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Tom was at home, making dinner for himself and his boyfriend, Diego. He was off work today, and wanted to surprise Diego since it's usually him who cooks the meals.
Tom struggled to find what he should make. Diego likes a lot of things, so he knew anything he made would've been good enough for him. But he didn't want ‘good enough.’ He wanted it to be perfect.
After searching through many cook books, Tom settled on a macaroni casserole Miriam taught him to make. It should've been easy, but of course, perfectionism is a curse.
Tom was very critical of the ingredients. Nothing too much, nothing too little. Diego deserves nothing less than perfect. He watched and analyzed the recipe video very closely. Exactly 2 tablespoons of this. Exactly two cups of that. Spot on with the recipe.
The casserole was in the oven spot on too. Not too long, not too short. He stared and watched as the casserole baked and made sure it was the exact color and texture it was meant to be. He pulled it out immediately as the timer went down.
It looked exquisite. Zaid would shed a tear if he saw this. Perfectly crispy, soft and lush like a pillow, smells absolutely mouth watering. Diego's going to love it.
—
While watching TV and waiting, Tom finally heard the front door open. Excited, he rushed to the doorway to greet his boyfriend.
But when he saw Diego, he noticed he didn't seem so great. In fact, he seemed on the verge of tears. “Hey… babe,” Tom said, confused.
Diego looked up at Tom, and at the very moment he just broke. Tom instantly went into comfort mode. He took Diego in his arms as the latter cried into his shoulder. He doesn't know what's wrong, but he doesn't care. All he knows is that Diego needs him right now.
—
“He… passed. Today,” Diego says, in reference to a cat at the animal shelter. His name was Stuffing. Short, white cat, very fluffy, pretty old. Diego knew his time was coming soon, but he really didn't know how to prepare himself to say goodbye. And when the time came, he didn't know what to do. Or what to think.
“I'm sorry to hear that,” Tom says.
“Animals unfortunately die all of the time at the shelter,” Diego continues. “It's part of the fucked up system. But when Stuffing was gone, it… it reminded me of my Abuelo.”
Tom knew how valuable family was to Diego, so hearing this hurt him, especially knowing that it's for sure hurting Diego. He started to tear up himself.
Diego went on. “Sometimes, I wonder how different things would've been if he stayed just a bit longer. As every day passes, I miss him even more. It's funny, you'd think after 7 years I'd be over him by now.”
“Grief has no time limit, Diego,” Tom said. “Sometimes, I still miss my father, and he was a piece of shit. I can't imagine how awful it would be to lose my mother. I'm so sorry you're feeling this way.”
“Yeah,” Diego says. “It's still hard to take in sometimes. But I know I'll be okay in the end. He would want me to be.”
“Well, if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'm always here,” Tom adds. He hugs and kisses his boyfriend.
“Thanks babe,” Diego says. “It's getting late, I should start making dinner.”
“It's funny you mention that,” Tom says, remembering his casserole.
—
Diego was absolutely delighted by the look of the casserole. It was obvious Tom really took his time on it, and put a lot of thought and care into it.
The taste was even better. It tasted like literal heaven. Diego thought he'd ascend just by having it in his mouth. Chewing it, he could feel the crisp on the outside, and the gooey-ness on the inside. Absolutely perfect.
Seeing Diego's face light up again made Tom appreciate him even more. He was happy he could bring his mood back up to his usual, light hearted self. Tom wanted nothing more than for Diego to be happy.
—
Finishing dinner was probably the easiest task for them both today. They were completely full, and now getting ready for bed.
Diego had just exited the shower, and climbed into bed with Tom. He cuddled up to Tom, the two embracing each other's warmth for the moment. It was a peaceful silence, one of love and comfort.
Diego finally spoke up. “Hey, I wanted to thank you again. For dinner, and being there for me.”
“Babe, with how often you cook dinner, this was the least I could do,” Tom says. “And remember, I'll always be here for you. Why else would we be here?”
The warmth increased with their genuinity. These two really loved each other. With one final loving kiss, Diego turned off the lamp, and the two drifted off to sleep.