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"Phoenix, my ganache isn't setting."
He blinked open his eyes groggily, trying to focus at the face above him. It's a welcome face with blue eyes, pale skin, and white hair that belongs to someone he's specifically allowed to come into his room whenever she needs to.
However, in this instance, it felt out of place, not just from the distress on it but the messier-than-usual ponytail, and the red-strained, dark-circled eyes.
"What the fuck?" Phoenix murmured, and reached for his phone. "Sunwoo? Jett? Mate, it's…"
Still bleary-eyed, he fumbled at the dresser next to his bed; Jett gripped his wrist in place and slid his phone into his hand. He turned on the screen, only to wince and groan at the bright light immediately flashing his face.
"God, that's what that feels like...wait, it's 3 AM? Jett, why - "
Instead of answering his question, Jett shook her head almost manically.
"My ganache isn't setting," Jett repeated.
Phoenix's eyes forced themselves open again, still confused and dazed.
"What?"
This is how Phoenix found himself throwing on a grey shirt and black sweats (as well as a pair of plastic black slides he'd just bought with flame decals) to accompany Jett walking him briskly over to the communal kitchen.
The light gets brighter as he and Jett approach it, and that's when he sees it: aside from many boxes and cartons, pots and bowls scattered around, he sees a decadent, double-tiered vanilla frosted cake on top of a cake spinner that doesn't seem finished, surrounded by several things like a squeeze bottle of chocolate sauce, various berries in small bowls, an icing bag and spatula on the side, and an unopened thing of macarons.
Jett, wearing a sleeveless navy top tucked into her pants with a black apron, immediately has gone to the counter while he was distracted by said cake, reaching for the chocolate bottle, and attempted to screw open the lid hastily.
"It's Brim's welcome back cake, Phoenix; the ganache." She groaned. "It's not doing the thing!"
He looked back at the cake; it's not finished. He can see that. However, he can't really see what's wrong with it, nor really has any desire to at 3 AM in the morning.
"I mean…it's probably fine?"
"No, it's not, Phoenix!" Jett snapped, prompting him to wince. She shook her head in exasperation. "It's supposed to be doing a thing, and it's not!"
"Jett, what thing are you on about?"
She pointed a finger at the cake. "Look at it; it's not doing the dripping thing, it's not running down the sides! This kind of ganache is supposed to drip, and like, I swear I got my ratios right, so what's going on?! It's just all wrong, it's wrong!"
Phoenix resisted the urge to sigh out loud before he looked at the cake again.
The dripping chocolate seemed a bit chunky, for lack of a better descriptor, and it definitely wasn't dripping down as much as he's seen other cakes do in pictures. It still looked fantastic, all things considered, but maybe he was biased or maybe this was stupid and he wasn't sure what the big deal was.
"It looks fine - "
"It's not!"
"Jett, you're gonna wake people up. Not that it matters for Skye, Omen, and Fade I reckon, but - "
"It's not fine, Phoenix!" Jett just shook her head. "It's not…I-I screwed up, I fucked it up, it's not doing what it was supposed to do, it's supposed to be runnier, and it's gonna drive me up a wall!"
It's way too early for this. He appreciates Jett, he really does - but not at this time of the morning.
Phoenix couldn't help but yawn, ignoring deliberately how Jett bristled at that.
"Then, fix it?" he mumbled. He rubbed his hands on his eyes. "Or make a new one?"
He's not a fan of the way Jett barks out a laugh, but rather than not being a fan of how she basically laughed back at him, he was more so not a fan of how the tone of it sounded off more than that.
"Fix it? Fix it?! It's not that easy, some of it is already on this stupid cake!" He watched as Jett practically dropped the chocolate bottle carelessly on the table, scratching her hands in her hair. "And I don't want to waste anything, and this cake needs to chill for at least, like, two hours and - ugh, wae?! Pabo, pabo, this is stupid, I'm so fucking stupid…"
She's starting to tremble now. Something's not right.
Phoenix's frown deepened as he blinked.
"Hey, Jett - "
"Why didn't I pay more attention to the consistency before I put it on?!"
"Jett?"
"Why am I so stupid?" Jett hissed, and now she's clutching her hair in her hands, and now her eyes are shaking too. "I'm great at baking! Food comes to me so easily, how could I - of all people - screw this up? Amateurs screw up, but I'm not some fucking amateur!"
Her hands released her hair, and she began waving them in the air while she cursed under her breath, pacing the kitchen. The look in her expression is something Phoenix knows is her panic mode, but why it's present for a fucking cake he's not sure about.
