Buffets and Birthdays

[doubled_speed]

WHO: Tommy Shepherd, Billy Hargrove, Otherwise Open
WHERE: Various Buffets, Station Hydroponics, various in closed starter
WHAT: Tommy eating his fill (and yours), Growing Things because of course, and showing Hargrove a good time (no they aren't dating what are you talking about)
WHEN: Throughout March, March 29th in closed
WARNINGS: None

I. Eating Your Fill

The advantage of places like this was that Tommy could always get as much as he wanted to eat without having to rely in protein paste to fill things out. And, well... There was always buffets. And man wasn't Tommy enjoying them now, getting himself steadily onto 'must pay double' or 'do not serve' lists. Which was fine with him.

One day might find him in an all you can eat salad bar, piling on all the alien vegetables and making notes on his comm device about what things he might want to get seeds or seedlings for. Another is a place specializing in a wealth of soups, where he's again taking notes (this time on flavor combinations for cooking). Or, if you're really lucky, you'll find him on a day where he's got three different mounds of noodle dishes in front of him, happily chomping his way through them while just sitting back and watching the alien species around him.

No matter which buffet you find him at, one thing is sure. The staff is giving Tommy a disapproving look of some variety or other, he's got a stack of dirty plates near him, and he's at his table alone. Maybe go up and talk to him. He'd be happy for a companion.

II. Growing Pains

Of course to keep himself fed and to stock up the greenhouses of the ships requires something important: some form of trading capital. And where else was Tommy going to find it than through the work he'd been throwing himself at for years? Sure, he could work as an extreme speed courier on a lot of planets they have ended up on, but the space station clearly doesn't need that. With the various types of transportation it's clear that he'd not be the best price per pound for transport, and it wouldn't learn him as much. Which is probably why anyone coming to take up Station Operations on the offer to do some work in hydroponics in exchange for seeds and cuttings will find Tommy there, at most hours of the day.

Today he's humming softly to himself as he goes through and carefully clips small handfuls of greens from some salad vegetable, meant for someone's dinner, or perhaps to prune things back for better growth. But he still smiles in seeing another He Row and waves them over.

"Hey, you here to be my new assistant? They said that there was someone new coming in to work today. I'm happy for a familiar face."

III. It's Not A Date, It's A Birthdatey | Closed to Billy Hargrove

Sometimes the best thing you can do for a bro is to make sure they have a good day. No, more than that. A great birthday. And it's something Tommy had started planning the moment they set foot on the station. Sure, he was fitting it all around his work, but he was meticulously planning something out.

And now here Tommy was, showing up at the hammock where he's more than once seen Billy sleeping near he water on the ship.

"Hey, Sunshine," he says, smiling as he nudges the hammock. "Get on your damn feet. We're going on an adventure."

Comments

[doubled_speed]

As if pretty boy Harrington could do anything but cross his arms and look annoyed. And Tommy knew what to do with people like that. Which was not be there for the lecture.

"Well for now I can be your convertible. I even come topless on a regular-"

No. Stop. He probably doesn't even know that Tommy means in bed and not shirtless.

"Anyway, good news is your birthday cake has your names spelled properly on it."

[playingtough]

Yeah, Harrington was too soft. Maybe that's why Billy and Tommy got along so well. They didn't appreciate lectures to deal with from people in positions of power. Not that Harrington was someone in a big position of power, but maybe one day he'll get his head in it or something.

Billy's spine stiffens at the flirty remark and he can feel the heat come into his cheeks. He can finish that sentence easy enough because it sounds like something he'd say to someone. To a girl. Definitely not to a guy.

"Properly spelled? Do I want to know how you'd improperly spell it?"

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, Tommy's embarrassed that he hadn't held back. HE has no clue how that is going to get more common in the future.

"Uh, well, I'm a brother, right? I've come up with a LOT of ways to spell Billy and all its variants wrong. Just to be annoying."

[playingtough]

Billy relaxes as they keep to the name topic.

"Yeah, don't misspell mine. What kind do you have for Kaplan?" In terms of names, he and Max were the same. She was never Maxine (unless Billy was angry) and he was never William (except on his headstone). Hopefully Tommy never finds out his legal name to use against him or make some sort of silly nickname out of. He likes Curls and Sunshine right now.

[doubled_speed]

Oh man, he likes getting into this.

"Let's see. The deliberate ones are Billiam, Billy-Bob, Bro-iam sometimes too," he says, smiling. "And then there are the super hero name ones, and the last name ones. It's as whole thing."

