A bittersweet piece of cake

"I'm gonna do this "The red Impim closed the book he was reading and stood with an almighty trust on himself

"Do what?... " The Oni was barely listening at him but that catched his attention, maybe Red was up to troubles again.

"I told you! Baking is my new years resolution now, I'm going to bake a whole cake... " He got closer to his friend and showed him the exact page he was reading just a seconds ago, it had a really big strawberry flavored cake, adorned with little and cute red roses of cream "... Like this one! See? It's pretty and it screams RED" Ended with a big bright smile

Haku put down the book and looked at him for a second and then asked "Is this due what I said last week? I didn't mean it to sound bad, y'know? I'm not good at words"

"Oh, you said my asado* (A common food here, lol) was tasteless! On New year's Eve!!!" He started walking off a bit upset to remember that, The Oni let out a sigh and spoke softly.

"I only said you should check a real recipe, learn some more cooking and stuff... i never said you weren't good at cooking I said you had potential to be better, besides baking and cooking are two different things" Red turned around a bit, considering what his best friend told him, he was kinda right, his Nana taught him most of what he knew but he was still too young at that time and couldn't remember exactly every recipe, and yeah... More than once he has messed up on the kitchen, to be honest Haku was being really nice...

"What are you gonna do with that big cake anyways? Even I couldn't finish that, I mean I could try but... Nah"

Red left his thoughts on a side note for later and again a big smile was drawn on his face, but this time it was irradiating pure evilness, the Oni step back with a little worry on his eyes

"I'm going to straight splat it on Elara's face" Red stood prideful of his declaration, even if it didn't make any sense.

"That's.... " Haku couldn't find a good response for that, Red's behavior usually left him speechless, and tired of dealing with all his craziness, he walked over to where his tiny friend was and put a hand on his shoulder "Buddy... I'd rather you not to be near that crazy Impim, she always looks at me weird and it's creepy, besides... We could... Uh...idk eat it together, or even... Ugh... You can invite all your, noisy, friends over and have a... A party" The Oni forced a smile, already regretting what he just said, he really didn't liked having people at their home, specially red's friends they were all little weird imps...

Red put his hand off and looked at him deadly in the eyes "No " He did a beeline to the kitchen completely decided and started preparing all the ingredients he needed for his glorious revenge cake "Elara lo pidió, siempre y siempre me dice ay Red no sabes hacer nada bien y ay Red no sé como no te has envenenado con lo que cocinas... "

He had only lived with red for a couple months but he knew he's really angry when he starts talking in Spanish, he didn't understand everything he was saying but he liked hearing it, it was hilarious and really cute in a strange way, he smiled and picked up a book to start reading, surely the little Impim will be working on that cake for a couple hours and he was free to do anything else until that.

Suddenly red stick his head out of the kitchen "HAKU!" The boy screamed and the Young little smirk that was forming on the Oni's face died "No tenemos mas fr- errrr I mean, we're out of strawberries!!"

"And?" Haku acted foolish

"I need theeeem" Red whined at his big friend "Elara's won't have a full taste of my ANGER without theeeeeem"

"Allright allright " Haku got up and walked to the door "I'll go down to town to get them, just... bake me an extra lemon pie ok"

"Sure sure, thank you you're the best! I LOVE youuuu" Red shouted before the door closed behind his friend and leaving him all alone in his house "Now... How do you make a lemon pie?" He talked to himself and ran to take the recipes book he was reading earlier, thinking on how pleased would be haku of eating a delicious lemon pie that he, himself, made.

He didn't even remembered how they tasted, he hasn't eaten a lemon pie in SO long, he only knew them bc his Nana would make them eventually since they have a lemon tree near the house... "That's it" he thought, looked around the place and saw the basket full of lemons that they bought at the market "I'll pick up lemons on that tree" he hopped on his feet, took the basket and throw the lemons on another bowl and ran out of the door.

Little did he know that someone was watching from far, it was another imp with pink and dark green fur and a big curly tail, Elara was on her way to their house, and got excited to see Red leaving, did it mean that Haku was alone? It was perfect.

Who could know for how long he'd be out? She approached the door and knocked three times, waiting with a funny smirk on her face, waiting for Haku to come over and open the door... But that never happened, she knocked again... The house was silent, so hesitant she pushed the door a bit, it was unlocked.

"He isn't home? " Sounded disappointed, wondering what could the both guys be doing, then look around the house, she has never been IN the house usually red would open the door and tell her to leave when she asked for Haku, so the insides where a mistery, after some seconds the idea of trespassing someone's house wasn't sounding like what she was doing so... The curiosity got over her and walked into the house.

It was a bit small, even when she was an Impim like red, she had troubles trying to walk around without almost throwing stuff with her big tail, how did Haku lived there? her house was way bigger he should move with her... Anyways, the house was fine, it felt warm and familiar, they had two big couches in front of a TV on a corner, lots of books on a big and tall library on the other and a little desk in front of the window, it was way too small so it was probably red's it had both draws and pictures of them and what probably were red's friends taped on the wall... There was also lots of little plants, mostly little and cute cactus all over the place it felt a little stuffed, but the smell of nature felt so good!

She walked over to the next room and found the kitchen, it was messy there was fluor everywhere and a book was wide open on the table, she got near and read it, it was full of bakery recipes.

"So this is what they're up to, uh? Lemon pie? That's tasty! But not as tasty as... The cobbler that I make!" She, looking like a psycho, made a big smirk and laughed at the thought of how akward would be that she just showed up with a bowl full of cobbler with no invitation... Even if she really wanted to do that, make a delicious cobbler for her... Friends?... Instead of eating it herself, alone... If only she knew how to make friends instead of enemies for once.

