Work Text:
North Denver, Colorado, 1978
Bruce was inside the Arellano’s residence, looking at a cookbook Robin’s mother provided. She was a sweet lady, really. They were going to make spaghetti from scratch.
“Damn it, Por mucho que me guste cocinar, ¿dónde encontraríamos tomates? This isn’t even a Spanish dish!” Robin groaned, and Bruce simply smiled. Even if he didn’t understand a thing Robin said.
“Language. Also, can you translate please?”
“Oh, I was saying where would we find tomatoes?”
“Oh’ uh…” Bruce thought about it for a second, his thick, black eyebrows furrowing for a moment. Before he beamed! “The grocery store!”
“But the closest one is closed due to… a little accident? I wonder what really happened to shut down the store. Think they found mold or something?” He chuckled and shook his head.
Bruce shook off his thought and simply smiled once more.
♪‧₊˚
While the boys in the kitchen viewed the recipe and formulated ideas and a method to make it from scratch, there were two more boys in the back of the Arellano’s residence, messing around in the garden. Which only they had the knowledge of at the moment.
Robin and Bruce thought they were in the living room with Billy and Griffin. Oh how wrong they were.
“Alright fucker, to tell if a potato is good, they have to look old at the vines. You know? That’s how you know they’re ready.”
Finney nodded quietly and reached out to grab a potato— and just for his luck, it wasn’t ripe. It wasn’t ready to be picked.
“DAMN IT FUCKER DOES THE VINE LOOK OLD TO YOU!?”
Finney flinched and made himself smaller instinctively. Vance took notice of this and sighed, lowering his tone and taking into consideration of Finney’s reactions. Vance wasn’t a monster, but he did have habits of his own that hurt others in ways he didn’t mean to. It was a force of nature. Finney understood this, but… due to his circumstances at home, it was his own nature too.
They still got along though.
“Sorry.” He mumbled out and picked out the ripe one.
“It’s okay.”
Vance simply shook his head once more and then the moved onto the tomatoes.
“Okay, I think overheard Bruce and Robin in the kitchen talking about tomatoes. We’re having spaghetti, so we gotta grab the tomatoes. Hold out the bag I brought earlier.”
Finney nodded and obeyed the orders. He held out the kitten themed reusable bag. Finney wasn’t sure where Vance got this, furthermore subtly surprised at the fact that one, it was a kitty bag, and two, Vance had a reusable bag just laying around. He didn’t take Vance to be someone who cared for the ecosystem.
Vance plucked the tomatoes off of their vines. Only grabbing three. They looked ready enough to him. Without much thought, he moved further and further into the garden.
Grabbing lettuce, cucumbers, and onions. He was quicker and seemed to pick the best of the best. There wasn’t much conversation anymore which Finney appreciated. Talking to Vance was like walking on eggshells.
Once Vance finished he turned to Finney.
“Alright fucker, it’s time you learn how to chop vegetables. On a scale one to ten, how good are you at chopping things?” Vance eyebrows furrowed as the sun beated down on his pretty, sensitive, blue eyes. His golden curls shining brightly than ever.
It was so lie that Vance could be considered pretty. One could truly appreciate his lucks— and Finney did for a moment. Vance stood out. Really. No one ever dared to say it though. One time he chased someone- and carved something on their forehead for calling him “pretty-boy”. So no soul ever dared to say something about his looks.
“Hello?! I’m fucking talking to you. if I wanted silence I would’ve fucking looked at a brick wall.” Vance huffed and crossed his arms. His eyes would’ve pierced into Finney if they weren’t naturally squinting to block away the sun.
“Oh… uhm…” Finney looked away for a moment before looking back at Vance. “I never cut vegetables before.”
“Oh my fucking god. You have to be shitting with me, Blake.”
♪‧₊˚
He-man played on the tv, and four teens sat idly staring at it boredly. Their stomachs growling as they waited for dinner to be prepared.
Billy, Griffin, Gwen, and Ernesto sat there. Just bored. It was silent.
Although Billy was reading a comic, so they occupied him better than whatever he was watching on the show.
It was quiet until a auditable sigh came from Gwen.
“I just don’t get why female heroes have to wear the most revealing things ever! Like who the hell is going to find in a tube top and panties?”
