Carhop:
Weary head hung down and eyes to the floor, Lex shambled his way to the cafeteria, mentally rehearsing his in person apology. Often times, Lex had to apologize to his mother at Her behest, and the apologies were always fake. Lex wanted his apology to Seren to be real, authentic. He knew what he said and the way he had acted on Twitter was wrong, even under the circumstances of hormones, a terrible night’s sleep, and the gaping hole in his roof which Marcus was hopefully going to get fixed soon.
Shuffling into the kitchens, Lex easily found the older woman thanks to her bright hair. “H-hey, Seren.” He sounded dejected, a kicked puppy’s voice. “Sorry about Twitter. It was really terrible of me to snap at you like that.” Steel gray eyes met hers, the beginnings of tears forming in the corners. “It’s not an excuse, but the hole in my roof has been making it so-“ a very loud, unplanned yawn- “Damn hard to get any sleep.”

Aria:
Seren was leaning on the wall in the cafeteria kitchen, waiting for Lex to come in, looking pretty relaxed. She looked up when he arrived, and blinked at his posture and then his tone. Oh ho ho, he was feeling really honestly guilty, was he? Good to know. She reached over and up to gently tap Lex on the nose. "You are forgiven, but try to think before you tweet in the future, ok?" Her tone was fond and caring, definitely sisterly in tone.

"All right, so before I make anything, you got any food restrictions I should know about? Like allergies, or things you have actual objections to for good reason, like bein' a vegetarian?" Her tone made it clear she was not down with 'I don't like that' whines, though she'd try not to force him to eat things he hated. "And for me to teach you anything, I need to know what you do know. Have you learned to make basic pasta? Like... boil noodles and sauce?"

Carhop:
The nose tap earned Seren a small, near yelp-like noise, but a relieved smile as well. He would call Seren mom, if Ms. Caroline had not already taken that title and roll. “Y-yeah, think before I️ tweet, got it.”

Lex blinked rapidly once Aeren started talking Food. “Uh, I’ve got some weirdly rare allergic reaction to chocolate. I️ break out in hives.” It was a huge problem, really, since he loved mochas so much. Lex’s mother had forced him to switch to black coffee, insisting that f tasted just as good. It didn’t. “And uh...I️ can make Kraft Mac, and microwave tamales.” Lex Just then realized how much he would miss Mrs. Espiga; she made the best pork and green chili tamales in the world, and for fifty cents each? God.

Aria:
She laughed at his reaction, not a mean laugh, just an amused laugh, because it was rather silly. "Good choice. It's a lesson I had to learn too, though for other reasons. C'mon, kiddo, you can relax, ok?"

She considered thoughtfully, and said "You... maybe could manage some chocolate now? Your FEAR shield should prevent SERIOUS issues. You might still get itchy hives, but it would not be serious or dangerous... Just itchy. Don't know, might not be worth it, but you really have my sympathies. I'd want to die if I could not have chocolate, especially chocolate cake, again." She sighed softly and considered his words. "Huh. Well I don't know how to make tamales, never was taught, so I can't make you those to take home and freeze, then heat, but... At least you can boil noodles, since you eed that for Kraft Mac. That's a start."

She tapped her nails on the counter she was leaning against, and then said "Do you have any experience with Korean food?"

Carhop:
Lex was not at all used to 'relaxing' when in trouble, as his mother's anger was usually a three day affair. Mother wasn't here, though, and that was good - hell, it was more than good. The absence of Lex's mother was a god damned blessing, as far as he was concerned. He could always tell that she only gave birth to him to get her father's money, from the way she acted towards him and how often she cheated on dad. Lex hated her.

"Um, that's pretty cool, but I hate the hives. They look terrible and itch like a motherfuc- nuisance." Lex corrected himself, fearful to use his potty mouth around people like Seren and Caroline. "I really want red velvet cake, though." He sighed, wistfully looking in the direction of a bag of flour. Stupid ******** allergy.

"Korean food? Uh, don't think so. If I did my math right, the first time I was 15 was 2002, and I don't think Korean food had made it to Vegas yet. We only just got a Panda Express, if I remember right." He paused for a second, racking his brain. "Mom mostly made shitty - ah, sorry, - crappy casseroles and borscht. So much damn borscht." Beets made Lex sick, now.

