Work Text:
"You want me to what?"
"I want you to teach me how to cook."
the two stared at each other for a long time. Spectre was in his apron, slippers and he seemed to be in the middle of cooking something already.
Yusaku could smell how good it was from where he was standing. Honestly, he had thought of calling but ended up walking here, alright he ended up getting a ride most of the way. It was just.... he needed to eat something other than hotdogs. Not of his own free will. If he could eat them all the time he would.
But he got sick a short while ago and the doctor at the hospital had told him that if he wanted to get better a hotdog diet would cut it.
The doctor might as well slap him in the face. This didn't bother him but Kusanagi had made him a promise and used his brother Jin as well.
how dare he use the other to make him promise to look into eating new things?
The only problem was?
Yusaku had no idea how to cook.
However, he had seen Spectre more than a few times out shopping. While getting hotdogs, and drinks and just roaming around now that everything was over he had seen Spectre at the store.
Maybe a little stalker-like, but Yusaku would watch him shop. He was gathering items from each aisle before going to pay. A few times he had seen Ryoken there, but he was just there to push the basket.
"So, you want me?" Spectre asked pointing to himself. "To teach you how to cook?"
"Yep." Yusaku stared at him. "I heard you were a good cook."
"From who?"
"Ryoken." Yusaku paused. "You really want me to believe he knows how to cook when he has you?"
Spectre tensed. "He's not skilled in cooking."
"I heard he burned a pan."
"It was the entire kitchen and thus he is banned," Spectre paused. "Why would I teach you how to cook?"
“We have nothing better to do?” Yusaku saw him raise an eyebrow. “What? Are you two still running around looking for Ignis?”
Sighing Spectre thought about it. “Alright. Fine. I have nothing else to do, but I should ask Master Ryoken first.”
“I got it,” Pulling out his phone Yusaku called the white-haired teen’s number. He had saved it of course, but he had a block he created on his own so Ryoken could never trace it. “Hey, I’m at your mansion, Spectre is going to teach me how to cook and no, I don’t care if you agree or not, your dad tortured me so shut up.”
“You can’t say that!” Spectre looked panicked.
“He said fine,” Yusaku deadpanned and paused. “No, Ryoken you can’t have my number, bye.”
Before Spectre could say anything his phone rang. Picking it up he listen to what Ryoken had to say before agreeing and hanging up.
“That was low.”
“Hey, his Dad tortured you too,” Yusaku walked into the mansion. “Nice place.”
“Come in, I suppose,” Shaking his head Spectre closed the door. “So, what can you cook?”
--
The disgusting thing that was made will forever hunt Spectre for the rest of his life. Hand over his nose the blonde stared at the creature thing that was in the pot. He wasn’t sure if they could save the pot.
“It’s not that bad.”
“I think it’s dead, yet… it's moving.” Reaching over Spectre placed the lid on the pot. “Let’s just toss this out and start over.”
“Isn’t there something else you can teach me?”
“I was teaching you something simple, however, it seems I’ll have to teach you something else.” Picking up the pot he moved it far off to the side. “I have an idea.”
“Yeah?”
“I say let’s start with rice.”
“I can’t make that.”
“Judging form the last thing you just did, no you cannot.”
--
Yusaku had to admit that washing rice was simple, but he also knew that he had messed up by trying to wash it with soap. Spectre had given a look that clearly told him that was wrong.
“Start again,” Spectre moved the jar over. “Come on, scoop out the cups again, then ONLY with water rise it, two to three times, I like to go until the water is clear.”
“Fine.” Taking the rice, Yusaku did as he was told washing it before looking at him. “Now?”
“I like to do this when I place water in it, when I started,” Spectre measured the water with his knuckles. “I fill up till the third line of your knuckles. I don’t anymore I can just tell now.”
“Like this?” Doing the same he looked over as the blonde nodded. “Its that easy?”
“Yes, now move it over to the stove.” Walking over to the stove carefully Yusaku looked around. “All this and you don’t have a rice cooker?”
“I prefer this way,” Turning on the fire Spectre set it too high. “Set it down.”
Picking a spoon Yusaku was about to stir it, but he was stopped. Pausing he looked at Spectre who shook his head.
“Just turn it too high, let it come to a boil and cover. Low it to three and fifteen minutes we’ll have rich. Give or take how long and how much we’re making.” Spectre then paused. “Come on, I’ll teach you how to make something simple to put over it.”
Yusaku looked over hoping it was going to be something in a can that he could easily open and toss into the microwave, simple, easy, right?
However, he saw Spectre open the pantry fridge and start to pull out the meat and some vegetables. Damn, not so easy. Walking over he was curious about how Spectre seemed to make everything look elegant.
Just sitting on his heels to pull out a cutting board and something else. He frowned. Before it hit him that the other was going to be washing the vegetables. He had no idea you were supposed to do that.
Almost memorized, he barely heard Spectre explain why it was important. He ended up watching him cut and set them aside, such perfect lines too and when he easily sliced up the meat he paused looking up at him and paused.
All of the time he had known Spectre, in Vrains and outside the rare times he saw him. Never before had he seen the look in those blue eyes. Old cold eyes and neutral to all the whims of Ryoken were now replaced with such a soft look of joy and pride as he talked about how to food. His voice changed too, a lighter tone, the smile that seemed to ease onto his face.
“Are you paying attention?”
“Huh?”
The frown appeared as Spectre turned around and frowned “Pay attention or we’ll have to keep doing this until you learn how to cook this on your own.”
And just maybe that made Yusaku try.
A little less but he’d try.