Chapter Text
"Do you really need my ID? I mean," Rin laughed nervously. "it's not like you need it."
"I do need it," Lizzy mocked the young cook. "I need verification."
"Well, I kinda lost it." Rin gave a sheepish smile.
"You lost it?" Lizzy gave him an incredulous look. "Why don't I believe that?"
"I'm clumsy, okay!" Rin whined, "Sue me!"
Lizzy raised a brow at the kid. "Okay."
"Wait!" Rin spoke in hurried tone. "Don't sue me! I don't have that kind of money!"
"I was kidding," Lizzy deadpanned.
"Oh, thank god." Rin breathed a sigh of relief.
"I still need that ID, though," Lizzy said.
"What?! But I-" Rin fumbled for an answer.
"Kid," Lizzy narrowed her eyes, a concerned glint in her chocolate orbs. "why are you so against giving me your ID? You're sixteen, right? You have to have one."
"I do have one! I swear! It's just," Rin paused. "at home."
"Then go get it," Lizzy told him.
"I can't!" Rin threw his hands in the air.
"Why not?" Lizzy didn't raise her voice. She kept calm.
"I just- can't!" Rin stumbled over his words.
Lizzy stared at him for a moment, analyzing him. "How badly do you need this job?"
Rin jerked slightly, surprised at the sudden change in topic, but he figured it had something to do with the ID complication. "Badly. I-my family isn't doing well right now, I guess you could say we're living in the gutters."
"Okay," Lizzy sighed. "I'll trust you. You don't need to give me your ID, but kid?"
"Yeah?" Rin hesitantly replied.
"Don't try and lie to me." She stood up as she said this, turning around and staring at Rin. "If you're homeless, you could've just told me."
"How'd you-!" Rin couldn't finish.
"You look dirty, you don't smell very good, no offense, and you were strongly against giving me your ID, but despite that, you were desperate for this job," Lizzy explained.
"So what if I don't live anywhere?" Rin hissed bitterly. "I can take care of myself just fine."
"You probably can," Lizzy agreed, "but if you're going to be working here, you need clean clothes, a shower, a toothbrush, and a stable roof over your head."
"I don't exactly have access to such luxuries," Rin grumbled.
"You don't, but I do." Lizzy smiled.
"Are you asking me to-?" Rin stopped. "I can't!"
"Why not?" She asked him.
"I'd just be in the way! I'd be invading you and your personal space! I don't want you to pity me!" Rin frowned.
"I don't pity you," Lizzy said, "I'm just being generous. Now, take the offer or I'll squeeze those elf ears so hard they'll fall off."
Rin gaped at her before slowly smiling. "Are you mocking me?"
"If I am?" She smiled.
"I'd say thanks that you aren't so awkward around me. A lot of people tend to find my attitude intimidating." Rin's mouth was upturned softly.
"Really? You seem more like a flustered puppy to me. Come on. When we get to my house, the first thing you're doing is taking a shower," Lizzy said.
Rin laughed.
After Rin took a shower, Lizzy gave him his newly washed clothes and let him take the guest room.
As Rin plopped on the bed, he tried to keep his eyes open. "Being able to sleep on an actual bed feels good."
"I'm sure it does," Lizzy said softly. "Why are you homeless? Did you run away?"
"I didn't run away," Rin denied, "I didn't even mean to end up here. I got lost."
"Lost? Where were you before?" She asked.
'A few universes away,' Rin thought.
"Far away from here," Rin admitted. "Look, it's complicated. I'm still trying to find a way home, and when I do, I'll be leaving. That's that. The details are off limits."
"Okay," Lizzy sighed. "I can't make you talk. Goodnight, Rin."
"Night, Lizzy," Rin murmured as he fell into a blissful sleep.
He silently hoped his tail wouldn't slip out in the middle of the night.
Rin awoke to the bright sun streaming through the windows and a voice.
"Wake up, kid! It's breakfast time! We're opening up in a few hours, too, so get your butt up and into the bathroom to get ready!" Lizzy demanded.
Rin was reluctant to do so, unhappy he had to wake up so early, but respectfully obeyed her.
Rin blinked and felt his tail give a slight tickle to his stomach, sending relief through him, thankful his tail hadn't unfurled during the night.
"Fine," Rin replied, "Just get out!"
Rin spent the rest of the day preparing meals, and every once in a while waiting on tables.
All in all, the job wasn't bad, and Rin liked the pay rate plan so far.
Lots of customers were very kind to him, and always left him a decent tip, for which Rin was always grateful for. Sometimes he spent a few minutes in the kitchen contemplating how to thank the people before they left.
It was dark by the time 10:00 PM rolled around, and the restaurant was still open and running, but Rin figured the restaurant would be open late.
Rin sighed, picking up a tray of food, walking straight into the room of chatting people and refused to pass out on the floor.
Getting up at 5:00 AM to eat and do errands, then go straight to the restaurant until 10:00 PM was very tiring. It didn't help he barely got any sleep, since his worries haunted his mind even as he was sleeping.
Being the King of Hell was hard work.
"Mom! That's not fair!" Sam complained.
"It's perfectly fair, Samantha." Pamela sniffed. "You will go to this restaurant with us, and you will wear this dress!" To emphasize, Pamela held up a pink, frilly dress.
