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Throwing out the bucket full of shavings into the thicket in front of the hut, Muriel listened to Briar's humming as she unpacked her basket, calling out to him from inside. "I thought we could make some bread on sticks for dinner! We haven't made some in a while."

"Okay." Coming back in, Muriel set down the bucket, glancing over her shoulder and watching what Briar was doing, even though she was still just unpacking the ingredients she brought with her. "But outside. Last time didn't go too well…"

With a sheepish laugh, Briar put away the now-empty basket, remembering when they tried to make stick bread inside the hut last time, ending in them almost burning holes into the furs from the fire. Luckily, they knew better this time, and she agreed that a campfire in front of the hut would do just as well, if not better even.

"Do you still have the bowl I brought last time?" she asked, looking around the hut without seeing it. Though without hesitation, Muriel approached the chest he kept in all of his important tools and things, opening it to retrieve said bowl. He had to clear out some crystals and a figure he had put into it to empty it but didn't seem bothered as he scooped them up into his hand and back down into free space in the chest.

Thankful, Briar took the empty bowl from him, giving it no mind that he took some time to sort his belongings in the chest before joining her back at the table. Briar knew that if she needed help, she could count on him, but preparing the dough was the easiest part still, so she started it. His presence was less awkwardly standing around, as he took a seat on the chair, watching her. More, he emitted an aura of hanging out now, and so did Inanna, who laid her head on his lap, fishing for some pats and attention from him.

Maybe to other people, this could have counted as weird, as small talk wasn't Muriel's strong point, but Briar enjoyed the quiet being together. There had been a lot of stress and people she had to met and talk to at the shop and palace garden, especially with how frequently she went back and forth between the two. For an introvert like her and Muriel, this was more exhausting than actually working and doing things. The noises from the market and palace servants all around her were another stress factor that made it all the more welcoming to not having to hear anything at all except fire crackling and Inanna's satisfied breathes as Muriel gave her some good behind-the-ear-scratches.

Flour, yeast, salt, and sugar were easily put together, as was the added oil to the mixture. For the water, Briar was so free to scoop some of Muriel's water reserves, of course, after getting his approval, but he really had no reason to deny her this. Starting to mix it up, she felt like saying something, but decided against it, after all, instead focusing on making the proper dough, just how she had retaught herself from her notes left before the plague. It had been a while that she made bread on a stick, but she knew it was ready when the dough laid soft and well-mixed in the bowl. Covering the mixture with a towel, Briar looked back at Muriel, catching his eyes as he looked from bowl to her in anticipation, as if he was only waiting for her to finally speak out what she had on her mind.

"Did you miss me at all?" she questioned sheepishly, freeing her hands of some of the flour sticking to it. Muriel's mouth opened up in surprise, before closing right away, body shifting on the chair with Inanna complaining about losing her comfortable headrest. "It was… a lot quieter than usually."

"Oh," Briar simply said, lips curling into a teasing grin. "So you did miss me. Were a little lonely without me?"

"I didn't say that!" he protested quietly, but the blush gave it away. "You can admit it; you missed someone sticking around here and keep you company!"

"I just decided I didn't miss you," he pouted, though it was all in good nature, shooting a glance up at her, to see her smile from ear to ear. "Maybe a little…" he whispered, fiddling with his fingers in his lap. "I sure missed you," Briar admitted softly, placing the bowl a little farther down the table. "I really missed just hanging out and seeing you."

"You should tell me… next time you have a lot to do. Maybe I can come and help."

"You'd come into the city to help me out?" Briar asked, surprised by his proposal. Muriel's shy nature finally rose as he got up from the chair, to avoid looking her into her eye by merely turning around, and rearranging some of the furs he had previously shoved out of the way without much care. "Well, for you…" he admitted, and sadly, Briar missed the dark splash of red on his face as he said that because of his turned back. But the sentiment reached her still, and she couldn't help but feel her heart swell, knowing he'd go out of his way if it was for her.

"I see… Thanks, Muriel!"

Shifting weight on his feet as he laid out the last few furs, Briar knew he must have felt embarrassed, yet happy about the conversation just like her, even if he never showed it as openly as other people. Briar chuckled at his fidgeting, putting away the rest of the ingredients she had brought before approaching Muriel, putting a hand on his arm to gain his attention. "Can you help me start a campfire and collect sticks?" she asked. Waiting for him to finish his task before he nodded, Briar gave him a thankful smile as the two left for the outdoors, continuing the dinner preparations.

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"And?" he asked, sticking his head through the door frame, carrying some spare firewood back into the hut for the fireplace later. "Looking good!" Briar assured him, showing him the fluffy, risen dough. "Can you come and knock the air out of it for me?"

"How do I do that?" Muriel asked, wiping his hands on a nearby towel. "You just press into it until it deflates again and then pull and stretch it a few times," Briar instructed, watching Muriel getting to work awkwardly. Unfamiliar things always gave him a second of hesitation, but exchanging glances with her, he proceeded to do his best, pressing down into the sticky mess that was bread dough. "Like this?" he asked before tugging at one end of the mixture, waiting for her to confirm he was doing it right.

