#so ponzu gave me EXACTLY what i needed

[intriga-hounds]

edi just went home. i miss her already! i get to watch her brother for a few days in november. it’s so nice seeing them all the time. hoping there’s one for me to keep in the next batch!

[mattzerella-sticks]

Lumped Together (9-1-1 fic, Hen/Karen. Chim/Maddie, and Eddie/Buck)

As an apology for keeping her thoughts about medical school secret from her wife and partner, Hen takes them (and Maddie) out for lunch. With the promise that it would only be them. And for the most part it was. Until Buck and Eddie strode in with every intention of eating Takoyaki.

Just not with them.

Armed with new information, what's a girl to do? Hen spends the next day fighting back the natural instinct to tease her friends about the wonderful step they've taken together in their relationship. Can she make it home without saying anything? Or will she give in?

           Hen presses her cheek right against her wife’s, smile wide for the camera. She waits for the telltale click before dropping into a more natural expression, rolling her eyes. “Is this one to your liking?”

           Karen squints at her phone, the device a scant few inches away from her face. Hen swallows a comment about needing glasses with another Takoyaki and relaxes when she sees a nod of approval. “The lighting was better in that direction.”

           “That’s what I was trying to tell you, Karen,” Chimney says, dipping a small ball in soy sauce and biting into it. “Where you were trying earlier, the shadows covered too much of our faces.”

           Maddie snorts around her drink, “I didn’t realize you knew so much about photography, Chim.”

           “When half your life was spent on dating websites and apps, you learn how to take a good photo.” They laugh, at his joke and Maddie’s retaliation. She shoves him gently, stealing one of his Takoyaki balls and eating it. “Hey!”

           “Consider this my reward,” Maddie tells him, “for saving you from all those website and apps.” Chimney sighs, laying his arm behind her chair and finishing off his own ball.

           Hen mirrors Chimney’s move, Karen leaning into her loose embrace. “Y’know,” Karen says, “I’m glad we did this. When is it that we can enjoy a meal together that’s just us?”

           The bell above the front entrance rings, drawing Hen’s gaze. She recognizes the newest diners and immediately deflates. “Never,” she sighs, “Because some people have codependency issues.” Her comment confuses everyone, so she nods over where the familiar faces of her coworkers wait for a server to greet them.

           Chimney sees them first. “Maddie,” he hisses, squeezing her shoulder, “I thought you didn’t tell Buck where we were going.”

           Maddie’s frown worsens, brows furrowed. “I didn’t,” she says, “I swear.” At a more pointed stare from the rest of the table, Maddie continues. “He couldn’t have followed me – he said he had his own plans plus he knows how I feel about those tracking apps.”

           A server finally welcomes them into the restaurant and grabs two menus for the pair. Hen straightens in her seat, “Well, however they found us doesn’t matter. Because here they come…”

           They never do. Instead the server sits Eddie and Buck at a small table near the door, takes their drink orders and leaves them with the menus.

           “Are they… not joining us?” Karen asks.

           Chimney shrugs, “I guess they’re not.”

           The fog of bewilderment won’t fade, actually growing stronger as more time passes. More time where Buck and Eddie sit at their own little table. Absorbed in their own little world, Buck grinning dopily at his friend and offering his menu when Eddie wants to point and share a few opinions that make him chuckle. Like Buck isn’t going to order the same thing he always does when he eats here.

           “Excuse me,” their waiter interrupts, startling everyone, “how’s everyone doing. Did you enjoy your meal?” Hen glances at her plate and sees nothing. She must have eaten absentmindedly while watching their friends. They all voice non-committal agreement. “Good,” he says, smile tight while he gathers the plates, “I can bring you all the check now if you want –“

           “Actually,” Chimney interrupts, “Can I get another order of Ponzu I – I can still go for more. What about the rest of you?”

           “Chim, what are you –“ he kicks her under the table, silently pleading for Hen to play along. She does. “Right,” Hen says, rubbing her stomach, “I could go for another round of those Wasabi Takoyaki. Please!”

           He nods, “No problem.”

           When he disappears behind the kitchen doors, she kicks Chimney back doubly hard. His yelp was unsatisfying. “What was that for?” she asks, “Now we gotta pay for food we’re not going to eat!”

           “Sorry,” Chimney tells her, pouting, “I figured staying where we are is for the best. Leaving now might spook the horses, if you catch my drift.” Hen understood perfectly, making his overexaggerated head tilt in their direction unnecessary.

           “Please, they wouldn’t follow us out of the restaurant.” She turns to Maddie, in a more panicked tone. “They wouldn’t follow us out of the restaurant, right?”

           Maddie nearly chokes on her drink. “No, no! I doubt Buck would even notice we left – sometimes he and Eddie get so wrapped up in whatever they’re doing they become completely oblivious. One time I saved Buck’s apartment from burning down because he left the iron on one of his shirts. He forgot because Eddie texted him some video and he ended up watching that instead!”

           “Well then do we ask the waiter to wrap it up?” Karen asks, “Divide the leftovers and hope they don’t notice us?”

           Hen holds the power of final call, the other three looking at her. Waiting for a decision. She flits her gaze over at Buck and Eddie once more, catching Buck showing Eddie something on his phone quickly as a waitress walks over. By the time she slides a strand of hair behind her ear, the boys are ready to order. Strangely ignoring the telltale stance of a woman about to flirt.

           Their waiter returns with the second course, placing it on their table. “Will that be all?”

