Chapter Text
Erika wasn’t sure what they had gotten themselves into. It was a Sunday night, their one day off during the week. They should be at home curled up with Wolfie and catching up on all the tv they missed throughout the week. Being the lead in Waitress was the greatest experience of their life, but left very little downtime. Sundays were sacred to Erika and their cat, and they really should have never agreed to this. But they could never say no to Anneliese or Julian, especially when they added a “we just want you to be happy” at the end.
So here Erika was, outside a local café about to meet the guy who was supposed to be their perfect match. Julian swore up and down that Erika would love him. Apparently this guy was the new drama teacher at the high school Julian worked at, so Erika could see where Julian made the connection between the two. However, as Erika had learned over the years, just because two people liked theater, it did not make them compatible. For all they know his favorite musical could be Dear Evan Hansen. Erika has been down that road before, and they refuse to go down it again.
But they knew they would be walking through that café door no matter what. All because their best friends asked them to. Erika would follow through on anything they asked of them. They had decidedly put that reason at the top of their list of “all the reasons why it's a terrible idea to fall in love with your married best friends.” The rest of that list got quite depressing as it included a lot of issues with self worth and pitiful longing. Erika gave up expanding the list after about a year of being in love with them. They had yet to find anything for “all the reasons why it’s a great idea to fall in love with your married best friends.”
Erika finally moved forward into the café. It was a quaint restaurant, one of those places that tourists came to really “feel like a local”, whatever that meant. Due to it being a weekend evening, there were people packed into the small waiting area up front and Erika had to squeeze their way through to the host stand.
“Um hello, I believe my date is waiting on me. Well, not date. I’ve never even met the guy, but at the same time it was presented to me as a blind date so I suppose that it qualifies as a real date. So even though we didn’t directly ask one another on the date, it still is one. But if he turns out to be horrific or simply bland maybe it will no longer count as a date, especially for me. Therefore there is a chance of him not being my date. For now let’s just call him my potential date or the man whom I may possibly be on a date with. Would you happen to know where he is?”
Erika finally looked up at the poor soul who they had just unloaded on, and was met with a blank stare. Erika was very familiar with that look. Happened every time they tried to talk about something and ended up going off on a rant. Anneliese always said it was adorable but Erika is convinced she is the only living person to believe that. Normally, Erika was much better at keeping it in, but with their nerves being heightened it had all slipped out.
Erika gave the host an apologetic smile and tried again. “I’m so sorry. I’m looking for a Dominick. Table for two.”
The host shook off the look on his face and looked down at his screen. “Ah! Yes, of course, right this way.”
Erika followed the host through to the back corner of the building. As they walked Erika was trying to muster up every ounce of courage they possessed. They were contemplating everything. What if he was a stuck up snob? What if he had a weird mole on this chin that Erika would have to pretend they couldn’t see? What if he dined and dashed? What if he was approached by a past lover who proclaimed their undying love for him and proposed on the spot and he accepted then insisted that they join them for the rest of the meal?
Okay that last one probably wouldn’t happen. That would be a weird two nickels situation for them.
The host finally came to a stop and Erika took a deep breath before finally looking at their potential date. But the chair was empty. Erika looked at the host in confusion. The host quickly mumbled something about the bathroom and left. Erika looked around to try and see if maybe Julian was hiding somewhere ready to laugh off this elaborate prank. But they saw nothing, so they decided to sit and wait. If their date didn’t show in 15 minutes, they would admit defeat and leave with what little pride they had left.
5 minutes went by and Erika was starting to worry. Maybe the guy saw them from the street and decided to back out. Erika wished he would have at least had the guts to tell them to their face. Erika was starting to get mad at this imaginary douchebag in their head and was about to get up when someone approached the table. They had been so caught up in hating this mystery man, they had missed someone coming out of the bathroom and to their table.
“Oh, hello. You must be Erika.”
Erika looked up and what they saw was one of the prettiest men they had laid eyes on. His eyes were the first thing they noticed, the bright blue standing out against his red jacket. His hair was slicked back into what Erika would normally describe as a horrendous hairstyle but somehow he made it work. He was also giving Erika one of the softest, most precious smiles they had ever seen. He moved to grab one of their hands and placed a soft kiss on their fingers.
“Holy shit, you are gorgeous.” Erika didn’t mean for that to slip out, but can you blame them? Pretty people had a way of jamming the already weak filter they had. Being around Julian and Anneliese was a constant battle for Erika, to say the least.
Dominick, Erika was assuming, blushed deeply and moved to sit across from them. “I can’t say that I have ever been greeted so wonderfully on a first date. Shall I look forward to this on future dates, should this evening go well?”
