Work Text:
Chefs cross their arms as they gather in a spacious kitchen on Monday morning. Standing in groups, they listen tensely as the restaurant’s owner addresses them.
“Is everyone familiar with the plan for this week?” The owner’s expression is stern.
A few staff members nod, but otherwise no one speaks. Someone’s shoes squeak against the kitchen’s white-tiled floor.
Sapnap never enjoys starting his shifts with stressful conversations like this, but as one of the restaurant’s most necessary chefs, he cannot avoid this conversation.
Sometime during this upcoming week, one of the restaurant’s top investors will visit, yet no one knows when they will come. The owner knows what the investor looks like, but their employees do not. All that the chefs can do is work as hard as usual and treat every customer as if they are secretly the investor whose support is so vital to the restaurant’s survival.
“Before I let you all start today’s prep work, let me repeat the rules,” the owner announces. Scanning their staff members’ faces, they describe, “We will operate exactly how we always do. First, we make every plate and bowl with the highest-quality ingredients and care. Second, no one may speak to a customer unless the customer speaks to them first; you may not treat anyone differently whether you believe they are a VIP or not. Third, if you recognize the investor, you absolutely may not confront them about their experience at our restaurant. Does everyone understand?”
This time, all of the chefs mutter their agreement. Even Sapnap agrees to follow the rules, even though he rarely interacts with customers at all.
“Wonderful.” Witnessing their staff’s agreement, the restaurant’s owner dips their head curtly. “Now let’s start our day!” They clap once, then they turn around and return to their office. “If anyone has further questions, please meet with me.”
No one follows the owner to their office. Instead the staff members organize themselves in the kitchen. Slipping gloves onto their hands and rolling up their sleeves, they take turns to remove ingredients from refrigerators, freezers, and cabinets. Sapnap and the other chefs murmur wishes of good luck to each other as they separate, attending to their individual work stations.
This is not an average restaurant. Sapnap is the meat & fish chef at the highest-rated restaurant in the entire region, one whose primary customers are old, wealthy, and egotistical. He and the other chefs are under constant pressure to maintain their restaurant’s extravagant reputation.
Only one hour remains until today’s opening time. First the restaurant will serve brunch, so the aromas of frying eggs, salmon lox, and sourdough bread fill the kitchen. In the restaurant’s dining area, wait staff members drape silken tablecloths over tables and part the velvet curtains along one wall to allow sunlight into the expansive area.
As the meat & fish chef, Sapnap’s job in the morning is to braise and smoke meats so they will be ready by dinnertime. Working alone at his station, he mixes sauces, slaws, and marinades. Then he visits the refrigerator and carries a stack of fresh meat to his station.
Usually Sapnap hums to himself while he works, but this week will be more stressful than usual. He is one of the youngest and least-experienced chefs among the restaurant’s staff, so he is sensitive to the possibility of disappointing people. Not knowing when the restaurant’s top investor will visit only worsens his anxiety. When will they decide to come? What dishes will they order? If they do not enjoy their food, will they rescind their financial support? If the restaurant suffers and must remove some of its staff, will the current meat & fish chef lose his job? These worrying questions haunt Sapnap throughout the day until closing time.
To the final customers in the dining area, the restaurant’s atmosphere probably feels the same as always. As the chefs clean their work stations, only they can sense their own stress. Any of their dishes today might have been served to the restaurant’s top investor!
On Tuesday, the chefs repeat the same process as yesterday by preparing foods that appeal to their restaurant’s wealthy audience. The artisan breads, wagyu beef, caviar, and grated truffles that leave the kitchen are far too overpriced and minimalistic to appeal to the general public.
After spending half of his university years practically homeless, sleeping on friends’ couches, Sapnap developed a distaste for people who flaunt their money as arrogantly as this restaurant’s customers. However, his job as a meat & fish chef has also been the highest-paying job that he has ever found. Therefore, he maintains a neutral truce with the restaurant’s wealthy audience. Despite his grudge, he does know one rich person who is genuinely kind and generous: his boyfriend.
Sapnap met Dream for the first time during his years of moving between other people's houses and apartments, when a mutual friend introduced the pair. Dream lived alone, so he did not have any roommates who could argue against allowing a guest to sleep on the couch.
Sapnap did not want to burden his new friend, so he offered to move out several times. Dream refused every offer and explained that he would be lonely without a companion, so the guest stayed until he became a permanent resident of the apartment.
