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Remus bounces on his tiptoes, hands tugging at the apron Patton handed him. It's neon green and has a kraken squirming its way across the front. Glittery black letters read You're Tenta-Cool! It's soft to his fingertips and he keeps smoothing his way across the edges, excitement bubbling up and spilling over.
"Cookies?" He asks hopefully, watching his boyfriend hide a smile.
"Yes," Patton agrees. "Peanut butter cookies to start and then-"
"But you said we could make any cookie," Remus protests. "Like- like deodorant and shampoo! Or- or toothpaste!"
"What about chocolate mint?" Patton suggests. "Sometimes those taste like toothpaste. And multiple people can eat them, which would be nice, right?"
"Sounds good to me!" Remus agrees, cheering. He starts playing with his apron again as Patton shrugs on his own, a baby blue apron with an enormous chocolate chip cookie embroidered on the front.
Remus has been looking forward to this all day. No, all week. Patton doesn't often offer to let him bake with him, mostly because of Remus's habit of adding inedible surprises. But this time, he's promised he'll only add what Patton himself says is all right. He thinks he can even make himself stick to that. Or at least only add something to his own cookies, which Patton has to expect, right?
"Hand me a mixing bowl?" Patton requests. Remus immediately does so, clattering the orange plastic bowl on the counter. It reminds him of Halloween. He has to squish his eyes shut and flap his hands in order not to show Patton what he thinks about Halloween. Patton doesn't like gory surprises, not out of thin air. Maybe later, Remus decides. After the cookies are done. He can show Patton the latest additions to his room and maybe check out the Imagination. Patton gets nervous in the Imagination, but not too nervous, because Remus is with him and no matter what his brother might think, he would never let anything happen to Patton.
"Let's mix the dry ingredients together," Patton says, pulling him free of his thoughts like saltwater taffy. He eagerly watches, spilling flour on the counter. Patton just smiles.
"Flour for my flower?" He jokes. Remus's cheeks warm up.
He cracks the eggs for Patton. Cracks them and even fishes the fragments of shell out of the bowl because he might think they only add texture, but Patton doesn't like to eat eggshell. The others don't either, but Remus doesn't particularly care what his brother likes. Janus, maybe. Janus doesn't like to eat eggshells either.
"Can I mix everything with my hands?" Remus asks hopefully. Patton considers his pleading face, then relents.
"For a few minutes," Patton acquiesces, stepping aside. He's still so close, Remus can feel the warmth of him, brushing up against his side. Grinning, Remus plunges both hands into the gooey mixture, squishing egg and flour between his fingers. By the time Patton nudges him to let him finish actually mixing it, his hands are a mess.
"Let's clean you up," Patton giggles, directing him to the sink. Remus cocks his head to one side, willingly following.
"I love you," he blurts out. Patton's face softens as a smile spreads across his cheeks.
"Right back at you," Patton says, and boops his nose, making him giggle. "And Remus?"
"Yeah?" Remus asks, smiling dreamily. Patton boops him again.
"Don't think I didn't notice you trying to sneak in the toothpaste."
Well, damn, Remus thinks. Patton laughs.