Michael had seen humans eat all sorts of things since he arrived on Earth, but there was something about pizza that puzzled him.
For one, it was everywhere. There wasn't a single corner of the city where he didn't see a sign for a pizzeria or a delivery driver carrying one of those flat boxes. And yet, no two pizzas ever looked exactly alike—some had odd circular meats, others dripped with a strange golden liquid, and a few were covered in small, spiny plants that humans insisted were food.
One evening, Michael sat at the kitchen table while Jeremy scrolled through his phone. His mongoose husband had settled quite comfortably into human life, but Michael still had a lot to figure out.
"I keep seeing signs for pizza," Michael said, folding his arms. "Explain it to me."
Jeremy looked up. "It's… pizza?"
"Yes, and what is that?" Michael narrowed his eyes. "I've seen humans eat it with their hands. Sometimes they fold it. Other times they let it dangle dangerously from their fingers. What's the purpose? What's the appeal?"
Jeremy blinked at him, then grinned. "Okay, first of all, pizza doesn't need a purpose. Second, you've never tried it?"
Michael huffed. "Do you think I, a Crown Prince of an entire planet, would waste my time consuming something so—"
Jeremy tapped his phone a few times. "I just ordered a large cheese pizza."
Michael's tail flicked. "I wasn't finished."
"Trust me, you'll thank me later."
Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang. Jeremy retrieved a warm, cardboard box and set it on the table. The smell was overwhelming—Michael caught hints of something yeasty, something savory, and something divine. His ears twitched.
Jeremy flipped open the lid, revealing a golden, cheesy surface. "Alright, moment of truth." He grabbed a slice and held it out. "Go on."
Michael hesitated. He took the slice carefully, watching as the cheese stretched in long, gooey strands. The texture was soft, the weight balanced perfectly between his fingers. He took a tentative bite.
And then another.
And then another.
Jeremy chuckled as Michael devoured the rest of the slice. "Well?"
Michael wiped his mouth, eyes wide. "Why have I not been eating this since the moment I arrived?"
Jeremy laughed. "Told you."
Michael snatched another slice from the box. "We're getting more of these. Immediately."
"Let's finish this one first."
"No," Michael said through a mouthful of pizza. "More. Now.