sumarusfinest | お誕生日おめでとう~!

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お誕生日おめでとう~!

A day planner laid out on Katsuya's kitchen counter has a big red circle over the date.

October first.

The officer wipes his glasses clean with a cloth and removes the apron he'd been wearing until moments ago. Changes back into his suit and tie and resolves that his kitchen will just have to be cleaned when he gets home.

He has gifts for a very special someone to go deliver. He scoops up the cake box and his keys and leaves his apartment for the Nexus. A certain magi's tower in the Nexus, to be exact. He does have the courtesy to text her to let her know he's on his way.

Still feels weird to announce 'I'm here to see Miss Verity Willis' to a wall of solid crystal though. Would it still open if he spoke in Japanese? Experiments for another time.

"Verity?"

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"You really do think of everything." She'll start with the taiyaki, because it's less familiar territory and she's curious. Hmm hmm, lots to think about while she has the first two bites. Very serious business. Or not really, she's just playing to tease him. She can't hold out long before giving him a smile. "This is yummy. What's this filling?"

The eye rubbing gets a narrowed-eyes look though. "Is it time to go?"

"It's a sweetened white bean paste. The process is similar to anko but the flavor is a bit different."

Truthfully Verity's agreeableness to try new things makes him really happy. It means he can show her more of his favorite childhood treats. He's glad she's enjoying it.

"Ah." Katsuya pulls his hand away and looks at it, then back to Verity. "Not quite yet? I'm not used to everything being so bright is all."

She nods thoughtfully and is having ideas. This filling may show up someplace he's not expecting it.

One of the minor perks of the gift-curse: she always knows if something is food. And if it is, she'll try it at least once. He'll have no trouble getting her to try new things. Even non-food-related things.

"Okay." But her tone suggests they're leaving soon. He's uncomfortable and she can't really enjoy herself if that's the case.

Katsuya isn't above wigging the doughnut adorably as though it is the kitty its decor is trying desperately to make it appear as in front of Verity.

"I'm glad you like this place. I've wanted to bring you here for a long time."

To shower her in cute and happy things. To take her away from the cruelty that is her world for just a little while.

The playfulness is a surprise, but pretty soon Verity's giggling and she even bats at the "kitten" with a fingertip. "I do, it's fun. Thank you. But I have to admit, you've put me in a tight spot. I don't know how I'm going to match the cuteness factor for your birthday."

Good thing she has a while to think about it. This sort of cuteness doesn't come to her easily.

"Nyan~" Goes the totally doughnut kitty. Not Officer Suou trying desperately to make his voice higher in an attempt at maximum cuteness. Doughnut kitty scoots away again.

"As long as the answer isn't more cats." Katsuya laughs. "I don't think they make enough medication for that." You have to admit though, it would be an adorable way to go.

Oh, Katsuya, why are you trying so hard to make her lose it in public? Because now she's laughing and she's certain people are going to stare. But two can play at these games.

"Not more cats. Got it." She can always recruit the chao to help. But blast it, she left them at home, so now she has to cute at him all by herself. (Please only laugh in the kind ways. This is hard for her.) A bite of her taiyaki is broken off and held between her fingertips and she wiggles it this way and that like a fish. There's even a little song that, gods help her, she remembers from preschool.

"I'm a little fishy, I can swim, Here is my tail, here is my fin. When I want to have fun with my friends, I wiggle my tail and dive right in!" At the end of the song, the 'fish' is in front of him, waiting to be eaten, and she is blushing a bright red.

Katsuya watches the little fish nibblet wiggle in her fingers, gaze snapping form her to it several times. And the singing. He's blushing before she is, smile wide on his face.

He notes that she's frozen and embarrassed, more so than he is from sheer cuteness overload. He flicks his gaze between her and the 'fish' one more time and then leans forward.

Opens his mouth and accepts the offering. He's not looking at her now. His blush is creeping all the way down his neck.

A little embarrassed, but not frozen. Behaving this way at all is unusual for her, and doing it in public is unheard-of. But that doesn't mean she's unable, or that he isn't worth the effort.

The bite of food is popped in his mouth, and then she brushes the backs of her fingers against his cheek before she leans back in her chair. Her coffee may be cold by now, but it's a convenient something to wrap her hands around and she will take it.

He doesn't laugh, but he's smiling. He's enamored by you Verity. He's even willing to make a fool of himself in public. If there's one thing they can agree on.

The other one is entirely worth the effort.

"Taiyaki is always best fresh like this." Katsuya finally offers, clearing his throat as he attempts to regain control of his motor functions.

That's easy to agree on, because he is worth the effort.

But she swears to god, Suou, if anyone finds out about this... well, it'll greatly diminish his chances of seeing it happen again.

"Most things are," she agrees quietly from behind her mug. "But that doesn't seem to be much of a problem for you, since there's not much room for leftovers in your fridge."

"There are only leftovers now because I live alone. Before, leftovers really never happened." Tatsuya and whoever he'd adopted from the Nexus at the time? No. No leftovers.

Teenagers are always hungry. But Katsuya smiles easily. He doesn't seem so pained to make mention of before. It's still a wound, deep in his chest, but it's less raw and visceral with something pleasant going on in his life.

It's 2003 here Verity. The worry that someone made a Vine about that isn't even close to being a concern yet. The coolest kids have expensive flip phones with internet for emails (because texting is way expensive in Japan at this time).

