"Hell yeah, 'bout time," Susie returned. Smelling how tasty the batter was had reminded her of how hungry she'd been since morning. She'd been so preoccupied between ACTing, listening to her friend, and (ironically enough) making food with him. All things she found herself grateful for, empty stomach be damned. Ralsei turned towards the stove he prepared earlier, gesturing towards the used collection of bags and containers strewn about the island.
"Would you mind putting those away, Susie?" he asked. "You can just put them under there. Don't worry about organizing them, heh."
Given the earlier troubles Ralsei had with finding everything, Susie guessed that organization wasn't something Ralsei typically worried about; at least, not in the kitchen. Maybe the two of them had more in common than she first guessed. Opening the island, she grabbed one of the bags (maybe it was the flour?) and did her best to find a spot for it among the forest of colorful boxes that dominated the island's interior. Somehow, there seemed to be less space than before; hopefully none of the bags were vulnerable to getting crushed under each other. The last of the bags was shoved unceremoniously into the island's confines. After a second to make sure none of them would fall over each other, Susie grasped the island's door, then hesitated.
The crack from before was just an inch away from her thumb. Sure, it was relatively small, but it stood out among the unbroken texture of wood. Susie grimaced for a moment. Then, a loud *hissss* attracted her attention elsewhere.
Ralsei had poured in the batter, letting it fill the pan he'd gotten out earlier. Susie couldn't see much of it from her more grounded position, but the heat seemed to engulf the kitchen in a sweet, chocolatey scent that disintegrated any returning doubts Susie might've had. If nothing else, it reaffirmed the differences between what Susie called a home and where Ralsei lived. It was a pleasant enough reminder. She shut the island's door, standing to her height and using the full extent of her sensitive nose.
"Ah…" she breathed out after a half dozen seconds. "That smells awesome, Rals."
Ralsei chuckled, procuring a spatula from a nearby drawer. He seemed perfectly at home standing in front of the stove. Though, Susie had to guess that he'd be perfectly at home pretty much anywhere in his house. "I agree, it's a wonderful smell. That's part of why I like cooking so much!"
Grinning, Susie grabbed the jug of milk Ralsei had used, striding over to the refrigerator as she looked over the prince's shoulder. Nearly half of the visible batter on the pan was rapidly-melting chocolate, which she approved of. Susie turned her attention back to the fridge, opening up its imposing door with ease. Then a wave of pure ice hit her bare arms, made even colder by her lack of a jacket (sleeveless as it was).
Immediately, Susie broke out into shivers. Her muscles tensed, eyes looking for some kind of opening in the fridge's space. It was nearly as full as the island. After what felt like eons, she managed to find a gallon-sized hole in the fridge's contents. In the next second, she shoved the milk carton into it, slamming the fridge shut right after. Ralsei jumped at the muffled clinks and rattling of his fridge's interior.
Seeing his gaze, Susie offered a sheepish grin, subconsciously rubbing her shoulders to get warmer. She was only exposed to the fridge for maybe ten seconds, and that was more than long enough for the frost to start seeping into her scales. "Your fridge is super fricken' cold, dude. Jeez."
Ralsei mimicked her smile, shrugging in some form of apology. His attention moved back to the pancake he was currently cooking soon after. "Sorry, I did, um… indulge in it, since I cook a lot…"
Given the fact that the fridge looked more expensive than Susie's house, Susie could understand what he meant. She moved back to the island and grabbed the clean black carton full of what she was hesitant to call "eggs." The container itself looked like it was made on a different planet. Now prepared, Susie stood as far from the fridge as she could before cracking it open just a fraction. Even that much was enough to resume her shivering. She found a similar looking crevice for the carton, and opened the door no more than necessary to place the carton back in its rightful place. A quiet swear fell from her lips regardless.
"God, that's freezing." Rubbing her bare arms again, Susie looked over the island once again. The only things left out were some of the dishes they'd used, and Susie wasn't in the mood for chores. Though, food was fairly good for bribing her, admittedly. Her snout moved towards Ralsei, deciding to watch him work as she tried warming up from the fridge's attack. He hummed to himself, carefully positioning the spatula before flipping the pancake with a visible flourish.
