Kevin walks into the kitchen to find Scotty in the middle of a cloud of flour. There are pots and jars and bags and piles of stuff all around him. Scotty is wearing his apron and he's mixing something in a bowl.
"What in heaven's name are you doing? I thought you had a kitchen at work to… destroy." Kevin says, backing away to avoid getting his suit covered in flour.
"This isn't for work. I thought for Kitty's baby shower that I'd give her a receipt of cookies that are so easy to make, not even she can mess them up." He holds up the ladle in front of Kevin. "Look at this. Isn't it amazing?" He asks.
Kevin isn't sure of what it is he's supposed to think is amazing, so he merely nods.
"Chocolate chip cookies with oat. I'm only afraid the oven part will mess it up for her." He says and puts the bowl down. He takes a chunk of dough and tastes it.
"I know these chocolate balls with hulled oats and cocoa powder. They don't need an oven, but they're not really that good either, not without coffee in them, but that's bad for kids. I'm trying vanilla extracts." He finishes and holds up a small bottle marked 'vanilla'.
Kevin smiles at his joyful husband, truly enjoying hearing him talk about something he's so passionate about, even if Kevin doesn't understand half of it. A timer goes off just as he's about to tell Scotty how hot he is with his ladle, and Scotty quickly takes out freshly baked cookies from the oven.
Kevin walks over to them and reaches out to take one. Scotty catches his hand on its way.
"No. They're hot and they're for Kitty. I'll take all the cookies I've made, put them in a small can," he points at some tin cans on the table, "and tape the receipt to the lid. She can taste them all and decide on which she likes."
"So I can't have any?" Kevin says.
"You sound very believable with that voice, like you haven't been fed in a week." Scotty says and nudges his side.
"I'm really in the mood." Kevin says. "For a cookie." He adds.
"You can have one of those." Scotty points at some cookies on a plate. Kevin takes one and tastes it. "It's… good." Kevin says, his mouth full of cookie.
"You know how you put sugar on your cereal in the morning, and salt on your egg?" Kevin nods.
"How we sometimes run out of sugar and don't have more at home?" Kevin nods again. "Then you take something that looks like sugar and puts it in the sugar container?" Scotty holds up the container and Kevin nods.
"That's why you're eating a cookie based on salt, honey." Kevin frowns and puts the rest of the cookie bad on the plate.
"I don't think Kitty would know the difference, though." He says. "Sorry." He says and puts his arms around Scotty's waist. "I was very tired this morning." He kisses Scotty on the mouth.
"Don't worry, we've all made that mistake." Scotty says. "Not me, but I'm sure it's not just you." He laughs at Kevin's pouty expression and kisses the frown off his face. "Now I have to continue, or Kitty will have the choice between charcoal and rocks."
Kevin leaves Scotty alone in the kitchen, figuring one or two cookies will be left over when they have been arranged in the tin cans. When he one hour later returns, the kitchen is again shiny and clean, with no trace of any experimental activity, and Scotty wrapping the cans as a big party popper. The paper keeps escaping and he's got tape stuck to his hand.
"Need a hand?" Kevin asks, enjoying the view a bit more than what he should. Scotty points where he should put his finger and the wrapping just falls into places.
"Wonderful. Now everyone will see which gift is from the gay uncle." Kevin sarcastically points out.
"I'm sure they'll love it." Kevin then adds. "I know I would enjoy some sugar from you." He says and wiggles his eyebrows. Scotty smiles at him.
"Really? Good thing I saved a cookie." Scotty says and picks up a golden cookie from the table. "It's chocolate chips and orange. Very good."
"Can I eat it from your belly?" Kevin asks and kisses Scotty's neck. He can feel Scotty chuckle through the skin.
"I'm counting on it." Scotty replies. "But first, I need to put some wrapping strings on this."
Kevin pouts at him and slides one hand under Scotty's sweater.
"Kevin, you know as well as me that a gift isn't wrapped until the pastel string is added." Scotty lectures and gives Kevin a quick kiss. "Eat your cookie while you wait." He says to Kevin and smiles. "There's plenty more where that came from."