Chapter Text
“Table three is asking for refills on drinks.”
Akaashi suppressed a sigh. “This is the third time,” he said more so to himself.
Oikawa smirked, ”Don't shoot the messenger,” he said with a tilt of his head while setting down a stack of trays.
Akaashi started his journey over to the table, with many of the restaurant patrons' eyes following him along the way. He ignored their prolonged stares, but what he didn't notice was the tufts of orange and green hair peeking over the bar counter who were watching him even more closely.
“I don't get it, he hasn’t been working here that long and I'm almost certain he's gotten more tips than all of us combined. He even got a ring from a customer”, said the shorter of the two.
Yamaguchi knew that Hinata wasn't saying this out of hatred for Akaashi because he was well aware of Hinata’s competitive spirit. He didn't like to insult people's intelligence, but if someone challenged Hinata to an underwater basket weaving contest, he knew his friend would die of asphyxiation if it meant winning.
“Oh c'mon Hinata, you're being overdramatic. We all get good tips from time to time, it's just the luck of the draw…. Wait did you say he got a ri-”, his sentence was cut off when they both noticed the Lamborghini keys Akaashi’s customer was waving in his face. They couldn't hear the interaction from across the restaurant, but it looked like the man was very insistent on giving Akaashi a ride. However the server, with one hand holding a drink mug and the other held up in a slight wave, seemed to be declining the man's offer. After about a minute of this, Akaashi started heading to the kitchen with the same blank expression he always wore. It was always hard to tell exactly what he was thinking, with his high arched brows and relaxed frown. Such features would look harsh on almost anyone else, but with such a delicate bone structure surrounding it, it made Akaashi more ethereal. And intimidating.
“What are you two doing?”
Hinata all but jumped over the counter and Yamaguchi clapped a hand over his mouth to suppress a yelp.
“How long have you been standing there Oikawa?”, Hinata said with hairs standing on the back of his neck.
“Long enough to see you two stalking Akaashi”, Oikawa said in an annoyingly suave tone as he pretended to check his cuticles.
“Stalking?! We- We weren't stal-”, Yamaguchi was stuttering over his words, still unable to figure out how such a tall figure could go unnoticed for as long as he did.
“Oh calm down, I won't call the cops. For now”, he stared down at Hinata, who was now shaking and mouth agape. He took everything way too serious, which was fun for Oikawa most of the time.
Hinata was about to start a bumbling defense when Oikawa cut him off short. “If you're wondering why he gets so many tips it's because he's hot. In that mysterious and aloof kind of way.” Even though he was over half a foot taller than him, Oikawa looked down at Hinata through thick brown lashes. “Men love what they can't have.”
“So you're saying I need to be more mysterious and cool, that way I’ll get more money,” Hinata beamed with both fists on his hips. Oikawa doubled over in laughter and Yamaguchi put a fist over his mouth to stop from snorting.
“Hey! Why are you guys laughing at me! I can totally be- ”, orange shortys sentence was cut off by the all familiar bell that indicated that customers have just walked in. Oikawa did a shoddy job at hiding an eye roll and Hinata stood alert with hands gripping the counter and mouth fidgeting. If he was trying to go for mysterious, he was failing miserably. They heard a small yip to their left and noticed that place where Yamaguchi was standing was now blank. Their eyes traveled down to see him crouching on the floor with worried eyes and blush across his freckled face.
“What are you doing Yams, that's your next table,” said Hinata.
“I can't….I- Someone else has to serve them.”
“What's wrong, are they creeps?” Oikawa said, now staring down at the men in a predatory manor. As much as he liked to tease his fellow coworkers, he was loyal through and through. The customers consisted of two young men. The slightly taller one was blonde with glasses, and the other had messy black hair. They were both looking down at the blonde’s phone screen while making their way towards the counter, seemingly missing Yamaguchi’s escape.
“No! No, it's nothing like that. I just….I cant okay!”, the blush was starting to creep down his neck.
“Oh my my Hinata,” Oikawa crossed his arms over his chest, never breaking eye contact from Yamaguchi. “I think our little green bean has a crush.”
“Shut up Oikawa, no I don't. Can you please just help me out this once.”
“Jeez Yami-chan, calm down. You sound like I've never done you a favor before,” he was met with blank stares from both men. Okay so maybe he wasn't the most considerate coworker, but they didn't have to rub it in! Just then Kenma passed by, the startled Yamaguchi going completely unnoticed from him. Probably because his overgrown dyed hair was covering half of his peripheral.
