a/n: from 8/2022, i have no explanation other than i saw "ygo rarepair week" and this hit me. for the day 1 prompt "cooking together"!

When Haruto, already fully dressed for the day, approaches Kaito at the kitchen counter, Seto glances up from his laptop. He can hear Mokuba in the other room starting up a video game where he'll definitely wait for Haruto to join him; he's taken to having another kid around pretty well, even though Haruto is a few years younger. It was "his turn" to be a big brother, he'd said.

Haruto looks up at Kaito. "Good morning."

Kaito's warmth towards his little brother is unmatched by anyone. "Good morning Haruto. Did you tell Seto good morning?"

Seto knows Haruto is still shy around him, but Haruto turns to Seto who is planted at the kitchen table. "Good morning."

With a nod in Haruto's direction, Seto returns the greeting and goes back to his work. It's mostly emails, enough to keep him busy for a couple of hours at least if he does nothing else.

Haruto returns to his task of getting Kaito's attention. "Um…Mokuba and I were wondering what you're making for breakfast today."

Kaito lifts the whisk out of the batter he finishes mixing. "Pancakes today," he says and Haruto's delighted gasp is reminiscent of how excited Mokuba used to get over things like that before he became a loud teen, "do you want chocolate chips?"

Haruto nods enthusiastically. "I'll go ask Mokuba if he does, too!"

Once he scatters off, Seto comments, "You're spoiling him." He takes a sip of his coffee, the one thing he doesn't allow Kaito to make for him.

Kaito's small smile is pleasant to look at. "Do you not spoil Mokuba?"

Seto pauses. Okay, sure, he does sometimes, but that's a habit he's trying to pull away from as Mokuba gets older. He needs to learn more about responsibility, despite already a fairly responsible kid. He's also smarter than all his peers, he's willing to work for what he wants, but there is an expectation lingering that Seto will give him anything he asks for.

"That's unrelated."

Kaito chuckles. "I don't think so."

There's a loud, excited yell from the other room, followed by Haruto rushing back to the kitchen. "He said yes!"

"Then I'll call you both when breakfast is ready."

Haruto nods and hustles back to where he and Mokuba will likely play a racing game where Mokuba will let Haruto win about half the time.

Silence falls on Seto and Kaito. It's comfortable, easy. However, Seto's attention drifts from his work to Kaito balancing eggs, bacon, pancakes…unwilling to ask for help. Seto can't say he's not the same way, but it's frustrating to stand by. He saves his progress, closes his laptop and gets up to take the spot next to Kaito reserved for curious on-lookers.

"Do you need help?" Seto asks.

He expects the answer to be "no", stubborn as Kaito is. Kaito sighs and surveys the area around him with a contemplative hum. He's pausing longer than Seto expected.

Kaito finally looks up at him. "Can you make eggs?"

"Tell me how."

Kaito lets out an amused huff. "Did your staff do everything for you?"

"I—"

"Had to work day and night to support you and Mokuba. I know. Here, the pan is ready, all you need to do is pour in the eggs."

Kaito hands Seto one of two bowls of mixed eggs. Seto moves to Kaito's other side where there are multiple pans on the stove. "Which one?"

"That one," Kaito says as he gestures to the top left with a spatula. "And here, use this to scramble them."

Seto takes the spatula. He observes the pan, eggs in one hand, tool in the other. He can do this. It's not like navigating his deepest feelings.

He pours in the eggs, then pushes them around a bit, laser focused on the task at hand.

"Those are for the kids. You'll be seasoning ours." Kaito adds. He's handling the bacon now.

"With what?"

"Salt, pepper, the basics."

Seto stares down at the eggs. Some parts are browning but some look like liquid. "When am I finished?"

Kaito takes Seto's hand in his and with masterful manipulation he guides Seto to flip the eggs over so that the liquid parts are finally touching the pan with a hiss. With another gentle twist and Kaito's guidance he's cutting up the eggs into a familiar lumpy pile. It's at this point Seto realizes Kaito is resting his arm around his waist, hand caressing the slight dip of his hip.

"You're done, now. You can slide them off into that bowl, we'll divide them up for the boys last," Kaito says as he brings Seto's hand back and then gently pries Seto's fingers from the spatula so that it sits on the spoonrest. He doesn't let go of Seto's hand. Seto makes the obvious choice to use his free hand to perform his last task at the moment, plopping the half-lightly browned, half-fluffy yellow eggs into the bowl Kaito referred to. He sets the pan back down, looks down at Kaito.

"May I help you?"

Kaito hums, lays his head against Seto's arm. "You could start by not burning eggs."

Seto scoffs. "I'll make sure yours are charred."

Kaito's smile is small, a different kind of warm than what he has with Haruto. This warmth is reserved for Seto. Kaito lets go of him, turns himself around so that his back is against the counter. He tugs down on Seto's turtleneck. Seto obliges; he braces his hands on either side of Kaito, steps back a bit, and bends down as Kaito tilts his head up, meeting one another for a kiss.

Seto notices Kaito's hand start to dip into his hair as they kiss until suddenly Kaito pulls away. Seto only catches a glimpse of the horror on his face before he spins towards the stove.

"The bacon."

Seto gets out of Kaito's way, surprising himself with a chuckle. Kaito isn't remaking the bacon or anything, so he must have saved it just in time.

"Get distracted?" Seto asks.

Kaito sighs. "I don't want to hear it." He hands Seto the other bowl of eggs. "See if you can avoid burning these."

They burn worse, but at least there's (probably too much) salt.