Soon after the pair became boyfriends, Dream recommended that Sapnap use his Culinary Arts degree to apply for a job at his mother’s favorite prestigious restaurant: the same restaurant where Sapnap still works today.
Now, several years have passed since the most vulnerable time in Sapnap’s life, but his bond with Dream has never wavered.
On Wednesday, pressure overwhelms the meat & fish chef. During his first break near the end of brunch time, Sapnap isolates himself in the restaurant’s storage closet, out of sight from the dining room. Sitting down in a chair, he removes his smartphone from his uniform’s pocket. He knows exactly whose support he needs. Thumbs skittering over the phone’s screen, he sends a text to his boyfriend.
Sapnap: the past few days have been hellll
Sapnap: a vip is supposed to visit and theyre coming sometime this week
Sapnap: if the vip doesnt like their food and decides to stop funding the restaurant, some people might get fired
Sapnap: possibly including me
Dream responds within minutes.
Dream: That sounds stressful :/
Dream: Do you need emotional support?
That question is Dream's way of asking whether Sapnap wants his boyfriend to visit. It is a tempting proposal because Dream's presence is indeed calming, but the meat & fish chef does not want to seem desperate.
Sapnap: thanks but i think i’ll be fine
Dream: Okay but I guess I AM feeling a little hungry…
Sapnap: im serious, you dont need to come!
Sapnap: i appreciate the offer though
Dream does not respond to these messages. Sapnap feels both embarrassed and relieved when he deduces that his boyfriend must have decided to visit anyway.
When the meat & fish chef leaves the storage closet, washes his hands, and returns to his work station, he notices that brunch time has ended. The restaurant’s chefs switch their tasks from cleaning up to preparing for dinner.
Sapnap checks the meat braising in the oven, he massages the meat marinating in the refrigerator, and he carries a stack of fresh fish out of the freezer. Organizing the stack onto chilled cutting boards, he allows muscle memory to guide his gloved hands as they unwrap plastic from each fish.
When Sapnap glances up from his work to assess the restaurant’s dining area, he notices a dwindling number of well-dressed customers occupying the tables. Aged millionaires adjust their cufflinks and tap manicured nails onto silken tablecloths. Everyone eats with deliberate slowness; their chins seem to tilt upwards permanently as they view the restaurant’s interior, the chefs in the kitchen, and even each other with disinterest. Apparently the sparkling chandeliers, the attentive wait staff members, and the excessively tiny portions of food are unsatisfying.
Returning his attention to the array of raw fish beneath his hands, Sapnap grabs his paring knife. The knowledge that Dream will visit distracts him, but when the meat & fish chef lifts the first fish, his lack of attention costs him. The paring knife slips slightly, fileting the fish at an imperfect angle.
“Ugh, come on,” the chef mutters to himself. “Focus.” Hoping that none of his coworkers witnessed the near-accident, he inhales a deep breath and inserts the paring knife again, more carefully this time.
Relying on his training, Sapnap slices king salmon, ahi tuna, and swordfish into thin sheets: perfect for smoking or searing. When he finishes, he tosses his current pair of gloves into a waste bin, washes his hands again, and puts on a new pair.
As the clock reaches 5pm, the dining area’s population begins to increase again. As new customers enter, wait staff members close the velvet curtains and light candles in the center of every table. Chefs in the kitchen begin swapping their foods to assemble complete dishes.
Before Sapnap receives his first orders of the evening, he decides to clean his work station. He wipes slime off the cutting boards, disinfects their surfaces, and leaves to fetch a stack of clean plates. When he returns to his work station, he expects to see only the restaurant’s interior ahead. Instead he sees the dining area… and someone else.
Standing patiently near the shoulder-high barrier that separates the kitchen from the customers, a man waits to catch the meat & fish chef’s attention. Wearing a purple button-up shirt and an enthusiastic smile, he waves once Sapnap recognizes him.
Dream! With a burst of adrenaline, Sapnap hurries across the busy kitchen with the stack of plates to greet his boyfriend.
To avoid bothering the other staff members, Dream remains quiet until the meat & fish chef stands directly on the other side of the barrier. When his boyfriend leans forward slightly, Dream whispers, “Hey, how are you?”
“So much better now that you’re here.” Usually Sapnap does not express his emotions so readily, but he cannot think of anyone else who he would rather speak to right now. “We don’t know if the VIP has visited yet, and the suspense is ruining me.”
“Everyone does seem kind of tense,” Dream observes, surveying the chefs and wait staff members. When his gaze focuses on Sapnap again, he glances down at his boyfriend’s white uniform and asks cautiously, “Are you sure that it’s okay if I talk with you here?”
