Teddy was already there.
He usually was.
Same stool. Same posture. Same way of sitting like he might have to get up fast - like he didn’t fully trust being comfortable.
Bob didn’t ask.
Didn’t need to.
They were going through their daily routines.
The bell over the door jingled.
Teddy clocked it without turning. Habit. You always look. You just don’t always look.
He knew who it was.
He always knew.
“…hey,” he said, not turning around.
Marshmallow slid onto a stool.
Not next to him.
Not far either.
“Hey, Teddy.”
That was it.
That was how they did it.
Teddy nodded like that was enough conversation to last a while.
He picked at a napkin. Folded it. Unfolded it.
Put it back.
Bob greeted Marshmallow as he moved.
“Hey, Mellow.”
He set Teddy’s plate down.
“One burger of the day,” he muttered.
Then, a beat later, another plate a couple stools over.
“Made extra,” he said. “Don’t make me explain it.”
Marshmallow looked at it.
“Thank you, Bob.”
He shrugged like it annoyed him to be thanked, already turning back to the grill.
Teddy nodded again.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.”
He didn’t eat.
Marshmallow glanced over.
“You gonna let it get cold?” she said.
Teddy blinked.
“Oh - yeah. No. I’m - yeah.”
He grabbed it, took a bite too fast, burned his mouth.
“Ah - dammit”
He waved his hand like that did anything.
Marshmallow smiled a little.
She picked up her burger.
Waited.
Blew on it once.
Took a bite.
Nothing.
Teddy watched that.
“Yeah, see - that’s smart,” he said. “You let it cool. I never do that.”
He shook his head.
“I rush stuff.”
Pause.
Then, because he couldn’t leave it alone -
“I don’t know why I do that.”
Bob wiped the same spot on the counter twice.
Didn’t need wiping.
He glanced over.
Then back down again.
Silence settled in.
Not awkward.
Just… there.
Teddy shifted.
Looked straight ahead.
“You been around,” he said.
Immediately regretted it.
“I mean - not like that - I just mean - I seen you – around – here – before – obviously - I didn’t mean...”
Marshmallow didn’t rescue him.
Didn’t need to.
“I’ve been around,” she said.
Teddy nodded too hard.
“Yeah. Yeah. I - yeah.”
He took another bite just to stop talking.
Chewed.
Swallowed.
Still didn’t look at her.
“You, uh… you know everybody,” he said.
“That’s what people think,” she said.
Teddy snorted a little.
“Yeah. People think a lotta stuff.”
He scratched at his arm.
“You ever get that? Like - someone decides something about you, and then that’s just… it?”
Marshmallow looked at him now.
“I let them,” she said.
Teddy frowned.
“You let ’em?”
“Mm.”
“Why?”
She shrugged slightly.
“Saves time.”
Teddy let out a short laugh.
“Yeah, well… I don’t got that.”
He finally glanced over.
Then looked away again just as fast.
“I get… you know…” he gestured vaguely, “…questions.”
Marshmallow waited.
Teddy sighed.
“Not from me,” he added quickly. “I’m not - I don’t - I mean, I don’t care. I really don’t.”
He nodded like he needed to convince someone.
“People just… you know how guys are. They start in with the...” he cut himself off, waved it away,
“…dumb stuff.”
Marshmallow didn’t react.
Didn’t need to.
Teddy shifted again.
“I don’t say anything,” he said. “Most of the time.”
Most of the time.
He picked at the edge of the counter.
“I should probably say something,” he added.
Quiet.
Marshmallow tilted her head.
“Do you want to?”
Teddy opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Thought about it.
“…yeah,” he said. “I think so.”
Another pause.
He nodded once, like he’d just fixed something small but important.
“Yeah.”
Bob turned, like he was about to say something.
Opened his mouth -
“...you know, relationships are...”
He stopped.
Looked at Teddy.
Closed his mouth again.
“…burger’s still good,” he muttered instead, turning back to the grill.
Teddy took a breath.
“You ever just… get tired of tryin’ not to screw it up all the time?” he said.
Marshmallow leaned her elbow on the counter.
