Chapter Text
“You ready, kiddo?”
“One minute!”
Tucker sighed and stood by the door, listening to the sounds of Junior running around upstairs. He could swear this happened every Monday morning, but whenever he said so, his son would be quick to say he was just exaggerating.
“Junior, we’re gonna be late!”
“Coming!”
“I’m gonna have to leave without you…” Tucker said, opening the door.
“Wait! Wait, I’m coming!”
Tucker paused for a moment and waited for the thud of feet on the stairs, and then Junior was running to the front door, his jumper askew and one of his shoe laces coming undone.
Tucker opened the door wide and let him run out to the car. He made sure the house was locked up before following him, unlocking it so the boy could jump in.
“I told you, you’d oversleep.” Tucker said, throwing his son’s backpack onto the back seat before they put their seatbelts on. He started the engine, smirking as the kid rolled his eyes.
“It wasn’t my fault!”
“I’ve heard that one before.”
“I swear I set my alarm, it just didn’t ring!”
“Right.” Tucker dragged the word out, lacing it with sarcasm. He expertly focused on both the traffic and his son, who was still talking. Glancing at the time, he saw that he had ten minutes to get Junior to school, then another fifteen to get himself to work. This traffic wasn’t doing him any favours, either. He’d be late, that’s for sure.
“Are you gonna get to work on time?” Junior asked in a small, worried voice. Tucker must have looked pissed off or something, and he must have seen him.
“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Tucker gave him a smile before trying to cut through the traffic. “And if I don’t, I’ll tell Carolina it was all your fault.”
“That’s okay, she likes me anyway. She’ll probably just tell you off.”
Tucker raised his eyebrows at the look on Junior’s face. It came suspiciously close to smug.
“Careful, I might just tell her about that time you spilled ink on her favourite pyjamas.”
“That was Sigma!” Junior shouted, referring to Carolina’s strangely docile Bullmastiff.
“Please, that dog hasn’t broken anything in his life.”
“He could have.” Junior mumbled, staring out of the window.
Tucker smiled at his response, but it was quickly wiped off his face when he rounded the corner and came face to face with another traffic jam.
“You’ve got to be shitting me!”
Junior stayed silent, chewing on his lip as the cars inched forward. They’d been sitting for three entire minutes in the same spot, surrounded by the beeping of horns and the smell of exhaust, when Tucker turned to Junior.
“Hey, Junior, you think you could walk from here? This fucking traffic is gonna make me late anyway, at least one of us should get there on time.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
“Great. You’re a champ.” Tucker reached back for his backpack and gave it to him, watching as Junior slipped out from the door. “Be careful!”
“Will do! Bye, Dad!”
Tucker’s eyes followed him until he was out of sight, then he sat back and switched the engine off, angrily resigning himself to his fate.
“What the fuck is this shit, New York?” He said to himself, slamming the horn once for emphasis.
The driver in the car next to him sent him an annoyed look and it took all of Tucker’s strength not to flip her off. Flipping off old ladies wasn't exactly in his repertoire. Sighing, he dragged a hand over his face and leaned back, thinking of what he’d say to Carolina this time.
*
Carolina looked up as Tucker entered, briefly turning away from the customer she was talking to.
“You. My office, fifteen minutes.”
Tucker nodded, grimacing as he made his way to the staff lockers at the back of the building. He dumped his stuff down and changed into his usual shorts and t-shirt combo before locking his bag up and walking up to Carolina’s office, taking the steps sluggishly.
Sometimes he hated working at her gym, but he knew that he would’ve been fired a long time ago anywhere else. Plus, Junior loved her to pieces, so Tucker couldn’t exactly hold a grudge. He sighed and walked into her office. Throwing himself down into a chair, he glared at the wall and waited.
Carolina came in exactly fifteen minutes later. She closed the door behind her and sat down, staring him down with her famously steely eyes.
“We need to do something about your inability to come to work on time at least once a week.”
“I can –“
“Somehow, you’re even later than usual today.” She cut him off. “What happened?”
