#lpxmm

“Wake up sweetie~”

 Mastermind groaned as he turned his back at the berserker, it was still too early in the morning, and he wanted to get as much sleep as he possibly could. He heard Psyker’s laugh, a pair of lips softly kiss his template. 

“Come on Sleeping Beauty, today’s a special day!”

“Is it special enough to wake me up?”

The scientist mumbled against a pillow, the words coming out muffled and unclear.

“Don’t tell me that you don’t know the special occasion for today?”

With a bit of struggle to turn his face, Psyker leaned to kiss the scientist’s cheek. 

“It’s Valentine’s day, you dummy.”

Another ghostly kiss to the corner of Mastermind’s lips, the other completely unaware of the way Mastermind’s body tensed.

“Now get out of the bed. I’m gonna prepare breakfast.”

Psyker left their bedroom, back turned towards him so that he had missed the shock frozen on Mastermind’s features.

“Fuck.” Was all he could muster as he scrambled out of bed.

  When Mastermind got dressed and went downstairs, he could smell the sweet aroma of pancakes in the air.

His suspicions were confirmed, once he had reached the doorframe of the kitchen. Psyker was cooking with ease, a pile of readied pancakes were already next to him on the counter.

“When did you had the time to get ready?” Mastermind leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed.

“Unlike you, I wake up early to get ready.” Psyker smiled a shit-eating grin as he flipped a pancake in the air to catch it without problem in the pan.

Mastermind scoffed at the comment and turned his head to the side.

“Come and help yourself. I already put coffee in the coffee maker, it should be ready by now.”

Psyker turned the stove off and served a couple of pancakes for Mastermind, the syrup and butter already on the table.

Mastermind walked to the coffee machine and looked for his cup on a shelf.

“Do you want some?” he asked, already anticipating the response and taking both of their cups from the shelf.

“Of course!” Psyker answered as he served pancakes to himself.

After both were finished with their appetizing breakfast, Mastermind stacked the dishes and got ready to wash them.

Psyker commanded his dynamos to come downstairs with him, getting ready to leave.

“Are you going somewhere?” Mastermind asked without taking his eyes off the plates. If Psyker wanted to go, then who was he to question?

“Yup!” Psyker got close to him and pecked his cheek.

“I’m going to get your gift. It should be ready by now, so I’ll go pick it up.”

Mastermind tensed again.

“I’ll back in less than three hours, I hope Velder’s streets are not that crowded.” Psyker grimaced.

“Anyway, see ya~”

Mastermind was left in the uncomfortable silence once more.

He started walking circles around the kitchen table, Apocalypse watching its master from the kitchen counter. 

“What am I going to do, Apo?!”

Mastermind pinched the bridge of his nose, disappointed at himself.

“I forgot it was Valentine’s day, and now Psyker is going to bring me something while I don’t have anything to gift him!”

He groaned, plopping himself heavily on a chair.

“He’s going to get so upset.”

The scientist leaned his head on the table. How could he have forgotten? It was unacceptable for him to have silly memory slips like those…

Apocalypse tilted its ears.

“Why don’t you prepare him something, Master?”

“Like what?”

Mastermind turned to face his drone.

“Something sweet.” It purred robotically.

The scientist blinked once, twice, then turned to hold Apocalypse in his hands. “Apo, you are a genius! Search for cookies recipes.” Something hand-made, for Psyker. How romantic! Surely it would be the ideal gift.

The drone beeped as it searched for the recipe on its database.

He had all the ingredients to make chocolate chips cookies, there were more than enough chocolate in the kitchen to make the cookies. From what he had read so far of the recipe, it shouldn’t be that hard to prepare them.

Yet he managed to mess up the cookies.

Mastermind managed to prepare the dough for the cookies without problems. Of course, he just had to make a mess of the kitchen, but nothing that he or Apocalypse couldn’t clean.

The real mess stared when the cookies were getting ready for the oven.

The recipe explained that the dough portions should be separated from each other to avoid problems when the dough melted, and that it was crucial to put parchment paper over the baking sheet so the cookies won’t stick on the plate.

Mastermind wanted to make as much sweets as possible for Psyker, so he had put the dough portions closer to each other than it was supposed to be.

And since they didn’t own any parchment paper, he simply decided to put the dough directly on the plate.

Besides, it is not as if the recipe must be followed to the letter…

After he put the cookies in the oven, he thought he had some time to give a little maintenance to Apocalypse (not that the cubic drone especially needed it, but a little maintenance never hurts).

Mastermind was busy rebuilding Apocalypse, until the smell of burnt cookies caught his attention.

“Oh no.” He swore under his breath, rushing downstairs to turn off the oven.

