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“I am glad you could join me for dinner.” Niles smiles as he sets the table. It’s decorated with a white tablecloth and three gentle vanilla candles encased in glass, a clear vase with red flowers in the center.
It’s rare that he feels serene. His parents, Kamski, Connor, they all tormented him in different ways, pushed him towards unhealthy coping mechanisms, towards anger. Now, that anger is gone.
“This is nice,” Gavin comments, looking somewhat out of place in the romantic setting. He rubs his palms along the front of his thighs and returns his fiancé’s smile. “Is there anything I can help with?”
“No.” Niles carefully places the silverware beside the plates, then walks around the table to cradle Gavin’s face in his hands and press a gentle kiss to his lips. “I want to do this for you.”
The affection works like a charm. It’s as if all nervous energy drains from Gavin’s body. His face softens and he turns his head to press his lips against Niles’s palm before they part, the Detective sitting down and toying with the lace edge of the tablecloth.
“It will only be a moment,” Niles promises, walking back around the kitchen isle to gather the side dishes. He places each of them on the table: a light salad, mashed potatoes and a bowl of Gavin’s preferred crunchy potato sticks for the texture contrast. He makes one final trip to retrieve the meat, rested for five minutes on a wooden board. It was nicely roasted and garnished with mint and sage.
Gavin eyes the meat with both hunger and suspicion. He knows what it is, has known for a long time that Niles only dines on one particular animal, but Gavin himself has barely dipped his toe into that world. He wonders what it will taste like so carefully prepared.
Niles sits by his side and encourages him to begin taking sides while he carves the meat. Gavin’s breath catches when the knife goes through like butter and the first hearty slice drops onto the board, soft and pink in the center.
That first slice, Niles takes for himself. He presents Gavin with something even better: meat from the middle of the cut, more tender and redder, glistening with juices. The Detective swallows his excess saliva as the piece lands on his plate, resting over a bed of potatoes.
“Niles,” Gavin starts, running the teeth of his fork against the meat to feel it give. “Don’t get me wrong, this is pretty fucking awesome, but you’re not usually this… romantic? What gives?”
“We have reason for celebration.” Niles guides the first bite to his mouth as soon as he speaks, allowing a pleased hum to reverberate as the exquisite taste hits his tongue. “Please, go head,” he encourages his boyfriend, licking a drop of the juices from his lower lip.
Gavin wants him to elaborate, but he decides not to press. Instead, he cuts a bite-sized piece of meat and scoops it up with some mash. The taste was not completely unfamiliar and the seasoning compensated for any lacking natural flavor, giving it a sweet kick despite the bitter notes of human flesh.
His curiosity gets the best of him, though. Through the first half of the meal, Gavin can’t help but steal glances at Niles, waiting for him to say more, hoping to get clued in on what this special date night is for. He hasn’t forgotten any anniversary or birthday that he’s aware of, no one got a promotion, the only thing that sets this night apart from others is having the house to themselves.
“So,” he decides to ask, not sure if he wants to know the answer. “Where’s Connor anyway? He’s not usually, you know, gone.”
“Connor is…” Niles glances between Gavin and the table and the shine in his eyes seems to falter. “There was a disagreement. It seems he grew tired of intimidating you from a distance, so he confronted me about our relationship. About my decision to marry you.”
There’s a flicker of doubt in Niles’s expression, a taste of the same hesitation he held himself with the night he showed Gavin the basement.
“What did he say?” Gavin asks, knowing this conversation can’t possibly lead to his first conclusion, but he can’t help but look at the roast. Niles loves Connor. He’s terrifying and vile and Gavin would like nothing more than to be rid of him, but Niles loves him.
“He gave me an ultimatum,” Niles says simply, his lips curving upwards for a fraction of a second. “Connor didn’t understand. No one seems to understand what we have. He told me he would end your life and force me to consume your flesh.”
Didn’t. That’s confirmation enough. Suddenly, sickly, the meat seems to take on a much sweeter taste.
“For me?” Gavin asks, emotion overwhelming him as he takes in the weight of Niles’s admission. He chose Gavin over his own brother.
“I told you: all I want is to be with you. You are the one good thing that has happened to me.” Niles sets his utensils down on his plate, lowering one hand to Gavin’s thigh and giving it a gentle squeeze. His smile is back, still gentle and light. “And now he can’t take that away.”
“But- your brother, will you really be fine without him?” It’s a stupid question to ask when your fiancé has just admitted to fratricide, but Gavin’s brain is stuck on that. He expects some sadness or anger from Niles, but all he gets is that bizarre serenity.
“This way, Connor will always be with us. Finish your meal, love.”