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“I’m not liking the way this looks,” Carlos grumbled, stepping away from the window where he’d been peeking out at the storm. The plastic blinds crackled when he released them and TK pushed down the urge to fuss about him bending the pieces. It was a pet peeve he'd never been able to get over after years of being scolded for peering through the blinds of rented apartments in the same fashion. As if sensing his frustration, Carlos gently adjusted the bent piece before drawing the curtains over the window. Out of sight, out of mind.
“Do you think it’s gonna get bad? Judd was saying something about tornado weather.”
TK really hated storms. They weren’t an anomaly in New York but something about the humidity of the South and the potential for tornadoes made it worse. Plus past experiences with storms, rain, ice, dust, or otherwise, he was understandably wary of weather that wasn’t sunny and blue skies.
“The news is saying just some bad thunderstorms here, babe. But I’m gonna pull out some candles just in case the power goes out.”
Severe thunderstorms had been brewing in Austin over the last several days with the potential of tornadoes in other parts of the state and it was finally coming to a head. Luckily, TK had just finished his last twenty-four-hour shift for the week and Carlos was finishing up a highly annoying stint on the night shift, so they had a long weekend together to ride out the storm.
Carlos moved across the loft, digging up their abundance of candles that had been thrown into a random drawer during the moving process. Living in Texas his whole life, Carlos had amassed a collection of mismatched tea lights and taper candles only to be used in the event of a power outage.
“It looked pretty nasty when we were out on calls today. When do you think the bottom is gonna fall out?”
His answer didn’t come from Carlos but from the loud crack of thunder and the subsequent torrential downpour that began beating the windows of the loft.
“Never mind, I have my answer. Thank you Mother Nature.”
Carlos chuckled and joined him in his sprawled-out position on the couch. “You wanna watch Grand Designs? We have a couple of episodes to catch up on and nothing else to do for the next few days.”
“Sounds perfect,” TK tucked his feet under him and curled into Carlos’ warmth. “Let’s just pray the power doesn’t go out.”
“Don’t jinx it.”
“Doesn’t this building have backup generators?”
“Only for the lights in the hallway, so we don’t fall and kill ourselves if we have to evacuate.”
“If all else fails we can try and play Catan with two people.”
“I’m not sure how well that would work babe,” Carlos stifled his laugh where his face was buried in TK’s hair. “We do have Scrabble though.”
“Wasn’t it you that said, and I quote ‘In this house we Catan’?”
“You’ve got me there.”
Carlos navigated the TV menu, pulling up Grand Designs and pressing play on an episode they hadn’t seen yet. He relaxed into the couch, glad to have some time just the two of them. The previously scheduled 126 hang had been canceled due to weather, and while Carlos loved their friends, he was bone tired and not feeling in a very host-like mood. He wanted nothing more than to spend the next four days in their current position, and maybe a few others once he caught up on sleep.
TK leaned heavily on this shoulder, occasionally making comments about the choices the builders and owners were making, but otherwise content to just enjoy the show and his company.
Carlos had barely dozed off when TK tugged on his shirt, “Baby, we should make hot chocolate. It’s the perfect weather for it.”
It took him a minute to process the request, his sleep-addled brain still coming back online.
“That sounds good babe,” he agreed, once his body had gotten with the program. “Let me just make sure we have the ingredients.”
“Ingredients? Don’t we just need milk and the little packets?”
“Have I taught you nothing Tyler? Homemade is much better. Come on, I’m gonna teach you a family recipe.”
Carlos moved into the kitchen muttering to himself as he began pulling things out of the pantry. TK padded in behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist as he watched him pull out more ingredients than TK had ever seen used for hot chocolate.
“Can you grab me a saucepan and turn the heat on to medium?”
“Yep.”
TK rummaged through the lower cabinet as Carlos moved over to a small wooden box and flipped through a handful of index cards until he found what he was looking for. TK emerged victorious with the saucepan and sat it on the stove, then flipped the knob over until the flame lit and adjusted the heat according to Carlos’ directions.
“Grab the milk from the fridge too please?”
TK once again obeyed his instructions, bringing over the oat milk Carlos always laughed at him for putting in the cart, but had become a staple in their fridge.
“My Mami would slap me upside the head for using oat milk in this,” he teased, measuring it out and pouring it into the pan anyway.
