Maribelle. (barely active)

A/N, intro: This work has been cross-posted over a variety of websites under the author’s username. Please feel to leave feedback/criticism here or on a site of your choosing.

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Blegh.

Hunk couldn’t stop himself from spitting up the food into his napkin. Despite his best efforts, he didn’t understand what was going wrong. Banana cake, completely devoid of any alien ingredients, shouldn’t have been difficult to make. The three full baking pans sitting on his kitchen counter proved otherwise. If anyone took a taste from a pan at random, they would most likely comment on the tastiness of the dish. But it wasn’t good enough for Hunk.

He tried everything. Normally, he would cook by eyeballing his measurements, but it came out wrong. He then tried following the recipe to the T, modifying it by using alternate ingredients, and even checking the expiration dates on the packaging. The cakes just didn’t taste the way his mother used to make them.

It was the middle of the night, and all he wanted was to indulge himself in a comforting snack. He was in the middle of planning his fourth attempt  -- substituting papaya for banana -- when a woosh from the door interrupted his concentration.

“You couldn’t sleep either, huh?” Pidge stepped into the kitchen and grabbed a plastic cup from the cabinet.

“Kinda,” Hunk said. He untied his apron and tossed it onto the counter. “As soon as I got into bed, a little homesickness hit me. I thought that whipping out one of my family recipes would help me feel better. It’s not really working the way I planned, though.” Defeated, he sank into a nearby chair. “What about you? What kept you up?”

The smaller paladin began filling her cup with a bit of water. “I actually went to bed a few hours ago, but then I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep.” She finished the drink in a few gulps. “I was thinking of getting some work done, but figured that my mind needed just as much rest as my body. I started wandering around and heard something happening in the cafeteria. Now, here we are.” Pidge pointed at the counter, and with Hunk’s nod of approval, hopped up to sit on it.

“Well, at least your brain gets to take a break,” Hunk said. “I’m overworking mine just trying to figure this stuff out.”

“Hmm… Not that I doubt your culinary skills, but maybe you could use another set of eyes?” Pidge picked up a whisk and scrutinized it as if it were an ancient tool unearthed from an archaeological dig. “Whenever something isn’t working out for me, I always ask Matt or Dad for help.” She took a look around at the used bowls and utensils.

As far as Hunk knew, he had nothing to lose. He shrugged his shoulders and playfully smirked. “Sure, why not? Couldn’t hurt to try!”

In a surprisingly quick agreement for sleep-deprived teenagers, they set to work.

Pidge’s first thought was to wonder why Hunk didn’t just inject banana bits into a loaf of bread. She then assumed that there was no difference between banana bread and banana cake. At this point, Hunk decided to give her simpler tasks like mixing and measuring. It wouldn’t be until later when Pidge would admit that her only successful cooking experience amounted to boiling a pot of water.

They read the recipe together, both taking their time and keeping a serious attitude. Every action one person made was announced out loud for the other to verify that it was correct. Pidge was disappointed that she couldn’t be of more help, but the repeating motions of her tasks put her in a meditative state. Hunk was as present as ever, allowing himself to be vulnerable by again following the preparation instructions exactly as they were written.

More than two hours later, the frosted cake was chilling on a shelf in the walk-in refrigerator. It would take at least another half an hour for the frosting to set.

Hunk wiped his brow with the back of his hand. “Thanks for helping me out! I really -- geez, you look exhausted.”

The excitement from baking had finally subsided, and Pidge’s fatigue punctuated its presence with a yawn.

“You can head to bed if you want,” Hunk assured, “I’ll let you know how it turns out.”

In response, she hastily shook her head. “No, I’ll wait with you!” she yelped. “I’m a little worn down, but I wanna know how it tastes myself, while it’s still fresh. Besides, we still have to clean up this mess,” she said motioning to the counters. And so they did.

Their area of the IGF Atlas, aside from the idle beeping and occasional personnel walking through the hallways, was relatively still. The peacefulness was a stark contrast from the constant activity that they normally encountered when everyone else was awake. It was refreshing, to say the least.

“You know,” Pidge started, “I used to help my mom bake stuff when I was little, but I had no idea that it could be so physically taxing. And I know you’ve been doing food stuff since forever.” She began scraping off excess batter from the sides of a large mixing bowl. “What made you want to learn how to cook when you were so little?”

Hunk occupied himself with dividing his failed attempts into single-serving pieces for the crew. “I don’t know, there were a lot of reasons,” he shrugged. “You already know how much I love my family. When I was little, I wanted to get involved with the grown ups, and it just so happened that the thing they did most often was cook.”

