Nina Ironfist could do a lot of things. She could kill monsters a hundred times her size, keep up pace with vampires and, apparently, even get her shit together enough to organize and run a defense force full of people she did not know from various different worlds.
She could not, it seemed, make a steak dinner to save her fucking life. It probably didn't help that she barely knew how to use a modern-ish stove, along with the fact that she was trying to also make all the sides. The kitchen was full of smoke, swearing, and the loud clang of pots and other various objects being thrown around the room as Nina screamed in frustration.
Maybe she could fix it by the time Jeritza got back (nope).
Jeritza is returning from an uneventful patrol. He enters the house quietly, sets his scythe against the wall inside the door, and begins to unlace his boots. Immediately, he hears the crashing, clattering and cursing coming from the kitchen. Is Nina in trouble? He pauses his unlacing to step in with his boots on, enough to look into the kitchen. It's an absolute mess and something smells like it's burning.
She didn't expect him back. As much was obvious by the yelp that came when he spoke so suddenly and the loud bang of her hand smacking against the counter top, dropping the ladle she had been holding.
"No!" She shouted reflexively, turning around to glare at him, cheeks flushed, hair messed. The steak was absolutely burning. "You're not supposed to be home yet."
Nina frowned. They didn't have a clock in the house and she judged it by the sun anyway.
"Don't—" before she could stop him she heard a splash as the boiling pot of potatoes started to overflow. "God dammit!" She turned the burner off, fumbled for a potholder, and shove the pot back so it could settle.
Nina ripped the potholder off her hand and threw it across the room. "Fuck! Why is this so fucking hard!?"
She is so... Angry. At food. It's a little amusing, but her frustration at not being able to complete this task without making a mess is understandable, he supposes. He gently puts one hand on her back, and one on the side of her shoulder.
"My dear. Take a breath." His voice is low and measured as ever.
Nina was ready to start punching things. Nearly punched Jeritza when he touched her, but managed to keep herself in check. My dear, she could barely even register how tender and cute that was while frothing with rage and her own ineptitude.
She took a breath; entire body shaking, voice low. "...this was supposed to be for you."
He notices how her hands twitch when he touches her, like she'll hit him. He wouldn't be surprised if she did, but it doesn't concern him. His hand rubs her back in attempt to soothe.
"For me...?" He looks at the pan and pot again. Steak and potatoes, among other things on the side. The two of them tend to cook very simple meals, if anything, and it's clear she was putting a lot of effort into this meal for some reason.
"I did not ask you to cook all of this..." He says in confusion. If it angered her so to do it, why did she bother?
At this, Jeritza actually smiles, exhaling a tiny laugh through his nose. He turns Nina to face him, tucking hair behind her ears, and kisses her forehead.
"That is sweet of you, Nina. I appreciate your efforts."
He glances to the stove.
"I am sure we can salvage this. I do not mind char on my meat."
Nina was clearly still frustrated, but that probably wasn't a surprise, given her nature. It might have been more annoying that Jeritza was so forgiving and understanding, actually, because it made her feel like she really was being irrational and she hated that.
"I think I did more than char it..." She muttered. "But we can try. Thanks."
She felt so stupid and useless now, just standing beside him while he fixed her mess. There was also a pot of broccoli that needed to be steamed, and she thankfully hadn't had the chance to try and figure that out yet.
"Yeah, tell me about it." She muttered. "I'm not much of a cook anyway. I never... I mean I just don't make fancy meals."
"I am not either." He mostly always was cooked for, being from a relatively noble life, except when he was a vagrant and just stole bread from shops. He stares at the pot of broccoli for a moment, wondering what to do with it. He's not exactly sure how to cook broccoli. It's in a pot, though, so he puts a little water in and puts it on a burner to steam it. Then he begins to meticulously tidy the things Nina threw or spilled across the kitchen.
"You know more than me, at least." She said as she looked around. She really fucked the place up, didn't she? A pot hurled across the room, various utensils in places they did not belong, water on the floor. "You don't have to do that." She said, moving to hurriedly pick up the mess herself.
Quietly, he continues picking things up anyway. Once things are back in order, he leans against the counter to watch the stove while things cook, allowing her space to keep prepping things if she needs to. He realizes then that his boots are still on and half-untied, so he goes back to unlacing them.
"I am glad you decided to cook. I am very hungry. The patrol was uneventful and tiresome." He almost wishes something would have happened to sate the knight. And relieve his boredom.
Her mess cleaned, Nina went to work cutting off the too-burned bits of the steak, managing to salvage a little more than half of it. All they had to do after that was wait for the potatoes and broccoli.
She sighed. "Sorry it's boring out there lately." Nina reached down to take his boots once he was done uncaring and removing them. "On the other hand — glad you're home. I miss you when you're gone."
Oh.
That was embarrassing. Nina's eyes widened at her own comment and she quickly hurried to put his shoes away.
Her anger doesn't phase him, nor does her intensity. If anything, they balance each other. He can stay calm in most situations to help her through her anger, and she can make him feel things he wouldn't otherwise give himself a chance to feel.
Nina just nodded awkwardly. "That's... good, I guess. The last thing I ever want to do is scare you off because I'm ridiculous and loud and angry all the time. Although I feel less angry when I'm around you these days."
