Family Recipe

Phi loved to watch her cook.

It was something that Velvet noticed, after all their time together. Whether they were at an inn, or on the road, when Velvet cooked, he was always nearby. At first, she hadn't appreciated the audience. But eventually, it lapsed into a sort of habit for them.

When it was her turn to cook, Phi would always trail behind her, talking to her about all sorts of things that passed through his mind. Velvet appreciated the chatter- it gave her a steady rhythm to work with. More than that, she enjoyed the time she could spend with Phi- how he beamed when she talked to him, how he earnestly answered when she asked for his opinion on the taste. It was a small reprieve from the constant battle and sadness that always seemed to linger at the edge of their lives; a small chance for things to be normal.

Where she wasn't the Lord of Calamity, and Phi was just a young, normal boy.

So when she began working on dinner that night, she wasn't surprised when Phi pulled up a stool and propped his arms on the table nearby, watching as she worked.

Considering the circumstances, it was the oddest time for Velvet to be cooking dinner. They were just a few days away from Loegres, on their way for the final showdown with Artorius. But after so much travel, the entire party was exhausted- and Magilou was about to start whining about hunger. So when they found a roadside inn, Velvet asked if she could use the kitchen.

Now here she was, carefully kneading dough as Phi watched her. She counted the seconds in her head, wondering how long the young malak would remain silent this time.

Right as her count reached twenty, Phi chimed, "What's for dinner, Velvet?"

She grinned. "That's for me to know and for you to find out," she teased.

Phi pouted. Velvet suppressed a chuckle.

"Why not take a guess?" she suggested. "You've watched me cook enough times, by now. I'm sure you'll figure out."

Phi frowned, but there was an eager gleam in his eyes. He had come a long way- gone was the malak who had little opinion of his own. And the boy she had come to know wasn't one to back away from a challenge. Maybe it was her influence, she thought wryly.

She watched with mild amusement as Phi took in the scene. The table was covered with flour, where Velvet was continuously kneading dough. A bowl of spinach stood to the side, with eggs and cheese propped in a corner.

The realization went off like a spark, and in his excitement, Phi almost toppled off his stool. "You're cooking quiche!" he exclaimed.

"Careful." She tried not to laugh as he righted himself.

"I'm fine!" he groused, but he calmed down- or at least, he tried. His legs still swung with enthusiasm as he grinned at her. "It's quiche, right, Velvet?"

"What gave it away?" she smirked.

"Velvet-" He puffed out his cheeks, and Velvet finally laughed.

"It is, it is."

Phi's smile widened, and she could hear his stomach growl. Phi loved food- mabo curry, of course, but her quiche also seemed to share a special place in his heart. Or stomach.

"It's your family recipe, right?" he asked. He had settled back into his seat, his eyes bright as he watched her knead the dough.

Velvet nodded. "I remember Celica teaching me- she showed me how to knead the dough, and told me to try it, myself." She laughed. "The first quiche I ever made was bumpy and dry. I thought it was a failure, but she said it was perfect."

Phi smiled. "If you made it, of course it would be."

Velvet chuckled. "You have high assumptions of my cooking."

"That's not what I meant." Phi gave a little shake of his head, voice gentle. "You put a lot of effort into cooking for her, didn't you? To her, it was perfect, no matter what the outcome."

Velvet stared at him. Despite his age, sometimes he said things that sounded- almost like what Celica would say.

Of course, a part of him was Celica's son, wasn't it?

Velvet had told him that being her dead nephew reborn wasn't anything to lose sleep over, but she had noticed the quiet look in his eyes when he learned something about Celica, or thought about Artorius. Phi was his own person, but sometimes Velvet felt a kinship with him that wasn't quite the same with the rest of her companions. She'd never acknowledge it, of course- she'd rather spare him the pain, keep Phi as Phi.

But she knew what it felt like, to be without family too.

Abruptly, the words found their way to her lips before she could reconsider.

"Would you like to try?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Making quiches." She stepped away from the table, turning to face the boy. Phi now stared at her, open-mouthed. She wondered what thoughts went through his mind.

With an exaggerated sigh, she clicked her tongue. "Come on, Phi. If you dawdle, the butter will melt and there goes the dough!"

That sprung Phi off his stool. "What do I do?" he asked, his eyes wide, bouncing eagerly on the balls of his feet.

Velvet laughed. "First," she said, "wash your hands."

Later, when Velvet brought the quiches out, Phi bounding beside her, there was an audible sigh of relief from their companions. In habitual fashion, soon the group was clustered around in a haphazard manner, settling down for dinner.

It wasn't too long before Magilou spoke up.

"What's up with this one, Velvet?" she asked, pointing towards the smallest quiche of the batch. It stood out from the rest on the tray, a bit lumpy, the sheen not quite so perfect.

"I made that one," Phi chimed in, a bit of colour on his cheeks.

"You did?" Now it was Eleanor who spoke. "It's a good effort!"

"Indeed," Eizen added. "If this was your first attempt, it's certainly well done."

"Thank you, Eleanor, Eizen." Phi smiled. "But it doesn't look anywhere as good as Velvet's-"

"You're comparing yourself to Velvet?" Rokurou snorted. "She makes quiches in her sleep, kiddo."

"I do not," Velvet snapped back. "And if none of you want it, I'll take it."

"We didn't say that we didn't want it," Eleanor began, but before anyone else could react, Velvet had already placed the quiche on her plate and had taken a big bite out of it.

"How is it?" Phi asked. Five pairs of eyes stared at her, awaiting her judgement.

Normally, Velvet would have pointed out how she couldn't actually taste the quiche. The texture of was a tad bit too dry, and the crust was uneven at places. But still-

"It's perfect," she said quietly, fixing her gaze firmly on Phi.

His smile, so much like Celica's, was wide and bright- radiant. Soon, Velvet herself smiling too.

And as she ate, in the presence of her ever-bickering family, Velvet thought it was the most delicious quiche she had ever eaten.