Interesting Encounters (Antiono/Gilbert)

[Gilbert Fredrick Beilschmidt]

The day was gray, and it wasn’t helping the unsettling feeling he had looking up at the restaurant, one that was hard to dismiss. Gilbert knew he shouldn't eat here, but she had pissed him off to where he wasn't going to her place today. And he was already here, so why not? Yes it was a competitor restaurant of his friends, but he honestly was feeling petty enough not to care. He and Carmen hadn't fought persay, but he had gotten tired of her nagging him worse than his mother. He didn't like being told what to do on the best of days, and with the sour mood he had had for a few days, it was no wonder he had found elsewhere to spent time. Perhaps he could make friends here, which would be sure to piss her off.


With a small sigh and a slight grin on his face, Gilbert shook his head and opened the doors if the restaurant. Hopefully no one had been looking out the windows at him, for he had no idea how long he had stood just staring at the name of the restaurant. If it was for a while, they might have thought he was crazy. But then again, many did think that. After all, no normal human could have the ruby red eyes he did and be sane. Many people thought he was a child of misfortune, one that is doomed to attract bad luck. Gilbert knew that was just an old tale full of lies that were best not to be believed, but he saw the way people looked at him sometimes and he couldn’t help but pity them. They wouldn’t get to know an awesome person just because he looked different than everyone out. Afraid, maybe, but Gilbert had a tough skin, grown over the years by his delinquency and poor choices. With a mental shake, he moved himself beyond his darker inner thoughts and looked around at the space.

What met his eyes was the perfect sight to finish dispelling the lingering dark thoughts that may have stuck around. Warm and cheerful feelings fell over him. Exotic music played in his ears and he was mesmerized with how different it seemed to him than anything else in this town. Looking around, the warm wood shone lightly under the lamp light and he knew this would be an interesting experience. There was so much more to be seen here, but he could only take in so much at once.  A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, but it went by unnoticed.

“Nice, very nice. I think I like it here.”

[Deleted]

Antonio wiped the wine glass cheerfully, humming a little to himself as he stood behind the bar. Antonio didn't normally work behind the bar--technically he didn't normally work anywhere but the kitchen--but he always had a tendency to make himself comfortable. His boss would probably come searching for him in a few minutes, but until then, Antonio had the time alone. It wasn't like the English made a big deal out of lunch after all. Why exactly Antonio could never be quite sure--it had always been his favorite meal of the day.

It was a particularly dreadful day in London. Most days were somewhat dreary--Antonio missed sunshine quite a bit. But he could tolerate the city, particularly on days such as last Wednesday. The sky had been a beautiful blue for once. Antonio set the glass down as he looked across the restaurant towards the sky outside today. It was completely grey and fog crept along. At least the restaurant was warm and cheery.

What caught his eye was a man standing outside. Antonio had never seen the man before. He would've remembered, certainly. The man's white hair and red eyes would've stuck in anyone's mind. He gaped a little at the restaurant sign (which made Antonio chuckle a little inside) before pushing the door in and entering. The instant warmth of the restaurant seemed to mesmerize him, such a difference it was from the rest of London. Antonio couldn't help but smile. A new customer!

A waitress at the front picked up a menu as Antonio left the bar and headed over to the welcoming desk. "I'll take this, Maria," he said smiling. The waitress nodded and handed the menu to him. "Hola, señor," he said smoothly. "Welcome to Pasión. Please, allow me show you to your seat."

He led the man to a table in the corner and handed him the menu. "My name is
Antonio. Unfortunately, I am unsure if I will be your main server today, however I will be your waiter for the time being." Antonio shot the man a grin. "Today our featured appetizer is a creamy green gazpacho which I highly recommend. Our entrée of the day is a gorgeous seafood paella. And for dessert, we have crème brûlée. May I get you something to drink?"

Before the man was able to answer, someone tapped Antonio on the shoulder. He wasn't surprised when he saw his boss standing behind him. "Excuse me, sir," Antonio said, giving him an apologetic smile. "I'll be right back."

