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[ Maybe because laughter was so rare in the Todoroki estate that Shouto finds himself captivated by it every time. Maybe it's the only way he knows Allen is happy. Or maybe, he just likes to hear him laugh. Either way, his smile brightens, stretched wide in a genial manner when his kisses are returned.

He leans back, looking at him with love and affection, waiting patiently in place. ]

[ Allen also laughs more with him than he can ever recall at any other point in his life. Not that he particularly didn't before, moments of sharing small laughter have always been treasured ones to him, but it was more that they were so rare that he appreciated them so tremendously. Being so happy so much now that it comes so easily to him, having a connection where he feels like laughing so much--

He smiles wider at Shouto's expression, not laughing again aloud but his pale eyes sparkling silently with it, and he detours for a moment to press a sweet, lingering kiss to the corner of his mouth where that smile curves. He reaches for his hand to squeeze and lace their fingers together too.

I'll always love it when you smile like that.

Chin, jaw, just under the ear-- he trails soft and fairylike kisses as he goes, as lighthearted as his mood. An affectionate rain of them that slows when he follows not the line of his neck, but dips to kiss his throat. Lingering there to kiss him like he wants to convey something so sweet and earnest, all the affection that he feels, before beginning to trail a line of them down towards his collar. ]

Edited 2023-03-05 08:22 (UTC)

[ The hand that he clasps is warm, large, and calloused. The raised skin of thin scars rubs against the delicate curve of his palm. Shouto locks their hands together with enough strength to convey his presence. Not a bystander but an active participant giving way to him.

A growing awareness slowly overtakes him. Good. It feels good. And something more. It scuttles his breathing, shaking the steady foundation when those lips bide their time at his throat. He opens his mouth to suck in a breath; growing warm, growing cold.

The tension breaks when those lips trail down his collar and his hand suddenly squeezes Allen's with force; a puff of mist escaping his mouth. ]

Edited 2023-03-05 16:50 (UTC)

[ It will always be a touch ironic that while Shouto's hands are calloused, Allen's are not and smooth when he's the one who is a close combat melee fighter. But one hand cannot be calloused and the other he always wears gloves in those situations. He isn't wearing any now of course, and feels the thin scarring pressed into his palm; something that registers with a faint pang as it always does, and is perhaps part of the reason why he slows and takes his time to press his lips to his throat in such a meaningful way.

He blinks at the reaction, equal parts fascinated and amazed that he can feel the breath he takes and the quick flux in temperature. But the strong grip on his hand has him glancing up before he can really continue or capitalize on it, catching the trail of mist, and he stills lightly. ]

Are you alright? [ He asks it softly, not pulling back or seeming alarmed. Just watching Shouto in a quietly awe-touched way, and squeezing his hand gently in response. ]

Edited 2023-03-05 17:18 (UTC)

[ He exhales slowly, letting the tension drain from him at a natural pace. His breath comes out misty, equal parts warm and cold like the rest of him. Not unnaturally so, but enough to sense a difference. ]

I think... I might need some more training.

[ Oh-- Allen does pull back and straightens then. Hot and cold at the same time-- it was like when they first kissed then and he lost control...?

He leans quickly in to kiss his cheek very gently, lingering there in a soothing manner. It's alright. ]

Training?

Edited 2023-03-05 18:05 (UTC)

[ It's nothing like when they first kissed, not enough heat to boil water or freeze it, but enough to make him aware he was reacting instead of commanding. It happened to him sometimes during a fight. Instincts flared and he'd shoot a blast of arctic chill at his opponents in reflex. He always reached for his right when cornered, but he didn't feel cornered right now. Out of sorts, maybe.

He lets himself indulge in the sensation of his lips on his skin again. It's comforting, different from what he felt before. ]

Sometimes, my quirk reacts to what I'm feeling.

Training helps me control it better.

[ Regular training? Allen would have guessed what helped him before was getting used to the new feelings and acting on them more than anything. Something that took time, acceptance, and acclimation. But whatever he had done before clearly worked, and that's what matters. While there are a few similarities, their abilities are also fundamentally different. ]

I can help train with you. [ He offers, bringing their joined hands up so he can brush his lips against his knuckles like someone making a sweet kind of promise. Before unwinding their hands and turning his around to bring Shouto's up to his face so he can kiss his scarred palm warmly and directly. Lingering there with promise too as his eyes flutter calmly shut. ]

If that would help.

Edited 2023-03-05 18:56 (UTC)

[ No... not regular training. He couldn't call it training in the proper sense of the word, but with no idea what else to call it, he sticks with it. It's the first time he really spoke about it aloud. ]

It's...

[ He reaches for the closest word in his vocabulary. ]

Meditation.

Meditation? [ He pulls back to cock his head slightly to the side at that, something thoughtful clicking in his expression, before he lets his hand go. ]

Like trying to get in better sync with yourself?

