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"So, were you supposed to add this much peppermint?"
Giulio sat down at their kitchen table, stirring around a mug full of hot cocoa with a small spoon. Whenever it got cold outside, Ray came to make either tea or, if Giulio insisted. Hot chocolate. Only this time, they didn't have chocolate. He recalled Ray using the last pieces to make these banana muffins coated with sugar that he actually enjoyed.
So, Ray followed a recipe online that used cocoa powder instead. And it was fine; except it called for peppermint extract, which they didn't have. They had almond, which Giulio bought to make cookies. After he thought about it for a bit, he purchased a bottle of peppermint syrup with a pump dispenser. It would work fine, right?
Except, he didn't pay attention while talking to his husband, something that Giulio heard about the archbishop of Capua, and added more pumps than needed. He lost count after three. Ray spooned some into mugs, and Giulio winced at the strong flavor. That's when he knew.
"No. But I'm not throwing all this out." He shrugged, gulping it down like it was no problem. He could handle overly sweet things.
"You can make another batch. Or add more milk."
"Why don't you just add more milk to your mug?"
He rolled his eyes, taking another sip. How did Ray even mess this up? Giulio wasn't the best at cooking, he'll admit, but even he knew how many pumps to add. They just didn't need to be gossiping when he does it.
Once, Giulio burnt a stirring spoon in frying oil after watching Inter Milan play. Completely forgetting it was on the stove, until he could smell plastic burning. He quickly had to set it somewhere, and in a split decision, he chose the floor. The heat broke a tile, and it left a scorch mark on the ground. No matter how long he kept the windows and doors open, the stench of plastic burning lingered in the house for days. God knows how many microplastics they inhaled.
And Ray didn't say anything about it. Simply paused at the doorway, looking at all the open windows, then at the cracked tile surrounded by a black circle. Then he headed inside, and asked how his day was.
Why couldn't he be like that? Why did he have to point out his obvious mistake, in front of him? As a means to humiliate him?
It was his curse, really. Giulio couldn't just let stuff go. He had to get to the bottom of things, and investigate, no matter how complicated it all was. He was a lot like Ray, to that extent.
He drank the cocoa, watching the man scroll through his phone with his own mug in hand. Relaxed. Especially after coming home from dealing with difficult old celibate men all day.
He couldn't apologize. It was foolish to do so, and an irrational fear told him Ray was just going to laugh at him. He wouldn't, but it didn't stop that scenario in his head.
So, he set his mug down after getting through it halfway, leaning down to where his husband was sitting. Ray set down his phone, making a ‘huh?’ noise before Giulio brought him in for a kiss as he sat in his lap. He could taste the peppermint on his lips.
He pulled away, resting his forehead on his. "It was delicious. Thank you, amore."
Ray smiled softly, wrapping his arms around the man's smaller frame. Giulio fit into him perfectly. "Of course, mo chuisle. Do you want me to make you anything else?"
Giulio thought for a moment. Soup would be good, but they just had it yesterday.
"Not really, no." He shook his head. "But I'd appreciate it if we just stayed here."
Ray nodded, relaxed in this state. He wouldn't have to worry about the curia, or anything else, for tonight. "Understood. Holding you here until you get bored."
He chuckled, "Shut up."
“I’m serious. Sooner or later, I’ll have to leave and answer Dean Lawrence. He called me, you know.” He kissed his cheek. “By the did, did you know his niece turned thirteen today?”
Giulio furrowed his brows. This was surprising, though not in what he’d expect. “His family’s still alive?”
“Of course they are, love. Most of our family’s still alive.”
Well, he didn’t mean it like that. “Well, it’s just. It’s hard imagining the Dean in the presence of the youngest member of his family.”
Ray snorted, “Well, I'll be happy to remind you that his sister is pregnant.”
“Wonderful. I’d love to see that baptism.” He paused. “Do you have a picture of her?”
“His sister?” Ray asked, a little confused.
“Yes. I need to see if they have the same tragic eyes.”
Ray started laughing, grabbing his phone again. “I think they have their Christmas photo up. One moment.”
Giulio, at that moment began carding his fingers through Ray’s thinning hair. It was endearing to him, despite his embarrassment at his long forehead. Gives me more room to kiss. He responded that day. And kiss it he did.