Welcome to Gaia! ::

The Door clicked open part way through the conversation, kicking off his boots in the hall way quietly because he could just make out the voice of Sterling talking, which meant phone or guest.

It was what he heard that gave him pause.

//I think I’m falling in love with you, and I want us to be boyfriends.//

Something -dropped- inside his chest. The conversation continued of course into their next visit with each other. He took a breath and let it out slowly, reopened the door, and closed it a little more loudly, just in case he was interrupting some kind of after glow, basking in the new relationship.

He nudged his boots over to bump the baseboard with a small thump and let his messenger bag, a recent rescue from the lost and found that had been there for -months- before he was allowed to dump the contents and take it. Well, most of the contents…
He’d saved an old copy of ‘The Hobbit’ that he’d found inside, well thumbed and he intended to add to that.

“Home!” He called, not bothering to hide the tired, it could work with the rock that had settled in his stomach.
Stupid, he’d been so… excited by the kiss on his nose, but maybe… Maybe sterling was just a toucher. That wasn’t beyond the pal, he liked to play with his long hair when they sat, and sometimes leaned when he was on the couch.
He scrubbed at his eyes and made a frustrated sound at the sting, garlic, or onion, clearly there was some on his hands.

It was good though, he shouldn’t be jealous. Sterling was… perfect. He deserved someone good.

“O…Oh…alright.” He said with a small nod.
Funny how it made him feel, replaceable now that he knew there was someone else In Sterling’s life for certain. He really should be flattered, it wasn’t often people cooked FOR him and he didn’t pay for it.

He barely contained his expression of abject disgust at the word ‘lobster’, wondering if maybe, MAYBE Sterling’s boyfriend liked it, awful thought, surely he deserved someone with tastebuds, but… He gave a half shaky grin and nodded when it was revealed as a joke.

“Ha…yeah, man that was today’s special too, I’ll swap shirts so I smell less like something the tide washed in for dinner.” He offered. Not that he wouldn’t have changed anyhow, the kitchen made him hot and sweaty on the best of days and today had just been…worse.
He blamed the lobsters really, stupid sea cockroaches.

stupid wastes of butter…

He headed to his room to grab a spare shirt and then to the bathroom to do a quick wash up before presenting himself. Who knew how many more dinners wouldn’t involve …someone else. He’d cook for work…and maybe he’d cook for them… God, he hoped he wouldn’t have to look for a new place to stay right away, did people move in together that fast?

He washed his face, and…part of his neck and stood in the bathroom for a long moment, braced against this sink and just breathing before straitening and swapping to a more comfortable, less work oriented shirt.

He pulled his hair down a moment later, tying just enough back to keep it out of his face but also take some of the pull off since he tended to keep it all pinned up and back for work.

Right… time to face the music, surely, it would come up at dinner what tomorrow’s plans were after all….

He headed back towards the kitchen, pondering what to make for a dinner for one.

The… smell caught his attention first as he stepped in, burnt sugar, sweet and smokey… and…


Candles??

He hesitated, counting the place settings.

“Uhhh?? I didn’t…forget your …birthday or something right?” He said cautiously.
“If I did, I should have been the one cooking…”

He grinned, he couldn’t help it, touching his cheek where the kiss got planted.
Maybe … maybe they wouldn’t mind him being around for a bit after… after the dating started. He could still cook well and…

“Creme Brûlée’ He murmured. “It…Maybe? They don’t ever make extra of that, I didn’t think about…” He let himself chase the thought for a moment before ducking his head and giving a soft laugh at the compliment.

“Im not the one who made Desert, I think you get to keep the Amazing title.” He said earnestly. “You’re like… perfect, it’s.. yeah, it’s just so you to be this cool.” He laughed softly.

“Shall we? I’m… god I’m not used to not being the… what should I do?” He said and then picked up his own glass, raising it in a toast as well.

“Cheers? Or uh… Salud? Kanpai? I… yeah…” He grinned. “To…not, lobster.” He chuckled.

He had just started to take a large sip of the wine, bracing to give a cheer for Serling and his new boyfriend when the words registered.

Wine… might have gone up his nose.

He coughed hard and had to set it down, which then made him afraid he’d make Sterling think that was a BAD reaction, which made him cough -harder- and gah what was his life!?

As soon as he had enough breath to speak he tried, very hard to say yes, but all he could manage was another cough, because his brain lied about being able to talk, so he did a thumbs up instead, trying to look enthusiastic about the idea, even if he couldn’t quite believe it.

“I… y…yes? YES?” He nodded again and pounded his chest trying to clear his throat of the, admittedly tasty wine that was currently trying to kill him.
“I thought you, you were on the phone when I got home and…” He cleared his throat again, part shame for admitting to eavesdropping but also stunned.

“Are you sure? I thought, your friend Priam and…I’m kind of a mess, and…” He really didn’t want to undersell himself, but, there was something of a habit to it. If people knew up front that you were a wreck they were less disappointed when you proved it later.

“Maybe…” He admitted feeling the heat rise in his face. “Kinda jealous, but… you deserve someone GOOD, well…someone great but.”

He coughed the last of it out and managed carefully to stand up and really breathe again.
“Are…. you sure?”

Dumb question, DUMB question.

“I mean I am, and you made dinner, I feel like I should make you, dinner.” He laughed at the irony of wanting to make dinner in thanks for…dinner.

“Im sorry I nearly wrecked it before we…started, do you want me to back up and start over?” He laughed, breathless but still stunned and delighted.

He wanted the desert, yes, but… he did something he hadn’t done yet, but had wanted to, tucking a finger into Sterling’s shirt to pull him down just enough to kiss his cheek in return before he picked up the spoon and hesitated only a moment before cracking the sugar shell with a soft exhale of delight.

He sunk the spoon in and dug out a spoonful of the soft golden cream and put it into his mouth.

“Oh… oh damn…” He exhaled looking like Sterling had just presented him with the keys to the kingdom. “Yeah… yeah that’s it.” He half mumbled, the spoon still in his mouth because he didn’t want to miss any of that delightful flavor.

“Oh my god,” He groaned. “Yes…” He confirmed again, sinking into his own chair.
“Date….and desert, I don’t know that this night can get any better, or I’ll just like… assume I died and there was a mix up so I went to heaven.” He scooped another spoonful of the desert and sucked it off his spoon so the sugar lingered before licking that off and letting it melt over his tongue, sweet and bitter over the lingering taste of creamy custard.