Natsuki trotted along the path to MC's house, following the map her phone provided after inputting the address MC had texted her the night before.
Stopping at a crosswalk, Natsuki closed out of the guide app momentarily so she could message MC. "Be there in fiveish minutes." She wrote out before adding a smiling cupcake emoji and hitting send.
Noticing that the light had turned green, Natsuki put her phone back down to her side and crossed the street. While she did so, she hoped that MC didn't think she was childish for using so many emojis when they texted each other.
Once she had crossed the street, Natsuki felt her phone vibrate in her hand. Excitedly bringing the device up to her face, she read MC's text. "Happy to hear it. I just finished setting everything up, I'm looking forward to baking together."
After reading his message, Natsuki smiled to herself as she held the phone to her chest and skipped in place slightly. "He's looking forward to it." She whispered to herself.
Ceasing her skipping once she remembered she was out in public, embarrassment graced her face as she looked around to make sure no one saw her jubilant display.
Shaking her head to wipe away the blush that had formed on her cheeks, Natsuki opened the map app again and continued her way to MC's home.
...
"You have arrived at your destination." Natsuki heard the artificial feminine voice of her phone call out to her. Exiting the app so she could save data, Natsuki looked through the gaps between the white fence posts of MC's house.
She let out a gasp of amazement as her eyes scanned across the multitude of colorful flowers in the impressive garden out front.
Walking past the well manicured bushes in front of the fence, Natsuki opened the gate and walked through before closing it. Crouching down, she took in the wonderful scent of the purple flowers next to the walkway to MC's front door.
Standing back upright, Natsuki glanced towards the door. Breathing out as she adjusted her frilly, pink skirt. Natsuki could feel her heartbeat hasen with each step she took, until she stood right in front of the brown door.
As she began to reach out to press the doorbell to signify her arrival, Natsuki froze in place. Feeling a little antsy at the prospect of seeing MC outside of school for the first time, and especially being alone with him at his house, she decided it was wise to make sure she looked good before heading inside.
Turning the front camera on, Natsuki then placed her phone on the ledge of the small porch she stood under. Moving her purse strap over her head and then placing the bag next to her phone, she began to look herself over. She made sure that both her hair and the red ribbons that were interwoven within it were straight. Natsuki then took a look at her shirt, just to see if she had anything on the pure white piece of fabric, other than the little pink cat on the left side of her chest, of course. Double checking her skirt again, the frills all looked perfect.
Content that she was presentable, Natsuki reached out to pick her phone back up, before stopping as she moved her hand back. Running a finger along one of the black straps that ran past her collarbone and beyond her shoulder, Natsuki pulled a bit of the elastic up from off of her skin and let it snap back gently.
The words her father used to describe girls that showed too much skin in his eyes ran through her mind. "Maybe... Maybe I should go home and change..." Natsuki despondently said to herself quietly. "Papa won't be home until tomorrow night, after all..."
Picking her phone back up from the ledge and putting her purse back over her shoulder, Natsuki prepared to text MC to let him know she'd be late.
But before she even typed a single letter, Natsuki's eyes rested on the most recent message MC sent her. "He's looking forward to this." She said aloud to reassure herself. "MC isn't like Papa."
With a rapid movement of her fingers, Natsuki typed out a quick text to inform MC that she was outside his front door.
Without any delay, the brown door that Natsuki had been standing out in front of for the past several minutes had opened.
Looking up at the 185cm (6ft) tall giant, who's smile widened considerably at the sight of her. Natsuki grinned back at him before she broke the silence. "Sup?"
...
"Hello, Natsuki. It's good to see you." MC happily said as he returned her greeting.
Briefly looking her over as he motioned for her to come inside, he offered her a simple compliment. "That's a very pretty outfit."
Tugging at the strap of her handbag nervously, Natsuki hid her blush as she faced away from him as she removed her shoes. "O-Oh, yeah? This is just something I threw together before coming over."
Spinning back around to face MC, Natsuki's eyes made their way from his blue jeans all the way up to the black collared shirt he was wearing. Natsuki's gaze only briefly rested on his forearms, their powerful muscles barely contained by the short sleeves of his shirt.
