“Yo boss,” Tommy said, looking over his shoulder as he put the last order up for the waitress to ferry out.
“Take a break. You’re making me look bad.”
The observation makes Tommy chuckle, because what it really means is that they finally, after a long ass day, had things slow enough for Tommy to take a break. Normally he only did mornings here, trying to wile away the hours that Hargrove and his associates would be at school. Not much else to do during the day otherwise. Meant he had the ass end of the morning shifts, and usually got off in the time between the close of lunch rush and the start of dinner. Of course today hadn’t been normal, given the guy that regularly did nights had gotten sick enough to actually call in.
Which meant Tommy had been here, with minimal breaks and rests, since five that morning. Some of it had been cooking, some of it had been managing inventory, and there had even been a bit of time where he’d done table service. But now, twelve hours in he should be dead on his feet.
People here were never prepared for the lasting power of a well fed speedster. And Tommy? He was damn well fed. Best part of his own income on top of what Billy had funneled into an account for him was that he knew he could account for his food.
“Don’t get down on yourself, Bossman. I’m sure you’re charming ladies all the time with that face,” Tommy said before moving back to his work space. “Gonna grab a burger and fries, you okay with that?”
The manager nodded and gave a gruff noise, leaving Tommy to it. And Tommy, for what it was worth, had himself all served up relatively soon afterward. From there it was a simple matter to slip out into the diner proper, grab a table and sit down to enjoy himself. Which didn’t last long.
“Hey, you’re in my spot.”
The voice cuts into some primo burger enjoying time and he already knows who he’s going to find when he looks up. And he does look up. Of course he looks up. Why would he not look up when the view from here is something he’s missed?
Billy Hargrove is a masterpiece, always has been. Golden hair and tanned skin, and his curls were so masterfully put together. They went together so well with the mostly open red shirt and the shine off of his necklace and his earring, and for the moment he could see just what it was that Billy had been before a shitty little city in the assent of nowhere space. Of course there were things that were different too. His muscles weren’t quite the same level of toned that Tommy knew would come from time spent training with Gladio, muscles that were only enhanced by that axe he’d used to good effect. There was also less of the open softness that Tommy knew the man to have. More than anything, though, there was no light of recognition in those eyes.
Hard to believe that only a month ago those eyes would light up when they landed on Tommy. Harder still to believe that a month ago he would wake up with that head with its soft curls pillowed on his chest, those strong arms curled around his chest, those long and shapely legs entwined with his.
Of course there is absolutely no recognition in Hargrove’s eyes, just annoyance. The young woman on his arm looked more than a little bit uncomfortable. Like she was worried Billy was going to start something. Thing was, Tommy was pretty sure he could. All that bullshit ‘macho or die’ energy that he’d first seen in Billy Hargrove when they’d met.
For a moment there was a flare of jealousy in Tommy’s heart. He knew exactly what this was. He had no right to feel angry and upset and betrayed over the petite redhead who was going to have his man’s attention tonight. This wasn’t his boyfriend yet. He had no right to be upset, because time was always a mess for Tommy, and always would be wouldn’t it?
“I’m really sorry,” he says, immediately starting to slide out of the booth and picking up his plate and cup. If there was one rule he was trying to live by here, it was not interfering until the proper moment. He knew just enough to know that it definitely wasn’t right now. “Just let me get out of your way.”
No, it was more than not interfering. It was not being someone that Billy would notice, even though he wanted to stand up and scream and say ‘your father’s wrong, we’re meant to be ourselves.’
Will you ever forgive me, for leaving you to him, to all your suffering? Will you hate me because you think I don’t love you enough now, even though my heart is screaming to rescue you?
That was a bridge they would have to cross when they got to it. For now there was enough time between the seconds for him to think it all and long for the man in the way his body had grown used to longing for him. Except now it was worse, because he was right there, in reach.
“I’ll get someone to bring over new flatware and all that,” he says with a nod before moving away.