[playingtough]

There’s listening, and the Billy laughs. "I’m glad Kaplan gets all of those and not me. Maybe it’s different when you have a brother, but I hate all of those. I like the ones you gave me already. Curls, Sunshine. Those fit me like a tank-top."

Another laugh. "What you got for his last name?"

[doubled_speed]

“You’re not any of those,” Tommy says with a shrug. “People get the nicknames that fit them. If I like them. Or hate them.”

And Billy was in the like category.

“Yeah, tank tops fit you well.”

“Kapples,” he says, but he doesn’t use it much.

[playingtough]

"Kapples?!" The stupidity of the name erases Billy’s anxieties enough to get another real laugh out of him. Bright eyes, laugh lines crinkling at the corner of his eyes. "Where did you think that one up?!"

It made Billy think of a crabapple tree for some reason.

He pulls at the tank top for a moment. "I can make almost ANYTHING look good, and don’t you forget that, Tommy."

[doubled_speed]

“During Rosh Hashanah,” he says with a shrug. “Because he’s a Kaplan and we had a lot of apples and honey for the holiday.”

Back before he’d understood the why of the holiday.

They’re approaching the string of apartments and Tommy doesn’t give Billy more than a brief glance, snorting in amusement.

“You do. Top five male He Rows.”

[playingtough]

Rosh Hashanah? Must be a religious holiday of some sort. Jewish? "You Jewish, Shepherd?" Thankfully the question has a tone of curiosity rather than malice. No doubt if he asked someone else, it would be asked meanly.

He frowns. "No, I am the top male he row. And you can’t try to convince me otherwise unless you find me a mirror."

[doubled_speed]

The fact that Billy concludes the right religion makes Tommy smile.

“Among other things, yeah. My grandfather on my mother’s side, he was actually-“

No. He shakes his head.

“That’s not a story for a birthday.”

So they need to move on and he gets them to the building and darts up the stairs to the room.

“Oh, you’re not. Tony Stark is fucking gorgeous, even if he’s frustrating. Then there’s me. THEN there’s you. So you’re pretty high up.”

[playingtough]

"Oh good I guessed right." Billy looks smug because he’s good looking and smart. What a catch he is. The smug look disappears hearing about this Stark guy. If that guy was frustrating and gorgeous, just like Billy was, maybe that meant Tommy liked him.

Billy tries very hard not to think about that. He shoves it deep down where he hopes the thoughts can smother out of existence.

"Nope, I’m the top dog in this fight."

[doubled_speed]

Yes, he is good looking and smart. And he is a catch. Someone should catch him some day.

"You're really after me, Sunshine," he says with a smile as he presses his hand to the lock on his door and it opens.

The room is dark but in the moment before it's fully open little points of light appear. Two of them. Candles on a cake. A beautiful ice cream cake that says 'Happy Birthday Billy!" And Tommy's sitting on the floor with it, smiling.

[playingtough]

Bill doesn’t even feel the wind of Tommy moving. Just him opening the door and suddenly being at the cake with the candles lit. It takes a moment for those pretty eyes to adjust to the dim light, but when he does, he stands there with shock.

There shouldn’t be shock. Tommy told him there was cake and candles. Why would he have lied? The guy wouldn’t do that to Billy. But he just stares at the cake and Tommy. Finally, his feet move and he sits in front of it.

"I know you wouldn’t lie, that the cake wasn’t a lie, but… I’m still surprised you actually did it."

He leans over, letting the two flickering flames illuminate his skin. A real chocolate ice cream cake. All for him. Well, Tommy too. All for them.

He thinks about what his wish should be. He glances around in thought and picks something quick. Billy closes his eyes to concentrate on it, then blows the candles out.

[doubled_speed]

Well damn, that was great. Billy looks happy. Maybe it's the light from the candles. Which of course has gone out. He laughs and is up and around it, turning on the lights, and then back with the knife and plates and forks.

"Let me cut this while..."

He puts the things down and then takes out a small box wrapped in paper in a blue that is almost the shade of Billy's eyes.

"You open your gift."

[playingtough]

Little wisps of smoke unfurl between them as the candles cool. The lights click on and Tommy's moving around. He doesn't even need to be moving quick for Billy to not be paying attention.

