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This work was a birthday gift to my
friend @Asraella on Ao3! 🎂
Please check out her writing sometime,
as well as the Matt x OC fic I co-wrote
with her titled I Will Stay. 😘
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The air was still blue with darkness as the earliest birds twittered outside. The kitchen light flipped on, illuminating one corner of the big penthouse hotel suite, and L's seven-year-old son rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he looked around. He was lucky that tonight had been one of the nights his Papa was actually sleeping because the little Bean had a surprise in mind. Being the 31st of October, it was L's birthday, and so the small boy with the ink black hair and bright blue eyes shuffled over to a lower cupboard in his bare feet and Pokéball pajamas.

On numerous occasions, Bean had helped Watari in the kitchen, and so when it came to making a birthday cake... how hard could it be??

Flour, sugar, vanilla, baking... soda or powder? He grabbed both, setting everything out on the floor beside where he knelt.

Oh yes, eggs... Bean stood up and moved to the refrigerator, reaching up to pull the door open. Two eggs seemed customary, and so that's what he grabbed... one splattered to the floor, though, so he reached for a third. Then he stood there for a moment, trying to remember if he needed milk. Better grab it... just in case.

He found the measuring cups and the cake pans and the spatula, and soon, everything was set out on the counter. He wiggled up onto the step ladder, sitting on his knees, his tongue working eagerly side-to-side as he eyed all of his ingredients.

He started with the flour. He decided three heaping cups looked like enough, and already, both he and his surroundings were dusted with white powder.

Next was the baking soda and baking powder. Watari always used small measuring spoons for these ingredients, so Bean did the same. When he tried to scrape the baking soda against the cardboard flap, though, it caught, and more white dust poofed everywhere. Sputtering, Bean rubbed his face with his sleeve.

Sugar. Papa loved sugar, so there should be extra. Five cups should work. Granules tumbled over the rim of the bag with each heaping scoop.

Vanilla was next, and since this was to be a vanilla cake with strawberries, Bean figured a generous amount was called for. He knew not to taste it by itself, but he couldn't resist taking a whiff. It smelled so good. Three tablespoons.

Now the eggs. Bean tapped one against the side of the bowl, which nearly capsized, some of its contents spilling over the edge and all down Bean's pajamas. He was able to catch it before things got too disastrous, though. Best to use the counter.

tap tap tap

Hmm... it wasn't cracking...

TAP TAP-- Whoops!

Bean looked at the crumpled shell in his sticky hand. Then he picked up the bowl and held it under the edge of the counter, using his other hand to scrape the egg into the batter. There. No harm done. He was a little more careful with the second egg, managing to crack it properly. He held the two halves of the shell in his hands, bobbing them up and down a few times as he watched the goopy egg white ooze down and then release.

And last was the milk. He held the nearly-full gallon in both hands, tongue working in concentration as he tipped it toward the measuring cup. It came out a little faster than expected, and the measuring cup slid sideways as milk sloshed out onto the counter, joining the other ingredients that were now beginning to drip down the cupboards and onto the floor. Bean decided the measuring cup wasn't going to work here, so he just dumped a few glugs of milk directly into the bowl.

Grabbing the spatula, he stirred and stirred as powder puffed up and batter escaped the rim to further splotch the countertop. At last, it was ready, and he poured the contents of the bowl into the two round cake pans. Then, he climbed down from the step stool, avoiding the sloppy mess on the floor with his feet, and he pushed it towards the stove. Climbing up onto the ladder briefly, he turned the knob to heat the oven before eagerly moving to place his cake pans onto the cold racks.

"Bennett?"

The oven door slammed too loudly as Bean startled and whirled around to see Watari standing there in his light blue pajama set, grey robe, and brown slippers.

"What's all this?" the old man inquired with a tremendous amount of grace and patience as he eyed the absolute disaster that was his kitchen. His gaze returned to the boy, whose state wasn't any better. His pajamas were covered in flour, egg, and cake batter, the latter of which had somehow made it into his hair. His face was streaked in white, and his hands had left sticky fingerprints just about everywhere.

"I-- it's Papa's birthday..." Bean explained sheepishly.

Watari's white mustache twitched with amusement. "So it is. What do you say to your taking a bath while the cake is in the oven? I can clean up in here."

A grin flashed over Bean's messy face, displaying two missing teeth. "Okay." He hurried off to get cleaned up, his bare feet trying to be quiet but thudding with childish enthusiasm.

Watari watched him with a quiet chuckle. He waited until Bean's door clicked shut before moving over to the oven and removing the cake pans. He then set to work making a proper batter.