The second Ellen's eyes met Huskers she turned and fled. Nope. She was not ready to deal with that yet. She hadn't found a good way to explain herself, or apologize. How was she supposed to face him if she couldn't even look at the guy?
She made her way into the kitchen only mildly surprised to find Alastor hard at work on something.
"Ah! Good afternoon my dear. Welcome back to the land of the living, or I suppose the land of the unliving. We are dead after all."
She just smiled, turning her attention to what he was working on. He had his sleeves rolled up, hands covered in white flour, rolling dough.
"How long was I out?"
She moved closer, noticing the variety of fruits scattered on the table. He could bake too?
"A few days."
Ellen's eyes almost bugged out of her head. "What?!"
He laughed. "Could you imagine? What would everyone think? And poor Husker already has a hard time looking at you."
Her face turned beet red. "You're kidding right?"
He finally paused, turning to meet her face, his grin devious.
"I don't believe you would find me in the kitchen if I had rendered you insensible from our …evening activities. You've been asleep for a few hours my dear, no need for panic. But the look on your face was quite entertaining."
She couldn't quite manage a convincing disapproving look. "Well aren't you in a pleasant mood today?" She moved in to stand beside him, eyeing him playfully.
"Simply enjoying a clearer state of mind."
Ellen nodded her head in understanding wondering if she wanted to tease back. Who was she kidding? Of course she did.
"Angel was right. I see it now." She took a step back making an exaggerated look at the Radio Demon head to toe and back, her grin humorous.
"I find that hard to believe." Alastor returned to what he was doing and Ellen watched intently.
"You definitely look like you had a good evening…refreshed down to the bone."
Alastor hummed in disapproval. "I doubt Angel could utter anything so modest or decent."
Ellen laughed. "You're right, his words were more along the lines of; 'you look freshly fucked'."
That halted his movement for a second before he pushed on. "That's enough of that."
"Very well." Ellen's grin grew. "So what are you making?" She could discern it was some type of dessert, or pastry. He was currently rolling out dough.
"It's been a while since I made some beignets. With your sweet tooth I presume they will go over well."
"Cool! Can I help?"
A curious eyebrow raised as he turned to glance at her. "My dear I don't think I've seen you make anything since being here. Do you even know how to use the stove?"
Ellen rolled her eyes. "Oh ha ha. I'm not incompetent, just a bit inexperienced. I can figure it out."
He gave her an amused look but snapped his fingers, handing her a knife. "I trust you can cut fruit?"
"Easy." She moved around the counter to find a clear spot before grabbing the strawberries. She wasn't fast, but this was simple work. Once she finished with them she moved to mangoes. She hummed in thought. She placed the knife down moving to the glassware cupboard pulling a glass from one of the shelves to bring it back to her station.
Alastor watched but said nothing. He had rolled the dough out, cutting little squares.
Ellen had cut mangoes before, kinda. It was at a place that made smoothies. She knew how to peel and cut them in bulk, just probably not very efficiently. Probably why she was only there for eight months.
She cut along the pit taking to the two large halves and peeling them with the glass she had grabbed earlier, something she had watched a co worker Hailey do. Hailey seemed to know what she was doing so Ellen had simply followed. And here she thought she wouldn't need that knowledge ever again.
"What in Lucifer's name are you doing?"
She didn't look up, focused on carefully cutting as much flesh from the pit. "Cutting mangoes."
Was it safer to have it on the counter top? Yeah probably, but she felt like she had better control with it in her hand. She knew you weren't suppose to cut into your hand, really easy to cut yourself that way, but she was always careful with her movements, when it got close to her palm she would stop and if it an't enough she would simply rotate the fruit to cut the rest as a different angle. Definitely not the safest way of doing it, but she never really had anyone teach her how to do it properly and now that she had become comfortable doing it this way, it was going to be hard to unlearn it, considering she wasn't in the kitchen enough to practice and correct it. One of the reasons her boyfriend never had her in the kitchen. It 'hurt' watching her do everything wrong.
"Who taught you how to use a knife? You're going to cut yourself."
"I've never cut myself with a knife, a can and a plastic chair yes, but a knife no. I'm a bit more careful with sharp things."
"Good lord. How did you ever expect to land yourself a husband without any knowledge of the kitchen?"
Ellen laughed, pausing her work, her knife pointed in his direction. "First off, I landed you and you more than make up for my lack of cooking knowledge. Second, my dad would have warned you early on." She shook her head with a small smirk on her face, going back to the mango. "He was quite proud telling all my boyfriends about my terrible cooking skills. Tells them all I burn water."
"Burn water?," he asked incredulously.
"Yeah, a bit funny coming from him seeing as he liked cooking from a different room. I suppose that's why he never minded burnt bits. 'Extra charcoal flavour' he would call it."
She looked up to find Alastor looked horrified.
She quickly elaborated. "He didn't burn everything, just some things. It was still edible."
"You evaluate food based on whether or not it is edible? I can see now why you delay in your return."