“Sometimes,” she said.
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah.”
He risked another look at her.
Held it a second longer this time.
“You seem like you don’t… worry about that kinda stuff.”
Marshmallow smiled.
“I just don’t do it for them.”
Teddy let that sit.
“For who?” he asked.
“Them,” she said, nodding vaguely toward the world outside the counter.
Teddy followed the gesture.
Looked back.
“Yeah,” he said softly. “I think I been doing that my whole life.”
He adjusted his hat.
Didn’t make a joke about it.
“My ex used to say I tried too hard,” he said.
He huffed a small laugh.
“Which… yeah. Fair.”
Another pause.
Then, quieter -
“I just didn’t want her to leave.”
He looked down at the burger in his hand.
“You ever notice,” he said, “you wait too long, it gets cold… you rush it, you burn yourself…”
He shrugged.
“…kinda no good way to do it sometimes.”
Marshmallow took another bite.
“There’s a way,” she said.
Teddy glanced over.
“Yeah?”
She nodded toward his hands.
“You’re holding it like it’s gonna get away.”
Teddy looked down.
He was.
He loosened his grip a little.
Didn’t say anything.
A long silence.
Comfortable now.
Earned.
They ate for a while.
Not talking.
Didn’t need to.
Teddy waited this time before his next bite.
Still warm.
Didn’t burn.
He nodded to himself.
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “That’s better.”
He swallowed.
Then -
without looking -
“You can sit closer if you want,” he said.
Not a performance.
Not a line.
Just… there.
Marshmallow considered him.
Then slid one stool over.
Same as always.
Not all the way.
Teddy nodded.
Didn’t smile big.
Didn’t make a thing out of it.
“Yeah,” he said. “That’s… that’s good.”
Bob went back to the grill.
Didn’t say anything.
Didn’t need to.
They sat there a while.
Eating.
Not talking.
It wasn’t uncomfortable.
That was new.
Teddy wiped his hands on a napkin.
Then again.
Then folded it like he was trying to give his hands something to do.
Marshmallow finished half her burger.
Set it down.
“You live around here?” she asked.
Direct.
No lead-in.
Teddy blinked.
“Oh - yeah. I mean - not right here, but - yeah. Close enough. I can walk. I don’t always, but I could. If I wanted to. Which I don’t. Usually. But -”
He stopped.
Winced.
“…yeah. I live around here.”
Marshmallow nodded.
“Thought so.”
Teddy nodded back like he’d just passed something.
“You?”
Marshmallow gave him a look.
Not annoyed.
Just… a look.
Teddy immediately backed off.
“Right - yeah. That’s -I mean -you don’t have to - I didn’t mean like - address or anything – just – general – area...”
“I go where I want,” she said.
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah. That tracks.”
Pause.
Then -
“You ever fix anything that isn’t broken?” she asked.
Teddy frowned.
“…what?”
Marshmallow took another bite.
Didn’t rush the question.
“Something that works fine,” she said. “You mess with it anyway.”
Teddy let out a short laugh.
“Oh. Yeah. All the time.”
He scratched the back of his neck.
“Sometimes I think I don’t trust stuff if it’s workin’.”
Marshmallow nodded once.
“Yeah.”
That landed quicker this time.
Teddy shifted in his seat.
Less fidget.
Still some.
“You ever… uh…” he started.
Stopped.
Tried again.
“You ever go somewhere and think you’re supposed to act a certain way, and then you don’t, and then you think about that later for like… a week?”
Marshmallow didn’t even pause.
“No.”
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah. That’s probably better.”
He picked up his burger again.
Waited.
Took a bite.
Didn’t burn himself.
He noticed.
Didn’t say anything this time.
Marshmallow noticed that.
Also didn’t say anything.
Another pause.
Then -
“You’re not like them,” she said.
Teddy froze mid-chew.
Swallowed.
“…who?”
Marshmallow glanced toward the door.
The world.
“Them.”
Teddy nodded slowly.
“Yeah, I - I mean, I try not to be.”
He shrugged.
“Sometimes I am. A little. I think. I don’t always catch it.”
