(Starting a new chapter, hope you enjoy
Also! The picture above is what David looks like :))
You heard your alarm go off as you slowly woke up. David let you sleep in for an hour and it was 7 am. Yawning loudly, you stretched out your entire body before relaxing there for a few minutes, debating if you should just stay home. You heard a ding from your phone and you looked over to your nightstand, looking at your phone. You lazily reached over and grabbed it, pulling it closely to your face as you read a message from Gordon. 'Good morning, darling. I'm at the restaurant and I've been inspecting it. It's revolting and Jackie needs to get his shit together." You groaned slightly, knowing what he was talking about. You sat up and swung your legs over the edge of the bed, your feet met the softness of the carpet. Standing up, you walked over to your closet and searched for your work clothes.. They weren't there. You realized you left it at the restaurant and you groaned louder from frustration. You heard another ding and looked down at your phone, reading another text from Gordon. 'By the way, you left your work clothes here in the bathroom.' You screamed internally, your cheeks heating up from embarrassment as you messaged him back.
'Morning, Gordon. I'm terribly sorry about that, I'll be right over.'
You just rushed a bit, taking a nice shower before putting on clothes you usually wear. You grabbed your keys and phone before briskly exiting your apartment to your car.
~
You entered the restaurant and heard rustling in the kitchen. No one else was here, probably just you, Gordon, and the camera crew. You rounded the cash register counter and to the back of the kitchen. You saw the camera crew, but it didn't seem like they were filming. You heard someone gagging and your eyes widened as you saw Gordon throwing up in the trash can near the storage where they kept all the frozen shit. You bolted to his side and all you could feel was guilt. You hesitantly reached over and rubbed his back, not knowing what to do.
"Chef, I'm so sorry", You said in an apologetic tone.
He slowly stopped and you just heard him cussing under his breath. You grabbed a cloth and soaked it in cold water before ringing it out. You rushed to his side as you heard him gagging again. You gave him the cloth and watched him with worried eyes.
"Chef, please put this over your mouth and just breathe in and out..", You instructed him.
This technique was given to you by your grandma every time you had the stomach flu when you were younger and it has always helped. Gordon did so, taking deep breaths in and out of his mouth into the cool cloth as he seemed more calm.
"Thank you, darling", He said quietly, pulling the cloth away from his mouth.
You gently patted his back as you looked at the camera crew, seeing that they've been staring, almost in shock. You just eyed them, raising a brow before looking back at Gordon. He gave the crew a harsh look and they went back to what they were doing.
"Your clothes are in the bathroom, I think you should change before cameras are up and running again", He stated as you looked back at him.
You nodded your head and walked to the back room into the bathroom. You looked over to the sinks counter and noticed some clothes that were folded. You raised your brow, as they didn't look like the work attire you usually wore. You shrugged it off and put them on quickly: a maroon button up with a tag with your name on it, and black slacks. It fits you pretty well and it was nice; you felt confident and the colors really complimented you. You folded your clothes and exited the bathroom, settling them on a chair so you don't forget them. You heard someone whistle and you turned around, noticing Gordon. You sighed in relief as you looked down at your outfit, smiling as you looked at him.
"I really like it. Thank you, Chef", You exclaimed happily.
"You look wonderful, darling, and it's Gordon.. Not on cameras yet", He reminded you.
Heat rushed to your cheeks at his words and you looked to the side, a sheepish smile on your face.
"Thank you, Gordon. You look amazing as well", You couldn't believe you said that.
You met his gaze again and there was a smile on his face. Oh, his smile made you melt.
"Chef! The owner and the rest of the workers are here!", One of the camera men called out.
You heard a frustrated sigh leave his mouth and you just chuckled lightly, nervous of what was to come.
~
"This has to be a fucking joke", You heard Gordon start off as you stood beside David, staying away from Jackie.
The chef was rummaging through the food storage area and was beyond disgusted.
"Look at it! It's rotten and mold is caked on all of this produce! Everything is fucking wasted.. no wonder this restaurant is in debt"
He poked at the rotten produce and pulled out the meats. Fresh meat next to raw meat, you even knew better. What a fucking mess. He told off Jackie and David, glancing at you a few times. The anger radiating off of him was unbearable.
"This has got to be one of the shittiest restaurants I've been to in my whole entire cooking career", He shouted in anger.
"Then get the fuck out of here."
God, shut the hell up Jackie.
Gordon looked at Jackie, his face in disbelief.
"Pardon?"
"You heard me, get the hell out of here if all you'll do is complain", Jackie managed to shit out of that shitty mouth.
"Jackie, shut up, right now", David hissed.
Jackie just pushed back David and got really close to Gordon's face. Oh how much you wanted to punch Jackie in the face. You were hoping Gordon would do so, but you knew he's better than that.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? I hope you know you're one of the many problems in this restaurant. You're keeping David from running this restaurant correctly and you should just fucking leave you twat", Gordon stood there with his arms folded against his chest.
He kept a strong gaze, his glare dug deep into the depths of Jackie's empty skull. Jackie just stood there and surprisingly he just stepped back, leaving the group as he walked into the back room. You sighed in deep relief, glad he wasn't going to start anything that he'll regret. You looked to your side and felt frustration radiating off of David. His hands were covering his face and you heard uneven breaths.
