How Xavier manages to say just the right thing as though it came as naturally to him as breathing, Lily will never understand. She already found herself a little flustered by his words, so when he followed it up with a move straight out of a fairytale?
Made her feel like royalty, regardless of how exhausted she felt?
Her face flushed, color flooding or originally pale cheeks, taking to searching for his phone in hopes of recomposing herself. Picking it up once she saw it on the coffee table, she offered it over to him and set the first aid kit on the table in it's stead. Within reach, but out of the way.
Satisfied with their little makeshift recovery set-up, and thoroughly done with moving, Lily carefully leaned against his side. Doing her best not to irritate his injuries, she offered a quiet hum of approval. "The audiobook sounds perfect."
Wanting to return the affection, but not wanting to over-exert either of them, she turned her head slightly to plant a small kiss against his shoulder, hoping it could at least somewhat convey her gratitude.
"I'm fine, don't worry... it's just a scratch. What about you? Isn't it a nope day? You should lie down..."
"I'm still going to worry," she insisted stubbornly, her eyebrows furrowed, "Sit down for now, I'll be right back."
As much as she knows she should listen to him and sit down, trust him to tend to himself, not over do it... She can't help but fuss. Is she going to pay for it later? Probably. But it's worth it to know he's okay now.
So she shuffled her way to the bathroom, grabbing a hair tie and messily pulling it back and out of the way for the time being. Once relatively satisfied with that, and once again dismissing the thought that short hair would be easier to deal with on days like this, she grabbed her first aid kit from under the sink and shuffled her way back to Xavier.
With fatigue trying to dig it's claws into her, Lily focused on listening to where Xavier went and what he did. She wasn't ready to nap... not yet.
She lifted her head again when he approached, her eyebrows furrowing in concern with how uncomfortable he was. She accepted her medicine gratefully, taking a sip of the water to get it down before offering him a bottle of pain medicine from the first aid kit as well as her water bottle.
The candy being offered caught her off guard, her expression softening as she let out a small giggle, accepting it.
"You're too good to me, Xav..." she mumbled quietly, hoping he understood how much she really did appreciate him.
"I'm fine, don't worry... it's just a scratch. What about you? Isn't it a nope day? You should lie down..."
"I'm still going to worry," she insisted stubbornly, her eyebrows furrowed, "Sit down for now, I'll be right back."
As much as she knows she should listen to him and sit down, trust him to tend to himself, not over do it... She can't help but fuss. Is she going to pay for it later? Probably. But it's worth it to know he's okay now.
So she shuffled her way to the bathroom, grabbing a hair tie and messily pulling it back and out of the way for the time being. Once relatively satisfied with that, and once again dismissing the thought that short hair would be easier to deal with on days like this, she grabbed her first aid kit from under the sink and shuffled her way back to Xavier.
Blinking up at him when he said her name, she found herself melting into the small affection.
Knowing better than to try and argue, she simply offered a small nod and leaned back against the couch, putting the ice pack on her head for the time being to help with cooling herself off some. She can clean up the medical supplies... later.
"I know I took my dailies... if I took my other ones they should be at the very front of the cabinet...," she called to him.
Perhaps fortunately, Xavier wouldn't have to search too hard, considering the pill bottle sitting on the counter right next to the medicine cabinet, with a water bottle sitting next to it, both unopened. Looks like she'd been about to take them, then got distracted.
"I'm fine, don't worry... it's just a scratch. What about you? Isn't it a nope day? You should lie down..."
"I'm still going to worry," she insisted stubbornly, her eyebrows furrowed, "Sit down for now, I'll be right back."
As much as she knows she should listen to him and sit down, trust him to tend to himself, not over do it... She can't help but fuss. Is she going to pay for it later? Probably. But it's worth it to know he's okay now.
So she shuffled her way to the bathroom, grabbing a hair tie and messily pulling it back and out of the way for the time being. Once relatively satisfied with that, and once again dismissing the thought that short hair would be easier to deal with on days like this, she grabbed her first aid kit from under the sink and shuffled her way back to Xavier.
"Sorry, sorry," she apologized quietly when hearing him hiss in pain despite her trying to be careful. Still she continued, making sure it was all as clean as she could get it before covering it in gauze and bandages as needed.
His questions made her pause, processing them and thinking over her answers. She at least tried to take proper stock of herself so she could answer honestly, taking a slow breath.
