Ambition - Official Story (WIP)

Chapter 7.

"I do?"

He nodded.

"How is it special? I'm just a regular human being..." Nikki mumbled.

"Trust me, you're more than that" Steve whispered sweetly to her.

She blushed and looked away.

They both realized she was still being held bridal style by him.

Steve got down on his knee and lowered her gently to the ground, setting her on her feet like a small child.

She didn't know what it was about it, but she loved his small gesture and how he treated her as if she were very fragile.

"Oh." Nikki let out a small puff of air, not really wanting to be put down just yet.

"Did you finish your first chores, little maid?"

Little maid.. her heart fluttered strangely at the name. She hardly knew him, yet she still loved the way he was treating her.

Nikki looked up at the shelf she was trapped on before and nodded. Steve reached up and grabbed her duster and gave it back to her. "Good."

'What's next, Master?" she asked almost too excitedly.

Steve merely gave a lazy shrug, surprising Nikki. "Eh. I can't think of anything yet. Are you hungry?"

He was so laid back, making Nikki question if he acted this way to his other servants.

It was amusing.

"Not really..."

"Do you like baking?"

She was, once again, caught off guard by such a casual tone he tossed at her. As if he were trying to play with her emotions.

...Maybe that's what he's doing.

She cleared her throat and smiled weakly. "Yeah, I can bake. I used to bake cookies for my nephews back on Earth years ago, but never really took my skill any further than just a hobby..." her voice trailed slowly as her mind wandered to her young nephews. Their small faces and curious eyes stared up at her with delight every time she made them their favorite sugar cookies.

Time must have flown. Yesterday she was young and living happily with her large family, and the next, she was on her own with no one close enough to her to look up to until now. Quite literally.

She craned her neck to see his face, and he gave her a devious smirk.

"Would you bake something for me?"

Her eyes lit up with excitement. She hadn't baked in so long, as she never had the time or tools to do so living as a lab assistant in her Professor's house.

She wasn't allowed to bake anyway, because he was overprotective over her getting herself burnt.

"I'd love to! What would you like, Master?" she squeaked, bouncing up and down like a child.
"What can you make?"
"I can make cakes, pies, cookies and just about anything in between!"

"Hm..." he pretended to be hard in thought, tapping his chin playfully. After a long moment, he spoke. "Surprise me"

Nikki nodded happily and plopped her duster into her apron pocket, as it was just small enough to fit.

Steve held his hand out to her, signaling to take his hand.

Her mind brought her back to the first time they walked together. They held hands the first time as well.

This should become a routine, she thought.

Nikki took his hand and grasped it safely. His palm was much bigger than hers, but their fingers laced together perfectly, like two puzzle pieces intertwining with each other.

                                                                                                   ~~~

Steve led Nikki into the kitchen for the first time.

Her eyes widened in awe as she stared at the massive room in front of her.

His hand gently squeezed hers and she squeezed it right back, looking up at him with a big smile.

"This is really nice! Is this where all the food is prepared?"

He nodded, flicking his tail gently. "Do your magic, little maid. I'd like to see how well you can bake..."

She nodded, reluctantly letting go of his hand, letting her fingers trail up his long ones until their fingertips broke away from each other.

Nikki ran her hand across the reflective marble counters that spanned the room in three sections. She admired the large ovens and the white cabinets that hung above them.

"I might be a bit," she informed the King. "Perfection isn't rushed!"

Steve let out an amused chuckle. "That's quite alright. I'll check up on you in a bit, little maid"

He seemed to like the way the same suited her.

She quite enjoyed it, too.

Nikki watched as he closed the large door, leaving her alone.

The maid explored the cabinets, slowly finding each ingredient she needed for the treat she was going to make.

She found flour, sugar and other dry ingredients in the cabinets, and eggs, fruits, milk, and other wet ingredients in the fridge. She began working diligently on her dessert.

She slid the pans of batter into the oven, leaning her stomach against the counter.

Baking was harder than she remembered.

She started working on the icing next.
Nikki opened her bag of powdered sugar a bit too aggressively, making the contents inside the bag fly up onto her face, getting it across her cheek.

She giggled and scooped out a large cups worth, dumping it into her mixing bowl and making a bit spread out into the air and over onto the counter.

Nikki scooped it up quickly into her hands and tried to place it back into the bowl, but instead got more sugar all over herself.

"Oh, my. That's quite a mess, isn't it?" a voice cooed across the room.

Nikki turned to see the King watching her with his arms folded and an entertained look plastered across his face.

"Oops..." she muttered.

He sighed affectionately.

"Come here," he said calmly.

Nikki shuffled slowly up to him, her head down.

Her breath hitched in her throat as he tilted up her chin with his fingers, wiping the sugar caking her cheek with a thumb. She blushed and held her spot, letting him wipe her face clean.

Steve smiled and licked the sugar off his finger, dusting them off.

"Clean up any mess you make when you're done, alright?"

Nikki nodded slowly, still in a strange daze.

"Yes, Master"