“Are they all gay?”
“I’m not gay,” Tommy said as he walked in, “but I like these ponies. You see the movie with them becoming humans yet? It’s pretty cool. Not as cool asIron Man, but cool enough.” He took off his jacket and hung it up, then looked at Bas. “What’s for breakfast, maestro? I’m starving.”
“I was thinking pancakes or waffles,” Bas said as he began to pull out mixing bowls and ingredients. “Something simple.”
A horrible memory flashed through Dane’s head of someone putting tabasco sauce in his pancakes and making him eat them with nothing to drink, forcing them into his mouth until he gagged and vomited.
“No fucking pancakes!” Spots filled his vision. He bent over clutching his stomach as it threatened to spew even though he hadn’t eaten. He didn’t need to have another panic attack.
“Hey, hey, Dane. It’s okay.” Bas was there again, arms wrapped around him. “Shh. No pancakes. We can do something else. Right?” He talked Dane through the breathing exercise again until the spots and panic began to fade.
Tears pricked Dane’s vision. Bas was really good at managing this, the attacks, the breathing, even prepared with solutions. “Who are you?” Dane grumbled.
“I’m a bad ass unicorn,” Bas replied helping Dane stand. “In dire need of breakfast. Let’s find something else we can make. You’ll help me cook, right?”
“No pancakes,” Dane whispered.
“Sure. I’ve got lots of fruit and some eggs. Had a ton of groceries delivered.” Tommy grabbed up Bas’s tablet, scrolling through recipes. “How about a crepe?”
Dane let Bas guide him to a chair at the counter island and sat down. His heart still hammered and the memories kept replaying in his head. Bas’s touch helped, calming him and grounding him.
“What’s a crepe?” Dane wondered.
“Sort of like a pastry. Mostly made of eggs, often filled with fruit. It looks a little like a tortilla, but slightly sweet.” Bas took the tablet from Tommy and held the picture up for Dane. “Look, okay?”
Dane studied the image, then nodded. Bas left the tablet on the table and began handing him and Tommy ingredients. Together they mixed up the batter, and Dane watched Bas pour it in a pan and swirl it around until it was really large and thin while he pulled the stems off of strawberries and cut up bananas.
“First one is for Tommy,” Dane told them. He watched as Bas carefully flipped the first crepe and finally pulled it off the heat. Dane filled it with fruit and folded it up like a burrito, then topped it with whipped cream and powdered sugar.
Tommy took the plate and a fork and sat down at the table. He dug in, little moans coming from him as he ate. “So freaking good. Bas, I’m going to marry you just so you’ll cook for me.”
“Sure, sure, straight boy. You say that until I want to tap your ass or wink your willy, then you’re like ‘no, Bassy, don’t touch me.’ I expect my hubby to put out. Can’t let all this queer goodness go to waste.” Bas poured another crepe in the pan.
Dane watched, confused by the interaction. Tommy patted his hand, and Dane looked back at his friend, who held a fork full of food out for him. Reluctantly he opened his mouth and took the bite. It was a sweet and savory mix. He liked the juiciness of the fruit and the buttery flavor of the soft crepe.
“You can have this next one,” Bas spoke up.
Dane shook his head and got up from the table. Tommy frowned at his plate. Bas flipped the second finished crepe onto a clean plate.
“Show me how to do it. I’ll make my own,” Dane said to Bas, watching him as he filled the crepe with fruit.
“Okay.” Bas stepped to the side and walked Dane through the instructions on how to make the crepe while eating his own. When the final pastry was done, Dane put it on a plate and filled it with fruit, but didn’t touch the whipped cream. He picked up the filled crepe like it was a taco and took a bite. Okay, that was good. He could eat that. The room got really quiet while he ate until he finished the entire thing.
“There’s more batter if you want to make another. You can put other things in them, like eggs, beans, or salsa if you want something not as sweet.” Bas held up the bowl of batter. “Peanut butter and chocolate would be good too.”
“I like peanut butter,” Dane whispered.
Tommy raised his hand. “Can I have another?”
Dane took the bowl and went to the stove. His friends were hungry. He would feed them.
