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It's a cold, cozy winter afternoon at the ministry. Everyone is moving a little slower, talking a little softer, feeling the gentle weight of the weather and the lull in activity between tours like a warm blanket pulled over the ministry. Mountain and Cirrus are taking the free day as an opportunity to get in the kitchen and make a special dinner of herb-encrusted steak, mushroom risotto, and a vanilla almond cake for dessert for their ghouls.
The kitchen is the domain of the two- Mountain, a god at cooking, serving up impressive dishes with herbs and vegetables fresh from his garden, grown with his magically green thumb and much love. Cirrus is the master of the oven, finding a more mundane magic in baking, how precise and measured she must be in everything she does to produce something sweet and delicate that shows her ghouls just how much she loves them.
But, while the two are at home in the kitchen, the others aren't. Sure, Dewdrop and Cumulus can be trusted alone in there, but the food they make is definitely questionable at best. Swiss and Aether are lucky to not burn the room down.
Sunshine and Rain are under no circumstances allowed to enter the kitchen unsupervised.
That doesn't stop Rain from joining Mountain and Cirrus in the kitchen any chance he gets. While the two slap his hands away when they inch towards a stove or oven, they let Rain hop up on the island counter a safe distance from the food preparations and watch. It's become a comfort, really, this habit of theirs. The three don't need to talk much to appreciate the company of each other. It's enough to be near.
That is, until Rain starts to get bored doing nothing.
Mountain and Cirrus give small tasks for Rain to complete, things they know he can't mess up. The ghoulette usually hands him a bowl and a spatula, ingredients already measured out and placed in the bowl, and has them mix while she gets on with something a little more complex. Rain is more than happy to help, even if they do end up with some flour on his clean shirt.
After a while of working in silence, save for the rhythmic chopping as Mountain dices some mushrooms, Cirrus spins around and places herself in front of Rain, shoving a wooden spoon in his face. "Taste this for me, tell me what it needs, love?" she asks them, a gentle smile on her lips.
Rain leans forward and takes a lick, a thoughtful frown on his face and eyebrows drawn together in concentration as he mulls over the flavour. After a long moment, they nod and lean back. "Mm, good, but it needs more vanilla."
Cirrus lets out a giggle reminiscent of wind chimes. "Of course you would say that." she kisses them on the nose, and Rain lets out a happy trill that turns into a purr, tail lifting and curling in contentment as a warmth settles deep in his chest. Cirrus twirls back to her batter and adds more vanilla anyway, not one to deny her Rain anything.
Rain smiles as he watches Cirrus, and calls out loudly with an exagerrated moan, "Mounty, that smells incredible," and Mountain rolls his eyes at the clear but silent demand to taste his cooking. Mountain, not one to deny his Rain anything, comes over with his own wooden spoon with a bit of risotto and cups a hand under the spoon as Rain takes it into his mouth.
"Mhm, just as I suspected, absolutely delicious!" Rain has a smug grin on their face and a glimmer in his eye, and Mountain rolls his eyes again through his own smile.
"You're ridiculous," he informs Rain, putting a hand on his cheek and giving him a peck on the lips. Rain trills again and leans into his palm.
"Maybe, but you love it, my dear." Rain leans in to place another chaste kiss to Mountain's lips before the earth ghoul turns to walk away and back to the pot on the stove. As he does, Rain gives his ass a firm smack and laughs at the yelp Mountain lets out.