__Home Cooking__
By Andrea
"How many more?"
"None." Giles answered, shutting the door. "I got them
all. All two hundred."
Willow giggled. "It wasn't that many."
"Okay...one hundred." he replied, smiling. Walking
into the kitchen, he dumped the remaining bags on the
counter, saying. "I thought we'd never finish
shopping."
"I know." Willow added, opening the fridge. "Can you
hand me the drinks?"
"Oh, sure." Giles reached for the case of sodas and
handed them to her. "Here you go."
"Thanks." she shoved them onto the bottom shelf of the
fridge. "There were so many interruptions.Mrs.
Purcell.." she said, making a face.
"And chicken boy." he muttered distainfully, handing
her the milk and orange juice. She looked up at him,
curious at his tone. Seeing her, he cleared his
throat. "Oh...you're right. And Mrs. Purcell didn't
exactly speed up matters either." He turned to unpack
the rest of the bags.
"That's for sure." Willow replied, her voice dripping
with sarcasm. Giles turned quickly, his eyebrows
raised. She shrugged sheepishly and went back to
unpacking.
It was silent, each one lost in their own thoughts.
Today had been an important day for them, an important
milestone in their relationship. The hours, the words
spoken, brought them closer than ever before. They
didn't need some big Hellmouth occurance or life and
death situation to bring them together. All it took
was grocery shopping, simple everyday activity that
brought them closer, which was a testament to their
relationship.
Breaking the silence, Willow asked. "Giles?"
"Yes?" he responded, dumping the rice in a canister.
"Do you have a big pan?" she asked, showing him the
size with her hands. "About this size?"
"Umm..." he opened one of the cupboards below,
rummaging through it. "How about this?" he offered,
holding it up for her perusal.
"That's good." she said, taking the pan from him.
"Thanks, Giles."
"My pleasure, Willow."
"So, what's first on the agenda?" she asked, rubbing
her hands together in excitement.
"Well, we should first put everything away, so we'll
have some empty space." Giles replied, looking around
at the remaining bags.
"Then, we can start cooking." Willow exclaimed with a
little bounce. He smiled at her and she blushed a
pretty pink. "I know, I know. I'm a little excited
but.."
Tilting her chin up, Giles agreed. "I'm excited too."
They stared at each other for awhile, lost in the
moment. Something was happening, something unexpected
but nonetheless welcoming.
Realizing he was still holding her chin, Giles
immediately released her. Taking a step back, he
uttered. "Umm..we should..we should.."
"Unpack?" she asked, her heart racing.
He nodded in agreement. "Yes." before grabbing a bag
off the counter, burrowing himself in the groceries.
*****************
Half an hour later:
After putting away all the groceries, except for what
they needed, Willow and Giles were ready to, finally
cook dinner.
"All right, Giles. What should we do first?" Willow
wondered, leaning against the counter. "Chicken or
corn?"
"Hmm..the chicken." he answered. "That takes longer to
cook. Do you want to be in charge of the chicken or
the corn?"
She looked at him. "Do you know how to cook corn on
the cob?"
"Yes, I do know how to cook vegetables." he stated
flatly.
"Yes, but do you know how to cook corn on the cob?"
she asked, taking out the ears of corn.
"What's the difference?"
"The difference is.." Willow said, as she washed the
corn. "..is that you have to cook it just right or
else they'll lose their '4th of July' taste."
Quirking an eyebrow, Giles asked. "'4th of July'
taste?"
She nodded. "Yeah. When the barbecue is heated just
right and the corn is cooking on the grill, with the
steak drippings, you get the '4th of July'taste.
'Cause the corn is getting the steak drippings on
them, but at the same time, they're getting slightly
barbecued but not so much, because the corn will turn
black. You leave them on for a few minutes, before
plucking them off and spreading butter on them,
letting the butter melt all over. Yumm.... " she
explained, lost in the description. Coming back to
herself, she continued, "Anyway, since most barbecues
take place on '4th of July'..hence '4th of July'
taste."
Giles smiled at her, enjoying the enraptured look on
her face. He'd always enjoyed it when she would
explain things to him, whether it be magic or prophecy
or corn on the cob. Her face would become animated and
her words would come tumbling out of her mouth faster
than dominoes falling. Also her eyes would sparkle
like stars and her voice would actually go up an
octave higher than normal. She'd always apologize,
saying that she was babbling but he had always loved
to listen to her, no matter what she was saying.
Aloud, he said. "That actually sounds rather tasty."
She turned, giving him a look. "Are you making fun of
me?"
"No. "Giles assured her. "I'm serious. It really does
sound delicious. I've never had corn on the cob."
"You haven't?"
