Work Text:
| ~ 🍃 • 🍮 • 🍃 ~ |
It was no secret that Mash’s love for cream puffs ran deep. For Finn, it occasionally piqued him at how the sweet, creamy pastry became the go-to dessert of Easton’s most fit, most unique yet least magical student.
Still, those quirks did not stop Finn from visiting the local market to buy all the necessary ingredients he needed to bake three batches of the rich bread-based dessert; with each batch having 12 cream puffs containing three different flavors - a set containing matcha, another set filled that has cinnamon apples while the remaining set would showcase a cream filling infused with chocolate liqueur.
While he was tempted to ask for some help from his friends, Finn decided to work alone in one of the few private kitchen nooks dotted around in their respective dorm wing. He wanted to surprise his friends, their senpais and, above anyone else, Mash Burnedead himself…
BANG!
BANG!!
CRASH!!!
Unfortunately for him, he completely forgot Mash’s knack of suddenly coming into places where he was least expected. Finn dreaded on what he’ll have to tell the dorm head regarding the door and how Mash can still mess up in simply opening one.
“Ah…” Mash blankly started as he stared at the heavy wooden door he accidentally took down. “That sucks... hold on.”
After the well-built student effortlessly took up the door that he failed to normally open, Mash slightly leaned it against the dark stone walls before dusting his sizable hands off. He then casually walked over to the kitchen's sizable island counter where Finn’s was kneading his cream puff dough.
Unsurprisingly, as he was a cream puff connoisseur, Mash instantly knew what the young yellow-eyed wizard was doing, “When you’re done, can I have a cream puff or two?”
“I promise I’ll give you a cream puff,” Finn told Mash calmly, though his internal emotions were panicking at his crush’s mere presence. “Since it’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow, I want to give all our friends a cream puff. That way, even if they don’t get a present, they’ll have something that they can enjoy and snack on.”
“Well, aren’t you a sweet thing?” Mash teased the smaller male, causing Finn to slowly blush. “Anyway, can you spare some flour instead? Dot and I need more of the stuff.”
“You two are also baking?” Finn asked.
“Yeah,” Mash flatly replied with a nod. “Unlike yours, what we’re baking is savory. Problem is that we underestimated the amount of flour we need for our own pastries.”
“If you want, you can carry the entire bag with you,” Finn offered as he wiped off some of the perspiration that built up on his forehead. "I'm pretty sure I've got all the flour I need and some. I think Dot will appreciate the extra flour too."
“Cool,” Mash smiled before slowly striding to the area where the small flour bag was neatly standing. After dragging the small bag of flour closer, the well-built male slowly looked to the young wizard and asked him a question. “Is there a specific person who you want to give your cream puffs to by tomorrow?”
While Mash can be simple minded, Finn knew just a little bit better than anyone else to never underestimate him. He was the lone individual giving the magical world a huge shake up after all and Mash can be frighteningly perceptive in certain situations. With that in mind, he tried to come up with the best and most honest answer his mind can muster.
“I do,” Finn slowly began. “But to be frank, nice guys finish last and I’m not expecting this exact person to notice me at all. I don’t stand out compared to you or our friends and that’s not good a thing if you’re trying to get the attention of someone you like. On the other hand, I’ve been hearing from a good chunk of our classmates that they want to give you chocolates and stuff. You’re a ferociously strong guy who’s easy to approach after all. Heck, you could even get a confession from a girl or two.”
Mash dreaded the mentioned confessions, “I’d probably short-circuit if that happened.”
Finn giggled at the muscled teen’s prediction, “With all the insanity happening around us, we can’t let that happen now, can we…? And holy smokes, I feel like my arms are going to fall off from just kneading this dough.”
“It’s a good workout though,” Mash smiled. “If you train your arms and keep on baking, you’ll get used to making cream puffs and other types of bread at a much quicker pace.”
“Rayne has been telling me to improve stamina lately,” Finn mentioned as he began to work on another dough ball. “He says that a better body will help me out in improving and regulating my magical powers.”
“While I don’t have magical powers like you, I can attest that whipping yourself into shape is generally good,” Mash stated. “You’re a lot less susceptible in becoming sick, it helps you keep your weight in check and you’ll feel your mental state improve. Since you’ve helped me out with my studies in the past few weeks, I’m more than willing to help you make a workout routine and show you the proper postures and techniques too.”
“I’d like that,” Finn softly said as he flashed the other male a gently smile. “Anyway, you should head back to where Dot is. He’s probably going to be annoyed if you stay any longer here. Still, good luck to you and Dot on your pastries!”
“Oh…! Uh yeah,” Mash said as if he seemingly forgot on why he was in the kitchen nook in the first place. The athletic teen then picked up the bag of flour with his hands. “I guess I’ll see you later tonight, roomie. I hope you scrub yourself down before you hit the sack. I don’t want ants visiting our room.”
