A Tasty Treat

Smartass

  Getting out of bed, I sluggishly went downstairs while trying to rub the sleep from my eyes. Yawning, I walked into the kitchen to rustle up some breakfast. As I was reaching for the cereal, the doorbell rang.

  With how early it was, I could only assume it was a package being delivered because I definitely wasn't expecting anyone to come over until later. Suki and I were going to be hanging out again, and I even checked the clock to make sure I hadn't slept in late.

  Yawning again as I answered the door, I was surprised to see Atsushi instead of a mail carrier.

  "Kabe, what are you doing here?"

  "....Candy, where are your pants?"

  "My room. Why, do you need a spare pair? Don't think they'll fit, though." From his expression, he wasn't impressed by the smart alec response. "Come in, you can sit on the couch while I go get pants." Closing the door behind Atsushi, I went upstairs to find some sweatpants to cover my boxers. "Hey, you hungry? I was about to get some cereal."

  "....Yeah." The giant then followed me into the kitchen after I came back down the stairs.

  "So, why are you here, anyway?" I reached for the cereal and pulled it down before grabbing a couple of bowls.

  "Mm." He simply hummed while watching me pour milk over the cereal in the bowls.

  "Wanna actually answer me?"

  "....Don't know." Rolling my eyes, I sat down at the table and passed him the second bowl.

  "Were you just bored?"

  "....Yeah."

  "So....you any good at basketball?" I casually asked while scooping up cereal to shovel it into my mouth.

  "I thought your friend Suki took you to our games."

  "Doesn't mean I watch."

  "Next time....watch."

  "You're no fun." I pouted, and there was a knock at the front door before it swung open.

  "Candy! Get your ass up, I got something to show you!" Suki's voice carried through the house. Getting up, I went into the living room to see what she had. "Wow, you have pants on. ....What time is it?" She questioned while pulling her phone out to check. "Since when do you wear pants this early in the day?"

  "Since people started coming to my house before I've even eaten breakfast." I said while referring to the giant in my dining room.

  "Oh, if you haven't eaten, we can go somewhere."

  "I have, I wasn't talking about you." My face went flat when I felt Atsushi standing right behind me. "I'm talking about him." I pointed up.

  "....And how does he know where you live?"

  "Long story."

  "Usually is...." She muttered as her gaze lingered on the giant.

  "You wanted to show me something?"

  "It's at my house."

  "Let me grab my shoes, then."

  Heading to Suki's house, I noticed she was walking in a rather stiff manner. She was tense, and I couldn't figure out why. Leaning over to her, I whispered near her ear.

  "What's wrong with you?"

  "Your friend that decided to tag along scares the shit out of me."

  "Seriously? He's a puppy! A giant, lazy, purple puppy."

  "Says the one that'll watch horror movies before bed."

  "....That supposed to mean something?" I quirked up a brow, and Suki gave me a look while going up her porch steps. Her place was a larger white house with window boxes full of colorful flowers and honeysuckle growing up a lattice by the front door.

  The inside of the house was just as grand as the outside, if not grander since her family came from old money. Following her through the house to the dining room, she motioned for us to sit down at the table, and we did. My eyes landed on something covered by a small sheet on the table.

  "You know how much I've been wanting to become a pastry chef?" Suki questioned, and I nodded. "Well, this is gonna help me learn to make a bunch of different stuff!" She pulled the sheet away, showing one of those turning stands for cakes and various piping tips and tools. "It all also came with a book full of recipes. I also went ahead and tried it out. Here."

  The plate she slid in front of me made me....worried. It was a blob of an unknown green substance with literal bugs and twigs sticking out of it. The bugs weren't moving, meaning they must have died....

  My eyebrow twitched, and I poked the blob with the fork that was on the plate.

  "Go on, it's not gonna kill you."

  "You sure?" Suki raised her hand to let me know she'd smack me upside the head if I didn't at least try it. Swallowing, I quickly gave thanks for the food and quickly took a bite.

  To my surprise, the blob was actually a cake. A delicious, soft cake. Stabbing one of the bugs, I saw that it was in fact just chocolate.

  "What the Hell? Dude, you gotta try this." Before Atsushi could react, I shoved a bite of the cake into his mouth. "Suki, how did you manage to do this?" She smiled and raised the book she'd mentioned.

  "I told you it came with recipes. This one is from the Halloween section. I thought you'd get a kick out of it." She flipped the book open to the page. "It came with a mold for the bugs, too."

  "My little Suki is growing up so fast!" I pretended to wipe away a tear. "Soon, she won't need my food-addicted ass and will move on to the big leagues."

  "I wouldn't. It'd be too boring without you." She chuckled, and I turned to Atsushi as he was just watching it all play out while eating the cake.

  "Oi! Don't eat it all!"

✧☾✧

  Suki waved from her doorway as I stood on the sidewalk waving back. We ended up spending the day trying out different sweets she whipped up and had both of us as critiques to help her improve. Not that either of us complained, Atsushi and I loved getting free sweets.

  Turning away as Suki went back into her house, I could feel Atsushi looking at me.

  "What?"

  "....You act differently around her." He stated, and I scratched the back of my head.

  "Well, yeah. I've known her longer than anyone else. I just feel comfortable around her." I explained. "I mean, before she moved here, I didn't exactly have any friends, either. She kinda taught me how to open up."

  "Taught you?"

  "Don't make it weird, but Suki is one of those people that just....lights up a room, you know? I was going through a tough time, and then she came along and made things....brighter."

  "Oh."

  "Yeah."

  "How many friends do you have now?"

  "Two." I laughed. "Impressive, right?"

  "....Suki and me?"

  "Duh, Kabe." I lightly smacked his arm with the back of my hand. "Wouldn't buy you snacks otherwise."