Knowing what Kate's father meant to her, Matt didn't discount the gesture of her letting him wear some of the man's old clothing. "That's really kind of you. Thank you. I'm sure they're all great." He imagined that they would be good quality given the Bishop money, and he didn't think Kate would dress him in anything ridiculous. At least not this time. He reached out his hands to help take some of the clothing load, though he'd need her assistance in finding where he might be able to change.

"I am a little sleepy." He couldn't deny it, she'd seen it. He rested a hand on his stomach and admitted, "Hungry too, though." It had to be around nine by now, and the last time he remembered eating was the previous day. He didn't imagine Kate had eaten yet either, given she'd been going through her father's closet. "I think we should eat. I'm fine with anything. This might be a good time to actually have something really spicy or unhealthy." He tried to joke and smile, to find a bright spot in the situation to combat the anxiety he felt over not having his powers. With his sense of taste reduced to a regular person's, he wouldn't be nearly so sensitive to what was in the meal.

"Normally when my abilities go on the fritz I'm too sick to want to eat. I've just lost them two times due to injuries. The first time I was just freaked out about it, the second time there was... a lot going on." He gave her a rueful look. Not that he wasn't freaked out now, but he hoped that history meant he'd get his powers back once his head injury healed enough. Please let three times still be the charm. Even trying to entertain otherwise left him with a pit in his stomach. He had to get them back, he had to. He should just distract himself until then, eat crappy food. It would come back.

It had to.

What was he without them? What happened to his calling then?

He followed suit and set the clothing down as instructed. "What are my options for brunch? And are we ordering in or are you cooking it?" In full honesty, he didn't feel well enough to make anything much himself, even though he was hungry enough to eat. "Anything is good, really. I promise I won't be too picky."

"Well, you haven't cooked for me yet. Maybe there was a reason for that," Matt teased back at her, even though he knew the reason was that he liked to cook. It didn't seem like a hobby Kate enjoyed doing as much as he did. Otherwise, they just ate out. Not the most cost-effective, but it helped when they were short on time. He let Kate guide him into the kitchen, taking a seat near the counter. Lucky put his paws on Matt's legs to lick at his face now that it was more reachable. The dog seemed to be extra loving right now, perhaps sensing Matt wasn't at his greatest. He ruffled the dog's fur and kissed his head, enjoying the affection just as much as the canine was. "Who's the best boy?" he cooed at Lucky, and the dog happy panted back in his face.

Well, at least he couldn't smell dog breath as bad right now.

"I don't think I've ever had a burger for breakfast. Are you putting a fried egg on it?" he joked, but even while teasing, his stomach gave a little growl. A burger did sound good right now. "If not an egg, what does go on a Kate burger special?" There were a lot of ways to have them, obviously.

"I'm not skeptical! I have questions, that's all," Matt teased her back, but he was more than willing and curious about what she'd make. When he'd had her help in the kitchen she'd always done a fine job, so he imagined what she made was safe to eat. He wasn't going to resist the chance to tease her, though. Lucky kept his hands occupied while Kate began to get things ready, although he did pause to briefly message Kirsten. He kept it short and vague, just saying that he wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be in today. He asked her to let him know if any problems arose or if she needed him, and that he'd work from home as much as he could.

The message he received in response told him to leave work alone for the day and have some soup.

"I have had cold pizza for breakfast. And fries with ice cream. The burger for breakfast though is new." The closest Matt had come were breakfast sandwiches, which weren't really the same thin. "I'm willing to try it, though. I'm being open-minded right now. Don't steer me wrong." Which it sounded like she might be. Matt's face held a cautious expression even though he couldn't smell the Takis from where he sat. "No, I've never tried them. I know Foggy and Karen used to eat them sometimes." He could smell the processed everything back then. Now, though...

He cautiously held out his hand for Kate to put a few into them. He made a show of sniffing them, then delicately licking the corner and nibbling on one before he took a heartier bite. "It's... not bad." He coughed a little as the spice caught up to him, Matt wasn't used to anything but a very balanced heat level in foods. "It tastes like chili. And some lime." Both things he liked. "These are terrible for me, I'm sure." Yet this was the only time he might enjoy them anyway, without tasting everything wrong with them. "Wait, are you putting these on the burger?"