           She still has to decide. “For now, yes. Thank you.” When he leaves, Hen rubs a tired hand across her brow. “I guess we’re here until an escape route opens up.”

           “If that’s the case…” Karen snags a piece of Takoyaki and pops it into her mouth. She pauses, mid-chew, when confronted with Hen’s frown. “What? We’re paying for them anyway. Might as well enjoy them.”

           “I don’t see what’s wrong with that,” Chimney chuckles, following her lead. Even Maddie nibbles into a ball, and Hen’s exhaustion breaks with a smile.

           “Force my hands why don’t you.”

           Conversation continues between them, not the same as before. Stilted in parts when someone turned their heads and spied on Buck and Eddie. Breaking the natural flow of the story and reporting on what they saw. Karen saw Buck nearly spill his drink after Eddie said something, a blush evident on the younger boy’s face. Chimney caught Buck dragging the waitress over, gesturing at a now shy Eddie while he displayed his phone. With how she swiped across the screen, she must be looking at pictures. Of Christopher, as Buck finds every excuse to show Eddie’s son off. Maddie, in the middle of telling her own story, trailed off when she spied Eddie shoving a Takoyaki into Buck’s mouth and then wiping a sauce smear off with his napkin. Half a minute passed while she regained her senses, idling in uncertainty.

           Hen, though, saw the most damning evidence.

           Buck stands from the table, saying something. He drops his hand on Eddie’s shoulder and squeezed. Eddie wastes no time, nuzzling at Buck’s fingers and then placing a chaste, innocent kiss on the knuckles. Grinning, Buck practically skips towards the bathrooms.

           “Shit.” Hen startled the others at her table, but she didn’t care. She raises her arm searching for the waiter. “Shit, we need to get out of here.”

           “Hen, baby,” Karen says, “what’s the matter?”

           Hen finally sees their waiter and gestures him over. “The problem,” she says, grimacing, “is we’ve stumbled onto their date – Hi! We’re ready to go.”

           The waiter blinks at her, the sudden onslaught of false cheer rattling him. “Uh, sure,” he says, fumbling for their check, “I’ll leave this with –“

           “Card,” Hen hands her credit card over, “Please, as quick as you can.” He nods, spinning on his heel and scurrying to the register. “Now,” she continues, slipping into her jacket, “we need to move fast. Chim, do you have a hat you can wear?”

           “Hold on,” Maddie stops her, grabbing for her wrist, “you still haven’t explained – who’s on a date?”

           “Buck and Eddie are.” Her face drops into objection, readying a discussion they cannot get into now. “Think about it,” Hen insists, meeting each of their stares, “think about how they’ve been acting the entire time they’ve been here.”

           Chimney immediately switches sides. “Oh my God, they’re on a date!”

           Then Maddie. “I can’t believe we’ve been spying on them this whole time!”

           “Exactly,” Hen says, tying her scarf over her head in a hurried manner, “Which is why the sooner we get out of here the better!” She motions for her wife, “Karen, I’m going to give you my glasses, you give me the shades you packed away in your purse.”

           “Wait a minute,” she slaps Hen’s hand, “I’m still… how is this surprising? Haven’t they been a couple this whole time?”

           “Buck? And Eddie?” Chimney asks, tugging his hoodie on overhead, “What gave you that idea?”

           Karen gestures at the other table, “Them.” Then at the three surrounding them. “You all… from how you talk about them –“

           “I mean, they were always pretty close for friends?” Maddie winces, squeezing a too-tight hair-tie over part of her hair for a loose curtain of a pigtail. “I’d tease Buck about him having a crush, but I figured it was one of those weird brothers-in-arms things.”

           “More like lovers in arms,” Chimney chuckles, trailing off when his flat joke turns up nothing but glares. “Yeah, I regretted saying it, too.” He squeezes the hoodie’s strings and half his face disappears behind a puckered hole.

           Karen quirks her lips, glancing at Hen again. “Whenever we talked about your co-workers, you lumped the two together. The fact that I almost always see them with Christopher…”

           Hen rubs a hand on her shoulder, “I did that because they were the only ones who weren’t paired off. I didn’t realize they had paired off… together?” Although she should have. Hen might have better radar for when a woman finds another woman attractive, but the looks are all the same. Reflecting on past memories there were so many moments where she wrote subtle hints and clues off as less than what they were. What they are. What they’ve always been?

           “Excuse me?” the waiter draws Hen’s attention from her thoughts. He hands back her card, a slip of a receipt, and a pen. “Thank you for dining with us today.”

           “Thanks for the meal.” Hen dashes a harried signature and hefty tip, standing. She hands her glasses off to Karen, “Can I have your -?”

           “Here you go.” Karen switches for Hen’s glasses, putting them on her face. She scowls, shaking her head. “When did you get a new prescription?”

           Hen slides the sunglasses over her eyes and grabs for Karen’s hands. “Close your eyes if it hurts, I’ll lead us out.” Although without glasses, Hen doesn’t trust her judgment much. Which is why she allows Maddie and Chimney the lead, trailing behind closely. She has Karen’s hand trapped in the crook of her arm, shielding her wife from Eddie. Luckily the other man seems absorbed in his phone waiting for Buck, the younger boy dawdling in the bathroom. They reach the exit and, like Orpheus, Hen looks behind.

           Buck returned, and she can see the joy in full bloom on Eddie’s face. Especially when Buck laces their fingers together on the table.

