Chapter Text
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Another yell bounced off the walls of the house, disturbing the slumbering dog that lay in front of the couch, one head resting on their large paws as the other two perked up, ears alert and to attention.
Valentine paused in his mixing, waiting a moment for any further comment from the other room as the sound of ice colliding with glass died down.
Things fell silent once again and so he resumed, only to soon find the peace broken mere seconds later.
“Finally! Christ, my mother could have gotten that right and she’s been dead for three hundred years!”
Valentine smiled to himself as he set aside his glass mixer, the pink tinged end glistening with watery red, and moved over to the freshly heated milk he needed to prep another drink.
His mouth was already practically salivating at the thought of his hot chocolate, with a dash of Baileys, to top off their comfy night at home and he was eager to kick back and relax like Elijah already had.
Even if it didn’t sound like it.
“How did you not get that?!”
A loud bark and a lower grumble followed the appalled yell, which was followed by a softer: “See, even Cerbie gets it, you’re terrible, why are you even here?”
Val huffed a short laugh through his nose as he mixed his hot chocolate powder into the hot milk until the lumps disappeared, his skill at making drinks so advanced that he barely had to pay attention and could keep his focus on the yells of his husband in the other room.
It seemed like only a couple of flicks of his wrist had his drink transferred to a glass, the Baileys mixed in and the cream on top.
A product of pure perfection, just as all his drinks should be.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN A UNICYCLE HAS THREE WHEELS?! WHERE ARE YOU FROM THAT HAS THREE WHEELED UNICYCLES?!”
Val had to take a moment to gather himself, hands pressed against the sides of the counter as he dipped his head to his chest and laughed.
After collecting himself, picked up the beverages and started to make his way back to the living room, smiling to himself as he mused on the moment and particulars of their relationship.
Yelling was a rarity within the Kerwood household, almost as rare as arguments, but should one ever happen they always tried to talk their feelings out and work on things together rather than get into screaming matches where things were said in the heat of the moment and unable to be taken back, whether true of exaggerated projections.
There were only two occasions that had either of them yelling at such volumes.
One was to be kept between themselves and whatever surface they found to play on and the other was on evenings like this.
Stepping around the coffee table, Val carefully leaned over to set Eli’s cup down on his designated coaster, one made of black ceramic with a red heart decals engraved into it, and then he sat down and cuddled into his husband’s side, the vampire stopping his yelling just long enough to give Val a smile and slip his arm around the angel’s shoulders.
Cerberus lay in the space between the TV and the coffee table, each of his three heads in a different angle, one with his tongue lolling out as he snored.
With his hands cupped around his mug, the warmth seeping into his fingertips, Valentine lay his head on Elijah’s shoulder and smiled in content, watching the ads play their annoyingly catchy jingles until Eli’s Saturday quiz show returned.
“Are we going for our walk when your shows are over?” Val asked, tilting his head up to look at his husband.
Eli looked down at Val with a smile, his arm moving around the angel’s shoulders, his hand resting on his hand.
“Of course, darling, as per the routine, I think Cerbie would give us grief if we didn’t.”
“True, that is three times the whining per dog most people get.”
“Exactly, what a travesty that would be,” Eli chuckled, a deep sound that had taken him years of practice to perfect without the use of air.
“How long will we have to keep him waiting?”
“Hmm, let me think,” Eli pulled his lips to one side then quickly looked to the TV just as the host finished reading out the next question. “Thirty two.”
Val snickered and lifted his cup to his lips to take a sip as Eli’s attention drifted back towards him.
“Sorry, um...I think this show ends in forty minutes or so, it’s the last one for tonight so-Oh come on! It’s thirty two! She does eight four times, thirty two!”
“That’s not too long, I think they can wait,” Val said before finally taking his sip.
“They most certainly ca-NO! Don’t sing all of them! Just figure out the first lot and times it by four!” Eli gestured frantically to the screen with the arm that wasn’t around Val’s shoulders, the movement making the angel squeak and steady his drink. Cerberus’ middle head was perked again, ears pricked to attention at his owner’s yelling.
Eli glared at the TV and Val laughed, seeing his husband get more agitated the more times the contestants sang the beginning procession of Can’t Get You Out of My Head and losing track while frantically losing time to answer.
Once they’d locked in their answer, missing the answer by two but not eliminating themselves from the game, Eli relaxed back into the seat with a disgruntled shake of his head.
“You could never be a host on a show, my bat.”
Eli blinked in surprise, looking down at him before laughing, his head dropping back against the cushion of the couch.
“That’s very true, darling, I have no patience for idiots.”
Val smiled and took another sip of his drink, his eyes closing as he relished in the moment of simple domestic bliss.
Something he never believed he would truly experience for himself.
A true inner peace.
“Come oooon...it’s obviously twelve. TWELVE!”