Antonio! How many times have I told you!

But it's lunchtime...

Precisely! You're supposed to be cooking!

But Miguel is here today!

I still need you on the lunchtime shift!

I'll go in a few minutes! We only just opened up for lunch...

They went back and forth like this for a minute or so before Antonio's boss grudgingly allowed him to finish off this one customer before returning to the kitchen. Immediately.

I'll never figure out why you like working out here from time to time, Antonio... The man grumbled as he let Antonio go.

"Sorry about that," Antonio said brightly as he returned to the man's table. "Now, may I get you your drink?"

[Gilbert Fredrick Beilschmidt]

The colors in this place were unbelievable, or so Gilbert thought. The warmth they suggested and infused in him with just a look made all of the troubles in his life seem small. This place felt welcoming and he could not imagine how more people weren’t here during this time of day. If only he could affored it, he would come here every day just for the atmosphere.

"Hola, señor," he said smoothly. "Welcome to Pasión. Please, allow me show you to your seat."

Turning to the voice, he grinned after a blinking in surprise at someone sneaking up on him. Like him, he thought this man wasn’t a native to London either, but had traveled here for some mysterious reason., which, was probably not to work in a restaurant. Though right now, he was glad he was here, gave him a seemingly nice person to talk to a defiantly something spicy to look at.

"My name is Antonio. Unfortunately, I am unsure if I will be your main server today, however I will be your waiter for the time being."

Sitting down in the indicated spot, he nodded, letting the grin fall from his face a bit as he listened to the specials. Honesly, he didn’t know a lot of those foods that were recommended. Giving a small look at the menu, he nodded and was about to place his order, or his half order before he man was called away.
Listening in, he now saw why the restaurant wasn’t that busy. What was the harm in letting him wait on one customer before going back to the kitchen. Obviously this man wasn’t using his resources to the best they could be. Someone like Antonio should be on the floor, smoothing over the customers. Honestly, with looks and a personality like he had, many people would eat whatever he recommended, and come to see him….actually, no, he shouldn’t. A brief flare of unneeded jealously arouse at thinking that he wasn’t the only one Antiono was like this too. It wouldn't hurt if he flirted some, it wsn't like he did it everyday.

"Sorry about that," Antonio said brightly as he returned to the man's table. "Now, may I get you your drink?"

“I’ll start with a beer. Tell me Antonio,” propping his elbow on the table and his chin on his palm, he grinned at the man, “are those the only specials or are you on the menu too?”

[Deleted]

Word Count: 426
Notes:

"I'll start with a beer." Beer, huh. Not what Antonio would order at a Spanish restaurant, but ah, Spanish would be Spanish.

"So, Antonio." Antonio looked back at the white-haired man (it was white, right?) who propped his elbow up onto the table and rested his chin on it with a mischievous smile. "Are those the only specials or are you on the menu too?"

For maybe half a second, Antonio was taken aback. He was almost never approached this directly (well, at least...rarely...or well...at least...oh, never mind). Then he was a little flattered. Finally, well, Antonio couldn't help but be rather amused.

Two could play a game. It was a game that Antonio was rather familiar with after all.

"Well, señor," Antonio said, leaning over and lowering his voice, "I suppose that depends on you."

Straightening himself, Antonio wore a small smirk (a very small smirk!) and winked. "I'll bring you your drink," Antonio called as he headed towards the kitchen. "Make sure to take a closer look at the menu while I'm gone!"

Antonio headed into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he grabbed a beer before turning around to take a drink coaster and a beer glass from the shelves.

"Antonio, get your ass over here and start working!" A short, tanned man scowled at Antonio, waving his spatula.

"I am working, Miguel!" Antonio grinned. "Besides, I covered for your shift yesterday so you shouldn't be talking!"

Miguel scowled before turning back to his paella pan and yelling at some other chef.

Placing everything he needed onto the small serving tray, Antonio pushed the door outwards and walked towards his customer's table. Before he reached it though, a woman waved him over. Antonio paused and headed to her table.

