Sweet Memories

Written By Dipuc

Started: 07/01/2014

Finished: 07/14/2014

Summary: In which Komatsu temporarily loses his memory, and the Kings take advantage.

Notations: Toriko. .. probably the worst decision of my life... Death to me. I wrote this because I wanted some kissing to happen. Judgement is expected.

WARNING: Very self indulgent, and quite foolish. Please be kind

Sweet Memories

"The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time" - Friedrich Nietzsche

When he opened his eyes, he was met with a large scarred face, which was growling.

To say that Komatsu was surprised was quite the understatement.

He cried out, jumping back from the giant man, until he knocked his head against something unyielding. He cried out a second time, and the man placed a hand on his shoulder, a hand that absolutely engulfed said shoulder, steadying him.

"What the hell, kid?" he yelled, which was unnecessary when they were this close in proximity.

"Zebra! Gentle! Don't yell...he is probably frightened of you." Another voice interjected, calming and soothing in the chef's ears. The man in his face growled, again, and the deep rumbling sent something indecipherable through Komatsu's veins. But above all that, he was absolutely terrified.

The man's eyes were deep and dark, and sharp, like a beast that Komatsu knew inhabited this dangerous world. Those eyes suddenly widened, and something passed through them that came and went much too quickly for him to recognize. The man removed himself, away from Komatsu, and the young chef felt a breath of relief flutter out of his lips.

A hand came up behind him, and cupped the back of his neck. Another impossibly large hand. What was this? The land of giants?

"Komatsu? How do you feel?"

He looked up at a man, a different man with startling blue hair, who was watching him with concern.

He thought about the question. How did he feel?

He experimentally moved his fingers and hands first, because as a chef those were most important, then the rest of his limbs. Everything was in place and nothing hurt, except his head, which throbbed slightly. There was, however, an odd taste in his mouth, something too sweet, and Komatsu couldn't place it.

"Fine…." He finally said, but was still confused. There was a sort of fog in his head. It felt like he was trying to get through a smokey room, where something important was on the other side but in the haze, it was impossible to reach. "I think…"

"You gave us quite a scare, Komatsu-kun. Do you...remember anything? Or rather do you remember any of us?" a voice asked, and Komatsu turned to the source. It was the calming soothing tone that had spoken earlier, and now he saw the speaker. That man was also towering in size, like the other two, with dark eyes and even darker hair underneath a wrapped cloth. And he was also looking at him with concern and Komatsu found it strange that these unknown people knew his name and were undoubtedly very worried about his well being.

"I'm...sorry, uh..no" He said hesitantly and then watched as the man's face tightened, just slightly.

"I see."

Someone made a sound of agitation, and then Komatsu was ..floating?

"Ahhh!"

"There is no way that you could've forgott'n about me, 'Mastu!" Now, Komatsu was facing another man, another different man, with long lashes and beautiful multi colored hair. It swarmed around them, as if alive.

"Ah..ah, I… I don't.. how...who are you.."

"Sani, put him down." Someone said.

The long haired man pouted, but complied and gingerly put him on the floor. The man with the black hair came up to the chef, reached out to his face, perhaps to touch him, but paused. Komatsu looked at the hand in front of his face, frowning, as this very odd and disconcerting situation was finally starting to dawn on him.

These men knew him, but he had no idea who they were.

The dark haired man's face was tight once again when Komatsu looked up at him, and the hand closed into a fist. "Toriko... Can you ..uh check for fever?" He said quietly.

The blue haired man reached them in one stride, and placed a heavy palm on him that covered his forehead. Then he pressed his forehead against his, lifting him up as one would a child. It was unsettling, being manhandled by this very large man.

Komatsu suddenly flushed as the large man pushed his nose against his neck and inhaled roughly. He clutched a handful of the man's orange jumpsuit, his eyes widening at the action. This was certainly very, very strange.

"He's seems fine. I can't smell anything off." he declared and gently put him back on the floor.

The black haired man nodded, "Komatsu-kun, I suppose you're very confused. What is the last you remember?"

Komatsu paused, "I...just turned twenty...I just...left Gourmet culinary school..I'm working at the restaurant at Gourmet a hotel as an assistant cook, and a head cook at a diner. Unfortunately, the diner is closing soon. I've been trying to come up with a new menu to save it." He looked up at the four faces watching him closely, "I'm training to be a chef. Unfortunately, I'm not nearly as skilled as I need to be."

The faces looked at him incredulous.

"Hell, Komatsu, you are the best chef that I've met." The blue haired man said, fondly patting his head affectionately.

