief-fund.”
They. Lucas loves hearing strangers using they/them pronouns for their friends and family. They like the comfort of knowing they aren’t alone, and that there are people out there who use those pronouns for them even when they aren’t there.
“Yeah, yeah. We’ll just dig in the couch for coins.”
The two turn to leave the store. Micah turns to Lucas and says a quick “Thank you” with a smile. Lucas can read the pins now notices they read “she/her!”, “awesomely autistic”, and “lesbian rights”.
“You guys have a good night,” Lucas says.
Will turns to them and smiles, “You too!”
When they are gone, Lucas walks out from behind the front desk. They pick up the copy of Dune and pay for it.
Lucas sets it on the shelf under the front desk and smiles to themself.
-
The next day, Lucas is fidgety the whole day. Why did they do that? They bought a book for a stranger. They’ve never done that before, so why now? It’s hard for them to read their book, even with how amazingly interesting it is. Even their special spot with the old pillow in the back of the store isn’t enough to soothe their nerves.
How will they give it to him?
‘Oh hey Will Byers that I should not know your name, I bought you this after you said you don’t have enough money’
‘Will from last night! Hey there! I bought this for you. Would you like it?’
‘Stranger! I heard you wanted this book so I bought it for you.’
‘Oh hello, I am doing a free book giveaway would you like this random deluxe copy of Dune by Frank Herbert.’
D ING D INGDI N GDIN G
Lucas is out of their thoughts and there he is. Will Byers, standing with the ever-so-famous Micah. Think fast, think fast.
“Shit,” they whisper and get up from their spot. As they get behind the counter, they have a few moments to take a deep breath and think over how they will make this move.
Today, Micah is wearing a flower print dress. Her hair is pulled back into a low ponytail and she has yellow clips pinned in the side. The same pins from yesterday now reside along the left pocket on her dress.
Will is wearing a striped sweater, gray and forest green. The front is tucked into his jeans.
The two walk over to the fantasy section again and spend a few moments looking over the books, at a loss for finding Will’s dream book.
Is now the time Lucas is supposed to say something?
“Excuse me,” Will turns around to face them, “We were here yesterday,” Lucas well remembers, “And there was a book here that I can’t seem to find now.”
Lucas feels the blush. Intensely.
“Oh, yeah, about that…” Lucas starts.
“Did someone else buy it?” Micah steps up to the counter and crosses her arms over it.
“Yeah,” Lucas replies.
WHATHSAT
YEAH?!
“Oh… okay,” Will starts, “I’ll see if I can find it somewhere else, Micah. Let’s go. Thank you…” Will looks to Lucas and glances to their name tag, “Lucas.” He smiles at them.
They start walking toward the door.
“Wait!” Lucas grabs the book, “It was me. I was the one who bought it. I heard you saying you didn’t have enough money at the time and you were so excited to see it and I’ve read this book so many times it’s so good so I wanted to be able to gift it to you and I-”
“That’s so sweet!” Micah cuts off Lucas and cheers. Lucas is glad she speaks because they hadn’t realized how bad they were rambling.
Will gives them a sheepish grin, “Really?”
“Yes. I want you to have it,” Lucas puts the book in Will’s hands.
“Well… I’ll need to repay you. I can’t take this for free.”
Lucas grins, “You can repay me by taking me out on a date.”
They don’t know where the sudden surge of confidence comes from, but it works. Really well. Will’s eyes widen. Behind him, Micah’s jaw drops.
Quickly, Will composes himself. He takes his phone from his back pocket and hands it to Lucas on the contact app.
Lucas saves themself as “Lucas Sinclair :-)” and hands it back.
Will smiles, “I’ll call you. It’s a date. Thank you very much, Lucas Sinclair.”
-
Will Byers :D 4:32 p . m .
hey :) its will! let’s get ice cream later <3