I do not own Rurouni Kenshin :-s
Continuation of the 'Christmas Traditions' storyline
Part III – Grilled, Baked or Roasted
"So as an owner of a café, you must bake things on a regular basis" began Kenshin.
Everyone in the kitchen stilled at his comment. The occupants of the little house froze with matching looks of complete horror, except Kaoru who stood calmly at the sink peeling potatoes. After peeling the last one she serenely exited the kitchen after placing them in front of Soujirou and asking him to cut them for baking.
Soujirou waited until she was out of earshot before swiftly informing Kenshin that such a line of questioning was simply not healthy for him.
"If there's one thing anyone in this house has learned, it's that we never ask Kaoru about baking, cooking or anything related to the former." He made cutting movements with his hands to further bring home the seriousness of his statement.
"And I'm not allowed to question this?" asked Kenshin staring at Soujirou like he was slightly insane.
"No. You simply never bring it up, and you shall leave this house unharmed." he nodded perfunctorily. With his point made Soujirou returned to cutting the potatoes with deft precision.
Kenshin mulled over the morning he had spent in the kitchen wondering how Kaoru could own a café and not cook. It baffled him completely. He on the other hand enjoyed cooking immensely, and frequently bestowed his grateful guests with lovely meals. Though he had to admit that no one ever suspected he would be the type to cook meals. Just because he was rich enough to have a personal chef it didn't mean he had to have one all the time. The only reason why he did have one was because often he had very little time to himself and having a cook meant he was fed.
Soujirou contemplated Kenshin with extreme care like one would when dealing with a person of sub par intelligence.
"I'm going to ask you a simple question: Do you want to live or do you want to die?"
Kenshin glanced at Soujirou's face to make sure his friend was serious.
"Preferably – live." he answered after a mild pause.
"I beg to reconsider your plan – if one could call it that." a slight hint of desperation edged into Soujirou's tone.
"Oh come on Soujirou, what's that saying again? The best way to a woman's heart is through her stomach…"
"No. That saying is - the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
"Same difference."
Soujirou slumped on the table as he recognised a very similar trait in Kenshin that he had dealt with frequently in Kaoru – stubbornness. He had definitely lost this argument, and anticipated a metaphorically (though he wouldn't be surprised if it was literally) decapitated version of Kenshin on his doorstep soon after the plan had been administered.
Kaoru felt Kenshin glance at her again from the periphery of her vision. Clearly there was something on his mind and he hadn't actually asked her about whatever it was that was bothering him. Placing her secateurs carefully in her basket so as not to crush the orchids she had picked out for the dinner table vase, she slapped at her worn jeans to rid herself of the soil.
Kenshin watched Kaoru again out of the corner of his eye. She looked great today, and she wasn't even trying. He'd seen more physically perfect women before, but there was just something refreshingly different about her. Today her white shirt looked like it had been spray painted on, and her jeans worn casually loose were torn at the knees. He wasn't sure whether the tears were due to fashion or genuine wear but he liked them, where normally he wouldn't. He looked at the hundredth daisy he had planted and sighed silently. Gardening was fun for the first 10 plants but then it became kind of boring.
"You have something to ask me?" came a question from his right.
Sitting back on his haunches he spied Kaoru crouching next him in a similar fashion.
"Why do you ask?"
"Well because you've looked at me for fiftieth time already" she replied sarcastically.
"So you've been watching me? Nice to know." he murmured.
"Don't flatter yourself." She derided softly "It's weird and hard to ignore."
He laughed softly before asking her.
"I have a special request to make of you."
She eyed him suspiciously "go on."
"I would like to take you somewhere to thank you for allowing me to stay with you for the last few days."
"There's really no need." She began before he interrupted her.
"Please – I insist. I don't know when the next I see you will be, so I'd prefer to thank you now."
"Fine" agreed Kaoru. She really couldn't see the point in arguing, especially if one night was all it took in the hopes that she might never see him again.
He'd said to dress casually. So she had. Jeans and a nice button down fitted shirt weren't exactly high fashion but it was casual in her book. Picking up a mini perfume bottle she had every intention of placing it inside her bag. Her purse was brimming with so many things she doubted she could fit anything in there. Leaving the bottle behind, her bag bumped against her legs as she thumped her way down the stairs.
Kenshin came out of the kitchen to see her standing near the front door.
"Ready?"
He watched as her back stiffened before she turned only to look at him with disinterest.
"Ready as I'll ever be." She quickly strode to the door to survey the children huddled together in front of the television. "I won't be out for very long alright, I don't want to hear any complaints about going to sleep, and if I see or hear about any of you picking your noses in my absence I'll have your respective fingers amputated." She threatened.
Smiling he held open the door for he and finally grinned as he heard one child ask what 'amputated' meant.
"So. Where are we going?" she felt that she had to ask. She didn't want to sound curious but she was.
"Somewhere you've never been before."
"That's not really narrowing it down."
"Okay, somewhere you've never been, in this city." He conceded.
"That still doesn't help."
"You'll see."