Komatsu blushed in response, "Oh no! That can't be. There is so many wonderful chefs out there! I can't even begin to dream of comparing with. "

The beautiful man chuckled, "Oh 'Matsu, you get your fair share of workin' with 'em. Surpass 'em even."

Komatsu raised his hands in the air, waving them wildly. "I can't! I mean, Its my dream to be in the top 100 chefs in the world, but there is no way that I can do it now…"

The scarred man snorted, "Kid, shut the hell up. You don't know what you're talking about."

The shy black haired man took a step away from them as he gave the scarred man a glare, " Komatsu-kun, you seemed to forgotten the past five years of your life. You ate this fruit, " He lifted a bitten pale apple, and Komatsu instantly associated the smell to the odd taste in his mouth, "the tree that bears this fruit is impossible to find, since the fruit it produces releases a chemical that temporarily blocks electrical signals to the area where short term memories are kept. It is temporary, so you need not worry. "

Komatsu looked at the man with wide eyes, "How...how do you know all that! That amazing!"

He looked away suddenly, "I ingested the chemical in order to find out if it was dangerous. This fruit is rather rare, due to the fact that everyone forgets where the tree is located after consuming the fruit. It takes extraordinary food luck to find it."

"Which Komatsu has!" The blue haired man clapped the small chef on his shoulder, and Komatsu tripped, but amazingly, he didn't fall unceremoniously to the floor, as he floated an inch of the ground.

"ah!"

He suddenly was lifted high into the air, and the placed gently on his feet by the multi colored haired man, "Eh! Toriko! Be gentle with 'Matsu."

The black haired cleared his throat,

"Let us introduce ourselves, I am Coco." He motioned to the very large man standing to his right, "This is Zebra." The said man growled, muttering things under his breath in low threatening tones.

"Very nice to meet you, Coco-san! Zebra-san! I'm Komatsu." He tried to the meet both their eyes but Zebra was clearly avoiding eye contact.

"I'm Toriko. I'm your partner." The blue haired man stepped forward, and ruffled the chef's hair. "We're all friends."

"Partner? As in...a..uh combo?" Komatsu asked quietly, but hopefully nevertheless, "A real Combo? With me?"

Toriko smiled easily, "of course! A real combo. I'm telling you the best chef out there."

Komatsu smiled, "I can't believe it! I.. partner! I …" And as usual of him, his emotions brought him to tears, and physical touch . He launched him at Toriko, hugging what he could reached of the man.

Toriko laughed and placed a heavy hand on his back, pressing him closer.

He leaned away his tear stained face, "I'm so glad, Toriko-san…" Then quieted, "It's terrible that I don't remember it.."

"Oh it alright, Komatsu, Its just temporary. Your memories will return soon. Right, Coco?"

Coco nodded, and Komatsu frowned at the distance that Coco was at. It felt wrong. He stepped away from Toriko and turned to the last man that had to introduce himself.

The man with the bright colored hair knelt down in front of him, "And I'm Sani."

Komatsu was intimidated by both the man's beauty, and at the proximity that he had placed himself in. "Nice...Nice to meet you, Sani-san."

Sani's eyes lit up, a gleaming unholy type of light, and for the second time in that day, he found himself floating off the ground, eye level with Sani, who had stood up.

"The pleasure is all mine, 'Matsu." the man replied, his lips curving into a suggestive grin

Komatsu blinked at the shortened version of him name, before looking at the ground. He was still amazed that these people had these sorts of powers, "Ah...Sani-san..what are we? Are we also friends too?"

Sani's smile suddenly grew tenfold, and it looked almost wicked, "Oh no, 'Matsu. We are much more than that. I would even say we're a different sort of partnership." He gave the chef seductive look, and brought up a hand the caress Komatsu's cheek. It took a moment to catch on the what he was saying.

and when he did, Komatsu threw his hands in the air, a surprised cry in his mouth.

" What!?"

He heard sharp angry voices as his head reeled.

"You bastard!"

"Sani, don't lie to him."

"I'll kill you, you cocky son of a -"

Komatsu didn't hear the rest of the expletive because the thought of him with someone like this finally clicked in his mind. How could he, plain and short, Komatsu be...in that sort of relationship with this beautiful man. That was…

"Impossible!" he cried out, surprising Sani, his eyes widening.

"What! Is not 'mpossible!" he shouted back, equal parts annoyed and hurt. There was distinct snickering in the air behind them.

"Rejected again, Sani. That's what you-"

Komatsu interrupted Toriko, who had been the one speaking, to interject before this became more of a misunderstanding.

