#tableside order

[bluebirdsongs16]

THE RITZ CARLTON IN LONDON SERVES CRĚPE SUZETTE FOR TWO AS A SIGNATURE DESSERT AND IT'S BEEN ON THE MENU SINCE 1907??

The Ritz’s crêpe suzette has been an item on the menu of the world-famous hotel restaurant for more than a century – evidence of its popularity and celebrity status. As a bastion of old-school grandeur and glamour, The Ritz restaurant in London has been serving up crêpes, alongside other fine French cuisine, since 1907.

Source

My Good Omens-addled brain rn upon learning this fact:

[alesajhonsan]

Enhance Dining Experience with Innovative Tableside Ordering System

Transform your restaurant's dining experience with the innovative tableside ordering system. This advanced technology empowers your staff to take orders directly at the table using sleek, portable devices, ensuring accuracy and efficiency. Say goodbye to order mix-ups and long wait times, as this system allows instant order transmission to the kitchen. With intuitive interfaces, your servers can manage multiple tables effortlessly, providing prompt and personalized service. Enhance customer satisfaction by offering speedy checkouts and flexible payment options, including contactless payments. The tableside order and pay also integrates seamlessly with your existing POS, offering real-time data and insights to optimize operations. Whether you're running a cozy bistro or a bustling restaurant, eatOS solution adapts to your needs, making it easier to manage busy shifts and improve service quality. Utilize this system to boost overall productivity and streamline your restaurant operations. Ready to see the difference? Book a demo today and experience firsthand how our tableside order and pay system can revolutionize your service, increase your efficiency, and elevate your customer's dining journey. Discover the benefits of integrating this cutting-edge technology into your restaurant operations with eatOS.

[eatossolutions]

From Patron to Plate: The Rapid Transformation with Restaurant Tableside Ordering

Indulge in the culinary revolution with tableside ordering, transforming dining into a seamless, interactive, and efficient experience. Embrace the change today!

[markthomas]

Enhance Customer Experience with an Order at Table App

In today’s fast-paced restaurant industry, offering a seamless dining experience is essential. An order at table app empowers customers to place orders and pay without leaving their seats, boosting convenience and efficiency. Whether you run a casual café or a fine-dining restaurant, integrating this solution can transform your operations.

With the eatOS Tableside Order and Pay system, customers browse your menu digitally, customize their meals, and place orders directly. This app streamlines communication between the front of house and kitchen staff, reducing errors and enhancing service speed.

Beyond convenience, an order at table app encourages upselling through suggestive prompts and special offers. By enabling secure, contactless payments, it also enhances customer trust and satisfaction.

Switching to a digital solution like the eatOS order at table app not only modernizes your business but also increases table turnover and revenue. Plus, detailed analytics offer insights into customer preferences and sales trends, helping you make data-driven decisions.

Embrace the future of dining with the eatOS Tableside Order and Pay solution. Visit eatOS to learn more about how this innovative technology can elevate your restaurant’s operations.

[gloomwitchwrites]

I'm in a roll....

The 141 in grey sweatpants. 🥵

You're in a roll? Me too. A brioche roll. Or maybe a Hawaiian roll. Or rolled inside one of Price's many cigars. Kidding (not really). I knew what you meant.

And grey sweatpants...yes please! I am salivating over here. Literally drooling. And it's only grey sweatpants. No shirts. No shoes. Just sweatpants and muscle. (my god I need to go touch grass).

These are...spicy. How could they not be? It's our favorite men in nothing but grey sweatpants.

For the masterlist and how to submit your own request, click HERE

Task Force 141 x Reader

Content & Warnings (per the warnings MDNI): established relationship, suggestive themes, swearing, invitations for sex, dirty thoughts, sexual situations, married life, fade to black

Word Count: 2k

ao3 // taglist // main masterlist // imagines & what if masterlist

John Price

“It’s bedtime. Bath. Pajamas. Teeth.”

“But Dad! Lucy and I—”

“Bed.” You grin into your glass as John ushers the children out of the living room. “Come on you two. I want to kiss your mother.”

“Ew. Gross!” the kids screech in unison.

The trio disappears down the hallway. You hear water running and the laughter of your children. John eventually emerges thirty minutes later. He runs his hand over the top of his head, sighing heavily.

