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For the first couple of weeks it had been hard to keep a schedule for himself. Although quick-healing due to being a magically gifted person, he had taken a considerable beating at XS and the purification had taken its toll on him as well, leaving him spending more time than not in bed between times where someone had woken him for food-- Cordelia, sometimes, but often Fiona.

Bit by bit he'd worked his way up to ventures through the rest of the house; sitting by the window to peer outside, wandering around the common areas while trying to stay out of the way, not wanting to impose on the hospitality that had been offered.

This morning he'd woke feeling different, more awake and like himself than he had in days. It found him heading down to the kitchen in a loose pair of pajama pants and a muscle tank to poke through the fridge for something to throw together for breakfast. "Eggs, sausage... Good start." He murmured to himself, setting them on the counter along with a stick of butter. From the cabinet he got flour and oil. He could make hotcakes... How long had it been since he'd make breakfast? s**t.

"I think I've got everything under control-- Haven't lost enough muscle mass that I can't lift a pan or mix up some batter, but I am glad you're here. I was hoping you were here, actually. Thought I'd make breakfast." He held up the pan for emphasis only to make a gesture to the ingredients on the counter.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you? Also... Thank you. I doubt I'd be looking any better if it weren't for you looking out for me."

"From my experience with kitchens-- What I can remember about my experience with kitchens, at least-- Once you find your way around one, you can generally find your way around another." He spoke in a 'matter of fact' sort of way, betraying an almost over-confident swagger to his tones. It wasn't as though he was intentionally trying to be an a**, but it could certainly come off that way and he tried to off-set it by flashing her another warm smile.

"Hotcakes, sausage and eggs sound good to you? I... You're really not comfortable letting someone else have the reigns in your kitchen, are you? Or is it the relaxing bit? With Cordelia it's the relaxing bit... If it would make you feel better you can help with the eggs? They never turn out fluffy enough when I scramble them." Not entirely true, but he could concede that this once.

"By all means, then." He made a gesture to the glass bowl he'd gotten out to mix the eggs together in, letting her have that part of the counter while he heated a griddle to start the hotcakes.

"I owe you. I know that you're going to say that I don't, and that Cordy is going to say that I don't, but I know what you put on the line for me-- I owe you, and breakfast seemed like a good place to start. Maybe breakfast every day for the next... Rest of my life?" He smirked, throwing out that teasing line in an attempt to keep things light himself.

"Or maybe once I've gotten back into better shape I can move whatever furniture you need rearranged."

"I'd like to hope that if I had been a touch too far on the dark side of things that someone would have stopped me. As a matter of fact," he put a bit of oil onto the griddle, spreading it around evenly before picking up the bowl filled with batter, "judging by the good knock I took to the head, amongst other things, I think someone did stop me." He had just been fortunate enough that Corvus had stopped her, from what he'd been told.

"Are you saying that you and Ms Carden get into enough trouble that I'll have enough reason to swoop in and save the day without having to take the time to plan out something special to thank the two of you? Does that mean I'm off the hook for breakfast?" He flashed her a teasing grin, pausing mid-pour.

"The thought of going back to what I was, even without remembering it, puts a sick feeling in my stomach. I might not recall specific details, but there are feelings-- Flashes of emotion, if that makes any sense. I think it was what I, what Rik felt about everything. He was lost and miserable and alone and I... I can remember that. I just don't know why he, why I felt that way." It was odd talking about himself like that. It didn't make sense just as much as it did.

"Whatever it was, I know that's not who I am now. It's a little hard to be alone when you've got lovely company helping you put breakfast together." He teased lightly in an attempt to clear the air again, flashing her a grin as he finished pouring the batter, watching for the little air bubbles that would signal when one of the hot cakes was ready to be flipped.

"Really?" He laughed as gave her hand a gentle squeeze before drawing back so that he could check and flip the first hotcake only to decide to wait just a little bit longer on the others. "I generally find someone telling me that flattery will get me absolutely nowhere at all. Bet you couldn't guess who tells me that..." His tones were still light and teasing as he shifted to grab another pan for her to scrambled the eggs in while he started the sausage patties on the opposite end of the griddle pan.

"I also don't think you'll have to worry about me feeling that way again. I-- I couldn't tell you why, exactly." He assumed it had something to do with the purification; peeling the layers of pain and darkness away from his starseed and setting it on a new, brighter path.

"Everything is starting to smell pretty good, though, don't you think?"

"You'll worry and Cordelia will worry. It's because the two of you are sweet. You care and instead of it breaking you I think it makes you stronger." His gaze was lingering on her with admiration as he spoke and likely would have for a bit longer had a bit of grease from the sausage patties not snapped up at him. Arin drew in a hiss of breath, shaking his hand off before readjusting his grip on the spatula, flipping the sausage patties and then checking on the pancakes.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know. I never would have realized just how much I missed tossing something like this together..." It had to have had something to do with whatever garbage he'd been putting into his system prior to the accident. Protein bars, energy shakes... God knows what.

"I think we're just about done on my side, as soon as the patties finish browning. "