           Fearing recognition, Hen leaves the restaurant and joins Chimney and Maddie on the sidewalk, Karen at her side. They put some distance between them and the restaurant. Under the tall, red archway they rearrange themselves into something more presentable than their disguises.

           “Not how I was expecting this lunch to end,” Maddie says, staring at the restaurant. “I can’t believe Buck had a date with Eddie today and didn’t tell me.”

           Chimney scoffs, playing with his now uneven strings of his hoodie. “I can’t believe our luck that it was in the same place we were at for lunch.”

           “If this is as new as you think it is,” Karen says, hand still curled around Hen’s arm, “then maybe he was nervous. Maybe they both were. And they’d rather test the waters before taking as big a risk as telling anyone.” She smirks, gaze darting between Chimney and Hen. “Plus, I think they’d prefer at least some time with this before you tease them.”

           Hen huffs. “After all the trouble we went through to not be recognized… why would we blow it on a few jokes.”

                                              ------------------------

           She really felt tempted to blow their cover with a few jokes. Walking into the station on the next day, Hen nearly slapped Eddie on the back and congratulated him for making an honest man out of their firehouse golden retriever. Instead she grunted a quick greeting and hurried into the locker rooms where Chimney waited for her.

           “This is going to be hard,” she mutters, shrugging off her jacket.

           He nods, slipping his t-shirt overhead. “I had to stop Maddie from texting him at least three different times last night. Instead she called Josh and I had to be an unwilling party to their gossip.”

           “Unwilling?” she scoffs, “As if you weren’t making a timeline.”

           Chimney shoves her, closing his locker door and leaving. Hen left soon after and immediately slammed into a passing Buck. Eddie, at his side, catches the younger man. She notices his hands land on Buck’s hips, quickly sliding up to his waist and then off like he was scolded.

           “You okay there Hen?” Buck asks, stepping out of Eddie’s aborted embrace, “I didn’t hit into you too hard?”

           Hen forces a tight smile onto her face, walking away. “Like knocking into a pillow,” she says, “just watch where you go next time, Buck!”

           “You weren't watching either…”

           She hurries up the steps and finds Chimney again. Hen leans close and whispers, “Very hard.”

           Chimney snorts and rolls his eyes, choosing an answer of silence. His response catches Bobby’s attention, however, and he raises a brow at the pair. “Is everything all right with you two?”

           Hen sighs, rubbing her jaw. “No complaints here, Bobby.”

           Bobby looks unconvinced but doesn’t press further. Instead he jerks a thumb at the refrigerator, “Help me throw together a quick breakfast?” The alarms flare and unfortunately shatters those plans. “Never mind,” Bobby say, running off, “we’ll eat later!”

           Emergencies should not inspire such gratefulness. Hen cannot stop feeling appreciative for the consecutive calls, though, lessening the amount of downtime in the station where she was liable of saying anything. She didn’t have to think about Buck and Eddie as a couple when on the job. They were her teammates. They were running into danger. They were dating, but that wasn’t important then. All that mattered was hers, theirs, and everyone else’s safety.

           Except danger can only distract for so long. The city began winding down. Their last assignment had them rushing onto the scene where a woman, thrown from a truck, ended up stuck in wire fencing. Her and Chimney drove the poor victim to the hospital with most of the fence still embedded in her, too close to vital organs. Instead of risking shredding them they clotted the leaks as best they could and left her in the capable hands of the doctors. Leaving them with a leisurely drive back.

           They park the ambulance between their firetrucks and wandered towards the common area. Hen spots Buck and Eddie sitting comfortably close, Buck practically resting his head on Eddie’s shoulder. When they see Chimney and Hen, Buck scoots a few inches away.

           Subtle. How was it never obvious?

           “Everything go smoothly during transport?” Eddie asks after they sit across from them, at a distance normal for friends.

           Hen and Chimney share a look. “She didn’t lose any more blood during the ride over,” he says, “so I’m betting she’s fine.”

           “Hope so,” Buck says, wincing in sympathy. “Poor lady kept going on about how she was supposed to get married in a few days… it’d suck if she had to reschedule because of this. I know I would hate to ruin an important date like that.”

           She bites her lip, dams up the rushing waters of sarcasm rushing in. Quells the urge to laugh and buries any retort deep in her stomach where she can vomit it up later in the safety of her home. Where Karen can help comfort her though the sickening ordeal of suffering with wasted teasing.

           As if sensing her woes, Hen’s phone vibrates in her pocket. She relaxes at the notification for Karen’s message. Almost forgot about sending this alongside a kissy-face emoji and a heart. Makes hers skip a beat.

           “What is it Hen?” Buck asks.

           “Text from Karen,” she tells the group, opening it. “I think it’s supposed to be a picture…” Hen trails off, recognizing the photo from yesterday. Staring at it brings up the scene in her mind, especially the boys a few tables away unknowingly being watched by the four happy faces in the photo.

           “A photo?” Buck continues, unaware of her inner turmoil, “what of? Ooh… is it naughty?” He snickers, gladly accepting the elbow blow from Eddie, retaliating by pressing his entire weight onto his side.

           Chimney’s gaze darts from the photo to Hen, frowning. “Hen, don’t…”

           She breaks.

           “Actually,” Hen says, “it’s a photo from yesterday. Me and Karen, Chim and Maddie… we all went out for lunch.”

           “What?” Buck turns on Chimney, “Maddie said you two were going on a date!” Too caught up in the betrayal, he keeps his hand glued to Eddie’s knee.

