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Brock didn’t mind spending his summers in Minnesota, but with a new house and decent enough trainers in town, it made more sense to stay in Vancouver once the season ended. He didn’t think he’d be bothered much, but that changed when he found out that Elias was staying too.
“Yeah, my parents are gonna come visit at the end of the summer.” Elias’s voice crackled over facetime, but Brock could still clearly see him on the screen. His hair was a mess, but he had a small smile on his face that always made Brock flush.
“Sounds like fun. Let me know if they need a better tour guide,” Brock joked. “I’m always willing to show them around.” Brock liked chirping Elias just to see his reactions. He’d roll his eyes, only to fight back a smile. It never failed to make Brock’s chest fill with pride, since it was hard enough to make Elias smile at all.
Once they hung up, Brock walked out to his backyard. The lemon tree was blooming despite it being early June, but he wasn’t too concerned. Coolie came up to him with a tennis ball in his mouth, and he spent the next hour throwing the ball for his dogs to fight over. Once his arm started to hurt, he herded Coolie and Milo inside and turned his tv on, settling in to watch some HGTV-type show. He must’ve fallen asleep at some point, because he woke up to his phone ringing.
“‘Llo?” He asked, still a bit groggy. Elias chuckled on the other line.
“Good evening, sleepyhead,” Elias responded, his tone softer than Brock was quite used to. “I was just calling to ask, do you wanna do dinner together tonight? I’ll cook.”
“I’ll never say no to that.” And it was the truth. Brock loved Elias’ cooking, almost as much as he loved watching him cook. As soon as Brock let Elias in his house, they both made a beeline to the kitchen. This was the exact reason he made sure to keep his fridge and pantry stocked. He never really knew when Elias would be in the mood to eat together, but when he was, Brock wanted to be ready.
Elias moved around the kitchen like he owned it. He practically did, Brock realized as he took a seat at his kitchen table. Every step he took was precise, and he knew where everything was, even though Brock himself sometimes had to open a few drawers and cupboards to find what he wanted. He measured everything quickly and efficiently, and soon enough there was salmon in the oven. Brock was almost sad that Elias was done, it was always relaxing to watch him work. Brock’s mind-to-mouth filter must’ve been compromised by his nap, because he found himself blurting the thought out loud.
“Watching you cook is the most relaxing thing I could be doing right now.” As soon as the words left his lips, Brock cringed. That wasn’t a very bros thing to say, but he couldn’t take the words back. Elias turned to look at him, and Brock was relieved to see that small smile on his face.
“I’m glad,” Elias said, leaning back on the counter. “Cooking has always been relaxing for me, but it seems to be even better here.” At that, he glanced down at his feet, and Brock stared with awe as a rose-tinted blush covered Elias’s neck and cheeks. Suddenly, an idea came to him.
“Do you want to make this a picnic?” Elias looked confused at the subject change, but he nodded agreeably and Brock immediately started gathering all of the things they needed. He grabbed two beers, his favorite for himself and some Finnish kind he had imported after Elias mentioned that it made his homesickness a little less painful. Yeah, he had to fill out some forms and get a permit, but it was worth it whenever Elias’s face split into a grin when Brock brought him one. He also grabbed a blanket and began to set up a space for them beside the lemon tree. When he was done, Elias was plating the salmon and some fresh asparagus he had convinced Brock to buy at the local farmer’s market. Brock grabbed a plate and led Elias outside.
Once they were seated, Brock found himself hesitating to dig in. All he could focus on was the way the sun gleamed through Elias’s hair as it just began to set, and the way the light danced across his cheekbones. It took him a moment too long to realize that Elias was looking at him with a concerned expression, but before he could speak Brock simply smiled and began to eat. Everything was delicious, as always, and Brock groaned around a mouthful of salmon.
“This is delicious, thanks man.” Elias shrugged, taking a bite of his asparagus. They ate in relative silence, the only sounds coming from the birds flying around them. Once Brock was done, he set his plate aside and laid down, watching the sun as it dipped lower. He wasn’t exactly surprised when Elias laid close enough for their arms to touch, but it still sent a shiver down his spine.
“Every time I come here, the tree seems just a little bit bigger.” When Brock glanced over at him, Elias wasn’t watching the sun. He was staring up at the tree, as if he was counting each blossom that was growing. A single blossom fell off the tree and landed between them. Elias picked it up, and then the next one that fell, and the next. In moments, he had a handful of blossoms, and Brock was once again in awe as they slowly molded themselves into a laurel. He looked at Elias’s face, only to find him looking back, eyes soft with fondness.
“Here, sit up.” Brock did as he was told, Elias mirroring him until they were sitting cross-legged, facing each other. Brock felt his face burn as Elias leaned in, slow and close, to put the laurel on his head. When it was in place, Elias’s fingertips trailed down his cheeks until they stopped at Brock’s chin. Elias rested one palm on Brock’s cheek right as Brock placed a hand on the back of Elias’s neck, and then they were kissing. There was nothing urgent, just a close-mouthed meeting of lips, but something burned through Brock all the same. It was all-encompassing, and he couldn’t help but gently pull Elias closer until he was sitting in Brock’s lap. The kiss remained gentle, though a bit more open, and Elias wound his arms around Brock’s neck. When they pulled apart, Brock couldn’t help but smile. The sunset surrounded Elias’s form, and his face glowed almost as bright as his eyes. It was a beautiful sight, and Brock wanted to save it forever. Elias pressed one last kiss to his lips before gently pushing Brock to lay down. Elias rested his head on Brock’s chest, wrapping an arm around his waist. Brock held him close and felt his heart fill with warmth. He belonged here, under his tree as the sun set with Elias in his arms. He was home.