Actually. In retrospect. He might know what this is about.
"Jett, hold on - "
"I-I can't just waste food, Phoenix!" she exclaimed, stopping to pace and whipping her body back to face him angrily. "I have to get this to work, I-I have to make this right, I can't keep screwing it up and - "
"Jett."
She paused.
Phoenix has since folded his arms and leaned against the wall a while ago, although now he's standing up straighter, his expression serious. When he speaks next, his voice is quiet and almost gentle:
"This isn't about the ganache, is it?"
Jett's eyebrows raised up - before she frowned back at him and just rolled her eyes.
"What? No, it is! Okay, do you not know how ganache works? 'Course you don't, you're not the one who does food stuff like me! Trust me on thi - "
"Jett!" Phoenix retorted, and his voice was strained with a lack of patience; with fatigue and worry. "Forget the ganache, forget the cake, this isn't about the cake. This is about what happened with Brimstone!"
Jett froze.
Phoenix furrowed his eyebrows and pinched the bridge of his nose, before speaking again.
"It is, isn't it? I know you like the food you make to be perfect, and I also know how you like making sure it's done quick and easy, in and out, boom. But this isn't about any of that, is it?"
She paused, before simply scoffing back, laughing wryly. It hurt a bit, actually.
"Okay, yeah! Fine! I'm not very good at waiting, you're right!" She grabbed the bottle and refastens the lid she had loosened, before shaking the chocolate bottle. "I'm not patient, but Brim is out in - what? Six or seven hours from now according to Sage? So, I gotta fix this!"
His heart wrenched seeing her like this. Phoenix sighed.
"You can't."
"I can."
"Jett, there's nothing that you need to fix. It's not your fault he's in the ICU!"
The plastic bottle slammed down on the ground this time, chocolate sauce splattering along the floor, and Jett fully turned towards him, her hands balled up into fists and eyes livid; desperate.
"Yes, it is! Brimstone almost died on that mission because of me, Phoenix!"
Phoenix flinched. His eyebrows creased in concern. Seeing him made Jett clamp her jaw shut, and he watched as she tried shrinking into herself, shaking her head.
"He's in there, Phoenix, in a hospital, instead of with Skye and Sage because they couldn't get to him fast enough to help him fast enough, even though I could get to him fast enough but what can I do?! I don't know how to heal, that's not my job, I don't revive people, I was useless! He's not supposed to be in the hospital, he's Brimstone!"
She inhaled sharply, her voice trembling.
"All because of my dumb stupid ass screwing everything up, just like I always do, just like I did at my family's restaurant! I'm a screw-up, Phoenix."
It's getting too close. Phoenix can only shake his head.
"It's not the same," he said quietly.
Jett's face twisted up into something he wished he didn't have to see; he hated seeing her like this.
"My wind knocked the building over, Jamie!" Jett snapped. "You weren't there, you can't say that shit to me!"
It's close enough, actually.
"You think I can't?!" Phoenix snapped back, and he stepped forward. "You think I, of all people, don't get to tell you that I don't think it's the same? Let alone everyone on that mission telling me they knew you had to do what you did?!"
Jett froze again. She looked away, avoiding him - and it just hurts each and every time. She couldn't keep doing this to herself. He couldn't keep seeing her do this to herself.
"They didn't - "
"Sova, Viper, even Sage." Phoenix shook his head. "And we both know Sage was the most upset. I haven't seen the footage of the mission; I've decided I don't want to, and I don't need to."
He exhaled deeply, and it hurt his lungs; as if he's been struggling to breathe. It's not a situation he likes being in, if he's honest.
Jett turned her back on him to pick the bottle back up and rub it over her apron, re-tightening the lid. He's not sure why his chest feels so tight right now, why he feels the way he does for her, but it's like he can feel her pain, and he can't handle it right now.
"Jett," Phoenix said, his voice soft. "I was scared for him too. But what happened with Brimstone isn't the same as what happened with your uncle."
He watched Jett close her eyes immediately.
"Yeah, because Brimstone's actually alive," she muttered bitterly.
His heart wrenched for her again.
She stopped turning the bottle lid; instead, Jett stood still next to the cake, her body shivering, her hair undone and her lips chapped.
She looked like she needed sleep, not like she needed to finish a fucking cake, but he knew her better.
That's why he felt okay with walking up to her before Phoenix placed his hands on her shoulders, and gave them a gentle squeeze.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Sunwoo. You can't keep being afraid of it like this; you'll never move past it to do anything else. This was different. Not everything has to go back to Seoul."
