~_~_~ (10 years later) ~_~_~

Harry glances over the menu. He's been here before, but not in a long time. A few other couples sit around them, but Harry pays them no mind.

The door chimes and Harry's attention is snapped out of the menu and to the door as it opens. An olive-skinned man shuffles in. Black-brown hair buzzed close to his scalp on the sides and a little longer on top. Stubble dots the skin along his chin. A cowboy hat sits cozily on top of his head, a hat he takes off as soon as he enters the building. Harry notices his stripped blue shirt and light wash blue jeans. The brown leather cowboy boots Harry's teased him over, but refuses to throw away.

He can hear his Southern drawl from across the restaurant as the man explains to the hostess up front that he already has someone waiting for him. Their eyes meet across the room and Harry smiles. The man's dark brown eyes warm him from his core and he feels happy.

Harry remembers meeting the same brown eyes across a different room a month ago. A small pub outside London that hardly gets any newcomers. Harry found the eyes to be fresh and new. Something different from the drunks Harry usually surrounds himself with at the pub. A good kind of different.

Harry remembers introducing himself and buying the man a pint. He remembers the way the man introduced himself. 'Samuel Mendoza, but most people just call me Sam.' His voice clinging to the vowels in a way Harry's never really heard in person before. Of course, he didn't spend much time in the south while in America.

He remembers asking how Sam got so far away from home and Sam's explaining he wanted to 'find himself' and travel Europe. How Sam was only supposed to be in London for three days before he hoped over to France. How three days has turned into a month. How this is their third date already.

Sam pulls the chair out in front of Harry and slides into it gracefully. He throws Harry a gentle smile and takes his hand from across the faux wooden table tops.

"Well Howdy, Darlin'. You look lovely. What'll you be havin'?"