Familiar Faces, Unfamiliar Places[Kenichi, Natsumi]

"Oh?"

There was no secret that Kenichi's diet, at least when he was allowed to operate on his own, was clearly lacking in proper meals. He was no culinary expert, and most of his modern day meals more or less came from Vanyel whenever he was free, a man who was far more capable in the kitchen than he was. His eyes brightened at the idea of Natsumi preparing a meal for him. Free food was something that he wouldn't turn down unless it was poisoned. Since he highly doubted Natsumi had any such intent, there was no reason to decline her offer. Rising from the bench, Kenichi flexed his arms a bit, excitement burning in his expression as she nodded approvingly.

"Gladly. I accept your offer. Lead the way, cowgirl."

Natsumi glanced to the kids, but they were all distracted playing their games. Instead of disappointing them by telling them she was leaving, it was time to sneak off. She happily led Kenichi out of the park and to Natasha's house. On the way there, she told him things she had done, such as watching shows on TV, learning to use a computer better, and trying out new things like painting, biking, and cooking. Natsumi always seemed to have something she was doing or learning about.

"Here we are!" Natsumi led Kenichi inside and pointing out her favorite places, the dining room where she could eat and the living room where she watched TV with Natasha. "Make sure to keep things clean; I don't wanna break any of Natasha's stuff. I knocked a picture off the wall one time; I woke up from a nightmare and forgot where I was for a bit... That was scary. I hurt her, but she didn't even get mad at me." Natsumi looked sad, clearly filled with regret from that night.

"Anyways, let me give her a call! I wanna ask if I can make you a hamburger. It will be my first time doing it on my own," Natsumi said, hurrying to the phone. She dialed the number that was meant for emergencies to contact Natasha, but it was the first time she ever called it. Hopefully, Natasha won't be mad.

The moment they entered the home, Kenichi' observed his surroundings carefully. Operating with the utmost composure in someone else's household, he followed Natsumi's instruction. Finding a seat, he waited for the woman to make her phone call, observing the household with curiosity. It felt very western, inspired by American heritage. His eyes darted toward a picture of her when she was in the army. Natsumi was right. She did look pretty tall. Pretty, too...

From the phone, a voice answered Natsumi. Natasha wasn't particularly busy. It was a relatively simple day. Handling paperwork, coordinating missions for her peers. Routine work, all things considered.

"Howdy, sweetheart. Somethin' on yer mind? Anythin' happen while I was away?"

Even though she was learning and maturing, there was something very "little girl" about Natsumi's tone and behavior when she talked to Natasha. She got shy and hit her heels together, fiddling with the end of her shirt with her free hand.

"No, um, well yes. Sorry to call you at work." Natsumi said. "I ran into a friend I met before I came to the city. He's only eatin' the dry ramen cause that's all he can cook. You think it'd be okay if I made him a hamburger? I'm sure I can do that one by myself, and I promise to clean up anythin' that I make a mess of. And if it's okay, I promise to also go pick up groceries before you get home." Natsumi added little things to sweeten the deal, thinking it'd help get the permission she needed.

"Ain't nothin' wrong preparing a hamburger for the boy at all, sweetheart. Can't imagine consuming lousy ole' instant noodles is happy eatin' at all. Proud of ya for bein' so hospitable to yer guests, sweetie."

The voice from the phone did indeed possess an air of genuine joy at hearing Natsumi's progress. It was nice receiving phone calls like these. It made the dull days at the office a little more easier to trudge through.

"Oh, bless your heart lil' lady. To sweeten the deal for ya, I'll let you go on ahead and buy something nice while grocery shopping. I'll be home in a few hours. Try and stay out of trouble, okay, sugarplum? Talk to ya in a bit."

Natsumi did a small excited hop when she got permission, "Thank ya. I promise I won't be gettin' in any trouble. See ya at home." Once she felt comfortable enough that Natasha had nothing more to say, Natsumi hung up the phone. She didn't want to accidentally hang up on Natasha, so she waited for a proper phone goodbye.

"Natasha says it's a-okay," Natsumi hurried to the fridge, retrieving the meat and buns first. "What would you like on your hamburger? We have cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and onion. I learnt how to fry onions and didn't mess it up, so if you like 'em hot, I can do that for ya. Just let me know. Also, some people toastin' buns too."

