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Alfred scraped the inside of his bowl with his whisk, his gaze mostly unfocused as he thought about literally anything else besides the batter he was currently stirring. There was still flour stuck to the sides of the stainless steel bowl and it felt like no matter how many times he pushed it into the mixture below it, more would be left over. He wondered momentarily if he should add more since the concoction was kind of runny, but decided against it. He didn't want to make it too dry either.
In his mindless contemplation he would hear the door open and close, signaling someone had just snuck into his apartment. Not that he particularly cared, people 'snuck' into his place all the time. It wasn't like he couldn't defend himself, what with his super strength and all, even if it was a threat. So he gave the approximate amount of fucks needed to get him past the holidays without too much stress. Which happened to be none at all. He just continued making his gingerbread cookies.
" Hah ah ah !" He suddenly squeaked when the feeling of a pair of what seemed like icicles suddenly ran up the length of his spine uninvited. "Do you mind?!" He asked in annoyance at the intrusion, as they continued their trek all the way up towards the nape of his neck before running back down to rest at his midsection. He heard the telltale signs of laughter in his ear before they came out, full blown with amusement; following soon after the weight of a body pressed against his back. He also noticed wisps of white hair ghosting his earlobe as his rigid posture slowly but surely relaxed once more. Calming down from the instinctual reaction at being annoyed by the unwelcome cold feeling on his otherwise warm skin.
"You should be honored my awesome hands are up your shirt~" Gilbert teased as he began to run his freezing digits all along Al's flesh without remorse before they returned to the American's lower back once more.
Alfred shivered, feeling a chill travel through him before quickly dissipating as fast as it had come. "What the hell were you doing out there? Rolling around in the snow?" He whined, but didn't fight for the albino to take his playful antics elsewhere.
"For a bit. Why didn't you come out with me?" Gilbert asked, his voice as cheerful as ever but Alfred could tell he sounded a little dejected and lonely. He was always good at picking up on the subtle hints hidden within Gilbert's voice. Like how it would crack more often when he'd get emotional, even if he tried to keep the tone of his words light and airy.
"I said I'd come join you after I finished baking these."
"Yeah, well you took too long." Gil pouted, hoping throwing a bit of a tantrum might sway his blonde companion a bit. Usually it did, but when Al's mind was set on something it was particularly hard to change. "Besides, I've never known you to want to bake a single thing in your life, what's the deal?"
"Hey, I have!" He argued, glaring up at the reflection in the window above his kitchen counter. Hoping to send his anger towards Gil through it, but instead his expression immediately softened at what he saw. Yes, there was the gorgeous view of the city but then there was also Gil, peeking above his shoulder at the same reflection he was staring at. His cheeks pink, scarf still hung lazily around his neck and eyes holding nothing but innocent playfulness in that moment, that it caused Alfred's heart to flutter involuntarily. He was so cute, he just had to turn and peck his cheek. Tilting his head to the side just slightly and giving it a nice big, wet smack with his lips as Gilbert's immediate reaction was to whine. Loudly. The blonde male laughed, watching those rosy cheeks in the reflection turn a darker shade of pink before he pressed his face against Alfred's shoulders and hid them from his view. "Besides, the centuries I've been alive makes it kind of a stretch to say I've never tried to bake anything."
"Don't keep talking like you didn't slobber all over my face!"
"Then why don't you leave?" Al replied, his voice taking on a high pitch as he mocked his partner. The smile on his lips telling Gil that obviously he wasn't being serious.
"Because the awesome Prussia doesn't retreat from battle, even if the enemy surprises me."
"Oh, so I'm the enemy na - AHOW?! Hey, don't pinch my nipples!" Alfred began to squirm in response, trying to wiggle away from the Prussian who was doing nothing but being a leech and giggling like a madman in his ears. On top of that, he was still playing with his nipples. "That's it, you're banned, go warm your hands in the microwave or something."
"The microwave? What kind of suggestion is that?" He laughed, his grip on Al growing ever tighter.
"A great one!" Eventually Alfred stopped putting up a fight, not that it was much of one to begin with as he settled down again and let Gilbert continue to tease his chest.
"They're hard now~"
"I wonder why," Alfred answered sarcastically before Gilbert halted his actions, laying his head on Al's sweater and allowing his hands to rest on the younger nation's waist.
The room went silent after that, as they both seemed content listening to the other breathe and work. Alfred adding his finishing touches into his bowl before lining and preparing a cookie sheet. The oven was already preheated so at least he didn't have to worry about that, he could just cut the cookies into various shapes and shove them in.
"You know, you never answered me…" Gilbert piped up, sounding as though he was halfway towards dreamland. Practically napping on the back of Alfred's ugly Christmas sweater by this point. Not that his boyfriend minded one bit, the extra weight wasn't exactly uncomfortable, in fact the superpower barely noticed it.
"Huh? You have to be more specific, I already forgot."
"About why you're making them," he drawled.
"Oooh! Uh, for the Christmas party we're going to."
"The one Arthur is hosting? I thought you said it was lame and you weren't going," Gilbert mumbled, catching him in his bluff. Alfred stiffened in his embarrassment, licking his lips. "And now you're putting all this effort into making him something, funny…" he chuckled.
"I was angry at the time for stupid reasons. But I realized later it was childish of me."
"Hmm?"
Alfred sighed, "I know it means a lot to him and because it means a lot to him, it means a lot to me. I just want to spend Christmas with my family and... stuff ," he mumbled out, glad that Gil couldn't see his face. But his reflection gave him away as Gilbert chuckled.
"I feel West would do the same thing, it's just funny to me that you're doing it. He'll say no, one second and change his mind the next. But his heart is always in the right place, I'm proud of him." Gilbert yawned, tracing his fingers over Al's chest, along his pectoral muscles.
Alfred nodded, the room going silent for a long moment before Al eventually piped up again. "Do you want to help me cut and decorate these?"
"Nope, the only thing I'm going to help you do is eat them~"
"You're completely useless."
"I try."
Alfred blinked as he felt Gilbert finally slide away from him, feeling the space around him was almost too empty now as he turned to look at his lover. His blue eyes twinkling with yearning for him to return to his side. "Where are you going?"
"To the bedroom." He turned to look at Alfred as he walked, wiggling his brows to which he received an eye roll in response.
"I'll be there in a sec."
"You better, the awesome me waits for no one!" He'd announce before stepping out of sight.