"Certainly not the worst it's been, on all accounts. We should probably find something that doesn't involve a lot of movement, for both of our sakes. As for medicine...," she trailed off, her movements faltering as she genuinely debated if she'd remember to take her meds today or not. Brain fog is a bitch.
"I'm fine, don't worry... it's just a scratch. What about you? Isn't it a nope day? You should lie down..."
"I'm still going to worry," she insisted stubbornly, her eyebrows furrowed, "Sit down for now, I'll be right back."
As much as she knows she should listen to him and sit down, trust him to tend to himself, not over do it... She can't help but fuss. Is she going to pay for it later? Probably. But it's worth it to know he's okay now.
So she shuffled her way to the bathroom, grabbing a hair tie and messily pulling it back and out of the way for the time being. Once relatively satisfied with that, and once again dismissing the thought that short hair would be easier to deal with on days like this, she grabbed her first aid kit from under the sink and shuffled her way back to Xavier.
Lily couldn't help a small huff when seeing that Xavier had been no better than her about listening to suggestions to sit down and rest, not that there was any heat to her expression either. Instead she finally sat down beside him, her expression softening in gratitude when he explained the reason for the icepack.
She accepted it, but set it aside for the moment to focus on him, her eyebrows furrowing in concentration as she took in the injuries she'd be able to see. With that, she opened the first aid kit to get to work doing what she can.
"I'll be okay too," she finally reassured, her voice quiet as her gaze remained completely fixed on her hands and what she was doing, "Once you're all patched up, we can just... relax."
Perhaps it's because she's so used to feeling like this, or she didn't spare a glance at herself in the mirror while in the bathroom, or a more deep-rooted reason she doesn't have the energy to unpack right now, but she'd much prefer he focus on himself first.
"I'm fine, don't worry... it's just a scratch. What about you? Isn't it a nope day? You should lie down..."
"I'm still going to worry," she insisted stubbornly, her eyebrows furrowed, "Sit down for now, I'll be right back."
As much as she knows she should listen to him and sit down, trust him to tend to himself, not over do it... She can't help but fuss. Is she going to pay for it later? Probably. But it's worth it to know he's okay now.
So she shuffled her way to the bathroom, grabbing a hair tie and messily pulling it back and out of the way for the time being. Once relatively satisfied with that, and once again dismissing the thought that short hair would be easier to deal with on days like this, she grabbed her first aid kit from under the sink and shuffled her way back to Xavier.
When he set the tray on the counter, Lily moved to stand next to him and look at the cookies. She was momentarily distracted from her appraisal by his comment about thinking of her hair, flushing before laughing a little, hiding her face in his arm for a moment. "Just remember, you can't eat my hair," she teased, scrunching her nose up playfully.
Humming approvingly, she nodded and patting his shoulder excitedly, beaming up at him. "These look perfect! Good call! Give them a bit to cool, then we can put them on the plate with the others."
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
The question prompted her to laugh, glancing over her shoulder at him. "Right, we want to avoid them being blackened anywhere. Make sure that they aren't shiny at all, paying close attention to the center. Use an oven mitt and give the tray a tiny shake. If they jiggle, they need a bit longer. If they don't jiggle, they should be good."
She wanted to give him the chance to check them over himself first and try to make a call before she went to give her own verdict. Low stakes practice!
As she placed the last cookie from the first batch on the plate, she debated grabbing one to try herself since it had already cooled off. Plus then they could see if they should make an icing for it...
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Lily felt her cheeks warm at his proximity, only to flush fully at the small kiss.
After everything they've been through, she'd think that she would be harder to fluster, but well... apparently not! Not that she's complaining, either.
Seeing him grab the plate helped to draw her attention away from the fluster, giggling softly at how cute the plate was. "A wonderful choice for red velvet."
Accepting the spatula, she took to humming as she started to carefully remove the cookies from the tray and only the plate. Her eyebrows were furrowed ever so slightly in concentration, as though she were working on something far more important than simply moving cookies.
"Do you mind checking on the batch in the oven? They should be ready here soon."
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Perhaps she was more in-tune with him than she thought, because as he stared almost longingly at the other cookies, she had only one guess what was on his mind.
"Don't...." She warned gently, her shoulders relaxing when he seemed to decide against burning his mouth further. Shaking her head affectionately, she grabbed a mitt to playfully nudge the hot tray just a little further away from him.