She left the book where she found it and was ready to leave when she heard someone at the door, panicked and jump out the kitchen window throwing in the way two jars of jam that shattered in the ground.

"Aw sheet" She ran as fast as she could and hide into the bushes.

Red arrived home with her basket full of big and fresh lemons, he got to the kitchen after the noise of glass shattering, a little worried that maybe, who knows but maybe, there was someone on their house and he was ready to kick them out if needed... But there was nothing, just an open window... "Maybe it was a little squirrel again" he thought and started baking the lemon pie he promised haku while singing...

Elara was still near enough to hear it and decided to stay a bit only to hear him sing, Red had an actually nice voice! Even if she didn't knew what he was singing at all... After a while she started to feel dizzy, so before she's fell asleep she decided it was time to get up and go back to her house... Maybe to bake something.

Another hour passed by and Red was still on his third attempt of making the meringue, he messed up the others either burnt it or it wasn't completely cooked... Lucky it was the last thing he needed to get the lemon pie done! Looked at the watch it was barely 3pm he thought it would take more time. He was finishing whipping the meringue when Haku arrived with the strawberries right in time!

"Welcome home!" Red ran to his Oni friend and give him a quick hug before taking the the strawberries off his hands "Thank you!!" Quickly went back to the kitchen without leaving a time to any response from Haku he came back with a glass of water "Your lemon pie is almost done! It just needs to cool off a little on the fridge"

"Oh is that so?" Haku took the glass of water, he wasn't really thirsty but red was really considerated... Looking at him he was looking really messy, his fur was glittering for what probably was sugar on it, he let out a little laught "I see you're working hard"

"Well, I wanted it to be special... " He patted a bit the fur on his head looking flustered "I remembered how Nana would bake lemon pies to me and how she also would send me to pick the lemons from the threes... I would have forgotten completely about that if it weren't for you... "

"Wow " The Oni smiled "That sure is a big deal... The only thing I need to know it'll be special, is because you made it"

"Pfff Patrañas* (I ain't sure of the translation, lol but Google says hoaxes) Red laughed and went back to the kitchen.

The hours passed by while Red was working on his revenge cake, clearly in a better mood than before, and haku was still reading on his couch with red's singing voice coming from the kitchen... It was a peaceful afternoon that got interrupted by someone knocking at the door.

"Coming!" Said red from the kitchen, but haku got up and went to the door since his friend was busy "Are you waiting someone?" The imp asked

"No?... you?" Asked a bit confused the Oni while opening the door, and got even more confused when he saw, I mean when he didn't saw anyone, looked in both directions twice but he found no one, was this a joke? He thought before a strong and sweet scent caught his attention, then finally looked down " Ah... Red... Would you like to come over?" The confused Oni called for his friend.

There was a pan full of cranberry cobbler on the ground with a note that said

"Eat me? Seriously?" Red looked at Haku "Well if that's what you waaaa-iiit where did this came from??

"Oh don't look at me that's why I called you" Said Haku while picking it up "Maybe is from one of your friends? Nice"

"But why would they leave it and leave?" Red crossed his arms in annoyance "I know who's this from... "

"Oh... " The Oni said cheerless, more than usual "But I want to eat it"

"What? No?! I made you lemon pie!" Feeling insulted red tried to take the pan from the Oni hands but it was pointless " Can't you see that's what she wants?! She wants to make me look bad again, thinking she can bake better than me" He cried.

"Dude you're overthinking it" Haku felt bad for his tiny friend, he knew red was feeling really upset right now, but there should be a better explanation than his, he took the note again and turn it "Look, look"

"I'm sorry... " The Impim read it out loud and then calmed down "Well why didn't she started by that part..."

"C'mon... Looks like she has put a lot of effort on this... I'm not rejecting any apologize-dessert" Haku smiled at his friend.

"It is directed at me, thanks" He snatched the pan and walked to the kitchen leaving the Oni at the door feeling hungry for cobbler "This changes nothing" the imp came back with his finished cake on his hands, it looked exactly as the picture of the book red showed him in the morning.

"A-are you serious??" Haku was one step from losing his mind, why was all those tasty desserts gonna be wasted on such a pointless matter.

"Yeah... I'll be back in a while" And with that the Impim left the house, on his way to the so called Elara's house.

Haku couldn't believe it, but he has learn to not care so much on red's matters it was nearly impossible to make him change his mind when he was so decided... But he really wanted a bite of that cobbler and that cake... So bad...

Once the Red Impim got to his destiny he knocked the door, waited a few seconds and knocked again with no response...

"I know you're there!" He shouted trying to keep himself together.

"What do you want?" Elara's face slowly showed up from behind the door, quickly showing surprise after seeing the cake red was holding on his arms.

"Oh you know what I want... " He sounded more hostile than intended "You left something on my house"

"W-what? Me? Pfff of course not why would I?" She tried to laugh

"I'm sorry too " Red cut her off "You know we haven't started well, I baked this for you... Well... I was actually gonna splat it on your face to show you I'm not useless but... This works too! Please enjoy it" With a shy smile he handed her the cake.

"Are y-you serious?? " Elara was plain confused with every world that fellow Impim threw at her but took the cake "I mean, you didn't have to, how am I gonna... Eat this whole thing it's-"

"Not my problem " Red turned and walked off leaving the confused female still trying to catch up everything that happened on that short period of time. "Also you owe me two jars of jam"

"W-wait red!!" It's always been a good thing her face is pink so the blushing can pass unadvertised, and this time she was really flustered.

"See you tomorrow " Red disappear between the green trees on the path with his friendly smile, Elara looked at the cake and thought that it had been truly a bittersweet day.