Ellen put the knife down. There was no way she was going to be able to keep her focus on the mango and this conversation. "My mom was the cook in my household, like I imagine it is in most households, I just never had the interest in learning. I can cook, I just don't like it. Simple." She shrugged, her focus back to the mangoes. "I would make a terrible stereotypical housewife, but I could stumble my way through, I know just enough." She paused in thought for a moment. "No, I'd probably do okay. Maybe."
He watched her for a few moments before moving over to the stove. "You seem to have quite the extensive list of things you can't do. So what are you good at?"
"I see myself as more of a jack of all trades. I know how to do a lot, just not particularly well. I'm a fast learner, so that probably helps. Oh! I'm good at giving head."
There was hiss of pain almost hidden in a pitch of static. Ellen looked up to find Alastor shaking his left hand as he moved to the sink to run it under water. It seemed he accidentally slipped a hand into the pot on the stove. He clearly wasn't expecting that answer. Ellen bit her lip to hide her chuckle but was unsuccessful.
"You alright?"
"Yes, fine." He cleared his throat. "I believe you've cut enough mangoes."
"If you say so."
He snapped his fingers and the knife was gone before she could even put it down. She washed her hands, removing the stickiness from the mangoes, then moved and watched as Alastor fried his little squares of dough. It was a pot of oil, it made her feel a little guilty for laughing.
"So what's the fruit for?," she asked curiously.
"Something to keep you busy."
"What? You don't need them?"
He didn't look at her, focused on the pot on the stove. "My dear there is one thing you are certainly incapable of."
A smug smile crossed her face, arms crossed her chest. She was interested in what he thought, she was ready to prove him wrong. "Oh yeah? And what might that be?"
Only his eyes moved to look at her, an amused twinkle in them. "Staying out of trouble. I can't risk my beignets, now can I?"
Ellen burst out laughing. No, she couldn't argue that. Not that it looked like there was much she could do to mess it up.
"I also know now that you made the right choice. A frying pan is a much better tool for you. Had you had a knife you would have never made it."
"What?! Just because I'm slow at cutting fruit means I can't use a knife in a fight?"
"Oh no it's all about the grip."
She opened her mouth to ask how on earth he would know the best way to wield a knife but promptly closed it. Serial killer, yeah that checks out. Definitely out classed there.
"Knives were your weapon of choice I assume."
"I was quite good with a hunting rifle as well, but yes, I much prefered being up close and personal." He finished scooping all the beignets out of the oil, and left them to rest for a bit on a tray lined with a clean hand towel.
Ellen paused to think about it, her mind now trying to piece together the best way to hold a knife. Certainly a knife from the kitchen would be kinda crappy, because it would be possible for your hand to slip into the blade if your hands got wet or bloody enough. They weren't really designed for stabbing. Something with a hilt or guard would be better, but then where would you find such a thing? Wouldn't that just be a dagger?
She mimed a knife in her hand, swinging her arm around in different slashes and stabs. Would it be better if she had a reverse grip? It was never something she had ever thought about.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to figure this out. Is there really a 'best' grip for stabbing someone?"
Alastor's smile widened. "I don't think you'll need to know about such things. Unless you plan on starting a new hobby when you return to earth. If so, then I would love to indulge you in my techniques."
"Yeah, it's almost impossible to do that kinda stuff now. There's cameras and cellphones, fingerprinting, DNA and all that. But no, I'm not killing people, I would definitely feel guilty even in self defense."
"Can't say I'm surprised. A shame really. I'm certain I could have made you quite an enchanting little killer."
Ellen laughed. "I'll leave all that to you since you enjoy it so much."
He mocked a bow. "Well how kind of you." He turned and grabbed a large container labeled 'powdered sugar'.
The kitchen door opened and Charlie walked in a bit surprised to find the kitchen wasn't empty. "Oh! I was just going to get dinner started. Are you guys done here?"
"Feel free to get started. We'll be out of your way shortly." Alastor didn't turn to address her, powdering the tops of his beignets.
"Actually, Charlie, would you mind if I did dinner tonight?"
"Oh. If you want to, sure! You don't have to though."
"I have the perfect thing." Ellen's smile lifted genuinely. She hadn't cooked for eight before, but it probably wasn't going to be too bad. Before anyone could object, she moved to the pantry looking for everything she would need.
"Oookay. I'll leave you to it then?" Charlie didn't wait for an answer, when Ellen returned form the pantry with an armload of supplies.
"Ellen dear, are you certain you can cook?"
She gave Alastor a glare. "You can either be nice, help or leave."
"Hmm, I am never 'nice', but I do think it would be in the best interest of the hotel that I stay and ensure you don't burn the kitchen down."
She didn't bother responding, muttering something incoherent under her breath. She was too excited to care about his jabs. She had never set a kitchen on fire anyway. Explode things like cake mix or sauces over everything including the ceiling? Yes, but actual flames no. To be fair, she was much younger and unsupervised. Regardless, she wasn't going to let Alastor dampen her mood. She was going to make her absolute favourite meal, her comfort meal and lucky for her it was very simple. Maybe that's why she loved it so much.
