Re: The Good Diner: Alex, Noah, Holly
Noah laughed—which was also loud, sorry—as Holly's eyes just picked up from the screen to land on him and Alex. He scrunched up his nose as the dude just gave them a cool wave, like Noah couldn't pick up the tiny tremors of anxiety Holly gave off over there. The reasons were a soup, as usual—myriad and intermingled, and Noah didn't spend time picking them out one by one. He knew the dude was a little restless in the same way he, Noah, was, so he was glad to be back in the same space with him. Noah laughed again when the other two discussed who was meant to muzzle him, and he slid into the booth beside his husband, pushing over more than he needed to. Shoved up against Holly's side and insinuating a broad shoulder under the dude's draped arm, Noah caught a glimpse of the screen as it shuttered.
He ignored any looks/glances/askance emotions directed their way by the waitstaff and/or patronage and he settled into the seat as Alex squished up against the wall. Noah watched him. The undertow of the dude's inner workings, such as they were, were there, pulling gently at Noah's mind or whatever, and he was caught in the cross currents of Alex and Holly. It was okay. He'd been unduly buoyed by the time out of town. Or maybe not unduly. Whatever. He was in a good mood. He was chill af the unchillest of ways. Enough that, when the waitress—Janice—sort of eyed coming over, he gave her a bro-nod of summons, bold now where he wouldn't have been before. "Can I get a chocolate milkshake?" He asked as she approached, pad in hand. "Two cherries." He'd been ordering it for years. She might've smiled a little, before remembering she didn't like Noah anymore. "And whatever Alex gets, you can put on me."
Alex's burst of affection was like a miniature collision of stars, spurring warmth inside of Noah, and he smiled at the dude. Then, at Holly, at whom the next ray of gratitude was aimed. "And this dude, I guess. Whoever he is." Noah was snuggled up against 'this dude' with some defiance masked over with a charming smile and a charming swoop of curls in his face. "Please."