The Emporium is open -- Thursday

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

Eager to get a sense of normalcy after a couple of days under the weather, Michael flips the sign from "closed" to "open" and starts rearranging the holiday displays Ben had put up in his absence.

Comments

[mikeys-ben.livejournal.com]

Ben came down the stairs and set a bowl of pasta with marinara sauce in front of Michael. "Hello, stranger," he says, kissing Michael's cheek. "Thought you could use a good meal. And it's almost as good as your mother's, if I may say so myself...just don't tell her I said that, all right?" Glancing over, he sees the rearranged holiday displays. "Did I not do those right?"

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

Michael shrugs. "I just had it pictured a different way. No big deal." He smells the food and gives it a taste. "Oh my God, I think you really did get it just right...my mother had better be careful, or you'll completely steal her son away."

[mikeys-ben.livejournal.com]

"I thought I had," Ben teases, wrapping his arms around Michael. He continues to look in the direction of the display. He can't help but feel a little miffed, but he tries to let it go. "So when are we putting up the Christmas decorations upstairs?"

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

"I dunno. This weekend? The shop should be slow enough. We can spend some quality time together that way." Michael leans back and kisses Ben. "I think we need to do more of that."

[mikeys-ben.livejournal.com]

"That we do." Ben gives Michael a squeeze before letting go. "Now I should go back upstairs to that monster of a manuscript. Dinner at Deb's tonight, or do you want me to whip something up?"

[bens-mikey.livejournal.com]

"Considering you're feeding me like my mother does," Michael replies, gesturing to the heaping bowl, "I'm not going to be hungry for a good long time. Something light for dinner? Then maybe we can go out."

His phone rings, and Michael picks it up. "Hello?...Hey, Hunter....Really? That's fantastic....I will. Our prayers are with his family. Pass that on, okay?....Okay. Bye." Hanging up, Michael looks at Ben. "Derek is conscious, finally. They still don't know how much damage there might be, but he's alert and awake."

[mikeys-ben.livejournal.com]

"That's good. We'll keep our hopes up for a full and speedy recovery." Ben kisses Michael's cheek. "I will find something nice and light to make for dinner, then we can decide where to go out and par-tay tonight." Ben hikes back up the stairs to his desk and manuscript.