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A polycule stands in a very large kitchen, red wallpaper with nearly invisible stains and many counters and tools for creating food to the desires of the creator. Whether that food was edible again depended on the creator. Most the people knew why they were having this meeting in the mansion’s kitchen, but two could only guess.
“We need to talk.” He Xuan says, sitting at one end of the large kitchen table, surrounded by most of the assembled people.
“We are talking.” Hua Cheng snarks from the other end of the table, Xie Lian sitting on his lap.
“We need another kitchen.” He Xuan states.
Hua Cheng liked the idea of getting another one, but he also liked arguing with the others. He gestures around them. “We already have one.”
“We can’t keep sharing a kitchen with Xie Lian!” Mu Qing protests. “No offense.”
“We love Xie Lian,” Feng Xin quickly adds, “but his cooking…”
“When it’s mixed with other’s foods it can become a bit of a bio hazard.” Yin Yu mentions softly.
“I almost died.” Yizhen states, normally.
“You shouldn’t take food that isn’t yours.” Hua Cheng smirks, pulling his nervously chuckling husband closer.
“He takes our food too.” Shi Qingxuan points out, leaning against their goth partner.
He Xuan sighs sadly. “My expensive meat, added to a ‘stew’ on a whim.”
“Should have written your name on it.” Hua Cheng says, contradicting himself for the bit.
“I swear, it could not have been written any bigger.” The lawyer student frowns.
“There’s also the smell.” Miao-er speaks up, hands on her hips behind her fiance.
“No amount of deep cleaning, baking soda, or weird tricks from the internet have gotten rid of the smell from ‘Summer Shine Sour Soup.’ The smell lingers on anything put in there.” Mu Qing bemoans.
“It’ll fade over time.” The eye-patched man shrugs.
“It’s been 6 months!” She protests, gesturing out the large window. Snow glittered in the sunlight, reminding the group how far they were into winter.
He looks at them, projecting boredom. “Don’t you all have a kitchen of your own?”
Most of them did have their own houses, it was true. Mu Qing and Feng Xin shared a home with Mu Qing’s mom. He Xuan, Miao, and Shi Qingxuan were actively looking for a house together while living in their own places. However-
“We don’t have a second house.” Yin Yu blurts, voiced strained as he tries to reign in his emotions.
Before starting the polycule, Yin Yu had moved into the mansion out of desperation. He originally planned on moving out the soonest he could, but that changed the closer he got to Hua Cheng and then Xie Lian. Plus, he got comfortable living in the manor. Even after making up with Yizhen, Yin Yu didn’t move out. Yizhen instead decided to move in, easily selling off the house that wasn’t a home.
Hua Cheng glanced at Yin Yu, then quickly away. It was obvious to everyone that he favored Xie Lian, his first love, but he was also soft for his second love. He liked to be playfully cruel, but it looked like Yin Yu was approaching a meltdown. He stayed quiet for a while, pretending like he was deliberating. “I’ve been meaning to renovate anyways. Making a kitchen could be fun.”
The other side of the table sighed with relief, while Xie Lian rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, everyone.”
Feng Xin shakes his head. “You don’t have to apolo-”
“Apology accepted.” Mu Qing butts in.
The two start arguing as everyone meanders out of the kitchen to go about their afternoon.
“Yin Yu, can we talk for a moment?” Xie Lian asks, his husband’s head slowly pulling away from his ear as he’d been whispering.
Yin Yu hesitates. Yizhen tilts his head, quietly asking if he should stay as well. Yin Yu shakes his head. “I’ll catch up with you.”
Yizhen nods, giving him a kiss before walking out of the room.
Yin Yu takes a breath before turning around to face the other two. Xie Lian stands up and beckons him closer and Hua Cheng pats his lap encouraging. Once sat down, the longer man wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and buried his face in the dark blue sweater. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t-” Yin Yu protests.
“I do.” Hua Cheng holds him tighter. “I know you don’t like confronting others for your comfort and I know you live here. I should have known there was something upsetting you.”
