Wes smiled as he puttered around the kitchen, music softly playing on his phone. Blaine and Sierra were unpacking and he was getting everything together for dinner. Not only was he cooking, but he was going to play teacher too. He just hoped it went well with Kurt.
An eyebrow raised as he heard the noise. Turning, he wiped his hands on a towel and went to open the door. "Hey! You are home! Great. I was waiting for you." He grinned as he went back to the kitchen. "Oh. Your keys are right there."
"Hey," Kurt smiled, so glad to be home. As nice as his doctor was, he'd still not fully come to the terms with the fact that he was 'in therapy'. He always felt pretty rubbish straight after the sessions, but he was sure having Blaine, and Wes and Sierra, to come home to would make him feel better in no time.
"Give me a minute, okay?" He asked before disappearing into his bedroom area, needing to say hello to Blaine. It was several minutes before he returned, already feeling so much happier.
"So... dinner?" He would be lying if he said he was thrilled by the idea of social eating, but he was determined to make an effort. Even if he couldn't see it in the mirror, he wasn't immune to the way everyone else looked at him, the comments about how drawn he looked and how much weight he'd lost. And his therapist still didn't think he was making 'satisfactory progress'. He had to try harder.
"Hey Kurt!" He smiled and and looked up from where he was standing in the kitchen. Everything was set out and ready. He had edamame that he had to steam and he had gotten a little of everything. He didn't know what exactly Kurt would want to eat. "How was work?"
He didn't want to force Kurt to eat. In truth, he didn't want to get in the middle of it. He didn't want to start a fight with someone that was more than just a friend. To him, Kurt was like family. Still, he wanted his friend to be healthy. He needed his friend to be there as one of his groomsmen when he married Sierra someday. He needed his friend in his life. He cared about him just like he cared about Blaine and Sierra. They were more than just friends. They were family.
"I, um... I didn't know what you liked, so... I got everything. There's tuna, crab, carrots, cucumber..." He motioned to the bowls in front of him. "What do you like?"
"Busy," Kurt answered the question about work to stall for time, eyeing the huge quantities of food all over his kitchen. "New York Fashion week at Vogue.com? Never going to be a quiet time. It's a good thing Isabelle loves me, or I'd never have got two days off."
Moving over to the bowls of food, Kurt pushed the carrots and cucumber in one direction, feeling safe enough with vegetables. The seafood, however, provided more of a challenge. He wished they were in some sort of packaging, feeling lost without something to use to check the calorie content. But Wes, he remembered, didn't know that he wasn't meant to be calorie counting. He could use his phone to check, something he wasn't able to do at work, or around any of his roommates.
"Crab," he decided after a quick Google on his iPhone. "Crab over tuna."
There was a reason that Wes had gotten rid of the packaging. He had hoped that by distracting Kurt with his cooking lesson, that Kurt might relax a little about the food itself. When that didn't happen, he smiled, acting like nothing was wrong. Internally, there was a little worry, but he tried to squash it down.
"Well, the Anderson's will be out soon and all will be well. At least you have a little time with us, yeah? Busy is good, but you need Kurt time too." He smiled and pulled out a sheet of seaweed paper. "Have you ever made sushi before? If not, it's really easy. I think you'll love it and we can put anything you want in it. That's what so great about this meal. Low fat, easy, versatile." He made sure to emphasize the low fat part. Maybe if it was easy and low in calories, Kurt would eat a little more. Not that he knew if that would work or not.
"Crab is a good choice. Really. Cucumber is another good choice. It's a water vegetable, so if you're dehydrated and not drinking enough water, cucumbers are good to munch on, you know. Water actually will help with your appetite. I learned that at school. I had to take this health course at Dalton. Sometimes when you think you're hungry, you're actually just dehydrated." He smiled at Kurt. "Who would have thought, right?"
He looked over his shoulder at the bedrooms, before turning back to Kurt. "Ready to put something together?"
Considering that Kurt pretty much lived on water and tea, these days, dehydration was never going to be a problem for him. But he smiled and nodded and looked interested in all the right places, knowing that Wes wasn't trying to lecture like Rachel and Brody did.
"I'll follow your lead, Captain Warbler," he laughed, completely new to this style of cookery.
