A/N: Hello! So, recently I got super hooked on Shokugeki no Soma. From the jump, I've been a Souma x Megumi kinda girl, but ever since she faced off with Ryou in the Autumn Elections, I've been sailing HARD on the SS KuroGumi (MeguRyo? What is the name of this ship anyway?). Ugh. Anyway, as much as I love this ship it seems to be mega small (probably closer to a dinghy than a ship really). After scouring the webbernets, and reading everything I could possibly find twice, I decided to add some fuel to the fire and write some fics of my own. I haven't written non-academically in EONS so forgive my rustiness. I'm about 80% sure that this will be part of a larger fic, I just need to flesh it out. As it is, it's really just an interpretation of that one episode, but it feels like a jump off into something larger...

Either way, I hope you enjoy it! Now if you'll excuse me, I have some responsibilities to shirk.

"Oi, that ramen of yours. Let me try it!"

She let out a small shriek at the guttural sound of his voice, but obliged him anyway. Shaky hands fixed him a bowl that he took from her with ease, noodles slurping down his throat before she could even open her mouth to speak. While she chose to compete with a rich fish broth of her own, he was impressed by the delicacy that she somehow managed to maintain. Indeed, he had expected a tender flavour from his soft spoken year-mate but her decision to compete with him in a battle of rich broths was as surprising as it was intriguing. She had hardly seemed worth the effort, however, she proved herself to be more than just Yukihira's clinger on. Much like her ramen, the pure and gentle Tadokoro Megumi hid a certain steel to her that made him curious. His crimson eyes widened slightly as he wondered how far it went. Sipping some of the broth, he savoured the sweetness and depth of flavor as it warmed him on its way down, radiating outwards in a way that warmed his heart and relaxed his tense muscles. That it had such an effect on him, while he was still high on adrenaline only pushed his competitiveness into overdrive. He couldn't help but wonder what effect his soup du poisson would have on the sweet country girl's taste buds. The thought alone drove a shiver up his spine as he slammed her offered bowl one side, fixing a serving of his own. While he was confident in his abilities, he never tired of the reaction to his cuisine. It was nothing short of utter submission and dare he say he was desperate to see what forceful surrender looked like on this already meek girl.

"Here, try this." He insisted roughly, thrusting the bowl into her hands before she even had time to process anything he said. She cowered under the weight of his aura and a light flush graced her face as the aroma engulfed her perception. Shyly, she brought the spoon to her mouth, overly aware of the way he hungrily watched her as he awaited her reaction. Without much ceremony, she popped the spoon in her mouth only to realise how unprepared she had been.

Tadokoro Megumi was no stranger to strong flavours and rich aromas as a student of Toutsuki Academy, but this was on another level. While her own style of cooking was edifying and wholesome, her opponent's was a veritable tour du force that shook her in ways she couldn't explain. She flushed hard as it coursed through her, feeling it strip away at her everyday veneer until it brushed against the hardened edges within her. Much like how his forceful personality brought out her own inner fire, his cooking pushed past any veneer of civility until it hit against whatever lurked deep inside her. She felt her knees buckle as she struggled to keep any lewd noises to herself, fully aware that she was under Kurokiba's watchful eye. Somehow, knowing his wild eyes were on her struggle to maintain composure only served to heighten the experience of the violently flavourful dish, causing her to flush harder. It pierced her to her very core, making her very cognizant of just how delicate she really was as the force of the ocean swept over her. With a stifled moan she opened her eyes, going rigid when she saw Kurokiba smirking at her.

Rather than backing down from his smug expression, her determination steeled against it. Even though she had tasted his culinary dominance, she did not falter. She instead rose to the challenge. Another unexpected twist from the northerner that set him on edge. They had put their knives to rest, yet she still wished to challenge him. It was all he could do not to groan with excitement at the prospect. His expression, he was sure, bordered on manic. But the look she gave in return, sharp and focused set him on edge in a way he hadn't quite experienced before. Nothing less than total submission was his prize for his dishes. Not only had she somehow managed to narrowly avoid giving it to him, she also piqued his appetite.

Long after they announced him winner and the Polar Star ragamuffins had swallowed her up from his view, he realised the look on her face stayed etched in his memory. He returned to the mansion with Lady Alice, and while she chattered away about some of her usual nonsense, his mind turned to the image of Tadokoro that had burned its way into his head. Golden eyes fierce, fists clenched as though ready for a fight and her mouth drawn in a tight line.

"Are you even listening to me?" Alice's voice cut through his reverie. His red eyes slid over to meet hers, set narrowly in the scrunched up expression that was her childish pout. He sighed and made a noise of acknowledgement. She huffed, somehow looking even more childish than before.

"You really should be more attentive to me!" she smacked him across the firm muscle of his arm a few times to accentuate what she was saying before continuing. Content that she had reprimanded him enough, she took on a more pensive expression.

"Today's was an interesting match, wasn't it Ryou-kun?"

"It was, Miss."

"Even though you won, as I expected, who knew Megumi-chan had it in her to pull off something like that?"

He remained silent as she looked up at the sky. He certainly hadn't thought she was capable. She had been one of the worst students in their year after all. And while she posed no real threat to their goals for their Toutsuki academy careers, he couldn't help but think she would prove herself to be a force to reckoned with in time.

After dinner he attempted to recreate Tadokoro's dish under the watchful –and entirely curious- eye of Alice. His take was far more robust, naturally, and while it was delicious it wasn't quite the same. His emphasis on strength of flavor somehow robbed the dish of the touch that made it special. The faint sweetness of vegetables, and the soft, clean notes of the white miso brought something to the dish that he could not understand. He imagined her again, the fierce glint in her eye and the firm line of her mouth, offset by the soft cascade of plaited hair and an innocent white flower hair pin. Even in her more stern moments, there was a softness to her that translated into her food. It was...interesting.

"Tadokoro Megumi, huh."

Alice looked up at him upon hearing the sound of his voice but said nothing. Ryou was deep in thought, clearly analyzing the differences between his dish and Megumi's. While he had always been one to favour boldness, she could see how he could leverage mellower notes to allow him to pack a heavier punch. It would take some experimentation - and she was sure that he knew that- but he had never been the type to run from a bit of hard work. Despite the apathetic look on his face, she could see something in his eyes. His mind was working, feverishly. With an enigmatic smile on her face, Alice left him to his devices. She was curious to see what the Mad Dog would come up with this time and saw fit not to disturb him.

For now.

The rest of the evening had been uneventful. He did his usual workout to rid himself of any left over adrenaline, took a bath and prepared for bed. The wee hours of the morning found him alert as ever. His tired eyes traced the elegant design on the ceiling, waiting for the moment sleep would finally claim him. He dissected the day for what felt like the thousandth time in his head, coming back to Megumi's visage more times than he cared to count. If it wasn't her determination to stand her ground against the relentless onslaught that was him, it was the precarious balance between rich and delicate that underpinned her dish. Sweet, yet inexplicably potent. He wasn't entirely sure if he was describing the chef or the meal at this point, but he knew one thing for sure.

He was hungry to know more.

Disclaimer: Couldn't remember exactly how the characters use honorifics, so I may have botched that a little bit. Bleh. At any rate, I hope you enjoyed it :D