TIMELINE: Post-canon; pre-relationship

"I made your favourite."

It's his afternoon off today, and under normal circumstances, Emu would be outside somewhere with a console in his hands. Not this time. For the first time in a long while, Emu chose to spend the day at the supermarket, shopping for ingredients.

Anyone who knows his eating habits would be surprised that he's going out of his way to cook. But he wants to try. And while it's nothing too complicated (omurice topped with demi glaze, miso soup and salad for veggies), Emu is gonna give it his all because he's going to cook Parad's favourite dish for dinner tonight or so help him.

(To be honest, Emu did need all the help he can get since Parad is the better cook between the two of them after all).

Emu likes to think that he's gotten better over the years in eating healthy, more so in regards to being able to cook meals for himself even if just really simple ones like steamed vegetables or fish. Despite that, Emu is aware that he doesn't have much sense when it comes to cooking. So after he got permission from Director Kagami, he'd been secretly practicing in the hospital's kitchens whenever he's on his breaks for the past few weeks. Emu had to make sure to practice on days when Parad would be busy working at the Ministry though, so that Emu wouldn't give away what he's been doing.

(Emu doesn't think much on why he would go so far to cook Parad's favourite dish because as far as Emu is concerned, it's only a given that he'd do this much for his favourite person).

And that's how he found himself in the kitchen on his afternoon off donning an apron to prepare dinner; cooking chopsticks in his hand while all of his notes from the past few weeks opened and ready at a safe distance on the counter.

Hours pass and after some really close calls (particularly with the kitchen knife), Emu has two sets of omurice, miso soup and salad ready on the dining table.

Now, all he needs to do is clean up the kitchen and take a shower before—

"Tadaima~!"

Smacking a palm against his mouth to muffle the surprised scream that almost bursts out of him, Emu shoots a quick glance at a clock nearby and despairs that it took him longer than he thought to finish up.

"Emu?" Parad calls out from the entrance when Emu stays silent a little too long.

One of the downsides of living with a bugster is that there's no warning whatsoever when Parad comes back, since his best friend tends to just teleport into the apartment. It caused a number of jump scares for him, to Parad's ongoing amusement.

"Okaeri!" Emu answers back once his heart stopped trying to race out of his chest. "And I keep telling you to warn me when you teleport back!"

Parad laughs, coming to view at the living room as he shrugs out of his black coat and pendant before vanishing them into pixels. "Sorry, sorry. I forgot."

"That, or you just love teasing me," Emu grumbles, pushing sweaty bangs away from his forehead.

The wicked smirk Parad sends him is answer enough as his partner shuffles into the kitchen in his house slippers.

"That I do. Although, in my defence, I didn't expect you to be back ear...ly?" Parad stops by the kitchen counter, eyes widening when he notices the state Emu is in before his gaze darts to the messy stove then, to the dining table; brows almost hitting his hairline. "Emu, did you cook?"

Feeling shy, Emu rubs his neck with a nod and sees Parad blinking rapidly in surprise.

"But you hate cooking," Parad points out, coming closer to take Emu's hands and carefully inspects them with a concerned frown.

"I don't hate it," Emu corrects, smiling softly when Parad brushes his thumbs across the band-aids on Emu's fingers. "I just didn't see much point in it if there's more convenient ways to eat."

"Instant and microwavable food aren't exactly healthy, Emu," Parad deadpans, giving him a flat look. "Especially for a growing boy...or a doctor for that matter."

"I know." Neither of them bring up Kiyonaga; one of the main reasons why Emu couldn't be bothered with cooking in the first place. Instead, he focuses on reassuring Parad instead as he squeezes the bugster's hands with a smile. "I've fixed some of those habits in the six years we were separated."

"Still, you prefer to avoid cooking. So why would you—" Parad pauses before he squints at the dining table and pays closer attention to the meal. "Wait, is that...?"

The fact that Parad only realises what exactly that's waiting for him on the table after he was satisfied that Emu is relatively unharmed, amuses and flusters him to no end. It warms him to the core whenever he sees how Parad always prioritises Emu's welfare before anything else.

"Yeah," he says, giving Parad a side hug as Emu hooks his chin on the gaping bugster's shoulder with a grin. "I made your favourite."

"My favour— you cooked for me?" Parad turns to stare incredulously down at him. "You...remembered my favourite dish?"

Grin softening into a smile, Emu nods. "It took me awhile to remember but...yeah, I do."

Memories of their shared past are few and far between for the both of them. Since they shared the same body before, their memories are almost the same but once they were separated, those memories became murkier and harder to remember the details of. It makes Emu wonder if he had been aware of Parad's existence in the past but the operation Zaizen performed on them may have caused Emu to forget.

It makes him sad to think that it might've been the case.

Their bond pulses and Emu can sense how touched Parad feels as his best friend looks at him with a bright sheen in his eyes.

"Emu..."

Embarrassed, he clears his throat and walks over to the table.