“That’s fine,” Sapnap reassures, hoping that it is true. “I mean, you are probably a stranger to the other chefs, but you’re just one person, so they won’t care.” Without waiting for Dream's response, he steps aside to turn the power dial on the smoker machine so the tender meat inside will not overcook.
“Well, thank you, but actually…” Instead of smiling warmly, Dream winces and wrings his fingers.
Detecting his boyfriend’s uncertainty, Sapnap pauses and looks back from the smoker machine. “What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t really come alone.” When the meat & fish chef returns to listen, Dream reveals hesitantly, “I brought a guest.”
“A guest?”
Dream gestures behind himself toward the dining area. “I brought my mom.”
“What?” Alarmed, Sapnap gasps. His gaze follows Dream's finger, which points at a particular table in the dining area. A middle-aged woman sits alone, wearing a fancy dress. Resting her elbows upon the tablecloth, she watches the two men from across the room.
Dream's mother has never met Sapnap before. Every time that she was scheduled to visit Dream's apartment, her son requested that Sapnap pack his belongings into his duffel bag. The guest needed to hide his duffel bag in a closet and leave the apartment for hours so Dream's mother would not discover his presence.
From across the restaurant, Dream's mother smiles and waves when Sapnap meets her gaze. Forcing a smile, Sapnap waves in return, then he looks back at his boyfriend. He is already tense with anxiety, so this is literally the worst time when his first meeting with Dream's mother could happen. Lowering his voice, he asks, “Does she know about us?”
“I told her a few things,” Dream answers shyly. “And my mom wanted to come along. She said that she was planning to eat here sometime, anyway, so I couldn’t just tell her no!”
“What ‘things’ did you tell her?” Sapnap’s panic rises further.
“Oh, don’t worry about it!” Dream tries in vain to calm his boyfriend. “My mom is super pro-LGBT.”
“No, I mean, like, what did you tell her about me?” Did Dream's mother learn that her son’s boyfriend was originally a homeless man sleeping on his couch? Did she secretly wish that her son had fallen in love with someone from his own socioeconomic status?
Shifting with embarrassment, Dream shoves his hands into the pockets of his dress slacks and glances away before he responds, “I didn’t tell her about everything - not our entire history, I mean. I just mentioned that I’ve known you for a while and I trust you. That’s it.”
“Oh, okay.” Sapnap calms down slightly when he recognizes the honesty in Dream's tone. His boyfriend did not reveal his secret. “Thank you, but Dream, I’m still working. I can’t come over there to meet with your mom right now.”
“I know that!” Dream is unbothered. “She knows that you’re busy. You don’t have to come to our table.”
Grateful for his visitors’ understanding, Sapnap props up his torso with one gloved hand on his cutting board as he leans over the shoulder-high barrier. The pair exchange an awkward hug; Sapnap keeps his other gloved hand away from Dream's shoulder to avoid smearing meat juices on his button-up shirt. Despite the curious glances from his coworkers and his fear of judgment - both from the mysterious investor and from Dream's mother - Sapnap is so glad that Dream is here.
After the hug, the chef’s boyfriend leaves the kitchen and returns to his table.
Meanwhile, Sapnap receives his first orders. Smoked king salmon, seared ahi tuna, and roasted filet mignon steak: all of these are items that he has prepared countless times, but tonight he puts extra effort into the dishes. One of these will probably go to Dream, his mother, or even the investor, so the chef cannot allow any mistakes.
As the dining area’s population increases, Sapnap works like a machine. He plates meat and fish products with practiced perfection. Every few minutes, he wipes sweat off his brow with one wrist as steam wafts up into his face.
The chef’s focus is so intense that he nearly ignores the sound of faint tapping from nearby. Lifting his head curiously, Sapnap expects to see Dream again, but the person who now stands on the other side of the shoulder-high barrier is not his boyfriend.
“Hello, Sapnap.”
Dream's mother. She wears a flowery dress with sequins, a pearl necklace, and an expectant expression.
“Oh, hello! It’s great to meet you, Mrs. Jacobs.” Sapnap’s greeting is polite even while his stomach churns. Glancing between his cutting boards and the visitor, he apologizes, “I would shake your hand, but I’ve been touching food for the whole night, so -”
“Nevermind that,” Dream's mother dismisses his explanation with a wave. “Dream told me that you two were a couple. Is it true?”
