The kitchen is warm, filled with the scent of vanilla and flour. The faint hum of activity surrounds you, but everything else fades into the background because M'gann is right there beside you, beaming as always. The two of you have been spending a lot more time together lately, and tonight, she proposed a little domestic activity—baking together.
M'gann stands at the kitchen counter, her apron tied neatly around her waist, its light green color contrasting her red hair, which she’s tucked behind her ears to keep from falling into the dough. A playful smile tugs at the corner of her lips. "Okay, so, what do we start with?" she asks, her eyes flickering with excitement. Her hands hover above the ingredients, a mix of uncertainty and anticipation in her expression.
You chuckle softly, nudging her with your shoulder. "How about we start with the flour? You’ve baked before, remember?"
She scrunches up her face in mock confusion. "Yes, but never with you. That changes things." She winks, her voice carrying that soft lilt, always managing to sound both teasing and sweet.
You can’t help but laugh, shaking your head before reaching for the flour. “Alright, I’ll show you how it’s done.”
As you sift the flour into a bowl, you feel M'gann’s presence right next to you, closer than necessary, but you don’t mind. She leans in, her chin resting on your shoulder, watching closely as you move. Her hair brushes against your neck, and her warmth wraps around you like a soft blanket.
"How are you so good at this?" she asks, her voice light, like she’s genuinely curious about every tiny detail of your life. "I’m still figuring out how to not make my cakes turn into mush."
You shrug, smiling. "Practice, I guess. Plus, we don’t need to be perfect here. It’s more about having fun."
“Fun, huh?” M'gann smirks, her emerald eyes glinting with mischief. Suddenly, before you can react, she grabs a handful of flour and tosses it in your direction, a cloud of white powder engulfing you.
“Hey!” you exclaim, wiping flour off your face, but you’re laughing all the same. You grab some flour from the bag and throw it back at her, the two of you quickly devolving into a light-hearted flour fight. Flour flies through the air, coating the counters, the floor, and both of you. M'gann’s laughter is infectious, ringing through the kitchen like music, filling the space with a sense of pure joy.
After a few minutes, you both stop, covered in flour, hair tousled and faces grinning like kids who just caused a bit of chaos. M'gann looks at you with that familiar spark in her eyes. "Truce?" she asks, her lips curling into a smile as she holds up her hands in surrender.
“Truce,” you agree, laughing as you try to dust some of the flour off yourself.
M'gann steps closer, her hands moving to brush some flour from your cheek. Her touch is gentle, fingers lingering for just a second longer than necessary. The room seems to fall silent for a moment, the chaotic energy settling into something more tender.
“You’ve got some… right here,” she murmurs softly, her voice just above a whisper. Her eyes trace your face with such affection that your heart feels like it’s swelling. There's a moment where you both just stand there, caught in each other's gaze, her hand resting lightly on your cheek.
Before you can lose yourself too much in the moment, you clear your throat, trying to keep things playful. “You know, we’re supposed to be baking a cake, not wearing it.”
She laughs, that sweet, melodic sound that you love so much. “Right, cake. Okay. Focus.”
You both move back to the counter, getting more serious about the task at hand, though there’s a lingering smile on her lips as she glances your way now and then. You take turns mixing the ingredients—M'gann insists on cracking the eggs, and after a few attempts that result in more shell than egg in the bowl, you can’t help but chuckle as she sheepishly grins and says, "Maybe I’ll leave the egg-cracking to you."
When the batter is finally ready, you pour it into the pan, the mixture smooth and golden. As you slide it into the oven, M'gann lets out a sigh of relief, wiping her hands on her flour-covered apron. “Okay, that wasn’t too bad.”
You glance at her, grinning. “I think we did pretty well, all things considered.”
M'gann’s eyes soften as she looks at you. “It’s because you’re here,” she says quietly, and for a second, the playful air between you fades into something deeper. Her gaze holds yours, and she steps closer again, her hands gently resting on your arms. “Everything feels better when you’re with me.”
You feel a warmth spreading in your chest at her words, and before you know it, you’re pulling her into a gentle kiss. It’s soft, slow, and sweet—like everything else about her. Her lips taste faintly of sugar, and there’s a lightness in the air, as if for a moment, time has paused just for the two of you.
When you finally pull away, she’s smiling, her eyes sparkling with happiness. “I think we make a pretty good team,” she says softly.
“Yeah,” you agree, your forehead resting against hers. “I think we do too.”
The oven timer dings, pulling you both back to the present. You glance over at it, then back at M'gann, a playful grin returning to your face. “Ready to see how our masterpiece turned out?”
M'gann laughs and nods. “Let’s do it.”
As you both open the oven and pull out the cake, it looks… surprisingly good. Maybe a little lopsided, but perfect in its own way—just like everything about your time together.
M'gann grabs some frosting, her mischievous smile returning as she looks at you. “Now, the fun part: decorating.”
You groan playfully, knowing full well that this is going to turn into another mess—but you wouldn’t have it any other way. Together, you spread the frosting, laughing as you sneak spoonfuls of it into each other’s mouths, giggling at how ridiculous it all is.
By the time you’re done, the cake is covered in an array of colorful sprinkles and frosting smears that don’t follow any pattern at all. It’s chaotic, a little messy, but undeniably perfect.