“It’s important to you, and you never gave up on it,” Pidge mused. “If you were so invested in cooking, why didn’t you focus on becoming a chef? What made you go to the Garrison?”

The boy chuckled at her. “I was like anyone else living in the modern world -- tech was a part of everyday life. Being the curious guy I was, I wanted to learn more,” Hunk stated matter-of-factly. “It was fun to show kids my age that I was smart, and then I kind of just got addicted to building up the knowledge.” He paused to think as he carefully put the pieces of cake into sealed containers.

“As fun and challenging as engineering is, sometimes it can feel too constricting. Like when you add two and two, it has to be four; there’s no other option,” he said as he put the containers away. “Cooking is my escape from that. I can treat recipes as guidelines instead of clear-cut rules. I’m allowed to tweak ingredients and do whatever I want. It’s a total game changer that lets me cater to specific tastes.” Hunk walked over and placed the now empty baking pans in the dishwasher. “I can make things the way people like.”

“The way people like, huh?” Pidge contemplated his words as she added cutlery to the load. “In that case,” she muttered, “what do you like about your cooking?”

Hunk’s face grew warm, and he wasn’t sure why. “Me? Well...” He moved to sit at the nearest cafeteria table and rubbed his arm. “If I had to pick one thing, I’d say that I like when my cooking can make people feel like they’re home, wherever they are. As long as people are happy when they eat my food, then I can be happy too.”

Pidge plopped next to him and straddled the metal bench. “Yeah?”

“Yup, that’s why I wanted to make this cake.” Hunk placed his arms on the table and rested his head on top of them. “It reminds me a lot of the happy times I spent with my family. Gosh, I miss them so much, you have no idea--”

He immediately bit his tongue. The apology fumbled to escape his mouth as quickly as possible. “I’m so sorry, I forgot! I have no right to complain, you’ve been through so much with your family, even before we met, and I--”

“Hey, hey!” Pidge smiled and waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it! That’s all over now, so it’s okay.” She used the nail of her thumb to trace the bench’s tiny nooks. “It was a horrible thing to experience, not knowing where Matt and Dad were, or what could have happened to them. I missed them so much, and my mom…” Possessed with sudden conviction, she looked up and said, “But if I knew that this was where we’d end up, I wouldn’t change that experience for anything.” She returned her attention to the bench after giving him a firm nod. “I’m happy that all that bad stuff brought me here, to this very moment.”

Hunk lifted his head to look back at her. She was smiling.

“And besides,” she reminded with a nudge, “I couldn’t have found my family without the help of my new family.”

The two beamed and bumped fists.

Hunk couldn’t help himself from chuckling. “Very true.”

“I mean, look at us,” Pidge motioned between them. “You and I can be really different at times, but at the core, we’re the same. I picked up an interest in tech for the same reason that you picked up cooking -- it made me feel connected to my family. My relationship with computers and machinery helped me get closer to my brother… It even helped me get closer to you…”

She wasn’t sure what made her do it, but Pidge closed her eyes, leaned forward, and rested her forehead on Hunk’s upper arm. “It’s been ages since we had a chance to talk like this. Outside of my family, you’ve always been the easiest person for me to talk to, even when we were Garrison newbies. I never really need to think about what to say or how I’m going to say it… It all might have just been a coincidence, but I’m glad engineering brought us together.”

“Me too,” he sighed serenely. “I always say that cooking brings people together, but technology was able to do that for the two of us.”

A few moments passed, with the pair simply enjoying each other’s company.

The older teen feared that his heart could be heard on the other side of the galaxy. He wondered if she could hear it too.

The other gently took off the glasses dangling from her ears and pocketed them. She could’ve fallen asleep that way, with how comfortable and safe it felt.

But neither of them were brave enough to move further or closer. They didn’t want it to end. This was a bubble of nirvana in the middle of a war.

Regrettably, they couldn’t stay that way forever. Pidge was the first to break the peace. “This… This was really nice.”

“Yeah…” Hunk nodded. “It felt good to make something with you, without any interruptions or disagreements.”

“Can’t help it,” she shrugged. “That’s just what happens when you work with someone who even considers single-modulation.”

“Oh shut up!”

The pair had to quiet their laughter in consideration of those who were asleep, which accounted for most of the crew. Unfortunately, the giggles had already grabbed hold of them. The more they tried to stifle the noise, the harder it got. Inside the cafeteria, their tittering crescendoed into outrageous howling. For no reason, cackles spurred on even more cackles, and their hilarity bounced off of everything in the cafeteria, fully enveloping them. Bits of their mirth managed to escape the closed doors, but thankfully, at the volume of whispers.