When he enters the living room and notices you, he grins mischievously. His body is on full display. Broad chest with a lovely dusting of dark hair that trails downward to disappear beneath the band of his grey sweatpants. John is all thick muscle. A wall of strength. You’ve always loved that about him. How he seems to take up so much space or the way he crushes you with his body when he goes in for a snuggle.

John plops down on the sofa beside you. The moment his ass hits the cushion, John grabs for you. You giggle, playfully pushing at your husband as his weight tips you back, pinning you to the sofa.

“The kids,” you protest with a whisper.

“They’re sleeping,” he replies just as softly, keeping you pressed beneath him.

John goes in for a kiss. It is sweet. Slow. Deep. Completely indulgent. There is so much of him. And his scent is everywhere. It fills your lungs. Makes you weak.

Your lips part and John slips his tongue inside. You start to soften, to lean into his kisses. Each is salt-laced passion. A tease for later. He might have you pinned against the couch, and his tongue down your throat, but John will move this behind a locked door.

As John goes in for another kiss, the sound of a door unlatching comes from the hall. John freezes and you go still beneath him.

“Fucking hell,” he mutters.

Pushing up to a more seated position, John addresses the offender with a raised voice. “You best be in bed.”

There’s a gentle squeak, and then a door closing.

John sinks back down, resting his forehead against yours. He sighs heavily, and you give him a quick kiss. He returns it, and then snakes an arm under your back. He hauls you up and into his lap. You straddle him, hands pressed against his firm chest.

Through the sweatpants, you can feel his hardness pressing against your thigh. John’s hands roam downward to cup your buttocks, squeezing.

“Ready to take this elsewhere?” he asks, grinding his hips upward.

You have to stifle a moan.

“Please, John.”

With a light slap to your ass, he lifts you off his lap and onto your feet. The ground is solid. Steady. But then John’s hands return, and then you’re away, being guided down the hall to your bedroom.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

You snuggle into the couch and crack open your paperback book.

Everything is in order. You have a glass of wine, a bowl of snacks, the tableside lamp on, and a cozy blanket. It’s late, but it’s officially the weekend. There will be plenty of time to relax.

“Reading out here?”

You glance up, and find Kyle in the entrance of the hallway, leaning against the wall. He’s shirtless. Without shoes. Just him, his freshly showered skin, and a pair of grey sweatpants. Kyle absently scratches at his chiseled stomach, head slightly tilted as he waits for your answer.

You can’t help but focus in on every line of muscle.

“Babe,” he prompts, laughing.

“Sorry?” you reply, blinking.

Kyle laughs again, the sound sweet. He strides forward, coming to a stop beside the sofa. He taps the side of his mouth. “Got some drool.”

“Oh, fuck off,” you giggle, checking with a quick wipe with the back of your hand.

Kyle’s smile is infectious. You can’t help but match it.

“Can I join you?” he asks, already lifting the blanket.

“You’re not going out with the boys?”

Kyle shakes his head. With one hand he lifts the blanket, and with the other he grabs your legs and lifts. He slides in, and drapes your legs over his lap before returning the blanket to drape over your body. Keeping one hand under the blanket, Kyle rests his hand on your inner thigh. It stirs heat in your core.

“Tomorrow,” he yawns. “Simon has a sick kid.”

“Bummer.”

Kyle shrugs, draping his over arm over the back of the couch. His hand on your thigh is a brand, and it’s only made worse when he starts massaging.

“Is it a spicy one?” asks Kyle, nodding toward your book.

Yes.

“Maybe,” you say slowly.

Kyle smirks, and then the book is out of your hand.

“Kyle!” You reach for it, but he twists, blocking your forward momentum.

He examines the pages in front of him. Heat rushes into your cheeks. As he reads, his eyes widen.

Kyle’s mouth drops open.

“What?” you prompt. You try to snag the book but he blocks you.

He glances at you. “Are you aware of where he’s putting that gun?”

“It’s fictional.”

“When you ask me to recreate things—”

“Kyle—”

“—is this what you’re talking about?” His gaze goes from you to the book and then to you again. “I’m down for a lot of things, love, but I’m not sure I’m down for that.”

Pushing off from the couch, you snatch the book out of Kyle’s hands. He surrenders it easily, a smile on his perfect face. The blanket is a crumbled mess beside him, but that’s not what you’re focused on.

The grey sweatpants have shifted, exposing more of the deep v of his pelvis. But it’s not just that. Kyle is hard. That is very clear.

