Cuddling on the bed were two humans, or at least what one appeared to be. That one was actually a fox spirit, disguised as a human.
Miko laid on Tashi's chest. Although she could not confirm he was Takei, many things already told her he was. They acted similar, had similar names, and most importantly, they loved her.
"I'll be leaving to another town soon for work. Do you want to come along, or stay?" Tashi asked, brushing his hand across Miko's head as she burried her head in his chest.
"Follow you," Miko replied sleepily.
"Alright then. We'll set off tommorrow."
Morning rolled around quickly, with the first rays of sun peeking across the horizon. Miko and Tashi woke up and began to get packing. Well, only Tashi, since Miko never really had any belongings in the mortal realm.
"Say, where do you live? What about your family too? You said you left before to solve some personal issues, are they fixed?" Tashi asked. Miko bit her lip as she tried to make up some lie.
"Ohh, uhh. I stay a couple towns over, but I'm mostly living in an inn for my stay here..." She answered, trying not to sound nervous.
"Ohh, any family here?" Tashi pressed on, making simple conversation to get to know Miko better.
"Erm, no... they are all at my hometown..." Miko chuckled, "How about you? I see you stay alone. Any family?" This was an attempt for her to steer the conversation.
"Not really. My mom died when I was born, and my father... he sent me to an orphange... When I turned thirteen, I was thought to be a grown up and expected to take care of myself."Tashi answered nonchalantly.
"Oh, sorry to hear that," Miko replied. Turns out, in this life, he was not allowed to escape such a misfortune as well in this lifetime.
"Its fine, I'm doing well. I have my own... business and I am more than capable of supporting me and you." Tashi smiled.
'He wants to take care of me?!' Miko thought, her cheeks blushing like mad.
"You look cute like this," Tashi complimented, stopping to glance at Miko's red face.
"Especially because I have only teased you a little," Tashi continued, walking towards Miko and brushing his thumb across her chin. Miko turned her head in embarrassment.
"Say, do you think you will be able to handle more when we are 100% official?" He asked, a teasing smirk on his face.
"What do you mean 100% official?! Aren't we official already?!" Miko huffed.
"Sure, sure, if you want, but maybe later? We only met each other for slightly more than a month."
"Oh...so we aren't a couple yet?" Miko asked, her ears, covered by her illusion, drooping.
"Silly girl, in 100%, I mean married. So far, I would say we are 70% official," Tashi smiled. He pecked her cheek before returning to pack his things, "That's your morning kiss, sweetheart." That got Miko into a blushing mess.
Soon enough, Tashi was done. By then, it was already time for breakfast.
"Lets go to the restaurant in the village center to eat. Where we first met," Tashi suggested, smirking. Miko desperately wanted to agree, but her brother and Ryo would be there. Luckily, They have never seen how Takei looked like, so they would not be able to recognise him immediately. However, if she were to follow him, they would likely be able to guess his identity.
"Erm, I don't feel hungry, how about I just make some food for you?" Miko asked. Whatever it was, she could not visit that shop. By now, they probably knew she had already sneaked off to find him, and were either looking for her now, or waiting for her to show herself. Either way, she was not going to dig her own grave by heading there or waiting for them to find her.
"Sure! I would love to see your cooking skills!" Tashi energetically replied.
Around fifteen minutes passed by. Tashi waited in his room while the food was prepared, as per Miko's instruction. However, with the sound of pots and pans falling, and the clattering noise of utencils and dishes, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
"Dang it, I should really have paid more attention when Asura was teaching me how to make toast!!" Miko silently cried in her heart. By now, she had burnt more than three pieces of bread, and her attempts at soft boiled eggs were barely recognisable.
"They all look more poisonous than the nightshade that grew in the forest!!" She thought.
ᵗ/ⁿ: ⁿⁱᵍʰᵗˢʰᵃᵈᵉ ⁱˢ ᵃ ᶠʳᵘⁱᵗ ʷⁱᵗʰ ʰⁱᵍʰ ᵃᵐᵒᵘⁿᵗˢ ᵒᶠ ˢᵒˡᵃⁿⁱⁿᵉ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ⁱˢ ᵗᵒˣⁱᶜ ᵗᵒ ᵇᵒᵗʰ ʰᵘᵐᵃⁿˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵃⁿⁱᵐᵃˡˢ
She carelessly swept all of her failed attempts into the waste bin as she started on another batch.
"Tada!! Done and enjoy!" Miko said, finally presenting her fifth batch of eggs and toast to Tashi. It smelled wonderful, heavenly even! It was a big surprise to Tashi who thought she was going to burn down this house of his first.
"Thanks! I'll try it now!"He said, before digging in. He took a bite of the toast, and a spoon of the egg white.
"How is it?!" Miko asked excitedly, seeing that he agreed it smelled delicious. If she was not covering herself with an illusion now, Tashi could probably see her ears perked up, and her single fox tail swaying sided to side excitedly.
"Umm... G-great I guess! I-its delicious! I don't thimk it is possible for anything to compare to its... unique... taste..." Tashi stammered with a smile.
"Really?! Its my first time without help! Let me try!" Miko answered before taking a bite from the toast and a spoon of the egg.
If Miko could even describe this taste in words, she would say that it would belong in the nineteenth level of hell. Nothing sure can compare to it, alright. If anything did, it must have been caked in mud and thrown across the forest floor before it was served...
Miko gagged at whatever she made. It was certainly not fit for fox consumption, let alone a human. In fact, she was surprised that Tashi had not puked it up or fainted from it yet. Considering spiritual beasts could stomach raw food, the eggs must have been so bad to be worst than raw.
"Uhmm, sorry, but err... I think your eggs are a little too raw, and err... whatever seasoning you put in there didn't work well with each other... As for the toast, you might have put a little too much butter... and did you cook it in between the bread?" Tashi asked, to which Miko only nodded her head in guilt.
"Ahh, my stove! The bread will absorb too much butter and make it soggy, while the fire cooks the butter, causing it to burn! How much butter did you use?!"
"Uhh..." Was all Miko could reply, before moving her finger in quick, circular motions.
"THE WHOLE THING?! IT WAS A NEW BOX!!" Tashi yelled in disbelief, which only make make Miko more guilty and redder in embarrassment.
"Sorry..." Miko apologised.
"Its... alright, darling. What I appreciate its your effort in making this for me. Although it needs some... okay maybe quite a bit of improvement, I'm sure you will be successful, okay?" Tashi comforted. Miko nodded, although she wasn't feeling any less embarrassed from trying to poison him with that kind of food.
"Cheer up," Tashi said, before downing the cup of tea served with the meal. Honestly, I don't even know if it is a good thing or not that the tea didn't taste like poison.
Looking at Miko still red with embarrassment, he pressed his lips on hers, saying,"Don't worry darling, even if you can't make anything tasty, your lips always will be," before bringing the tray of food to the back. This only made Miko more flustered, considering she was the one supposed to be taking care of his needs and comforting him, rather than the other way around. Humans were usually weaker emotionally as well.
"Ahh, so embarrassing..." Miko burried her face in her hands as she died internally from embarrassment...