           Chimney shifts uncomfortably, squeezing his hands together. “We technically were… a double date.”

           “At that place we’ve been to. The one Chim loves,” Hen shows the others Karen’s picture, watching them. “Takoyaki? It was part date, part apology to Karen and Chimney. All my treat.” At the mention of their cuisine, the color drained from both men’s faces. Eddie swallowed exaggeratedly while Buck finally realized his position. He furthered the divide between him and Eddie.

           “Takoyaki?” Eddie asks, “Yesterday? Did you guys… enjoy it?”

           “It was interesting…” Hen smirks, leaning back in her seat. She leaves her answer dangling in front of them, pulling up Instagram on sliding different filters over the photo.

           Buck snaps, “Interesting good or interesting like you saw something?”

           Hen savors every second in an effort of making up for wasted potential earlier. “I think we did see something, right Chim?” she looks over at him, ignoring his shaking head. “What was it? Oh, yeah… this one man came in and ordered every single item off the menu, and then couldn’t even eat any of it he was crying so badly.”

           “What?”

           “What?”

           “What?” Chimney winces at her harried glare, “I mean… thanks, I almost blocked that from my memory. As if the… the nightmares weren’t bad enough?”

           “Crying?” Eddie asks, squinting, “What the… why was he crying?”

           “Well, he was with this woman – she was his therapist. And apparently, he has this fear of balls. So in some weird exposure therapy thing she made him go to the Takoyaki place as the first step. She explained this all in an apology after he caused this huge scene.” Hen snickers at the scenario she pulled straight from her ass. The others believe it, and she sees both of them relax slightly. “I felt really bad about laughing, but at least I was able to wait until after the therapist paid and left with him.”

           “Because slightly rude is better than fully rude,” Chimney mutters. Hen kicks him, accepting the retaliation with a smile.

           “Do you think that would be a good caption?” she shows them her phone again, Instagram active, the space where the caption goes blank. “We aren’t afraid of any balls #brave?”

           Buck chuckles, rocking in his seat. “How about – LA’s best and brightest, brave enough to put out fires and eat delicious balls?”

           “Or,” Eddie frowns at them, “leave the poor man alone and say – Good food, good friends #Takoyaki.”

           Pouting, Buck bats his eyes at Eddie. “You sound like such a grandpa. Stop reminding us why you barely use social media.”

           “Oh! I just got a good one!” Hen says, preemptively defusing the fight in its early stages by standing. She waits until all attention is on her, and then she continues. “I’ll write – The calm before the storm #whenyoufindoutyourcoworkersaredating. And I’ll tag all of us and you two, okay?”

           Hen barely resists the urge to snap a photo. Buck and Eddie gape at her, mouths wide in disbelief. Stunned into silence and inaction. She hears Chimney mutter under his breath as he leaves them.

           “Uh, that’s uh… that’s a pretty long hashtag,” Eddie says, glancing at Buck and hiding his hands under his thighs. “And, well the whole thing kinda…”

           “It doesn’t make any sense!” Buck blurts out with a strange laugh, “Like, why would you tag us? We weren’t there and… and dating? That’s uh – that’s… what makes you say that?”

           “Because we saw you two,” Hen shrugs, pocketing her phone. She lays a hand on both their shoulders, smiling. “And you’re both adorable. For dating and trying to hide it.”

           Eddie’s face scrunches at the accusation. “We were that bad?”

           “Once we found out the context, it became obvious.” She nods, letting go of them. “Congratulations you crazy kids. We all couldn’t be happier. Well, maybe if you told us?” Nothing left to say, Hen leaves them be. Trails up the stairs after Chimney and finds him sulking by the sink. Hen leans on the counter nearby. “I know, I’m awful.”

           “Was it really that hard doing nothing?” he asks.

           “In a moment of weakness, I couldn't take the pressure.” When his judgmental expression remains, she groans and softly taps his arm. “Come on, if Maddie had sent you the picture you would have done something similar if not the same.”

           “No I wouldn’t –“

           “Even you can admit not saying anything was torture!”

           Bobby shuffles towards them, sipping at his coffee. “What was torture?”

           Despite Chimney’s best efforts, he cannot stop Hen. She tells their captain, “Knowing about Buck and Eddie dating but not being able to say anything.”

           He tilts his head, glancing between the two. “Buck and Eddie are dating?”

           Hen winces, realizing her error. “Or, they were on a date? I mean we only found out about it yesterday, so we’ve been sitting on it for a day?”

           Bobby nods, draining the rest of his coffee. He steps between Hen and Chimney and drops it in the sink. Then he strides over to the railing and yells, “Buckley! Diaz! Can I see you two for a moment?” They climb the stairs, glancing between an impassive Bobby and a regretful Hen and Chimney. Bobby points in the direction of his unused office and trails behind them as they go.

           Now she feels bad.

           Chimney clears his throat. “Was it worth it?”

           She rubs at her eyes, groaning. “I really put my foot in it, didn’t I?”

           “Well I don’t think it’s my place to say,” Chimney chuckles, “but if Karen –“

           “Don’t you dare tell Karen.”

           “But I must. Otherwise how will you ever receive the correct punishment?”

           “I can handle that, too.” Hen already has an idea. She waits for them outside Bobby’s office, listening as he discusses the interpersonal relationship rules of the LAFD. About the many different forms they need to fill out and how dangerous it would have been if they carried on with a secret relationship while working together. How, at best, they work at different fire houses and worse case they lose their jobs. An hour later they leave with a healthy stack split between them held together by thin paper clips.