Their laughter was disrupted by an abrupt beeping. The timer signaled that the cake was ready to be served. An ominous mood was suddenly born from the soft, high-pitched cries. The procession to the refrigerator and back again was precarious -- aside from their footsteps, silence thickened the air.

Carefully cutting a square piece for herself, Pidge sampled their creation. Much to Hunk’s dismay, she gagged. “DSH ISH DUHDSHISH!”

“I knew it!” he cried out. The apron he had always pridefully adorned was taken off, crumpled up, and thrown to the floor. “I can’t do it! This is the one thing I miss most besides my family, and now it’s even worse than tasting different -- it tastes disgusting!”

Once Pidge’s aggressive coughing had been reduced to throat clearing, she grinned and cut out a slice five times the size of her original serving. “I guess that’s what I get for trying to talk and eat at the same time, but man oh man! I said, this is delicious!” She took a few gulps of water to wash out any offending crumbs that remained. “Your mom is a genius, and you’re incredible! I can’t believe we made this together!”

Hunk raised his brow at the latest creation, unsure of whether or not to grant it his trust. Seeing Pidge unashamedly eating nearly a third of the original cake allowed him to give it a chance. When he took his first bite, Hunk could hear the sizzle of sapasui and the cacophony of his family’s laughter. Where he held his fork, he felt the smooth taro leaves used for Uncle Filo’s pork lau lau. The euphoria embraced him the way his mother did when he first cooked a meal without her help.

It tasted like home.

~ ~ ~

“Please tell me what it is.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The next day, Hunk’s face was practically pressed to the screen of his tablet; his supplementary gesticulations were frantic. “C’mon mom, you can’t hold out on me forever. I know you! You must’ve purposely left something out, like a specific method or a secret ingredient, in case our family recipes fell into the wrong hands.” With his fingers, he drew an X over his chest. “I promise -- I won’t write it down, and I won’t tell anyone, but I need to know!”

“First of all,” she said, “those recipes are for food that’s meant to be shared, Hunk. And I swear, I didn’t leave anything out! In fact, I added as much detail as possible so that you could make it exactly as I do.” She frowned, unsure of how to remedy the issue.

Hunk only groaned in response. “Moooom, I told you. Following the recipe, including exact measurements, was one of the first things that I did. And it didn’t come out right at all!”

Hunk’s mother closed her eyes in thought, then jabbed her finger accusingly. “You didn’t accidentally confuse milliliters and liters again, did you?”

“No mom, I didn’t. I haven’t messed up like that since I was a kid!” Hunk sighed. “Besides, I couldn’t have made any mistakes this time because Pidge was here to help me. She double-checked everything.” He threw up his hands in defeat and slumped in his chair. “Whatever, maybe it was just a fluke. No one in the universe makes banana cake like you can.”

His mother let out a short giggle at the compliment. “Maybe so. I really do wish I could help you out, honey. I honestly haven’t made banana cake since the last time I saw you.”

“Wait, what!? How is that possible? You love baking it all the time. Why would you stop?”

“I don’t know! I never noticed.” She nonchalantly scratched her chin with a finger. “Most of the time, I just saved it for you because it felt easier to put together when I knew you’d be there to enjoy it... Cooking isn’t the same when you’re just doing it for yourself, you know? It made me feel better, knowing that the one I loved the most was smiling because of my labor.” Nostalgia washed over her. “I remember ever since you were little, and I’d be exhausted after coming home from work, but when I knew how happy the cake made you, it gave me some kind of hidden strength. I guess you could say that it was like your smiles helped my cooking taste better.” She flashed her son a grin. “Gosh, that reminds me, remember that one time when you -- Hunk wait, where are you going!?”

But Hunk had already bolted to find Pidge. He wondered if she liked cannolis.

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A/N, outro: This fic was meant to be a 5-minute drabble inspired by a June 2019 prompt from /r/FanFiction. Instead, I got emotionally invested due to recent irl experiences. ;__;

A/N: This is a work of fan fiction that uses some characters from the animated series “Wild Kratts”, owned by the Kratt Brothers Company. This work has been cross-posted over a variety of websites under the author’s username. Please feel to leave feedback/criticism here or on a site of your choosing. Image drawn by batmanand16sodiums.

If they hadn't been in the middle of nowhere, this wouldn't have happened.

"Everything will be fine, Paisley. You'll see." Rex tried to whisper comforting thoughts to his best friend. He leaned over as best as he could in his booster seat.

