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The LED string lights hanging from the ceiling in Cooper's apartment cast a warm, colorful glow around the room. Nicholas felt like he had stepped inside of a rainbow.
The smell of roasted turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie filled the air, making his mouth water.
Cooper stood in the kitchen, fussing with a dish that was supposed to be green bean casserole but that had quickly turned into a gooey mess.
Cooper's eyebrows furrowed and he stuck out the tip of his tongue. “C'mon, c'mon! Fuuuuck!"
“Hey Coop, are you alright? Is there anything I can do to help?” Nicholas laughed and put the glass of wine down on the dining table.
Cooper sighed, tossing his hair back with a dramatic flair. “Not unless you know how to make a damn green bean casserole! I've never had it before, but I saw somebody make some on TV and thought, why not?”
“Coop! Don't let a little green bean fiasco ruin our holiday. We still have to celebrate!” Nicholas wrapped his arms around Cooper, careful not to disturb the maze of bowls crowding the island.
Cooper hugged Nicholas back and quickly let go, groaning as if he was in pain. “Sit down, Nick. I'm almost done. Let me just throw this mess out, and then we'll be ready to eat.”
“Okay, if you say so.” Nicholas shrugged and sat down at the table. He watched while Cooper carried the pot of would-be green bean casserole to a stainless steel trash can and upended it.
He cringed, put the pot in the kitchen sink, and turned on the tap to fill it with water.
“Okay Nick, now come up here and fix your plate. I mean, I'd do it, but since I've kind of already done everything else, I figured it wouldn't be too much trouble.”
“Haha, hilarious.” Nicholas rolled his eyes, picked up the plate in front of him and came to the island, getting a generous helping of mashed potatoes and a thin slice of pumpkin pie.
“Sorry, I don't like turkey,” he said, anticipating Cooper's question. “I know, that's kind of weird, but it is what it is.”
Nicholas grinned sheepishly and went back to the table. He put the plate down, picked up the bottle of wine, and groaned. “Oh man, I didn't get kosher wine! I'm sorry, Coop.”
Cooper laughed. “Nick, don't worry about it. I don't know if I told you already, but I'm not exactly an observant Jew. I only keep kosher on Yom Kippur, out of respect for my ancestors.”
“Whew, that's a relief.” Nicholas smiled and poured two glasses full. “It's just some merlot I got at Costco.”
Cooper loaded up his plate with a thick slice of turkey, mashed potatoes, and a slice of pumpkin pie. He sat down beside Nicholas and nudged his shoulder. "So Nick, what are you thankful for?"
Nicholas thought for a moment before answering. "Well, my family, of course. I'm thankful for my agent, my success so far, my future prospects, and...for you, Cooper. Honestly, dude, you're my best friend. I love you."
Cooper sniffled, his expression serious. His soulful brown eyes seemed to shine. He blinked and took a deep breath. "Aww, Nick...I feel the same way. I'm thankful for you, and I love you, too." Cooper raised his glass.
"Here's to you, Nick. To friendship, to food, and to many more Friendsgivings to come." Nicholas tapped his glass against Cooper's and nodded, his eyes shining. "Thanks, Coop."
For that moment, everything felt perfect. Cooper and Nicholas shared bites of mashed potatoes and debated who could eat the most pumpkin pie.
After a few friendly skirmishes, they ended the night with their sides aching from laughter and a little too much pie.