alarm clock
Boboiboy wakes up to the smell of fried rice.
Slowly, he makes his way down to the kitchen, all the while trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. He's still tired - always is these days, really - but like that's going to make him miss his favorite meal of the day.
"Good morning."
Tok Aba greets him with a warm smile as he enters, and Boboiboy could never stop the grin it prompts from him.
"Morning," he says around a yawn, before settling on his usual spot and basking in the silence an early morning provides. It's warm and nice, and Boboiboy thinks about how this is the most content he's ever been in his life.
He'd do anything to stay like this forever.
chef's orders
"Chili powder, cardamom, cayenne pepper, turmeric, curry powder - "
" - and cinnamon," Gopal finishes, handing his dad a cinnamon stick.
His dad says a quick thanks, turning back to the pot as he muses, "We might need a little water."
"Oh! Right, right."
Gopal grabs a small cup of water along with a spoon, depositing them near the stove before going back to chopping the extra peppers. When he's done, he slides them across the counter, followed by the vegetables, coconut milk, and cumin powder.
It's routine, cooking like this with his dad, and Gopal relishes in the familiarity after being stuck for who-knows-how-long in space.
(It was almost a month; twenty-three days, eleven hours, forty-eight minutes and… sixteen seconds. Not that Gopal's counting or anything.)
Before he knows it, he's passing the chicken they prepared earlier and watching as his dad lets the dish simmer. He must have spaced out because his dad suddenly catches his eye and grins, saying, "Feels like a perfect curry, right?"
Gopal grins back and gives an enthusiastic nod.
"Of course!"
aftermath
Fang slips inside the control room, eyes searching before it lands on the single figure inside.
"Captain."
Kaizo glances at him from the corner of his eye, before turning back to the holoscreens hovering in front of him. "Fang," he starts, flicking a few of them aside before focusing on a familiar one - Fang's latest mission. "Report."
Fang takes a breath.
Then, he begins.
"Sir, mission to Planet Kael was accomplished at 19:00 hours, S.Q.T. The objective was confirmed: a powersphere with the abilities to change the user's appearance on command. It's user was General Morex, a military officer turned bounty hunter after his exile."
Kaizo hums. "Casualties?"
"None," Fang answers. "We engaged with a few hostiles, but managed to get away."
"I see."
There's a pause where Fang's exhaustion threatens to swallow him, and he wonders if something's wrong, did he make a mistake in his report, was there something he -
"You're dismissed."
"Thank you, captain," Fang replies, barely managing to hold in a sigh. He's almost out the door when a call of his name stops him.
"Go visit the medbay," Kaizo says, and Fang almost misses the way his gaze flickers to his foot. He thought he was hiding it well, but - "And take the twins with you," the other adds, almost like an afterthought that Fang can't help the flicker of something - surprise, gratefulness, hope - in his chest.
His lips twitch into a small smile.
"Yes, captain."
hearth and heart
"I'm home."
The voice is followed by the sound of a door being closed, and Yaya is quick to place the pan down so she can go and greet her mom. She rounds the corner just as her mom places her bags away, expression morphed into a tired but gentle smile.
When arms spread in invitation, she wastes no time melting into the hug.
"Welcome back," Yaya says against her mom's shoulder. She feels more than hears the soft chuckle that gets, relishing in how it makes her feel lighter before pulling away to let her mom sit on the sofa.
"I just finished dinner," she folds her hands behind her, watching as her mom practically sinks into the cushions. "I'll set the plates and then we can all eat together?"
A bright smile answers her.
"Yes, please. And thank you."
up above
Ying isn't all that surprised when she finds her grandmother outside again.
Quietly, she makes her way towards her, making sure not to trip on anything as she settles herself by her feet. They stay like that for a while, both looking up at stars that look so, so bright in the clear suburban sky.
Her grandmother breaks the silence first.
"The last time I saw stars this bright, I was only nineteen." There's so much wonder in her voice that Ying finds herself staring at the woman, thinking about how different life could be back in their home country.
"Really?"
"Yes."
They'd left before she was ever born, so she has nothing to miss, not really. But sometimes, she can't help but wonder what it would be like to live there, to experience life in the place most of her family did.
Truthfully, her grandmother's expression makes this place seem - not better, but a good kind of different, the kind that's like alternating between two of your favorite snacks. But for Ying, this place has always been home, and while some part of her wants to see something different, most of her is just… content.
"It's beautiful," she says.
Her grandmother looks down to smile at her.
"It is."
Prompt-
[ Quasar: If you could spend the rest of your life with only one person, who would it be? ]