A/N: Okay, I've made a decision……I will only update every time I want to! Why? because I need to live a life. And about the contest you ask? Yup! Somebody did win……but NO! I'm not spilling the beans…. Talk about beans, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

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Chapter 8

Seifer Learns Cooking?

Seifer was peacefully eating his lunch when a sudden shadow appeared right before him.

"Hey Seifer, mind if I sit here?" Said the man holding his plate.

"Huh?" Seifer looked up at the tall form then gestured him to sit. "Sure, no problem."

"Cool…..thanks!" He replied as he sat down removing his hat and placing it beside him.

"So………..what's up?" Seifer hesitantly asked since he has nothing to talk about in particular.

"Do you know what day it will be three days from now?"

"…………………….uhhh…………..Saturday?" Seifer confusingly replied looking perplexed

"Well yes……but that's not what I meant…."

"So what were you trying to say?"

"Damn, I can't believe you forgot…….It'll be Quistis' birthday!"

"………What!?……wait……….when exactly is it?"

"You don't know!? It's on the 4th, that's on Saturday!"

"Fourth? Saturday? ………..that's three days form now!!!"

"I know, so planning to buy her something?" Irvine anxiously asked looking at Seifer's shattering face.

"Darn! I had no idea…. I promised to give her a very momentous gift for her birthday!"

"Yeah, so what's so hard about that? Give her a pillow…a bouquet…or some thing, it's not that hard finding girls some presents." The Casanova cowboy casually replied.

"You got a point there, but it's not as easy as you think. I betted her that the gift will be simple but priceless, not that extraordinary but memorable, and the worst part is that it should not be a thing that she could keep for long. It should only be at that very moment that she could keep it locked in her memories forever." Replied the forlorn blonde with a trembling voice.

"Damn that's a tough one! Why do you always have to put yourself into these situations?"

"For the sake of being challenged I guess……..besides, she dared me!"

"And you accepted it?"

"Of course I had to, it's the only way to prove to her that I am capable of these things. And besides……..Seifer Almasy never lets down a dare." Seifer confidently spoke out the brag.

"…..Well good luck!" Irvine hastily riposted while trying to leave as soon as possible for he sensed something bad….and he was right. Before he could budge out from his seat, Seifer grabbed his shoulder giving him a sign of his miserable failure.

"Irvine, how's about helping your old pal with a little favor…" Seifer said giving Irvine his customary smirk.

"Ohhhh No! You could drag Zell into it, but not me." warned Irvine

"Oh c'mon, just help me think about the gift and I'll take care of the rest."

"I guess I could do that…….but only that!" Irvine concluded pointing at Seifer who was grinning innocently at him.

"Do as you wish, just help me think alright?" Sure, Irvine has his doubts towards the undefined attitude of Seifer, but he sounded so reassuring.

There was complete and utter silence between the both of them for a couple of minuets until Irvine started mumbling something breaking off the silence.

"Alright……..what about sex, I'm sure it'll be her first." Irvine sounded convincing

"You damn jerk! I can't even sleep with her in one bed!" exclaimed Seifer causing everyone at the cafeteria to look at them.

"Shhhhhh!!! Pipe down! You might let them think differently of us." Irvine said subduing his voice

"Fine! But think of something else that she might actually comply to." Seifer replied looking annoyed.

"Alright alright……. How about French Kiss?"

Seifer didn't respond to his thought, but rather just glared at him with fiery eyes.

"Okay okay….. then just a little peck on the her lips…..just one smack."

"I can't even kiss near her lips you damn moron!" Seifer cracked up breaking a nerve

"Will you quit it with those boorish words!"

"I will if you start thinking right!"

"Alright! geez……how about some sort of song or poem?" Irvine proposed finally saying something that makes sense. This made Seifer think for awhile, then responded to Irvine with more respect.

"Sounds good…but then again, I can't sing and I hate rhyming words."

"Really? How about a romantic night with her, you know, dancing with her beneath the moonlight."

"Well that's something…….but then again I'll just end up stepping on her toe."

"Damn! What the hell do you do!? I could eat you!!!" Irvine finally exclaimed getting pissed off.

"Eat….? Wait….why not--" The desperate blonde uttered, but Irvine broke right through his words.

"COOKING! You could cook for her a banquet that would make her bloat, I'm a genius!" Irvine boasted finally seeing some light into his face.

"Hey that's my line, I thought of it first!" argued Seifer in relief

"You only improvised! I'm the one that said the word 'eat'!" Irvine insisted

"Okay fine, I don't care. Let's not waste time and find us a recipe."

That lunch they planned on meeting at the Library after their classes and look for a recipe.

*Library*

"Okay, so here's the 'Really Big Book of Foods for an Instructor' you asked for." Irvine said as he slammed the book on the table in front of Seifer.

"……….???………….Is there really such a book? I was only kidding." Seifer replied looking troubled.

"I know, this book sucks! Look at it……man we don't need this crap!"