He shook his head. "I've had loose corn and even
creamed corn but never on the cob."
"Creamed corn?" she asked, wrinkling her nose in
distaste.
"Not the best, I know. But, what can you do with
university food?" he replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, at least I don't have to worry about that
anymore." she brightened. He looked at her quizzically
and Willow amended. "College food, I mean. Which I
don't have to eat anymore or at all, thanks to you."
she curtsied cutely, extending her hand to him.
He grinned widely and grabbed her hand. "Your
welcome." he bowed dramatically, eliciting a giggle
from her.
"C'mon, Emeril." Willow teased, handing Giles the
chicken. " Time to marinade."
**********
"Salt?"
"Check."
"Cajun powder?"
"Oooh..spicy."
"Spicy, indeed. Worcestershire sauce?"
"Worchest..whatever. Check."
"Onion and garlic."
"So, no vamps invited, huh?"
"None whatsoever. Vinegar?"
"Yup."
"Tomato paste?"
"Right here."
"Whisk?"
"Detergent?"
"Ha, ha very funny."
"I know. Here's the whisk."
"A nice sized bowl."
"Okay, 'cause we'd hate to have a mean one."
"You know, you're sounding like Xander more and more
each day."
"Hey! There's no need to be mean."
"Sorry. Bowl?"
"Oh! Ummm...here."
Giles rubbed his hands together. " All right, I think
we have all we need to make the sauce."
"You've made barbecue sauce before?" she wondered,
leaning close to him.
"A couple of times, yes." Giles admitted. "I've made
ribs once or twice." Willow stared at him shocked and
he caught her look. "What?"
"An you never invited me over? I love ribs." she
admonished him, hitting him playfully. "I would have
come over."
"Well, then we'll just have to have ribs, now won't
we?" he said, smiling at her.
Grinning, Willow answered. "Yum! Something to look
forward to. "she rested her head on his bicep, the
feel of her sending shivers of excitement down his
spine.
"Umm..ummm..yes." he sputtered, trying not to be
distracted by her soft breath on his arm.
"Umm..Willow?"
"Yeah?"
"I..I..need my arm to..to make the sauce." he said,
reluctantly.
Willow glanced down, realizing for the first time that
her chin was resting on him. She pulled back
immediately. "Oh! Sorry. I didn't mean..I well, I
did...no.."
He placed his hand on her arm. "It's all right,
Willow. I don't mind. Not at all." his hand drifted
lightly down her arm. "I figure I 'd work better with
both hands." he smiled assuredly at her.
She beamed up at him. "I'll bet." she winked before
going over to the opposite counter.
"You don't have to leave.." he trailed off. "I didn't
mean..."
Willow hurriedly moved to his side. "I didn't want to
get in the way."
Tilting her chin up once again, he said softly. "You
could never be in the way."
She smiled beautific at him and his heart warmed. She
had a knack for doing that to him. A smile here, a
word there, a look that could prevent all his higher
functions from working. And now with her living with
him, he was sure to be in a fog twenty-four hours a
day.
"Giles?" she softly said, smiling. "Giles?"
"Hmm..what?" he muttered. Realizing he was
daydreaming, he cleared his throat. umm..yes. Well, I
think we should mix the ingredients, don't you?"
She grinned, her insides all puddly at his behavior.
He had acted all dreamy and distracted and she let
herself hope that maybe it was more.
'Do I want something more?' she mused, the question
lingering in her mind.
Shaking her head, she asked. "So, Giles what do we mix
first?"
* * * * *
After combining all the ingredients together and Giles
whisking it enough to make butter, the barbecue sauce
was ready for the chicken. Dipping a spoon into the
mixture, he offered her a taste. "Want a taste?"
She nodded eagerly, grabbing the spoon out of his
hands. She held it up to her mouth and proceeded to
lick it clean, never once taking her eyes off of him.
Willow darted out her tongue, quickly licking and
lapping up the marinade, her own eyes closing in
satisfaction.
Giles couldn't take his eyes off of hers, his gaze
transfixed on the sexual gesture she was making with
the spoon. He watched in fascination as her tiny pink
tongue lapped up the dark, rich sauce, the wooden
spoon quickly becoming clean. The innocent act mixed
in with her obvious sexual overtones sent his
heartbeat racing and he shifted uncomfortably.
Giving the spoon one last good lick, Willow held it up
for inspection. "Hmm...all gone!" She licked her lips,
running her tongue up and around. "This is delicious,
Giles. You have my seal of approval."
"I'm glad." he muttered absently. Shaking his head
from his randy thoughts, he asked, "So, shall we
marinate?"
