minutemen | 6 ❀ Summer Citadel

6 ❀ Summer Citadel

Beach. Everyone has been working so hard lately so why not take a break and enjoy the beach? You can make sand castles, play in the water, and there are even umbrellas for those who'd rather just relax in the shade. There's a nice row of water melons ready to be smashed later in the day and when the sun goes down, that's when the sparklers come out.
Suffering. It's the hottest time of the year and the citadel doesn't have central air conditioning. The few air conditions that were installed have given up on life after being used so much and now, we really have to make do with what we can while the Konnosuke try to fix it. There's a limited number of fans, plenty of ice cream to go around, and the citadel should be built to circulate air, right? ... Right?!
Spooks. In Japan, summer is a time for horror. Gather around the camp fire and hear some spooky ghost stories or maybe head out into the woods just outside the citadel for a good ol' fashioned test of courage. It's all good, harmless fun! Of course, with so many spirits gathered in one place, what's to say a stray or curious outsider spirit won't join the mix...
Rain. Summer is also known for sudden and torrential downpours of rain. The clouds always seem to grown and darken suddenly and the next thing you know, it's raining sheets and the ground is shaking from thunder. Once it starts, it never seems to stop. Maybe you were caught out in the rain or maybe this is day 7 stuck inside.
Other! It's summer and there are tons of things to do. Go to the general store and stock up on ice cream, wake up in the middle of the night uncomfortable with heat, or run around screaming because cicadas are dying and flying at your face.

[Ichigo is almost done with his part when he feels Mitsutada's gaze on him, and he sees that he's hardly started.]

Do you need help with your part?

[ oops... He had been staring for a little too long, hadn't he. Mitsutada just chuckles as he scratches at his cheek. He might as well play it off, so Ichigo didn't feel too uncomfortable...]

Sorry, I was admiring your cutting skills. Working with a smaller blade can't always be easy, but you do it wonderfully.

[He looks down at the knife in his hand.]

My cutting skills with a smaller blade...?

[His cheeks turn a light pink.]

I guess I must have been spending too much time with my brothers...? [One of them is literally named 'kitchen knife' after all!]

Perhaps that's what it is then? Because you seem to handle it like a pro in the kitchen.

[ He just gives Ichigo a warm smile before turning back to what he was doing in gathering up ingredients to put together. ]

Really? Thank you for thinking so, Mitsutada-dono. I'm sure you're much better at it though.

[He watches him for a moment then goes back to tidy up his work. That's when he notices that he's perhaps prepared too many strawberries... Well, it would be okay to eat one then.

Mmmm~ What a very juicy and delicious strawberry~! Ah, he's got some strawberry juice on his fingers now. It would be such a waste not to lick them, and so that's what he does...]

[ Mitsutada turned his head again, finding in hard to not watch him while he was in the kitchen. What he wasn't expecting to find was Ichigo licking his fingers...! He dropped one of his dry ingredient measuring cups on the table (luckily it was plastic) and his hand goes to his face instead.

Aruji take the wheel...]

[Ichigo was contemplating whether or not he should to eat another strawberry when he heard the dropping cup and looked over.]

Mitsutada-dono, are you all right?

Y-yes yes I'm fine. I was... just thinking ahead in the recipe and got lost in thought.

[ He hoped that sounded believable enough. ]

Oh... okay. Well, I’m all done cutting the strawberries.

[He just going to idly pick up another strawberry to eat and lick his fingers again afterwards as they’re just so tasty~]

Thank you, Ichigo. Honestly that makes it a lot easier for me.

[ He's going to turn around and find all of them gone, isn't he??

Mitsutada chuckles softly as he starts to mix up ingredients for the outer part of the mochi. ]

I have some red-bean paste sitting on the side there if you'd like to cover the strawberries with it.

You’re welcome!

[Well, not all! There are still hopefully enough left as he stops eating when he’s given his next instructions.]

Okay.

[He washes off the residual sweet stickiness from his fingers then goes about covering the strawberries with red bean paste.]

