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He wanted to do something for Yu for a change. Was that really so much to ask?
Now, Yosuke Hanamura isn’t the disaster that the combined forces of Yukiko Amagi, Chie Satonaka, and Rise Kujikawa proved to be. None of his food would ever get the tile of “Mystery”, since they always vaguely resemble something. But he’s, well, he’s mediocre. That’s probably the best way to put it.
He can follow directions and make something edible, but there’s no finesse to it. He doesn’t have any special command over the kitchen or flavors. He doesn’t know what pinch of this to add to that to make it pop. It’s utilitarian and even Teddie has complained when Yosuke has made them lunch on the weekends a few times. It’s not awful, but it’s nothing special, either. Not like Yu.
Yu has a knack for it. Even when he’s first trying out a recipe, there’s something in his mind that clicks—add that perfect pinch of this to that, yes, that will do it. Even if it doesn’t come out perfect, it still comes out good and Yu isn’t always able to explain what exactly inspired him in the moment. Yosuke has eaten enough of his homemade lunches to know that Yu is generally modest about his skin. Yu jokes that he has a refined palate, but Yosuke is also fairly certain refined doesn't mean “will eat anything that looks moderately digestible”.
They all work hard, but Yosuke thinks Yu works the hardest. He juggles the TV World, school, all his part time jobs, his family, his clubs, his…no, no he’s not adding the cats into the equation. It’s a lot, that’s what matters, and he should get a night off.
Making some sort of donburi shouldn’t be difficult, right?
Right!
He said about an hour ago.
He’d gotten all the ingredients at Junes before heading over to the Dojima residence with Yu. Dojima himself was, naturally, staying late at work and Nanako was working on a writing assignment in her room. Needless to say, Yosuke had the entire kitchen to make his domain while Yu sat (as instructed) in the living room. He offered to help, but Yosuke refused. No, no way, this was his treat.
That was an hour ago.
He’d let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator as instructed, giving enough time for the rice to steam in the cooker. Of course, now that he is cooking it on the skillet, Yosuke starts to doubt himself.
“You’re suspiciously quiet in there.”
Yu’s voice carries over the light hum of the stove. Yosuke looks over his shoulder, eyes narrowing.
“I’ve found my Zen. Aren’t you happy?”
Yu chuckles, shifting on the couch as he rests his cheek in the palm of his hand. There’s something about that pose that’s just too adorable to be acceptable, so Yosuke turns back around with a huff.
He glances back over to his marinade. He followed the instructions, but it doesn’t smell…much like anything but garlic and soy sauce. Which isn’t bad, in and of itself, but he’s pretty sure it’s supposed to at least be a little more appetizing. He picks up the small plastic container he’d mixed it in before sticking his pinkie finger and giving the mixture a lick.
“Mm…”
He frowns. It’s just…well, it’s okay. Nothing special. As per usual. Why does he always feel so middle of the road?
Suddenly, there’s another finger poking into the container. One that isn’t his, since he looks down and counts all ten where they’re supposed to be on his hands. Yosuke jumps with an audible “Gah!” nearly spilling the sauce all over them both. And that isn’t a euphemism.
Yu raises a challenging brow with a faint smile on his face as he licks his finger. Yosuke does a fairly decent impression of a flustered bird.
“Hmmm…” Yu hums thoughtfully and Yosuke’s embarrassment fades for hesitance and uncertainty.
“…Well? Go on, just tell me. Boring, right?”
Yu shakes his head as he plucks the container from Yosuke’s fingers and sets it down on the counter. “No. It’s a good start.”
Yosuke exhales a huff through his nose. “That’s a roundabout way to say it’s boring.” In reality, he knows it’s not that big of a deal, but he did want to make something a little better than “okay” for his partner. It’s not like Oyakodon is a terribly complicated dish in the first place. How could he start if off so…blah?
Yu is anything but blah. For as unassuming as he may seem sometimes, his quiet nature hides a fierce determination, admirable sense of responsibility, surprisingly quirky sense of humor, and stalwart friend. He definitely deserves better than a blah rice bowl.
Blahkodon. That’s what he’s going to call it.
