|
|
The Day Supper Was
Burnt
by Shala-chan
Introduction
There were two people in the Ronin household who never, ever, burned food. One was Mia. The other was Sai. All the other occupants had, at one time or another, had culinary disasters, ranging from nearly turning the kitchen into a blazing inferno (Ryo and Rowen, for different reasons), to simply making the scrambled eggs a bit crisper than needed (Sage - he was meditating again).
However, today that was about to change. Today, everything would change, for better or for worse. Because today, for the first time in years, Sai Mouri was about to burn dinner. Of course, he didn't know it yet . . .
______________________________________________________________________________
"Let's see . . . 375 degrees for two hours . . . should still be warm by the time the guys get back if I keep it in the oven with the heat off . . . " Sai Mouri fiddled with the knobs on the kitchen oven a bit before sliding the pan in and setting the timer. "And now for the chicken soup . . . " He was the only person in the house. The others had taken a day off to go into town, and Sai, ever not liking big crowds (there was a major sale at one of the department stores -- ugh) had elected to stay home and cook supper.
The kitchen door opened.
Well, he was almost the only person home. "You should be in bed," he said, carefully stirring the contents of a pot.
"But I'm hungry," Kento protested.
"But you're sick," Sai said mockingly.
"Pshaw! I'm fine!" Kento started coughing. Sai immediately put the spoon down and turned around.
"Are you okay?" he asked concernedly, helping the still-coughing, absolutely still sick, warrior over to a chair.
"I'm *cough* fine."
"And I'm the king of England."
"You can be whatever you want to be," Kento grinned, reciting the same line they'd all been told since the age of two.
"Riiiiiight. Well, now you're here, what did you want?"
"I want to -" Kento hesitated a moment. "Have something to drink," he finished lamely.
"Well, I know just the thing." Sai reached over and opened the fridge. "OJ!"
"Orange juice again?"
"It's this or water, Kento, take your pick." Kento took the juice. He downed it all in one gulp. He shivered. Sai impulsively felt his forehead. "Jeesus, Kento! You're burning up! I am so taking your temperature!"
"Aw, Sai . . . "
"Kento . . . " Sai went to get the thermometer.
"I hate having my temperature taken," Kento muttered. "I say you shouldn't put nothin' in your mouth you don't plan to eat."
"Well, don't eat this; you'll be poisoned."
"As if I could feel any worse than I do now."
"You wouldn't be able to feel; you'd be dead. Open up." Kento obediently opened his mouth and Sai placed the thermometer in, then went to check on the food. He stirred something, and turned up the heat on the chicken soup. "This is for you once it's done; chicken soup is good for you when you get sick."
"Wonder what else is good . . . " Kento said under his breath.
"What?" Sai came over and checked the thermometer. "Hmm . . . down."
"Nothin'. Just expressing unfulfilled desire and longing."
"Still hungry?"
"You could say that . . . "
"Too late, I already did. So what else did you want? Crackers, some tea maybe?"
"You," said Kento, before he could think.
"I what?"
"Just . . . you," Kento said in a small voice.
"What did you say?" Sai asked sharply.
"I said," Kento said, gathering courage and standing up, "you. I. Want. You." Sai looked noticeably startled.
"I . . . you . . . Kento, you're sick. You . . . you're probably delirious. You should get back to bed . . . "
"Sai." The Hardrock warrior's features tightened. "If I was delirious, I'd be babbling, wouldn't I?"
"It . . . it really depends . . . "
"Sai . . . " He was forced to look at Kento. Kento reached up to touch Sai's cheek. His fingertip was burning. Sai gasped. Kento's face softened. "Sai, you feel that? That's not just my fever . . . "
"Kento . . . " Sai grabbed Kento's wrist and put his hand down. Then he gently pushed him back into a chair and did the unexpected. He sat in Kento's lap.
Now it was Kento's turn to gasp.
"Sai! That - oh!" Sai wiggled a little.
"You know, Kento, sometimes you can be so - mmf!" Kento didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence aloud. Really, Kento . . . do put more tongue in it. Kento broke off the kiss.
"Sai!"
"What?" Torrent looked at him innocently. "Kento, we should really -"
"Take this upstairs?" Kento interrupted.
"Exactly what I was thinking. You go on. I have to check on the - hey!" Kento swept Sai up and carried him upstairs like a groom carries his bride over the threshold. Sai went protesting the entire way. "If something happens . . . " he warned.
"Oh, I think something'll happen," Kento said mischievously. Now that he knew his friend wasn't getting away he was much more relaxed. "Now, back to that last thought . . . "
An hour and a half later . . .
The kitchen timer went off.
"Kento," Sai said weakly, propping himself up, "I should really go and -"
"Don't even think about it," Kento said, pulling him back down.
An hour after that . . .
"We're home!" Ryo called.
"In the kitchen!" Sai yelled back. Coughing could be heard.
"What's that smell?" Sage asked, wrinkling his nose disdainfully as they entered the kitchen.
"This . . . " Sai said mournfully, gesturing toward a severely blackened pan. "Only thing left is the chicken soup, and even that's not very good . . . "
"Or very here," Kento said, blowing his nose. "I ate it."
"Big surprise," Rowen muttered. "But Sai, how could you burn dinner?" The auburn/brown-haired boy was silent a moment before answering.
"I'll call the pizza place," Mia sighed.
"Kento distracted me," Sai said finally. The other three quirked eyebrows. Kento just looked down and blushed.
One week later . . .
"Here you are!" Kento said cheerfully. "Some nice chicken soup . . . "
"Damb you, Kedo," Sai sniffled. "Dis's all yur fauld."
"Here, have this. It'll make you feel better. First, though, I have to take your temperature."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Open up." Sai shook his head, mouth clenched shut for as long as he could stand not breathing. "Come on, Sai."
"Nuh-uh."
"You know, there's other places to take your temperature from, Sai, and I don't think you'd enjoy them." Sai cocked his head cheerily to the side and gave him a quizzical look.
"How do you dow?" Kento chuckled.
"Hedonist."