This was a request on ao3
It was in the middle of fall and cold as balls in the little town of Haddonfield Illinois. The perfect time to warm up, and what better way to do that than have the house warm from an oven set to 400 degrees. For a knife.
I was sketching my next design, a gutting knife, while the other was still in the oven. The timer was set for an hour and a half and on its second cycle. The next step would be to test the hardness of the steel with something like wood.
I felt the pencil flow freely in my fingers as I sketched what was going through my mind in full focus. That is until the phone rang. I snap to attention a bit flustered by the interruption.
"Hello?"
"Y/n, it's Annie. You're best friend remember?" She teased.
"Annie I'm kinda busy right now" I stretched the phone cord enough to reach the sheet of paper on the center island.
"Let me guess, another knife?" I could hear the eye roll she was giving already.
"Halloween's coming up and you know who is getting something special" I felt anxious just thinking about it.
"He doesn't need anymore knives y/n, doesn't he have plenty?" Annie didn't understand why I bothered.
"This ones different. It's a gutting knife and I'm sure he would love it" I added the finishing touches just in time for the oven to beep. "Hang on Annie" I slipped on an oven mitt and took the knife out to cool down.
"So, was there anything you wanted to tell me?"
"Oh just thought I'd mention that the hottie Ben Tramer was coming by to get a knife from you" Annie's voice oozed with mischief.
"You didn't!" I panicked.
"I did"
"Annie, Michael's going to be pissed if he sees someone over here. Or worse what if he starts flirting do you want a death wish on the poor boy?"
"Relax, I told him to be careful and that you were just shy. Maybe he won't be too obvious" she resolves some of my fears but I wasn't too convinced.
"Okay"
"Besides, it's not like you like the guy right? Michael's your boyfriend"
"Woah, okay he's not my boyfriend—" I'm interrupted by her laughter.
"Really? Because he's always watching over you, you're always hoping to get closer, I mean you're making him a knife for god sake" Shes got a point. Michael didn't attempt to murder me, nor did he let anyone within six feet from me without their impending doom. I was enamored by the man for whatever reason.
"When is he coming?"
"Today, at three" Annie hesitated.
"Annie that's literally an hour from now"
"I know I'm sorry, is that one ready now?" She asked.
"No, I've still gotta test the steel and scale the handle, sand it, things like that. But I have others he might like to see." I reassured her that I would be able to sell Ben a knife.
"Let me know how that goes" She was enjoying this too much. All because I used to have a huge crush on the guy.
"Will do, bye" we hung up and I went back to what I was doing. I hid the design for Michael and went outside to test the steel on some wood in the nearby forest behind my house.
I kneel down and place the steel of the knife level with the ground, then smack the top of the blade with the wood to test strength. It held out. Good. I began cutting away at the piece of bark and the pieces came off with ease.