Matt took the water and sipped it, nodding in thanks as it helped cool the heat his mouth wasn't used to. As it faded though and he got used to it, it settled into a pleasant heat. If he'd had his senses with him, the heat, sodium, dye, and other processed parts of the snack would have made it unbearable to him. Now it just tasted spicy and a little salty, with hints of chili and lime. It was bizarre to have his senses dulled like that, but in a way, also enlightening. "No. They're not bad. I'm just taking in that this is how you taste." He smiled in her direction. "I mean, I know everyone's tastes are different, but just how something like this could be what you'd want. How you might taste it." It was an interesting experience to get to experience the world like she and his other loved ones did.

He felt her hand steal one and he made a disgruntled sound but didn't otherwise try to stop her from sharing. Lucky he did stop with a pat on his head and an apologetic, "It's too salty and spicy for you, pal. Maybe your mom will give you a treat you can have." He threw Kate under the bus there but he didn't think she'd mind.

"So, hot takis to go with our hot Cheetos." Matt had asked for spicy and unhealthy, so Kate was giving it to him. "I hope we have some antacid on hand, too." A beat. "You know, Cheetos were Foggy's favorites. The puffed ones especially, but he liked them all. He'd try and hide them in his drawer at work from me." Like Matt couldn't smell it on him.

"I like that your answer to acid reflux is us having ice cream," he teased her. Though while it wouldn't help with that, it would feel good on the tongue after something spicy. Ice cream was something they both enjoyed, Kate having more than once eaten from his fancy pints back when he'd had a fridge. He might not drink regular milk much these days, but he did indulge in ice cream every so often, caving in to his sweet tooth. "Which flavor of it do you have? The honeydew?" They were going to be so full after this morning, but given they hadn't eaten much lately, they were due it.

Kate had laid the bag of Takis near him on the counter so Matt could snag more as needed, but when he felt the touch of a chip to his lips, he happily ate it that way without thinking. In retrospect, he should have reached up and taken it with his hand rather than just eaten it with his mouth. It was instinctual though, nothing nefarious. Surely friends laughing and teasing and shoving food in one another's faces was innocent?

He cleared his throat and reached into the bag for the next Takis.

"Foggy would be having a field day right now with this. He'd never let me forget I said this processed shit wasn't bad." If Foggy was still alive, would Matt even be doing it? Or would he stubbornly refuse to even try it so that he could never let his best friend crow about being right? Matt might have held out for the sake of his ego then. Now, though? Now it just made him feel closer to Foggy. Closer to Kate.

"I used to really like sour candies. And frozen pizza rolls. Maybe some of those." He paused then added, "To be fair, I got my abilities to taste through shit when I was nine. Don't blame me if the last time I remember tasting what food is like for most people is a child's palate."

He paused then, realizing he was just sitting, relaxing, eating, and playing with Lucky while she worked. "I'm sorry. Did you need help? I probably wouldn't trust me near a stove I wasn't used to, but I can still cut and pour things if needed."

"You have a point. I don't want to make a habit of this." This meaning losing his powers. While it did mean that he could experience the world like she did, and he was making the most of that gift, he wouldn't give up his powers for the world. Not now that Stick had taught him how useful they could be. "But we might as well make the most of it, even if our stomachs hate us later. And I don't think I've tried the popsicles. Just the ice cream." Popsicles sounded more refreshing and easier on the stomach, though.

Kate always reassured him that he wasn't being lost in the past when he had moments of childhood whimsy. It did mean a lot to Matt. He gave a soft smile in her direction, his gaze even further off than usual without his other abilities helping him to direct his eyes towards her face. She was the only other one in the room but Lucky so it was for her. "Okay. Instant noodles. I think we have the whole day's meals planned. I'll need a little break in between the burger and noodles and pizza rolls. My metabolism isn't as young as it used to be."