           Hen drags them into another aside, apologizing for telling Bobby. “I wasn’t thinking – I was talking to Chim and then he comes up and –“

           “Hen, it’s okay,” Eddie says, smiling, “we’re not mad about that. We figured Bobby oughta know about us and… well, it’s not like we figured we had a lot of time after you pulled the rug from under us. If we were as obvious as you said…”

           “Bobby even said he thought there was something going on.” Buck shrugs, a hand latched onto Eddie’s neck. Massaging it. “Actually, he said Athena thought she saw something at May’s graduation party.”

           “Which was impossible because we didn’t even think of each other like that then.”

           “Speak for yourself,” he laughs, “I think that’s when I put it all together…”

           Hen breathes easier, chuckling alongside him. “Well, if you’re all good –“

           “You’re not getting out of this that easily,” Buck smirks, cutting her off, “we’re not mad about the Bobby thing. The whole teasing us and making up that fake story about the balls guy… you still gotta pay for that.”

           She nods, crossing her arms. “I figured,” Hen sighs, “Which is why I had this idea… group date. Me and Karen, Chim and Maddie, you two – hell, we’ll even throw in Athena and Bobby. And your choice, my…” the words pain her, throat closing around it so tight she forces it out and scrapes the lining, “treat.”

           Apology accepted, Buck and Eddie leave her for the thrilling excitement of bureaucratic paperwork. Hen trudges towards the tables and collapses onto the first available seat. She runs her hands over her hair, back and forth, until the exhaustion seeps away into a bearable tiredness. Then she musters up the strength needed for telling her wife.

           There’s a message already waiting for her when she checks her phone. Blue light blinking ominously.

           You’re on the couch tonight.

           “…Chimney.”

[mshomestyle]

Cozy Inspiration: Izuku x Reader: Cooking Together is Best

Photo by: James Yochum Photography - Name: European Cottage Kitchen

You had gotten this recipe from Todoroki, who had gotten it from his older sister, Fuyumi, and you were incredibly excited to make it. You would be making Tonteki. The reason you chose such a dish, as it was actually something that was specific to the Mie Prefecture in central Japan, was simply because you saw it being made in a television show. It looked so good, so you had turned to your fiance saying ‘Oh, I want to try that!’

Though you thought the day of such a thing happening would come when you had long and forgotten about it, you seemed to completely forget who you were about to marry. Midoriya Izuku was the type of man who would literally do anything and everything to make you happy, and you only seemed to remember this a week after you had made that exclamation when Midoriya came home after a long mission with a folded up paper in his hand. ‘Since you said you wanted to try it...I asked Todoroki, and he got me the recipe from his sister...’

So the next day, as it was Midoriya’s day off, you walked the downtown streets looking for all of the ingredients. Luckily for you, you didn’t need much, and because of that you decided to get several of each thing just in case you both ended up liking the dish.

You really couldn’t wait to cook with Midoriya or make this dish, though in your opinion, you were more excited about the former than the latter. Cooking with your fiance always made you feel so good inside. It was just nice to be around him, doing things, and spending all of that time together. It was certainly very relaxing and sweet.

After your nice time out with your fiance, finally came the hardest, yet funnest part. You’d finally get to cook the dish, and with Midoriya. He wasn’t as well versed in the kitchen as you were, but it was always a joy to have him there. For one, he always did exactly as you told him, and two, he was certainly nice to look at it. “Can you cut the vegetables and the tomato?” you asked. It was just onion, cabbage, and a tomato, so you knew that it would be simple enough for him to do.

“No, problem,” Midoriya smiled, walking over to where you were removing the ingredients from grocery bags. He reached around you to grab the bag with the vegetables, effectively getting a giggle out of you as you felt him pressed up against your back. Turning around slightly, you leaned up to kiss his lips, which earned you Izuku’s cute flushed face. In your defense, he started it. “How thin did you want them?” he asked, finally tearing himself away from you.

“Well, the onion actually needs to be grated, the cabbage shredded, and for the tomato, just cut it regularly,” you explained. While he did this, you would start on the sauce, which you knew would be a trickier thing to do if you weren’t careful. Ponzu, Sake, and Soy Sauce, that was what you needed to make it, and you doubted that someone who was used to cooking could screw up using three ingredients.

Once you finished that, you started to focus on the pork steak, which the hardest thing about cooking that would be the prep-work for it in your opinion. As you began to use a paper towel to remove the moisture from it, you looked over to your fiance to see that he was still working on the vegetables. It seemed to be taking him so long as he stopped every now and then to wipe at the tears in his eyes caused by the onion. You couldn’t help but to smile in amusement, and leave your station to wrap your arms around Midoriya’s waist. You’d have to wash your hands again, but you didn’t particularly care. “Having trouble?” you asked.

“My eyes keep burning,” Midoriya admitted. He was so much taller than you, that it wasn’t as if you were able to look over his shoulder to see what he was doing without stretching up, so you settled for burying your face into his warm back. Midoriya paused in his work, hands moving to grab onto yours that were around him, so he could hold them. It always just felt so right, touching him like this, and not just because of his body heat. Midoriya himself just gave off such comforting energy, that you couldn’t help but to want to soak up. He was such an amazing man, and you were grateful to be the one that was his.

