((A/N: ohgod i hope i did this right. *ahem* Hey hey! um. I haven't written in a very long time, but I've had so many plotbunnies flying around that I just HAD to try to get back in the saddle. Posted it to tumblr first, then decided to post it here. Gave this a teen rating for language. Despite what I'm known for, it's not a pairing fic! SURPRISE! Sorry if this came out horrible, but I HAD to get the idea down!))
----
“Order up!”
Cilan heard his flame-haired brother give him that indication that yet another customer’s order was done cooking and was ready to be taken to their table. With a smile, he stepped into the kitchen to receive it. It wasn’t a very big order, just a bowl of soup with an order of sesame teriyaki wings. It was only lunchtime, after all. And while the café did a booming business during the day with their ‘reasonably priced lunch menu’, the portions were about appetizer sized - something Chili insisted on.
“That’s it?” Cilan asked, his eyebrow raised.
“That’s it. It’s probably just some fangirl buying something on the menu so she can ogle us while she eats. I’m telling you, Ci. I’m glad I’m in the kitchen most of the time.” Chili sounded almost smug; but that was how it was with him. Not nearly as smug as a certain someone else Cilan knew….but when he had something over you, he made sure you knew it.
“Yeah, yeah. Lemme take this to her and I swear to god, Chili, if I feel one fangirl hand on my rump I will tell her you are here in the kitchen getting hot and sweaty.” Cilan replied with a smile. Of course he wouldn’t. He wasn’t like that. It was rare that he would do anything just to be a dick…not like his brothers. Still, he loved them all the same.
Chili rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’ve got more wings to cook, get your ass out there, you.” A little shove almost sent Cilan toppling head over heels with the tray, but he regained his balance and shot Chili a glare as he walked back into the dining room.
.......
Cilan's mouth curved into a disapproving frown when he saw who was sitting at the table that had ordered the wings.
“….Cress. what are you doing? You’re supposed to take orders!”
The blue-haired triplet smirked, his hands behind his head as he leaned back in the booth he occupied. “I felt a little peckish, not to mention exhausted. So I’m taking my break and having some of Chili’s wings. They’re so….addictive. I don’t know how he does it, but…” He made a grab for the basket of wings, but Cilan pulled them away.
“I’m not picking up your slack for you, Cress. We’re understaffed today, we’re packed, and we need you working. Max and I can’t do this ourselves.” Cilan sighed. “You can eat when the lunch rush is over, that’s how Chili and I do it.”
“You can handle it, Cilan! You’re very good at your job, really you are.” Cress replied, not sounding at all sincere. He made another grab for the wings, and was met with the same result. “…..Cilan, they’re going to get cold!”
A head peeked out from around the wall by the kitchen. “Everything okay over there, guys- ….Cress!”
Oh boy. This is not what Cilan needed today. Not again.
Chili stormed over to the table. “And just what do you think YOU’RE doing?! Go serve tables!”
A shrug from Cress. “I’m taking my break. I got hungry and I am SO done with the lunch rush right now. Do you know what the stress from the lunchtime rush everyday does to me? Look!” Chili found himself with a hand shoved in front of his face. “…I cracked a nail delivering drinks to some family and their obnoxious children! Not to mention how flat my hair looks right now….ugh.”
There was no avoiding it. Cilan sat down in the booth and buried his face in his hands. Not this again. No no no.
For the second time in a matter of minutes, Chili rolled his eyes. “Oh, well, looks like we’ll have to close down for the day, Cress broke a fucking nail. Cry a little more, why don’t you? What next, using the kitchen sink to wash and condition your hair?”
“Oh please. The kitchen is a disaster area.” Cress sneered. “Honestly, you’re more like a monkey than any of our Pokemon, there’s utensils and dishes everywhere, stains of unknown origin, I would DIE before I washed my hair in THAT sink.”