Her lower lip quivered, and she turned to look at him with strained eyes beginning to water.
"How can you say that when London happened, Jamie?" she whispered.
It's way too close.
Phoenix took a deep breath, closing his own eyes and pressing his lips together, and he felt her flinch under his hand, her shoulders tightening.
"That's…exactly why I can say that, Jett." He opened his eyes again, and she's looking at him in a way that's no longer angry or frustrated, just…familiar. Familiar in a way he's too familiar with. Phoenix gulped. "Because your Seoul is my London. So, I get it, and I know you get it. For Brim; mate, shit. I'm just as upset as you are. It shouldn't have been Brim. But I'm not mad at you."
She scoffed and tore her gaze away from his eyes.
"Yeah; 'course you'd say that."
He squeezed her shoulder.
"Because I mean that. It's not your fault."
Another bitter scoff from her.
"'Course you'd tell yourself that too."
This time, Phoenix lowered himself down to her height, and when Jett looked back at him, he made sure that they locked eyes.
"Because you told me that," Phoenix said. "Remember?"
There's that look from before. Her eyes became even more glossy and her lips pursed together. Phoenix's expression softened.
"Shit. Look; even if it was your fault this time around, the important thing is Brim is gonna be okay. It's a Kingdom-funded hospital, and he's former Kingdom, remember? No way they were gonna let boss man go that gentle into that good night. And, listen. This?"
He pointed back towards the cake, and Jett's gaze followed his finger.
"Brim is gonna love this, Jett," Phoenix murmured, and he smiled at her, full of warmth and sincerity. "And I want to believe that, because first of all, chocolate slaps. And - and second of all, the vibes since he got admitted are just, they're wearing me down and…"
The smile on Phoenix's face faltered. Jett's looking back at him again, and he's not quite sure how much more he's able to handle at 3 AM in the morning.
"Look, Jett." He blinked, swallowing. "You don't have to believe me, you don't have to deep it. But can I like…can I, erm, get a hug? I just…shit."
At this, she blinked back and frowned, and her posture untensed. Phoenix released her shoulders, his hands sliding down, and his figure slumped over, eyes closing as he bit his lips.
Then, he hears her body shift, and the next thing Phoenix knows, Jett's arms have wrapped around his body, her hands resting on his back under his arms. She hugs him slowly; closely. She's warm, but she's still shivering.
Phoenix slides his hands around her and pulls her into him, into their embrace.
"Phoenix."
When Phoenix looked down at her, he noticed Jett's face buried into his chest.
Her voice is muffled. "Is this a bait and switch?"
Phoenix's hands squeeze her gently.
"Only if you want it to be, Wind Girl."
It started with a sniffle.
And then, Jett gives a choked sob and a muffled scream into his chest, clutching the fabric of his shirt as she began to cry, body heaving and jerking harshly as she did so.
He holds onto her; he doesn't let go. He holds onto her as long as she needs to; he holds onto her as long as he needs to. His eyes squeeze shut; there's a lump in his throat Phoenix knows he shouldn't ignore either, but one of them needs to stay strong for each other right now.
At some point, she stopped shaking. He can hear her breathing heavily, taking in air and trying to calm herself down.
"Screw you," he finally heard Jett mutter. "My cake still fucking sucks."
Phoenix can't help but chuckle softly, and he pulled back to look at a very disheveled Jett, still sniffling, eyes red and puffy.
"Mate, the cake is gonna be fine," he murmured. "It looks serious, fam! Like, damn, I knew you were good but not, like, pastry chef-level good!"
Jett scoffed once more, shaking her head as she looked away.
"It's 'cause you don't know pastries. The ganache is being…look, it's being dumb, I guess there isn't enough cream, it isn't doing the drippy thing enough to look good, see?"
He didn't bother looking back at the cake; instead, Phoenix reached his hand down for the bottle in her hand. Rather than grab it, his hand brushed over hers, and he tapped Jett's fingers around the bottle twice.
"Can you fix what you have here?"
Jett's voice began to crack again.
"I-I don't know, Phoenix, I'm tired and I'm sad a-and - "
"Hey, hey! Jett, look at me."
She does, and Phoenix looked back into her eyes, his smile gentle and tender.
"What about the berries?" he asked, and Jett groaned this time in response, shaking her head and biting her lips.
"I don't have enough strawberries!"
"Jett, breathe, come on now."
She does; she takes a deep breath in, before exhaling and re-opening her eyes.