“...Wish we could stay like this forever...,” you told him. You could feel him moving slightly from your position, indicating that he was probably nodding.

“We can cuddle together after we’re done if you want to,” he said, hands starting to softly rub at yours now. He certainly knew how to make you feel happy and relaxed.

“Sounds perfect, though I didn’t just come here to snuggle you, Izuku,” you admitted, eyes now closed as you nuzzled your face against him, “I came over here to let you know that you don’t need to be so close or look at the onions so intently when you shred them. That’s probably why your eyes keep getting burned.” You knew your fiance well enough to be able to tell that his face probably matched the tomatoes that he was sure to cut next.

“I...I see...,” he stuttered a bit. You giggled softly, hold on him tightening. Cooking with Midoriya was always just so nice, cozy, and relaxing. Though it wasn’t because of where you were or the atmosphere around you. It was because of Midoriya himself.

[skam-the-valley]

“Thanks again Sam for letting us come over tonight, I’m really nervous so this helps a lot,” Moon smiled before taking a swig from one of the wine coolers she has brought over.

The five of them were nestled together on Sam’s bed as they waited for Robby to pick up Moon.

“If you’re nervous you know you don’t have to go through with it. You can still say no,” Lea-Anne gave the girl a worried look.

“I have to agree with Lea,” Amira chimed in.

Moon giggled nervously, “It’s not that I don’t want to, I’ve just heard that the first time can hurt. How much does it hurt?”

“It hurts less if you’re relaxed,” Lea offered but Moon just brushed her off.

“What would you know? It’s not like you’ve had sex,” She turned to Sam, “Did it hurt for you?”

Sam shrugged uncomfortably, she didn’t really enjoy talking about her physical relationship with Miguel. “I guess it did a little, I don’t really remember.”

Moon sighed, “None of you are any help at all!”

Lea rolled her eyes, “You just need to relax. Think about whatever turns you on.”

They watched as Moon seemed to think about that for a moment.

“But I don’t know what turns me on.”

There was a moment of silence before all five girls burst into laughter.

“I can help with that just lay down and close your eyes,” Lea patted the empty space of bed in front of her.

“I don’t really think so, I mean I’m not really into girls. Are you?” Moon seemed to be looking at Lea a little differently.

“It’s not like that, just lay down!” Lea started to sound a little exasperated.

Sam couldn’t help but wonder exactly what Lea was up to but was happy to see that Moon obliged and lay down on the bed in the middle of her friends and closed her eyes.

“Okay, imagine you’re with Robby. Look around you and tell us what’s happening.”

Sam couldn’t help but smile, visualization probably would help the girl.

“We’re in a room with large windows and beautiful white drapes,” Moon started as a smile pulled at her lips, “I’m wearing Vivienne Westwood’s ginnie pencil dress in avio and the t-bone shoes in gold. And I’ve got the Hutton shoulder bag from Coach in chalk and brass draped over my shoulder…”

Moon hummed happily before sitting up, “Oh my god it worked!”

Aisha gave her a look, “You’re turned on by designers?”

Moon just shrugged, “I guess.”

The five of them burst into laughter again and Sam looked down at her watch.

“Look, I know Robby isn’t here yet but we’ve got to wrap this up. Miguel should be coming over soon.”

Moon pouted, “But what am I supposed to do until Robby gets here?”

“We’ll just wait out front,” Amira reached out and squeezed her hand.

They set out straightening her room and Moon placed the remainder of her coolers as well as her empty bottles in Aisha’s bag. As they made their way to the front door the bell rang. Opening the door Sam felt a wave of relief seeing that it was Robby there.

“Bye!” Moon waved with a smile before wrapping her arm around Robby’s and leaving with him.

“Oh, I didn’t realize you had friends over.”

They all looked over to see Sam’s dad who had come when he’d heard the doorbell. “Are the rest of your guests staying for dinner?

Lea, Aisha and Amira shook their heads.

“We’re just leaving,” Lea explained before they said their goodbyes.

“They seem nice,” Daniel smiled as the door closed behind them, “Yasmine wasn’t with you today?”

“I’m allowed to have other friends aren’t I?” Her tone came off more defensively than she had meant it to.

Daniel held up his hands in defense, “Sorry, of course you can. When do you think your boyfriend is going to show up? I’ve got the ponzu sauce ready to go and then I’ll cut the sashimi when he’s here so that it’s fresh and perfect.”

Sam rolled her eyes with a laugh, “You say it’s because you want it to be fresh but we all know that it’s because you just want to show off.”

He grinned back at her, “Well maybe just a little.”

“I’ll give him a call and see if he’s at least left already,” she pressed into her tiptoes and kissed her father on the cheek. 

He left to go back to the kitchen as she pulled out her phone and dialed up Miguel.

“Hey, just wondering what time you were going to get here? My dad is really excited about meeting you,” Samantha was smiling as he answered the phone. Even though she had put it off for so long she was actually excited about her dad finally meeting Miguel. Sure he had issues with Cobra Kai but maybe he would be okay with Miguel once he met him and saw how sweet he was.

“Actually about that, I said I’d help my Yaya with something and I don’t think I’m going to make it.”

Samantha felt her stomach drop, how could he do this to her?

“Well how long will it take? You can always come over later…”

Miguel signed on the other end of the line, “I don’t think I’ll get there tonight. Another time okay?”

“Who’s that?”

Sam’s eyes widened as she heard the voice of another girl on the line.

“Miguel, who is that in the background?”