He laughed, looking up at Kurt. "It's just Wes now. Or future brother-in-law." Shaking his head, he pointed to the bamboo mat in front of him and the seaweed leaves. "Okay, you don't have to be an expert to make sushi. You just need to learn a few quick tricks." He grinned and handed Kurt one of the seaweed leaves. "Feel it. See how it's rough on one side and smooth on the other? You want to have the smooth side against the bamboo mat and the rough side facing you, okay?" He laid a sheet down on the mat.
He then motions to the two bowls in front of him. "That is water with a little rice vinegar. You need wet hands for the rice, but you need dry hands for the seaweed, so that's why I have a towel over there. Okay? So take a little handful of rice and spread it out on the seaweed. But leave little margins at the top so you can close the roll." He stepped back so that Kurt could try it.
Following Wes' instructions, Kurt dampened his fingers and picked up a small handful of rice, spreading it out over the seaweed. He tried his best to use as little rice as possible without looking like he was purposefully skimping, hoping Wes would tell him sooner rather than later that he had enough.
"That is perfect, Kurt. You don't want to use too much rice. You need it to roll easily. You're great at this." If he was skimping on the rice, Wes didn't notice. And honestly, as long as Kurt ate anything at all, Wes would be happy.
"Okay, so now we need fillings. How about crab and cucumber?" He showed Kurt how to slice the food in long, thin strips. "We'll lay them lengthwise here, like this. Then, we roll up the sushi and slice it. You want to make the pieces thin, not too thick." He thought Kurt might feel more comfortable if the pieces were smaller in size.
Making sure the roll was heavier on the cucumber, and lighter on the crab, Kurt again followed Wes' instructions and carefully rolled the seaweed. His fingers were used to nimble needlework from the hours he spent customising his wardrobe; rolling sushi didn't pose much of a problem.
Glad that they were going for thin pieces, Kurt started to cut along his roll, making them as small as possible without them falling to pieces straight away. All in all, he felt rather proud of himself.
Wes grinned, gently patting Kurt on the back of his shoulder. "See? You're great at this. And all this stuff is very inexpensive. It's a great dinner option for students who are broke." He winked at Kurt and went to get them a plate. He also grabbed the bowl of soy sauce and some chop sticks. "The sauce is low sodium, so it's better for you. And this brand, you can't taste the difference at all."
He grabbed a pair of chopsticks and tried one, dipping it in the sauce. "Delicious. Best tasting sushi I've ever had." He wasn't stupid. He could see that Kurt was trying to make the pieces very small. Still, he called it a win. He looked like he was enjoying himself and he might actually eat some of it.
Kurt tended to be pretty good with a pair of chopsticks, but now he acted as though he'd never held the things before to buy himself some time. As had become custom, now, when food was offered to him, panic was beginning to rise up inside of him. Where before he'd been enjoying the process of making the sushi rolls, now his head was filling with thoughts of calories, his reflection in the mirror, the models he looked at every day at work.
But what he saw in the mirror wasn't real, that's what he had to remember. He had to try harder, if he didn't want to end up in hospital with needles in his arms and a tube into his stomach.
Picking up one of the rolls at last, he bit into it, forgoing the sauce.
Wes smiled, taking a piece of sushi and nibbling on it. "Hey, these are good. Right?" He didn't want to eat them all. Looking at the rest of the sushi, he knew they would have to make some more for Blaine and Sierra. That was why he has bought so much. He wanted them to have choices what to eat.
He sighed, staring at Kurt, trying not to stare. He was so thin. He worried, but unlike Blaine, he had no say in the matter. And the last thing he wanted to do was make Kurt angry at him.
"Let's make some more crab. Then we can make some tuna. I think Sierra likes tuna?"
Kurt nodded, though forced himself to finish the roll before returning to the making. It tasted good, he had to admit, if he forced himself to look beyond the immediate thoughts of calorie and fat content. He was definitely happier making the sushi for other people, rather than having to eat it himself.
"I make a lot of food." He looked up at Kurt, smiling. He was trying hard to just be Kurt's friend and not worry about him. It wasn't as easy as it looked. "I like to cook. Yes, I'm a college student. That doesn't mean I have to live on Ramen noodles and Spaghetti-o's." He chuckled and pulled out another plate for the sushi. "Tuna there, crab there."
