@pear1ridged , benji: “Let me show you how.”
food has never been something all that accessible to him, most of his life spent fighting for scraps, leftovers, whatever he could get his hands on. cooking wasnt an option, most of the time the kitchen had been a place of nightmares — in his fathers home, the room with knives and tools that can leave burns was far from safe. asking for help was something that he never allowed himself to do, forcing himself to get by in whatever way he could.
but then benji came along.
what was supposed to be a one time hookup had turned into something much bigger, the past few months being filled with things tate never could've expected. his first ever home cooked meal was the biggest shock, the boy sobbing for so long that the food went cold, something that only made him cry more. reassurance and reheating had saved that night from being a total disaster, and somewhere along the line benji had picked up on enough cues to know how badly tate needed this.
he's always nearby, leaning on the counter and watching as benji cooks. theres something so unreal about it all, the house alone feels so far from where he should be. its far too nice, feels warm and cozy and safe. tate doesn't know how to handle that, just follows benji around awkwardly and tries to follow his lead. he shouldn't be surprised by benjis offer, anyone paying attention would know that benjis been working on this a while, trying to help tate get to a better place, adjust to a better life.
theres a few stutters of protest, but then before he knows it hes in benjis arms and being gently guided on how to hold the knife and where to hold the carrot and just how far apart the slices should be. it feels so fancy, so complicated. compared to what he's used to this is a five star dining experience, and the thought that he could be capable of making it himself feels entirely insane. but he lets benji guide him, tries to push back the feelings of inadequacy, tries to push away the desire to get defensive and run away. this isn't a big thing, but its a big deal to tate, and even allowing it to happen proves just how much he trusts benji, just how much this means to him.
