Milkshake Hearts

Chapter 143: Hosting

"Hey Josh!" Shayne calls, as he wanders into the Mythical Kitchen set on a Tuesday in mid-November, when he has a moment between shoots over the Smosh side of the building. He quickly adds greetings to Nicole and Trevor, who are standing across the room looking hesitantly over at Josh poking at a pot on the stove.

"Shayne! Good to see you!" Josh calls his response with loud enthusiasm, "you should probably stay back, I'm trying to make a Tony C's reduction and I keep burning it and making some crazy fumes."

"Noted," Shayne replies, pausing over near Nicole and Trevor as he glances over to see them shaking their heads in resignation.

"What brings you over this side of the building, Shayne Topp from iCarly?" Trevor jokes, and he rolls his eyes slightly before he responds.

"Genuinely looking for cooking tips, actually," he admits, with a raised eyebrow.

"I wouldn't ask Josh unless you're trying to kill someone with what you cook," Nicole debates.

"Well, I am trying to get tips for Thanksgiving because Court and I are hosting for my family so... yeah, maybe Josh isn't the expert," he agrees, glancing over to see Josh raising his arms in exaggerated exasperation, Tony C's reduction syrup dripping off the spatula in his hand.

"Aw come on, I taught you to do lonely Thanksgiving last year! That was edible, right?" Josh points out, Shayne nodding and admitting that yes, his solo Thanksgiving assistance the previous year had been helpful.

"We've got a turkey video coming out in a day or so, but I know a blog that goes through pulling together the entire meal and timing and things like that, if that's the kind of thing you're looking for?" Nicole offers, more seriously, Shayne nodding in earnest and following her out of the kitchen to her desk so she can find and show him what she means.

"Why are you leaving me with him?!" Trevor calls, joking, as they walk out.

"Hey no, that's a great outcome for you!" Josh calls, in return, Nicole merely rolling her eyes as they move into the office portion of Mythical's side of the building.

"Sometimes I wish all the people that think Josh plays his personality up for the cameras were right," she muses, Shayne laughing lightly before their conversation twists to his Thanksgiving plans.

He'd got out his initial nerves over cooking for family in their home when he'd had his parents over many months earlier – and a little bit, when Joanne had visited them, although most of their plans hadn't actually eventuated that weekend given everything else – and after chatting to Nicole (and Josh again a bit later the same day, when he wanders over their side of the building after he's finished recipe testing), things start to come together.

They don't have to do everything themselves, in the end: Chris & Julie offer to bring dessert, and Dianne & Rob tell them they'll bring a couple of sides. Josh quietly asks them if he can make the cranberry sauce (at their house, given he and Brian will be staying) and offers his help with everything else, and they accept all the offers, leaving them with mainly the turkey, and a third side.

"Turkey is all you my guy. For someone who isn't remotely vegetarian anymore, I'm still so bad at cooking meat," Courtney had emphasised, a few days before, although Shayne had already figured that would be how it went, laughing lightly and nodding in acceptance.

They have a half-day at Smosh the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, but it works out okay: Brian and Josh fly out from New York that morning, and by the time they get to LA and take an Uber to their place in The Valley, Shayne and Courtney are home and in extended-weekend mode.

"Oh this place is really nice! It looks practically new!" Josh enthuses, after they all say their hellos and Courtney starts showing them around a little.