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Espresso, Chocolate, and Picnics
Gary was up to something. He was trying to be sneaky with it, but it was difficult for anyone to sneak anything past Tracey, especially if that someone happened to be his husband. Tracey humored the younger man, sipping his coffee calmly and continuing to watch their pokemon playing in the yard as though he hadn’t noticed Gary slip almost-silently in and out of the kitchen from his periphery once again.
He was curious about what Gary was up to, especially considering it apparently involved a bottle of wine and whatever was in that extra bag from the bakery. The bag that Tracey had seen him enter the house with, but had since disappeared. He couldn’t complain because the bag that hadn’t disappeared had been full with breakfast, but he was curious nonetheless.
Especially considering the day.
Tracey had been prepared for this day – there were multiple boxes of chocolates stowed where Gary (probably) wouldn’t find them and then there was the new addition to the kitchen hidden in the bottom of the linen closet… which Gary had been poking around in just the night before.
Hopefully he hadn’t found their fancy new espresso maker, but he had been more focused on the upper shelves with the blankets, so Tracey doubted it. Not that it mattered, the box was wrapped anyway.
Ah. The blankets… A picnic.
Tracey should have known. Picnics were one of their things but they hadn’t had a chance to have one in recent months. Gary had been in the field, the weather hadn’t cooperated, and now it was still winter and the weather still wasn’t cooperating. A small frown furrowed Tracey’s brow at that thought. His eyes swept over the backyard, noting the melting off snow and the mud left behind in lower spots. The pokemon were enjoying it, but it wasn’t ideal for a picnic. Granted, it was sunny and the sky was clear, but it was still cold and muddy.
Definitely not ideal for a picnic and Gary most certainly knew that.
Maybe Tracey was wrong. Maybe it was something else.
He heard soft footsteps in the hallway and turned in time to see his husband enter the kitchen. Gary’s eyes widened slightly as Tracey turned and Tracey couldn’t help but smile, amused. Apparently he had been trying to sneak past him again. Not that it had worked the last five times Gary had snuck through the room this morning.
“Hey, love,” Tracey greeted warmly. He reached out a hand in a quiet invitation that Gary took without hesitation.
“Hey,” he returned, quiet as he always was in their calm and peaceful mornings at home. He took Tracey’s hand and folded himself into his arms, humming contentedly as he closed his eyes and rested his head against Tracey’s shoulder.
Tracey chuckled softly and ran a hand through Gary’s hair. It was still early enough that his husband would undoubtedly be sleepy and quiet for another hour or so, despite whatever it was that he was up to. His curiosity won out on that matter. “What’re you up to?” he asked casually, though he sincerely doubted Gary would give him a serious answer just yet.
No, Gary was going to wait and tell him only when he felt like it, and would be insufferable if pressed for a real answer. Tracey knew better than to expect anything else and so he opted to savor this quiet moment together as long as it lasted.
Sure enough, Gary pulled away just enough to pick up Tracey’s coffee mug from its spot on the counter. He took a sip and settled back into Tracey’s arms, mug still in hand. “Just stealing your coffee,” he yawned against Tracey’s chest.
That was the exact sort of response he had expected. “Should I make more?” Tracey asked, smiling in amusement despite the stolen coffee. This would be the perfect opportunity to give Gary his Valentine's Day gift.
Gary looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes. “Please?”
Tracey laughed at the puppy dog eyes and pressed a kiss to Gary’s cheek. “Alright. Wait here, okay?” Gary frowned and started to follow him out of the kitchen but Tracey turned and caught him by the shoulders. He gave another gentle laugh and pressed his lips to Gary's in a quick kiss. “I said wait here,” he reminded him, to which Gary huffed and rolled his eyes, though his smile betrayed him.
With his husband obediently waiting in the kitchen – Tracey glanced behind him to ensure that was still the case – he walked down the hall to the linen closet outside their bedroom. The wrapped box was still there, partly concealed by a stack of folded towels. A glance at the upper shelves revealed a missing blanket – Gary was definitely planning a picnic of some sort. There had to be a catch to that though, Gary wouldn't want to deal with the mud outside.
