Buono Tomato

Part 1

"Sorry to have made you come all the way out here, Ludwig." Arthur patted Ludwig's shoulder apologetically.

"It was no problem, really." Ludwig reassured. He had lived in this new town for nearly five months, but he never ventured out much for reasons other than work; so it was nice to get out once in a while.

"Oh, jolly good." Arthur sighed in relief. "You're a good man, Ludwig. Not many of you new chaps would be willing to come so far and work as hard as you do. At least not the gits I've been stuck training lately, anyway."

Ludwig's new-found job was that of an editor-in-training for the local newspaper and Arthur was a superior at work who was currently training him. Apparently he was quite the hard-ass from what Ludwig had heard from his co-workers, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He had only been working at this company for a few weeks, but he was picking up everything at a quick pace, much to Arthur's delight.

"So, you said you've never worked as an editor before?" Arthur asked while looking through some files.

"I did work as chief editor for my high school paper for a year, but I hardly think that counts."

"Well, that's a lot more experience than most, I must say. Aha! Here they are!" Arthur pulled a few papers out of the file he was looking through and placed them on the table. "Examples for you to follow in case you have any problems going through the drafts tonight."

"Danke, Arthur." Ludwig placed the papers carefully in his briefcase. "Will that be all for today?"

"Yes, thanks again for coming all the way out here on such short notice."

"Not a problem." Ludwig stood up from his chair and nodded to Arthur before turning to leave.

"Oh!" Arthur called. "I'll be bringing more scones to the office tomorrow, so be sure to look out for them!"

Ludwig's stomach clenched at the thought of those terrible pastries Arthur too often brought to work. No one had the heart, or the guts, to tell him they were disgusting. "Um, ja! I'll be…looking forward to them." Ludwig nodded him off once again and hurried out of the door and onto the street. He looked at his watch and cursed under his breath. He'd missed the bus and the next one wasn't due for another hour. "Damn, it's nearly dinner time too. Brother is not going to be happy with me." He took out his phone and dialed.

"You have reached the phone of the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt. I was off being too awesome to notice your call, so leave a message and maybe I'll get back to ya…if you're lucky!"

"Damnit, Brother, how many times have I told you to change that ridiculous voicemail?! Anyways, I'm going to be a few hours late since I got held up at work, so have dinner without me. I'll get something in town." He hung up the phone and returned it to its place in his coat pocket.

With an hour until the next bus and an empty stomach, Ludwig thought it pointless to just sit and wait, so he decided to walk around town to find a place to eat. He had been wandering for a couple of minutes when suddenly he heard festive-sounding music emanating from the building ahead. He walked up to it and looked up at the swinging sign overhead that read "Buono Tomato".

The strong smell of garlic and tomato sauce wafted from the open windows of the building, and it smelled delicious. "Well, I guess it has been many years since I've had Italian." Ludwig said to himself. "Ja, why not?" He opened the door to the restaurant and the music grew louder, and the smell grew stronger and even more delicious.

"Welcome to Buono Tomato." Ludwig was greeted by a young man with scowl on his face and a deep Italian accent. "How many?"

"Ah, just one."

"Okay, right this way then." Then man retrieved a menu from behind the podium and led him to a small table near the center of the room. Ludwig sat and the man placed the menu in front of him. "Your waiter will be with you in a moment." He looked in the direction of the kitchen, rolled his eyes slightly, and muttered something that sounded like "damnit" under his breath. He hurried off to the kitchen.

"Feli, what are you doing? You have a customer at table nine, hurry up!"

"Ve! Sorry, Lovi!" Feliciano turned around to rush to the table, but stopped abruptly after having a good glance at the customer. "Um…I…"

"What's the matter?"

"He—he's really mean and scary-looking. Can…can you take this one, Fratello?!" Feliciano had tears in his eyes.

"Hell no!" Lovino spat. "I'm busy enough as it is since the damn Spanish bastard called in sick today!"

"But I—"

"Just do your damn job, Feli!" Lovino pushed Feliciano out of the way and hurried back to the register.