AriaStarstone:
Seren's brows rose at both his comment about them look terrible... Well he was 15, looking good was a serious concern at that age, for the boys she'd known. And most of the girls, too. She never considered it for herself, most of the time, but on the rare occasions she... Nope not going down that mental road... And also at his cutting off his own swearing. Interesting, did he think she would be offended? She would have to keep an eye on that.

"Well maybe if you, like, take an antihystamine before hand, you could have Red Velvet once in awhile? I've never made that cake, though I do bake a mean chocolate cake..." An odd smile crossed her face for a moment, as she remembered the last time she had baked chocolate cake. "I could maybe see about doing it some time, but you'd have to be one hundred percent sure you wanted to test this." She sighed and added "Chocolate allergies would destroy me, no joke."

She blinked and had to not giggle when he apologized for saying 'shitty.' Oh man, he was trying to not swear here. Was it around her, or girls in general? Whatever his reason, it was adorable. Part of her wanted to tell him it was cool, because she didn't care, and frankly swore like a sailor... the other part was like 'good for him to remember to be respectful.' For the moment, she decided to leave it be. "Well are you up for trying Korean food, then? It can be spicy, I should warn you."

Carhop:
"As long as it doesn't have beets, Ms. Yong? I'm totally down to eat whatever you wanna make." Despite how terrible his mother's food was, and how much he complained about it, Lex missed home cooked food. Marcus brought some things his wife made over every once in a while, but he survived mostly on cafeteria food and snacks that sympathetic older hunters could spare for him, which he was grateful for. Lex loved his sugary s**t food, even though mother hardly ever bought it for him.

"I'd be willing to try anything to eat that cake." Lex smiled fondly, remembering the first time he'd eaten red velvet cake - but also cringed, as that memory was tied to the day his family had discovered Lex's allergy. "What's your favorite food, other than chocolate, ma'am?"

AriaStarstone:
"Please, call me Seren. We're not that far apart in age, at least experientially speaking. I'm only 18, dude!" She teased gently, and moved over to give him a shoulder hug. "And all right. Let's... I'll make you some pajeon. First thing I ever cooked my boyfriend, actually, and he loves them." She paused, reviewed that statement, and added "Then I tought him to cook them, too, cause they're delicious but pretty simple." She went and gathered up a bunch of onions, flour, and other ingredients. "If you want to know how to cook 'em, I can teach you, too."

She pulled out a good knife, and made sure it was sharp, and not chipped, and a good chopping board, then set them to on side as she washed the onions. "We should get you some antihystamines, then, and test it with a small bit of chocolate. If you don't have too many issues, we can go from there." She sighed a little, at his question and being called ma'am, though she was clearly not offended. "I... don't know. Fried chicken, maybe? Or maybe even what I'm making you now, pajeon? Hard to say... I'm not the biggest eater, for..." She paused, then in a tone that sounded uncomfortable, finished with "reasons."

Carhop:
"Seren, gotcha." Lex nodded, then started. "Wait, you're only 18? Christ, here I thought you were the same age as Ms. Caroline...but that's not a bad thing!! She's like what, 30?" Lex knew he wasn't supposed to talk about a woman's age, according to mother, but sometimes he still slipped up. This was definitely one of those times.

"Uh, pajeon? What...what is that?" The look on the teenager's face wasn't unpleasant or repulsed, just confused. It looked as if Lex was tasting the word on his tongue, rolling it around his mouth and seeing how it felt. "I mean, it isn't something that demands a lot effort or maintenance, right? " He was just a teenage boy, after all. There were better things to focus on than cooking, like girls and dirt bikes, and girls.

"Fried chicken is the s**t." Lex agreed with Seren's food choice, nodding along excitedly as he watched her handle the onions. Only a few seconds later, after a bit of uncomfortable silence, did Lex note the uncomfortable tone to Seren's voice. "Ya don't gotta talk about it, Seren. Um, in fact, let's talk about...your boyfriend! Who is he? Is he nice to you?" Lex's eyes gleamed, as if he could do anything about Seren's boyfriend if he wasn't nice to her. He had a gun now, after all.