[ He pulls back too, nodding in turn at the question. ]

It helps you know yourself. I can't replicate... [ he looks at him, skin gaining a bit of color ] so I meditate.

[ ...? Is that... ... is he a blushing? Just a bit?

... that is so incredibly charming somehow, and Allen blinks for a moment before smiling wide. He could be a little cheeky, but he won't and just holds the knowledge as something very dear in his heart. He gives a small nod, eyes warm. ]

An exorcist measures their strength by a synchronization percentage they have with their Innocence... something that only gets stronger when we understand better what are own desires are and it acknowledges that. If it's too low it won't listen to us and can backfire.

[ He's explained something similar before. His quirk, Innocence, is still a little odd to him, mainly because of that 'it' that seems to judge him. More and more it reminds him of Tokoyami and the relationship he has with Dark Shadow except Dark Shadow isn't supposed to be in control. ]

Is it ever wrong? Knowing what you want?

[ That has Allen tip his head to the side slightly, a little surprised by the question. Wondering the reason for the ask. But he smiles gently too. ]

Not "wrong" so much as... maybe sometimes we don't agree on the same course of action. But that isn't really normal.

If you want to fight with it, it forces you to be honest with yourself about why that is. What you want and what motivates you. It's not trying to tell you what that is, just make you face it. The power it magnifies and takes shape with is that of your heart, so it only makes sense you have to understand that first.

[ And then will decide if you're a worthy partner or not is left unsaid. But he reaches to squeeze Shouto's hand gently. ]

That's something that everyone has to struggle with at one point or another.

What power does it magnify in you?

[ That... isn't a question he's been asked before exactly, or had to consider so precisely, and he blinks. Considers it and the turn the conversation took as he steps back to lean a little against the counter, tugging Shouto lightly by the hand to follow. ]

I wanted to save akuma and humans both. What are Beasts and people here—

That's why my sword takes the shape it does.

[ Swayed by the faint tug of his hand, Shoto follows, stepping forward and catching sight of the book he'd laid there at the start. ]

A blunt sword.

[ He murmurs, following his line of thinking, only Shouto doesn't come from a world where swords are commonplace, so he asks what he's always wondered. ]

Why a sword?

[ Give him a moment and he'll remember they were supposed to have been baking cookies this entire time. The conversation just seems more important at the moment with how Shouto is asking about it. ]

A sword that only cuts the evil in something. [ It's a gentle amendment. But he chuckles a little sheepishly then, scratching at his cheek. ]

And I'm not sure... it seems a little silly sometimes when I was never a particularly good swordsman.

[ Evil... somehow that doesn't sound right to him. ]

It's not evil that you cut.

What you cut is its opposite.

?

[ Allen would be the first to admit he wonders about what his sword deems "evil", certainly, and has his own misgivings, but... ]

Corruption isn't exactly "good"...

It's not evil either.

[ Corruption itself kind of is in Allen's eyes, given what it is in his world, at least in the sense it's anti-good and there isn't anything redeeming about it in and of itself. And it isn't a person. But the point is also moot, and he gives a small helpless shrug with a wan and somewhat conflicted smile that's hard to read. ]

It is to the Innocence. [ It's not his decision how or why it cuts what it does, just his decision in how to wield it against what and for what he believes are the right reasons. For as long as it is something he can continue to use to do what good he can.

He leans forward to kiss his cheek very delicately, a gossamer touch. ]

We should start baking or we'll be very hungry.

[ Corruption, to him, feels like a natural disaster. There's no evil behind it. You guard against it to reduce the damage and when it strikes it's not a targeted attack. It is what it is.

The Innocence. Not an inanimate object, but a conscious being with a mind of its own. Shouto doesn't know what to think of it or the pact Allen made with it.

He looks up, no longer swayed by the affectionate gesture with those thoughts running through his head. He nods anyway, picking up the book behind him, and gets to work, a little distant, reflecting on the conversation as the day progresses. ]

[ The sad truth of it is it was a never even a pact he originally made or had any choice it. It was simply the way he was born. Two entities in one.

Or... three.

Allen's perceptive enough to notice he seems more in his own head and distant and connect it as likely because of the conversation, given how much Shouto had been asking about it. It hits him with a bit of a sad pang, but he shakes it off and doesn't say anything about it. Instead he just leans over with a quietly cheery air ask what he's doing from time to time as he works on the cookies, perfectly content to bear most of the effort of being conversational and steer them back towards holiday things as he makes a breakfast-lunch of noodles and, yes, dango because Viktor showed him how back after tanabata. Mitarashi so it's a very simple affair even he can manage just fine by now, but it's his favorite and he will absolutely insist if there's any day for them to have lots of their favorites it's Christmas. And he certainly makes a giant plateful like some people stack pancakes and intends it as an actual meal. But fine, there's fruit too. And he talks rather merrily about making fish for an actual dinner later, clearly in high spirits about everything food. Tim also eventually drifts back in sometime during this too, after having played with Kizu and likely napping a bit, bearing a hairtie in mouth for Allen who accepts it as a normal and expected thing and ties his hair up for the day. He chooses to sit on Shouto's shoulder after that, plump and with a surprisingly solid weight, and watches his every move as he works on making the cookies quite intently. He waggles his wings from time to time in encouragement.