*************
After bathing the chicken in the delicious liquid,
each one taking turns painting the chicken with the
dark concoction, it was ready to cook.
Garnishing it with parsley, Willow asked. "How long
does it take?"
Opening the oven door, Giles bent down to place the
pan in, his movement giving Willow a nice view of his
firm behind. 'My God! What he does to a pair of
jeans!' she mused as she watched him situate the pan
in just so.
Wiping his hands on his pants, he stood up and turned
to face her, his brow furrowed. "Willow?"
"Hmm..." she mumbled, her mind elsewhere.
"Is something wrong?" he asked concerned. Stepping
closer to her, he placed his hand on her forehead.
"Are you feeling ill?"
Instinctively, she leaned into his touch, resting her
forehead into his hand. "No...just daydreaming, I
suppose." Stepping away and trying to focus on the
dinner, she said. "So, how long does it take again?"
*********
"How many corns do you want Giles?" Willow asked, as
she placed the ears on the counter.
"How big are they?" he asked. She held them up for him
to see. "I'll take two."
"Okey-dokey." Willow looked around. "Too bad you don't
have a grill. Then we could get that '4th of July'
taste."
"How about this?" Giles offered, as he extracted a
portable grill from the bottom of the cabinet.
"You have one?"
He nodded as he placed the portable next to her on the
counter. "Well, it's not really mine. The previous
tenants left it and never came back for it. So, I
cleaned it up and kept it."
"Great." she commented as she plugged it in.
Leaning against the counter, Giles asked. "Any special
flavoring on the corn or just plain?"
"Plain as a field." Willow joked, glancing at him,
noticing his smirk. "No, seriously though. We cook it
plain then right when it's done, we add the butter."
She looked at him. "Mmm..butter on hot corn..melting
all over your hands. There's nothing like it."
Her vivid description brought a smile to his face. Her
enthusiasm, whether for magic or cooking, was always a
pleasure to see. She managed to make even the most
mundane task or the plainest item sound like fruit of
plenty. She was a wonder.
"Well, when you put it like that, how could anyone
refuse?" he exclaimed, ruffling her hair gently.
Raising her head, she flashed him a winning smile.
"So, two right?" He nodded. "And I'll have two too."
She placed the ears on the grill and taking the tongs,
started to rotate each one, making sure that each ear
was cooking evenly. Not too burnt, not too raw, but
just right; the right combination of heat and
precision turning, giving the corn a toasty brown hue.
While Willow was busy cooking the corn, Giles was
checking the chicken, making sure that it wasn't
overcooked. Grabbing a towel, he eased open the oven
door, pulling the rack out to get a better look.
The chicken looked delicious. Barbecued just so, not
burnt, the skin covered with a golden brown color.
'About 10 more minutes' he mused as he slipped the
chicken back in.
Shutting the door, he turned to her asking, "Do you
want to do the garlic bread or shall I?"
"Umm..well...could you?" she asked hesitantly. "I'm
almost done here and I can set the table, hows that?"
she said, turning to him.
"That sounds like a good plan." he responded,
extracting the french bread from the pantry.
Rummaging around in one of the drawers, Giles finally
found a knife suitable for slicing. Taking the bread,
he proceeded to slice the bread diagonally, making
sure that each piece was the same size, not one bigger
or smaller than the other. Each size perfect.
Willow watched in fascination at Giles' movements, her
eyes riveted on his hands. She'd always loved looking
at them, they were so strong yet so gentle at the same
time. Ever since high school, when he was the
librarian, she'd always taken notice of his hands.
Whether he was leafing through a book or cleaning his
glasses, his hands could make the most simple task
look sensual.
A naughty thought came into her mind, and she gasped
softly at the idea. Unfortunately, Giles heard and
turned towards her. He noticed her staring at him and
he said, "Yes, Willow? Something wrong?"
Recovering somewhat, she sputtered aloud. "Umm..just
don't cut yourself." she reminded him, trying to cover
up her embarrassment.
He smiled at her concern and was touched. "No worries,
Willow. I've done this a hundred times." he grinned
widely at her. "Thank you for your concern though."
She nodded solemnly, trying to rid her mind of the
libidinous thoughts that had popped in. Clearing her
throat, she said, "The corn's done."
"Good." he replied, finishing up the bread. "I'll
garlic while you set, hmm?"
"Yup." she answered, turning the grill off.
Grabbing the same dinnerware from breakfast, she began
to set the table, creating a slightly romantic feel to
the table, one that fit well with the preparation of
the meal. Placing the green and gold plates along with
the matching glasses, Willow added a special touch to
the napkins. She folded them into triangles, then
pulled back the top cloth, creating a beautiful,
forest green flower.
