Jessie's smirk matched his in strides. She laughed, raising her eyebrows.

"Do it again."

She wanted to see if he'd actually make good on that comment or not.

"I'll take a glass of wine."

Coming behind him, she peered around his much larger frame, which blocked most of the fridge from view.

NIKO MANNER

☉

"yes, ma'am."[break][break]

his smirk is lost to the dim white light of his fridge that washes out across the kitchen floor. he reaches for the bottle of wine, pops it open, and then pours it into two glasses.[break][break]

"here you go. i only have red, but apparently it's meant to be really good."[break][break]

not that he would know. he normally never drinks wine.

[attr="class","ooc"]Jessica Manner[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Humored, Jessie decided that it was enough to please her. For now. She chuckled, taking a step back as he pulled a bottle of wine from the fridge.

"Red is fine. Thank you," she said, reaching for the glass with both of her hands.

The taste of the alcohol warmed her, a nice sensation running down her throat, her chest, to her stomach. She hummed as she leaned against the counter, making sure the soup wasn't boiling over.

"What's your favorite thing to eat?"

NIKO MANNER

☉

the red wine goes down smoothly without much resistance, perhaps aided by the fact that it's been sitting in the bottle for about twenty years. is that how it works? niko's not sure.[break][break]

"instant ramen, i guess."[break][break]

it's definitely instant ramen.[break][break]

"i used to eat it a lot when i was a kid. i try not to let the kids eat it too much, but they love 'em, too."

[attr="class","ooc"]Jessica Manner[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

"Instant ramen? You don't make a meal?"

Jessie couldn't help teasing him. But of course, with her here, she'd make sure he'd eat more than just instant ramen.

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to come cook you some food so you can have something other than instant ramen all the time, then. And so you can save a buck or two," she said, nodding at herself as she crossed her arms over her chest.

No changing her mind, she decided as she sipped the wine.

NIKO MANNER

☉

"you really think i can cook anything else?"[break][break]

he can't, and it's not for lack of trying. maybe she'll find out someday when she inevitably falls sick and the role of chef has to fall to him. but then again, he'd likely just get takeout.[break][break]

"that...sounds nice. you sure you don't mind cooking for me?"

[attr="class","ooc"]Jessica Manner[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Jessie hid her laugh in the glass of wine, her amusement muffled as she sipped from it again. She dared not answer his question, rather letting her silence be her reply.

"Well, I don't mind cooking if it's for you. And..."

She balanced her glass in one hand, walking closer to him. Leaning closer, she smirked, as though she had caught her prey.

"I'm sure you'd compensate me nicely- shit!"

Jessie's flirting was cut short as she noticed the pot threaten to boil over, running over to turn down the heat and move it aside. She sighed, her pounding before she looked back.

"It's done."

NIKO MANNER

☉

niko would compensate her nicely. it's a shame she never gets to finish her thought.[break][break]

with a chuckle, he follows after her, grinning.[break][break]

"perfect."[break][break]

after plating, they're met with a choice of whether to eat at the dining table, which niko has barely used since moving in, or the couch.

[attr="class","ooc"]Jessica Manner[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Jessie opted for the couch. The table seemed almost too formal.

Not to mention, she wanted to sit beside Niko. She liked the occasional brushes they had, their shoulders, the legs, whatever it was between them.

"I hope you like it."

She settled in the spot of her choosing, though she didn't dig in. Rather, she waited, watching him intently to see what his reaction would be.

NIKO MANNER

☉

niko is definitely not a picky eater. even then, he understands flavors well enough to know when a dish is good and when it's bad. where would jessie's soup fall?[break][break]

choosing not to be cruel and dragging it out, he takes a spoonful of soup, and digs in.[break][break]

"gods..." not that he believes in them. "this is fuckin' amazing."[break][break]

he breaks out in a chuckle, grinning as he goes back for more.[break][break]

"mmmmmm."

[attr="class","ooc"]Jessica Manner[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Jessie blew onto her spoon, making sure she wouldn't burn her mouth as she took a bite. It brought her back to her childhood, when she'd get sick with the cold or flu.

She was glad she was able to replicate it decently enough. She hummed contently, leaning further back into the cushions of the couch while balancing the bowl so it didn't spill.

Jessie couldn't help but laugh when he cursed, pleased at his reaction. She grinned, watching him eat.

"I'm glad you like it. If you think of something else you want to cook, I can come up with a grocery list and stuff."

NIKO MANNER

☉

"do you want, uh..."[break][break]

he clears his throat.[break][break]

"do you want me to cook for you sometime? i can't promise it'll be good but i'll try."[break][break]

it only seems fair. plus, the idea of him cooking for her does make him feel a bit warm. it's an odd feeling, that.

[attr="class","ooc"]Jessica Manner[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-ditto"]

Jessie took several more bites from her bowl, though she was ever the lady as she ate. She hummed as she ate before he started to talk, looking over at him.

Her eyebrows showed her surprise. She would be the first to admit that she didn't think he'd ever offer to cook her something. However...

The idea was certainly welcomed.

"Sure! I-I'd love it!" she answered quickly, nearly spilling the bowl in her lap.

She blushed from her excitement, biting her lip to hide her embarrassment before nodding and smiling.

"I'd like that. A lot."

NIKO MANNER

☉