killer queen | joe mazzello

81. pride is everyday

"do y'all have sugar?" tyler ransacked my cupboards with squinted eyes.

i looked up from my cup of coffee, "it's in the big mason jar by the coffee maker."

"i loo- oh. there it is. thanks."

"open your eyes next time," i mumbled into the edge of my coffee cup as i took a drank.

"are you sure you guys aren't the married couple here?"

i turned in my bar stool to see joe shuffling into the kitchen. he stopped at the fridge, which he lazily opened.

"i would never, ever marry her. she's high maintenance." tyler shrugged.

i rolled my eyes and quickly retorted, "as if i'd want to marry you!"

joe laughed from the fridge, "she's high maintenance, but i love her despite of that."

"and i love you despite your side chick, ben hardy."

tyler snorted, nearly spilling his coffee, while joe flung his hand in a 'whatever' gesture. i wriggled my shoulders smugly.

"anyways, joe, i made coffee and your toast is in the toaster oven."

"thanks, babe," he brushed a hand across my shoulder as he passed. the dino mug i had bought him for valentine's day sat next to the coffee maker and he slid it out of its spot to pour coffee into.

he came around the kitchen island to sit on my left side and tyler took the third bar stool on my right. i moved my stool closer to joe and snuggled into his side. joe tossed his arm around my shoulder lovingly.

"too cute, you guys, too cute," tyler murmured into his palm, which his cheek was propped upon.

"aw, ty, you'll find a man," i pinched his cheek and he wriggled away from me.

"if not, remember that we have that pact to get married if we're not by the time we're 45." all of our attention turned to katie, who walked into the kitchen with perfect timing.

"well, look who's up," tyler laughed in response.

katie shoved his shoulder and took the remaining stool. "hush up. you would've slept in until eleven if we weren't at the mazzello's."

i grinned at the word in which she emphasized and joe kissed my head. "i like the sound of that."

"me, too. very italian," tyler poked his pointer finger into the air as if he were making a point.

i rolled my eyes in response before turning my attention back to katie, "you don't think you'll be married by 45? what's up with gwil?"

she looked up from the counter which she was studying very closely with her puffy eyes. "i have no idea what's up with him. he refuses to talk any type of commitment with me."

"he asked you to be his girlfriend, right?" joe put in.

"yeah, but that was months ago. we've been together for nearly a year. i understand some people want to wait years for marriage, but neither of us are getting any younger. i mean, donna, you and joe didn't wait to just get hitched." katie rattled off.

i rose my eyebrows at her rambling, "well, when you know, you know."

tyler hummed in agreement and we waited for joe to add something else. "gwil isn't against marriage or commitment or anything. so, the only thing i can really think of is maybe he's afraid your feelings aren't required. or he's just not sure. or-"

"you said the only thing, joe, not the only things, big difference," tyler mocked him.

i hit tyler's shoulder, "that's my husband, you buffoon."

he rolled his eyes- hopefully, playfully- and took another drink of his coffee. i felt joe shrug beneath my head, which was propped up on his shoulder.

"well," i sat up and cupped my coffee in my hands, "we have two things to do within the next week."

"what?" katie lifted her head from the counter.

i glanced around at my friends, "get katie engaged and get ben and tyler together- but only if ben is actually gay. otherwise, abort mission."

"happy pride!" tyler rose his mug into the air to toast.

"prides not for another few week-"

"pride is everyday, katie."