Chapter Text
Ever since he was a kid, he loved steak. All the men in his family loved red meat and steak was no exception. His mom made the best steak in the entire world. He has tried many steak in his life and none have ever come close to hers (well, he might be slightly wrong about that). She made the best steak with a side of garlic potatoes. Piers tried perfecting his own cooking by making his mother's steak, but it just never came out as perfect as hers. He still ate it, of course. Who was he to ever deny a piece of steak?
Piers was surprised enough when learning that Jake cooked, but he was blown away when his beloved mercenary made him his favorite dish. Piers would never dare to tell his mom that someone was just as good as a cook as she. Since Piers could not brag about his boyfriend's cooking to his family, he decided to do it to everyone else he knew. Jill kept insisting that they should host a dinner party since Jake was such a great cook. Chris watched in amusement as Jake just shook his head and grunted.
If there was steak in front of him, Piers would eat it without hesitation. Why did the world have to be so cruel to him? What did he ever do wrong? As if his fate of using the C-Virus on himself was not enough and making him into a monster (which he did not regret). He was grateful that he was found and the cure had been given to him. He got his arm back and his eye. He would have scars for the rest of his life, which had not been easy at first, but he had grown accustomed to them. Jake had helped a lot with that. Now, the world was daring him to resist the temptation in front of him?
He had just gone a mission led by Jill and he would have to stay late to write up the report. Piers notified Jake that he would be a bit late and told him to not wait up on him. Jake had just replied with an "okay." Piers would have happily eaten something small when he got home. He really did not mind it at all. Besides, he had felt a bit nauseous earlier, so he thought nothing too big would maybe sit well with his stomach. Instead, when he stepped into the apartment they shared, he was greeted by the sound of the shower and a little plate waiting for him.
Jake had made him steak and garlic potatoes.
Piers felt his heart warm up by the sight. It was what he loved about Jake. He had this rough and tough persona, but there was softness within too. When he first met the mercenary he would not think he could ever be described as romantic. Piers learned later on that to him, Jake Muller was the most romantic man in the world. It was so sweet that he made him dinner (his favorite meal) when he did not have to.
There should have been no reason for Piers to resist the urge to start eating the meal his boyfriend had made him. Jake made it just for him and it was Piers' favorite. After mentally gushing over how loving Jake had been, there was something else that instantly caught his attention.
The pungent scent of garlic mixed with the cooked aroma of the steak should have had Piers' salivating, but it did not. Piers felt sick as his nose could not stand the scent of the meal. He covered his mouth when he began gagging quietly. Piers felt like throwing up all of a sudden.
What was wrong with him? Had he become a vegetarian out of the blue? Since when did the scent of garlic become repulsive?
"Hey babe." Piers' eyes widened when he heard Jake's voice. What was Jake going to think? Piers felt horrible that he could not eat the food his boyfriend had made for him. It was not like he could not eat it. It was like his stomach was telling him no.
Piers smiled and turned to Jake. "Hey," he allowed himself to be pulled into an embrace. He giggled when he felt Jake's lips on his cheek. It was like he was not feeling sick anymore. How did that sickly feeling just leave? Maybe there was really something wrong with him. "You didn't have to make me dinner."
"I wanted to, puppy. Besides, you've been working a lot. Since you're Chris's righthand man I know you have more to do than I." Jake reasoned, wrapping his arms around Piers' waist. "Makes me wanna talk to that jarhead."
Piers shook his head. "Chris has enough to deal with. He doesn't need you telling him to give your boyfriend a break. I can handle this." Piers loved having Chris as a captain. He hated hearing Chris saying he thought of retiring. Piers believed there was more for Chris out there. Chris decided to stay with the BSAA and Chris had been serious about him being a captain eventually. Piers knew more would be expected of him, but he wanted to make everyone proud. It was a lot, but everyone at the BSAA. were like one big family, so Piers knew he always had people supporting him that he could rely on.
"Anywho, thank you for the dinner. It looks delicious!" Piers knew it would be. His body was just telling him that he did not want to eat the meal. There was no way he was going to reject the meal his boyfriend made just for him. Maybe his body was telling him no, but Piers was going to tough it out.
In their apartment, they had a small rectangular table with just two chairs. They had no guests over and sometimes they even ate the couch while watching a movie or show. Still, they liked putting the dining table to use. No one needed to know that there have been moments when it had been used for something other than to eat meals on. Cough cough.
Jake sat at the other end of the table while Piers popped the dish into the microwave and grabbed some silverware. "How did the report go? Boring as ever?" Jake hated doing paperwork just as much as everyone else. No one got out of doing paperwork at the B.S.A.A whether you were a captain or a soldier.
Piers knew that sometimes it felt like Jake never did paperwork by how many times he found his boyfriend in his office sipping bitter coffee and chatting him with him. Piers indulged him for a little, but ended up lightly scolding him to remind him that his job did not consist of Jake suggesting different surfaces they could have sex on. There were other things on Jake's mind too, but Jill never failed to tease them about that one.
No matter how much it seemed like Jake did zero paperwork, Piers found his boyfriend finished with his before him. Piers blamed it on Jake's blood and how his speed was ten times faster than a human's. Piers supposed he should just be grateful that Jake was not slacking off.