He leans against the back of the couch, throwing both arms out to rest over the top. Flexing his hips, Kyle puts himself on display.

“I’ve got something else I can put inside you.”

John "Soap" MacTavish

A delighted shriek comes from the kitchen.

Johnny emerges, completely unbothered even with the two children in his arms. He has the oldest child, who just turned five, sideways and tucked under one arm. The boy has a wicked smile of his face even as he wiggles, trying to free himself from his father’s grasp. It’s fruitless.

The other child, a boy of three, keeps shrieking with delight even as Johnny lifts him into the air by his ankle. He is upside down, arms flailing, his brown hair hanging below him.

Johnny doesn’t even blink. Doesn’t even break a sweat. He carries the two of them like it’s nothing.

He’s almost completely naked except for a pair of grey sweatpants that hang low on his hips. They show off the deep v of his pelvis, and the dusting of dark hair that spreads over his chest and descends downward. You’ve touched that chest so many times. You know it as well as you know yourself.

Johnny’s gaze is on the television, watching the football match. The kids still shriek and playfully claw at him. But he remains unbothered.

Sitting there on the sofa, you consider that a third kid might not be so bad. You’d give him a small army if he asked.

Johnny glances away from the television, and when his gaze lands on you, it is entirely knowing. Heat curls in your belly, and his smile widens.

“Found these gremlins digging in the pantry,” he says, indicating the kids by hoisting the three-year old higher into the air and squeezing the other tighter against him.

Both kids giggle manically.

“After brushing their teeth.” Johnny tuts. “What’s to be done?”

Both children continue to giggle, not answering their father.

“Sounds like it’s time for bed,” you muse.

The children groan.

“But I’m not tired,” moans the five-year old.

“Too bad,” laughs Johnny. “Come on.”

He doesn’t put them down. He carries them like that all the way to their bedroom. Even from your spot on the sofa, you can hear their manic giggling. After a while, it quiets down, and Johnny emerges from the hall.

Instead of sitting down on the couch next to you, he grabs the remote and shuts off the television.

“Not interested in the game?” you ask.

“Nope. Want something else.”

His sultry smile tells you enough.

Slowly, he approaches, coming to a stop in front of you. He offers his hand, and you take it. With little effort, Johnny brings you to your feet, and hauls you close. Your free hand immediately rises, pressing against his chiseled stomach.

“What is it that you want?” you murmur, already knowing the answer.

His hardness presses against your belly, his voice going low and gravelly as he speaks. “I’d like to spend some time between those gorgeous thighs.”

“Doing what?”

“Whatever I very well please.”

Simon "Ghost" Riley

This is agony. A terrible joke.

Simon is right there. Sweaty. Shirtless. In nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants.

He’s completely in the zone. Heavy metal blares through the stereo’s speakers, drowning out the sound of his gloved fists striking the punching bag. Morning light pours in from the open window, giving Simon an ethereal glow.

You watch from the doorway, chewing on your bottom lip, wanting nothing more than to pounce on him. Simon is all muscle, and not in a gym rat way. He is thick everywhere. You want to lick the sweat from his skin, to drop to your knees before him, and tug those grey sweatpants down.

You know what you’d find. And it sounds delicious.

But he is in the zone. And you won’t disturb him.

Pushing down the naughty thoughts, you start to turn away, to return to the kitchen and find something to eat for breakfast.

The music abruptly cuts off.

“See something you like, love?”

Simon’s raspy voice draws you back to the room. With one hand on the doorframe, you meet his gaze, and promptly melt into the floor. He has a cocky grin on his face, and his shoulders heave slightly from exhaustion.

You lick your lips. “Always,” you reply, fingers digging into the wood.

Simon’s gaze scans you. You feel exposed, like he can see through your clothes. It’s knowing. Amused.

“What is it?” you prompt, staring just as hard as he is.

Simon removes one glove and then the other. He tosses them to the side, never taking his eyes off you.

“Come here,” he says.

You don’t move.

Simon arches a single eyebrow. Instead of repeating himself, he gestures with one finger, indicating that he wants you to come to him.

Heat rushes from your cheeks down to your toes. Slowly, you peel yourself away from the door, heading for him. Simon’s natural swagger is alluring, and those sweatpants sit so low.

Just one tug. That’s all it would take. And you’d be able to take him in your mouth.

