AN: MERRY CHRISTMAS/HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF YOU, I THINK YOU'RE ALL GREAT AND HOPE YOU HAVE AN AMAZING NEXT FEW DAYS
It was Christmas Eve, and Katherine had just put a batch of cookies in the oven when she heard the exasperated voice of her neighbor growing louder as he walked up the stairs.
"Look, there's no way I can get there, even if I got a flight somehow, it'd cost me way more than I have, it's Christmas Eve." There was a pause. "No, I don't think it's funny, Race. No, not even a little bit, listen, I"ll call you and the boys tomorrow, yeah? Bye."
Katherine couldn't help but feel bad for him, and so, on an impulse, she decided to invite him in, despite only having had about three previous conversations with him.
"Jack."
He turned to look at her, just as he was about step into his own apartment. "Hey, Katherine. What's up?"
"You're alone tonight?"
Jack shrugged. "And tomorrow, I guess. Me and my brothers were all gonna go out to New Mexico for the holidays, but I had to catch a later flight cause my boss wouldn't let me off til now, and said flight just got cancelled. So, I'm here."
"Would you want to come inside?"
"In your apartment?"
She nodded. "I'm alone too."
"I dunno..."
"I'm making cookies."
He thought for a moment. "Okay sure."
Katherine smiled. "Great."
She led him into her apartment and they were immediately greeted by the sound of the oven alerting them that the cookies were finished baking. Katherine grabbed some oven mitts and pulled the cookie sheet out, grimacing as she saw how burnt they were. Jack couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"Well... I made something that vaguely resembles cookies."
"Don't supposed you'll be offended if I don't eat those?"
"Please don't eat them, I don't want to have to take you to the hospital." Katherine told him, promptly throwing away the inedible cookies.
Jack actually did laugh at that. "You got anything else we could make?"
She gestured to her pantry. "Feel free to check."
He rummaged through her pantry for a minute before emerging, a dissatisfied look on his face. "The only thing we could use in there is cake mix. You have anything we could use to make a cake from scratch out of?"
"I just burnt pre-made cookie dough, do I look seem like the type of person who frequently makes cake from scratch?"
"Fair point. Wanna go buy some?"
Katherine looked at him for a minute, and, determining that he was serious, nodded. "Why not?"
He grinned at her. "Good answer."
oOo
Two hours and a trip to Walmart later found the two of them on Katherine's couch eating the chocolate cake they had just made, with Elf playing on the tv.
"Gotta be honest, this isn't how I was planning on spending Christmas Eve." Jack remarked.
"Me neither."
"How come you're alone tonight, anyway?"
"It's my choice, mostly in order to spite my father." Katherine chuckled lightly. "He's been convinced that I won't ever make it anywhere on my own, so I moved out almost a year ago, and I'm proving him wrong."
