#ok so the smugness is a bit above the bare minimum

[watcher0033]

My fellow Filipinos in the 🇵🇭 let us all hold hands and say our thanks as—

[daisiesonice]

Compatability Chapter 5: Smell

Summary:  Everything smells, our lovely couple talk things through and Yurio needs some coffee. Also on AO3   Victor watched Yurio snore. The young alpha was completely adorable, especially since he didn't want to be. The day had barely started and Victor felt tired. Maybe Yurio had the right idea. "Am I getting old?" he said, paranoid. He ran to the bathroom mirror and checked his hairline. His hair was fine. Completely fine. 

"Can never be too safe with these things," he told himself. God, he needed some tea. In the kitchen, Yuuri's mother greeted him. Victor replied with a quiet good morning, not quite able to meet her eyes considering all that he had done with her son and (if all went to plan) everything he would do. His embarrassment didn't stop him from asking where the tea bags were, of course. She offered to pour him the tea and, unable to turn down her hospitality, he accepted. "Are you going to practice today, Vicchan?" she asked. "Oh, maybe later," he replied. She frowned. "Are you sure? You should, before it gets busy." Such a kind, persistent woman. It was no wonder how Yuuri had turned out to be such an angel with a mother like that. Victor smiled. "I'll ask Yuuri in a bit, then. He doesn't have work today, right?"

Makkachin curled up by his feet, acting as his fluffy foot warmer. Victor was trapped. To disturb Makkachin when he was so peaceful was almost criminal. The dog yawned and used Victor's slippers as a cushion. "So cute," he whispered, patting his companion's head. Makkachin sniffed his hand curiously and sneezed. Hiroko grabbed a tray of food and took it out to the guests, leaving Victor alone. This would have been fine, if it weren't for the bubbling in his stomach and his twitching leg. He bounced his leg up and down, aware of Makkachin's whiny protests, but unable to stop his nerves. "Victor, we need to talk." The alpha's leg stopped twitching. He stared at Yuuri, who was in slouchy at home clothes and looked about as nervous as Victor felt. Oh, God. Did he get a return flight to Russia, Makkachin and Yurio included, so soon? Did he have to go back to early morning practices, coffee ground rewards and fake smiles so soon? "Of course. Is something wrong?" "I just - I want you to know that this is because of me and not you, ok?" Yuuri said, squeezing shirt. The distance between them felt like an entire country with the table acting as a border. Victor leaned forward, daring to cross it. “I’d like an explanation, if you can.” Victor’s voice was as soft as his heart when it came to Yuuri Katsuki. It was those big brown eyes, looking at him as if words were bombs and everything was on the brink of exploding. “I really like you.“ “I like you too.” Yuuri blushed. “I know that I asked you to spend my heat with me, but I… I want you to know that you can still change your mind. I’m not holding you to anything. I respect your choice and I don’t want to pressure you into anything, because-“ Victor sighed, relieved. “Oh, please. You just want me on my knees again, begging to taste you. Pressure me into something, oh, you are so adorable, my darling.” “I have a medical condition,” Yuuri blurted. “A what now?” The omega took a deep breath. “It basically means a need a mate this time to be comfortable. My heats have always been long, but recently the trend has gotten worse and now my doctor says that, if I want to go through my heat this time, a mate would be the best option, considering my preferences. The heat will be intense, lasting 72 hours minimum. If you don’t want to, I completely understanding. I didn’t want you to spend a heat with me without knowing everything.” Victor nodded. “Thank you for telling me, Yuuri.” The alpha unlocked his phone. Yuuri watched, biting his lip. “So…?” “Do you still want to spend your heat with me?” Victor asked, “You have no one else in mind?” Yuuri shook his head. “There’s no one else. I mean, it has to be you. I mean, not in a bad way… Am I making any sense?” “We’re on the same page, Yuuri,” he said, grinning, “Do you want to take Yurio to the rink later?” “Yeah, sure. Yuuko would like that.” “Great! Let me just order this cock ring and we can go.” Yuuri’s jaw dropped. “Victor! You can’t just say that!” “Hm? Why? I’m taking everything you said into account. I’m making sure we’re prepared, Yuuri. I want you to have the best time possible.” “I want you to feel good too,” Yuuri said, twiddling his thumbs. “Have you ever tried overstimulation? It can be fun. I won’t buy you one as well, I’ve heard omegas don’t like them in heat. Oh, unless you want one?” Yuuri crinkled his nose in thought. “Um, no. I don’t think so. O-oh, there’s another thing I need to tell you.” “Ok,” Victor mumbled, scrolling through the website. “I’ve never spent a heat with anyone before.” The alpha put his phone down. “Yuuri, it’s more common than you think. We’ll discuss what you’re comfortable with before. You can tell me anything, I want you to tell me everything.” Yuuri turned bright red. “You were my first.” Victor imagined firing himself into the sun, because there was absolutely no way he could stay on Earth while Yuuri Katsuki existed, driving him mad with every word and every blink of his impossibly gorgeous eyes. “Y-you-“ “I’ve done stuff before, but… never this much. I’m glad I waited. I’m really glad it’s you, Victor.” Victor collapsed in a pile on the table. “I can’t.” “I should’ve said before…” “I almost can’t believe it,” he said, rising up from the table, “How are you so good? Are you an omega, Katsuki, I think you might be a demon.” “I’ll be sure to look into it,” Yuuri deadpanned.