“Hm…well… maybe because you fight better when you’re naked? Like wrestlers!” Griffin had a devious grin too which didn’t help the case.
Gwen gave Griffin a look that screamed: “Are you serious right now?” Ernesto pipped in eventually while Billy still read his comic.
“Isn’t it to gain more traction from male viewers?”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking! Finally someone who gets it!” She groaned and sat up. Ernesto frowned a little, and titled his head.
“Where are you going?”
“To see the progress of the food! I’m starving! This wouldn’t have happened if Mrs Arellano was here. She’s so good at cooking. But the boys? Oh gosh…” she shook her head before giving Ernesto a look, with a smile.
“Now are you coming or not?”
Ernesto stood up, and this resulted in a whiny Griffin.
“What about me?” He whined and Billy eyerolled, plopping his comic down. “Sit the hell down and just watch He-Man” griffin grumbled and watched it anyway. He was silently conjuring up plans to freak everyone out at dinner.
Gwen and Ernesto entered the kitchen to see Robin on the floor, swearing at the cook book in Spanish, and Bruce keeping his composure for the most part.
Bruce was rubbing his temples and sighing. Uttering a few things under his breath. Advil on the counter infront of him.
“Hey what’s wrong?” Gwen pried and came into the kitchen looking at the scene. Ernesto behind them.
“I’ll tell you what’s wrong! ¡Ese hijo de puta dijo que el tomate es una fruta!”
Gwen didn’t understand a thing and for once Bruce rolled his eyes.
“What he’s trying to say, is we were trying to figure out where to get some fresh tomatoes. Which led to a debate of whether a tomato is a fruit or vegetable. A fruit has seeds— like watermelon! Or apples! And tomatoes have seeds.” Bruce concluded matter of factly, making Robin snarl.
“But apples and watermelon are more sweet, no?” Ernesto tilted his head and hummed quietly.
“That’s what I said!” Robin grinned and dapped his brother out.
Bruce eyerolled and sighed.
“Alright well… I’m going to let you guys figure that out. Just please make dinner! Actually— I’m going to help because this isn’t going anywhere. Ernesto, go check on Robin and Finney in the backyard.” Gwen sighed, rubbing her temples. Boys were a bit…. Something else in this case of responsibility, so she had to take care. (In all honestly, her and Ernesto were the most sensible in this house besides Bruce who’d be placed third on Gwenny’s list.)
Robin perked up at the mention of finney’s name and a whine came. “How come I didn’t get to pick vegetables with Finney? And I thought they were with you guys in the living room?”
“No? Vance and Finney went out to the garden a long time ago. Something about Vance being impressed with the garden.”
“¿Qué quiere Brochaco con Finney...?” He thinks to himself quietly and Bruce simply shook his head, not caring to ask for a translation at this point. He was just as starved.
♪‧₊˚
Ernesto went out back to find Vance educating Finney. From a distance it looked like Vance was pissed, but his tone was oddly calm and a bit gentle with Finney. While it still held undertones of anger, it was… soft for the most part. (Most likely due to all the times Finney flinched when Vance raised his voice at him when he made small mistakes.)
Vance was very observant, even if he was a pinball player— or barely attended school. Observant and just. But that’s a topic for another day.
Ernesto walked up to them in the summer’s scorching heat and sun. The rays provided nutrients that would give them sun tans if they stayed out too long.
“Hey guys… how is the uh…vegetables?”
“Fine. Your mom’s garden is very healthy and impressive. Did you know she had a lemon tree? It’s healthier than a mule. Not to mention her pear tree. I’m assuming she planted roses near them?” Vance huffed.
Ernesto smiled and shrugged his shoulder. Before qupping an eyebrow to Vance, prying and speaking carefully. “I don’t know how she keeps up with it… but..what do you mean by the roses and the lemon on tree?” Ernesto was confused and Finney subtly raised an eyebrow too.
Vance scoffed and gave them both looks of annoyance. “It would make sense to plant the next to each other because they’re apart of the Rosaceae family. This applies to raspberries, apples, pears, lemons, cherries, and peaches.”
Finney and Ernesto shared a look before Ernesto smirked playfully and politely.
“Does THE Vance hopper enjoy gardening?”
Vance snarled and almost yelled but looking at Finney served as a reminder. He simply grumbled and yanked the bag of fruits he picked. “Motherfucker I do enjoy gardening, what about it?! Is it a problem?” He hisses.
