#fenixtj

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The door to the tattoo parlor tinkles as someone enters.

Duff looks up, he's not working on anyone, just adding some designs to sample work for others to pick from.

Jessica is there. She holds a brown paper grocery sack. "Hi."

"Hello." he says tilting his head, "nice to see you again"

"I was a ass. I'm sorry."

"Thank you." Belatedly.

"The apology I get.. the thank you..confuses me. Thank me for what?" He puts his samples down and moves to her.

"Saying it was nice to see me again."

"Oh that, well, thank you for being seen again" He says "It was true . As for the apology, I did admit some confusion that it was THAT offensive to you, but then I bitch when you don't show any of your real emotion so...at least you were honest that I hit a nerve."

"Even if I didn't intend it to sting that much" A stroke along her arm

A sigh. "I don't know why it did. Overly sensitive. Anyway. I'm sorry."

"Forgiven, though if you later figure out why it bothered you, and want to talk about it, that's okay. " A long kiss, then a part "I know you're not a talker by nature. But to dwell on the positive, I think the carnival went well and reflected well on you"

"Thank you." Gravely.

"And that litlte sidhe lord took his lumps. I'll give him credit."

"Hopefully he won't have to do it again." She shifts the bag in her arms. "I brought stuff to make dinner. If you want."

"I think it's supposed to be a yearly thing, " A sniff at the bag "Sure. What's in there?"

"I figured I'd make chicken. I mean... I'm no cook but I can probably not kill us with that."

"Sure. You want help with the cooking or will I be in the way?"

"Come keep me company?"

A smile "My pleasure" And he moves near her and goes with her to the kitehen

Upstairs to the little bolt-hole apartment. She may not have been here in a bit, actually; if feels closed down. But at least the lights come on when she hits the switch, and the gas stove burners work. She unpacks the bag.

And he helps turn things on, "Good memories in this little place" If his eyes drift towards the bedroom, possibly a coincidence.

"I don't really have a recipe in mind...."

"Don't worry, I'm not exactly Hearth material myself. There's a reason I often get the easy to make picnics for our outtings"

"Well.... if I screw it up, we can go out, I guess."

"It's not like we'll starve."

She organizes her ingredients, grabs a couple things from the (mostly bare) fridge and pantry.

He makes some suggestiosn, and acts oddly nostalgic "Ever try that shake and bake stuff?"

"Hm. I think so, when I was a kid. Not since high school, though. But.... what, it's seasoning, right? So...." She roots around. "Got salt, pepper..... I think there's yeah, garlic powder... what else is in here....?"

"Baconbits?" Amused "I have no idea if that's a thing but bacon rarely makes things worse"

"I didn't get any bacon, and baconbits are usually just flavored soy....." apologetically.

"That's fine.." He helps with the mix..as they experiment

and not in the satyr way

"Can you take a chicken apart? I bought a whole one...."

She adds seasonings to a shaking bag. "So... chicken pieces, and cook them with onions and ... carrots?"

He does... and says "First maybe cook the meat, then mix it in the shaking bag in half done? Not sure... want to make sure it's cooked through, but chicken isn't so hard right?"

"Will that work?" A thoughtful frown. "Kerri always seasoned first, then cooked....."

"Then let's do it Kerris' way. " Yielding to the legend

"Ok, do you want to chop vegetables or shake the chicken?"

"I'll shake the chicken. It's a phrase I can use that doesn't quite sound innocent"

A light blush, but she laughs as well. "Ok, cut it up and shake away." She chops the veggies in thick slices. "Figure we put the chicken on top of these?

"Should look nice " He agrees as his fingers cut deftly the chicken, and then he starts the shaking.

She roots around again and finds a tray/pan, dumping them onto it. "Ok, chicken can go on when you're ready. Oh, hey, oven......" She snaps it on. "350?"

"Preheat it to that yes. I'll put it in when it hits the right temp"

"Ok. Hm. What else should we make?"

"Love" He says as he finishes shaking the chicken, "Or perhaps some rice to go with the chicken"

She blinks, blushes again. "Rice. That, I have." She gets it.

"I know how to cook rice" He says

She glances over the instructions on the bag, then passes it over. "Feel free."

"Surely" This he does know... having lived on ramen, rice, and noodles