Loud pans banging, something bubbling on the stove, a mixture of French/jazz music playing.

When it was Louisiana and Florida's turn to cook dinner, it was always a chaotic affair.

Florida was not helpful when anyone cooked dinner, usually he'd sit on the kitchen island and just watch or ask obnoxious amounts of questions until he was kicked out.

But Loui would never kick him out.

Louisiana that night was making some andouille with rice, and it smelt so good from where Florida was sitting. Every week when they made the schedule up, Louisiana begged to cook one of the days, claiming that 'one taste of my food, sha and he'll be cured in no time'. He got rejected every time with claims that the food had to be high protein, healthy, and good for someone just learning to eat again.

But this time Arizona and Nevada had to be called back to their states because of fires, and Louisiana had just enough votes to get his dinner on the menu.

"I'm telling you sha." Louisiana said with a smile, flipping the sausages over. "They'll want me to put this on the menu every week once they have it."

"Or we could secretly just write it in." Florida pointed out with a chaotic grin.

"Mais sha, you know we can't do that. It's a process." Louisiana said gently and Florida pouted. Louisiana smiled and gestured with his head towards the cabinets.

"Get me a stainer will you?" Louisiana asked and Florida grinned. He jumped off the kitchen island and dashed to the cabinet, ripping open the door and pulling the strainer out, letting a few pots and pans fall in his wake. He hurried back over to his boyfriend and handed him the strainer proudly.

"Your thing chef." Florida announced.

"Thanks sha." Louisiana grinned, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend. After a quick peck on the lips he drained the rice he was cooking, then stirred in some sauce.

"Should I go tell Dee dinner's done?" Florida asked.

"Nah, his watch will tell him in about--"

"Hey, is supper done?" DC asked standing in the doorway in between the kitchen and the hall. Louisiana grinned at Florida and mentioned with his head towards DC.

"C'mon in darlin' and get your plate. I made sausages tonight." Louisiana explained.

"You usually don't cook." DC pointed out gently, approaching the Cajun man.

"We had the power to overvote Cali!" Florida said proudly and DC snickered, shaking his head at his boyfriend.

"There you go dalrin'." Louisiana announced handing DC a bowl with the sausage and rice. DC noted that the portion was the exact amount the clinic and Janet wanted him to start off with; usually the others, especially the other three and his dads tried to add a little more to get him to keep eating. Louisiana and Florida were always careful and did things by the book.

DC bit his lip and looked up at his two boyfriends; Florida was skirting around Louisiana begging for more rice and Louisiana was laughing and trying to keep his boyfriend at bay. He knew they were expecting him to go back into his office to eat.

"H-Hey...." DC whispered.

"What's up Dee? You want more sauce?" Florida asked.

"N-No...I...."

"Don't be nervous about the spice now, I know Geo has something in his head that thinks you can't handle it but I know you can." Louisiana winked.

"Can I....eat with you?" DC asked softly. Silence, save for the music still playing, hit the kitchen like a truck. Louisiana dropped his spoon and Florida stopped all his chaos.

"You...but...."

"I think I can do it, at least just with you two." DC admitted shyly. "Can we at least try it?"

"Yeah. Yeah of course!" Florida said quickly dashing over to the kitchen island and immediately clearing a space. Louisiana still stood in shock as DC sat down at the island, and Florida retrieved his own bowl and sat next to him. He looked at the chaos gremlin with a look that screamed 'this was a bad idea'. Florida looked back at DC who was just poking at his food, then back at Louisiana and gave him a look back that said 'let him try, he's making baby steps'. Louisiana swallowed hard, made up his own place and went to the island.

The three sat together in silence, Louisiana and Florida instantly eating and DC still picking at his food. Louisiana knew this was normal in his more rational mind and soon DC's instincts would cut in and he'd start eating, but in his more worried mind he was scared DC was halfway to meltdown. He groaned at something hitting his shin, and looked over to see Florida glaring at him.

"Don't stare." Florida's look screamed and Louisiana went back to his dinner. Eventually he heard more chewing, and glanced up to see DC chewing on something from his own bowl, already digging back in to get more. Pride swelled in his chest, he could damn near cry, Florida was practically bouncing in the chair next to him.

"This is great." DC mumbled, swallowing then putting more in his mouth.

"I-I'm..." Louisiana swallowed his sob down. "I'm so glad darlin'." DC nodded and then put more food in his mouth, focusing on the food in the bowl. Florida grabbed Louisiana's hand and squeezed it hard. They never thought they'd see the day that DC would willingly want to eat with other people, let alone with them. They knew it'd be a long time before he ate with the other states, or his other boyfriends, but they didn't care.

DC stuck around to help Louisiana and Florida clean up, then went back to his office to finish up the rest of the work for the day leaving the two alone in the living room. The two still sat in stunned silence, not even watching the cheesy nineties movie Florida suggested. Louisiana was about to comment on a character's terrible line delivery when he felt someone shaking next to him and looked to see Florida with his head in his hands, crying.

"Sha? Sha what's wrong?" Louisiana asked surprised. Florida glanced up and smiled at his boyfriend, despite the tears coming down.

"He ate Loui. Loui he ate." Florida whispered before falling into Louisiana's chest. Louisiana held Florida tight, rocking him back and forth, feeling his own tears falling down his face. He was so overwhelmed with joy, he never thought someone eating his dinner, in front of people no less, would make him happy. The road to recovery was tough, but DC was showing progress. And that was all they could ask for.