“No no.. of course not. Just surprised.” Ernesto chuckles and Vance eyerolled for the millionth time. Finney now carried a subtle smile too, finding it a bit funny but cool. Vance swore he was losing brain cells everytime he was near the group.
“Let’s just go fuckers.”
The three walked inside, and down the picturesque hall filled with memories. They walked into the kitchen just to immediately halt.
Griffin had his back bent in a weird creepy way, and chased everyone in the kitchen. It didn’t help he kept saying “TOMATOES ARE VEGETABLES” over and over on in cult way. Robin was crying and screaming as he clung to the top of the chandelier.
Gwen was on top of the counter with Bruce who already got minor cuts. Griffin wasn’t joking when he said he was going to do something devious to everyone. Billy sat down drinking some lemonade at the kitchen table, a new comic book in his hand. It was like a normal day for him. He was used to Griffin’s antics.
“What the actual fuck? Griffin stop terrorizing everyone.” Vance gave his step brother the death stare and Griffin whined before fixing his back.
“You’re no fun.” Griffin whines and sat down boredly.
Vance sighed and sat the bag of vegetables down on the counter. Grabbing the biggest and sharpest knife he could.
“You fuck-knocker, what are you gonna do with those?” Gwen tilts her head.
Vance pushed the overly close Gwen behind his shoulder, with no true malice.
“Well for your infor-fucking-mation, cutting them. This isn’t some store brought reduced sized produce. It’s real produced.”
Vance chopped aggressively and efficiently. Everyone watched now with a sense of uneasiness. But it was oddly relaxing.
Vance was fluid and graceful.
Once he finished he looked up at everyone.
“Did you guys get started on the spaghetti ?”
“No…” Bruce tried to put on his award winning smile that could sway someone easily and Vance gave Bruce a dirty look.
“Fuck you mean?”
“Well… what happened was…. we were going back and fourth on whether a tomato was a fruit or vegetable—“
“It’s a fawking vegetable. Bruce you ignorant puta !
“I agree, it isn’t sweet…. It’s bland.” Ernesto smiled earnestly as he could.
“What are you Arellano’s on about? It has seeds so it’s a fruit.” Billy put the comic book down and had a tired expression.
“Are you ignorant?! It’s a vegetable.” Griffin jabbed his finger at Billy’s head, resulting in a groan and a lot of “stops”.
“You all have your head up your asses! Finney tell them! Finney is the smartest one here.” Robin grinned like a Cheshire cat and held Finney close, his arm draped over his shoulder.”
“Erm… well..—“
“Just shut the fuck up. All of you out.”
“But—“
“Arellano.” Vance said firmly.
Gwen stuck her tongue out at Robin who did it back.
“Gwen— you out too.” Vance sighed tiredly. Rubbing his temples.
Everyone but Finney groaned as they were kicked out. As everyone left, Bruce couldn’t help but linger at the doorframe. Making sure everyone was gone, he turned towards Vance a little.
“Vance…?”
“What fucker?” He was still chopping some things up aggressively, taking over dinner.
“…What do you think it is?”
Vance sat down the knife and thought for a moment. He sighed and his shoulders relaxed. “By anatomy it’s a fruit. By taste it’s a vegetable. It doesn’t change its purpose, does it? What I’m saying is— it doesn’t fucking matter. It’s still food.”
Bruce smiled and came to Vance’s side.
“Alright. I respect that.” He came close and whispered in Vance’s ear. “By the way, I saw you in the garden. You looked so happy.
“Oh shut it…” Vance mumbled, his concentration back on the veggies. Bruce simply smiled, and tilted Vance’s head.
“Fuck are you doin—“
Bruce kissed Vance’s cherry flavored lips. They stayed together for a moment before he pulled away. Vance eyes softened towards Bruce. Those blue orbs delicately staring now. Starved for attention he didn’t know he wanted or craved. Like a dog.
“You’re very sweet. Even though you yelled at us to get out of the kitchen. You taste like cherries. Did you know that, pretty boy?”
Vance’s eyebrows furrowed.
“I’m not a pretty boy.”
“Sure you are. You’re even more pretty when you garden..”
Vance eyerolled for the millionth time again! He was definitely losing his brain cells.