Feliciano tried to compose himself. "It's just another customer, Feli. He's probably not even that scary." He took another look at table nine. The man was actually quite handsome; he was just giving off a really scary vibe. Feliciano took a deep breath, put his usual smile on, and glided over to the table. "Buonasera and welcome to Buono Tomato! My name is Feliciano and I'll be your waiter this evening. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

The man looked up from his menu and stared at Feliciano in a daze for a few seconds. It was a little uncomfortable being stared at like that, but Feliciano felt better once he noticed how blue and kind the man's eyes were. The man suddenly flushed a bit and shook his head.

"Um, just water will be fine. Thank you." The man's voice was flustered, but very deep and thickly German accented; it made Feliciano's stomach flip.

"Alright, I'll give you a few minutes to look over the menu and be back with your water right away!" Feliciano turned away toward the kitchen to fetch a water pitcher. He took a backwards glance at the man just before he entered only to see the man had been staring at him again. The man noticed immediately that Feliciano was looking, and he quickly drew his eyes back to the menu. Feliciano couldn't help but blush a little.

Feliciano hurried back with the water and filled up the man's glass then placed a basket of fresh breadsticks on the table. "So, have we decided yet?"

"Well, I don't normally eat Italian, so…what would you recommend?"

"Oh, everything is delicious here!" The man cocked a brow. "Um, but, that's not very helpful, is it?" Feliciano laughed nervously. "Well," Feliciano bent down and started pointing to various things on the menu. "If you want to play it safe, you can always go for the Spaghetti and Meatballs. A little cliché, I know, but some people like to stick with what's familiar." He turned the page on the menu. "Now, if you like meat, there are plenty of options here. Personally, I'd go with the Veal Marsala or the Sausage Pasta. Or if you don't like meat, then I suggest the Eggplant Parmigiana or the Spinach and Ricatta Cannelloni. Or if you prefer spicy dishes, then I suggest—"

Feliciano lost himself in explaining dish after dish to the man, never noticing how fast he talked or how loud he was. He was practically raised behind a stove and knew everything there was to know about Italian food; he was very passionate about it. Feliciano's mind shifted back to reality as he remembered the last time he did this, the customer had told him to shut the hell up. "Ah, sorry. I'm probably talking too much, huh?" He gave a nervous chuckle.

"Not at all. I don't mind." The man's voice was sincere and it made Feliciano's heart flutter.

"Oh, really? That is very unusual. Normally people get rather annoyed with me." He smiled and placed a hand to the back of his neck.

"Oh? That's unfortunate. You seemed very passionate about the food, so I didn't want to interrupt." Feliciano's heart fluttered once again. No one had ever said that to him before; not even Lovino. "I'm Ludwig, by the way."

"Oh! Nice to properly meet you, Ludwig! I'm Feliciano! Ah, well, I guess I already told you that, didn't I?"

Ludwig laughed softly and for the third time today, Feliciano's heart fluttered. "You were very helpful, thank you. I'll take the Sausage and Ricotta Ravioli, please."

"Great choice! That comes with either a soup or starter salad. Which would you like?"

"Oh, a salad is fine."

"Coming right up!" Feliciano smiled and made his way back to the kitchen once more. Ludwig was not at all like Feliciano had initially thought. He was actually very kind and easy to talk to. Given he didn't say much and Feliciano did most of the talking; but he didn't mind. Not to mention, he was the first customer he had waited on that didn't find him annoying. Feliciano sighed contently at the thought of going back out there to speak with him again.

"Damnit, Feli, stop day dreaming! You have customers, you know!" Lovino's boisterous voice filled Feli's ears and he realized he had forgotten completely about his other tables.

"Ve! S-sorry, Lovi!" He rushed out of the kitchen and quickly attended to his other customers before serving Ludwig his salad.

Ludwig awkwardly nibbled a few breadsticks and sipped his water as he waited for the beautiful Italian waiter to return with his salad. He hadn't expected to have such a lively and attractive waiter; not that he was complaining, though. "Feliciano." He breathed, making sure no one else would hear. The name was just as beautiful as its owner and it rolled smoothly off of Ludwig's tongue. Just saying the name gave him an uneasy feeling in his stomach and he was sure he had a really stupid expression on his face.

He was getting a little anxious and couldn't help but to keep glancing back at the kitchen door; he saw Feliciano rushing in and out of it, bringing breadsticks and meals to the other tables nearby, without a single falter or hesitation in his movements. The way he moved was actually quite lovely; almost like a dance, Ludwig thought. He gazed at the Italian as he ran back and forth from the kitchen to the customers, when finally, he glided over to Ludwig's table.