The two of them chatted amiably for a minute before Antonio managed to excuse himself. He could literally hear his boss chastising him and cutting his paycheck...

Antonio didn't look at the white-haired man (he really needed to figure out his name) as he set the beer down. Opening the cap easily, he began to pour the drink into the glass, watching as the amber liquid foamed.

Finally, Antonio set the beer down and met the man's eyes. Now that he looked at them closely, they seemed violet, though at times he could've sworn they were red. At either rate, he was certainly very different from anyone Antonio had met before.

"So, señor," Antonio said, a light smile on his face. "Did you decide what you wanted to order?"

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[Gilbert Fredrick Beilschmidt]

“I’ll bring you your drink; make sure to take a closer look at the menu while I’m gone.”

And with those words spoken, the man had left. With a confused sigh to himself, he had to think. This was the second man he met that he had hit on within a few minutes of meeting. Gilbert wasn’t normally the type to flirt with people on first meeting…ok, that was a lie, he was, but he normally didn’t mean it. He could be rude and crude, but he was also respectful when called for. This though, for some reason, he was drawn to these two men. He wasn’t sure what this could mean for his future, but if anything, he was sure he was going to get at least one good friend out of this. He had yet to determine how this man was going to react to him, this Antonio as he heard from the shouts across the restaurant. Deciding to just wait and see, he grinned. No matter how this turned out, it was guaranteed to be interesting. Looking over the menu briefly, red-violet eyes scanned the menu and he only shrugged. Nothing on the menu sounded familiar to him and he had no idea what would taste good. Laying the menu down, he blew air between his pursed lips, slightly annoyed. He was hard pressed to try new things usually, rather stubborn about it actually. He liked what he liked, though if it was a challenge, he’d usually take it. Well, this was a challenge; he’d have to eat something here to find out more about this man. When the tan man came back, he would have an answer for him. With a grin on his face, he liked this plan. It was smart on his part, he could only hope the other man saw the wit in it.

“Ja, I’ll take what he recommends, best way to get good tasting food.”

[Deleted]

Word Count: 393
Notes:

There was an almost frustrated air to the man when Antonio returned, but it had no effect on the way he spoke to Antonio. "Ja, I'll take what he recommends, best way to get good tasting food."

Antonio smiled easily as he lifted the man's menu from his hands. "A fine choice indeed," Antonio said happily. "I'll make your order myself and be right back~"

Antonio headed into the noisy kitchen. "Table 17, green gazpacho, seafood paella, creme brûlée," Antonio called. "I'll take the order," he added as he grabbed the apron hanging nearby.

Gazpacho, appetizer. Antonio hummed cheerfully as he quickly found the already prepared ingredients. Miguel shot Antonio a withering glare. Antonio knew why. As a chef, he was supposed to prepare only a select few items. Miguel, for instance, specialized in entrees, specifically anything seafood oriented. If Antonio was too stubborn, it would mess up the kitchen schedule. But ah, it was only one customer! And it wasn't like Antonio didn't have a reputation for breaking the rules already.

Really, it was a little surprising he still had his job, but he made good food and he was cooperative. Mostly.

The gazpacho took only about fifteen minutes and Antonio sent it out with a waitress, not bothering to deliver it himself. Already, more orders were piling in and as much as Antonio would like to focus on his curious customer, it was his job after all.

Next...seafood paella. That had already been prepped by Miguel earlier. All Antonio had to do now was finish cooking it on the grill. That took longer, a good twenty minutes. Antonio liked to take his time with these things, but he'd eventually learned that it was important to stay on track. While he waited for the shellfish to open, Antonio checked on the creme brulee, which was in the fridge. He pulled it out to let it cool before he began plating the paella. It was worth six servings (you almost never made paella in single person servings, especially at a restaurant) and Antonio took care to plate it properly. He inspected the plates and chose the best one before sending the other five out with other waiters. Then, Antonio hung up his apron before heading out himself, with his customer's dish in hand.

"Here you are," Antonio said cheerfully. "Did you miss me?"