"I don't know if I even have enough blueberries, and, like, dude, what if Brimstone doesn't even like the cake for his welcome back party?"
"Je..." This time, Phoenix lets his shoulders slump on purpose dejectedly, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow. "Jett. Mate. Bruv. Fam. Brim is gonna love this, I told you, and you know why? Because he's American. Americans love sweets, right? I'm telling you, right now, on God, that this is gonna be the best thing he'll eat once he's out of that hospital."
Jett just blinked before looking back up at him.
"You think so?"
"Swear. And, honestly, if he doesn't like it - fuck it, then I'll eat it for him, yeah?"
At this, Jett couldn't help but snort, the corners of her lips curving up just enough to make Phoenix start grinning.
"Phoenix, everyone gets to have some cake anyway," she responded with a sniffle, and at this, Phoenix just blinked innocently.
"Really?"
She can't help but laugh again, wiping her arm across her eyes, and accidentally smearing chocolate sauce on her cheek.
"This is Brim's 'congratulations on surviving Jett's bullshit' party, Phoenix! Everyone who cares is gonna be there - like, I know Killjoy is basically forcing everyone to come, so you know…"
"Everyone? Is Omen gonna be there?"
At this, Jett actually hummed as she finished wiping her eyes, nodding in contemplation.
"I-I mean, does Omen eat cake?"
She suddenly frowned, and looked back up at Phoenix. "Does…does Omen even eat?"
Phoenix's smirk fell.
That was a really good point, actually.
"Look, it's not about the eating, Jett, I - it's - you know what, actually? I reckon if Omen could eat, he'd think this cake you made was top too. Swear."
It was more banter to lighten the mood, to get her to laugh again.
What he wasn't expecting instead was Jett to suddenly throw her arms around him one more time, her head resting against his chest.
He swears he felt his heart skip a beat. He hoped she didn't hear it.
"I don't recall asking for another hug," Phoenix admitted.
Her hands released him, and he watched as Jett stepped back. The smile on her face is wonderful to see after earlier - messy hair, blood-strained teary eyes, chocolate sauce on cheek, chapped lips and all.
"No, you didn't. Thanks, Pretty Boy."
There's the heart-skipping thing again. Phoenix can't help but smile right back.
"Ah - you got something on your face."
He swiped at her cheek with his finger, and before Jett could say anything, Phoenix licked his thumb before smacking his lips. His eyes lit up.
"Mmm! Oh, that's nice. Love dark chocolate." When he looked back at Jett, he noticed her cheeks turning pink and her eyes going wide. "What?"
Instead of clearing her throat and looking away cutely, Jett just placed her free hand on her hip and rolled her eyes at him with a coy smirk.
"You think you're so smooth, don't you, Pretty Boy?" she drawled.
He really thought he was, to be honest, but there's no way he's going to admit that to her, not even after a heavy heart-to-heart.
Phoenix fails to suppress a smile, his face turning hot.
"Dunno what you're on about, fam," he shot back. "I just like chocolate!"
"Okay, sure. You think KAY/O is coming to the party too?"
"'Course he would. Robot man and boss man? Team Brothers-in-Arms? Inseparable."
Jett walked back to the counter and reached for something new this time; it was the small bowl of blueberries this time, with a pair of chopsticks. She held it out to him, her eyes pleading.
Phoenix nodded, and while Jett walked back to the fridge, he began placing blueberries carefully onto the cake, next to the strawberries on top.
"But, you think KAY/O likes dark chocolate ganache when he eats his cake? Surely if Omen comes then KAY/O comes. Or you think KAY/O's more of a light Victoria sponge kinda guy?"
The fridge door closed just as he heard Jett laugh, and it's the best sound he's heard since being woken up tonight. He wished she sounded like this from now on, and never had to worry about Seoul or anything else ever again.
"Shut up and put the blueberries on faster, Phoenix."
He knows it's not a realistic expectation, but the best Jett is a happy Jett. Hopefully, they can help each other be happy as long as they're in this together.
Phoenix deliberately paused to look up at her innocently once more, blueberry on the end of his disposable chopsticks.
"Oh, so they're not my midnight snack?"
Jett slaps a carton of cream down on the counter and glared back at him with bright blue eyes and a tight-lipped smirk.
"Phoenix!"
"Fam, it's gonna be 4 AM in no time, surely I deserve a little something sweet. No? Alright, let's get these berries on and then we'll re-negotiate midnight snacks once Skye wakes up for her 4 AM run like a madwoman, yeah?"