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When Satoru first told Suguru his plan to film them cooking, he envisioned something low-key like filming with Satoru’s phone (the latest model, of course) propped against a bag of flour . He should have known better.
Satoru Gojo did nothing by halves. If he was going to document their first Christmas cookie session as a family, he was going to make sure it was perfect.
Suguru leaned back against the counter with his arms crossed as he watched Satoru wrestle with a professional-grade tripod. The sleek, carbon-fiber legs had arrived via online delivery that morning, just in time to be unboxed and used. "Satoru, the butter is melting," Suguru pointed out, though he didn't move to stop him.
"I'm fixing the lighting, Suguru, it takes time," Satoru replied, squinting through the viewfinder of the camera. "Everyone, look at the lens! Suguru, tilt your head two degrees left—no, your other left. There, perfect. The lighting loves your cheekbones today, darling," Suguru rolled his eyes while laughing, shifting his weight just as instructed.
"Tsumiki, look here, sweetheart!" Satoru called out, waving his hand to get her attention. She looked up with a bright grin from where she had been helping adjust Mimiko’s hair. "Nanako, hold that bag of sugar like you’re in a commercial!"
"Okay, everyone! Eyes on the lens! On three! Everyone say cheese!" Satoru clicked the shutter and sprinted toward the kitchen island. He slid into the frame just as the timer went off, squeezing himself right between Suguru and the kids. He pulled Suguru close, throwing one arm around him while ruffling Megumi's hair with his other hand.
Click.
The camera flashed.
"Suguru, how many cups of flour?"
Satoru hovered over the large ceramic bowl Suguru had set out earlier. Tsumiki handed him the measuring cup, which he held aloft like a trophy, his eyes wide and ready for instruction. Suguru hummed, scrolling through the recipe on his phone. "Four cups, Satoru."
"Do you think that’s enough, Papa?" Mimiko asked, tilting her head as she eyed the bowl.
"She’s right, Suguru!" Satoru whined. "It looks so less. I’ll add five cups just to be sure. More is better, right?"
"No, Dad, we have to follow the recipe, or they'll be hard as rocks," Tsumiki added, trying to reach for the bag. But Satoru had already made up his mind. "Trust your dad, Tsumiki. We need more cookies," Satoru scooped a mountain of flour into the cup.
"Satoru, don’t get the flour on the floor—" Suguru warned, but it was too late.
Satoru dumped the first overflowing cup into the bowl with way too much energy. A massive white cloud blasted upward, coating the island—and especially the baby sitting on it—with white flour. Megumi, who had been sitting on the counter next to the bowl to get a better look, didn't even have time to blink.
As the flour settled, the kitchen went silent. Megumi's hair was completely white, his face was frosted, and a puff of flour drifted from the tip of his nose.
Satoru gasped in pure delight. "Look, Suguru! He looks just like me!" Satoru crowed, leaning in to admire his handiwork.
"Satoru," Suguru groaned. "Look at the baby. Clean him up before he sneezes."
"What? He’s a little snowman!" Satoru turned to the girls, gesturing dramatically at the flour-covered Megumi."Girls, I present to you, the Snow-gumi."
They burst into giggles as Tsumiki started poking Megumi's cheeks, leaving tiny fingerprints in the white powder coating his face.
Megumi looked from Satoru to his own reflection in the side of the metal toaster, his little brain trying to process the sudden transformation.
"Gumi, don’t move! Girls, Suguru, pose next to him!" Satoru cheered, grabbing the tripod. He leaned down until he was eye-level with the baby to take the picture. Suguru reached for a damp kitchen towel before saying, "Satoru, give him to me before—"
Too late. Megumi's nose twitched. Once. Twice.
"Oh no," Suguru whispered. "Satoru, move, he’s going to—"
"A-choo!"
The impact of the sneeze was catastrophic. A fresh cloud of flour erupted from Megumi’s face, catching Satoru, who was still leaning in close, directly in the mouth and eyes.
Now it was Satoru’s turn to blink through a white mask. He coughed, a puff of flour escaping his lips.
"Now you both really look like twins!" Nanako exclaimed, pointing and doubling over with laughter.
Suguru laughed out loud as he swept Megumi off the counter and into his arms to keep him away from the rest of the mess. "Karma sure is fast today," he said, watching Satoru wipe his mouth with the back of his hand.
Satoru looked at Suguru, but instead of being annoyed, his eyes sparked with pure mischief. He looked at the half-full bag of flour and then at Suguru, whose sweater was still clean.
"You know, Suguru... it’s not really Christmas until everyone is a snowman," Satoru said.
Suguru’s eyes widened as he watched Satoru’s hand move toward the measuring cup. "Satoru, don't you dare."
