Author's Notes:

Set in anime canon timeline, after GX.

Tsubasa notices Maria's joy in eating delicious food and becomes determined to cook for her. Pre-relationship fluff.

Terms:

Osechi - Traditional Japanese food eaten during New Year. There is a large variety of dishes that are included in it and are usually presented in large bento boxes. (Watch GX Zesshoushinai episode 1 to see the scene of Maria eating one)
Tamagoyaki - sweet Japanese rolled omelette.

Tsubasa found herself utterly fascinated when she saw Maria smile so happily after taking a bite from the plate of pasta in front of her. Tsubasa couldn't even pronounce whatever it was that Maria was eating but Maria seemed to really enjoy it with the way she was smiling so. Almost self-consciously, Tsubasa looked down at her traditional Japanese meal of rice, miso soup, natto and grilled mackerel before she looked at the vegetable salad, soup and the curious pasta dish that Maria called Fettuccine Alfredo. Even with the two of them in London, Tsubasa mostly stuck to Japanese cuisine since she didn't really adjust well to the heavier food available here. Ogawa and the other staff had been very accommodating with their requests for food.

In contrast to Tsubasa however, Maria seemed to really enjoy herself with all the different kinds of food as she never failed to see her smile whenever they ate together which was pretty often lately. Perhaps it was just the fact that they've become closer friends now that Maria seemed to smile more often, even if it was just because of good food. Tsubasa remembered that Maria rarely smiled outside of performing or only when she was with Kirika and Shirabe. Tsubasa was maybe a little awed that the dish that Maria was eating now would cause her to smile. Was it really that delicious?

"Tsubasa?" At the sound of her name, Tsubasa was pulled away from her thoughts and she looked up to see Maria's concerned teal eyes. "Is there something wrong? You've been staring at my food for some time now."

"N-no! Nothing's wrong." Tsubasa blurted out, caught off-guard a little. She cleared her throat, feeling the beginnings of a blush warm her face. Maria looked at her with a raised eyebrow. It was pretty obvious she doubted Tsubasa.

"…Do you want a bite?" Maria then asked, indicating her half-finished pasta. "You seem… curious." She continued after a small pause.

"Ah, well… No, not really." Tsubasa felt strangely flustered at the offer and she shook her head fiercely, putting down the chopsticks she was using. But still, Maria looked at her expectantly, as if waiting for a more thorough answer. With Maria looking at her like that, Tsubasa could not help but crack. "I… I was just wondering why you look so happy with your food…" She trailed off with a hint of embarrassment on her face as she looked away from Maria.

"Really?" Maria asked, looking genuinely puzzled. It seemed that Maria was not aware that she was smiling so happily while eating her lunch. Tsubasa nodded in reply as she shyly looked back at Maria, catching a glimpse of Maria's momentary confusion before she smiled gently. Maria really looked much more beautiful when she was smiling like this…

"I guess I'm just quite happy that I'm eating such delicious food." A small laugh escaped Maria's lips at the admission. However her gaze seemed far away, like she was remembering a memory. "You must think it's strange that I'm like this." She then said softly.

"No!" Tsubasa blurted out immediately. "I didn't mean to imply such a thing!" Maria looked surprised at the vehement denial. Indeed, Tsubasa herself was shocked at her outburst and she clamped her mouth shut, a little horrified.

Maria stared at Tsubasa for a moment or two, looking entirely inscrutable before her gentle smile was back again. "I see. Thank you." She said simply. There was an awkward silence for a few moments and Tsubasa fidgeted in her seat, fearing that she had ruined their peaceful lunch with her comments and she looked down at her hardly touched meal.

"Back then, there wasn't much occasion for me to eat good food." Maria opened up on her own as she twirled her fork in her pasta slowly. Tsuabasa did not need to ask Maria to elaborate. She was already quite familiar with Maria's past and she frowned a little at the reminder. "Perhaps I have come to appreciate any opportunity to be able to eat a good meal." Maria chuckled softly to herself. "It made such a difference to my mood." She then took her fork now full of pasta and put it to her mouth delicately and chewing thoughtfully.