He heard the sizzling but stayed seated as Kate insisted she didn't need help. "All right. Lucky and I will just sit here like pampered princes." At the hug he leaned back into it, offering a side arm around her to return it. "So is this what you like to cook the most? When you do get in the mood. Or what did your mom used to cook for you?" He remembered her saying once that Eleanor liked to be in the kitchen. Was she secretly a burger woman, too?

"Stomach trouble isn't a good enough reason to call out of work," Matt argued, because in his mind, his powers would surely have returned by tomorrow. Surely they would. "I understand not going into the office when you're contagious, but that's it." At least those were the standards to which he held himself. "But yeah. We can eat what we can until then." He would allow that he did need to take it easy until he got his powers back if possible.

"Hey, it's middle aged problems to need to work to keep the weight off," he said in return, because while he didn't consider himself geriatric, it was just logic that he couldn't eat the way he did when he was in college or his early twenties. He did have a very tight suit he needed to fit into, after all. "It also means that I don't eat an entire pizza and get hungry two minutes later now."

Matt took the bag of treats when she handed them over, teasing Lucky, "I see where your real loyalties lie." The dog had after all left his side to get a good snack. Matt couldn't blame him and he tossed one towards Lucky for good measure, hearing the dog eating it. The dog was noisy enough that even Matt now could hear him.

He made a little face at hearing she usually cooked packet items, murmuring, "There's so much sodium in those, Kate," because he couldn't help himself. Hearing about her mom was sweet, though. "Casseroles, huh?" Matt made a mental note of that. He could cook casseroles. "A homecooked burger or pizza is great. I love making pizzas. I actually haven't ever made a casserole before if you can believe it. What kind of casserole do you like? Those ones that are almost chicken pot pies? Ones with pasta or rice in them? Tater tot casserole?"

"My powers haven't recovered yet," Matt admitted. "I'll take it easy until they do." As easy as he could. Once his powers returned, he couldn't still sit idly by, though. There was too much that needed to get done. He thought it was a fair compromise to rest until his body recovered enough for him to get back to its full capacity. If he waited for every bruise to heal, he'd be out of commission for days.

"You'd think, but that's not always the case. Besides, you just feel better when you don't eat like shit the majority of the time. I'm not saying to never have a treat, but the treats shouldn't be your main diet." Even if someone was skinny that didn't always mean they were healthy.

He smelled the burger and bacon sizzling, his stomach growling again. "Stew ones I'm familiar with. I don't think I've heard of sausage casseroles. I'll have to look that up."

"Trust me, I'm not aiming to get injured." He fed Lucky another treat, ruffling the dog's head. He leaned down and kissed the soft fur. It was such a nice, easy moment being in Kate's kitchen. Despite how enormous the entire place was, it felt warm and inviting to him because of Kate and Lucky. "I'm aiming to teach Lucky more tricks. Did you see he knows how to hug on command?" Matt was so proud of the canine.

Smelling the food sizzling on the stove made Matt's stomach growl again and he ate a few more of the Takis to tide himself over and be patient. "Fried and sugary makes me think of funnel cake. Or churros. Which we don't need to add to the list today," he was quick to preface, since he knew Kate might leap to indulging whatever came out of his mouth. "My mind just goes to fair food when I think of those two words."

"Maybe save it for another night if you wanna make one. I think we have enough food on our list to burst. by all means though, if you want to introduce me to sausage casseroles, be my guest." It was clearly a dish that meant a lot to Kate, so he wouldn't take that away from her if she wanted to make it. He also didn't mind being the one to do it, though. "Your burgers are smelling great."

"I guess being a firefighter might go hand in hand with being good with dogs," Matt smiled. He had a lot of respect for first responders, and Kate had only ever spoken fondly about this one. "Honestly, the job sounded cool when I was younger. Ride around on a truck, save lives, hang with dalmatians. It's probably not so glamorous in real life, but good to know the dog part isn't entirely off base." He still didn't quite understand LARPing, other than dressing up like characters, but he was doing his best to understand such an important part of Kate's world. It was clearly a community in and of itself, and communities meant so much.