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[Gilbert Fredrick Beilschmidt]

After the man left to fulfill his order, Gilbert could only watch his retreat into the kitchen, well, to be fair, he was watching his ass. But in his defense, who wouldn't be? It looked so...perfect. It was round and definitely masculine. It looked tight enough to bounce quarters off of it. And added to those muscles he saw under the man’s shirt, this guy had a very nice body. And it seemed a personality to match.

Realizing where he was starting, Gilbert quickly looked away before anyone could notice and rested his head in his hand with a sigh. Once again he was attracted; this was odd he was attracted to this man this fast. Was it something in him recognizing a person that could easily become close to, close enough to become what exactly? Friends yes. He always was on the lookout for friends. He didn’t have many from school; he lost all those when he went through his more rebellious phase. Then after he went to university, not many were interested, but it might have been partially because he wasn’t trying. Well, he was more than trying now and it seemed to be paying off in ways he couldn’t have imagined. Feeling his thoughts starting down a deep path he didn’t want to contemplate right now, he shook his head, only to be surprised with all the food in front of him. Jaw dropping, he was only expecting part of this, and this was just the appetizer from what he remembered from the specials of the day. It certainly looked like he would have enough for lunch tomorrow.

 
After digging in, he was startled when the man came back with yet another plate… of course he had come back when he had his mouth full of food. Swallowing quickly, but making sure not to choke on the food, he nodded and grinned.

“Of course I missed you. Tell me, would you be willing to meet me after you got off work for tonight, perhaps for a drink at a bar near here?”

Winking at the man, he tried to put on one of his most inviting smiles, hopefully it didn’t come across to creepy due to his features, but if it did, he was used to it. Hopefully it wouldn’t put this guy off and he could see he was interested in him.

[Deleted]

Word Count: 386
Notes:

It was almost cute in a way how the man swallowed his food quickly when Antonio came out with the paella. He choked down the gazpacho in a way that Antonio's mother would never have approved of ("¡Modales, Antonio!").

The man nodded at Antonio's previous question before grinning. “Of course I missed you." Antonio smiled and was about to say something when the man cut in quickly. "Tell me, would you be willing to meet me after you got off work for tonight, perhaps for a drink at a bar near here?”

This time, Antonio laughed out loud. It wasn't a mean laugh by any means, just a cheerful, amused laugh. "Sí, I wouldn't mind," Antonio said cheerily as he placed the paella on the table. "However, it's a tad bit rude for me to not know your name and head out for a drink with you, don't you think?" He chuckled. "After all, you know mine and I don't even know what to call you!"

Although Antonio was aware he should head back into the kitchen and work, he really would rather not. It was much more amusing to be out here, talking! Antonio had been working hard these days, his boss had hardly any reason to complain. A more rational person may have headed back to work with just a bit of light conversation, but Antonio felt oddly drawn to his customer. He was certainly fun and different to talk to. And Antonio wouldn't mind heading out after his shift to go have some fun. It had been a bit lacking these days after all. A night out might just be what he needed.

"I don't get off my shift for a while though," Antonio mused. "I don't think you'd want to wait that long, though..." He scratched the back of his head. What to do, then? He really did think that spending time with this man would be fun and Antonio was always looking for an opportunity to relieve stress.

Though...Antonio had been waiting tables earlier, which meant... He rummaged for a pen before waving down one of the waitresses and getting some paper.

"Here!" Antonio said cheerfully after scribbling something on a piece of paper. "I don't get off for another hour, but you can call me then if you want."

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[Gilbert Fredrick Beilschmidt]

"However, it's a tad bit rude for me to not know your name and head out for a drink with you, don't you think? After all, you know mine and I don't even know what to call you."


Gilbert couldn't help but to like this man, and honestly, there was nothing so far as to why he shouldn't. He seemed warm and honest. Hopefully he was one of those types that ended up being what was seen was what they got.


"My name eh? Guess it would be rude of me back to play a guessing game of it when there's no way you could guess. It's Gilbert. Pretty hard to forget, just like me."


