"Carlos," Cecil said slowly, "is this...?"
"They're rice noodles." Carlos assured him, glancing over at his partner as he continued to stir the peanut sauce. "Pad Thai doesn't use wheat or wheat by-products." He paused to taste the sauce, licking his lips appreciatively, and smiled, "That's why it's my favourite."
"Did your mother make it?" Cecil asked, his curiosity child-like and innocent. He touched Carlos' shoulder as he came closer, sniffing at the sauce with wide bright eyes. His grip on the scientist tightened momentarily before he impetuously reached forward with a finger and dipped it in the sauce without pause for how hot the liquid would be. He licked the sauce away quickly, delighted, and cried, "Carlos, what a delicious flavour!"
"It's not too shabby..." Carlos laughed, looking Cecil in the eye. "The real stuff is better. I was at a physics conference in Thailand, and they sold it in stalls on the street." Carlos sighed, remembering the fresh smell of authentic Pad Thai and the bustle of the busy city. "You would have loved it; all those people, all that energy..."
"It sounds neat," Cecil conceded, smiling up at Carlos as the scientist slwoly stopped stirring in his reminiscence. "but I'm quite happy here. Besides, Studio Management aren't fond of me taking trips."
Carlos frowned momentarily, and Cecil felt his tomach sink. "Pity," He shrugged, tentatively testing a long thin noodle. He chewed casually, slowly, and his uncertain expression gave way to glee. "dinner's ready!" Carlos was suddenly alive with a burst of excitement that made Cecil give his perfect partner some room to move. He was a blur of strainign noodles and covering sauces and getting the bowls and chopsticks and tableware out, making Cecil laugh at Carlos' eagerness to eat together.
It wasn't that Cecil didn't feel the same; he was thrilled that his perfect Carlos would share his favourite food with him. However, the sudden energy and initiative was unlike anything Carlos usually exhibited, and that warmed Cecil's entire body. Carlos was putting so much effort into a little dinner, having cleared the bunsen burners and science paraphenalia away from the tiny kitchen, and he had almost literally swept Cecil off his feet.
If he did so literally, Cecil knew he wouldn'ty be able to contain himself.
Suddenly, two strong and warm hands took his and Cecil snapped to attention to find Carlos hold his hands tightly- eagerly- nervously?! Cecil glanced behind Carlos at the tiny tray and mismatched bowls, blushing gleefully at the obvious effort the scientist had put into the meal, and was puzzled by the teapot and bowl-like cups stacked beside it.
"What are the cups and pot for?" Cecil asked curiously, tryign to ignore the damp sweat forming on Carlos' hands as they apporached the cleared lab bench. Cecil looked down at the bowls of noodles, the scent of peanuts and spices wafted upward to his sensitive nose and waking his appetite. They were picturesque, so like the picture in Carlos' cookbook (which Cecil had seen beofre Carlos had hidden it with a dark blush), and entirely perfectly Carlos. "Aren't we eating here?"
"No," Carlos said quickly, releasing Cecil's hands in favour of the tray and teapot. "we're eating somewhere better. The paperwork came through while I was out to lunch." Carlos' ears turned red as he hurried toward the stairs, making Cecil smile at the memory of finding Carlos standing outside his booth with a lavendar coffee and a slice of Big Rico's pizza.
Because, he'd said adorably, blushing like mad, nobody does a slice like Big Rico and Cecil should eat lunch more often. Along with some dry science of how lunch benefitted a person and what exactly went on in your body once you ate.
They walked in a silence buzzing with possibility, Carlos' face redder and redder as they mounted ythe stairs and hurried upwards, Cecil's curiosity brimming and overflowing in a flurry of excited questions for his host. Where were they eating? Why did Carlos need a teapot? Had the paperwork been filed recently or had he been planning this for a long time? Cecil didn't get all the answers he'd hoped for, but Carlos stuttered bashfully that he had been planning this dinner for a very long time and that was enough.
When Carlos paused before the rooftop door, Cecil's heart leapt in his chest. They were close -so very, very close- and now he could feel the heat radiating off Carlos' back.
"Before we go up," Carlos said meekly, glancing back at Cecil with wide nervous eyes. "I want you to make sure you tell me if you don't like it." His oaky voice quavered near-imperceptably as he slowly turned the doorknob and, taking a quick breath, hurried onto the rooftop and out of Cecil's way.
Cecil lost his breath, speechless, as Carlos' broad perfect back gave way to a lamplit rooftop and a pillow of carefully-strewn cushions and a small low table. The stars above them in the sky's endless void twinkled, mirrored in the laqcuered surface of the table, and Cecil struggled to find words to express his delight.
"I knew it!" Carlos groaned, setting the tray down and rubbing his eyes. "You hate it, don't you. You can tell me, Cecil, be honest. It's horrible, isn't it?"
"Carlos..." Cecil whispered, awestruck and clueless as to how his perfect Carlos could think he had done something wrong. "it's... it's so..."
"I know!" Carlos sighed, his hands dropping to reveal a miserable grimace. "It's-" "Perfect!" Cecil finished meaningfully, throwing himself into Carlos' chest and wrapping his arms around the scientist's neck tightly. "I absolutely love it! Something this perfect should be illegal! I wish we could stay up here forever!" He buried his wide grin in Carlos' neck, hugging the other man so tightly his toes barely touched the rooftop, and Carlos spluttered nonsensically against his hair until he finally fell silent. Then Cecil pulled back slightly and grinned at him, "You did all this for me?"
Carlos nodded mutely and averted his eyes, blushing and frowning in confusion. He stiffened and looked back into Cecil's shining eyes anxiously, "You really like it?"
"Yes! Yes!" Cecil laughed, cupping Carlos' face in his hands and smiling sweetly at the endearing concern wrinkling his brow. "A thousand times, yes! I love- mmph!" Cecil jumped when suddenly Carlos' lips caught his in a searing kiss and the older man pulled him closer with a steady ahnd on the back of his neck. Cecil pressed against Carlos lovingly, using his hands to help deepen he kiss, and he felt the tension pour out of Carlos' shoulders as his response to the kiss assured him.
Cecil hadn't realized how worried Carlos had been about his opinion of the rooftop scene until he'd touched him; each muscle seemed taut and strained, but now they loosened under his touch. He wanted to kiss Carlos like this forever, to drown in the taste and touch and feel of him, but his lungs were beginning to burn and Carlos pulled back.
They panted together, still close, and Carlos was the first to speak. "...sorry."
"Don't be!" Cecil said sharply, holding Carlos' cheeks and looking him in the eye. "Kissing isn't a crime yet! Neither is being in love! Being in love means never having to say 'sorry'!" Cecil squished Carlos' cheeks, kissign him again lightly, and hugged him tightly as he struggled to hold back his laughter at Cecil's seriosuly silly lecture. "What's so funny?" Cecil pouted.
"Nothing," Carlos chuckled, pressing his face into Cecil's hair and returning the embrace. "I just love you, that's all. Let's eat,"
"Lets,"