No matter. Tracey was a patient man and whatever his husband was up to would be made clear sooner or later. For now he was content to surprise Gary with this particular gift. He picked up the large box then, after a second of debate, he reached to one of the middle shelves, lifted a few folded bed sheets, and retrieved the box of chocolates hidden there.
He paused when he returned to the kitchen. “Gary.”
Gary paused in his fussing with the coffee pot and turned back to Tracey as he set the box down on the table. “I was just -”
“I’ll get the coffee,” Tracey smiled as he patted the top of the box. “You get this.”
Gary came to the table, a curious smile curving his lips. “Spoiling me again?” He wrapped an arm about Tracey’s waist and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Don’t I always?” Tracey patted the top of the box again and stepped out of the way for Gary to open it. He picked up the box of chocolates and tried to set it further away on the table but his husband reached for it. “Not yet,” he frowned, holding it out of reach. Gary reached for it again, only for Tracey to step further back and once again move it from his reach.
“Withholding chocolate? That’s cruel, Trace.”
“They’re to go with the coffee!” Tracey retorted, backing further away and holding it out of his reach.
Gary reached for it again, laughing as Tracey ducked out of his reach. “But I want one now!”
Another step back and Tracey’s back hit the counter. He felt a small bit of disappointment bloom within him: he enjoyed seeing Gary’s more playful side shine through, and if he was cornered already then this little game was just about over. Gary cupped his face in one hand and leaned in to kiss him. Though he knew exactly what game his partner was playing, he played right along. He had no reason not to, especially when it meant he got these kisses. Long, deep, and intense - they were his favorite, even when they were meant to distract.
Gary waited until Tracey was sufficiently distracted by their kiss before easily plucking the box of chocolates from Tracey’s hand.
“Hey! ”
But Gary was already backing away with the box in hand, a triumphant grin upon his face as he opened it. He offered one to Tracey first before taking his own, which was washed down with the rest of his stolen coffee. Tracey shook his head amusedly – amazing how quickly Gary came to life when there was chocolate to be had.
“Okay, you got your chocolate fix,” Tracey laughed, taking the opened chocolates and setting them on the counter out of Gary’s reach. He had a feeling they would be gone in no time. “Open the big present now.”
Gary cast a longing glance at the empty coffee pot before making his way back to the kitchen table. He took his time first looking over the wrapping paper, which was really just a long sheet of butcher paper that Tracey had spent a few days doodling all over. There were drawings of their pokemon – especially their newest little addition: a recently hatched eevee – and a few sketches of some of the plants that were wintering in the sunroom. A few doodles of entertaining recent events were scattered here and there, including the recent drunken snowball fight with Ash and Misty on New Years Eve, Arcanine being startled by Eevee’s tiny sneeze, Umbreon’s tumble off the bed just the day before, and a handful of others.
Tracey watched from his spot next to the counter, noting the small smile and the softness in his husband’s eyes. Gary could take twenty minutes to open the gift and Tracey would be perfectly content to stand and watch him the whole time. These moments were some of his favorites: the combination of Gary’s precise focus with that blooming loving smile did something to him every time. He didn’t start peeling the paper away until he had seen every single drawing there was to be seen.
Gary’s gentle smile morphed into a grin when enough of the paper had been meticulously peeled away to see the box. “So that’s why you had rearranged everything on the counter!”
Tracey nodded, grinning at the excitement sparkling in his husband’s emerald eyes. He had set everything up the night before, making sure everything would be in place for the espresso maker. All he would have to do was put it on the counter, plug it in, and turn it on. “It’s the same one that Misty has, so you already know how to use it,” he explained.
“Nice!”
“That’s not all.” Tracey opened the cabinet above the space where the espresso maker was going to go. He couldn’t help but grin again at the way Gary’s eyes lit up at the also-rearranged contents. On the bottom shelf sat a small mug tree, holding four wide espresso mugs, each patterned with stars and constellations.
“Trace…” Gary reached in to carefully retrieve one of the cups and examined it with a smile. “These are perfect!”
It was the first time either of them had truly had their own space and Tracey was determined to make their home as true to themselves as possible. Plus it gave him a chance to spoil Gary, which had become one of his favorite pastimes. “I’m glad you like them,” he admitted. He hadn’t been worried, but he always liked to know that he had made the right choice. “How about I set this up and make us something to drink while you pick something for us to listen to?”