Amused, Susie took a few steps closer, feeling the ambient heat coming from the warmth pulled her in, and she raised her palms to the electric fire, feeling it wash over the cold that had embedded in her body beforehand. Ralsei noticed as much, moving the pan in place as he glanced at her.
"Is that better?" he knowingly asked, adjusting the heat of the stove. A relieved sigh met his question, accruing a laugh out of him. After a couple more moments, he scooped his spatula under the food, pulling the pancake from the pan and placing it onto a nearby plate bordered by the usual utensils. He must've gotten them out while Susie was busy freezing to death. Steam snaked its way around the food, carrying the completed breakfast to Susie's nostrils like an angelic siren. In response, her stomach rumbled, followed by a few high-pitched laughs.
"It's about ready!" Ralsei excitedly told her. He poured in more of the batter, getting a second pancake ready as Susie eyed the first. A ravenous hunger shone in Susie's pupils. She very nearly drooled at the sight of the pancake, perfectly fluffy and drenched in the ideal amount of chocolate aroma. "It's just a little hot, haha. I have syrup in that cabinet there, and there's butter in the fridge if you want."
As good as those options sounded, it was hard to beat out just immediately scarfing down the sight before her. Hell, her stomach effectively failed to notice the kitchenware Ralsei had gotten for her. A purple hand reached down to the pancake's steaming surface, grasping the fluffy material. A second later, Susie ripped a chunk of the pancake away, tossing it in her mouth like it was one giant chocolate chip. To say she was a messy eater was an understatement.
Taste erupted across her tongue. Unlike the cold, Susie's body was much more accustomed to higher temperatures, so she could fully enjoy the fresh-off-the-press pancake without risking any sort of burns. An indescribable sweetness danced across her mouth, accentuated perfectly by the combination of chocolate and sugar so graciously playing with her taste buds. The rest of the fridge's cold was shattered by the internal warmth granted by the meal, powderized further by the taste of the pancake itself. It was the most delicious thing Susie had ever eaten.
"...good?" Ralsei asked. Judging by how she reacted, he probably already knew the answer.
"Mmhmm…" Susie hummed, her mouth full. She felt ready to melt into a satisfied puddle, enjoying the breakfast like it was her last meal. Already, she was ripping another chunk out of the fluffy pancake, still chewing the massive portion she took in the first place as she spoke. "I could kiss you right now, dude. Holy crap."
Ralsei's eyes broadened to the span of dinner plates (not unlike the one Susie was grabbing from). A burst of red poured into his cheeks, spatula freezing in place. Susie was too busy inhaling the rest of the pancake to notice much about his reaction. The most she did notice was the tail poking through his robe start to wag, but her stomach resumed its one-track mind of "eat food" before she could think about it too hard.
"A-ah, I see," the prince stuttered. He seemed awfully interested in his feet all of a sudden. "Um, so- I take it that, uh, you mean to say- the pancake is good…? H-ha."
"Mmph- ooooh, yeah," Susie confirmed. There was hardly any pancake left already; Susie wasn't exactly the savoring type. She continued immersing herself in the flavor of their cooking, eyelids drooping at how satisfied her stomach was feeling. The heated gooey-ness lining her teeth reflected the absolute ardor of her mood like a mirror. "We have GOT to do this more often. Damn, this is so fricken' good."
Ralsei tentatively poked at the second pancake he was cooking, still grinning. His face was also still a tad redder than usual. If Susie wasn't busy stuffing her own face, she'd think more about why she enjoyed the sight so much. "Ha, I'd love to, Susie! I'm glad you enjoy it, and, um- I'm glad you could help me cook. I had a lot of fun."
"Hey-mmph-same," Susie admitted. The torn remains of the pancake were lifted to Susie's snout, finishing the food before it could even stop steaming. It was just as tasty as the first bite. Still, she could notice the distinct lack of pancake not long after. The monster licked her fingers as she looked over the now-empty plate, tempted to lick that for just a bit more. Ralsei spoke before she could.
"There's more on the way, don't worry," he told her. "It'll just be a moment."
As much as Ralsei had earned several years' worth of patience, Susie's stomach wasn't prepared to wait. The prince flipped the next (hopefully of many) pancake over with another flourish. However, he wasn't quite as clean as the first time; whatever kind of awkwardness he'd gained a minute ago shook the spatula too much to avoid a little bit of uncooked residue splashing outwards. It wasn't much, nor was it hot enough to worry about, but there was definitely a collection of splotches now adorning Ralsei's cheeks. Susie had to laugh at the sight.
