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Eraser woke up, and immediately it felt like his head was hit by a 10-tonne bag of bricks. The pain throbbed and rang throughout his skull, and massaging his temples didn't seem to help in the slightest. He groaned, gripping the surface of whatever he was laying on to ground himself - it felt soft, but definitely not soft enough to be his bed. The blanket that covered him notably wasn't his either. Eraser looked around, blinking to adjust his blurry eyes to his surroundings. Strange… it wasn't his place, but it was still familiar.
It didn't click in his head until he saw his bro in the kitchen, whipping up a plate of the classic eggs and bacon that he always loved - he was in Pen's place! But why… he couldn't really recall what happened last night.
"Ugh… Pen?" He squinted at the slender figure at the stove. The golden sunrise shone past him, encasing his silhouette in a bright halo.
"Oh, Eraser! You're awake!" He smiled at his friend on the couch, crow's feet forming at his eyes. That was his telltale sign, that was how Eraser knew when Pen was smiling genuinely or not.
"Yeah, uh… I do not remember what happened last night. Why am I here?" Eraser's mind was starting to clear now, but a thick cloud of fuzz still covered the gap in his memories where the events of last night were supposed to be.
"You got like, blackout drunk. I know you have a pretty strong tolerance, but you didn't even throw up man!" Pen took the frying pan and slid the egg onto a plate. It was still sizzling, and the smell wafting over to Eraser was making him salivate.
"Jeez. Ugh… I don't even wanna think about what I must have done…" He buried his head in his hands, his face heating up as quickly as that egg got cooked on the stove.
"Don't worry… I mean, I was pretty out of it too, but I don't remember you doing anything too bad." Pen started to cook the bacon on a different pan, the satisfying sizzling sound starting up again, which made Eraser perk up and make his way to the kitchen.
"Why didn't you just make the bacon and egg in the same pan? And aren't you gonna make some for yourself?" He leaned over Pen, his arm slightly touching his side.
"Oh, I already ate. And uh, I dunno, it's just a habit… I don't really like my eggs cooking in the same grease as my bacon. Or the other way around. Because that way, their flavours mix and it just tastes weird." Eraser thought he could feel Pen tensing up by his side. Did he not like the physical contact? But he's put his arm around him a million times before, so that would be strange. Oh well, he'll move away just in case he really was uncomfortable.
He shifted away slightly, although hopefully not enough to be too noticeable. "The hell did you eat? I don't see any dishes in the sink." Eraser gestured over to the aforementioned clean and - frankly, sparkling - sink.
"Oh, you know… leftovers…" Pen turned away so that Eraser couldn't see his face.
"What leftovers?" he asked with an accusatory tone, putting a hand on his hip to complete it.
"An apple..?" Pen slowly turned to Eraser (he could almost hear the sound of grating concrete… weird) and smiled sheepishly, his eyes darting to the crackling bacon every 5 attoseconds.
"Brah."
"I KNOWW I know, I'm just too hungover to make more than one plate and I'd rather prioritise you, cus you're my bro and all… and also cus you're my guest." Pen seemed to backpedal on that statement quickly, his voice raising at least two semitones. He put a hand on the back on his neck to brush away the sweat that seemed to be forming there.
"Okay bro move over. I'm making breakfast now… heheh…" Eraser politely pushed Pen out of the way, yanking the handle of the pan out of his grip so that he had full control now.
"WHAT?! Eraser, just let me do this!! You're probably even more hungover than me, and I've taken headache medication already! I'm not even hungry…" Pen grumbled as he [politely] took back the pan with a grimace on his face, fingers brushing against Eraser's. He paid that no mind.
"It's not a big deal, I'm fine. Just go sit down, I'll even cook the egg and bacon separately okay? Just the way you like it. And I promise you can trust me not to burn your kitchen down, I may not have a brain but I'm not that stupid." Eraser softened his face and gave Pen a tender look in the eye.
He noticed Pen start to sweat a little more under his gaze, which he had grown to know that that was one of his nervous tells. Why would he be nervous though? It's just the two of them, and they're best bros. He knew that Pen felt the most comfortable with him out of anyone, but then again it could also just be a side effect of his hangover. He narrowed his eyes at him in suspicion, which probably didn't help Pen at all, but then he left it at that.
"O-okay… fine… but if you burn something, I'll never trust you in front of a stove again." He huffed with a playful lilt to his voice. Then, he strode into the nearby dining room where he plopped himself into a chair and leaned back in that way where the front legs weren't on the ground anymore.
At that, Eraser got to work at preparing the breakfast for them both - separately, just how Pen likes it. He was a little concerned for him though, so he decided to check in on his friend.
"Hey Pen, are you feeling okay?" he asked, his eyes still trained on the food.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine, why do you ask?" Pen replied nervously (and Eraser knew it was nervous because he spoke slightly faster than he usually does).
"I dunno, you just seem a bit off this morning." He kept his voice casual, not wanting to make it awkward.
"D-do I? Well, I'm fine…" Pen trailed off.
"Hm. Must be the hangover then. You know, they say my cooking can cure anything, and I rarely cook for anyone. So you're very lucky." he joked as he got around to plating both of their meals for the morning. And, like a waiter, he sauntered over to the dining table where the cutlery already was and fit the plates right in between their respective forks and knives as naturally as fitting a puzzle piece.