“Fucking traffic is what happened. I barely got Junior to school on time. He had to walk from the fucking car.” Tucker said, his frustration leaking out of him. “And then, guess what, I managed to turn around and get the hell out of dodge, but a van broke down and blocked the whole damn street! Don’t ask me how someone can be that fucking stupid, because I have no idea.”
Carolina raised an eyebrow humorously.
“All that and it’s only 10 o’clock.”
“I’m glad you find this funny. Really, I’m thrilled.”
“When does Junior finish today?” Carolina asked, her eyes unusually kind. Never let it be said that Carolina didn’t have a soft spot, because Junior was living proof that it existed.
“Look, you don’t need to –“
“Tucker.” She warned, her voice sharp.
“He has Science club, so he finishes at four.” Tucker sighed.
Carolina got up and went to a drawer, pulling something out and throwing it at him. He caught it just before it wacked him in the face.
“Did you think I’d give you the day off? No fucking way.” She said, sounding like she wanted to laugh. “You’re on lifeguard duty today.”
“What?! No!” Tucker shouted. He fucking hated lifeguard duty, and she knew it.
“You’re down there till six, and then I want you to clean all the windows in the weight room.”
Carolina smirked as Tucker gaped at her, swivelling round in the chair to face her.
“Consider this overtime.”
And suddenly Tucker understood. She was helping him out, but making sure he hated it at the same time.
"I don't know if you're the greatest boss in the world or the absolute worst." He said, narrowing his eyes as he pulled the string that held the 'official' whistle around his neck.
"Well, this greatest/worst boss has a meeting in 10 minutes so get the hell out of here." She demanded, motioning for him to leave.
Tucker got up and opened the door, heaving one last, over-dramatic sigh before leaving and closing it behind him. He could imagine the way Carolina would smirk and sit down behind her desk, pulling out a pen and making another meticulous note to add to her growing pile of meticulous notes.
Tugging once on the whistle around his neck, he descended the stairs, thinking that at least Junior was going to have a good day.
*
"What the hell do you want me to do about it?!" Tucker shouted into the phone, smacking his locker shut. "Wait, lemme guess, you want me to run your fucking errands. Like usual."
"Can I remind you how many times I've helped your sorry ass over the years, or have you forgotten?" Church asked over the phone, his voice sarcastic and heated. Tucker ignored him.
"Fuck that, it's not even an errand, it's common fucking courtesy. How long have you been dating? Four years?"
"On and off." Church muttered begrudgingly. "But you forget things all the time! You forgot Junior's birthday once."
Tucker made an appalled face. "I forgot to order one of his presents, there's a difference, asshole!"
"Well, I forgot to get the flowers. So we're both equal now, asshole!"
Tucker rolled his eyes as he walked out the front doors, shooting the current guy at reception a wave. His feet crunched on the gravel as he eyed the setting sun like it was his personal enemy.
"Fine." He sighed with defeat as Church laughed over the line.
"Awesome. You know, I'd say you were too nice for your own good, but you're really not; you're a huge dick."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. What's this flower shop called."
"Project Flora. It's by that weird second-hand bookstore that sells 1920s porn magazines."
"I know the place." Tucker said, smiling at the memory of when they found the dusty magazines pushed under a shelf. They bought the whole crate of them for Grif on his birthday. He'd declared them to be antique art pieces and proudly hung them in his apartment, much to Simmons' horror.
"Good. I need them by nine."
"Dude, you do realise it's 8:13, right?" Tucker asked, glancing at the time on his phone as he got into his car. He dumped his bag onto the passenger seat and got in, shutting the door.
"Yeah, and I've been busy trying to get a hold of my stupid asshole of a sister."
"You should give up, she's with Junior."
"Why am I not surprised that yet again, someone else is looking after your son?"
"You're a fucking dick. I'm hanging up now."
Tucker pulled the phone away from his ear and hung up, making a disgusted noise as he thought of what Church said. Dick move. He sent a quick text to Junior asking if he had a good day and that he was sorry he couldn't pick him up, then tossed his phone in his bag and started the car.
"Next stop, Project fucking Flora." He announced to the windshield, pulling out of the car park. "This better be worth it."