Lying would only cause more problems, so Sapnap nods. “Yes, we’re happy together… and I love him.” As the words exit his mouth, his knees shake with elation. Oh my god, I can’t believe I just said that.
“I thought so.” Despite hearing a confession which seemed to require all of Sapnap’s emotional strength, Dream's mother appears calm. “My son mentioned that you’ve lived at his apartment for a while, too.”
“He did?” Sapnap’s voice cracks on the second word as his heart drops. Even if Dream did not tell his mother about his boyfriend’s class difference, does she suspect the truth about Sapnap’s past? Does she know that, at one point of this professional chef’s life, all of his personal belongings could fit into a duffel bag?
“Yes, and he even said that you perform most of the maintenance work!” Surprisingly Dream's mother smiles with amusement. “He’s been so relieved that he hasn’t needed to hire a cleaner or repair worker since you’ve been his friend.”
First the chef blinks with confusion, then his heart lifts with hope. Either she does not know about his past, or she does not care.
“Yeah, I’ve handled cleaning and repairs for Dream sometimes.” Remembering his urge to maintain his boyfriend’s apartment as payment for living there, Sapnap shrugs with forced nonchalance, “It’s no big deal.”
During his months-long stay at his host’s apartment, Sapnap familiarized himself with the technology and machines inside it so he could fix them if they broke. This was how he learned that Dream was remarkably unaccustomed to accomplishing tasks by himself. Dream gasped with astonishment when Sapnap fixed the WiFi simply by turning it off and back on again, and he was impressed when Sapnap fixed a broken cabinet handle simply by screwing the handle back into its hole. His boyfriend’s lack of real-world experience was oddly endearing, and it allowed Sapnap to feel like he was contributing in return for the home that Dream gave him.
Unaware of the chef’s gratitude for her approval, Dream's mother continues, “Even if you weren’t my son’s friend, I don’t consider you to be a stranger. I’ve seen you here before. You always cook the wagyu beef perfectly. I order it every time that I come here!”
“Wow, uh, thank you.” Flustered by the unexpected praise, Sapnap dips his head briefly. “That means a lot to me. I’m glad that you like my food.”
“You’re easily one of the most skilled chefs here,” the older woman affirms. “And when my son talks about you, his eyes light up in a way that I never saw before he knew you.” After these compliments, she finishes, “I hope that you will visit our house for dinner sometime, Sapnap.”
“Sure, I would love to visit.” Heart pounding, he accepts the offer gratefully.
“Wonderful.” Clapping her hands once with satisfaction, Dream's mother excuses herself. “Now I’m hungry for dessert. The lemon meringue pie here is absolutely delectable. Goodbye, Sapnap!”
“Thanks for visiting!” After the older woman’s departure, the chef’s shoulders slouch with relief that their first interaction went as well as he could have hoped. Now the only person left to impress is the restaurant’s top investor.
However, Sapnap is surprised when he discovers his new lack of concern about how the restaurant’s top investor might judge him when they order his food. For the first time, the meat & fish chef feels completely confident. Compared to meeting my boyfriend’s mom, everything else will be easy.
***
“Bye!” Dream mouths. He and his mother leave soon after they finish their desserts and pay the bill. They wave at the meat & fish chef from across the restaurant before exiting through its double doors.
Thankful for the pair’s emotional support, Sapnap sends an appreciative smile in return.
When Wednesday’s shift ends, the restaurant’s dining area is deserted. In the kitchen, the chefs repeat the same cleaning process as the previous two days, but tonight the restaurant’s owner addresses them before they leave.
“Thanks for all of your great work today, everyone!” Surveying the crowd of exhausted employees, the owner permits, “I will see all of you again tomorrow. Once you finish cleaning your stations, you are free to go…” Suddenly the owner’s tone changes from congratulatory to stern. Their gaze focuses directly upon the meat & fish chef. “Except for you, Sapnap.”
“What?” Blinking with confusion, Sapnap glances sideways to see his coworkers watching him with curiosity. Awkwardly he places a hand upon his chest. “Me?”
“Yes, you heard me.” Instead of explaining, the restaurant owner’s expression becomes menacing. “I’ll speak with you in my office after your coworkers leave. Until then, you should clean your station, too.”
Unsure about what he might have done to warrant a punishment, Sapnap obeys the owner’s instructions. He cleans his knives, scrubs the smoker machine, and disinfects his cutting boards as the other chefs gradually filter out of the kitchen and into the night. Even as he tries to remain busy, his internal stress rises. He scans his memories from the day, wondering about what mistake could have angered his supervisor. Did they see me almost mess up that fish filet with my paring knife? This possibility seems unlikely.
