31_days | Dec. 15th [xxxHOLiC] Fourth Time is a Charm

Title: Fourth Time is a Charm
Day/Theme: Dec. 15th - Swimming backwards, with your eyes closed
Series: xxxHOLiC
Character/Pairing: Clow Reed x Yuuko Ichihara
Rating: PG
Warnings: Dialogue-only ficlet.

“Well, see, it doesn’t look so bad...”

“It doesn’t look so bad? Are you blind, Clow? It looks like a giant cookie to me!”

“You just forgot to add a bit of baking powder to the dough, that was all. Nothing that can’t be fixed.”

“And just how do you intend to do that?”

“Making another cake, of course.”

“Again? But we’re not going anywhere with this!”

“Practice makes perfect. Haven’t you ever heard that saying?”

“Clow. I got the recipe wrong. Three times in a row. I think that is saying something about my non-existent culinary skills.”

“Oh, don’t be so harsh on yourself, dearest. Your first attempt actually looked pretty good, remember?”

“And?”

“So sure, I will admit it would have tasted better if you had used a few spoons of sugar, but it wasn’t a complete waste.”

“…Clow?”

“Yes?”

“I sincerely hope that neither of your future selves will turn out to be motivational speakers. Because you clearly fail at that.”

“All I’m saying is that you’ve made good progress, Yuuko. You can’t give up now.”

“I don’t see why not. In fact, I don’t even see why I must learn how to cook in the first place!”

“Because I won’t be around forever to serve as your personal chef. And while I’m sure you will torture that boy into granting your every whim once he comes to your shop, there will be a considerable gap between the day I’m gone and the moment he arrives.”

“So?”

“So, you will have to handle your own meals in the meantime.”

“I know that, you creep. It’s quite pretentious of you to think I’d be dependable on your skills for anything, you know.”

“I am simply concerned for your well-being once I’m—“

“Listen. Have you ever heard about eating outdoors? It’s how I have always handled myself, way before I met you.”

“Home-cooked meals are always best, for innumerable reasons.”

“I couldn’t care less for home-cooked meals.”

“Not even mine?”

“…Well, maybe yours. But they come with a high price. And if this is what I have to pay in order to have that even when you’re gone, then forget about it, I’m sticking to ordering food. It keeps me sane, on so many levels!”

“Now, wait a minute. I have never charged you for anything I cooked, have I?”

“Not directly, no. But feeding me is the least you can do for all the times I have to put up with your crazy ideas. Much like right now.”

“I do believe this is a most sensible idea, Yuuko. You can’t always rely on one possibility only… What if you have a hangover and can barely stand up from bed?”

“In the future, there will be something called delivery services. That, my friend, will be heavenly!”

“Oh, Yuuko…”

“Stop giving me that look, right there!”

“It’s just that I honestly do not understand why this is so hard to you. You clearly have performed much more difficult tasks before, so it shouldn’t be this much of a problem.”

“I simply can’t. I’m good with magic, not with domestic matters. To me, they are harder than anything I can possibly think of.”

“Harder than putting up with me?”

“…Alright, so maybe there is one thing that I can think of.”

“So if you’re saying that carrying out household tasks isn’t as hard as dealing with me, than it means that trying to do chores should be even easier, right?”

“Oh, fine. I see where you’re trying to get.”

“So, we’re giving this another try?”

“Can’t we have something to eat first? This whole thing is making me hungry, and there is absolutely nothing edible in the whole house!”

“Then how about I fix you lunch while you try your hand at that cake recipe again? I promise I’ll make your favorite.”

“Sounds like a deal. Just don’t count on that cake for dessert, though. It would probably go cheap on your stomach.”

“Oh, don’t worry. As long as you don’t use saltpeter instead of regular salt, I think we’re safe.”