A/N: Hello!
I'm back with the fic requested by Nirianne for BryanxMariah. This is a new pairing for me, so I hope I didn't mess it up (I may have). Here you go, Niri. This fic is for you!
Bryan's culinary skills ~
The pinkette was waiting for her boyfriend to return. She hoped he didn't fight with those guys again. Last time, Bryan had a quarrel with a few thugs and he got his limbs shattered and he was bedridden for months. Mariah sighed. She and Bryan have been dating for a few months. His friends often came to pay visits, and she surprisingly gelled well with them. Bryan can be a hothead sometimes but is extremely protective and caring for his girlfriend. She never expected to date a guy like Bryan in her life. She had a crush on Rei during childhood. But she has moved on from them. Rei never had anything for her.
Mariah turned to open the door. Her jaw dropped after she saw Bryan back with dressing all over. She facepalmed.
"Should I repeat this?" she snapped at him.
Bryan stayed quiet. He had no answer. He bent his head and stepped inside. Mariah was vexed. She can't welcome a Bryan with dressing.
"You are no longer a teenager, Kuznetsov," her voice was low.
"Babe, I'm sorry."
"Well, it's okay. I pardon you for the hundredth time. Take a shower," she tied her arms around her chest.
Mariah called Tala by phone. Those guys seemed to have a dispute with some thugs in Balkov's Abbey in the past. They have envied the Blitzkrieg boys with a burning passion, and the desire to kick their asses haven't died. Mariah often suggests Bryan ignore whoever picks a fight with them, but Bryan can never control his fists. Bryan could soon become another One Punch Man if he continues the same.
Bryan returned from the shower. Mariah noticed some bruises and scars on his torso. She was concerned. Fortunately, she is a medical student. She treated his wounds when he was back without dressing.
"Do you have the prescriptions?" she asked.
"I do, it's in my pocket."
"Idiot, did you give it for laundry?" she seethed and perched on the bundle of dirty clothes. Mariah understood the messy handwriting of the Doctor who wrote that.
"I'll go to the pharmacy after lunch," she flipped and folded the paper into her bag.
"Are you running out of the meds?" Bryan asked her.
"Yepp," she folded her lips inwards.
Bryan hurriedly gulped the meal.
"You gotta eat slow, you will choke. Probably, those guys tried to choke you."
Mariah was right. The guys attempted to choke Bryan. It was a bad experience. He was unable to stop himself from picking fights. Mariah feared that it might become a habit for him. She has to take some initiative before things could get worse.
"What are you prompting, Riah?" Bryan asked as he devoured the food.
"Nothing," she showered a sarcastic smile and proceeded to the next serving. Bryan wished for some self-control, but his temperament was difficult to handle. None of his teammates could help him, let alone tame the animals. Bryan was an animal too, but way above the league. Mariah presumed he was a Tiger in his previous birth.
"Riah, you still angry with me?" Bryan was extremely concerned. His heart took the ledge off only for his girlfriend. She is the most beautiful woman for him.
Bryan was aloof after lunch. Mariah's concern was valid. Bryan ensured to not hurt anyone for Mariah's sake. His heart was drenched with guilt after he saw Mariah in such a state. Bryan is a University student, and Mariah is in her internship. Bryan might look out for a job. Almost half of the money was spent on his meds. However, Tala sends them money often. He works part-time, unlike Bryan who fought guys. Mariah understood his ordeal, but he could avoid trouble by just not indulging.
He waited for Mariah to return home. He wished he could talk to her freely, but his mind was constricted to his thoughts. He wished he could remove the frustration in his head and dump it somewhere. He is ashamed of himself. Last time, he remembered himself as a bedridden dude with heavy dressing. His health demanded constant care and attention.
Mariah received her final year exam results at that time. She topped two subjects, but Bryan's state was unbearable for her. He is not just worried about his attitude, but he troubled Mariah with his actions. She often felt insecure and awkward to go out with him. Bryan was popular among the common crowd for quarreling with random thugs.
Lee suggested Mariah to break up with Bryan and return to the village. But, Bryan is everything to her. He protected her from street thugs and defended her when bullies mocked her pink hair. Moving in with Bryan in Russia was foreign for her, considering the drastic change in lifestyle and the weather in the country. Those things are irrelevant when her love for Bryan is incalculable. She survived Russia's weather for over five years.
Bryan rushed to the grocery to buy some veggies. He planned to prepare the dinner for the night. He never knew how to cook. During his days in Balkov's Abbey, their team was not provided adequate meals. Still, they managed to stay built after leaving the Abbey. Mariah cooked delicious meals. Most of the meals had good protein, which helped Bryan with his workouts. He goes to the gym in the mornings to get physical activity. She appreciated him for staying on top of his health, but disliked a few things about him, like hitting guys and bunking college lectures.
He got a text from Mariah.
'I'm out for some time. I am meeting my batchmate today. I will text when I start from the place. See you.'
Bryan reacted with a thumbs-up to her message. However, he felt she needed some time off him. Probably, she couldn't tolerate him.
Regardless, he was bated to utilize this chance to prove himself a good boyfriend for Mariah. He couldn't afford to make her feel bad anymore. He quickly washed the groceries he bought from the market, neatly arranged the vessels, and lit the cookstove. He planned to make Solyonka, white sauce pasta with steamed momos, which Mariah loved. He prepared the ingredients for Mochi cake and orange pancakes as dessert. Bryan pledged to make a wholesome meal for his girlfriend.
