Page 144 of Kitchen Gods: The Complete Series

“It’s only because I have the best teacher,” Damon retorted with a broad grin.

Damon surveyed the scene before him: employees and friends and even family—Xander’s parents and his own father, deep in discussion at the quieter side of the table—sparkling water bottles and wine bottles intermingled across the surface, and platters holding the remainder of the meal he and Xander had made together.

Surrounded by people he loved—and people he had even learned to tolerate, like his father—he felt an inescapable swelling of rightness. However difficult the path had been to get here, he was here now, and the tougher parts of his life fell into place, giving the greater ones perspective.

He stood, Xander catching his eye from where he was surrounded by Kian, Wyatt, and Miles.

Ryan, Wyatt’s brand-new husband, was lounging next to them, half-lidded eyes following his lover wherever he went.

Evan was there too, making notes on the back of a menu as he talked to Nate.

Learning more about wine? Thinking about ideas to incorporate into their hit show, Pastry by Miles?

Damon tapped his glass once, then again, gathering everyone’s attention.

“The first thing I want to say is welcome, and thank you for coming,” he said. He hadn’t always loved public speaking—or even tolerated it—but a bonus side effect from his therapy sessions with Amy was that he felt more naturally confident in expressing how he felt and what he wanted.

He definitely knew exactly what he wanted now, and just how he was going to get it.

There was a smattering of applause and Xander kept giving him narrowed looks that all said what the fuck are you doing?

No, they hadn’t planned on making any speeches, and Damon had initially been wanting to do this when they were in Italy, but sometimes the right moment came along.

Wasn’t it worse if Damon just let it pass them by?

“The second thing I want to say is that the Barrel House wouldn’t be what it is today if not for every single person in this room.

Xander and I couldn’t have done this without you.

Billy and everyone in the kitchen, I know you were skeptical at first. Fuck, we were both skeptical at first, too.

But what I really wanted was to focus on Xander’s brilliance, and you guys made that possible. I can’t thank you enough for that.”

Xander rose then. “And, somehow without drinking, my boyfriend still manages to be cheesy and a little bit maudlin.” He walked over to the head of the table where Damon was standing and slung an arm around his shoulders.

“I think what he’s trying to say is that he’s grateful for everyone sticking with us, especially during the shaky beginning. ”

“Not so shaky!” Wyatt called out, and he was smiling like crazy.

Xander shot him a look, as always fiercely protective of Damon. Damon couldn’t have been more endeared if he was trying.

“We also have to thank Miles and Evan for sneakily mentioning how great the Barrel House is on their show,” Xander continued. “If you’d asked for permission to name drop, I would have said no. But luckily for us, you didn’t ask.”

Miles mimed giving him a fist bump across the length of the table.

Xander turned to Damon, eyes glowing, and he knew this was the moment.

“There’s actually a third thing,” Damon said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small box. “I was going to wait and do this in Italy, but I just discovered that I want to share this with everyone we love.”

Among whoops, Damon dropped to one knee and opened the box, revealing a simple platinum band. “I love you, I’ve loved you from the moment you walked out in the rain and asked me what the fuck I was doing. It turns out what I was doing was waiting for you.”

Silence fell as Xander stared down at him, not saying a word.

He didn’t look unhappy exactly, but he also wasn’t saying yes.

Or no. Or let me think about this for a damn second.

Damon’s heart skipped a beat, and then another.

He didn’t move, giving the love of his life a moment to figure out what he wanted to say.

This was Xander, so chances were he had a lot to say.

Finally, he spoke, and instead of heartfelt tears or smiles, all he said was, “Why aren’t you proposing in the bathroom?”

There were a lot of things Damon could do in response to that question. But truthfully, there was only one; he roared with laughter.

“The bathroom?” he asked incredulously.

“You love that bathroom,” Xander countered, a glimmer of a smile on his face, eyes soft and warm. There wasn’t a question of him saying no, it was more the venue that Damon hadn’t quite gotten right.

“If you want a proposal in the bathroom, we’ll go in there right now.”

“You’ve got it,” Xander said, and held out a hand to Damon, helping him up.

They walked past all the incredulous faces, and shut the bathroom door behind them, muting the excited chatter.

“Well?” Xander asked, raising his eyebrow the way Damon adored. “You’re not going to get down on one knee again?”

“This is a small bathroom,” Damon complained.

“Hasn’t ever stopped you before,” Xander pointed out cheerfully.

Damon laughed again. “One of the many reasons I love you. You don’t let me get away with any bullshit.”

“One of the many reasons I love you—you totally give in to all my bullshit,” Xander retorted, but there were tears in his eyes now, and he pressed Damon against the door, kissing him the way he intended to for the rest of their lives.

A minute later, Damon came up for air, and pinned Xander with a look he’d learned from the source. “So was that a yes?”

“What do you think?” Xander asked, holding up his hand and wiggling a finger, which suddenly seemed to be sporting a silver band. Damon glance down to the box, and discovered he’d been so distracted by their first engaged kiss that he hadn’t even noticed Xander take the ring out.

“Yes,” Damon said, and pulled him in for another, even deeper kiss—lasting forever or eternity, whichever felt the longest.