Prologue

It had been almost four years since they graduated. Much like his father before him, after the ceremony was done, the diplomas were in hand, and the parties were over, Soma wasted no time setting off to travel the world. He had always talked about going to new places in search of new flavors, and after graduation, he had done just that. He had his own path to follow, one that would bring him to an almost god-like understanding of food. But as he had left for parts unknown, Erina had stayed in Japan.

As the Director of Totsuki, she had responsibilities to the academy, and as a graduate of Totsuki, she had great ambitions that had yet to be realized. While juggling her duties as the dean, Erina had opened up several restaurants across the world. With each restaurant, the Michelin stars practically flew into her hands. Praise was thrown at her feet, people calling her the queen of gourmet dining, a caliber of chef that only appeared once every hundred years. One would think with their different lifestyles, the spark that had ignited towards the end of their second year would have died out. Yet somehow, against all odds, the relationship the two had built during their final year of high school stayed strong.

How did this happen? The answer was a single promise. Even after a year of steady dating and three years of tireless effort, Erina still had yet to give Soma the recognition he craved so badly. So not one to break a promise, even after graduation Soma would return to Japan frequently with his latest creation to try to impress Erina. Each time he would return, Soma would spend one or two weeks with Erina. Of course, soon after that short break, Soma would embark on his next adventure. However, each time he left, Erina knew that soon enough he would return to her in another attempt to fulfill his promise. Even without spending as much time together as they would have liked, their relationship stayed strong, and this was because not only would Soma would always strive to impress her, but because his home was wherever Erina was. So in this way, instead of resenting Soma for putting his adventures before her, she supported him and encouraged him to follow his path, wherever it took him.

Satisfied with both life and each other, the almost four years passed before they knew it. In that time, Soma had learned more about food and cooking then one would think was humanly possible. He had become a force of nature, a master of both the taste and experience of dining. However, as time passed, the prospect of traveling started to seem less and less attractive. Eventually, it had seemed as if he had seen all there was to see, learned all there was to learn. As his and Erina's five year anniversary approached, Soma began to wonder whether it was time for change, time to finally settle down and perhaps follow in the steps of Shinomiya-sensei. And so, after months of thinking, Soma finally decided that it was time for the travels to end, and a new adventure begin. This is where the story starts, with Soma finally coming home for good.

Chapter 1: Homecoming

"Hisako, how are the arrangements for graduation coming along?" Erina asks her trusty assistant. It's late evening on a Friday night, and the two are sitting in the back seats of one of Erina's private limos heading toward Nakiri manor.

"Everything is on schedule," Hisako responds. "The elite ten have been doing a good job handling most of the logistics, so there's actually not much for us to do. The only thing it seems they need is approval for extra funding for the graduation ball."

At this, Erina raises an eyebrow. "More funding?" she asks, her tone the very embodiment of judgement. "Totsuki already allocates a considerable amount of resources to that ball."

Hisako just shrugs. "You know how this 96th generation is."

Erina lets out an exasperated sigh and pinches the bridge of her nose. She did indeed - the 96th generation was much like polar star dormitory during her high school days: overflowing with talent, but completely out of control. "While I can't argue with how impressive their generation is, I fail to see why the standard amount of funding for the graduation ball isn't sufficient," she mutters, more to herself than to Hisako. She then turns to her assistant. "Reach out to that first seat and set up a time to meet if he wishes to discuss it," she instructs her. "But, and I don't care how you do it, make absolutely sure that he is not able to ask Soma to talk me into it. I'm getting very tired of him pulling that trick on me."

Hisako looks away, doing her best to hide the smile on her face. "Consider it done, Erina-sama."

By this time, Nakiri manor is in sight. It isn't long before the car is pulling up in front of the mansion, and as soon as it comes to a stop, Erina opens the door and steps out. "Is there anything else?" Erina asks as Hisako follows suit, but her pink haired assistant shakes her head. "Then if that's all, you're free for the rest of the night."

