Archive of Our Own ^beta

Hitoshi knew better than to bet the Universe so clearly, but really he was mentally drained. As Hitoshi stood in front of the restaurant's reflective windows, looking at himself and shifting his tie slightly to the left, he thoughtlessly spoke to any higher being that may hear him. To himself, Hitoshi only mumbled in a small voice.

"There's really nothing worse than a blind date," Hitoshi said and then quickly added, "Especially one Papa put together."

Hitoshi knew, in his deepest hearts of hearts, that testing the Universe - or any higher being that may hear him - like that was only opening his life for trouble. All the Universe could do was smirk, nod, and promise to bring worse things to him - since he so foolishly believed nothing could possibly be worse. The Universe was always looking to prove mere mortals wrong.

Even though there was half an hour to spare before the agreed upon time for the date, Hitoshi walked through the restaurant doors. He moved towards the hostess stand, waiting for the pink haired girl on the other side to notice him, but she looked much too busy with her phone to notice his uncomfortable standing.

At least the restaurant was nice, Hitoshi wasn't too proud to admit his father had picked a beautiful place for him to be tortured in for the night. Not only was the outside windows framed by fallen vines of red Dipladenia flowers and sparkles of fairy lights around the restaurant's sign, but the inside was nearly a full 180. Where the outside was full of life and light, the inside was only dimly lit by gently flickering candles along the cold brick walls. It was a small and intimate restaurant, the tables and chairs close by each other, and popular if the crowd of waiting patrons in the sitting area in the corner of the room was any indication.

Suddenly, the hostess looked up at him, her eyes widening and her body involuntarily jolting as if he wasn't supposed to be here.

"Shit, sorry," The hostess murmured to herself as she tucked her phone away within the stand and then turned her attention to Hitoshi, "Do you have a reservation?"

Hitoshi nodded, "Yes, it should be under the name Hitoshi." The hostess, Mina if her name-tag was right, flipped through a large binder of paper. Hitoshi looked through the book as well, his eyes involuntarily moving downwards, as she searched for the current date. The writing in the book was messy, and despite having just as much time as Mina had to read the written words, Hitoshi had loads more trouble as it was completely undecipherable to him.

"Alrighty, I've gotchu right here." Mina didn't bother looking up at Hitoshi, instead offering him a quick glance through her dark eyelashes. "Says here that you aren't eating alone - I'm honestly glad, it's really quite sad when people do."

Surely, Hitoshi should take offense to the hostess's words considering he ate most of his meals alone. Yeah, he'd never reserve a table, or go to a restaurant without a person by his side, but still - he couldn't help but rub at his neck with the realization that Mina would probably find his habits quite sad.

"Yeah," Hitoshi mumbled, "I'm meeting someone here, but I'm early so I'm sure it'll take some time before they show."

"Oh." Mina leaned forward on the hostess stand, balancing her head in her hands - it seemed the glimpse into Hitoshi's personal life had piqued the girl's interest. "Is this a blind date or are you no longer on the market?"

Hitoshi sighed, "It's a blind date - unfortunately."

"I hear ya," There was the tinge of a laugh in Mina's words, as if she really did understand how Hitoshi felt and found their shared feeling humorous, "Are you scared they won't show?"

It may sound conceited but honestly, Hitoshi didn't even think about that possibility. Surely being stood up was a common occurrence - it was in movies, and there were horror stories about it happening to unnamed people online. Hitoshi should've considered the possibility that his date might decide ghosting him is better than ever giving the guy a chance, but it just never dawned on him that something so embarrassing would happen.

Honestly, even if Hitoshi's date didn't show, he was more worried about the pitying glances from the other restaurant patrons, than missing his chance at love - he didn't believe his papa had found the one for him despite what his father claimed.

"No," Hitoshi said, his voice suddenly strained, "Not until now anyway."

Despite Mina's build of insecurity in Hitoshi, she giggled, "I wouldn't be worried if I were you-" The hostess's eyes swept over Hitoshi's body in a quick look- "I'd be more worried you're out of their league - but how about this: if they're ugly, I'll just drop them off at a different table with someone just as ugly, sound good?"

Hitoshi tilted his head at the hostess, "Yeah, that sounds good - thanks." Despite the sweet words, sarcasm was evident in his tone. Even though the plan was unprofessional and he didn't completely trust Mina of all people to accurately judge who is and isn't in Hitoshi's league, at least he could tell his papa that he tried to go on the blind date but the hostess thought he should pick someone more attractive next time.

Damn, Hitoshi really hoped there wasn't a next time when this date inevitably ends with him still single.

"Okay!" The pink haired girl grabbed menus from the stand, and then gestured for Hitoshi to follow her into the restaurant. Hitoshi followed closely in tow, moving around tables, servers, and patrons alike, allowing his eyes to flit around the place but staying close enough to the hostess as to not get lost. He stayed so close in fact that he nearly ran into Mina when she suddenly stopped at a table, placing the menus on the beige cloth. "Here you are, sir. Your waiter should be over in a bit."

"Thank you," Hitoshi mumbled but the hostess had already disappeared.

It felt like forever before the server finally graced Hitoshi with his presence. Hitoshi was desperate to look less alone than he felt; he grabbed for his silverware, unwrapping them from the fabric napkin and setting them neatly to his right. Then, Hitoshi rubbed a petal of the single yellow flower centerpiece between his forefinger and thumb, checking if its plastic - and was genuinely surprised to feel the rubbery softness of an authentic flower. Just as Hitoshi moved for the phone in his pocket, golden hair was making a beeline for his table.

It was obvious to Hitoshi that the golden haired guy moving towards his table was his server for the night with how his amber gaze sized Hitoshi up as he moved closer. He was professional looking, with his knee-length apron, and full buttoned white shirt paired with black slacks. The waiter's shiny, black dress shoes squeaked along the wooden floor, the color somehow complimenting his bright hair and the singular dark streak.

"Welcome in tonight, I'm Denki," The waiter said in a surprisingly excited tone, "I'll be your server for the evening. I can grab a drink for you if you'd like, unless we're waiting on someone?"

Even though the waiter's introduction sounded staged, Hitoshi still got a sense that his question was thoughtless prying. As if the golden haired boy was genuinely curious whether or not he was willing to wait for his possible dining partner.