Shit.
You grasped his arm and pulled him away, giving Gordon an apologetic stare as you walked him out of the kitchen. He was crying and it's been a long while since he's done so. You rounded the counter and he leaned against it, his hands still covering his face.
"David David David..", You ushered, gently grabbing his hands.
You pulled them away from his face and his eyes were puffy. God, it's rare that he cries and he only cries when he's really frustrated. Of course, he didn't like to cry in front of people, but he was alright with you because you understood. You grabbed a napkin and handed it to him. He took it from you and wiped at his drenched cheeks, taking long deep breaths.
"Just breathe, David. Everything will be fine.. Gordon will help us, we just have to listen and do what he says.. okay?"
David quickly recovered from his frustration and nodded his head.
"Thank you, love"
It was also rare he called you that. Every time he did, it made your heart flutter. It was only in serious moments and when you show how much you cared for him. He pressed your forehead against his lips and pulled away, sighing slightly as he ruffled your hair. He smiled at you and you smiled back. He pulled you in for a hug and you embraced him with all your might; his arms were comfortably secured around your waist. You looked behind him and noticed Gordon standing, staring at the both of you. You quickly pulled away from the hug and hummed at David, knowing you two should get back to work. David raised a brow and he looked behind, realizing Gordon standing there.
"Are you alright, David?", He asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine now because of (Y/N)", David didn't need to say that last part.
You felt the brunette's hand pressing against the small of your back, pushing you slightly to go to the kitchen. You looked back at him, giving him a glare as he chuckled lightly. You walked around the counter and met Gordon. You were about to walk in, but the chef prevented you, like he needed to talk to you. He let David walk in and the brunette stared at Gordon, stopping in his tracks as he noticed the blonde was keeping you from entering.
"It's cool, David. He just needs to talk to me", You assured him.
David eyed him before looking at you, his expression softened as he nodded his head. You watched as he walked off and you looked at Gordon, stepping back a bit so you wouldn't hurt your neck from looking up at him.
"(Y/N).. are you and David together?"
You felt your cheeks flush and you shook your head, laughing nervously.
"No, no.. We are just really close friends", You replied.
"Seems like more than friends, darling", He said in his accent that you oh so loved.
At the same time you hated it when he called you darling, it always threw you off.
"Just friends, Chef, I swear", You reassured him before walking into the kitchen as you knew he couldn't keep you out there forever.
Now. time to clean.
~
You were almost done scrubbing the walls of the food storage area with Clarisse. She brought up David and you told her what happened and what Gordon asked you.
"Oh my god, seriously?", She asked.
You nodded your head and laughed slightly, scrubbing at a part that was hard to clean.
"Why does he even care?", she asked before she gasped.
You looked at her questionably and she had a smirk on her face. Oh dear.
"I think he likes you, (Y/N)"
"My god, Clarisse-"
"What!? I mean, c'mon, you like guys and it's pretty obvious and I think any guy could fall for you"
"Clarisse.. I'm pretty sure he loves woman", You responded as you scrubbed harder at the spot.
"He may be straight, but also spaghetti, until it gets-"
"- hot and steamy, you always say that!", You finished her sentence.
She giggled and it literally feels like being back in elementary, giggling about crushes and keeping it a secret. You sighed deeply as you couldn't scrub the shit off of the wall.
"Can't seem to get whatever this shit is off of the wall"
"Like how you can't keep Gordon off of your mind?"
"I'm done-", You exclaimed as you stood up.
Clarisse was laughing and she kept calling for you to come back as you exited the storage area and into the kitchen to the back room. You kept walking forward as you accidentally ran into someone.
"I am so sorry-", You said as you looked up, your eyes were wide.
"Watch where you're going, shithead", Jackie growled.
You glared at him as you were done with his crap. You tried to get passed him until you felt a tight grasp on your arm. You yelped lightly, feeling him squeezing it.
"Get your fucking hand off of me-"
"Listen here pip squeak, I don't care if your boyfriend fires me, but if he does, I am going to come back and hurt him, and you.", He stated harshly.
You were infuriated as you tried yanking your arm away from his ridiculous grasp.
"Get away from me!"
You yelped a bit louder as you felt his nails dig into your skin.
"Jackie, let him go!", You heard Clarisse shout.
You glanced behind Jackie and noticed David and Gordon ran in. You tried your best to get out of his grip.
"You better let him go, or you're gone forever", David threatened as he stepped forward with his clenched fists.
"You better stay back or I'll snap his arm in half", Jackie warned.
You whimpered at how hard he was squeezing your arm and you urged to get out. You felt like passing out. Gordon stepped forward and Jackie pointed at him.
"I'll fucking do it", He spat at the chef.
"JACKIE, LET ME THE FUCK GO!", You shouted as you spat in his face.