“It’s not like you can read my mind.” Yin Yu wraps his arms around his boyfriend’s shoulders.
“I should be able to at this point.” Hua Cheng pouts, lifting his head.
“You know who else thought that they should be able to read minds?” He huffs with a smile. “Me.”
“That’s different.” The other denies, looking at him with a sad eye.
“It’s not.” Yin Yu pokes his cheek. “If ‘the greatest assistant ever,’ can’t read your mind, then ‘the most cunning businessman’ can’t read mine.”
Xie Lian giggles, moving to stand behind his husband and pushing back his bangs. “He’s right.”
Hua Cheng pouts harder until he feels a kiss on his forehead, letting out a sigh. “Do you want to help design it?”
Yin Yu blinks. “Huh? But I thought…?”
“I could design a new kitchen on my own, yes, but this is for you. And the others, I guess.” He tacks on, getting a laugh out of the other two. “Gege and I can share this one, but you have your own needs. I’m sure you’ve walked into a kitchen and thought ‘I wouldn’t have set it up like that.’ You can make this new one to your preference.”
Yin Yu bit his inner lip. His gut reaction was to say ‘no, it’s too much,’ but that was the point. Hua Cheng loved to spend ridiculous amounts of money on his partners. His boyfriend’s offer was genuine and not a consolation prize. He thought for a bit longer before nodding. “I-I want to help with the kitchen.”
Hua Cheng beams, squeezing him. “Which room do you want it to be?”
“Not today.” Yin Yu mumbles with a smile, the collective bargaining and his own emotional exhaustion was starting to set in. “Tomorrow.”
The eye-patched man nods, kissing his second love a few times. “I’ll map all the unused rooms and make a list of kitchen designs I think you’d like to look at.”
Yin Yu snorts at the role reversal, trying to keep the tears in his eyes.
Xie Lian smiles, softly walking away from the two, wanting them to have their moment as he had to go. As he opened the door, he was mildly surprised to find Yizhen squatting by the door. He quietly closes the door and kneels beside him. “Hi, Zhenzhen.”
Yizhen looks up, a bit tense.
“Are you worried for Yin Yu?” Xie Lian asks.
The bigger man looks back at the ground.
“Well, I have it on good authority that things are going good between them.”
Yizhen glares at the ground. “He’s not in trouble because of me?”
“He’s not and you’re not either.” Xie Lian moves closer so that their shoulders touch. He knew some of their history, how many people would put the blame of Yizhen’s actions onto Yin Yu’s shoulders. Even with the two working through it in therapy, Yin Yu still tended to bottle things up and Yizhen worries that he’s burdening Yin Yu with his existence. “San Lang just wanted to see if Yin Yu wants to help design the new kitchen.”
Yizhen relaxes a bit, letting his head fall forward.
“Why do you think its your fault?” Xie Lian frowns, gently petting the other’s curls.
Muffled by his knees, he replies, “picky eater.”
Yizhen likes to try new foods, but he rarely likes the new flavor or textures. It had led to many arguments with others in and out of the polycule. After a lot of talking, their main solution was for Yizhen to only order new things when he had someone else who was interested trying the new food. The upside was that Xie Lian was being asked on more dinner dates.
“You’re not in trouble for having preferences. If anyone’s in trouble for their eating habits, it would be me,” Xie Lian jokes, “and I’m not in trouble. We all talked it out and we’re all getting something good from it.”
Quan Yizhen nodded slowly, lifting his head. “… Okay.”
“Okay?”
Yizhen nods. “Okay.”
“Okay.” Xie Lian smiles. “I have to go to the library soon, but do you want to do something together after?”
He nods. “Gym then food?”
“Gym then foods.” Xie Lian agrees.
Yizhen nods then leans over for a kiss. Xie Lian kisses him, but feels the other retreat almost immediately after contact. He wonders why Yizhen’s face is twisted in disgust, then remembers the ice cream he made with too much salt and too much vanilla extract.
“Why must kissing you be a gamble?” Yizhen asks the universe.
Xie Lian laughs as they get up from the floor and get ready for the day.