Food Tastes Better With You [Invite]

If there was one thing effective when it came to get her away from her desk and her oh-so-important work, it was definitely the promise of spending time with her boyfriend. Sure, grocery shopping wasn't exactly her idea of a romantic date, but at the end of the day, being besides him was all that mattered, right?

The store was quite the noisy environment, a never ending source of distraction, whether it be the people or well, the food. And this time around, it was definitely the food. An overabundance of colors and flavors, some more peculiar than others – the stranger the better. Absentmindedly following him along the aisles, she would sometimes nod and pluck from the shelves which ever item he manifested interest in. « Do you ever eat anything else? » A barely concealed smiled curled her lips as she passed him by, sipping the iced coffee securely held by her tail. « You know, maybe we should start eating... better? Especially you. » Rich coming from the girl who could eat absolute garbage and be fine with it. Yet, no one could argue she was wrong either.

Talking about coffee, the display in front of her didn't fail in grabbing her attention once more. Instant, ground or whole, medium or dark roast, so many options, but truth be told, as long as it tasted like the aforementioned bitter drink, it was good enough in her book. For better or worse.

« Hm..? » Ears perking up as she heard his voice, Meringue soon realized that he had wandered further ahead, creating quite the upsetting distance between them. Well, maybe not nearly serious as that, yet enough for her to close said distance without delay, but not without her pack of ground coffee beans. « You could've waited for me, I almost got lost. » A poor little helpless thing she was, and very dramatic at that. « Oh yeah, grab these for me, please. » Why, of all the things displayed in front of them, she wanted to eat hot pepper flavored chocolate, one could only guess, but she was deadly serious.

« I think– » Another sip of her cold drink, the last, her attention drawn to the half-filled cart. « I'd like to eat something spicy. Like the chicken I brought back the other day– that counts as meat, right? » And even if it didn't, she knew how to be convincing. « Could you cook that for me? Please. » Add to that a sweet smile and fluttering lashes, and you get a very, very convincing act, or so she liked to think.

---

Meringue's PL: 5

« Hey, don't try changing subject like that–! » That wasn't fair, she was the one doing the questioning after all! « And I'll let you know that the last time was this morning at work. » Not that he could verify that claim, but she would never lie about such a petty thing, especially to him. Plus, it was just not the same thing at all, her body could perfectly deal with such a massive amount of daily caffeine! « Don't think you've won this one, mister. I'm not done with you. » Absolutely preposterous.

All that frowning was only for show of course, and a smile was quick to replace her pout as soon as the spicy treat had joined the other items in the cart. « Thanks babe. » Already, she was back to her chipper and easily distracted self. Pet names was something she had to get used to, and not because there were absent from her home world's customs, far from it. Simply, for most of her part she had seen her own parents behaving incredibly cold toward each other, almost business-like, and such casualty was out of the question in front of their children – especially the children! This, she still had to find her footing in this relationship, even though it wasn't a first for her. Oh, it was hard to explain, but Wryce had something that made her want to try a little harder, this time.

« Sure. But– » Tea instead of coffee didn't seem to be wasn't exactly the compromise he thought it would be, yet « You know what, never mind. Iced tea will do just fine. » And just like that, Meringue had won. Or so she thought.

Letting out a faint chuckle, she passed him with a spring in her step, her tail affectionately brushing against him. « I can't promise I'll be useful, dear Barbecue Master, but I'll try my best. » Halting herself just has she was about to bump into another customer (oops), the young woman glanced over her shoulder, her still teasing smirk mellowing as her gaze met his. « It was, yeah. » There was a slight pause in her reply, raising her eyebrows slightly as if trying to come up with the right words. Home was still, after all this years, kind of a touchy subject even if she was too stubborn to admit it. « Everything is more colorful. And the flavors are... stronger? Sharper, maybe. » The way she scrunched up her nose hinted at some frustration, perhaps at her inability to truly describe something he had never seen. « I wish I could just show you. » No time to think about such things, though. And just like that, the upset had disappeared.

« I think it's time to go home, hm? » A quirk of the eyebrows, her tail teasingly patting his stomach. « You were absolutely starving, weren't you? » As was she, to be quite honest.

