OMG EMMY I JUST HAD THE BEST HENRY PEARL THOUGHT!! okay so you’re at the diner and a waitress hands you your coffee, but it slips from your hands and spills on your titties and it burns bc it’s really hot and henry jumps! into action and grabs a bunch of napkins and presses them against your chest to help clean up the spill but he realizes where his hand is and he turns BRIGHT red and steps away SO FAST and apologizes profusely like “ohmygoodnessiamsosorryididnotmeantodothatpleaseforgiveme” 🥺🥰
THIS IS THE CUTEST
like hes probably just casting you little shy looks and smiles (and of course you smile back because have you SEEN that cutie face) before he turns back to his book.
And youre all distracted because he’s got the most knee weakening smile and the most soft eyes and you’re unable to shake the sweet smile fully when Melinda passes you your cup of scalding coffee, and before you could even take it firmly in your hands Melinda lets it go, effectively spilling the beverage all over your chest (which you’d so dreamily rested against the counter) and your wrists, making you gasp and groan in pain, the waitress apologizing profusely.
You wave your hands in a meek attempt of diminishing the pain when suddenly there’s a gentle but rapid dab against your chest, hands masked by a ridiculous amount of napkins, almost in a feeble attempt to clean you from the hot brew.
When your brain finally processes all that just happened, you finally look up and see the strangers concerned face, the corner of his tongue poking out in concentration as he simply trying to tend to the burning skin, but the moment his eyes flick down to yours, his face turns to a scarlet, embarrassed red, shoving the napkins against you before retracting his hands to his own chest.
“I-I-I’m so s-orry, I just- uh, I just uh- wanted to uh, help… uh… you out,” he chokes, and you see his Adam’s apple bob as he downs a thick, embarrassed swallow.
“It’s okay,” you promise, your hands using the napkins he’d given you to try and dab at the coffee. “I appreciate the effort… Mr…?”
“Oh! Uh, Pearl,” he says, smiling and extending a hand, only to retract it back at your hesitance and moving back up to rub at his neck. “Henry Pearl.”
Your eyes shift to his hand and the rough scar under it, flashing him a sweet smile and a gentle nod of understanding. “Well, thank you, Mr. Henry Pearl. I appreciate the effort you went through for me.”
And he flashes you a smile back and fuck, it’s an intoxicating smile, it warms your heart to melt akin to chocolate, and for a moment, you forget you have upteen napkins clutched to your chest, and there’s a few lingering eyes watching the scene, and you’re able to get lost in his comforting green pools endlessly.
“Henry, where are your manners!” A voice scolds, snapping you out of your shameless gazing and your heads whip to the woman behind the counter, her hand resting on her cocked hip. “Give the poor girl your flannel, let her cover up, hmm?”
And it doesn’t even take him a second thought before he strips the warm flannel from his body, draping it over your shoulders, the smell of boyish cologne and musk of the humid night clinging in the fabric.
You can’t help but relish in it.