“You mean I can’t stay in here and get in your way?”
“You can't stay in here and eat all the chocolate,” Tracey corrected, shooing Gary away from the box that he was trying to take a third chocolate from.
“Ugh, you’re no fun!” But Gary laughed and headed out of the room and into the living room.
As he set about unpacking their newest appliance, Tracey could hear Gary flipping through their record collection. He smiled to himself as he positioned the espresso maker in the cleared spot on the counter. Leaving Gary in charge of whatever sound filled their home could be a risky move. He most often went with Tracey's preferred music, sometimes it was the radio, sometimes it was whatever pokemon competition was going on at the time… And sometimes it was Gary’s preferred music - his much louder preferred music. But rifling through their vinyls was a good sign.
Tracey plugged it in and set about fussing with the settings, too focused to hear when Gary picked an album and turned on the record player. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the speakers came to life. He would curse his husband for nearly scaring the piss out of him if it wasn't for the fact that it was Tracey’s favorite album. It wasn’t either of their fault that it started loudly.
He rolled his eyes fondly and finished setting it up as the first song played through and gave way to the next. By the time the second song was done, everything was ready to go. Tracey took his time measuring out and grinding the espresso beans, adding the water, steaming the milk, and all the other little steps involved. He had been using the one at Misty’s place in Cerulean for years and every step came naturally, thanks to their many coffee dates and movie nights-turned-sleepovers. Gary hadn’t returned to the kitchen, so Tracey assumed he had gone back to preparing whatever little secret surprise he was clearly planning.
He picked two of the new mugs from the cabinet and let them fill with the fresh, hot caffeination before pouring the steamed milk with careful movements, just how he and Misty had practiced during one of their at-home coffee dates in Cerulean the last time Gary was in the field. It wasn’t perfect, but the heart atop the latte was clear enough for him to be pleased with his work.
As Tracey brought the two steaming mugs into the living room he noticed it looked a little different. It was nothing major and it took a moment to figure out just what was different. As he sat on the couch, he realized that the furniture had been moved. None of it had been moved far, just enough to leave a slightly larger than usual space in front of the fireplace.
An indoor picnic then. That would certainly help them avoid the mud outside. There was likely more to whatever plan Gary had in mind, but he liked where this was going. It was chilly enough that a fireside picnic would be absolutely welcomed, and if Tracey thought that, then Gary had likely already thought of it too.
Choosing not to think too deeply into whatever his husband was up to, Tracey cleared his throat to announce his presence and placed the two mugs on the coffee table before sitting on the couch. He waited until Gary looked up from whatever he was doing with the nearby bookshelf to pat the spot next to him in a quiet invitation. Gary nodded and turned back to the bookshelf to quickly wrap up whatever he was working on before joining his husband.
Tracey winced a bit at the cluttered shelf Gary’s laptop and notebooks sat upon in a makeshift desk. They needed to do something different for him but they hadn’t quite gotten there yet. With so much of Gary’s work being in the field, he managed with just his laptop, a notebook and a few books. He could spread out on the kitchen table or the coffee table, or sprawl out on the couch in Tracey’s little studio with a book just fine, but when you added a notebook and a few books and maps and travel information for every project Gary was working on, it quickly became a lot. What had started off as an organized shelf on the built-in bookcase had turned into three chaotic shelves, an overflowing side table, and a basket on the floor, which more often than not contained a pokemon dozing atop maps that were becoming more crinkled by the day. Plus a few books on the coffee table. Again.
Oh well. At least they were just the ones he was actively reading.
Gary’s lips quirked into a wry smile at Tracey’s wince. “Yeah, you’re right. The desk at Gramps’ lab isn't cutting it.”
“My offer to share the sunroom still stands,” Tracey offered, passing Gary one of the mugs as he joined him on the couch.
Gary shook his head. “I don’t want to take over your space.” He paused just before taking a sip from the latte Tracey had made and gave him a small smile as he noticed the milk heart poured atop it. He took a sip and closed his eyes, “Oh, that's good,” he sighed, resting his head against Tracey’s shoulder.
“Better than the coffee pot?”
