Set somewhere in Season 2...
"Ugh, why do I have to do everything in this house?!"
Max and Tyson stopped their bickering, Kenny looked up from where he was working on Dizzy, Hilary stopped knitting, and Kai didn't look up from his book, but he did raise an eyebrow. Another crash resounded from the kitchen and they all shared a look, even Kai.
"Ray, buddy, everythin' alright in there?" Max yelled from the living room where everybody except Ray was present.
The reply was a bang of a big vessel on top of the kitchen countertop.
The others stared at each other, trying to decide who would be sent to deal with a pissed off Ray Kon. Finally, Tyson sighed, and stood up, going to the dojo's kitchen, glad that his Gramps was outside with Mr. Dickinson and other oldies in the neighbourhood, and won't be back till late night.
Ever since the whole 'Salima' incident, Ray was closed up and snappish, always having a permanent scowl on his face. Tyson and Max tried to elicit a small smile from him by teasing him that he was becoming even more of a sourpuss than Mr. Sourpuss himself, but they only received a glare for that.
Tyson entered the dojo kitchen, and saw that Ray was furiously cutting the onions, sniffling angrily now and then.
"Hey," Tyson greeted, keeping his voice carefully casual, but low.
"What do you want? Hungry again? Well, I'm sorry, but you and your never ending pit of a stomach have to wait because dinner is not going to cook itself instantly just because you are hungry," Ray snapped.
Tyson deliberately stopped the hurt that raised at the comment, and instead stared at him for a moment, before moving around Ray and starting the stove, keeping the vessel Ray had banged on the countertop on the stove, before pouring some oil in it.
"Tyson, what are you doing?" Ray asked, louder than necessary.
"Helping you."
"I don't need your help."
"Didn't you ask why you had to do everything all by yourself? Well, you don't have to. We can help you," Tyson replied, adding some spices to the oil.
Ray looked at him, before going back to cutting down the onions, even more furious than before. Tyson looked at his hands moving fast, and he realised a moment later that Ray was going to cut his hand before Ray let out a sharp hiss when he cut his thumb.
Tyson immediately switched off the stove and led Ray to the sink, helping his friend wash his wound. Thankfully, the wound wasn't too deep. It would heal in a few days and just a band-aid would be enough. But that didn't mean that Ray wouldn't have one helluva time with that sting when he bladed for a week.
They worked in silence, Ray drying his hand and going to sit on a chair, while Tyson went to take a band-aid for his finger, making sure to take one with little teddies on them.
Ray tried to take the band-aid from him but Tyson held it out of his reach.
"Let me," he said softly, asking for Ray to show his finger. Ray exhaled through his nose and showed his finger to Tyson, who carefully put the band-aid on it.
"Done!" Tyson said cheerfully, with a grin.
Ray glared at Tyson when he saw the little teddies but that only made Tyson's grin wider.
"Now, you stay here, while I take care of dinner," Tyson commanded, moving to switch on the stove again.
"Tyson, I cut my finger, not my hand," Ray said, rolling his eyes.