"Yeah. Writing about taking down B.O.W.s in Shinku is not adrenaline-pumping as it is taking them down." Piers took out the plate after the microwave beeped. He took the seat across from Jake. "Your mission was led by Barclay, right?" The last time they had been on the same mission was months ago. Piers knew Chris thought they worked better as a team, but he thought it would be good that they also learn to be separate. Sooner or later, they would likely be teamed up again, Piers hoped.
Jake nodded, picking at the hem of his sleeve. "We also had that newbie with us...what was his name..." Piers raised an eyebrow at Jake who seemed to be in deep thought as he tried figuring out the name of his former team mate. Piers did not know how on earth he could forget. "It starts with an E, I think?"
"It's Remus, Jake." Piers corrected his boyfriend, taking his time cutting the steak. He thought by doing this, he would distract himself from the realization that he would have to eat the food. "Remus Le Doux. How do you forget that?" As a future captain, Piers knew he had to make a huge attempt of learning everyone's names, especially the newbies he might be eventually leading.
Jake shrugged like it did not matter whether he knew the name or not. "So what? We were just teammates that one time. Besides, what kind of name is that? He sounds like an evil villain."
Piers was grateful that Jake checked his phone for a moment when he took a sliver of steak and popped it into his mouth. He thought that maybe if he ate the meal, all his previous thoughts would just vanish into thin air and he would remember this was the steak he loved. He was so wrong.
The desire to throw up the food came flooding back into him like a wave. Piers swallowed the meat like it was the hardest thing to do. No, no, no. He refused to let his mind win. Was it his mind though? His body was rejecting the food though. Piers shook his head and ate some more, this time going for the garlic potatoes.
He should not have done that.
Jake groaned in annoyance, his eyes glued to his phone. "Sherry is insisting we go to Jill and Carlos' housewarming party." Jake set his phone down and shook his head. "Tsk, tsk. Keep telling you all I'm no social butterfly."
Piers would have loved to input something, but he was having a hard time resisting the urge to throw up. It was one more garlic potato that did it for him. Piers shuddered and wrapped a hand around his mouth before rising from his seat.
Jake noticed instantly. "Babe?" There was concern in his eyes, but Piers did not reply. Jake watched his boyfriend dash out of the room and into the closest bathroom which was the one down the hall.
Once Piers made it into the bathroom, he slammed the door and faced the toilet. He threw up everything he had into the toilet bowl. It felt so horrible and like it would never end. How could he be this sick? It had to be some stomach bug. Gosh, he hoped it was no deadly virus that would turn him into a zombie.
His throat ached once it was over. Piers cleared his throat and rose to wash his hands and mouth. He needed to brush his teeth since now his mouth tasted like vomit. Piers had flushed the toilet and finished washing his hands when he realized the small knocking coming from outside.
"Piers? Are you okay?" Piers frowned. There was no reason for Jake to worry, but he knew that's all the redhead could be doing right now.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine, Jake." Piers opened the door and was greeted by his boyfriend leaning on the doorframe. "I think I have some stomach bug."
Jake sighed in relief. "I was gonna say I swear I wasn't trying to kill you when I made you dinner."
Piers smirked at his boyfriend. "As if you'd use poison to kill someone. You'd think it was a cowardly move." He has long gotten used to the fact that he was dating a former mercenary. He understood why Jake did it and knew how much his mother's death affected him.
Jake wrapped an arm around Piers' waist. "Damn right about that, puppy." He placed a kiss on Piers' cheek, making his boyfriend groan.
"I just threw up, Jake. I feel gross, don't kiss me." Piers complained. A good shower and an hour of just rinsing his mouth sounded nice.
"I don't give a fuck. All I know is that my puppy isn't feeling the greatest." Piers leaned into the embrace as Jake led him towards the direction of their bedroom. "I'll go put away the food. Ya can save it for tomorrow if you want."
Piers pouted. "I feel so bad. You made me dinner and it ended up with me throwing it up. I'm such a bad boyfriend."
"No you're not, puppy." Jake said with an eye roll. "You're just not feeling the best right now. Maybe call off to see the doctor tomorrow?"
Piers stopped in his tracks to stare at Jake. Just call off? Piers has never needed go call off willingly. Sure, when he recovered from the C-Virus, he was forced to heal up for two weeks, but if he would leave someone would just tie him to the bed.
It had just been that one time though. Piers rarely got sick, so he never called out. Besides, Piers was not even really sick. It was probably a stomach bug that would just go away. There was no need to see a doctor.
"Jake, it's probably nothing. No reason to call off." Piers would just be wasting time by calling off and seeing a doctor when there was no need.
Jake did not believe one word his boyfriend was saying. His icy blue eyes narrowed. "Bullshit. Piers, you should see a doctor. Maybe you're stressed or some shit. I don't want things to get worst."
He was just being overprotective, but really there was nothing to worry about.
Piers turned to stand in front of his boyfriend. "Jake, I know you really care about me and that's why you're being this way." He knew the only way Jake would stop worrying is when Piers stops being sick. "I'm fine, really."
Jake studied him. It looked like he wanted to say something, but he was being reluctant. "Promise me if you get worst you'll leave work and go to the doctor's. If ya don't, I'll drag you there myself, puppy."
Piers smiled. "I promise, Jake." He should be fine though. He wanted to kiss Jake, but he had thrown up not too long ago. "I'll be fine." Piers promised, making his way to the bathroom.
"Ya better be!" Jake exclaimed, shaking his head. Jill loved to tease him about being unable to say no to Piers. Jill was correct.