spin_kick_snap | Masitda Restaurant, Baltimore, Wednesday Evening

To tell the truth and shame the devil--a saying Kathy's mom had adored when she was alive--when Dante had suggested that they go out for Korean food, Kathy hadn't expected much. Dante didn't speak the language, didn't know the culture, and his only real introduction to the cuisine was what Kathy cooked at home and the hundred of weird bottle and jars of seasoning she kept in the door of the fridge, next to the more normal bottles of mayo and ketchup and relish. It wasn't that she was expecting it to be bad or anything, but she'd figured something middle-of-the-road, declaring its authenticity by blaring k-pop from the mid-2000s with two kinds of kimchi at most and a couple of sushi offerings to round out the 'Asianness' of the menu. All of which would have been perfectly fine and Kathy would have gone home, full and happy, and not given it another thought.

She realized she was wrong the moment they stepped into the restaurant. It smelled like home, evoking a sense of nostalgia and homesickness so sharp she rocked backwards on her heels for a moment. The table next to them had seven different banchan bowls on one side of it and over the shoulder of another patron, she could spot a menu page devoted entirely to different kinds of kimchi, several of which had seasonal warnings next to them. Apparently this place thought it wouldn't do to serve Yeolmu-kimchi in the middle of winter and you know what? They were goddamn right.

Kathy reached for Dante's hand, squeezing it tightly, letting her grip speak louder than she could right then about how pleased she was with his choice of restaurant for the evening.

[Not for broadcast and for that guy she's with!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

rebelseekspizza

"Hey, when you're hungry, you gotta find something to fill you up," Dante said. And damn, he actually wanted to eat here, but she was making it way hard to think about that.

From:

spin_kick_snap

"And you know how I feel about being full," Kathy said, voice too husky for that to be taken as anything but filthy.

Dante was saved from having to decide which Korean he was hungrier for by the arrival of the waiter, carrying a tray full of piles of meat. And a few more bottles of soju. The top of the table opened neatly to show the grill hidden below and with a few turns of the knob, it was glowing a warm cherry red.

"Be back with the kimchi and everything else," he said, setting the meat down in front of Dante. "Anything else you need from me before then?"

From:

rebelseekspizza

Dante grinned up at him - look, some habits died hard. "Nah, we're good," he said. "Thanks, man."

From:

spin_kick_snap

//Lucky noona,// the waiter mumbled again.

//Oh, you don't even know the half,// Kathy replied, like the cat that got the canary and the cream.

The waiter went off to sigh longingly behind the counter and Kathy just grinned. "I love this place."

From:

rebelseekspizza

"I say next time he swings by you drop something about our boyfriend," Dante said, reaching for the meat. "If we're gonna torture him anyway."

From:

spin_kick_snap

Kathy cracked up. "I was thinking about it!" she admitted. "But it almost seemed mean."

Beat.

"So you should do it so he doesn't know we're deliberately trolling him."

From:

rebelseekspizza

Dante snickered. "Harsh," he said. "Man. Maybe we should take Anders here sometime, though."

From:

spin_kick_snap

"You think he'd like it?" Kathy asked, biting her lip. "Not just tormenting the waiter, I mean. He's not a big fan of spice..."

From:

rebelseekspizza

"They've got little peppers on the menu for the hot stuff, right?" Dante said, grinning easily at her. "Besides, it'll be good for him to get some like, culture."

From:

spin_kick_snap

"Are you concerned that something might be too spicy?" Their waiter was back with Kathy's vegetarian entrees. "We can ask the chef to prepare them with less spice. Noona?"

"Oh no," Kathy said, reaching for her chopsticks. "We're fine. I have a healthy spice tolerance." She raised an eyebrow at Dante.

From:

rebelseekspizza

Dante snickered softly. "We wanna bring our boyfriend here sometime," he said, "But he's a complete fucking wimp."

From:

spin_kick_snap

"B-Boyfriend?" the waiter stammered, his eyes flicking to Kathy for confirmation.

"Mmmhmm," Kathy agreed. "But it's not like we're going to make him try everything. There are plenty of dishes he can eat, even with his baeg-in spice tolerance." She gave Dante a crooked smile. "He makes up for it in other ways."

From:

rebelseekspizza

"Like stories about mud and dogs and potatoes," said Dante, who didn't want to push it too far this time. "Merry ol' England."

Not really England, but whatever. That took explaining.

From:

spin_kick_snap

Probably wise. The waiter was looking a little faint as it was.

"They have plenty of culture!" Kathy argued. "It just happens to all be in their bread and beer."

From:

rebelseekspizza

"Is that your way of saying we should make Anders bake more?" Dante mused.

From:

spin_kick_snap

"Picture him in a cute little apron and then tell me what you think," Kathy said with a grin.

The waiter excused himself quietly and went off to go stare at a wall, love-sick.

From:

rebelseekspizza

"Oh god," Dante said, grinning broadly. "We gotta get him one of those for his birthday. Like one with the draw-on abs."

From:

spin_kick_snap

"He'd love it," Kathy declared, quite probably erroneously. "And tell him he can't wear a shirt underneath it."

From:

rebelseekspizza

Dante snickered softly. "Or pants."

From:

spin_kick_snap

"Yeah, but then nothing's gonna get done in the kitchen." And since the waiter had gone away, Kathy didn't hesitate to add, "...I mean, except us."

From:

rebelseekspizza

"I'm not seeing any downsides," Dante said, winking.

Mostly because he didn't want to get kicked out for kissing her again.

From:

spin_kick_snap

They weren't in a hot tub, thirty seconds before kissing turned into something more than kissing!

"I mean, I do get hungry for actual food sometimes," Kathy said. "But that's what takeout's for, so yeah. No downsides." She looked at him, amusement sparkling in her eyes. "I love you."