Prompt: cooking lessons
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Setting: Modern AU, STRIPPER verse 4, (continues "Awkward conversations").
Characters: Kaoru Kamiya, Kenshin Himura, (Sanosuke Sagara)
Word count: 999
"…I can't believe him. Honestly, that Rooster-head and his endless stupidity. Who the fuck has the nerve to drink till he passes out after work? I don't care if the booze was free…" Kaoru grumbled and whisked the pancake batter angrily.
The flour and sugar were splattered all over the bowl in ugly blobs, but honestly, at this point she didn't care. She just needed something to keep her hands occupied so that she wouldn't strangle Sano.
Her roommate was snoring on the living room couch, covered in god knows what disgusting sludge he had picked from the club's floor. And even if Kenshin hadn't said a thing, it didn't take a genius to figure out that she owed yet another favor to the redhead.
After all, she knew damn well how stupid Sano could get when out partying, and still she had stayed at home to study instead of going with them.
Suddenly, the shower was turned off and Kaoru inhaled sharply.
Holding her breath, she waited for any kind of reaction… hoping that Kenshin wouldn't be offended at the sweats and t-shirt she had left for him to change into. It was just that his own clothes were pretty much ruined, and anything of Sano's would have been too large, and the redhead was about the same size as her…
And she couldn't just stand aside, not after seeing exhausted Kenshin drenched in sweat, carrying the unconscious Sano's deadweight, the larger man's arm slung over his shoulders. Gods, Sano was about a foot taller and more than forty pounds heavier than him!
So really, pushing him to the shower against his protests and getting him fresh clothes, it was what any decent person would do! Kaoru bit her lip. Even if she had been terribly impressed by his kindness…
No! Kaoru, keep it together!
It doesn't matter that he is gentle, attentive, and crushing on you… because you promised dad before he died that you would find a good man! She exhaled, and then decisively whipped the pancake batter even more furiously.
The blobs of flour didn't break, but at least the egg and milk mixture was getting enough air for once.
"Miss Kaoru…"
She spun around, and instantly snorted incredulously. The batter sloshed, and only by the will of gods she avoided dropping the bowl as she tried to hold in the hysterical giggles.
Kenshin was indeed wearing her clothes, and more, his long red mane was wrapped in the towel in that silly turban style she herself used. But to see it on him, especially with her blue t-shirt stretching deliciously on his well-defined shoulders and firm pecs…
"Oro?"
"Oh gods…" She gasped and covered her face with her free hand. Desperately, she muttered under her breath; "Why does he have to be so fucking adorable, when I can't fall in love with him?"
"…errr, you were cooking breakfast?" Kenshin asked hesitantly.
Wiping her frustrated tears, she nodded and raised her gaze to meet his. "That was the plan." Glancing down at the mess in the bowl, she added; "though this looks like just another episode of Kaoru Kamiya's disastrous cooking attempts."
"What's the problem?" He asked softly and walked closer. Forgoing explanations, she just showed the cloddy mess to him. "Ah," he started mildly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, if you wish to have pancakes… Would it be too much trouble to make the batter anew, that is?"
"What's the use?" she grumbled, a blush staining her cheeks, "every time I try to cook anything, something goes wrong. By this point, the flour blobs are pretty much expected."
"But what if this one would show you how to avoid them, that is?"
"I…" She started. But he stepped closer, his violet eyes tender: "Please, Miss Kaoru."
She swallowed and the refusals died on her lips, her resistance crumbling by that hooded gaze. Nodding once, she turned around and started gathering the ingredients for him; the flour, sugar, milk, eggs… He smiled and joined her at the kitchen counter.
His hands were perfectly steady and every movement graceful as he measured the ingredients, his softly voiced explanations walking her through the steps and Kaoru couldn't help but to stare dumbly as he poured the flour mixture in while steadily whisking the batter.
"See? When you mix the dry ingredients beforehand, and add them like this you can easily avoid the blobs, that you can."
"Uhuh."
"Do you wish to take over, that is?" He asked and she instantly shook her head, and raised her hands in a rejecting gesture, "No, no, by all means, keep going. I am fine just watching."
He frowned; "but…"
"Kenshin, it's fine." She smiled, and then, without thinking, added; "you can teach me to cook later. Right now I just want some breakfast before Rooster-head starts puking everywhere."
Shaking his head ruefully, he grinned: "It's a deal, that it is."
Something lurched in her chest at the sight, and blushing brightly she turned around and mumbled; "I'll prepare the stuff for frying, so how about you go and dry your hair?"
"That sounds fine, so it does."
Some fifteen minutes later, Kaoru sat at the kitchen table enjoying the silence of the dawn. Sano's rumbling snores and the sounds of Kenshin's cooking were the only noises around the house and for the first time in ages she felt like everything was fine in her world.
Perhaps it was just a whim encouraged by the familiar mood, but she finally dared to ask the question she had been wondering from the start: "Why are you a stripper, Kenshin?"
He paused, and for a minute didn't move.
"It pays for this one's studies, that it does." He finally remarked and flipped the pancake. Then he took a deep breath and glanced over his shoulder, looking at her with indescribable sadness; "but truthfully speaking, there aren't many honest, well-paying jobs for a high-school dropout with a juvenile record for murder."