"I understand." Tsubasa nodded, feeling that she understood Maria a little more yet also feeling a bit sad at Maria's unspoken words regarding her past. Maria should have more reasons to smile. If one of those reasons is as mundane as being able to eat delicious food, then Maria deserved all the most delectable dishes in the world. A smile suited her much more after all. Seeing Maria's smile usually sent a heavy dose of warmth in Tsubasa's chest, moreso if she was smiling because of something that Tsubasa did.

Suddenly, Tsubasa was struck with an idea. If good food could make Maria smile so, then her smile would perhaps be all the more radiant and directed at Tsubasa if she was the one to give Maria a delicious dish. Just imagining it made Tsubasa smile in excitement and giddiness. She quickly decided that she should do it, even though she doesn't know how to cook. Tsubasa became excited at the prospect of Maria beaming at her and thanking her for her efforts. It was her duty as a good friend to keep Maria smiling after all.

"Maria, is there food that you are fond of?" Tsubasa then asked, looking at Maria with an almost piercing stare of seriousness and eagerness. Maria blinked at her, seemingly surprised for an instant before a thoughtful expression crossed her face.

"I don't think I have a particular favorite." Maria then admitted after taking another bite of her food. "As long as it tastes good and not spicy." She added. Tsubasa frowned a little at that rather broad and vague answer. That would not make it easy for her to decide on what she should cook for Maria.

"…How about Japanese cuisine?" Tsubasa prompted hopefully. Tsubasa might as well cook something that she's at least familiar with to make it a bit easier. "Is there… Something in particular you like to try?"

"Japanese cuisine…" Maria murmured thoughtfully before her eyes lit up. "When it was New Year's day, we were given Osechi." Maria recounted. "It was really enjoyable and delicious."

"O-osechi?" Tsubasa echoed. That was something that Tsubasa didn't expect. Would she be able to make that? Making Osechi was rather complicated…

"Well, perhaps I liked the presentation." Maria chuckled softly. "There's a certain charm with eating a packed lunch with a variety of foods arranged so... cutely." She seemed a little embarrassed when she admitted it.

"So it doesn't have to be Osechi?" Tsubasa asked as she began to understand what Maria was trying to say. It made sense in a way. Maria seemed to be fascinated with the potential cuteness of bentos, not just referring to Osechi.

"It was the prettiest lunch I ever saw but it doesn't have to be. I guess I'd just like to eat a cute bento." Maria said with a laugh. Tsubasa nodded to that in understanding as the gears in her mind started to turn on what she was going to do.

"Oh dear, look at the time." Maria suddenly said as she glanced at her watch. "Tsubasa, you should also eat. Our lunch break is about to be over and we can't have you fainting in rehearsal." Maria then said a little sternly as she indicated Tsubasa's mostly untouched food. Obediently, Tsubasa took her chopsticks again to finish her meal, all the while thinking of her plan.

Tsubasa looked serious and determined as she rolled up her sleeves and put on her blue apron. Her hair was tied up into a rare high ponytail, making sure that it would not bother her while she was cooking. Standing in the kitchen of her apartment, Tsubasa nodded in satisfaction as she was now ready to take on her task. She surveyed the cooking utensils that have been laid out on the kitchen counter and a quick check inside her refrigerator confirmed that it was fully stocked with fresh ingredients. It seemed that all was ready.

"Are you ready, Tsubasa-san?" The ever cheerful voice of Ogawa asked as he entered the kitchen, also wearing an apron and a pleasant smile.

"Yes, Ogawa-san." Tsubasa nodded, her eyes glinting almost fiercely as she regarded her manager, now her cooking instructor. "Everything is ready and we can start our lessons."

