Chapter Text
Patrick enters the cottage, brushing the snow off of his shoulders, happy to be home after a long day at the store. He stayed after they’d closed to work on some paperwork. David had tried to stay with him, but Patrick sent him home to relax, knowing that he’d be too distracted to focus on the paperwork with David buzzing around the store. Now, he was looking forward to spending the evening snuggled up with his husband in front of their fireplace, watching whatever Hallmark Christmas movie David had picked for them. He walks into the kitchen to find, not his husband, but a large cardboard box sitting on the counter.
“David?” he calls. His husband appears, dressed in his soft joggers and an oversized hoodie that is undoubtedly from a fancy designer. Patrick started keeping a spreadsheet of designers to try to learn, but it’s hard to keep track.
“Hi honey, how’s the paperwork?” David asks, wrapping his arms around Patrick and planting a kiss on his lips. Patrick slides his arms around David’s waist. He loves when David greets him like this, always marvels at how well they fit together.
“It’s good, got it all done,” he says. David hums in response and presses another, deeper kiss on his husband’s lips. Patrick pulls back.
“David?”
“Mmhmm?”
“What’s this?” David looks over at the box Patrick is gesturing to and bites his lip.
“Okay, don’t be mad.” Patrick rolls his eyes.
“I love when you start sentences that way.”
“Hush. Okay, remember the other night when we were talking about the perfect cup of hot chocolate?” He does. They’d both said that making it with milk was the only correct choice, but had agreed on little else. Patrick was more inclined to a traditional plain chocolate with exactly five mini-marshmallows while David insisted the perfect cup of hot chocolate came from a small coffee shop in New York and was spiced with cinnamon and chili.
“Yes, and I still don’t understand what’s wrong with the Carnation packets.”
“They’re incorrect!”
“My parents used to always make hot chocolate with them when we went camping, David.”
“That doesn’t make it okay!”
“But what does that have to do with this large box on our counter?” Patrick redirects with a smirk.
“I may have gotten us a present,” David replies.
“Oh?”
“Okay, just open the box.” Patrick laughs and kisses David lightly on the cheek, then disentangles himself from his husband to locate a knife to open the box. Once he gets through all the packing tape, he pulls out a navy blue box patterned in silver and gold stars with the words “Hot Chocolate Advent Calendar for Two” in gold print. He looks over at David quizzically.
“It’s an advent calendar with different flavors of hot chocolate for us to try,” David says, clearly excited about it.
“Really, David? This seems really fancy. What’s wrong with just chocolate?” Patrick asks.
“I thought it would be fun,” David says, face falling a bit. “It’s dumb, though, sorry.” Patrick moves to wrap his arms back around his husband and kisses him again.
“It’s not dumb, David,” Patrick says, settling his hands on David’s hips. David isn’t looking at him, still feels tense under his grip. Patrick reaches up to cup David’s cheek in his hand, turning his husband’s gaze back towards him. “Hey. David, I’m sorry. You’re right. Tell me more about it.”
David sighs, bringing his arms back up around Patrick’s neck.
“There’s twelve different flavors,” he says, leaning into Patrick’s embrace. “We can try one each day. I thought we could rate them?”
“That does sound like fun. I can make a spreadsheet.”
“You and your spreadsheets!” David rolls his eyes fondly.
“You think my spreadsheets are hot,” Patrick teases, kissing David’s neck lightly.
“No, I think you are hot. Your spreadsheets are baffling.”
“Sure, David,” Patrick answers, laughing. “So, do you want to start tonight?”
“No, let’s do it tomorrow. Give you time to set up your l’il spreadsheet.”
“Now that’s hot.”