“Just don’t let her know I converted you,” TK leaned up to kiss his cheek.
“Measure out these spices,” he handed over a faded index card, ripped around the edges, with various spices and measurements scrawled on it. It wasn’t Carlos’ handwriting and he wasn’t sure that it was Andrea’s either. “Cut the cayenne in half though, since you’re a lightweight.”
“Very funny.”
They worked in amicable silence, moving around each other in a way that had only been perfected by months of running into each other until they learned their partner’s natural orbit. Carlos hummed along to the quiet music he had turned on, never being able to cook in the quiet, stirring the mixture as TK very carefully measured out the spices according to the directions bestowed upon him and handed them over.
“You said this was a family recipe,” TK said, hopping up on the counter next to the stove, careful to avoid the heat. “How long have you been making this?”
“My whole life,” Carlos reached around him for the chocolate and poured some in without consulting the directions then resumed his stirring. “There’s been a few iterations in my family. My dad’s grandmother made the first one, but it’s had some tweaks and changes over the years. This is a combination of her recipe and my Tia Lucy’s.”
“It looks amazing, I’ve never seen so much go into just hot chocolate.”
“My family does nothing by halves.”
Carlos finally deemed the concoction ready, reaching above TK’s head to pull out mugs. TK couldn’t help but giggle at the choices, Carlos subconsciously grabbing each of their favorite mugs. TK’s was a gag gift from Judd for his birthday, covered in pictures of Buttercup’s big, goofy face. Carlos’ was one that TK had found and bought for him just because, hand painted with the Northern Lights.
Carlos ladled a healthy amount into both mugs, topping them with marshmallows and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
“Tell me what you think.”
TK took a sip, careful not to burn his tongue. It wasn’t as sweet as what he was used to, and he could taste the heat of the spices but it wasn’t unpleasant. It made him feel warm in the best possible way and he eagerly took another sip.
“This is literally the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.”
“Good,” Carlos said, finally taking a sip from his own mug and humming contentedly. “My Mami will be glad to know it got your seal of approval.”
“If you make this again, I might just have to marry you,” TK teased, leaning up to kiss him, chasing the taste of bittersweet chocolate on his lips.
“I guess I’ll just have to make it for the rest of our lives.”
“You’re gonna ruin norma; hot chocolate for our kids,” TK said casually. “They’re gonna think it’s crazy the first time they try Swiss Miss.”
Carlos hid his blush at the mention of their future children behind the rim of his mug, but TK caught the barest hints of a smile in his eyes.
They were startled from their moment by the flickering of lights just before the apartment was plunged into darkness.
“You had to tempt fate didn’t you.”
Carlos used his phone flashlight to navigate to the living area, lighting enough candles to make things visible, but not enough to be concerned about a five-alarm. Luckily he lived with a firefighter and based on previous experience, had a fire extinguisher in every room.
TK joined him, looking perfectly cozy in the candlelight, his mug cradled in his hands. They finished their drinks, now warmed from the inside out, and placed their mugs on the coffee table to be taken care of later.
Carlos laid back on the couch, pulling TK on top of him like a finance-shaped weighted blanket.
“You know,” TK mumbled from where his face was buried in Carlos’ neck. “If I get to spend all of them like this, I might actually learn to like storms.”
“There you go tempting fate again,” Carlos groaned, no real annoyance in his voice. “If we get you liking storms the rain may never stop.”
“Yeah whatever,” TK laughed, snuggling impossibly closer. “Blow out those candles so I can take a nap.
The power came back on a few hours later, startling them both out of their slumber when various devices started beeping as they came back online. They threw a frozen pizza in the oven, too lazy to make a real meal, and picked up where they left off on their show. The rain continued on through the night, a soundtrack to their evening as they washed dishes and showered together before turning into bed early.
Carlos took his position as big spoon, nuzzling his nose into TK’s damp hair. He was once again almost asleep when the other man spoke, “I thought up something you can put in your vows.”
“What is it?”
“I promise to make you hot chocolate every time it rains.”
“I think we can work something out,” he chuckled. “Now go to bed Tyler.”
“Goodnight Carlos.”
“Goodnight babe.”
(If a few months later the line was worked into his vows, that was no one’s business but theirs. And if TK had the recipe memorized by the end of the year, then that was no one’s business either)