“Much better.” Gary took another sip and settled deeper into the couch and further against his husband. “Was that the night you and Misty stayed up ‘till four in the morning?”
“The heart?” Gary nodded and Tracey laughed softly, running his fingers through Gary’s hair. “Yeah. Couldn't tell you how many lattes we drank that night…” he chuckled.
“And everyone says I'm the crazy one, but here you are staying up all night, drinking enough caffeine to drop a fuckin’ rhyhorn, jumping on aerodactyls...”
“Says the one who threw a water bottle at a groudon.”
“I was sixteen! What else did you expect me to do?”
“Not anger a legendary pokemon?”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
Tracey laughed again, shaking his head. “You're impossible,” he sighed with no small amount of fondness in his voice.
“You'd be bored otherwise.”
“Probably,” Tracey agreed. “You definitely give me something to aspire to… even if it’s new levels of insanity,” he added with a teasing glance as he took a sip of his drink.
Gary bit back a laugh and barely avoided choking on his coffee. “You really do spend too much time with me.”
“Misty and your grandfather think it’s funny. I think Ash is just scared I might start calling him Ashy-boy .”
“Please do it!” Gary cackled loud enough that Tracey saw Arcanine and Umbreon’s ears perk outside in the yard. “I wanna see his face!”
“Amusing as that would be -”
“You know it would be hilarious.”
Tracey rested a hand on Gary’s thigh in a quiet redirection and waited until he had settled back against the couch cushions with a grin before asking the question he was going to ask all along. “What are you working on today?”
“Just checking up on some of the lapras tracking data for Philena and planning for summer while you're doing your thing,” Gary answered, easily falling back into the calm flow of their morning. “Which would be…?”
Tracey hadn’t thought too much about that just yet. It was still early and the creative juices hadn't quite started flowing. “I'd like to get some more work done on that watercolor,” he admitted after thinking for a moment.
Gary nodded thoughtfully, his eyes flickering over the room. Tracey could just about see the gears turning in his head, likely working out the details of whatever he was up to this morning. “How long do you want to work on that?”
Another thing Tracey hadn’t thought ahead on. That piece had a lot of work to go and he could easily spend the entire day working on it, but he didn’t want to do that. Not today. “Maybe until lunch? Is that good?”
“Perfect.” Gary took a sip of his coffee and rested his head against Tracey’s shoulder with a content sigh.
They stayed that way for a long while, slowly sipping their drinks and talking quietly until the coffee was gone and a chime on Gary’s laptop signified that the data had finished compiling. He groaned at the alert but walked over to his laptop while Tracey took their empty mugs into the kitchen. Tracey rinsed them and set them in the drain before heading back to the living room.
“How's the data looking?” he asked, looping an arm around Gary’s waist and peering over his shoulder. Much of his laptop screen was taken up by a map of the Orange Islands covered in colored dots and lines, with a complicated menu along one side. He knew it wasn’t as complicated as it looked – he had tagged along on enough of those research trips over the years to know how to navigate it. It had been on one of those trips that they had gotten together, after all.
“Subadult males are starting to leave their pods,” Gary replied, clicking through a few different versions of the map, each with a different set of dots and lines. “Next month they’ll start joining new ones or pairing off with each other… It’s the same pattern as every year.”
He would know: he and Professor Ivy had been working on their lapras tagging project together since he was eighteen – close to ten years now. The only people who knew more about the migration patterns of the Orange Islands lapras pods than Gary did were the fishermen and boat guides of the Orange Islands.
Tracey grinned at the response and pressed a kiss to Gary’s cheek. “My husband, the lapras expert.” He caught sight of the little smile curving Gary’s lips and thought briefly before reaching up to retrieve a box tucked behind a row of books on a higher shelf. Gary didn’t need a reward for knowing as much as he did, but something about hearing him talk about this particular project always gave Tracey a little thrill of pride.
Gary looked up from his laptop at the movement and immediately laughed when he caught sight of the box of chocolates. “Tracey!” He glanced from the box to the shelf Tracey had just retrieved them from, looking briefly bewildered. “Where were those?”
