Work Text:
Ah, today was turning out to be a lovely day. The wind was blowing, the snow was falling in a wintry mix between actual snow and straight up sleet, all the red decorations were being soaked. Bitty sat in a cozy little coffee shop in downtown Providence, having taken up residence in an armchair by the window with a cup of rare out of season pumpkin spice coffee. It was the day before Valentine’s and Eric Bittle was not above admitting that he really very much abhorred the holiday. It’s hard to watch everyone else enjoy themselves and be in totally utterly grossly in love when you’re alone, and have been alone for years, all your years if you’re Bitty.
“Hey Bits! I’m so glad you were free to meet tonight!” Lardo dropped into the chair next to his with a happy smile. “I just got a call that I think will be right up your alley! I know you were planning to have the night free tomorrow but I have an assignment for you!” The unholy glee in her eyes would be at the very least disquieting to other people but Bitty knew her too well.
“Well what have you got for me, I’ll at least give it a listen, though I can’t promise more than that.”
Bitty and Lardo worked for a local paper on the Providence area, mostly the small towns in the area, Lincoln, Cumberland, that sort of small, middle to upper class town. Lardo was one of the editors that oversaw the larger sections, she was in charge of arts and leisure. Bitty was her food and restaurant consultant.
“I got a call this afternoon, you know that little French restaurant in Greenville? Pets de Soeurs, they called and they want us to review them!”
“Wait, wait. The one that was just reviewed by The New Yorker and The Washington Post? Why would they want us to review them?”
“The owners are unhappy that so many of their customers are tourists. One of the two owners is a small town native and he wants their restaurant to have that feel he was used to growing up. They want a local paper to give them look and hopefully the residents in the area will take notice. And they only trust our paper to do it! What do you say, I know you don’t have any plans.”
Bitty couldn’t possibly resist. It was a good opportunity for the paper, it was a good opportunity for the restaurant, and it was a good opportunity to actually sample a pretty high end restaurant in the area.
“What time are they expecting me?”
Jack had just sat down at his table. He was really looking forward to the night, not because it was Valentine’s, that actually put a bit of a damper on the night in his opinion. No, he was looking forward to it because of what he had planned. His Maman had called last week about an article she’d read in the Wall Street Journal. Apparently, there was a French restaurant that specialized in French Canadian cuisine in a small town outside of Providence and it had been getting good reviews from papers across the country. Jack was very much looking forward to a familiar home cooked meal. He hadn’t had one in years.
Jack was perusing the menu when suddenly all the blood rushed from his head to his feet. The front door had opened and a familiar laugh had wafted through the air. Jack knew that laugh. Oh no, oh please, no no no. Not that. The last thing he wanted to deal with was getting caught alone at a restaurant on Valentine’s day by he well meaning and very happily engaged ex. He couldn’t allow that to happen. Kenny would start pitying him and worse, trying to set him up. That wasn’t happening in this lifetime, thanks.
Bitty was just asking the very nice waiter for water without lemon and asking what the most popular appetizer on the menu was when a very tall, very cute, young man slid into the seat across from him.
“Wow, how are you, I know I said I couldn’t make it tonight but I managed to get away. I hope you haven’t order yet!”
The very cute young man was looking at him as if to say just go with it, please. Bitty flashed a cocked eyebrow at him before committing.
“Oh, I’m so pleased you could come! I must have missed your text, hun! I’ve only order a drink, did you want to try an appetizer?” Nodding at the waiter to indicate that everything was fine, he totally knew this stranger and could we get him something to drink before he explains himself entirely?
The waiter took the man’s drink order and hurried off.
Jack had gotten lucky. So lucky. Now he just had to explain himself.
“I am SO sorry. Please go with me on this. I know you don’t know me but I swear its for a good cause.” Jack deployed his puppy dog pleading eyes at full strength.
“And what cause might that be, Mr. Total Stranger that I’ve apparently made plans to have dinner with?”
“My ex.”
“Your ex.”
“He’s here. With his fiance. Who is also my coworker. They can’t find me eating alone on Valentines.”
“So this is just your pride talking?” Bitty was regretting this more and more by the minute. “Just because you don’t want to see your ex boyfriend with a gorgeous girl on his arm and let him win—”
Jack cut in, “That’s not my problem.”
“What?”
“That’s not my problem. And his gorgeous girl is about three inches taller than me and plays hockey with me so I’m not terribly concerned about how attractive his partner is. It’s worse than that. He’s going to start trying to set me up. They’ve just gotten engaged and I’m very happy for them but they think, well he thinks that everyone should be as happy as he is and he started setting people up on dates…without telling them. I cannot get dragged into that. Do you have any idea how unpleasant blind dates set up by the least talented matchmaker on the PLANET are? Lemme tell you, they’re almost physically painful.”
Bitty couldn’t help it. He started to laugh. He tried to stifle it but there was no use, the giggles just bubbled out.
Jack just looked at him, betrayed.
“Alright, that does sound fairly horrendous,” Bitty half shrugs, “I’m in.”
Jack sighed in relief.
“Well, what shall I call you then?”
Jack spent the rest of the night with Bitty, happily chatting over some pretty exceptional Quebecois cuisine, about who he was, a pro-hockey star, where he came from, Providence now, and why he hated Valentine’s, it’s hard to be a pro-athlete in the closet and then to come out without a partner. Bitty enjoyed every minute of it, sharing his own stories and dislike for the holiday. In fact they ended up closing the restaurant down that night, with a few quiet moments taken to speak to the married couple that owned the restaurant. As Jack and Bitty were walking out, Bitty was trying to work up the courage to ask for a second, or possibly first date. Jack had his hands stuffed into his pockets and was looking at his shoes as they walked towards the parking lot.
“Do you think, do you think I could have your number? I had a really good time tonight and I’d hate to lose contact because I wasn’t man enough to ask you for it.” Jack looked up at Bitty with a crooked, hopeful smile.
“And THAT is how Papa met Daddy by absolutely hating Valentine’s day!”
“And how you met Uncle Dex and Uncle Nursey and they catered the engagement party and the wedding and the baby showers!” Leena always remembered that part and piped in because Nursey had trained her to, he thought it was a very important part of their story.
“And Auntie Lardo was so happy that you found Papa that she paid to have a table dedicated to you every Valentines!” Jason was wiggling around under Daddy’s chair but obviously still listening.
“And Uncles Tater and Kenny STILL won’t let it go and claim that it’s their fault we’re together!” Jack called out, still aggrieved after all these years, from the baby’s room down the hall where he was taking his turn on diaper duty.
Bitty leaned back in his arm chair, with an unseasonable cup of pumpkin spice in a permanent to go cup, safe from his children, and looked out the window at the blowing snow, and smiled to himself.
“And they lived happily ever after..”
*crash* “DAAAAADDDYYYYYYYYYYYYY!”