“It’s just my mom. Love you, gotta go!”

The line went dead and she stared at her phone. She knew Carmen’s voice and that was not Miguel’s mother in the background.

Dejected she walked back to the kitchen to deliver the bad news to her father.

–

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@curiousdamage @dream-beyond-the-fantasy

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[lafeae]

Prompt: Bloodstained Clothes

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!

Characters: Kaiba Seto, Jounouchi Katsuya/Joey Wheeler

For: @badthingshappenbingo

Read on AO3

Detergent was expensive. When weighing to buy it versus food, Jounouchi always picked the food. He’d rather be able to cobble more meals together for him and the Old Man than to be able to throw soap pellets on clothes.

If he needed to wash something, hot water and a little bar of soap worked, even if it left behind stiff, chalky streaks. He’d usually rubbed out the worst of the stains, at least until he could bother the lady next door for a cup of detergent which, on Sundays, she had begun to leave in the laundry room for him.

But in the mornings, when bleary and half asleep, Jounouchi didn’t care too much about what shirt he grabbed off the floor as long as it didn’t smell like beer or piss. Any white shirt was fine for under the uniform.

At least, he didn’t care until Honda batted his arm in the middle of class and asked: “Wearin’ the ketchup for lunch later?”

Jounouchi glanced down at his shirt and pulled at the hem. Little splotches hung from the collar and dripped straight down. They were browned, faded, a little gross. Could have been ketchup....or ponzu sauce. Maybe soy. He wouldn’t know until he wet his finger to taste it.

“Yeah, I’ll ya dip fries in it later, jackass.” Quickly, Jounouchi fastened the top button of his uniform jacket. “Now shut up a’fore Sakamoto hates me worse.”

As if on cue, Sakamoto-sensei asked: “Do have something you’d like to say, Jounouchi-san?”

Honda snorted behind his hand.

“Uh....no?”

“Then would you like to answer the problem?”

Jounouchi’s face reddened, and he finished fastening his jacket. “....not really?”

Sakamoto-sensei motioned for Jounouchi to rise, and he did with reluctance while quickly looking over the scribbled math problems that were pure gibberish, all the whole trying to ignore Kaiba’s mirthful laughter. Jerk had been gone for a blissful week, but of course he would be there when Jounouchi needed the extra kick in the nads.

“Shut it, moneybags,” Jounouchi hissed.

“Jounouchi-san?”

Jounouchi groaned. It was gonna be one shitty thing after another today.

—

Jounouchi was happy to go to lunch. It meant unbuttoning the God forsaken uniform and airing out the heat it trapped. If the summer got any hotter before their break, he would probably die.

Between bites, he caught Kaiba’s quick looks; as if the prick was being sly—he just seemed like a weirdo instead. Jounouchi shot him dirty looks back, instead, curling his nose, sticking out his tongue, and itching his eye with his middle-finger for Honda and Yuugi’s amusement.

“Seriously?” Anzu asked.

Jounouchi shrugged. “Kaiba’s bein’ weird again.”

“And...?”

“And it’s fun t’ mess with him?”

Anzu sighed. “He’s just trying to rile you up, you know. And it’s working. Then you’ll go over to him mad, he’ll insult you, and you’ll get more mad...”she waved her hands. “Whatever.”

“Sounds like a normal day to me,” Yuugi quipped.

“I ain’t goin’ over to him. I swear,” said Jounouchi, though he looked across at Kaiba anyways. Anzu glared at Jounouchi. “I really ain’t. He’s hopped over prick and went straight to creeper. Few weeks ago he gave me this....”

Before admitting anymore, Jounouchi stopped and bit the tip of his tongue until he tasted blood.

“Gave you what?” Yuugi asked.

“Nothin’.”

“You can tell us, Jou-kun.”

“Seriously, ain’t nothin’.”

There wasn’t an exact reason for Jounouchi to stop talking. At first, he convinced himself that it was because he didn’t want to admit that Kaiba was nice because his friends would laugh in his face. But as Kaiba eyed the messy splotches on Jounouchi’s shirt, the more Jounouchi realised it was purely his own embarrassment. His clothes weren’t stained with ketchup or ponzu sauce. He knew it was blood. Probably from a bloody nose from the Old Man. Something. And that meant going into the forbidden zone of his friends acknowledging his terrible situation but saying nothing.

Further more, Jounouchi considered, it meant that it wasn’t just him. The touch Kaiba gave him, the momentary expression of understanding, lingered on his shoulder and in his memory. He wasn’t alone. Admitting that Kaiba helped him for the forbidden reason meant that he at least sympathised or, at worst, empathised. Did the prick even do empathy?

“You sure?” Yuugi asked. “Kaiba...Kaiba didn’t give you the black eye, did he? Because I though it was your—,”

Jounouchi waved Yuugi off. “Nah, Nah! Yuug’, now you’re bein’ silly. Ya think I can’t take that beanpole on? Puh-lease! That wouldn’t even be a contest. Prolly break his hand on me punchin’ wrong or somethin’. Right Kaiba?”

But Kaiba was gone, and Jounouchi chuckled at his own cluelessness long enough that everyone started talking about something else. Good.

—

Gym came around near the end of the day. Jounouchi was happy to change out of his uniform for the hour, not worrying if anyone was looking at the stains because he’d be damned if he was buttoning his jacket again.