Hitoshi nodded, "I'm waiting on someone, yeah - but, I'll take a drink." He reached forward and grabbed at one of the menus Mina had left him with. The waiter stood quietly as he watched Hitoshi read over the section of drinks, and the fact that he could feel the other guy's eyes was only making his brain take longer to read through the options. After a minute of uncomfortable silence, Hitoshi mumbled, "Unless there's something you recommend?"

The waiter's eyes met Hitoshi's over the top of the menu, "Absolutely, so are we thinking alcohol or are we boring tonight?"

"Well, I was gonna say virgin," Hitoshi said, his eyebrows furrowed in thought, "But, for fear of being boring - I guess, alcoholic?" As if he had a real decision in the matter, Hitoshi suspected Denki - though a server - could probably convince his customers to buy whatever menu product he felt like putting on a tray.

Denki smiled wide,  "If you're a virgin, then I must be into corruption."

Hitoshi opened his mouth, but it seemed the only sound that would leave his throat was, "Huh?"

"Tough crowd." Before Hitoshi could ask another question, Denki leaned over the table, his body close enough to Hitoshi that the purple haired boy could feel the warmth radiating off of it. Hitoshi wasn't sure if the way Denki's hip leaned into his arm was exactly professional, especially with how close his mouth seemed to be to Hitoshi's ear when he spoke- "I always recommend the Moscow Mule, but you seem like more of a Dark n Stormy kind of guy."

"I might be." Hitoshi's voice came out slow, his confusion evident in the very way he spoke, "What is it?" The question sounded sharper than he was intending, but Denki didn't seem to notice or care.

"Oh," Denki said, still much too close to Hitoshi for comfort, "It's basically a Moscow Mule, but with dark rum instead." He tilted his head at the purple haired boy, a smug grin appearing between his cheeks. "Do you wanna try it?"

I'm scared to, is what Hitoshi would say if he had just a little bit less self control. Instead, Hitoshi gently nodded, and bowed his head to cut off the intense eye contact he was receiving from the golden-haired waiter. Which thankfully, Denki took as his official order and announced his exit.

"Alright," Denki said as he leaned back from Hitoshi, "I'll go grab that for you, and then I'll be right back - don't make any decisions without me." Before he took a step back from the table, Denki gave Hitoshi a soft wink.

Hitoshi offered the waiter a straight-mouth look, "I wouldn't dare." Even though Hitoshi had mumbled the statement, speaking mostly under his breath, Denki still heard the words and flashed the largest smile Hitoshi had ever seen before walking away.

Under different context, Hitoshi would be worried by the waiter's aggressive behavior towards him. He knew he was attractive, he had never believed it himself but he'd heard about his own beauty from others - both people who were interested in him and people in his family. Still, Hitoshi knew Denki was probably just the type of customer service worker to put on his most flirtatious smile for the sake of a good tip - and Hitoshi was fine with that, he could be the golden haired boy's victim for the evening.

And, if that was the game the waiter was playing, Hitoshi decided he wouldn't mind playing along as well.

"Here you are, good sir," Denki said with his sudden reappearance, "Hurry, take a sip - let me know how it is."

Hitoshi furrowed his eyebrows at the golden haired boy, "Do you always get your way?"

It seemed Hitoshi's comment only caused a large smile to form between the waiter's cheeks, "Only when I'm a good boy."

"Huh," Hitoshi mumbled as he put the drink to his lips, "I guess I walked into that one." He took a sip from the edge of the glass, and was glad to know he didn't completely hate the taste of a Dark n Stormy. Unfortunately for Hitoshi, it was a good call on Denki's part.

"How is it?" There was a teasing lilt to the waiter's voice. "Was it good for you?"

Hitoshi ignored the heat rising up his cheeks, "It's a not bad recommendation."

"Oh yay-" Denki tilted his head at Hitoshi- "Does this mean I get a reward?"

"Other than a hefty tip?"

Denki's smile suddenly downturned into a dramatic frown, "I feel like I deserve a little more than just the tip."

The laugh that came out of Hitoshi's mouth was shameful; it was somewhere between a snort, and a full throat chuckle, and was spit right into the glass in his hand. Not only was the reaction embarrassing for Hitoshi, since he never enjoyed laughing at stupid jokes, but it seemed to fuel something in the golden haired boy. If Hitoshi thought Denki was disturbing before, then it would only get worse now that he knew he could make the stoic boy laugh.

Hitoshi quickly covered his smile with the collins glass in his hand, "Is this one of those places where the waitstaff gets paid to be crude - or is that just you?"

Denki grinned, "I can be cruder."

"That's not what I meant." Hitoshi gently placed his drink back on the table, matching the smug waiter's smirk. "I just want to know if I should properly mentally prepare myself next time I come in."

"Next time-" Denki's eyes glittered with a newfound hope- "Wow, you haven't even tried our food, and you're already thinking about a next time. Dare I say you might actually enjoy a certain handsome blonde waiter's presence, and want to see me again?"

Hitoshi's eyes involuntarily moved to the table, "That's definitely not why, I just-" His eyes flitted over to his drink, watching the condensation move down the glass for a second before turning back to Denki- "Love the Dark n Stormy so much, you guys make the best one in town."

"If you like the Dark n Stormy, then you definitely need to try the Slippery Nipple or the Cherry Popper-" Denki wiggled his eyebrows at Hitoshi- "Since you're a virgin, or whatnot."

Something in the way Denki spoke piqued Hitoshi's interest, and he couldn't help how his head tilted at the other boy, "Do you prepare these one-liners ahead of time? Or, do they just come to you in the moment?"

"If you're so upset by it," Denki said in a voice that would sound genuine if not for the devilish grin across his lips, "I could always come for you instead."

Hitoshi hummed, "It's almost impossible to have a conversation with you."

The grin on the waiter's lips only seemed to grow, "Don't worry, I'm into dirty talk too, so I'd actually prefer it if you had conversations with me."

"Is there ever a time innuendos aren't coming out of your mouth-" After a moment of silence between Hitoshi and Denki, the purple haired boy suddenly realized what he had asked. He didn't need to notice the new light in Denki's golden eyes to know he had a dirty joke already in mind, and Hitoshi didn't care to hear it. He was sure it would be a smart comment like you could always come in my mouth instead or something just as vulgar- "On second thought, don't answer that."

Denki pouted at Hitoshi, "Are you sure, because I had a really good one-liner planned."