"Alright. Shall we start with the basics?" Ogawa nodded and Tsubasa's intensive cooking lesson finally started. Tsubasa was certainly glad that Ogawa had agreed to teach her, and Tsubasa was very determined to do her best and be able to make that bento for Maria.

Ogawa's first lesson for Tsubasa is the staple tamagoyaki. It was relatively easy to make and is perfect for a beginner to cook. Tsubasa paid rapt attention to Ogawa as he slowly showed her the steps to make the dish; how to crack the eggs open, how to measure the seasonings and even how to beat the eggs with the seasonings.

Tsubasa could not help but quietly admire Ogawa's cooking prowess, even though he was just cooking such a simple thing as eggs. The warrior in Tsubasa was amazed with how quick and efficient Ogawa's movements were. Well, as expected from her ninja manager. He made it look so easy and Tsubasa's confidence rose, as it made her feel that she would be mimic what he is doing.

When Ogawa finished and presented to her the freshly cooked tamagoyaki, it certainly looked very appetizing even though it was such a simple dish at first glance. Tsubasa popped one into her mouth and nodded in satisfaction as the sweet taste and the fluffy texture of the eggs made it quite delectable.

"This is delicious." Tsubasa commented softly. If Tsubasa could make her cooking as delicious as this then no doubt Maria would smile and praise her. Just imagining it had Tsubasa's determination renewed twofold.

"Are you ready to try, Tsubasa-san?" Ogawa asked her.

"Yes. Ogawa-san." Tsubasa looked like she was about to jump into battle with the way her eyes glinted with fiery purpose. Now if only that eagerness translated to Tsubasa being actually able to cook well.

When she tried cracking the eggs open, several pieces of eggshell were left in the yolk and Tsubasa had to manually remove all of the pieces she could find. She didn't notice that she put too much sugar in the egg mixture and it probably ended up being too sweet. What took the cake however was the fact that she burned the eggs, with Ogawa having to use the fire extinguisher as the pan actually caught fire.

That mishap however wasn't at all enough for Tsubasa to be discouraged. In fact, failing only spurred her on forward and she spent the entirety of her day off trying to cook decent tamagoyaki. It was already night time when Tsubasa managed to cook something edible without anything catching fire or the taste being too extreme or bland. The small victory also served to spur Tsubasa on, and she insisted on daily lessons as she had many more dishes to learn if she was to create a bento full of yummy and visually appealing foods.

Tsubasa was faithful on her endeavor to practice cooking every day. Even when she was busy at work and went home late, she would still find time to struggle through cooking with resilience and rock-solid determination.

"I've never seen Tsubasa-san be so driven like this aside from work. This must really be quite important to you." Ogawa had commented after a week of these constant cooking lessons.

Tsubasa did not know why but Ogawa's words had her cheeks flush as the smiling face of Maria appeared in her mind, of Maria praising Tsubasa and smiling widely because the bento that Tsubasa gave her was really delicious. Ogawa only smiled knowingly at the look on Tsubasa's face.

Tsubasa was also trying her best not to have Maria learn of her lessons, lest her surprise for Maria be discovered too soon. Maria had started noticing that Tsubasa seemed a little tired sometimes when they were together since Tsubasa stayed up late a few times just to squeeze in cooking practice to her day. Maria also noticed that Tsubasa's hands bore cuts and burns, hidden underneath band-aids.

"What have you been doing lately? You've been looking tired." Maria asked Tsubasa, concern plain on her face. "And your hands seemed to always be injured lately…" She continued, a hint of disapproval in her voice as she took Tsubasa's hands into her own. The unexpected gesture had Tsubasa feel as though all her blood suddenly rushed to her face. Maria's hands were warm around her own and Tsubasa had the fleeting thought that she really liked it.

"Tsubasa?" Maria then called out to her, puzzled most likely at her silence.