The ice rink was nice, Yuri supposed. He could’ve done without the strange, nose-bleeding mother, her paparazzi spawn and the pig’s flirting… Actually, he could’ve done without everyone, but apparently that’s ‘antisocial’ and ‘no fun’. Victor, surprisingly, was the worst. “Yuuri! Come and skate with me,” he whined, moving across the ice with irritating grace, “Please.” The pig was leaning on the railing and talking to Yuuko. Yuri rolled his eyes and slapped Victor’s arm. “Shut up and skate.” Victor smirked. “Have you missed my skating?” Yuri left the stupid old man to his own devices. Victor’s smugness was surely a virus and Yuri had no intentions of catching his stupidity. The young alpha stomped away, holding his nose as he passed the Japanese man. Something smelt weird about him. [12:04] Yuri: ok so Japan isn’t terrible [12:05] Otabek: Is that a social cue for me to not mention the previous conversation? [12:06] Yuri: no just making small talk [12:10] Otabek: If you’re alone can I call you? Yuri hesitated. He looked around the empty locker room, paranoid, then sat down on an old bench. [12:12] Yuri: ok “I like you,” Otabek said. Yuri’s world exploded. “What the fuck?” “I just thought you should know.” “What the fuck?” “But I think we should wait. Even if you were older, now wouldn’t be a good time. We’re both busy as hell. I want to take my time with you.” He wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole. Yuri rubbed his eyes. “Is this a confession?” “I don’t think so, considering my feelings were obvious. It’s more like a confirmation. However you want to think of it, really. Yuri? Why aren’t you saying anything?” Yuri took a moment to breathe. “I… I like you too. You smell good.” “Thank you?” Otabek said, holding back his laughter. “Shut the fuck up, you absolute – I can’t even believe we’re talking about this over the damn phone instead of in person like actually functioning human beings, Jesus-“ “I plan to say it as often as I can, in person or not.” The door creaked open. Yuri jumped up, but no one came in. He mumbled, “Could’ve told me sooner, stupid Beka.” They’d both had so many opportunities and, now, they were saying it countries apart… Though, it was probably for the best. His reflection was bright red and he didn’t want Beka to see that. “I can’t wait to see you again.” “Yeah, me too…” Yuri gulped. “I was serious about, you know…” Yuri curled his legs into his chest and held himself still. What would Beka think if he heard restless fidgeting, like Yuri was some hopeless kid who couldn’t handle a conversation about rut? His stomach was tight. “I know. Let’s talk about it again in a year.” Yuri clenched his phone. “A year? Seriously? I’m gonna fucking die.” “You can’t die of blue balls, Yura,” he said, ignoring Yuri’s embarrassed protests, “And we need to court first.” “You better court me, Beka, like hell you’re getting me that easily,” Yuri said, holding back a snarl. He could practically feel Beka’s smirk. “Ah, I knew you’d agree.”