“Sorry I don’t hold MY kitchen to YOUR standards, princess. I don’t see you cooking! Hell, I barely see you working.”
Hairflip. “I’m far more delicate than you or Cilan. I simply cannot be pushed as hard, I can’t take it.”
“Look at all the fucks I give, Cress! You work here!” Chili was pounding his fist on the table. This was going nowhere pretty fast. As usual. “You are a waiter not a model! Stop acting like the café is your own personal fucking runway! I have so had it with your petty bullshit!”
“Petty?! Do you want me to faint while on the job?! You have no consideration for my feelings!”
“Because you have no consideration for anyone else’s, you self-centered egomaniac!”
“And you have no class, you psychotic pyromaniac!”
“Prissy bitch!”
“Philistine!”
“SLUT!”
“SLOB!”
Well, that was it for Cilan. “ENOUGH!” He screamed, slamming his hands down on the table, making the silverware and plates rattle, and startling both of his brothers into a wide-eyed stare. There was silence for a few seconds. Cilan took that as his cue.
“Do we have to do this every day, you two? Really? Can’t you two at least keep it together until we get home?!” Cilan screamed, his voice cracking just a little out of stress.
Chili folded his arms. “He started it.”
Another table slam, one that seemed to echo. The whole café was quiet now, watching the drama escalate. This was one of the few situations in which Cilan would get seething mad. It was intimidating, really. “I don’t care! I really don’t care who started it! You’re talking about not having consideration for others?! Try dealing with two brothers who keep fighting with each other every single day! I love you guys, I really do, but this really has to stop! At LEAST say you’re sorry and stop bickering like children!”
Chili and Cress looked at each other… then huffed and looked away. The green-haired triplet pounded on the table again.
“NOW!”
With a grumble, Chili turned towards his 'adversary'. “…..sorry.” He spat.
“Apology accepted.” Cress replied, not even looking in his general direction.
Silence.
“….Cress.” Cilan said, a warning tone in his voice.
“What?”
“You know what.”
Eyerolls and huffs everywhere. “…fine. I’m sorry.”
Cilan smiled. “There. That wasn’t so hard.” He knew it wasn’t sincere and that this would just happen again the next day, but at least he’d gotten them to physically say the words this time. Maybe they’d make a little more progress tomorrow?
Playing peacekeeper was hard, but it had to be done and he was really the only one who could do it. His brothers were everything to him. They were his family, and he always felt as though family was the strongest bond there could ever be. He didn’t want that bond to be tarnished by petty arguments. No matter what, they were siblings. Nothing could change that….and he wanted to make sure they cherished that.
Sure they could both be irresponsible, confrontational little shits. But they were HIS irresponsible, confrontational little shits.
Chili and Cress suddenly found themselves with their brother’s arms flung tightly around them.
“C-Cilan?”
“I know you guys probably don’t care… but I love you both. You cause a lot of problems and you drive me up a damn wall….but I love you. Whether we like each other or not, we’re stuck with each other. We own a restaurant together. We run a gym together. We might as well at least try to get along, right?”
Chili and Cress both looked at Cilan, then at each other. With a little smirk, they put their arms around their brother, and each other. Neither had to say a word.
“You guys…” Cilan said, with a big sheepish grin on his face. “…I wouldn’t trade you for the world.”
And he knew that even through their differences…. they felt the same way.
……
“Now let’s get back to- …..work.” Cilan was about to get himself and his brothers back on track, but when he opened his eyes….they were gone. All he could see was forest, and two sleeping figures beside him that were not his brothers at all.
He sat up in his sleeping bag, thinking about that dream. All of that really happened…. He remembered that day so clearly. He remembered all of their arguments. It was part of who they were, after all, and he cherished them dearly.
It had been months since he’d seen them. Months since he’d last heard Chili get excited about his triple bacon cheeseburger that he felt he HAD to add to the menu. Months since he’d last heard Cress talk down to the obnoxious challengers with entitlement issues they seemed to get every day. He missed their quirks. He missed their company. He even missed their quarrels.