"I'm even more sure now." Denki's eyes raked over Hitoshi's body, starting at his face and slowly taking in the sight of the rest of him - almost as if the waiter were storing Hitoshi's appearance to his long term memory. Where earlier in the night, Hitoshi would've flinched at the intense eye contact coming from the golden haired boy, he now didn't feel so embarrassed under his gaze - now, he almost enjoyed the attention. Hitoshi matched Denki's eye contact, tilting his head gently at the waiter before saying, "Though I have to admit, I'm curious."

"Curious about what?"

"Are you this way with all of your customers-" Hitoshi lazily waved his hand around in small circles- "All flirty and smiley?"

Denki grinned, "Just the pretty ones."

Hitoshi wrinkled his nose, "And I thought we were having a normal conversation."

"Why don't you think that answer was normal?" Denki pressed on, his thin eyebrows furrowing gently as he continued to watch Hitoshi's face after the purple haired boy took a nervous sip from his cup. "Do you think I'm lying - that I don't actually think you're pretty?"

Hitoshi offered Denki a light shrug, "Not sure it's a descriptor I'd use on myself."

"Well, it's one I'd use on you, as well as-" Denki smile only grew with every descriptor he thought of for Hitoshi- "Hot, mysterious, beefy-"

"Oh god," Hitoshi couldn't keep the words in just his mind, his face much too warm to focus on Denki's version of a compliment. "Beefy is somehow the worst word you could've ever come up with."

Denki laughed lightly, "Well, I came up with it, and I'm sticking with it. You sir, are beefy."

Hitoshi shook his head, "And you are odd, and cocky, and-" Hitoshi rolled his eyes, avoiding the waiter's anxious eye contact as he let his mouth finish the sentence he had unfortunately set up for himself- "Cute, don't make me regret saying that."

"Wow, and here I thought it was one-sided," Denki said, and Hitoshi didn't need to look at the golden haired boy to know there was a large smile obstructing his face. "Glad to know you find me cute too, beefcake-" Hitoshi snorted into his drink at the nickname, his eyes involuntarily meeting the golden haired boy's gaze- "And, if you're still curious about anything, don't be afraid to ask me."

"Anything," Hitoshi repeated with a gentle raise of his eyebrows at the waiter.

Denki smiled, "Anything - the dirtier the better."

"Well-" Before Hitoshi could finish his question - partially unsure what he was planning on asking - a familiar voice was interrupting the conversation.

"Denki," The hostess said in a sweetly threatening tone. The pink haired girl walked up to the table with a customer-service smile across her lips, and a small brunette following close behind. "I got stopped by four tables on my way over here, and everyone had the same question, can you guess what?"

Denki tilted his head at his coworker, "Should I be able to guess?"

"Yes, you should." Mina gently placed a hand on the waiter's arm, the act comforting despite her venomous words. "They all said where the hell did our waiter go and I had to tell them that I'm not sure."

"Right - other tables." Denki's eyes widened before he spoke a soft goodbye to Hitoshi and then rushed off, far away from the purple haired boy's side.

Mina now turned her attention to Hitoshi, "I've brought your dining partner over, now you two have a nice night, and I hope Denki doesn't cause too many problems for you." Before Mina moved back towards her position behind the hostess stand, she gave Hitoshi a quick thumbs up.

The brunette who had been tailing close behind Mina smiled nervously at Hitoshi before sitting in the chair across from him. She was very pretty - Mina's silent encouragement was well-deserved - with her soft features; her round pink cheeks, and wide brown eyes. The girl wore a pink dress, complimenting the pink clip that held back a side of her bangs from its short, choppy style.

Hitoshi's heart dropped into his stomach at the sight of her; she had kind eyes, and a genuinely sweet aura about her, and Hitoshi felt guilty with how quickly he had forgotten about the blind date. Denki was eccentric, bold, and bright - and he had made Hitoshi forget everything about where he was, and why he was even there to begin with. The girl across from Hitoshi seemed like someone he could find himself bonding with, but she wasn't Denki.

"Hi," Hitoshi mumbled once the brunette was settled, "I'm Hitoshi Shinsou - it's nice to meet you."

"Ochaco Uraraka," The girl answered, "Have you put in your order already?"

Hitoshi shook his head, "No no, I just got a drink."

"Okay," Denki suddenly said at the edge of their table, seemingly materializing completely out of midair, "I've dealt with my other tables, so I'm back-" His bright eyes moved from Hitoshi, now taking in the sight of the girl sitting across from the purple haired boy- "And, I see your date's showed - I'm Denki, I'll be your waiter for the night, is there a drink I can go get for you?"

"Oh, I'm not sure." Uraraka blinked at Denki before quickly grabbing at a discarded menu. Her eyes scanned the options, humming quietly to herself, but otherwise was silent.

"No worries, take your time-" Denki sounded almost excited about this information, and Hitoshi could probably guess why when he turned his attention to the purple haired boy- "So, still enjoying the Dark n Stormy, or are we thinking about getting a second drink?"

Hitoshi took a sip over the side of his glass to keep a grin from growing across his lips, "The drink's still good, thank you."

"Okay-" Denki tilted his head at the purple haired boy- "Is there anything else I can help you with before I man my other tables?"

With a gentle head shake, Hitoshi mumbled, "Maybe later."

Denki raised his eyebrows at this, "Later, definitely."

"Uhm," Uraraka's voice was soft, but it still cut through Hitoshi and Denki's conversation, "I'll uh, just take a coke, then."

Denki nodded frantically, "Coke - got it. I'll be back for food orders, then?" Denki took a small step back from the table, but not before watching Hitoshi's face until the purple haired boy gave him a gentle nod.

"Do you know him?"

Hitoshi suddenly turned back to Uraraka, having not noticed the way his eyes were stuck on Denki's disappearing backside, "Uh, do I know who?"

Uraraka smiled at her date, "Our waiter - like, do you know him outside of the restaurant?"

"No," Hitoshi said with a head shake, "Just met him tonight, why? Do you know him?"

"No," Uraraka spoke through a giggle, using her hand to cover her mouth, "I was just asking because you guys seem like you're friends."

"We're not - unless you call him recommending me a drink an act of friendship."

"He recommended you a drink." The brunette's laugh had completely faded, and if it weren't for her seemingly confused look, Hitoshi would be afraid he had upset Uraraka with his comment. "He let me sit here like a fool for five whole minutes, and recommended you a drink - what a jerk."

Hitoshi offered Uraraka an awkward smile, "I don't think it was five minutes - maybe two?" It seemed Hitoshi's interpretation of time didn't stifle any of Uraraka's embarrassment, instead causing the brunette to furrow her eyebrows suspiciously at Hitoshi. "But, he would've recommended you a drink, if you asked - maybe."

