Russell stared at him and blushed a very deep crimson. Danny was standing in the kitchen and had three pots on the cooker, and the oven was also running.

“Seriously, you could at least say ‘Hi’ after coming in before you start complaining.” Danny stared into one of the pots and stirred. Russell swallowed and dropped his backpack. “I’m sorry…” He said meekly. “I... Oh fuck, Danny, I’m sorry.”

Danny frowned at him. “Hi.” “Hi Danny,” Russell muttered and stepped closer, shoulders hunched. “Thanks for cooking.” “Really?” Danny asked tonelessly. “Danny, I’m sorry, okay?”

Danny looked up. “Seriously, Russ, I know you hate Brussels sprouts, but was that necessary?” “No.” Russell wasn’t quite done with his blush even if it wasn’t deep crimson anymore. “I’m sorry.”

The frown still on his face, Danny stirred in a pot again.

“Danny?” “Hm?” “Are you going to be mad at me for the rest of the evening?”

Now Danny looked up again and sighed. Russell looked absolutely miserable.

“No,” he said. “But you get why I’m miffed?” “I do.” Russell stepped closer and then leaned his forehead against Danny’s upper arm. “I’m sorry.”

Danny sighed again and then kissed Russell’s temple. “Had a shitty day?” “Just busy as fuck. I’m knackered.” Then he looked up. “No reason to take it out on you. I’m really…” “I get it,” Danny said gently. “You’re sorry. It’s okay.”

Russell took a deep breath and pressed his lips together. Then he exhaled again.

“What’s for dinner?” Danny pointed at a printed sheet he had blue-tacked to a cabinet door. “I found that recipe and had to try it, so we’re having chicken drumsticks, hopefully. And mash.” Then he gave Russell a pointed look. “I’m not going to mention those nasty little fuckers again,” Russell said with what was almost a pout.

Now Danny chuckled. “Yeah, I made sprouts, because I like those nasty little fuckers. But I also made peas.” “Peas,” Russell said and smiled. “I do like peas.” “I know.” Danny stirred in a pot. “So we’re both having little green balls on the plate.” He paused. “But my balls are bigger than yours.”

Russell lifted one eyebrow. “That was bad.” Danny looked at him and nodded.

A moment later they both laughed.

Then Russell headed into the bathroom and changed into sweatpants and a hoodie while Danny laid the table. The chicken drumsticks turned out really nice, but Russell watched Danny eat his sprouts with a shake of his head. They had stopped discussing about the proper way to eat them – not at all as far as Russell was concerned – but Russell was still not over the way Danny ate them.

He had a tube of tomato purée, and each and every one of those nasty little fuckers got a little cap of tomato purée before he started eating. It looked endearing, but tomato purée or no, Russell didn’t touch them with a ten foot pole.

“I still can’t imagine that tomato purée makes them any better,” Russell said as he watched Danny decorate his sprouts. “They taste great like this.” “I’d rather screw a cactus than eat one of those things.”

Danny snorted and put the lid back on the tube.

“Why are you even eating them like this?” Danny speared one of the sprouts with his fork. “I’ve always eaten them like this.” “How can anyone even come up with that?” Chewing with gusto, Danny shrugged. “I think my mum came up with it,” he said after swallowing. “To make me eat them as a little boy. Apparently, it worked.”

Russell eyed Danny’s plate and the lined up Brussels sprouts with little red caps and shook his head.

They ate in silence, but not because they didn’t know what to say but because they were both busy with the chicken drumsticks for the moment.

In the end, Russell dropped the last bone onto his place with a sigh.

“Thanks. That was great.” “You want another one?” “Only if you want to scrape what’s left of me off the walls.” Russell mournfully eyed the plate with the two last drumsticks.

Danny grinned and got up, and they carried the dishes and pots back into the kitchen and did the dishes together. Once Danny had switched on the dishwasher, they settled down on the sofa.

“You wanna watch Simple Minds?” Danny ask as he took the remote. “Nah,” Russell curled up in the corner of the sofa. “Don’t feel like Rom Com. You?” “There’s this documentary about... no, that’s already over.” Danny looked up at Russell who had his eyes closed. “Do you maybe just want to go to bed?”

Russell opened his eyes. “No. It’s just after eight.” “You look tired as fuck.”

Russell sat up and shuffled closer, and Danny put an arm around him. After snuggling into his embrace, Russell sighed and nuzzled Danny’s cheek. The latter turned his head, and their lips met in a gentle kiss.

“Maybe we could... do something else?” Russell asked after they had parted. “As in?” Danny toyed with one of Russell’s curls. “I could maybe...” Russell lowered his eyelids and let one hand sneak up Danny’s thigh. “To make up for earlier?”

Danny let go of the curl. “What? The Blowjob of Forgiveness?” Russell nodded and swallowed audibly with slightly puffed cheeks. “Russ...” Danny sighed and brushed a handful of hair out of Russell’s face. “It’s appreciated, but I’m not really into blowjobs where the person who’s doing the blowing is yawning around my dick.”

Russell let himself fall against the backrest. “We haven’t had sex this whole week!” “Yes, we’re turning into monks,” Danny said with a chuckle. “Come on, you’ve been at work every day, and you had a busy week. So you just go to bed and tomorrow we can make use of a whole Saturday just for ourselves.” “You’re back in uni again on Monday and then we’ll both be knackered every night,” Russell said with a pout. “Yes, but it doesn’t matter if we’re both knackered or only one of us is, sex isn’t really happening either way.”

Russell leaned forward and rubbed a hand down his face.

“Go to bed.”

With a heavy sigh, Russell got up and headed into the bathroom.

Danny stared listlessly at the TV and tried a few other channels, but there was nothing that caught his interest. TV3 had an oldie night and while Danny contemplated watching Jaws, Russell came back and yawned.

“Night?” Danny looked at him over his shoulder. “Good Night, Russ.” “Are you coming anytime soon?” After staring at the screen for a moment, Danny looked at Russell again. “Actually, I could come along, if you don’t mind me reading for a bit.” “Not at all.” Russell smiled at him.

When Danny was ready for bed Russell was already curled up under the blanket, but he shuffled closer as Danny got comfortable. Adjusting his book, Danny threaded his fingers into Russell’s hair and toyed with it while reading, and it didn’t take long before Russell’s breathing slowed down.

Danny kept his fingers in Russell’s hair for as long as he was reading, gently caressing the curls, until he shut the book and put it down next to his phone before switching of his bedside lamp. He settled down, adjusted his blanket and turned onto his side. With a small, fond smile he reached out to pluck a curl from Russell’s face that was teetering in front of his nose and trembled with every breath.