Allen swipes tastes from time to time and Shouto might come to notice how he begins to hover hopefully when he wants to, opposite of Tim. Maybe partially to try and ward off a taste disaster, but more because that's his favorite thing to do when friends and loved ones bake. Although if he notices him do something particularly egregious like trying to crack eggs shells and all into the mix... he's going to swoop in rather hastily with some barely-concealed panic and nervous laughter to try and show him how to not end up with eggshell cookies. Although that's kind of the extent of his own knowledge. Don't ask him what sifting flour is either, he'll look over the recipe book with a pinched look of confusion as he tries to puzzle it out too.

Also he's going to very seriously tell him he needs to wear an apron too and will half get him in it himself if given half the chance. Very earnestly!!! Absolutely serious! You're not a proper chef unless you're wearing one!!

And if there is a taste disaster, he'll pull a bit of a face before very kindly pointing out that maybe they should add more of... something else. Probably sugar. And since Shouto will probably get them in to bake before Allen finishes, this time he asks him if he'd help him get everything else ready too and will point him towards anything else that still needs to be cut or chopped. That he will look over and watch!! With a surprisingly sly and perceptive eye!! And direct with gentle admonishments if he needs to do it more finely. As well as asking if he could heat up and cool things down quicker than they would on their own.

And even if there are disasters, his mood has recovered quickly and fully enough to just laugh at it like even that is something he truly enjoys. The whole experience and togetherness of it. ]

Edited 2023-03-11 20:22 (UTC)

[ It turns out the reason the book was so expensive, still unreasonable but not without its merits, was due to the level of detail that sprawled down the pages explaining techniques for each recipe. Shouto spends half an hour skimming through recipes, searching for one that doesn't scrawl over four pages. He earmarks a few two-pagers, flipping to the end before backtracking and weighing his options. Fixated on his mini project, thoughts of Innocence and its implications ebb into the background while he starts searching for ingredients and equipment looking crestfallen when he falls short three times. By the time he's on his sixth iteration of fruitlessly scavenging through the cupboards and fridge, he's a little surprised to find every item called for and quickly gets to work.

A pan hits the stove and in goes some form of cream and salt. He sets the flame to low as called for and lets the mixture warm up before setting it aside. He works efficiently, going back to read the recipe book, spread open on the kitchen counter next to the stove, every few minutes. It's a two-pager with 'Vanilla Crème Brûlée' neatly written on top.

He can hear Allen talking in the background, and nods every now and then when he's not trying to figure out what he's supposed to do next. Surprisingly, the more text on the page means, the less he can free-hand and do what he wants. The fact that the book is so detailed means he's boxed in with absolutely no lines like 'salt to taste' otherwise he'd put in way too much or too little. No, he's given an exact amount of salt to add and follows every step to the letter until he has the cream in 'wide, shallow ramekins'. He can't even free-style what he puts it in which is a very good thing otherwise, he would have opted to put it all in one bread pan.

There are indeed a lot of eggs to crack and there's less instruction here which means Shouto smashes one when he hits it too hard on a 'hard surface'. He cleans up the mess and tries again. This time, the cracking is better, but the pulling apart, not so much. He ends pulling the two halves apart with way too much force and the egg goes SPLAT! on the wall breaking the yolk as it slides down the wall. That too gets cleaned up. Looking very serious on his third attempt, he ends up cracking the egg and very carefully pulling it apart. Success! Now... how to seperate the yolk. He pours the egg in his palm and slowly opens his fingers letting the whites slowly fall into the sink like some kind of slime. He ends up breaking a few yolks still but at least they're separated from the whites! When he's done he washes the mess in the sink and his hands, including down his arm where the egg whites slid all the way to his elbow. By the time he's done separating the five yolks, his apron, courtesy of Allen's instance, is an eggy mess with random egg shell attached to parts of it. Thank god there's no flour in this recipe!

Allen may notice a few eggshells in the yolks and save himself from taking a spoonful of custard and hitting eggshells by removing them while Shouto is busy cleaning himself up in the kitchen sink. If he sees Allen trying to take a taste of the cooling cream in the pan, he'll be reprimanded. When he returns, sort of clean, he gets started on the second half of the recipe and is soon filling ramekins to the indicated height, yes it even tells him how much he should fill it. Ramekins filled, he sets them on a baking tray and starts pouring water inside the tray when Tim decides to land on his shoulder which has him go ramrod stiff. ]

Edited 2023-03-11 22:21 (UTC)

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