It was the silence in the kitchen that gave away something was off. The kitchen was always noisy with the clatter of dishes and people talking and shouting. There was rarely ever any down time there as the kitchen staff were either preparing for the coming meal or cleaning up after the previous one.
Byleth opened the door and there was the kitchen staff standing on one side. Some were still working, since truly the kitchen could not stop, but most were staring the intruder who had commandeered a stove. In front of it stood, His Majesty, King Dimitri of Fodlan looking very focused and a pensive Dedue who was watching the proceedings with silent disapproval.
“I was wondering where you went.” Byleth said, making the entire kitchen jump.
“Your grace,” The head chef began nervously.
He gave him a little reassuring nod, but focused on Dimitri, who looked at him and smiled, “Right on time, beloved, I am almost done.”
Byleth joined him and saw some sort of white fish being cooked in a sauce, steamed vegetables, and rice. It was simple, but Dimitri was not the most experienced cook. It was only for their anniversary that Dimitri would disrupt the kitchen and attempt to cook him a meal. Byleth had told him he did not have too, but he insisted.
“It looks lovely.” Byleth said, kissing his cheek.
Dimitri grinned at him and continued working. He watched the fish with far more intensity than it deserved, but it was sweet knowing it would be for him at the end. He assisted with a pinch of salt, but he had a feeling he was far too late to rescue the dish.
Dedue looked pained, but he stopped attempting to assist Dimitri after one disastrous attempt to cook together. Dedue kept wanting to add more spices than Dimitri was comfortable and more than what the recipe called for, which unsettled Dimitri. It was probably the one time he heard Dedue and Dimitri snapping at each other as they worked around each other. After that, they agreed to not cook together again.
Soon, to the relief of the kitchen staff, the food was plated and they headed to the family quarters for a private meal. He loved their quarters, which were warm, bright, and normally were filled with the sounds of children. However, their children were at the Fraldarius estate as an anniversary gift to them and for the first time since Lambert was born, they truly had it to themselves. Dimitri had a small spread already set up for them, though he took it upon himself to add a few of the best flowers from his garden. Soon they were both settled and ready to eat.
Dimitri watched as he took the first bite. Everything was cooked properly, but was just a bit under-seasoned. However, it was warm and cooked just for him and knowing Dimitri tried made the simple dish that much better. Byleth looked up at him and smiled, “It is wonderful, thank you.”
Dimitri gave him another sweet smile. “Happy anniversary, Byleth.”
https://archiveofourown.org/works/26045833 Here is the second (and last) One-shot that I wrote for M!Dimileth week, hope you’ll enjoy it if you decide to read it !
