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Dom shifted back just a little, his expression shifting back to a soft smirk, and he shoved one hand into the pocket of his jeans. “Probably. I tried this American cornbread recipe and somehow, I’ve got the dough stuck in really weird places.”
Shiloh couldn’t help his small grin as he glanced at the yellowish stains on Dom’s front. Shiloh always loved him in his chef’s whites. It did things to his insides he tried to only think about when he was by himself in the shower and feeling brave enough to risk perving on his best friend.
Not that he’d ever tell Dom.
“You can wash up and I’ll meet you in my room. Dad’s on his way out.”
“Yeah, he caught me before he took off. He’s got a date, hasn’t he?”
Shiloh’s eyes widened as he squinted at the figure of his best friend. “Did he say that to you?”
“No, but he looked really smart. He was wearing his nice shirt and those jeans we made him buy last spring.”
Shiloh’s cheeks went hot. God, what would it be like if his dad started proper dating? If he brought home some woman to love and marry? Would she…oh fuck, would she be his stepmum?
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’m looking forward to your rant,” Dom said, then laughed himself all the way to the back bedroom where Shiloh could only just hear the water running in the sink.
He turned back to the food, quickly realizing it was starting to smell a bit burnt, and he dropped it all into one bowl. More often than not, Dom ate off his plate, so Shiloh stopped dirtying two. He stuck two sets of chopsticks on the side, then fumbled around until he found his glasses, slipping them over his nose.
It was nice to see a bit more clearly, though his headache started to remind him it hadn’t totally gone away. But the trade-off was that he’d get to see Dom properly for a bit, and every little throb of pain was worth that.
Balancing the tea tray on the palm of one hand, Shiloh made his way into his bedroom and saw his covers were already mussed. He heard Dom at the sink, singing off-key to some pop song Sarah was always blasting in her car.
Shiloh could picture him perfectly, swaying and bouncing to the beat as he scrubbed dough from his fingernails, and it left him with a warm longing deep in the pit of his chest. Did people actually get over that feeling? Was it possible to let go and move on?
As it was, the thought of not loving Dom this way was the same as trying to cut off his own foot. Was it possible? Sure, in theory, but the pain was enough that his brain prevented him from being able to actually do it.
He sighed to himself, and just as he was setting the tray on the bed, he heard Dom’s footsteps. Turning his head, he was just in time to see his best friend’s figure fill the doorframe. Shiloh’s eyes drifted up, and he caught the edge of Dom’s smile.
“God, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”
“I haven’t heard that phrase since the eighties,” Shiloh pointed out, trying his best to ignore the way those words made his heart thud in his chest.
Dom laughed, walking over and yanking Shiloh into a firm hug. He buried his nose in Shiloh’s messy curls and let out a contented hum. “You were barely alive in the eighties, darling.”
“My point stands,” Shiloh grumbled. He basked only as long as he could stand it before gently pushing Dom away. “Come on. You must be starving.”
“I wasn’t until I smelled your cooking,” Dom said, then jumped onto the bed, only narrowly missing the tea tray. “Have you got drinks?”
Shiloh went over to the little mini fridge he’d brought home with him years back when he’d returned from uni. He kept it in his room only to avoid a broken ankle from stumbling around the kitchen at three in the morning when he was dying of thirst.
“Some peach squash Jules left here that I don’t think he’s coming back for, ginger beer, and…” He ducked down farther and squinted to try and see what was at the very back. “One dodgy looking Coke that might be a couple years old.”
“I’ll have that. I’m feeling risky tonight,” Dom said.
Shiloh rolled his eyes but grabbed it from the back and set it on the nightstand before climbing up on the bed. Dom was already sitting with his back pressed to the headboard, his legs stretched out, looking far too much like he was where he belonged. The worst part was Shiloh could reach out and touch him. He could curl up in Dom’s arms. He could pull the blankets over them and beg to stay like that forever, and Dom would happily agree.
He’d hold Shiloh like he didn’t want to be anywhere else in the world, and that would be amazing if Shiloh didn’t know that Dom would use that same enthusiasm when trolling dating apps to get his rocks off. And even that wouldn’t feel so terrible if Shiloh didn’t know for a fact that someday Dom would find someone who made him feel the same way Shiloh felt right then: needy, desperate, and content.
“Are you hungry, love?” Dom asked quietly.
Shiloh realized he’d closed his eyes against the pain in his chest. He nodded, forcing himself to look at Dom and smile. “Starving actually.” He pulled the tray between them and offered Dom a set of chopsticks before picking up his own. Once they were settled, he removed his glasses and the world settled into an even foggier blur, easing some of the pain in his temples. “Too bad you didn’t bring some of that cornbread. It might have tasted nice with this.”
“Mm,” Dom said, his mouth full. “Doubt it. I had to chuck the lot. I mean, I might have actually gotten it right since people do have weird taste in things, but I want to believe it was an epic failure.”
Shiloh laughed softly as he poked at his runner beans. “What’s the experiment for?”
Dom chewed and swallowed another massive bite before he answered. “You know Kellen?”
