Cider bustled about the kitchen, cycling between bubbling pots, their two slow cookers, the oven, and a whirring stand mixer. "shit, i think this is over mixed."

"it's fine," Geno said soothingly from where he was leaning against the far side of a counter. "it's just right on the boarder, still perfectly good."

"it's not fine! it's clearly over mixed!" Cider scraped the batter into the trash, then dropped the bowl into the sink with a loud clatter.

"is this what i was like?" Geno turned to Reaper, who was floating serenely just outside the kitchen.

"just about."

Cider pointedly ignored them as he quickly scrubbed the bowl.

"you're not even dating reaper," Geno said with a weary sigh, "why're you so nervous about meeting respite?"

"you know he's going to like you no matter what," Reaper added in his most soothing voice.

"i know! i know all that already!" Cider slammed the bowl back down and turned around to lean back against the sink, looking about ready to cry. "that's the problem, he's a… a…" Cider's fingers twisted up in his scarf. "some things are universal, and i bet one of them is your bro being too cool to ever think badly of anyone, just accepting whatever the world gives him even though it's not half of what he deserves. i just want to go through all the effort he deserves, even if he sets his standards too low."

Geno and Reaper both shortcut to either side of Cider, pulling him into a group hug. "hey, it's okay, we got all the time in the world to do that for respite."

"he wouldn't want you to stress like this, you know," Reaper added, pulling Geno into his arms as well.

"yeah, but that just makes me feel worse."

"so let me help you cook?" Geno asked hopefully.

Cider shook his head, "it has to be me!"

Reaper and Geno both sighed heavily. Geno patted Cider's back, "alright, have it your way. but before we let you get back to it take a few deep breaths for me." Geno took a few slow, measured breaths that Cider obediently followed along with. "good, now stop stressing so hard, that's when everything goes wrong."

"alright, alright. now get out of my kitchen."

"oh, so it's your kitchen now?" Geno teased as he and Reaper were herded out.

"i'm busy, so go spend a little quality time together you hopeless lovebirds." Cider gave them one last push out of the kitchen. "but don't go too far, i still need taste testers."

"sir yes sir," Reaper said with a sloppy salute.

Eventually the last dish was plated and nestled amongst the rest on the overflowing dinner table, a pair of tall candles already burning merrily away (a great thing about the Save Screen being how timeless it was, candles could burn without burning down). Respite was due to arrive in about half an hour. Cider frowned down at the spread, "maybe i can cut up a meat and cheese platter before he arrives…"

"nope, this is more than enough for just four people." Geno took Cider by the shoulders and gently steered him towards his room, "you need to change."

Cider looked down at the splatters of various colors and textures scattered over his white hoodie and white T-shirt. "yeah, okay, good point." He shortcut behind the perimeter of privacy screens around his bedroom (which mirrored the new perimeter of privacy screens around Geno and Reaper's bedroom and the one around the bathroom. Reaper had had to buy out all the privacy screens from four home improvement stores), leaving Geno behind.

With Cider gone for the moment, Geno went and cuddled up to Reaper's side on the couch.

"maybe you should help him pick some clothes out, i have the feeling he's going to stress about that too."

Geno groaned, "you're probably right."

"… but?"

"but it's so comfy right here. how about we give him ten minutes, then i'll go check on how hard he's overthinking."

"fair enough." Reaper happily pulled Geno closer, the little glitch practically sitting in his lap."

"i said ten minutes, reaper! plus your brother will be here shortly."

"i'm not doing anything," Reaper replied totally innocently as his hand slipped up Geno's shirt to grope his ribs.

"r-reaper!"

"what? i'm keeping it above the belt."

"still not helping," Geno groused.

"i can't help but notice you're not pulling away ~○:●*.✧✼"

"stop doing such weird things with your voice." And yet Geno just pressed more firmly into Reaper's side. "where'd you even find the coding for inserts anyway?"

"a god doesn't reveal his secrets 。・:*:•̩̩͙ ・゚+ 。*•̩̩͙༓⁺˚.✮:✧*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*✧:✮.˚⁺༓•̩̩͙*。 ・゚+ •̩̩͙・:*:・。."

"now you're just showing off."

"is it working?"

"maybe a little."

Reaper nuzzled into Geno's neck and let his voice drop into the deepest of octaves, so low it rumbled through Geno's bones, "good."

"what're the two of you doing?"

Reaper looked up to see Cider standing a little ways away from the couch, glaring mightily at the both of them.

"awww… it hasn't even been the full ten minutes yet."

"was i supposed to give you two ten minutes?"

"no, no… we were giving you ten minutes." Geno hastily scooted away from Reaper, who graciously let him. "we thought you needed a chance to wind down a little before respite gets here."

"we do have a little more time, i could spice up my presentation…"

Geno sighed and snagged Cider's soul. He pulled him onto the couch, captured between Geno and Reaper. "you're going to sit down and relax a little."

Reaper happily cuddled the both of them close once Cider was trapped on the couch, Sanswiching their stressing roommate between them. Reaper thought it was quite nice, his arm over Cider's shoulders and wound behind Geno's back. He could get used to this.

"HELLO? I HAVE ARRIVED."

Cider hopped off the couch when he heard Respite's voice, then ran around the furniture, avoiding the new decorative privacy screens acting as a wall (they had been deemed too see-through for the bedrooms), and out to the patch of grass.

Geno and Reaper followed after at a more sedate pace, happy to let Cider and Respite meet on their own before getting involved. They rounded a privacy screen to find Cider looking tearfully up at Respite, who was wearing his favorite armor. Reaper squinted, was it freshly polished?

"HELLO! YOU MUST BE GENO JUNIOR, MY BROTHER HAS TOLD ME SO MUCH ABOUT YOU."

Like they were undead creatures from some ridiculous human horror film, Cider and Geno both slowly turned their heads to level absolutely livid glares directly at Reaper. A cold sweat broke out on Reaper's brow, he sure was lucky looks couldn't actually kill. "bro, i told you he picked out a nickname."

"OH! WHOOPSIE DOOPSIE, HOW SILLY OF ME. OF COURSE YOU TOLD ME HIS CHOSEN NICKNAME. AHEM, CIDER, IT'S VERY NICE TO MEET YOU."

Cider's gaze snapped back to Respite, his expression already soft. "i don't blame you at all." Like a switch had been flipped, the angry glare was back on Reaper, "i bet he's been using the wrong name this whole time."

"NOT THE WHOLE TIME." Respite gave a nervous laugh, what a time for him to be a horrible liar.

"bro!" The sweat was dripping now, down into his rib cage and soaking into the cloak around the nape of his neck. "feast! there is one! that cider made. just for you."

"REALLY?" Respite sounded so surprised and hopeful.

"oh uh, yeah." Cider's face gained a soft, rosy blush. "i uh… wasn't sure what you like so i thought i'd just make a little of everything."

"WOWIE! THAT'S TRULY AMAZING."

Cider turned to lead the group to the dining room. "it's not, really. it's not half of what you deserve."

"WELL OF COURSE SOMEONE AS GREAT AS THE GREAT RESPITE DESERVES NOTHING BUT THE BEST, WHICH I'M SURE IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU MADE!"

Cider blushed harder, a shy, pleased smile spreading across his face. Reaper and Geno followed behind the pair, happy to let the two of them get to know each other.

"don't think you're off the hook," Geno murmured quietly.

Reaper sighed, of course he wasn't. Ah well, an angry Geno was still a fun Geno, and maybe this whole "meeting the family" thing meant he'd get to find out first hand how fun a mad Cider could be. Reaper could only hope.