This new awkwardness niggled at Henry. Not because heblamedTristan for being cautious. Because it wasn’t the way they should have been, wasn’t the relationship they’d tenuously cobbled together during their time here so far. It was a dark spot in the middle of all this lightness, and one that bloomed resentment through Henry.
Tristan chewed on his nail a few seconds before continuing. “Even without the icing change, those turnovers are good enough to win. Everything you made is good enough to win this round.”
“Your stuff isn’t exactly dog shit.”
“Yeah, but you do this every day.” When Tristan looked back at him, his face was oddly calm. He smiled slightly—not enough to show off his dimples, but there was a definite upturn to the corners of his mouth. “You’ll win this one, and you deserve to win it. I’d bet on it. And I don’t throw my money away.”
Henry couldn’t keep his frustration under that amount of ego-stroking, or the assault of sincerity from Tristan. He lowered himself down onto the bed, and for a few moments, everything felt right, back to the way it had been. “Sometimes I wish we could stay up here and forget all this.”
Tristan nuzzled him. “I’ve heard worse ideas.”
Henry sighed. “Then it’s a plan.” And he pressed his lips against Tristan’s warm throat, feeling his breath moving.
A couple of days later, the evening before filming, Tristan was doing his best to act nonchalant, even as his palms sweated.Don’t want to tip Henry off to this little surprise.Currently, he was on the bed, scrolling through his phone. Tristan took a few calming breaths that did jack shit to make him feel more at peace. But he had something to attend to, and until hedid, his nerves and stomach wouldn’t settle.
Of course, it was entirely possible they wouldn’t settleafterhe took care of his little errand, either. But that hope was all he had to lean on in that moment. “So, I need to head to the store real quick. I’m out of some personal amenities.”
“‘Personal amenities’?” Henry sat up. “Sounds to me like you’re trying to hide what you’re talking about.”
Probably because I am. Tristan wasn’t going to come out and say what this was about. Not to Henry. There was a plan in Tristan’s head, a set of contingencies to be met that would get him to the goal.I want this to be an occasion. “It’s just something I need to pick up. Humor me.”
“Well, I can come with you.”
Tristan waved that concern away. “Trust me, I’m the worst person to shop with. Up and down every aisle deciding what I actually want. It’ll be better for our relationship if I go alone.” Tristan lay out on the bed next to Henry and kissed the back of his neck. “Besides, did it occur to you that I’m spending my meager funds on you and don’t want the surprise wrecked?”
“Oh, don’t buy me anything.”
“I don’t know if I will, now. Nosy McNosyFace.”
“Not even if I’m super cute?”
“You’re contradicting yourself.” Tristan rolled his eyes. “I’m going to the store for some stuff that’s none of your business. There, problem solved.” He kissed Henry’s neck again. Then he forced himself back up into the cruel world. He had a damn job to do, and he wasgoingto do it. “Itshouldn’ttake that long, but this is San Francisco, so I have no clue what the reality is going to be.”
“I’ll hold vigil for you if you aren’t back by sunrise.”
“Gee, such comfort.” Tristan winked, then darted into the bathroom. He futilely slid his hair into some shape resembling normalcy—it would be out of place again by the time he was in the actual store—slapped on a little extra deodorant, and double-checked his hands and face for flour. Everything checked out and he whispered to his reflection, “Okay, let’s do this.” Then he stepped back and grabbed the door handle. “Wish me luck while I travel the intestines of the beast.”
“Sounds like fun. If I’m not here when you get back, come knock on my hotel room door.” Henry sighed and winked. “But I’ll probably be here.”
“Well, I have my key anyway. So worse comes to worse, I can at least get back in.”
“Glad you have your priorities straight.” Henry rolled over onto his front, resting his chin on his hands like a 1950s’ slumber-party girl. “Have fun shopping.”
“Fun. Right.” Shopping wasn’t fun. Especially not shopping for this stuff. But he ached for connection, to reallybewith Henry. He wanted something special andrightbetween them. They bothdeservedthis.
Tristan headed out the door and, of course, patted his pockets for his wallet after he’d already left the room. But it was there, and his phone was there, so he headed for the elevator. It opened straightaway and he took it down to a rather empty lobby. “Suits me fine.” He walked over to the desk and waited until the dark-haired woman nodded to him. “I’m sorry, I’m looking for the nearest general store. Maybe one with a pharmacy if it’s not too far away.”
“Oh, no problem.” Her brows had raised at the wordpharmacythough, and her eyes kept shifting over to him as she typed. “There’s one here on the corner. Four blocks down to the right. I hope you get to feeling better soon.”
“Oh, I’m not sick. I figure a store with a pharmacy is going to have the best chance of having cotton balls.” He shuffled through his thoughts for something else, since only a weirdo would just go out to buy cotton balls. “And Benadryl.”Because that’s a totally normal shopping list.
“Oh, all right.” She appeared relaxed now that Tristan had confirmed he didn’t have the plague. “Well, the one you want is Highland Drug and General.”
“Highland Drug and General. Got it.” He backed up and gave her a wave, then stepped into the heat and noise and sea smell and too many people.Henry’s worth it. He’s goddamn worth it.
There was never a question of that. To Tristan, Henry was important enough to bear through eventwicethat many people.
The drugstore itself was a quiet enough affair, but the back wall sent Tristan’s anxieties into full bore. Did the world need this many kinds of condoms and lube? How much difference did they really make? What would Henry find the most... pleasurable?
