Work Text:
Squeaaaaakkkkkkk!
The harsh sound against the wooden floor caused Cherry to snap out of his relaxed state. Just what is that ape doing now? He had been having a rather nice moment, leaning back in his chair, sipping white wine from a glass. And now the moment was ruined.
“Hey, can you give me a hand with this?” Joe called out, struggling with something . He was barely in Cherry’s line of sight, back to the other man. Cherry sighed, getting to his feet and walking around the counter. The bigger man was standing with his hands on his hips, staring down at some sort of new appliance ?
“What is that?” he asked, curiosity creeping into his voice despite his wishes. He brushed a hand against his husband’s shoulder, leaning down to get a better look at...whatever it was. It looked like something that could be found in convenience stores, the harsh white metal sticking out like a sore thumb against the warm tones of the restaurant’s interior. “You’re not actually thinking of putting that eyesore in here?”
Joe grumbled, turning to face the shorter man. “It’s a gelato display. Like a freezer.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “And I don’t remember asking for your opinion, Precious .” He glanced around his restaurant, searching for the best place to add the appliance.
“You did ask for my help though,” Cherry sniffed, “the opinion comes complimentary.” He bent over, running his fingers across the front of the display. “Ice-cream, huh? I didn’t think you were all that into sweets.”
Joe bristled. “It’s not ice-cream , it’s gelato .” He bent down next to the other, placing his hands on the sides of the freezer. “Can you please just help me with this? It’ll only take a second.”
“Fine.” Cherry moved to the other end of the machine, getting his hands around it as best as he could. “Where are you putting this thing anyway?”
“Lift on three?” Cherry nodded, and Joe took a deep breath. “Ok. One, two, three!” both men grunted as they lifted the freezer, Joe maneuvering backwards out of the kitchen and towards the wine coolers “Right….here…” he gasped, setting the freezer down in front of the two coolers.
Cherry huffed, brushing the hair that had come loose from his ponytail out of his face. “Oh yes,” he eyed the position of the freezer. “That’s just great. ” Joe rolled his eyes, grabbing onto a table that was in the way and moving it. He pushed the cooler against the wall, far enough away from the wine coolers so that they could still be opened without difficulty. Cherry watched as the taller man rearranged the room, making the gelato freezer fit.
Joe stepped back, giving a nod. “That’ll do.” he said, feeling a swell of pride run through him. He turned to Cherry, who was shaking his head. “What?” he asked, annoyance coloring his tone.
The pink-haired man just shrugged, making his way back over to the bar and sitting down. “Are you even sure that you can make ice-cream? You have a recipe?”
“It’s. Gelato .” Joe hissed, fingers curling slightly. He made his way back into the kitchen and knelt down to the hidden refrigerator there. He pulled out a bowl from the freezer section and placed it on the counter, undoing the saran wrap covering it. “And of course I have a recipe, I’m not stupid, Kaoru.” He scooped some gelato from the bowl, placing it in a dish and grabbing a spoon, sliding it to Cherry. “Try it.”
Cherry stared at the bowl, eyes narrowing slightly. “What flavor is this? Will it pair okay with my wine?” He poked at the scoop with his spoon, watching how it shifted.
Joe sighed, taking a seat next to his husband. “It’s just chocolate. And you snob, it doesn’t matter if it pairs with your wine. Most people won’t be eating gelato and drinking wine at the same time, anyway.” He rested his chin in his hand, watching Cherry play with the food. “Just try it. If you don’t like it then I’ll make you something else tomorrow.” He ate some from his own bowl, making a satisfied noise at the taste. “I’m hoping that since the summer months are almost here it’ll get me a lot more business.”
Gold eyes watched closely as Joe ate, and then looked back to his own dish. It couldn't hurt. Cherry tasted the gelato, savoring the burst of dark chocolate on his tongue with a sigh. It didn’t pair badly with his wine at all, but he wasn’t about to tell Kojiro that. “It’s good,” he said softly, a slight smile touching his lips as Joe grinned at him. “Of course, ice-cream isn’t my favorite though.”
“That’s it. I’m getting rid of it.” Joe groaned, slumping onto the counter. “You’ll help me drag the stupid thing out in the morning, right?”
Cherry couldn’t help but laugh at his husband’s dejected look, and he laid his hand on Joe’s shoulder lightly. “I’m only joking, Kojiro.” He leaned over and kissed Joe’s cheek lightly. “I think your gelato is a wonderful addition to the menu.”
Kojiro’s smile lit up the room, and Kaoru felt his heart skip a beat.
Worth it.