Chapter Text
Title: Cookies and Chicken
Characters: Hikari, Miyako||Ship: Hikari x Miyako
Chapters: 1-2||Words: 1,500||Total: 1,500
Genre: Romance||Rated: G
Notes: This is set in a Healer/Firestarter AU, about ten years after the defeat of BelialVamdemon. No Tri, Kizuna, or epilogue.
Summary: It’s the holiday season, and for Hikari and Miyako that means cookies and fried chicken.
I think I have everything, Hikari thought, counting over her items. She squared up her shoulders and started to measure out flour and green tea powder. This was her first time ever making green tea cookies and she wanted to make certain that she got it all right. Once that was taken care of, she mixed up the butter and salt, adding in the egg yolks, and followed it up by adding the flour and powder. Last but not least, she carefully added the final touch: white chocolate chips.
When she had a chance she checked the time. Miyako wouldn’t be home for another hour – plenty of time for the cookies to finish.
Her heart beat just a little faster at the thought of Miyako – best friend, Jogress partner, girlfriend, lover, partner, Healer. They were tied so closely together that Hikari couldn’t imagine existing without her.
She turned her attention back to the cookies, cutting the dough. Her mother hadn’t ever been the best cook and she wasn’t sure she was much better. But for Miyako, she would definitely try.
Once she had her dough properly shaped, she checked her recipe again, blinking.
Oh, no. Hikari sagged against the counter for a few moments. I read it and I forgot about it. She sighed and closed her eyes. This wasn’t going according to plan and she’d barely even started.
Well, there wasn’t much to do about it. She carefully wrapped up her two dough cylinders and set them in the fridge before setting about cleaning up the mess she’d already made.
Once done there, she flopped herself down onto the living room couch and stared at the ceiling, grumbling to herself. She’d wanted the cookies done by the time Miyako got home. Miyako studied so hard and she deserved a treat, especially this time of year.
Hikari cast a quick glance to the window, where a fountain of chilly winter sunlight poured in over the plants Miyako had so carefully planted when they moved in here. Every one of them remained in the peak of health, mark of a strong and talented Healer. Just seeing those made her smile again at the thought of Miyako.
A very familiar tone buzzed from her phone. She snatched it up quickly. “Hey! You’re not done early, are you?”
“Sure am,” Miyako replied, weariness evident in her voice. She’d taken her turn tending to the city Gardens and that always wore her out. “I’ll be home shortly.” There was a brief hesitation. “Do you feel like cooking tonight?”
Hikari’s eyes flickered to the kitchen. She thought she held herself back from laughing fairly well. “What else did you have in mind?”
“Let’s go out and get something.” A definite whisper of eagerness in Miyako’s tone. “I’d die for some fried chicken right now, honestly.”
“That bad?” Hikari knew that Miyako, like most Healers, wasn’t a strict vegetarian but most Healers also didn’t eat meat all that often. For Miyako to ask for it now – well, not only was it the holiday season but she had to be starving.
“That bad. Two tests this morning and then I took a turn through the gardens. They’re doing all right but I did have to shore up a few of them since that storm’s going to hit tomorrow. Are they still predicting that we’re going to lose power?”
Hikari sighed. “I think so.” That was why Tailmon wasn’t there, nor Hawkmon. Everyone’s partner was spending the next handful or more of days in the Digital World, safe and sound.
They expected the power to be back up as quick as possible, but no one could be certain. She’d seen plenty of horror stories already about people buying up toilet paper and water and whatever else they could get.
“We can deal with that later,” Miyako promised her. “I’ll be home soon.”
“See you,” Hikari bid her farewell and closed her phone, rolling off the couch to go check on the dough. No matter what she did, it would be impossible to have the cookies ready by the time Miyako got there.
Almost makes me wish I was a Frostflame. A Frostflame could – perhaps – have chilled the dough in here minutes. But her fires continued to blaze along as hotly as they always had.
