Waltzing in Watermelon Slush

It reminded him of a postcard, that view out the kitchen window of the rolling, snow covered hills leading up into the mountains. That the snow fell softly past the pane only enhanced the image, especially when it clung to the edges of the frame.

​

“Whatcha thinkin’ about Shi?”

 

Leland’s voice in his ear was as much of a waltz as the dance of his fingertips up Shiloh’s back, hitting every shivery spot along the way. A soft sigh of contentment escaped him as he turned away from the sprawling landscape to face the man he loved.

 

“How perfect the view is from here,” Shiloh replied as he slid his arms around Leland and tugged him close. “It’s everything we ever talked about and more. I can’t wait to pull a sled up to the top of those hills and ride down with you in my arms. I bet it feels like flying.”

 

“And I can’t wait to mix us up a special batch of cocoa for when we need to warm up again.”

 

“Awe, and here I was planning on warming up pressed to your naked skin.”

 

“Oh, we’ll get there,” Leland promised. “But only after we warm up your digits first. I don’t need those icy talons creeping beneath my sweater to steal all my body heat.”

 

“What body heat? You never have any body heat unless you steal it from me before you get out of bed in the morning, in which case I’m only stealing it back.”

 

“Body heat, once stolen, cannot be reclaimed.”

 

“Then you admit it!” Shiloh said, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “Villian. Thief. You, sir are a scoundrel.”

 

“Maybe, but I’m your scoundrel so that’s gotta count for something.”

 

“Oh, it counts for everything, but I’m still gonna give you shit for it,” Shiloh said as he breathed in a whiff of their nearly finished supper.

Garlic, basil, and a hint of oregano permeated the air and mingled with the aroma of melted cheese and savory chives. As Shiloh stood in fuzzy gray socks, running his fingertips through Leland’s hair, it was easy to ignore the unpacked boxes that sat on the floor, each carefully labeled with the name of the room it belonged in. They’d planned to move in a week ago, which would have given them more than enough time to set up house before Valentine’s Day, however an emergency trip out of town and a broken truck had slowed things down considerably. They’d barely gotten the last of their things moved in two days ago, meaning the only places they’d started setting up were their kitchen and bedroom.

 

“Do you remember the night we moved into our first apartment together?” Leland asked, breaking the silence that had descended over their kitchen.

Just as soon as they found the smart speakers, Shiloh was setting one up in here so they could dance together in moments like this. “How could I

forget? You damn near burned down the place?”

 

Huffing, Leland pulled away from his embrace enough to narrow his eyes and give Shiloh the pouty look that never failed to get him everything he wanted. Shiloh was powerless against it, not that it bothered him in the slightest. Leland only used his powers for good, even when that meant he managed to talk Shiloh into something he never would have otherwise considered. There were so many amazing moments he’d never have experienced if it wasn’t for Leland’s adventurous spirit and insistence on not leaving Shiloh behind.

 

“You exaggerate, ya know.”

 

“Huh?” Shiloh murmured as Leland cupped his face and peered into that gorgeous cinnamon hued gaze of his.

 

“I said that you were still exaggerating the extent of the damage to that kitchen even after all of these years, but it looks like I’ve lost you to whatever fantasy you keep slipping into.”

 

“Just the one where it’s you and me and every first experience you could possibly dream up,” Shiloh replied as he leaned in and stole a kiss, then licked Leland’s cheek, laughing when he swiped at the spot. “And I don’t think the eight hours we spent scrubbing the soot off the kitchen walls is an exaggeration. Nor was the coat of primer and two coats of paint it took to restore the kitchen to its former glory.”

 

“Now whose exaggerating?” Leland replied, reaching for something that was just out of Shiloh’s line of sight. The potholder maybe, considering there was less than a minute left before the timer went off. “We had exactly three feet of usable counter space, a floor that should have come with a warning label, and a stove that had to have been cursed because there is no other explanation for how it could have burned everything you put in it. There was nothing glorious about it at all, except for that whipped cream war you kicked off.”

