Hey guys~ Sooooooooo this is actually for a prompt I should have published months ago for but I've only got around to finishing it now *bows deeply*
Incidentally fits the day 1 prompt for mikoreiweek 2015 so I thought I'd publish it today.
So happy Mikorei week guys and enjoy! ^^

-xoxo-

Suoh thinks it's a miracle. As hard as it's been for him, he's managed to comply to Munakata's demand that he not burn his orders anymore.


The very first time he did was on Munakata's first day at the restaurant. While Munakata was introducing himself that day, he was having this condescending smile plastered on his face. The fact that he probably wasn't aware of it, as if it was something natural for him, really didn't help Suoh's first impression of the new part-timer. And neither did his overly formal language and posture. This wasn't some five stars restaurant, for god's sake. The moment Munakata took a glance at Suoh, you could see a trace of contempt on his features. As if he'd deemed Suoh out of place in his own fucking restaurant.

Suoh'd been so distracted by these annoying facts that he burnt the newbie's order. It was the first time he'd burnt anything since he'd started this restaurant, and it had to be because of this stuck-up guy.

So instead of making him a new dish, he decided he'd let him serve it and see his reaction.

However, Munakata didn't make a scene that one time, just returned to Suoh and politely asked for a replacement. Yet, Suoh could see the storm well-hidden behind these glasses. At that moment, Suoh somehow suspected that storm was only a glimpse of Munakata's real personality and that, well-wrapped beneath these frilly manners, there had to be someone as raw as he was.

Forcing that beast to show the tip of its nose promised to be a lot of fun. Therefore, Suoh started to sabotage his orders on a regular basis, once in each of their simultaneous shifts. As much as he'd have liked to do it more often than that, he refrained himself because it would have cost him a limb at best because of Kusanagi -plus he couldn't have Munakata quitting, after all.


The flirting came somewhere along the way, still in order to tease Munakata but as time passed, both that and the sabotage have simply become a habit.

And since Suoh Mikoto is a man who doesn't like his routine being shaken, abstaining from burning any of Munakata's orders has proven to be a quite tough task, indeed, requiring more concentration from him than he usually puts on anything. But after that kiss the other night, he'd be willing to do much, much more than that in order to get more from the guy. He won't find rest until he has that lithe body moaning under him -or on top of him, hell if he cares as long as they make it to the bedroom.

Trouble is, without Munakata having to recurrently make reclamations to Suoh, they don't seem to be able to talk much, if at all. It's almost as if they've become shy all of a sudden, with Suoh being too busy trying not to fuck up Munakata's orders, and Munakata now treating Suoh like any other colleague, with his approving, distant smile.

Considering all the efforts Suoh's making, it's an unacceptable step backward into his goal.

Suoh's been waiting for Munakata to make the first move because he's the one who put a condition for another date. But patience has never been one of the cook's virtues, so he decides to just claim his 'reward' after two weeks when he comes across the waiter in the storage room.

When Munakata chuckles, he braces himself for some sarcastic answer followed by a rebuttal.

The sarcasm comes but not the rebuttal, to Suoh's surprise. "And here I thought you'd forgotten about it," Munakata says.

Suoh smirks, heartened, and steps closer to the waiter who doesn't move an inch, holding Suoh's gaze. Suoh then leans closer still and murmurs right in his ear, Suoh's low, husky voice making Munakata shiver almost imperceptibly, "Oh, there's no way in hell I'd forget I have to give you the payback for the other night."

Munakata brings his hands to Suoh's shoulders to softly push him back a little, just a little. They're still close enough that he can feel Munakata's warm breath against his mouth. His gaze is unfocused on Munakata's face due to the proximity so he guesses, more than he sees Munakata's smirk. "That would totally depend on what you have to offer," he bargains suggestively as he traces Suoh's collarbone with his index finger through the fabric of Suoh's uniform. The touch is light, ticklish, teasing; not nearly enough in Suoh's taste because he craves to feel that hand against his skin.

Suoh has to swallow once before he can make his brain function again so he can find something coherent to respond to Munakata. "Weren't you satisfied with the food the other time?" he queries, and he struggles to make his voice sound playful.

