Masitda Restaurant, Baltimore, Wednesday Evening

[spin_kick_snap]

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!]

Comments

[rebelseekspizza]

"Nice and hard," Dante said, smirking as he leaned right back. "You gotta put in a little work to get to the center of a tootsie pop."

They weren't in a bedroom together yet. He was happy straddling the line between hot and funny, and occasionally tipping over.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I'm gonna tell you right now, it's gonna take more than three," Kathy said, chuckling at him. She poured more soju into his glass and then ignored tradition and filled her glass, too. Auntie could just tsk if she really wanted to. "...Probably. Depends on how well the bike works out for me."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante picked up his glass - still with two hands, but he didn't make a fuss of it this time.

"I can manage five," he said. "Maybe more."

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"No more than ten, I'm sure," Kathy said, eyes flitting down to his hands. She was smiling again, soft and happy. "I mean, I wouldn't want to wear you out."

Beat.

"Even if the bike can go on forever."

[rebelseekspizza]

"You'll be surprised how many licks I got in me," Dante said, grinning at her.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I'm more interested in the number of licks I can get in me," Kathy told him, popping a chunk of cucumber into her mouth and licking her fingers clean. "If we're going to be honest."

[rebelseekspizza]

"We can figure that one out later," Dante said, winking.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Well, hurry up and finish eating your first round of Korean," Kathy said, who was never not going to appreciate the chance to make that joke, "so we can talk more about the details of eating out your second."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante laughed. "Fine, fine," he said, reaching for more meat.

[spin_kick_snap]

Whereas Kathy was gesturing the waiter to come over. "Another bottle of soju, please," she said. "And could you ask the bartender to give me a Screaming Orgasm, please?" she asked, all innocent.

"You're trouble, noona," the waiter mumbled.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Yeah she is," Dante said, grinning. "The best kind."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I learned it from watching him," Kathy said, pointing back at Dante. "He taught me all the really fun kinds."

The waiter fled.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante laughed softly. "Aw, be nice."

[spin_kick_snap]

"You're right," Kathy said with a nod. "I should have given Ezra his due, too."

She was eyeing his meat--on the grill, specifically--trying to decide whether stealing a bite of pork belly was a good idea or not.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante let out a sigh. "Ah, Ez," he said.

And shoved some meat in his mouth.

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Kathy raised her eyebrows. "Still feeling conflicted about him?" she asked.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Don't you?" Dante asked.

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"Less than you do," Kathy said. "But yeah."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante shook his head. "Better not to ruin a good night talking about him," he said.

[spin_kick_snap]

See, Kathy wouldn't even categorize talking about Ezra as ruining the night, unless it somehow led to an argument with Dante.

Either way, though, she wasn't committed to keeping the conversation going.

"Anything in specific you wanna talk about?" Kathy asked, fluttering her lashes at him.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Besides how good your boobs look in that?" Dante said.

[spin_kick_snap]

"No, that's a perfectly acceptable topic," Kathy assured him. "I down for hearing you wax poetic about how pretty you think my tits are."

[rebelseekspizza]

"'Cause they are," Dante said sagely. "Some people are like, the bigger the better? But they're fucking idiots."

[spin_kick_snap]

"What do you look for in a nice pair of--" Kathy broke off as their waiter came back with their drinks. As he was setting them down on the table, she snuck a look at the bartender who'd made her Screaming Orgasm and waved.

"Shoes," she continued, looking at Dante and practically daring him to run with it. "If not size, what are you looking for in a good pair of shoes?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"They gotta fit," Dante said smoothly. "That's all."