"Maybe," Uraraka agreed before looking back at the menu in her hands.

The date was going awful already, Hitoshi could feel it. He wanted to start conversations between him and Uraraka; glancing at her every now and then, opening his mouth to speak, but no words ever made it to the tip of his tongue. She didn't seem to notice Hitoshi's awkwardness either, her eyes permanently glued to the menu in front of her. After a minute of trying to think of the right question to ask, Hitoshi grabbed a menu and begun looking through his options of dinner.

Hitoshi was mid-way through the pastas section before Denki had made a reappearance. The waiter was slightly flushed, his cheeks gently reddened while he set down the coke in front of the brunette girl. He then turned his attention to Hitoshi, forcing a smile onto his face - and it was the first time all night Hitoshi had seen the golden haired waiter anything but confident.

"Are we ready to order or do we need a few more minutes?" Denki asked the table, and mostly Hitoshi, who he was still looking at.

"Yeah, actually I'm ready to order," Uraraka quickly interjected, causing the waiter to break his intense eye contact with Hitoshi.

Denki suddenly looked over to Hitoshi's date, blinking at her as if she had suddenly appeared at the table, "Okay - what can I get for you?" It was odd for Hitoshi to see the waiter now, unsure where his personality from earlier in the night had gone - and why he now spoke with an edge to his words.

Uraraka smiled at the waiter, but it was devoid of positive emotion, "I'd like the deluxe cheeseburger, fries is fine as the side." With that, Uraraka passed her menu to Hitoshi, not even bothering with meeting the purple haired boy's waiting gaze.

"Alright," Denki said as he wrote the brunette's order in his server book before turning his attention to Hitoshi, "And, for you?"

"Oh, fuck, uh-" Hitoshi looked back at the menu, his eyes desperately searching for just one option that sounded appetizing to him in the moment. In all honesty, he hadn't had enough time to properly look through the menu and choose an entree for himself, and was now entirely unprepared for the spotlight to suddenly be on him- "Spaghetti?" It was the first food that came to his mind as it was the last option under the pastas section, and the last thing his eyes read.

Denki smiled at Hitoshi, the customer-service politeness gone from the look, "The spaghetti's really good, but I wouldn't recommend fucking it."

"Thanks," Hitoshi mumbled sarcastically, running his hands over his now very warm face, "I appreciate the advice."

"No problem, beefcake, I'm always here to help." Denki grabbed the menus, barely avoiding Hitoshi's hands as the purple haired boy quickly grabbed for the glass of alcohol at the mention of Denki's nickname. The golden haired waiter tucked the menus into his arm, giving the table a genuinely large smile before saying, "I'll be back with those shortly, is there anything I can get for you two before I leave?"

"Nope," Uraraka answered much too suddenly, causing Denki's smile to slightly waver at the fast response. Then, with a nod, Denki left Hitoshi and Uraraka by themselves once again.

"So," Hitoshi said as he turned his gaze to the brunette sitting across from him, "How do you know my father?"

"Are you sure you don't know him?" Uraraka watched Hitoshi intently through squinted eyes. "You two seem close."

"The waiter?" Hitoshi couldn't help the annoyed sharpness to his voice, he honestly didn't understand why the girl across from him was completely on and off with him through their entire date. Either she's asking Hitoshi about his relationship with their waiter, or she's ignoring him completely by keeping her eyes glued to a menu that couldn't possibly be more interesting than him. "I know him just as well as you do."

Uraraka scoffed, "I'm not sure that's true."

"I just met him tonight; I know nothing about him other than the fact that his name is Denki and he works here, as a waiter."

"He called you beefcake, didn't he-" Uraraka leaned closer to Hitoshi, balancing her head on her hand- "Or, did I mishear him?"

Hitoshi swallowed roughly, "I think he was asking if I wanted beefcake from the menu." It was a stupid excuse, Hitoshi knew that, and it was evident he wasn't even fooling himself with how his voice wobbled through his words. Uraraka would've been stupid to fall for his lie, and she must have some braincells since she only responded with raising her eyebrows suspiciously at him - as if she were silently giving him a chance to come up with something better. "Okay, he called me beefcake."

"I knew it-"

"But," Hitoshi quickly interjected, "It was just an inside joke we have."

Uraraka tilted her head at that, "An inside joke already, and you just met him about an hour ago?"

"Yes, exactly."

A silence fell around the table, and Hitoshi would be sure the quiet was a sure indicator of a bad date if it weren't for Uraraka's smile. Even though it was directed at Hitoshi, the look was almost condescending, as if she knew something Hitoshi didn't and she found the secret humorous. Hitoshi ignored the brunette's smile, instead looking into his glass as he downed the rest of the liquid. Now, if only Denki would show and offer to grab him another - preferably much stronger - Dark n Stormy to hold him off until the end of the god-forsaken date.

Denki's sudden reappearance was the light at the end of Hitoshi's dark tunnel. When Denki showed up at the side of the table, Hitoshi could've kissed him with how happy he was to watch the golden haired waiter interrupt Hitoshi and Uraraka's awkward quiet-time with his energetic voice.

"Alrighty," Denki said as he plucked plates off of his tray, "Cheeseburger with fries, over here-" Denki placed a plate in front of Uraraka, smiling at the brunette when she mumbled a quick thank you to the waiter- "And then, I've got the spaghetti for beefcake, oh-" Just as Denki was a moment away from placing the plate on the table in front of Hitoshi, he suddenly became aware of Hitoshi's hands in the way and pulled back much too quickly.

It was unclear whose fault it was, but it didn't matter - the spaghetti never made it to the table. As Denki pulled the plate back, the noodles had another plan; the spaghetti slid right over the edge of the porcelain, landing in a heap on Hitoshi's lap. Really, Hitoshi didn't even notice the sudden warmth on his thighs, he supposed this was his well-deserved Karma for testing the Universe.

"Oh my god," Denki said, his mouth just as wide as his eyes, "I'm so sorry."

Hitoshi put his hands up in surrender, "It's fine!"

It seemed the golden haired waiter hadn't heard Hitoshi's declaration, instead Denki seemed to be tunnel-visioned on helping the situation. One second, he stood there with an empty tray in hand, and the next he had set the now-empty plate on the table and was bent over in front of Hitoshi, trying to grab the spaghetti out of his lap.

