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Caleb Danvers ([info]c_danvers) wrote in [info]valarlogs,
@ 2019-05-11 18:06:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:!partner thread, alex manes, caleb danvers

Who: Caleb Danvers and Alex Manes
What: Random encounter
Where: Local coffee shop
When: Recently
Rating: PG; will update if necessary
Status: In Progress


Coffee is life. Caleb was absolutely dragging so far this day and he really needed a pick me up. Hopefully it would jump start him and he could actually be somewhat productive. Finals were coming up and he needed to finish studying. It was a little crazy in this last stretch of the semester and he honestly couldn't wait until summer break was finally here. Luckily his hours at the bar weren't bad enough to affect his studying. Working on the weekends wasn't too bad when it came to studying, but he definitely made sure to get off earlier on Sunday nights, which would change once finals were over.

He stood in line, studying the menu to decide if he wanted something new or his tried and true black coffee, and then placed his order (he did decide to go with the black coffee). He stepped off to the side to wait for his order before pulling out his phone to check on things in the mean time. He didn't hear a name called when a drink was placed and he reached out to check what it was and accidentally bumped into someone else, "Oh! Sorry about that."


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[info]notamanesman
2019-05-12 12:33 am UTC (link)
Alex's addiction to caffeine had gone from being something that was a vague source of amusement to himself to something that he was full-on concerned about. If he didn't have a cup of coffee in the morning he was pretty much non-verbal until at least 1030. He could manage just about anything after two cups no matter what time it was that he woke up, but honestly he couldn't face trying to explain to Kyle why the coffee in the kitchen needed replacing again so he'd grabbed his laptop and headed out, full of intent to work out of a coffee shop today, cribbing off their wifi and eating himself into an expanding waistline.

To say he hadn't noticed someone standing near him was a lie; Alex had. His situational awareness was pretty sharp anyway and that hadn't changed, but he'd been so focused on wanting to grab his drink that when his name was called he reached forward and suddenly found himself bumped into.

He glanced up at the other guy, tall with sharp cheekbones and an equally sharp jawline. The apology came quick and Alex just shrugged his shoulders. "It's okay- I'm not on my ass so I think there's no harm done."

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[info]c_danvers
2019-05-12 11:19 pm UTC (link)
Caleb took in the man that he bumped into and gave him a grateful smile. Sometimes his brain was not firing all the synapses he wanted it too without this coffee, but the guy didn't want to have an argument over it, so he was eternally grateful. At least he looked like a decent guy and not some of those guys who seemed to have perpetual roid rage that just existed to start a fight that he came across occasionally at his job.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. I apparently need this coffee way more than I thought earlier," with a quick glance at the coffee cup to confirm a name, "this coffee rightfully belongs to you, Alex." He grabbed it quickly and held it out to the stranger with a sheepish smile.

And just to rub salt in the wound the barista then called his name and pushed forward his own drink. Caleb was slightly curious about if the barista had been watching the situation and decided to make it even worse. Without a true way to know though he turned to grab his rightful coffee.

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[info]notamanesman
2019-05-14 10:54 am UTC (link)
Alex chuckled and took the coffee as it was handed over, hearing the guy's name called literally a couple of seconds later and he felt his lips curling up into an amused smile on the basis that there was a level of second-hand embarrassment there that he couldn't immediately shake.

"Thanks, Caleb," he said with a slight upward quirk of his eyebrow as he drew his own coffee closer to himself. He wet his lower lip and took a sip, hesitating for a half-second before he tipped his head, expression gently teasing. "You wanna grab a seat? Before you turn around and bump into someone else?"

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[info]c_danvers
2019-05-14 02:06 pm UTC (link)
All the embarrassment, honestly. Caleb did actually feel his cheeks turn a faint shade of pink, which was impressive because it wasn't often that he blushed. At least Alex was laughing over the situation, so Caleb was able to shake his head and try to pretend the incident wasn't happening.