Victor practised his step sequence. Yuuri was still talking to his friend; their whispered Japanese and hurried glances weren’t enough. He readied himself, then jumped. A Quad flip! And a good landing, too, considering he hadn’t practised in a while. Yuuko exclaimed in slightly broken English, “That was amazing! Yuuri, did you see that?” The omega turned his head. “What?” Victor pouted, but refused to show how effected he was by the omega’s lack of affection. After all, he was above such childish tactics… He blew a kiss at Yuuri’s head. Perfect timing. Yuuri turned around again and Yuuko squealed. “You two are so cute!” she said, her English a better pronounced. He imagined her excitement had gotten to her head before. If only Yuuri lost his ability to speak from his skating… Ah, wouldn’t that be wonderful to see. He was allowed to fantasise, right? Victor skated a bit closer to them, hoping to catch on to Yuuri’s thoughts and stick there like a leech. Yuuko must have caught on to his plan as she spoke entirely in English. “I’m so glad I didn’t interrupt you last time,” she continued, sighing, “I want you to be happy, Yuuri.” The omega gasped. “Yuuko – no way – did you-“ “I didn’t see a thing.” Yuuko said. Victor didn’t know her well, but even he could tell she was insincere from the silly grin plastered on her red face, and the slow drip of blood leaking from the right nostril was a dead give-away. Victor giggled and Yuuri turned on him. “Victor, don’t laugh!” “Don’t be so embarrassed, zolotse. She is your friend, yes? I’m sure she won’t tell anyone.” Yuuri grabbed his hand and dragged him out to the rink, holding his head high to the chorus of giggles. Victor squeezed his hand, heart singing to the tune of an outdated love ballad. The warmth of the omega cancelled out the coldness of the rink. It was if his legs were floating after drinking one too many glasses of champagne. “I’m sure she meant no harm by it,” he said to the omega. Yuuri fidgeted. “I know, but that moment was just for us.” Victor choked on air. He went from floating to a fumbling mess, his tongue heavy and clumsy. “W-well, it was longer than a moment.” Yuuri snorted, then laughed at Victor’s offended gasp. The alpha watched him laugh, entranced by the sound, the crinkles of his eyes and the ever reddening of his cheeks. “Adorable,” he muttered. Victor pulled Yuuri closer. He pulled a little too enthusiastically. “Oof! Victor!” Yuuri said, falling ungracefully on top of the alpha. Their legs squished together and Yuuri clutched his jumper. Victor’s butt and elbows took most of the damage. “Ow. Are you alright?” “I’ve been better,” he said, adjusting his glasses, “Are you ok?” “I’m fantastic,” Victor said, holding Yuuri’s waist. He really couldn’t have been better. Well, maybe if they were at home and wearing less clothes. Yes, that would be nice. Yuuri bit his lip. Victor looked over to see if Yuuko was watching, (she wasn’t) then leaned up to kiss his omega. Just a quick peck. “Vitya,” Yuuri whispered, “You’re not playing fair.” The omega dragged them back to their feet. Victor didn’t object, though something was telling him to push Yuuri onto the ice, grind against his cock until they both fell into oblivion and the ice blended into a pool of slick. “Yuuri, my darling, when did you say your heat was coming?” he asked. “A few weeks,” Yuuri replied, brushing ice off his shirt. “Are you sure?” Victor leaned into his neck, sniffing at the intoxicating scent with caution, “I might be effecting you. You’ve never gone this far before, have you? Your body is welcoming me.” The omega smiled. “That sounds like something out of a bad porno. And it’s not like you’re unaffected.” “Oh, you have no idea what you do to me,” Victor said, running his thumb along Yuuri’s bottom lip, “Perhaps, we could watch a bad porno together and you could learn about how effected I am. Do you have any recommendations?” “Oh my God, I don’t-“ Victor kissed his cheek. “Shame. We’ll have to make do on our own.” “For fuck’s sake! You two can’t keep it in your damn pants for two seconds!” Victor sighed. “Yurio, please, must you ruin a romantic moment?” “That was romantic?” Yuuri asked. Victor fell to his knees, unable to stand after that bullseye shot to his heart and ego. Yuuri tried to appease him, but Victor saw no hope for recovery. “When you fuckers are done, get me some god damn food.”

