|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 10:18 am
Though Cary wasn’t sure if he should believe Chris, using science to explain his logic gave him a few speedbumps he couldn’t work his way over. Cary didn’t really know the technical way things worked and he had no reason to disbelieve that sugar could break them into syrup. Of course, it didn’t explain why he couldn’t have just made the cream first, but Cary found the energy he’d need to make an argument against it a bit too exhausting.
Maybe the cream would lose its shape by then? No, that didn’t make sense.
Cary didn’t spend enough time in the kitchen to know or understand.
”Um, thank you for letting me help.” That sounded so stupid. It was too late though, he’d already said it. Chris was going to know he was so full of it.
He awkwardly held the spoonful of cream until it seemed like it was reasonable to take a step back from the bowl. He didn’t want to eat while he was still in charge of it, but now that Chris had stepped in, he tasted it.
The flavor was–
Well, like Chris had said. Cary didn’t know if he should be glad it was expected or disappointed. He hoped Chris knew what he was doing, if all of this was going to come together and taste good.
“I like it,” Cary said, despite being a bit indifferent to it. He ran the spoon under some water to rinse it off before putting it in the dishwasher. Oh, and since he’d done that, it was probably a good time to wash his hands again. As he did so, he clung to whatever scraps of conversation he could think up to avoid awkwardness. “You’re good with math?”
Oh, well, you probably got good with numbers when you had so much money to count.
Wait–no, that was mean. Cary wished he was good with math but he was average, at best. Maybe if Chris liked math he could just talk about it until everyone came back inside and then Cary could slip away in a totally normal and not cringeworthy way.
He wasn’t even sure he could save it when he asked, “Got any tips?”
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 10:18 am
Chris laughed again, but there was nothing unkind about it. He leaned against the counter as he watched Cary, but seemed to remember that he was supposed to be getting these shortcakes ready, so he turned back to the little biscuits that had been cooling.
“I’m pretty good with math,” he confirmed. He didn’t need to tell Cary that he had a degree in mathematics. That would probably just overwhelm him. “Math is always going to be black and white. It’s just a matter of following the right pattern. Once you’ve got your patterns memorized, it’s just a matter of plugging in the numbers where they belong. If you’d like, I could go over some of your work with you? Oh, but first you should take a break and have a strawberry shortcake. Here, I’ll let you try out the first one before the kids come in,” he offered.
He took one of the biscuits and sliced it in half. The bottom went in the bowl first, then he scooped out a generous dollop of whipped cream, followed by a scoop of strawberries, then the other half of the biscuit on top.
“It’s not fancy. The problem I have with baking versus math is that the x you’re trying to solve for isn’t also burning while you’re trying to figure it out.”
He pushed the bowl to Cary, before making himself one, and then setting out the other bowls for when the kids came in. The biscuit was a little sweet, but it was countered with the unsweetened whipped cream and still slightly tart, sugary strawberries.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 10:20 am
Cary looked embarrassed when Chris offered to help him with math and quickly accepted a strawberry shortcake instead. He took a bite only when he was sure Chris meant for him to, and then nodded. “It’s good,” he said, careful not to chew with his mouth open. Teddy would like this, even if it was the strangest interpretation of ‘cake’ he’d ever tried.
He stayed a bit out of the way, eager to avoid getting crumbs in Chris’ workspace.
The corner of his lip had twitched when Chris joked about solving for a burning x but he tried to hide his face a bit. It was funny but he didn’t want to laugh. He didn’t want to give Chris any ideas about more conversations–which wasn’t really fair to Chris, who had been so kind and accommodating. Cary was just floundering and desperately trying to disappear as much as possible to avoid complicating things for Teddy.
He leaned over just slightly, peering out the window to try and spot where his brother was. He knew he was still safe–he couldn’t be far from the house, but it was so easy for him to worry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 10:21 am
Chris didn’t mind the lack of conversation. He’d gotten more out of Cary than he’d been expecting, so he wasn’t going to push his luck.
“Teddy is lucky to have a brother like you,” he smiled, watching as Cary looked out the window. He offered him a sheepish smile since it seemed a little personal, and went back to organizing the shortcakes.
“They’ll be safe out there. Especially with Eld watching them. Paris and I’ve trusted him with our kids since nearly as long as we’ve known him. He takes it very seriously, even if he’s always goofing off with them.”
Of course he couldn’t tell Cary, but Surtur was probably one of the few he’d trust to help train Eupheme with magic, without tying a direct link to him and Ganymede.
“Want to help me carry these out?” he asked, gesturing to the bowls and the stack of spoons he set out on the counter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 10:23 am
Cary’s gaze immediately snapped to Chris, like he was trying to figure out what he meant by Teddy being lucky to have a brother like him. He was always a little defensive, but after a second he realized that Chris wasn’t teasing him nor did he seem otherwise insincere.
He mumbled a soft word of embarrassed thanks, but he looked a bit sheepish and unsure of how to respond when Chris had said it.
While Cary didn’t know Eld very well, he knew that Teddy had never said anything disparaging about him, and had even mentioned having fun while he was around. Cary stayed suspicious, because if Teddy was going to lower his guard then it just meant he needed to up his own.
He wasn’t sure if he wanted to help Chris take anything out, but he’d asked, so Cary nodded, certain that he could do so without dropping anything. He wanted to ask what Chris meant by his first comment. Instead, he just said, “I can help,” he did his best to do so.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