"Where would you be without me?" Lily echoed, the sincerity of the question catching her off guard. In hopes of keeping the mood light, she laughed a little and cupped her chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm, well, I suppose you wouldn't have burned your mouth in your excitement to try the cookies."
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Lily didn't even have the opportunity to warn him about how hot they'd be fresh out of the oven, just letting out a small sigh to keep from laughing at such a familiar mistake.
She took a moment to quickly get a cup of cool water to offer for him with one hand, the other hand gently reaching to take the plate from him as well. "Here, drink this to cool off your mouth." She instructed gently.
Any semblance of scolding can be saved for when he's not at notable risk of burning his mouth, and even then, it was adorable. That he was so excited to eat the sweets they'd made that he apparently forgot that they were hot out of the oven.
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Giggles began to mix into the melody as she hummed with him, spinning with his help and a proper laugh.
This is it. This is the kind of moment she's always silently dreamed for. Getting to just be happy and silly in the safety of home, dancing with someone she loves and baking. What more could she ask for?
When he released her to check on the cookies, she went back to humming. Satisfied with how they looked, she found some oven mitts to pull out the tray and set it aside to cook before putting the next tray in.
"Oh that's right!" She beamed as she closed the oven, setting the mitts aside again. "Hopefully they aren't sold out already, because it would be fun if we got to go." She hummed thoughtfully, resetting the timer on her phone.
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Catching his expectant look, she laughed softly and checked the timer herself. "Just a couple more minutes then we can check them." She reassured, finishing her tidying up as she started to sway to the music he chose.
Giving an affirmative nod to his question, she couldn't help but playfully do a semi-dance while still working on prepping for the next batch so she can toss that in once the first batch was done. She took to half-humming, half-singing along to the music.
Though she did take a short break to gently take his hand to 'dance' with him, grinning up at him playfully as she still hummed along.
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
As frustrated as she gets sometimes with his inability to cook... The earlier panic was worth it for a moment like this. Where they get to relax and simply be. Simple little domesticity in the kitchen, the scent of baking cookies filling the apartment.
What more could she want?
Xavier's suggestion for karaoke prompted her to tilt her head some to look towards him, though it was impossible to see him properly like this. So instead she settled for leaning her head against his with a small giggle.
"We don't need to wait in between batches for karaoke," She reminded gently. "You can go ahead and pick a song if you want?"
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Lily had taken to quietly humming while she put things away and tidied up, only for the gentle melody to be cut off with a startled squeak when feeling the cold water against her back.
Standing straighter in her surprise, she tried to turn towards him with a pout, sticking her tongue out at him. Before she could say anything to call him out, his arms were around her, turning her cheeks bright pink.
"You're lucky you're cute...," she mumbled without any heat, settling her hands on his arms and relaxing into his grip slowly. She'd managed to get most everything put away by now, so she didn't mind being 'trapped'.
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Once freed from his grip, Lily hummed and put the tray in the oven, setting a timer on her phone.
“I don’t imagine cleaning will take too long, since it’s just what we need to clean and put away from this batch, and there’s two of us,” she mused, already starting to make sure that everything got put back where it belonged.
She’d visited just enough to not have to open every cabinet to find where things belonged, so she let him handle the washing for the time being. At least it isn't quite as much washing as when she'd first gotten up there.
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Lily flushed at his questioning, even as her shoulders shook with barely suppressed giggles. She hadn't intended to roast him, but also.... It's kind of hard not to tease him about it.
"I don't know if I'd call it a roast per-say..." She hummed playfully as she got the sheet ready to put the cookie dough on for their first batch. "Just some lighthearted teasing."
She scrunched her nose up at him playfully when he pinched her cheek, not that she did anything to try and stop him. "We'll need to bake them for about 10 minutes per batch, and just check on them to make sure that they're cooked all the way through. I'll show you what that looks like with this first batch."
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
“In their defense,” Lily started through snickers, “most recipes assume that the person reading them has either baked at least once before in their life with someone else, or follows directions to the letter without assuming any steps are missing. They don’t think they need to state that once the oven is pre-heated to the desired temperature, you don’t touch the temperature unless otherwise specified.”