AriaStarstone:
Seren looked amused for a moment at the comparison to Ms. Carolina. "I really can't say, I've never met her in person. My only encounters with her have been on Twitter. But she seems like an interesting woman, and if her Twitter picture is accurate, she is freaking gorgeous, definitely the type I'd have gotten a crush on before my heart made up it's mind." She shrugged a little, and added "But perhaps best I didn't. Probably be an inappropriate crush, given the probable age difference."

She couldn't help laughing at his expression and reaction, shaking her head. "You know, girls like a man who can cook, generally." She said, line it was an offhand thought. "And no, pajeon are pretty damn simple. It's a savory vegetable pancake. Primarily made with green onions. It's really delicious, it's only like five ingredients... The hardest part is the frying, and it's not deep fried, it's slightly pan fried." She lifted her eyebrows. "You up to the challenge?" She said, wondering if he was the kind who responded better to a challenge it the idea it would impress girls.

Her lips quirked up in a tiny grin, amused that he seemed to be relaxing enough to swear without feeling the need to cover it. "It is, indeed, the s**t. Had some ******** amazing fried chicken in London, recently, while on leave with my boyfriend." She dried the onions, and put them in a chopping block, then sliced off the ends, before cutting them into long, thin, and regular strips. As she worked, she continued to speak, clearly comfortable enough with the knife to not be too worried about it. "Thank you..." She said, for the change of topic. "His name is Rhys. He... He's amazing. He treats me better then anyone I've ever met in my life. He makes me feel loved and adored all the time. It kinda is amazing and overwhelming at times, cause I'm not used to it, but it's... I've never been happier." Her cheeks where pimp as she spoke, but her tone was both honest and full of love for the man she was talking about.

Carhop:
"Savory...pancakes?" Lex tilted his head, eyebrows raised, quite frankly stunned at the idea of anything but butter, whipped cream, and maple syrup going on a stack of pancakes. But, Lex was willing to try anything once. "Syrup...syrup doesn't go on them, right? I mean, that sounds pretty gross. Green onions and maple? No thanks."

Wait, what? Seren cursed? Well, s**t. Lex supposed he would just have to rework his whole idea of swearing around women. Maybe it was just in regards to respecting them sexually? He'd have to talk to Caroline about that. "Woah, you went to London? That's super cool. Can we go anywhere on our leave?" Lex would love to go to Tahoe, or maybe Mexico? Anywhere would be cool, really. "I'm glad he's good to you. You deserve happiness." He smiled, watching her chop the onions so easily. "Wait. a second... you said girls like a guy who can cook?" The wheels spun in his head. How many girls could he kiss if he made them pajeon? To think, he'd have gone through his entire life not knowing the secret to a woman's lips. "s**t, I'll really need to pay attention. Those are green onions, right? Scallions?"

Aria:
"No, you don't use Syrup on them, oh my god EW." She finished chopping the onions, and put them onto a plate, then grabbed a mixing bowl and began to mix up the batter. "I can make a dipping sauce for it, if you like, though that tends to be spicy... If you don't like spicy, let me know, a lot of Korean food likes to turn on the heat, if ya know what I mean... But it's just as good on it's own. The pancakes are pretty flavorful."

"Yeah, we went to London. It was awesome. I hope to go back sometime, cause two days just is not enough." She laughed at his question. "Yes, we can pretty much go anywhere, the portals will take us. We just have to be careful about not having people we used to know see us. We're supposed to be dead, after all, to the outside world, and it could cause a lot of problems. But Tahoe should be fine, and Mexico? Well, yeah. Rhys spent like a year there, and went on two missions there, even. First one ******** him up pretty bad, he has a big a** scar on his arm now. Second one, Joy n me went with him, and we took out that ********' thing that got him the first time. So yeah, I suspect you can go to Mexico for leave."

His comment regarding her deserving happiness earned him a warm and friendly smile, just shy of a beaming grin. She almost responded to that, but his reaction to the cooking thing distracted her, and she had to control the urge to giggle at him. So girls were a primary motivation, she had guessed right. Good to keep track of. "Yeah, I mean... it shows a lot of good things about a dude. So, more interested in cooking lessons now, huh?" She gave him a knowing smile, and added "Yeah. Scallions."