He missed them.
And as he’d done every night since he’d left Striaton….he buried his face in his hands and wondered if he had done the right thing.
----
“Order up!”
Cilan heard his flame-haired brother give him that indication that yet another customer’s order was done cooking and was ready to be taken to their table. With a smile, he stepped into the kitchen to receive it. It wasn’t a very big order, just a bowl of soup with an order of sesame teriyaki wings. It was only lunchtime, after all. And while the café did a booming business during the day with their ‘reasonably priced lunch menu’, the portions were about appetizer sized - something Chili insisted on.
“That’s it?” Cilan asked, his eyebrow raised.
“That’s it. It’s probably just some fangirl buying something on the menu so she can ogle us while she eats. I’m telling you, Ci. I’m glad I’m in the kitchen most of the time.” Chili sounded almost smug; but that was how it was with him. Not nearly as smug as a certain someone else Cilan knew….but when he had something over you, he made sure you knew it.
“Yeah, yeah. Lemme take this to her and I swear to god, Chili, if I feel one fangirl hand on my rump I will tell her you are here in the kitchen getting hot and sweaty.” Cilan replied with a smile. Of course he wouldn’t. He wasn’t like that. It was rare that he would do anything just to be a dick…not like his brothers. Still, he loved them all the same.
Chili rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’ve got more wings to cook, get your ass out there, you.” A little shove almost sent Cilan toppling head over heels with the tray, but he regained his balance and shot Chili a glare as he walked back into the dining room.
.......
Cilan's mouth curved into a disapproving frown when he saw who was sitting at the table that had ordered the wings.
“….Cress. what are you doing? You’re supposed to take orders!”
The blue-haired triplet smirked, his hands behind his head as he leaned back in the booth he occupied. “I felt a little peckish, not to mention exhausted. So I’m taking my break and having some of Chili’s wings. They’re so….addictive. I don’t know how he does it, but…” He made a grab for the basket of wings, but Cilan pulled them away.
“I’m not picking up your slack for you, Cress. We’re understaffed today, we’re packed, and we need you working. Max and I can’t do this ourselves.” Cilan sighed. “You can eat when the lunch rush is over, that’s how Chili and I do it.”
“You can handle it, Cilan! You’re very good at your job, really you are.” Cress replied, not sounding at all sincere. He made another grab for the wings, and was met with the same result. “…..Cilan, they’re going to get cold!”
A head peeked out from around the wall by the kitchen. “Everything okay over there, guys- ….Cress!”
Oh boy. This is not what Cilan needed today. Not again.
Chili stormed over to the table. “And just what do you think YOU’RE doing?! Go serve tables!”
A shrug from Cress. “I’m taking my break. I got hungry and I am SO done with the lunch rush right now. Do you know what the stress from the lunchtime rush everyday does to me? Look!” Chili found himself with a hand shoved in front of his face. “…I cracked a nail delivering drinks to some family and their obnoxious children! Not to mention how flat my hair looks right now….ugh.”
There was no avoiding it. Cilan sat down in the booth and buried his face in his hands. Not this again. No no no.
For the second time in a matter of minutes, Chili rolled his eyes. “Oh, well, looks like we’ll have to close down for the day, Cress broke a fucking nail. Cry a little more, why don’t you? What next, using the kitchen sink to wash and condition your hair?”
“Oh please. The kitchen is a disaster area.” Cress sneered. “Honestly, you’re more like a monkey than any of our Pokemon, there’s utensils and dishes everywhere, stains of unknown origin, I would DIE before I washed my hair in THAT sink.”
“Sorry I don’t hold MY kitchen to YOUR standards, princess. I don’t see you cooking! Hell, I barely see you working.”
Hairflip. “I’m far more delicate than you or Cilan. I simply cannot be pushed as hard, I can’t take it.”