"No!I'm not…" Komatsu frowned, as he tried to put into words the sort of travesty he felt this was. "I'm not rejecting you, Sani-san. I just can't believe..that..well that someone like you could be interested in me! It doesn't make any sense!" He said in complete honesty, but Sani narrowed his eyes, his lips turning into a rather fierce scowl, "What's that mean, 'Matsu?"

Komatsu swallowed nervously, "I mean..you're.." He blushed hard, knowing that even the tips of his ear were turning red. He had always hated the fact that when he blushed, it was so very obvious, and that he did it far too often, "You're beautiful...How can you like someone like me?" he finally said meekly, trying to look everywhere else but the eyes boring holes into him. "I'm not beautiful like you, I'm short and plain..and-"

"Hush up!"

Komatsu looked at man holding him, and his eyes were bright, "You 'ave no idea what you goin on about. I get to decide what I like. Not you!"

Komatsu frowned again,"Yeah, that's true, but.."

Sani was not having any of it. But instead of trying to shut him up with words, he brought his hands up and cupped the chef's small face. Komatsu just stared, his words stopping, his eyes blinking in surprise. Sani was so close now, his breath ghosting over his own lips, and Komatsu found himself breathing harder, a strong thrill running up and down his body. He swallowed hard, but hot coils tightening in his stomach wouldn't stop swirling as he looked at this incredibly handsome man.

Could he truly be dating this man? Since when did he like men? Was it something that happened recently? He had always been attracted to women, so when had he changed? And how in all the gourmet world did he manage to catch this particular man's eye?

He didn't have the chance to contemplate all these great mysteries, as Sani suddenly, but very internationally closed the already too small gap between their lips.

And then Komatsu didn't care about anything else, but feeling and tasting.

Oh yes, the tasting.

Sani's lips were pressed hard against Komatsu surprised mouth, unyielding but gentle. A sound caught in the back of Komatsu's throat which was probably surprise, but it quickly turned to a muffled cry of pleasure. Sani brought one hand down from his face to cup the back of the chef's neck tilting his head just slightly to deepen the kiss.

Komatsu turned limp, thankful that Sani's power kept him floating effortlessly in the air. He reached out with his own hands to fist the silky material as the hot licks of a thrilling feeling shot through him.

Oh, this was wonderful

Sani brought him closer, so that their bodies were flush against each other, tendrils of hairs pulled at his chef's uniform. Sani nipped at him, teeth tugging softly at his lips, a probing tongue seeking admittance. Komatsu whimpered as he opened his mouth, and Sani's tongue edged against his teeth. The young chef felt a lighting bolt of pleasure electrify his nerves as that tongue swept through him.

And then all sensation stopped, and he was ripped away from Sani's hold by the scruff of his collar.

"Zebra! You stinkin' gross bastard! I'm not done yet! Give 'em back!" Sani exclaimed, and Komatsu felt tugging on his ankles, and waist, no doubt Sani trying to pull in back in to finish what he started.

Zebra had grabbed him, almost roughly. Komatsu turned to look at the beast of the man, fear jolting his passion hazed eyes open. Zebra growled fiercely, and then, that emotion that Komatsu couldn't quite catch flicked in the man's deep set eyes. It made Komatsu's heart clench, and he had no idea why.

He was then dropped unceremoniously on the floor, but he didn't touch the ground, probably Sani's doing.

"Hey watch it, Zebra." Toriko said sharply, as he placed a hand on Sani's shoulder, "And you! What was that?"

Sani eyes turned from rage filled to something that Komatsu associated with teenage girls, "Oh I should've done it ages ago." he turned his gleaming eyes to Komatsu, who was turning very, very red.

"I…" the chef began, and turned to Coco who was still distancing himself away, "I'm sorry…?"

Coco saw his utterly confused and flushed face, "Ah, Komatsu-kun, that is just Sani..he tends to..," Coco gave the beaming man a warning look, "-take things that are not his to take." and it seemed to Komatsu that Coco was not talking to him.

Komatsu frowned, "Okay." So he was not dating Sani. That was surprisingly disappointing. Then what was with that kiss? That was not just a friendly kiss, that was deep set passion, and as the fire was still licking in his bones, he was thankful that his chef's uniform was long and covered what would be an obvious problem. Kissing wasn't normal between friends...right? Komatsu thought about it, things clicking together.

He was probably the one at fault here. He had always been too affectionate and… touchy for his own good. Had he been the one that initiated the kissing and just couldn't remember? Despite himself; he could see himself doing that….