Carhop:
Ooooh man, for real? Lex was excited as hell, now. If cooking could get him girls, he would be cooking and baking up a storm. Wait...did girls like guys who can bake? "Uh, do girls like guys who can bake, too? I mean, cakes and s**t can get you fat....but it's so good." He wandered off mentally for a while, trying to fully capture his thoughts. "But then again, we work out so much here and this is pretty much the military, so I guess a little sugar wouldn't hurt." Lex shrugged the thought off, refocusing on what Seren was doing. "What's the batter made of?"

"Oh, so... I can never go back to Vegas?" Lex's voice sounded weak, soft, wet. Gray eyes welled up a little, but he bit back the tears. He was legally dead, after all., it made sense that he couldn't see his old friends or his city. "What was in Mexico?"

Aria:
"Often? I mean most people love sweets, and sweets make good gifts, too. If you like baking, I can definitely teach you some of that, too." She was barely controlling her amusement at his enthusiasm regarding the attention of girls. "I know some damn good cookie recipes, and at least one cake recipe that is the next best thing to..." She paused, then said "well nevermind, but it's really ******** good." It was one thing to swear in front of a minor, and encourage him to gain cooking skills via his interest in girls. It was another to talk about things being better then sex.

"As for the batter..." She showed him all the ingredients, and how she was mixing them together, and in what ratios. She then began to set up a front pan, and started heating it.

His tone made her look up, and her eyes went sad. She pulled him over to give him a hug. "Maybe when you're older? People change as they get older, so you might look enough different... And it's a big city. There has to be a way..."

Carhop:
Seren was right, this really was a simple recipe. Maybe Lex could ditch the Doritos now, but he would totally keep the Pop-Tarts as a diet staple.. "Would I be able to learn to make my own Pop-Tarts?" Lex asked himself, tapping his chin, almost ignoring Seren until she pulled him into a hug. He hadn't been hugged in...
The tears came before the thoughts could finish. Lex wasn't one to wail or sob, but muffled crying could be heard from Seren's chest. He thought the shock had passed, thought he was over the whole process and mess of coming to terms with where he was. Apparently Lex was wrong, and he just couldn't help but cry a little longer. He cried for what he once had, as a boy, and then what he had as a man. Who he had, what he'd done. All of it gone, a distant memory he would never be able to recall. Lex broke away after the tears stopped, a good two or three minutes, and wipes hie eyes on the sleeves of his sweater. "S-Sorry." He sniffled, trying to steady his breathing. "I just... I miss home."

Aria:
"I don't know how to make 'em, but I can definitely see if there are homemade toaster pie type recipes out there, next time I go on leave." She said, in response, and arched a brow at the way he seemed to be ignoring her, amused.

Then when he broke down crying, she did the only thing she could do, for her, in this situation. She moved the pan off the heat, and then pulled him in, hugging him close and just letting him cry himself out. She had to control her face, because a spasm of internal pain sliced through her, as she remembered holding Dai, when he was little, like this when some childish hurt, or his terror of the shadows in the dark would cause him to come running for comfort. She managed to control her response enough that when he broke free, she did not show what had hit her.

Instead, she simply said "It's ok, Lex. I know. It's hard, knowing you... lost a lot. If you need to cry, dude, I'm here for you. And don't you let anyone tell you the 'crying is for wimps' lie. It's a damn lie, because it takes more strength to let others know you're hurtin' inside."

Carhop:
"O-okay..." Lex sniffled some more, shaking his head to reorient himself. They were in the kitchen, cooking savory scallion pancakes. Okay, okay. He was back. "Yes'm. Crying isn't for sissies." He nodded, breath finally stable and a weak smile on his face. "I appreciate you, Seren."

"Okay, so... Pajeon. What's next?"

Aria:
She studied him, and nods quietly. "Why don't you go get a paper towel, get it wet, and gently wipe your face?" She said, giving him one more shoulder squeeze. "While you do that, I'll get the pan reheated." She turned back to the stove, and put the pan back on, letting it get hot again. Once it was, and he had taken care of washing his face, she showed him how to carefully add the oil necessary to the pan.

"Now we give it a little to get hot as well." She leaned, waiting and watching, then, once the oil was hot, she grinned. "All right! Onto the final part." She seperated out some of the onion strips, laid them in the oil, and then ladled some batter over them. "Now we fry!"

