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Zanka lifted a hand and gently poked the pomegranate mochi in front of him.
He’s pretty sure he’s dreaming. He, Fu, Enjin, Tomme, Follo, and Gris had been sent to deal with a horde near his home town and even though he didn’t have to see anyone from Kamuatari District just being near had sapped the energy from him. Last thing he remembered falling asleep in the car on the way back from the trash beast job and now he was in the canteen at the base. The thing that absolutely confirmed it was a dream was how the windows showing outside were just a landscape of white. That and the lack of people flurrying about and clamoring to get food or be chatty. Sitting at the dream table with a plate full of the roundest, dougiest, most appetizing looking mochi ever he couldn’t help but pick it up.
It was just as soft as when he poked it and chilled his hand slightly as he rolled it in his palm. The soybean flour slightly coated his hand as he examined it before deciding to finally take a bite. After all, since this was a dream it's unlikely it would have a taste but he was still curious.
His teeth sunk into soft dough and flavor exploded on his tongue. It was delicious! The texture was soft and chewy and he could drool at how intense the flavor was. Finishing it off he reached for another and another. His dream realm making sure he never ran out and with each one he ate the tastier they became.
He was on his 6th or 7th when he felt a jostling in his shoulder. Ignoring the feeling he moved to continue trying to polish off the infinite plate but the feeling came back harsher. Someone must be shaking him to try and wake him up but he wasn’t ready yet. He knew nothing this tasty would be waiting for him at the actual base and he just wanted a few more. The shaking persisted though and he groggily began to come too. He felt great despair as consciousness flowed into his brain and the plate of mochi floated away.
Blinking awake he felt something warm beneath him and something soft and chewy between his teeth. Maybe he wasn’t awake, just shifting to another version of the mochi dream. He could even still feel the soft, chewy dough between his teeth which he began munching on again. He could hear a loud squeak and many different voices laughing but he kept his eyes closed. “Zanka pfffft! Zanka man stop tearing into Fu, dude!” he heard Enjin trying to hold back his giggling and the others around him start full on cackling. Besides ‘Tearing into Fu’? What had Enjin even meant by that? If he was tearing into anything it was delicious pomegranate mochi that had admittedly started to taste a little funny.
Letting his eyes flutter open it took a minute for them to actually focus with all the white and red blocking his vision. Finally gaining awareness he realized that the taste in his mouth was similar to skin. Also that he was chewing on Fu's cheek and the ex-raider was really really red like a pomegranate. Flinging himself backwards into the arms of giggling Tomme he felt mortified as he stared at Fu’s cheek, shiny with his spit and sporting many vivid bite marks. Fu seemed to still be frozen in place where he was pressed into the window, face glowing in embarrassment.
“I! I’m S..So Sorry!” He loudly stuttered out, abashed at his sleep selfs behavior. He couldn’t believe he had used the other as a god damned chew toy in front of everyone. “It's Ok! You Were Asleep And I’ve Been Bitten Worse…” Fu quickly tried to placate, trailing off and flapping his hands in a panicked manner. Fu seemed to blush harder at his own floundering and tucked his head into his shoulders to try and hide his cheeks. Zanka could feel his face reddening further seeing his teeth shifting on that soft skin.
Everyone around them was still laughing. Even Tomme who was patting his shoulder in an attempt at comfort. Shifting away from her petting which honestly felt a little patronizing he buried his face in his hands. He couldn’t believe he embarrassed himself and Fu like that! And the others were definitely going to spread tale of this mortifying slip up around the base. He’d be shocked if Riyo didn’t show up to his room to tease him. At least everyone in the car was starting to settle down.
Peeking through his fingers he looked over at Fu to check if he was really ok, he and the other boy locked eyes. They looked away from each other quickly enough that Zanka heard Fu’s head thunk against the car window. It started another round of giggles from the others but Zanka was more focused on the way Fu’s hand had been gently caressing his bitten cheek almost giddily.