 

Before Shiloh could laugh at the memory, he caught a burst of cold cream to the face and was reminded of the can he’d left on the counter to dot their cocoa with. Sputtering, he flailed, laughing but unable to get away from the spray as his husband went on to cover most of his face, then grab him by the collar and pin him in place. The promise of kisses and Leland’s tongue caressing his cheek was lost when the timer went off.

 

“Ohhh, sorry babe, timeout on account of acute starvation,” Leland remarked as he pulled away, leaving Shiloh to grasp around until he found the sink and could wash the whipped cream off his face.

 

“I’m calling a penalty on the play,” Shiloh declared as he licked a trace of whipped cream from the corner of his mouth. “You can’t just turn a guy into dessert then not even take a taste of him.”

 

“Hmmm, I don’t know if that’s really a penalty,” Leland said as he set the pan of cheese stuffed garlic focaccia bread on the hotplate and turned off the stove. “Especially when the sound of the beep means the start of a whole new quarter.”

 

“It’s not a beep, it’s a horn, and how are we going to kick that one off?” Shiloh asked, watching Leland move around the space with a confidence he hadn’t had in that first apartment.

 

“By celebrating the presence of a stove that isn’t demonically possessed,” Leland declared as he turned off the burner and gave the pan on the stove one final stir. “There, now that’s perfection.”

 

Laughing, Shiloah moved to retrieve the plates they’d washed earlier. “For the record, it was more like anything you put into it. I never had an issue with the damn thing so long as you kept your hands off it.”

 

“Fine, then maybe not cursed, but it sure had a grudge against me,” Leland declared. “Especially that first night. I’m just glad my culinary disasters weren’t a deal breaker for you.”

 

“How could they be when they were so damned adorable? Though…I’ve gotta admit I was feeling some concern after the great spaghetti incident.”

“And yet here we are about to recreate that infamous meal.”

 

“Yes, but on a much grander and well thought out scale,” Shiloh pointed out. “Back then we didn’t know the difference flavor profiles of red sauce or how amazing alfredo could be.”

 

“Seriously. I thought lasagna and spaghetti and meatballs were the be all end all of pasta dishes, not just the tip of the iceberg. Though, if I’d known how much room pasta needed to cook, I’d have suggested takeout pizza right from the jump or at the very least a family sized can of Beefaroni.”

 

“And miss out on the greatest chemistry lesson this side of the baking soda and vinegar volcano? Hell no. I don’t think so. Who knew that was how you made paste?”

 

“Could have applied wallpaper with it but I’m glad it never came to that,” Leland admitted. “What I’m most thrilled about the way we worked together to learn how to keep it from happening again.”

 

“True that. We sure made a bunch of new discoveries that summer,” Shiloh said as they finished plating their food. “Who knew there were so flavor profiles you could create out of a basic watermelon slush?”

 

“I sure didn’t,” Leland remarked as they stepped into the space that would eventually become their living room, a gasp spilling from him when he caught sight of what Shiloh had been up to while Leland had been busy in the kitchen.

 

Glancing over, he caught sight of Shiloh watching him, a tentative look on his face. “Like it?” Shiloh asked.

 

“I love it, but I thought you were out here unpacking?”

 

“Well, I was, a little bit anyway, enough to find the fairy lights and the space sphere.”

 

Staring up into the purple and silver fairy lights he’d carefully wrapped around the beams that made up their ceiling, Shiloh had to admit that it was as magical as he’d hoped it would be. They’d talked for years about waiting for a converted barn to come up for sale, preferably one with skylights so they could lay in a nest of pillows and blankets and stare up at the stars. Now they had it. Between the loft windows that opened to let in a cross breeze and the stone fireplace that was the centerpiece of their living room space, it was all they’d dreamed of and more.

 

When the ground thawed the crew would start work on an in-ground pool and hot tub, and when it was finished they planned to christen it by blowing up an inflatable mattress and floating beneath the stars; a bevy of fruity, brightly colored cocktails to keep them company. Shiloh could practically picture the fireflies dancing over the lawn, the soft glow of their tiny lights like sprinkles of magic.

 

“Man, what an adventure we had searching for all those slushie flavors,” Leland murmured as he finally set his plate on the low, square coffee table they loved to make collages on.

