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He’s getting better at reading the labels. It doesn’t help that they write all the important things so tiny, and most of the ingredients are chemicals that look like a jumble of random letters rather than any kind of real spice. Heart says that at the price point they’re looking at, there are no real spices in any of the self-proclaimed “spicy” hot sauces lining the cheap grocery store’s plywood shelves. But Li Ming will fly back to Thailand before he lets Heart’s parents foot their grocery bills, so he insists they figure it out. They just keep trying new ones in the hopes something will work. Almost all the local food is too bland. The bottle in his hand has cartoon flames right up to the lid and looks cool, but Li Ming’s not sold on what it says. He already learned his lesson about buying food just for the look of it with cream cheese.
He sets the bottle back and skims for another while Heart waits patiently, faithfully beside him. When he realizes Heart’s genuinely just waiting, holding their half-full basket and letting Li Ming take all the risk, Li Ming nudges his arm. Heart’s handsome face instantly whips toward him, tilting cutely, curious, all deep eyes and a placid smile. Sometimes Li Ming still gets butterflies when Heart looks at him. And then he immediately feels stupid for fawning like a pre-teen with a crush instead of a young man already in a secure relationship.
It’s not like they’ve been together forever. But it feels like they’ve been together through all the crucial growing moments and their adult selves have formed around each other. They get along like chickens and eggs and spend so much time together, sometimes just looking at each other, that Li Ming honestly feels like he can rely on Heart reading his mind. So he just nods towards the shelf instead of explaining himself, and Heart dutifully follows his gaze.
Then Heart shrugs, and it’s all back on Li Ming’s shoulders. He rolls his eyes. It’s probably his own fault. Heart chose the last mystery condiment, and Li Ming kept pretending to gag at the dinner table. Clearly, it’s Li Ming’s turn to inevitably choose something awful and face ridicule. At least the aisle’s empty, no witnesses to their indecision, and the generic ‘pop’ music they’ve been hearing everywhere is dimmed to a low background buzz that leaves room to think.
There are two tall bottles side-by-side sporting elaborate drawings of chili peppers, one in red and one in green. Li Ming squints at the labels, mentally translating the ‘extra spicy’ promises.
A little tug on the corner of his T-shirt—the blue one from Heart’s side of the closet that looks so good on him but also smells so much like him that Li Ming steals it all the time—and Li Ming glances over. Heart signs out, Do you miss Uncle Jim’s food?
And Li Ming gets a quick stab in his heart because of course. Not enough to go back, not just yet. But of course he does. All the time. He misses a ton of little things from home—not so much the big things he expected, but the little nostalgic things he never gave two thoughts to before. At least Uncle Jim always texts the recipes Li Ming asks for, though the time difference means Li Ming never gets it just when he craves it.
He doesn’t want to go down the rabbit hole of home in public, so instead redirects to his new home—Heart. He signs back, almost sassy, Do you miss your mom’s?
Heart doesn’t hesitate like he did, but instantly quips, Of course. She’s way better at cooking than you are.
Li Ming opens his mouth, faux-gasping at the audacity. He elbows Heart in the side and thinks of lying that he’ll never cook for his partner again. But he’s swiftly distracted by Heart playfully shoving him back. So he shoves Heart harder. Heart knocks his whole side into Li Ming, Li Ming shoulders him, Heart swats his side, and Li Ming reaches over to fondly tickle under his chin. Immediately, a radiant smile blossoms over Heart’s sculpted features, and Li Ming can’t help himself. He leans over, darting in to press his mouth against that pretty smile. He can feel Heart startle and only gets firmer, demanding a kiss. He gets a tentative peck in return, and when he pulls back, Heart’s blushing.
Heart glances quickly down the aisle, both ends. They’re in a relatively liberal neighbourhood, where they’ve seen other men hold each other’s hands in the streets, and in that way, it actually feels safer than home. They’re alone in the aisle anyway. They’ve both made a wealth of new friends, coworkers and peers, but sometimes it still feels like they’re all alone in the world. And Li Ming wouldn’t have it any other way. When he’s with Heart, it’s their own little world. In his world, it’s completely understandable to kiss his cute boyfriend at any opportunity.
He plucks the green bottle off the shelf, twists to place it in the basket on Heart’s other side, and signs while he boasts, “I’m going to make you the best damn dinner in the world tonight, so good you’ll never miss home again.”
The smile returns. Heart nods, all his trust in Li Ming’s hands. Even if it doesn’t work out, it’ll be fun. They could probably hunt down Thai brands they’re familiar with, but that’s not their style. They’ll experiment with new ingredients, try new food, and have the new experience together. Heart reaches out to pet under Li Ming’s chin like he knows exactly what Li Ming’s thinking and feels exactly the same way.
Li Ming grabs that hand and squeezes it, keeping it locked in his own so it can’t cause more mischief. And he drags Heart to the checkout so their new culinary adventure can begin.