Hisako nods once and bows slightly. "I'll be heading home then. Good night Erina-sama."

"Good night Hisako," Erina responds warmly. "Give Hayama my regards." And with one last smile, Erina turns towards the doors of the mansion.

It's been a long day for her; as dean of Totsuki, there is always something to do or some problem to solve, and with the upcoming graduation of the 96th generation, work has only been growing heavier. After such a long day of hard work, few things seem more attractive to Erina as a hot bath and beautiful sleep, and as she opens the doors to the sprawling mansion, Erina intends to do just that. However, as she makes her way through the mansion while heaving a tired sigh and massaging the tension in her shoulders, the unmistakable scent of chocolate catches her nose. This brings a frown to her face. It's unusual for the family cooks to be using the kitchen without having been specifically instructed by the manor's residents. Her grandfather is currently visiting Denmark, meaning she is the only one here, so that left the possibility open for…

Allowing a smile to stretch across her face, Erina steps into the kitchen. It hasn't been that long since the last time she saw him – really only a little over a month and a half. Considering some of his other trips, this could be categorized as relatively short. But still, as it always did, her heart seems to leap out of her chest the moment her suspicions are confirmed.

Yukihira Soma has his back to her, focusing on whatever madness he's come up with this time. Different ingredients are all around him, and he's currently mixing something in a large metal bowl with something else already in the oven. However, as soon as Erina's figure crosses the border to the kitchen, his body tenses and he freezes like a deer in the headlights. "You aren't supposed to be back yet," he says without turning around.

"That's what I'm supposed to say to you," she retorts, her smile only growing in size. "I thought your flight was booked for next week." Soma shrugs, still not turning to face her.

"Well, I was planning to come home early to surprise you," he responds. "And by surprise, I mean jump you with this new dish while your guard was down to finally get you to admit you enjoy my cooking… but it seems like that won't be happening anymore."

Erina can't help but let out a small laugh. Even after all these years, he was still the same Soma. "My criticism of your food is not dependent on my guard being up or down," she informs him. "It's the truth, so no matter how surprised I may be to see you, my answer will still be the same."

This is finally enough for Soma to turn to her. "Whatever you say Nakiri," he says sarcastically, that crooked smile that she had once found so irritating plastered across his face. "Whatever you say."

And the next thing she knows, she's in his arms, face buried in his shirt breathing in his scent, heart leaping out of her chest and flying across the kitchen. "Welcome home Soma," she says, hugging him tightly. Her voice shakes ever so slightly.

"Good to be home Erina," Soma responds, hugging her back. "I missed you." She can hear the smile in his voice. She's not sure how he manages it, but somehow, in their entangled embrace, Soma is able to turn her face to him and guide her into a kiss. Considering their almost five years of dating she should be used to it by now, but to Erina, it always feels like the first time. It's always magical, toe curling, and it always leaves her completely stunned, as if she's still just a lovesick high school girl. Uninterrupted, it's impossible to be sure of how long they would've stayed like this. But as if on cue, an egg timer sitting next to the stove begins to go off, reminding both of them what Soma was doing there in the first place.

Letting out a half sigh, Soma delivers a quick kiss onto her forehead before releasing her. "So how was Peru?" Erina asks, seating herself on one of the open counters as Soma busies himself with removing the contents of the oven.

"Tiring," he answers, returning to the mixing bowl he had been working on before she had arrived. "Seems like everywhere in Peru is at least a few thousand feet above sea level, so the first week was pretty much just me trying to adjust to the altitude."

Erina smirks. "You know, if it was Kurokiba, he probably wouldn't have had a problem," she says teasingly, but Soma just waves a hand.

"Kurokiba would have been too busy dealing with the other Nakiri to be dealing with altitude sickness, so that doesn't count," he shoots back.

Erina laughs. "True," she admits. "But how was the food?"

Soma chuckles. "Chocolatey."

"What?"

"I'm sure you know Peru is one of the top producers of cocoa nuts," he says. "You know, the stuff chocolate and coffee come from?"