 

Shiloh couldn’t wait to unpack the ones they’d framed over the years and find the perfect place to display them. More than that, though, he looked forward to the new ones they’d make and all the adventures that would inspire them.  

 

“Taste testing all the treats at those farms was life altering,” Shiloh admitted as he sat across from Leland on one of the large, comfy pillows he’d taken off the couch for them to sit on. 

 

The setup was so nice he planned to find pillows they could permanently use so they could feast like this whenever they wanted.  

Leland laid a napkin across his lap and leaned over to inhale the aroma wafting up from his plate. “Was the best way to see the state and proved why there’s no place in the world more beautiful than Vermont. I never want to leave here.”

 

“We won’t, baby,” Shiloh assured him. “This is our home. I’m willing to do whatever I’ve got to do to pay this place off so we never have rent or a mortgage having over our head again.”

 

“You mean that’s what we’re gonna do,” Leland said. “We always worked better as a team, even when we butt heads over how to accomplish something.”

 

“That’s because we’ve always been in agreement about what we wanted to accomplish, it’s just the method of getting it done that we fuss about.”

Leland was laughing as he reached across the table and held a piece of fragrant bread to Shiloh’s lips. “And had mountains of fun making up, too. Can’t forget that.”

 

“No, we certainly can’t. Especially when candied apples and watermelon syrup were involved.”

 

“The world can keep its generic ass cherry and strawberry,” Leland declared. “They’re one note when you consider all the vibrant flavors you can create when you add a splash of watermelon to something.”

 

“I could go for a bottle of syrup tonight,” Shiloah admitted. “Along with a fine tipped paint brush and you buck naked and splayed out for me to draw a comic strip on.”

 

Grinning, Leland wagged his eyebrows at him. “Feed me dinner first and I’m all yours.”

 

“Does that mean we’ve actually got watermelon syrup stashed somewhere?” Shiloh asked. “I thought you said Flannery’s was out and had no plans on restocking any of their slush flavors before spring?”

 

“They don’t, but they aren’t the only ones who carry the more unique flavors. Remember that place we found just north of Randolph?”

“With all of those adorable little Jersy cows?”

 

Hmmmm. Leland hummed around the fork he was slowly withdrawing from between his lips. “So good and that’s the one.”

 

“Good? That’s an understatement,” Shiloh declared. “This is fuckin’ delicious. You outdid yourself this time.”

 

“Enough to bury the memory of a dinner consisting of nothing but lukewarm meatballs and sauce?”

 

“Baby, the only thing about that memory that has ever been important to me was the view of you I got when you took off your shirt to fan the smoke out the window,” Shiloh admitted as he reached across the table to cover one of Leland’s hands with his. “The rest is just an amusing anecdote.”

“So you did laugh at my cooking!”

 

“Hey. I laughed at our cooking,” Shiloh reminded him. “Or are you forgetting that I was the one that thought the bubbles from the water boiling were supposed to help separate the pasta?”

 

“Well, in all fairness, maybe it would have if we’d had a big enough pot for the noodles to drift apart,” Leland offered. “As for the place with the cows, they carried watermelon and mango too, along with a whole array of other flavors. Now if only we could find one of those countertop slush puppy machines. Talk about sold out, every time I go to the website they’re out of stock.”

 

“That’s because you only remember to look in summer when everyone and their grandmother is grabbing them up. The key is to look for things like that in winter and snag them when everyone is searching for ways to keep warm.”

 

No matter what the vibe, it was always adorable when Leland stuck his tongue out at him.

 

“Why don’t I remember them having slushie syrup there?” Shiloh wondered aloud.

 

“Because you never made it past the petting zoo and all those adorable babies you got to feed and sit in the meadow with, remember? You said you’d meet me inside. Only I finished shopping and never saw so much as a glimpse of you, so I loaded everything into the SUV and came back to find you sprawled on your side telling a story to a calf.”

 

“That’s because she was the cutest little thing ever. I still wish they’d carried stuffed versions ‘cause I would have bought the biggest one I could afford that day.”