As you approach, Simon reaches out, grabbing your waist, tugging you close to him. You instinctually hook your finger in the waistband of his grey sweatpants.

Simon smirks.

You inhale deeply, savoring the manly musk of him.

“Hungry?” he asks.

“Not for breakfast,” you sigh.

“For something else then?”

You nod.

Simon leans in but doesn’t kiss you. He holds back slightly, lips curved into a hint of a smile. “Want to hear what I have in mind?”

“Yes,” you breathe.

Simon presses his thumb on your bottom lip. “I can fill that mouth.” His thumb drops away from your lips, and trails over your chin before brushing over your stomach. “And belly.”

His gaze stays on you. “What do you think of that, love?”

taglist:

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[microinamin]

TouchBistro is a popular restaurant management system that provides a range of solutions for streamlining operations, enhancing guest experiences, and optimizing overall efficiency in the restaurant industry. Some key features and functionalities offered by TouchBistro include:

1. Point of Sale (POS) System: TouchBistro offers a comprehensive POS system that allows restaurants to efficiently process orders, manage table layouts, split checks, and accept various payment methods.

2. Menu Management: The platform enables restaurants to easily create, update, and customize menus, including item descriptions, pricing, and modifiers. It also supports menu item categorization and organization.

3. Tableside Ordering: TouchBistro facilitates tableside ordering through the use of iPads or other mobile devices, enabling servers to take orders directly from customers and transmit them to the kitchen instantly.

4. Inventory Management: The system provides inventory tracking and management tools, helping restaurants monitor ingredient levels, automate purchasing, and generate reports to optimize inventory control.

5. Reporting and Analytics: TouchBistro offers robust reporting capabilities, allowing restaurant owners and managers to track sales, analyze performance, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions to improve operations.

6. Staff Management: The platform provides features for managing staff schedules, tracking hours worked, and monitoring staff performance. It also supports role-based access and permissions.

7. Customer Relationship Management (CRM): TouchBistro includes CRM functionalities to help restaurants build and maintain customer profiles, manage loyalty programs, and track customer preferences and order history.

8. Integration and Add-Ons: TouchBistro integrates with various third-party applications and services, such as payment processors, accounting software, and online ordering platforms, to enhance its functionality and adapt to specific restaurant needs.

[alesajhonsan]

Tableside Ordering System - Enhance Restaurant Efficiency & Service

Explore the advantages of a tableside ordering system and see how it can significantly enhance restaurant efficiency and customer satisfaction. This cutting-edge technology allows servers to take orders directly at the table using a handheld device, ensuring accuracy and speed. By streamlining the order-taking process, these systems minimize errors, reduce wait times, and enable staff to focus more on guest interaction and service quality. Customers benefit from quicker service and the ability to customize their orders with ease, while restaurants experience increased table turnover and improved operational efficiency. The tableside ordering system integrates seamlessly with existing point-of-sale systems, providing real-time updates and simplifying the management of orders. For restaurateurs looking to stay ahead in the competitive dining industry, adopting a tableside ordering system is a strategic move that enhances overall guest experience and boosts revenue. With features such as mobile payments, digital menus, and detailed sales analytics, eatOS system provides valuable insights into customer preferences and operational metrics. Invest in a tableside ordering system to revolutionize your service and optimize restaurant performance today.

[eatossolutions]

How Tableside Ordering and Payment Enhances Restaurant Service and Increases Sales

Discover how tableside ordering and payment revolutionizes restaurant service. Enhance customer satisfaction and boost sales with tableside ordering and payment.

[hungriestheidi]

Glory hole + voyeurism for any combination of Oscar/mark/Jenson/Lando pleaseeee

how about all of them? <3

(nsf/w, jendo + oscarmark + landoscar. implied dom/sub, humilliation, glory holes, orgasm denial, etc.)

Jenson drapes a hand at the back of Lando’s head. Cold sweat drips down his back and his eyes open wide, illuminated by the gentle glow of a tableside lamp. It’s vintage, Victorian type, fabric and crystals hanging from thin threads, mimicking the falling rain. It matches the shade of Lando’s cheeks, red with pinkish hues, undertones of warmth and careful reluctance. 

“Look at him, Osc.”

