Private Finished Woo Me with Fine Dining

Yuki watched Gabe adoringly, his own features lighting up when Gabe's did; his own eyes crinkling at the corners when Gabe's did. It was just so nice being able to watch someone else enjoy the meal just as much as he was. "I'm glad," he smiled as he took another bite and chewed, features scrunching up again at just how good it was. And it was only the first course! "I really hope you'll enjoy everything. I just... I love seasonal menus. They really take advantage of ingredients when they'll be at their peak. Fresh fish, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits... There's an optimal time of year to harvest anything. It's the mark of a good chef to be able to utilise the best qualities of each ingredient in harmony when they're at their finest." He began rambling, then flushed slightly as he took the last bite of the tartare and shiso. Absolutely amazing food, absolutely nerdy speech. He hoped he wasn't pushing it too far.

He took a moment to consider the wine bottle. Red wine, sauvignon cabernet. From Bordeaux?! And it was aged a little, too. 2001... how lovely. He couldn't help but wonder how much it had cost Jamie. He'd have to send her extra gratitude later. Pouring it into their cabernet glasses, he gave it a little sniff. Very rich, slightly earthy with a hint of nutmeg spice and other lovely warming scents. Perfect on a colder day, even if Gabe's house was (as always) heated to be warm anyway. If only it had some alcohol, then it could be even richer and serve to warm the pair up a little more. But Yuki only drank at parties, and even then only a bit. He knew his tolerances, and he was horrifyingly lightweight.

"So the next dish is Jérôme Galis asparagus, with morels, wild garlic and confit egg yolks." He said as he removed the previous plates and served, taking the cloches off of the next dish. "Go right ahead," Yuki warmly indicated the inner fork and knife in case Gabe might be confused as to which to begin with. He wanted to see Gabe's reaction first.

Yuki nodded with intrigue, tucking into it as well while Gabe chewed thoughtfully. Personally, Yuki loved the morels. Deep, nutty, earthy with a strong savoury aroma. Like meat but without actually being so. The asparagus were lovely with a certain salty aroma - still young, and not too bitter. The puree, however, was less satisfying. The yolks were...alright. It was nice, but not perfect. Yuki still liked it though, even if it was debatably a little rich for what wasn't the main course. Next would be smoked eel, and Yuki was very much looking forward to that. He was also looking forward to Gabe's expression at the lamb later. Would he be surprised? Relieved? Everything honestly smelled so wonderful to Yuki. He could only hope Gabe was enjoying himself similarly.

Yuki dabbed at his mouth with the tablecloth, and took a sip of wine. Wow. It was good. Even without the alcohol, it was rich and cut through the oily nature of the previous dish. Truly amazing - he could still feel the texture of the pressed grape skins. Delightful. "It's okay," Yuki said with a relaxed smile. The wine was definitely devoid of its substance, but the boy supposed the placebo effect could have been kicking in. He felt calmer. "You don't need to like everything. I'm just glad I can do this with you," he continued.

"It means a lot to me. That you're here. That we're doing this. I'd love to help you learn all sorts of things about me, and fine dining is one part. We can continue whenever you're ready - no rush to finish the meal. Part of dining is taking your time to enjoy the food at your own pace and enjoying the atmosphere." His smile grew warmer, as did his heart. This was just so...nice. "And the wine is non-alcoholic, by the way. Came from Bordeaux. It's one of the best!"

Yuki could feel it. An uncomfortable aura was spilling off of Gabe in waves, and frankly it made Yuki feel a little bit less hungry. Ah, well. Fine dining wasn't for everyone. Maybe next time he'd just order something simpler.

But it seemed like Gabe had enjoyed things so far, and the new experience was a good thing. Yuki took his napkin and folded it, putting it next to his plate as he stood up and came around to sit next to Gabe on the table. "Hey, if this makes you uncomfortable, I don't mind. We can ease you into it, or we can just eat normally." He said gently, tucking a strand of Gabe's hair behind his ear. "I want you to enjoy this, so I don't really care about the wine or the food if you don't like it." He dabbed at Gabe's mouth and took the cutlery out of Gabe's hands and put them down to give Gabe a massive hug as he turned him to face Yuki.

"...thank you. For trying." He whispered as he buried his face in Gabe's shoulder for just a moment before pulling back to look into his eyes. "And wine isn't for everyone," he giggled. "Shall we just treat this like a couch dinner? Put on some netflix and chill? And you know what sense I mean that in." He laughed a bit more.

Gabe was a hero just for trying. It wasn't a problem if he didn't like it.

Yuki paused.

Gabe's voice sounded kind of lispy. And different. Was he wearing his mouth guard? Were they going to make out?! The boy felt his heartbeat quicken as his face turned pink. Literally. His chest warmed a little, excited at the prospect of getting even closer to his boyfriend than he already was. But he didn't want to force it. But Gabe had suggested it. Also, the food was going to go cold if they left it too long. Gabe couldn't eat with his mouth guard in, right?

"...Gabe, I um...while the prospect of, er, enjoying ourselves with our mouths in a different fashion excites me, I am still..." He felt his stomach growl unappreciatively at the idea of an interrupted meal. The pink returned. "So can I carry on eating? I know it's kind of rude to eat on the couch, so I don't mind if I sit at the table, but..."

Yuki laughed too, glad but also a little disappointed at the prospect of not kissing deeply. Ah well. He wouldn't push it. Even if Yuki was excited to try out new things, he didn't want to scare Gabe away. He'd bring that up someday, he thought as he did indeed bring the cart in. He blew out the candles and took the cutlery too, wrapping up in a napkin. He just wouldn't bring the making out thing up today. Or at least not right now.

"Maybe..." He smiled a bit, thinking of something good. "Maybe we could feed each other? I'd use your cutlery to feed you, of course! And you don't need to if you don't want to. I just thought it might be fun and relaxing. And I was kind of hoping we'd get to do it with this meal." He said, tentatively sitting on the couch with the plate of eel on his lap. It smelled amazing.

"And let's watch something cute. Like Mary and the Witch's flower." This course was much nicer. Something struck him as wrong perhaps at the idea of eating caviar on a couch in front of a TV, but he'd remembered he'd done it once with... No, he didn't want to think about him right now. He wasn't allowed to panic. He just wanted a nice meal, a nice time, a relaxing day. He focused on the plate. The eel was nice in his mouth. Savoury. Meaty. Salty. Subtle. He focused on the feeling of chewing it. He felt his calm begin to return. The watercress onions were nice too. He could do this. He handle this.