He doesn’t wait to hear what Hargrove would say in response to that. Hearing that voice again, turned against him with such annoyance and frustration. It cut him to the quick and admitting that to anyone would be more destructive than he could ever describe. So he just moves on, finding a table in the corner so he doesn’t have to see Billy while he’s there.
This? This was why he didn’t work nights. There was a far higher chance of running into someone he knew. Which only made all of this harder. Strange how he never really considered how much it would hurt to be looked at by his lover and not recognized. In the moment that he walked away he contemplated the woven string bracelet around his wrist. All he had to do was break it and his brother would come and fetch him back.
For one brief second he considered it. Going home, accepting this as a loss, and just moving on, it was all possible.
Tommy only considered it for half a nano second.
He refused to fail.
- - - - -
Turned out the diner was one of the go to places in town for the younger crowd to take their dates. Which was, of course, a bit of an annoyance for Tommy who soon found himself taking two night shifts a week. Not that he’d wanted the shifts of course. At least they were only ever slow nights, some level of pity managing to get him freedom from working Fridays and Saturdays, which he usually used to stay low key stalking the people he knew.
Yes, he was fully a creepy stalker dude, living in the absolute background and corners of the lives of Hawkins, waiting for the moment when shit would hit the proverbial fan. Really, someone should arrest him, not that they could ever get their hands on him.
Still, the biggest problem was just how often he was dealing with Billy bringing in his ‘friends’ or dates on nights that Tommy worked. Sometimes it was athletes that Tommy presumed he played basketball with, sometimes it was an asshole named Tommy Hagan’s who was a disappointment to the very name of Tommys everywhere, but by the end of Januarya Tommy had seen Billy come in with enough girls that he wanted to tell the guy he was trying too hard.
No one else saw it, but Tommy had the secret knowledge that made it obvious to him. Anyone else might see it for what it was, someone trying to prove he was popular and worthy and straight through the company of a seemingly endless parade of teen girls. Though Tommy had to admit he more than once saw the guy talking up older women too and wow was that enough to make Tommy’s skin crawl.
The 1980s really needed to be introduced to the idea of grooming, and told it was actually a bad thing.
Perhaps the biggest issue, though, was the fact that it almost seemed like Billy remembered him.
It wasn’t possible, but there were moments like this, when the night was slowing down and Tommy was ending his shift, when he felt those eyes on him. There was no way that the guy could remember him, right?
Except here Tommy was, walking out past Billy’s date who was clearly getting up to get to the bathroom, and there was Hargrove, watching him as he walked toward the table, intending to get past it to the door.
“You,” Hargrove says, and Tommy can’t just ignore him. There is no part of him that can just not pay attention to Billy. If only the guy knew that Tommy hung on his every word, every gesture, every breath.
So he stops, sighs, and looks at the (only barely) younger man. “Yeah, man?”
If Billy did recognize him, it was probably because he’d seen Tommy working here for a month now. It’s got to be that and only that. Of course Tommy flattered himself in his mind by letting himself think that Billy probably just liked how Tommy looked, even if he couldn’t admit it.
Which was fair. Even with all the layers he kept on to keep warm in the face of the cold outside, he could never stand to layer up on his legs. And as the only person in town with a better ass than Billy… Well, maybe that was why Billy was aware of him. Maybe Billy was checking him out.
Except you know he isn’t, so don’t get your hopes up.
“Our drinks are running low.”
And yeah, that made a lot more sense. Tommy just sighed. Why did he ever let himself get his hopes up?
“Sorry man, my shift just ended. I’m out of here.”
Billy sure didn’t look impressed by that statement.
“Looks like you’re still here to me.”
“Wow, talk about a really shit argument to try and get your way. I’m sure you could do better, Curls.”
The name slips out easily, too easily. He probably shouldn’t have, because that gets a whole confused and intrigued look. But hey, way too late to take it back. So he just heads right on past the table, easily stepping right past the quickly extended foot. No, he was not going to get all caught up in those legs. Not like this.
Something told him he was going to be saying those words to himself quite a lot in the coming months.
