Big Gestures (Life Is Small)
Title: Big Gestures (Life Is Small)
Pairing/Characters: Adam/Tommy, Leila
Rating (Word Count): PG. 9x100
Warning(s): None
Author's notes: Another part of the chef AU. Takes place after Sommelier.
“Adam, come on.”
“I’m not done.” Tommy sighed and went into the kitchen. Adam had his back to him, fussing with the food. The picnic basket was on the counter and was already filled near to bursting, but Adam was still making…something.
Tommy came behind him and put a hand on Adam’s arm. He could see the tension in Adam’s back. “That’s enough food,” he said quietly, but trying to be firm. Adam ignored him and kept chopping. “Adam. It’s enough.”
“It’s the coleslaw. I can’t have a picnic without coleslaw.” Tommy watched as Adam cut cabbage into fine slices.
***
“Does your mom even like coleslaw? Do you even like coleslaw?” Adam muttered something and Tommy put his hand over Adam’s, making him still the knife. “Adam. Let it go. We have to be there soon.”
“ But what if it’s too late? What if she doesn’t come?” Adam put the knife down and Tommy tangled his fingers in with Adam’s.
“She’s going to come. She called four times making sure she had the right address. She’ll be here any minute.” Right then, the doorbell rang and Adam went stiff. “I’ll go get it.” Tommy opened the door. “Hi, Mrs. Lambert.”
***
“Hi. You can call me Leila.” The woman in front of him looked a lot like Adam, and she was holding a package in tense hands. “I brought some cheese crisps I got from a store, I thought they would be nice for a picnic. Are you Tommy?” Tommy smiled and took the bag from her.
“Yeah. I’m Tommy Joe. Ratliff. Adam’s still in the kitchen, let me get him.” He took the crisps and goes back in to find Adam trying to clean up the cabbage that was all over the counters. “Time to go.” Adam turned and nodded.
***
Adam came from the kitchen, basket in his hand, and gave Leila an awkward, one-armed hug. “Good to see you,” Leila said. Adam shifted the basked to another hand, and then Tommy just took the damn thing. Adam looked at his mom again, and then hugged her with both hands. She hugged him back and when they broke apart, she was smiling. “So, where are we going?”
‘Where’ turned out to be a small park in LA. “This doesn’t even look like LA,” Tommy said. And it didn’t, it looked like someplace you’d find in the South. “I like it.”
***
“I do too,” Adam said. “It’s got trees, it’s not so hot.” Leila looked around, not saying anything, until Adam put a hand on his arm. “Mom?”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “But it reminds me of that little park we all went to for Earth Day when you were in elementary school. I was volunteering with your class that day, remember? They had a program with some speakers and…”
“A chef,” Adam finished. “Who talked about organic farming.” Tommy looked between them, and both Adam and Leila had fond smiles. Adam grinned and sat down his basket. “Okay, let’s eat.”
***
The picnic was fantastic. They sat a blanket on the ground and Adam kept pulling things out of the basket even when Tommy could have sworn that there was no way anything else could fit. They had a grilled chicken salad with balsamic vinegar dressing, potato salad, cold duck and watercress sandwiches, Leila’s cheese crisps, plus nuts, olives, small candies, lots of little things. They washed it all down with wine, and stayed there until the sun was low in the sky. Then Adam stood up, brushing some of the crumbs off his pants.
“I think it’s time to go.”
***
There was silence when they drove back to Adam’s place, but it was a good, content silence, not a cold one. When they were home, Leila and Adam stood in front of each other for a few seconds. Tommy watched as they stared at each other. “So,” Leila started. “I had a good time. Thank you. Both of you.”
“Thanks for coming.” That broke the ice, and Leila threw her arms around Adam in a big hug. Adam hugged her back, and then he dragged Tommy into it, the three of them hugging in a group, not wanting to stop.
***
Later, Tommy helped Adam get the dishes put away. “That went fucking great,” he said. “Your mom really seemed to like it.”
“She really seemed to like you,” Adam said, and Tommy could detect the pride in his voice. “She’d be stupid not to, but still. I’m glad.”
“She likes you too,” Tommy said, and Adam made a face. “Nope, don’t dismiss it. You did your best to impress and it worked. Of course, now the hard part starts.”
“What’s that?” Adam turned to stare at him.
“Big events are one thing, but life isn’t like that. Life is small.”
***
Adam stared at the soapy water in front of him. “Yeah, it is. Me and Neil only fixed things because we kept at it. Or he kept at it. Once he decided we were getting over it, he didn’t stop.”
“See, and that’s what you have to do now. Invite her to little stuff, call her. She’ll do the same once she knows it’s okay.” Tommy hugged Adam hard, not minding the soap. “I’m proud of you.”
“Don’t be, you got me through this.” Adam kissed him, then pulled back. “Now let’s go to bed.”
