Cooking? No, Thanks

The morning sun filtered through the curtains as Save lay sprawled on the couch, lazily scrolling through his phone. Auau had already left for the gym, again, as usual, leaving Save to enjoy his alone time though he'd never admit he was starting to get used to having someone else around.

Just as he was about to doze off again, his phone screen lit up with an incoming call.

Dad.

Save groaned, already knowing this wouldn't be a pleasant conversation. He hesitated for a moment before sighing and answering.

"What now?" he muttered, putting the phone to his ear.

His father didn't even acknowledge his grumpy tone. "Have you started learning how to cook yet?"

Save blinked. "What?"

"I told you before, Save. You're married now. You can't expect your husband to do everything. Have you even stepped into the kitchen since the wedding?"

Save rolled his eyes. "I have stepped into the kitchen. To grab snacks."

"That's not what I meant!" His father's voice grew firmer. "You need to learn basic cooking at least. What if Auau comes home late? What if you need to take care of him one day? You can't survive on takeout forever, Save."

"I can and I will," Save retorted, crossing his arms.

"Save." His father's tone dropped to that serious, no-nonsense voice that always made Save feel like a scolded child. "This isn't just about food. It's about taking responsibility in your marriage."

That word responsibility made Save's jaw tighten.

Marriage was already something he hadn't chosen for himself. Now his dad wanted him to cook for Auau too? What next? Wash his clothes? Make him tea every morning?

"Are you even listening to me?" his father asked when Save didn't respond.

"Nope," Save said flatly. And then, without another word, he ended the call.

He tossed his phone onto the couch and buried his face in a pillow.

Cooking? Not happening.

Even if he were to learn, it wouldn't be because his dad told him to.

It definitely wouldn't be for Auau.

...Right?

Save had barely gotten comfortable again when his phone rang again.

He groaned loudly, not even needing to check the screen to know who it was.

Sure enough, Por.

Save let the call ring a few times before finally answering. "What do you want?!" he grumbled.

Por's amused voice came through immediately. "You ignored Dad, didn't you?"

"Obviously," Save muttered.

"He told me to call you."

"Of course, he did."

Por chuckled. "You know, you're just making it worse for yourself. He's going to keep bugging you until you give in."

"Then he can bug me forever, because I'm not doing it."

Por hummed thoughtfully. "What if Auau asks you to?"

Save scowled. "Why would he?"

"He's a doctor, Save. He's probably busy. Don't you think it'd be nice if you knew how to cook something for him when he comes home tired?"

Save refused to answer.

Por took his silence as an opportunity to tease. "Ohhh, are you thinking about it now? Imagining yourself being a sweet, caring husband?"

"Shut up."

Por laughed. "Fine, fine. I won't push you. But just so you know, Dad's not giving up on this."

"Yeah, well, neither am I," Save shot back before hanging up.

Tossing his phone aside once again, he huffed and crossed his arms.

Why was everyone suddenly acting like he had to become some perfect, doting husband?

Just because he was married didn't mean he had to change.

After five minutes, his phone rang again. This time, the caller ID showed Teetee.

Save groaned, dragging a pillow over his face. "Can't they all just leave me alone?" he muttered before reluctantly answering the call.

"What now?" he snapped, not even bothering with a greeting.

Teetee's calm and gentle voice came through the line. "Wow, Save, that's how you answer the phone? I'm starting to see why your dad is worried about you."

Save rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Tee? Aren't you supposed to be drowning in college work or something?"

"I am busy," Teetee said, his tone laced with amusement, "but Por told me about the whole 'learning to cook' thing, so I thought I'd check in."

Save groaned louder this time. "Why does everyone care so much about this? It's not like I'm going to starve or anything!"

"True, but it's not just about food," Teetee pointed out. "It's about showing effort in your marriage. Auau's a good guy, isn't he?"

Save hesitated, not liking where this was going. "...So what?"

"So," Teetee continued patiently, "he works hard, and I'm guessing he doesn't have much time to think about meals. Wouldn't it be nice if you could do something for him once in a while?"

"Ugh, not you too," Save grumbled, flopping onto his back. "Why is everyone acting like I have to become some housewife now?"

"No one's saying that," Teetee said gently. "But cooking is a basic skill, Save. It wouldn't hurt to try. And who knows? Maybe you'll even enjoy it."

"Doubt it," Save muttered.

Teetee chuckled softly. "Alright, I won't push you anymore. Just... think about it, okay? Por and I can always help you out if you need it."