"What are you making?" He watched her move to the fridge grabbing butter and cheese.
"My favourite meal. You ever end up in the dog house, this is your saving grace." She gestured to the mess of ingredients in front of her. "Grilled cheese and tomato soup."
"That's it?"
"I'm not an overly complicated woman, you know. Very easy to please."
"My dear you are anything but easy."
She resisted the urge to comment on his choice of wording, leaning over to him instead. "Wouldn't want you to get bored now would we?" She gave him a wink before moving to set up the stove.
Alastor refused to have her use canned tomato soup, insisting he make the soup from scratch, she didn't mind. She smiled watching him work his way around the kitchen. This would work out well. While cooking may not be her thing, she found she was good at flavour profiling. She smiled as Alastor approached with a spoon held out for her.
"Don't worry, it should be cooled enough for you now."
She bit back a retort sampling the soup. She nodded. "Okay, but I think it's missing something."
He raised an eyebrow. She grabbed the spoon and was going to take a second taste. She was just about to shove it into her mouth when Alastor stopped it. "Can't taste anything if you burn your tastebuds off, it's quite hot."
She blew on the spoon before taking another taste. It had the acidity which would mix well with the cheese and its creaminess. The bread would help with the saltiness, salted butter was a good choice.
"You added basil and a touch of oregano."
"You can tell?"
"I can. It needs something…oh! Let's experiment a bit. Grab a small bowl and some balsamic glaze."
"You're not serious? It's going to ruin it."
"It only needs a touch, I'll do it if you're afraid of adding too much."
He just stared at her as she grabbed what she wanted, putting a ladle full of soup into the bowl and adding a small touch of the balsamic, mixing well before taking a taste. She hummed in thought. "Not what I thought it would do but I don't regret it." She quickly turned to offer Alastor a taste.
With a few more attempts she finally got it. "See? Told you it needed a little something." she smiled brightly at the Radio Demon.
"I suppose you aren't completely useless in a kitchen."
She laughed as she grabbed the plate of grilled cheese she had made, making her way out to the dining table. "I will take that as a compliment."
Angel gave her a confused look. "Sandwiches? Ya made sandwiches for dinna?"
"Grilled cheese sandwiches, with tomato soup. It's a comfort meal."
"It's an atrocity."
"Hey! Don't knock it til you try it." She placed the plate down and turned to find Alastor only a few steps behind her with the pot of soup.
Once everyone had arrived they dug in. The table remained quiet and Ellen was starting to question her choice. Of course Alastor didn't stay, which now left her on her own to defend herself. She did notice Lucifer had joined them and one look at him put Ellen back at ease. The king of Hell was definitely enjoying it. That was good enough for her.
"Alright, I donno what ya did, but this is actually pretty good." There were nods from everyone around the table, agreeing with Angel. See? She could cook! It was just very limited.
"Glad you like it."
She didn't care much for the small conversations around the table, she enjoyed her dinner, her smile never leaving her face. For dessert she brought out Alastor's beignets. They were also a hit, though she never doubted they would be and since her meal wasn't very sweet, it made the beignets taste even better, or at least she assumed it did, she didn't really try one before.
There wasn't much left for leftovers which was good news to Ellen. She was a little worried she may not have made enough.
Husker offered to clean up and Ellen jumped to her feet determined this was probably the best time to confront him, it gave them both an easy escape if needed. Her cheeks heated, she hadn't really figured how she was going to do this. She followed him into the kitchen with an armful of dishes.
"Hey Husker!"
He didn't turn to look at her but she noticed his back became a bit straighter. He probably didn't want to do this either. Best to get it done quickly then.
"I just wanted to apologize for…well my behaviour. I definitely crossed a line and I-"
"-Don't worry about it." He dropped his handful of dishes into the sink, back still turned.
She paused, unsure if he was just trying to push her off or if he was actually over it. She compared him to her house cats, that's kind of an insult right? It was hard to tell, she didn't really know much about Husker. Maybe she should have talked to Angel beforehand and see what he would have suggested. He turned to glance at her over his shoulder.
"I'm a bartender. I see and hear all kinds a shit."
"And I definitely made an ass of myself and I'm so sorry you had to be a part of that."
He finally turned to face her arms crossed over his chest and she noticed he had no issue meeting her gaze. She on the other hand found great interest in the ceramic tile floors, her cheeks blazing red.
He grabbed the dishes from her hands, placing them in the sink.
"Hey kid, we all got stupid and embarrassing stories, it's no big deal." He pushed past her, making his back to the table to grab the rest of the dishes. "You ain't the first to try, you won't be the last. Just…" he paused at the door. "...don't make this weird."
And with that he was gone. It didn't go how she thought it would, but it was…resolved? She shook her head and made her way out of the kitchen. She would leave it at that. She had other things to figure out. Like why her stomach was still in knots.