Oh great gourmet god…

No. He couldn't have. These men were on a whole different level of existence then him. The boldness that he must've of had to even talk to them was something that he couldn't even dream of having. And touching…? Kissing? How had his future self gotten so cold?

It seemed impossible! Komatsu bit his lip before looking up at his new friends.

"Uh. Sani-san...why..why did we kiss?"

Sani grinned at the small chef, and Toriko's hand on Sani's shoulder tightened, "Same reason other people kiss people, 'Mastu." he said rather bluntly.

Komatsu flushed brightly, starting to babbling out incoherent sentences, "I-uh ..but we're..uh I friends?"

Toriko bumped Sani aside and leaned over to talk to Komatsu at a closer proximity, "Ah, ignore Sani, you are friends, and thats it. Even if he does keep tryin' to partner up with you."

Sani made an indignant noise, "Well, obvious'y! 'Mastu would do so much better with me! Only he and I can bring out true harm'ny"

Zebra snorted, sounding like a displeased horse, and Komatsu turned to look at him. They met eyes and Zebra rumbled something and turned away. Coco was still quite the distance away, and Toriko and Sani were arguing about "harmony" or whatever.

Komatsu was feeling to confused still, and the kiss with Sani was not helping the matter. he sighed and reached up to rub his temple.

"Are you feeling ill, Komatsu-kun?" It was Coco who was watching him with tight worried eyes, somehow his quiet pleasing voice reaching from over Toriko's and Sani's loud shouting.

"AH! Yes! Of course...I'm just- its a lot to take in! That's all."

Coco nodded, "You must be tired. We should get you something to eat first, and then you should rest."

Komatsu suddenly felt so excited, "Yes! Food! I'll cook! But I have to-" he blushed, as his exclamation caught everyone's attention, and their eyes riveted onto him, "Uh- hopefully, I'll be able to make something good enough for us to eat. I'm not very good yet, thought, just so yur aware. I actually am not even certi-"

"We don't care, Kid!" Zebra said, a scowl fierce on his face, "gettin' so fuckin' cocky…"

"What he means," Coco said cooly, giving Zebra a displeased look, "That you don't have to cook, Komatsu-kun. If you aren't feeling well you shouldn't have to force yourself."

Komatsu was shaking his head, "NO! Coco-san! I want to! There is nothing that I enjoy more than cooking for people! Even if I do feel a little light headed, I know that when I start making something, I'll a lot better."

Toriko grinned at him and ruffled his hair like he was child instead of twenty, Well, that's the Komatsu I know! You've been like this for a long time, eh? I don't know about them, but i want your cookin'."

Sani folded his arms, and his hair magically gathered behind his back, "Mm. Toriko is right. I'm want to try young 'Matsu's food. 'haps its has good harm'ny"

Coco only looked down at Komatsu, "If you feel up to it, Komatsu-kun, than I suppose it's alright. But if you need rest, please tell us. You understand?"

Komatsu smiled at him, nodding his head. Coco's pinched look softened, just slightly but still noticeably.

Zebra grumbled something again, his low tones making Komatsu turn to him, "So, let's stop standing around and start huntin'. I'm fuckin' hungry."

Toriko nodded, "Yeah! Man! I can't wait to eat! Lets get some good grub!" He reached out to Komatsu but the small chef was suddenly yanked off the floor, and into Sani's arms.

"Wha!"

Sani's smirk was not directed at him, and Komatsu blinked confused in the man's hold.

"Sani!"

"Don't worry, Toriko! I'll take care of 'Matsu. So you can go off and hunt or whateva'. I doubt there is anythin' suited to me in this freakin' forest."

Komatsu looked at his three friends watching Sani with narrowed eyes. before turning and walking into the forest. Then he blushed, because Sani tightened the hand around his midriff, and there was a tickling at his neck that was almost erotic. He choked on a exclamation and merely sputter, "Ah, San-Sani-san! What- What would you like to eat?"

Sani tilted his head so that the chef could see his bright beautiful eyes and the playful smirk that formed on his face.

"Oh, 'Matsu, you sure you want the ans'er to that?"

Komatsu was a red as a nitro berry, and felt like one too, because if Sani kept… kept flirting with him, he would surely explode.

"N-no?" He managed to squeak out and Sani smiled grandly. "Haha! 'Matsu, you are too much! too cute! Whateve' fine, as long as I get to watch, al'ight?"

Komatsu nodded once and swallowed hard, mind already racing with recipes to feed his new, or old, fantastic, wonderful friends

I have no shame.

Please take me to hell.