CATEGORY: Flufffffffffff
FEATURING: feminine!Tyler and crushing!Josh
TRIGGER WARNINGS: None
PROMPT: Josh develops a crush on a boy he often sees shopping at the store where he works.
WORDS: Idk, it's short

"Excuse me, can you show me where the dressing rooms are?"

It's the boy with the soft-looking hair again. But this time, he's not shopping with his girlfriend, and I'm not manning the checkouts. This time, he's holding an armful of clothes, and I'm on my break.

Or, I'm supposed to be on my break. But now? Forget it.

I try not to act so thrilled (because holy crap this boy is finally talking to me!). "Yes, of course." I start walking, leading the boy to the dressing rooms.

My name is Josh, and I work at the H&M in the mall. I have been since I got out of high school a few months ago. I want to go to community college, but I need to earn enough money first. I'm hoping this job will help.

I put clothes on the rack. I help confused costomers. I put prices on items. Sometimes, I manage the checkout line. On breaks, I meet my coworkers, Debby and Brendon, in the food court, and we get snacks from Taco Bell.

For the most part, my job was pretty average. 

Until this boy started coming in.

He came with his girlfriend, or who I assumed to be his girlfriend: a chick with pink and black hair, and a gap in her teeth. The boy was the one who really caught my eye, though. He had dark brown hair, so fluffy and soft-looking that when I was near him it was tempting to get closer and touch it. He was sort of on the skinny side, with big brown doe eyes. He was sort of pale, and he had a couple of tattoos on his arms and wrists. He always wore oversized sweaters, skinny jeans, and sneakers.

I think he looks really pretty, but I'm too shy to tell him so.

Mostly when the boy and his girlfriend came to the store, the boy just seemed to be tagging along. The girl would look at feminine clothes, and the boy would look with her. The girl would buy stuff sometimes, but he never did.

Every time a customer entered the store, I'd quickly glance over to see if it was him. If it wasn't, I'd just go back to doing what I was before, but if it was him, I'd try to do some work over in the general area he was shopping.

Today, though, the boy has come alone.

And, more than that, he's talking to me for the first time.

I lead the boy through the store to the dressing rooms, where I stop. The boy stops, too, but too late--he bumps into me.

"Sorry," he says in a sweet voice, and then he giggles. God, this boy is cute.

"I-It's okay," I manage. I notice that he's wearing earrings. Tiny little studs, noticable only because I'm this close to him.

I go over to the counter by the dressing rooms where Debby normally works. She's probably on break now, but I don't see her replacement, so I take charge.

I turn to the boy again. "How many items do you have?"

"Two, I think." The boy starts separating the clothes he's gathered. There's a large gray hoodie, and something else I don't identify right away. He drops it by accident, and I pick it up for him.

It's a black skirt.

The boy blushes profusely, and takes it as I hand it to him. "Thanks."

"Are all these for you?" I ask him. He hesitates with his answer. "I don't mean to pry, I just think you would look nice in them."

He beams. "Thank you! And yes, they're for me."

I hand him a green card with the number two on it. "Here you go. I think dressing room four is empty."

The boy gives me a sweet nod and heads off to try on his clothes. I'm left standing there by the counter, wondering what I should do.

Do I try to talk to him some more? Do I go on break?

Before I can reach a decision, the boy comes back out of the dressing room with the skirt and gray hoodie on.

He looks really amazing. I mean, more than usual. And that's saying a lot.

Seeing my expression, he giggles again, just as cutely assssssssfoe. He has is his phone in his hand, and to my surprise he holds it out to me. "Can you take a picture for my friend Melanie?"

"S-Sure." I take his phone and find the camera as he stands there, adjusting the sleeves of his hoodie. I take two pictures and hand him his phone again.

As the boy goes back into the dressing room to put his regular clothes back on, I sit on the counter. "Is Melanie your friend with the pink and black hair?" Crap, why did I say that? Now he's going to think I've been stalking him or something.

"How did you know?" he laughs.

"I-I've seen you come in here before," I stammer. "It's hard to miss someone like you."

He gives me the cutest giggle I've ever heard in my life. "Aww, thank you! And yes, that's my best friend Melanie."

Best friend? So they're not together! I wonder if he is dating anyone.

The boy giggles more as he comes out of the dressing room. "No, I'm not dating anyone." Crap, I said that last part out loud, didn't I? "Why do you ask?"

"I-I just--" Okay Josh, just do it. Just ask him out! It's your chance! "I was...wondering if maybe you'd like to go out sometime? We could, um, see a movie."

The boy squeals excitedly, and my heart melts. "I would love that!"

{the end}