Work Text:
No, Tsukishima Kei isn't very happy right now. Not that it's unusual, but this time, he has reasons. Legitimate reasons. Even if Shouyou and Tobio are coming for dinner tonight.
“Hitoka, is this…”
Hitoka basically jumps to the ceiling in surprise, and turns redder than the tomatoes she was chopping.
“This is not turkey ! No meat ! It's- I've been doing research, and I found out about this fake chicken recipe and- I thought I'd try making something nice ?”
Most of the times, these legitimate reasons can only last for so long in the face of the – much more amiable than predicted – reality. Of course Hitoka wouldn't cook chicken. He's just... tense. Kei's face softens, just a bit, and he wants to do something sappy like link his arms around Hitoka's waist and put his chin on top of her head, because she's at the perfect height to do that. He finds a reason not to – it would disrupt her cooking, she seems so into it – but it's not really legitimate, is it.
“What are you cooking now ?”
“I'm making ketchup for the fake chicken. Spicy ketchup ! Not too spicy though. I know you don't like it.”
Hitoka has a tiny speck of tomato on her cheek that Kei wants to swipe away with his thumb. He doesn't really see a reason not to, so he does it – Hitoka turns even redder and makes a smile brighter than Shouyou's. Kei doesn't really want to think about when Shouyou's smile became his reference for happiness, but lots of things did happen during third year and this is one of them.
“Do you want me to cut the fries ?” he asks, eyeing the gigantic stack of potatoes sitting peeled in a bowl of water. Kei reminds himself that they are feeding a black hole and all of it will disappear.
“Oh no, you don't have to use the knife, don't worry. You can stir the sauce while I do it, though !”
If this isn't reason enough to kiss her than Kei doesn't know what is – so he does, because it makes her happy, it makes him happy, and that's alright. It's more than alright. Hitoka will soon start to emit steam, and swat his face away with a “Shoo ! Let me cook !”, and he lets go of her face with a smile. There, he's smiling, she's smiling, everyone is happy.
Living with Hitoka is happy. It's not that Kei was unhappy back in high school, but he was definitely more sour. "Stingyshima" is probably the most relevant thing Shouyou has ever said about him, and the nickname still hasn't faded away, but it's not – it's not as bad anymore. Kei is aware of it, that he started smiling more, talking more, listening, even, that Yamaguchi is no longer his only friend. Opening up, visibly caring, is not as bad as he thought.
“Kei ?”
“Yeah-” and he can't help it if hearing his name makes his ears go a bit pink “-what is it ?”
“Oh, no, it's just that – I thought about – ah !” Hitoka is probably about to say something very sappy, and is getting flustered even before she says it. “I was thinking that you seem more comfortable, these days, and I'm glad ! Because – ah – eh, I mean, I love you, and-”
Kei is very aware that the dorm kitchen is cramped, that Hitoka is only a few steps away, that they are both as red as cherries and still have to keep cooking because Shouyou and Tobio arrive in an hour, but they stop moving for a few minutes anyway until they calm down enough to pretend Hitoka didn't just confess to loving him. When they're less flustered and able to make eye contact, Kei manages a soft smile and happy laughter bubbles in Hitoka's throat – this, this is reason enough to do almost everything nice Kei might want to do.