Chapter 7: Cooking?
Kurama let out a groan and found a seat. His feet were killing him and he was famished. "Botan, can we please leave now? I have enough pajamas!"
Botan gasped and turned around, "There's no such thing as too many pajamas!"
Kurama held up his hands, both holding five hangers filled with pajamas.
"But, there are so many cute ones!"
"Then buy them for yourself!"
Are you trying to me, Botan?
"Fine, we'll stop here…"
As quick as he could, he bought the pajamas, pulled Botan away from the store and made a b-line for the mall doors.
"Ice cream, Kuru-chan!" The words hit Kurama like a paper fan to the face, "I want ice cream!"
"We should get home," He tried not to grit his teeth.
"Oh don't be boring!" Botan waved his response off, "It'll be fun! C'mon!"
"Fine," Kurama let her claim his wrist and she pulled him to the small parlor.
"What flavor?" She asked. Kurama stood quietly, reading the choices.
The clerk grinned, cheeks growing bright, "Hey, you ladies like free ice cream?"
"Free!" Botan nearly had a seizure. Kurama's stomach plunged: the guy was up to something.
"Yep, but it depends, are you free?" He raised a brow, leaning across the counter.
Botan laughed and slipped her right arm around Kurama's neck, "Sorry, outta luck, mister! She already has a boyfriend!"
Not thinking mean thoughts, not thinking mean thoughts, must resist, must resist… Kurama's face was pure red and he giggled shyly.
The server frowned, "So, what'll your orders be?"
----
"Nice of him to at least make our orders half off!" Botan cheered, licking away at her strawberry ice-cream cone.
"Yeah," Kurama's reply was soaked in sarcasm.
----
Once it was dinnertime, Botan showed up at Kurama's bedroom door and he let her in.
"What is it now?"
"Kuru-chan! You have to learn to cook!"
Kurama just lowered his eyes on this one, "No."
Botan's smile faded, "But why?"
"Botan, there's no reason for me to cook."
"Oh yes there is! Tashi might have spies, and we don't wanna get caught." Her eyes filled up with bubbly water, her nose sniffled slightly, "Remember, Kuru-chan, this is for the world! You're not abandoning us, are you? Kuru-chan?"
The act was totally fake, but Kurama sighed and followed the suddenly happy, Botan to the kitchen. She tied a pink apron around his neck and waist and started her lesson.
"Ready? Here we go! We'll do a basic shrimp-ramen!"
Kurama nodded and waited for direction, hands involuntarily secured the tie on his back.
"First, we mix the batter!" Botan said, collecting her resources.
----
An hour and a half later of over-boiling water, burning vegetables and adding way too many spices, Kurama was finally finished with a formidable dinner.
Not being able to keep the blood from rushing to his head, the fox spirit's cheeks flushed deep red as he sat at the table with Yusuke, Hiei, and Botan.
It's so embarrassing they have to see me this way!
"This food tastes weird---Kura-er, I mean, Kurumi. Are you okay?" Yusuke asked.
Kurama looked up from his strange cooking, "Uhh, yeah… You're right, the food is weird! Haha... Sorry about that. This is my first meal I've ever cooked."
Yusuke blinked twice, then laughed, "You'll get better." He continued eating with a slightly crinkled face.
Hiei wore no facial expression at all.
Botan was critiquing with every bite, "Too many spices… Burnt doesn't even describe that piece!… Too salty… Blehk! Much too burnt!"
Kurama watched Botan shred at his ego the whole way through. Once she was finished, she stood foot shoulder-length apart and crossed her arms.
The three men looked at her.
"Being your first meal, I'll rate everything, including your sloppy presentation, a six!" Botan smiled, tongue out, and winked at her apprentice, "We'll have another lesson sometime soon, alright, Kuru-chan?"
"Oh, okay." He gave a fake smiled and finished eating. Forgetting any unnecessary anger, I really hope this doesn't go too far…
TBC Tsuzuku
Ohh, but it does go too far! Ahahahahahha!