“Huh?” Steve quirked his brow at Douglas’s statement.
“Well, it’s thanks to that pudding that you and Corey finally got together,” Douglas clarified.
“Wait. How do you guys know….” Four sets of raised eyebrows met his words. Okay, so maybe all the hours the two of them had spent in his room hadn’t exactly gone unnoticed. Or maybe it was something to do with how close Corey was sitting and the smiles on both their faces.
“I for onelovethat pudding,” Corey said.
“Even though that pudding gave me third-degree burns?” Steve asked in mock horror.
“I think you may be exaggerating slightly.” Corey laughed. “But that pudding gave me a chance to spend time with you.”
“Aww… isn’t that sweet? It’s the pudding that keeps on giving,” Matt said with a laugh.
“So long as it doesn’t give me indigestion,” Ken added as he reached for the plate piled high with pudding slices Mal had brought back to the table.
“It is the season of giving, after all.” Mal winked at Steve and inclined his head toward Corey before turning his focus to putting pieces of Christmas pudding onto plates.
Steve turned to look at the man who’d quickly taken up residence in his heart. He wasn’t crazy enough to think it was love, not yet, but it was definitely the beginning of something special. He reached across and grasped Corey’s hand, giving it a small squeeze. He didn’t let go. Maybe it was the Christmas spirit, but Corey was a gift, an opportunity he’d grasp with both hands and cherish.
Yeah, maybe that pudding wasn’t so bad after all, he thought with a smile.
~ END~