As he was talking, Erika’s brain finally caught up and they realized something they had missed when he first spoke. An accent. This gorgeous man in front of them had an accent Erika could listen to for hours. They were tempted to ask him to say different words for the rest of the night just to hear it more. God bless Julian Laszlo and his brilliant ideas.
Erika realized they were staring with a dropped jaw and quickly corrected themselves. “Sorry, but that level of greeting is only for the first date. From here on out it’s only ‘sup dude’ and ‘sorry what was your name again?”
Dominick breathed out a laugh which made Erika’s heart skip a beat. What was happening? They were supposed to be toughing it through this date and then returning home to draw hearts around their first name combined with their best friends’ last name. They weren’t supposed to be blushing like some middle schooler who had recently discovered their first crush.
Erika almost missed when he started talking again. “Well, I will surely miss it. I suppose I shall have to find other ways to render you speechless.” Dominick shot Erika a quick smirk and holy hell, Erika will be sending Julian a million thank you notes after this. “And I have now realized that I haven't properly introduced myself before coming onto you. Deepest apologies, my name is Dominick Fredrickson. And your name?”
Erika stumbled out what they hoped was words. “Oh, um? Yes. Name. Erika. Alvia. Erika Alvia. Is my name. Yes. That’s it.”
Dominick smiled brightly at their floundering and Erika decided the best move after that was to try and change the subject. “So, Julian tells me you are the new drama teacher. Is this your first year teaching?”
“It is actually. I studied theater back in my home country and worked on a costuming crew in a national tour for a bit. But, after my parents passed, I decided I needed a change of scenery. So I moved here, saw the job listing, and applied right away. I never saw myself as much of an educator, but the last few months have shown me that I will never be turning away from it.”
Erika felt their chest swell. Oh, this was not good. They were already in love with two people; they do not need to add feelings for another person on top of that. Plus, he had barely said anything so far. Erika was sure if they just kept digging they would soon find all his flaws and red flags. “Wow. Bringing up the dead parents on a first date. Bold move, sir. I typically wait till at least the fourth to bring that up.”
“Ah, a fellow member of the ‘dead parents club.’ It’s always a pleasure to meet another traumatized soul. Well, since it’s out now, might as well spill the sob story now to get it out of the way.”
Erika was shocked to find that they were willing to share the sad story of their childhood. Normally they kept it to themselves and only revealed it when they were sure they wouldn’t be on the receiving end of the infamous pity look. But, looking into Dominick’s eyes, they only saw curiosity, no pity to be found.
“My parents weren’t very well off and any money they did have went to feeding me as best they could. When I was 10, they both got sick and couldn’t afford healthcare, so off I was sent to a foster home with a woman whom I can only describe as evil. She definitely broke some child labor laws while I was there and the second I turned 18, I was kicked to the curb. But I picked myself up, applied to study theater and made a life for myself. Now here I am, doing the thing I love most and not a day goes by where I am not grateful for where I have ended up.”
Erika had been looking down while they had been talking, too afraid to see the look Dominick would have. They slowly raised their head and were surprised to find nothing but admiration coming from the man in front of them. Not even Anneliese had been able to hold back the sadness when she first heard it.
Erika shifted uncomfortably in their chair, not sure how to deal with this reaction. “I guess this is the part where you apologize, even though you had nothing to do with it because there is nothing else to really say.”
“I was just going to say that from the moment I first saw you I knew you were going to be remarkable. I’m glad to know I was right.”
Erika tried to hide their smile but quickly realized it was impossible. No one could hide a smile that big. “Okay, your turn. Lay the sadness on me.”
Dominick gave a small chuckle then leaned forward on the table. “It’s actually quite the opposite from yours. See, I grew up extremely wealthy. Generational money and all that. My parents were everything to me. I came out as trans when I was 13 and they supported me through every step. I had the best doctors and therapists to help me through the process. I loved them with all my heart. When I was 22, I was fresh out of university and I got the call that everyone dreads receiving. It was a car crash. Some drunken idiot had steered them off a bridge. At that moment, my whole world was suddenly gone.”
Erika leaned over and grabbed one of his hands that was laying on the table. They then motioned for him to continue. “After that I kind of lost myself. Drinking became a crutch, I pushed away anyone who resembled a friend, gambled away a decent chunk of my inheritance. It wasn’t until the head of the costuming crew I was working with smacked me upside the head and fired me that things changed. She told me she wasn’t doing it because I was bad at my job, but simply because I needed a push to get it together. So, I sobered up, donated the rest of my inheritance to various charities and moved here. So there it is, my tragedy.”