"I was just… Practicing a new attack." Tsubasa blurted out a bold-faced lie as she snapped out of her reverie. She felt a little bad for lying to Maria but it was a necessary evil if Tsubasa wanted to surprise her.

"A new attack?" Maria repeated with furrowed brows and Tsubasa nodded, unable to meet Maria's eyes. "Do you need help? Maybe if I practice with you, you won't get injured?" Maria then tentatively offered.

"No!" Tsubasa immediately turned down the offer, afraid of Maria finding out the truth. Maria let Tsubasa's hands go as if she was burnt at Tsubasa's refusal. Even with Tsubasa being an airhead at times, she was able to notice the hurt that flitted through Maria's face before disappearing. "I… I think I only need just a bit more time to perfect it. You don't need to burden yourself for my sake." Tsubasa hastily added, not wanting to see Maria look so hurt because of her.

"I see…" Maria murmured with a nod. Still, she looked so dejected and Tsubasa frantically thought of a way to cheer Maria up when she realized this was the perfect opportunity for her to ask Maria for the surprise lunch Tsubasa was planning, just so that the dejected look on her face would be gone.

"By the way Maria…" Tsubasa cleared her throat, suddenly feeling quite shy at what she was going to ask. Maria looked at her in faint puzzlement, wordlessly prompting Tsubasa to continue. Tsubasa hesitated then, feeling a lump in her throat and she couldn't form the words she wanted to ask.

"Tsubasa?" Maria asked after a few moments of silence. Tsubasa felt her face flush and she gathered every ounce of courage she had to say her next words.

"Do you want to go out?" Tsubasa blurted out gracelessly.

"…Excuse me?" Maria blinked, confused most likely at what Tsubasa meant.

"I-I mean on our next day off." Tsubasa hastily explained herself, feeling the tips of her ears burn in embarrassment. "Let's go out and have lunch." The words were rushed but Tsubasa was glad that she was finally able to say what she really wanted to.

"Ah, is that all? Of course I'd love to." Maria then gave Tsubasa a half-smile. Tsubasa felt like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders and she felt strangely giddy.

"Okay." Tsubasa was unable to keep the lopsided grin from her face.

"Where are we going?" Maria inquired.

"It's a surprise. I'll pick you up at your apartment at eleven in the morning." Tsubasa answered, feeling a bit more confident this time around. Maria quirked an eyebrow at her, curiosity plain on her face before she nodded in understanding.

"I'm looking forward to it." Maria said sincerely and Tsubasa felt her heart flip flop in her chest.

Tsubasa felt keenly nervous as she grabbed her motorcycle helmet from the table. She glanced at her chaotically messy kitchen, offering a silent apology to Ogawa who was going to be cleaning her mess from last night. Ogawa really had done so much for her, as he even went ahead to where she'll take Maria to prepare her surprise. Tsubasa should buy him a nice gift for all he's done for her. Perhaps she'll ask her uncle or her father for advice regarding that.

The beeping of her phone startled Tsubasa from her thoughts and she pulled it out of her pocket, only to find that it was the alarm she had set fifteen minutes before eleven, to remind herself to leave on time. Quickly, Tsubasa left her apartment and mounted her bike. It would take her ten minutes to get to Maria's apartment and she would not want to be late.

Tsubasa sped away from her apartment, enjoying the thrill of riding on her bike. When she arrived at the entrance to Maria's apartment complex, Maria was already waiting for her there. She was dressed casually in jeans and a jacket but Tsubasa could not help but admire how good she looked in them. Maria's usual hairstyle was also absent, instead she had her hair tied in a low ponytail at the nape of her neck.

"Tsubasa!" Maria waved at her, coming closer as Tsubasa took off her helmet to greet her friend.

"Maria." Tsubasa greeted with a small smile. "Are you ready?"

"Yes. Although I would appreciate it if you would tell me where we're going." Maria said with a slight pout.

