Work Text:
Old-timer, the original burger (Store #1063, Columbus, OH, 2025)
In any universe, at every Chilis, at any age
August
Charlie smiled as the door chimed announcing his arrival at the slightly run down chain restaurant.
He nodded a hello to Meredith as she glanced up from behind the hostess stand and flashed him a smile before she went back to diligently rolling the flatware in the paper napkins and securing them with a thin strip of paper.
"You’re here bright and early today, Mr. Spring! I'm still setting up!"
"Just want to be out of here before the rush," Charlie replied, shuffling a bit as he started walking over.
"Amy is here today - go ahead and sit down at your usual table - She’ll be out in a minute."
Charlie slowly ambled over to the table, raising his hand in a wave at the perky brunette wiping down the tables. In his late 60s, he was in no rush to get anywhere, but he did prefer being gone before the additional crowds of people brought the cacophony of noise with them. And then he stopped short and frowned. Someone was at his table. Two someones.
Charlie had been living at Sunny Meadows retirement community for 3 years now. His husband of 30 years, James, had passed 5 years prior and, although Charlie was quite fit and healthy still, he found the house empty and quiet with just him and his cat to keep him company.
At Sunny Meadows, he had found a content, easy life. The small apartments were equipped with full kitchens, but the community center also catered meals if the residents were not feeling up to cooking, or wanted to have a little conversation over dinner. The senior living apartments were welcoming and friendly, with quite a few fellow alphabet community members. Not that he had any interest in dating. No, those days were past him. He was quite content with his books, his cat, and his adjunct teaching position at the local community college teaching a singular class on classics to pass the time. It was a quiet life, but James and he had saved up enough of a nest egg to be comfortable, and now, with it only being him, he worked to pass the time, not out of any pressing financial need.
Charlie thrived on routine. Which is why, every Saturday, he made the trek across the street to browse at strip-mall shops a bit, maybe pick something up for his grand-niece, and go to Chili’s at 5:00 for the senior special, before heading back to fall asleep in his armchair while Bake Off or history documentaries played in the background. It was a simple, relaxing existence, but he enjoyed it.
He always sat in the same booth. He was convinced it was the best booth, although it was also coincidentally the booth that he was directed to on the first day he visited, so either he was very lucky, or (more likely) he had constructed the narrative of its greatness after the habit had already formed. However, one of the benefits of eating at 5pm was you had your choice of where to sit if it mattered to you. And it did. Matter to him, that is.
He grumbled under his breath as he took the next booth over, where he had to lean a bit to see if the food was coming out of the kitchen.
He didn't have to lean when he sat in his preferred booth.
His hand snagged on a small tear in the vinyl by his partially titanium knee.
There weren't any tears in the vinyl at his preferred booth either.
Amy came over with a large smile plastered on her face, promptly placing a large glass of water in front of him with a disposable straw wrapped in paper.
"Trying out a new location today?" she asked cheekily.
Charlie scowled at her. And then sighed, softening his face. After all it wasn't her fault. Sometimes he found himself slipping back into rigid habits. James had been good at helping him not be so rigid. At holding him accountable, in a loving way, when his OCD reared up.
"So, your usual? Old-timer burger and fries, ketchup on the side, no pickles? And a cup of black coffee to go with?"
Charlie flashed the perky young brunette a smile. "That would be wonderful, thanks."
"Coming right up,” she called over her shoulder. “You know, I'm going to miss your scowl when I head off to school in a few weeks, Charlie!"
He heard her laugh from behind the swinging door into the kitchen, recognizing the tense wave that rippled through his body for what it was as he contemplated yet another change to his routine. Another bombshell for him to process. She had worked the Saturday evening shift for the past two years. And she was leaving? But of course she was. He knew she had graduated high school in May. They had even discussed college options. It only made sense. He just hadn't really thought about it being only a few weeks away.
He sighed and leaned his head back, hearing snippets of conversation from the next booth over. His booth , he thought grumpily.
…grandad, I think you are really going to like it here…
…I'll help you get settled but then I have to head out…
…My apartment is only 20 minutes from here. Helping you move wasn’t a problem at all…
By the time he was partially through his meal, Charlie watched as the two booth-intruders left the restaurant. Food satiating his mood a bit, he smiled at the sweet scene. A young man of around 20 walking arm-in-arm with an older gentleman around his age. The teen had a shock of reddish blonde hair, and Charlie noted an amber tint to the silver hair that graced the older gentleman's head. Charlie felt a flush as his eyes traveled down the extremely fit, built arms of the stately gentleman, and felt the irritation from earlier evaporate away, replaced with an unexpected heat, a spark of attraction.
