Notes: A rewrite of my Cool Beans story, from Owen's perspective. Because why not? It'll start before the boys meet and end a bit after Cool Beans did. 8D Because I got some angry peeps, telling me I left off on a cliff hanger.

Summary: He needed a change. The Navy just wasn't the place for him. So he moved back home and got a job in the first place he saw. He just needed some time to stop and think about his life. And then a quiet kid walked into his coffee shop.

New Beans

"Owen!" His friend said over the line. "Please think this over."

He sighed over the line walked down the street. He'd just moved back and got a small apartment. He needed something different, some change. He didn't know what. Just something different. And then, already, he was bored to death. It had been 2 days. And he was already restless. He ran out of his apartment and started walking down the street. And then his phone rang. "I have thought this over. Barry, I've been thinking about this for months. You know that."

"Yes, I know." The man sighed. "I'm just going to miss you, my friend."

Owen smiled and slowed. "I'm not dying, dude. Just not going back to the Navy. You'll just have to come visit me."

"What are you going to do?" Barry asked. "I know you. You'll get restless in no time."

Owen snorted loudly and shook his head. Yeah, his friend knew him well. "Get a job, find my purpose, live my life." Barry laughed loudly over the line. Then they said their goodbyes and Barry promised to visit again. Owen shoved his phone in his pocket. Now what? He turned slightly and stopped. He was standing in front of a small building. There was a painted picture of a coffee cup in the window. Cool Beans, the logo read under it.

He smiled. It was a funny name for a coffee shop. His eyes settled on the Hiring sign stuck in the window just below that. Owen rubbed at his chin for a moment and tilted his head. This was perfect! This was a sign! Well... maybe it was a sign. Well... it was quite literally a sign. In a window.

Owen stepped closer and pushed the door open. The girl behind the counter smiled at him. "Hello." She said in a soft, sweet voice. "Welcome to Cool Beans. What can I get ya?"

Owen smiled right back at her. "Whatever you would recommend. And an application."

Her eyes seemed to twinkle as she nodded. After a minute, handed him a cup. "Do you have a few minutes?"

Owen nodded. "Just got in town." He shrugged his shoulders. "Nowhere to go."

She pointed towards one of the tables. "Sit down and hang a while. The manager stepped out for a moment but she should be back anytime."

"Thanks." Owen took a seat in the corner and leaned back. He sipped on the coffee for a few minutes and watched as people came in and out. It looked like a small, easy place. Happy people. Something different.

A tall woman walked in, with long dark hair. She walked up to the counter and shared a few words with the barista. Then they both were looking his way. The woman smiled at the worker and then started walking towards him. Instinctively, Owen stood up. She smiled and held out her hand. "Hello. I'm Zara."

Owen returned the smile and shook her hand. "Owen."

"Have a seat, Owen." She said, sitting down at the table. "Tell me about yourself and why you want to work at my coffee shop."

Owen sunk down in his chair and leaned back. "Not much to tell." He said. "I joined the Navy right out of high school. Been in it ever since. I've been a lot of places and seen a lot of things and..." He shrugged. "Honestly... I needed something new."

"Something new?" She repeated.

Owen nodded and bit back the urge to sigh. Because he was certain he'd blown it. Something about the atmosphere here, he really wanted to work here. He wasn't sure why, but it was the something new he kept talking about.

But then Zara smiled at him and nodded her head. "I can respect that."

For the next hour, they talked. It felt nice to talk to someone other than Barry. Barry was nice best friend. But Barry was pretty much his only friend. He didn't really have much of a life. But Zara was friendly and open. She liked to talk just as much as Owen, it seemed. She showed him around the small shop. She took him through the back, showed him the supply room and her small office.

"If you don't tell anyone..." She said softly with a smile. "I'll tell you the truth. I have no clue what I'm doing."

He smiled and let out a laugh. "You don't?"

She shook her head. "A few years back, I was dating the owner. But one day, she decides she needs a change. She needs to find herself. And she leaves."

Owen piqued an eyebrow. "Just left?"

Zara nodded. "I was heartbroken. I thought I was in love." She sighed and shook her head. "I dealt with it by taking care of the store. Now I'm sort of stuck with it."

"You ever hear from her again?"

Zara nodded. "Mostly from her lawyer." She said with a laugh. "But I get postcards every once in a while."

"Sounds like an awesome lady."

Zara laughed again. "Well, Mr. Owen, welcome to Cool Beans."

Owen smiled. "That's awesome!"

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said. "To fill out paperwork. Now, I have work to do." She shooed him out of her office and closed the door.

Owen glanced back and smiled. Then he headed out, thanking the barista before slipping out back onto the sidewalk. He pulled out his phone and dialed Barry's number. "Hey! I got a job!"

"Already?" Barry asked. "Doing what?"

"Making coffee." Owen answered as he walked down the street towards him apartment building.

"Coffee?" Barry repeated. "That's your big life change? Coffee?"

Owen just laughed.