Honest.
Messy.
Real.
Marshmallow leaned in just slightly.
Not enough for anyone else to clock it.
Enough for Teddy to feel it.
“You catch it now,” she said.
Teddy looked at her.
Held it.
Didn’t look away this time.
“…yeah,” he said.
Quiet.
Then, because he couldn’t leave it alone -
“I mean, I’m still probably gonna say something stupid at some point.”
Marshmallow nodded.
“You will.”
Teddy blinked.
“…okay.”
“And then you’ll fix it,” she added.
Teddy exhaled a laugh.
“Yeah. That’s kinda my whole thing.”
Marshmallow picked up her burger again.
Took another bite.
“You don’t always have to.”
Teddy tilted his head.
“What, not say stupid stuff?”
“No,” she said. “Fix it.”
That one stuck.
Teddy sat back.
Not all the way.
But more than before.
He looked at his hands.
Didn’t tighten them this time.
Didn’t rush.
Didn’t reach for the napkin.
“Yeah,” he said.
“…I don’t know what to do about that.”
Marshmallow smiled.
“You’ll figure it out.”
No fluff.
No reassurance.
Just… expectation.
Teddy nodded.
Like he believed her.
Which was also new.
Another silence.
This one… different.
Not just comfortable.
Charged.
Teddy cleared his throat.
“So, uh…”
Here it comes.
“…you wanna, like -”
Oh no.
“I mean, not like – like – just -”
He stopped.
Closed his eyes for a second.
Reset.
Opened them again.
“…you wanna come back here tomorrow?” he said.
Simple.
Clean.
Somehow.
Marshmallow looked at him.
Measured.
Then -
“I might already be here,” she said.
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah. Right. That - yeah. That makes sense.”
Pause.
“…I’ll be here,” he added.
Marshmallow smirked.
“I know.”
Bob turned slightly at the grill.
Didn’t look.
Didn’t say anything.
But there was the smallest hint of a smile.
---
(A Few Days Later)
The bell jingled.
Bob didn’t look up.
“You two again?” he said anyway.
They didn’t answer.
Didn’t need to.
The stools were open.
They didn’t take them.
Teddy hesitated for half a second - just long enough to notice the difference - then nodded toward the booths.
“Uh… you wanna...”
Marshmallow was already walking.
That was his answer.
Teddy followed, a step behind, like he didn’t want to get in the way of something that didn’t need him to lead.
They slid into opposite sides.
Teddy adjusted himself twice.
Too close to the edge.
Too far in.
Settled somewhere in the middle.
Marshmallow didn’t adjust at all.
Bob came over, wiping his hands.
Didn’t bother with menus.
“Burger of the day,” he said.
Teddy nodded immediately.
“Yeah.”
Marshmallow glanced at him.
“You always say yes?”
Teddy shrugged.
“Yeah. I trust him.”
Bob snorted.
“Don’t.”
Teddy pointed slightly.
“See? That’s how you know it’s good.”
Bob stared at him.
“…that doesn’t make any sense.”
“Yeah, well,” Teddy said, settling in a little more, “it works.”
Bob shook his head and walked off.
They sat there.
Closer now.
Not touching.
But closer.
Different air.
Marshmallow leaned back slightly.
“You’ve been quieter,” she said.
Teddy blinked.
“…I have?”
“Mm.”
He thought about it.
“Yeah,” he said. “I been tryin’.”
“To what?”
Teddy shrugged.
“Not talk every second.”
He gestured vaguely.
“I do that. I know I do that.”
Marshmallow nodded.
“You do.”
Teddy winced.
“…yeah.”
But he didn’t spiral.
Didn’t rush to explain it.
That was new.
Bob set the plates down.
One in front of Teddy.
One in front of Marshmallow.
Didn’t say anything this time.
Didn’t need to.
They both waited a second.
Not planned.
Just happened.
Then -
they ate.
Teddy watched his burger for a second.
Then took a bite.
Normal.
No burn.
He nodded slightly.
Like he’d just passed another test.
Marshmallow caught that.
Didn’t call it out.
Just took her own bite.