"Yep, just keep folding it into itself for now~"

With a slow nod and careful touches, Muriel scooped the dough out of the bowl, proceeding to press it down into its own mass again over and over. He sent some more sheepish glances Briar's way, but she only encouraged him with soft hums of affirmation, watching his hands knead through the dough. "You're a natural," she mused, grinning at the shapes left by his fingers.

"With your hands so big, you can scoop it all up into them, can't you?"

Unsure if it was an instruction or simple observation, Muriel easily lifted up the dough, showing that he - in fact - could scoop it up in one of his hands, much to Briar's amusement and excitement. Clapping her hands in admiration, she told him to put it down again, and instead take out smaller portions of the dough to roll them out. "Mhm… so?" Muriel showed her the first dough snake, listening to her advice to make it more evenly, so it won't underbake in the middle and get burned on the outsides.

It only took him a handful of times until he had it right, a hint of pride in his eyes as he presented it to her. Briar let out a satisfied sigh in return, taking it from him to wrap it around the first stick in preparation. "You should have become a baker; you're a natural!"

"N-No, I think I am fine with being as it is…" Muriel was quick to stutter, but the compliment went down like butter, figuring by the way he could barely hide a grin behind his usual indifferent expression. "I think you'd be doing very well. You can do all sorts of things! Mix, scoop, knead the dough…"

"We… didn't knead the dough though?" he mumbled, looking confused all of a sudden.

"Oh, Muri," Briar grinned, obviously in the mood for a tease as she stepped closer to bump her hips into his side. "I know you can knead just fine with those hands of yours! I sampled it last time I came over, do you remember?"

With his expression growing thoughtful for a second, red immediately sprouted in his cheeks again. He did remember the last time Briar came over to relax after a long day. With just the two of them around, and hands finding naturally to each other, it wasn't a big surprise that that day didn't end in the two of them sitting next to each other idly. By how Muriel remembered it, it involved much more holding and feeling each other, sending the heat right back to his ears when he thought of all the tender touches and sweet, sweet affections.

 "I-I don't think that makes me a good baker!" he immediately protested, as if the two situations were anything related, but Briar laughed at his bashfulness, as he continued to hand her dough strings, overplay what he could quickly.

For another two stick bread, they remained quiet, except for the occasional chuckle from Briar and huff from Muriel as the tease was still stuck in the room and standing between them, before his expression fell, less embarrassed and bashful, and more thinking and contemplating than before. "What's wrong, Dear?" Briar asked, noticing his change in demeanor with furrowed brows. "What are you thinking about?"

It took him a second to process his thoughts into words, mouth slightly ajar as he worked it over. But eventually, his movements stopped, hands tearing away from the dough. With worry, Briar followed his glance down onto his own fingers, curling them together to make a fist with his hands. "My hands aren't really… good for such sincere work. Baking is more your thing; it's good work and helpful. I shouldn't do it with those hands of mine."

"Muriel…" Briar whispered, slowly putting down the stick occupying her hands, thinking about what to say. Even though he was much stronger these days, and less caught up in his thoughts about the past, there were moments like these, that brought them forth again. Gently, Briar brought her hands forward, laying them onto his, remnants of flour and dough rubbing off as she brushed over them.

"I think they are wonderful, you know?" she smiled, not looking up at him. Instead, her view followed her finger as she drove down the lines of some of his scars, fingertips bopping every knuckle of his. "They are my favorite hands in the world because they always hold me gently in them. And they give me comfort when I need it, hold my hands at night when I am scared, and remind me that I am loved."

Finally, their eyes met, at least for a brief moment as talks like these always caused Muriel to feel too awkward to hold eye contact with her. "Thanks…" he mumbled, partly sincere, partly in disbelieve still. Of course, words were sometimes hard to believe when he still fought those battles with himself, but Briar was not about to let him down. "Don't worry, Muri!" she encouraged him, taking his hands in hers and giving them a small shake to psych him up. "Until you realize how super awesome your hands are, I will love them, okay?"

Surprisingly, that brought the tiniest hint of a smile to his face. He returned her hold on his hands, watching their fingers intertwine gently. "You'll love them? Even though those are my hands?"

"Especially because they are your hands!" she confirmed.

"No matter what they do?" Muriel asked and smiled a bit more clearly now as Briar gave him a determined nod. Lifting their hands, without letting go,  he forwarded them towards her face and tapped her nose, grinning now. Despite his hands being calloused, it was a soft touch, but the dry feeling it left made Briar suspicious. She wiggled one hand out of his hold to touch her nose, finding white pulver on her fingers from the flour.

"Got you," Muriel chuckled, the first time he actually laughed that day as he saw her baffled expression. "Muri, you're getting flour all over me!" she fake complained, chiming into his laugh as she got a taste of his teasing now in return. After all, she did just confirm she'd love his hands no matter what, so she had to admit defeat to him this time, and considering there was flour everywhere in the hut, she wasn't actually bothered by it.