Looking off to the side at nothing in particular, Natsuki waited for MC to say something before she decided to finally fill the lull in the conversation. "Jeez, don't make it feel so awkward already!" Looking back at the outline of his chest muscles under his shirt, Natsuki could feel her body getting hot. "It's gonna be a long day, so don't be weird just because you're not used to seeing me outside of school."
MC chuckled as he walked past Natsuki so he could show her to the kitchen. "Fair enough, but I would like to get used to seeing you outside of school." He looked back at her momentarily. "If you'd like to, that is."
Meeting his eyes, Natsuki tugged at her purse strap. "I'll... um... I'll let you know." Seeing that MC was happy that she'd consider his offer, he turned his neck back around so he could see where he was going. As he did so, Natsuki took a quick look down towards the back of his pants. "He's even muscular down there..." She breathed out in amazement.
"Hmm?" MC said as he stopped and turned back around. "What was that, Natsuki?"
"Buh-" Flustered, a small blush formed on her cheeks. "N-Nothing! Can't a girl make a comment to herself every so often!?" She demanded an answer as she put her hands on her hips.
MC shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose so."
As they continued to walk, Natsuki caught a whiff of something that smelled really good. The thought of food, any food. Made her stomach growl loudly, causing her to bring her hands up to her belly so try and muffle the noise.
Finally entering the kitchen, MC chuckled again. "Y'know, Natsuki. I'm really glad that you decided to come over early. But you didn't need to skip breakfast."
At his comment, Natsuki stopped in her tracks as she held her stomach tighter. "Yeah..." She said quietly. Speaking a bit louder, she continued. "But... Well, you said you were really looking forward to this. So I didn't want to make you wait!"
Delighted to hear that she came early on his behalf, MC walked over to the kitchen table and pulled a chair out, looking over at her with an expectant look on his face.
Natsuki looked over at him quizzically, wondering what he could possibly want.
With silence filling the room for a brief period, MC motioned down towards the chair for Natsuki to sit down on it.
"Oh!" No one had ever held a chair out for her before, Papa had always just told her to sit down. "Right." She continued as she walked over to him.
Natsuki gazed down at the chair and then up towards MC. "You better not pull it out when I try and sit down!"
MC's expression was a mixture of shock, concern, and even a bit of hurt. "I would never do something that horrible."
Feeling a little bad for even suggesting that he'd do such a thing. Natsuki wordlessly hung her purse across the back of the chair, MC moving his hands for a moment so she could do so, and then sitting down with a barely audible plop.
Natsuki felt her chair lift up from underneath her as MC gently slid her seat up to the table. Looking over to him as he walked over to the kitchen counter, Natsuki wanted to get the guilty feelings off her chest. "I'm sorry!"
Her sudden proclamation caused MC to turn around at look at her, confused. "I shouldn't have said that you'd pull the chair out from under me. You're a really nice guy." Unable to look him in the eyes while she both apologized and complimented him, she crossed her arms. "But don't let that go to your head! Got it!?"
Smiling after she said her piece, MC continued his path to the kitchen counter and picked up a tray with a large glass cover on it.
Unable to discern what was inside, due to what looked like steam trapped inside the dome, Natsuki's eyes just followed the tray as MC placed it down in front of her.
Lifting the cover up, the steam passed by her face and the source of the scent from earlier revealed itself.
Resting on top of a pale blue plate were two perfect domes that were covered in a thick yellow sauce, each sitting on top of a piece of meat that sat upon a circular slice of bread.
Not even waiting for MC to explain what it was, Natsuki picked up the knife and fork that were next to the plate and cut into one of the domes. As her knife sliced through the breakfast he had made her like it was made of air, Natsuki could see what the domes were made out of. "Eggs?" She asked while she watched the yolk run out of the cut she made.
"Exactly!" MC energetically said as Natsuki finished cutting through the rest of it and brought a piece up to her mouth. "Those are eggs Benedict. Despite the name, some say it's the queen of breakfast!"
Placing the fork full of food into her mouth, Natsuki's eyes gleamed like jewels as the flavors of the food washed over her.
Quickly slicing another piece off, MC began to explain each part of the dish. "The bread at the bottom is an English muffin, and on top of that is a slice of thick cut bacon." MC smiled as he watched her continue to enjoy the breakfast he made for her. "Then above that is a poached egg covered in hollandaise sauce, one of the Mother Sauces." MC educated before he remembered something. "Oh, and I put a little parsley on top as a garnish."
