❪ honestly, eddie probably stares for a moment longer than what is considered 'normal' before his gaze flickers back to his worksheet. it's only when the guy walks away that he looks up again, staring at his back with a frown.
it is weird, nothing like eddie has felt before and he can't help letting the frown stick even when the other returns with his much needed coffee. ❫
Yeah, well... if it's weird then I'm just as weird because I was thinking the same thing. I don't think we have though since I'd feel like I'd remember you.
[ Richie laughs at that but not meanly. He's genuinely amused. Nodding and still grinning, ]
Okay. So we're just two weirdos that think we know each other and don't.
[ That sounds typical of his life. ]
Let me know if you need anything else, okay?
[ And then, because he just felt like it, he winks at the guy before turning to leave again. He's got a few more tables to hit up with more people coming in. ]
This is New York. ❪ he says with a shrug because what's two more weirdos in the mix of things? ❫ I'm sure we're still on the spectrum of sorta normal, at least.
❪ and he offers a small smile up until the guy winks at him which ends terribly for eddie as he feels his face heat up. thankfully, he can turn his focus and calm down within the endless misery of math. ❫
Uh... yeah, sure, okay.
❪ he murmurs, once more peeking as he turns to leave. jesus christ, maybe calm down just a little, dude? he's just being nice, that's all. but... he had to admit there was something nice about the entire exchange like as if it was something he hadn't realized he needed. ❫
[ The one good thing about living in a city like this: you're far from being the only weird person around. Just like shooting glances at the other man as he went about serving other tables was totally normal. He was just making sure he didn't miss any signal that he wanted to order more.
It's about twenty minutes later, after he's got the orders of the other tables, that he comes back around to Eddie's table. ]
❪ his mathematics work goes near ignored throughout those twenty minutes as eddie, ever unsure of everything, finds himself stealing glances of the other as he moves about to the other tables in the area. he isn't sure just why well, no, he has an idea that goes beyond that weird sense of feeling like he should know him.
he manages all of one equation by the time he returns, eddie sighing and glancing to his empty cup with a weak nod. ❫
[ And he comes back with the pot, new coffee brewed in it already. After he fills the other's cup again he waits long enough to ask, keeping his tone light: ]
❪ eddie can't help feeling this sudden urge to slam his face against the table. already, he can feel his heart beating awkwardly in his chest and wonders for a moment if he's dying. that would make sense, right?
he's going to die in this diner doing math homework. that's it. that'll be his legacy.
thankfully the question distracts him and eddie looks up, blinking once before shuffling some of his papers around to find where he had laid the menu down. shit, um, he hadn't thought about anything. um... ❫
How about you surprise me? As long as the surprise isn't a plate of cashews.
[ Rich tries not to laugh at that because he could definitely choose something greasy and a veritable "gut-bomb" but he likes this guy. He's pretty cute so he won't do that to him. He just keeps grinning and gives a nod. ]
No cashews. Gotcha.
[ He leaves again and writes down an order for the man before placing it up on the line. He even asks the cook to make sure there's no cashews in the sauce. He doesn't want this guy to have some kind of allergic reaction after he told him point-blank no nuts.
He goes back to his other tables and sits a few new people while another waiter comes out from the back to pick up some of the slack. It's a few minutes more until he comes back with a plate for Eddie. Nothing super fancy: a cheeseburger with fries, ketchup on the side. But the Thousand Island dressing on the burger is "homemade" here and is pretty bombin' in Richie's opinion. ]
❪ eddie isn't near daring enough to watch as the other man leaves and, instead, returns to his homework with as much focus as a fish stuck on land trying to breathe. it's hard not to steal glances out of the corner of his eye at the guy. it's not something that he's actually thought a lot about since coming to the city and cracking down hard on his schoolwork at uni.
and, sure, he's had a girlfriend here or there but it's hard not to admit there might be a little attraction here. after all, the guy is pretty cute but more than anything that unknown familiarity is harder still to shake.
there's a grateful sigh as the plate is put down in front of him because it means getting eddie out of his thoughts and back into the current state of things. he blinks once and then twice but nods, a bit weakly, before doing as told and taking a bit. it's definitely more than he'd usually go for but it isn't bad in the least. ❫
It's really― ❪ and he pauses to hide his mouth behind his hand but it's clear he's grinning. ❫ It's really good.
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it is weird, nothing like eddie has felt before and he can't help letting the frown stick even when the other returns with his much needed coffee. ❫
Yeah, well... if it's weird then I'm just as weird because I was thinking the same thing. I don't think we have though since I'd feel like I'd remember you.
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Okay. So we're just two weirdos that think we know each other and don't.
[ That sounds typical of his life. ]
Let me know if you need anything else, okay?
[ And then, because he just felt like it, he winks at the guy before turning to leave again. He's got a few more tables to hit up with more people coming in. ]
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❪ and he offers a small smile up until the guy winks at him which ends terribly for eddie as he feels his face heat up. thankfully, he can turn his focus and calm down within the endless misery of math. ❫
Uh... yeah, sure, okay.
❪ he murmurs, once more peeking as he turns to leave. jesus christ, maybe calm down just a little, dude? he's just being nice, that's all. but... he had to admit there was something nice about the entire exchange like as if it was something he hadn't realized he needed. ❫
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It's about twenty minutes later, after he's got the orders of the other tables, that he comes back around to Eddie's table. ]
Need a refill?
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he manages all of one equation by the time he returns, eddie sighing and glancing to his empty cup with a weak nod. ❫
Gonna need it at this rate.
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Sure thing.
[ And he comes back with the pot, new coffee brewed in it already. After he fills the other's cup again he waits long enough to ask, keeping his tone light: ]
Feel like ordering anything now while I'm here?
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he's going to die in this diner doing math homework. that's it. that'll be his legacy.
thankfully the question distracts him and eddie looks up, blinking once before shuffling some of his papers around to find where he had laid the menu down. shit, um, he hadn't thought about anything. um... ❫
How about you surprise me? As long as the surprise isn't a plate of cashews.
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No cashews. Gotcha.
[ He leaves again and writes down an order for the man before placing it up on the line. He even asks the cook to make sure there's no cashews in the sauce. He doesn't want this guy to have some kind of allergic reaction after he told him point-blank no nuts.
He goes back to his other tables and sits a few new people while another waiter comes out from the back to pick up some of the slack. It's a few minutes more until he comes back with a plate for Eddie. Nothing super fancy: a cheeseburger with fries, ketchup on the side. But the Thousand Island dressing on the burger is "homemade" here and is pretty bombin' in Richie's opinion. ]
Try that out. Tell me what you think.
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❪ eddie isn't near daring enough to watch as the other man leaves and, instead, returns to his homework with as much focus as a fish stuck on land trying to breathe. it's hard not to steal glances out of the corner of his eye at the guy. it's not something that he's actually thought a lot about since coming to the city and cracking down hard on his schoolwork at uni.
and, sure, he's had a girlfriend here or there but it's hard not to admit there might be a little attraction here. after all, the guy is pretty cute but more than anything that unknown familiarity is harder still to shake.
there's a grateful sigh as the plate is put down in front of him because it means getting eddie out of his thoughts and back into the current state of things. he blinks once and then twice but nods, a bit weakly, before doing as told and taking a bit. it's definitely more than he'd usually go for but it isn't bad in the least. ❫
It's really― ❪ and he pauses to hide his mouth behind his hand but it's clear he's grinning. ❫ It's really good.