 

“And provided some awesome photo opportunities too. The one we made after that adventure has always been one of my favorite collages. The way you looked when you were staring all soft eyed at that calf just made me fall in love with you all over again. It was like she was your whole world, and you didn’t care one bit what anyone whispered when they saw you sprawled out talking to her like you were a little kid.”

 

Chuckling, Shiloh shook his head and finished chewing before responding. “You just like staring at me when I’m not paying attention.”

 

“They’re pictures, what else am I supposed to do with them besides stare?” Leland asked, then waved his fork in Shiloh’s direction when he started to speak. “No, never mind, don’t answer that. Whatever you say is libel to be completely sick and inappropriate and will probably scar me for life.”

 

“Oh come on. I’ve stayed with you at your old man’s place,” Shiloah reminded him. “I’ve seen his red long johns and walked in on him with the assflap half down, hollering like the house was on fired while he fired off that shotgun of his. There is nothing I could possibly say or do that could scar anyone more than that.”

 

“He was just trying to scare off a coyote.”

 

“Scare it? I bet the damned thing needed therapy by the time he was through,” Shiloh said. “I can just picture him on a couch of pine needles and fluff describing how he was just out for a midnight stroll when this human went crazy and started screaming about sheep. I bet it was enough to turn that poor coyote into a vegetarian.”

 

“There could be some truth to that.”

 

“I guess the only way to know for sure would be to stake out the forest and see if any of the owls have hung a shingle out,” Shiloh mused.

Groaning, Leland cocked his head and stared across the table at him. “Why’s it gotta be an owl?”

 

“Because a porcupine would be too prickly, and the magpies would never stop talking long enough for the coyote to get a word in.”

 

“Uh-huh, you’ve been planning on doing something with that for a while now, haven’t you?”

 

“Maybe,” Shiloh replied, giving him a little wink.

 

“Damn, okay, now you have to draw that and make a copy for the house gallery too.”

 

“Well then, I guess I know how I’ll be spending my days once we unearth the art desk.”

 

“Ohh no, no way do you get to start drawing before we get everything unpacked and put away!” Leland protested. “Besides, isn’t it your turn to organize the kitchen? I thought I was supposed to be on bedroom duty.”

 

“Uh-uh, hell no, nope, not a chance. I don’t mind breaking down the boxes and hauling the trash to the dump and recycling on my own, but I draw the line at unpacking a thousand and one kitchen gadgets.”

 

“A thousand and seven. Watermelon slush syrup wasn’t the only thing I found out there at the country store. You should have seen the kitchenware section. They had this little folding thing that you put ground beef in and when you close it, it forms a pocket you can fill with cheese, mushrooms and other bits to make stuffed burger patties.”

 

Shiloh’s eyes grew wide at hearing that. “Oh holy shit that sounds good.”

 

“And you will find out just how good once we find the box I packed it in.”

 

Grumbling, Shiloh took another bite. “I knew there was a catch.”

 

“I thought I was the catch.”

 

“Always.”

 

Candlelight sparkled in Leland’s eyes, making it damned difficult for Shiloh to pay attention to the amazing meal his husband had cooked for them. Truth be told, the only thing he was interested in tasting was Leland. The only thing that kept him from crawling across the table and pinning him to the floor was the knowledge of how important it was to his husband that this meal be special.

 

“Better eat up, that’s only the first course,” Leland said, jarring Shiloh from thoughts of him splayed out beneath the fairy lights.

 

“First course, huh?” Shiloh said, licking his lips and giving his husband a little wink. “Just promise me the next one isn’t scorched garlic bread with a

layer of super charred aluminum.”

 

As he’d expected, his words provoked the response he’d been hoping for. His husband poofed up, looking as indignant as a sopping wet hen, and even more hen-like when he started squawking and sputtering in outrage. Grinning, Shiloh dug back into his food, ducking the crumpled napkin his husband lobbed at his head.

 

“Oh you!” Leland fussed, wrinkling his nose as he scowled at the way Shiloh casually cut another piece of that beautiful artisan loaf and dipped it in the fragrant balsamic oil Shiloh had whipped up for just that reason. “I just did what the directions said.”

