Page 80 of A Thousand Cuts

He flagged down one of the waiters and gave their drink order first before picking his usual steak and side vegetables for himself, opting for beer-marinated chicken skewers, sweet potato fries, and a side salad for Liam.

The waiter was a young-looking thing, waifish and pretty in a way Fix usually appreciated. But he didn’t hold a candle to Liam. He didn’t know if anyone ever would again.

“I think he’s into you,” Liam told him when the waiter left with their order, swaying his hips and eyeing Fix over his shoulder.

“And I think I’m here with you,” Fix said, keeping all his attention on Liam and his back to the waiter. “And I’m beyond happy about it.”

Liam flushed prettily and snorted not so prettily, and Fix was pretty sure he was deliriously in love with him.

“So…tell me a bit about yourself,” Fix said when their drinks arrived, expertly ignoring their waiter while still being perfectly polite.

“Not much to tell, honestly.” Liam shrugged, his hair falling forward to veil his face again. “I’m not particularly interesting…outside of the mess of my life.”

“Another disagree there,” Fix said. Tucking the locks of hair behind Liam’s ear was so natural now that he didn’t even seem to notice. “How about this…tell me something random.”

Light brows flew up and green eyes glinted with interest. “Random?”

Fix nodded and laid his cheek on his knuckles, elbow propped next to his drink. “Yeah, tell me a completely random, inconsequential thing about you.”

Liam pursed his lips for a moment as he thought, and it was beyond cute. “My favorite sewing stitch is a buttonhole stitch.”

Fix couldn’t help but laugh. He’d asked for random, after all. “Why that one?”

Liam shrugged, swirling his straw through his drink with a small smile. “I don’t know, it just looks the best. It’s like…”

He drew a pattern with his straw in the air and Fix focused hard to try and make it out.

“Ah,” Fix said. He saw literally nothing. “That really does look…special.”

“Shut up.” Liam smacked his upper arm. “What about you then? What’s a random thing about you?”

“I have a collection of aprons with dumb cooking puns on them,” Fix said easily.

“Define dumb.”

“I got one that says ‘She believed she could, sushi did,’” Fix said, and Liam stared at him for a moment before barking out a fully uncensored laugh for the first time. It startled Fix, because for someone so pretty and dainty, Liam laughed like a deranged hyena.

He must have realized because he rushed to cover his mouth with his fingers, swallowing down bubbles of laughter. “Sorry.”

Fix shook his head, a stupid, lovesick smile on his face. “Never apologize for laughing. Your laugh is contagious.”

“It sounds like a dying walrus,” Liam corrected, knee brushing his under the table.

Fix laid a hand on it, relaxed and easy, while he snorted at the imagery. “I guess I like dying walruses then.”

Liam bit the end of his straw, mumbling around the tip, “Is that so?”

“Must be,” Fix murmured back, giving his knee a squeeze.

In a burst of confidence, Liam scooted a little closer, hooking his leg over Fix’s. He stared at his drink, schooling his expression, but Fix could tell it was a big deal for him to reach out this way.

Fix slid his hand from his knee to rest more comfortably on his inner thigh, a warm brand that made Liam shiver just as the waiter returned with their food, placing it in front of Liam with a bit more force than necessary while sliding Fix’s plate onto the table gently.

“Enjoy your meal,” he purred.

Liam scowled and Fix made a point to wrap his arm around Liam’s waist and pull him closer still.

“I’m sure we will,” he said, dismissing the waiter completely, reveling in the way Liam melted against his side. The waiter left with a huff, but Fix was all about Liam, leaning down to murmur into his ear, “Dig in.”