Sitting next to him in a booster seat of her own, Paisley twiddled her thumbs and stared at the dirt on her jeans. She remembered she had bought the pair while out shopping with her mother. She was insistent on purchasing the medium to match Rex's size, and her father wound up altering the length by the end of that same day.

While speeding down the freeway, Paisley looked out the window and was mesmerized by the streetlights. The ebb and flow of their off-white glow put her in a mild trance, leaving her thoughts blank for an instant.

"How much longer?" she asked no one in particular.

"We're almost there, honey. I promise." Rex's father glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "I'm driving as fast as I'm allowed t-"

"No, I mean, how many minutes?" she rasped. Her monotonic tone carried an unmistakable hint of fatigue.

Rex's mother couldn't help but smile a bit. Tossing an "almost there" would have easily been acceptable enough for her son, but never Paisley. She looked at the time on the dashboard. "About five minutes or so. We'll be at the hospital before you know it," she said. She reached into the tote bag at her feet. "Did you want any water?"

Paisley shook her head. "No thank you, I'm okay. Just please keep going as fast as you can."

No one in the car understood how she could be okay. She had spent so much time screaming, her voice could be mistaken for that of a long-time smoker.

Still, Paisley's eyes remained captivated by the passing lights. She thought that she would be able to quell her worries for even a few moments. Try as she might, her mind couldn't help but wander and replay the horrid memories of the few hours that had passed.

If they had all stayed home, this wouldn't have happened.

It was just supposed to be a fun camping trip. Paisley's family and Rex's family made the drive together every year, so this year shouldn't have been any different.

One day, as the sun was setting, the two families set off on different hiking trails. During the Pavers' hike, when the sun had long gone, Paisley's mother attempted to take a photograph of a cliffside flower that had bloomed. She reached far and contorted her body for the best angle. It happened in an instant. She successfully captured the plant's beauty under the moonlight's illumination, but the earth beneath one of her feet had crumbled. With a brief cry, she disappeared into the ravine below. Thud.

A lump made its way into Paisley's throat. No matter how many times she tried, she couldn't swallow it back down. "M-mommy?"

Paisley's father rushed to where her mother last stood. He let out a string of curses; hearing them come from his mouth was so foreign to Paisley, it made her hairs stand on end. Her father swiftly, but carefully, attempted to make his way down to her mother. He had made considerable progress for a few seconds. To Paisley's horror, he too slipped and couldn't regain his footing. Thud.

When Paisley cautiously peeked over the edge, she could barely make out the outline of her father on top of her mother. Both laid still.

Paisley could feel her heart pounding in her ears. "Mommy? Daddy?" She quickly stood up to look and listen all around her. She strained her eyes to get a quick glimpse of her surroundings, but the moonlight could only help her see so far. She searched for any hint or sign that would help her parents. All she could hear was her rapid breathing and... whimpering? She looked down into the ravine once more. Paisley's heart raced. "MOMMY! DADDY!"

Another whimper from her mother.

The little girl spun around to face the forest behind her. She knew all too well that she would easily get lost if she attempted to navigate the trail on her own. Even if she could find her way, the thought of leaving her parents behind terrified her even more. Paisley finally came to the most logical solution any child could think up - she screamed.

"HHEEEELLLLLPP!"

For nearly twenty minutes, Paisley screamed and screamed until her throat was hoarse. She could feel the gritty strain in her throat. Still, she didn't give up. She couldn't give up. When she started crying, she couldn't recall, but her despair was so intense that it was just as loud as any of her screams.

Rex and his family erupted through the trees and came running towards her sobs. Paisley blurted out all that had transpired. Rex's father immediately ran back to the campsite to call for help on his satellite phone. Their tents turned out to be less than half a kilometer away. For safety's sake, Rex's mother instructed the children to stand far from the edge. Paisley attempted to join her, to assist her somehow, but Rex held Paisley back. Rex's devotion to Paisley had always been doubtless and bulletproof, but he knew better than to disobey his own mother in such dire moments. Paisley wanted to resist him, but thought twice and decided against it - she had done her part, and had ruined her voice as a result. Rex's mother called out to the Pavers in the ravine, but Paisley's mother was no longer whimpering. They remained still and silent.

When help arrived, the scene became a chaotic blur for Paisley. Before Paisley knew it, flashing lights came in and chased away the darkness. Coupled with the commotion, the sudden influx of noise brought in by the sirens' shrieks made Paisley and Rex both wail in fear. Police cars, ambulances, and park ranger jeeps rushed into the area. The people pouring out of the vehicles had all come to help Paisley's parents.

If her mother hadn't been so obsessed with nature, this wouldn't have happened.

