Cole's cooking headcannons
Cole first began cooking when his mother's health started getting worse.
He was young and inexperienced, and without proper guidance it was nearly impossible for him to learn even the basics, let alone follow recipes.
Lilly was bedridden and couldn't help him even though she really wanted, and Lou had no experience himself, not to mention how busy he always was.
Cole never realized how terrible his cooking actually was before joining the team because he had gotten used to it.
Everyday until Lilly died he was the one preparing meals for her and she never had the heart to tell him, she appreciated the effort and love he's put into it.
When he joined the team he was proud of his cooking because he was still recreating (or at least trying to recreate) the meals he remembered Lilly making before she got sick.
Cole always knew they didn't taste right, but it was one of the very last things that made him feel closer to her.
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By the time you joined the team Zane was basically the only one cooking, and even that was rare because most of the time everyone would just order take out. It was easier that way.
The first time you tasted Cole's cooking was during one of your midnight snack runs. He was in the kitchen, trying to cook as quietly as he could manage. He was hesitant to offer and had warned that you may not like it, he knew most people could barely swallow one bite. But you were hungry and eating something cooked by your boyfriend felt so sweetly domestic. The instant shock and confusion on his face when you went for a second bite made your chest tight. Sure, it tasted a little off, but it was nowhere near the descriptions others have given you, and it was still good. More importantly, it was homemade, warm, and clearly he's put a lot of love and passion into it. Safe to say you've gotten plenty of kisses that night after you finished an entire helping.
After that it became a tradition of yours. Every time you happened to be in the kitchen when Cole cooked he would always offer for you to try it. You could tell he was still unfamiliar with someone being this eager to eat his food, but you could also tell how excited he was. It always broke your heart a little and you made sure to compliment him every single time.
With time, you could see Cole getting more confident. He began cooking more, trying out more recipes. Eventually you stopped eating any take out because he would offer to cook for you everyday. You loved every part of it. The thoughtfulness and love he put into his cooking, but also the spark in his eyes every time you asked for seconds.
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One night you found Cole standing over the stove on the verge of tears, clearly frustrated. You hugged him for a long time before he relaxed in your arms and explained what happened. Turns out he's been trying to get a specific dish Lilly used to make right for ages now. He thought that since he's been getting better he could finally make it just like she used to, but to no avail. No matter what he did he couldn't remember her original recipe, only bits and pieces that stayed in his memory from when he used to watch her prepare it.
That night you stayed up with him separating the dish into multiple containers and trying different spices and extra ingredients in each one. It took a lot of tries and a bunch of internet research for "game changing ingredients that will make your meal taste like home!", but eventually you got it right.
You've never seen Cole cry so much, let alone while stuffing his face with something he's cooked. It tugged at your heart to see your ever so calm and rational boyfriend in this state. But you understood and stayed by his side.
“She would have been proud,” has earned you a broken sob, “and so am I” made him set the bowl down to pull you into his arms, whispering soft thank yous into your hair.
Hello I'm super sentimental and I've never written anything before and my grammar sucks but I hope you like it🥹 I've started requesting this trope from writers after writing the first part of this because I genuinely love it so much but couldn't get myself to finish it earlier so here we are now!!❤️🩹
IM OPEN TO CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, PLS HELP A GIRL GET BETTER🙏