"Here is your salad, Ludwig! Would you like any pepper or parmesan?"

"Please." Feliciano's movements were beautiful even as he grated the cheese and ground the pepper over his salad. "Danke, Feliciano." Ludwig said, gesturing him to stop.

"Enjoy your salad! Your entrée will be out momentarily!" Feliciano flashed that bright grin of his again before returning to the kitchen.

Ludwig chuckled softly as he watched him leave, then he took a bite of his salad. He was in awe; it was just a mere salad, not even the main course, and it was very tasty. He then realized how hungry he actually was and gobbled it up quickly, though still savoring every bite. He dabbed his mouth with a napkin and almost as if Feliciano had been watching to see when he finished, his entrée was brought to the table.

"Wow," Ludwig said quite impressed. "What perfect timing you have."

Feliciano smiled shyly. "Thank you, Ludwig! So tell me, what do you think?" He gestured towards the plate of ravioli on the table.

Ludwig looked down at his plate; it sure looked and smelled delicious. He scooped up a fork-full to taste it and was sure he sat there dumbfounded for at least a minute before Feliciano's melodious laugh snapped him out of it. "S-sorry, Feliciano. I think I just ate…heaven."

"It's okay," He tried to stifle his laughter a bit. "That happens a lot here. Grandpa's the best chef in the world!"

"I wouldn't doubt that. Thank you for the suggestion, Feliciano."

"No problem! Always happy to—"

"Feliciano for God's sake, stop disappearing!" Lovino's voice came from the direction of the kitchen and made Feli jump.

"Oh, ah, sorry Lovi! I uh, should be getting back to work, heh. I'll check up on you later!"

"Oh…ja! Sorry for distracting you." Feliciano scurried off to the kitchen and shot him another smile before vanishing through the door. Ludwig sighed contently and continued to eat his dinner in a happy daze. Every bite was amazing and he wished he could eat it forever, but he was down to his last bite of sausage in no time. He was very full and satisfied with his meal; Feliciano came back to the table.

"Ah, finished, I see!"

"Yes, and it was fantastic."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it! So, can I interest you in some dessert?"

Ludwig felt as though he'd hurt his feelings if he refused, but he was just so full and couldn't possibly fit a dessert in as well. He looked up at Feliciano's bright, forever-smiling face and realized he didn't want to leave quite yet anyway. "Sure, why not?"

Feliciano's face lit up even more, if that was even possible. "Wonderful! What would you like?"

"Well, uh, surprise me."

"Ooh, I've got just the thing!" He hurried to the kitchen once again.

Feliciano had returned with a slice of what seemed to be some sort of chocolate cake on a decorated plate, and set it down in front of him happily. Ludwig stared in awe.

"Is…something wrong?" Feliciano asked nervously as if he had messed something up.

"No, I just…I really love cake."

"Oh really?! I made a great guess then, didn't I?!"

Ludwig nodded and took a bite and was in heaven again. He didn't even care that he was completely full anymore and devoured the cake with gusto. "Does your grandpa bake the cakes as well?"

"Ah, sometimes. But these cakes are my brother's. He's quite good, right?"

"Mm-hm. Do you, uh, do you cook as well?"

"Oh yes! I'm not near as good as Grandpa, but I'd say I'm quite good! Oh, I wish I was in the kitchen tonight so you could have tried my cooking."

Ludwig looked up lovingly at the handsome Italian. "Ah," he said softly. "But then I wouldn't have had the pleasure of meeting you." Ludwig coughed and blushed as soon as he realized what he just said…and how he said it. He then tried to cover it up by grabbing the glass of water in front of him and gulping it down.

"What a…sweet thing to say." Feliciano's voice had suddenly become very soft. "Um, it was a pleasure meeting you too, Ludwig." Ludwig glanced up from his glass and it looked as though Feliciano had a tinge of red on his cheeks as well. "Can I…interest you in anything else?"

"I don't think so, I couldn't possibly eat another bite."

"Oh." Feliciano's face saddened. "I'll go get your bill for you, then." He turned around and slowly walked away, very unlike the normal spring he had in his step throughout the evening. He seemed almost back to normal when he returned with the bill, however he wasn't smiling as brightly. "I'm glad you enjoyed your meal and hope to see you again!"