"It is a surprise." Tsubasa reminded her with a soft laugh before presenting Maria with her extra helmet. Maria put it on before carefully mounting behind Tsubasa. Tsubasa was able to feel Maria's warmth even through the layers both of them had on. Maria's arms then encircled Tsubasa's waist in a light squeeze. Tsubasa studiously ignored how nice it felt as she revved up her bike as soon as Maria was settled properly behind her.

Tsubasa heard a startled and muffled 'eep' come from Maria when they sped off. Maria's arms around Tsubasa's waist tightened to an almost uncomfortable level and she can keenly feel Maria's large breasts press firmly against her back. Tsubasa could feel her face grow hot at Maria being much too close for comfort. Having Maria pressed against her so tightly like this was very distracting and it took enormous effort for Tsubasa to keep her attention on the road. Maria was just so soft and so warm and it felt really, really nice.

Maria clung to Tsubasa the whole way to their destination. When they arrived at the parking lot, Maria got off from the bike as fast as she could. Tsubasa couldn't help but chuckle a little in amusement, ignoring the sudden disappointment when Maria's warmth was no longer pressed against her.

"Are you alright?" Tsubasa asked in both concern and amusement, removing her helmet.

"I'm fine." Maria huffed, her cheeks coloring just a little as she too removed her helmet. "I was just… surprised at how fast you drove." Tsubasa just grinned, knowing that Maria had been more than just surprised with how she clung to her. It was almost adorable really.

"Shall we?" Tsubasa asked after getting off her bike.

"This is the park isn't it? Where are we going to eat?" Maria asked curiously, looking at Tsubasa who didn't bring anything with her.

"You'll see." Tsubasa replied with a secretive glint in her eyes, taking Maria's hand to lead her to her surprise. She totally missed the blush that lit up Maria's cheeks at the unexpected gesture.

The park was huge and didn't really have that many people as it was fortunate that their day off was on a weekday. Also, they were blessed with nice weather, the perfect time for a picnic. The two made small talk as they walked further inside the park, Tsubasa not letting go of Maria's hand all throughout.

They then arrived at a more secluded part of the park. A dirt path led to a large tree and waiting underneath the tree was Ogawa and a spread out picnic blanket. Maria looked in surprise at Ogawa and then at Tsubasa.

"Tsubasa-san, Maria-san." Ogawa greeted them with his usual smile. "Since you're both here, I'll take my leave." He then said.

"Thank you Ogawa-san, for all the help you've given me." Tsubasa told him sincerely as she let Maria's hand go and smiled at her manager. Ogawa only smiled back and with a wave, he was gone. Maria looked down at the spread out blanket and what seemed to be a bundle of cloth and a thermos with confusion and wonder.

"What's this?" Maria asked as she turned to Tsubasa again.

"Lunch." Tsubasa replied casually with a smile, enjoying the look on Maria's face. Tsubasa then settled down beside the clothed bundle, gesturing for Maria to sit beside her. After a few seconds Maria had recovered and gave a small chuckle before doing what Tsubasa wanted and sat down beside her.

"You really are full of surprises today." Maria commented and Tsubasa's smiled widened just a little. "I wasn't really expecting this." She then gestured vaguely to the impromptu picnic. Tsubasa chuckled softly, pleased.

"There is more to come, I would think." Tsubasa said as she untied the cloth from the bundle, revealing a large three tier bento box.

"Isn't this… Osechi?" Maria gasped, recognizing the large bento box that Tsubasa had used.

"Osechi is a little bit more difficult to make. I just used the bento box." Tsubasa said, feeling nervous now as she carefully took off the lid and carefully laid the three bento boxes side by side to showcase what's inside. This was the direct result of all of the hard work Tsubasa did over the past few weeks, many times almost burning down her kitchen and all the stomachaches she endured from eating her botched cooking.

