together. | eddsworld/eddtord

iii.

Tord's shift at the restaurant went slowly today. He passed the time by helping the chef, Pau, experiment with new spices and flavors.
"Okay, so I want you to try this." Pau said, sliding a small plate of pasta towards Tord. He took the fork and poked at it.
"What's in it?" He asked, cocking and eyebrow and glancing up at Pau.
"Meh, nothing too different from the usual," Pau explained, gesturing with a hand and leaning back against the counter. "All I really did was add some more pepper and added a little 'secret ingredient'."
Tord grinned at the fact that he mentioned having a 'secret ingredient' and snorted, rolling his eyes. "Whatever." He said, twisting the fork into the noodles and taking a bite. He chewed for a few seconds and tapped his chin.
Pau raised his eyebrows as he watched him eat. "So... what d'ya think?" He asked, cocking his head and crossing his arms.
"It's delicious, of course. Everything you make is good." Tord replied, chuckling. He paused for a moment to smack his lips. "Yeah, it's good! This is the chicken parm, right? I always thought that the taste before was a little bland." He mumbled, looking away and scratching his arm.
Almost immediately after he said that, Pat walked in. "Hey, Tord? A group of guys just came in. I already seated them but you're gonna need to wait on them." He said before disappearing out of the door again. Tord stood up and flattened his apron with the palms of his hands.
"Off you go then." Pau said, picking the food up and throwing it away. Tord simply nodded and made his way out to the dining area, and was surprised to see his new friends Edd, Tom, and Matt sitting at a table.
"Oh, Tord! Hi!" Matt exclaimed, waving him over with a bright smile.
"We didn't know you worked here." Edd stated as he approached, arms folded on the table with a casual grin and a raised eyebrow. Tord shrugged as he reached into his apron pocket for his notepad and pen.
"It's nothing to really flaunt off or anything," He said, clicking the pen and flipping the notepad open. "What'll you guys have to drink?" He asked, looking back up at them.
"Do you have any alcohol?" Tom asked flatly, arms crossed. Edd nudged him in the side and he made a small 'ow' sound.
"Just cola for the three of us." Edd said smiling at Tord. Tord frowned and glanced away for a moment, not sure if he should ask what he was about to ask.
"Is, uh, Pepsi alright?" He asked quickly. He knew how much Edd preferred Coke to Pepsi, he had heard his tangents before.
Tom exchanged a look with Edd as he grimaced. "Oh, I mean, I guess?" Edd muttered, leaning back in his chair.
"Can we get the chips and dip for while we wait for our food, Edd?" Matt asked abruptly. Three heads snapped in his direction to see his head buried in the menu. He looked up sharply. "I'm getting really hungry." He added, giving Edd puppy eyes.
"Matt..." Edd groaned, shoving his face into his hands.
"Pleeeease...?" Matt begged, folding his hands together.
"Ugh, fine, I'll pay for it." Tom piped up, rolling his eyes.
"Yay!" Matt exclaimed, throwing his fist in the air. Tord giggled and wrote down "3 pepsi, chips + dip" onto his pad and tucked it back into his pocket.
"I'll be right back out with that." He said, heading back into the kitchen.
Boy, are those guys some characters. He thought to himself, chuckling and shaking his head.