MCA #4, Tuesday Evening

[myownface]

Sparkle was frowning at his phone as he looked, not for the first time, at the text that Atton had sent him yesterday. It said, ever so helpfully, a nice, straightforward, NOT DEAD. Sparkle, being Sparkle, had texted back and equally straightforward, ASSHOLE. Because goddammit, Atton, you didn't have to fucking scare him like that, okay?

At least today he had a pretty good distraction all lined up. Company to cook for, which meant that he was at least somewhat distracted from his worry by things that needed to be chopped and simmered and actually watched, because like hell he was going to burn down the apartment the very first time he decided to cook something for Leto.

It wasn't anything super fancy. Not really. He was a decent cook but he was no Dr. Lecter or anything, after all. And honestly, he didn't trust himself enough tonight to try anything more complicated than a pasta dish. But spaghetti was hard to mess up, and chorizo made anything good. Mostly anything good. It definitely made spaghetti good, anyway.

He looked at his phone again and screwed up his face at it before he tucked it back into his pocket. Leto would probably be here soon, and there was sauce to stir.

[OOC: Expecting one!]

Comments

[future_sandworm]

Leto was happy to be a distraction from Sparkle's worries, not that he knew that he was when he knocked on the door. And there was no need for a fancy dinner, he looked forward just to be sharing a meal in good company, and leave behind some very annoying demands (demands?!) by House Hagal. They shouold know better, and when in a better mood he would let them know that.

[myownface]

Oop, there was the knock he'd been waiting for. Sparkle set his spoon to the side, turned the heat down on the sauce, covered it, and went to answer the door.

He was grinning, at least, when he saw that familiar face. There we go, that was what he'd needed, tonight.

"Hey, Leto," he said, stepping out of the doorway. "Come on in, good to see you. How's it going?"

[future_sandworm]

"It's good to see you too, and it's good to be here." Leto smiled at Sparkle as he entered, and leaned in to kiss him lightly.

He'd leave the politics for tonight and deal with it tomorrow. Ghanima would no doubt come up with a good solution that they would have a lot of fun elaborating together.

[myownface]

See? Kisses! Exactly the sort of greeting Sparkle had been hoping for, in fact, as he leaned back up to meet that kiss.

And this right here? This was why Leto was basically the best company he could have hoped for tonight. Sparkle's smile was a little broader as he leaned back again and licked his lips.

"It's good to have you here," he shared. "The island is a way better place whenever you're on it."

Even if the whole space road trip thing it was doing was kind of cool. It was the company that mattered.

[future_sandworm]

Leto laughed softly, squeezing Sparkle's hand. "My sister says it's a bad idea to flatter me," he teased. "But don't let that stop you. How have you been?"

[myownface]

Ah! As if Sparkle would ever stop flattering Leto! Some of his favourite memories with him came directly after some shameless flattery, after all.

"I've been... worse. I have definitely been worse," he decided, his smile going a little crooked for a moment. "Atton's taken off somewhere, and I lost a friend a few weeks back, but besides that I can't really complain. You know you missed one of those weekends where people's clothes were wandering off? The island has some great views on weekends like those."

There had been some honesty in there. DIVERT, DIVERT.

[future_sandworm]

Leto was quite happy to be flattered by Sparkle, especially shamelessly. It was such a difference from the kind that was constantly offered to him at court.

And it didn't take a truthsayer to know that there were things Sparkle didn't want to talk about, but Leto would let that be his choice.

"I'm sorry about your friend," he said gently. "And I hope Atton will return safely. I got the impression that he is someone who can look after himself though."

Smile widening into a grin, he added: "And I'm glad to hear the island offered you some amusement. You should have let me know." That last part was mostly teasing, but Leto couldn't resist.

[myownface]

Sparkle kind of let himself cling to that. Atton could look after himself. Yeah. He'd be fine.

"Well, I was a little busy chasing the stock around at the store. It was making a break for it." Because of course it had been. Thanks, Fandom. "If I'd been thinking about it, I would have at east sent you a picture."

He'd wound up in nothing but a bight yellow skirt. Because his pants hadn't been worth that battle.

[future_sandworm]

"I can understand that you were busy, then," Leto might not reach Sparkle's level of shamelessness, but the look he gave him was in that direction. "I hope cooking is less of en effort, even if it lacks the pretty view."