"I'll have to sneeze if you get it so close to my nostrils!"

"Well, that's what you get when you are together with a baker."

That alone made Briar happy to hear. It was such a positive turn of events, Muriel accepting her words and playing with them too, sounding almost proud. After a week separated, these exchanges were what she had to admit to missing most, just having fun together and building on each other. "It feels good to be back," she sighed blissfully, a sincere smile playing on her lips. This time it was Muriel to bump into her softly, hindering her from getting too caught up in memories and possible regrets of not having stopped by earlier. "It's also good-" he started, pausing to wrap the last dough around a stick, finally having all of them ready.

"-to have you back," he finished, looking at her again with the hints of a smile on his face, no hesitation or reluctance in his voice, just the sound of his honest feelings put into words.

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Tearing off some of the bread on her stick, Muriel calmly handed her the jam knife, having just used it for his own. There was something especially rewarding in eating their homemade bread, with some homemade apricot jam, in front of a campfire and next to the person they loved. As if all the pieces of a puzzle fell into place, fitting so perfectly, it created a whole new picture. "It's good," was Muriel's conclusion, but his expression was softer than all throughout the day, meaning he felt the same serenity that Briar was feeling.

"It's delicious, we outdid ourselves, Mr. Baker!" Nudging him in the side as she painted the bread orange with the jam, Briar looked up at the sky between the treetops while taking a bite. It was already turning late, but luckily it wasn't a big concern as she'd just stay over if it got too late to return to the shop that night. Much more interesting than the passing of time were the complex colors on the sky, red fading to orange, turning into a more pinkish color before dipping into a deep blue with little, sparkled stars in it. It was the perfect sight to behold, the sky like a painting itself, rocking them gently into the night.

But the fire was lighting the space before them, and Inanna rested behind the log that the two were sitting on, making everything ideally safe. With Muriel at her side, Briar never worried about possible dangers in the woods anyway, knowing he was there and keeping her safe if it was necessary. That was one of the few ways he showed his love. It radiated off of him with every touch he did to her, may it be as simple as putting her cloak over her shoulders properly again when it slipped off from the movements, or the way he hugged her when she approached to hut that afternoon.

"Do you know what makes it especially delicious?" Briar asked, catching him with a full mouth that needed chewing before he could reply.

"Jam?" was his logical response, shaking the glass in his hand lightly.

"Yes," Briar chuckled but shook her head at the same time. "But that's not what I meant."

"Hm? What else?"

"Love," was the answer, and Briar added a slow, wise nod to emphasize it. "It tastes so good because you put a lot of love into it, Dear."

The sound he let out was a mix of a grumble and snort, taking it as another tease from her. "I am serious, Muriel!" She gave him another nudge, trying to look very serious, even if her lips still curled up into a smile. "I believe you." His answer was surprisingly straight-forward while he picked at his stick bread, contemplating what to say with a soft hum from his deep voice. "But I think it's all your love that went into that bread, and that's why it's so good."

This time, it was Briar's turn to have her cheeks turn red, inching a little closer to lay her head against his arm and hide her bashfulness. Not that Muriel was in any state to look at her after sorting his thoughts and putting them into more words either.

"You put your love into a lot of things; bread, jam… me. That's why we all turn out a little… better."

Had Muriel looked at her at that moment, he might have caught how she teared up a little at that, hands falling into her lap as she just wanted to bask in his words for a while and not do anything else. "Just… you know!" he stuttered very sudden, realizing how cheezy it must sound for him to say these things out loud. "...I clean now," he explained, and Briar couldn't help laughing up at this, turning her face into his arm to kiss his exposed skin.

"I get it, don't worry," she muttered, loud enough for him to hear. Muriel heaved a noticeable sigh of relief at not needing to explain himself more. "I am glad things turned out the way they did," she added onto her comment, and he nodded in agreement. It was then when the realization hit that many of the most critical decisions in the last few months could have turned out differently. They could have been better or worse, and ending in the two of them not sitting before the campfire that night, eating bread on a stick.

But they didn't.

And it was good as it is.

Because really, the amount of 'good' Muriel did for Briar, from her nerves to her worries to her very soul, was something she might have never found in anyone else than the taciturn, seemingly grumpy hermit in the forest who she came to love and cherish. No one else would give her the same comfort and love as Muriel did, and not just for the sake of her, but also because he wanted to and felt the same way about her. No place would be a home without him, and no night would be spent with the same feeling of belonging if it wasn't by his side.

Now, every day that the two were together was one Briar could look forward to and remember fondly when she wasn't with Muriel. It gave back some purpose, and more importantly, satisfaction to her time on earth, making the whole ordeal the two had to go through first almost worth it.

"I love you," she hummed, watching the fire dance in front of her, little sparks flying away from it merrily.

She felt him tense first, always the one to grow stiff before relaxing when feelings were spoken about and not merely shown. But he eventually calmed down from nervosity, his face showing another soft smile as he returned her feelings, ever so soft, and sweet to Briar's ears.