"Nice freckles," she joked, shaking her head. Some nervous chuckles fell from Ralsei's lips, his face heating up as if trying to cook the bit of batter on his fur. With the pancake currently in the process of cooking, Susie's stomach maintained its impulsive nature. The pleasant familiarity she'd grown accustomed to mixed with the bottomless pit of her hunger, lifting Susie's hands to Ralsei's face. He froze as she scooped some of the batter off his cheeks.
"Don't want it to go to waste," she joked again. Like before, she licked her fingers clean, still cleaning the rest of the batter from Ralsei's face with her other hand. He stayed petrified as ever, only his eyes swiveling to Susie's unexpected contact. She was more physical than him, she had to remember. The pink of his cheeks stayed glued in place as her other hand returned to his fluffy features. Even his face was softer than it looked.
"...huh," Susie heard herself think. Her hands hesitated on Ralsei's face. It was… pleasing to look at. Pleasing to touch, too. The boy stayed silent, watching Susie intently. He didn't seem to be avoiding her touch. Judging by the few pounds of pressure she could feel, he leaned into her hands, even, if only by a little. Susie simply held onto him, thumb caressing over his cheek despite having gotten the batter off in one or two swipes. He stayed as silent as the statue he'd momentarily transformed into, save for any kind of stony surface. "Really soft, actually. And…"
Somehow, Susie's stomach was quiet in spite of the pleasant aroma wafting from the pan in front of Ralsei. There wasn't a whole lot that could distract Susie from food, though Ralsei was special enough to make the list. Standing next to him in the kitchen, alone, Susie couldn't help but call her friend a little… cute, in a way.
Susie continued staring at him, looking over his features. He stared back, appearing simultaneously nervous and… eager? Susie wasn't sure if that was accurate. The blush of his cheeks was too common for her to properly assess. It was one of those things that Susie found herself appreciating more and more with each passing second. Both monsters looked over each other in a strange silence, hearing the slight hiss of the pancake as it cooked above their own heartbeats.
"...Susie...?" Ralsei ventured. He was whispering for some reason Susie could only half-recognize. His face stayed as pink as his horns, sweat just under the tufts of fur on his forehead. There was a curious shine in his eyes. A loud gulp rivaled the pan's hissing before he spoke again, still whispering. "...d-did you still want to… um, kiss me…?"
The outlandish question should've sent Susie reeling, but her hands stayed resolutely in place. Her freckles grew hotter than the stove they stood in front of. Carefully, her pupils scanned over Ralsei's features. Her brain tried in vain to understand Ralsei's question; the girl's mind was too busy trying to answer said question to know why she was so desperate to solve it in the first place. As a result of the overloading, Susie's mental faculties short-circuited, relying on the back-up that was pure instinct.
Over the course seconds, Susie shut her eyes, then leaned down to Ralsei's height. Her lips landed squarely on his cheek, the soft surfaces meeting like a feather against the grass. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel Ralsei tense up entirely. The kiss lasted for only about a second, if that. Then, Susie retracted back into her usual position like someone was rewinding the VCR. Some more seconds passed before Susie's eyelids rocketed apart like individual cannonballs.
What the hell did she just do?
"THERE," she nearly shouted, hands launching towards the countertop next to the stove. Her claws dug into it as if she was trying to ground her excited-but-definitely-not-nervous shaking. For as aggressive as she tried making her posture, the deep magenta of her face and grin-stained scowl didn't portray much of the exasperation she attempted to convey. Sweat cascaded down her features. "Well!? Does that!? Answer your question-!? HMMM!?"
Ralsei's eyes spanned as far as his face would fit them, green locked onto Susie's sudden burst of energy. She had been so entranced with their breakfast just a second ago, and now she looked like she was trying not to murder someone out of insanity and barely succeeding. Ralsei's face burned, but no amount of heat would numb the lingering softness that had graced his cheek.