"I'm so sorry," Denki said again, his hands grabbing for the saucy noodles on Hitoshi's waist, "I'm so sorry, I am so sorry." Hitoshi would've been more upset if it weren't for the nervous wobble of Denki's voice, and the way the golden haired waiter seemed to be on the very end of his own mental rope - a small puddle of tears balancing on his eyelids.

"It's fine," Hitoshi repeated, his hands moving towards his own lap, but wasn't able to grab a single noodle with the way Denki's hands moved frantically over his dress pants. Denki slapped a large pile of spaghetti onto the sauce covered plate, and then went right back to grabbing more. "Denki, seriously, it's fine-" The waiter didn't seem to hear a single word Hitoshi said, as he grabbed a fabric napkin from the table and begun trying to rub the red sauce stain from Hitoshi's black pants- "Hey, Denki, seriously, you don't have to- watch your-"

As the golden haired waiter pushed the napkin from Hitoshi's thighs to his hips and then to the zipper of his pants, Hitoshi couldn't do much of anything but watch disaster strike. Hitoshi wasn't sure any of the sauce had landed on his crotch, but didn't have enough time to think about the possibility before Denki's hands were rubbing a napkin into his dick. His face suddenly erupted in a blistering heat, and the fact that Denki looked up at him - realization quickly dawning on his own facial features - only made the warmth spread over the length of his entire body.

"I'm sorry," Denki said, his face just as red as Hitoshi's felt, and even though Hitoshi was glad to see the golden haired boy's tears had gone, he was also even more embarrassed to see the smile that the waiter was trying to keep at bay.

Hitoshi grabbed Denki's wrists, "Just stop, please. I promise I'm okay-" Half-hard from the waiter's vigorous rubbing at his crotch, but otherwise okay- "I'm just gonna go to the bathroom and clean up."

"Okay." If it weren't for the way Denki's voice sounded two octaves higher than normal, Hitoshi could convince himself the golden haired waiter hadn't noticed how he felt Hitoshi up through his dress pants - in the middle of a public setting, just to make things worse. "I can bring more napkins over-"

Hitoshi shook his head, "Absolutely not, I'm fine-" He turned to Uraraka, ignoring the way his brain wanted to be mad at the girl for eating while he was getting groped across the table from her- "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Uraraka silently waved him off with a french fry, "Take your time."

With a nod, Hitoshi left the table and moved towards the bathroom across the restaurant. If Hitoshi thought the pitying stares he'd receive from being stood up were bad, then the curious and humored looks he got as he walked by tables had to be worse. He knew how strange the scene must be; a tired-looking man walking through a restaurant with an uncomfortable-looking limp as he desperately tried to hide the hard-on in his very wet pants - unrelated to the boner, of course.

If the night could get worse, Hitoshi was honestly curious to see how the Universe would manage that. This, the sad walk through the aisles of the restaurant, felt like rock bottom to Hitoshi.

Once Hitoshi pushed open the door to the bathroom, he was relieved to see the room was empty - just one silver-lining from his otherwise horrifying day. He grabbed a mound of paper towels from one of the dispensers and wet them in the sink, hoping to just manage the stain on his pants enough to be slightly presentable before he can finally pay the check and go home. Honestly, if Hitoshi hadn't been so worried about breaking the law, he would've fled the restaurant the moment he processed the spaghetti on his lap - Denki wouldn't have had enough time to grab for noodles before Hitoshi was flying through the front doors.

Just the thought of the golden haired waiter made Hitoshi's entire body light up like a campfire, blood warming every inch of his skin. He couldn't focus on wiping off the red sauce when he imagined how Denki had looked on the ground in front of him, touching him so desperately - Hitoshi knew Denki was desperate to fix the mistake he had made, not desperate to touch Hitoshi, but still a boy could dream.

And, dreaming is precisely what Hitoshi did as he finished cleaning himself off. It was sad, Hitoshi thought, the fantasies he allowed himself to indulge in - no wonder he had resorted to accepting blind dates from his papa, it had been so long since he had been touched that he was creating fantasies from a moment that was supposed to be devastatingly embarrassing. Instead, the golden haired waiter's rubbing at his lap had resulted in Hitoshi pitching a tent in his pants indefinitely.

Hitoshi wasn't sure how much time had passed before he was walking back through the restaurant, towards the table he had abandoned. It seemed Hitoshi wasn't the only one to abandon the scene of the crime, in fact nobody was at the table. He'd be convinced he misremembered his way back if it weren't for the empty Dark n Stormy waiting for him.

With an overdramatic slump, Hitoshi fell back into his seat at the table. For a second, he allowed himself to breathe through an anxiety technique before a voice was interrupting his pursuit of happy thoughts.

"Hey beefcake," Denki said, his voice back to normal, though it did sound slightly nervous to be in the purple haired boy's presence, "So, bad news."

Hitoshi reluctantly opened his eyes to meet Denki's gaze, "What is it now? Is there a dessert you want to dump on my head, or maybe you think a Dark n Stormy would look good across my chest?"

"No." Denki desperately tried to hide the smile fighting its way across his lips, sucking on his teeth instead. "It's actually worse."

Hitoshi furrowed his eyebrows, "Worse than becoming a plate?"

Denki nodded, "Worse than that-" The golden haired waiter shifted from one foot to the other, and despite his sureness that the information he was about to spill was worse, Hitoshi noticed Denki almost looked happy about it- "I hope you weren't too attached to your date, because she left."

"Oh," Hitoshi mumbled as he glanced at the empty chair across the table from him, "That's nice."

"Yeah, she said she had more chemistry with the hostess."

"Damn-" Hitoshi was too tired to keep the laugh from leaving his throat- "I guess that's fine."

"But on the bright side," Denki quickly announced, his earlier nerves had now completely disappeared, "Your meal got comped - since I dropped it on you - and the higher-ups tell me to tell you that you're free to any substitution you might like. So, I could grab a menu for you, assuming you won't want to look at spaghetti so soon after the accident."

Hitoshi shook his head, "I think I could do without seeing spaghetti ever again."

"And," Denki added, "The bosses want me to give you this-" The golden haired waiter presented a small black card with the restaurant's logo on it- "It's a 50 dollar we'we sowwy gift card." Denki handed the plastic card to Hitoshi, and Hitoshi gladly took it.

"What makes you think I ever want to come back here?" Hitoshi scowled at Denki, but the waiter only offered a large smile in return. "I think I am forever traumatized by this place."

