TL note: yasai means vegetables, vegetablebingu looked bad sorry
“Shaaaark.”
“What.”
“Eat the green peppers.” Yuuma pouts, and when Yuuma does that, Ryouga’s cheeks do that thing where they feel warm from secondhand embarrassment (and surely not for any other reason!) and Ryouga hates it.
“Never.” Ryouga crosses his arms. “Aren’t you the one who hates tomatoes?”
“And I got over it.” Yuuma grins happily. “So you can, too!”
Now Ryouga is creeped out. “…How? I mean, I don’t wanna do it, but how did you-”
“I dueled a guy who wanted to turn Heartland into Tomatoland, and- Then I just did. Kattobingu. Yasaibingu. Speaking of which, that guy’s last name was Yasai-”
“And now you like tomatoes?”
Yuuma nods enthusiastically. “They’re good! So I bet you’ll get over your fear-”
“-it’s not fear-”
“-of green peppers, too!” Yuuma
Ryouga doesn’t like red peppers, either, but green peppers are particular kind of bad. They taste bitter, their shade of green is awful- not like the emerald green of Ryouga’s gemstones on his jacket, but more like the color of what Vector’s soul would look like; maybe mildly lighter.
Green peppers suck.
Yuuma slices off the tiniest piece of a green pepper and holds it in front of Ryouga’s mouth. “No excuses, open up.”
“I’m not letting you feed me, Yuuma.”
“Why not?”
Yeah, why not?, a voice inside Ryouga’s head asks. Indeed, why not.
Yuuma continues, “Vector said you’d be more likely to agree if I was feeding you-”
Oh, that was why not. Ryouga sighs.
“Shaaaaaark.”
“No.”
“Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaark.”
“I said no.”
“Your sis said she’s leaking the baby photos-”
“Fine.”
Yuuma’s smile is worth it, and the next thing Ryouga knows is- did Yuuma’s fingers just touch my lips wait I’m not supposed to think that- green peppers are still awful.
“Shark, your cheeks are red, are you actually allergic-”
“No, no, I’m fine.” Ryouga coughs. “This still tastes awful.”
“But you tried, and that’s what matters!” Yuuma grins. “Onions next-”
Vector is obnoxious. He was obnoxious when he showed up after Yuuma brought everyone back, he was obnoxious when he moved into the room next to Ryouga’s without permission, and he’s still obnoxious when he digs his nails into Ryouga’s jacket as Ryouga revs up the engine.
“Nasch, go faster.”
“I just started driving, asshole.”
“Nasch.” Vector isn’t wearing a helmet- because the guy seeks death as much as death sought him before- and Ryouga can feel Vector’s mouth twisting into a pout on his back.
“I can throw you off, too.”
“You wouldn’t. Yuuma would be sad.”
“If I tell him I took the trash out, he won’t get it.” Ryouga does drive faster, if only because on Halloween night, traffic is awful and who has time to wait that long?
Vector giggles- “If it was me, I’d say ‘the trash can isn’t here, sorry’.”
“I’ll throw you off.” There’s a turn in the road, and Ryouga accelerates, taking some level of satisfaction in how Vector panics and grips onto him.
“You’re a terrible person, do you know that?” Vector sounds like he’s eaten something sour.
“Not as terrible as you.”
“Not a very high standard.”
“I forgot you take this as a compliment.” Ryouga sighs.
“I do. That said… This sure is cold.” Vector makes a shivering motion and Ryouga wants to make a comment about not enjoying being accidentally or intentionally groped, but instead-
“Your fault for going as your ace monster.”
“You’re literally wearing armor.”
Ryouga would go on about how actual armor and cosplay armor differ, but he’s proud of this costume and also not having this argument. “You have an actual staff.”
“You have a lance. Your point?”
“The lance can kill you, the staff can’t kill me.”
Vector laughs. “Wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
(Of course, they left the bigger props at Yuuma’s house, because Yuuma insisted that everyone, no exceptions, goes as their ace monsters. Vector somehow roped Yuuma into going as Hope Ray V and Ryouga is still mad.)
“You can try. Assuming you survive this.” Ryouga goes over the speed limit, because when doesn’t he.