@lautski-week day 2 - baking
(Takes place between chapters 9 and 10 of Sand and Unfortunate Souls. Because I miss them. Sue me.) [x]
"Peter. I picked up some brownie mix. Want to make them tonight?"
Pete finally looked up from the remote to the screen in Steph's guest room, still not entirely sure what each button did, but seeing the moving images was memorizing on the days he could fake his way through.
Today was not one of those days.
It didn't matter as far as he cared. Steph was inviting him to do something. That was way more interesting.
Even if he didn't know what it meant, either.
"You know, like, Betty Crocker?"
It seemed to click for her then. "Have you never had a brownie?"
Pete shook his head, and Steph grinned.
"Today's your lucky day, then. Come on. Let's make these now."
How could he say no to that? This was a new Above thing. Of course he had to follow.
In the kitchen, he saw a box with a picture of some kind of brown food on the front (a fitting name, then, brownies) and Steph got out the carton of eggs he recognized from various breakfasts and a tall green bottle.
"The nice thing about boxed mix is all you need is two eggs and some oil," Steph told him. "And a mixer, of course, but that's doable. Thank god mom taught me some life skills."
She rarely brought up her mother. Every mention seemed to be a positive, but rare nonetheless.
"Did she make a lot of these?" Pete asked.
"Sometimes. As a treat, you know?"
He still didn't know what they were making.
"Pretty much, yeah. And the mix, of course."
Steph had him pour the mix in a bowl and crack open the eggs while she measured the oil (which he was grateful for, as he knew he wouldn't have gotten the amount right) and when everything was okay, she turned the mixer on.
He could have stared at just that for hours, no doubt. How did humans build things so complicated? How did they get these ideas in the first place? He'd been in the Above for weeks and he never stopped being in awe.
But eventually Steph got the batter in a different dish, and into the oven it went.
It didn't take long before the whole kitchen smelt divine.
Honestly, it even smelt like…
…holy shit they made something chocolate. This was the best treat he could have imagined.
Waiting for them to cool off was hell. Even if she didn't remember mer-him, Pete hoped Steph understood how exciting and important this was to him. Getting to make something together, and something so delightful to his own pallet? How was he going to be able to repay her for nearly a year of kindnesses?
(He did count the days on the dock before the deal. Mer-him was still him, and she'd been just as nice back then too.)
Getting served and finally taking a bite, he near enough inhaled the whole slice in seconds. Chocolate. He'd be damned, huh? Every use of it was up his alley. Forget all the Shinies he hoarded at the nest, chocolate was officially his favorite human invention.
And clearly, his delight must have been apparent. Steph smiled musingly. "Your hot chocolates and Milky Ways and now this. You and your sweet tooth."
"It's not my fault everything with chocolate tastes good. How do I make up for this?"
"You don't. You're a guest, remember? You're welcome to everything…though if you'd wanna join me for a movie while we have a few more?"
He wanted to be part of her world, right?
He would have said yes regardless.
He nodded. "Thank you, still."
"It's really no problem," Steph said. "Though I have to be honest. It's an honor to be the one to give you your first brownie."
