"Hot date?" Tadashi looks up in the mirror at Hiro sitting on his bed, sighing as he fixes his tie.

"Something like that," Tadashi says because despite everything, Jack really is cute and he is looking forward to having a quiet night out. His eyes glare at Hiro when he laughs, no, giggles. The doctor's face softens and his lips curl into a smile because he can't help it – Hiro's laughter has always been a weakness. "Is it with Jack?"

Tadashi stiffens and he sees Hiro smirk. "Aren't you supposed to be helping Aunt Cass in the café?" Hiro's face falls and he runs off, yelling, "You suck!"

*!*!*

Tadashi laughs when he hears the door slam shut and he whistles a tune softly to himself.

Jack's knee is bouncing anxiously under the table and he's drumming his fingers on the table. Where is Tadashi? Jack is just about to check his phone again when he feels something brush his shoulder and suddenly Tadashi is sitting down across from him. "You're late," Jack says.

"Five minutes – there was traffic."

"Twenty minutes – it's nearly nine."

"Is it? Sorry, I've been sleep deprived since being woken up at two in the morning."

"A week ago," Jack hissed softly. Tadashi just grins as he picks up his menu and looks it over. "I really am sorry." Tadashi peeks sheepishly over the menu and suddenly Jack can't be angry.

"Just figure out what you want," Jack says, but there's a smile on his lips.

Later, when they order and are sipping their drinks, Jack apologizes.

"What for?" Tadashi asks, and Jack says, "For pestering you."

Tadashi laughs and tells him, "A touch bit late for that, isn't it?" Jack ducks his head apologetically. Tadashi doesn't have time to tell Jack not to worry because their food arrives, so he just smiles softly at Jack around the waiter.

The food is good, and Tadashi makes Jack laugh with stories of Hiro getting into mischief. They talk about their lives to each other as if they were perfect strangers, and Jack pretends to be intrigued at the "sudden" knowledge of Tadashi being a doctor, while Tadashi expresses genuine concern over Jack recounting his recent lack of a roommate. When they're nearly done, Jack notices a sudden change in Tadashi's interest and casually follows his line of sight to an older gentleman loosening his neck tie. Jack almost thinks it's because Tadashi has a thing for older guys, but Tadashi has this look and it takes Jack a few minutes to realize that it's a doctoring look. Jack looks again, and the guy looks fine… A little fidgety and sweaty but Jack brushes it off as maybe the guy has to pee. It does feel a bit warm in the restaurant.

"So anyway…" Jack says, trying to bring Tadashi back on subject. And it works… Sort of.

"Hiro had found this, uh, possum in the backyard shed…" Tadashi says, and Jack can tell he's trying to focus. "What's with the sudden interest?" Jack asks instead.

Tadashi blinks and shakes his head. "It's-"

"Not nothing, otherwise you wouldn't be so distracted," Jack points out, forgetting that they were supposed to not recognize each other's looks. He doesn't think Tadashi would might on account of not paying attention.

"I-" Tadashi doesn't finish his sentence on account of him bolting from his chair the second Jack hears a huge crash from where the other guy was sitting. Jack follows Tadashi a few tables over, where the gentleman had apparently tried to walk to the restroom but fell and took a tablecloth full of dishes with him. A woman who Jack assumes to be his wife is next to Tadashi on the floor freaking out, and suddenly Jack is on autopilot as he kneels to console the woman because Tadashi could use all the focus he can get right now.

"Ma'am, it's going to be okay," Jack says, internally panicking because the guy's lips are blue. She screeches something about the audacity of Jack saying that and he counters with, "My friend is a doctor. Your husband is going to be fine."

Tadashi is performing CPR and Jack sees the hope flicker in her eyes. As he's saving the guy's life, Tadashi starts firing questions towards the anxious wife.

"What happened?"

"I- I don't know! We were eating and then he started complaining that it was getting warm. I asked h-him if he'd taken his medicine – he always forgets his medicine and I always have to remind him – and he was starting to mumble something about leaving the lights in the car on – and it didn't make sense-"

"What did he eat?"