“Coffee is beautiful,” Yurio said. Victor snatched away the cappuccino. “Order decaf. You’re too young for coffee.” “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he snarled, “I’m not 7. Have you forgotten that as well?” Victor sighed. “What else am I forgetting?” He squeezed Yuuri’s thigh under the table and was rewarded by a high pitched squeak. “You said you would choreograph my next performance with Yakov. Then, you left Russia. Then, I got a text from fucking Chris telling me you’d fallen in love,” Yuri said, spitting out the last word with feeling, “with some random Japanese guy.” “L-l-l-l-ove?” Yuuri said. His bubble tea dripped onto his fingers. Victor wanted to lick it off. The older alpha laughed. “Yurio, you are so dramatic. I’ll call Yakov tonight, ok? Have you been holding a grudge this whole time? So adorable. Like a little angry kitten.” Yuri slammed his fist on the table. “Why are you even staying here?” “I’m going to help Yuuri through his heat,” he said, listening to Yuuri’s embarrassed squawks. “Oh, so that’s what that stink is. Jeez, I thought it was because male omegas smell weird.” Victor shook his head. “You haven’t been in contact with a male omega for an extended period of time before, that’s why. This could be good practice for you, Yurio.” “Stop calling me that. And, no, I’m leaving tomorrow. I actually want to skate and win, you see, so I’ve got some fucking work to do. You better come back to Russia soon or I’ll destroy you.” Yuri stormed out of the café. Victor took another sip of coffee, slightly amazed it was made exactly the way he liked it. “I’m not making you stay,” Yuuri said, twirling the straw in his glass. “I want to,” the alpha told him, “I wasn’t happy before. Even now, if I went back, there is nothing and no one that interests me. Skating is beautiful, but I’m almost bored with the attraction. Do you understand, zolotse?” “I don’t know, but… I’m happy now too.” Victor rubbed circles on his thigh. “Then, that's all that matters.” They walked to the onsen together, hand in hand. Victor walked slowly on purpose to prolong the feeling of the omega’s skin against his. “You know, Vitya,” Yuuri said, eyes twinkling, “The sooner we get back, the sooner you can show me how much you care about me.” Victor didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the omega, hands around his waist, and yanked him into a fireman’s lift. Yuuri, dangling off Victor’s back, laughed as the alpha ran the rest of the way. Around the corner from the onsen, the alpha had to put Yuuri down to take a breather. “As romantic as it would be to carry you through the door, I don’t think I can right now. Give me 5 minutes.” Yuuri rubbed his eyes. “My stomach hurts from laughing.” Victor said, in between pants, “My everything hurts.” The omega hooked his arm through Victor’s and pulled him along. “Come on. You can recover. I believe in you.” “So sweet. But, if I don’t?” “Then, I’ll have to make do,” he joked. Victor whined until they made it to the bedroom. He couldn’t whine then, couldn’t even speak, not when he was between Yuuri’s thighs.

[unwritrecipes]

Sesame Chicken Noodles (and some pantry talk too!)