“You do that less now,” she said.
Teddy looked up.
“…what?”
“Rush.”
Teddy blinked.
Looked down at the burger.
Back at her.
“…yeah,” he said.
Small smile.
“Tryin’ not to.”
Pause.
Then -
“You been comin’ here long?” he asked.
And immediately -
“ - I mean, I know you have, I just - like, before - I mean -”
He stopped.
Closed his eyes for a second.
Reset.
“…I ask dumb stuff sometimes,” he said.
Marshmallow took a bite.
“You do.”
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah.”
But he smiled this time.
Didn’t fight it.
“You fix anything today?” she asked.
Teddy leaned back a little.
More comfortable now.
“Yeah. Sink. Guy kept crankin’ it too tight. Stripped the whole thing.”
He shook his head.
“Didn’t need fixin’ if he’d just...left it alone.”
He paused.
Then laughed once.
“...yeah. There’s a lesson in there somewhere.”
Marshmallow watched him.
“You finding a lot of those lately?”
Teddy shrugged.
“Yeah. I think I been ignorin’ ’em for a while.”
He picked up his burger again.
Didn’t rush.
“Hard to miss ’em now.”
Marshmallow nodded.
“Good.”
“You always sit at the counter?” she asked.
Teddy looked toward it.
His stool.
Still empty.
“Yeah,” he said.
Then, after a second -
“…I did.”
Marshmallow didn’t react.
Didn’t need to.
Another bite.
Another pause.
“You make people nervous,” Teddy said.
There it is.
Slightly off.
But honest.
Marshmallow raised an eyebrow.
“Do I?”
“Yeah,” Teddy said quickly. “Not me. I mean - maybe a little - but not like – bad – just -”
He stopped himself.
Didn’t crash.
“…they don’t know what to do,” he finished.
Better.
Marshmallow considered that.
“I don’t do anything,” she said.
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah. I know.”
Pause.
“…that’s kinda the problem.”
Marshmallow smirked.
“Sounds like their problem.”
Teddy pointed lightly.
“Yeah. That’s what I’m sayin’.”
They ate.
No rush.
No noise.
Teddy wiped his hands.
Didn’t overdo it this time.
Looked up.
Held her gaze.
Didn’t flinch.
“You comin’ back tomorrow?” he asked.
Cleaner now.
More natural.
Marshmallow leaned back slightly.
“Probably.”
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah.”
He gestured between them.
“This is… good.”
Marshmallow smiled.
“I know.”
Bob watched from behind the counter.
Didn’t say anything.
Didn’t need to.
But when Teddy got up to leave -
Bob called out, just loud enough -
“Hey.”
Teddy turned.
Bob nodded toward the booth.
Teddy smiled and nodded back.
Marshmallow was already at the door.
Teddy followed.
Not behind this time.
Alongside.
---
Aisle 6
Fluorescent lights.
Too bright.
Everything smelled like rubber and dust.
Teddy stood in front of a wall of fittings.
Stared at it like it had personally wronged him.
“Okay... no, that’s not - that’s not right,” he muttered.
He picked one up.
Put it back.
Picked up the same one again.
“Wrong thread.”
Teddy froze.
Didn’t turn right away.
Didn’t have to.
“…hey,” he said.
Marshmallow stood at the end of the aisle.
Not browsing.
Not lost.
Just there.
Holding a small chrome piece in her hand.
Teddy turned.
“Hey.”
Pause.
“You, uh… you fixin’ something?” he asked.
Then immediately -
“I mean, not that you can’t - obviously you can - I just meant – like - this is -this is where I get stuff to fix stuff – so...”
He stopped.
Winced.
“…yeah.”
Marshmallow held up the part.
“Sink’s leaking.”
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah. That’ll do it.”
He stepped closer.
Careful.
Not crowding.
Looked at the piece.
“Yeah, see - this one’s fine,” he said. “You just need the right...”
He turned.
Grabbed something off the wall without even looking.
Held it up.
“this.”
Marshmallow looked at it.
Then at him.
“You sure?”
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah. I mean - not like ‘bet your life’ sure, but like -pretty sure.”
