Melting the Devil

Accepting Your Offer

At precisely six o'clock on Thursday morning, Tin awakens in his own bed sporting an utterly absurd smile. It is natural.

It had been a nice night. Really good. They never ended up dating, but they did spend the rest of the evening chatting, sharing pastries as a snack, and just being together. Being close to Cantaloupe without having to control his thoughts or prevent his hands from reaching out to touch had felt so natural, so absolutely necessary, that Tin had never imagined being with someone could be so simple. Similar to breathing.

And Tin notices that Cantaloupe makes his smile widen just thinking about him. Cantaloupe, with his shy smiles, cute nose, freckles, a little deep in the cheek, and ridiculously short shorts that drove Tin crazy the entire night, seemed to be really insane, Tin thought, for him to have been so unaware of his feelings for him earlier. Tin is a total fool, especially after these last few weeks when he has been persistently pursuing Cantaloupe while claiming to be trying to convince him to stay. That makes sense as to why he was so adamant that Cantaloupe not quit. He's been enchanted with Cantaloupe for the entire time.

There is no other way Tin would have it.

He breezes through his daily routine, fitting in a quick run and a few extra exercises just to be safe (certainly not to flaunt), before taking a shower. When he goes to his closet to get dressed, he smiles to see that Cantaloupe has chosen his favorite necktie—a deep blue one that his mother gave him for his birthday a few years ago. He quickly gets dressed and stands in front of the mirror for a few more seconds before leaving.

The smell wafting through the kitchen, the sweet, inviting aroma of pancakes, is the first thing he notices when he walks in. Tin notices something else, something much more significant: Cantaloupe is standing by the stove with his back to him, humming a song that Tin doesn't know.

After witnessing him expertly flip a pancake, Tin approaches him and presses himself up against Cantaloupe's back, wrapping his arms around his waist. Cantaloupe stiffens in shock, but then eases up when Tin gives the back of his neck a quick kiss.

Turning to face Tin, Cantaloupe says, "Why, good morning, Mr. Medthanan."

"Good morning," Tin responds with a smile. He cries into Cantaloupe's hair, "Why haven't we been doing this every day since the beginning?"

Gesturing, Cantaloupe turns off the stove and turns to face Tin. "Because we can keep our hands to ourselves when we need to as we are responsible adults."

On Cantaloupe's back, Tin spreads his hands. "Speak for yourself."

The sound of Cantaloupe laughing echoes through the kitchen walls. "You're ridiculous," he remarks as he moves aside. Eat your breakfast before it gets cold. "

Tin answers, "Yes, sir," causing Cantaloupe to giggle once more. Cantaloupe takes a seat across from him with a plate of his own as he sits at his usual spot, where a stack of pancakes is already waiting for him. Tin finds himself staring at Cantaloupe as he notes the way his hair falls gently across his forehead and the amused little smile that is teasing his lips.

"Are you going to do nothing but stare at me?" Cantaloupe chirps.

Glancing down at his pancakes, Tin flushes. Before biting into them, he liberally coats them with maple syrup. Tin groans ineffectually. "Cantaloupe, these are really delicious."

Cantaloupe's cheeks blush the prettiest pink. "Thank you. I considered accepting your offer to use your kitchen so I could prepare breakfast for you."

Tin smirks and says, "How thoughtful of you to take advantage of that immediately," taking another bite.