He groaned in disgust as he threw you to the ground, quickly lifting his hand to wipe away his face. You touched at your arm, seeing a huge bruise from his hand as you hiss at how much it burned and ached in pain. Jackie looked down at you as he raised his leg behind him, ready to kick you down until Gordon rushed in and was careful with his footing as he didn't want to step on you. He shoved Jackie a great distance away from you and felt someone helping you up. It was David and he gently grabbed your arm, examining the huge bruise as you winced. You looked at Gordon and his body guards were holding back Jackie. You saw as David walked over there with the toughest expression.
"That's it. You're fucking fired. Leave this fucking restaurant and never come back"
Gordon gestured his body guards to kick him out and Jackie struggled.
"I am going to fucking hurt you, (Y/N)", Jackie barked as he was pushed outside.
The guards were handling him properly and you just stood there, poking at your bruise.
"Darling, don't do that", Gordon said as he approached you.
He cautiously grabbed your arm and examined the dark bruise, carefully moving your arm around to see how huge it was.
"That fucking bastard", He murmured.
"Love, are you okay?", David asked in a concerned tone.
Please you both are going to kill me.
"I'm fine, David. It's just a bruise"
"A killer bruise! I'll be right back", The brunette said as he rushed off to the freezer.
You felt a hand rubbing your nape and you noticed it was Gordon's. It helped you relax and you rolled your neck, your muscles didn't feel tense anymore. You sighed deeply and closed your eyes, trying to ignore the pain and paying more attention to Gordon rubbing your neck.
"Back", You heard someone mutter and your eyelids fluttered open.
Gordon's grasp wasn't there anymore and it was David that was holding your arm. He was holding a bag of ice wrapped in a cloth. He hesitantly pressed it against the bruised area and you winced at the touch of the cold compress.
"Sorry", He says quietly as you lifted your other hand to hold it down.
You didn't feel his hand leave the ice bag and you felt his lips pressed against your forehead.
"David, please", You stammered a bit, heat rushing to your cheeks.
You slowly pulled your head away and pushed his hand away so you could hold the bag yourself.
"Just making sure you got it"
I'm not a baby.
You sighed gently and looked forward to see Clarisse with her mouth wide open. Oh my god, you thought to yourself.
"Alright.. since that jack ass is gone, where is your sous chef?", Gordon asked as his hand was on your arm.
"Mike!", David called out.
Mike came rushing in and glanced over at you before looking at David.
"Yes?", He asked.
"Ah, you're the sous chef.. can you handle being head chef tonight?", Gordon asked.
Mike looked at the world class chef and nodded his head.
"I'm guessing you're way better than the other jack ass, hopefully you can take the pressure. It's not even close to relaunch night, fucking hell", He stated.
Tonight is the night the staff are going to show him how you guys run, so he can examine the mistakes. Honestly, it wasn't all just Jackie. The other two chefs are also kinda shit. Jackie may be a big part, but the other two, Isaac and Mariah, are not good in the kitchen. Mike was pretty good, hopefully they'll listen to him. Gordon nodded his head and put his hands together.
"Tonight I'll be seeing how you guys run.. I'll be leaving and I'll be back when doors are open, yeah?"
"Yeah, see you tonight", David said.
Gordon left the kitchen and all of you just stood around, exhausted as hell.
"Well, tonight is going to be a disaster", Clarisse said and you looked at her.
"Clarisse-"
"What!? I mean, we are a wreck anyways, even without Jackass", She said and David just pinched the bridge of his nose.
You gave her a glare and she kept her mouth sealed tight. You walked over to David and gently touched his arm, making sure he was alright. He pulled his hand away from his face and looked down at you, a small smile formed on his face. He took a deep breath and looked at everyone.
"We will do what we always do. Nothing should be changed, got it?", He asked.
Everyone agreed and you puffed your cheeks out, pissed at the huge ass bruise. David looked at you and frowned slightly.
"How about you go home? Come back at.. 5. That's when we are opening", He says.
You looked at the clock that was on the wall and it read 11 am.
God damn, it's only been 4 hours.
You sighed gently and nodded your head, patting his arm as a thank you. You quickly grabbed your folded clothes from the back room and walked out of the kitchen, rounding the counter and towards the front doors. You exited the restaurant and walked over to your car. As you approached your car, right next to it you saw a familiar car and a familiar chef leaning against the hood.
"I knew he would send you home", Gordon said.
"Hi, Gordon", You replied with a small smile.
"ah, you got the hang of it", He teased as the corner of his lip lifted.
You just chuckled lightly and whimpered slightly, your arm still ached. He had a worried expression and looked at your arm.
"You aren't driving with that arm.. I could drive you home and.. cook you something?", Gordon offered.
"Gordon, I don't know, aren't you busy till we open?"
He shook his head and his eyes lit up a bit.
"You also promised me last night that you'll cook something to show me your skills. I can also train you", He stated.
You couldn't let that go, you definitely wanted to cook for him and with him. You gave in and walked over to the passengers side of his car.
"Let's go", You said as Gordon quickly opened the door for you.
You thanked him and sat in the seat, settling your clothes down on your lap as you tried putting on your seatbelt. Gordon got in also and helped you buckle yourself in before starting the engine and driving off. You instructed him to your apartment and waited till you guys got there.
(It's currently 1 am. I'll type up another chapter when I wake up! cya)