 

“I know, baby, but I love that little indignant scrunch of the nose you do whenever I mention it.”

 

Leland stuck his tongue back out, then blew a raspberry at him for good measure before finishing the last bite on his plate. Shiloh was still chuckling to himself when his husband bounded off to the kitchen for whatever surprise he intended as the second course. While he was gone, Shiloh finished what was left on his plate, his thoughts replaying the day he considered to be the luckiest of his whole life.

 

And to think it had started off as a complete disaster.

 

Shiloh had been certain that he’d been called into work early because of the dustup he’d had with the partner he’d been assigned to team up with on a comic strip. They were supposed to be designing artwork that would serve to help shed light on a sensitive issue. The problem at the time had been Leland’s feelings that his partners designs and the dialogue she wanted to use didn’t handle the topic with the kid gloves it desired. He’d redone the strip three times, trying to keep her core ideas intact, and each time she’d thrown a hissy fit, taken back the sketches, and redrawn them again. It had started to feel like the project wouldn’t be completed on time, so Leland had taken matters into his own hands, redesigned the strip in the way he felt was best, and submitted it so they’d have time to tackle any adjustments.

 

He’d been distracted on the way there and preparing his argument in his head, set to defend himself and his actions no matter what accusations and reprimands were hurled his way. Peddling through the streets of Burlington at breakneck speed, he’d rounded a corner, clipped a puddle, and sent a wave of water over a man in a turquoise wind breaker whose arms were laden with packages. There had been no question of whether he’d stop, ethically it was the only right thing to do.

 

After he’d assessed the damage, helped pick up everything Leland had dropped, apologized profusely, and insisted on paying for an earthenware pot that had gotten cracked despite its careful wrapping, Leland had invited him to get sushi and boba tea after work. Shiloh had cracked wise about seeing him in an hour then, because he was certain now, more than ever, that he was going to be fired, because now he was running later. Only when Leland had tried to apologize, Shiloh had quickly jumped to make sure he knew that it was completely his fault, because he’d been running late and been distracted to begin with. So, they’d agreed to meet in an hour if Shiloh really was fired, and if not, they’d meet at six.

 

Well.

 

He'd turned out not to be fired. They’d called him in early to brief him on the project they’d wanted him to take over, and that sushi and boba tea had turned into a celebration dinner, and the start of something magnificent.

 

“Now it’s your turn to close your eyes,” Leland called out.

 

“Done!” Shiloh replied, closing his eyes obediently.

 

Leland came into the room humming one of their favorite songs to dance to, especially when there was rain beating against their windows. Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton.  

 

“You can open them now.”

 

When he did it was to see Leland’s face inches from his own and his husband leaning in to steal a quick kiss. “Surprise.”

 

Looking down, Shiloh saw a plate of mini caprese salad bites and holy shit, boba tea to wash them down with.

 

“Whoa, that is beautiful. I was just thinking about Boba tea too and our first meeting,” Shiloh admitted.

 

“So was I when I was planning the meal. But I couldn’t figure out a way to get sushi and pasta to go together, and yes, I looked. Trust me when I say that you never want to fall down the rabbit hole that I did. There is actually such a thing as sushi pasta, where they shove the sushi fixings inside of a giant pasta shell in some weird fusion sort of thing. After scrolling past several images, including one with chili-lime squid tentacles, seaweed bits, and diced tomatoes sticking out of a shell, I decided for both of us that there was no way in hell we were going that route.”

 

When Shiloh tried to picture that, all he could imagine was some strange tentacle creature creeping along with a pasta shell on its back like a snail might do. No doubt about it, he was going to be drawing that too.

 

“Thank you for that,” Shiloh said as the critter kept slithering through his thoughts. “Just so you know, I’ll never need the universe to set aside a special day to celebrate me and you. I’ve done that every second of every hour since the morning we met.”

 

This time, when Leland leaned in, Shiloh tangled his fingers in his husband’s hair and held him in place, drawing out the kiss until they were breathless.