Once she got a clear vision of what Kenichi wanted for his food, she got started. The whole time she was cooking, she talked about techniques Natasha taught her, especially about making sure the meat gets cooked through. She also asked about Kenichi's favorite foods and what brought him to the City of Lights.

Kenichi respectfully waited for the lady of the house's return. He honored his word by keeping to himself for the most part, the only wandering agent his observational orbs of hazel. His gaze settled on Natsumi once she returned to the room with the good news. Hamburgers were a go! Things would grow stale if he left her hanging on conversation, and so after requesting that he wanted every topping she had to offer on his burger, he transitioned into a conversation, answering each question with energetic zeal dripping from his every word.

"As long as it tastes good, I'll try almost anything once. If I had to pinpoint a favorite food in particular, then it'd undoubtedly have to be noodle-based dishes. They're easy to consume and fun to eat. Steak isn't bad, either! I have to say I'm impressed she's taught you so much in such a short time. You've picked up on some unique skills. I'm proud of ya, Natsu!"

Natsumi looked a little confused, but then smiled joyously. "I got a nickname now?" It felt like their friendship became more stable! Only two meetings, so she was glad the second was going better. "I like that... Natsu! That's me now."

Natsumi hummed while she cooked. It only stopped when she had to remember the next step. Finishing the hamburgers took about thirty minutes. Natsumi made his burger thicker than her own. More protein for him! She was glad he asked for all of the veggies because she would scold him the same way Natasha scolded her when she tried to avoid eating that stuff. Luckily, she was learning to like salads.

"I hate tomatoes." Natsumi said, cutting up two slices for him. There was some venom in her tone when she glared at the tomatoes. Gross, icky, slimy cold things that walked the line between a true fruit or vegetable. It was a little silly.

With the food set up at the table, Natsumi finished up what few dirty dishes were left before sitting down with him. She was practicing this "clean as you cook" method because she discovered she hated making a huge mess and then having to do it all at the end. While cooking, there were always these moments that you were waiting, so she cleaned during those, but there were always one or two stragglers.

"Enjoy!" Natsumi said and picked up her own burger without evil tomatoes. "I made an extra patty if you want a second. We don't have no french fries. Gotta shop later." She was a little silent at the table, choosing to enjoy her food. After a few bites, she set her food down to talk. "How is it? Did it come out well?"

"In return, you can call me Kenny! I like when most of my friends call me that." He retorted, a playful glee to his tone. It was an accidental nickname, to be sure, but if she approved of it, then there was certainly nothing to worry about on that front. This was a far cry from the woman he met a few months ago. She was lively, welcoming and kind-hearted in equal measure. It truly proved his foolishly naïve philosophy correct. There was good in almost anyone if they tried hard enough.

Almost anyone. He had to remind himself that the green was not always so green, but Natsumi was proof that someone could at least be pulled away from that proverbial edge he feared anyone could fall victim to. He allowed her a few moments of concentration to ensure she prepared everything to her liking. Kenichi was pretty neutral on tomatoes.

They weren't exactly disagreeable to his tastebuds, so long as they were prepared properly. Of course, he wasn't exactly a great indicator of good tastes. He was not a heavily picky eater. Food was food. Nourishment was nourishment. That was the law of the impassioned martial artist. Diligently, he would wait for the food to arrive. He didn't mind that eating a burger without fries, truth be told. The extra meat certainly helped, too. After paying his respects to the chef with a soft bow, he grabbed onto the burger and bit into it. A few chews evoked positive reaction, a wide grin curving across his lips. Delicious for her first guest-prepared meal. Fine impressions all across the page.

"Ish Delish!"

Natsumi was proud that her cooking skills were getting good enough to feed another person. If she messed up, Natasha would have to help her fix it, but this time went perfectly. She even enjoyed eating her own food! During their lunch, Natsumi told Kenichi about the things she had learned and did, which included finding someone who would listen to her about the Duvalier Group. She couldn't say no names! But she was happy to have someone give her plight attention.

"So what are your plans in the city? I'm a bit surprised to see ya here."

Natsumi began cleaning up whatever else she may have left, including wiping down the stove and counter. It would be spotless for Natasha when she came home.