Work Text:
“Wanna order in?” Bakugo asked as he scrolled listlessly on his phone. “I’ll buy.”
Ochako’s sighed. “We’re wasting too much money eating out.”
“I’m fucking exhausted, Cheeks,” Bakugo replied, rubbing a hand over his face.
“Just because we’re making a decent salary now doesn’t mean we should be so careless with our spending,” Ochako said as she placed a napkin in her book to save her page.
Bakugo rolled his eyes. “Oh no, 40 dollars. How will we ever recover?”
“Don’t be a dick about it; we should be saving. The best way to save is to make food at home.” Ochako pointed out.
Bakugo leaned his head back against the seat of the couch. “That’s great and all, but after this shit week, I don’t feel like cooking.”
Ochako stood up from her chair and headed toward the kitchen. “That’s fine; I’ll make us something.”
“You?” He scoffed.
“Yes, me.” She answered back, annoyed.
Bakugo lifted his head from the cushion with a grimace. “I feel like seeing 30. I don’t know about you.”
She turned around, hands on her hips. “What makes you think I don’t know how to cook?”
“We’ve lived together for a year now. I haven’t seen you make anything other than toast and microwaved convenience food.”
Ochako threw her hands up in exasperation. “You don’t give me a chance to.”
“Says who?”
“Says me.”
“Weak ass counter,” Bakugo said with a laugh.
Ochako pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. “I’m serious. You always take over in the kitchen. Every time I try, you yell at me not to use this or that cause it’s for this dish. Then you boot me out and cook something for us.”
“Someone call the press. Dynamight feeds his girlfriend.”
She crossed her arms, attempting to remain calm.
“I get it. Cooking is like 90% of your love language. So can I please return the favor?”
Bakugo couldn’t help the smirk growing on his face. “I’ll keep Backdraft on speed dial.”
“You’re an asshole.”
Ochako went to the kitchen and dropped to her knees, and opened the bottom cupboard. She dug around the back of it, piquing Bakugos curiosity.
“Gotcha.” She pulled out three packets of instant ramen noodles.
Bakugo grumbled angrily and returned to his phone.
“Fuck this; I’m ordering out.”
She stood up from the floor, placing the packets on the table. “How about you go out to eat, and I invite Deku for dinner?” Ochako asked. A dirty move, but she had a point to prove.
He cocked an eyebrow.
“Is that a threat?”
“Nope.” She said smugly as she pulled out a pot. “It’s a promise.”
“I hate you.”
“Mhm.” She hummed as she poured a cup of water into the pot.
“You know those noodles are just empty calories.”
“If you’re going to be a sourpuss while I cook, you can see yourself off to the bedroom.”
Bakugo grunted in response and turned toward the television. “Whatever.” He mumbled as he turned on the tv.
Ochako hummed happily to herself as she browsed the fridge. “Oh, the leftover pork from Monday will be great for this.” She muttered to herself, grabbing the container from the refrigerator.
She piled the counter with random leftovers and two eggs. She dug around the pantry for her go-to sauces and stole a box of Bakugo’s favorite beef stock. Ochako poured it into the pot and tasted it. Nodding in approval, she grabbed a few seasonings from their spice rack. She sprinkled a few in and added one flavor pouch from the noodles. Once it began to boil, Ochako placed three packets worth of noodles into the pot.
She snipped off some green onions they had growing in a small cup filled with water on their windowsill. She lined them up on the cutting board and chopped them for her garnish.
“That has to be the slowest chopping I ever heard in my life,” Bakugo called out from his spot on the couch.
“Cry about it,” Ochako called back.
She threw the chopping board into the sink. She dragged out two of their larger bowls from the cupboard and began dividing the piping hot noodles. She poured the broth from the pot and arranged her ingredients into the bowls—a few pieces of pork here, a sprinkle of corn, some crumbled bacon, a handful of peas, and some nori. Ochako added a dollop of Bakugos homemade spicy chili paste into his dish. She grabbed a frying pan, turned on the burner, and added a bit of oil.
She waited patiently for the oil to heat up before cracking two eggs into the sizzling pan.
“You better not be using my good oil for a couple of measly eggs!” Bakugo yelled from his spot on the couch.
Ochako ignored him as she gently scooped the eggs and placed one in each bowl. She sprinkled some of the green onion she chopped earlier and some toasted sesame seeds. She wiped her brow, feeling accomplished.
Even if he bitched about their meal, Ochako was happy to finally get her chance in the kitchen and not waste food destined to go into the trash. Her frugal heart was singing.
She grabbed the bowls, walked to the living room, and placed them on their coffee table.
“Dig in!” She said happily, grabbing her chopsticks.
Bakugo sat up and stared at his bowl.
“I thought you were hungry,” Ochako’s said as she stirred around her peas in the broth.
“You made this?” Bakugo questioned as he stared at his bowl.
“Don’t be mean.” She said with a pout.
He grabbed his chopstick and poked at a few of the ingredients. “Isn’t this the pork I made Monday?”
“Yeah? It was going to go bad if we didn’t use it.”
Bakugo stirred his noodles as he looked through the broth. “You made it spicy?” He asked.
Ochako’s slurped up her noodles with a nod.
He picked a few strands with his chopsticks and brought them to his mouth.
Ochako watched as he chewed slowly, a bit anxious as to what his reaction would be.
“So, what do you think?” Ochako asked.
“It’s fine.” He said as he ate another bite.
“Oh.” She said, her shoulders dropped in disappointment. “Sorry, growing up poor, I had to be resourceful.” She sighed. “I guess you can order takeout. I’ll finish these.”
“Who said I wasn’t going to finish it?” Bakugo said as he stirred the chili paste into his dish.
“You said it was fine. You’re trying to be nice.”
“I wouldn’t eat it if I hated it. You made crappy 50-cent noodles edible. Be proud.”
He took another bite. “Just know I could have made this ten times better, though,” he said with a chuckle.
“You’re such an ass!” Ochako exclaimed.
“Mhm.” He said with a nod as he returned to his meal.