Paisley was desperate to stay. She wouldn't abandon her parents so easily. But the police insisted that Paisley, Rex, and his family leave immediately and get to the nearest hospital before them. Rex's parents immediately understood that it was primarily to make the rescue more fluid, but it was also meant to protect Paisley from what she might see. Failing to fight back her tears, Paisley begged to stay with the authorities and to somehow aid her parents. All through her hiccuping sobs and whispery voice, she tried to maintain respect with excessive "pleases", "ma'ams," and "sirs." The police were firm with what they wanted, but in return tried to be as gentle as possible. They assured her that they were working hard to rescue her parents, and that they were doing their best. Paisley knew she wanted nothing but the best for her mother and father right then. She quickly became aware of the fact that her efforts were possibly hindering the officers. Paisley reluctantly complied, but on the condition that Rex and his family move as quickly as possible,

In Paisley's mind, the entire ordeal was recollected in a matter of seconds. In the forest, help arrived after what felt like several lifetimes.

Paisley looked up at the clock for what seemed the millionth time that night. Two hours had passed since they arrived at the hospital. She couldn't help but wonder what would make her parents this late. Rex's parents had already spoken to various doctors and nurses multiple times, but none of them had any answers. Paisley noticed that Rex's mother mostly sat still and cradled her face in her hands. Rex's father, on the other hand, could hardly stop pacing as he tossed occasional glances at the children.

Rex, aware of the situation's mood, tried to find quiet amusement by kicking his legs back and forth in his chair. When they first arrived, he had tried to constantly reassure Paisley. She could fool any grown up with her stoicism. If there was anything he knew, it was how she truly felt. He knew that deep down she was terrified. Paisley herself wasn't even aware of how afraid she was; her logical mindset had deceived her into putting her feelings aside. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't think of how else to help her besides offer comforting words. After being dismissed by his friend several times, Rex thought it best to simply stay by her side.

Paisley looked up at the clock again, and felt betrayal at the single minute that had passed. She scowled at its face, blaming it for her parents' tardiness.

"Excuse me," a man said. His voice interrupted Paisley's anger as her attention turned to his stethoscope. "Are you the family that accompanied the Pavers?"

"Yes, yes we are," said Rex's mother. She quickly stood up and moved to be by her husband. "Are they here now?"

"I'm afraid we can't tell you that. Would you happen to know any family members of the Pavers that we can contact?"

Rex's father gently threw up his hands in defeat. "That little girl over there - Paisley - she's their daughter. There's no one else," he said. "Please... Please. We just want to know if everything is alright. Are they finally here?"

The doctor opened his mouth, but quickly closed it again. He moved to be by Paisley's side and decided to squat next to her. "Hi, I'm Doctor Wells. Are you Paisley Paver?"

Paisley, desperate to see her parents again, silently nodded. He motioned towards Rex's parents. "Are these the people that were with you when you were camping?" he asked,"Are they very close with your parents?" Again, Paisley nodded.

"Okay," he said, "Thank you for letting me know. Can you please stay here with your friend?"

"I will, but when can I see my parents?" Paisley looked right into the doctor's eyes, hoping that he would somehow be able to sense her desperation. Dr. Wells pursed his lips once more. It had been a long while since the last time he'd met such a straightforward child. He gave Paisley a small smile before standing up to walk towards the nurses station.

He whispered something to a nurse, and the nurse warmly smiled at Paisley. Dr. Wells signaled for Rex's parents to follow him down a hallway, opposite where they had been facing in the waiting area. Rex's mother managed to call out a "stay put, kids" before disappearing.

Knowingly, Paisley and Rex looked at each other and nodded. Paisley stared at the clock, this time, without looking away. She had lost track of time when her parents needed her most, and she wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. Rex stared at the base of the nurses station. One minute passed. Then another. And another. Four whole minutes had passed before Rex blurted out, "Now."

Paisley tore her eyes away from the clock and saw that the nurse was gone. The two jumped out of their seats, scrambled to hide behind an empty gurney, and faced the hallway that Dr. Wells had gone down. They didn't have to look very far. On the other side of the waiting area wall, right where Paisley had been resting her head, was a windowed conference room. The blinds were down, but the slits were open enough to still see what was going on inside. Rex's mother was embracing his father. Her face was hidden as her shoulders shuddered violently. Rex's father tightly held her, grimly nodding at whatever Dr. Wells was saying.

"Hey, Paisley?" Rex, unable to tear his eyes away from the scene, reached for Paisley's hand in fear. "Is Mom crying?"

Paisley remained silent and hung her head. As she squeezed Rex's hand, she felt resentment arise in response to her dirty jeans.