"You're welcome, and yes, a seat would be great. I don't think most people are as relaxed as you to someone bumping into them," it didn't help that this was happening in a coffee shop and Caleb was definitely part of team 'don't talk to me until I've had my coffee'. He surveyed the room and spotted a table over by the window and nodded his head in the direction, "Let's snag that spot over there."

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[info]notamanesman
2019-05-14 02:10 pm UTC (link)
Alex's lips stayed curled up into a small smile, spotting the faint colour on Caleb's cheeks and he turned, leading the way to the small table, only limping ever so slightly as he'd caught his weight on his still-healing leg. His shoulders lifted. "You're lucky I'm pre-caffeinated," he pointed out, though really Alex didn't have much of a temper. Too afraid of being like his father, in many ways.

Easing into the seat, he rested his cup on the table and popped off the lid, fingers having snatched up a couple of sugar packets on the way past the small condiments podium.

"I can see half a dozen people here who mighta taken you bumping into them personally."

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[info]c_danvers
2019-05-14 06:54 pm UTC (link)
"I'm extremely lucky," Caleb admitted with a small chuckle. It was one thing to bump into someone and apologize, but another for that person to let him sit at a table with them. Alex was apparently far more easy going than most people he had come across in the Orange County area.

Caleb took a seat across from him and also removed the lid, but it was just to allow his coffee to cool properly. He took a long sip of the black as night coffee and let the warmth and caffeine spread through his body. Thank god for coffee. At Alex's comment he couldn't help but let out a real laugh this time.

"Your observations are completely true. You've got the soccer mom over there that would have freaked out over her macchiato, the bro that would have probably tried to snap my neck over his smoothie with extra whey, although the hippie girl getting the tea would have probably been about as relaxed as you."

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[info]notamanesman
2019-05-17 08:48 pm UTC (link)
Settled in the booth, Alex poured the sugar into his coffee and stirred it using a wooden stick that he'd also snagged, watching the steam rising from the cup. He normally didn't mind his coffee scalding hot, but that generally tended to be when he was alone and it didn't matter if he pulled a stupid face as he burned the nerve endings on his lips.

He glanced around, eyes falling on the people as they were pointed out and laughed. "I'm not sure, the hippie girl looks like she might snap if you caused her to spill her eight-dollar chai latte with almond milk and coconut flavouring. That zen thing she's got going on," he waved a hand demonstratively, "is definitely a front for someone's really highly strung."

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[info]c_danvers
2019-05-24 12:47 am UTC (link)
Now Caleb wasn't a huge tea guy, but he didn't say no if it had enough caffeine in it to help him go about his day, but that order with coconut flavoring made him wrinkle his nose ever so slightly. However, Alex had a very good point about her zen attitude being a front.

"You're probably completely right, probably high strung or smoking a lot of weed, but at least that you agree that the others would have gone off on me as well," Caleb gave him a half smile as he lifted his cup to his face and took a cautious sip.

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[info]notamanesman
2019-05-26 12:15 am UTC (link)
Alex chuckled, "I definitely agree that there are more people here who are likely to lose their minds than the good-natured vet."

He leaned back in the seat for a moment before he lifted his cup to his lips and took a sip, watching Caleb over the rim, one eyebrow lifted slightly.

"Do you make a habit of bumping into people in coffee shops as a meet-cute or am I just lucky?"

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[info]c_danvers
2019-05-26 04:48 pm UTC (link)
"A vet? Thanks for your service," Caleb admired members of the military since not everyone was strong enough to serve. He probably should have considered it a little more when he was finishing high school, but he hadn't for one reason or another.

Then Alex was giving him that look and Caleb wasn't completely sure what to make of it. And then he uttered the words meet-cute and Caleb couldn't help but chuckle, "I don't think I have ever heard someone actually say the words meet-cute aloud. But no, I don't make it a habit, so you get to consider yourself lucky today." A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before he took another sip of his coffee.