They paired off to continue the course of tennis practice—something Jounouchi had picked up enough not to lob the ball into the net. The rest of it was rather lacklustre. Near misses and chasing balls across three courts only to do it again the very next serve.

Kaiba wasn’t helping. He’d had the misfortune of pairing up with the prick ‘at random’ the couch said. Yeah right. As if they didn’t have enough problems.

“Ya don’t gotta show off ya know,” Jounouchi said after coming back for the 27th time. “I know ya got a stupid personal trainer an’ shit but ya don’t gotta rub it in.”

“Then learn to hit it back, mutt.”

“Stop tryin’ to drill it in my face, asshole!” Jounouchi weakly served, and the ball came back instantly, probably at ninety miles an hour. He avoided it, clenching his racket so hard to thought he’d break it. “Seriously?”

Kaiba rolled his eyes.

Huffing, Jounouchi grabbed the ball and threw it back to Kaiba, intentionally missing to make him run after it. Though Kaiba glided more than ran. He wasn’t exactly the picture of a perfect body. He was all legs—how long were those damn legs without shorts on?—and skinny as a twig. Without the studded shoulder pads or ridiculous coats and leather, Kaiba was just a lanky teenage boy who hadn’t finished growing into his limbs, though he was fortunate to have a pretty face. Maybe. Whatever.

Kaiba’s next serve caught Jounouchi off-guard, scrambling his thoughts and causing him him stumble to hit the ball back. He tripped over his own feet to reach every hit, but at least they were managing something that could be called a tennis match.

It was almost fun. Kaiba was almost nice; his hits were hard, fast, erratic, but Jounouchi was determined to keep up. He lost confidence when Kaiba hit a ball out of bounds.

“Ya don’t gotta play easy, either,” Jounouchi said.

“Don’t get cocky, mutt.”

“What? I mean, c’mon man. Ya whiffed that.”

“Please. Why would I do you any favours?”

Jounouchi shrugged. “Ya know there’s a mode called ‘normal’ in most games. You should try it sometime.”

Kaiba said nothing.

By the end of it, Jounouchi was happy to quickly shower off, even if it meant getting back into the ponzu-blood stained undershirt. He weaved through the locker room and kept his eyes down. The last thing he needed was more thoughts like the ones about Kaiba. He wanted to change and get going.

But his locker was distinctly missing an undershirt.

“Oh come fuckin’ on!” He groaned. “A’right! Which one of you jerks is stealin’ my clothes now?”

No one owned up to it. No matter how hard he pressed, everyone denied it. Who the hell wanted a blood-ponzu stained shirt, even if it was a prank?

One by one, Jounouchi’s classmates filed out and left him standing in the middle of a steamy locker room, half-dressed and wondering if there was someone who needed his shirt worse than he did. He grumbled in acceptance of that far out thought—it made it, along with this tedious day—easier to deal with.

Quickly, he gathered up his things, pausing at the half-used make-up jar. Right. That. He needed to give to back to Kaiba.

When Jounouchi to leave, he panicked and stumbled back into the lockers holding his chest.

“Shit, Kaiba! What the hell man, warn a guy?”

Kaiba raised a brow. “You’re really going to go to class without you’re shirt?”

“Ain’t like I got a choice. It’s sorta gone, if ya didn’t notice.” Wordlessly, Kaiba displayed the stained shirt in his left hand. “Why you freakin’ prick. I knew I shoulda hit ya with a ball you—“

“Same night?” Kaiba interrupted.

“Same night what?”

“As the black eye?”

Jounouchi pursed his lips and studied Kaiba. Ever the emotionless cinder-block, but there was a hint of something deep in him. His lips twitched and his eyes thinned waiting for an answer that Jounouchi didn’t owe him. But he felt compelled to speak nonetheless.

“I...I dunno.”

“No?”

“Don’t do laundry all that much. Essentials, ya know? Detergents expensive an’...”

“And it’s happened more than once?”

Jounouchi shrugged. “Once or twice. Ain’t keepin’ count.”

Kaiba’s lips parted and closed; for a second, Jounouchi saw something surreal. An anaemic smile, barren of any kind of pity or sympathy. It was more than knowing, too. It was like a wordless mental connection, brain-to-brain. With moneybags, of all people.

Kaiba shrugged off his jacket and quickly unbuttoned his undershirt, shrugging it off and extending it to Jounouchi.

“What’s this...?”

“A clean shirt.”

“No shit. I mean what are you doing?”

No response. And Jounouchi didn’t really know if he wanted an answer. It wasn’t everyday that Kaiba went around being magnanimous, though it seemed have to increased in frequency.

After several moments of staring, Jounouchi took the shirt and shrugged it on. It was too long for him, and the shoulders were too wide, but it was a good fit.

“So...what are you gonna wear?”

“I have another.”

“‘Course ya do,” Jounouchi said, but that didn’t change the fact that Kaiba gave him the literal shirt off his back. “What are ya gonna do with mine?”

“Wash it properly. Actually get the stains out.”

“Gonna bring my fresh-laundered clothes to class, then?”

Kaiba dressed and tucked the shirt in his satchel. “I was thinking you should stop by the estate on Sunday to pick it up.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“Do ya want this back, then?” Jounouchi asked, proffering the make-up jar. Kaiba didn’t reply and left out the door.

It registered too late that he’d been invited to the fancy Kaiba estate, even if it was to pick up clothes. Something about that made butterflies flutter in his chest.

Maybe Kaiba wasn’t a prick, but he was still weird.

That was okay.