Work Text:
“Repeat it back to me.”
“I won’t forget this time. I promise.”
“Please just humor me.”
Stede sighed, “Check the temperature of the smoker every ten minutes. Try to keep it at 235, but it’s okay if it fluctuates a little bit. Whatever I do, don’t let it go over 250 or below 225. Ed, this is ridiculous. You’re only going to be gone for a couple of hours. The brisket will be fine.”
“Stede, sweetheart, angel, light of my life, I love you more than anything else in the whole world. But last time I asked you to watch the smoker for an hour, you got distracted by two bumblebees sleeping in a flower.”
“My love, I think some slightly dry ribs were worth the darling photos that I got.”
“The photos were super fuckin’ cute, babe. But the motto for good barbecue is ‘low and slow.’ I’ve been smoking this brisket for twelve hours and it’s so close to being perfectly done. I just need you to put all your focus on this while I pick Izzy up from the airport.”
“I won’t let you down, dear. I’ll sit right in front of the smoker and play a game on my phone. I’ll be able to see the clock the whole time, so I won’t forget. ‘Low and slow,’ right, darling?”
~~~~~~
When Ed got home two hours later, Stede was nowhere to be found and the smoker temperature was definitely above 250. He had pulled the brisket from the smoker and set it on the kitchen counter to rest when a flash of blonde caught his eye through the kitchen window.
He found Stede sitting on the ground next to the small pond that bordered their yard. He was softly laughing as four fuzzy yellow ducklings chased each other around. Every so often he would gently pick one up and say something very quietly before setting the little one back down to continue the game.
So, yeah, the brisket was a little dry. But the utterly adorable photo of Stede with baby ducks that Ed saved as his lock screen was totally worth it.