[Room 372]

[mr_gaeta]

[Shortly after this.]

Soup seems like a good idea tonight. It's warm, and comforting, and doesn't need a hell of a lot of work to turn out well.

Gaeta dumps all the ingredients into the biggest pot he owns, dropping it on the stove's back burner to let it simmer for a couple hours. Gogo hasn't strayed far from his side since they left the bar; when Gaeta gives up and opts to sit on the kitchen floor, rather than take a proper seat at the table, the dodo scoots closer with all seeming intention to climb into his lap.

"No," he murmurs, pushing him back a little. "Stay there."

Gogo cocks his head, as if considering the request, then thumps down next to him and sets his beak on Gaeta's shoulder. Gaeta has to crane his chin back to make room for Gogo's head; with a defeated sigh, he draws an arm around the bird to ground himself a little further.

He can breathe. The anger hasn't ebbed back as far as he thought -- a meal that doesn't require much work means he can spend more time replaying the conversation in his head -- but the tension isn't as bad. Even if his palm hurts like all frak, he didn't do anything worse than sling a few insults Javert's way.

Gaeta still wouldn't mind staying on the floor a little while longer.

Comments

[faithful_lt]

Hoshi peers into the pot as if it's going to tell him something - cooking's never been a skill of his - then glances at Felix.

Spotting the expression on his face, he cocks his head a little to the side, looking at him.

"Something else on your mind?"

[mr_gaeta]

"I think I just got it," he murmurs. He rubs his hand along Louis' hip, still watching the pot. "It didn't bother me that much the first time he started preaching, so I couldn't figure out why it did tonight."

One variable -- Javert -- had stayed consistent, and surely that should have been enough to predict future outcomes. He'd forgotten how so many other variables had changed in the meantime.

[faithful_lt]

"Oh?" he murmurs. "Want to fill me in?"

[mr_gaeta]

"Because all he could do was talk about how wrong and -- " his mouth twists a little, " -- foul it was."

He finally turns to look at Louis.

"And it's the best thing that's happened to me in five years."

[faithful_lt]

Realization flashes over his features. A gentle smile touches his mouth.

"Me, too."

He leans in to kiss Felix. After it breaks, he murmurs,

"He's wrong. I feel sorry for him. And I love you."

[mr_gaeta]

"I love you, too."

A pause, and then Gaeta starts laughing quietly.

"...And I'm getting sappy again."

[faithful_lt]

"I promise not to tell anyone," Hoshi says, solemnly.

[mr_gaeta]

"Oh, good." Mock-relieved. "My tiger-wrestling reputation will last another day."

Squeezing Louis' waist, he drops another kiss on his temple before returning to the soup.

It's shaping up to be a good meal; a good evening. Gaeta will take it.