Carhop:
"Oh, right. Paper towels are probably better for my skin than my sweater." Because Lord knew how many Dorito crumbs were on that thing. Lex made a rather quick job of it, wanting to just get back to cooking. He could deal with all his feelings at a later point, somewhere that was definitely not in the middle of a kitchen.

Lex watched the action happen, amazed at how quick and easy Seren was making this all look. "How long does it usually take? And how will I know when the pan and oil are hot enough?" A beat, then a rather stupid question. "Should I touch it?"

AriaS:
"Far better then a sweater, the weave is a better choice... Though I'd prefer tissues, but we don't have any." She had no idea, of course, about the Doritos issue, she just knew that most sweaters were not key ingredients to promoting excellent skin health. When he came back, she asked "Does that feel any better? I know a cool towel always feels really good on my skin when I've been crying."

She bit her lip, for a moment, considering the question. "Usually a few minutes, really, before you flip, then another few after that." She gave the pancake a gentle press down, to make sure it stayed in a decent shape. "As for heat testing, there's a few options. But no." She gave him a long look. "Do not touch the pan." She considered, and decided she was not going to teach him her favorite way to test the heat, given that question. Instead, she decided to go with a classic. "To see if the pan is hot enough, get a couple drops of cool water, and drop them on the pan. If it's hot enough, the water will begin to 'dance' across the surface, with bubbles forming. If it doesn't, it's not hot enough. Oil is harder, but one of the easiest ways is the rice trick... take a single grain of rice, and drop it in the oil. If it bobs back to the surface and starts to cook, boom, it's ready."

Carhop:
“Sounds...well, logical.” Lex had to admit, when he thought about it, that his idea of touching the oil was pretty stupid. There were reasons, after all, that mom didn’t let him in the kitchen. It was purely innocent ignorance, and if she could see him now, learning a foreign street food recipe, she would probably have a heart attack.

“Is there a sign for when you’re supposed to flip, other than time? Like, I remember my mom always saying that you’re not supposed to flip a flapjack until a bunch of bubbles come up. Is this the same concept?”

AriaStarstone:
She smiled a little, and said "Yeah, you don't want oil burns if you can avoid it. They hurt like a mother fuuuuu, and just suck in general." She had decided, most definitely, to take this kiddo under her wing regarding cooking, and maybe even girls. He seemed like such a sweet young man, and she wanted that to continue.

His question made her smile and nod. "Watch the edges, and check to see if they're turning golden brown. And your mother is right, that's how you tell with that style of pancakes. It's similar with crepes, but you need to be more careful. They're so thin, they can burn easily." She watched the pancake in the pan and then when the edges looked right, she showed him, and then flipped it.

Carhop:
Mmmm, crepes. Lex always loved going into the buffets at the casinos on the weekends, where Mother would let him roam free only because children were a distraction when it came to gambling. There was usually a crepe station on Saturdays, and Lex would always fill his with sweet cream and raspberries. “Could you teach me how to make crepes, Seren? Not today, but soon?!” He gave her the puppy eyes and a little pouting smile, because of course he did.
Lex gave focused attention when the pajeon was flipped and he studied the edges carefully. God, it smelt so good...”This is gonna be delicious...”

AriaStarstone:
Her brows rose at his request, considering it for a long moment. That would definitely not be a lesson she was willing to do with both of her students at once, because at this point, as far as she was concerned, post crepes with Rhys would mean taking him back to their dorm... And she shut that line of thought down, because she was talking to Lex. "You patient enough for it? It's not a day process. The batter has to sit for a good while before you can cook it." Her tone was gently teasing, because she knew how patient mid teens tended to be, especially the boys. "If so, sure, though you'll have to scrounge up the fillings you want. My Nutella stash is not infinite." She had no idea if he even was into the Nutella filled crepes, though that reminded her. She needed to get some bananas for the next Crepe day with Rhys.

She grinned at his reaction to the pajeon, and nodded. "One of my favorite simple meals from home." Once it was done, she flipped it out into a plate covered with a few layers of paper towel, and got the next one started. "Let's get these finished, before you try to eat them. I don't want you to burn yourself on them."

