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Katsuki was currently plating a dish he was trying out, a vegan sort of meal. He wasn’t a vegetarian in the slightest, but he figured he might as well make something else for a change. And who better to taste test this dish than Kaminari?
They sat at one of the tables, tapping their palms against the surface of the table and patiently waiting for their food.
Kaminari sniffed the air. “It smells so good from here! C’mon, let me see what you did already!” They urged, impatiently.
“Pipe down, sparky, I only just got it out the pan! Unless you want your taste buds to get burnt off..” Katsuki replied, bringing the steaming bowl over to the table, chopsticks in hand.
The blonde perked up at the dish brought to them, a smile creeping on their face—until they actually got a good look at it. “Is..Is that eggplant?”
Katsuki had made eggplant donburi, a dish made of golden brown sliced eggplants coated in soy sauce and served on a bed of white rice. He glared at Kaminari like he was asking the obvious. “Duh. What’s the problem?”
“Uh, well..” They twiddle their thumbs, already expecting backlash. “I don’t really..like.. eggplants?”
His eyebrows furrowed, clearly taken offense to this. This was the second time Kaminari’s ever been picky about his food and Katsuki wasn’t having it today. “So, what? You expect me to waste the food I made because you can’t handle eating eggplants? ”
“Hey, I can handle anything! It’s just—I was never really into eggplants, even as a little kid. Like, I always thought they were kinda mushy, bland and just plain bleghh ..”
“Oh, boo-fucking-hoo, poor baby!” Katsuki mocked. “Just admit it, you’re too much of a little wimp to eat a damn vegetable!”
Kaminari cringed, looking down at the dish once again. “Why do I have to be the one to try this?! Can’t you get someone else to do it..?”
“Nope. You’re the one who was so damn ecstatic to try my food in the first place, so you’re gonna buck up and eat it! ” He raised his voice, grabbing the chopsticks, picking up a piece of eggplant and inching forward.
Kaminari stands up and takes a cautious step back. “Please, I’ll eat literally anything else!”
The blond stomped forward once again, now up close and personal to the other. “You’re gonna eat this damn eggplant, or else! Now open your mouth so I can shove it down your throat!”
The terrified shriek Kaminari let out when Katsuki lunged at him was the last straw for anyone nearby to break the two up and get the explosive blond away from them. Needless to say, the dish went uneaten.
“I don’t wanna! ” Katsuki whined with a pouty lip.
Eijirou frowned, “C’mon dude, you gotta eat your veggies.” and tried bringing the chopstick which held the bit of spinach closer to Katsuki’s mouth.
“Uh-uh! I hate spinach!” He shouted, moving himself away from the food.
For the past half an hour, Eijirou was trying his hardest to get little Katsuki to eat his vegetables. All four of his caregivers, especially Iida, recommended that instead of just snacks, he should start transitioning to eating vegetables along with heartier meals—ones fit for a five year old, of course.
But as hard as they tried, Katsuki was flat out refusing to eat them. Iida tried hiding it in his food only for it to be picked out, Mina just tried bribing him by promising cookies in exchange for him eating his vegetables, which sadly didn’t work.
And so Eijirou had no other choice but to just sit with the little and flat out try to convince him to eat a tiny bowl of spinach.
“Why not? They’re good for you.” Eijirou tried to reason with him, but Katsuki just shook his head. “Nuh-uh, they’re gross!”
“These aren’t, I promise.” The red head smiled, “I made them myself, and ‘cause I’m a good cook I made sure it’s something even a picky eater like you can eat!”
The little shook his head again, crossing his arms. “‘M still not gonna eat it..”
“What, do I have to eat them myself for you to believe me?” He genuinely asked. When he saw the look of disbelief in the other’s eyes, that convinced him. “Okay here, I’ll show you,”
Eijirou takes his chopsticks and puts the spinach into his mouth. It tasted pretty good until he realized that he might have put just a little too much seasoning in it..but otherwise, it was fine.
“See? ” He said with his mouth full of food, “Mmm , tastes so good..!”
Eijirou tried playing up the taste, but he could tell Katsuki still wasn’t buying it. The little only looked away with his arms still crossed.
“You still don’t wanna try them..?” He frowned a little, “C’mon, you just need to give it a shot! You need vegetables so you can grow big and strong!”
“But I’m already big and strong!” Katsuki said, pointing to his muscly arms. He may have the headspace of a little kid, but he was still in the body of a stacked sixteen year old.
“True, but if you wanna stay big and strong, you gotta eat your vegetables. The days where we sat in your room and ate gummy worms and chocolate are over, buddy.”
Katsuki’s pout deepened, kicking out his legs in frustration where he sat. “But I don’t wanna! I hate spinach and I hate vegetables and you can’t make me eat ‘em!”
Eijirou hummed in response, relaxing in his chair as he tried to think of a plan. Going back and forth with him clearly wasn’t working, and he needed to hurry before the food got cold..
Then a light bulb popped off in his head.
“..Y’know what? You’re totally right, you don’t have to eat them.”
Katsuki looked surprised for a moment before he smiled a little, “Really..?”
“Mhm.” Eijirou stood up with the bowl in his hands, inching towards the kitchen area. “Too bad, though. I guess you just can’t handle eating vegetables..”
The red head realized he’d been going about this all wrong. Reverse psychology never failed to persuade Katsuki, and there was no doubt it’d work now. All he needed was a challenge to get him going.
“Wha—!” Katsuki jolted in shock, offended. “Yeah I can! I can handle eating a stupid bowl of vegetables!”
“Nope, don't even worry about it. There’s just some things that people can’t do..I guess eating your greens is too much for you.”
Suddenly, Kiri felt the bowl and chopsticks being taken out of his hands. “Hmph! I’ll show you!” Katsuki said, before hastily eating all of the spinach, albeit a little sloppily since he’s not good with chopsticks.
Eijirou grinned to himself, happy that he finally got him to eat his vegetables. It only took less than a minute for the little to finish the bowl.
“Good job little man, I’m so proud of you! I told you they weren’t all bad!” He said, reaching for the bowl.
But Katsuki pulled it closer to him with a determined look on his face. “Uh-uh! I want more.”
“You want more?” Eijirou questioned, a little surprised. “Sure thing, just a sec.” He got up and took the pot of spinach off the stove then walked back to the table to bring more of it into Katsuki’s bowl.
Just like before, it takes less than thirty seconds for the blond to finish it before he shows Eijirou the empty bowl. “More! ”
“Okay, first of all, we need to teach you how to say ‘please’..” Eijirou chuckled, “Second, I think you’re all finished.”
Katsuki shakes his head with an ambitious look in his eyes. “No! I’m gonna prove I’m strong by eating all th’ spinach.”
“You are strong!” He emphasized by flexing his muscly arms, “Besides, if you keep eating at this rate you'll probably get a stomach ache.”
The blond just huffs and stomps his foot. “I’m not! Gimme more spinach!”
Eijirou tried to hide his worrisome expression, already feeling like this isn’t the best idea. But he slides more spinach into the blond’s bowl anyway. “Okay, If you say so..”
Just like before, Katsuki takes his chopsticks and shovels the spinach into his mouth in no time. When Eijirou sees that the bowl is empty, there’s a few beats of silence where he expects Katsuki to ask for more.
Then all he hears is a low grumble from the little’s stomach before Katsuki says, “..My stomach hurts.”
“I knew it! ” Eijirou shouted, throwing his hands up in the air.
By the end of it, they both learn a lesson. But Eijirou especially learns unless he wants little Katsuki to end up with another stomach ache, he probably shouldn't spur him on in the future.