Mark says it so sweetly, but Oscar knows it to be an order. Shifts in place and stares ahead, Lando’s eyes brimming with tears, his mouth open, jaw chiseled by the shadows, Jenson’s hand petting his hair, whispering ‘see? it wasn’t that hard to be obediente’. Someone’s cock fills Lando’s mouth and he is sucking it so diligently, even when there’s defiance in his eyes he’s being so good, bouncing slowly on a dildo Jenson carefully put in place. 

He likes to be full, he said to Mark, winking as Lando frowned, petulant and annoyed. But he does seem to be enjoying this, the cradle of Jenson’s hand on his jaw, the cock he licks with so much enthusiasm, the bouncing that makes him whine. The person on the other side of the hole knocks on the wall, twice. 

“He’s almost there,” Jenson says, jolly, patting Lando’s cheek as if he can feel the stranger’s cock through the layers of Lando’s skin. 

Mark puts a hand on his shoulder, squeezing softly before he reaches to unhook the chain attached to his collar. 

“Go and help him,” Oscar looks up, he can feel his cheeks redden and Mark gently urges him forward. “Go on, pup.” 

Oscar swallows and nods. Lando leans back as Oscar crawls to him. The room suddenly feels nauseatingly small, walls collapsing inwards to press him closer to the cock popping out of the wall. Pink, thick but not too long, leaking steadily but not quite to the point of orgasm. Oscar wraps a hand around it, hears the soft moan from the other side of the wall and turns to look at Mark. 

From his seat Mark nods, palming himself through the fabric of his tailored pants. If he’s like this then Oscar is doing something good. 

He reaches for the cock with his mouth, licks at the tip, the saline tangy taste of precum and sweat, skin and all that comes with it. Oscar treats it as a lollipop, Mark likes it when he does that, looking up and salivating all over him. Mark likes to say he’s a messy pup, pulls his hair and tells him to be more careful, yet he indulges him and lets the saliva drip down his chin as he fucks him. 

Today he has no time to pay attention to this person’s cock like he would with Mark, so he wraps his mouth around it and goes in as deep as he can before he hits the wall. It shivers inside of him, spurring hot cum into his mouth, dripping over his tongue as it pulls back slowly. Oscar turns and finds Lando bouncing on his dildo with his eyes lit like stars, entirely focused on Oscar’s mouth. 

“Kiss him,” Jenson says and Lando nods as he keeps bouncing gleefully. 

Oscar can taste the person’s cock on Lando’s mouth and Lando must taste the cum in his tongue. And must enjoy it, greedily pushing inside Oscar’s mouth, putting a hand on his ass and squeezing gently. 

“Easy, easy, boys,” Jenson splits them apart, pulls Lando to his feet and kisses him. “You still aren’t allowed to come, aren’t you?”

Lando whines. “Please?”

Jenson looks at Mark. They trade cheeky glances, Mark stroking himself slowly as Oscar feels his cock is about to burst. 

“Let them, they were good today.”

[markthomas]

Revolutionize Dining with Order and Pay at the Table

In today’s fast-paced world, diners value convenience and efficiency more than ever. With eatOS's order and pay at the table solution, restaurants can deliver a seamless dining experience that enhances customer satisfaction while improving operational efficiency.

What is Order and Pay at the Table?

Order and pay at the table is an innovative system that allows customers to browse the menu, place orders, and settle their bills directly from their table using a tablet, smartphone, or a dedicated device. This eliminates the need for traditional payment methods and reduces wait times, creating a smooth and enjoyable dining experience.

Benefits of Order and Pay at the Table

Enhanced Customer Experience Diners enjoy the freedom to order at their own pace and pay without waiting for a server. This level of convenience not only improves their experience but also encourages repeat visits.

Increased Table Turnover By streamlining the ordering and payment process, restaurants can serve more customers in less time. Faster table turnover translates to higher revenue potential.

Improved Accuracy Orders are sent directly to the kitchen, minimizing miscommunication between servers and chefs. This leads to fewer errors and happier customers.

Contactless Payments In a post-pandemic era, contactless solutions are more important than ever. Order and pay at the table ensures a safe and hygienic transaction process.

Why Choose eatOS?

With eatOS’s state-of-the-art tableside order and pay system, restaurants can integrate modern technology into their workflow effortlessly. Whether you run a fine dining establishment or a casual eatery, this system adapts to your needs, delivering efficiency and reliability.

Conclusion

Transform your restaurant operations and elevate your guest experience with order and pay at the table. Discover how eatOS can help your business thrive by streamlining the dining process. Visit eatOS’s Tableside Solution to learn more!