"No way!" Sam growled. "Over my dead body!"
"Pamela," Sam's grandmother, Ida, chided, "Cut the girl some slack. If you're going to force her to go with you, then at least get rid of the dress. In my opinion, it's a monstrosity anyway."
Pamela turned away, huffing. "I don't care. You will wear this dress, Samantha, and you will like it."
"No I won't!" Sam hissed. "And it's Sam!"
"I've got an idea," Ida chimed, "Pamela, how do you feel about letting Sam's friends come along?"
"Not highly." Pamela frowned. "Those boys are just riffraff."
Sam growled, but suddenly smirked. "I'll go, and I'll wear a dress, but it has to be black, and Danny and Tucker get to come!"
"Absolutely no-" Pamela gasped, but Jeremy cut her off.
"We can make an exception just this once, dear. Maybe she'll start to like it if her friends can come along," Jeremy reasoned.
Pamela kept glaring, but finally sighed dejectedly. "Fine. Your 'friends' can come, and you'll get your choice of dress."
"Why are we here again?" Tucker asked, staring at the restaurant as they walked inside.
"I just need you and Danny to be here. It makes my mom mad, and I get to have some decent company. My parents aren't all that exciting." Sam shrugged.
"Amen," Danny agreed.
A waiter seated them and told them that their waiter would be right out.
"Rin!" Lizzy called, "Get your butt out of the kitchen! You've got Table 12 to wait!"
"I'm not done with my dish yet!" Rin replied loudly in a panic.
"I'll finish it," Lizzy told the boy, walking up behind him and pushing him towards the doors. "Go."
"Okay, okay, I get it." Rin surrendered. "Make sure to add the-"
"Yeah, yeah, you've already wrote down all the changes to the recipe." Lizzy chuckled.
Rin nodded, grabbing his notepad and pen, and walked to his assigned table.
"Excuse me? My name's Rin, and I'll be your waiter for tonight," a man announced.
The table all looked toward him, and the trio gasped, "Rin?!"
Rin blinked, and his eyes went wide. "Sam? Danny? Tucker?"
"Man, what are you doing here?" Tucker asked the teen.
"Working, obviously," Rin replied, rolling his eyes.
"Samantha, you know him?" Pamela asked, eyeing the waiter.
"It's Sam," Sam answered, "And we ran into each other on the sidewalk. Talked a bit, but that's about it."
"You look no older than sixteen," Pamela said.
"I am sixteen, ma'am," Rin told her.
"Who hires an irresponsible teen to work at a restaurant that is such high caliber as this?" Pamela huffed, miffed.
Rin frowned. "Well, I'm-"
"I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses." Pamela waved him off. "I do not have the time to listen to someone below me."
Rin clutched the pen and notepad tightly, angered. 'Below you? Bitch, I could own you!'
"Well, I'm still here to take your orders," Rin said, composing himself. "What would you like?"
The group ordered, Sam very angry at her mom for being so rude.
Once that was done, Rin nodded and walked off to deliver the orders.
"I'm going to go to the bathroom," Pamela said.
"Me, too," Jeremy said.
"I suggest you behave! And no funny business!" Pamela warned, scurrying off with Jeremy following.
"She's infuriating!" Sam growled. "She was so rude to Rin!"
"He seemed to take it well, though," Danny admitted.
"He probably would have gotten in trouble for attacking a customer," Tucker added.
"Only if we reported it, which I wouldn't have. I would have kept my parents' mouths shut and let him maul her," Sam said.
A chuckle was heard by the trio. They turned to see Rin with their food and drinks. "Thanks, but others would probably witness it."
He set the food down, handing each individual plate to each of the group.
"Sam, are you a vegetarian?" Rin asked the goth.
"Yes," Sam replied, "I'm an ultra-recyclo vegetarian. It means that I-"
"Don't eat anything with a face," Rin finished for her, smiling. "I know."
"I'm sorry for my mom. She's not well known for her manners, no matter how many times she protests," Sam apologized.
"No problem." Rin gave Sam a soft smile. "It's not like it's your fault. Your mom actually reminds me of my father, but a bit more domestic."
"Really?" Tucker asked, "Are your parents stuck up snobs?"
"Well," Rin sighed. "my mom died while giving birth to me, and I was raised by a priest. He was the best dad a person could have asked for. My real father, he didn't make a very good first impression when I first met him."
"What'd he do?" Danny asked.
Rin furrowed his brow, frowning. "It's not something I like to talk about."
"I'm sorry," Danny apologized, "I didn't mean-"
"I know." Rin sent him a sad smile. "It's okay, really."
"Anyway, I better get going before your parents get back." Rin winked at Sam, flashing his teeth cheekily.
Just as Rin started to walk away, the trio called back at him.
"Hey! Who made this food? It's awesome!" Tucker laughed, shoving the whole steak into his mouth.
"Could you give the chef our thanks?" Sam asked.
Rin stared back at them, suddenly starting to laugh. "Thanks! I'm told a lot that cooking is one of my best skills, if the only."
"You made this?" Danny's eyes widened.
"Yeah," Rin answered.
"Dude, that's cool! Well, I guess we'll see you?" Tucker laughed.
Rin gave the trio a thumbs up, walking back towards the kitchen.
"Maybe," Rin whispered.