---

ooc: request denied, sry

If all that friendly quarrelling was only for the sake of annoying the other, she sure wasn't done with him. Oh, he knew how hard-headed she could be, even when it wasn't that serious – especially then! Meringue was set on having the last word on that whole healthy eating habits debate, and she definitely would. That was a promise.

Truth be told, she couldn't even remember the last time they had an actual argument, about anything serious at least. Were couples supposed to argue? And if so, how often? Once again, her only reference point was her parents: emotionally distant people who'd rather die than be seen holding hands in public. Suffice to say that whatever little experience she had, a lot of questions were still unanswered, and every day was a learning experience, in more ways than one. Yet, there was no doubt in her mind she had made the right choice when she confessed her feelings to him a few months prior. One thing at least that did not need be added to her embarrassingly long list of regrets.

« Peach sounds good. » She did not exactly have strong feelings towards iced tea either way, after all. « Aren't you and absolute sweetheart, hm? » If her tone made it seem as if she was poking fun at him, it was barely an half of the whole truth. He was sweet, alright, despite what his imposing physique would let on, and not only with her. There was something about Wryce, his smile and sunny disposition, that made him so pleasant to be around – so lovable. Just thinking about it was enough to draw a tender smile to her lips.

Now, that was an idea she could get behind. « Sounds like a plan to me. What about that one movie with the giant monster? » Or rather movies, as more than a handful could fit that description – unless he had a good enough memory and remember which one she was referring to. Hopefully.

Sharp enough to no be fooled by his (feigned) innocence, Meringue couldn't help but chuckle. « Tell me you won't fall asleep on me halfway through the movie, this time. I couldn't move for at least two hours! » The shame, the infamy! Two dreadful hours spent looking at his peaceful sleeping face, gently patting his hair and not thinking about work. Up until she decided to wake him up by pinching his nose, cue the priceless reaction and grumpy boyfriend.

Distracted by their previous exchange, the contact of his fingers on her face was initially met with her tail grabbing his wrist before realizing what he was doing, her surprise melting into a satisfied hum. Following his lead, her gaze soon met his once more, taking the opportunity to whisper a few loving words to him before reluctantly leaving his grasp.

« When aren't you, anyway? » Her smile was still soft, even when teasing him. « Come on, let's go home. » Their home. Which they would reach not too long after – living that close to the store was an undeniable advantage.

Ah. Home sweet home. A nice apartment she had been living in for two years already, which felt all the more welcoming since he had moved in with her. « Can you put everything away while I take a shower? » More a demand than a actually question, as she had already disappeared after a quick peck on his cheek, not giving him any chance to protest. Guess he didn't have a choice, huh.

---

ooc: illegally wholesome

As it should be, taking a shower was one of the most relaxing time of the day. Or at least it would be, if she didn't see it as an opportunity to once more review whatever advancements made that day, unable to quite let go of her work, no matter what. Quite the bad habit for sure, one that she had inherited from her upbringing, her parents having early on ingrained in her the idea that she had to dedicate all of herself to her work, whatever it was be, tying her whole identity to their endless search for answers.

And no matter how far she would go, some things simply never truly disappear.

Her mind had been wandering for a handful of minutes already, the almost scorching hot water pouring down on her and drowning each and every one of her thoughts. Her frustration with a difficult coworker, tensions exacerbated by the current uncertainties surrounding their research ; that sinking feeling she was slowly but surely loosing her passion, her drive. One too many thoughts clouding her mind, and nothing was better to sort it out than a shower. And a serious heart-to-heart with her–

The sudden ringing of his voice gave her a good jolt, snapping out of her contemplation. Peaking out of the shower, there was thankfully only the door to witness her embarrassment. « Huh, sure– » Stumbling on her word, Meringue took a deep breath, realizing she had no reason to suddenly feeling so self-conscious. « I got distracted, that's all. I swear I'm not trying to dodge my promise! » Yet the laugh punctuating that statement could lead to think otherwise – purposefully so. « I'll be there in five! » After all, she wasn't so cruel as to let him do everything by himself.

