Work Text:
“So were you taught how to do that too or did you just decide to learn how to do that?” Hallis asked, coming around the corner of the kitchen island with his arms loaded with jars of spices. Carefully depositing them onto the counter, he reached back and tugged on his ponytail to tighten it before looking up at Goto again. “Or is this another thing I don’t get to know?”
Goto gave him a flat look before shrugging slightly. “It was more of a thing we were taught. Have to know how to cook meals for a charge. I just took a slight interest in different cutting techniques. Why?” He asked warily, giving a side glance to the younger male.
“I’m curious.” Hallis shrugged, grinning up at him before he twirled away to the sink and washed his hands up. “Teach me.”
“No.”
“What if I demand it?”
“Overruled for safety reasons.”
“I’m not a danger with a knife!” Hallis started laughing, stepping next to Goto again. “Pleeeeaaassseee?” He stuck his lower lip out in a comical pout and gave his best puppy dog look. “I could be more independent if I learn how to chop things.”
Pausing, Goto gently set the knife down and sighed. “That’s not…” He sighed again and reached over to the knife block, removing another knife and carefully held it out to Hallis. “Fine.” He looked down at the other, slightly taken aback by the shock on his face before it was gone in a flash and the excitement he usually saw in Hallis was back, and nodded to the cutting board in front of them. “You do know how to use a knife in the most basic sense, right?”
“Yes, I’m not that inept.” Hallis rolled his eyes and gently bumped Goto with his hips to move him before taking up the spot, gripping the knife carefully and grabbed a vegetable. He started cutting it slowly, trying to mimic what he saw Goto do before but it wasn’t turning out the same way. Brows furrowed, he set the knife down and looked between the two piles of vegetables. “How did you do that?” He pointed to the nice, neat, cubed pieces Goto had cut.
“It’s called dicing.” Goto murmured, reaching for his knife again and demonstrated how he did it in a much slower fashion so that Hallis could really see what he was doing.
“Oh, okay wait I think I can do that. Just incredibly slower.” Hallis chirped, waiting for Goto to move his hand out of the way before he picked up his knife again. He copied the movements again, letting out happy noise when he realized he had gotten much closer to what Goto had done. “Did I do it right?” Looking up, Hallis gave him a hopeful expression.
“Not bad but they aren’t the same size.” Goto said, reaching for two that were wildly different sizes.
“Are they supposed to be? I thought it was just the shape I needed to get.” Hallis frowned, looking at the pieces again.
“When they’re the same size and shape, they cook evenly and it makes the dish taste better.”
“Ooooh.” Hallis looked at the remaining pile of vegetables and reached for a new one, wanting to try and get things as uniformly as possible.
Goto watched him for a few moments before he bent down and grabbed another cutting board from the rack, setting it next to the other one so he could continue cutting as well. He was enjoying the silence until he heard Hallis suck in his breath slightly. “Hall-” He looked over quickly and sighed heavily, catching sight of the other pushing a finger into his mouth. “Cut yourself?”
“Yeff.” Hallis sighed around the injured digit, pouting now. He pulled it out and waited a second before whining as the blood welled up and dripped down his finger. “Dammit.” He went to move over to the sink but Goto had already beat him to it and a hand wrapped around his wrist to steady it while a cloth was pressed against the cut gently. “Thanks.” He sighed, smiling up at the other.
“We’ll postpone the dicing lesson for the day.” Goto said as he pulled the cloth away to make sure it wasn’t oozing before he quickly wrapped a bandage around it. “Does that feel fine?’
“It’s good.” Hallis sighed, pouting a bit before he looked up at the other. “So you’re saying you’re willing to teach me some other time then?” He watched as realization passed over Goto’s face and started to laugh. “It iiiisss. I’m holding you to that!” He grabbed the bandage wrapper and twirled away to toss it into the garbage, hopping up to sit on the counter. Happily swinging his feet as he gave a wide grin to Goto.
Goto just stared at him before heaving out another exasperated sigh, pointedly turning away and ignoring the gleeful giggle behind him, picking up his knife again.