The End of the Littlest One [Completed]

6. A good night's sleep is important

The restaurant was filled with people. The only table available for the two gentlemen was right in front of a window. It overlooked the busy street in front of the restaurant.

The rest of the restaurant was noisy. Everyone was trying to talk louder than others, resulting in even more noise. It seemed to get louder and louder as time passed.

A waitress with a plate in each hand struggled to get out of the kitchen. She managed to avoid getting hit by arms swinging around. In her turn, she managed to avoid hitting people with the plates of food. After quite the journey, she arrived at Benjamin and Thomas' table.

She put down the steaming plates in front of the men. Since they had ordered the same, she didn't have to ask which belonged to who.

'Thank you,' Thomas told the waitress.

Benjamin smiled at her. The waitress noticed and smiled back before she left for her heroic journey back to the kitchen.

'So,' Thomas started.

Thomas grabbed his knife and fork. He started cutting into his steak.

'So?' Benjamin asked.

'What do you do? When I'm not around to observe your every action? Like your big brother.'

Benjamin laughed. He thought he had dodged the question but alas, it has returned.

'You clearly don't study your sheet music,' Thomas joked.

Benjamin looked up to Thomas.

'Very funny.'

Benjamin started to cut into his meat as well. He put a piece of it on his fork together with some of the vegetables. He put it in his mouth and started chewing, and noticed Thomas was still looking at him. Waiting for an answer.

'Do you really want to know?' Benjamin asked, still chewing.

Thomas nodded his head up and down. Benjamin swallowed.

'I like to read.'

Thomas put down his fork and swallowed the food in his mouth.

'Lame,' he said.

'It's the truth.'

'I told you I was on a date with the most beautiful woman in the region, and you read?'

Benjamin shrugged.

'What did you read today?'

'Some Shakespeare.'

Thomas put down his cutlery and turned his head away from the table. He made barfing noises to mock his brother's taste in leisurely activities.

People noticed and were turning around, focusing their attention on the brothers. Benjamin noticed this and felt uneasy. He kicked his brother's leg under the table.

'Stop that,' he said.

Thomas stopped with the barfing noises. However, he was still laughing at his own joke.

'But seriously, what do you do?' he asked.

Benjamin had successfully managed to not quite answer the question but answered close and vaguely enough Thomas switched to a different topic.

When they finished dinner, they had ordered coffee. Now, both had finished their coffee as well and were only talking.

Benjamin raised his wrist and looked at his watch.

'Thom, it's ten o'clock. Let's go home?'

'Just ten o'clock? The night is about to start. Why do you want to get home in such a hurry?'

'It'll be much later when we actually arrive, though.'

Thomas looked at his brother in confusion. In the time they ate, the restaurant had slowly become less noisy. People have left, and the two were able to talk at a normal volume. The waitress walked from empty table to empty table to clean and bring back tableware to the kitchen.

'We need to pay for the meal first,' Benjamin explained. 'Then we have our walk home, maybe dad is still up, and he'll want to drink some coffee with us. If we leave now, we're lucky if we're ready for bed at midnight.'

'Let me ask you this,' Thomas said.

He leaned forward a little and put his elbows on their shared table. He put his hands together and placed them under his chin. He locked eyes with his younger brother.

'Why do you want to be ready for bed by midnight? Are you still a child?'

Benjamin felt his cheeks warming up. Luckily, it wasn't bright in the restaurant. Thomas wouldn't notice his flaming cheeks.

Besides, he could blame the warm temperature in the restaurant for the colour.

'A good night's sleep is important.'

'Tomorrow is Sunday.'

'So?'

'So, we could sleep in till dinner if we wanted to. No one would disturb us.'

Benjamin knew Thomas was right. However, he had an important appointment tomorrow. He couldn't afford to miss it. Being tired was also not an option.

'I can go home alone, if you don't want to go with me,' he said.

'Why do you want to go home?'

'Like I said, sleep is important.'

'I already refuted that argument. Next one.'

Benjamin avoided eye contact by looking at the table. He fidgeted with his t-shirt.

'Just stay tonight,' Thomas said. 'We'll go to a couple of bars. Get some alcohol in you and you'll forget all about your need for sleep.'

'I don't think that's a good idea.'

Thomas paused the conversation when he saw the waitress walk up.

'Can I get you two anything?' she asked.

'The bill, please,' Thomas said before Benjamin even lifted his head.

'I'll be right back.'

She turned around and walked away. Thomas refocused on his brother.

'Let's go to some bars, Benny.'

Benjamin was about to protest, but Thomas continued. He noticed Benjamin wanted to say something but didn't want him to.

'You don't have a girlfriend, right?'

'No, but- '

'Let's find you one. I'll pay for dinner, you for the drinks later. Get your coat.'