Not the biggest frustration in his life, but after waiting in hell for his brother to come pick him up, few things were. But hey, it would be close.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
January, 1985
Date: 2023-09-20 05:12 am (UTC)“Yo boss,” Tommy said, looking over his shoulder as he put the last order up for the waitress to ferry out.
“Take a break. You’re making me look bad.”
The observation makes Tommy chuckle, because what it really means is that they finally, after a long ass day, had things slow enough for Tommy to take a break. Normally he only did mornings here, trying to wile away the hours that Hargrove and his associates would be at school. Not much else to do during the day otherwise. Meant he had the ass end of the morning shifts, and usually got off in the time between the close of lunch rush and the start of dinner. Of course today hadn’t been normal, given the guy that regularly did nights had gotten sick enough to actually call in.
Which meant Tommy had been here, with minimal breaks and rests, since five that morning. Some of it had been cooking, some of it had been managing inventory, and there had even been a bit of time where he’d done table service. But now, twelve hours in he should be dead on his feet.
People here were never prepared for the lasting power of a well fed speedster. And Tommy? He was damn well fed. Best part of his own income on top of what Billy had funneled into an account for him was that he knew he could account for his food.
“Don’t get down on yourself, Bossman. I’m sure you’re charming ladies all the time with that face,” Tommy said before moving back to his work space. “Gonna grab a burger and fries, you okay with that?”
The manager nodded and gave a gruff noise, leaving Tommy to it. And Tommy, for what it was worth, had himself all served up relatively soon afterward. From there it was a simple matter to slip out into the diner proper, grab a table and sit down to enjoy himself. Which didn’t last long.
“Hey, you’re in my spot.”
The voice cuts into some primo burger enjoying time and he already knows who he’s going to find when he looks up. And he does look up. Of course he looks up. Why would he not look up when the view from here is something he’s missed?
Billy Hargrove is a masterpiece, always has been. Golden hair and tanned skin, and his curls were so masterfully put together. They went together so well with the mostly open red shirt and the shine off of his necklace and his earring, and for the moment he could see just what it was that Billy had been before a shitty little city in the assent of nowhere space. Of course there were things that were different too. His muscles weren’t quite the same level of toned that Tommy knew would come from time spent training with Gladio, muscles that were only enhanced by that axe he’d used to good effect. There was also less of the open softness that Tommy knew the man to have. More than anything, though, there was no light of recognition in those eyes.
Hard to believe that only a month ago those eyes would light up when they landed on Tommy. Harder still to believe that a month ago he would wake up with that head with its soft curls pillowed on his chest, those strong arms curled around his chest, those long and shapely legs entwined with his.
Of course there is absolutely no recognition in Hargrove’s eyes, just annoyance. The young woman on his arm looked more than a little bit uncomfortable. Like she was worried Billy was going to start something. Thing was, Tommy was pretty sure he could. All that bullshit ‘macho or die’ energy that he’d first seen in Billy Hargrove when they’d met.
For a moment there was a flare of jealousy in Tommy’s heart. He knew exactly what this was. He had no right to feel angry and upset and betrayed over the petite redhead who was going to have his man’s attention tonight. This wasn’t his boyfriend yet. He had no right to be upset, because time was always a mess for Tommy, and always would be wouldn’t it?
“I’m really sorry,” he says, immediately starting to slide out of the booth and picking up his plate and cup. If there was one rule he was trying to live by here, it was not interfering until the proper moment. He knew just enough to know that it definitely wasn’t right now. “Just let me get out of your way.”
No, it was more than not interfering. It was not being someone that Billy would notice, even though he wanted to stand up and scream and say ‘your father’s wrong, we’re meant to be ourselves.’
Will you ever forgive me, for leaving you to him, to all your suffering? Will you hate me because you think I don’t love you enough now, even though my heart is screaming to rescue you?
That was a bridge they would have to cross when they got to it. For now there was enough time between the seconds for him to think it all and long for the man in the way his body had grown used to longing for him. Except now it was worse, because he was right there, in reach.
“I’ll get someone to bring over new flatware and all that,” he says with a nod before moving away.