“Behind your field guides.” It took all of Tracey’s effort not to laugh at the stunned look on Gary’s face at that detail. That look was the exact reason he was doing all of this. Surprising Gary was always a fun game – it wasn’t always easy to do, with Gary being as smart and observant as he was, but that just made it all the more fun when he succeeded.
“I can’t believe you did that,” Gary said incredulously, shaking his head. He took the box from him with an impressed smile and a quiet “thank you.”
Some of the laughter left Tracey in a quiet, gentle chuckle. He pressed another kiss to Gary’s cheek before pulling away. “I’m gonna go get started in the sunroom, let me know when you’re ready for lunch, okay?” he asked, allowing his hand to linger on Gary’s shoulder.
“Sounds good.” His voice came a bit muffled – he was already digging into the chocolate. Tracey shook his head amusedly and headed into the sunroom, ready for a morning of painting.
The best thing about working as an artist was being able to spend all day creating, and one of the best things about their little house was the sunroom - Tracey’s little art studio. The desk was a large table, forever covered in papers, sketchbooks, pencils, paints, and whatever else he happened to be working with at the time. There were two paint-splattered easels, the larger of which was the one he found himself in front of today, chipping away at a large and detailed piece he’d started last week. In front of a wall of windows sat a long couch surrounded by potted plants and covered in throw pillows, blankets, and the occasional pokemon.
Though the professor had told him to take the day off - the first Valentine's Day as a married couple was meant to be spent together after all - he found himself lost in the serene focus that only working with watercolors seemed to give him. Gary mostly made his own schedule and so, after some time with the lapras data, he could be found on that couch in front of the windows, studying ahead on an upcoming project in one of the arctic regions while Tracey worked and the record player continued to play in the next room. He got up to flip over or change the record every time, often coming back with a fresh drink or another chocolate, always with a kiss on the cheek and a few nice words about the painting Tracey was working on.
Truly, it was the perfect sort of not-quite-a-day-off for them. The quiet time together made the work easier, more enjoyable, and made the time pass all the faster. It was peaceful, with music playing from the next room and the occasional pokemon wandering in. Eventually Umbreon curled up on her bed beneath the table, likely to remain there well into the afternoon, while Eevee joined Gary on the couch, curling up in a little ball of grayish-brown fluff.
As he worked, Tracey thought here and there of what they could do to help the situation in the living room. Gary needed his own space. Granted, he’d spent most of his teens and early twenties in the field and in dorms, staying in his childhood bedroom at his grandfather’s between adventures. He was nothing if not adaptable, and the frequent change in setting as he moved from one room to another throughout the day was probably good for his constant need to be on the move. That meant whatever they did had to be more of a home base than a place to spend all day in. There weren’t many options to begin with, but that narrowed it down to one option.
He noticed somewhat distantly that Gary had been out of the room for a long while this time – he hadn’t even come back in before needing to flip the record and it would be time to change it again soon. He was probably just on his laptop, but Tracey still wondered what exactly he was up to. Under the music was an odd noise coming from the living room and it took a moment to recognize that it was the sound of logs being positioned in the fireplace.
Returning his focus to the canvas in front of him, Tracey let his husband continue whatever he was doing in the other room. A few more minutes passed and he started to hear the faint crackling of a fire from the next room. Tracey smiled faintly – he knew it. A moment of quiet passed followed by the sound of another record starting up.
Gary returned after another few minutes, this time pressing a kiss to the side of Tracey’s neck, followed by another to his shoulder. He wrapped his arms lightly around Tracey’s shoulders and pressed one more kiss to Tracey’s hair. “Can you find a stopping place?” he asked quietly.
It must have been lunchtime. Tracey smiled and made a few more brushstrokes before dipping his brush in the jar of water on a small table next to the easel. He sighed loudly, feigning exasperation. “I suppose,” he huffed, pulling a small laugh from his husband and earning himself another kiss on the cheek.
Gary waited patiently as Tracey set the paintbrush across the top of the jar of water, not moving from his position with his arms around Tracey’s shoulders. Tracey didn’t need to look at him to know he was looking over the painting, sharp eyes taking in every little detail. “I really like this one,” he murmured, resting his head against Tracey’s shoulder.