Though it may not seem so at first glance, there's a huge lesson to be learned from this picture. What you ask? Does she have to be so cryptic? It's Monday morning and I can barely think straight, let alone decipher her forkful-of-pasta photo. Ok guys, sorry for all the drama. Here's my riveting little tidbit for the new week and it's really nothing new (back when stores kept normal hours, this is something our grandmas all did)--If you keep a well-stocked pantry and fridge, on any given night, you can whip up a nutritious, delicious and even out-of-the-ordinary dish in less than an hour! Yup, that's right. That forkful of pasta coated in a spicy, peanutty sauce with strips of white meat chicken and some scattered scallions is really saying, "look at how organized I am!" That's because this wonderful one-bowl, Asian-inspired pasta dish is entirely made with ingredients that you can keep on hand in your pantry, fridge and freezer. Imagine it's 5:00 pm and you have no idea what dinner will be but the natives are getting restless and you know it's going to get ugly if there is not a meal on the table within the hour. Now imagine opening up your pantry and fridge, doing a little bit of chopping and measuring and serving them up a plate of this deliciousness in under an hour.  Can you hear the cheers? Can you feel that smug smile stretching across your face? I promise it can be done with one good trip to the market to cover your bases. "I could make this if only I had some________in the house!" will escape your lips less and less. How's that for some Monday morning inspiration?!! 

The picture above is my new pantry from our kitchen redo and I purposely had it designed into blocks so that I would keep my famous shoving-to-the-back-impulse at a minimum. I also like the blocks because I can keep my ingredients sorted by category, you know, one square for oils, vinegars and sauces, one for canned goods, one for flours, one for sugars and a large one for chocolate, ha ha!! Now, I  realize that not everyone has a big pantry or lots of cupboards where they can store ingredients, but if you can find a way to keep things stocked even just a little bit, it'll make your life so-o-o-o much easier because the beauty of most of these sauces, vinegars, oils, pastas etc. is that they rarely spoil or need replacing other than when you use them up (that doesn't go for spices though--spices need to be replaced about once a year, I believe). Plus, I find that when I purchase off-the-beaten-path ingredients for us like for example, tahini, which figures largely in this recipe, I'm more apt to turn to other new recipes that make use of them since I already have them on hand. Whew! Sorry for the rather long-winded explanation! If you're already a model of preparedness and organization, ignore what's below and skip down to the recipe. But for the rest of you, here's what I basically keep on hand at home:

OILS

Canola, Vegetable, Peanut, Safflower  Olive, Coconut, Sesame and Toasted Sesame (I like the Trader Joe's brand), Nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Things like walnut or other nut oils that spoil more easily should only be bought on an "as needed" basis.

VINEGARS

Balsamic, Red Wine, Apple Cider, White, White Wine, Sherry, Rice, Champagne, Malt

CONDIMENTS & SAUCES

Soy Sauce (I always buy low sodium), Mirin, Chili Oil, Hot Sauce, Chili Sauce, Sriracha, Ketchup, Mustard (regular brown, yellow and Dijon), Mayonnaise ( I buy light), Salsa, Tomato sauce

NUTS & NUT BUTTERS

I keep all nuts in the freezer to help keep them fresh and we eat a lot of nuts so I usually have Trader Joe's toasted slivered almonds, walnuts, pecans and shelled pistachios on hand. As far as nut butters, the natural peanut butter gets stored in the fridge after opening. All others get stored in pantry and they are:  regular peanut butter like Skippy or Jiff, Almond butter and Tahini. 