Thus, the water would be stopped soon after, the young woman hurriedly stepping out of the tub. Drying off her hair was the most annoying part, and she could still feel some droplets running down her neck as she left the bathroom, at least comforted by the divine feeling of fresh (and warm!) clothes on her back.
« Hope you didn't miss me too much. » Taking a break from her lousy fight against the towel she was clutching, she was now right next to him, an amused smiled curling her lips. « So. What do you need me for, hm? Looks like you've been handling yourself just fine so far. » Stifling a chuckle, she did not give him the chance of retaliation, instead slipping behind him and hugging his large frame, once again highlighting how small she was compared to him – not that it was stopping her anyway. « Vegetables, right? » And just like that she was already out of his grasp, trotting towards the kitchen.

Vegetables was not exactly a precise descriptor, and both the yellow and red bell peppers looked appetizing. But not the green one, definitely the worst choice of all. Broccolis, on the other hand, now that was a fine pick. « Did you feed Tiny yet? Or did she bite you again? » A quick glance through the open kitchen window, her attention soon drawn back to the aforementioned Tiny. A strange creature to say the least, unnatural cross between a plant of the dionaea variety and some unnamed mammal, with a taste for raw meat. She had sneaked her out of the lab a while ago, not expecting her to actually survive past a few days. But there it was, observing her with its beady black eyes, already salivating get unable to go quite far, as it lacked legs and was confined to a flower pot. « You sure look hungry, hm? » The hungry thing was however quick to refuse the carrot chunk Meringue had presented to it, smelling something far more appetizing. « What a baby. I'll see what I can do. » But not before being done with her current task, or she might never finish it.

Once all the ingredients neatly chopped up and arranged in separate bowls, she joined him on the patio, presenting to him the result of her hard work. « Are you satisfied of your cute sous-chef's performance? » She had always a cheeky comment for him, half muffled chuckles and teasing grins. Few and far between were the moments where being around him did not make her smile, to be quite honest.

« I think I deserve something as a reward for all that. » Definitely cheeky, yeah.

---

ooc: the mutant daffodil needs meat

« All that just sounds like excuses to me. » A hint of laughter in her voice, glancing up at him with a smile. Smile that quickly turned into the most comically offended expression as soon as the next words left his mouth. « Are you implying I'm so kind of ugly alien or something? How dare you. » Yet another offense that would not be left unanswered!

The evening was slowly creeping in, and with it a comforting feeling of familiarity, far away from any worries. During those time, Meringue couldn't help but daydream about a life away from any kind of responsibilities or duties. Just the two of them and endless warm afternoons. However, she wasn't so naive as to seriously consider this an option, no matter how hard she thought about it. Instead, she would simply cherish those brief moments of what amounted to an idyllic life.

« Yeah, yeah I do. » The provocative smirk was back, the young woman bold as ever. Yet, her partner didn't fail to surprise her as her feet left the ground, soon finding herself sat on the countertop. Surprised but not displeased, even more so with the follow-up. She had the high ground now.

Her reply took the form of a contented hum, yet she was eager for more – something more rewarding, that is. Her tail had already found its way again the arch of his back, tenderly cradling the back of his head as it was wont to do in those moment, her previously mischievous smirk nothing more than an almost shy smile. « That's more like it, yeah... » But what started as a well deserved reward soon got cut short as the killjoy named Tiny decided it was not pleased with the unacceptable lack of food. No more kisses for her, only a deeply annoyed sigh followed by a half-hearted chuckle.

« Maybe I should be the one eating it, hm? » Glaring daggers at the creature, Meringue relented, slipping off of the counter in a fluid motion, heading straight for the refrigerator. « We'll improvise. And I promise, no scary movies. » A quick flash of a smile, before turning her attention towards the definitely famished meat-eating shrub, food in hand.

Yeah, perhaps sneaking it out of the lab wasn't her most brilliant idea to date, but aside from it's few quirks, Tiny had grown into quite the adorable pet – its dubiously ethical existence notwithstanding.