Yes, Gilbert knew that was cheesy and the whole time his was shamelessly flirting, but it was amusing and he honestly found this Antonio attractive. He did want to see where this all lead; their personalities seemed to fit well together, leading him hope that they could become great friends. Tonight would be the first building block, Gilbert was sure.


"I don't get off my shift for a while though," Antonio mused. "I don't think you'd want to wait that long, though..."


Smiling at the man, Gilbert almost laughed, he was just too cute. He didn't mind waiting, though he was easily distracted. Before he could open his mouth to say something, Antonio finished his thought from earlier.

"Here!"

He could only watch as the tanned man wrote something down. He was curious as to what it could be, though he was sure it wasn’t an address, they hadn’t known each other long enough for that. And really, he wouldn’t trust anyone who gave a stranger their address that quickly. Once he was handed the sheet, he saw what it was and felt a tingle of excitement run down his spine. It was the man’s number. He could easily call him anytime. Pulling out his phone, he started entering it into his contact list.

"I don't get off for another hour, but you can call me then if you want."

“I’ll do just that, hopefully this last hour of work goes fast for you now that you have something to look forward too. Now, as much as I’d love to keep you here with me and be selfish with your attention, I’d hate for you to get in trouble with your boss. I can have your attention later.”

Gilbert was forming a plan in his head. He would finish his food yes, and then slip out when Antonio wasn’t looking. Of course he would leave enough money on the table to cover his bill and tip for the man, and then when it was time for the man to get off work, he would wait around the entrance to surprise him. How he loved his plans, it would be a good surprise.

[Deleted]

Word Count: 495
Notes: Changed font color, whoops.

"My name eh? Guess it would be rude of me back to play a guessing game of it when there's no way you could guess. It's Gilbert. Pretty hard to forget, just like me."

Antonio laughed a little at the stereotypical, cheesy flirtation. Gilbert, huh? He really liked Gilbert in a way. The easy way he carried himself, the seemingly carefree attitude that he had about him. He seemed like he would be such a fun person to just hang out with. And he was, in a bit of an odd way, rather attractive. At least the shameless way he hit on Antonio was altogether rather endearing and cute in a way. It seemed to work rather well. Perhaps some people would question the decision to simply spend time with a stranger one had just met and perhaps Antonio was stupid for not doing so, but he sincerely felt that that was not the case with Gilbert. No one was completely straightforward, but Antonio wanted to take Gilbert at face value, and so he would.

Gilbert's smile brightened as he began entering Antonio's contact number. He felt a little bit silly, giving it to Gilbert like that, but Antonio could never dwell on those emotions for too long. Instead, he just continued smiling. It seemed like the appropriate thing to do.

“I’ll do just that, hopefully this last hour of work goes fast for you now that you have something to look forward too. Now, as much as I’d love to keep you here with me and be selfish with your attention, I’d hate for you to get in trouble with your boss. I can have your attention later.”

Amusement coursed through Antonio and he laughed. "You can be certain about that~" he said, giving Gilbert's shoulder a little squeeze as he straightened. "You can have my undivided attention, provided my boss doesn't kill me for being out of the kitchen."

With that, Antonio headed back to the kitchen. He felt unbelievably cheerful now, more so than before. He had a date! Was it a date? Antonio wasn't 100% sure...but close enough! At the very least, he had something to look forwards to.

Unlike how Gilbert had hinted though, the next hour did not pass slowly, instead dragging on and digging its heels into the ground. Antonio was almost certain that these extra customers were coming in only to spite him. Finally though, a little over an hour later, Antonio said farewell to his boss. Marco was cleaning up today, which meant that Antonio was home free! He hummed a light tune as he packed up and began making his way out of the restaurant.

Gilbert had left after finishing his food and Antonio wondered where the man had gone. For the first time, he contemplated the possibility that he wouldn't show. Ahh...that would be sad, but Antonio could live with disappointments. He didn't really want to think about it, to be honest.