"Of course I know that," Erina responds. "Unlike you, I actually paid attention in food history."

"I paid enough attention to pass," Soma mutters as a side comment. "But anyway, the chef I was studying under decided that I needed a better knowledge of desserts, and so it seemed I could never get far from the cocoa nut." Soma turns to her, his expression adopting one of fake horror. "I saw it in my nightmares," he says, almost serious enough for her to believe him. "… right next to you."

Erina punches his arm. "Very funny, Yukihira," she says, her tone indicating that she isn't amused, but Soma just shrugs playfully.

"The chef really had a thing for Alfajore," Soma continues. "And so…" Soma presents his dish to her. "I give you the Alfajore, Yukihira style."

Erina cocks an eyebrow. As far as his creations go, this one was pretty plain looking. Traditionally, Alfajore are small sandwich cookies with a sweet caramel cream filling. Six small cookies were neatly arranged on a plate, and just from appearance, Soma's creations didn't seem to deviate much from the classic recipe. But knowing him, there must have been a surprise hiding somewhere. As she examines the cookies, Soma pours the contents of the mixing bowl into a cup and presents it to her.

"It goes pretty good with hot chocolate," he explains when she gives him a questioning look. "So I thought I'd make some for you. This also displays my new understanding of chocolate pretty well, if I do say so myself."

"Thanks," she says, taking the cup from him. Gingerly, she picks up the first cookie and holds it to her mouth. The first bite is exactly what she expects, a sweet caramel filling sandwiched between two cookies. It's nothing special, but as she chews, she suddenly tastes another flavor. It's vanilla… followed by the taste of something else. Was it, coffee? Erina looks at Soma in bewilderment. Each flavor, from the initial caramel followed by the vanilla followed by the coffee, was perfectly defined while also mixing with the flavors that had come before it. It was like an aftertaste followed by another aftertaste, each aftertaste building on what had come before it. Each taste was perfect, and together, it presented a unique dessert experience that could only be described as very Soma. But taking a sip of the perfectly creamy hot chocolate completed the piece into something that was indescribable. "How…?" she asks.

Soma chuckles at her reaction. "You have no idea how long it took me to get this," he explains, "but the secret is quite literally in the filling." Erina takes a closer look at the cookie she had just bitten into, and to her surprise, finds something that almost seems solid. "The caramel cream is essentially covering a piece of solid vanilla," Soma says, reading her thoughts. "The reason you didn't notice it is because it pretty much as the same consistency as the cookie. But inside that is another piece of coffee flavoring."

Erina shouldn't be impressed, she really shouldn't be. This was exactly the type of dish that only Soma could create. But as always, Erina couldn't keep how impressed she was from spreading across her face.

Soma's crooked grin returns to his face. "I think I can already tell by your expression, but what do you think?" he asks annoyingly.

Erina looks away and takes a deep breath to compose herself. She must be strong! Once she's sure of her answer, she looks Soma straight in the eye before shrugging and saying, "eh, it's alright."

Soma lets out a sigh and leans against the countertop. "Of course it is," he mutters dejectedly.

Erina admits, this reaction makes her feel a bit bad; if it was anyone else, Erina would definitely be complimenting the chef. But this was Soma, so even if she felt bad, she didn't feel bad enough to retract her previous statement. She goes to him and hugs his arm. "You didn't really think something like this would be enough to satisfy me," she says, smiling slightly. "Did you? Keep trying Yukihira."

But then he whirls on her, and she's pinned against the counter top with his lips on hers. "Well, if I can't satisfy you with food, I'll just have to find another way, won't I?" he asks huskily, his one hand snaking under her shirt and the other to the spot between her legs. And of course, she can't stop the moan from escaping her lips as pleasure begins radiating through her body.

She really is happy that he's home.

Author's notes: I apologize for the food descriptions; this is my first fanfic and I'm not a huge foodie so I did the best I could. I realize something like that is actually impossible to make, but I mean it's Soma so he could probably find a way right? Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Next chapter will be out in the next couple days.