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[info]notamanesman
2019-05-28 04:42 pm UTC (link)
Alex rubbed behind his ear and shrugged his shoulders, muttering a thank you but being glad when the conversation moved on. He returned the small smile with one of his own and hitched his shoulder up. "Guess it's my lucky day then," he said softly, sipping at his coffee. "Generally when I run into people in coffee shops the outcome's less pleasant than this, so I'm chalking this up as a win."

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[info]c_danvers
2019-05-28 06:34 pm UTC (link)
At least Caleb wasn't the only one getting slightly embarrassed during this meet-cute. He could tell by that reaction that the veteran aspect of his life would be left for another future conversation. For now Caleb realized that he really knew nothing else about the man sitting across from him and now was the perfect time to find out a bit more.

"You should definitely take it as a win. So, besides your apparent penchant for running to people at a coffee shop that don't elicit a meet-cute, what else do you do? I'm hoping I'm not keeping you from something important," Caleb questioned before reaching up to wipe away a drop of coffee he could feel on his upper lip.

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[info]notamanesman
2019-05-28 06:56 pm UTC (link)
Alex felt his eyebrow lifting at the question, gently curious. It wasn't intrusive, and it was easy enough to reply. He was, after all, painfully aware that he needed to make more friends outside of the... three that he had. Four, maybe. Still, he'd been back for a while and had been so busy getting into his own head that he was completely unaware of the other people in OC.

"I'm self-employed," he reassured, "which means that I've got nowhere to be until I decide otherwise?" He snorted at himself a moment later, laughing softly. "Pretty sure that's not how it works. But. I'm in IT." He tilted his head, "You?"

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[info]c_danvers
2019-05-28 08:00 pm UTC (link)
"Self-employed sounds great," Caleb admitted with a chuckle. He was just fresh out of college, but the idea of finding himself a real adult job really didn't sound super appealing to him right now, "Well, glad I can take up as much of your time as I want." Another smile was flashed over at Alex.

"IT, Hopefully not a day full of turning it off and turning it back on again. I just graduated from college and starting an internship at the Natural History Museum in LA, but I also bartend at the club Pandemonium," Caleb explained to him. He was excited about the internship, but he was dreading the commute.

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[info]notamanesman
2019-05-28 08:13 pm UTC (link)
Alex chuckled, sipped at his coffee and then placed it down on the table, leaning back into his chair and glancing out the window, dark eyes watching people go past before he returned his attention to Caleb. "I'm trying this whole... being more social thing." He was relieved that it was going well, if he was honest. "I'm glad that I don't have to rush away."

He shook his head, "It's a little more interesting than that. I tend to hack into companies to tell them where their weaknesses are in their security software." He'd learned how to codebreak in the Air Force; he was good at it so he figured he might as well make a living out of it as a civilian. It was weird, though, that the other person who looked like him - also called Caleb, funnily enough - had a similar job. Working with computers.

"The Natural History Museum, huh?" Alex leaned forward a little, "That's really awesome, congrats. I bet that was a tricky internship to get, I hear they're really picky." He wet his lower lip, "Haven't heard of Pandemonium, but then I've not been to a club in... a while."

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[info]c_danvers
2019-05-28 08:32 pm UTC (link)
The admission about trying to be more social made Caleb chuckle and his cheeks went slightly pink, "I actually fully understand you on that point. Sometimes my friends tease me that I get too caught up in my own head, or school work, or whatever. That's kind of what lead me to the bartending gig." It was a great excuse to socialize with people and the pay wasn't horrible.

"Oh wow, that actually sounds kind of awesome. I'd take that over working in an IT call center. It's impressive that people actually trust you enough that you'll give them information and not just steal information," Caleb didn't realize that was actually a full time job for someone not pretending to be a hacker in the movies.

"Thanks! It was a lot of interviews and trying to sell how interesting dinosaur skeletons are, but I'm excited. I'm more of an American History guy, so I'm trying to branch out a little to give myself more skills to hire," the praise from Alex made Caleb smile even more, "And it's a really cool gay bar down over in [x]. The guys who own it are really awesome and it's probably the most chill club I've been to. You should definitely stop by, probably on a week night to test the waters."

