Egg the Halls

Chapter 1-3

Dom realized he was staring at Kiko’s ass when it disappeared behind the counter. He blinked and turned back to a box of sparkling red cardinals, feeling bothered and wound up. However long Kiko was planning on staying here, it was too long as far as he was concerned. He wanted to get back home. He considered calling it quits and driving back home to get an early start on food.

“Why don’t we hang everything else on that tree?” asked Kiko, and when Dom glanced up he saw Kiko had shut off the computer and was approaching. “Birds and breakfast. It has a ring to it.”

“Sure,” said Dom as Kiko pulled the boxes of fried eggs and other breakfast ornaments over. It didn’t matter to him. Kiko’s trees could look ridiculous for all he cared. It went with the rest of the store anyway.

“I’ll put all Cat’s art around that last five-foot tree. It’ll be its own little section. Should be easier to direct people that way, even for Chad.”

Dom listened to Kiko babble, affixing a white and gold dove to the tree, but when Chad was mentioned, he rolled his eyes. Kiko’s teenage assistant only worked very part-time hours and Dom had decided weeks ago that Chad was the reason why Kiko couldn’t get any time off. Kiko had managed to spend an entire day last month solely with Dom, but not having a second full-time employee he could leave to run Yolks on You really cut into their love life.

“I noticed you don’t have an ad up online,” said Dom.

“I’m managing,” said Kiko, his upbeat brainstorming suddenly run its course. Dom felt guilty, which irritated him. Of course it would be his fault if he ruined the mood. Never mind that it was Kiko’s stubbornness putting them in this position in the first place.

“Right,” he said, then, “You or me cooking tonight?”

“I figured something simple, like a salad,” said Kiko. “I think we have a few strips of bacon left, and a chicken breast kicking around in the freezer. A ripe avocado.”

“Sounds good,” said Dom, already hungry. Everything Kiko made tasted good. And if it was fast, all the better. Kiko seemed to be thinking the same thing.

“Good. Salad for the first course, then.”

Dom glanced around the tree at him.

“Courses?”

“Yeah,” said Kiko, meeting Dom’s eyes with his own. They glinted. “You’re second.”

Dom grinned.

“I like the sound of that menu. Dessert?”

“Oh, I’ll give you desser—”

They were cut off when Dom’s phone went off, the ringtone filling him with instant dread. Years ago he’d stopped calling some specific numbers, but he’d kept them in his phone with a particular ringtone so he wouldn’t accidentally pick up when it rang. But just hearing it ring made him feel hollow inside.

“Dom?” asked Kiko after several long moments.

“I’m not talking to them,” said Dom, looking away when Kiko tried to meet his eye. His phone rang for what sounded like forever before the messaging picked up; Kiko said nothing more until it beeped. Dom swore under his breath. Whatever this message was, he didn’t want to hear it.

“Could I ask who it was?” asked Kiko into the silence.

Dom decided not caring was the best way to handle the situation. Because he didn’t care about any of them.

“No one I want to talk to,” he said, shrugging it off. But Kiko looked concerned now.

“You’re not doing anything illegal, are you?”

Dom laughed before he could stop himself.

“Hell no. It’s just family, Kiko.” He hung a bird on the tree so forcefully he dislodged a shower of green glitter. Kiko moved around the tree to his side. His concerned expression didn’t go away.

“I wondered,” he said, and Dom cringed. “You never seemed to talk to anyone on the phone.”

“Neither do you,” said Dom.

“I call my mother and sister once or twice a month,” said Kiko. “Plus social media.”

“You wouldn’t know,” said Dom, wanting Kiko to leave him alone. “You’re never home.”

Instead of starting an argument, Dom watched as his words only seemed to cause Kiko to sigh. Kiko touched him gently on the arm. He was smart; he could figure it out. They’d both solved a few mysteries together before the police, after all. Hiding this would never have been easy. And now it was the holidays.

“You planning on never talking to them again?” he asked.

Dom blinked. He was expecting Kiko to tell him to call whoever it was back. He pulled out his phone to look at who had called. His brother, Devin. The sibling who was closest to him in age, only a year and a half older. They’d never gotten along, even before Dom had come out.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Never really liked Devin.”

“Any idea why he’s calling?”

Dom shook his head.

“Can’t believe he hasn’t gotten a new number in all this time, actually.” He glanced up, and the moment he met Kiko’s gaze he knew he’d need to listen to the message. Avoiding it would only lead to something worse in his experience. He sighed, held up the phone. “Wanna listen to it with me?”

Kiko said nothing, just stepped closer, and put his head near Dom’s. He put the phone up to their ears and played the short message.

“Hey, Dom, it’s Devin. Been awhile. Mom thought you might be sick of being alone for Christmas. Give me a call back when you get a chance.”