𝐃𝐈𝐋𝐅 || 𝐉𝐮𝐣𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐮 𝐊𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐧

Chapter 7

The kids come home the next day, solemnly telling him that Y/N is making pumpkin, pecan and apple pies, so Toji has to make something else.

"Cherry, Dad, cherry," Tsumiki says solemnly.

"With ice cream!" Megumi adds emphatically.

Toji sighs, but heads for the computer. He googles "cherry pie" and- ignoring a lot of traumatizing links- sees a recipe for a sour cherry pie. He snorts, which means Y/N will laugh, and he's sold.

He's reading the recipe and everything's making sense, until he gets to the part about making the pie crust and no. Just no. The rest of the pie is mixing, stirring, and putting into an oven, plain enough, but the pie crust looks more complicated than anything should be.

"Yeah, we're buying the crust," Toji mutters to himself.

He handles the rest of it- and Wednesday afternoon, he throws it all together. Toji doesn't really know how to "lattice" it, despite the overly-detailed instructions, so he lets the kids do it. It's more... artistic than accurate.

But from the expression on Y/N's face when she opens the door to find the three of them there on her dad's doorstep, it's the best thing she's ever seen.

"You guys made it!" Y/N says, as Tsumiki hands Y/N the pie. "This is perfect, thanks, Tsumiki!"

"I helped," Megumi adds immediately.

"I'm sure you did. Did Toji earn his keep?" Y/N asks, glancing over with a little smile.

"Dad did the baking. And the mixing." Tsumiki admits grudgingly.

"Well, thanks to you too, then." Y/N tells Toji as he sniffs the pie. "Oh my god, cherry. Oh- get in, get inside, it's cold, I'm a terrible host."

They remove all their layers of winter coating- the weather turned bitterly cold two days ago and promises to stay that way all winter- to find the house warm and filled with the perfect smells of fall. Everything smells rich and savory, including Y/N as she past with the pie to get into the dining room.

"Good to see you again, Toji," Officer L/N says, sticking out a hand to shake.

"You too, sir," Toji replies automatically.

The Officer gives him an amused look. "I'm pretty sure you can call me Eren, Toji."

"Right, right," Toji says, stupidly nervous. "Thank you for letting us crash your Thanksgiving."

"Well, it'll be nice to have a big Thanksgiving again. Haven't had one this big since Y/N was a kid." Eren says, sounding a little wistful.

"Officer, Officer," Megumi insists, dragging Eren away to explain something to him and Tsumiki. He's pointing at a picture of Y/N in the back of a police cruiser, maybe a little older than Tsumiki in the photo.

"Oh, god, I'll never be able to be an authority figure again after they see the picture of me in 8th grade," Y/N sighs mournfully from behind Toji, walking through toward the kitchen.

As intrigued as Toji is, he can't help but follow Y/N. "Can I help with anything?" he offers. Y/N is checking on four different things, all at the same time.

"I have this down to an exact science, so if you do anything right now other than sit at that counter and drink a beer, this will all come tumbling down around our shoulders and you'll ruin Thanksgiving. So you should sit and have a beer." Y/N says, teasing, as she stirs something. "Second shelf, behind the cider that we're mulling later, so don't drink it."

Toji does as he's told.

"Now," Y/N says, smiling widely, seemingly done checking all the things. "Hi. Thanks again for the pie."