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Scott Ryder looked at a baking pan he just placed on his desk. After four failed attempts, this time he had made sure to do everything correctly, so hopefully the pie finally turned out to be edible.
Telling Sahuna Ama Darav about his favorite types of pie inspired him, and he ended up wanting to learn how to make one himself. To no one’s surprise, Sara had not been very helpful when it came to the process itself, but she had helped him to acquire ingredients.
After reading numerous recipes and considering his options for what felt like forever, Scott had decided that using fruits native to Aya would be a good idea. They were easy to obtain, he had had Sahuna’s notes for reference, and most importantly, they were bound to make a nice surprise.
No one would ever hear about Scott’s first four failed attempts at making pie, because Sam had been sworn to secrecy.
This was the final attempt. If it turned out to be awful, Scott would just give up. He would be disappointed in himself, but he was tired, and there was no point in wasting any more ingredients. He poked the pie with a fork once, then twice, before finally taking a small bite.
It was delicious. Not a flavor Scott ever encountered before, but it was rich, sweet, and also slightly sour. He liked it, and he hoped he would not be the only one.
As soon as he made sure the pie was ready, Scott started getting ready for the date, too.
Pie, check. A large bowl of fruits from Aya, and an equally big bowl of fruits from Earth, check. Drinks recommended by Sahuna and Avela the day before, check. Maybe Scott had gone a little bit overboard with everything, but he doubted anything would go to waste. Liam had helped him to pick a movie they thought everyone should enjoy, and Cora and Sara had promised to make sure they would not be disturbed, unless there was absolutely no other choice. Everything was going well.
Just as Scott finished cleaning up the place, SAM let him know that his guests arrived. Just on time.
“Hello, dear one,” Jaal said as soon as the door opened, then pressed his forehead to Scott’s tenderly.
“Hi, Jaal,” Scott muttered, before kissing the Angara gently. When Jaal smiled against his lips, Scott pecked him once more. Then the Pathfinder turned to look at the other person standing in the middle of the cabin, clearly trying very hard to not look awkward.
“Hi, Evfra,” Scott walked up to the other Angara, glancing at his lips briefly.
It was Evfra’s first time aboard the Tempest, and their relationship was still relatively new, so Scott wanted to give the other man space, letting him call the shots, even thought he really, really wanted to kiss Evfra right then.
Fortunately, it seemed like Evfra felt the same, because he pressed the gentlest of kisses to the corner of Scott’s mouth in greeting, making Scott sigh contentedly.
“It is good to see you, too, Pathfinder.”
“I told you not to call me that,” Scott complained immediately, smacking one Rofjinn-covered shoulder gently, and making Evfra smirk in the process.
When Scott turned his head to show his guests everything he prepared for their date night, he noticed that Jaal was already looking at the pie with curiosity he usually reserved for equipment he tried to understand, or for things Scott and Liam told him about the Milky Way.
“This looks nothing like when my true mother had tried to make it,” Jaal noted with bewilderment. “Is that how it was supposed to look like?”
“Pretty much,” Scott laughed, before catching Evfra’s hand in his, and manhandling him into siting down on the sofa. Evfra, most likely still a bit perplexed, even though he tried very hard to hide it, did not put up a fight. He was looking around the cabin, until his eyes settled on Scott’s Space Hamster, Nibbles, who was currently not paying attention to anything except the food dish Scott had refilled right before Jaal and Evfra arrived.
“What is it called?”
“That’s my hamster, Nibbles. Loves food and back scratches. Just like you do, so you should get along just fine.”
Evfra rolled his eyes at the comment, but with the corner of his eye Scott caught Jaal smiling as he helped Scott to plate the food and pour the drinks.
“So, full disclosure, I’ve never baked anything in my entire life, and also I’ve never prepared anything involving angaran fruit before, but I hope you’ll like it,” Scott knew he was rambling, but for some reason he couldn’t stop. “Jaal, I know you said food from the Milky Way tastes bland to you, so I asked your mother for tips on how to prepare angaran fruit. This was not easy.”
“I am sure it will be delicious, dear one,” Jaal said, setting two glasses on the small coffee table, while Scott handed Evfra one more glass and a piece of pie.
Soon, all three of them were sitting on the sofa, Jaal on Scott’s right side, Evfra on the left, enjoying the pie. The small bite Scott had taken earlier clearly wasn’t enough to properly assess its taste, because it turned out to be even more flavorful that he had assumed earlier. The fruits were not as moist as he expected them to be, and it was maybe a bit too sour, but it was good. Unusual, but tasty.
What was the best about the pie, however, was getting to watch Jaal and Evfra enjoy it. Jaal was very vocal about how much he liked it, and about the texture being unusual but appealing, even if it was a bit dry. Evfra was quiet as he took the first bite, but then his eyes widened slightly at the taste, and when he looked at Scott right then, the Pathfinder found it difficult not to smile.
“So, what do you think? Not too bad?”
“It is good,” Evfra said, thoughtful, and for a second Scott thought that he had done something wrong, but then he caught Jaal smiling at him comfortingly. Jaal was the one who had told Scott what Evfra’s favorite fruit was, and after that conversation Scott had immediately went to the market to acquire as many as possible. He was glad he had ended up buying far more than was necessary. There were still plenty left, so he would just give them to Evfra later anyway.
“Good to hear,” Scott bumped his shoulder against Evfra’s Rofjinn-covered one. “Now that I know more about how to prepare some of the fruits from Aya, I might take a look at some other recipes Sahuna sent me this week, and-“
Suddenly, a pair of soft lips pressed against Scott’s, successfully shushing him. Evfra’s fingers brushed the back of Scott’s neck gently as the Angara muttered:
“Thank you.”
Scott pecked him on the lips once more. “I’m glad I could make something for you. Both of you.”
As they enjoyed the rest of the pie in silence, Scott leaned against Jaal’s shoulder, one hand settling on Evfra’s thigh. Once Jaal was done eating he immediately wrapped one arm around Scott’s shoulders, his fingers brushing against Evfra’s neck from time to time.
Sitting there between the two Angara, Scott felt safe and content, and he decided that he would do everything in his power to make sure the three of them could do this as often as possible.