« So, how long before it's ready? I'm starting to get hungry too. » After all, it was starting to smell appetizing to say the least, a little more each time she went back outside as she was diligently dressing the table for two. And just like that, her previous worried seemed to have dissipated out of existence, her still somewhat damp hair the only remnant of her shower.

Finally pulling her chair for herself, watching him work his magic with the grill. « What if you chose the movie? Maybe you won't fall asleep this time. » Yes, she was still teasing him about it. But he was always falling asleep, he could hardly blame her! « Or we could watch some weird Earthling tv reality show, hmm. » Those were fascinating for sure, but not for the right reasons. Neither was it an actual serious suggestion. Unless..?

Her patience was starting to grow thin and her stomach had some choice words for the cook. « Sooo. Is it ready yet? » With puppy eyes, which was a sight to behold given hers were, well. Pitch black and odd to say the least. It was all his fault, with his good cooking and his nice back, and–

« I'm hungry. »
What a baby.

---

ooc: baby

An amused quirk of the eyebrows would be her only reaction, quite entertained by the very idea of him scared of fictional monsters. How silly. And it wasn't that she could simply not understand, no—fears were often a nuanced mix of irrational thoughts and very grounded concerns, some more than others. Yet, fiction had never been something able to truly elicit such strong feelings in her. Perhaps the fault of her all-too logical mind, overly skeptical until concrete proof obtained. Not that she was fearless, far from it.

« Sure. » Not too long wasn't the answer she had hoped for, and she couldn't tell him she was so hungry because of her own fault, right? Thus, she begrudgingly went back to the kitchen, kicking herself for skipping part of breakfast and lunch. Well, getting annoyed now was pointless, and simply impossible once he came back to her, all smiles and good news. Fine. Plus, that damn salad would at least keep her mind off of her growling stomach, focusing instead on not cutting herself—a more common occurrence than she was willing to admit.

« Right. » Lifting her gaze to meet his, Meringue couldn't help but grin, amused. « I had to push you down the couch because my legs were starting to get numb. Awfully long rest, huh? » Not that she was upset about it or anything, after all her boyfriend was pretty cute when asleep. Still, not this time, she would be making sure of that. « Oh yeah? What if I did take you up on that offer? You might regret it. » Truth be told, she found those questionable shows endlessly entertaining, fascinated by the mere concept of putting your whole life on display for others, often in a very grotesque and manufactured way. All that to say, she was very much into the idea of watching such an incredible piece of Earthling television history, whether or not he was serious.

And, finally, the food was ready.

Rarely before had she seemed so eager to sit down anywhere else than at her desk, impatience written all over her face. Yet, all that excitement quickly mellowed down, leaving behind an almost shy, embarrassed smile. « I love you too. » Mirroring his gesture, she raised her glass as well, putting aside her hunger for a while longer. « And I'm not a nerd. » A brief chuckle soon followed, playing along under the table, the soft touch raising the hair on her neck.

« Let's eat, hm? » Patience and romance were nice and all that, but a woman had to eat, after all. And without missing a beat, she picked up his plate first (how considerate!), putting her tail to good use once more. « There you go. » One thing for sure, he truly was the King of the BBQ: the meat as well as the veggies smelled heavenly, and before long Meringue had helped herself to a healthy serving of pretty much everything. « Bon appetit! » Yes. Time to eat.

Ah yeah, the sweet, sweet feeling of food finally being ingested, slowly but surly satiating her empty stomach. Were she a bit more dramatic, she would perhaps had shed a few tears, even! Instead, she was happily chomping down on her plate with a satisfied smile plastered on her lips. « Maybe you should've become a cook. You're really good at that too, you know. » Getting down her previous bite with some iced tea, she would then take a brief pause, her chin nested against the palm of her hand, observing him.

In those moments, she often regretted not having all the time in the world to simply stare at him lovingly, slowly taking in each and every details of his face. « Oh, I almost forgot to ask. » Yet another smile, the tip of her fingers brushing against his—yet another mark of affection she was fond of. « How was your day? » Sometimes, the most mundane of topics was just perfect for the situation, on top of genuinely caring about the answer, no matter how dull it could seem. « I missed you today. » She always did, actually—terribly sappy, but truth nonetheless.

