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Lotor frowned at the assembled ingredients sprawled out on the counter. Matt had his back turned to preheat the oven and Lotor took the opportunity to let the misery show plainly on his face. He hated cooking.
Matt turned, hands on his hips, and shook his head. “I saw that look, the oven’s reflective,” he admonished in a mostly teasing tone.
Lotor sighed and forced a small smile onto his lips, gripping Matt’s shoulders as gently as he could manage. “I’m sorry, you know that I love spending time with you.” He leaned in to press a kiss to Matt’s forehead. “I’m afraid I’ve never been one for kitchens and home-cooking, though. A lifetime on ships always ready for battle does that to a person.”
Matt nodded his understanding and patted Lotor on the chest. He was glad he’d forgone his usual armor in favor of more typical Earthling attire. The soft cloth and the warmth of Matt’s hand rubbing into his collarbone felt heavenly.
“Just think of it like a secret mission! You like those.” Matt’s hand retreated and he turned back to the counter, picking up the pan and an aerosol container. A fine mist of something foul-smelling and oily spattered unevenly against the glass and coated parts of their work surface.
Lotor wrinkled his nose at the mess. “And what is the objective of our secret mission?” He asked in an even tone, ripping off a square of paper towel to clean up the errant spray. His frown deepened as he succeeded only in spreading the oil across the surface.
“Hunk made me think of it, I don’t know why it took so long,” Matt said with a laugh. “But I’ve been trying to get Pidge to stop uh…” He trailed off with cringe.
“Fervently detesting me?”
“Errr… yeah.” Matt cleared his throat. “Anyway, Hunk is a genius and making someone their favorite food is always a surefire to get them on your good side. At least for humans.” He gestured towards the array of powders and liquids and containers littering the marble in front of them. “So we’re making Pidge’s favorite peanut butter cup brownies, and then you’re gonna give them to her.”
Lotor's face paled to an ashen lilac. “A-alone?”
Matt turned to him and raised an eyebrow. “Are you scared of my baby sister? She barely comes up to your waist.”
It was true, of course. Physically, he was more than twice her size and breadth, could toss her across the room with little effort if he managed to get his hands on her. That wasn't what worried him.
“She terrifies me,” he said flatly.
Matt rocked onto the balls of his feet and stretched his neck up to kiss Lotor’s cheek. “That’s because you’re smart. This’ll get you at least a couple of brownie points, though.” He paused to snicker at his own bad joke. It eased some of the tension in Lotor’s stiff shoulders. “She’s way less scary when she likes you. Most of the time, at least.”
Lotor let out a heaving sigh and picked up the datapad, skimming the recipe. “Where do we start?”
Less than an hour and a mostly destroyed kitchen later, Matt and Lotor had a fresh pan of brownies cooling on the wire rack on the only clean corner of the counter. They were both covered from the waist up in flour and cocoa powder. Matt had a smear of peanut butter across his cheek.
Lotor surveyed the mess in utter bewilderment. “How did we manage this?”
“It’s a gift,” Matt replied with a grin. He tossed a damp rag to Lotor and placed a stopper in the sink.
Shaking his head, Lotor set about his task, wiping down the surface in even strokes. Matt grabbed the piles of dirty bowls and measuring cups and spoons from the sticky marble and dumped them into the rapidly filling pool of soapy water. It took far less time than Lotor had anticipated with both of them working together, though an allegedly accidently bubble fight had distracted them for a few minutes.
There was nothing to be done for their clothes and hair and faces save a thorough washing, but Lotor still fretted at his shirt, attempting to get the worst of the mess off. Matt chuckled at him as he patted at his shirt with a dry cloth, fearing water would only make him look as though he’d gone outside and rolled in the mud. Lotor looked at him with an unamused expression.
“It’s a good luck, very stay-at-home-dad.” Matt pumped his eyebrows and grinned.
Lotor’s eyes narrowed. “I am an Emperor, not some sort of kept man.” He frowned and continued dabbing at his shirt.
“An Emperor with powdered sugar in his hair.” The smirk was evident in his voice.
Lotor rolled his eyes, peering up at him over the wisps of hair that had escaped their elastic and hung around his face in a silver curtain. “Bold words from someone with peanut butter on his cheek.”
“Whaaaat?” Matt whined, swiping at the side of his face with his hand. He frowned when it came away clean.
Lotor stood and cupped his chin with a wicked smile. “I’ll get it,” he purred softly.
Matt sputtered and laughed as Lotor ducked his head and licked a messy stripe across his cheek, cleaning up the errant strip of peanut butter. He tilted Matt’s face and pressed their mouths together, intending to prove definitively that he hadn’t been making it up. A disgusted groan from entryway stilled both of them in their tracks.
“You guys are gross,” Pidge spat as she walked to the fridge and took a swig of milk straight from the carton.
Lotor wrinkled his nose at the display and grunted as Matt elbowed him. He looked back to find Matt frantically gesturing toward the brownies.
With a deep, steadying breath, Lotor retrieved the now-cooled pan and took a few steps toward her. “From what I understand of Earth cuisine, I believe these brownies would be an excellent compliment to your beverage.” He held the pan out farther as she eyed them skeptically.
“You made these?” Her tone was dripping with suspicion.
Lotor plastered on a smile and nodded. “Your brother helped, of course.”
She hummed and pulled one out, nibbling on the edge while keeping her eyes narrowed and fixed on Lotor. He felt sweat beading on his brow as Pidge took another small bite and let out a breath when she followed it with a much larger one. She grabbed another brownie from the pan and cradled it in her hand as she turned to leave.
Matt cleared his throat pointedly when she got to the kitchen doorway without saying anything.
“Thanks,” Pidge grumbled. “These are pretty good.” She kept moving into the hall and her quiet footsteps disappeared up the stairs.
Lotor swallowed past the lump in his throat and set the pan down. “That went surprisingly well,” he said, relieved.
Matt leaned his head on Lotor’s shoulder and nuzzled into it. “It went great. That’s pretty high praise for her.”
He smiled and pressed a kiss onto the top of Matt’s head. A puff of flour bloomed out at the contact, making him cough as he accidentally breathed it in.
Matt laughed and turned to smile up him. “Let’s hit the showers,” he suggested, eyes twinkling with the unspoken suggestion.
Lotor held out his arm for Matt to take. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.”