Summary: Takeo wants to make something for Rai.

Contains established TakeoRai.

Post season 5.

Prompted by and written for Kai. He's got headcanon that Takeo was raised in Germany too. :3

Thanks to Key and Kai for helping me with the ending as well. X3

Chocolate

By Dark Ice Dragon

Takeo entered Frankenstein's lab, looking around; he'd already checked the kitchen, and the lab was the next usual place Frankenstein could be found. "Frankenstein?"

"Yes?" Frankenstein was standing in front of a machine billowing smoke, tablet in hand.

So this was it. Takeo took a steadying breath and approached him. "I was wondering if you could tell me how to make German chocolate?"

Frankenstein's eyebrows shot up for a second before they settled again. "Is there a particular reason why it needs to be German chocolate?" He pressed a button on the machine and after a 'whirr', it stopped spewing smoke.

"Ah…" Takeo had thought he'd ask 'why chocolate', but Frankenstein would know what date was coming so the answer was fairly obvious. As for Frankenstein's actual question… He sighed, tugging on a lock of hair.

"I think I might have grown up in Germany." German was one of the two languages he hadn't needed to be taught, and he was more fluent in that than he was in English. It seemed to be a reasonable conclusion.

"I see," Frankenstein said, frowning slightly as his gaze drifted. "There are two kinds of German chocolate: one created by an American whose name was 'German' for the purposes of cakes, and one that you eat as itself. I assume it's the latter?" he asked, smiling over his glasses.

Takeo blinked at the information, and then nodded. "Yeah."

"The texture of that can be sweet, depending on what you add to it," Frankenstein continued, starting to tap something out on his tablet. "I can adjust the recipe so that it's more to Master's tastes – I'll give you the recipe once I'm finished."

"Thanks." Then he would see if he could actually make it.

xOx

Takeo peered at the brown filled bowl in front of him. It looked all right, but he couldn't taste test it either; he'd realised that problem the first time he'd tried. The sweetness had been overpowering, only having a hint of chocolate, but he'd followed Frankenstein's instructions to the letter.

Maybe he should try to make another batch, but how would he know what one Rai would like better…?

xOx

Takeo decided against making a second batch (he would have to give it to Rai anyway, since no-one else would be able to eat it) and a few days later, he held a box out to Rai, smiling as he did so. "Here."

Rai blinked at him, taking it.

"It's, ah, for Valentine's day," Takeo explained, watching him open the lid.

Rai's hands paused, but the lid was high enough that he would be able to see what was inside. "So that's what the children were talking about."

Except here, he wasn't supposed to give Rai to chocolates, but since neither of them were female anyway…

"…I don't have any chocolates for you."

He shook his head, smiling. "It's fine." He had expected that; he'd done it because he'd wanted to, not to get something back.

Rai plucked one of the chocolate pieces and ate it. Takeo studied his reaction carefully and relaxed when Rai smiled. Good, he'd made it right.

"Did you make them yourself?"

Takeo's lips twitched. "I did, but Frankenstein helped me with the recipe."

Rai's smile widened before he held the box up to him.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "It's all right, you have them all – they're too sweet for me."

"Hmm." Rai was staring down at the box before he looked at him again. "I'll make something for you as well."

"You don't have to," Takeo started to protest, but Rai cut him off with a soft look.

"I want to," Rai said firmly.

Takeo's didn't say anything for a few seconds as he tried to think of something to say. He eventually gave up and smiled at him. "Thanks."