---

ooc: :///

« Pretentious, that's how it sounds. » Yet the pout taking form on her lips would not be here to stay, quickly wiped away by laughter, more amused than anything else by the nickname. Plus, she sometimes was pretentious anyway.

Entirely focused on the food pilling up on her plate, his words did not completely reach her, leaving Meringue all the more confused at his sudden awkward expression. All of which was quickly forgotten as soon as the food ended up in front of her—probably for the better

While she was always chasing that high often synonymous with the furthering of her knowledge and understanding of the world at large, there was something enticing in these slow evenings. Nothing to think about, no one expecting anything from her, nor any deadline. Just the two of them enjoying some well-deserved time together.
« I mean it. » Proof being that she was still eating, albeit at a more reasonable pace – the point was savoring the food, not feeling full as quickly as possible. Also, why were people always so quick to dismiss genuine compliments? Now that was something she would never understand. Was it really so bad to take ownership of your own skill and achievements? Was there a right way to do it? Those subtleties would probably always elude her, no matter what.

His words would soon draw her attention to him, the young woman briefly narrowing her eyes at the mention of a fight. « The public market, really? » Pretty odd choice, to say the least. Then again, she was so far removed from that kind of life that the mere idea of needing to fight felt nebulous, held by fictitious stakes. Furthermore, until now he'd never came back to her with more than a few scrapes here and there, comforting her in that feeling of safety. As if it was just for show. And talking about show—« So soon already? » Seeing him so impassioned about the topic could only make her smile as well, her fingers still absentmindedly running against his. « I'll be your very own cheerleader then. » Despite the levity of her quip, the situation still called for some seriousness, and support on her part. Support taking the form of her hand grabbing his with enough self-confidence for two, her smile bright as ever. « No matter what happens, you'll make people proud—I know I'll be. » After all, Wryce was anything but a slacker when it came to his training, she knew that much. « And if I can help with anything, just tell me. I'll be there. »And although she had no frame of reference for the other participants, she was sincerely convinced he had a chance.

Staring wistfully into space after having released his hand from her grasp, the young woman did not answer straightaway, emptying her glass instead. « It was... Fine, I guess. » Hardly convinced by her own words, Meringue pursed her lips, visibly irked by something. « I'm having issues with some of my colleagues, one in particular. » Her brows furrowed, she started taping her fingers on the slick surface of the table, realizing all this was bothering more than initially expected. « It's nothing bad, don't worry. It's just that—Let's say we don't really see eye to eye on everything. He keeps saying that we should sell the result of our research, that some people would pay good money for it, but. » She let out quite the heavy sigh, tail curling on her lap as she would often do when in a bad mood. « Dr. Kelp doesn't see it that way, neither do I. I should probably stop worrying about that, huh? » After all, it would only make her angrier, and not solve anything.

Instead, she was better off focusing on her boyfriend right in front of her, and the food still waiting on her plate! « Me too. And I'll make sure you keep that promise. » And that was enough to get her to relax a bit, as well as wake up her hunger once more. That and the taunt that would not stay unanswered for. « Hey–! » Soon would follow a few laughs and empty plates, the evening slowly following it's course.

***

« I'm full. I can't eat anymore. » Another sigh as she leaned back against her chair, taking a few moments to rest. « Thanks again for the food, babe. It was great. » And now what? Part of her wanted to go straight to the cuddling on the couch part, but she knew all too well she would come to regret it later. As such, Meringue finally stood up, picking up the dishes, making a brief stop as she passed him. « I'll take care of that, alright? You should go take a shower. » A quick peck on his forehead and she disappeared inside, coming back once more for the remaining glasses and plates. After all, that was the least she could do, right?

Doing the dishes was quickly dealt with, and it seemed she had still some time to spare, opting to bring a few more pillows to the couch, as well as brewing more tea.
« Need some help? » A jest, of course, yet she still waited a brief instant for an answer in front of the closed bathroom, mischievous as ever, before finally going back to the living room and getting a head start on the whole tv watching thing.

Maybe she should've made some popcorn too.

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ooc: i can't believe i wrote all that with one less finger