Munakata lifts an eyebrow, unimpressed. "It was junk food."

"You liked it," Suoh reminds him matter-of-factly.

"It was still junk food."

Suoh sighs in defeat. "Snob," he finally lets out, shaking his head.

Munakata grins at that. "You like me."

That takes Suoh aback. He has no idea what to retort to that. They both know it's true, but he wasn't expecting Munakata to voice the idea. They also know that Munakata won't admit that it's mutual, so it's no use to ask. The best course of action is then to give up on arguing and go straight to the point. "So, when will Your Majesty give me a chance to prove my worth, then?"

"How does next Saturday, same time sound?" Munakata suggests.

"As you wish," Suoh says obsequiously and Munakata rolls his eyes. He then laughs lightly and gives Suoh's cheek a couple of playful taps before he picks something from the shelf behind him and leaves to go back to his duties. That's when Suoh remembers that he hasn't come here to flirt with Munakata but to find some ingredients. And that he's left something on the stove before coming… So much for trying not to burn anything.


Come Saturday, Suoh's determined to go all out with their dinner so he takes the day off to make everything irreproachable. He even goes out of his way to buy the perfect wine for his menu. Kusanagi's usually the one who holds the office of sommelier in the restaurant, but he's out on a date -he's always out on a date, so Suoh has to do the job himself. For that, he has to summon long-buried memories of the boring lessons from his training days so he's silently impressed at himself for actually remembering anything. To him, wine is wine, after all; he prefers stronger liquors anyway. But since a decorous raven haired waiter probably thinks otherwise, and since he wants to take said waiter to his bed, he figures it's best that he do things his way.

About fifteen minutes before the time they've agreed on, the ring bells so Suoh grins. Munakata's early again. If he wants to pretend he isn't eager for their date, he's failed. Miserably.

However, it's not Munakata he sees on the threshold but Suoh's mentor, Kushina Honami and hidden behind her, her niece, Anna, who also happens to be Suoh's protégée.

He stares at them, puzzled so the older woman explains that some urgent business came up and she needs to leave Anna to Suoh's care for the night if that's alright for him.

This definitely isn't a good news in regards to Suoh's late-night plans with Munakata, but Anna's looking at him with such expectant eyes that he doesn't have the heart to refuse -he never has the heart to refuse the child anything, actually. He urges Anna in to the living room and explains to her that they're going to have some company tonight. "Am I intruding?" she asks guiltily but Suoh smiles softly at her.

"It's fine," he reassures her. "The more, the merrier, right?"

She looks like she's about to point out that Suoh likes neither 'merry' nor large company, but then the bell rings again. It must be him, or so he hopes because he'd really be loathe to see his tête-à-tête turning into a public party.

Thankfully, it is his bespectacled date –though Suoh isn't sure this still can be called a date. He can't help the frustration washing through him when he sees how fucking sexy Munakata looks in his stone pants and blue shirt with the top three buttons undone, tantalizingly revealing his skin. He's pretty sure the tease has dressed like this on purpose if his greeting smile, all charms and seduction is any indication to go by. He doesn't know how to announce that they probably won't be able to take this game further tonight without sounding like the douche who tries to subtly cancel a date.

He says awkwardly, "I've only promised for dinner, right?"

Talk about douche.

Munakata looks at him like he's grown a second head -but he's only grown a second guest, actually. "Someone's joined us at the last minute," he explains. The brief look of disappointment in Munakata's features makes Suoh feel a little guilty (and a little hopeful, too for the future, because it means Munakata was in fact looking forward to it)

Then Munakata smirks at him. "Well, you have," he says. "And that's what I'm here for."

Suoh isn't sure if it's a good sign, but he lets Munakata in anyway and introduces him to Anna. He leaves the pair in the living room to get better acquainted while he returns to the kitchen. The ambiance in the living is a little awkward at first, but trust Munakata to find a subject of conversation in any situation.