Seconds after the only other chef exits the kitchen, the restaurant’s owner calls from inside their office: “Sapnap!”
Flinching, the meat & fish chef slings his pack over one shoulder as he walks numbly across the white-tiled floor. Passing shiny metal cabinets, he stumbles along a short hallway until he reaches the owner’s office. Shame floods him. Chefs only come here when they are new or when they are in trouble, and he is definitely not new.
The owner’s expression is dark with fury as they rest their elbows on their desk. Gesturing to a seat across from themself, they prompt, “Sit down.”
“Okay.” Swallowing, Sapnap sits. The small office’s air is stuffy, nearly suffocating, as he asks hesitantly, “What happened?”
“Actually, why don’t you tell me what happened?” When the chef only stares with bewilderment, the owner demands, “Were my instructions unclear to you on Monday? If you were confused, then you should have visited my office to speak with me.”
Frightened, Sapnap shakes his head. “I wasn’t confused.”
“Then don’t pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about,” the owner hisses. “I said very clearly that no chefs were allowed to speak with our investor, and what did you do? You directly disobeyed me!”
“I didn’t speak with the investor,” Sapnap protests. Realizing that this must be a misunderstanding, he explains, “I was just talking with some of the customers.”
“Oh, really? ‘Some of the customers’?” The owner’s volume is dangerously low. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not lying. One of those people was a guy: Dream. He’s my boyf-” Suddenly faltering during his desperate attempt to defend himself, Sapnap finishes hastily, “He’s my roommate.” Technically that is not a lie. “And the woman was his mom.”
“I know that she was his mom!” The owner snaps with annoyance. “And her financial support is too vital for you to interfere with her assessment of our restaurant. You could have cost your coworkers their jobs. In my opinion, that reckless decision should cost you your job instead.”
First Sapnap feels panic as he considers the thought of losing his only source of income and possibly losing the approval of Dream's mother, too… then he stops. Before his mind can spiral further, a wave of clarity hits him. Frowning, the chef asks carefully, “Wait, how do you know that was Dream's mom?”
“Because she is our top investor.” The owner rolls their eyes with exasperation. “And you’re extremely fortunate that she sent me positive reviews about you and our restaurant, or else I would fire you right here.”
“She - Dream's mom is the VIP?” Sapnap knew that his boyfriend’s family was wealthy, but he did not know they were that wealthy! When he impressed Dream's mother with his polite attitude and skilled cooking, he had no idea that he was impressing the investor at the same time.
“Yes, she is our VIP,” the owner confirms curtly. Then, narrowing their eyes with suspicion, they interrogate the chef further. “I believe that I should also know what kind of scheme would involve you and our top investor’s son being familiar with each other.”
“Listen, I’m sorry, but I think that this is a misunderstanding,” Sapnap apologizes, keeping his voice quiet to avoid provoking his supervisor’s temper. “Dream and I have known each other for a long time.”
“In what context?”
“Uh… we’re in a relationship?”
There it is: the truth. Under other circumstances, Sapnap might feel embarrassed about admitting such a private detail of his life to a coworker, but right now he is determined to prove his innocence.
“Oh.” When they learn about Sapnap and Dream's true identities as boyfriends, not saboteurs, the restaurant owner blushes. Suddenly awkward, they break eye contact, and their voice is much more calm when they speak again. “Alright, I suppose that makes sense. Sorry about the, um, invasion of privacy.”
“No problem.” Sapnap barely suppresses a smug grin of triumph as he witnesses his supervisor’s discomfort. “Do I still have my job?”
“Yes, you certainly do.” Clearly eager to remove the meat & fish chef from their office, the owner encourages him to leave. “And thank you for your work. Have a good night, Sapnap.”
“You, too.” Standing from his chair, Sapnap exits the owner’s office and strides down the short hallway. When he steps beyond the kitchen, he flips its main light switch and allows darkness to fall behind himself.
Leaving through the restaurant’s back exit, Sapnap enters a crisp, cool night. Fresh air fills his lungs when he inhales and sees a vehicle in the distance beneath tiny fluttering moths. Adrenaline deserts the chef’s body, leaving him with a sagging sensation of exhaustion as he approaches a car that waits in a nearly-empty parking lot.
Within the darkened vehicle, a smiling driver waves at his boyfriend. Sapnap’s heart is already brimming with satisfaction, yet when he meets Dream's gaze, his heart overflows with even more of the love that will never waver.