There it was again, that smile. The one that made Pen's eyes crinkle at the edges, a facial feature that Eraser hadn't seen in many other people. He couldn't help but let a smile shine through his rubbery exterior of a face too, as it always cheered him up to see Pen that happy. He could even go so far as to say that it was nothing short of adorable. But not in the same way one would find a bunny adorable for a few seconds, this was on a completely different level.
Wait, what?
"…You… don't cook for other people?" Pen dragged out slowly, paying no attention whatsoever to the food and instead looking straight into Eraser's eyes with a shakiness one could only spot if they were paying attention.
"Huh? Yeah, that's what I just said." Eraser snapped back to attention, situating himself in the seat right next to Pen. "Alright, time to dig in…"
They both took their first bites of the incredibly ordinary breakfast. It was enough to fill Eraser up for the morning though, and he devoured it in what probably would have been a minute, if he counted. The sweetness and charred edges of the bacon mixed with the thickness of the egg's yold mingled on his tastebuds, and he probably had to drink water to make it go away - but he wasn't really bothered by that right now. He was a simple man, he just wanted to enjoy his time hanging out with his best friend.
"Mmm, that was good… I mean, not to brag, but I told you my cooking could cure anything. D'you… like it?" He turned to face Pen, only to find that he had only eaten about half of it. Figures. Eraser was an exceptionally fast eater.
"Why'd you wanna make breakfast for me then? If you, you know, rarely cook for anyone…" Pen mumbled, his words hitting the plate instead of Eraser's face.
"Pfft, what's with these questions? You're my best friend, dummy. Of course I'll cook for you. Uh. Did you like it though?" Eraser kept his eyes trained onto his friend's, even as he stood up and collected his plate.
"YES- I mean, yes, I really liked it. Did you put any seasoning on it??" Pen's eyes brightened, and he looked at Eraser with that heart melting sparkle in his eye. It filled his chest with a fizzy, sugary and warm feeling that seemed to make his heart melt and beat faster simultaneously. He had no idea why he was feeling this way or why it was happening, but nevertheless he smiled at him while he walked over to the kitchen sink to deposit his plate and wash it.
"Nah. I told you, my cooking is just that good." Despite himself, a wobbly smile overtook his face as the sun shining through the window bathed him in warmth. He was lucky that Pen couldn't see his dopey smile, because then he would smile which would make Eraser smile even more which would probably be really embarrassing.
"Ah, just w-wait a second I gotta get something from my room…" Pen's voice faded out of earshot as he dashed into the hallway where his room was. Hm. He wondered what he was getting.
Maybe it was related to why he was so nervous? He couldn't help but admit he was a little worried… but, surely if something was wrong he would have told him right? Well, he hoped so anyway. That was an unspoken agreement between the two of them as best bros, but it was unknown to Eraser whether Pen actually abided by that or not. He knew he certainly did.
Maybe he was just overthinking it. His friend was probably looking for his water bottle or something. Oh yeah, water, he had to wash his plate. Once Pen was done with his breakfast, he'd probably insist on washing his plate too. It was the least he could do for staying over at his place and overstaying his welcome.
Before he knew it, Eraser got lost in the rhythmic motion of scrubbing the dirty ceramic with a sponge soaked in soap (don't let Spongey see this!!). The cold, sudsy water washed over his hands, which honestly felt rather refreshing. Pen had come back too (he had gotten his water bottle like Eraser had thought) and as soon as he stepped into the room he had scolded Eraser for washing the dishes, demanding that he do it for him instead, but Eraser wouldn't budge. And Pen knew that when his friend was being stubborn, it would take a Pompeii level disaster to make him shift his footing.
They agreed that Pen could make the coffee after eating breakfast, and that he did. They chatted in the kitchen, words bouncing off the walls, but it was comfortable. Despite this not being his actual home, the only word appropriate enough to describe this vibe was homey.
It was warm, and Eraser smiled because he could easily see a future with Pen where they did this every day. And he liked the thought of that.
BONUS
Pen rushed into his room, where he immediately crashed onto his bed and buried his face into the pillow, clutching onto its case for dear life. He screamed and screamed and screamed, the pillow entrapping it of course, whilst he kicked his legs against the sheets and shook the bed.
The only thing that filled his head were thoughts of Eraser… it was like images of him were bouncing against his cranium. Well, how could they not be right now? Eraser thought that Pen was special enough to cook for. And it tasted amazing too, he almost didn't want to finish it because of how much of a work of art it seemed like to him.
And he was so embarrassed because he didn't mean to brush up against Eraser like that, and he didn't mean to let him catch Pen being so nervous!! He knew he wouldn't be able to hide that really well around him, but come on. He had to get his act together, he couldn't just let himself go around his friend anymore (that also happened to be his crush but that's not the point).
But oh, he felt so giddy at the thought of finally inching close enough to Eraser that his prospects of him accepting any confession he gave him grew higher and higher.
Right - he had to get something from his room so that he didn't seem suspicious… he peeled himself off the bed and quickly grabbed the water bottle that was on his side table.
As he trotted back into the dining room, he couldn't help the smile that broke out onto his face like acne. This was going to be a good day indeed.