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[info]notamanesman
2019-05-28 09:00 pm UTC (link)
"Bartending isn't something I think I'd be good at," Alex said, "so if you're good at it and it gets your friends off your back even better." Bars and clubs in general were sometimes too loud for Alex, an unexpectedly loud sound and he could end up ducking for cover and that was embarrassing at the best of times when it happened at home, let alone in a busy club.

He chuckled, "Being an Airman is a pretty great way of getting people to trust you," he pointed out with a wink, "After all, most servicemen are fine, upstanding pillars of the communitHy and all that." His voice took on a tone, like he was mocking a recruitmemt video. He'd heard that repeated to him so many times there was a speech he knew off by heart. "I did my fair share of stealing information before." He waved his hand, demonstrative - he hoped - of his military service.

"Dinosaurs are pretty interesting. Movie trivia probably helps some; like the raptors in Jurassic Park were originally made bigger to make them scarier, then a few years later, they found actual Velociraptor fossils that were about the same size as the ones in the movie kind of thing." He hummed a little, "I'll think about it," he promised. "See if I can't drag a friend along."

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[info]c_danvers
2019-05-28 09:50 pm UTC (link)
It is definitely a learning on the job situation. I have gotten pretty good at making drinks, but I think what I enjoy most is just interacting with people. There are some really interesting people that come in there," Caleb also really liked his bosses and his coworkers. They made things fun and he could always use more of that in his life, especially at work. Sometimes it sucked, but it hadn't gotten to the point where he wanted to quit yet.

"Ahhh, that does make sense. And sounds like you are a little sick of the join the military sales pitch," Caleb couldn't help but laugh at Alex's mocking tone. It probably got old real fast having to hear that over and over. The mention that he did steal info earned a raised eyebrow from Caleb and a smirk, "I knew you couldn't be that perfect and saintly."

"Look at you with the JP trivia. Maybe I will have to see if we can have a trivia day with the kids or something. And definitely do, like I said, it is way more mellow on the weeknights. No one wants to party hard on a Tuesday, typically," Caleb wasn't going to come right out and say he was basically trying to ensure they saw each other again just yet, but he would work at it for a bit.

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[info]notamanesman
2019-05-28 10:11 pm UTC (link)
"Interesting people help make a job," Alex agreed, though he was pretty sure his social battery would be drained within an hour of having to engage with people he didn't know on a fairly intense basis. He rubbed behind his ear, fingers catching on the scar and scratching at it before he picked up his coffee again.

He chuckled, "There's the sales pitch to get you to join, and then the sales pitch to tell you it's okay to go back to being a civilian." His eyebrows lifted. "Oh, no, I am. This was Government sponsored stealing. Pretty sure that doesn't count, Caleb."

Jurassic Park had been one of his favourite films as a kid, along with practically anything Lucas and Spielberg had directed. Some things, Alex found, you never grew out of. "Pretty sure they found sabertoothed squirrels too, just after the first Ice Age film came out. Or the second... I don't know, I was in Baghdad and then Iraq."

His eyebrow lifted again. "Tuesdays, huh?"

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[info]c_danvers
2019-05-28 10:28 pm UTC (link)
"I have some great stories to tell people as ice breakers now. I mean, how many people can say they watched two skinny guys in booty shorts play chicken on the shoulders of two overly bronzed body builders?" Caleb still laughed about that memory. It was soon after he started working there and soon realized this club wasn't the typical frat boy bar he went to when he first moved to California.

He lifted a hand to run it through his hair as he listened to Caleb. It was interesting to watch him as he spoke about being in the military. It wasn't often he got to talk to someone after their time was done in the service. His voice was soft, "the second part is probably the toughest. And you sure you never did any hacking outside of the government? You seem like the kind of guy to hack into your high school records." His voice was teasing with the second comment.