He looked over at Kurt, raising an eyebrow. "I can make something else. Or we can order something." He didn't want Kurt to not eat, even with the limited information that he had. "What about some simple soup?"
Kurt kept his concentration on what he was doing, if only to keep his emotions in check. He knew Wes meant well, but he was starting to do what Rachel did - hover and keep talking about food, as if somehow he'd suddenly stop worrying. There was only so much he could ignore before he get angry, or upset.
"This is fine," he answered, simply and quietly. "We've already started, now."
Wes sighed. Being like Rachel was the last thing that he wanted to be. He wanted to hope that he was a little better than Rachel when it came to how he treated Kurt. "I'm sorry." Ducking his head, he went back to rolling the sushi and cutting it in slices.
While Kurt finished the pieces, Wes took the edemame and began to steam them. "I got some wine. I thought we all could have some. Not much, just a couple of bottles. My roommate says it's very good."
Glad of the change of subject before things got too awkward, Kurt smiled up at Wes and laughed at the comment about the wine.
"Who's in charge of keeping Blaine from drinking too much?" He grinned, sure Wes was just as aware as he was how much of a lightweight Blaine Anderson was.
Wes smiled, a little more relaxed than the last one. He too was equally grateful for the change of subject. Blaine was much better suited to deal with Kurt and his eating issues. Wes just wanted to be the friend who grew up to be the power lawyer that protected them all. He chuckled, motioning to the wine bottles on the table.
"It couldn't be that bad. Could it? We're here, so we're not going anywhere. And I doubt he'll be hitting on Sierra or I?" He looked over at the wine bottles. "A couple red and a couple white. I wasn't sure which wine went with sushi." He snickered and looked up at Kurt. "I think it's your job. He's your beloved."
"He'll just get all handsy with me," Kurt laughed. "Normally not much of an issue, but... not sure you guys wanna see that?"
Plus, it never really seemed so romantic when he knew Blaine wouldn't remember anything the next day. He would be keeping a close eye on his boyfriend's alcohol consumption tonight.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2013-02-14 12:00 pm (UTC)An eyebrow raised as he heard the noise. Turning, he wiped his hands on a towel and went to open the door. "Hey! You are home! Great. I was waiting for you." He grinned as he went back to the kitchen. "Oh. Your keys are right there."
no subject
Date: 2013-02-14 08:54 pm (UTC)"Give me a minute, okay?" He asked before disappearing into his bedroom area, needing to say hello to Blaine. It was several minutes before he returned, already feeling so much happier.
"So... dinner?" He would be lying if he said he was thrilled by the idea of social eating, but he was determined to make an effort. Even if he couldn't see it in the mirror, he wasn't immune to the way everyone else looked at him, the comments about how drawn he looked and how much weight he'd lost. And his therapist still didn't think he was making 'satisfactory progress'. He had to try harder.
no subject
Date: 2013-02-15 12:26 pm (UTC)He didn't want to force Kurt to eat. In truth, he didn't want to get in the middle of it. He didn't want to start a fight with someone that was more than just a friend. To him, Kurt was like family. Still, he wanted his friend to be healthy. He needed his friend to be there as one of his groomsmen when he married Sierra someday. He needed his friend in his life. He cared about him just like he cared about Blaine and Sierra. They were more than just friends. They were family.
"I, um... I didn't know what you liked, so... I got everything. There's tuna, crab, carrots, cucumber..." He motioned to the bowls in front of him. "What do you like?"
no subject
Date: 2013-02-15 10:32 pm (UTC)Moving over to the bowls of food, Kurt pushed the carrots and cucumber in one direction, feeling safe enough with vegetables. The seafood, however, provided more of a challenge. He wished they were in some sort of packaging, feeling lost without something to use to check the calorie content. But Wes, he remembered, didn't know that he wasn't meant to be calorie counting. He could use his phone to check, something he wasn't able to do at work, or around any of his roommates.
"Crab," he decided after a quick Google on his iPhone. "Crab over tuna."
no subject
Date: 2013-02-15 10:39 pm (UTC)"Well, the Anderson's will be out soon and all will be well. At least you have a little time with us, yeah? Busy is good, but you need Kurt time too." He smiled and pulled out a sheet of seaweed paper. "Have you ever made sushi before? If not, it's really easy. I think you'll love it and we can put anything you want in it. That's what so great about this meal. Low fat, easy, versatile." He made sure to emphasize the low fat part. Maybe if it was easy and low in calories, Kurt would eat a little more. Not that he knew if that would work or not.