"This is..!" Maria gasped as the spread of ten different dishes arranged beautifully in the three bento boxes. One bento box exclusively contained brightly colored side dishes; tamagoyaki, croquettes, sausage wieners shaped like an octopus, steamed dumplings, and small cat shaped onigiri. Toothpicks shaped like katanas and daggers were strategically skewered on some of the food. The next one contained four different dishes of pork, fish, beef and chicken. There was beef teriyaki, grilled salmon, pork cutlet and chicken in small skewers. The last mostly contained a bed of rice and stir-fried vegetables.

Tsubasa felt her nervousness disappear as she saw Maria's slack-jawed expression. She looked so awed as she stared at the food that took Tsubasa almost until dawn to prepare. "This looks amazing!" Maria exclaimed, her eyes shining as the smile that Tsubasa had yearned to see appear on her face. All the hard work and time that Tsubasa spent just to make that bento was all worth it just by seeing that smile.

"Thank you. I worked hard on it." Tsubasa murmured shyly but there was no mistaking that satisfied look on her face.

"You… You're the one who made all of it?" Maria asked with wide eyes. When Tsubasa nodded, Maria's smile became even wider and she looked so awed. In fact, there seemed to be tears in her eyes. "No one's ever done this for me before… You remembered, didn't you?" Maria said almost reverently, referring to their conversation weeks ago regarding the food that Maria wanted to eat.

"You were enjoying your food so much, so I wanted to do this for you." Tsubasa quietly admitted and it seemed as though Maria's smile could not go any wider. Tsubasa had never seen her look so happy before and she was so proud that she was the cause of it.

"Thank you." Maria told her sincerely. Tsubasa was giddy with success as she too smiled and then offered Maria chopsticks. They dug in to their lunch then, with the both of them enjoying each other's company. Tsubasa practically glowed as Maria complimented her food. Tsubasa felt so happy to have Maria praise her so. It seemed like it's been so long since Tsubasa enjoyed herself this much as they shared the food and shared stories.

The food slowly dwindled and time passed, though Tsubasa mostly didn't care as her eyes were only on Maria as she watched her face, fascinated with the play of expressions on it. There was none of Maria's usual reservation as her emotions were clearly on display.

"Today was really fun." Maria said as they lounged about on the blanket, the food all gone. "I feel so stuffed!" Maria laughed before she leaned closer to Tsubasa, letting her head rest on Tsubasa's shoulder. Immediately, Tsubasa felt a flush on her cheeks at Maria's sudden close proximity. Her heartbeat quickened and she had to wonder why she felt that way every time Maria was close.

There was a moment of silence as Tsubasa pondered on what it meant, before she felt Maria shift to look at Tsubasa. "Thank you so much, Tsubasa. No one has ever done something like this for me before…" Maria's voice was soft as she gave her heartfelt thanks to Tsubasa. Maria then smiled once more, before she leaned forward and kissed Tsubasa's cheek. Tsubasa's face immediately erupted into flames, and suddenly, there was a sudden realization so swift that Tsubasa almost gave out a strangled squeak of surprise.

Tsubasa understood now; why she wanted to see Maria smile, why she worked so hard to accomplish her goal, why she felt so exhilarated and so warm every time they were close together. Tsubasa liked her, in a clear more-than-friends way. The realization was as swift as a lightning bolt and it left her just a tad bit disoriented but she recovered quickly. There was no longer confusion and doubt lingering in her mind now that she knew what her heart has known all along. Perhaps it should've embarrassed her but Tsubasa just felt at peace and she smiled radiantly at Maria who ducked her head shyly.

"You're welcome." Tsubasa replied warmly and brushed her fingers briefly on Maria's cheek. Maria blushed at the touch and she looked up at Tsubasa fondly. Tsubasa felt her heart skip a beat at the sight.

"You do know that I'm going to have to pay you back for this, right?" Maria said after another beat of silence. Tsubasa chuckled softly and nodded.

"I would gladly accept that offer." Tsubasa responded gamely and Maria laughed.