"-uhm?" was all Ralsei could muster. His head tilted to the side, causing the length of his ear to sway in place. Susie spread her arms apart, hands sliding so she could lower herself further and further downwards. The question marks of her brain were visible to the point of blinding. Ralsei couldn't look away from her no matter how hard he tried. Any attempt to slow his tail's wagging would be just as futile.
"YEAH?" Susie spat towards him, claws managing to dig even further into the counter-top. A manic grin stayed cemented on her face. It seemed more indicative of her panic than any resolutely good mood. That wasn't to say her mood was bad, which still didn't make sense. She just kissed her friend's face out of nowhere; the panic made sense, obviously, but why did she feel so… warm about doing so? Since when was that something she even remotely considered? The monster relied on the excess of aggression in her voice, hoping to any divine being that it would drown out whatever questions Ralsei might've had so she could focus on answering her own. "Got something to say!? What!?"
Nothing could leave Ralsei's lips. He only stared at Susie with the most confused smile she had ever seen him with. It was as if the lightbulb of his brain had shattered from the burst of voltage. Susie stared back, some grains of panic slowly receding from her rest of the pile was swept off when a distinct burning smell reached Susie's nostrils. Her eyes shunted themselves towards the pan Ralsei more-or-less still held onto. Of course, that didn't mean her mental functions had been fully restored.
"P-pancake?" she sputtered out, pointing towards the stove with her snout. Ralsei blinked, then reanimated like someone had poked a needle into his rear.
"RIGHT!" he exclaimed, scrambling to re-grip the spatula he'd nearly dropped in his stupor. The pan itself flew back into action, Ralsei relying on instinct to flip the fluffy food over. It almost hit the ceiling for how hard Ralsei slammed back into the process of cooking. Only half the pancake fell back into the pan, but it was enough for him to shuffle it back into place. A large black scar of charred batter stained the back of the pancake. Ralsei unceremoniously sputtered for a few attempts at speech before being able to pull anything coherent out of his throat.
"I-I, um- it's okay!" he stuttered. The sheer blustering of his voice told more than any haphazard handling of kitchen supplies could. "I can have, um, this one, and- you- you can have the next pancake, Susie!"
There was too much in Susie's head for her to respond in any sensible amount of time. Her mind blanked for a couple seconds longer. Those fuzzy feelings permeating her stomach hadn't gone anywhere, though the eternal emptiness of her stomach gave her something to focus on. She tried shoving her attention on what they were supposed to be doing, clearing her throat.
"Ah, uh, yeah," she started. Her claws finally unlatched themselves from the counter to bring themselves together, fingers tightening around each other. She slid her elbows out on the counter, putting her jaw just on top of the clasp of her hands as her arms lay flat against the counter. Whatever kind of casual nature the pose attempted was preemptively obliterated by the shakiness of her posture. "I mean- pft, nah, man, I actually- I kinda like a little charring. In my food. It's, um…"
She stared at the disgraced pancake. "...tasty…?"
Ralsei picked at the pancake with his spatula, glancing at Susie four times in about as many seconds. He hardly seemed aware of it despite the extreme stare he was trying to give the food. "Oh, u-um, okay then! If- you don't mind, then, that's fine."
Susie continued staring at the pancake in her tensely lax position. The prerequisite of bending her back so much left her a little shorter than Ralsei, which was a first. "Mhm."
More faux moments of attention passed. As much as Ralsei adjusted the pan and its contents, he didn't exactly register how long he was cooking it for. Neither did Susie. Her heart was still beating like crazy, riding the excited wave so easily incited by a peck on the cheek. She tried not to think about why she did what she did, treating her internal dialogue as abrasively as she did outwardly.
The pancake continued steaming in the pan. Susie stared at it, pretending not to notice the way Ralsei's tail continued to wag. She did… kiss him, didn't she? It was hard to say where her conviction had come from. The action felt instinctive, natural to the point of being ordinary. Only now was the feeling really considered, and Susie had difficulty wrapping her mind around why she was so okay with it in the first place. She liked him, obviously; but the extent of that affection wasn't questioned, mostly out of lacking any frame of reference. There weren't many that put up with her bullcrap enough to reach "nickname" levels of friendship, and apparently Ralsei was well beyond that tier.