Carhop:
"Mmm...Nutella. Never had it." Lex wished he had, but the hives were always a fear in the back of his mind. Just too vain, his father had always said, a trait Lex had unfortunately picked up from his mother. "I'm guessing it's pretty good?" It definitely seemed like it, since so many people went nuts over the spread. "Patient? I can be patient..." Lex had been waiting almost a week for that stupid ******** hole in his roof to be fixed, after all, and had only just exploded on the eighth day of waiting - a pretty good amount of time, as far as the teen was concerned.

Lex was salivating by the time Seren finished up with the pajeon, eyeing the prizes for his patience and attention. "How do you make the dipping sauce? I love spicy s**t, but mom never made anything spicy." Honestly, the woman thought nutmeg was spicy. "If it's as easy as the pajeon, maybe I can make it with your instructions?" Like most fifteen year olds, Lex had been feeling antsy the entire time he had been watching Seren. He needed to move, to do something, dammit.

Aria:
"Right, the chocolate thing... I have to remember that. But maybe, if the antihistamines trick works, with the shield, you can try it after. Nutella is pretty damn amazing, though." She smiled and sighed. "Chocolate and hazelnut are a super classic combination, and they go so well together." She shrugged a little, and then said "Alright, we can work on that soon, then. I'll have to think about when we can work on that."

Seren leaned back, and nodded. "All right then. You comfortable with chopping? If so, you need 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey, about a small handful of chopped onion, 1 whole chopped green or red chili peppers, and 1 teaspoon of roasted sesame seeds. You blend it all in a small bowl."

Carhop:
"It's okay. My mom never fully remembered." Lex's lips were a thin white line, brought back to the memory of his tenth birthday party, wherein Mother had baked a cheesecake at Lex's request, but she had forgotten (or so Lex hoped) to omit the cocoa powder in the crust that her recipe used. Lex had broken out in hives an hour after blowing out the candles, and Mother fretted and fussed, berating herself. 'It's just to add a bit of bitterness to the cake!' She practically wailed, but Dad's face was telling. He knew that his wife wasn't actually all that upset.

Chopping? "Yeah, I think I can handle that." Plus, if Lex's intuition was right, he couldn't even cut himself thanks to his FEAR shield. He went around gathering the stuff he needed, with Seren's assistance, and finally set to work on the sauce. "Oh, right." He'd chopped everything pretty finely, and was just about to add the sesame seeds to the bowl. "How do I roast these seeds? Also, I don't chop them, right? They're way too small for that."

Aria:
She frowned at his words about his mother, and wondered if his parents were anything like her own. "Well, I will do my best to remember, as I'd rather not cause you hives, or other such discomforts. That's not what friends do, right?" She was still frowning, and watching the current pancake, then flipped it. She would not let herself cause her young friend discomfort, if she had a choice in the matter.

"Good. Rhys was unsure about his ability to chop stuff when first I taught him, but he's gotten better." She blinked at the question about the sesame seeds. "Don't we have pre-roasted ones? That's what I usually use." She couldn't go looking, because she was busying frying up the pancakes.

Carhop:
“I appreciate that.” Lex gave a thin smile, inhaling through his nose and setting his head right. Lex was usually a fairly even-tempered child, but Mother always had her way of just pressing the right buttons.

“Oh, we probably do...” Lex scrounged around some more, finding said roasted seeds. He dumped those in the sauce, then whisked it like he’s seen Seren do to the batter.
“What’s it like, Seren, to be in love?”

Aria:
She recognized the signs of calming ones'self down, so she let him work on that before she spoke again, knowing it could make a difference between succeeding and completely losing it in the end. "Excellent... That'll work just fine..." She said when he found the seeds. "Don't get that in your eyes, or on any cuts, it'll sting like a ******** question had her almost dropping the pancake as she pulled it out to cool. It was one of those that she had never expected anyone to ask, but since he did, she went silent for a long moment, getting the next one prepared, trying to figure out how to answer that, her expression one of serious thoughtfullness. Finally, she said "I suspect you will find the answer to that question will vary from person to person, because it seems to be a very indivual feeling, if you ask me. Especially since there's different ways to be in love."

