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“….This is the reinforcements?”
Eddie was hoping for a little bit more then this – more then a one and lonely Robin standing at the steps of his motor home, dressed in her patched jean jacket and some t-shirt with a fancy art design on it.
“Yeah, well, lucky for you Nancy got called in to help with some newspaper emergency – maybe for the first time they had an influx of people actually wanting to read the school paper.” Robin said, easily moseying past Eddie as she hopped the doorstep inside. Eddie sighed, closing the door.
“I was kind of banking on Wheeler for this; didn’t really expect to get the sidekick instead..”
Robin let out a defensive ‘hey!’, but when Eddie just raised his brow, she simply shrugged and said ‘yeah I guess that’s fair..” Eddie snorted.
“If Wheeler’s out then, let’s just hope we have enough combined brains to get us through this..”
He stepped past Robin and into the kitchen – towards the spelling of his disaster. On his and his uncles rickedy, grease-stained stove, lay the spread of ingredients. Crisp bags of flour and sugar, other boxes of powders, butter sticks, another type of sugar, and the respective cupcake liners and tins. Not to mention, all the mix-matched measuring tools he had to ask to borrow off people he knew; to say him and Uncle Wayne had never even seen a fresh-baked cookie, was an understatement.
But it was Valentines tomorrow – and if Eddie could pull this off, then it’d be the perfect gift. With his baking knowledge though, it would’ve been more then dumb to attempt this solo. Hence, having to call on friends to back him up.
“Ouch, first of all,” Robin followed behind him, coming up to hover over the ingredients “secondly, this cannot be hard to accomplish if school-grade kids are able to put on bake-sales.”
“Pray tell then Buckley, what baking experience do you have?”
“None, admittedly, but, you are talking to an AP science student three years running – baking is just a bunch of chemical reactions! Easy!”
“I swear to god Buckley, if these cupcakes actually explode –”
“Relax, would you?? It’s a dozen bake of cupcakes, not a university exam..”
“Did you also happen to pass the early admissions on those too?” Eddie shot back. Now, Robin glared up at him, folding her arms.
“..You know, I can easily go get Harrington instead if you think that’d be better..–”
Robin pretended to start strolling by Eddie, headed for the door – only for a thick arm to whip out and grasp hers with an accompanying hiss,
“No, wait! You can’t leave me here in my time of need! I’m desperate!”
And he was, which is probably why he immediately resorted to grovelling. He knew he couldn’t be trusted to do this on his own, already picturing himself burning the motor home down with one slip up – which would end up with both zero desserts, and also his uncle being incredibly pissed.
If he wanted these desserts perfect for her, then he needed help.
Luckily, Robin was only pulling his tail. She easily stepped back in with a grin, clasping him on the back.
“Fear not, Ozzy Osborne, we’ll have these treats lookin’ perfect for your lady.” Robin assured, leaning in over the single, worn scrap of paper she assumes is the recipe “This the recipe? Where’d the hell you even get this from?”
“Borrowed, Buckley – don’t worry about it.” Eddie hastily grabbed the faded paper with it’s hand-written instructions, scanning for the part that read ‘step 1’ and taking a deep breath “Let’s just start this nightmare, shall we?”
“I’m so glad we’re off to a positive start. Your move mistro.”
-
“Okay, so, first step is to preheat the oven.”
“I could’ve predicted that.”
“It says to preheat at 350..so….turn it on?”
“Yes. And set it to 350.”
“…..”
“…Where did we loose you Munson? Know what, nevermind – here, let me set it. You are aware it has to be a specific temperature, right?”
“Yeah I know that. But, like..do we have to wait till then, or can we just stick the damn things in there as it gets to 350?..”
“Good lord….”
-
“Alright, that’s the final dry ingredient..”
“Great, I’ve got the other bowl for the butter and sugar..”
“Why the hell is the sugar with the wet ingredients instead of the dry?”
“Hell if I know.”
“I thought you were the AP science student.”
“Hey, I just work here.”
-
“It says to beat until combined..”
“I’m thinking it’s time for our friend the electric mixer. How did you even get your hands on one of these anyway?”
“I have my ways.”
“You meaning to tell me you sold someone drugs in trade for a baking mixer?”
“Funny – I mean that I asked Gareth’s mom the last time I was over if I could borrow it. Lovely woman, she’s been the baking sale champ three years running.”
“And does Gareth, or even any of them, know what you’re doing?”
“Spill and you’re a dead man.”
