thenearshore | [closed] it's not a nutritional dinner

Who: Chikusa, Ken, and all the people invited to Hakkai's temple
When: October 12
Where: Li Tieugai's temple in the Central District
What: Having recently lost their other god, Ken is sad by yet another loss.... so Chikusa is fixing this with his dog's favorite things: people he likes and copious amounts of meat.

Unless people actually ask, Chikusa.... doesn't exactly tell what time the dinner is actually going to be at. At least he'll probably tell them that Hakkai's temple moved? One would hope.

The temple of Iron Crutch Li doesn't really seem all that impressive upon approaching it, despite being in the Central District. The walled gardens are certainly large and lovely enough, if a little wild, but the building itself is rather plain at its two stories. There's a small sign attached to the front door that simply says 'come in'. Chikusa isn't going to bother answering the door for visitors. It's not like Hakkai locks that thing anyway.

The inside of the temple is about as sparsely decorated as its outside, but, today, the overwhelming smell wafting from the kitchen has overtaken any medicinal smells that might normally be about. It adds a certain warmth to the room.

Until dinner will be served a little later into the night, people are free to do whatever- hang about the gardens, go bother Chikusa in the kitchen, or otherwise find the other residents of the temple. Chikusa won't care to stop anyone, although Hakkai might.

As for dinner? Chikusa is serving so much meat: rabbit stew with olives and rosemary, swordfish, curried chicken, veal marsala, and a more traditional spaghetti served with meatballs. Fortunately, at least there's garlic bread and stuffed mushrooms, so there's something that isn't meat.... And for dessert? Zeppole, cannoli, and an apple ciambella with almond cream.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's been weeks- possibly months at this point- since Chikusa has complained about Ken invading his personal space. If one traced back the timeline, investigated all the instances of when they'd grown close... Perhaps it wouldn't be surprising that Chikusa's objections died around the time that they first experienced loss in the heavens. Around the time Axel disappeared.]

[So, even though Chikusa has to be far from comfortabl both as a bed and being a bed, he lets Ken stay right where he is, trying to ignore the odd tingling in his chest as he feels Ken's breath. At some point, one of his own arms has wrapped itself loosely around Ken's back.]

[Pookie, of course, dominates both of them by laying on Ken.]

[It takes some time before Chikusa finally manages to find his voice after so much effort throughout the past couple of days.]

...Did you like it?

What? The food? [Chikusa's lack of explanations, and Ken's own lack of analysis, means that he's managed to completely miss that all of this was done for his benefit. As far as he knows, people were just coming over and Chikusa was making a bunch of food, and it happened to be a lot of food that Ken likes. (And, to be fair to Ken, since Ken likes most foods, the fact that the foods were all things he really likes that doesn't explicitly prove that Chikusa was making it all specifically for him.) As far as Ken knows, it's just been a regularly day that happened to go really well. At least as well as anything can go, with Roy and the ranch gone.]

It was good. You made a lot today...

[...Well. He guesses that was only to be expected. It's not like he's actually bothered to explain at any point before or during this whole thing. Chikusa lulls into silence again, only really faintly aware of how much goat slobber is on his hair. It's not really important right now, although perhaps he should be concerned that his hair has grown long enough after all these months for the goat to easily reach it.]

...Your favorite?

It was all good. [Ken closes his eyes.] I liked the stew a lot...and the cannoli, but they were messy. [They were messy because you're messy, Ken.]

I wish Roy-sama could've come... [Except that the fact he couldn't is the reason that the entire party was necessary.]

You didn't use a spoon.... [Or did he? Chikusa has to admit that he was a little out of it during that. Yet all too soon, the comfortable talk of food is exchanged for something else, and Chikusa pauses.]

[...There's nothing he can really say to make that better.]

...Did you pay attention to who came?

Yeah...it was a lot of people I know. [Ken gives Chikusa a curious look.] Why?

[Chikusa, why do you expect Ken, of all people, to put this together.]

[God. God dammit. This is the boy he is crushing on. Why is his life like this. Chikusa stares dully at him, and it's a mystery if he's doing this because he's too tired to muster up words quickly or if he's just this dumbfounded.]

[But, eventually, and thankfully blunt- ]

It's for you.

[Ken stares at him for a moment. It all comes together for him when Chikusa says it, of course - all the signs were there. But there's one thing that still eludes him.]

How come? [Yes, he's sad, and yes, Chikusa cares about him and takes care of him, but Ken still finds it a little weird to be pampered so much in particular when he feels it was a mutual loss for them. He may have been far closer to Roy than Chikusa, but Chikusa is loyal and hates being left behind too...]

[How come? It's difficult to say... or to explain. Perhaps it's only because he's so tired that it seems that way, however, laying limply against the couch with Ken's much more solid weight pinning him down. Still, as he stares back down at Ken from beneath heavy lashes, an urge twitches at the tips of his fingers to touch his partner's face, his hair, any part of him. He settles for his hand slowly curling just a little tighter in Ken's jacket.]

[Not enough energy, there. And Ken would miss the meaning behind that, too, he thinks.]

[The words come soon, slow.]

When we lost... Axel-sama... [And he's still not sure if the honorific feels strange on his tongue now or not.] ...I looked away for only a while... and then you were blighted so much.

[His nails scrape against Ken's jacket and his eyelids finally surrender again, sliding shut.]

....You were hurt so much... and I hadn't noticed...

...The only one who matters is you. Because... we're meant to be with each other no matter what. No one else matters as much, so....

[This isn't making as much sense as he wanted it to. Chikusa slips into silence, sighing.]

You matter too, Kakipi. [Ken lets his head rest on Chikusa's chest.] If something happens to you, you can't take care of me, so you gotta take care of yourself too.

But...it definitely wasn't our fault this time, right? We were with Roy-sama a lot. We did what he asked us, and he took care of us, and...that's how it was supposed to be, right? Everything was fine, but then...he vanished anyway. So there's no reason for me to get blighted...

...No. It wasn't your fault. Or mine.

[It wasn't really either of their faults when Axel disappeared, either. That much was burned into their bones and smashed into their skulls, courtesy of their ablutions. Still...]

...I can't... really do much... besides this. So...

[Ken tucks his head in against Chikusa's chest, practically rubbing his cheek against Chikusa's shirt as if trying to burrow a little deeper into him for comfort.] ...it's nice. [The words are quiet, but hopefully those two words make up for an entire day's worth of effort from Chikusa. Considering their usual borderline sibling rivalry attitude towards each other...it's a fairly meaningful statement of praise, however simple it is.]

[With their memories- a good chunk of them at least, certainly- it does mean a lot. They've never truly had nice things; it's why Axel's temple had been so strange for them. Chikusa can recognize that much, looking back on things with fresh eyes and new knowledge. Cause and effect had meant that they thus weren't able to do nice things for each other, not really. It had never even really occurred to them, because why would it?]

[...Maybe this will make them weak. Chikusa can't particularly tell. That was part of why they'd shied away from it in the past, he thinks. But so long as Ken isn't hurting...]

[His fingers dig in a little more, and he doesn't say anything else.]

[closed] it's not a nutritional dinner

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