"I am definitely looking up a sabertooth squirrel later. And don't worry, I have never seen an Ice Age movie," that had never been a movie that appealed to him and he still didn't watch a ton of animated movies. At Caleb's question he gave him a full smile, "Tuesdays. I will be working this next one and I will let you have control of the music for an hour if you show."

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[info]notamanesman
2019-05-28 10:58 pm UTC (link)
Alex coughed, having inhaled sharply at Caleb's ice-breaker story. His cup was placed on the table and he wheezed a little before laughing, partly at his own reaction and partly at the mental image that had been painted. "That- yeah, that's quite the- yeah. That's quite a story." Because what else did you say to something like that? Alex's exposure to that culture was relatively limited, too.

He sighed, nodding his agreement. "Civilian adjustment is... challenging." Add the dreams on top of that, the fact that some really messed up stuff was happening to his friends, and he didn't quite know what to think. It made him feel helpless in a way that made his stomach sit uncomfortably. "Hey now, I was enough of a good student." Thinking about high school made him feel old, it felt like a lifetime ago. His lips did curl up into the ghost of an impish smile, because though the rules he'd broken in high school were many, he'd never actually hacked anything.

He waved a hand. "You're not missing out. On Ice Age, that is." He'd seen the first one and turned the second one off since it didn't really appeal to him. The humour wasn' quite his preferred style.

"A whole hour?" he drawled, dragging it out a little, "Well, now there's an offer I can't refuse."

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[info]c_danvers
2019-05-29 12:23 pm UTC (link)
Alex's reaction was absolute perfection and Caleb couldn't help but elicit a loud laugh with a bright smile as he watched Alex try to recover. He almost reached over to pat him on the back to help him breathe a little, but thought that might be going a bit too far on a first meeting, "I'm glad you enjoyed that one. It's one of my favorites. Happened soon after I started working there and I was so not prepared for it."

That was all that Alex needed to say on the subject, Caleb could tell it was a bit touchy and he gave him a nod of understanding. Hopefully Alex was able to find himself in the civilian life and not be hurting like so many veterans were when they returned. "Enough...key word. Means there's some wiggle room to not be a 'good' student," Caleb pointed out with a smile. Caleb really did enjoy school, probably part of why he wanted to go into history and spend a lifetime learning, but even he saw the merits to life outside the classroom.

"Well good, I'm glad I haven't missed something amazing. And yes, a whole hour. It can be extended longer if your music choices are accepted by our minimal Tuesday crew," the explanation wasn't really necessary, but hopefully it would allow Alex to stay a bit longer than an hour if he was having fun.

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[info]notamanesman
2019-05-29 09:08 pm UTC (link)
Alex thumped his chest, having inhaled his coffee in a way that was borderline painful. "Is it the best one you've got or do you have others?" He resisted picking up his coffee again, just in case.

He shrugged. "I had an attitude problem," he offered, "which got me in detention more often than not." Something that had seemed ironic considering how well he'd flourished in the military, under the strict rules that had been enforced. His eyebrow quirked, "If you can believe that."

With a chuckle, Alex nodded his head, "Okay, okay, I'll come on Tuesday. Bring a friend or something so I'm not just sitting alone at the bar."

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[info]c_danvers
2019-05-29 11:39 pm UTC (link)
"Um, so far that's the best one. I'm waiting for all the craziness to start now that school's wrapping up," Caleb was looking forward to business picking up once everyone was finished with classes for the year. He knew something crazy was probably going to happen and was ready to repeat the story.

At the mention of an attitude problem Caleb took a moment to study Alex and he could see a small hint of something in him that could be defiance. "Actually, I feel like I could believe it. I think everyone has a bit of an attitude problem especially in a setting like high school. You seem a bit sassy." Caleb sometimes got in trouble for his mouth when he was with his friends, but if he was alone he wasn't as bad, but there was just something about the deep seeded need to rebuke authority.

"Sounds good, I'm looking forward to seeing you there," there was an honest smile on Caleb's face. Alex was interesting and refreshing to talk to. It was better to do a meet-cute at a coffee shop apparently.

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