Why are you here?

You Can't Cook?

AN: Before the chapter starts I'd just like to say thank you for 50 reads! That's the most I've ever gotten on a fic, and I'm really happy making this, so thank you all for enjoying it so much!

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"Are you gonna make lunch soon?" Radlynn's voice pulled Radley out of his book. He looked at her.

"I'm not hungry," he murmured as he shifted into a more comfortable position in his armchair. "Why don't you make yourself something?" He suggested.

"...I uh- I can't cook." She replied. Radley looked at her weirdly.

"...you can't cook...?" He asked slowly. "How old are you?"

"Nineteen?" Radlynn replied, a little embarrassed.

"You're nineteen and you can't cook?"

Radlynn shifted where she sat. "I mean-" she glanced aside. "Cooking is hard, alright?! I always burn myself and the food so- I don't." She explained. "And my dad always cooks for me, so, y'know."

Radley sighed and stood up. "C'mon, I'll teach you." He said. Her eyes widened.

"What?"

"I'll teach you to cook," he repeated. "You'll need to know how. You won't always have somebody around to look after you." His tone was harsh and cold. It unsettled her for a few moments.

"Alright, mom." Radlynn muttered back, hoping that comment wouldn't annoy Radley too much. She stood up and followed him to the kitchen. She already knew this wasn't going to end well. If she was lucky, the kitchen would only be a mild mess and Radley would only be slightly upset at her. She leaned against the counter and watched Radley take out ingredients. "So what are we making?"

"Stew," he replied. "Simple, easy, you can't mess it up."

"Bet I can." Radlynn replied. Radley shook his head at her.

"Well, you learn to cook, or you starve." He replied as he grabbed a cookbook from a small shelf near the pantry. Radlynn laughed dryly.

"Who says I won't just eat you instead?" She countered. Radley smirked, just a bit, for a few moments.

"Because I'm your only way of getting home," he murmured as he opened the cook book to the right page. "If you really get hungry then do me a favour and just go for Neapolitown."

Radlynn laughed a bit and leaned off the counter. She watched Radley pull out a cutting board, which he slid over to her. "Anyone specific you want gone?" She joked just as Radley handed her a knife.

"I have a list," he murmured back. "I'll give it to you later." Radlynn wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

She kinda hoped he was.

He handed her some carrots, then busied himself with something that looked like a chicken fillet. "You need to wash those first." He told her. "Then cut them."

"...like with soap?" Radley stared at her for a few seconds. "It was a joke!" She yelped back. "I'm not dumb."

"Of course you aren't," he replied calmly, cutting the meat into chunks. "You're just a nineteen year old that can't cook."

"You're rude, you know that?"

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Cooking wasn't as hard as Radlynn had expected. Or maybe it was just Radley's help. He taught her how to sauté the meat, how to make sure her stock was fully dissolved, he even held her hands and guided them when peeling potatoes. A gesture she found oddly affectionate.

"Now we just have to wait and it'll be done." He explained. Radley smiled at her, which he'd done more and more as they worked.

"Nice," Radlynn chirped back. She put down the wooden spoon she was holding and sighed. "I'm tired."

"You have to clean up. You know that right?"

"...motherfucker." she muttered. Radley laughed at that. Actually laughed. It was just a light chuckle, but she'd never heard him do that before. She stared at him in surprise, but he wasn't looking at her. He was focusing on clearing things away. Radlynn stared at the small smile on his face. He was smiling when she wasn't even saying anything to him.

"Radlynn?" Radley looked at her again. "You there?"

"Uh- yeah, course." She murmured back. "Just zoned out for a second." He nodded and stepped aside to let Radlynn help him at the sink. Their conversation slowed, and it was mostly Radley talking now. Rambling about something or other. Radlynn was still busy thinking about his laugh, the noise replaying in her brain over and over.

Radley wasn't bad at all.