Love is …
'Good morning Pittsburgh. You're listening to Radio Liberty Avenue on this fine Tuesday morning. Hope you're getting a special treatment for Valentine's day. And for all you singles out there, there's a lonely hearts evening at Woodies if you want to try your luck. Or drown your sorrows in a big glass of Mojitos. Today's special Valentine cocktail is 'Jizz in a cup'. To set the mood right, here's Bryan Adam's 'Everything I do, I do it for you'…
The melodic tune got abruptly cut off when a heavy hand hit the snooze button. A man grumbled dissatisfied from underneath the silk covers. 'Urgh' Ted moaned. 'Why is the world so fucking loud at this ungodly hour.'
He slid the covers off his body and groaned loudly as soon as the cold air in the apartment hit his body. He got up, put on his slippers and walked – no, stumbled – to the bathroom. He turned on the light and - again – groaned loudly as the bright lights attacked his sleep filled eyes. One thing was clear. Theodore Schmidt didn't do mornings. At least not before the first cup of coffee.
Another thing Theodore Schmidt didn't do is Valentine's day. He's spent the majority of his life being repulsed by that day. He's spent most Valentine days either on his couch jacking off to some questionable cheap porn or out on the town with Emmett, where he usually got rejected by every man he laid his eyes on. Even now that he's in a relationship, V-day still left him with a lot of bitterness and sadness.
He looked up into the mirror and noticed his greying hair, droopy eyelids and wrinkles. 'Another Valentine, another wrinkle' he whispered to no one in particular. He splashed water in his face, to wake him up and to try and wash away the foul mood he was in.
Twenty minutes later he exited the bathroom, freshly washed and fully clothed. Unfortunately his foul mood refused to budge.
He looked at the bed and found it empty. He frowned, his nose wrinkling as he did. Blake usually sleeps in when he's got the day off work. Yet the elusive silhouette of his beaux was missing. A thought occurred and he rolled his eyes in the most dramatic matter. He had overlooked one tiny little detail: Blake loved Valentine's day. He may present himself as a bit of a cynic but Blake, he was a romantic at heart. He just never had the opportunity to fully express it. Until now.
Once more, Teddy groaned. He didn't mind Blake's romantic side. In fact it nurtured his soft side and little by little, Blake had calmed his highly gloomy mind. He just didn't like pretending he loved being surprised, on Valentine's day of all days. He didn't like to fake his smiles and laughs. Especially not to Blake.
He would though. Because one thing he hated more, was hurting Blake. 'Rats,' he cursed. 'Now I have to pretend I like roses and that they don't prick my thumb every single time.'
Begrudgingly he made his way to the tiny living room. His eyes widened like saucers at the sight before him: his gorgeous Blake in front of his stove cooking up a hearty breakfast. He could only see Blake's torso, as his bottom half was cut off by the countertop. He was wearing the 'kiss the chef'-apron he bought him on his birthday but he could tell he wasn't wearing a shirt as one of his nipples was visible. 'So I guess we're not going to the Diner for breakfast?'
Blake smiled widely. 'Nope,' he said, nearly sang. Ted never could believe how incredibly cheerful Blake could be in the morning. 'I figured I would cook my grumpy man some breakfast. It is Valentine's day after all.'
'Is it really?' Ted replied as he gathered his things for work, carefully placing tons of papers into his neatly organised briefcase. 'I did think I heard the old hobo screaming at cupids outside the window.'
'Har har har' Blake mockingly laughed. 'Come here, love.' He said with his arms wide open, in one hand holding a spatula. Ted repressed another groan as he saw droplets of grease dripping on the floor.
Ted couldn't help but smirk at Blake's youthful enthusiasm and undying optimism. He came closer to the kitchen and saw the effort his young lover had gone through. The table was beautifully made: red table cloth, white cotton napkins, plates and cutlery neatly placed, coffee pot full and hot, orange juice in shiny glasses and fruit salad in tiny white bowls. Little sparkly stars decorated the table and enhanced the colours of the table. Not even Ted and his gloomy heart could resist to smile. His eyes wandered from to table to Blake, still with that same goofy smile on his face and for the first Ted noticed Blake's bare legs and feet sticking out underneath his apron. 'Blake … are you cooking in the nude?'
'Of course I am!' Blake exclaimed. 'I figured I'd cook you a hot breakfast: eggs, baked beans … and I wanted to make you sausages too, but we didn't have any. So I guess you'll just have to eat me instead.' His goofy smile turned naughty and his eyes twinkled delightfully. Ted, in return, laughed heartily and for the first time he felt the foul mood lift. Blake turned around, giving Ted a glance of his bare behind, and wiggled his hips as he flipped over the omelette he was making.
Forty minutes, a hot breakfast and a fast quickie later Ted and Blake were walking down the street. Blake had insisted to walk Ted to work, wanting to spend as much time as possible with his man. Arms entangled, they strolled down a little road filled with shops, neither men wanting to hurry. 'Brian is going to kill me,' Ted thought. 'For being late for work. But he still owes me from last week.'
Ted remembered how the firm was trying to book this multimillion client the previous week. He had been stalling the man for a good half an hour because Brian was busy fucking the new intern in the supply closet. However, Ted was impressed at how Brian came in and looked as if nothing had happened. As he walked out of the room and gave Brian the reigns again, he saw the intern shuffling about with his fly undone and hair in disarray. He grinned as he saw him twitch every time he sat down or got up off his chair.
'What are you grinning about?' Blake asked.
Ted immediately snapped out of his train of thought. 'I just remembered I need a word with the new intern.'
'Intern huh,' Blake said. 'Should I be worried?'
Ted snorted. 'As if.'