It really is a cake. All for him. The ''Happy Birthday Billy!' reading back at him like Billy really does matter in someone's life. His eyes feel a little wet before there's a box being given to him. "Wha-"

Right. Tommy got him a present, too. He holds up the box and re-situates his legs to be comfortable. The wrapping comes off easily and he sets it aside to see a small box inside. Like a jewelry box? Opening it up is a pair of gold, small hoops with little blue stones. The stones match the wrapping paper.

They match his eyes.

He holds one up, looking at it in the light better.

"W... Tommy-" He's speechless. How do you remark about a gift like this? It's so small but the impact is big enough to show.

[doubled_speed]

“Sea glass,” he says as he smiles at Billy. His hands are busy cutting a big slice of the cake for Billy. Cake with all its crunchy layer and chocolate ice cream and all the other goodies. “I thought you might maybe want a way to carry the sea with you. Never seen you with a bracelet so that was out, and your necklace…”

Well he didn’t need to say that it looked really important, right? It was absolutely important so Tommy just came up with a different answer.

“If you don’t like them, don’t tell me. Just, you know, don’t wear them or whatever. I hope gold was the right choice. Uh, this piece of cake the right amount?”

[playingtough]

Sea glass. Earrings of gold and sea glass for him. A birthday present. The mention of his necklace has his free hand going up to cover it, though it wasn't being threatened. Only observed.

"No, I like them. I'm only pierced on one side though, so I can only wear one at a time." He could keep the other as a backup in case he somehow managed to lose one. Billy also sounds stunned about this gift. Lifting one up, he threads it through the hole in his ear with ease. When he pulls away, it glints against his curls.

"That slice can be yours and the rest of the cake is my slice." Cheeky shit. "Nah, that slice is fine. Get another so we can share it before it melts."

[doubled_speed]

"Looks amazing on you, Sunshine," he assured Billy as he hands over the slice of cake. For himself he cuts a smaller one.

"Happy birthday, Billy. I hope you like the cake."

[playingtough]

Quickly, Billy takes the little plate with the big piece. The movements will hopefully hide the tint of pink in his cheeks. Maybe he could play it off as sunburn if Tommy managed to notice.

"Thanks for the bitchin' birthday you planned," then takes a big bite with a definite sound of... approval. Definitely approval, nothing else. Definitely not a moan around that fork.

"This is amazing. It goes good with the hot surfing."

[doubled_speed]

"Yeah," Tommy agrees with a smile. "Not my birthday go to, but still really good. I'm glad I could introduce you to it."

He settles back with his own cake slice and he just seems content.

"You can take the rest of this home with you after too. Maybe share a slice with your cocaptain or make peace with some of your people from home."

[playingtough]

"What's your birthday go to of choice then, Shepherd?" Another bite and he feigns a little disinterest despite him actually paying attention. He needed the information for the birthday in October after all. It was important.

Billy relaxes. "Maybe I can share. Harrington and I have... an understanding, I guess. We don't fight nearly as bad as we did that day at the volcano. We had a little talk the day that we all had to go in the ships." He looks at the rest of the cake. "I'll make sure it doesn't go to waste. I might even promise that."

[doubled_speed]

"Pie sometimes. But I really also enjoy funfetti cakes. It's terrible, I know. So cheap. But the first birthday cake I ever got was funfetti so it's... it's a sentiment thing. But pie is also super good."

He is glad that the guy is making peace though. Getting between Billy and his own previous life choices wasn't an easy thing to consider. But he might do it anyway.

[playingtough]

"Fun...fetti?" Billy sounds confused at that. What was that? Confetti but fun? Didn't sound safe for cakes. "Also if your favorite flavor of pie is cherry, I might have to nickname you 'Warrant'." After the band because it was one of the tracks on Eddie's mixtape.

He doesn't ask why the song is on that one. Some things are better left unanswered when it came to The Freak.

"I think I really like ice cream cake. It's especially nice after being in the sun surfing and stuff." He flicks a little bit of it at Tommy's cheek with that devlish grin again.

[doubled_speed]

"I like most pies. But, uh, no funfetti?"

Geez. How do you explain it? He frowns and considers.

"It's this white cake. Not angelfood, just white. Maybe vanilla? Anyway you bake it with rainbow sprinkles in it. And the moisture sorta melts them while it bakes. So when it's cut open there are lots of spots of color. The frosting is usually vanilla too. Butter cream. Or maybe it's cream cheese. It's not a good boxed cake, but it does exist."

And it mattered to him. Like maybe this ice cream cake would to Billy.

"If it's possible I'll get you this again next year."

He does let the flicked dessert hit him. Doesn't want a mess in his room.