"Don't be so dramatic," Denki said with a gentle smack to Hitoshi's shoulder, "Don't you want to see me again?"

"I'm not allowed to see you outside of the restaurant?"

Denki raised his eyebrows, "Oh, definitely. Actually, that gives me an idea, hold on-" The waiter quickly opened his booklet, grabbing a pen from his apron pocket before writing something and ripping a piece of paper out. He folded the note up and placed it on the table in front of Hitoshi, but before Hitoshi could reach for it, Denki stopped him by continuing, "Do you need a menu, or do you know what substitution meal you want? I recommend the sirloin, it's the most expensive item on the menu, and getting it for free is just insane - go big or go home, you know?"

Hitoshi's finger tapped the note nervously, "You know, just surprise me."

"That I can do, I'll be back in a little." Denki gave Hitoshi one last smile before moving away from the table, and moving off towards the side of the restaurant that presumably lead to the kitchens.

Once the golden haired waiter had sufficiently disappeared amongst the tables and patrons, Hitoshi opened up the note he had left behind. The words were seemingly innocent, but Hitoshi knew better than to believe that interpretation, especially with the small face Denki had drawn at the end of the message. The note consisted of - what Hitoshi assumed was - Denki's number, as well as the words:

in case you need help with any more stains ;)

❤︎~~~~❤︎~~~~❤︎~~~~❤︎~~~~❤︎~~~~❤︎~~~~❤︎~~~~❤︎

It was a no brainer, Hitoshi barely stepped through the entrance of his apartment before he was whipping his phone out, along with the small piece of paper. As he pulled off his shoes, discarding them to a small shoe-rack, he used his free hand to type the number into messages and send the golden haired waiter a quick text:

Hitoshi:

I heard you're really good with laundry related predicaments

I've got one helluva stain on my pants that I need your immediate assistance with

Hitoshi had stayed for most of the night at the restaurant; long after he finished his dinner and third Dark n Stormy. In fact, Hitoshi had stayed until Denki was forced to leave his table to finish his side-work before eventually clocking out for the night. Hitoshi had only left when he was sure he couldn't talk to Denki anymore, paying for his drinks and leaving the golden haired boy a hefty tip before grabbing his jacket and heading out.

Now, Hitoshi knew Denki would probably be awaiting the comfort of his own bed, but he really hoped the golden haired waiter wouldn't mind substituting his own room for Hitoshi's instead.

When the phone in his hand vibrated, Hitoshi was both shocked yet pleased to see such a speedy response to his predicament:

Denki:

absolutely, is this stain on the inside or outside of your pants

Hitoshi:

Why don't you come here and find out

Denki:

drop the addy and i am on my way

Denki wasn't kidding, it seemed like his message had just sent and then someone was knocking on Hitoshi's apartment door. Hitoshi didn't even have enough time to properly clean up first; he placed used plates in his sink, and quickly managed the dirty clothes on his bedroom floor. But, right as Hitoshi was turning towards his bathroom, hoping to sweep his cat's litter trail from the tiled floor, he was interrupted by the sudden noise echoing through his apartment.

Hitoshi turned away from his tasks, immediately moving towards the front door. Once he'd reached the door, Hitoshi took a few moments for himself; he pushed his hands haphazardly through his hair, and fixed up the t-shirt he wore over his sweatpants, thankfully remembering to change out of his sauce covered pants before Denki showed up. 

Then, Hitoshi opened the door to show a smiling golden haired boy still in his work uniform - minus the apron - and with a large bottle of wine in one hand.

"Hi," Denki said in an almost squeaky voice, "I brought liquid courage."

Hitoshi furrowed his eyebrows at the guy in front of him, "You need courage?" He couldn't help the grin that formed on his lips from watching Denki's smile fall, and his eyes widen at the purple haired boy. "Are you scared of me?"

"No-" Denki's eyes involuntarily flitted over Hitoshi's body, taking in the sight of him in a quick once over- "Parts of you, I suppose."

Hitoshi raised his eyebrows, "You're scared of my parts?"

"In a way." Hitoshi felt his heart take a nosedive into his stomach at just the sight of Denki's sideways smirk. "But, I'm also open to exposure therapy."

"Shut up-" Hitoshi shook his head, wanting to shut the door and completely cut off access for the golden haired boy, but a larger part of Hitoshi - that part of Hitoshi that wasn't afraid to admit his attraction - really wanted Denki to come inside- "You're lucky you're cute."

"Wow, you've called me cute twice tonight - I don't know what I did differently, but I gotta do it more often."

In one swift movement, Hitoshi grabbed Denki's arm and pulled the golden haired boy into his apartment. Once they were both inside, Hitoshi led the waiter through his apartment, ignoring the way Denki's light eyes scanned over every square inch of Hitoshi's personal space. Hitoshi only fully acknowledged Denki when they stood in his living room, showing the other boy his couch before moving towards the kitchen without him.

Hitoshi made sure to grab two of his finer glasses, neither with the intention of wine in mind. Instead of grabbing wine glasses that Hitoshi did not have on hand - considering it wasn't his first choice of drink - he offered Denki two water glasses, both with goofy drawings of animated characters from his favorite show growing up. The cups had been a gift from his fathers when he moved out, a subtle jab at his embarrassing childhood and a living reminder of how Hitoshi's fathers were his biggest bullies in life - especially when it came to humiliating pasts.

Unfortunately for Hitoshi, he had never invested in any other glasses - living alone and keeping his already small group of friends from visiting him at the apartment allowed him to get away with this plan until now.

"These are cute," Denki said as he smiled at the cups Hitoshi had handed him, "Do you have a favorite or-" Denki waved the options at Hitoshi, raising his eyebrows gently at the other boy- "Do you want me to choose first?"

"I like either." This was a lie, but Hitoshi would rather have another hot plate of spaghetti fall on his lap than admit to the attractive boy in front of him that he'd prefer the glass with the superhero, Eraserhead, on it rather than the character's partner, Present Mic. "You can choose."

Denki frowned at the cups, "I'll keep the blonde, since he kind of looks like me."

"Egocentric much?" Despite the poke at Denki's vanity, Hitoshi said the words with a small grin across his lips as he took the Eraserhead cup - with concealed glee -and joined the golden haired boy on the couch.

"We look alike, don't we?" Denki held up the glass beside his face, smiling wide as if that would sell their similarities to Hitoshi.

"Uncanny," Hitoshi answered sarcastically.

"Thank you."