“You've told me that four times today,” Tracey pointed out, though warmth bloomed in his chest and spread across his cheeks regardless. He wasn’t surprised – it was a night sky over forest and mountains, with deep blues and purples as the palette. It looked very much like the view at one of the Mount Moon overlooks, which had been a popular date spot for them before they had moved into this little house. Of course Gary would like it, closet romantic that he was.
Gary shrugged casually as he pulled away and nodded towards the living room, the tiniest bit of pink dusting his cheeks. “C’mon.”
Ah. Of course, their picnic. His husband was so predictable sometimes, but Tracey wouldn't change it for anything. He liked it when Gary let the walls down and let himself be the romantic sap he was at heart, even if the stubborn pain would never admit it.
Tracey cast one last glance at the canvas before following Gary into the living room. Sure enough, he was right. There was a fire in the fireplace, a blanket spread out on the floor in front of the hearth, and a bottle of wine with glasses and food set upon the nearby coffee table. There was even a box of chocolate, and not one of the ones that Tracey had hidden around the house with the sole purpose of surprising his husband.
The volume on the record player had been turned down to a volume a little more conducive for an indoor picnic. Tracey noticed which record was playing and smiled again. It was another favorite of his. “You’re playing all my favorite music today,” he observed. He sat down on the blanket and waited for Gary to join him, noting the amused smirk.
“Your music sets a better mood,” Gary explained easily. He picked up the bottle of wine – also one of Tracey’s favorites – and poured a glass for each of them.
“Accurate,” Tracey agreed just as easily. He had no problem with Gary’s music – he even liked some of it on occasion – but it wasn’t the right vibe. The chilled out grunge rock songs playing now were better suited to the moment, even if most people would consider it an odd choice for something that was undoubtedly romantic.
Of course, he knew Gary would be doing this even if Tracey was the one with the heavier taste in music. It was just another little thing that Gary would do to be sweet but would never admit to. He could snark and smirk and roll his eyes all he wanted, but he couldn’t hide that romantic side no matter how he tried. The attempt certainly was endearing either way.
Tracey snagged one of the chocolates from the table while there were still some left and grinned at Gary’s glare. “Hang on,” he chuckled. He leaned past Gary to reach into the large basket of throw blankets between the couch and the fireplace. It had been a risky hiding place, with the melting risk from the fireplace and with Gary being highly likely to find them early, but the bemused look on Gary’s face was well worth it.
It was always worth it.
“How long have those been in there?” Gary asked incredulously
“Three days.” Tracey laughed even harder at the look on Gary’s face. “Hey, I expected you to find them last night,” he defended, still chuckling. He didn’t know how he had missed them when he was digging around for just the right blanket for their movie night last night, but that just made this even better.
“I'm surprised none of the pokemon got it.”
“No one in this house is crazy enough to try stealing your chocolate… except me,” Tracey added, taking another chocolate from the table.
This drew a smile from Gary as he took a sip from his wine glass and reclined against the coffee table behind him. Tracey held out a chocolate for him, which he eagerly took.
“What were you studying today?” Tracey asked quietly, taking his glass from the table to wash down the chocolates. He smiled as he relaxed against his husband and waited for his reply.
“Sub-ice marine ecosystems,” was the automatic response. That sounded like something that could be either fascinating or tedious, depending on the level of detail Gary was looking at. “The regional lapras variant is really interesting.”
So it was the general ecology and the pokemon he was looking at. Much easier to follow – and predictable as could be. “Of course that would be the first thing you think of.”
“It would be yours too,” Gary pointed out, which, Tracey had to admit, was pretty accurate.
“True,” he agreed. “Tell me about them.”
Those were always the magic words. A grin blossomed across Gary’s face, his eyes lighting up at the chance to ramble on about all of the interesting details he had spent the morning reading about.
Sure enough, the arctic lapras sounded fascinating. They were larger and more predatory, with a different pod structure and social dynamic than their tropical and temperate counterparts. A darker color matched their typing and they were known for singing beneath the northern lights during winter, while retreating beneath the ice or into caves during the summer's eternal sunshine. They were more powerful than the lapras they were used to, it sounded, and it was clear why Gary was so interested in them.
