Tea and Honey
Title: Tea and Honey
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: slight Pein/Zetsu if you squint
Rating: G
Word count: 556
Summary: This only really makes sense if you're up to date on the manga. XD; So this also entails a massive spoiler warning to boot.
Nagato was not one to have a sweet tooth.
Yahiko, he remembered, would go out of his way for a sweet dumpling. Always with a smile on his face and his purse ready and open. That was years ago, and Yahiko no longer needed to eat or drink. Konan brought Nagato his meals now, at least most of the time. Most of the time, he didn't bother with food. It didn't concern him.
But apparently it did concern Konan enough to have Zetsu cook instead.
Zetsu, as far as he had been able to discern, had a strong sense of smell and a penchant for coming up with the most bizarre--but tasteful--methods of cooking. Considering what the man had been eating when they had first met, he supposed he could understand why Zetsu went out of his way to make certain foods taste better.
The man was very professional as well...not a word had been spoken since he had lifted the first morsel to his mouth. Nagato appreciated the silence that had settled around them, allowing him to savor each piece in perfect harmony. He recognized the flavors of the fish and small potatoes, the tiny carrots no bigger than a walnut, all of it tender and easy to swallow. All seasoned mildly, the fish in a sauce whose flavors he couldn't isolate.
Zetsu thought well of him, and that was what mattered. Loyalty was one thing. Fondness was another.
As he slowly drank the tea offered him, he noticed something...odd.
It was bitter, true. But less so tonight, a mild sweetness mellowing the flavor of the tea. Slightly sour as well. It wasn't honey or sugar.
He tilted his head back as Zetsu set aside all the dishes, considering the warm feeling in his stomach and the sweet aftertaste in his mouth. "I enjoyed your meal."
"Thank you. Is there anything else I can do for you? Anything at all?"
Nagato's eyes slid open, considering the bicolored man's face. "What was in my tea, Zetsu?"
The reaction might have made a lesser man nervous. Nagato was not a lesser man, but the thought of being poisoned was not a pleasant one. He wasn't sure if Zetsu's body language read poison, but it did suggest embarrassment rather than the fear of being caught. But he was patient, and would wait as Zetsu fumbled for an answer.
"The tea was bitter."
Well, that was certainly amusing. "I know. What did you use to sweeten it? We don't keep honey in stock."
More odd behavior. Not making eye contact, a bit less careful with the dishes.
"Zetsu. What was in my tea."
Zetsu stopped, sighing in defeat. Wordlessly he gestured to the slightly glistening pink interior of one leaf. The nectar smelled vaguely sweet, with a touch of sour.
Nagato settled back into a relaxed position. "As I said, I enjoyed your meal. You are free to go."
He suspected there was a reason why Zetsu kept his white left half out of his sight as he retreated with the dishes. He suspected a blush...the now pink tip of an ear was proof.
"I told you so."
"Ssh!"
As Zetsu's bickering receded from audibility, Nagato licked at his lips in curiosity. Sweet and sour...Zetsu didn't taste half bad.
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: slight Pein/Zetsu if you squint
Rating: G
Word count: 556
Summary: This only really makes sense if you're up to date on the manga. XD; So this also entails a massive spoiler warning to boot.
Nagato was not one to have a sweet tooth.
Yahiko, he remembered, would go out of his way for a sweet dumpling. Always with a smile on his face and his purse ready and open. That was years ago, and Yahiko no longer needed to eat or drink. Konan brought Nagato his meals now, at least most of the time. Most of the time, he didn't bother with food. It didn't concern him.
But apparently it did concern Konan enough to have Zetsu cook instead.
Zetsu, as far as he had been able to discern, had a strong sense of smell and a penchant for coming up with the most bizarre--but tasteful--methods of cooking. Considering what the man had been eating when they had first met, he supposed he could understand why Zetsu went out of his way to make certain foods taste better.
The man was very professional as well...not a word had been spoken since he had lifted the first morsel to his mouth. Nagato appreciated the silence that had settled around them, allowing him to savor each piece in perfect harmony. He recognized the flavors of the fish and small potatoes, the tiny carrots no bigger than a walnut, all of it tender and easy to swallow. All seasoned mildly, the fish in a sauce whose flavors he couldn't isolate.
Zetsu thought well of him, and that was what mattered. Loyalty was one thing. Fondness was another.
As he slowly drank the tea offered him, he noticed something...odd.
It was bitter, true. But less so tonight, a mild sweetness mellowing the flavor of the tea. Slightly sour as well. It wasn't honey or sugar.
He tilted his head back as Zetsu set aside all the dishes, considering the warm feeling in his stomach and the sweet aftertaste in his mouth. "I enjoyed your meal."
"Thank you. Is there anything else I can do for you? Anything at all?"
Nagato's eyes slid open, considering the bicolored man's face. "What was in my tea, Zetsu?"
The reaction might have made a lesser man nervous. Nagato was not a lesser man, but the thought of being poisoned was not a pleasant one. He wasn't sure if Zetsu's body language read poison, but it did suggest embarrassment rather than the fear of being caught. But he was patient, and would wait as Zetsu fumbled for an answer.
"The tea was bitter."
Well, that was certainly amusing. "I know. What did you use to sweeten it? We don't keep honey in stock."
More odd behavior. Not making eye contact, a bit less careful with the dishes.
"Zetsu. What was in my tea."
Zetsu stopped, sighing in defeat. Wordlessly he gestured to the slightly glistening pink interior of one leaf. The nectar smelled vaguely sweet, with a touch of sour.
Nagato settled back into a relaxed position. "As I said, I enjoyed your meal. You are free to go."
He suspected there was a reason why Zetsu kept his white left half out of his sight as he retreated with the dishes. He suspected a blush...the now pink tip of an ear was proof.
"I told you so."
"Ssh!"
As Zetsu's bickering receded from audibility, Nagato licked at his lips in curiosity. Sweet and sour...Zetsu didn't taste half bad.