[half-bakedboy]

For bucktommy! “For some reason, I’m attracted to you.”

read on ao3

Buck knows objectively that dating a guy is much different than dating a girl. He’s done enough research—if a lot of articles like Dating Advice for Gay, Bi, and Pansexual Men count—about how dating someone new is supposed to be exciting and nerve-wracking, and dating men isn’t going to feel any different than dating a woman.

If that’s all true, then why has he never felt so awkward in his life?

He’s sitting across from Tommy at this quaint Italian restaurant that Maddie once mentioned wanting Chimney to take her to and all he feels is unsettled. The table is too small between them and Buck worries that if either of them moves, their knees will knock over everything on top of it. Buck ordered white wine because it seemed like the classy choice but he hates wine, and Tommy ordered a red wine that makes him wince every time he swallows.

The butter is as hard as a rock and Buck refuses to eat bread without it ever since his first date with Abby. Somehow, this date almost rivals Abby performing a tableside tracheotomy because Buck choked on the dry bread he’d shoved in his mouth to tame that awkwardness.

He catches himself glancing down consideringly at the basket of bread rolls before him but looks away abruptly when Tommy breaks the silence.

“So, this is a nice place,” Tommy decides. Buck nods and grabs both sides of the small table with a white-knuckled grip. “How’d you find it?”

“Maddie! My sister,” he says, unsure how much their mutual friends have told him. “Chim’s girlfriend. Fiance actually, but uh, my sister. She suggested it to me.”

“As a place to grab drinks?” Tommy asked with a raised eyebrow.

Buck shook his head. “As a place for a date,” Buck says proudly, tipping his chin up a little, challenging anyone to say a damn word about it. A small smile tugs at the corner of Tommy’s lips at the words.

“You told your sister you had a date? Did you tell her…” The rest of the question is obvious, but Tommy pulls back like he’s unsure whether he should ask.

“That this is my first date with a dude?” Buck finishes for him. Tommy chuckles and takes a sip of his classic red wine. He presses his lips together as he swallows and nods. “Not necessarily, but Tommy isn’t exactly a gender-neutral name.”

“Hey, it’s a big step. I’m proud of you either way,” Tommy says softly.

He reaches for Buck’s hand across the table like he’s testing the waters. It should be a cute moment, but Buck panics—an obnoxious casualty of his sexuality crisis—and turns his palm up to welcome the first public sign of affection between them, knocking over both of their glasses of water, drenching the aforementioned bread rolls.

Buck immediately thinks it’d be hard to choke himself with them now.

“God, I am so sorry.” Buck panics, stands up too abruptly, and the knees he was so previously concerned about hit the edge of the table painfully, sending Tommy’s almost empty plate onto his lap along with the remnants of water on the table.

Buck feels his face heat up like a furnace and he closes his eyes in hopes that this is all some fever dream born out of his fears of his newfound sexuality. But Tommy is chuckling and a waitress is apologizing like this is somehow her fault and Buck has to accept that he really is just bad at this.

He has his hands white-knuckled on the back of his chair and he’s considering just running away when a gentle hand rests over his. When he looks up, Tommy is still grinning—Buck doesn’t understand how he just keeps smiling through it all—like he isn’t covered in all of Buck’s mistakes.

“Evan,” Tommy mutters. There’s humor in the voice and Buck feels like he might actually die if Tommy makes fun of him. “Do you wanna get out of here?” Tommy asks. Buck’s eyebrows pull together and he sees the moment Tommy reads his mind. “C’mon, Kid.”

Tommy somehow unglues Buck’s hand from the chair to maneuver them toward the door. Buck apologizes to every waitstaff he sees, but it doesn’t matter. They’re all looking at him with so much pity that Buck feels like one of the patients on his calls. It’s a feeling he really hates, especially when Tommy must notice the stares, too.

Once they’re outside, Buck blurts, “Please don’t tell Eddie how bad this is going.”

Tommy snorts out his laughter like he’s been holding it in for hours. Buck should be mortified, but Tommy’s hand is still gripped in his and it’s firm and warm and much larger than his own.

“Oh, I’m gonna,” Tommy promises. Buck attempts to pull his hand away but Tommy only squeezes tighter. “Evan, c’mere.”

