Warning: grammar

Disclaimer: no character is mine.

It's Cooking Time!

Part 27

He was placing the ingredients for the shells into the bowl. Flours, caster sugars, lards, cocoa powder and mixed. His mind unconsciously trailed to the time when he watched his master cooked on the weary stove of their training hut. He unconsciously humming lightly the lullaby that his guardian usually hummed when he was cooking.

Soon after getting his cancer cloth, he was on advance training in Sicily. Gold saint he might be, but being a 10 years old, grand pope (even if it was Saga) didn't just let him and his peers out without at least one company of adult. He was placed with his teacher/guardian Luca, one of the silver saints who station in Sicily. That man could make up some amazing cannoli. So everytime he was mixing the items for cannoli, his memory usually went to Master Luca. Hence with the humming too…

Deathmask shook his head as if clearing his mind from the past. He wondered if the man was still alive and well. Last he heard; the silver saint was moved to other part of Italy. He moved back to the meat and took it off the heat. He was back to the mixing bowl, this time pouring little wine and vinegar. He kept the mixing until it was like egg pasta consistency then covered it aside.

Shun was watching intently from the table, Deathmask never seemed to care about bonding. Aphrodite was the only one close to him and Shura came second. He didn't seem to mind the older gold saints but he was quite hostile toward the younger saints, gold saints included. The lad usually poked fun or somewhat angry toward the younger gold saints. The dismissing act toward both Milo and Shaka today was so unnecessary. It was also prominent the tense feeling toward both Shiryu and Mu. But he also noted something yesterday. Deathmask had secretly help carried both Shaka and Milo with such gentleness, plus without anyone even asking. It as if he was embarrassed doing something good. But why? Did he not care?

"Why?" A question that made Deathmask stopped in his track. He almost forgot that he was not alone but had his sous chef inside the kitchen. He huffed angrily, turned around and glared.

"If you want to watch just shut up!"

"I'm sorry." Shun immediately back off, he didn't want to provoke the Cancer saint. Deathmask grunted and made a batched of candied orange. He put all the marinated shrimp and candied oranges into the refrigerator before taking the meat now slightly cool into the table. He strolled back to the water tap and washed his hands before back toward the rice and meat. He finally shaped rice filled with meat into a ball. "Can I help?" Shun once again asked, Deathmask eyes was once again glaring but he grumbled as if he was defeated.

"Wash your hands first."

"Yes, chef!" The green hair teen smiled lightly.

At the dining room, Aphrodite was helping with the dining room, the tables from Milo's dining experience were back but instead of white, the table had been painted maroon red. The chairs were also reused. The bar scenes finally change back into what Shura and Milo had done. Tables would be covered with checkered red and white tablecloth, 4 to 6 chairs and an alcohol bar on side.

Alderbaran had been putting red wine into the bar cupboard. Glasses wine were wiped and cleaned. Aiolia was grumbling lightly but he was still helping with the painting job. Only 3 God saints were helping setting things up, Seiya, Shiryu and Ikki (added a groan for being caught once again, he couldn't underestimate the gold saints!). Shion for once hold himself from lecturing his hangover 'kids', with the assist of Hyoga had been dealing with cranky gold saints. Dohko had been brewing his herb antidotes to help with that hangover too.

Meanwhile…

Athena once again was having a little free time. This time instead of spa, she was going into her private swimming pool, escaping the summer heat. Thankfully, no actual scorpion and bird following around, she had learn her lesson. Only the pet owners were taken as bodyguards since both of them didn't suffer from hang over. Milo was having a blast actually; he had been able to force Shaka into a ridiculous banana pattern blue brief. The Scorpio himself was choosing a low rise dark blue boxer. Saori was guilty of observing her supposed to be 'bodyguards' walking to and from the pool. (Sexy boxer was definitely not helping too!) She might be a virgin Goddess but it didn't mean she didn't appreciate the beauty of male bodies. Adding up, her saints were all attractive (winks).

Her figure was hugged in baby blue one piece; she had been resting under the parasol on the recliner chair after a round of swimming. A melon soda, half full had been put onto the table not far from her. But it seemed her peaceful afternoon soon disappeared as a dark cosmo appeared once again on the scene…

"Hades…" She sighed in annoyed. Her uncle had suddenly become an annoying older brother in this few days… Milo and Shaka, both had catch on the cosmo and moved quickly near the girl. Gold pendants glinted lightly under the summer sun. Ready to don their cloth if it necessary. True enough, the black hair God appeared in front of them. His piercing blue eyes looked blankly at Saori, then his eyes trailed toward her wet 'bodyguards'. He glanced into the pool behind him.

"Not spa."

"… No…" Athena stared questioning. Another black hole like cosmo appeared beside him. Two figures, both of them in toga, quite similar to what the gold saint used when they were working in Sanctuary. The only different was the color, while the gold saint used white toga with gold bracelet, the specter use black toga with rose gold bracelet. One of them squealed in delight; the purple hair Goddess blinked. "Persephone!"

