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Rook carefully poured the cooked ground meat into the molds of the letters, already coated in pasta dough, filling each one halfway before putting more dough on top. He sang at the top of his lungs as he did so, in a fairly good mood.
Vil walked into the kitchen, groaning about how loud Rook was when he cooked and why was this the one thing he decided to do so early in the morning when other people were trying to sleep?
“Veuillez me pardonner,” Rook hummed through a light laugh. “I seem to have gotten so caught up in the wonder of the naturally transformative art of cooking that I have forgotten myself.” While he was speaking, the meat filled pasta letters went into a simmering pot of water.
Vil sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “No no, I’m glad someone’s getting some enjoyment out of this morning.” Rook opened his mouth to apologize again, but Vil held his hand up. “No, I do mean it. Besides…” He stared into the pot, trying to figure out what exactly Rook was doing. “I’m curious as to what you are making.”
The letters floated in the water. “Well, I’m making some ravioli letters, as I’ve been craving alphabet soup.” Upon seeing Vil’s confused face, he chuckled. “This is the way it was made in my house, when I was young.”
Vil closed his mouth and nodded, taking a step back as Rook used a slotted spoon to fish the ravioli out of the water and onto a tray. Rook returned to his song, humming instead of singing now, and Vil cracked some eggs to scramble. Eventually, all the food was cooked and Vil went to do his morning skincare routine. Epel woke up a few minutes later, stumbling down the stairs and talking about the crazy dream he had had last night, which Rook listened to attentively. Vil returned just to hear the tail end of the tale, shaking his head in fond amusement at the familiar scene.
They all got ready to eat, Rook plating the eggs and some bread and placing them on the table. Vil got a bowl so he could serve himself some soup. “Will your love be joining us for breakfast today?”
Rook looked over at him and startled. “Ah, no, we went our separate ways yesterday.” He gently took the bowl from Vil and looked away slightly sadly.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Vil’s gaze went from Rook’s face to the bowl of soup and back again. “I assume you wish to have the soup yourself?”
“Yes, if that would be alright,” Rook admitted with a small chuckle. Vil assured him that it was fine and they all sat around the table, eating their breakfasts and having pleasant conversation.
Eventually, Epel sighed. “It’s such a shame y’all broke up. They were so lovely to have around.”
Vil hummed. “I agree, however now may not be the best time to bring that up.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “And pay attention to your conjunctions.”
Epel mumbled an apology and Rook laughed lightly, taking another bite of his soup. “It’s fine, truly.” He swallowed the mouthful of soup and continued with a soft smile on his face. “If it helps any, they’ll always be with me, in my heart.”
After breakfast, they all pitched in to put the dishes away, then Vil went off to a photoshoot and Epel went off to a Spelldrive tournament, leaving Rook in the house alone.
He finished cleaning up, wiping down the tables and taking the trash from that morning out, finally finishing up and sitting in the living room.
The first couple days were always the hardest, but as soon as the soup was gone, it got better. Still Rook preferred to have something to do with his hands so he called up Trey to ask if he’d mind if he dropped by to help out in the bakery. Trey said it’d be fine as long as he wasn’t planning on setting the bakery on fire again, and Rook protested that that was only one time through a torrent of giggles.
Once he’d hung up, he pulled on something good enough to leave the house in and texted Vil and Epel to tell them he might not be home when they got home.
As he stood in the doorway, he looked at the cooling soup pot and sighed. This was simply a new beginning, and he would make the most of it.