Miyako hadn’t ever complained about them, of course. Hikari liked holding the taller woman in her arms and feeling her fires wrap all around Miyako, while Miyako’s energies surged around her, balancing one another out.
Well, she would just have to tell Miyako they were having green tea cookies. It wasn’t as if that would be a horrible fate. She just wished that she could have kept them a surprise until they were ready.
She wandered over to the window and stared out. It felt warm over here, but she wasn’t sure if that was because of the sun pouring through, the fire that flickered to one side, or her own internal flames, burning bright and strong. She could see a few clouds off in the distance, thick and heavy with unfallen snow.
I wonder if a Frostflame could stop this. She’d never asked one. She’d never even met one. But Frostflames had tremendous power over everything related to cold, especially snow and ice. Just as a Firestarter could sometimes calm a volcano – if they were strong enough – a Frostflame could, possibly, tame a snowstorm.
But there weren’t any in Tokyo that Hikari knew of and she had to admit, she kind of looked forward to curling up under a warm blanket with Miyako and keeping them both warm, in every way that the two of them could contrive.
Hikari stood there until a very familiar lavender-haired form came into sight. Miyako moved with all of her usual speed, casting a glance up and grinning when their eyes met. Hikari waved and Miyako waved back, touching her fingers to her lips quickly before entering the building.
It didn’t take her too long to get up to their apartment. Hikari came right to the door and embraced her as Miyako hung up her jacket. Miyako sighed and leaned against her.
“That always feels so good,” she groaned softly, wrapping her arms around Hikari. “You’re the best space heater ever.”
Hikari laughed a little, especially as Miyako’s cheeks reddened. She shook her head, tiny strands of pale lavender striking against Hikari, who just held on tighter.
“I want you to be warm,” Hikari promised her. “I like being your space heater.” She leaned in, resting her head against Miyako’s heart, enjoying the sensation of the bonds that tied them together. She could never have said which one she loved the most. There was something special about each and every one of them. “Also, I have a surprise for you. Half a surprise, at least.”
Miyako made a noise of curiosity and Hikari nudged her into the kitchen. Might as well get this taken care of. Maybe Miyako would want to help – though letting her near any knife sharper than what could be used to trim leaves or branches could be risky to life and limb.
With a quick breath she opened the refrigerator and gestured to the two lengths of dough there. Miyako looked, blinked, then looked back at her.
“Green tea cookies?”
Hikari nodded. “I wanted them to be done before you came home but – I messed up and forgot they had to chill for a couple of hours.” She wrinkled her nose. “Sorry about that.”
Miyako stared at her for a few bewildered seconds before she wrapped her arms around Hikari even tighter than before. “There’s nothing to be sorry about! I love green tea cookies! How much longer til we can cut them?”
“Maybe another hour?” Hikari checked the time; that seemed about right. “You’ve got plenty of time to relax. Did you want to get dinner while we’re waiting?”
Miyako wibbled, eyes flicking between the sofa just barely visible and the door, visibly torn between the two. Her stomach made the decision for her, rumbling fiercely. Miyako blushed even redder. It didn’t go that well with her coloring, but Hikari liked the sight of it regardless. It still put her in mind of when they’d first met and Miyako hadn’t had the faintest idea of how to think before she acted.
Sometimes she still didn’t. But she was getting better about it.
“I think that settles it,” Hikari declared when Miyako’s stomach grumbled a second time. Her own felt like it wanted to do the same thing. Lunch had been a while ago, and a Firestarter’s metabolism burned through what they ate so very quickly. “Let’s go.” She headed over to get her coat. The line would probably be long and the sooner they got there, the better.
Besides, by the time they got back and ate, it would be time to cut the cookies, and now that they would be doing it together, Hikari looked forward to it even more.
To Be Continued
Notes: Green tea cookies are often baked in Japan for the holidays. As for the fried chicken – going to KFC is also very traditional in Japan. The other chapter is already written and will be posted tomorrow. This was written for an anon request on tumblr, to have Hikari and Miyako baking together. I hope you enjoy!