CANNED AND JARRED GOODS

Chickpeas, Black and Red beans, Baked Beans, Diced tomatoes, Whole tomatoes, any fruit (like pineapple), Chicken/beef/vegetable broth, Pickles, Applesauce, Tomato Paste

STARCHES & GRAINS

Dried pastas, Rice (long grain, brown, basmati, arborio, wild), Barley (pearl and quick cooking), Quinoa, Couscous (Israeli and regular), Polenta, Breadcrumbs (plain & Italian), Panko, Oats (Old-Fashioned and Steel Cut), your favorite cereals, your favorite bread

SPICES & EXTRACTS

Kosher salt, regular salt, fine sea salt, flour de sel, black and white pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, bay leaves, paprika, parsley flakes, dry mustard, basil, curry powder, sesame seeds, chili powder, oregano, hot pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg (I don't like the last 3 but they are considered pantry staples), cream of tartar, espresso powder, vanilla extract, vanilla beans, almond extract

FLOURS

I really like the King Arthur brand and I use their All-purpose white, wheat, white whole wheat, bread, cake and self-rising exclusively, Cornmeal (yellow and white), Gluten-free if you need it. I keep pastry flour and whole wheat pastry flour on hand as well as wheat bran, wheat germ and rye flour on hand but these are not necessary unless you really bake a lot.

SUGARS & SWEETENERS

Granulated, Brown (light and dark), Demerara (also known as sanding sugar) , Confectioners', Corn Syrup (light and dark), Molasses, Honey, Pure Maple Syrup, Agave

OTHER BAKING ESSENTIALS

Baking Powder, Baking Soda (replace every 6 months) Cornstarch, Malt Powder, Sweetened Condensed Milk, Evaporated Milk, Graham Cracker Crumbs, Marshmallows, Shredded Coconut (sweetened and unsweetened), Cocoa Powder (regular and Dutch-processed), baking chocolate (unsweetened, semisweet, bittersweet and white--I like Trader Joe's large bars for taste and economy), chocolate chips-mainly Ghiradhelli but Nestle is good too (semisweet and bittersweet and mini), cupcake liners, dried fruits like raisins (dark and yellow), currants, dried cranberries etc, yeast

REFRIGERATOR STAPLES

Sticks of unsalted butter, cream cheese, sour cream (regular and light) , Milk, Large Eggs, Yogurt (for eating and baking with, I usually keep Greek and regular on hand), a hunk of Parmesan cheese for grating, Cheddar or other favorite hard cheeses, Onions, Garlic, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Lemons, Limes, Apples

FREEZER STAPLES

Frozen veggies, Chicken breasts that can be quickly defrosted, Ice Cream and Sorbet, of course!

This is by no means a comprehensive list and I'm sure there are lots of things I've left out that you consider absolutes. In any case, hope this helps and makes it whole lots easier to whip up delicious stuff without last minute grocery runs!! And as for this pasta dish, which has gotten rather short shrift today, be sure to give it a try--it's full of spicy, sesame flavor and you'll love the "magic" way the chicken gets cooked!

Now, head to the store to stock up and start making all your kitchen experiences a whole lot more fun!! And let me know what's in your kitchen!!

Sesame Chicken Noodles

Makes 4 servings

Prep Time:  45 minutes (but a lot of this is hands-free)

Ingredients

Kosher salt

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast

8 ounces dried fettuccine (or other spaghetti-like pasta you like--it's about half a box)

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1/4 cup peanut oil

1/4 cup tahini

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons chili oil (use less if you want less heat)

1 teaspoon honey

2-3 shakes cayenne pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

The Recipe

1.  Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Salt the water well, add the chicken breast making sure it's submerged in the water, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Let sit about 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender. If it's not done enough let it sit covered a few minutes longer. Then remove the chicken and transfer it to a plate but don't throw out the water. 

2.  Bring the water in the pot back to a full boil over high heat and add the pasta. Cook to al dente according to the package directions. Then drain and rinse the pasta in cold water until cool and pat it dry with paper towels a bit. 

3.  While the pasta is cooking, you can make the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 teaspoon sesame oil, peanut oil, tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, honey, cayenne and garlic until smooth. 

4.  Place the pasta in a large bowl and toss with remaining sesame oil. Shred or chop the cooled chicken and add to the bowl. Pour the sauce over everything and toss to coat well. Top with the scallions and serve.  

Enjoy! 

Note:  Recipe adapted from Cravings by Chrissy Teigen.