Nina closed her eyes with the kiss. Jeritza was too sweet sometimes — to the point she simply did not know how to handle it. She set her hands on his hips, leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder.
"Fair point." She replied with a soft chuckle. "Thanks, Jeritza. I think I can handle the rest of dinner, if you want to set the table for us?"
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sforzinda
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Date: 2024-08-23 08:27 pm (UTC)She could not, it seemed, make a steak dinner to save her fucking life. It probably didn't help that she barely knew how to use a modern-ish stove, along with the fact that she was trying to also make all the sides. The kitchen was full of smoke, swearing, and the loud clang of pots and other various objects being thrown around the room as Nina screamed in frustration.
Maybe she could fix it by the time Jeritza got back (nope).
no subject
Date: 2024-08-23 09:26 pm (UTC)"... Do you need assistance?"
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Date: 2024-08-23 09:33 pm (UTC)"No!" She shouted reflexively, turning around to glare at him, cheeks flushed, hair messed. The steak was absolutely burning. "You're not supposed to be home yet."
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Date: 2024-08-23 09:53 pm (UTC)"My patrol finished at six. It is six-twenty."
He moves to take the smoking pan off the burner. He's no chef, but he doesn't want the cottage to go up in flames.
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Date: 2024-08-23 09:58 pm (UTC)Nina frowned. They didn't have a clock in the house and she judged it by the sun anyway.
"Don't—" before she could stop him she heard a splash as the boiling pot of potatoes started to overflow. "God dammit!" She turned the burner off, fumbled for a potholder, and shove the pot back so it could settle.
Nina ripped the potholder off her hand and threw it across the room. "Fuck! Why is this so fucking hard!?"
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Date: 2024-08-23 11:16 pm (UTC)"My dear. Take a breath." His voice is low and measured as ever.
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Date: 2024-08-23 11:33 pm (UTC)She took a breath; entire body shaking, voice low. "...this was supposed to be for you."
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Date: 2024-08-24 05:38 am (UTC)"For me...?" He looks at the pan and pot again. Steak and potatoes, among other things on the side. The two of them tend to cook very simple meals, if anything, and it's clear she was putting a lot of effort into this meal for some reason.
"I did not ask you to cook all of this..." He says in confusion. If it angered her so to do it, why did she bother?
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Date: 2024-08-24 12:54 pm (UTC)Her cheeks were beet red and blazing hot now. She huffed out a breath and looked down at the mess on the stove. "I was trying to be romantic."
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Date: 2024-08-24 04:58 pm (UTC)"That is sweet of you, Nina. I appreciate your efforts."
He glances to the stove.
"I am sure we can salvage this. I do not mind char on my meat."
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Date: 2024-08-24 05:11 pm (UTC)"I think I did more than char it..." She muttered. "But we can try. Thanks."
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Date: 2024-08-24 06:35 pm (UTC)"We'll simply cut off the petrified bits. And these other parts of the meal are still fine."
He turns the burner back on for the potatoes, carefully adjusting the heat so it isn't too high.
"This stove takes some getting used to."
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Date: 2024-08-24 08:27 pm (UTC)"Yeah, tell me about it." She muttered. "I'm not much of a cook anyway. I never... I mean I just don't make fancy meals."
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Date: 2024-08-25 12:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-08-25 12:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-08-25 02:53 am (UTC)"I am glad you decided to cook. I am very hungry. The patrol was uneventful and tiresome." He almost wishes something would have happened to sate the knight. And relieve his boredom.
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Date: 2024-08-25 03:22 am (UTC)She sighed. "Sorry it's boring out there lately." Nina reached down to take his boots once he was done uncaring and removing them. "On the other hand — glad you're home. I miss you when you're gone."
Oh.
That was embarrassing. Nina's eyes widened at her own comment and she quickly hurried to put his shoes away.
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Date: 2024-08-25 04:03 am (UTC)"Do you?"
But she's leaving the room by the time he says it, and he has a moment to think before she comes back.
"I suppose I miss you as well."
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Date: 2024-08-25 04:07 am (UTC)"Ha... good. You know, sometimes I think I might be too much for you, given my... everything." A motion to the disaster in the kitchen.
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Date: 2024-08-25 04:18 am (UTC)"Your 'everything' does not bother me."
Her anger doesn't phase him, nor does her intensity. If anything, they balance each other. He can stay calm in most situations to help her through her anger, and she can make him feel things he wouldn't otherwise give himself a chance to feel.
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Date: 2024-08-30 04:06 pm (UTC)Nina just nodded awkwardly. "That's... good, I guess. The last thing I ever want to do is scare you off because I'm ridiculous and loud and angry all the time. Although I feel less angry when I'm around you these days."
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Date: 2024-08-31 05:31 pm (UTC)"I am not easy to scare. Do not worry about that."
He reaches a hand out to gently clasp the back of her neck and draw her slightly closer, kissing the apple of her cheek.
"You accept all parts of me, including the ridiculous and angry one." That being the Death Knight, of course. "Why should I not do the same for you?"
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Date: 2024-09-01 05:55 am (UTC)"Fair point." She replied with a soft chuckle. "Thanks, Jeritza. I think I can handle the rest of dinner, if you want to set the table for us?"