This time, Tommy pulls him into a warm hug while they stand in the cool night air. Buck breathes him in, eyes closing as he relaxes into the touch. He’s rarely smaller than those he hugs, and he’s never been smaller than someone he’s hugged like this. It’s almost like Tommy is ensuring Buck knows he’s still interested. Even after the awkwardness and tragedy, Tommy knows Buck has more to offer and is willing to find out.

It means so much to Buck that when Tommy pulls away, he has to stop himself from gripping even tighter at Tommy’s broad shoulders. He doesn’t move far, though, and keeps one hand on Buck’s waist, playing with the fabric there like he’s somehow more nervous than Buck. When he starts walking, Buck follows, finding no reason not to trust wherever Tommy is taking them.

“Are you… okay with all of this?” Tommy asks. Buck blanches because he never once considered his inability to remain calm around this man to come off as some sort of internalized homophobia.

“Y-Yes! I’m—Are you okay with this? With me?” Tommy tilts his head inquisitively, cocking an eyebrow up like he doesn’t know exactly. “C’mon, don’t pretend that this wasn’t the worst date you’ve ever been on.”

“I’ve been on a lot of bad dates, Evan,” Tommy says.

Though, it’s not as reassuring as Buck thinks he meant it to be.

Tommy sighs. “I think that we both wanted this to be perfect. For some reason, I’m attracted to you,” he teases, “and I wanted to woo you on your first ‘date with a dude’,” he mocks, earning a smack from Buck. “I remember how terrifying my first public date with a man was, so I can imagine how you were feeling leading up to this.”

“It was scary for you, too?” Buck asks shyly. He’s more reassured by that fact than anything else. In his attempts to not be weird about the date, he tried to hide his fears—this is something so new and important to him but it might not be a singular experience.

“Oh my God, yes!” Tommy laughs. “It was with a dancer. A small guy who looked like he walked straight out of the magazines I used to keep under my bed when I was a teenager.”

“I forgot you grew up in the 80s,” Buck teases. Tommy pinches his waist in retaliation and Buck squirms just a little closer to him.

“Since he was a dancer, I tried to find us a club. You know, dancing at a club was a stereotypically gay thing I could do to prove to this guy I was, in fact, gay. Like the asking-on-a-date part wasn’t explanatory enough.”

“Dancing’s a good first date!” Buck argues, not yet seeing the downside to this conversation.

“Oh, it can be! Except I was terrified to fuck it up, so trusted some stranger on the internet to recommend a spot.”

“Oh no,” Buck mutters.

“Oh, yes,” Tommy agrees. He winces like the memory has been repressed for a little too long. “It was a swingers, leather club. Needed a password to get in.”

“The stranger didn’t give you the password, did he?” Buck guesses.

“Worse. My date knew it and ditched me almost the second we got inside.”

“Oh no,” Buck repeats, though he’s holding back laughter. Tommy waves him on.

“Go ahead, go ahead. Get your laughs out.”

Buck does, throwing his head back for a moment before looking back over at Tommy. He’s staring at Buck like he’s made of sunshine and Buck has never felt brighter.

“So, is this your way of telling me you're into leather, then?” Buck jokes.

“It’s my way of telling you,” Tommy stops, turns, and makes sure he’s looking directly into Buck’s eyes, “that first dates are terrifying no matter who you are with, but how you feel about someone at the end is all that matters.”

“Yeah?” Buck asks. He feels small with Tommy’s eyes on him, with Tommy’s hand around his waist, sliding to the small of his back where he’s unused to being touched so gently.

“Yeah,” Tommy agrees. Buck waits until Tommy glances down at his lips before he smiles.

“And how do you feel about me?” Buck asks. He brings his hands up to put one of Tommy’s broad shoulders and the other brushes a strand of Tommy’s hair back. The red that blooms on Tommy’s cheeks makes Buck’s heart sore.

“I feel…” Tommy begins to lean forward and Buck’s ready for the kiss this time. He isn’t going to be surprised. He knows what to do with his hands. He’s ready to show Tommy that he knows how to kiss better than he knows how to date.

But then Tommy’s gone, and when Buck realizes it, they’re already a few feet apart, Tommy walking backward down the street.

He shouts, “I feel a little damp and sticky. Come back to my place so we can fix that?”

Buck runs after him, shouting, “Is that an innuendo? I don’t get them all yet!”

Contagious laughter echoes through the almost empty streets, and joy thrums through Buck’s entire being. Awkwardness aside, he thinks he could easily get used to this.