 

“Sit with me?” Shiloh asked, not that Leland let him finish getting the words out before he was settled in Shiloh’s lap.

 

Shiloh plucked the first salad bite off the plate and held it to his husband’s lips, giggling when Leland nipped at his fingers before taking it.

 

“You know we’ll need to let our food settle before you bring out desert, right?” Leland mentioned between bites. “All this good food of yours deserves to be savored properly.”

 

“Oh, I know, which is why I was thinking it would be the perfect time for you to open your surprise.”

 

“I thought dinner was my surprise?”

 

“Oh no, dinner is our celebration, your surprise…well, I plan to have the camera ready when you see it because I think it will make for the beginnings of a whole new collage.”

 

“And I think I know what the perfect second half of that collage will be.”

 

“How, when you have no idea what’s in store for you yet?”

 

“True. But I do know what’s in store for you,” Shiloh reminded him. “And I am fully anticipating your reaction. I figure between the pictures I take of you and the ones you’ll take of me, we’ll have something truly special, especially if we feature the pictures we’ve taken of ourselves enjoying this amazing meal in our wonderful new place.”

 

“I love making new memories with you.”

 

“Ditto.”

 

They cuddled until the plate was empty, and for several more songs after that, then Shiloh kissed the top of Leland’s head before turning him free so he could get up. While Leland took the plate to the kitchen, Shiloh slipped away to retrieve the gift he’d specifically hidden in the back of the utility closet where he knew Leland would never have a need to go as long as his focus was in the kitchen.

 

When he got back, Leland was already sitting at the table with a large gift-wrapped box beside him that was topped with a huge red and white, heart covered bow. Shiloh had gone for shades of pink and red stripes for his wrapping paper and sealed each end with little rows of sticker hearts.

 

“You go first,” Shiloh insisted as he sat his box beside Leland and reached for the spot where he’d laid his phone.

 

Training it on his husband, he could scarcely contain his excitement as Shiloh tore into it with all the exuberance of a little kid, then squealed, hands

clasped over his mouth once he saw what was hidden inside. Shiloh captured shot after shot, including the moment when Leland finally lifted that countertop slushie machine out of the box and hugged it, laughing.

 

“Told ya, you gotta order those things in winter when no one else is after them,” Shiloh said as Leland gave the box one more squeeze before setting it down. In an instant, Leland was in his arms and covering his face with kisses. “Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetheart.”

 

Giggling, Leland hugged him tight. “Best present ever!”

 

“Now you have something to use with all of that hidden syrup,” Shiloh said. “I can’t wait to see what new flavor combinations you dream up!”

 

“Oh it is on!” Leland declared scrambling backward so he could grab his gift for Shiloh and hold it out to him. “Now open yours!”

 

For as large of a package as it was, it was way lighter than Shiloh expected. A sense of giddiness washed over him as he tore off the wrapping paper to reveal a plain brown box. Nothing about it offered any clues as to what was inside. It was sealed up tight with packing tape too, forcing Shiloh to carefully cut the seam only to reveal a layer of packing peanuts.

 

“Oh come on!” Shiloh yelped, eagerly plunging his hands into the peanuts to grasp something large, soft and wrapped in enough tissue paper that he still couldn’t see what it was.

 

His husband was giggling like a hyena behind that camera and steadily taking pictures until the great reveal, when Shiloh got past the paper to discover a huge stuffed Jersey cow nested inside. A toddler could have ridden on it, it was so large.

 

“Holy shit!” Shiloh declared as he hugged it tight. “How! Where! I never could find one that wasn’t patterned like a Holstein!”

 

“Well it wasn’t easy, but find the right catalogue and anything is possible,” Leland admitted, a soft, dreamy look in his eyes. “I just can’t believe that both of our gifts stem from the exact same adventure.”

 

“Why not? We’ve always been on the same page with one another, right from the very beginning,” Shiloh reminded him. “I’ll never take for granted how special that is.”

 

“Neither will I,” Leland said as he crawled back into Shiloh arms alongside that big stuffed animal he still held on to. “Every day with you is Valentine’s Day.”

 

“And every day with you is the best damned day of my life.”