#rody is canonically bi and biphobic UGH. I AM ILL.

[pri-haaa]

I Wish You Were A Girl. (Part 2)

→ Rody x Vincent (Rodincent)

→ Kind of fluffy, still has undertones of angst

→ Takes place after Ending 1: Table for One

(catch me if you can)

Description: He missed her voice. He missed everything about her. He missed the way she made him feel. Rody just wanted her to pick up a phone, for her to talk to him again. Why wouldn't she answer? Why wouldn't she give him another chance?

Being unloved as well as broke didn't sound very appealing to poor, heartbroken Rody. So, with crumbling hope that he would ever hear from Manon again, he trudges back to the bistro.

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"L-Listen, forget the dinner. Can I just hear your voice?" Rody pleaded desperately into the flat-lining payphone. "You haven't picked up a phone for a week. Please, just let me know that you're there..."

"Goodbye." the answering machine responded cheerfully into his ear, cutting the beeping line. Rody sighed and placed the phone back into its original place. Tears welled up in his tired eyes, threatening to spill down his cheeks. "Manon..." he whimpered softly to himself, allowing stream after stream of tears roll down his cheeks.

After 10 minutes of sobbing, Rody picked himself back up, roughly wiping away the tears that stayed stagnant on his cheeks. He hated himself for letting this happen. If only he hadn't been so self-sacrificial, this wouldn't have happened. If only he knew how to love someone, she wouldn't have left him. If only relationships weren't so damn difficult, he wouldn't have had any issues from the start.

If only.

Rody found himself back in front of La Gueule de Saturne, looking at the glass doors anxiously. He had quit his job as a waiter because he had made enough money to take Manon out to dinner. But now, she wasn't even picking up his calls. This opened up a whole new can of worms, but he decided the first course of action was to get his job back, stabilize his life.

He stepped through the door, alerting the attention of a certain chef that happened to be walking to the front of the house.

Vincent's eyes widened as he took in Rody's figure, standing by the door, looking absolutely miserable. He knew it wasn't the time, but he felt heat creeping up his neck upon seeing Rody without his black blazer, and in just his white dress shirt. He quickly composed himself and stepped forward, a confused look on his face.

"Rody?" his voice was softer than usual. "What are you doing back here? You were pretty happy to resign from this position." Rody blinked at Vincent, trying to find the words.

"I'm...not in a very good position right now. I figured that I should...keep making money and stabilize myself. Get my life together, you know?" Rody tried to sound like he was happy about his decision, but in reality, he was an absolute mess. Vincent nodded silently and stepped aside, allowing Rody to step further into the bistro. His eyes never left his walking figure.

"I haven't yet found a replacement for you, so I suppose it's good that you came back before I did." Vincent tutted in a matter-of-fact voice, trying to sound nonchalant like he usually did. He was lying through his teeth, he had put off finding a replacement because of the little hope he had that Rody would come back. It seemed that his tiny wish had come true, and his heart wouldn't stop beating at a rapid pace.

Rody smiled gently. "I'm glad." he sighed as he slowly slipped on his black blazer, fastening it against his muscular figure.

Despite looking like the picture of misery, Rody worked the floor, running around and taking orders like nothing had ever happened. Vincent watched him from the kitchen windows, examining Rody's fake smiles and cheerful facade. As the shift wore on, the familiarity of the restaurant's atmosphere and Vincent's occasional quips and lectures put Rody in a slightly better mood. He started to enjoy having other things to think about other than Manon. Though, she would always be in the back of his mind, infiltrating his headspace and showering him in the memories of the pleasant times he's shared with her. Memories that had soured significantly.

Their relationship was like a flower. It withered as time went on due to the lack of nurture, and died out completely.

The day ended and Rody sighed a sigh of relief. He leaned against the counter, nodding at the chefs that filed out one by one to go home. There was only one person left; Vincent. After hesitating for a moment, Vincent walked up to Rody, struggling to find his words. Eventually, he parted his lips to speak.

"Good job," he spoke, "it's pleasing to know the way we do things here hadn't immediately left your mind the moment you resigned." Rody couldn't help but chuckle at Vincent's little jab.

"Thank you, Vincent. And, thank you for taking me back. I know it was probably a little confusing when I just up and left like that, but I'm glad you were kind enough to rehire me." Rody smiled, his words laced with gentle gratitude. Vincent's breath hitched.

"It's...no problem." he finally breathed out. "It's a little nice to be back! I had no idea I had gotten so used to this place despite only being here for one week." Rody continued on, his eyes averted, so he couldn't see the emotion welling up in Vincent's eyes, and the way his expression was changing rapidly.

"I'm...glad that you...came back." Vincent muttered under his breath so that Rody was unable to hear me. "I-...I wanted you back-"

"I wish Manon were here to see how much I made from my first week alone, though." Rody finished, pulling out the envelope that kept the money he had earned. He stared down at it with a sad smile.

He pocketed the envelope back up and looked up at Vincent. "Well, I'm going to head home. See you tomorrow, boss." Rody gave Vincent one last casual grin before strolling out of the bistro, his hands stuffed in his pocket, whistling a faint tune.

Vincent stared at the closed doors. Darkness draped over the bistro like an ominous blanket, the only sound that could be heard was the low hum of the freezer. His facial expression darkened, and his eyes slid downwards to his hands. His palms faced back at him. And he could almost see it. The pale skin of his hands stained with crimson red blotches of blood. Blood that had oozed from a stab wound.

Blood that belonged to Marieanne Vecher. Manon.

His hands shot up to his face, covering the panic that was slowly adorning his features. His breathing became erratic as memories from what he had done, what he had destroyed, flashed through his mind like some cruel picture show. Slowly, he forced himself to calm down, reminding himself as to why he had done what he did in the first place. It was all to infuse love into his cooking.

That's it, all he wanted was to understand the concept of cooking with love. All he wanted was to give the boy he liked something that he could enjoy. All he really wanted...was for Rody to enjoy his food.

Vincent uncovered his face and breathed out a tired sigh. He turned his head and stared at a specific spot. Where the freezer would be if he were standing inside the kitchen. "Manon can be a memory to him now. He doesn't have to know what happened." Vincent whispered to himself as he locked up the bistro. As he turned the key in the lock, he looked backwards again, his eyes narrowed.

"He doesn't have to know what I've done."

#writing #dead plate #rody x vincent #vincent charbonneau #rody lamoree #game #indie game #fanfiction #fanfic writer #racheldrawsthis #i miss them sm #rody is canonically bi and biphobic UGH. I AM ILL.