[ With him taking care of that, it made it a little easier for him to stop letting his mind wander too far and so he was finally able to finish mixing up his dries and wet ingredients to make a nice mochi outside.

He was even humming a little to himself.]

[After Ichigo was done with the mixture, he decided to try a bit of it to make sure it tasted all right. At least he's using a spoon this time? Then he scooped a bit and held it out to Mitsutada.]

Mitsutada-dono. Does it taste okay?

[ He leaned over to the spoon and without thinking took a taste of it from there as if being fed by Ichigo. ]

Mmmm yes. That's perfect. It'll taste even better when the whole thing is put together.

[Ichigo was slightly surprised Mitsutada just ate it from the spoon like that. He didn't even hold it up to feed him, but he didn't feel quite as flustered as the first time he'd accidentally (?) fed Mitsutada. Perhaps this was their thing now - him just casually feeding Mitsutada!]

Is it ready to be put together yet?

[ It didn't even occur to him that this might be considered strange. He'd probably stop if Ichigo seemed bothered by it, but since he didn't mention anything it just kept happening. ]

Mmm. I think it's finally ready to put together.

[Ichigo didn’t really mind it. It was really embarrassing at first but now he was kind of okay with it? It would certainly be interesting to see how the rest of the citadel reacts when it becomes so natural for them that they just do it in front of everyone!

He moves the bowl of strawberry and red bean paste filling over.]

Can you show me how to do it?

[Won't that be a surprise when the others see. Hopefully Ichigo's brother's don't want to beat Mitsutada up over it!!

He nods with a warm smile and reaches in to grab one of the strawberries, covering the whole thing with the bean paste except for the tip of it. He already got the mochi outer layer cut and flattened into pieces and wraps the strawberry that was already covered in the paste into the dough and pinches it off at the top. ]

It's fine if it doesn't look just right.

[They'll probably witness something really innocent too. Ichigo and Mitsutada are probably just hanging out, trying out some new snacks Aruji has given them and Ichigo finds one he really likes and gives Mitsutada a bite to try.

The tantous won't beat him up, they'll just come interrogate him in the middle of the night after Ichi-nii is asleep about his intentions and warn him not to break up their big brother's marriage..

At least Mikazuki is really chill, maybe??

Anyway, cooking is Ichigo's weakness, no matter how he tries, it just never comes out right... or perhaps he's just too much of a perfectionist. He focuses hard on the task at hand, but he's not too happy with how his first one turns out nor is he happy with the second one... And he now looks a quite frustrated...]

[ Guess that means he'll have to sleep with one eye open huh? OH WAIT.

Mitsutada watches his face scrunch up like that and can't help but find it a tiny bit adorable. He wasn't used to seeing such frustrations on his face. Still, he really shouldn't let him get this angry with his food making so he leans over a little to watch him. ]

[Poor poor sleep-deprived dragon. Here, you can nap on Ichigo's nap, he'll protect you~!]

Mitsutada-dono... what am I doing wrong...? Why won't i-

[He turns round and he freezes, his cheeks heating up when he realized Just how close Mitsutada's face is to his!]

[ His hero~! ]

It looks to me like... perhaps you're focusing too hard on it. Sometimes it's just easier to do it slowly and casually if that makes any sense?

[ He doesn't even notice how red Ichigo was becoming, shifting a little closer to move his hands over Ichigo's to help him mold it. ]

Oh... I’ll try... not trying so hard then...

[It’s getting too difficult to concentrate anyway with Mitsutada so close to him, wrapping his arms round him and holding his hands. Ichigo tenses at first but soon relaxes and lets Mitsutada manipulate his hands, he also leans back a bit against him. Sometimes, being shortened has its advantages, like now, because the other tachi is able to wrap round him perfectly~!]

[ He smiles softly to himself as he continues slowly manipulating the way Ichigo's hands move. With a few more moves he stops and has his open his hands. ]

See you did it.

... yes, that does look much better.

[But he's no longer really interested in the mochi, he just wants to be held like this a little longer. He takes hold of Mitsutada's hands.]

... please don't go yet.

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