"Athena!" The blonde girl ran toward the virgin goddess. Shaka was stepping forward to stop the running girl; he knew who Persephone is but it is his duty as her saint to stop anyone advancing toward the Goddess, even if he is half naked. Minos also moved suddenly and Milo had begun to step in too. It was a little too tense between both saints and specter.

Saint

Seiya

"Shaka, Milo." Came Saori's voice while a shout of 'Minos!' also rang. The purple hair goddess rose from her seat and walked forward. "It's all right." Milo nodded then step back while Shaka opened his eyes, just in case he needed to attack but was back off too. Persephone was glaring and pouting at the judge, the silver hair specter sweat-dropped but moved back never less. The blonde hair Goddess finally smiled once again and this time bear crushing into her cousin.

"I missed you!" She said cheek kissing. The teen smiled at her, she gave a glance to the God for a second. Hades had already ignored them and walked toward the pool, looking at it slightly. He flicked his finger and his usual dark robe had been replaced immediately to black knee size brief. He gracefully floated and slowly submerged himself into the cold water. "Don't mind my hubby, Athena, let's chit chat! It's been a while! And Minos, behave." The silver hair specter twitched his eyebrow.

"Boys, can you help with swimsuit for him?" Athena asked trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"Oh! No need for that!" Persephone flicked her finger and her toga was suddenly replaced into a sexy orange with red leaf pattern bikini while the specter suddenly in bright red thong. Shaka cringed and Milo spurted out air in shock. They definitely didn't need to see their ex-enemy in that. Athena's face flushed slightly, that thing leave nothing to imagination. The specter let out a choke, his face was red in embarrassment. His hands moved to cover his 'jewel' but managed to murmur politely.

"I'm sorry, milady. Could you please give back my cloth?"

"Huh! Why? It suited you." Came an innocent reply in confuse.

"Uh, while I am flattered to hear that… my bottom is a little too breezy and I am in bodyguard duty." Persephone blinked, she looked at both Milo and Shaka.

"They are also on bodyguard duty, right? Cousin?" The virgin goddess uncomfortably coughed.

"Em, maybe give him a little conventional swimwear?" She said as the poor judge mouthed her a 'thank you'

"Eh! Summer is supposed to be sexy." Persephone frowned and looked at the saints, eyes trailing up and down. "Both of them also have nice body, I can create thong for them too."

"Um, no, thank you." If he had to wear thong, only Shaina would had privilege to see that… or maybe to tease Camus, though… it was not like the lad hadn't seen him naked before. The gold saints were all given permission to use Papacy's hot spring bath…

"I'll pass." The blonde hair saint said quickly, instinctly stepping backward; though he knew it was useless. Whatever distance they had, they were against God and Goddess who could change cloth article in a single flick of finger.

"Geez, what a waste." With a tsk, the thong disappeared and replaced into a bright red brief, low rise but better than thong, at least his bottom was covered… Minos let out a sigh of relief. "Now leave us alone." She said shooing.

"Thank you." The silver hair finally moved back slowly, both saints were also leaving after Athena nodded her head. So… while Athena and Persephone had their chitchat. The silver hair specter moved toward the chair on the opposite of the pool, where the line of his sight was clear.

The God was still enjoying the cool water, closing his eyes in a more relax manner. He had stationed himself on the edge of the pool, elbows probed onto the tiles. "Saints of Athena." He called when both of Milo and Shaka passed by him.

"Yes?" The Scorpio saint had decided to answer while the Virgo star looked at him, wondering what the king wants.

"I believe, you are familiar with cocktail?" He said, giving the blue hair saint a glance.

"I guess?"

"Good, prepare me something good." It was more like a request than an order that he usually did. Milo blinked but nodded.

"Do you like it sweet or more on the dry side?"

"Hn… surprise me." Oh, a challenge. Milo grinned lightly, he was not one to back down when it was about blending cocktail.

"Is it ok for Persephone too?"

"… Make it non-alcohol for her." Hades didn't want to risk having a drunk spouse before tonight dinner.

"Aye, sir."Milo nudged Shaka to go first and accompany the specter. They were asked to be civil with the specter ever since the ceasefire started. The Virgo saint frowned lightly, he was not like his friend who seemed to master small talk. He usually was either ignored or forcefully dragged into conversation; the latter are most likely to occur since his peers rarely ignore him. On some rare case, if it was a topic that interested him, he might volunteer to join. But this time it was not his peers or his comrades, it was ex – enemy all together. He groaned quietly, hesitating a little. A pat on his back distracted him from his trail of thought. "Oi, stop over thinking it. Sometime you even worse than Camus." Shaka glared at him. A chuckled came from his friend as he walked away toward the bar, accomplishing cocktail mission. The Virgo let out a sigh but finally walked toward the direction of where Minos sat.

To be Continue...

Authoress note: Thank you for reading and reviewing. For favoriting too XD. By the way, Luca is OC just like Milo's dad. Be assured, I just put him there to make sense of gold saints past.