When he opened the oven’s door, he paled at his results.

“Are you kidding me?” Mastermind put on an oven glove and took the tray out of the oven.

All the cookies were burnt and stuck together. There was nothing that could be saved from that mess.

Mastermind turn to look at the clock, it was not long before Psyker returned.

“Now what am I to do?!” He groaned as he passed a hand over his hair frantically.

He glared at where Apocalypse stood in the kitchen table, restarting. Next to it laid a couple of spare chocolate bars. A small idea began to form, as Mastermind sighed and passed another hand over his hair.

“Well, it’s better than nothing.”

Just as expected, the streets of Velder were crowded till the point that he couldn’t walk without bumping into someone every two minutes. Psyker sighed as he waited in the row of the bakery with a dozen roses in his hand, tapping his foot to distract himself. He knew (not from experience, of course!)that every Valentine’s day, if you tried to buy something last minute you would find absolutely nothing.

That’s why this year, he asked the florist for the roses two weeks in advance.

Now here he was waiting for his turn to get the cake he ordered a week in advance.

“Next!”

The baker exclaimed while delivering a cake to the person in front of Psyker.

“Good afternoon, I came to pick up the cake I asked in advance.”

Psyker sighed quietly, glad he finally got his turn.

“What is your name?”

The baker asked as he moved to see the tags over the cakes that were ready.

“Lusa. It’s chocolate cake with strawberries on top of it.”

Psyker resumed tapping his foot.

“Hmmm… Oh, this one!”

The baker got the cake and handed it to the berserker.

“Thank you for paying in advance, it makes my job much easier. Have a good evening!”

“Thank you.”

He answered, and made his way to their house.

He was curious if Mastermind got him something. Not that he cared honestly, he only wanted to see Mastermind’s face when he saw his gift.

Psyker opened the house door trying to not make any noise. He was on his way to Mastermind’s lab, thinking the male was there with his research, yet when he passed by the kitchen the smell of something burnt made him turn that direction instead.

He fell silent at the sight. Mastermind was pouring what looked like hot chocolate into their respective mugs while Apocalypse used its laser to separate something eerily black from the oven tray.

“Mastermind?” Psyker mumbled as he entered the kitchen.

The scientist shrieked in surprise, spilling some hot chocolate over the table in the process.

“I-I thought you would come home much later...”

Mastermind lowered his gaze to the floor, refusing to look at Psyker.

“I got your gifts sooner than I thought I would.”

He chuckled.

“Here, happy Valentine’s day.”

Mastermind saw movement from the corner of his eyes. When he looked up, he felt a gasp escape his lips.

“It’s your favorite, chocolate cake with strawberries.”

The berserker smiled.

“Some roses on the side as well, because why not?”

Mastermind flushed an alarming red as he took both gifts.

“Why twelve roses? Aren’t these expensive?”

“Oh you know, it’s a rose for every month that I have loved you.”

Psyker leaned to give a quick peck to the scientist’s lips.

“I love you, Mastermind.”

Mastermind’s gaze lowered once more as he tried to hide the blush that he was positive ran from his hairline to his neck.

“I-I love you too, Lusa.”

“Now, what were you doing? Apocalypse seems to have a bad time with that oven plate.”

Psyker patted the scientist’s back, tone teasing.

“I tried to bake you some cookies, but as you can see…”

Mastermind gestured where Apocalypse hovered.

“…I’m terrible at baking. And since I didn’t get anything for you, I thought I’d prepare us some hot chocolate.” He held onto his arms, wrapped around himself with a bitter laugh.

“I’m the worst, am I not?”

He decided to take a seat on a chair and hid his face with his hands.

Psyker frowned lightly, and took a seat next to the scientist.

“You are not the worst, Masi. Hey, look at me. I think it’s really sweet from you to try to prepare me something.”

He pried Mastermind’s hands away, before giving him a reassuring kiss on top of his head.

“Aren’t you mad because I forgot Valentine’s day?” Mastermind’s voice quivered, as he struggled to face the berserker.

“Of course not, darling.” Came the light and loving response.

He gave another kiss to Mastermind’s forehead.

“Now why don’t we just enjoy this cake with your delicious hot chocolate?”

Mastermind chuckled.

“You haven’t tasted it yet.”

“Nope, but since you made it for, I know for a fact that it will be delicious.”

He gave a peck at the scientist lips, a playful smirk beginning to form.

“Just like your lips.”

Mastermind’s flustered attempts at pushing him away only earned an earnest laugh from the berserker.

After they finished with their cake, it was Psyker who washed the dishes this time.

Mastermind kept him company, sitting on the counter nearby.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to help with the dishes? It was my mess, after all. Not yours.”

