””
Fionan was not known to be good at cooking and lets not even get started on baking. At least with cooking if he forgot to check on things it didn’t wind up too overdone, at least not most of the time. With baking it would result in dry food or really burnt cookies. With his family planning to gather together at his home for the holidays he’d thought sweet treats might be a good idea...the only problem was he was a hazard in the kitchen.

After some time contemplating how to manage what he wanted to do, despite the fact he’d burned cookies and more in the past, he’d come to the conclusion that he’d have to call his ex, Fiona, and see if she could assist him in his endeavor. He hadn’t talked to her since the break up, there hadn’t been a reason to, so he hadn’t been sure she’d help him when he’d called her earlier in the day. She had though, he was happy.

After a trip to the grocery store, the place was nearly wiped out of things, he managed to get everything she’d told him he’d need for what he wanted to do. From there he’d headed right to her home. He really hoped she could help him, he did know she could bake, as he couldn’t stand the idea of burning cookies and making a dry cake - it was unacceptable.


Watching as Fionan dumped the entire contents of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet made Fi visibly wince. “Wait!” she lunged forward, placing her hand atop his to keep him from turning on the mixer she continued more calmly, “Before you do that.”

“Lets… just hand mix it a bit first. Otherwise…” She made a motion with her hands that looked more symbolic of an atomic explosion in her kitchen than a flower mess but Fi was sure he got the idea.

Granted over a year has gone by since they last hung out let alone spoken to each other, it was kind of odd yet refreshing with how easy it was to be in the same room as him again. Guilt still gnawed at her over their break up but from what she could tell it seemed like Fionan had forgiven her to some degree.

””
Jumping at her outburst, as it was rather unexpected, Fionan’s moss like eyes turned to Fiona for a moment as he listened to her intently. Why not just use the mixer though? He wondered. Ohhhh… watching the hand motions she made he got the idea and ducked his head, he would have just used a mixer and made a mess, like he’d done before...before the remains in the bowl became burnt cookies.

“Ok...any way you’re supposed to hand mix...or just so long as it’s all combined?” He figured he might as well ask, just incase. Wasn’t there like...folding or something? Whipping also...or did that require something else?

Either way he went to wash his hands, just so they were extra clean for this - he wanted to be sure.


For a moment Fiona looked at him with the most perplexed expression until she realized what he was doing. “You don’t hand mix with your hands,” although she understood his confusion the bluenett couldn’t help but laugh. “Here” she reached over to the utensil carousel and grabbed the plastic spatula “use this. Just fold the wet ingredients over the dry until it’s partially mixed and then we will use the mixer.”

“Otherwise, even on a low speed, the flour and sugar will get all over the counter. That’s why we mix it in gradually, like a half of a cup at a time and not all at once.” At least he was trying, she had to give him that. For the most part she was just his kitchen supervisor while he did most of the hard work. “Honestly though, don’t feel too bad or worry about it. Everyone has done it at least once in their life. You should have seen me the first time I made that mistake.” She glanced away sheepishly as if she wish to forget the memory but unfortunately she was the one that brought it up. “I only put a half of a cup of flour in the bowl like my mom said but I had the mixer on too high and ended up with it all over the front of me.” Bri’s incident, however, was one for the record books.

””
“Ohh.” Nodding his head, he really wasn’t all that good when it came to baking. Returning to the blue haired females side he took the offered tool. Ok so it was folding...and it did require some instrument be used but it wasn’t anything complex or anything beyond a spatula.

“Ohh...so that’s why you weren’t too happy when I dumped all the dry in…” Now he understood. The idea of things getting all over the counter he could understand not being wanted, he’d sort of...well yeah - had accidents when he tried on his own in the past. Things all of the counter and on him and more.

“I think I did worse the last time I tried baking...I had things all over the place and burnt cookies…” Sheepish, not liking to admit to his mistake, he figured if she was willing to mention her own mistake he should do similar - right?


“It’s fine, honestly. Everyone’s gotta start somewhere right?” Fiona leaned her elbows on the countertop and looked up at him. A little smudge of flour marred his cheek but she didn’t feel the need to bring it up quite yet. More than likely there would be more there soon enough. “At least you haven’t given up right?” Which was one thing she admired about him and also the main reason it broke her heart just that much more when she had to let him go.

The world she had been thrusted into wasn’t meant for someone like him, heck it wasn’t meant for someone like her either but here she was; a senshi, fighting someone else's war that she didn’t start nor did she have a plan to end. Either way, when push came to shove it was a necessary sacrifice in order to keep him safe and to keep from having to lie to him about where the bruises came from.

“Once you’re done I’ll give you back the blender and you can finish mixing them, but only when I’m sure my kitchen won’t be collateral damage.” She teased with a wide smile on her face.