Pause.
“…yeah, I’m sure.”
A guy at the other end of the aisle snorted.
Low.
Just enough.
“Of course he is,” the guy muttered to his buddy.
Teddy heard it.
Of course he did.
His shoulders tightened.
Just a little.
Old reflex.
Look down. Ignore it. Move on.
He didn’t.
Teddy glanced over.
Not aggressive.
Not loud.
Just...steady.
“Yeah,” he said. “I am.”
The guy shrugged.
Didn’t push it.
Didn’t need to.
Teddy turned back.
Like it hadn’t happened.
But it had.
Marshmallow saw it.
All of it.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said.
Teddy frowned.
“…what?”
“That.”
She nodded slightly toward the other end of the aisle.
Teddy shrugged.
“Yeah, well…”
He scratched at his arm.
“…I wanted to.”
Simple.
No speech.
No explanation.
Marshmallow held his gaze.
Longer than usual.
“You’re good at this,” she said.
Teddy blinked.
Looked at the wall of parts.
Then back at her.
“Yeah,” he said.
“…this part.”
Honest.
They stood there a second.
Closer than before.
No counter between them.
No Bob.
No buffer.
“You got tools?” he asked.
Marshmallow raised an eyebrow.
Teddy immediately panicked.
“I mean - not like - I’m not saying you don’t – just - if you don’t - I could – like - I got extras -so...”
He stopped.
Closed his eyes briefly.
Reset.
“…you got tools?” he asked again.
Cleaner.
Marshmallow smiled.
“I might,” she said.
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah. That tracks.”
“You gonna fix it?” she asked.
Teddy looked at the part in his hand.
Then at her.
“…yeah,” he said.
Pause.
“…I can.”
Not I will.
Not let me.
Just -
I can.
Marshmallow nodded.
“Okay.”
---
A Sinking Feeling
Marshmallow’s place was quieter than Teddy expected.
Not empty.
Not cluttered.
Just...intentional.
He noticed things right away.
Not because he was snooping.
Because he didn’t know where else to look.
“Nice place,” he said.
Then immediately -
“I mean - not that I know what a nice place is - I just - this is - this is nice.”
He winced.
“…yeah.”
Marshmallow closed the door behind him.
“I like it,” she said.
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah. That’s what matters.”
“Sink’s in there,” she said, nodding toward the kitchen.
Teddy moved like a different person.
Not hesitant.
Not apologizing.
Just… moving.
“Yeah, okay.”
He crouched down.
Turned the faucet on.
Listened.
Hand under the pipe.
“Yeah,” he said. “Loose seal.”
He leaned further in -
THUNK
“son of a...”
He froze.
Closed his eyes.
“…sorry. Sorry, ma’am.”
“…cabinet came outta nowhere.”
Marshmallow didn’t move.
“You alright?” she asked.
Teddy nodded from under the sink.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good. That happens.”
A pause.
“…more than it should.”
He shifted again -
His shirt rode up just enough.
There it was.
Teddy, fully committed to the job.
Completely unaware.
Marshmallow glanced down.
Then away.
No comment.
Not needed.
Teddy reached into his bag.
Tools.
Organized.
Used.
Real.
He tightened the fitting.
Paused.
Adjusted again.
“Whoever put this in didn’t seat it right,” he said.
Not angry.
Just accurate.
Marshmallow leaned against the counter.
“You judging them?” she asked.
Teddy shook his head.
“No. Just… they rushed it.”
“…I do that sometimes.”
He turned the water on.
Waited.
Dry.
He sat back -
THUNK
“…okay, that one’s on me,” he muttered.
He rubbed the back of his head.
“…I always forget the back part.”
Marshmallow stepped a little closer.
Looked under the sink.
“You’re in there like you’re mining,” she said.
Teddy let out a short laugh.
“Yeah, well… sometimes it feels like that.”
He tapped the pipe lightly.
“You just keep goin’ ‘til you hit somethin’ that works.”
He slid out.
Careful this time.
Learned.
Small victory.
“Should be good now,” he said.
No speech.
No flourish.
Just… done.