With their conversation officially settled, Denki screwed open the top of the wine bottle. Hitoshi tried to catch a glimpse of the front, leaning closer to Denki and keeping his firm gaze on the bottle in the golden haired boy's hand. He could only catch the words red blend before Denki was pouring liquid into his respective cup, and turning to Hitoshi with a smile and gentle show of the bottle that would give Vanna White a run for her money.

"Could I top you off," Denki asked slowly. Hitoshi nodded in response, which opened Denki to continue, practically mumbling under his breath as he filled Hitoshi's glass, "Maybe if I'm lucky I can just top you later-" Denki caught a glimpse of Hitoshi's raised eyebrows- "Or you can, I'm not picky."

"How considerate of you," Hitoshi mumbled, actively ignoring the way his face heated up at the insinuation.

Obviously, it had been clear from the beginning that Hitoshi had specifically asked Denki over tonight with more scandalous ideas in mind. Even then, it was slightly embarrassing for Hitoshi to realize he had been so transparent, he wasn't the type of person who was bold with his desires - hence why he had never had anyone other than Denki drink from the two glasses in his cabinet.

Denki didn't seem embarrassed in the slightest, "We could always rock, paper, scissors for it-" If Denki noticed how Hitoshi widened his eyes at the suggestion, he didn't drop a single hint- "Or box, or play a game of chess - whichever you prefer."

"We can discuss that later," Hitoshi mumbled into his glass. There was something about Denki's gaze that felt like electricity on Hitoshi's skin, as if simply being perceived by the golden haired boy made Hitoshi feel like he was being electrocuted. He wanted to ignore it, to go back to sipping his wine - still, not one of his favorites, but he'd drink cough syrup if it would help with his nerves - but Denki's stare made that entirely impossible. "But rock, paper, scissors is fine."

Denki gave Hitoshi a large smile, "You're on." Denki held a fist between them, completely forgetting the cup full of wine he brought.

Hitoshi placed a gentle hand on top of Denki's, finally meeting the other boy's gaze, "I meant later."

"Oh okay," Denki's voice came out uncharacteristically small, and still slightly uncertain. He watched Hitoshi from behind narrowed eyes, his gaze following the glass in Hitoshi's hand on its path up to Hitoshi's lips. If Hitoshi hadn't already taken a sip of the wine, he'd think Denki had poisoned it with how suspicious he looked. "So, did I completely misread this - do you not want to fuck me?"

Hitoshi would've answered sooner than he did if it weren't for the coughing fit that erupted from his throat. If Denki weren't a waiter, he'd make a great comedian with his hilarious timing - of all the moments he had to ask his ridiculous question, he chose the exact one where Hitoshi was sipping from his glass.

Once his coughing fit had passed, Hitoshi said, "Jesus, what?"

"I just mean-" Denki leaned towards Hitoshi, placing his glass on the coffee table in front of them- "I thought you invited me over because you wanted to hook up, and I know you're into me - I felt the proof at the restaurant - but maybe that passed. I wouldn't be upset if you didn't want to anymore, I just expected it to happen by now. So, do you?"

"That wasn't entirely my intention." Somehow, Hitoshi's Karma hadn't passed once he left the restaurant - no no, it seemed having this conversation with Denki was the worst thing that had happened to Hitoshi all day, and it was getting worse by the second. "I wanted to have a conversation, too."

Denki nodded, "We can have a conversation-" He tilted his head at Hitoshi, his soft eyes now filled with insecurity- "But, you do want to?"

"Are you seriously going to make me say it?"

"I would like that, yeah."

Hitoshi wondered if maybe his Karma wasn't specific to the restaurant at all, maybe it was more complex than that. It was possible - and this very moment seemed to be the proof - that Denki himself was the embodiment of Hitoshi's Karma, both the good and the bad. As if Denki knew every single fear of Hitoshi's, and was able to force the purple haired boy to face them. Such as the words Denki wanted to hear, that was something Hitoshi would've avoided voicing at all costs.

"If it wasn't obvious before," Hitoshi said through a sigh, "I want to fuck you, Denki."

"Thank you," Denki said around a smug grin, and despite his earlier statement - he didn't seem to have needed to hear those words as much as he had let on. By some grace of the Universe, it seemed Denki knew what he did to Hitoshi's inner monologue, and reveled in the destruction he caused inside of the other boy. "Bit vulgar, but it's fine."

Despite himself, Hitoshi laughed, and it sounded almost pained, "You're impossible."

"And," Denki said as his grin upturned into a large smile, "You're a liar."

Hitoshi raised his eyebrows at the golden haired boy, "Oh, am I?"

Denki nodded, "Mhm, getting me over here under the pretense that you had a stain on your pants, and I am yet to see it."

"I'm surprised you don't know what stain I was talking about, considering you're the one who made it." Hitoshi would've downed the entire wine bottle if he knew it could help with the rapid patter of his heart. Denki's eyes were almost too much for Hitoshi, he felt impossibly hot under the other boy's gaze. "You know, with the spaghetti?"

"I know which you mean," Denki mumbled, "Best mistake I've ever made."

"I suppose it wasn't too bad for me, either."

Denki leaned forward, his eyes flicking down to Hitoshi's lips, "Would you mind if I make another mistake?"

"Of course not." Hitoshi quickly shook his head, not needing Denki to voice what that mistake might be, for him to understand exactly what the golden haired boy was asking of him. Hitoshi quickly put his glass down beside Denki's, his eyes once again meeting Denki's golden gaze. "Make as many mistakes as you want."

"Aren't you understanding." 

Even with Denki's snarky comment in the air, Hitoshi was a bit disappointed to realize he still wanted to kiss the other boy. Unfortunately for Hitoshi, Denki was practically irresistible to him; even when he tries so hard to actually annoy the purple haired boy with his bold flirting and ridiculous nicknames. Denki somehow came out of every conversation with Hitoshi unscathed, and as much as Hitoshi would hate to admit it - Denki's horrible attempts at dialogue made him even more desirable in Hitoshi's mind.

"Shut up," Hitoshi said through a sigh, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, "Just kiss me already - I know that's what you wanna do."

"And observant," Denki added as he leaned even closer to the purple haired boy, "How'd I get so lucky?"

"You've got some good Karma," Hitoshi mumbled, "Don't you?"

"I must."

Despite how eager Denki had seemed, it still took him a few more moments to fully join Hitoshi on his side of the couch. He moved onto the middle cushion, shifting onto his knees in the process, and leaning unbearably close to Hitoshi. Then, their lips met in a gentle kiss.