He doesn’t wait to hear what Hargrove would say in response to that. Hearing that voice again, turned against him with such annoyance and frustration. It cut him to the quick and admitting that to anyone would be more destructive than he could ever describe. So he just moves on, finding a table in the corner so he doesn’t have to see Billy while he’s there.
This? This was why he didn’t work nights. There was a far higher chance of running into someone he knew. Which only made all of this harder. Strange how he never really considered how much it would hurt to be looked at by his lover and not recognized. In the moment that he walked away he contemplated the woven string bracelet around his wrist. All he had to do was break it and his brother would come and fetch him back.
For one brief second he considered it. Going home, accepting this as a loss, and just moving on, it was all possible.
Tommy only considered it for half a nano second.
He refused to fail.
Turned out the diner was one of the go to places in town for the younger crowd to take their dates. Which was, of course, a bit of an annoyance for Tommy who soon found himself taking two night shifts a week. Not that he’d wanted the shifts of course. At least they were only ever slow nights, some level of pity managing to get him freedom from working Fridays and Saturdays, which he usually used to stay low key stalking the people he knew.
Yes, he was fully a creepy stalker dude, living in the absolute background and corners of the lives of Hawkins, waiting for the moment when shit would hit the proverbial fan. Really, someone should arrest him, not that they could ever get their hands on him.
Still, the biggest problem was just how often he was dealing with Billy bringing in his ‘friends’ or dates on nights that Tommy worked. Sometimes it was athletes that Tommy presumed he played basketball with, sometimes it was an asshole named Tommy Hagan’s who was a disappointment to the very name of Tommys everywhere, but by the end of Januarya Tommy had seen Billy come in with enough girls that he wanted to tell the guy he was trying too hard.
No one else saw it, but Tommy had the secret knowledge that made it obvious to him. Anyone else might see it for what it was, someone trying to prove he was popular and worthy and straight through the company of a seemingly endless parade of teen girls. Though Tommy had to admit he more than once saw the guy talking up older women too and wow was that enough to make Tommy’s skin crawl.
The 1980s really needed to be introduced to the idea of grooming, and told it was actually a bad thing.
Perhaps the biggest issue, though, was the fact that it almost seemed like Billy remembered him.
It wasn’t possible, but there were moments like this, when the night was slowing down and Tommy was ending his shift, when he felt those eyes on him. There was no way that the guy could remember him, right?
Except here Tommy was, walking out past Billy’s date who was clearly getting up to get to the bathroom, and there was Hargrove, watching him as he walked toward the table, intending to get past it to the door.
“You,” Hargrove says, and Tommy can’t just ignore him. There is no part of him that can just not pay attention to Billy. If only the guy knew that Tommy hung on his every word, every gesture, every breath.
So he stops, sighs, and looks at the (only barely) younger man. “Yeah, man?”
If Billy did recognize him, it was probably because he’d seen Tommy working here for a month now. It’s got to be that and only that. Of course Tommy flattered himself in his mind by letting himself think that Billy probably just liked how Tommy looked, even if he couldn’t admit it.
Which was fair. Even with all the layers he kept on to keep warm in the face of the cold outside, he could never stand to layer up on his legs. And as the only person in town with a better ass than Billy… Well, maybe that was why Billy was aware of him. Maybe Billy was checking him out.
Except you know he isn’t, so don’t get your hopes up.
“Our drinks are running low.”
And yeah, that made a lot more sense. Tommy just sighed. Why did he ever let himself get his hopes up?
“Sorry man, my shift just ended. I’m out of here.”
Billy sure didn’t look impressed by that statement.
“Looks like you’re still here to me.”
“Wow, talk about a really shit argument to try and get your way. I’m sure you could do better, Curls.”
The name slips out easily, too easily. He probably shouldn’t have, because that gets a whole confused and intrigued look. But hey, way too late to take it back. So he just heads right on past the table, easily stepping right past the quickly extended foot. No, he was not going to get all caught up in those legs. Not like this.
Something told him he was going to be saying those words to himself quite a lot in the coming months.
Not the biggest frustration in his life, but after waiting in hell for his brother to come pick him up, few things were. But hey, it would be close.