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The scents of fresh herbs, hot bread and sizzling garlic wrapped around Silver like a comforting blanket as he chopped mushrooms in Feldspar's kitchen, soothing his lingering nervousness.
He'd been making excuses for weeks for why he couldn't come over to cook for Feldspar's roommates. He knew Feldspar had noticed his hesitation to spend time with them and had been both patient and persistent in inviting him over. It wasn't that he didn't like Nephrite and Gneiss. It was just that every time he saw Gneiss he couldn't help but remember the night they'd all slept together. His last words to Gneiss had been to beg for her to let him come, for fuck's sake. It was all kinds of hot and embarrassing and confusing. He had no idea what to do with himself around her.
Still, he knew how important it was to Feldspar for him to pass the roommate test, and he had run out of plausible excuses. More than anything he wanted win Feldspar's trust and make him happy. So he'd finally put on his big boy pants and agreed to come cook for them. Now, a few hours into working in Feldspar's kitchen, the familiar rhythm of cooking had soothed away the worst of his nerves.
A pot of truffle cream sauce was simmering away on the stove, the rich scents of black truffles and thyme filling the air. Silver pulled baked asparagus and halloumi from the oven and slid the pan onto a stretch of empty counter space next to the rhubarb and strawberry tart they'd baked earlier. He nibbled gingerly on a piece of asparagus, sighing with contentment. It was the perfect blend of crisp and charred, pairing impeccably with the seasoned halloumi.
He leaned across the kitchen and held a bite out to Feldspar, whose hands were covered in flour as he cut and shaped fresh gnocchi. Feldspar groaned in appreciation and nodded in approval as he chewed the hot asparagus and cheese.
"So good," he moaned as he chewed. Silver turned away to transfer the rest of the asparagus and halloumi onto a serving platter, but Feldspar grabbed his apron strings and pulled him backward.
"Come back here," Feldspar said and Silver grinned at the smile he could hear in his voice. Feldspar wrapped his messy hands around him and kissed up his neck. Silver sighed and leaned into Feldspar, enjoying the flush of warmth his touch brought. He turned to face Feldspar and kissed him deeply. Feldspar's hard body pressed into his and Silver wrapped his hands around the other faery's neck, all thoughts of dinner momentarily wiped away. Suddenly, facing his awkwardness around Gneiss didn't seem so daunting. He'd face a hundred awkward roommates if Feldspar would give him more of this. Silver drew away first to catch his breath, nipping Feldspar's bottom lip as he went.
"Stop distracting me," Feldspar said in exaggerated, aggrieved tone. "I still need to finish these." Silver huffed out a short laugh and rolled his eyes. He peeked over Feldspar's shoulder and scrutinized his adorably lumpy gnocchi.
"Press a little harder with the fork, like this," he said as he demonstrated how to roll the little dumplings over the tines of the fork to get their shape right. Feldspar obediently followed his movements. The gnocchi he flipped into the bowl were getting progressively more uniform, to Silver's satisfaction. He kissed Feldspar's cheek, slapped his ass, and then turned back to dishing up the asparagus and stirring the truffle cream sauce.
The front door opened and Gneiss strode in, tossing her coat and knife belt on a hook. Silver drew in a quiet breath, consciously quelling the nervous twist in his chest. Of all Feldspar's friends, her opinion mattered the most. She had been Feldspar's friend and lover for years, and Silver was all too aware of how much sway she probably still held. Add that to their sexual history and her take-charge personality and she became a walking intimidation machine. Silver squared his shoulders. He was grown-ass adult and Feldspar wanted him there. He needed to ignore the churning in his stomach and get through the evening.
"Smells good," she said as she grabbed a seat at the kitchen table. She popped a piece of the baked cheese in her mouth and groaned in appreciation. "Tastes even better than it smells. Silver, you shall live here from now on. I demand it."
Silver shook his head. "You can thank Feldspar for most of the food tonight. I just supervised and coached a bit." Feldspar grinned sheepishly and shrugged in response to Gneiss' assessing look.
"Then you are a positive influence," she said decisively.
"I should hope after months of practice I could put together a decent meal," Feldspar cut in. Gneiss reached for another piece of halloumi and Feldspar batted her hand away. "Stop that or there won't be any left for anyone else."
Gneiss jerked her hand away, her eyes widening for a split second. Silver tensed all over again, unsure whether it was surprise or irritation on the small faery woman's face. Gneiss had always been the dominant one when it came to her relationship with Feldspar, both inside and outside the bedroom. She didn't seem like the type to take orders easily, especially from Feldspar. Silver had spent so much time watching Feldspar's fragile confidence grow over that last few months. He wasn't about to let anyone tear him down.
Feldspar turned back to the stove to pour his prepared gnocchi into a pot of boiling water, apparently unconcerned with Gneiss' reaction. Gneiss caught Silver's eye behind Feldspar's back. Silver gave her a hard, warning look. He didn't care who she thought she was to Feldspar. If she did anything to hurt him Silver was prepared to step in. Gneiss held his gaze with an inscrutable expression and then turned to Feldspar.
"Are you saying I eat too much, Fel?" she asked. Her eyes crinkled in an expression just shy of an actual smile. Feldspar didn't bother to turn around, snorting dismissively. Silver glanced between them and relaxed fractionally.
Nephrite slipped down the ladder that led to the bedrooms above, her feet a bare whisper as she hit the floor. She glided over and joined Gneiss at the table. "It smells lovely in here, Feldspar," she said, her voice lilting gently. Silver removed the truffle cream sauce from the heat and set it aside. He'd already finished plating up the other courses, including a charcuterie plate for pre-dinner snacking. He placed it in front of the two women, who fell upon it with delight.
Silver turned back to watch Feldspar as he finished off the gnocchi. He was utterly absorbed in his task as he carefully strained off the water and poured the gnocchi into a serving bowl. He tested the sauce and automatically reached for the bowl of salt. Just before adding a pinch his eyes flicked over to Silver for confirmation. Silver nodded encouragingly. Feldspar knew what the sauce needed with or without his help. Feldspar added the salt and tasted the sauce again. He offered the spoon to Silver. Silver closed his mouth around the spoon, wishing he could kiss the sauce from Feldspar's lips instead.
"It's perfect," he pronounced. Feldspar beamed with pride and poured the sauce over the steaming gnocchi.
Nephrite and Gneiss set the table, which barely had room for all four place settings along with all the dishes Feldspar and Silver had made. Just as they were about to eat the front door opened again. The Lord and Lady burst through, the human woman laughing and batting away the faery lord's tickling hands as she raced through the doorway.