But wait? Won't Mariah have dinner outside?
Bryan slapped his head again. He could refrigerate them and give them for breakfast. He had no choice. He bought the needful, wasting his time and energy. And, Mariah deserves a delicious meal. Doesn't she?
But, Bryan sucks at cooking. He could make basic dishes for survival, but not beyond that.
He mustered up all his courage and started chopping the vegetables. He ensured to take time and make the dishes meticulously. YouTube was his savior. There were plenty of recipe stuff popping up in his feed. Mariah loved Momos and couldn't help but marvel at the recipe. Bryan felt different about cooking East Asian cuisine. They were divergent in contrast to his Russian meals with his friends.
Bryan used to devour the food provided by Balkov in the Abbey. They were bland and had fewer flavors, but they were gospel considering his days as a vagabond. But, when he moved in with his friends to an apartment, the maid cooked delicious meals. He discovered that there is good food out there. When Mariah entered his life, he felt he lived with his savior.
After two hours of cooking, he cleaned the kitchen and arranged the food sprucely. It was past eight in the night. Mariah would advise him not to reheat the food. She mentioned the health hazards associated with it. Mariah learned well from medical school; her concerns skyrocketed whenever Bryan fell sick. Bryan would gain loads of medical advice from her.
A notification popped up on Bryan's phone. It was a text from Mariah.
'Hey, sweetheart. I would be late home tonight. Do order something tonight. Lock all the doors. Don't worry about it, I have the spare keys. Switch off the lights and have a good sleep!'
"W.H.A.T."
Bryan's jaw dropped low. As he expected, he might have to save the food for tomorrow. He neatly wrapped the food with plastic covers and placed them inside the fridge. He had some bananas and a glass of milk.
He started biting his nails out of nervousness. He had a De'javu of something bad about to happen, especially concerning Mariah. Or, was it something among them? He was clueless. He was dumping unwanted thoughts into his head. What happened to him all of a sudden? He was perplexed. He was itching to explain his ordeal to someone. But, it's none other than Mariah herself.
Bryan sat on the dining table and scrolled his phone screen. He briefly glanced at his Instagram feed, sighing. He hated this feeling of restlessness and helplessness. Was he creating issues with himself?
It was past midnight. Mariah returned home and opened the door. To her surprise, she saw her boyfriend fast asleep on the table. She sighed and briefly smiled. She slowly strolled off to him and patted his shoulders.
"Hey, Bryan. Wake up. Go to the room. You should not be sleeping here. Come, come."
Bryan yawned and mumbled. He jerked off when he saw Mariah.
"Hey, Riah. I'm sorry. I-I forgot to lock the door."
"It's okay, Bryan. I'm sorry too, I was away for a long time. I met up with my batchmate."
"That's fine. Did you have dinner?"
"Well, yeah. We had dinner at seven."
"That's quite long. You must be hungry. Come, sit. Have some food."
"Hey, Bryan," Mariah paused and looked deep into his eyes. There was a genuine fondness reflecting from his eyes.
"Well, did you order some food for me?" she asked. Her cheeks were tinged crimson.
"I cooked some food for you," Bryan scratched his head.
Mariah's mouth widened. She was shocked for a moment.
"Hey, Bryan, did you cook for me? I said I would be out today. Why?"
Bryan hung his head low and chuckled. "Well, it was before you said you would come home late. I did guess you may have food outside. Still…"
Mariah felt apologetic. She hugged him and cried, "Hey, I'm sorry. I was rude to you this evening. And, you still did the cooking. Thank you very much. And, I'm starving. I had an early dinner."
"Alright. I'm sorry, I had to refrigerate the food."
"That's fine. I just want to eat now."
Mariah sat on the chair. Bryan arranged two plates for both of them. He served the food to Mariah.
"Wow, these look delicious! And, you made Chinese food too! How long did it take?"
"Around three hours. Do have them, my lady."
Mariah slowly devoured the food. Bryan nervously waited for her response.
She reacted with a thumbs up. Her eyes glimmered. "Wow! This tastes so good! Yummy."
"Is it?" Bryan smirked.
"Of course, I love these. And, I want you to cook tomorrow as well. I want hot food."
"As you say, my lady."
They both were done with the dinner in a couple of minutes. Bryan washed the vessels and Mariah changed to her night clothes.
"Thanks for everything, Bryan. You made my day today."
"I'm your boyfriend, Riah. You don't have to thank me."
Mariah hugged him from the back. "Hey."
"What?" she asked and simpered.
"Well, Riah. I promise I won't cause you trouble anymore. I am such an annoyance. And, I am such a pain in the ass."
"It's okay, I forgive you. And, you don't have to worry anymore. The guys were arrested today. They tried to hit on me, do you know?"
Bryan stopped and turned back. "Wait, did they?"
"Yes, and I'm glad everything was fine. It was not your fault, Bryan. I seethed when they tried to grab my hand. I didn't want to trouble you either. I called the police instead."
"You are a brave girl, Riah. I love you so much."
"I love you too, Bryan," she tugged her head on his chest.
"Well uhh, I missed seeing you in action. But, I didn't want you to cause a commotion there," she remarked.
Bryan laughed off and said, "Well, you gave me the time to cook instead."
A/N: Alright, I'm done. I hope you liked this fic, dear Niri. I'm sometimes out of touch with writing. Regardless, You deserve loads of Muri xD
Thanks for reading!
-Niki.