"Can't argue with that, c'mon let's go look for some other cook book….I'm sure there's better."

After sometime of browsing around the Library Irvine finally called Seifer's attention.

"Hey Seifer, come take a look, hurry!" Called out Irvine looking very thrilled.

"What is it? Found something great?" Seifer asked excitedly as he approached Irvine.

"Check this out!" said Irvine as he handed the book to Seifer

"………..Positions in having sex 101…………!!!!!!!….…….Irvine, you idiot, put that back!" Seifer shouted with red cheeks as he threw the book at Irvine making everyone glare at them.

"Owww! Relax man, here…I found this recipe, I heard it's one of her favorites."

"Give me that, I'll take look…I hope this is good enough….for your sake." Seifer said furiously as he grabbed the book out of Irvine's palm.

*The recipe read*

Leche Flan

Custard:

6 egg yokes

2 large eggs

350 ml. Condensed milk

370 ml. Evaporated milk

2 ml. Vanilla extract

Syrup:

250 ml. Sugar

50 ml. Water

Procedure:

Mix custard ingredients in a large bowl, set aside. Mix the syrup in a saucepan until thick. Pour the sauce on a double boiler followed by the custard mix. Cook for 20-30 mins. then serve cold.

"Irvine, this is great… I think Instructor will love this!" exclaimed Seifer with a large beam on his face.

"Yup! Not only are the ingredients easy to find, but it's simple to cook as well."

"Thanks Irves, you did a great job finding the recipe…I expect you do a good job cooking it as well." Seifer candidly said grinning at Irvine who was sweating hard looking at him.

"You said I'm only gonna help you think of the gift! Well, I thought of it, and I was even good enough to help you find the recipe. But enough is enough, I ain't cookin' anything with you, alright!?"

"I wouldn't say that if I were you…" teased Seifer but with a warning look

"Oh yeah? Why do you say that?" responded Irvine with percussion

"Because I know something that others don't, and you probably wouldn't want anyone to know……that you….whisper….whisper….whisper…."

Right then and there a loud cry was heard in the whole Garden.

*The next day at the kitchen*

"Hey Irves, got the ingredients?" Seifer asked as soon as Irvine entered the kitchen carrying a large plastic bag with various contents.

"Yes Mr.Almasy…got the utensils?" Irvine answered back lamely and with sluggish eyes, since he never expected Seifer to know his deepest fluffiest secret and black mail him in doing something so against his free will……like cooking. Irvine didn't mind about helping Seifer in finding Quistis a gift, but what he feared was that if they end up together right now, he would surely loose the bet. Which gave him no further thought than to ruin Seifer's cooking by ravaging the whole dish.

"Yup, it's all right here. Hey, that's two bottles too many….why so much vanilla?" Complained Seifer as Irvine placed two liters of vanilla on the counter top.

"Oh this? The recipe said two liters of vanilla extract, was it not?"

"I don't know, I forgot…but if I remembered correctly, it was only 2 ml."

"What do you know about cooking anyways!?" argued Irvine

"I cook, got a problem with that?"

"N-no…but I was the one who took the liberty of reading the recipe and jotting down the needed ingredients for the recipe." Irvine replied with a promising voice.

"Irvine, I trust you…but be warned, vanilla can ruin a dish."

"Yeah sure, but can't change a recipe. So I'll pour in two liters of vanilla extract just as it says." Right then, Irvine hurriedly poured the vanilla as to avoid Seifer from having second thoughts.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." Seifer mumbled behind Irvine's ear.

*After 7 hours*

"Damn you Irvine! It's already pass midnight, and it's still wet as water!" Seifer bursts in anger. He can no longer extend his patience from waiting. Everyone has now gone back to their dorms, and they were left there in the kitchen with special permission because the Garden can't afford to have an accident if they left the dish there to rot without anyone to wait for it.

"Patience Seifer, patience… this will cook in time." Irvine replied coolly

"Ah forget this, we'll make another batch." Seifer exclaimed still pretty tense.

"N-no! This thing will cook for sure it just needs time. And I'm very satisfied that this will surly impress Quistis, so calm down because you're cooking with an expert." Irvine said trying to sound defensive, at the same time convincing.

So they waited, and waited, and waited.

*After the 16th hour of agonized waiting*

"Seifer, wake up…I think it's ready." Irvine excitedly spoke near Seifer's ear while shifting him up to his feet. It was already morning and the cafeteria was already full when it was done.

"Uhhh……huh? Is it?" Seifer responded still stressed up from their activity.

"Yeah, it's not that hard yet, but I think it's good enough."

"About time….I guess this'll do."

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed, if there still some questions lurking in your mind then you'll have to wait until the next chapter. Don't forget to REVIEW!

P.S.

The recipe of leche flan is a real recipe that my aunt gave me. It's one of my personal favorites of all time, so if you trust me and like desserts try it out because it's a very delicious dish that I usually make.