Craving for hot pot be upon ye
Meant to be a non-canon excerpt to the same au as this and this
The moment Nightmare ladles the hot pot in her bowl, Dream shovels every ingredient into her mouth. The soft, chewy mushrooms, the thick, chewy udon noodles, the bouncy, chewy shrimp, the crunchy, chewy bean sprouts, the smooth, chewy tofu the squishy, chewy nappa cabbage, the savory, chewy slices of beef--
Nightmare, ladle still in hand and eyes wide, laughs softly at the sight. "Slow down, it's not going anywhere."
Dream, cheeks stuffed with food, pauses her chewing. And of course, she complies with a grin, the warmth of the soup and her sister's love filling her soul.
With a serene smile, her older twin refills the younger's bowl before serving a portion to herself. But unlike Dream who dislikes spice, her sister adores it. She switches ladles and takes care not to splash the bright red soup, bubbling yellow-orange foam with the same ingredients in Dream's mouth bobbing across its surface, to avoid cross-contamination.
Dream watches as her sister fills her bowl, then settle down beside her.
She swirls her soup with her spoon, upturning the contents within. With a clink, her spoon rests on the rim of the bowl as the liquid settles.
One hand holding onto her chopsticks, the other holding her sleeve back and tight to her arm, she gingerly picks up a Szechuan soaked slice of beef. The crimson spices, seeped into the spaces between the glistening rainbow gilded grain, drip and ripple across her steaming soup.
Gracefully avoiding any droplets falling on the table, she dips her chopsticks into her shallow sauce bowl. Nightmare coats the top of her beef with... a mix of oyster sauce, scallions... cilantro, something.... another thing, more pepper maybe, and black vinegar... before she raises and delicately places it in her mouth--
"Can I kiss you?"
"Hm?"
Nightmare turns her way, the ends of her chopsticks still touching her tongue. When Dream stares on at her, expectant of a kiss, her eyes furrow downward, unamused.
"Please?" Dream insists.
"Hmmm." Nightmare dissents with a low growl.
But nonetheless, as Dream creeps over her, she swallows her food and places her utensils down. She leans back and turns away, impatient with Dream's impatience.
Dream giggles, embracing her sister and trapping her in place. Her older twin doesn't return the hold. Instead she glances away, back at Dream, and then away again, blushing and embarrassed. Her mouth curved downward in a frown.
How utterly adorable!
Dream's core wants to burst out of her chest, sneak it's way into Nightmare's and snuggle against her sister's being.
Instead, Dream finally claims her kiss. Her tongue poking out---
Dream recoils, falling backwards and knocking her chopsticks to the ground. Her soup rises like the sea and falls like the rain, food landing on herself, the table, and the floor.
"Spicy!" Dream rasps, with actual tears. She tries to breathe but only coughs as the inside of her nose starts on fire. "Gah!!" And now it's gone done the wrong pipe! Dream chokes and writhes.
Nightmare blinks twice in surprise before bursting out into laughter. She's laughing at Dream's suffering! Her wife's laughing at her! And Dream's always into it, but she needs to be conscious to appreciate it!!
"Here." Nightmare holds a cup of water to Dream's mouth, hand shaking from the force of her muffled giggles. Between coughs her twin guzzles the liquid down.
When finished, Dream lays still a while, catching her breath.
Nightmare affectionately smirks at her, stroking her cheek with a finger.
Ah... Dream wants another kiss again. Ah... don't go...
Nightmare returns with both a handkerchief and a towel. "Don't use your sleeve." She chides fondly.
"Hrmm." Dream grumbles, laying her arm back down. Her sister gently dabs at her face, wiping it clean of tears and soup broth.
"Come on now, get up." Dream finally sits up, surrounded by mess and soup.
So pitiful. The older sister puffs a small laugh. "You can change and clean yourself up, if you'd like," Nightmare offers.
Dream stands and slinks away, doing so. The sticky clothing has a mushroom stuck to her shirt, which Dream plops into her mouth in lieu of a trash can.
When she returns, Nightmare has wiped the spill up and disposed of any food from the table and seat. The bowl has been returned to its upright position, with soup, clean utensils, and everything. "We can clean the rest after we eat, how does that sound?"
And Nightmare smiles, content and unworried. She returns to her meal, now filled with laughter and smiles.
Fuck, she's perfect.
Dream sits beside her, her bowl full of warm food. Again, and again. Her sister has warmth ready for her.
"Can I kiss you?"
"Nope," Nightmare decides with a smile, "You already got a kiss, and look how that turned out." She emphasizes the floor with her chopsticks.
"Please?" Dream begs.
"Hm, maybe later."
Later? Kiss later! Yay! Rawr! Growl! Foam at the mouth! Excitement--
"Eh-- Eat your food!" Nightmare shouts, slamming her utensils down on Dream's head.