He guess he'd just have to wait and see.

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[Gilbert Fredrick Beilschmidt]

"You can have my undivided attention, provided my boss doesn't kill me for being out of the kitchen."

Gilbert could only watch the man go, grinning to himself in the process. This was only the second time he'd made such a get together while here, but he was sure this was going to turn out as fun as the previous one. If anything, he hoped that this would lead to another great friendship, but he would play it by ear to see how it went. After he had ate, he moved to pay and then walked outside, out of sight of the restaurant, but he could still see it. He would wait till he saw Antonio walk out before he called him. It would be a nice surprise for the man and it seemed like he needed some good surprises. He knew this was a half thought out plan, and he knew there were flaws in it, but he didn’t care. If he didn’t see the brown haired man after an hour had passed, he would call his phone and then they would meet somewhere and talk and get that drink. Drinking was a good way to get to know people and it would be a good way to get them both to relax around each other.

Sitting down on a bench, he could just imagine Antonio’s surprised face at seeing him waiting for him. The smile that would spread across those lips that seemed to hold a trace of a smile tugging at the corner of them. His eyes would brighten with happiness at seeing him, a true happiness that couldn’t be contained within his face, and it would spill out and brighten his voice. He seemed the type to hug his friends upon meeting them, not that Gilbert expected a hug right away, but perhaps a friendly handshake, one that would help express how happy he was.

Keeping the smile to himself he could only wait. Though the next time he checked his phone, it had been an hour. Pulling out the number, he dialed it but waited to push send. He would watch to see if he saw the man and then call. After all, it would be hard to miss Antonio. Between the happiness that radiated off of him and the way his ass looked from behind, it would be hard to miss him indeed. He waited, but his impatience go the best of him. Dialing the number, he watched the front of the restaurant.

“I know you want to answer your phone Antonio~”

[Deleted]

Word Count: 423
Notes: I'm sorry I'm being so slow, I'm trying to get to everything. orz

Antonio didn't have to wonder for too long before he heard his phone ring cheerfully, the Spanish lyrics filling the air. Eagerly, he reached into his bag to find his phone.

It was an unknown number, but Antonio felt absolutely certain that he knew who it was. Of course, that was an assumption he had made one too many times before (which always involved a cheerful but somewhat embarrassing discussion), but it still did not deter Antonio from answering his phone happily.

"Gilbert!" Antonio exclaimed before he even heard the man talk. "I was wondering where you ran off to." A bright smile lit his face as he headed out the back door.

...Back door. Whoops. Gilbert probably wouldn't be looking for him near the back door. Antonio had nearly forgotten that most guests didn't really come through there. A typical mistake, but it wasn't completely unwarranted. He'd make his way to the front, which is where he assumed Gilbert would be.

Antonio really rather rarely went out for fun on weekdays, so this was definitely a great exception. He was excited, really excited. Maybe childishly so, but Antonio disliked reining himself in. He always thought that you'd never get anywhere in life if you kept your emotions inside.

"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting Gil," Antonio continued cheerfully. "I'm actually just coming out now, if you don't mind waiting for like a minute..." Antonio sped up a little and rounded the corner, the restaurant coming into his sight.

Ah, Gilbert wasn't here. Was he waiting for him at the bar? Perhaps...or perhaps Gilbert was on his way here. Antonio didn't mind walking a little to meet the man. He hummed a little as he came to a stop in front of the restaurant.

"So where are you anyways?" Antonio continued chattily. His head swiveled around as he tried to spot Gilbert. Theoretically it shouldn't be too difficult, right? After all, Gilbert's white head of hair made him stand out pretty obviously from a crowd. He couldn't quite see the man though...

He wondered exactly what bar Gilbert was interested in going to. Antonio also remembered that he wasn't exactly very...well, reliable when drunk. Would that cause a bad impression? Perhaps, but Antonio had a feeling that Gilbert wouldn't mind too much. It would be fun either way and it'd be a very nice way to relax...as long as he didn't get too drunk and not show up for work tomorrow morning...that would kind of be a bummer...