Psyker turned to face him, the most stupid and widest grin on his face.

“Nah, you have already done enough, let me help you with the dishes at last.” 

He grew silent for a moment as he stared at Mastermind’s hair, coupled with a chuckle.

“What?” Mastermind asked, visibly confused as to why the berserker kept looking at his hair.

“It’s nothing, you have chocolate on your bangs. You should take a bath.”

Mastermind passed his hand over his bangs. Just as the berserker said, he had chocolate over it. How did it even end up here? What…

That gave the scientist an idea.

“Hey, Lusa.”

The berserker hummed to signify that he had his attention, but Mastermind waited for him to turn to look at him.

“What is it?”

Psyker turned to face him, curious.

“Are bubble baths romantic?”

The berserker grew silent again before laughing.

“Only if I take them with you.”

Psyker teased, and turned, intending to continue the dishes… but he froze when he felt Mastermind leaning on his back. A shuddered gasp escaped his lips when he heard Mastermind lick his lips next to his ear.

'Lunatic's weight might be closer', Add mused, watching the other genius stomp around the backyard with faint amusement.  'I wonder if he could break my Dynamo?' Curious, he began mentally calculating the probability of that happening.  'Of course, I'd have to first let him near the Dynamo.  That's not happening.'

“Mastermind, damn you, answer me!”  Lunatic finally decided to look up, searching the sky.  His gaze landed on an amused Mastermind, floating relaxedly at roof level. “Kek, why weren't you answering?”  Lunatic jumped up, his own Dynamo configuring underneath him to lift him up to Add's eye level.  “I'm hungry.” “Do I look like your cook?”  Add's voice belied his annoyance.  Honestly, he had prepared one meal, and now Lunatic came to him whenever he was hungry. “Nah, you'd have to have a maid outfit for that.”  Lunatic laughed.  “Kah, what would I have to do to get you into that outfit?” “Manage to somehow kill me, keke.”  Add lay back again, lifting his book up to block the sun.  “Now, if you don't mind.....” Get the hell out of my space. “Pffft.”  Lunatic didn't leave for a couple seconds.  “Hey, I'm making mac and cheese, d'ya want any?” “Sure.”  Anything to make Lunatic go away, right?  Add honestly had no idea what drove Lunatic to do things.  A minute ago, he had wanted Add to cook, and now he was cooking for himself? Whatever, Add decided as Lunatic dropped back to the ground and walked inside.  The long-haired researcher wriggled around to get comfortable on his Dynamo, then focused again on his book. It was about fifteen minutes later that Lunatic came outside again, lifting himself up to Add's level.  Add had changed positions, now laying on his stomach with only precarious support from his Dynamo. “Kek, what now?” Add asked without looking up. Lunatic put on his best wounded expression.  “I made food, Mastermind, don't you want some?” Add nearly refused the offer, but realized that it was actually well past lunchtime.  He paused for a moment, gauging Lunatic's mood. “Sure,” he finally said, reasonably sure that the bowl Lunatic held wasn't poisoned.  Lunatic smiled, holding out the bowl of pasta.  The predatory smile was nearly enough to make Add reconsider.

After another pause, Add shifted his weight onto his right forearm and held out his left hand.  Now he was being supported by only five Dynamos as he made a grab for the bowl. Lunatic held it out of reach.  “Ah, you've got to say please,” he chided teasingly. Add glared, suddenly acutely aware that he was high off the ground.  The unused Dynamo that had originally been supporting his left forearm moved to hover just under his chest.  “Are you kidding? Just give me the food!” Lunatic only laughed. Add sighed, suddenly too tired to argue.  “.... Kek.  Fine.  Please give me the mac and cheese, now are you satisfied?” “Sure,” Lunatic purred as he brought the bowl within reach of Add. Two things happened very quickly.  First, Add reached for the bowl, putting himself off balance.  Almost at the same time, Lunatic pulled the bowl up and poured the hot contents over Add's head, drenching his hair in gooey cheese sauce. Caught by surprise, Add let out an undignified squealing sound. His thoughts momentarily scattered and his Dynamo reacted to the change, letting the researcher fall. Add's scream was loud and terrified. His Dynamo paused for a split second, then swooped down to break his fall, but the damage was done. The Mastermind ended up flat on his back, Dynamo hovering around him apprehensively, hair and clothes dirtied with a combination of soil, macaroni, and cheese sauce. Lunatic's lunatic laugh rang out as the berserker jumped from his own hovering platform, landing lightly on his feet. “Kahahahaha, you should see your face!  I haven't had this much fun since I caught Esper in a Nasod Armor combo, keke! Come on, what do you have to say for yourself?”