"Oh, I've had churros plenty of times," he assured Kate, clarifying. "It's how something is made that makes the difference. If it has a ton of processed chemicals or unbalanced flavors and poor quality ingredients, I can taste that. It's not that I hate sugar in and of itself, you know I keep ice cream in the freezer." Matt had a sweet tooth and he wasn't afraid to admit to it. "I just need it to be made with clean ingredients. Now, I try and eat healthy most of the time, but I treat myself every so often to dessert. Hence the ice cream. I probably had churros a year or so ago." He'd sometimes gone to fairs with Foggy and Karen. "Like I said, the words 'fried' and 'sugary' just made me think of them, not that I've never had them."

"No on the ketchup, yes on the coffee. And if you usually put siracha on it, then let's do it. I want the full Kate burger experience. If my stomach hates me later I'll blame myself for it." He smiled at her, she had to know that he'd take what she said as a dare whether she meant it that way or not.

"Firefighter was definitely on the career roster when I was a kid. Also boxer, which my dad hated, and a chef, a lawyer, a marine biologist, an astronaut... a lot of the usual ones, I imagine. Pretty early on though I settled on law." Matt's father had been supportive of any career that didn't involve Matt fighting. He'd always wanted Matt to use his brain rather than his fists. "What about you? I know professional athlete was one of yours, but were there others?"

The kiss to his cheek surprised him but made him smile. It was sweet to share in the excitement of sharing her favorite burger. He could hear it in her tone even without his powers. It reminded him that the little gestures were so important. To make people feel seen and heard, and not just to keep them safe. He tried to always keep that in mind, but he sometimes fell short. Now was a good reminder and he tapped the table in anticipation. "I'm ready. I have water, let's do this."

His fingers felt along the table in front of him until he found the plate and then the burger on it. He lifted it up, feeling the heft of it in his hands. He took a small smell of it, noting the beefy, eggy, spicy scent emanating from it. "Cheers," he said with a smile, raising the burger in her direction before he took a bite. The flavor exploded in his mouth, but not in an overwhelming way. The egg did run, the burger was a bit messy, but he'd worry about his beard and fingers later. "That's... really good, actually." He took another bite, then a sip of water. Spicy as all hell, but it worked with the fattiness of the egg. It'd take him some getting used to tolerating this spice level regularly, but this morning it was a pleasant if a touch painful treat. "My first breakfast burger, you get the honors of saying you made it happen," he teased her. "I never would have thought to put an egg and chips on it."

"All the animal careers, huh?" Matt smiled, picturing that perfectly with Kate. "You know, you can volunteer at shelters. I know you have your own pet now, but if you want even more animal time and can find free time, they let you play with the animals and take them for walks and stuff. Or you could foster." None of which Matt did, but he'd heard about it. Matt had advocated for it furiously when he'd been young, but his father hadn't let him have any pets, either. In their case, it was because pets weren't allowed at their apartment. "The fostering is more responsibility though, obviously." He loved that people who wanted company could go to shelters and provide attention to animals that desperately needed it. "You'd have to be careful though to resist adopting everything while you were there."

When his hand brushed the paper towels Matt ripped off one, offered it to Kate, then took another for himself. He wiped at his face, getting most but not all of the mess off his beard, and cleaned his fingers. He set the napkin aside then to dive back into the burger, well aware that he'd need to use the napkin again before the meal was through. It was all right. He didn't mind getting down and dirty with his meals sometimes.

"Hey, don't put yourself down," he chided when she said she wasn't as good as him. "You should love your burgers. They're really good. I've had eggs before on a burger, but never with crushed hot chips and siracha. Foggy had a burger once that had mayo, peanut butter, and an egg on it. That one I did not try, but it's haunted me ever since." He said it jokingly, but honestly, the worst part about it had been the processed peanut butter. Maybe if it had been fresh he'd have taken a bite. It struck Matt then that he wouldn't like Kate's burger as much when his powers returned, because of the processed chemicals in the chips. Unless they somehow found a clean ingredient version of them.

He'd enjoy it now and not let himself forget it.