Yu isn’t waiting for Yosuke to finish his mental moping, though. Instead, he goes for the spice rack and pulls out powdered ginger and chili peppers. With expertly deft fingers, he sprinkles a little of the first and a pinch of the second onto the chicken, moving some of the existing marinade around in the pan and turning each piece of meat over.
“Just a little to spice things up.” He turns to Yosuke with a smile. “It smells good.”
Yosuke, however, sighs and crosses his arms. “The whole point of me doing this was so you wouldn’t have to for once, man. Did you forget that part?”
Yu, at least, has the audacity to look a little sheepish as he puts the spice bottles back where they belong. “I guess I couldn’t help myself.”
Yosuke shakes his head. “From spicing things up? Riiight.”
There’s a long pause from the other boy, before Yu smiles one of those small, private smiles. “Something like that.”
Yosuke knows that smile. He lifts his head, annoyance fading slightly, just in time for Yu to make the kitchen feel a lot smaller. One hand on the counter, Yu leans forward, brushing his nose against Yosuke’s before placing a light, lingering kiss on the other boy’s lips. Yosuke sighs despite himself as he pulls back.
“…If you call that spicy, we’re going to have to re-evaluate our relationship,” he says, but with a small grin of his own. Uncrossing his arms, Yosuke rests a hand on top of Yu’s, curling his fingers around the other boy’s knuckles. A glance is spared over Yu’s shoulder towards the hallway, noting that Nanako’s door is still closed shut. He knows that Yu wouldn’t do anything if he thought she would see, anyway.
“You have a point.”
Lips meet with more enthusiasm this time, unpracticed but purposeful in their movements. Yosuke’s fingers tighten as Yu’s free hand finds his hip as if to steady them both. They’ve kissed like this a few times in the past couple of weeks, the feeling still exciting and new. It’s easy to keep the banter between them, but the added excitement, the possibility of something like this makes Yosuke’s toes curl and head tingle.
The beeping of the rice cooker makes them both pause, followed by the sound of a door opening.
They immediately pull apart and Yosuke’s full attention goes right back to the chicken. Oh, crap, there are eggs. Where did he put the eggs? Yu, on the other hand, turns around towards the hallway.
Nanako’s head peeks out from her bedroom. “Mmmm…that sure smells good, Big Bro! Is dinner soon?”
Yu nods with a pleased smile. “In about ten minutes. Can you take a break from your homework?”
“Yeah! I’m almost done.”
“Great! Then we’ll eat and watch something on TV,” Yosuke chimes in over his shoulder, offering the girl a wide smile of his own.
Excited, Nanako nods. “I’ll finish it right away!” And then the door closes.
Both boys exhale at the same time, shoulders slumping.
“Have you already cracked th—“ Yu starts, but finds himself face-to-face with Yosuke standing with a raised brow. Did he do something wrong?
“Dude, it’s okay. I’ve got this, alright? It’s been blessed with your magic touch, so I’m sure it’ll be edible.”
Yu exhales again, expression subtle but a little guilty. “I know it will be. You’re doing a good job.” A pause, he glances down at his hands for a moment, flexing his fingers, before bringing his gaze up to meet the other boy’s. “…Maybe we can make something together next time?”
Yosuke pauses. There’s just something so earnest and hopeful in Yu’s face that goes right to his heart. He can feel his ears and the back of his neck grow hot. Why does Yu have that affect on him?
“…Y-Yeah. Yeah, we can do that.” He can feel a goofy smile stretch across his lips and he regrets it instantly, but only for a few seconds. The way that Yu’s own smile seems to soften and nod in acceptance makes it feel worth it.
“Okay. I’ll leave this in your capable hands, Chef,” he says before retreating back to the couch.
Yu only tried to enter the kitchen one more time, presumably for a drink. However, he was denied access due to a lack of passport and accusations of meddling and “back seat chefing”. Yosuke was informed that wasn’t a word. Yu was once again exiled to the couch.
Nanako joined the boys for dinner and, yes, the food was edible. And yes, Yu was proud. But mostly? Yosuke was just happy to see Yu looking relaxed.
It wasn’t the most amazing meal ever, but, you know, maybe it’s not about the food itself, but the company you keep. He could get behind that.