"Miki, Nana, Mimi," Satoru shouted. "Get him."
The girls didn't need a second invitation; with a collective shriek, they dove to grab the extra flour.
"Noooo!" Suguru laughed, turning on his heels to protect Megumi from the first wave of incoming flour. He ducked behind the kitchen island. "I’m the one who makes the hot chocolate! You’re biting the hand that feeds you!"
"Oh, we’re not biting it," Satoru declared, charging around the island with his hands coated in white. "We’re seasoning it!"
A handful of flour caught the sleeve of Suguru's sweater. He looked down at the white streak, then back at Satoru’s grinning, powdered face. Slowly, Suguru set Megumi down safely on a chair tucked under the far end of the counter.
"Fine," Suguru said, reaching for the bag of powdered sugar. "If it’s a war you want, Satoru, it’s a war you’ll get."
"Oh, it’s ON!" Satoru yelled, dodging a flurry of flour launched by Nanako. He lunged forward, aiming his flour-coated hands straight for Suguru's hair. But Suguru stepped to his left, and Satoru met nothing but air. Only a last-second use of his reflexes saved him from falling.
"Oh, so it’s like that?" Satoru panted, spinning around. "Girls, formation B.Surround your Papa!"
Tsumiki giggled, scooping a handful of flour from the counter. "Sorry, Papa!" she chirped before tossing it. The flour landed on the right side of his sweater. Suguru looked down at the mess and, with a mock-villainous smirk, he once again reached for the white powder and held it up. "You’ve brought this on yourselves."
For the next five minutes, the kitchen was a blur of white powder, flying sprinkles, and laughter. Megumi, safely sitting in his chair, watched the chaos with wide eyes, occasionally flapping his hands when a dust of flour bounced off his nose.
The war reached its peak when Satoru tried to slide across the kitchen floor, forgetting that flour on granite is slippery. He ended up flat on his back, laughing so hard he could barely breathe, while the girls buried him in a shower of sprinkles. Suguru stood over him, his hair partially undone and his sweater completely ruined.
"Truce?" Satoru wheezed, wiping a streak of icing off his cheek.
"Truce," Suguru agreed, breathless. He looked around at the girls, who were covered from head to toe in a mix of flour and sugar. "But Satoru... we still haven't actually made a single cookie." Suguru reached down, offering a hand to pull Satoru up.
As Satoru stood, he didn't let go of Suguru’s hand. Instead, he pulled him into a messy, floury hug, and the kids huddled around their legs.
"Okay, okay," Suguru laughed, gently disentangling himself. "If we don't start the actual cookies now, we'll be eating flour for Christmas dessert."
"Right, team.Back to your stations. The battle is over!" Satoru announced.
"That goes for you, too, Dad. Tie your hair before you work on the dough," Tsumiki said firmly, pointing a finger at him.
"Why, Tsumiki? I don't have long hair like your Papa! Besides, my white hair is iconic," Satoru argued.
"Yeah, it’s going to be iconic when Megumi pulls it down into the butter," Tsumiki countered.
Satoru pouted, but he still sat as she proceeded to tie his hair into a tiny, ridiculous palm tree ponytail on the very top of his head. Suguru had a laughing fit, taking photos of the spectacle before they finally got to work.
Suguru and Tsumiki prepared the dough with Megumi back on the counter, while Satoru was given the safer job of pressing the cookie cutters into the flattened dough sheets. The twins were put in charge of decorating, and even Megumi was given a small piece of dough to squish.
As the dough was finished, Suguru popped a tiny bit of it into Nanako’s mouth, then Mimiko’s, then Tsumiki’s, and finally Megumi's.
"Me too?" Satoru asked, leaning in and opening his mouth like a baby bird. "Please?"
Suguru grinned as he fed Satoru a slightly larger piece. The kitchen went instantly silent as they all chewed. After getting approval from everyone, Suguru placed the first batch of cookies into the oven. The scent of sugar and vanilla replaced the dry smell of the flour.
The kitchen was quieter now, filled only with the hum of the oven and the soft sound of carols playing from Satoru’s phone. Satoru leaned his back against the counter next to Suguru, watching the kids through the glass of the oven door as they waited for the cookies to rise. He reached over, lacing his fingers with Suguru’s.
"Hey, Suguru?"
"Hmm?"
"Best Christmas ever," Satoru whispered, his voice soft and sincere.
Suguru looked at the flour-streaked face of the man beside him, then at the three girls and the baby, who were all covered in a mess no better than their own. He squeezed Satoru's hand.
"Yeah," Suguru breathed. "The best."
In the corner, the tripod remained standing. The little red light on the camera was still blinking, having captured the exact moment the chaos turned into a beautiful memory.