What really threw her for a loop was Ralsei seemingly being okay with her kiss; he wasn't reacting with any sort of disgust, nor was he made too uncomfortable to any shameful degree. Hell, he pretty much asked for it. Judging by how his tail was wagging, Susie came to the conclusion that he was happy she'd kissed him, which was even more bizarre than doing so. Most days, she figured that any kind of affection from her would be as welcome as a leaky drum of toxic sewage. It was pleasant enough that he didn't vomit from the mere idea of a kiss, but she still couldn't understand why when the kiss came from her of all people. Susie watched the pancake cook, wondering what exactly was going through Ralsei's head among all the other questions bouncing around her own.
Then the prince dashed towards her, whipping his own lips to her cheek like a bullet.
His kiss was even shorter than Susie's, if that was possible. Susie's eyes were too wide for her not to see the movement, freckles too warm not to feel it. Ralsei stood at attention again, neck craned downwards as he stared resolutely at the pan. Again, his face was as red-hot as ever, and again, his smile was so unbelievably wide that it was a wonder it fit on his cheeks. Susie rotated her head one degree at a time, utterly bewildered at the reciprocation she just received. Ralsei said nothing of it. His tail seemed to be wagging just a fraction faster than before.
"...uh?" Susie squeaked out. She was even more nonplussed than Ralsei had been. Any semblance of a normal pace her heart might've reached was shattered, pumping quick enough to rival Ralsei's tail. Part of her thought to yell in her usual over-reaction that confusion usually directed her towards; she couldn't think far enough to know what exactly she would yell. Instead, she stayed quiet, absorbing the overwhelming warmth that not even a friendship-based food could offer. That was even more unexpected than the lack of loathing her initial kiss garnered, which was saying a lot.
Ralsei shifted the pancake in its pan for a bit longer before shakily wedging the spatula underneath it. It glided through the air, arriving at the plate Susie so quickly emptied prior. The scent weaved its way to Susie's nose once more, though was much less potent than the first pancake had been (and not for its burns). Susie stared at the breakfast for some time. Her stomach was far from full, and yet she still prioritized the mystery of Ralsei's affection over it. The most Susie could immediately figure out was her own lack of complaints concerning its existence. Whatever kind of vernacular she could even parse to describe the fuzzy feeling would disgrace it, Ralsei's affection transcending words not unlike the first pancake's taste had earlier.
The pan in front of Ralsei remained empty. They had enough batter to make another pancake (hopefully an unburned one), but Ralsei waited, watching Susie with a combination of curiosity and awe that she couldn't help but copy. Both monsters stared at each other, unable to suppress their shy smiles. The fact that Ralsei was smiling was comforting enough to get Susie to move, and she raised herself off of the counter's surface over the course of a dozen or so seconds. Taking a step towards Ralsei confirmed the advantage in height she had over him. He looked up at the girl, subconsciously setting the spatula aside. No words came to either of them. Susie felt the fuzziness grow in her chest, pushing out more of the quick confusion that might've halted her at some point.
As fast as she rose, Susie arched her back down an inch after inch, letting her snout get closer to Ralsei's. He didn't back up. Their eyelids weighted themselves together in anticipation. The prince's own back straightened itself to meet Susie half-way, and their mouths met for one fleeting second, just as long as their previous instances of intimacy. It was cautious, slow with preparation, but warm and full of a softness Susie couldn't find a name for. She looked into Ralsei's glasses, seeing that same softness permeating his features. Her heart continued racing, mind eventually jogging back up to it.
"...um…" she heard herself say, still whispering. Her eyes darted to the side like Ralsei's earlier rush. The exact reasoning or implications of what just happened were beyond her understanding, and would likely continue to be for years to come. All she could recognize was the familiarity of the instinct that guided her to consider any sort of intimate affection only minutes ago. "...is that… was that- too much…?"
From what she could see of Ralsei's features, he was still too entranced to even hear her. A dream-like euphoria shone on his face; even his fangs looked too happy to have a care in the world. Fittingly, a dream-like tone dominated his voice. "...not enough…"
Susie blinked, recoiling at the unexpected joy so prevalent in the two words. Hopefully that sort of reaction was a good thing. Then, seeing her reaction, Ralsei reacted himself, realizing what he said and shaking the daydream-turned-dayreality out of his vocal cords. "-I-I mean, um…! No! I mean, it wasn't, uh, 'too much,' Susie, I just… wow…"
A sudden laugh fell out of Susie' throat, awkward as it was amused. Her cheeks began to ache, she was smiling so much (though, that wasn't really her fault, was it?). Sense was still something of a luxury, but it lacked the urgency that her first kiss had prioritized. Now, Susie was comforted enough by just hearing Ralsei's ardor. "Um, that's- alright. Good. Didn't, uh, wanna… weird you out. Or something. You're not… weirded out, right?"