He was interested too, but far more interesting to him was to hear it from Gary. It was always intriguing to catch a peek into his partner's mind, to see what things fascinated and excited him. Perhaps Tracey’s favorite part was catching a glimpse of that excitable child hidden somewhere within Gary, eager to learn, excited to explore and see something new, and always beyond thrilled when discovering a new favorite pokemon.
It was Tracey’s favorite side of him.
He listened with rapt attention, drinking in every detail and loving every second of hearing that excited undertone in Gary’s voice. Tracey was well aware of the fact that he heard it far more than anyone else, but that didn’t make it any less special to him.
Too bad it never lasted long.
“What about you?” Gary asked once he had exhausted all of his new information and half of the laid out food had been eaten. “You looked awfully thoughtful and I doubt you were thinking that hard about the watercolors.”
Tracey smiled at the observation – again, accurate. Art came naturally enough after all these years that he didn’t often need to think about it. Decisions came intuitively and a special sort of calm came over him when he was working. It allowed for thoughts and ideas to drift in and out of mind as they pleased, and Gary knew that. “Thinking about what to do for you,” he admitted.
“The espresso maker and three boxes of chocolate wasn't enough?”
There were another two boxes yet to be given, but Gary didn’t need to know that yet. “I meant your desk situation,” Tracey explained. “I think we can do something in the den for you.”
Gary grimaced. “That wood paneling has to go.”
Tracey had expected that. He didn't like the paneling either: it made the already small and dark room feel even smaller and darker. It was claustrophobic, truthfully, but… “That’s a big project,” he replied thoughtfully. “Let me try something first and if you don’t like it then I’ll figure out something while you’re off in the tundra this summer.”
Hopefully Gary wouldn't ask what he would try with the wood paneling because he hadn’t worked that detail out just yet. Sanding and painting it would be easy enough… maybe. It could be a pain in the ass, but granted, so could Gary, so that wasn't exactly enough to dissuade him from that idea.
Fortunately Gary didn't ask and simply nodded agreeably as he took another sip of his wine. “Alright,” he agreed easily.
Tracey took a sip from his glass, a bit surprised by how easily that agreement came. Perhaps that stubbornness was starting to calm a bit… He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that, but that was something he could think about later. Either way, Gary had trusted him in doing just about whatever he wanted with the house. Maybe it had less to do with his husband’s stubborn nature and more to do with trusting his judgment.
Tracey decided to go with that explanation. It was a nicer thought, quite a bit less alarming than a core trait of Gary’s dying back – not that Tracey was alarmed, it was just… interesting to see just how Gary was changing now that he was married and had a home of his own.
He turned his thoughts back to the house and what he could do this time. “That window would be a good spot for your telescope,” Tracey mused, his mind already swirling with ideas to fix up that dark little room that had become a storage space since they moved in. “Then we can get it out of the bedroom.” He'd also be less likely to trip over it, but he was more interested in giving his husband his own space with all of his interests represented there.
Gary made a small disappointed noise – Tracey knew what he was about to say before he even opened his mouth. “Aw, but the bed’s conveniently nearby in there.” He glanced up at Tracey with a suggestive grin.
He had a point there but the lack of a bed hadn’t stopped them before, so… “We’ll just get you a bigger desk,” Tracey returned his sly grin. “Maybe then you’ll have incentive to keep it clear.”
Gary laughed. “I like where this plan is going.”
“We’ll need a lot of shelves too, and a place to put your maps so the pokemon don’t destroy them…”
“Can we talk more about the desk?” Gary interrupted his musing. “I wanna hear more about the incentive to keep it clear.”
Tracey grinned and leaned over to press a kiss to the sensitive side of Gary’s throat, delighting in the little shudder that ran through his husband at his touch. “Maybe we’ll have to get a couch in there too.”
“The couch is boring, tell me more about the desk.”
“Focus, Gary,” Tracey laughed. “I’m thinking of things for you .”
“And I’m trying to have lunch with you. We can talk about the house later.” But Gary’s voice was light, amused and gently teasing. Tracey knew that little half-smile half-smirk well. Gary was trying to get a rise out of him, probably aiming for another kiss.
Well, Tracey wasn't one to deny him that. He leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to Gary’s lips, noting how his husband already tasted of chocolate and wine. It brought a warm feeling of home and a gentle smile curved Tracey’s lips as another idea for his husband’s future study came to mind. “I have an idea to make the ceiling look like the night sky.”