-
“...Why is the flour bag upside down on the floor?”
“...Well, I could give you a long story of my deep-seated clumsiness –”
“Buckley there’s flour all over –”
“Look, this is gunna be a really funny story later on..”
-
“..What..what the fuck is this suppose to say?! One teaspoon and what?!”
“Let me see – ..1 1½ teaspoon, Ed.”
“Who the hell writes it like that?! How’re you suppose to know if it’s one half of a teaspoon or one plus a half?!”
“I dunno, people who actually bake?”
“Jesus fuck, this is wizard’s chess..”
-
“Alright, I’m adding the mashed bananas to the mixture….and hey, look at that! We’ve got fully made batter!”
“...”
“Eddie?..”
“It says to fill the tin cups three quarters of the way full. What the fuck am I suppose to do, get a measuring ruler? Fuck, I’m just gunna fill em.”
“Do you want a ruler?”
“Don’t mock me Buckley.”
-
“Says 18-20 minutes to cook. You know how put on the timer at least, don’t you?”
“Fuck you yes I know how to turn on the timer!”
“….Okay that’s the oven temperature button –”
-
The whole kitchen was a mess.
Sugar and powders dusted the whole of the kitchen counter. Droplets of batter where spread throughout too, even with some on the walls. The sink was stacked high with dishes, making it’s own mountain. Despite trying to sweep up earlier, there were still foot prints on the floor.
And our two heroes were sitting directly down on the floor, up against the cupboards and trying to catch back up to themselves, watching their confections bake in the oven.
“God..” Robin muttered “why does it feel like I got a full-body workout?..”
“Don’t throw in the towel yet Rob.” Eddie peered into the oven window, squinting to get a good look at the puffing pastries “There’s still the icing to go..”
“How could I forget..” Robin sighed; she reached up to grasp the recipe waiting on the counter, eyes slowly scanning down the page until they jumped out “Molasses frosting?!”
“Congrats on reading ahead.”
“This is way over my pay-grade Munson. You are aware they sell icing in stores, right?”
“It needs to be this one.” Eddie pressed, finally leaning back from the oven before his whole face got a tan “Alright? It’s just-it’s got to be perfect.”
Robin didn’t say anything right away. With her motor-mouth, Eddie could only take that as a bad sign. He felt her gaze boring into the side of his head, ruminating.
“...Alright, look, you’re getting an A+ in Good Boyfriend for thinking outside the box and making your girlfriend treats for Valentines. That, I won’t deny.” She eyed Eddie carefully, folding her arms back together “But what’s so damn important about these cupcakes?..”
“….Because they’re Chrissy’s favourite.” Eddie finally answered, seeing Robin perk up “She told me all about them, before..before we even started dating. She said her dad used to make her these amazing banana cupcakes, with this super sweet frosting – and there were her absolute favourite. He’d make them for her when she was really little, but..then..her mom, made her dad stop making them because, for some fucked up reason, she thought a four-year-old would get too fat..”
Eddie bit into his lip, refraining himself from more..colourful language, he wanted to use against Chrissy’s mom. From the corner of his vision, Robin was shaking her head quietly.
“And she hasn’t had one since, but she still talks about them. So, last time I was visiting her, when she took a phone call from her mom, I snuck off and stole it out of that super thick recipe book they keep atop their fridge..”
“..I knew that recipe looked way-too homemade.” Robin teased.
“God bless her dad for keeping it organized..” Eddie smiled faintly “..I mean, I coulda gotten any old stupid chocolate bear or cake or something, but..I just knew how happy Chris would be if she got to have these, so..why not go all out, you know?..”
“...Oh man..”
Eddie turned his head. Robin was grinning from ear to ear, a kind warmth glinting in the blue eyes.
“You are in trouble my friend.”
Eddie started chuckling, unable to help it. This, he knew. If any of his other friends in the Hellfire crowd tried to tease him about how down bad he was, they’d be drinking their next few school lunches through a straw. But, sitting here, almost covered in flour watching his only ever handmade cupcakes rise, well, who was he kidding?
“Yeah, probably. But, if I had to be for anyone..”
“I know. And she’s lucky too..”
Eddie caught the grin again. He was quick to smile back.
“Well hey, if they turn out edible, it’ll all be because of your knowledge Buckley. Now, how do you feel about icing?”
-
“Okay, we got the butter, we got the cream cheese..”
“Yeah, I’m just – fuck – I’m trying to get the mixer to work, why isn’t it turning on?”