Ludwig smiled. "Most definitely."

Feliciano brightened up again as though Ludwig's words were music to his ears. "Oh, silly me, let me get this plate out of your way!" He scooped the empty plate up and hurried back to the kitchen. Ludwig placed his chin in his hand as he watched him walk. He saw the watch on his wrist out of the corner of his eye and had a moment of panic and looked at the time.

"Ah, Gott! Nearly time for the bus." He put his coat on in a hurry and slipped a ten dollar bill underneath his empty water glass. That was probably way too generous a tip, but he didn't care. He wanted to show his appreciation in some way. He hurried to the register and paid his bill. Before he left, he took another glance at the kitchen door, hoping Feliciano would emerge from it so he could see him one more time, but it did not happen. Ludwig couldn't waste anymore time, so he sighed, walked out the door, and headed for the bus stop. He felt awful just leaving without saying goodbye, but he couldn't miss the bus either.

Feliciano hummed a lovely tune as he placed the empty cake plate in the sink, and without thinking, he started to wash it along with the rest of the dishes. The thought of Ludwig coming back made him very happy.

A voice laughed out. "Feli, what on earth are you doing?"

"Washing the dishes, Grandpa!" he sang.

"I can see that, but don't you have tables still?"

Feliciano stopped humming and realized what he was doing. "Oh…right! I do! Heh, sorry, Grandpa. I just got distracted, is all!"

Roma laughed again and shook his head. "Oh, Feli. What am I going to do with you?"

Feliciano quickly dried his hands and hurried back out of the kitchen. He went directly to Ludwig's table only to find he wasn't there anymore. His mood suddenly fell and he frantically looked around to see if maybe Ludwig was coming back from the bathroom or up at the register. He didn't spot him anywhere, so he walked to the front.

"Hey, Lovi? Did Lud...I mean, the German from table nine leave yet?"

"Yeah, he left a few minutes ago. Why?"

"Oh, um…no reason! Just…he was gone suddenly when I came back from the kitchen and I just uh, wanted to make sure he paid his bill."

"Uh huh." Lovino stared at Feliciano skeptically, but then shook his head. "Well, don't just stand there looking stupid, wait your tables."

"Ve…um. Right." Feliciano slowly made his way over to his other tables and tried his best to put that warm smile back on his face. He was really upset Ludwig didn't say goodbye. Maybe he was misinterpreting everything and maybe Ludwig didn't like him at all and was just trying to be nice for the sake of his feelings.

After making sure his other tables were taken care of at the moment, he sauntered back to table nine to clear it. He picked up the lone glass and gasped as he saw a ten dollar bill beneath it. What was this? Ludwig's tip? No, that couldn't be right, why would he leave ten dollars? That was way too much. Feliciano looked at the bill for a few seconds before clutching it to his chest and then felt a sudden warmth fill him up.

He wasn't misinterpreting after all. Why else would he leave such a generous tip? The largest tip he had ever gotten was when he had to wait a table of twelve, but that was a table of twelve, not just one person. Feliciano's mood lifted and felt like singing, so he started to hum contently once again as he cleared the table.

"I swear, you change moods as fast as you talk!" Lovino snorted as he walked by on his way to the kitchen. "You looked like you were about to cry a few minutes ago. What happened?"

"Just suddenly felt like humming, is all."

"Wait, what's that?" Lovino questioned, pointing to the bill in Feliciano's hand.

"Oh, this? It's my tip from table nine!"

"Ten dollars? What the hell did you do you get that? You've been spacing out all night."

"Well, he was really nice and enjoyed my company. At least…I think so." Feliciano blushed slightly at the thought.

"Eh, whatever. Good job, I guess." He shrugged and continued on his way to the kitchen.

Feliciano took one last look at the bill and smiled before slipping it into his pocket and following Lovino to the kitchen. His overly happy mood lingered for the rest of the evening and he even happily placed the bill on his bedside table once he returned home. It seemed silly, to be happy over such a simple thing, but he didn't care and just let the butterflies fill his stomach as he lay in bed. Thoughts of Ludwig returning to the restaurant flooded his head before he finally drifted off to sleep.