“Oh yeah, twist my arm.”
Pairing/Characters: Adam/Tommy, Leila
Rating (Word Count): PG. 9x100
Warning(s): None
Author's notes: Another part of the chef AU. Takes place after Sommelier.
“Adam, come on.”
“I’m not done.” Tommy sighed and went into the kitchen. Adam had his back to him, fussing with the food. The picnic basket was on the counter and was already filled near to bursting, but Adam was still making…something.
Tommy came behind him and put a hand on Adam’s arm. He could see the tension in Adam’s back. “That’s enough food,” he said quietly, but trying to be firm. Adam ignored him and kept chopping. “Adam. It’s enough.”
“It’s the coleslaw. I can’t have a picnic without coleslaw.” Tommy watched as Adam cut cabbage into fine slices.
***
“Does your mom even like coleslaw? Do you even like coleslaw?” Adam muttered something and Tommy put his hand over Adam’s, making him still the knife. “Adam. Let it go. We have to be there soon.”
“ But what if it’s too late? What if she doesn’t come?” Adam put the knife down and Tommy tangled his fingers in with Adam’s.
“She’s going to come. She called four times making sure she had the right address. She’ll be here any minute.” Right then, the doorbell rang and Adam went stiff. “I’ll go get it.” Tommy opened the door. “Hi, Mrs. Lambert.”
***
“Hi. You can call me Leila.” The woman in front of him looked a lot like Adam, and she was holding a package in tense hands. “I brought some cheese crisps I got from a store, I thought they would be nice for a picnic. Are you Tommy?” Tommy smiled and took the bag from her.
“Yeah. I’m Tommy Joe. Ratliff. Adam’s still in the kitchen, let me get him.” He took the crisps and goes back in to find Adam trying to clean up the cabbage that was all over the counters. “Time to go.” Adam turned and nodded.
***
Adam came from the kitchen, basket in his hand, and gave Leila an awkward, one-armed hug. “Good to see you,” Leila said. Adam shifted the basked to another hand, and then Tommy just took the damn thing. Adam looked at his mom again, and then hugged her with both hands. She hugged him back and when they broke apart, she was smiling. “So, where are we going?”
‘Where’ turned out to be a small park in LA. “This doesn’t even look like LA,” Tommy said. And it didn’t, it looked like someplace you’d find in the South. “I like it.”
***
“I do too,” Adam said. “It’s got trees, it’s not so hot.” Leila looked around, not saying anything, until Adam put a hand on his arm. “Mom?”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “But it reminds me of that little park we all went to for Earth Day when you were in elementary school. I was volunteering with your class that day, remember? They had a program with some speakers and…”
“A chef,” Adam finished. “Who talked about organic farming.” Tommy looked between them, and both Adam and Leila had fond smiles. Adam grinned and sat down his basket. “Okay, let’s eat.”
***
The picnic was fantastic. They sat a blanket on the ground and Adam kept pulling things out of the basket even when Tommy could have sworn that there was no way anything else could fit. They had a grilled chicken salad with balsamic vinegar dressing, potato salad, cold duck and watercress sandwiches, Leila’s cheese crisps, plus nuts, olives, small candies, lots of little things. They washed it all down with wine, and stayed there until the sun was low in the sky. Then Adam stood up, brushing some of the crumbs off his pants.
“I think it’s time to go.”
***
There was silence when they drove back to Adam’s place, but it was a good, content silence, not a cold one. When they were home, Leila and Adam stood in front of each other for a few seconds. Tommy watched as they stared at each other. “So,” Leila started. “I had a good time. Thank you. Both of you.”
“Thanks for coming.” That broke the ice, and Leila threw her arms around Adam in a big hug. Adam hugged her back, and then he dragged Tommy into it, the three of them hugging in a group, not wanting to stop.
***
Later, Tommy helped Adam get the dishes put away. “That went fucking great,” he said. “Your mom really seemed to like it.”
“She really seemed to like you,” Adam said, and Tommy could detect the pride in his voice. “She’d be stupid not to, but still. I’m glad.”
“She likes you too,” Tommy said, and Adam made a face. “Nope, don’t dismiss it. You did your best to impress and it worked. Of course, now the hard part starts.”
“What’s that?” Adam turned to stare at him.
“Big events are one thing, but life isn’t like that. Life is small.”
***
Adam stared at the soapy water in front of him. “Yeah, it is. Me and Neil only fixed things because we kept at it. Or he kept at it. Once he decided we were getting over it, he didn’t stop.”
“See, and that’s what you have to do now. Invite her to little stuff, call her. She’ll do the same once she knows it’s okay.” Tommy hugged Adam hard, not minding the soap. “I’m proud of you.”
“Don’t be, you got me through this.” Adam kissed him, then pulled back. “Now let’s go to bed.”
“Oh yeah, twist my arm.”