ummmm. This is a very small story about Joshua Chasez involved in a hypothetical homosexual romance with Steve Burns, the former host of Blue's Clues. what else can I say? you want more Steve/JC? go here.

domestic

Josh emerged from the kitchen disgruntled and soaked. He walked past Steve without saying anything, toward the bathroom. Steve watched him go and return with a towel, grin pulling dangerously close to his mouth.

"Tell me the truth, baby. You think domesticity blows." Steve only said "baby" when he was joking. Josh said it all the time, absently.

Josh scowled at his shirt, furiously mopping at it with the towel. "I think *you* blow."

Steve spread his hands. "I do blow."

Josh looked up. "This isn't funny."

"No," said Steve, shaking his head. "No, it's not funny."

"It's not funny, Steve."

"It's kind of funny, man."

"I followed the instructions!" Josh knotted his brow and pointed at the hideous offender, the kitchen. "It said 'saucepan'! Not pot! Saucepan! Not pot!!" Steve nodded soberly. Josh reinforced his pointing. "I could have died, Steve!"

At that, Steve's laughter flooded its banks, and Steve had to press a hand hard to the wall to stand up. Josh dropped his hand to his side and glared artfully. Steve glanced up, caught the expression, and laughed harder.

Eventually, Josh said, "Are you finished?"

Steve pushed himself upright. "I'm finished," he said breathlessly. He grinned. "I'm sorry, baby."

"Well, I'm not." Josh tossed his head, messy hair curling angrily around his head like snakes. "I'm hungry and we don't have dinner now. I'm going out."

"Okay," Steve smiled, "Lemme grab my coat."

Josh turned toward the bedroom and said, over his shoulder, "You're not invited."

"What?" said Steve, confused, still grinning.

Josh came back into the living room with a light denim jacket and sunglasses. "I'm going to go out and have dinner with people who don't laugh at me."

"You don't know any people who don't laugh at you."

Josh halted in bringing the glasses to his face and levelled a look at Steve. "Okay, just to be nice I was going to bring you back something-- but you can just go fucking hungry."

Steve leaned against the wall again. "Oh, jesus, JC. I'm just kidding. I wasn't laughing at you."

"What, you were laughing with me? When I fuck up and feel stupid and you laugh and I don't, that's called laughing *at* me."

Steve sighed. "You shouldn't feel stupid. It was just a silly mistake."

"Oh, so now I'm silly?" Josh slid the glasses on. They were tinted a light lavender, so Steve could still see his eyes.

"You're not silly, you're-- c'mon, don't be mad. I'll buy you dinner."

"I can buy myself dinner."

"I want to buy you dinner. Something nice, exotic. I know this place that serves chestnutt caserole." Josh's gaze flickered with interest, but his shook his head. Josh could only hold a grudge for a few days, but while he was holding it, he was fairly immobile.

Steve walked toward him, and Josh didn't step back but he leaned his head back, eyes wary, ready for any sign of kissing or fancy stuff. Steve didn't touch him, but cocked his head and smiled. "If you'll go out with me, I promise to do something idiotic and humiliating."

"--You didn't date much before you met me, did you."

Steve's eyes flickered upwards. "Actually, no."

"I don't want to you do something idiotic and humiliating. I want you to be nice to me."

Steve stepped further into Josh's space, dipped his head down to speak a breath away from Josh's neck. "I can be nice to you." Josh's hand came up to touch Steve's hair. "It said saucepan," he grumbled. Steve nodded, which brought his mouth closer to Josh's skin. "It did say saucepan," Steve said.

"A saucepan is like a skillet," Josh said. Steve stilled and his gaze darted up to Josh's. "A saucepan is like a skillet," Josh repeated, challenge in his eyes.

Steve nodded. "A saucepan is like a skillet."

"It's not the same as a pot."

"No."

"The directions should have said to put the stuff in a pot."

"Whoever wrote those instructions is a fucker."

"I could have been seriously injured."

"It pisses me off."

Josh arched an eyebrow. His hand began to sift through Steve's hair. "It does?"

"It fucking pisses me off," Steve said, a smile resurrecting on his face.

Josh cocked his head. "You know, you're beautiful when you're angry."

"That's what I hear."

"I'm hungry."

Steve said, "mm," and leaned foward, opened his mouth against Josh's collar-- but Josh pushed him gently back.

"Hungry for food, I mean."

"Oh." Steve stepped back. "Let's go out then. I really do know this weird casserole place."

"Awesome," said Josh, shrugging on his jacket. "Get your coat. And your wallet. You're buying."

Steve grinned and nodded-- then Josh said, "And you still have to do something humiliating."

"What?" Steve shook his head. "No way, man. You're not mad anymore."

Josh grinned and knotted his hand in Steve's shirt, pulled him in until his mouth brushed Steve's ear. "You wanna bet on that?" He growled, "Baby."

"Dude," said Steve.

Josh pulled back and kissed his cheek. "Get your coat."