As Giles was crushing the garlic, he looked up and
smiled. He watched fondly as Willow went about her
task, humming under her breath. His heart warmed a
bit, listening to her joyful sound. She reminded him
of a pixie, flitting about, doing her tasks, the whole
time bringing happiness to those watching but not even
realizing themselves what they were doing.
That was one of the things he loved most about her.
The wonderful ability she had of bringing about a
certain joyfulness to those around her, just by her
mere presence. He would often find himself watching
her, taking a somewhat guilty pleasure in her simple
activities. He wondered if she knew she had that kind
of power, the ability to affect people by presence
alone.
When she was done, Willow stepped back to admire her
work. "That's beautiful, Willow." he spoke aloud,
causing her to turn abruptly. She blushed at the
compliment, her cheeks pink.
"Thanks, Giles. I thought that since this is a special
occasion...well, not special like a birthday or
anniversary special, but special anyway. Well..special
to us.." she babbled, blushing even more. Giles
chuckled at her, loving the bubbly babbling she did.
She smiled sheepishly. "I just wanted it to look
nice."
"Well, you succeeded." he told her, coming around the
kitchen to stand next to her. Wrapping his arm around
her, he gave her a squeeze. "And I agree. Tonight is a
special night."
She smiled beautific up at him, leaning into his body.
They stayed like that for a moment, just smiling and
enjoying each other.
"Ding!" "Ding!"
They jumped away from one another, the timer on the
oven breaking the quiet reverie.
"Chicken's ready!" Giles exclaimed, hurrying into the
kitchen, Willow following. Grabbing the towel, he
opened the oven door, sliding the rack out.
Using the towel as a pot holder, he carefully picked
up the pan, placing it on the stove. Willow ducked
underneath Giles, grabbing another towel, sliding back
in the grill and closing the door.
"Watch me.." she said, as Giles lifted his arms so not
to hit her. Licking her lips, she offered. "That looks
yummy." she turned to the other counter. "Giles,
should I put the bread in?"
"Oh, yes." he replied, scooting his body out of the
way. He reopened the door, holding it, so she could
slide in the bread.
"How long should we cook it?" she asked, reaching for
the timer.
"Five minutes should suffice." he answered, reaching
for a dish to hold the chicken. "Unless you want it
crispy?"
"No, I like it soft. Do you?" she asked, as she set
the timer.
"Soft is fine." he replied, placing the chicken in the
ceramic dish. He snatched a ladle out of the jar and
scooping up the juices from the pan, then dropping
them over the chicken to marinate it more.
"Giles, do you have another dish? For the corn."
Willow wondered, tongs in hand.
"The cabinet over your head." he pointed to the one
straight above her redhead.
"Thanks." Willow responded, extracting a beautiful
green and white flowered dish. "This is pretty."
Giles turned to see her holding up the dish. He
smiled. "I got it over the summer at a swap meet for a
reasonable price."
"Well, it's nice." she commented as she began to place
the corn on the dish.
Holding the chicken plate, Giles offered, "Can I put
the corn on the table for you?"
"Thanks." she smiled, handing him the corn. "I'll get
the drinks. What do you want?"
"Apple juice is fine." he yelled from the dining room.
He placed the food on the table, rearranging
everything to fit nicely, making sure not to mess up
Willow's creative setting.
"Here you go, Giles." Willow said, putting each drink
in front of the plates. "I took out the bread before
the time was up. It looked ready."
"That's fine." he remarked over his shoulder. "I'll
get it, you make yourself comfortable."
She grinned and sat down, wiggling until she was
comfortable. She turned to look at him in the kitchen,
her smile widening as she watched him bustle around.
Tonight was the most fun she'd ever had. She didn't
know that something as simple as cooking dinner could
be fun. She knew that the primary reason for her
excitement was in the kitchen right now getting the
garlic bread. She'd always enjoyed spending time with
Giles and this was no different.
'If everyday is going to be like today, then I may
never leave.' she thought, her body warming at the
idea.
He walked back to the table, his breath catching at
the enchanted look on her face. She looked beautiful,
her smile radiating through the apartment and into his
heart. Grinning like a cat, he managed to say, "Here's
the bread." he sat down, opposite her.
"Thank you. It smells delicious." she observed,
placing her napkin in her lap. "In fact, all of this
looks delicious."
"Well, I couldn't have done it without you." Giles
reached across the table and gently took her hand in
his. She squeezed his hand in response, her smile
bright.
After a moment, they pulled apart, both of them
blushing from the contact. Picking up his glass, Giles
raised it in a toast, saying. "Here's to our first
home cooked dinner!"
Willow followed suit, replying. "And too many more!"
* * *