"Crab is a good choice. Really. Cucumber is another good choice. It's a water vegetable, so if you're dehydrated and not drinking enough water, cucumbers are good to munch on, you know. Water actually will help with your appetite. I learned that at school. I had to take this health course at Dalton. Sometimes when you think you're hungry, you're actually just dehydrated." He smiled at Kurt. "Who would have thought, right?"
He looked over his shoulder at the bedrooms, before turning back to Kurt. "Ready to put something together?"
no subject
Date: 2013-02-15 11:02 pm (UTC)"I'll follow your lead, Captain Warbler," he laughed, completely new to this style of cookery.
no subject
Date: 2013-02-17 10:41 pm (UTC)He then motions to the two bowls in front of him. "That is water with a little rice vinegar. You need wet hands for the rice, but you need dry hands for the seaweed, so that's why I have a towel over there. Okay? So take a little handful of rice and spread it out on the seaweed. But leave little margins at the top so you can close the roll." He stepped back so that Kurt could try it.
no subject
Date: 2013-02-17 11:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-02-17 11:24 pm (UTC)"Okay, so now we need fillings. How about crab and cucumber?" He showed Kurt how to slice the food in long, thin strips. "We'll lay them lengthwise here, like this. Then, we roll up the sushi and slice it. You want to make the pieces thin, not too thick." He thought Kurt might feel more comfortable if the pieces were smaller in size.
"Okay, roll it."
no subject
Date: 2013-02-17 11:28 pm (UTC)Glad that they were going for thin pieces, Kurt started to cut along his roll, making them as small as possible without them falling to pieces straight away. All in all, he felt rather proud of himself.
no subject
Date: 2013-02-17 11:31 pm (UTC)He grabbed a pair of chopsticks and tried one, dipping it in the sauce. "Delicious. Best tasting sushi I've ever had." He wasn't stupid. He could see that Kurt was trying to make the pieces very small. Still, he called it a win. He looked like he was enjoying himself and he might actually eat some of it.
no subject
Date: 2013-02-19 08:23 pm (UTC)But what he saw in the mirror wasn't real, that's what he had to remember. He had to try harder, if he didn't want to end up in hospital with needles in his arms and a tube into his stomach.
Picking up one of the rolls at last, he bit into it, forgoing the sauce.
no subject
Date: 2013-02-20 12:10 am (UTC)He sighed, staring at Kurt, trying not to stare. He was so thin. He worried, but unlike Blaine, he had no say in the matter. And the last thing he wanted to do was make Kurt angry at him.
"Let's make some more crab. Then we can make some tuna. I think Sierra likes tuna?"
no subject
Date: 2013-02-20 09:29 pm (UTC)"Do you make this a lot?"
no subject
Date: 2013-02-20 09:41 pm (UTC)He looked over at Kurt, raising an eyebrow. "I can make something else. Or we can order something." He didn't want Kurt to not eat, even with the limited information that he had. "What about some simple soup?"
no subject
Date: 2013-02-20 10:33 pm (UTC)"This is fine," he answered, simply and quietly. "We've already started, now."
no subject
Date: 2013-02-20 10:38 pm (UTC)While Kurt finished the pieces, Wes took the edemame and began to steam them. "I got some wine. I thought we all could have some. Not much, just a couple of bottles. My roommate says it's very good."
no subject
Date: 2013-02-20 11:04 pm (UTC)"Who's in charge of keeping Blaine from drinking too much?" He grinned, sure Wes was just as aware as he was how much of a lightweight Blaine Anderson was.
no subject
Date: 2013-02-20 11:08 pm (UTC)"It couldn't be that bad. Could it? We're here, so we're not going anywhere. And I doubt he'll be hitting on Sierra or I?" He looked over at the wine bottles. "A couple red and a couple white. I wasn't sure which wine went with sushi." He snickered and looked up at Kurt. "I think it's your job. He's your beloved."
no subject
Date: 2013-02-23 09:52 pm (UTC)Plus, it never really seemed so romantic when he knew Blaine wouldn't remember anything the next day. He would be keeping a close eye on his boyfriend's alcohol consumption tonight.