"I-"

"Ma'am, what did he eat?"

"I- He ate- Oh god, I don't-"

Jack sets a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Breathe. Try to remember." There are waiters pushing back onlookers, some of them who are their phones presumably contacting 911.

The woman nods and breathes. "He- ate soup. Mushroom-" She stops suddenly and puts a hand over her mouth and Jack helps her up when she scrambles. Tadashi is yelling something about a rash and the wife is back with her purse and digging through it, tears coming in waves now because suddenly she knows and Jack gets it, too, when she shoves a tube with a yellow label on it into Tadashi's hands.

Everything is going faster now. Jack is helping Tadashi prop up the man's legs after administering epinephrine and Tadashi has one hand practically glued to the guy's wrist. The wife is holding onto her husband's other hand for dear life. It's only after the paramedics are wheeling him away – now conscious, thankfully, and trying to console his sobbing wife – and a look at a nearby abandoned table of food that Jack puts the pieces together.

"It wasn't mushroom, was it?" Jack asks Tadashi in the parking lot, when the doctor is looking tired but still handsome as hell with his sleeves rolled up and jacket folded around over his arm. Tadashi sighs and smiles at Jack, shakes his head. "No, it wasn't."

"Someone's getting fired…" Jack hums, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Tadashi says, "Lucky if they're not sued."

"In his defense," Jack sighs. "Being a waiter is hell. Worse if you're in a high-end place like this. I wouldn't be surprised if the kid was sleep deprived."

"From work and not his pleading boyfriend, right?" Tadashi says jokingly and Jack is laughing with him, and by the time they're to Tadashi's car, Jack finally takes notice of the word choice. He's afraid to ask if it was a metaphor or an implication. "Need a ride home?"

Jack finally snaps out of his stupor, embarrassed when Tadashi has to repeat his question.

"I- sure."

*!*!*

The ride home is stifling for Jack but he suddenly regrets wishing it would go by faster when they're in the parking lot of his apartment building, though not so much when Tadashi is walking him up.

"You're not going into shock, too, are you?" Tadashi asks in the elevator. Jack blinks and looks up at the doctor, managing a stuttered, "No."

"Did I do something?" Tadashi asks quietly then, tilting his head. Jack panics but says, "No, no you didn't do anything. Well, you did – more than enough. Shit, you saved a guy's life–" Jack sighs and stops, shaking his head.

Tadashi nods and walks forward when the elevator dings and the doors slide open. Jack walks with him.

"Thanks for calming his wife down," Tadashi says suddenly. "It made things a lot easier."

"I... Yeah, no problem. I mean, I get that it's hard enough without a harpy leering over you expecting the answer to life itself, so…"

"She had a right to be upset. I mean, it if was my husband, I'd be expecting the answer to life, too."

They're at Jack's door now, and Tadashi has his hands in his pockets, sleeves still rolled up. His tie is gone, top buttons undone, and the only thing Jack can think about is how much he'd like to climb him like a damn tree. Sue him.

But Jack just nods, mechanically unlocking his door and opening it. He takes two steps inside and turns around to Tadashi. "Thanks for taking me home. I guess you'd like to go home and sleep… Gotta get up early, right? Doctoring business and stuff…"

Tadashi nods this time. "I do have to get up early," he says. Jack nods again.

"Right… So… I guess I might see you if I have another major surgery then, right? You don't mind if I keep your number, do you? Tonight proved it's handy to know a doctor but I promise I won't-"

And then Jack literally cannot breathe. Of course, that might be due to the fact that Tadashi's lips were pressed against his, but. Whatever.

"I was actually hoping I'd see you sooner," Tadashi says against Jack's lips, and they're tingling and Jack is suddenly light-headed. He's standing upright way before Jack wants him to but what he says after is almost worth it. And when Jack closes the door, back pressing against it while his fingers dance across his lips, he's blushing like he's never blushed before. He feels like a damn schoolgirl.

His blush only gets worse when 20 minutes later his phone buzzes with a message from Tadashi.

See you tomorrow ;)