November
Charlie had an extra spring in his step as he walked over to the condo 3 doors down from his own. The door pulled open right as he was reaching up to knock, and he found himself pulled into a crushing hug.
Charlie giggled, his face pressed into the bicep of the man who had him in a vice grip. "Were you watching me walk over?"
"I would watch you walk anywhere" came Nick's reply, delighted to hear the giggle escape from his lithe neighbor again. “Do you want to come in for a bit, before we head out?” he asked, pressing his hips against the blue-eyed man, making sure that his intent was clearly conveyed.
Charlie glanced at his watch. “We don’t have time if we want to be there by 5. If we delay, it will be busy.” He glanced up, noticing the flash of disappointment in Nick’s eyes, and crooked an eyebrow at him. “After dinner?” Charlie laughed as he watched his neighbor’s eyes crinkle with delight. This man really was golden retriever in human form.
///
Meeting Charlie had been the best - and most unexpected - aspect of Nick’s recent move to the senior community. Much to the disappointment of the local bridge club, who had set their eyes on him when they had first watched him carrying in the boxes with his grandson on moving day.
He found himself feeling - and acting - like a teenager again. He huffed a laugh as he remembered his daughter and son-in-law’s recent Thanksgiving visit and his daughter's questioning glance at the new Cialis prescription amongst his other daily meds. But he was happy and well beyond caring what others may think about it. She seemed bemused, but hadn’t asked further questions.
Nick had requested one of the community's golf carts for the next few hours, knowing that the weather change would cause Charlie’s knee to ache, even though Charlie had protested stating that the walk was good for him. Best to keep up their energy for other activities , he had countered, delighting in the flushed reaction that his small comments could cause.
As they pulled into the small spot reserved for carts from the neighboring community, Charlie secured the handicapped tag to the front of the electric cart, and the two of them walked hand-in-hand into their regular Saturday restaurant.
“Mr. Spring, Mr. Nelson - good to see the two of you.” Meredith grinned. “Right on time today, I see. I have a surprise for you today, Charlie. No guesses though, you will find out soon enough.”
Their blossoming romance had been the talk of the waitstaffs’ group chat, as the speculation of the two of them sitting on their porch doing puzzles together, or “whatever old people do when they date”, had the various Chili’s employees cooing over how adorable the two of them were, sharing gifs of heart eyes and relationship updates about their grumpy regular who wasn’t so grumpy anymore, mixed among their other standard messages grumbling about work schedules and plans for after shift meetups.
The two men settled into their booth (the best booth, obviously), Nick tucked in towards the window, and Charlie beside him. Charlie’s eyes lit up as he saw Amy walking over.
“Amy! This is unexpected!”
“I figured I would pick up a few shifts while I was home for fall break. So, tell me? This is new?”
Charlie blushed. “This is my, uh, companion Nick.”
Amy gathered Nick's order before turning to Charlie and saying “So still the regular order? Old-timer burger, no pickles, with fries?”
“Oh, actually, can you put the pickles on the side? Nick likes them.”
Nick leaned over and whispered something into Charlie’s ear, causing Charlie to snort, and lightly slap the larger man's arm.
///
Baby Back Ribs Group Chat:
Amy: OMG you guys. They are sooooo adorable.
You did not tell me they were same-side-sitters.
Erin: I know. It would be annoying if they weren’t so cute about it.
Katie: I totally caught them holding hands under the table last week.
////
Amy pocketed her phone, glancing at the time. 6:20. The rush would be starting soon. She carried the electronic check-out out to the men's (empty?) table. If it was anyone else, she would have suspected a dine-and-dash situation, but she had waited on Charlie every Saturday for two years. He was kind but also generous with his tips, and genuinely interested in her life. She set down the electronic screen on the table, turning back towards the tiled bar, in time to see the two men leaving the men’s bathroom together, hair mussed, clothes a tad more rumpled than before, both giggling. Charlie briefly met her eyes, and flushed redder than the signature Chili pepper logo on the wall above him, quickly glancing away.
Baby Back Ribs Group Chat:
Amy: Uh… I don’t think they are spending their time doing puzzles.
~~~~~~
Author's Note: Nick leaned over and whispered into Charlie's ear, “Do you want me to eat your pickle?”