#get a fucking room yall GODDDDDDDDD

[vashsmunch]

Cooking mishaps

Eriks x GN Reader

Synopsis: you’re the cook at a local diner and a girl named lina demands you help a certain someone with his skills

Warnings: none

A/N: okay so TECHNICALLY this isn’t vash but i wrote it for a friend so don’t blame me (also why do yall literally have no content of him HELP)

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───  

"Goddddddddd."

You slammed your head into your pillow, forcibly trying to make your brain stop working. If only he weren't so handsome. How different things would be if he weren't the sweetest man you knew. You flopped onto your bed again, groaning loudly. Stupid fucking brain. 

It was a little past three, but you couldn't even be bothered to care at that moment. The thoughts had been haunting you all day, and no matter what you did, you couldn't get rid of them. You hated this. You hated this feeling of being so desperately infatuated with someone but knowing it would never work out. It was the cruelest fate the world could give, and you were tired of being its strongest soldier. A deep and heavy sigh left your chest as you eventually dragged yourself out of bed to get ready. Putting your clothes on felt like a chore, and at this point, it kind of was. To wake up every day and not have him with you felt like the end of the universe itself. Dramatic? Sure. Heartbreaking? Always.

But nonetheless, you walked towards your door and plastered on a fake smile before opening it. And there he was, right on the opposite side, leaning against the wall. Eriks smiled as he gave you a sheepish wave. "You ready to go?" He looked as unkempt as always, his long blonde hair framing his face like a cloak. But it was a rugged type of unkemptness, which only made him more desirable. Ugh, stop it.

You linked your arm through the crook of his and nodded. "I'm not the one who'll be paying for everything this time, right?" He chuckled as you stepped out of the house but quickly stopped after he saw you glare at him. Your last grocery excursion resulted in him forgetting his wallet and profusely apologizing to you all the way back home. It wasn't as if you would've minded had it not been for the catastrophe he left in your kitchen while attempting to make bread for the first time. You could still smell the smoke when you entered the room sometimes.

"Don't worry, I brought money this time," You swatted his arm, and he yelped, scrambling to finish his sentence. "Yes, enough to pay you back for damages as well."

These trips with Eriks were simple pleasantries, but you cherished them all the same. You were pretty surprised when he asked you one day if you could teach him how to cook. Well, coerced into asking you would be more fitting. The two of you met when he had just shown up in town; that girl Lina had dragged him into the diner where you worked, demanding that you help him. 

"He's hopeless; you're the only one who can help him. PLEASE help him."

Sure, being the line cook gave you some skills, but enough to teach somebody else? Absolutely not. But then you noticed his face: gaunt with sunken cheeks like he'd been through hell and back. It was this that persuaded you to go along with Lina's plan and nothing else. Not because he was handsome with his stubble or because he had given you the most pathetic and charming smile you'd ever seen. Not at all.

The two of you walked out of the store after half an hour of you dragging him through all the aisles, picking up household necessities and groceries. You insisted on carrying most of them, claiming he was too frail to pick them up. But as you struggled to walk the last few steps back to your house, he swiftly picked up the bags and walked inside. You stared at his back, your mouth falling open slightly. "Well, if you could've done that, then you should've done it to begin with, you bitch!"

Love was a horrible thing. You offer your entire being to someone and make yourself the most vulnerable you could ever be, only to pray that they don't smash you apart. Such a horrible gamble, but you indulged in it nonetheless. Being in your kitchen, giggling as you helped him learn to properly chop produce and not oversalt food. Watching him out of the corner of your eye, at his kind expression as he laughed along with you. Because in your heart, even though you knew he didn't feel the same, you loved this. Sometimes, he would stand over your shoulder, looking down at your hands, carefully kneading dough. The warmth of his body would overwhelm you and make you start blabbering and pushing him away out of embarrassment.

"A-anyways! Did you see how I didn't overwork it? That's because..."

It was almost childish how naïve you were acting, but you didn't care at this point. Anything to be closer to him. 

As the two of you finished your lesson, you sighed happily, dusting your hands off as you watched Eriks pull the finished product out of the oven with mittens. Giddily walking up to him, you softly punched him on the shoulder. "See? Not so bad, is it? Now you know how to make pizza all on your own!" You went to take the pan out of his hands when he suddenly snatched yours. 

Your face was instantly on fire as he stared at you from the top of his glasses with a gentle but stern look. "You can't just go touching hot metal things; you'll end up hurt." He let you go, and you slightly stumbled back, your hand still tingling from the sensation. You had always been the more touchy-feely person in this dynamic, making a point to hit him whenever he did or said something dumb. But he'd never done anything back, like a true gentleman (you supposed). While it made you swoon, part (most) of you wished for him to reciprocate. For some sign that maybe he possibly felt the same. And now that he had, your mind was running laps. God.

You tried to smoothly recover, covering your mouth as you coughed nervously. "I would've been fine. If anything, I'm surprised you didn't end up nuking the kitchen again."

Eriks let out a laugh, and you held your breath as he leaned down to meet your gaze. His eyes crinkled with amusement as he softly smiled at you. "That's so mean! But ya know, it's because I had an amazing teacher. You really are talented." 

The way he was looking at you... God, why did he have to be so oblivious? Were you simply not forward enough? Or could this all be a game to him? No, that was unlikely. As smart as he was, he could be a bonafide idiot at times. Maybe you just needed to be more direct. You exhaled sharply, drawing up your nonexistent courage, and leaned in closer, your faces inches apart. "So kiss me."

There was complete silence. "Huh?"

"You heard correctly. Kiss me."

He stared at you for what seemed like ages as your knees started to go weak with anxiety. You couldn't tell if he was actually opposed to the idea or not. He had always been an enigma in that sense. Even from the first time you met, you could tell he was hiding something. His expression was kind, but it lacked depth; like everything he was showing was only surface level. So it made this even more complicated because the two of you were just looking at each other, and more than anything, you just wanted to grab his stupid stubble-covered face and- 

You froze as he closed the distance, his lips gently pressed against yours. He was hesitant at first, like he was worried you would hit him again out of embarrassment or disgust. But as he felt you relax, he sighed in relief as he gently pushed you against the wall, holding your wrists above your head with one hand. You clenched your fists, trying to calm yourself, but it was impossible. His barely grown-out beard scratched against your face as his finger trailed down your cheek to catch your chin, tipping you closer to him. It was everything you'd imagined and more, and whether it had been minutes or even hours didn't matter. He was here, here at last. And as he pulled away, taking deep breaths of air, he quietly whispered against your mouth. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to do that. Thank you."