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Having experience as an employed chef did not mean you would automatically gain the knowledge of baking . Those were two different things , both by book and by experience . Being asked or convinced to prepare dinner for the household was not uncommon for Skadj . It could save them money , if you do not count the ingredients they would have to buy .
Skadj loved cooking anyway , so it was a win-win situation for him , and perhaps , for Apollo too . He had made himself comfortable in their kitchen , after asking his housemate a little too many times , making use of the house's refrigerator and cabinets that Apollo would have forgotten about unless he wished to store leftovers .
The Alaskan perked up from his seat once his eyes scanned the text displayed on his phone's screen .
“Come down,” it ominously read , but he was not concerned , seeing that it was from his own housemate . He was ready to listen to Apollo's requests for dinner , if his assumption was right .
Yet , when he came down , he was dumbfounded by the items on the kitchen table . Those were not for cooking . Skadj felt his heart skipped a beat , not in a good way . He felt like a deer in the headlights and he wanted to take his chance and run .
Apollo immediately took a hold of his wrist and pulled him back , causing him to almost trip . “I'm not doing this!” Skadj cried out , audible cackles escaping his throat as he tried to struggle . He knew exactly what the taller male had planned .
Ever since he had arrived at the house , he could not recall if they had done a celebration together . Maybe , a few drinks and hugs for Skadj , but that was about it .
“Who says I'm giving you a choice?” Apollo teased and he let his hand down once the other male settled properly on his feet , playfulness visible on his face . “You're stuck with me now.”
Gladly , Skadj thought to himself . He would never admit that out loud , but Apollo would know , given that a smile was stretching onto his cheeks . Plus , he was pretty bad at hiding his likeness towards the male . “Fine, but only because you're forcing me to. I'm totally not interested.”
That gained a laugh from Apollo . He would have called the other out if it were not for the fact that he would do the same thing , pretending like he did not have a soft spot for Skadj . His chat knew , his close friends would know too and Skadj ? He definitely would have the idea . They were an open book to each other .
“That'd mean no cookies for you,” Apollo remarked simply , taking out a large bowl for them to mix the ingredients in . At first , Skadj seemed almost offended , ready to retort , but he ended up frowning in defeat . Apollo chuckled at the change .
He reached for the measuring cup as he listened to Skadj's whines , amused by the male's attitude . As people would say , they were like two peas in a pod , and Apollo felt comforted by it .
The first procedure started off alright . A little messy , but nothing that they could not handle . The waiting time was irritating . According to the recipe , it was to prevent the cookie dough from overspreading , but what could be the worst thing to happen ? Apollo certainly protested against Skadj's idea of finding out though .
“Coward!” The younger man exclaimed , gaining an eye roll from the other . “What now?”
A shrug .
Apollo hummed , eyeing the time . “Movie?” His suggestion was instantly agreed on by Skadj , who simply wanted the hours to pass by fast.
They sat down in the living room, putting on whatever they both thought was bearable . The both of them could hardly focus on the movie , eyes constantly shifting somewhere else . The floor , the walls , the ceiling , the time .. The damn time .
Somehow , the hours felt like eternity .
Neither of them could find the ability to speak up , afraid that the other was enjoying the movie . It led to them being in an awkward silence for 3 hours , and rushing to the kitchen without a second thought when the timer eventually beeped .
The stored dough was placed onto the countertop . Both of them stared at it in awe , pleased with the result . “Now, we're getting onto the shaping part.”
Skadj nodded, “How hard can it be?” His tone was a mix of lighthearted as well as uncertain .
He was nervous , Apollo understood .
Using a tablespoon , the two scooped out the cookie dough in a respective amount and rolled each of said amount into a ball . Skadj had to take a peek at Apollo a few times before he grew enough confidence to proceed .
“There,” He placed down the last one onto the tray and exchanged eye contact with Apollo , who gave him an approving nod .
The tray was carefully inserted into the preheated oven , the door to it was shut closed after . “13 minutes,” the taller man uttered , turning to Skadj , who returned his glance .
“What can we do in 13 minutes?”
“I don't know,” Apollo shrugged as he stepped away from the oven . “We can do a lot in 13 minutes,” He snorted , trying and failing to sound smart , having no answer to Skadj's quick “Like what?”
They were back in the living room , scrolling through their phone mindlessly . Apollo stole a glance at his housemate a few times . “You know, it would have made more sense if it was a cake instead of cookies, but you don't like cakes.”
Skadj shook his head , a hint of excitement plastered on his face as he processed the fact that Apollo remembered. “Nope, not a big fan.” He was about to return to his phone when he felt an extra weight on him . Apollo was leaning on him .
He was speechless for a moment , his mouth staying open but what could come out was only the air that he breathed . “Tired already?” His sentence was supposed to come out like a sneer , yet it sounded like care . The hand of the younger male found its way to Apollo's hair , gently running through it .
Stuck on what to do , Skadj let himself relaxed on his seat , feeling himself growing exhausted too . Little by little , he felt himself driven deeper into slumber and his vision faded into the darkness .
The house fell quiet , with the silence occasionally interrupted by audible snores of the two . For a few , it was peaceful . The stress and burden that were continuously pestering their lives were forgotten about as they let rest consumed them .
Skadj felt a hand on his shoulder , it gently pushing him down until he was laid down on the sofa . His upper eyelids remained heavy as a faint ticking rang in his ears . His heartbeat throbbed . A wave of nervousness washed over him as if he was a helpless sailor .
An embarrassing whine slipped through his lips , though it was hushed within a minute . He found himself weak , calmed down by the reminder that he was not alone . He heard his name said but struggled on fighting the tiredness .
The same voice called his name out again and his shoulders stiffened , unsure if he should be worried as the figure loomed over him . He slowly opened his eyes , failing to hold in a yawn . He was met with a grin from his housemate , sitting up promptly .
“The cookies-” Apollo cut him off with a hug . Skadj took a minute to take it in , arms contemplating on their choices . It was not the usual for the older man to initiate physical touch first . It had him puzzled , but he could not reject his greed , too starved for contacts .
He return the hug tightly , burying his face in Apollo's shoulder . He was confident that the latter found him stupid and he would not deny that was the truth . He was stupid , foolish for even a short hug .
So , he did not mind when he felt the other man pulled away , remaining a giddy smile . “What was that for?” Apollo replied with a seemingly shy one . “For ..getting out of Alaska? Anyways, I've taken care of them, you don't have to worry.”
They shared a laugh , content with each other's presence . The two of them agreed on ordering takeouts for dinner . Apollo refused to tire his housemate any further despite Skadj's reassurance .
How nice it was to have someone that cares .