She brushed her hair back, before continuing. "For instance, when I was all of your age, I met my first partners, and they... I guess you could say they courted me, and I eventually fell in a form of love with them. They were the reasons I had to keep going, for awhile, and when they broke up with me, nearly the reason I gave up." She sounded lost in thought, and that last bit was said in a way that sounded absent, and maybe accidental. "But while I was in it, it was... consuming and happy and light."
Another pause, then "What I have with Rhys is... different. It is consuming, and happy, and it IS light, but isn't light, if you can catch the difference. It's like... a burning flame inside of me, keeping me warm, reminding me that no matter how dark the night gets, there is warmth and brightness waiting for me if I hold out." She sighed, and frowned a little, feeling like she wasn't doing a good job here. "It's knowing that there is someone I would do just about anything for, and not worrying about it, because I know he'd do the same for me, and neither of us would ever ask the other to do something wrong, something terrible. It's knowing I have someone to count on when the chips are down, to support me and help me through the shadows. It's knowing there is a pair of arms to hold me when I cry, and to dry my tears... It's... it's like having the most beautiful star in the sky come down and be my very own guiding light."

Carhop:
All of those beautiful words went straight over Lex’s head. He was totally expecting something about the hot sex, getting to have it whenever you wanted, etc. “Oh...that’s nice.”

Aria:
She glanced at him, her brows arching as she studied him thoughtfully, then began to snort giggle, trying not to get too distracted from what she was doing. Right, this is a teenage boy, he's not going to be thinking along those lines. Once she managed to stop giggling, she took a deep breath and added "Also, there's having a nice warm bed partner every night." It was the closest she'd come to what she had a feeling he wanted to hear about, though.

Carhop:
"What's so funny?" A single brow of Lex's arched at Seren, his steel grey eyes mock hard. The charade broke in a matter of seconds, and Lex was laughing at his own fake anger. Lex had never been bullied in school, so sensitivity to being laughed at was hardly a problem for the young man.

Bed partner? Now Lex was interested. "I've never slept with a girl...in any context, I mean." Shame, really. Somehow Carson, the little rascal, had gotten Pamela Richards, head cheerleader, into bed with him, but she was also cross faded. Somehow, that felt really skeevy to Lex, even if all the senior guys said that it was totally normal. "Or a guy, unless you count sharing a tent with my dad when I was younger? But I mean, I was a kid." No homo, after all. "But it must be nice, having that on a nightly basis." Thankfully, Lex had the good grace not to ask if the couple had fun times every night, too.

Aria:
Seren looked at his response in amusement, and laughed more, then said "I realized what you were hoping to find out, and was laughing at the realization I'd just spent several minutes boring the hell out of you, that's what." She gently razzed him as she worked on the pancakes.

Her brows rose at the comments, and she had a moment of internal struggle regarding his comments. One the one hand, she was glad to know that. On the other, she wasn't that much older then him, and she'd been in a pretty serious relationship with two people when she was just about his age. She was silent for a long moment, trying to decide how to respond. Finally, she started with his last comment. "It is nice to have someone warm to snuggle every night, especially as I get... nightmares. He helps me get past them." She sighed and then went on "A lot of guys your age haven't. As someone who did have A relationship with two people at your age..."

She brushed her hair back as she finished off the last of the cooking. "Don't rush it, hun. Trust me. You'll be happier if you find someone you know you like, who respects you and you respect in turn. Casual sex is all well and good, but first times should be about mutual trust, and... well, if it's casual sex just to say 'LOOK I DID IT,' it's never going to be as enjoyable as with someone who cares about you."(edited)

Carhop:
"Huh, alright." Lex nodded, taking a little more interest than earlier. Maybe it was the tone that Seren spoke to him in, the way she treated him like an adult and not a stupid child, maybe it was just the fact that she had hooked his interest with the whole bed partner thing. "I mean, I would love to be able to say 'LOOK, I DID IT!!!', but you do have some points there, I guess?" Not that Lex knew anything about relationships. "Uh, anyway, food?" Lex's question was punctuated by the gurgling of his stomach.

After the two had dined, and Lex had expressed just how thankful he was by literally licking his pate clean and washing up their dishes, he looked at Seren with a wide grin and patted his belly. "I think," he yawned, "That I might finally be able to get some sleep." Lex pulled Seren into a very quick hug, squeezing her shoulders, then bolted off.