Page 88 of Refraction

“I bought lots of different things I thought you might like.” Peppers, onions, tomatoes, avocados—all the good things.

“Ooh. Omelet it is.” Humming, Calvin pulled a bunch of veggies out of the fridge and laid them on the counter along with the eggs and then started looking around for other things, fitting right into his kitchen. “Cutting board… hmm.”

“Right here. There’s a wood one and a plastic one.”

Granny had always used the wood one, but his mom insisted on the plastic one. Some shit about cleaning it or something….

He was pleased to see Calvin choose the wooden one. “And a nice… ah. Knife.” Calvin detoured past the kitchen table and pulled on a pair of black briefs before swooping in on the knife block. “Naked and knives. Mmm. No.” Calvin stopped and glanced up at him, smiling. “Oh. I kind of took over, huh? I’m sorry.”

“It’s neat. I like to watch you. You like Granny’s kitchen?” He found a seat by the pass-through, just watching.

“I do. It’s comfy. Everything is in easy reach. And it has a good energy. Or maybe I’m still coming down off that high you had me on earlier, not sure.” Calvin started cleaning some of the veggies, puttering and humming again.

“You tell me if you want me to do things.” A high. That made him feel like some sex god. Seriously. He’d loved making Calvin high, making him fly.

“Why don’t you scramble up your eggs? Also, you should tell me what you like in them. I’m kind of adding the kitchen sink here.”

“I’m easy, honey. I like food.” He went to grab himself a bowl, choosing a clear one. That way he could see any stray eggshells. While he did that, Calvin started chopping up veggies, using the knife like someone who actually ate once in a while. “Look at you. You’re good at that. Did you take classes?”

He liked the idea of classes. He liked the idea way more than the reality.

“No. I learned from my mother. She’s insane, but she’s a good cook.” He watched Calvin separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs using the shells, and scramble them. “I don’t guess you have a set of free weights, do you?”

“Uh-huh. They’re in one of the rooms from when I was a teenager. I was sad that I was skinny. Now I don’t think about it.”

Calvin grinned at him. “You don’t eat well when you’re working. But I don’t have any complaints. Frying pans are…? Oh, in here probably, right?”

“There’s cast iron and plain old, both.” He watched to see which one Calvin chose.

“Ooh. Hmm.” Calvin took both out and set the cast iron on the stove with the heat low. “Yours I’ll do the yummy way. I can’t have the butter. You want to put in some toast for yourself?”

“Nah. I’m okay.” Although toast sounded pretty good, now that Calvin mentioned it. “Do you want a piece? Should I have bought margarine? There’s olive oil and that coconut goo.”

“Olive oil will work for the veggies. Thanks.” He pulled the oil out for Calvin and set it on the counter. “You want to watch a movie tonight?”

Calvin let the pan heat a bit and sautéed the veggies, then moved half into the regular pan before adding butter and scrambling up his eggs.

“Sure. I’m open.” He hadn’t had someone to do things with in… ever, really. Not out here.

“Grab a plate, cowboy. Your eggs are up.”

He grabbed one for each of them. Calvin scooped his eggs out of the pan without anything sticking, which would have made Granny proud. Then Calvin started scrambling the egg whites.

“So what do you watch in that bed in the media room? What’s your favorite movie?”

“Pan’s Labyrinth. But I like lots of different movies. I lovePractical MagicandDead Again,TheMatrix,TheMummy.”

“I remember when that came out, I never saw it. LoveTheMatrixmovies, though, andPractical Magicis up there in my top ten.” Calvin served up his own eggs and shooed him over to the kitchen table to sit. “You’ll laugh at me, but my favorite movie?WALL-E.” Calvin sat in one of his kitchen chairs with a plop.

“Eva!” Tucker laughed, bumped their shoulders together. “I love cartoons. Would you like a glass of anything? I want milk.”

Calvin giggled. “I do too. Just water, thank you. Also up there areBeauty and the BeastandThe Princess Bride. I’m not a very deep movie watcher. I like to be entertained and not have to think too hard.”

“I like pretty movies. Visually. And the music. I like good scores.” He poured himself a big glass of milk. “And I love pretty actors.The 13th Warrioris a lot of eye candy.”

“Pretty actors are never a bad thing,” Calvin said, chewing. “If you had to pick one for tonight, what would we watch? Would it be the same thing whether I was here or not?”

“We should watchPractical Magic, and I would go sleep in the pool if you weren’t here, most likely.”

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