Post S16|SFW|Fluff

He always liked to spoil her.

Sometimes, she liked to be spoiled. Not that she ever admitted it.

But she wasn't one for expensive jewels or fancy restaurants in the outskirts of the city. Even when he insisted on buying her a gift, she always chose something small, inexpensive, and practical.

Of course, she tried to repay the favour. He loved receiving gifts (his tearing through every wrapped box proved that) and yet, she was never sure what to quite get him. It wasn't like he had everything he could ever wanted—in reality, he did.

She tapped her pen on her chin, looking through her list. Anything Starfarer-related was out of the question, for the rest had already bought him every merch she could think of. Back to the drawing board it was.

She recalled paying a visit to his parents. She knew that she would hear plenty of stories about his childhood birthdays and all the gifts he got back then. Unfortunately, it was much of the same: toys, comics, video games...

Although, she did find one thing: a recipe Edna was happy to provide her with, the carrot cake she would bake for him nearly every year. Admittedly, she didn't consider him much of a vegetable person (unless potato chips counted, she supposed). Nevertheless, she gladly accepted the recipe, staying a few more hours to catch up.

"Why do you need the recipe, dearie?" Edna asked her. "His birthday isn't for a few months."

She wasn't sure how to respond. That her guilt was eating her up, that she wanted to be the one to care for him for once? All she could do was give an awkward shrug, mumbling something about treating him well.

She sank further into the bed, trailing her fingers over the recipe. It was all she had, really. But she was determined.

She locked herself in the kitchen, not letting anyone disturb her craft. Even Jay himself knocked multiple times, but she didn't answer. She chopped vegetables in the air as if she were training, she decorated the top of the cake as if she were painting. By the end...

She realised she wasn't one for carrots. But it didn't matter. The cake was for him, after all.

Her cheek was stained with flour and her yukata (blue for the occasion) had become wrinkled underneath Zane's pink apron. She looked down at her Yang medallion and frowned. She wondered if living up to his gifts was even possible. It felt silly to say, but she felt like a teen all over again; inexperienced, nervous, trying out the relationship thing and miserably failing in her eyes.

They had both been through so much. He deserved this. Well, ideally, they deserved an extended vacation to a spa, but she knew that even a holiday like that wouldn't be able to keep them out of evil's gaze for too long. She sighed. She didn't like making wishes for many reasons, but just this once she wondered what it would be like if they were normal. She would still be struggling with gifts, probably.

The door opened and her spine arched. She tried to hide the cake behind her, but it was really no use.

He arrived inside quietly, gently sliding the door behind them shut. His hair was still wet from his shower and a towel was wrapped around his neck. His pyjamas were fresh out of the drier, but his indoor, boot-like slippers were the only thing that remained completely dry. The weather had admittedly gotten colder, but even she wondered whether he was alright with dressing so warmly already.

He leaned down to press a kiss on her cheek and she scrunched up her nose at the wet locks touching her face. She rolled her eyes, but he chuckled. He followed his action with a hug, and she simply accepted her fate.

"You're dressed like it's winter and yet you don't bother to dry yourself at all?" she said. With one swift movement of her hand, she extracted all the water dripping from his body and hair (well, most of it), gathering it into a ball and letting it drop down the sink.

He nuzzled his face against the crook of her neck, smiling smugly. "Because I have you and your powers to dry me," he stated simply with a shrug.

He pulled away and frowned. His thumb came to her face, lightly brushing away the flour left on her cheek. Curiously, he titled his head, looking over her to the treat that rested atop the counter.

"Ooh, a cake. I was wondering what you were brewing up for so many hours." He leaned over her to inspect it closer. "What flavour is it?"

This was her moment. "Carrot," she proudly proclaimed.

He pulled back slightly and she frowned. He wore an over-exaggerated expression of disgust on his face, and he dramatically stepped away from it. "I didn't know you liked carrot cake," he said.

She raised an eyebrow, her heart ready to pound out of her chest. "No, you do." He looked at her blankly. She pursed her lips. "Your birthday cakes? Carrot?"

His mouth shaped an 'o' when he realised. He laughed. "Yeah, I was a bit skinny when I was a kid and Ma wanted to make me stronger," he said. "I appreciated her trying to make me eat healthier, so I'd just pretend to like it to make her happy." He leaned down to whisper: "Pa would sneak me chocolate before I went to bed."

Her face fell. "Oh."

He took her in his arms and pecked her lips, smiling. "I'll see you at nine for our movie night. Now if you'll excuse me, I have someone's butt to kick in Fist2Face 6."

She put on a strained smile. "Yup. See you then."

Before he left, he gestured at her with a smug grin. "Nice yukata, by the way, where did you get it?"

She pretended to laugh, but in reality, she wanted to shove the cake in his face. She knew she shouldn't in all fairness. He knew that she knew that he was the one who had bought her that yukata. It was one of her favourites, admittedly, and one of the best gifts she had ever received.

She looked at the carrot cake and groaned, abandoning it on the counter as she too left.

♡♡♡

She rolled in bed over and over, trying to fall asleep. She checked her phone, turned it off, and shut her eyes again. This was infuriating.

She turned on the lamp atop her nightstand. She hugged his pillow. It did carry its scent, but she wasn't sure whether to enjoy it or pull away. She sighed.

The door creaked open slightly and she buried her head in her pillow. She saw his silhouette only for a split second before he closed the door behind him, approaching her slowly.

He smiled awkwardly. "Hey."

"Hey."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, resting his hand on her hip. He cleared his throat. "Was that cake for me?"

She scowled. "I thought it was pretty obvious."

"Yeah... Zane had to explain it to me after I told him." He rubbed his neck, then his temples. "I can be pretty dense sometimes..."

"Tell me about it."

"I still liked your gift, though. It was really thoughtful of you."

She sighed against her pillow. "But you didn't enjoy it."

"It's the thought that counts."

"No, it's not." She sat up, pouring her lip. "You always give me amazing gifts and you spend so much on me even when I don't need it. And what have I given you? Some cheap pins?"

He smiled, keeping his voice lower than hers. "I wouldn't be wearing them all the time if I didn't like them." His gaze fell down. "I only ever took one off when you were gone. But even then, I still carry it with me as a reminder to smile. Positive thinking and everything."

She slightly raised her head. "You do?"

"I gave one of them to Mr Cuddlywomp."

She chuckled. He leaned down so that he was practically atop her side, and she turned around to face him. "Really?"

He pecked her lips. "Really." He rested next to her, and she finally rolled over. Though his pillow was firmly in her grasp and cementing a wall between them, he still made sure to keep them close. "Nya, we have been apart many times for one reason or another. Just being here together is enough of a gift for me."

Her cheeks were tinted pink, yet her smile was genuine. "Corny."

She threw the pillow aside, scooting into his arms. His heart was beating faster than hers.

"How about that movie?" he said. "I can bring my laptop here."

"Yeah, that would be great."

He got up, but before he could leave, she said: "Can you get me a slice of carrot cake? Someone might as well eat it."

He laughed. "Sure."