Or at least the kiss started gentle, but that quickly changed. After Denki finished making his first mistake, he then leaned into the kiss and Hitoshi met him in the middle, moving towards the golden haired boy as well. The first kiss they shared was merely a peck, but after a few moments of growing comfortable with each other's lips, Hitoshi opened his mouth against Denki's, and really kissed him.

Hitoshi brought his hand up to Denki's face, pushing his hand through Denki's hair and pulling the golden haired boy closer to him. Denki's hands seemed to find home on Hitoshi's torso, his fingers curiously wandering over Hitoshi's chest through his t-shirt. Hitoshi involuntarily sucked in a sharp breath when Denki's hands moved downward towards Hitoshi's waist. There was only a moment for Hitoshi to feel Denki's breathy laugh against his mouth before his tongue was being pushed towards Hitoshi's bottom lip and into his mouth.

Denki leaned back on his heels, and it took Hitoshi a moment to shift his attention from the golden haired boy's slightly reddened lips to the hand he held between them now. Denki extended a fist towards Hitoshi, a smile growing across his face. Hitoshi rolled his eyes before extending his own fist.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot-" Denki announced before both boys changed their hands into different symbols. Hitoshi had somehow chosen the right one it seemed, since his paper won over Denki's rock. Hitoshi grinned as he placed his flat hand over top of Denki's fist- "Damn it, best two of three?"

"Denki," Hitoshi groaned.

"Okay okay," Denki said through a laugh as he leaned back in for another kiss.

❤︎~~~~❤︎~~~~❤︎~~~~❤︎~~~~❤︎~~~~❤︎~~~~❤︎~~~~❤︎

If it were up to Hitoshi, he'd never show his face in this restaurant ever again. The big building with a mandatory dress code would be the very last option of possible dinner joints in his mind. He'd gladly skip into any other establishment on the whole block - Hell, in the damn city - and eat there instead if it meant he simply didn't have to be reminded of the incident that happened here the last time he was in the building.

But alas, Hitoshi had been given a gift card for the pain he had been caused - the heat from the freshly cooked spaghetti was a love tap compared to the painful embarrassment he felt with having been groped in the middle of the formal restaurant. So, who could blame the guy for seeking a free meal - in this economy?

Hitoshi reluctantly swung open the glass door of the restaurant, making immediate eye contact with the pink haired girl behind the hostess's stand. Mina smirked at Hitoshi immediately when her eyes found his, leaning on the stand to appear closer to the purple haired boy than she actually was.

"I don't have a reservation," Hitoshi said, "But, someone's waiting for me."

Mina's grin grew into a large smile, "Looky here, spaghetti boy's back-"

Hitoshi wrinkled his nose, "Oh great, I've got a nickname now."

"Of course you do, Denki told everyone how he touched all over your spaghetti-" Mina giggled to herself- "And uh, meatballs."

"You make it sound so lewd."

"Wasn't it?"

Even though he had no reason to believe Denki would tell all of his work friends - or that he'd willingly keep his mouth shut to begin with - Hitoshi still had a feeling him and Mina weren't talking about the same spaghetti incident. The incident Mina was so openly alluding to involved no spaghetti, and happened after hours at Hitoshi's apartment.

"Uh," Hitoshi mumbled, blood rushing to his face, "I think someone's waiting for me?"

Mina giggled, "Of course, he's right over here."

The hostess didn't bother grabbing a menu before leading Hitoshi through the restaurant. As the two made their way through the tables, Hitoshi didn't bother panicking over being stood up tonight - in fact the thought never once crossed his mind - because he knew the event wasn't a realistic possibility. It would be hard for his date to avoid Hitoshi when he knew where the guy worked.

And, they were currently planning on meeting up there and dining for the night.

"Here you are, sir," Mina said in a mockingly enthusiastic customer-service voice, stopping her guiding once she'd reached a two-chair table with one seat already being occupied, "Have a nice night, your waiter will be over in a minute."

Hitoshi grinned at his date, "Hi, sorry I'm late."

Denki shook his head, "No way, you're just on time."

Upon taking his seat, Denki handed Hitoshi a menu from the middle of the table. It seemed the golden haired boy hadn't been waiting for too long before Hitoshi showed; Denki was sipping from a glass and shifted uncomfortably on the chair with a bag hanging off of the back. Hitoshi knew the bag must contain the waiter's work clothes considering they met immediately after his shift. Denki had been adamant about getting dinner after his morning-afternoon shift, insisting Hitoshi used his new gift card on the golden haired boy.

Hitoshi's eyes scanned over the menu, but he hadn't managed to pick out a single option that sounded appetizing to him before Denki was thrusting a collins glass into his face.

"Here-" Denki shook the glass, small droplets of condensation dropping onto the white tablecloth- "Try a Fuzzy Navel."

"The name itself makes me want to not touch the glass," Hitoshi said through a sigh, hesitantly taking the drink from his date despite himself, "Who came up with these names and why were they so damn perverted?"

Denki grinned, "Would you prefer some Sex on the Beach? That's not such a bad name, right?"

Hitoshi shrugged as he handed the drink back, "I suppose that's better than having your fuzzy navel in my mouth."

"Spoken like a real prude-" Denki winked at Hitoshi- "And a real bold statement considering you already have."

Hitoshi pointedly ignored Denki's comment, instead hiding his now warm face behind the menu in his hands. His eyes skimmed his options once again, his gaze purposely skipping over every entree under the pastas section. 

"Do you know what you're ordering," Hitoshi asked with a glance over the edge of his menu.

Denki nodded, "I'm a bit of a regular here, so I have a usual-" Denki leaned forward on the table in an attempt to view more of Hitoshi's face from where it was half-hidden- "Are you gonna get the spaghetti?"

Hitoshi rolled his eyes, "Why would I? It just goes to my hips anyways."

"Yeah, but let's hope this plate goes to your chest instead, I miss the feel of those pecs."

Through a scowl, Hitoshi mumbled, "Or let's hope the waiter doesn't drop my dinner at all."

Denki shrugged, "No harm done if they do, it just means I get to help you with more stains."

"I suppose." Hitoshi placed the menu on the table, making his mind up on what he'd be ordering for dinner. "Though, you could come over and help me with other stuff instead."

"Hm, okay." Denki took a sip from his drink as he wiggled his eyebrows at his date. "So, you're providing me with dinner and dessert."

"That I am."