“Oh, I unplugged it earlier – here, let me just..”
“No wait Robin not right now! –”
“Oh shit –”
“Fuck! Shit – too fast – turn it off turn it off! Buckley –”
“I got it I got it!”
“….”
“….”
“...Well that butter lives there now.”
“Given it’s stuck to the ceiling, I don’t think anyone will really notice it...”
-
“That’s the last ingredient; is that it? Do we have icing?”
“It looks passable. I guess we can try it. Here, take a spoon..”
“….”
“...”
“..Fuck, that is good. No wonder Chrissy still dreams of this.”
“If she doesn’t marry you for this icing alone Munson..”
-
“Eddie you can’t just slap icing onto the cupcake.”
“I’m not slapping – your spreading technique is taking too long anyway!”
“Good thing Chrissy isn’t with you for your presentation..”
“Have you met me?”
-
“And...that’s..the last..one! We friggin did it!”
“A dozen cupcakes, baked and iced.”
“They’ve got personality, at the least..”
“...I’m never fucking baking again.”
“Touche.”
-
Chrissy definitely wasn’t suppose to show up today.
But it was like once the final cupcake was placed on the rack, the cheery ‘hey eddie?’ heard outside the door was instantaneous I thought you said she was at cheer practice all day! Robin panicked as she hurriedly tried to move the cupcakes while Eddie hissed a she was suppose to! back.
Turns out, cheer practice had finished early, and Chrissy came by to return his jacket he’d forgotten the other day. His own attempts at nonchalance were dubious at best, and once Chrissy spotted Robin scurrying inside, and the fact that there was frosting in her boyfriend’s hair, the whole thing kinda gave itself away.
“So, you two are working through what looks like a baking apocalypse..” Chrissy glanced around at the utter mess, a brow going up in amusement “just for fun or?..”
Eddie sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. In the pause, Robin saw an opportunity, leaping in with a smile.
“It may actually be because your boyfriend wanted to make you a certain dessert..”
Chrissy quirked her head. No longer able to keep it a secret, Robin stepped away from where she’d hurriedly hid the cupcakes behind the stacks of ingredients, pulling them back to reveal the fresh, warm, banana desserts. Immediately, the shock of realization hit Chrissy at once, the two catching the petite gasp. The cheerleader edged forward inside the kitchen, fingers grasping out towards them.
“Are those actually..”
Eddie watched her on baited breath – hoping, and praying, there was no fall of disappointment for any discrepancies they made. When he felt Robin’s swift kick in the ankle, he shuffled forward.
“They were uh..suppose to be a Valentines gift for tomorrow...” He hated how nervous he was, trying to clear his throat “Buckley and I probably butchered the shit out of them, but..A for effort, maybe..?
Chrissy could only stand there, in this tiny kitchen that was completely decimated, just trying to take it in. The manicured, yellow fingernails reached forward to take a cupcake – delicately, as if it was made of glass – and bring it near her face, taking a slow breath in to inhale the nostalgic scent of banana. Eddie’s lips twitched.
Finally, she turned to him. The soft, almost heartbreaking smile lighting up her whole face meant everything to Eddie.
“I can’t believe..” She murmured, walking back up to him to take his hand, fitting just under his jaw “I can’t believe you remembered..”
Eddie felt himself start to smile all over too, probably looking like a goof. But he couldn’t really care when Chrissy looked so happy.
“I just...you got so excited when you talked about them. I knew they were your favourite.” He murmured, ducking his head down “I just uh..wanted to bring them back to you..”
Frankly, Chrissy could ask for the whole entire moon, and Eddie would do his damnedest to lasso it and bring it down for her. That much he knew. He smiled down at her.
“You should go and give one a bite Cunningham; I mean, I would, before calling it a total success –”
Chrissy jumped up from her tippy toes, throwing herself onto Eddie with arms tightly locked around his neck. The metalhead barely had time to grasp onto her in return, surprised chuckles falling out as he felt her squeezing onto him. Altogether, he melted into the embrace, soaking her in as the trademarked, faint smell of strawberry shampoo started clogging his nose. He would admit, that those banana cupcakes did smell pretty damn good – but this would always be his favourite scent.
And when Chrissy eagerly grasped around his face to pull him into a thundering kiss – Robin smiling to herself from the side – Eddie couldn’t even mind the flour that’d gotten into his socks or his burnt fingertips from trying to pull the cakes out their tins.
Worth it.