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It was a quiet sort of day, one with no plans, no obligations. Roderich enjoyed these days. It gave him time to himself, time to simply do whatever he pleased. And on this particular quiet day, Roderich had decided to make a cake.
Said cake, a simple chocolate one, was already in the oven, slowly baking, and Roderich, with nothing better to do, sat patiently upon a stool in his kitchen, skimming a book he held in one hand. With the oven on, the room had grown hot, but a small breeze wafted through the window he’d opened earlier, keeping the temperature manageable. It was hard to recall just how long it had been since he’d enjoyed such calming solitude.
Just as Roderich was stifling a yawn, having grown drowsy in the sun, the sound of footsteps behind him brought him to pause, turning to glance over his shoulder with a slight frown. As he did so, he found a pair of friendly arms wrapped around him, a small noise of surprise catching in his throat.
“Roddi! Surprise!” Antonio pulled back, his hands upon Roderich’s shoulders and a bright, beaming smile upon his face.
“Antonio...” Even as he tried to be annoyed by this sudden interruption, being mad at Antonio was something of an impossible feat, especially when he radiated such pure joy. “I didn’t hear you knock.”
Antonio’s laugh was just as bright as his smile. “Oh! That’s I let myself in, that’s why. Sorry! But I figured you wouldn’t mind.”
Roderich figured he minded a little, but kept such thoughts to himself.
Oblivious to any tension, Antonio stepped back, sniffing the air. “Ooh, is that cake I smell? Chocolate?”
With a sigh, Roderich nodded, dog-earing his page in his book before setting it down upon the counter. He’d have to finish it later. “Mm, yes, that’s right. I had nothing planned for the day, so I figured I ought to bake something, since I had the time.” He stood from the stool, pushing his glasses up ever so slightly. “What brings you here? I’m certain you’ve some reason.”
Antonio gave him a look of mock hurt. “Must I have any reason visit other than wishing to see you, corazón? I missed you~”
Roderich returned Antonio’s look with his own skeptical one, trying to ignore the slight heat that rose in his cheeks at the endearing nickname. “Hm. No, I... suppose not.” He averted his gaze. “Well, since you’re here, then, you can help me tidy up.” He gestured to his sink, where his tools from preparing the cake sat unwashed, along with other dishes from his past few meals. His plan had been to worry about it later, not particularly in the mood to do the dishes, but with Antonio here, perhaps the task would be simpler.
“Oh, of course! I’m happy to help!” With an air of determination, Antonio rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. “Let’s get to work!”
And so, together, they began to tackle Roderich’s fairly large pile of dishes. They worked in silence for a bit, save for the soft humming from Antonio. Roderich would never say it out loud, but it was incredibly endearing. From time to time he would look up from the plate he was drying to glance at the other man from the corner of his eyes. Somehow, even doing the dishes, Antonio managed to look handsome.
Before his mind could wander, Roderich looked away, slightly flushed, and focused in on his plate.
But it seemed Antonio had caught him looking, because it wasn’t long before Roderich noticed those bright eyes on him, and he looked back with a slight frown. “...What is it?”
Antonio smiled innocently. “Oh, nothing. Just thinking, is all.” A pause, then the smile turned slightly mischievous. “Eres tan lindo, mi corazón~”
A bright blush heated Roderich’s cheeks, and he stumbled over his words a moment. “P-Pardon?”
“Mm~?” Antonio hummed, leaning forward a bit. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten your Spanish, tesoro?”
“No--” This man was going to be the end of Roderich. “I just...”
“Just what?” Antonio looked smug now, his eyes playful.
With a huff, Roderich turned back to focus on the plate in his hands. “Nothing, you’re distracting me.”
“Aw, don’t be like that!” Antonio practically whined. Roderich heard the water in the sink stop, then there was a body behind him and arms around his waist. “Eres hermosa, Roderich, tan hermosa, vida mía~”
Surely by now Rodeirch’s face was a bright red, and he huffed, trying to wiggle away from Antonio. “Oh stop that, you flatterer,” he mumbled. But even as he said that, there was a hint of a smile on his lips.
“Flatterer? Who, me?”
Sighing, as if to show his frustration, Roderich set down his plate and turned so he could face Antonio, all the while still held in his arms. “Yes, you. You’re a damn flatterer who’s trying to distract me.”
Antonio laughed, and Roderich felt his heart flutter from the sound of it. “You say that as if you’re mad, but you’re smiling~”
Once again Roderich was tripping over his words. “Well--” he stuttered, trying his best to stow away the traitorous affection in his expression. “Well. Yes.” All he could do was concede, knowing full well there was no stop to Antonio’s antics. “Now if you’ll stop this nonsense, I do believe the cake is ready, so I’ll cut us a slice.”
There was that laugh again. “Okay, okay, if you say so~” Antonio moved as if to release Roderich from his arms, but not before leaning in closer, peering at him with those bright eyes of his.
“Besame, por favor.”
There was a pause, then Roderich, unable to stop from smiling slightly, leaned in, pressing his lips gently upon Antonio’s. Together they lingered there, time stopping briefly in the warm, summer kitchen. When Roderich pulled away, Antonio leaned in to capture his lips again. He felt a hand thread into his hair.
“Antonio,” he murmured, chuckling softly against him. “The cake will burn.”
“Mm, I know...” Still, Antonio didn’t move. “...Uno mas?”
Roderich sighed, smiling fondly still despite himself. “...Alright. Uno mas.”