Raising Hybrid Puppies [a Starker coffee shop AU]

Chapter 16

"Ey, birthday boy!"

Peter sighs into the Valentine Velvet he's steaming milk for and glances over his shoulder. He can't seem to keep the scowl off his face, even for Toomes.

"Why so grumpy, Parker? Stark not putting out?"

Peter covers his wince with an eye-roll and finishes the drink which he passes to a chuckling Chet, who's managing the first floor with him today.

"That the drink for Valentine's Day?" Toomes asks.

"Maybe." Peter shrugs. "It'd be easier to come up with one if I knew what we'll be selling to go with it."

He immediately cringes at his tone but Toomes smirks, fortunately.

"So the puppy barks, eh? Remind me not to get on your bad side, Parker. And you'll get that info when you get it. Got half a mind to just pile that shit on my sous chef. Fucking holiday. Just another excuse to milk our pockets."

"Well... Aren't you doing the same?"

"Nah," Toomes spits, "my Valentine Day cupcakes ain't gonna cost double just because of some stupid date, Parker. I don't go in for that nonsense. Gimme that."

Toomes grabs the cup from Chet, who is too scared of the baker to protest.

"Too much salt. Bah, you trying to poison your customers?" The man shudders. "But yeah, I can work with that. And here's more for your crazy taste testers."

"Thanks," Peter tells him. "But why didn't you leave it with my aunt?"

"Oh, she's busy, talking to some guy. Besides, gotta ask what kinda cake you want for your party. Can't promise I'll make it, but maybe you'll catch me in a generous mood that day."

"Um," Peter's not sure what to react to first, so he settles for the easiest question. "Something vegan? Without nuts?"

"You're a riot today. Didn't ask for the dietary restrictions of your fucking guest list, now, did I?"

"Uh, sorry... M-maybe something with blueberry?" Then Peter remembers the season and he backtracks. "Or vanilla, vanilla's fine!"

"You realize I'm using the good shit, right? Won't make a difference if I buy blueberries or the vanilla extract, really."

"I can reimburse you for the –"

"Ha, just messing with you, son." Toomes takes a final gulp of the Valentine Velvet (which needs a new name cause there's nothing velvet-y about it anymore) and passes the almost-empty mug back to a wide-eyed Chet. "You gotta cheer up, Parker. You're in customer service. Now excuse me, ladies, I gotta change."

And Toomes is gone as suddenly as he appeared. Peter catches him strutting through the service door that leads to the back of the house cause for some reason Toomes seems to think supplying them with baked goods gives him the right to treat the Hybrid Puppy like a branch of his own store. But it's mostly fine; Toomes only ever does this when he's meeting some buddies of his and is running late after a delivery and then leaves through the back to avoid the crowds, both of which are impulses Peter can empathize with.

To think that the man also works in customer service...

"He has a point, though," Chet admits, pulling Peter out of his thoughts. "About cheering up. You're all weird today."

"Sorry," Peter mumbles.

It's difficult to focus on work when all he wants is a time machine. Not to take back what he said to Tony, or even that he left (stormed out, more like it), but that he didn't text before he went to bed. He's sure Tony needed his support more than Peter needed to wallow in his anger.