Work Text:
Mash put the pot of water on the stove and turned it on. The ingredients were spread out on the counter next to her. She had found some penne pasta, tomato sauce, ground beef, salt, and pepper. It was everything she needed for a simple entrée.
Ever since she came back after enduring Beni-Enma’s crash course, Mash had been daydreaming about cooking a romantic dinner for Ritsuka and eating it with her. She knew that Ritsuka liked to eat a little earlier than most, so she snuck into the kitchen at a time when it was likely to be empty. There wasn’t anything special about this evening. She just wanted to do something nice for the person she loved. If she cleaned up after herself and put everything back where she found it, no one would even know. She salted the pot, tied her hair back into a ponytail, and washed her hands. Now that she was ready to work, she turned her attention to the ground beef. She didn’t know how to make meatballs, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t try. With some hesitation, she picked up a small handful of the meat and pushed it together into a roughly spherical shape.
“Is someone in here?”
Mash turned around just in time to see Boudica coming around the corner. Despite what she had told herself earlier, the thought of being seen while she worked sent a chill down her spine. She knew she would have a lot of explaining to do if she got caught.
“Oh, it’s just you. What are you doing here, Mash?”
Her cheeks got warm as she tried to think of an excuse. “I just, um, wanted to practice cooking. That’s all.”
Boudica shrugged. “Fair enough, I guess. What are you making?”
“Pasta and meatballs. Nothing too fancy.” She looked back down at the wad of meat in her hands. “Something resembling meatballs, I should say.”
Boudica took a closer look at the ingredients on the counter. “It looks like there’s enough food for two people here. Who are you making it for?”
Mash sighed, knowing that the jig was up. “I was…hoping to eat this with Master.”
“Aww, that’s sweet. I’m sure she’ll love it.” She went over to the cupboard and pulled out a skillet. “Do you want me to help you with that?”
“That would be great.” So far so good. Mash set the meat aside and looked at the pot, which was already starting to boil. She carefully poured in a generous amount of pasta, taking care not to let it splash. “Do you think it’s weird that I’m a girl wanting to cook for another girl?”
“Why would it be weird? I cook for everyone here, regardless of gender.” Right after she said this, Boudica made a face like the significance was finally clicking in her head. “Oh, you meant you and Master are…”
It took all of Mash’s self-control to not bolt out of the kitchen in embarrassment. Even though she and Ritsuka had been a couple for quite some time, she was still trying to keep it a secret. Now her slip of the tongue a moment ago had made it hard to keep pretending they were just friends. Not only did it seem taboo for a Servant to be romantically involved with her Master, but they were both girls, and she had no idea what Boudica (or any of the other Servants, for that matter) thought about lesbianism. She nodded her head as she prepared for the worst.
Boudica smiled. “I gotcha. Well, I think it’s wonderful that you two are happy together. I always loved cooking for my husband.” She turned on the burner next to Mash and put the skillet on top of it. “Anyway, we don’t quite have time to make proper meatballs, but if we cut up some of this, it should suffice. And don’t worry; I won’t tell anyone about you and Master if you don’t want me to.”
Relieved that her secret was safe, Mash slowly stirred the pasta around in the pot. She couldn’t stop thinking about how happy Ritsuka was sure to look as she ate. They had been through so much together, and this would be the perfect way for Mash to show how much Ritsuka meant to her. Once it was thoroughly cooked, she poured out most of the water and added in the sauce. It was looking tastier by the second.
“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you.”
Just as Mash and Boudica were completing their work, Ritsuka wandered into the kitchen. “What’s this all about?” she asked as she came up behind Mash. “It sure smells good.”
“Hey, Senpai,” Mash greeted her. “Remember when I said I wanted to cook for you? Well, I just got done whipping something up.”
Boudica scooped out the finished pasta onto two plates. “I helped a little, but Mash did a great job. I can leave you two alone if you’d like some privacy.”
Mash and Ritsuka took their food over to a table where Boudica couldn’t see them. Before they started eating, Ritsuka gently held Mash’s hand and looked into her eyes. Though they weren’t particularly good at talking about their feelings, this was her little way of saying “I love you.” Now Mash had found her own way of saying it.