Marshmallow turned the faucet.
Let it run.
Watched the pipe.
Dry.
She nodded once.
“Good.”
Teddy stood.
Wiped his hands on a dish rag.
Then remembered -
“oh, uh - sorry, I got -”
He looked around, unsure.
Marshmallow took it from him.
Set it aside.
“It’s fine.”
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah. Okay.”
Silence.
Different now.
“You’re different here,” she said.
Teddy blinked.
“…what?”
“Here,” she said. “You’re not… all over the place.”
Teddy looked at the sink.
Then at his hands.
“…yeah,” he said.
“This part I get.”
He gestured lightly.
“Stuff breaks. You fix it. Done.”
Marshmallow watched him.
“You like that.”
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah.”
Then, quieter -
“…people ain’t like that.”
Marshmallow stepped a little closer.
Not much.
Enough.
“No,” she said. “They’re not.”
Teddy looked at her.
No counter.
No distance.
No buffer.
“…you’re not,” he said.
Marshmallow smiled.
“I know.”
Teddy nodded.
Didn’t panic.
Didn’t fill it.
Didn’t explain.
He picked up his bag.
“…I should probably...”
Started to leave.
Stopped.
Turned back.
“…you want me to check anything else?” he asked.
Marshmallow considered him.
Then -
“No,” she said.
“…stay a minute.”
Teddy blinked.
“…yeah?”
Marshmallow nodded.
“Yeah.”
Teddy set the bag back down.
Careful.
No rushing.
“…okay,” he said.
---
MORNING
The OPEN sign had barely settled into place.
Bob was still flipping switches.
Coffee was already on.
The bell jingled.
Bob didn’t look up.
“Good morning,” he said.
They came in together.
Not touching.
Not separate.
Just… arriving at the same time.
Linda looked up.
Paused.
Looked again.
“…huh,” she said softly.
Marshmallow moved like she always did.
Put together.
Effortless.
Maybe a little lighter today.
Hard to say.
Teddy looked like Teddy.
Same clothes.
A little more stubble.
Little less rush in him.
They didn’t even glance at the counter.
They went straight for a booth.
Bob clocked it.
Didn’t react.
Didn’t need to.
They slid in.
Same sides.
That mattered.
“Coffee,” Teddy said.
Then.
“make that two.”
Marshmallow nodded once.
Bob brought it over.
Set the mugs down.
Didn’t linger.
They sat there.
Quiet.
Not awkward.
Just… starting slow.
Marshmallow picked up her coffee.
Took a sip.
Too soon.
“hot”
Small.
Contained.
Teddy looked up immediately.
“Yeah - yeah, you gotta -” he gestured, catching himself mid-pattern, “ - just give it a second.”
He smiled, just a little.
“…I learned that.”
Marshmallow blew on the coffee.
Took another sip.
Better.
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah.”
“You’re not in a hurry,” she said.
Teddy leaned back slightly.
“…tryin’ not to be.”
Marshmallow nodded.
“Good.”
They drank.
No rush.
At the counter -
Linda leaned in towards Bob.
“…did I miss something?”
Bob wiped his hands.
“Nope.”
Linda didn’t buy it.
“…you’re smilin’.”
Bob paused.
Realized.
Stopped.
“…am not.”
Linda grinned.
“Bob.”
“What.”
“…that’s new.”
Bob glanced over.
Just for a second.
Then back to the counter.
“…they’re eating breakfast.”
Linda followed his look.
“…yeah.”
“…together.”
Bob shrugged.
“People do that.”
Linda kept watching.
Soft now.
“…yeah.”
Back at the booth -
Teddy tapped his mug once.
Stopped himself.
Left it alone.
“…this is nice,” he said.
Simple.
Marshmallow looked at him.
Held it.
“I know.”
Teddy nodded.
Didn’t add anything.
Didn’t need to.
He picked up his coffee.
Paused.
Waited.
Just a second.
Then drank.
Didn’t burn.
He nodded to himself.
Small.
“Yeah,” he said.
Marshmallow smiled.
copyright notice © 2026 Michael C. Metzger
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