Too bad for Suoh, though, said subject is none other than himself, Munakata asking Anna what she thinks of him. The young girl starts by saying that he's a good guardian, to which Suoh smiles at first, but then she starts talking about his flaws.

And trust Munakata to take the cue to add up his own qualms against Suoh.

So their conversation goes by, tarnishing Suoh's image with every new sentence, and the two new accomplices don't even bother to cover their voices for Suoh not to hear. They're getting along better than Suoh's anticipated –or worse than he's anticipated, he's not sure. A few exchanges later and he settles for the latter. He decides that it's best to put an end to their conversation by asking if Anna wants to observe him in the kitchen. Anna loves doing that, he knows, so she readily joins, and Munakata follows.

"Do you need any help?" Munakata offers.

"Wouldn't want Your Highness to cut yourself," he teases and Munakata takes it as a challenge. He holds out his hand, silently demanding that Suoh give him the knife, and starts cutting off the vegetables with surprising dexterity. "You could actually become my commis," he says with an appreciative smile.

Munakata huffs. "And spend more time with you than I already have to? My stomach turns just from the thought of it," he says as he wrinkles his nose briefly in fake disgust. Then he sees the content of a box on the counter and incredulously looks at Suoh. "Suoh, are these truffles?"

"Someone complained that I'd made junk food last time I cooked for them, so I thought I'd use these and make some foie gras for a change" he says with a crooked smile.

Munakata rolls his eyes and says, "What comes to mind in opposition to junk food is generally healthy food. And foie gras didn't figure in the list of healthiest foods last time I checked."

It's Suoh's turn to make an exasperated face. "Are you ever satisfied?" he asks, though it's not really a question.

"Do you ever stop overdoing things?" Munakata retorts.

"I think it's only when he's with you," says a tiny voice that neither of them were expecting. "He becomes more excited."

That shuts them both up and they resume their respective tasks awkwardly. Anna really is too perceptive for her own good (or are they just being too easy to read?)

Anyway, it's better that they talk about something –anything else than their relationship. Munakata scholarly says that tomatoes and peppers (he's in the process of cutting one) are actually fruits. Anna replies that she loves red and Suoh thinks the conversation is fucking interesting. It goes on like that for the rest of the evening and during meal time, his wine is received as a most welcome guest. He even gives Anna a little, because it's red so it delights her -it's okay to give children some wine from time to time, anyway.

When they're done with dessert, Suoh accompanies Anna to her room to tuck her in, leaving Munakata in the living room. When he comes back, he finds Munakata still sitting on the couch, but he's apparently fallen asleep. He smiles fondly at the sight and goes to get him a blanket. Then he takes off Munakata's glasses and tries to shift him so he can lie down on the couch at least, but as careful as he's been, Munakata stirs and directs a bleary gaze at him. He scoops his arms around Suoh's neck and before Suoh can ask anything, Munakata kisses him; it's slow, and it's sweet. It's nothing like that time's teasing kiss, it's just a kiss for the sake of it but Suoh feels dizzy nonetheless.

When they break apart, Suoh doesn't really know what to say. He goes for, "Sorry 'bout the sudden change of plan."

Munakata just smiles lazily at him. "It's fine, she's an interesting child," he says. "I've had a good evening."

Suoh smiles back, finding that he's had, too, despite everything. "You're being awfully agreeable tonight," he teases. "Is it because of the wine?"

"You'll need more than that to inebriate me," the other retorts. "It's been a long week, I'm just exhausted."

"Then you should sleep in my room? I can sleep on the couch." Suoh offers.

Munakata shakes his head. "Your couch is really comfortable, I've wanted to try it since last time," he declines diplomatically. He then gives Suoh a mischievous look and adds, "But I must admit this isn't quite exactly what I had in mind."

Suoh gets the meaning so he smirks and leans to peck Munakata on the lips, mostly to see if Munakata's okay with it. He is, apparently; his impish expression hasn't changed so Suoh proposes, hopeful, "Maybe next time?"

Munakata's smile widens and he takes the blanket from Suoh. Before lying down to sleep, he cups Suoh's cheek with one hand and warns, "It's a promise, then."