His genuine befuddlement and interest in something she always thought was common knowledge made her hum affectionately. It also serves as a great reminder that she shouldn’t just assume people know the things she does, even if she thinks they’re better than her in most every way.
“I set it to pre-heat it when I finished cleaning, so that it would reach the right temperature by the time we were done prepping the batter.” She explained, nodding to all of his questions. “And yes, we can put them in since it’s done pre-heating, and the consistent heat will bake them faster and properly, so they don’t risk getting burnt so long as we set a timer.”
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
“I can if you want,” she answered easily, “Or you can always come over while I work on something too.” She’d just need to start a new project to keep the scarf a surprise, but that wouldn’t be too hard.
Accepting the spoon she took to carefully mixing the ingredients together, not wanting to go flinging their batter everywhere.
Xavier’s confusion honestly explained... a lot to her. “Ohhhh dear.” She mumbled with a small laugh, shaking her head. “You don’t change the temperature after you pre-heat it. You preheat the oven so that it stays at a consistent temperature when baking so that the time doesn’t end up varying based on weather or climate or anything.” She explained, trying so hard not to upset him with her amusement. But also... hun. “That explains why everything keeps exploding, though...”
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Lily giggled quietly at his reaction to the boop, finding herself oddly proud of such a simple reaction. Perhaps it’s because she gets to see this side of him and gets to share such domestic moments with him.
“It honestly does take a lot of patience, especially when you’re first starting and more prone to messing up.”
She kept her focus on him carefully putting the dry ingredients with the wet, if only to ensure that she keeps a calm expression to not give away the fact that the scarf she is working on is actually for him. As long as she thinks it’s good enough quality for him, of course.
“I’m hoping that it’ll be able to serve it’s purpose, if nothing else.”
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Once she was satisfied with her own ingredients, she set it aside to wait for him patiently. She did reach over to gently boop his nose when he checked on her progress, just trying to enjoy the calm after the panic.
At the questions, she nodded. "Mmhm, I'm trying to crochet a scarf. It's a skill I'm still working on, for sure, but it's good for days off. Low energy, generally methodical, and it's easy to see progress." She admitted casually.
"I'm hoping to be able to finish it by the time it starts getting cold enough to need it."
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Once Xavier leaned down within her reach, she hummed affectionately and worked on gently wiping the flour off of his face, ever careful not to be rough. Deciding to continue the playfulness, she grinned and reached up to tousle his hair to get any flour out of it, but she had the forethought to ensure she set her hand above his eyebrows to keep any of it from getting on his face again.
"Is that so?" She asked, somehow surprised that it sounds like he's never ended up with flour all over the floor and counter in past baking endeavors. Her surprise only grew when he placed the flour on her nose, prompting her to go cross eyed trying to look at it. "Very special indeed." She agreed with a soft smile, leaving the flour on her nose as she turned her attention back to measuring her own ingredients and ensuring that the oven was preheating properly.
To his question, she shook her head. "No, I was working on a new yarn project, actually."
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Since Xavier had opted to work on the dry ingredients, Lily worked on measuring out the wet ingredients. Humming absently to the music he'd selected, she somehow didn't think that she'd need to worry with him working with dry ingredients.
She forgot just how chaotic things like flour can be.
She had only just glanced over, not having enough time to even think about helping him catch it. It almost seemed to happen in slow motion, but so quickly that she was still processing once things had settled.
Then she started giggling, eventually leaning against the counter to support herself as she laughed. "Oh, Xavier." Her tone was both playful and affectionate, getting a paper towel and dampening it so he could wipe off his face. "To be fair, it's not a true baking experience until flour has gone where you don't intend it to."
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Lily's expression softened at his admission that the cookies were meant to be a surprise. Bless his heart she really can't stay upset with him for any length of time. He's too sweet for that.
Once she was done with cleaning his microwave from the explosion as best as she could, she turned her attention back to him. The music he'd chosen had her absently swaying along, moving over to him to take a look at the state of the recipe paper.
"I'd say that's still pretty legible, yeah." She agreed, smiling up at him. "Then shall we? Do you have enough ingredients for a second attempt?"
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Lily brought the bowls over at the request, offering him a reassuring smile. "I know that you didn't mean to cause the panic. But the way it sounded, I thought you were being attacked or something." She explained, finding a cloth to start cleaning up the batter from... everywhere.