Blake ignored the comment and pointed at some advertisements in the window of a store. You couldn't not notice the store. It was pink, covered in heart shaped balloons, red ribbons and colourful confetti on the ground. In the middle of the window was a giant cut-out board that read 'Love is … buying her the biggest diamond'.
'See,' Ted exclaimed. 'This is why I HATE Valentine's day. It's not about love. It's about how much cash they can squeeze out of ordinary people who've deluded themselves into thinking that …'
Before Ted had a chance to rant, Blake had kissed him. Sweetly and briefly, but it was enough to take their breath away. 'Did you just kiss me to shut me up?'
'Yes' Blake replied. 'I refuse to let you rant today. Fuck them, fuck the stores and fuck their jewellery. Fuck the world. I want to celebrate you. Me. And us.'
Stunned, Ted blinked in surprise. 'Love is …' he started.
'Shutting your man up with kisses.' Blake added. He laughed then quietened down as he stared at Ted, perhaps for a moment too long because he saw Ted mouth the words 'what is it?'.
'Nothing,' Blake stuttered. He never used to get nervous around guys. But Ted had always been different. 'It's just you. I love how your nose scrunches up when you're overthinking stuff.'
'I've been told I do that,' Ted replied sheepishly. 'By Emmett mostly. He said it gives me a bit of a special look. And not special as in precious.'
Ted laughed but Blake remained silent. 'I think it's cute. I think you're just beautiful.'
'Yeah, I'm a regular Brian Kinney. Even when I tried to be him, I couldn't pull it off.'
'Fuck Teddy,' Blake whined. 'Don't you get it? You're stunning. I've been telling you all this time and you still won't believe me. What does Kinney have that you don't?'
'A good job' Ted replied.
'You were accountant of the week at your old workplace!' Blake countered.
'I got fired for watching gay porn on the job.' Ted flatly said.
'You won awards with your porn site!' Blake returned, his ears reddening as he got angry with Ted's reluctance to just accept the fact that he was just not that bad of a person.
Ted snorted and just said 'Porn king arrested'. Blake got the clue, internally face-palming himself for not remembering.
'It's no use is it?' Blake despaired. 'You're just never ever going to believe that someone will think you're stunning.' He retreated his arm from the embrace and stood before him, his eyes burning with determination.
'Do you know why you're beautiful to me?'
'Could it be the long lashes?' Ted joked.
'Love is … picking up a guy you've just met off the floor of Babylon after being a stupid prick and OD'ing on Meth.'
Stunned, Ted looked at his lover, his one and only. 'Brian Kinney would have fucking walked all over me.' Blake added. 'But you, Theodore Schmidt, didn't. You cared enough for me, when no would. You, Teddy Schmidt, gave a fuck. And after all this time, it's still you. You still care about and for me. You still love me. I've never known that from anyone but you.'
Ted didn't have a reply ready so he just kissed Blake on the cheek. 'If I had one wish for you,' Blake whispered. 'It would be that you could see yourself like I see you.'
'I'm not perfect.' Ted whispered back.
'I never wanted you to be.' Blake retorted. 'Perfection is boring.' He added with his typical charming smile.
Ted smiled with him, as if he ever could hold back the bubble of happiness that Blake always made him feel. 'Thank you.'
Blake's smile faltered. 'For what?'
Ted took Blake's hand in his as they continued walking down that road, leaving the little horrifying shop behind them. 'For being you.'
'It's all I can be.' Blake stated. 'It's all I have to offer.'
Ted laughed. 'Good. It's all I've ever wanted.'
Blake gave him a mock-shock look, his hand covering his mouth. 'Sappy lovey dovey words coming from Mr Anti-Valentine? Well, I am honoured.'
They laughed, not so much because the situation was funny but because they were relieved the conversation wasn't so heavy and serious anymore.
At the corner of the road, they both let go of each other's hand since their stroll had come to an end. 'Well have a good day at work.' Blake said. 'And hurry up when you're done.' Another one of those infamous naughty smiles resurfaced.
'Why, are you going to shower me with rose petals and chocolate soufflé?' Ted asked, this time without any hint of sarcasm or mock in his voice.
'No Teddy,' Blake answered. 'I just thought you'd want to hurry home so I can completely and utterly ravish you.' Blake winked and leaned in closer, his hand hovering over Ted's groin for just one second. 'Enjoy work with that hard-on.'
'How am I suppose to work when all the blood is somewhere else than my brain?' he whispered with a hint of amusement.
Blake shrugged. 'Think of Debbie in an orange sombrero and pink fishnet tights.'
An expression of bemusement, disgust and sheer shock graced Ted's face. 'Wow' was the only thing he could say. As he snapped out of his trance he felt Blake kiss his cheek one last time and he saw him walk away. He smiled and thought 'maybe Valentine's day isn't that bad after all … not with Blake by my side.'
He turned around, goofy smile plastered on his face, and groaned as he saw Brian waiting by the door.
'Nice of you to show up.' Brian said. 'Did you remember to bring my coffee?' he added in a mocking tone.
'Yeah, I've shoved it up my ass to keep it warm.' Ted retorted. 'Ask the intern. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to please your every need.'
'Now why would I do that, Theodore' Brian asked, a perplexed expression on his face. 'I've already fucked him once. That's enough.'
'Not even for Valentine's day?' Ted asked. 'Share a little love on the day of lovers?'
'Fuck me,' Brian cursed, his eyes rolling back. 'Have you been talking to Michael? Next you're going to ask me for the day off.'
'Well …' Ted started.
'Did you bring me my coffee?' Brian blankly stated.
'I'll get you the Dillan-Foster file you wanted yesterday.' Ted replied.
Brian nodded, satisfied and amused. 'Such a clever boy' he declared as he patted Ted on the head.
Teddy kept on smiling nonetheless, slightly unnerving Brian. Today, not even Brian's teasing would get him out of his good mood.