Again, Ralsei shook his head, raising his palms. An excited confidence filled his voice. "Oh, absolutely not! Of course I'm not 'weirded out,' Susie, haha. I just… that was, um, new to me. And… nice. Really, really nice."
"Heh," Susie returned. Her freckles stayed warm, though it was offset by the similar persistence of her grin, sheepish as it was. "Same here."
The monster's gaze fell back on the pancake at her side. Its sweetness seemed only amplified by the boy in front of her, enough to cause cavities by sight alone. Feeling as much, her stomach rumbled. It was far from the house-shaking quake that shouted earlier, but it was definitely audible among the soft silence following Susie's assurance. Immediately, another handful of chuckles escaped her lips, matched by Ralsei's own laughs. One of her claws reached towards the food amidst their shared chuckles, causally taking another chunk out of the pancake.
"Yeah, yeah," she tried waving off, biting the pancake in half shortly after. The burn in the surface was hardly noticeable amidst the storm of sweetness covering her tongue once again. Though the last bite was only minutes ago, it was welcomed like an old friend after decades of silence. She was happy enough before; now she could understand how dreamlike life could feel first-hand. As she chewed, the remains of the pancake she still held were pushed to Ralsei, who had taken to simply watching Susie with veritable stars in his eyes. Susie shook the pancake in front of him, adding a "Here," to try and pierce his infatuation.
Eventually, Ralsei noticed the offer, hesitating before taking the ripped remains of the food from Susie's grasp. He took much more time than Susie, savoring the taste as he tossed the pancake into his mouth. A satisfied hum accompanied the growth of his smile. Any criticism for the pancake's charring didn't make itself known. Ralsei was grinning too much for that to be possible, anyways.
"Thank you, Susie," he granted after finishing the sizable chunk. Already, Susie was reaching towards the pancake again, her hunger reinvigorated. Ralsei watched her, entranced by the girl's movements. Susie launched another piece of pancake into her mouth with a hum similar to Ralsei's.
"God," she let out. "I'm in heaven."
To say that was new was an understatement. New, but far from unwelcome. Still she could feel her heartbeat pounding away, excited at the intimacy she indulged in just seconds ago. Any kind of explanation ended at the same result; it felt good to kiss her best friend. Really good. Thinking anything beyond that was just plain unnecessary.
Evidently, Ralsei felt the same. His arms lifted for a moment, hesitating in the air just long enough to get Susie's attention. Then, he took a step towards her, carefully moving his arms around Susie's midriff. Just as unexpected as Susie's first kiss was the embrace she found herself in. He held himself close to her, burying his head just above her chest. His horns poked a little at her jaw. Other than that, he was a veritable feather for how gentle he was. Fittingly, the monster's expression softened.
"Susie?" his muffled voice came. She hesitated for a moment before letting the warmth guide her like before, moving her arms around Ralsei's own torso gently and making sure her spiked armlets didn't stab too uncomfortably at him. The grasp around her was softer than any pillow she'd felt before. Ralsei's voice was just as soft, unsure as it was. "...can we, um- i-is it alright if, this, um…"
The pink of his face was audible. Susie waited patiently, squeezing just a little around her relatively shorter friend. Best friend, in fact. By now, Ralsei seemed to be something even more than that. Whatever that was called, Susie was comfortable calling him that. Ralsei gave himself another few seconds before speaking again, trying to find a similar language. "This was… really nice, and- I'd like it if we… would you like to… with me, I mean..."
Another laugh left Susie's mouth, much gentler than before. Ralsei's effort said more than his lips could. Her eyes fell on the partially eaten pancake to her side, then wandered the pristine kitchen around her before falling back on Ralsei's snow-white fur.
"Sure, Rals," Susie heard herself say. "I'd love to."