As Natsuki ate, she felt a variety of emotions, gratitude chief among them. The poached egg melted on her tongue as the hollandaise sauce provided a refined acidity. The bacon was perfectly crisp, and the English muffin was even slightly sweet. Natsuki couldn't remember the last time she had eaten this well, if she had ever eaten this well.
"Ah!" MC began to say as he walked over to a kitchen cabinet. "I stopped by St. Gentleman's this morning and picked up a baguette, let me cut you off a few pieces so you can mop up some of the egg yolk."
Finishing the first eggs Benedict, Natsuki looked down at her plate. Feeling food, actual substantial food fill her belly for the first time in ages. Natsuki could feel tears begin to well up in her eyes. "Why...?"
Looking over to her as he held a long loaf of bread in his hand, MC waited for her to elaborate while he set it down on a cutting board.
"Why are you... being so nice to me?" Natsuki asked, doing her best to not break down into tears in front of the only other person in the house.
Cutting three slices of bread off the long baguette for her before he returned the loaf to the cupboard, MC began to walk over to her with the fresh pieces of bread. "Well, I had the privilege of getting to enjoy your baking during my first day at the Literature Club." MC placed the bread onto her plate delicately. "So I thought it was only fair to show you my love of cooking."
"That's not what I meant." Natsuki replied as she put her utensils down and put her hands below the table, tightly holding her skirt in an attempt to hide the fact that she was shaking. "You read manga with me... you like my poems..." Feeling her tears begin to fall down her cheeks, Natsuki turned her head away from MC completely. "You... You actually take me seriously. You don't patronize me!"
Natsuki heard MC pull out the chair next to her and sit down, and she tensed up slightly as she felt MC place his large and strong hand on her little shoulder. For a moment, just a moment she felt like she was back home. But when she turned her head to look at who the hand belonged to, she didn't see the angry face of her face. Rather, she saw the compassionate and handsome face of the first person in her life to really treat her with dignity.
Tenderly holding her shoulder, MC smiled brightly at her as he wiped away her tears with his free hand. "It's because you deserve to be treated like this, Natsuki. Kindness is something that everyone deserves."
Natsuki just blubbered a bit at his response, still taken aback by his warmth.
Letting go of her shoulder, MC stood back up. "Here, I'm gonna go get our aprons out of the dryer. Please, feel free to finish your breakfast if you'd like."
Nodding in response, Natsuki picked her utensils back up. But before she began eating, MC placed an empty glass and a large bottle of pink liquid in front of her.
Filling the glass for her, MC looked into her eyes. "I saw you drinking a strawberry milk at club the other day. So I thought..." He shrugged his shoulders after filling the glass up and placing the jug onto the table. "Maybe you'd like some with breakfast. I picked the strawberries from the garden this morning."
Wrapping her hands around the cool glass of liquid, Natsuki felt happier and happier with each passing moment. "Thank you..." Was all she managed to say, still feeling a little flustered from crying earlier.
Nodding to her in response, MC left the kitchen to gather their aprons.
Alone, Natsuki looked back down at the breakfast that MC so kindly made for her and felt herself thinking back to her past breakfast mornings. She thought about the breakfasts Papa used to make for her, then when he started to just leave bagged snacks out for her in the morning.
She felt her grip around the utensils loosen as she thought about how he eventually began to only give her a few coins to buy breakfast with. Then her knife and fork fell onto the table, feeling the pain of neglect, tears began to fall down onto the plate as she thought about how he hadn't done anything to provide her with a decent breakfast for years now.
Hearing a dryer door close snapped Natsuki back into the present. Drying her tears on a napkin, she looked down at the complete breakfast that MC had made her, listening to him happily whistle from the other room. Natsuki placed her hand on the shoulder that MC had so delicately and lovingly caressed.
Feeling a smile tug at her lips, Natsuki could feel tears begin to well up from within her again. But this time they were tears of happiness. Glancing back at MC moving throughout the house with two aprons in his arms, her grin spread throughout her entire face while she contentedly whispered to herself. "He really isn't anything like Papa."