Chapter Text
First Tier
The air was sweet with the smell of freshly baked pastry and strawberries as Nubnueng put finishing touches on his latest offering at the cafe, strawberry mille-feuille. He straightened his back, admiring the beautiful layers of cream and puff pastry, but his thoughts were somehow not with him.
It had been quite some time, but the conversation he overheard between his customers the day before about the latest viral Chinese restaurant in town, reminded him of Auto. How the young man had to leave Phi Oab’s restaurant after being exposed for stealing recipes only to have his true intention of saving his family’s restaurant revealed at the end.
He knew he had to do something, so he excused himself from the cafe early that day and went on a journey to find Auto’s family restaurant. He pretty much knew the area, having checked it with Phi Oab earlier, but it was challenging to find the place. Nestled in a quiet corner of the street, the small Chinese restaurant has surely seen better days.
Standing outside of the restaurant, he’s greeted by an old lady with a warm smile, ushering him inside, “have a seat, son”. Immediately his senses were attacked by the sense of familiarity, of home-cooked meals. If the place looked small from the outside, it looked even smaller inside. There are a few customers, but it’s mostly empty.
From where he was, he saw a familiar figure, moving in practiced precisions, probably honed from years of experience in that very space. Auto looked older, more tired than he remembered. His usually coiffed hair was bundled in a top knot. One thing didn’t change, as strong as the fire in the kitchen, the fire in Auto’s eyes was burning even brighter.
Instead of sitting down, Nubnueng went straight to the divider between the kitchen and the dining area. When Auto finally noticed him, a small “ah” came out from his gaping mouth. For what seemed like forever, neither of them spoke.
“Chef Nubnueng, what are you doing here?” Auto finally managed to squeak his voice out.
Beaming with his million dollar smile, Nubnueng replied, “I guess I wanted to have a good meal!”
“A good meal? Here? You’ve come to the right place then,” Auto smiled. “You should have a seat,” he moved his head to signal the table just behind Nubnueng.
“I’d love to, but before that, can I help you in the kitchen?”
Auto looked at him in surprise, “you want to help me in the kitchen?”
Nubnueng shrugged, “well, I thought it’ll be fun!”
Auto hesitated, but eventually shrugged as well, “okay then. But, don’t complain about your clothes smelling like the kitchen later!
“I cook for a living, you really think I’ll be bothered smelling like a kitchen?” Nubnueng laughed, enjoying the exchange they had.
For the next couple of hours, they stood side by side in the small kitchen. Auto shared the changes and improvements he’d made to the family recipes from the things he’d managed to learn from Chef Oab. Nubnueng listened attentively, and offered tips based on his own experience and expertise.
As the time passed, any tension between them melted away, replaced by a relaxed atmosphere despite the heat of the fire and the space. Towards the end of the dinner rush, they were already working in harmony without having to exchange words.
Nubnueng stayed to help clean the restaurant. Earlier he had even sent the old lady seated in front earlier - Auto’s mother home after telling her that he will do the closing with Auto. Auto offered him a can of beer, and raised his own can of beer, “thank you for today. It meant more than you know.”
Putting their beer cans together, Nubnueng teased, “no problem. I was pleasantly surprised at how good you are at your own turf.”
Auto laughed, “oh shut up. I get better every day, so you might want to do this again sometime.”
Nubnueng thought about how that was the cutest laugh, and his heart skipped a beat. Mentally pulling himself back down to earth, a cheeky smile appeared on his face, “oh you bet. It’s not easy to get rid of me.”
Giggling, Auto muttered, “ooh I’m scared now,” and took a sip of his beer.