Last night was the best night he's had in a... shit in years. Since.. since him. That was the last time he had experienced real care like that, real interest.

It started as a typical night for Esumi, he pregamed with a joint on the way to his favorite gay nightclub and went straight to the bar when he was there. By the time he got his perfect buzz on he was walking over to the mass of writhing bodies and slipping into the crowd. He danced with a few men, no one he paid much attention to, the type that gropes and grinds. But then the man slid in behind him, his big hands resting lightly and respectfully on his waist.

Esumi liked that, he leaned into that, tilting his head back to look up and see the mans face. He was handsome, smiling down at him. Not the usual way though, the hungry way men in these places usually grin at the twinks like Esumi. This man's smile was warm, almost affectionate.

Eventually they had made their way over to the bar, chatting and laughing. The man always kept his gaze respectfully and his hands to himself, quickly earning over affection from Esumi. Soon enough Esumi was pulling him out of the bar, lighting up a blunt as he lead the way to the beach.

They strolled down the moonlit sand, chatting and joking. When Esumi seemed to get sick of walking he immediately laid out his expensive suit jacket in the sand, sitting down and patting the spot next to him. They sat cuddled close for hours, just talking and smoking. Esumi usually didn't like the scent of alpha's, finding them too overpowering, but this scent was.. comforting. The night went so late Esumi fell asleep on his chest. Only after sharing a few soft, chaste kisses though.

When Esumi woke up in the morning he was in his dorm with a note from the TA telling him "some old guy" had dropped him off and Esumi could text the TA if he "needed someone to talk to." Esumi quickly crumpled the note with a roll of his eyes, throwing it across the room. Then the pang of regret hit as he frantically looked through his phone, praying he had kept the man's number.

The number was nowhere to be found though and immediately Esumi's life felt dull again. He dragged himself up and to classes, hardly able to think about anything other than that kind man. He almost called out of work to go smoke and watch the sunset, hoping it cheered him up. The idea of friday night tips quickly changed his mind though.

Esumi arrived at work a few minutes late, staying silent as his cold Alpha boss scolded him and warned him about doing it again. He plastered on his customer service persona as he started waiting tables. The first few were the usual, rich couples and families that hardly seemed to see him.

Then one of his tables was seated, a big group of alpha men celebrating some work thing. Esumi sighed internally when his coworker told him about the table, fixing his hair as he walked over with his order pad. Then he saw him though, sitting at the table, wearing a suit similar to the one last night and laughing with other men dressed similarly.

As Esumi approached, he looked up, their eyes meeting. Esumi assumed he would look away, or worse, look straight through him, like he didn't know him. But instead, he smiled warmly and murmured Esumi's name in greeting.

Of course. This man is different. He isn't ashamed to know Esumi, to have spent time with him, to have liked him.

"Good Afternoon, Gentlemen. Ready to get started on drinks?" Esumi asked professionally, not entirely sure what to do in this situation. His smile was a bit more genuine than usual though, his eyes flicking to him more than anyone else.