"Red velvet cookies, hm?" She hummed thoughtfully. "Well, we can give the recipe a try after we clean up, but let's read through all of the instructions before we try it." She suggested with a lighthearted laugh.
With the initial panic subsiding, she was back to finding his kitchen struggles endearing, her expression softening. "And if you're ever struggling with a recipe, you can call me for help."
Yes, he's done so by calling her today... but hopefully he'll call her before his apartment explodes next time-
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Seeing him in such a state, frazzled and covered in who knows what, she spares just a moment to look him over for any visible injuries. Not seeing anything too obvious just yet she hurried in towards the kitchen at his urging, even though something in her brain flagged that particular room as being of note.
But once she reached the kitchen, she realized what it was that was noteworthy.
The kitchen. The one place Xavier should not be left alone in. The only thing she's found he's not very good at.
Cooking.
Letting out a slow breath to release some of the tension in her muscles, she put her guns somewhere safer since she didn't even have their holsters on her at the moment, and settled a hand on her chest to try and calm her racing heart.
"Xavier... I love you, and you're an amazing hunter with unparalleled skill, but I swear, you are going to give me a heart attack one of these days." She shook her head with a small, breathless laugh, both teasing him and not.
But with that she rolled up her sleeves to get to work cleaning so she can figure out what in the world he was trying to do.
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
[Phone call, Xavier's voice sounds urgent] "I'm in great danger I need you to come downstairs right now. Please! You're the only one that can help. In fact, the entire complex may be in danger if you don't help me stop this right now."
As soon as she registered the urgency and he mentioned 'upstairs', Lily was rushing out of her apartment, only sparing enough time to grab her guns as a precaution.
"I'm on my way!" She reassured as she hurried upthe flight of stairs between them. Her thoughts were already racing a mile a minute, wondering what could possibly be causing Xavier of all people to struggle and call for help, especially without causing much of a ruckus.
By the time she reached his door her heart was pounding and she was braced for a fight.
Despite trying not to be too obvious with it, his insistence that he won't go falling asleep during the race still made her giggle to herself, ducking her head slightly in an attempt to hide it.
Though, when she noticed him select the wrong floor, her amusement faltered, replaced with concern. Was he that tired? Maybe they should go with a movie or something instead so he could rest... She found herself reaching out to select her floor at the same time as him, accidentally bumping his hand in the process with a small "Oop, sorry!" before letting him press the button.
His request earned a nod, since that's a good point, even if she ended up a bit flushed again when he pointed out how warm her cheeks had been earlier. "That's a good idea. I have plenty of water and juice and stuff, so we have options."
After spending the morning doing research on places in Linkon City that offer milk tea, Lily finally found a place that seemed like it would be a nice place to visit and had the coffee milk tea that Xavier mentioned. Plus it wasn't far from a few good places to eat so they'd have options based on what they were feeling up to without having to go all the way across town. Perfect.
Lily finally sent Xavier a text in the late morning.
'I found a place that has that coffee milk tea you mentioned! And it has really good reviews.'
After a moment of thought, she sent another text as well.
'And thank you for walking me home last night. I really appreciated it. It was nice, looking at the stars with you.'
If not for the sporadic texts, Xavier would still be asleep. Outside the birds that often bickered over his balcony were squawking at a volume loudly. The combination of factors is enough to stir him, just barely. He knows its her before having to unlock his phone.
↪[ Audio: I'm awake. I'm up. I'm coming. ]
↪[ It was nice. Let's do it again sometime ]
In a flash he rinses off, takes care of basic hygiene, and is donning a favored hoodie in spite of the weather.
By the time he gets downstairs, he's already rubbing his eyes again as he knocks on the door.
“I look forward to it.” She hummed happily, holding the door open for him as they finally entered the complex, relieved by how cool it was inside compared to being outside.
She snorted at his reassurances regarding her likelihood of winning, leading the way to the elevator. “That’s fair, I suppose. What, do you think you’re at risk of falling asleep mid-race since you’re full and comfy?” She teased lightheartedly, some part of her hoping that he’s not that exhausted... But if he does manage to, she fully intends to let him get as much rest as possible.
After spending the morning doing research on places in Linkon City that offer milk tea, Lily finally found a place that seemed like it would be a nice place to visit and had the coffee milk tea that Xavier mentioned. Plus it wasn't far from a few good places to eat so they'd have options based on what they were feeling up to without having to go all the way across town. Perfect.
