Heeey! Guess who just re-read my own fic and decided to do a little more writing with it? Mee!
"-a fucking faggot!"
William's hands freeze on the pizza dough mid-stretch. His eyes snap to the dining room, then further left to the party area. Among birthday balloons and excited children, two adults stand at odds with each other. One, tall but cowering as he- no, she tries anxiously to de-escalate the situation; and the other, continuing to shout horrid things.
Thankfully, the main dining room is nearly empty for lunch. William can't imagine an evening's rush overhearing this. Would they rise up in defense of this trans woman, or would they too be angry with her? The answer is easy enough to guess, but William dislikes it all the same.
The other parents do nothing in ways of helping. They're collected in the far corner of the room, likely to talk among friends while the children wreak havoc on Henry's tables and chairs. They stare and stare, but not a single one has broken their trance. What useless idiots. William will sooner march from the kitchen himself before one of those numbskulls moves an inch. And he just about does, too.
Then in comes Jen like a bouncer at a particularly rowdy night club, Henry close on her heels.
"What in the world is happening?" Henry commands attention despite sounding exasperated. Likely the fact he's the owner of the restaurant than anything else.
"I'm sorry, Sir, I wasn't-" The cowering woman tries start, only to get cut off once again.
"This drag freak is trying to touch my kid! I ought'a call the cops!"
"I really wasn't, his son was just pushing my daughter, and-"
"Yeah right! Everyone one knows you faggots are dangerous!"
"Enough of this!" Henry's voice raises above theirs. They both fall silent. "You," he points to the attacker, "I will not have anyone using that language in my establishment! There are children here!"
Said children have lost all of their merry joy as they look on at the argument with fear. William barely spots the birthday girl shedding soft tears from under her paper hat. The other children close to her reach out in quiet comfort.
"I don't give a shit what the kids hear!" The man continues, angrier than ever. "Let them know this man's a fa-"
"And I am no longer asking you to leave. Jen, take care of him. I'll make sure our customer is alright." And with that, Henry escorts the trans woman to safety as Jen takes over, voices rising once again.
William watches as Henry moves through the server's station, then past the kitchen area toward the employee bathrooms. From this close, William can see how the woman's make up runs in black streaks across her face, sobs shaking her shoulders with every step.
A scoff reminds William that Dug still exists.
"What'd he expect, dressin' like that in public?" Dug shakes his head as if the whole situation is silly, then he goes back to his work.
It makes William's teeth grind. He ought to slug the bugger across the jaw for that, but Jen comes in just before he can make that decision. It's for the best, unfortunately. Even if he's very likely to get away with it while Henry is distracted.
"Dug, help me get this guy out of here," Jen demands. Dug drops the sandwich he's making back on the burner and wipes his hands off on his apron as he goes. That alone gives William the urge to take a smoke break. Good God, is he really so incapable?
When William moves to join them, Jen stops him short. "Just Dug. You stay here and make food." With that, the two leave.
Lovely. William begrudgingly lifts the discarded sandwich and arranges it to resemble something closer to edible. At least it gives him a full view of Jen and Dug physically throwing the man out the front doors and into the parking lot. His kid leaves soon after with his head pointed down, a party hat dragging in his tiny fist.
Poor tike. He'll likely grow up just as disgusting as his bastard father.
"...Mr. Emily, please. It's nothing-"
Ah, right. Henry's still in with that woman. Sounds of their conversation come echoing from the ajar door, but not enough for William to gather what exactly is being said. So, after a glance to the near-empty dining room, he decides to abandon his station for something far more important.
"Did he hurt you at all?" Henry asks in the kindest tone. It so resembles the one he would use on William, all those years ago. The way Henry would whisper 'I love you's and 'you're okay's.
God, it makes William ache for the past.
"No, no, I'm fine." The woman shakes her head, short blonde curls moving with it. She wipes the makeup from her face with a towel, her eyes down cast to avoid Henry's concern. "I didn't mean to start any of this-"
"Kindly, Ma'am, that's bullshit." He says it with iron conviction. "I get this town can really wear on you, but never once think that you deserve that kind of talk. Not from anyone. You are who you are for a reason."
The woman lets out another sob, this time in shocked gratitude
"You're not on your own, Ma'am. There are others like us out there, closer than you think. And we stick up for each other."
"...you..." She can barely get the words out against her returning tears.
Henry gives her a smile in way of confirmation. "You and your family are welcome here any time, and we'll do everything we can to keep you safe."
"Thank you," another sob and the two exchange a tight embrace -one Henry wasn't expecting, from the surprise on his face. "I really, really needed this, Mr. Emily! Me and my daughter..." She doesn't finish, but she doesn't need to.
William has never been more in love than in this moment. His heart swells twice in size just watching Henry pull a lost soul under his wing. Gone is the nervous young man from college. He's been reformed into someone more jaded, yes, but also someone unrelentingly drawn to others. It was his reason to create, William recalls. His reason for starting a restaurant.
Unfortunately, that love isn't shared when Henry finally spies William in the door frame.
"You," Henry snaps; though, softer than it would be any other day. "Get back to work."
The woman also spots him with a gasp. She's quicker to clean herself up now.
Despite the scowl sent his way, William continues to melt into the wall. "You do always know what to say, Dearest." Oops. Henry's glare darkens. "Ah, Henry. Mr. Emily." The correction does little to ease the suddenly tension. Shit.
"You have five seconds-"
"Right!" William stands up straight and nods once to either of them. "Do have a good evening, Ma'am. Apologies for the ugly prick." He hurries away before Henry can start counting.
Now, if only he could frame Dug for a similar crime. Perhaps then Henry would finally do away with him.