Erika gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand. “Thank you for telling me. And see? Now it’s all out there and we don’t have to try and skirt around it in future conversations.” Dominick looked relieved and Erika assumed he had some of the same fears they did when it came to this stuff. “Plus, now I know you're rich and I will certainly be keeping you around.”
“Didn’t I just say that I gave it all away?”
“Yeah, but you seem like a smart guy who has a savings account filled to the brim with what you felt was a sensible amount to keep, just in case. Obviously, what is sensible to you is most likely a number I have never seen before.” Erika threw in a wink at the end to show him they were only teasing.
“Well, if tonight goes well, you just might be able to find out if such an account exists.”
“Oh, I know it does, and I am looking forward to it.”
After that, the dinner was wonderful. Dominick wanted to hear everything about what it was like to play the lead in a professional company. Erika learned all about the fall musical chaos that had ensued over the last month. Apparently, no one had warned Dominick that teenagers take their showmances very seriously, so when the two leads broke up the show had almost been postponed. Erika hadn’t laughed this much in a long time. There were only 2 other people who could get her to enjoy a meal so much.
After the bill had been paid, Dominick had offered to walk Erika to their apartment since it was just down the block. They were now walking closely down the street, their arms and fingers faintly brushing as they went. They weren’t even talking, just enjoying each other's presence. It gave Erika some time to think everything over. Tonight had turned out better than they had ever hoped. Dominick was truly a pleasant surprise. Erika could definitely see themselves falling for someone like him.
However, anxiety flooded in at the thought of moving on from Julian and Anneliese. They had been in love with the two of them for so long now that they can’t imagine ever not loving them. Would that cause issues with Dominick? Could he ever be okay with hanging out with people his partner had such strong feelings for? Erika knew that if this were to continue, they needed to be honest. So, as they came up on Erika’s apartment building, they turned to look at Dominick,
“Dominick, I had a great time tonight, and if I'm honest, I already really like you. But there’s something you should know before we take this any further. I left out something from my sob story. When I was 18 and a freshman studying theater, I needed a biology tutor to get my science credit. That’s how I met Julian. He quickly introduced me to his girlfriend, Anneliese, and we’ve all been best friends ever since.”
Dominick tilted his head in confusion, “I’m sorry, how is this a part of your sob story?”
“Well, you see, I kind of ended up developing a crush on Julian. And then on his girlfriend, who is now his wife. And in the 8 years I have known them, it has turned from a crush into being desperately in love with them and never being able to have them. And I know it’s weird to be in love with two people and then claim to like another person, but I promise I do really like you and I want to see where this goes, but I can’t promise I will ever not love them. So, if that’s something you can’t handle, then I say we cut it off now and save ourselves the hurt.”
Dominick seemed to be processing all that Erika had said. After a few moments, he spoke, “So you are in love with Julian? Julian Laszlo. Who works with me, and is your best friend of 8 years.”
“Yes. And his wife, Anneliese. She mentioned meeting you a few times when she came to visit Julian at work.”
“Huh. Well, this is convenient.”
Erika took a step back. This was certainly not what they had been expecting, “Ummm, convenient? How so?”
Dominick sheepishly ran a hand through his hair before explaining, “You see, Julian was the first person to greet me at the school, and I mean, you’ve seen the guy. He’s bloody gorgeous. He kind of took me under his wing after that. We would eat lunch together every day, he volunteered to help out with the fall musical, and I found myself with a bit of a crush on him.”
Erika couldn’t believe what they were hearing. But it seemed Dominick wasn’t finished. “Then one day his wife comes in and seriously, how can anyone function around these two? They are amazing! So then, I found myself crushing on a married couple and if I am being completely honest, I only agreed to tonight because I couldn’t say no to them. So, if you are asking if I am okay with you having feelings for them, yes. Absolutely. Because I am finding myself falling for them as well.”
Erika was at a loss for words. “Holy shit.”
“Is that your go-to when you don’t know what to say?” Dominick looked like he was trying not to laugh. Erika smacked him lightly on his arm.
“No, it certainly is not. Just, some of the time.” Dominick gave Erika a look, “Okay so maybe all of the time, but what else am I supposed to say here?”
Dominick simply responded by pulling Erika in and laying a soft kiss on their lips, “Maybe you could invite me in and we can spend the rest of our evening talking about our shared pathetic pining and then plan our next date, because I intend to have another.”
And that was how Erika found themselves at the beginning of a beautiful love story that they never saw coming. Well they certainly didn’t see the evil nemesis coming at least.