What's Worth Saving (Is Never Worth Letting Go to Waste)

Chapter 3: It's Buzzcut Season Anyway

Tommy has lived in Kinoko for six days. On that sixth day, he finally (accidentally) lit something on fire.

In his defense, it wasn't actually his fault. Sapnap asked his help with cooking dinner, and Tommy obliged. He figures it's the least he can do to help out, especially since they'd given him a home again. So he thinks that at least helping make dinner would be a good way to show his appreciation. 

He wonders if agreeing to help Sapnap was a mistake. He was floundering in the kitchen, mumbling to himself and pulling out the most random ingredients. He keeps casting fervent glances at the door, as if he was doing something outside the law. Tommy lifts a brow, unimpressed.

"Do you cook often?" Tommy asks, watching Sapnap struggle to pull out one of the soup bowls.

"Well... Technically, yes." Sapnap answers after a moment of hesitation.

"But?" Tommy prods, hearing the unspoken words echoing in his voice. The demon says nothing, coughing into his arm.

"Moving on." Sapnap says with a clap. "I want to surprise Karl and George, so let's be quick and quiet." Tommy lifts a brow, but doesn't comment further on whatever is going through Sapnap's mind.

"Understood." Tommy says with a salute. He dips down and opens one of the cabinets. He pulls out some bowls, placing them on the counter. Sapnap hums to himself as he lights the stove, barely batting an eye as the flame sputters to life.

"What're you thinking of making?" He asks, tilting his head. Sapnap had placed a pot on the stove; probably soup, if Tommy had a guess.

"Soup." He confirms Tommy's suspicions with a nod. "It's the safest option." Tommy blinks. What.

"Safest option for what?" He demands, mouth parting in a slight shock. What on earth? Sapnap grimaces, eyes glazing over in a flashback that Tommy cannot see. He stands in awkward silence as Sapnap remembers, lips pursed.

"Safest option to avoid committing arson." He says finally. "I don't want to repeat the steak incident."

"What steak incident?" Tommy asks, almost afraid to hear the answer. Sapnap clears his throat, clapping once. 

"Not important!" He says cheerfully. "I have utmost faith that nothing will go wrong, and everything will be great, and this soup will be amazing." Tommy lifts a brow.

"You sound awfully unsure there, boss man." He observes. Sapnap laughs, although it sounds nervous over anything else. Like the classic, oh haha, we're going to die, kind of laugh.

"I swear it'll be fine. It would be very hard for me to light something on fire making soup." Sapnap declares. "I mean, unless I scoot the pot over the wrong direction and I touch the fire and it jumps to the curtains." Tommy blinks, once again dumbfounded.

"It sounds like this isn't the first time you've lit something on fire while making soup." He point out dryly.

"Whatever Karl said was fake." Sapnap grumbles. "I was making pasta."

"Uh... I didn't get that from Karl." Tommy says awkwardly. "I got it from this conversation, as in, what you just said." Sapnap grimaces again.

"Oh." He says with a small chuckle. "Well, uh, I promise not to do it again?" Tommy raises a brow, unimpressed with his fumbling promises.

"Sure." He says, patting the demon on the shoulder. "And I'll be ready with a water bucket." Sapnap sniffs, turning his chin to the air.

"Unnecessary." He declares, leaning against the stove. Tommy opens his mouth to warn him, but Sapnap shakes his head. "I made a personal vow that I would revoke my kitchen and prove that I am worthy of cooking once more."