Cooking Class (A Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Oneshot)

Cooking Class

"You know, Jack, I've been thinking..." Carly began, her voice trailing off as she surveyed the charred remains of his latest culinary disaster. The kitchen was once again filled with the acrid smell of burnt plastic and singed wood, and great black scorch marks marred the formerly pristine walls and cabinets. It was a sad testament to Jack's, shall we say, lack of cooking prowess. He could barely even fry an egg without setting half the kitchen ablaze. "Maybe," she continued, tentatively, "it's time we did something about that."

Jack looked up at her, his usually carefree expression replaced by a mixture of hope and nervousness. "Really?" he asked.

Carly nodded encouragingly, her blue-green eyes filled with sympathy and determination.

"Yeah," she said, taking a deep breath, "I mean, I know you're not the worst cook in the world or anything, but maybe you could use a little help?" She paused, biting her lip. "I could give you some lessons, you know? Teach you how to make something besides heating up cup ramen."

Jack's face lit up with surprise and gratitude. "Really?" he exclaimed. "You'd really do that for me?" He paused, a sudden thought occurring to him. "Wait, you're not just saying that because you feel sorry for me, are you?" His sassy British tongue struck Carly in the heart, causing her to sweat a little.

Carly nervously laughed, shaking her head. "Of course not, silly," she said, giving his arm a playful squeeze. "I just think you're a pretty great guy, and I think you can be a pretty great cook too. Besides," she added, grinning, "it'll be fun. Right, Jack?"

Jack beamed at her, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Yeah, it'll be great," he agreed, forcing a casual tone into his voice. "We can start small, you know, with something easy to make. Like... salad?" He immediately winced at the thought. "Or... macaroni and cheese?"

Carly bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "I think we'll start with scrambled eggs," she decided, already beginning to gather up the charred remains of Jack's failed frying attempt. "I mean, they're not too hard to make, right?" She glanced over at Jack, who was watching her intently. 

"Right, Jack?"

He nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah, scrambled eggs. That sounds good," he said, following her lead and beginning to clean up the mess. "So, uh... when should we do this?"

Carly thought for a moment, then smiled. "How about tomorrow night? We can go to my place this time," she suggested. "My kitchen is a lot bigger, and I have all the right tools. Plus, I can't let you burn down my place on our first date, you know?" She winked, trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, it'll be more comfortable for you to learn in a relaxed environment."

Jack felt a strange flutter in his stomach at her words. "Yeah, that sounds good," he managed to say, a small blush creeping up his neck. He glanced down at the floor, suddenly self-conscious. "I'll make sure to bring some groceries so we can make something really special."

Carly smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling with amusement. "Aw, thanks, Jack. You're so sweet. I'm sure whatever we make will be great." She hesitated for a moment, then added, "And if it's not, well, we can always order pizza."

Jack laughed, feeling a warmth spread through him. "Okay, okay. We'll give it our best shot," he said, feeling more confident than he had in a long time. "I'll see you tomorrow night, then?"