"I would prefer to know before hand." She continued in this vein of conversation while he mildly fielded her questions with one ambiguous answer after another.
"Ugh fine." She snapped after 15 minutes of verbal jousting.
"Well I'm glad you feel that way, because we're here!" he stated cheerfully.
Rolling her eye's she snapped open the car door before he could open it for her.
"There's nothing here."
"Yes there is – stop being so negative." He exclaimed knocking on a large metal door. It scraped open slowly to reveal what Kaoru had honestly not expected. A large kitchen. A very large, particularly nice kitchen. There were actually three kitchens side by side in a semi circle of which two were already occupied. Kenshin walked to the last unoccupied bay and picked up two chef's hats before throwing one to her. She grabbed at it hastily before reading what it said 'Kaoru'.
Great. Chef Kamiya.
"Kenshin this is a really bad idea. I urge you to reconsider." She whispered frantically.
"No - it's a fantastic idea. I'm surprised no one thought of this beforehand, and you're staying." He stated before turning to greet the man who was striding towards them.
"Kenshin! Glad that you could actually make it to one of my classes!" he boomed and thumped Kenshin on the back enthusiastically. Kenshin of a much smaller stature endured the thumping with surprising resilience.
"I decided to bring a friend along – Kaoru Kamiya, please meet my good friend Raoul."
Raoul? Kaoru strangely felt like giggling at the name. Kenshins friend greeted her with similar enthusiasm without the thumping.
"I know my name is somewhat terrible, but my mother was French – and that's my only defence."
"To be fair, you share the name of a great character in Phantom of the Opera who saves the damsel Christine from the dangers of obsessive love." She pointed out.
"A woman after my own heart." He grinned. "I honestly hope you enjoy today's class Kaoru."
"I'm sure I will." Well she hoped she would at least. Concentrate Kamiya – don't set anything on fire.
"Now slow cook, and slowly pour the cream over the pan. Wait for a moment and place the sauce you made before in the centre. It will gradually melt and mix with the cream. Let it simmer for a while." Raoul instructed as he perused the three kitchens leisurely.
"I told you-"
"I don't want to hear about it." she snapped.
"But I-"
"I'm concentrating here."
"I was-"
"Don't make me repeat myself." She speared him with a glittering look of annoyance, her voice low and dangerous.
He watched as she stirred the pan with extreme concentration. She was absorbed in the making of the food. Absolutely entranced with following her instruction from Raoul to the T.
"Now you'll see the sauce thickening, but before it dries completely turn the stove off and leave the lid on the pan. This is where turning your salads and roasted vegetables must be completed quickly – with precision."
She tried slicing her potatoes thinly like chips the way she was supposed to but was failing miserably. She watched Kenshin hands work deftly, smoothly, precisely as he sliced his potatoes effortlessly. His long hands were lovely as the worked with the knife to cut each slice perfectly. Suddenly she felt his hand slide over hers.
"Slice from the top to the bottom, and the knife will slide against the nails of your left hand as you hold them vertically against the top of the potato." He instructed.
His breath whispered softly against the top her ear. For some reason her face grew warm at his closeness and at the smell of his subtle cologne wafting around them. She cleared her throat noisily and threw him a dirty look.
Kaoru and Kenshin worked with amazing synchronicity and before they knew it the meal was complete.
Kaoru observed her handiwork with pride before taking out her camera phone and clicking a few photos from different angles. She had to preserve what she could of the perishable evidence of her pride.
"So how was it?" Kenshin asked munching on a bit of roast pumpkin.
"I feel like we're gorging ourselves at the trough of freedom. Perhaps even the trough of pride and all those goals of the past which seemed to be unfulfilled."
"Makes us sound like pigs."
"I'm enjoying the simple pleasure of a well cooked, home made meal Himura, what part of that don't you understand?"
"I can appreciate it."
"Good. Now eat, you're too skinny anyway."
The ride home was cloaked in companiable silence. She was tired and well fed which meant she was slowly falling asleep in Kenshin nice car. The reverberations of the engine lulled her to sleep before she felt the car slide to a gradual halt.
"We're home."
Kaoru practically rolled out of the car after the amount she had eaten it was the only description which fit. Perhaps waddled could have also applied. Checking that everything in the house was locked she looked in on all the kids before stepping lightly into her room. She spied Kenshin walking up the stairs and stopped until he had reached the top. They stared at each other in the darkness for what felt like eternity, when in actual fact it was more like five seconds.
"Thank You for taking me there tonight."
"It was my pleasure."
Nodding, she bade him goodnight and turned towards her door before she heard him murmur something lightly under his breath. She looked at him enquiringly.
"I said, goodnight."
"Oh." Kaoru swiftly opened and closed her bedroom door without looking back. She'd had a great time, there was no denying it. Cooking with Kenshin had been fun. Spending time with him had been enlightening. She sighed and closed her door in the hopes of finding a good nights rest.
I'm thinking that this wasn't as humorous as the other two parts - let me know!
cheers,
Iuvenalis.