"I can't promise that it'll be good though. I mean I did practice over the weeks—" Emu starts to ramble and only realises his mistake when Parad turns to him so fast that if Parad was human, he would've given himself whiplash.

"Weeks!?" Parad exclaims, voice rising in surprise before he looks vaguely distressed. "You've been practicing for weeks and I didn't notice?"

Emu shrugs with a sheepish chuckle. "I was careful. Besides, since you've been keeping yourself busy in helping the Ministry with game disease whenever I'm at work, it wasn't too hard to keep mum."

"There's no way you could've done it here though. It would've been too obvious so...the kitchens at the hospital?" Parad guesses, hand on his chin as he steps up to the table.

Emu nods. "I asked permission."

"Why would you go that far for me?" Parad asks, mystified as he stares between Emu and their meal.

"Why not?" Crossing his arms over his chest, Emu raises a challenging brow at his partner. "It's not a chore to want to make you happy, Parad."

Because of how cruel and ignorant Parad used to be along with the fact that they were enemies, Parad carries a lot of guilt for their turbulent past. It unfortunately makes Parad believe that he doesn't deserve much happiness, if at all despite how hard Parad is trying to make up for his past sins. A lot of times, it's to a point that it catches Parad off guard whenever someone; Emu in particular, is kind to the bugster and wants to do something nice for him.

It pains him even more because Emu's past actions of ignoring and rejecting Parad made that belief even worse. Not for the first time, Emu wants to give his past self a good smack for hurting Parad so much.

"But wouldn't it be a waste on me? I mean, I'm someone who doesn't need to eat much. Even in Bugster standards, I rarely ever eat," Parad points out, brows furrowing.

"Doesn't mean you don't deserve good food," Emu states firmly before grimacing as he glances down at the meal. "Uh...edible food. Hopefully."

That pulls a smile out of Parad and Emu takes advantage of that opening, rounding the table to grab onto Parad's hand.

"I've tasted it, of course, just in case. And I think it tastes fine...I hope. I didn't pay too much attention since I was trying to get everything ready but, you don't have to force yourself if it tastes bad—"

"Emu, you cooked for me," Parad cuts in, a finger pressed against Emu's lips as his smile widens into something bright and fond. "You; who hated cooking while growing up and still avoids it even now if given the choice, had gone out of your way to cook for me— there's no way in hell that I wouldn't eat it."

Cheeks heating up, Emu smiles as he tightens his fingers around Parad's, before leading them back to the kitchen to wash their hands.

Once seated, they clap their hands together in prayer. "Ittadikimasu."

Emu watches Parad expectantly as he takes his first bite of omurice, chewing slowly. "...how is it?"

"It tastes a lot better than you think, actually," Parad comments after he swallows.

"Really?" Emu stares at his bugster, frowning a little. While Parad is a good liar, the bugster has never lied to him since they became friends again because he simply hates lying to Emu. Looking at his face now, he can see that Parad isn't lying; merely thoughtful. "You don't need to hold back, I can take criticism."

"I'm not," Parad reassures, using his spoon to scoop some of his omurice and offers it to Emu. "It's a bit too salty but it's nothing that can't be fixed with practice."

Closing his mouth around the utensil, Emu finds that the taste is exactly as Parad said; a bit too salty but, otherwise it tastes fine. "Ah, you're right."

"Told ya," Parad teases, smirking with mischief bright in his eyes. "That was an indirect kiss by the way."

Emu pokes his tongue out with a grin, causing Parad to laugh.

They shared the same body for ten years, heck, they had their souls merged into one when they became allies— sharing utensils is nothing in comparison.

"Hey, Emu?" Looking up, he sees Parad resting his folded arms on the table as he leans forward. "Why don't we cook together from now on?"

Emu blinks in surprise. "What, like co-op?"

"Yup." There's a gleam in Parad's eyes; half impish and half fond. "After all, there's nothing you and I can't achieve together."

"We'd be invincible," he quotes Parad from all those months ago.

"Damn right," Parad agrees with a wicked smirk before bouncing in his seat as he brandishes his spoon to the air. "C'mon, it'll be fun! I can teach you what I know and we can even experiment all sorts of recipes too!"

Excitement infectious, Emu laughs fondly at his best friend and tries to be reasonable as he warns. "Our kitchen is gonna be a war zone, Parad."

"But it'll be fun~!" Parad singsongs with a pout, extending his hand to Emu and wiggling his fingers— and already Emu can feel himself caving.

He knows what Parad is doing and it makes him feel a swell of affection for this precious, impish creature in front of him.

Parad knows why Emu never bothered with cooking, knows his unhealthy eating habits when he was younger. Home-cooked meals were just a silly fantasy when he was a kid but...it's not like that anymore. Because here is someone who is offering him to make better, fonder memories of cooking— something that's warm and fresh and comforting instead of cold and empty and alone.

"Sure, I'd like that," Emu murmurs eventually when he can work through the lump in his throat. He then takes the proffered hand, squeezing it once and holds on tight. "I'd like that very much."