Eventually, Flambae gets tired of seeing Waterboy bringing his sad little soggy unseasoned lunches to work, so one day, he takes it upon himself to share some of his own lunch with him. Waterboy doesn't actually eat a whole lot, so it's fine. This is one of the days where Flambae actually had the motivation to cook for himself or had leftovers from a family party, instead of bringing takeout or stealing someone else's lunch out of the fridge, so it's a little clamshell container full of delicious, home-cooked Afghan cuisine.
Waterboy loves it. Flambae's a fantastic cook, and it's not often that Waterboy gets to enjoy a good home-cooked meal ever since he started having to take care of his grandma. He thanks Flambae over and over as he absolutely wolfs down his share with a huge smile. Flambae's still acting under the guise of "pity," but even if he'd never admit it out loud, his heart is undeniably melted by Waterboy's gratitude.
This turns into a cute unspoken thing where Flambae starts cooking specifically for Waterboy, bringing them both Tupperwares of Afghan home cooking every workday so that Waterboy always has something filling to eat between shifts. Sometimes, Flambae even brings stuff that Waterboy realizes took a LOT of prep time to actually make. Waterboy starts to feel a little guilty now—because by this point, it's become pretty obvious that Flambae's whole "Oh, I had leftovers" thing is a lie—but Flambae is stubborn, and never lets him say no.
Waterboy feels bad that Flambae is getting the short end of the stick in this deal, but that couldn't be further than the truth. Flambae loves cooking, and more than that, he loves receiving compliments on his cooking (to stroke his own ego), which the famously kind, genuine Waterboy provides in heartfelt earnest. Flambae enjoys telling Waterboy about his culture and the fond memories associated with each meal he makes for them both, and Waterboy is always a very good listener. He'll never admit this to anyone, but most of all, Flambae likes seeing Waterboy smile so genuinely knowing it's because of him, and he likes ensuring that Waterboy goes home with a full stomach because he's so self-sacrificial and also isn't the most financially well-off (since he has to handle all of his grandma's care needs on his own).
The rest of the Z-Team catches on quickly, and they tease Flambae SO HARD about it! Flambae doesn't even cook this much for Prism, and they all know Prism is his ride-or-die. Flambae has a hard time admitting his feelings even to himself, though, so it's almost like everyone else at SDN knows Flambae and Waterboy are a thing... except for Flambae and Waterboy themselves.
When they finally do admit their feelings to each other, though, the cooking thing intensifies 200%. Food becomes one of Flambae's biggest love languages towards Waterboy, especially because he still has a bit of trouble being vulnerable and expressing his feelings even post-confession. Flambae will bring Waterboy special homemade desserts and treats during the holidays, and they'll eat them together between shifts. When Flambae wants to apologize for his temper or for saying something uncalled for, he'll first bring Waterboy a little snack or some fresh fruit to soften the blow without him having to worry about messing up with his words. Waterboy tries to mirror this behavior by occasionally bringing Flambae desserts from a local bakery or panaderia, or by saving up his money to take Flambae out to a nice dinner, since he's terrible at cooking himself.
When Waterboy eventually moves into Flambae's apartment, Waterboy becomes Flambae's dedicated taste-tester when he isn't sure exactly what a dish needs. Breakfast is the most important meal of their day—Flambae wakes up early to make them both a nice, filling breakfast, and Waterboy cleans up afterward because it calms him down and he knows Flambae hates when his kitchen is messy.
There's a tiny bit of relationship weight. Most of it is muscle, because Waterboy is actively training his strength to get better at hero work, but he does eventually notice his previously extremely lean figure starting to fill out with a little bit of softness from all of the home cooking he's been eating. He's a bit embarrassed and definitely pretty insecure about it, especially when his wetsuit starts to get a bit tight, but Flambae is always there to reassure him and comfort him, even if he's a little aloof about it. Plus, he says, he finally has an excuse to get Waterboy in a better costume.
