[Open] In the kitchens with Eliot

[distinctive_guy]

CHARACTERS: distinctive_guy and YOU
DATE: Dec 05 (Day 22; Afternoon)
RATING: Possible swearing?
SUMMARY: Eliot's back in the kitchen cooking. Or making food anyway. For once it's not big portions.

Comments

[partnerinheels]

Her morning had been dedicated to gathering supplies for the signs Shepard wanted them to make, a brilliantly obvious idea. Why someone hasn't thought of it before, not only stumped Sheva, but had her kicking herself for not hatching such a simple idea. Since it was daytime, her weapons only included her knife and handgun, neither of which she had out of their holsters

[distinctive_guy]

Eliot hadn't expected anyone to be walking in, although given the time of the day he wasn't surprised about it either. He heard the footsteps off to the side, and turned just in time to see a familiar face coming in.

"There's nothin' wrong with sandwiches," he said and he couldn't hold back his grin when Sheva walked close, knowing just how good his sandwiches were. "I use whole multigrain bread and put slices of deli chicken spiced with small bits of basil and chili, an even spreading of my self made olive and avocado paste -that I added in bits of lemon rind and juice for an extra... tang- fresh thin sliced cucumbers and tomatoes and a layer of... I think it's unripe goat cheese... Some ground almonds, grilled to perfection and... voila." He put on the second piece of multigrain bread on top of the two grilled sandwiches.

He held up one of the finished products proudly. "My homemade olive and avocado Mediterranean grilled sandwich."

[partnerinheels]

During the whole explanation, Sheva simply stared, a mix of intrigue and surprise edging slightly onto her features. The idea that Eliot would be some sort of gourmet cook kind of floored her, mainly because all the chefs she had ever met were easily pegged as such. This, well this just felt like the Twilight Zone.

Still not sold on the combination of flavors, she peered at the sandwiches with trepidation and even a bit of doubt. Regardless, it must have taken him quite a bit of time and effort to make these things. "Are you sure all that stuff belongs on a sandwich?"

[distinctive_guy]

"Am I sure?" He scoffed then grinned, pushing the sandwich in Sheva's direction as if daring her to try it. He could grill one of the other ones for Hardison afterwards. After all, not many people cooked the way he did and he was amused by the undertone of surprise mixed into her expressions.

Smirking now, he leaned up against the counter and brought his own grilled sandwich to his mouth. "Try it," he challenged her confidently, "You'll see."

[partnerinheels]

She glanced at the sandwich as if it were a surprise attack, but quickly schooled her features into something more like easy going confidence. Never mind that her palette had never even dealt with something as complex and fancy as this sandwich. Between her childhood in Africa and her teenage to college years in America, Sheva hadn't been too adventurous about her choices in food, which had always been considered nourishment more than anything

[distinctive_guy]

"Alright?" Eliot laughed, taking a bite of his own. Reading all that was left unsaid from the way Sheva's face reflected all the hidden surprises her tastebuds gave her, he knew exactly what that sandwich could do. Chewing, he swallowed before pointing out, "Honey, a slab of bread with some tomatos, mayo, and chicken is 'alright'. That, what you have in your hands, is 'incredible'."

Nah, this guy definitely liked flowery compliments, although Sheva was right about one thing. Eliot didn't need people to feed his ego, it was already bloated from confidence that was rightly deserved.

[partnerinheels]

Somehow she knew that he'd respond this way, and she simply grinned silently at him before taking another bite. Once her mouth was clear once more, she made a sweeping motion with her right hand to the rest of the sandwiches. "I've never really eaten fancy food like this, not even when I studied in the United States."

In other words, Sheva might be going through both an adjusting period while eating that sandwich. "Incredible you say? I say it's 'interesting,' but with a more positive connotation than negative. Or does 'deliciously intriguing' work better for you?"

[distinctive_guy]

"How 'bout 'all of the above'? I'll take that." Chuckling, Eliot took the time to eat some of his own sandwich before going back to the earlier part of the conversation. "Depends where you were in the States. Some places... Food's not all that great." He considered as he chewed. "Though places can surprise ya. Learned how to make mean rattlesnake steaks from a tiny town in Oklahoma."

[partnerinheels]

"Of course you will," she chuckled, shifting so that she could lean her hip against the counter while she continued to eat her sandwich.

When he switches back to the subject of the States, she's glad that he actually refers to them correctly instead of just 'America' like many from the United States tend to do. Someone should tell them that America isn't just the United States, but the entirety of the Northern and Southern continents.

"I've eaten snake," Sheva commented absently before refocusing on the rest of what he said. "I went there when I was fifteen, so I wasn't exactly interested in fine dining. And then I went to college, which generally included eating on the cheap. I generally just cooked for myself." Early on, cooking had been one of her jobs back with the guerrillas, and while it wasn't gourmet, everyone enjoyed it when she made meals.

[distinctive_guy]

"Sheva, eatin' snake isn't the same as... nevermind." He grinned in that cheeky way of his. "If I can find the ingredients, I'll make ya those steaks and you can tell the difference yourself."

As to college life, Eliot never really experienced any of it. He enlisted into the army practically directly after graduating from high school and that was a whole other scene for food.

Leaning on the counter beside her, he gave her a sideways glance as he asked from pure curiosity, "What made ya decide to study in the land of the Stars and Stripes?"

[partnerinheels]

She raised her eyebrow, giving him a slightly perplexed look. Last she knew, rattlesnakes were snakes too. Still, the offer of more food sounds tempting.

His next question quieted her features, and the cheerful light in her eyes dampened to a more neutral gaze, which turned down to her sandwich. "Because nothing was left for me in Africa." Nothing she wanted to stay behind and witness after she betrayed her family for the greater good. It didn't hurt that she had a government benefactor supporting her move to the States either.

[distinctive_guy]

Sensing he wandered onto forbidden territory, Eliot instantly backed off. He allowed a moment of silence for Sheva to gather her thoughts, but moved on before she could stew in them.

"Did you see your roommate's idea for makin' signs on the beach? It's a good one. Hard... 'nough to get through to them. Normally. I mean, can't be easy to help them one by one otherwise." He nearly slipped saying Hardison's messages weren't always enough.

[partnerinheels]

She appreciated his backing off, and caught his gaze in silent thanks before returning it to the sandwich. The silence he offered her acted like quicksand, the more she attempted to forget, the more she became entrenched in the memories

[distinctive_guy]

He gave her shaken expression a knowing look and smiled kindly, teasing even, for the sake of pulling her out again. "You know, I'm not used to bein' ignored by women."

Seeing Sheva was back with him, he gave her a pointed arched eyebrow as if showing he was still waiting for her to say something. He bit into his sandwich to give her more time to formulate that response, and smirked throughout his slow chewing.

[partnerinheels]

As everything finally sharpened back to within normal standards, Eliot's comment registered, and she snorted automatically. Apparently her filter hadn't loaded yet. "Poor baby. I think you'll be alright." She didn't smile, but instead appeared relieved for her mind to be back with her.

Though, try as she might, she couldn't remember the entirety of his question, and instead of asking, she flicked him enough of a worried look that maybe he'd repeat himself.

[distinctive_guy]

He made an irritated noise for show before he decided to help her out. "I was sayin', your roommate came up with a good idea. But I guess she must be gettin' stir crazy if she just commanded her whole team to paint signs." Eliot knew that sometimes things just had to be done for the greater good. Serving that didn't just include fighting and going on missions. The small things counted too, though he wondered if her annoyance at being room arrested might have prompted that decision.