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[Gilbert Fredrick Beilschmidt]

Gilbert watched the man he had called look to his phone, trying to mentally get him to pick it up. Either he had picked up mental telepathy, or Antonio had figured it was safe to answer, for in the next second he saw the man lift the phone to his ear and then his cheery voice filled the line. There was one thing he had noticed about the man, and his voice now even proved it. He seemed to always been in a good mood. Or at least so far this short about of time had shown him. Not that this was a bad thing, no. He considered it a good thing. He could see this man becoming a good friend should they progress the way he hoped he would. Really, he’d been here for a while and he really needed more friends.

“Gilbert! I was wondering where you ran off too. I’m so sorry to keep you waiting Gil, I’m actually just coming out now, if you don’t mind waiting for like a minute…”

No, he didn’t mind waiting a minute, he knew the man’s business was important and sometimes things happened. The fact that he was on his way out was all to the better. He saw that mop of hair that seemed to be perfectly styled like to look like he had just had a round of fun. Grinning to himself, he nodded.

“Nein, I didn’t vanish, I’m out front of the restaurant waiting. I’m surprised they didn’t make you take longer considering you took someone else's job for a bit there to wait on me. “

He could see Antonio looking around for him and he couldn’t help but snicker into the phone. The man was adorable looking for him with what looked like a slightly confused look on his face. Starting to move, when the man’s back was to him, he got up from where he was sitting slightly behind a tree and started for him. It would be interesting to see if he could get close enough to startle the man. Perhaps this was one of his character flaws, the need to cause some sort of drama or scene with his friends. Though this one wasn’t bad, he wasn’t hurting anyone and the man was looking for him; he was just helping him out by coming to him instead of the other way around. Managing to get behind him carefully, he grinned into the phone, sure that the man would hear him behind him and over the phone.

“So where are you anyways?

“I’ll give you three guesses, If wrong, I get a prize~”

[Deleted]

Word Count: 403
Notes: YO I'M REALLY LATE.

Antonio pressed the phone to his ear, head shifting back and forth as he tried to locate where Gilbert could possibly be. His vision scanned across the street, where he could only see random strangers wandering around.

“Nein, I didn’t vanish, I’m out front of the restaurant waiting. I’m surprised they didn’t make you take longer considering you took someone else's job for a bit there to wait on me.“

Hearing Gilbert's voice, with that odd accent—what was it exactly? Antonio mused over this for a moment. Perhaps...German? Something along those lines. Germany...that was another one of the many places Antonio wanted to go someday...

...He was getting sidetracked. At any rate, hearing Gilbert's voice come across the phone made Antonio's smile widen for some reason.

He leaned back a little, a cheery smile adorning his face. "Ah, no, not at all. I'm a hard worker when I want to be and Boss isn't too terrible most days. Besides, he knows I like to work the floor and I do a good job of it so he doesn't mind too much when we don't have that many people around."

Antonio frowned a little as he heard the second part of what Gilbert was saying. "Out front? But that's where I am..." Had Antonio missed him? No, he thought not... Admittedly, Antonio could be rather terrible at finding things, but he was fairly certain that Gilbert, with his shockingly white hair and curiously red eyes, would be fairly easy to spot in a crowd.

"I'll give you three guesses, if wrong, I get a prize~"

Antonio blinked. A prize...Antonio didn't have a prize on him for Gilbert at all...what in the world could Gilbert be talking about?

His eyebrows scrunched a little. Wait...he was fairly certain that he'd heard Gilbert's voice outside his phone...had he heard wrong? It had been pretty quiet though... It was like there was an echo somewhere around here...maybe Antonio just wasn't hearing too properly...

"Guesses?" Antonio asked dubiously. "Um..." Antonio stuck his left hand in his pocket as he looked back and forth again. "Are you across the street or in the park or something? Still can't seem to see exactly where you are..." He leaned forwards, bouncing slightly on his toes like a bird about to take off in flight. "I have no clue where in the world you'd be."

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