“Look at all the fucks I give, Cress! You work here!” Chili was pounding his fist on the table. This was going nowhere pretty fast. As usual. “You are a waiter not a model! Stop acting like the café is your own personal fucking runway! I have so had it with your petty bullshit!”
“Petty?! Do you want me to faint while on the job?! You have no consideration for my feelings!”
“Because you have no consideration for anyone else’s, you self-centered egomaniac!”
“And you have no class, you psychotic pyromaniac!”
“Prissy bitch!”
“Philistine!”
“SLUT!”
“SLOB!”
Well, that was it for Cilan. “ENOUGH!” He screamed, slamming his hands down on the table, making the silverware and plates rattle, and startling both of his brothers into a wide-eyed stare. There was silence for a few seconds. Cilan took that as his cue.
“Do we have to do this every day, you two? Really? Can’t you two at least keep it together until we get home?!” Cilan screamed, his voice cracking just a little out of stress.
Chili folded his arms. “He started it.”
Another table slam, one that seemed to echo. The whole café was quiet now, watching the drama escalate. This was one of the few situations in which Cilan would get seething mad. It was intimidating, really. “I don’t care! I really don’t care who started it! You’re talking about not having consideration for others?! Try dealing with two brothers who keep fighting with each other every single day! I love you guys, I really do, but this really has to stop! At LEAST say you’re sorry and stop bickering like children!”
Chili and Cress looked at each other… then huffed and looked away. The green-haired triplet pounded on the table again.
“NOW!”
With a grumble, Chili turned towards his 'adversary'. “…..sorry.” He spat.
“Apology accepted.” Cress replied, not even looking in his general direction.
Silence.
“….Cress.” Cilan said, a warning tone in his voice.
“What?”
“You know what.”
Eyerolls and huffs everywhere. “…fine. I’m sorry.”
Cilan smiled. “There. That wasn’t so hard.” He knew it wasn’t sincere and that this would just happen again the next day, but at least he’d gotten them to physically say the words this time. Maybe they’d make a little more progress tomorrow?
Playing peacekeeper was hard, but it had to be done and he was really the only one who could do it. His brothers were everything to him. They were his family, and he always felt as though family was the strongest bond there could ever be. He didn’t want that bond to be tarnished by petty arguments. No matter what, they were siblings. Nothing could change that….and he wanted to make sure they cherished that.
Sure they could both be irresponsible, confrontational little shits. But they were HIS irresponsible, confrontational little shits.
Chili and Cress suddenly found themselves with their brother’s arms flung tightly around them.
“C-Cilan?”
“I know you guys probably don’t care… but I love you both. You cause a lot of problems and you drive me up a damn wall….but I love you. Whether we like each other or not, we’re stuck with each other. We own a restaurant together. We run a gym together. We might as well at least try to get along, right?”
Chili and Cress both looked at Cilan, then at each other. With a little smirk, they put their arms around their brother, and each other. Neither had to say a word.
“You guys…” Cilan said, with a big sheepish grin on his face. “…I wouldn’t trade you for the world.”
And he knew that even through their differences…. they felt the same way.
……
“Now let’s get back to- …..work.” Cilan was about to get himself and his brothers back on track, but when he opened his eyes….they were gone. All he could see was forest, and two sleeping figures beside him that were not his brothers at all.
He sat up in his sleeping bag, thinking about that dream. All of that really happened…. He remembered that day so clearly. He remembered all of their arguments. It was part of who they were, after all, and he cherished them dearly.
It had been months since he’d seen them. Months since he’d last heard Chili get excited about his triple bacon cheeseburger that he felt he HAD to add to the menu. Months since he’d last heard Cress talk down to the obnoxious challengers with entitlement issues they seemed to get every day. He missed their quirks. He missed their company. He even missed their quarrels.
He missed them.
And as he’d done every night since he’d left Striaton….he buried his face in his hands and wondered if he had done the right thing.
