Kiss Me (Like You Wanna Be Loved)

Chapter Five: The Calm and The Storm

Eating dinner together becomes a regular thing.

It starts like this: after the third time Keiji cooks for the both of them, Bokuto announces, "I'm going grocery shopping tomorrow! Make a list of what you want me to get for dinner!"

And Keiji says, "Er, what?"

"If you're gonna be cooking for both of us, then I'm gonna pay for the food!"

Keiji frowns. "I can't let you do that."

"Come on! I want to! Besides, it's not even really my money, it's my parents'!"

"That's worse."

"No no no-listen! They gave me a credit card allowance but I can only buy food with it, so seriously, it's fine! Cheaper this way, too! Getting take-out everyday for myself is more expensive than getting groceries for the two of us," he reasons, and he's not wrong. Bokuto spends an offensive amount of money on take-out.

Bokuto must realize his argument is starting to work, because he's grinning as he stretches his leg under the table to nudge at Keiji's knee. "Come on, you're already doing all the work of cooking, you shouldn't have to pay for it, too."

"I'm not going to cook for you every night," Keiji warns, even though he probably will. He truly does enjoy it, and if it's not breaking his own budget there's really no downside to making double portions.

"That's fine! I wouldn't expect that anyways! But like, I really enjoy your cooking, and I feel like the least I can do is pay for our food."

"Only dinners," Keiji clarifies. "I won't let you pay for everything. But... I suppose it's alright if you buy the food and I cook for us."

Bokuto raises his fists in a victory cheer. "Yay! So you'll make me a list?" Instead of making a list, Keiji makes a face. Bokuto laughs. "Orrrrr if you don't wanna do that, then just come with me!"

And that's how they end up grocery shopping together.

It goes exactly as Keiji expected. Bokuto uses his endless energy to make shopping a harrowing experience for all the other patrons, while Keiji does his best to reign in the human tornado ripping up and down the aisles.

"We're not buying that," he says for the seventh time as Bokuto tries to sneak another unhealthy snack item that's more chemical than food into their cart. "Put it back," he instructs, and Bokuto pouts and whines but ultimately complies.

It's like shopping with an unruly child. Keiji feels as though he's somehow become the single parent of the world's largest loudest toddler.

But later, when Bokuto is easily carrying the majority of their shopping bags as he bounds up ten flights of stairs, Keiji can't help but notice his arms and he's forced to remember that oh right, Bokuto is not, in fact, a toddler; and is, in fact, obnoxiously hot. Keiji can't decide if this makes him more annoyed or less.

So they fall into a new routine, one that involves weekly grocery store trips and eating dinner together nearly every night. Most nights Keiji does the cooking, but on the rare day Bokuto doesn't have practice, he'll take over and cook one of the four meals he knows how to make.

And Keiji does not admit that Bokuto is actually a fantastic cook, but he does always clear his plate and go for seconds if there's extra, which Bokuto definitely notices.

"So? Didja like it?" Bokuto asks eagerly every time. "It was really good, right?"

"Yes, Bokuto-san. And you didn't overcook the broccoli this time."

"Aghasheee! That only happened once!"

Keiji finds himself shifting his study schedule so he's mostly finished by the time Bokuto gets home. This is only because Bokuto is too loud and Keiji would be too distracted to get any work done after that point anyways. It's not at all because he likes to linger after dinner, talking and spending time with his friend.