Finn acknowledged his response with a laugh then a nod, “Right back at you, Mash.”
| ~ 🍃 • 🍮 • 🍃 ~ |
For the most part, handing out the cream puffs went smoothly for Finn. After their last class for the day, the quiet but kind student went around the school with his artisanal cream puffs stored in two wooden boxes. The dark and yellow-haired student managed to do all this while avoiding a certain student who loved his cream puffs.
Just about everyone he gave a pastry to were surprised before going on to comment that his cream puffs were delicious. It made Finn smile that he made someone’s Valentine’s Day a bit happier and that they loved what his hard work had yielded last night.
Unfortunately, Finn wasn’t able to control the amount of cream puffs some of his classmates were getting. Some would get two while a few managed to get all three flavors. Despite Finn’s close friendship with Mash, he was not able to tell them off as his own magical powers and overall social ranking were not the best.
This left him with six cream puffs at the end of his handouts; three matcha-flavored ones, two chocolate liqueur cream puffs while just a lone cinnamon apple cream puff was left. All in all, it totaled to six of the sweet pastries - an amount Finn wasn’t satisfied with as it's only half the number he wanted to give to Mash.
Sighing to himself in one of Easton’s numerous garden courtyards, Finn sat down on one of the empty benches and set down the boxes he had carried with him.
After Finn had opened one of the wooden boxes on the bench, which was completely emptied of its pastry contents, the short young male quietly recited an easy spell that instantly made the box squeaky clean. Unbeknownst to him, Mash had quietly walked up behind him.
“Do you still have any cream puffs left?” Mush gently asked, though he still surprised Finn.
Finn turned around and said, “Oh, hey Mash! I still have some cream puffs left! Do you mind if the flavors are different?”
Mash shook his head, “As long as a cream puff is good, I won’t mind. And using both Lance and Lemon as a metric, I have a good feeling that I’ll enjoy them myself.”
“Are you and Dot done giving out your savory pastries around school?” Finn asked as he put one of the wooden boxes between him and the muscular teen.
“Yeah, and it was a success,” Mash shared to him with a smile. “They really liked the salmon turnovers we made. Most folks we handed out the turnovers to said it was a good break from all the chocolate and candies. I really want to see your reaction though. You’re the only one who hasn’t taken a piece so…”
Mash then pulled out a sturdy paper bag full of the salmon turnovers from his uniform’s blazer.
“I saved some for you,” Mash told him as he set the mentioned food aside in the space between them, just beside Finn’s box.
“Just so I can get it off my chest, I’m genuinely disappointed that I won’t be able to give you a dozen cream puffs,” Finn shared to him with a tone filled with frustration.
“You’re still giving me cream puffs, right? Why is not giving me a dozen of them matter to you?”
“It’s… it’s because I want to get your attention.”
“Attention?” While most men would have put two and two together, Mash had no idea what Finn was implying. “Why do you exactly want my attention?”
“It’s… it’s,” Finn sighed and decided to get it completely over with. “It’s because I like you, Mash. I want us to be more than friends, you know? However, I will understand if you don’t want that since the vast majority of guys only exclusively like girls. If you feel creeped out, I can ask the dorm head to move me to another room so your private space won’t be bothered by me.”
“More than friends…” Mash trailed before he finally processed what the lean male confessed to him. His eyes widened at the thought. “Wait, you want me to date you and stuff?”
While Finn didn’t audibly answer back, the look painted on his face said more than enough. He can tell that his best friend was quietly bracing himself from the potential emotional impact his answer could bring.
Mash first recomposed himself before he faced Finn, “I’d date you Finn but like you, I’ve never been in a relationship before. I don’t know how the romantic couple stuff works.”
“Hold on…” Finn noted as Mash uncovered the wooden box between them and quickly plopped a chocolate liqueur cream puff. “You would date me? As in for real?”
Mash wiped his mouth clear before saying, “You are cute, smart, and most importantly, not some egotistical sociopath. Plus your cream puffs look so good… and you know that I’m quite a sucker for cute girls and guys who can make a really good cream puff.”
“Well, all those cream puffs are all yours,” Finn began before his lips slowly quirked into a small smile.
“Actually, do you want to head to this clearing beside a river?” Mash asked the smaller male. “I’ve found it during one of my morning runs. I don’t know anything about the dating stuff but I bet it’s a good location to eat all the pastries we have here.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Finn softy said before he stood up from the bench. But all of a sudden, he found himself being carried on one of Mash’s broad shoulders while Mash himself had quickly stored pastries they had in Finn’s pair of boxes. As Mash carried the wooden boxes in his other arm, the smaller male asked, “Um, why are you carrying me and all our stuff?”
“I don’t want the guy I like being tired,” Mash smiled at him. “And besides, I want to put in a workout myself while going there.”