[myownface]

"Nah, it was fun," Sparkle replied, grinning. Hey, a shameless look? Like he needed the encouragement. "I could lose the shirt while I finish up in the kitchen, if that's a request, you know."

Especially since all the parts where he might splash grease on himself were done already.

[future_sandworm]

"Not a request as such, but...," Leto replied teasingly . If Sparkle really wanted to take his shirt off he was welcome to, but it wasn't like Leto was going to insist. It seemed a little rude.

"Oh, I forgot, I brought this," he added, offering Sparkle a bottle of wine. "I understand it's customary for a guest to bring the wine."

[myownface]

"Ooo!" Excuse Sparkle for a moment, Leto. He needed to be kind of delighted by the fact that he was making dinner for somebody, and that somebody had brought wine.

This was literally a first for him. In his entire life.

"Thanks," he said, expression brightening as he accepted it. "This'll go great with dinner. Uh, I forgot to ask, do you like spaghetti?"

Please like spaghetti, Leto. Sparkle would actually consider making a whole new dinner from scratch if you said no.

[future_sandworm]

Leto had no knowledge of wine in this time, but he had figured that expensive was better than cheap so that was what he had bought, hoping that Sparkle would find it acceptable. It would have been a surprise to him that no one else had done this before.

"Oh, yes I do." Leto looked cheerful. "Ghani and I have ordered Italian takeaway sometimes." When they didn't order pizza. Neither was available on Arrakis.

[myownface]

"Oh thank god," Sparkle said, all in a relieved sort of exhale. "It's going to be a little bit hot, because of the chorizo, but the rest of the sauce and stuff kind of balances that out. And the wine will help."

Because wine helped a lot of things, mostly.

[future_sandworm]

"Oh, I have no problem with hot food," Leto said, reaching out to lock his fingers with Sparkle's again. "Or the lack of spicy. I'm just happy that you wanted to cook for me."

It was very rare that he was invited to a dinner like this even if he possibly invited himself.

[myownface]

Oh. Oh. Okay. That was good, then. Sparkle relaxed a little more, hanging on to Leto's hand, and ducked his head a little bit with a smile.

"Well, you know... any excuse to spend more time with you."

Shameless. He was shameless even when he was worrying needlessly about the food. It was an interesting trick to pull off, but Sparkle was definitely the guy for the job.

[future_sandworm]

How could Leto resist that? He locked his fingers with Sparkle's, wormskin against human skin. "I find that there are meny reasons to share a meal. Do you need any assistance?"

[myownface]

"I've got the food mostly handled," Sparkle replied, smirking just that little bit more, "but I wouldn't turn down company in the kitchen while I finish up in there. I still need to boil the pasta."

That was the easy part, really. And boring. A distraction would be great.

[future_sandworm]

"That I can manage," Leto said, laughing. "Lead the way."

[myownface]

"Right through here," Sparkle said, leading Leto into the kitchen and setting the bottle down on the counter as he went. "Sorry there's nowhere to sit in here. Apartment kitchens, you know? But you should be out of splash radius or whatever even if you come in a bit."

Sparkle was a messy cook, and spaghetti sauce was a messy thing to cook. Cleaning came after the cooking was finished and he was meticulous about it, but unless he was cooking in somebody else's kitchen, the splatter zone was completely a thing.

[future_sandworm]

Leto didn't have much experience with apartment kitchens, but he just leaned against the wall, not really out of the splatter zone. He had been helping with the cooking in Sietch Tabr together with Hania; it wasn't like he couldn't deal with that.

"Should we start drinking that now?" he asked, gesturing at the bottle. "Or is it supposed to strickly go with the dinner?"

[myownface]

"I think since it's just the two of us, we can make up the rules as we go," Sparkle decided, detouring briefly to pull two glasses from the cupboard. "I'm curious about it, and where's the fun in waiting, right?"

[future_sandworm]

Leto hardly thought Sparkle would ever consider that kind of etiquette important, so he had assumed they would agree on this. He reached for the bottle and looked around for a corkscrew.

"There's nothing fun in waiting, is there?" Leto smiled, half to himself.

[myownface]

"Well, some waiting can be fun," Sparkle noted, and then gestured with his stirring spoon to the drawer with the corkscrew in it. "It just depends on what you're waiting for. And how you frame it."

[future_sandworm]

Sparkle was right in that, of course, but it was more fun to question it. "Oh? And what would you like waiting for?" Leto asked, rummaging through the drawer and continuing to open the bottle.