“I’m listening.”
Tracey shook his head amusedly. He’d known that would do the trick. “I’d better keep Eevee away from you at night or we’re gonna end up with two umbreons.”
“At least we’ll be able to tell them apart! And, hey, you don’t have a dark type, so that would work out for you!”
“I don’t have a dark type because you have nine good ones.” Gary opened his mouth to automatically correct the amount but paused, realizing that Tracey was accurate. He smiled instead and Tracey chuckled, tugging him closer with an arm around his shoulders. “You think I don’t know your pokemon?” He asked, sneaking in a quick, retaliatory tickle and laughing at the resulting squirming mess that immediately turned his husband into.
Gary thought Ash was easy to rile up, but Tracey was certain Ash had nothing on Gary. Maybe it was their particular level of intimacy, but Tracey found Gary incredibly easy – and delightful – to rile. You just had to know the specific buttons to push and be close enough, trusted enough, to be able to push them. But Tracey knew Gary and under gentle ministration, with just the right amount of teasing, Gary came to pieces, whether he was squirming and laughing in the midst of a tickle attack or writhing and moaning beneath him.
With that in mind, Tracey eased off of his tickle attack as Gary’s surprised gasp turned to laughter. He pressed another kiss to Gary’s cheek and took his hand, pulling him closer once again.
“This was a nice surprise,” he admitted quietly.
Gary’s laughter died back as he settled against Tracey’s side again. “Probably wasn't that big of a surprise for you.”
“I knew you were up to something,” Tracey conceded. Gary didn’t need to know he’d figured the whole thing out hours earlier and Tracey didn’t have the heart to tell him.
But something must have given him away, if Gary’s suddenly narrowed eyes were any indicator. “You guessed it, didn't you?”
Okay, maybe he did have the heart to tell him. Not that he had much choice in the matter. “Yeah, I figured it out.” Tracey shot him an apologetic smile, hoping it wouldn’t put a damper on the mood.
Fortunately Gary laughed and shrugged it off. “I thought you would. Can’t get anything past you.” He gave him a fond smile in turn and Tracey felt any worry he had quickly dissipate.
“It didn’t need to be a surprise to be perfect,” Tracey assured him. “I love this… and you,” he added with a kiss on the cheek.
Gary gave a playful scoff. Tracey didn’t need to see the eye roll to know it was there. “Oh, and me – don’t!” He stiffened, wine glass halfway to his mouth as Tracey’s fingers curled against his ribs.
Tracey chuckled and pressed a kiss against his hair, but kept his hands in place just long enough for Gary to squirm against him. He flattened his fingers against Gary’s ribs, laughing heartily as he kissed his cheek. Oh, this was too easy sometimes. He absolutely adored him.
“Trace! ” Gary whined, laughing as he tried to take a drink of his wine without spilling it.
Tracey lifted his hands from him and held them up placatingly, still laughing a bit at Gary’s glare. It had lost all its edge with Gary’s barely held back laughter and was nothing short of adorable. Adorable enough that Tracey couldn’t help but dip his head to steal a quick kiss from lips rich with wine. He smiled as he pulled back and took Gary’s glass from him to set it on the coffee table.
He hesitated briefly, debating on whether to give his remaining gift – and consequently a fourth box of chocolates – early or to stick to his original plan. Well, now felt right, so Tracey decided to go with that. “There’s one more present for you,” he told Gary, casting a sidelong glance in the direction of their bedroom.
Gary grinned and pulled him down for another kiss, this one as passionate and impulsive and intense as he himself was. He pulled away rather abruptly, gentle laughter bubbling up as he met Tracey’s eyes. “Thought you’d do that too.”
So he had figured out something this time. Tracey had managed to consistently surprise him with his gifts over the years, relying on all the same skills he would use with a wild pokemon to sneak past him to hide little gifts and to keep him on his toes with the large gifts. But he supposed some things had become tradition and, after five years of Valentine’s Days and anniversaries and romantic date nights, Gary would certainly start to expect the massage oils and… accoutrements.
Oh well. They would enjoy it anyway. Knowing that the other was up to something just made it that much more fun and absolutely no less romantic.