Here For His Not!Waifu

[melted_stone]

Nephrite (or Sanjouin Masato, as he was known now), watched the stove with bated breath, his heel bouncing up and down off the ground impatiently. Ami-chan had been down lately, so he did one of the few things he knew to cheer up: make her food. His last attempt at baked goods was a mitigated disaster, but he really thought he had it this time

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[myownflow]

"Eh? Masato-kun?" Ami steps into the other room and into the rather unprecedented sight of Nephrite - Sanjouin Masato - with an apron and cake.

She can't help a tiny giggle. "It smells better than mine," she admits. Probably looks and tastes better, too.

[melted_stone]

"N-no way," he manages, happy to see that she liked it, "You know I love your baking, Ami-chan." He pulled out a chair at the table so Ami could have a seat. "Aaah, I have to start the frosting," he muttered, running around the small kitchen.

[myownflow]

Right. She knows what he thinks of her baking. But her smile widens at that comment anyway. He only says it at all to cheer her up, and that's what makes it so important from a boy who's usually so angry.

"I still want to eat it," she tells him cheerfully.

[melted_stone]

"Of course," he said with a nod, pulling out some cocoa powder from the cupboard, "Oh! Good news: I found a job!" Supporting himself (and eventually Ami)? Yes, please.

[myownflow]

Ami grins immediately, half coming to stand on her toes as she brings her hands up to clap a few times. "Congratulations," she tells him in English.

It probably hasn't occurred to her he's thinking about supporting her. They're still young!

"Where are you working?"

[melted_stone]

"I'm part of a cleaning crew in this large building," he replied as he started to mix the frosting in a bowl, "It's small, but... it's a start." It was hard, for a man who had no real identity, to get something higher, but damn if he wasn't going to try. "It's a nighttime job, so I can be home and around during the day. I get days off too, of course." He began to stir the mixture in the bowl, slowly adding sugar.

[myownflow]

One way or another, they're going to end up committing identity fraud or something like that before this is over, Ami worries. Well, they can cross that bridge later.

"It sounds good," she says to be encouraging. She eyes the cake, but avoids any sneaky sampling and stays standing near the wall instead.

[melted_stone]

"It is!" he insisted, examining the contents of the bowl carefully before adding some milk and stirring again. He seemed so focused on the frosting, as if there was nothing more important to worry about. Then again, that's how he approached everything.

[myownflow]

She just can't help it; he makes her smile. It feels like she's always holding back, in one way or another, for some reason or other, always something - and then to see someone just seize everything and run right into it like every little thing he does is all there is-

Sometimes, it's not good. She has to persuade him to calm down before he gets so overenthusiastic that something goes wrong. But she kind of wishes she could be more that way, too.

She pushes those thoughts pleasantly to one side as she offers to help: "I can finish that if you want."

[melted_stone]

Masato blinked. "Oh, sure," he said with a nod, stepping aside to give Ami room to work. A collaborative cake effort? He approved.

[myownflow]

Double approved! Ami carefully rolls the long sleeves of her school uniform up to keep them out of the way (and un-cake-battered) and steps up right beside Masato.

"Here, I'll stir it," she says tactfully before he can fling batter everywhere with his Power Stirring(TM).