Save stayed quiet, glaring up at the ceiling.

"Okay, I've got to get back to class," Teetee said. "Take care, and don't stress out too much."

"Yeah, yeah," Save muttered before ending the call.

He tossed his phone onto the couch, his frustration bubbling over.

Save groaned into the pillow again.

"Stupid marriage," he muttered. "Stupid cooking. Stupid everyone."

He didn't even realize he was pouting.

Save sat up on the couch, staring at the ceiling as the thoughts from all the calls bounced around in his head. Dad, Por, and even Teetee, why did they all care so much?

But as much as he hated to admit it, their words had started to gnaw at him.

What if I do try? Just once. Not because they told me to, but because I want to prove I don't need anyone's help.

With a heavy sigh, Save got up and shuffled toward the kitchen, dragging his feet the whole way.

When he reached the fridge, he stood there for a moment, staring at it like it was his mortal enemy.

"Well," he muttered to himself, grabbing the handle, "let's see what I'm working with."

He opened the fridge and scanned the contents. Eggs, milk, some vegetables, a tub of butter, and a random assortment of sauces. His eyes narrowed at the neatly organized containers, obviously Auau's doing.

Save frowned. What even goes together?

Reaching in, he grabbed a carton of eggs and placed them on the counter. Then he pulled out some vegetables he could actually name onions and tomatoes and set them next to the eggs.

He stared at the ingredients like they were pieces of a puzzle he didn't know how to solve.

"Okay... eggs and vegetables," he mumbled. "People make omelets all the time. How hard can it be?"

Save reached for a pan, but his movements were hesitant. He wasn't even sure where to start.

He turned back to the fridge, wondering if there was anything else he could add, when he spotted a small handwritten note stuck to the door.

It read: "Save, don't forget to eat something. P.S. You're cute when you pout."

Save blinked, his face heating up. It was definitely Auau's handwriting.

He grabbed the note, crumpling it in his hand as if that would make the warm feeling in his chest go away.

"Stupid," he muttered, but his lips betrayed him with the smallest of smiles.

Turning back to the counter, he picked up the pan with new determination.

"Alright, let's do this," he said to himself.

Even if I burn the kitchen down, at least I tried.

Save stood in front of the stove, the pan heating up in his hand as he cracked an egg with one hand, not entirely sure if he was doing it right. The egg shells made a soft crack as they split, and a few small pieces of shell fell into the pan. Save winced but shrugged it off.

"Eh, no one's perfect," he muttered, flicking the shells out of the pan with a spoon.

Next, he reached for the onion and tomato, chopping them up as best as he could. His knife skills were... questionable at best, but he was trying. As the onions hit the pan, they sizzled loudly, and Save took a deep breath, feeling like a real chef for the first time in his life.

"Okay, this doesn't seem so bad," he said, his voice tinged with a bit of pride. The smell of the onions cooking filled the air, and Save's stomach growled in response.

He tossed the chopped tomatoes into the pan, watching them soften and mingle with the onions. The eggs were slowly coming together, a mixture of vegetables and eggs that almost resembled an omelet.

"Not bad... not bad," he muttered again, a tiny grin tugging at his lips.

As he stirred everything together, he felt a small sense of accomplishment. Sure, it wasn't gourmet, but it was something. The frustration from earlier seemed to fade, replaced by a quiet satisfaction.

Save paused for a moment, his gaze drifting to the note from Auau still sat crumpled in his hand. He couldn't help but feel a little... soft again.

He shook his head. "Stop thinking about that," he muttered, turning his attention back to the pan.

Finally, after a few more minutes, the dish was ready. Save plated his creation with all the care he could muster, looking at the eggs with vegetables on the plate in front of him.

"Okay, I did it," he said, his voice a bit more uncertain this time as he stared at the food. "Now the real test... can I eat this?"

He grabbed a fork, poking at the eggs before taking a bite.

It wasn't the worst thing he'd ever tasted. In fact, it was... fine. Not great, but not awful. Just fine.

"Well, I guess it could be worse," he said, sitting down at the counter. He took another bite, this time chewing a little slower, appreciating the effort that went into it.

Save's mind wandered for a moment this wasn't so bad. Maybe cooking was something he could do, after all. Not every meal had to be perfect.

He took another bite. "Maybe I'll even get good at this," he thought, the tiniest hint of a smile pulling at the corner of his lips.