Lily finally sent Xavier a text in the late morning.
'I found a place that has that coffee milk tea you mentioned! And it has really good reviews.'
After a moment of thought, she sent another text as well.
'And thank you for walking me home last night. I really appreciated it. It was nice, looking at the stars with you.'
If not for the sporadic texts, Xavier would still be asleep. Outside the birds that often bickered over his balcony were squawking at a volume loudly. The combination of factors is enough to stir him, just barely. He knows its her before having to unlock his phone.
↪[ Audio: I'm awake. I'm up. I'm coming. ]
↪[ It was nice. Let's do it again sometime ]
In a flash he rinses off, takes care of basic hygiene, and is donning a favored hoodie in spite of the weather.
By the time he gets downstairs, he's already rubbing his eyes again as he knocks on the door.
Flushing at the teasing, she snickered and elbowed him lightly in retaliation. “We’ll see how it goes, I’m still half expecting for you to wipe the floor with me.” She mused playfully, even if she genuinely means it too. He’s full of surprises, so she wouldn’t be too caught off guard if he does manage to beat her at such a simple game.
Her expression did soften though at his admission, looking up at him with an affectionate smile. “I’m happy that we did, too. And we don’t have to go making challenges or anything to hang out.” She added playfully. “We can always just hang out because we want to. You have my number and you know where I live, after all.”
After spending the morning doing research on places in Linkon City that offer milk tea, Lily finally found a place that seemed like it would be a nice place to visit and had the coffee milk tea that Xavier mentioned. Plus it wasn't far from a few good places to eat so they'd have options based on what they were feeling up to without having to go all the way across town. Perfect.
Lily finally sent Xavier a text in the late morning.
'I found a place that has that coffee milk tea you mentioned! And it has really good reviews.'
After a moment of thought, she sent another text as well.
'And thank you for walking me home last night. I really appreciated it. It was nice, looking at the stars with you.'
If not for the sporadic texts, Xavier would still be asleep. Outside the birds that often bickered over his balcony were squawking at a volume loudly. The combination of factors is enough to stir him, just barely. He knows its her before having to unlock his phone.
↪[ Audio: I'm awake. I'm up. I'm coming. ]
↪[ It was nice. Let's do it again sometime ]
In a flash he rinses off, takes care of basic hygiene, and is donning a favored hoodie in spite of the weather.
By the time he gets downstairs, he's already rubbing his eyes again as he knocks on the door.
"I have to try and be good about it," Lily admitted with a small sigh, absolutely pouting a little bit to herself, "I don't need to go making it harder on myself to function by not maintaining a sleep schedule... plus my body tends to refuse staying up late anyways if it can help it." She hummed, laughing a little. "I remember trying to pull all nighters when I was studying for the entrance exam for the Association... but I just never could, no matter how hard I tried."
She couldn't help but doubt his comment regarding how cozy places are, since she's caught him sleeping standing up a few times. But... he must be trying to dismiss it for a reason, so she wouldn't press too much more.
"Probably a familiar one? Maybeeee one of the racing games?" She suggested, tilting her head as she looked at him. She could definitely feel the heat too, but had the advantage of her ponytail keeping her hair off her neck so it wasn't quite as stifling for her... yet.
After spending the morning doing research on places in Linkon City that offer milk tea, Lily finally found a place that seemed like it would be a nice place to visit and had the coffee milk tea that Xavier mentioned. Plus it wasn't far from a few good places to eat so they'd have options based on what they were feeling up to without having to go all the way across town. Perfect.
Lily finally sent Xavier a text in the late morning.
'I found a place that has that coffee milk tea you mentioned! And it has really good reviews.'
After a moment of thought, she sent another text as well.
'And thank you for walking me home last night. I really appreciated it. It was nice, looking at the stars with you.'
If not for the sporadic texts, Xavier would still be asleep. Outside the birds that often bickered over his balcony were squawking at a volume loudly. The combination of factors is enough to stir him, just barely. He knows its her before having to unlock his phone.
↪[ Audio: I'm awake. I'm up. I'm coming. ]
↪[ It was nice. Let's do it again sometime ]
In a flash he rinses off, takes care of basic hygiene, and is donning a favored hoodie in spite of the weather.
By the time he gets downstairs, he's already rubbing his eyes again as he knocks on the door.