"But fresh is best usually. Unless it's a stew." Sometimes those taste better after they've sat overnight.

So long as he doesn't tell anyone. If her brothers find out she will never live it down.

It would be better if they didn't delve too deeply into the philosophy of leftovers. Hers has been a life of leftovers: time, affection, attention... and pretty soon she's going to be the ultimate leftover. Her cold coffee gets a frown and is set down.

"Is that why you won't let me cook for you? Are you worried it'll all be leftovers and American convenience foods?" Mostly she's joking. Half. Maybe half.

He does not know her brothers well and is pretty sure he does not like one of them. There is little to worry about there.

"What?" Katsuya chokes on his coffee. "Not at all why..." Okay, MAYBE the first time they talked recipes. But not since he's known her seriously. "I don't let you cook for me because I'm usually busy trying to cook for you. You don't have to worry if it's 'good enough' Verity. Everything you've made me has been lovely."

Why can't her family just get along?! Sure one of them is her new racist grandpa and all of them are dealing with trauma but still.

"I'd like to get to be the one deciding what we cook sometimes," she points out quietly, once he's recovered. Take heart that she's assuming it'll be a joint effort. She's not greedy about these things. She won't hold it against him for the first time, they didn't know each other yet. But it's starting to become a habit that's making her feel not quite good enough.

He's had a few cookies and a bite of a scone. He'd feel terrible if she avoided his cooking like that.

These things take time, Verity. They all like you, and that's a start!

That's not true! She made him miso soup and helped with the dinner they had in his apartment before. Still, Katsuya nods along while she talks. Also, there have been some awfully bad timing of events and Verity's home made foods. That scone was pretty awesome until subject matter made him lose track.

"That's entirely fair. With everything that's been going on with you I--" He pauses then, and gives a nervous chuckle. "Cooking for people is all I know how to do to make them feel better sometimes. A wanted to spoil you a bit, is all."

That's true. She's not good at being patient.

And it's fair that she got to cook his food sometimes, but that's not quite the same thing is it? But the important thing isn't keeping tabs, it's working things out so they can both be happy.

"Getting to spend time with you is spoiling me," she points out with a smile and a faint blush. "And it makes me feel better. I know it's not an exciting sort of date, but... I loved cooking with you and sometimes I want to share my favorite things with you too. We can take turns, right?"

"Absolutely." Katsuya nods in agreement.

"I really liked cooking with you, too." And maybe someday a ,gasp!, baking date! Dare he think about such a thing? So romantic.

"I believe it's your turn next then."

"Thank you." She's quite pleased with how easily this went. They need to try this 'communicating' thing more often. Maybe they're not so bad at it after all.

They can absolutely have a baking date soon. They could even do it at her place, since Naugus likes both Katsuya and baked goods. But there's no electricity so it's all by hand.

"Good. I'm thinking, potato chip casserole with Velveeta, and a 7-up cake. Only the best for you." She is joking about every single word of that, including 'with' and 'and'.

Katsuya doesn't know what a 'Velveeta' is, but the rest of it makes him pause.

You agreed to this, Suou.

"Sounds...uhm. Interesting." Yeah, that's a word that isn't a lie. Go with that.

He's blessed to not need to know what fake cheese is.

"Honey, I was joking. You're supposed to laugh, not get scared." She's really starting to wonder what she's doing wrong. People are supposed to laugh at jokes.

"Sorry. It was stupid."

Blink.

"Oh! I..uhm...Sorry." He flushes deep red with embarrassment and looks down. "I didn't know what most of that was. No, it's my...it's my fault. Ahaha..."

Get it together Katsuya.

"That would be similar if I offered to treat you to natto right?" He tries to build the communications bridge back up. "Something that is widely thought of as an 'acquired taste' at best?"

She clearly has no idea what natto is. But this everybody feels bad thing isn't working for her, so she'll move her chair around the table so she can sit next to him and lean her head on his shoulder. "I don't know what that is, but I'll try just about anything once. I was just trying to make a joke about bad American cooking with fake food-like products."

Don't feel bad Verity. Sometimes cultural differences happen. Frankly it's a wonder they haven't happened much more often between them!

"Fake food. I see." He nods along and shifts so she can better lean against him.

"You're certainly brave when it comes to food."

"Food-like products," she corrects quietly. "It's not really food anymore."

This cuddling would be much nicer on his couch, in private. She'll mention that soon. "It's easy to be brave when I always know if something's safe to eat. My dad was really particular about that..."

Pusheen always is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD7JjeupVt0

I hope dog gets to taste some of these treats sometimes.

Francis gets many treats.

Good! Francis is so patient.

He is the perfect gentleman narrator.

And always so well-groomed!

I've actually heard the last line of that jingle before

I went to a religious preschool. We didn't sing these kinds of songs. I have to look them up.

I don't remember preschool, but I went to it on Guam during the typhoons of '92.

You used to live in Guam? Neat. Except for the typhoons.

Navy family. IL, Guam, VA, NC, ND, MN (some more than once) :D

We have a naval presence in North Dakota?!

A secret one underground. (My folks are from there, post divorce living)

:O

Re: :O

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It's delicious is what it is!

I like velveeta mac and cheese?

Me too. Sometimes we just need those old-fashioned comfort foods.

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