””
“True.” And she knew he wasn’t the sort to give up either, even after his past mistakes he was still trying. This time he was just trying a bit...more because he was asking for her help. He wanted to get it right this time, he didn’t want to fail again and he didn’t want to serve his family burnt offerings. His direct family was one thing but his whole family was another thing entirely. Little kids did not have a filter and he did not need to hear his younger family members thoughts on burnt cookies, or dry cake, that would be more than he could handle.

Rolling his eyes, though he was also smiling, he shook his head. “You sound like I’m going to burn down the kitchen with a mixer.” He said reaching out with one finger to poke at her cheek. “Save the worry for when we get to the oven.” An oven was not a hard thing to use but somehow he’d manage to mess up - somehow.

He still wondered what she’d ever seen in him, and how could he not? He had a habit of running late for everything and his ability to mess up with baking, and even sometimes cooking, was undeniable. He was good with science and sports but still.


“The oven should already be preset and I have a timer so you really don’t need to worry about burning the cookies Fionan.” She returned his poke with one of her own and while she seemed to be teasing she was quite serious at the same time. “You’re really worrying over nothing. I’m not going to let you ruin your deserts.”

“Here,” Fiona handed him the hand mixer. “Mix it until you have a consistent texture and color. I’m going to look for the ice cream scoop.”

””
“You are amazing - you do know that right?” He questioned, glad to hear that the oven was prepared and she had a timer, because otherwise he was likely to somehow mess things up at that point. He’d done well so far, thanks to her, but he knew if she didn’t continue to help he’d mess up somewhere along the line.

“Ok.” Nodding his head, something like an obedient puppy, he took the hand mixer and got to work. While he did as told he watched his ex move about the kitchen looking for an ice cream scoop. “Thanks for the help Fi. I wasn’t sure you’d actually agree to helping.”


His comment caused Fiona to falter in her footsteps. It was true that his hesitation to ask her for help shouldn’t have been a surprise but for him to think she’d turn him away kind of stung a little. Fortunately she knew him well enough to know that he meant no harm, or offence, in what he said; even if it was deserved.

“If you ever need anything, you know you can ask me.” She replied more as a statement than a question. She turned, slate eyes met green and with an almost sad yet earnest expression, she waited patiently for confirmation that he understood.

””
And he did understand, and he nodded to her as she turned her slate eyes onto him. “Got it...I’ll keep that in mind. We’re still friends.” It was mostly a comment, the last sentence, but there was that lingering hint of a question in those three little words. They hadn’t talked in how long, or seen each other, so it was fitting to wonder about that. A lot could change in a short amount of time, a lot had even.

“You know the same thing applies to you - if you ever need anything.” And he meant it. Focusing on folding the mix together inside the bowl he stopped after a few more times. “I think it’s good.”


“I know.” Her smile seemed almost sad as she handed him the scoop. The last year had been long and trying but having Fionan here kind of put a happy note on something she otherwise was all too happy to be over

“Here, after you get a scoop, push the button on the side to drop it on the cookie sheet. Try to keep them about three inches apart because they will expand while they bake and we don’t want to bake together.” It wouldn’t hurt anything honestly but since it seemed like he was trying to impress his family it would probably be best if it didn’t look like someone already helped themselves to the deserts because they had to break them in half.

””
Nodding his head once, good. Even if they weren’t together any more they had been friends before hand, that was what sort of led to dating. Though it seemed with the lack of communication since the break up that they might not be friends...at least to most. He still wanted to consider them as such.

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” And he did as he was told, scooping them out and dropping them onto the sheet. Keeping them separated by the guessed three inches, he could be off a bit here and there, he was glad for the help. He was that they’d turn out well, thanks to Fiona’s help, and he wouldn’t have to explain why he was offering up burnt cookies or anything. They smelled good also, or at least the dough did, he was sure once they got cooking they’d smell even better...but what to do while they waited for them to cook? Aside from cleaning the kitchen of course. That would leave a lot of free time...to do what?


“Ok, now stick that one in the oven and set the timer for nine minutes. And while that one bakes you’re going to get the next cookie sheet ready. It’s like an assembly line. You’re going to take the other one out, put the next one in then use the metal spatula to transfer the hot cookies from the sheet to the racks we have set over on the dining table then put more scoops on this one. While you do that I’ll start washing the dishes and putting things away.” Tag team this together so when the last batch was pulled out all they would need to do was wash the final tray and wait for the cookie to cool.


””
With the idea in mind of how this would work, as she said it was like an assembly line, he was able to get things done without falling apart. He would have found himself, as he figured it, moving between cleaning and getting a tray of hot cookies out...preparing a new tray to go in and getting cookies off the sheet and onto the rack - all at once. Glad for the help, someone telling him what to do and in what order, Fionan figured the cookies were a saved thing and Fiona’s kitchen wouldn’t wind up a disaster zone.

It wasn’t until later that he was, again, thanking her for the help. The cookies cooling, almost ready to be packed and brought home with him, it had all gone well. ['/size]


Shanyume