“Kenma!”, Oikawa clasped a hand on his shoulder to stop him in his tracks. “Can you help serve these lovely gentlemen.” At this point the men were standing a few feet away from the counter, ignorant to the nervous wreck that was crouched before them.
“Sure thats...”Kenma stopped mid sentence when he made eye contact with the customers in question and said the last word with a sigh, “.. fine.” Kenma never looked particularly thrilled for anything, but something about these customers made his usually slumped shoulders sink down even farther.
“Hey Kenma!,” the black hair man smiled with a wave.
Kenma walked past him, completely ignoring the greeting. “Follow me this way.” The customer seemed to be just as pleased, as if Kenma didn’t completely blow him off.
When they were a safe distance away, Oikawa crouched down besides Yamaguchi, a wicked smile across his face. “So,” he started, “Do you and that guy have a history or something? Bad first date? Is he a minute man?”
“What?! No, Oikawa stop! I only served for him once and I could hardly look to him,” Yamaguchi now had his face buried in his hands.
“Then you need to ask for his number! Texting is an easy way to break the ice for some people.”
“No way! Besides, why would he want my number”, Yamaguchi said in a defeated tone, with eyes pointed towards the ground.
“Are you kidding me? You're a hooters waiter, Yami-chan. You are meant to appeal to the male gaze,” Oikawa hooked a finger on the waistband of Yamaguchi’s shorts and released it with a snap. Yamaguchi went to bat his hand away but Oikawa was already standing up.
“Don't worry your pretty little head, I’ll handle this”.
“What, no! What do you plan on doing? Oikawa, stop!”, but it was too late. Oikawa was sauntering off in the direction that Kenma had gone in, and when Yamaguchi stood up there were new customers in front of him.
“Welcome to Femboy Hooters”, said Hinata a little too excitedly before catching himself. He slung his shoulders back and looked to the side, feigning aloofness. “What can I do for ya..”. It took nearly all of Yamaguchi’s willpower to not do a facepalm. They were seriously going to have to work on this mysterious act if Hinata was going to keep this up.
***
Kenma expertly set down drinks on the table before pulling out a notepad. “What can I get started for you.” He focused his attention on the blonde guy, ignoring the flashing grin to his side. He scribbled down his order and turned to the other man without making eye contact. “And for you?”
“I’ll have whatever is your favorite,” Kenma could practically feel his grin burn a hole through his head.
“I don't really have a favorite,” he said, trying his hardest to keep from scowling.
“Damn, and here I was hoping to learn something new about you today,” he said with his fist under his chin with a pout, as if he was actually disappointed. Kenma noticed his friend do a slight shake of his head from across the table.
“I don't really get why you ask when you order the same thing every time you come here,” Kenma said, now looking up to meet the man's dark gaze, who he knew by now as Kuroo. Today he was wearing a short sleeve black button up shirt, with a few too many of the buttons undone. And laying on his hard chest was a black cross necklace, which matched the small black gauges on his ears. The only thing that hadnt changed is that stupid grin he always wore. ‘I need this job. I need this job. I need this job’ Kenma repeated over and over in his head.
“Well maybe I wanna try something new. I'm sure you can suggest something fitting for me to eat.”
“How about the fish soup,” Kenma said in his usual monotone voice, earning a chuckle from the glasses wearing man.
Kuroo’s lip only turned more upright at the corner. “Actually I've had my fill on docosahexaenoic acids for today, so I think I'll go with the usual.”
Kenma quickly grabbed the menus from the men and made his way towards the kitchen. Once he was done giving the order to Tanaka, the chef, he turned to go to his other tables when someone stood in front of him, blocking his way.
“I need your help,” grinned Oikawa.
“What now?”
***
Sugawara, store manager of Femboy Hooters, was pacing back to his office when something caught the corner of his eye. From the parking lot, he could see a familiar man coming out of his car, heading towards the restaurant. With wide eyes, Sugawara nearly ran to the front counter.
“Hinata. Find Akaashi. Now.”
Hinata was beginning to say something along the lines of ‘I think he's waiting on a table’, but Suga swiftly shooed him off while he went to go find Noya. Once the men were all gathered he instructed Hinata and Noya to wait at the doors, and placed Akaashi a few feet behind them, menu in hand. By the time everyone was in place, the man was halfway up the steps. Suga just barely made it behind the main counter in time when the doors swung open by the two awaiting servers.
“Welcome, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said melodically.
“Hey Hey Hey!”