[FIN] Pancake Party

[TawnyAngel]

"I am full of good ideas," Zevran replied with an airy gesture as he poured the next lot of batter into the pan.

Pancakes. He'd usually be excited about pancakes for breakfast, or any time of the day really. "Thanks," Taavi said hollowly, accepting the plate and setting it in his lap. How was he going to eat this? Maybe just picking it up would be easiest? But the bacon and eggs might fall out then and go everywhere. Maybe he should use the fork then.

Unable to reach a decision Taavi sat looking at the food on his plate in silence.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Watching Taavi struggle internally with his plate of food and ultimately not do anything with it made his heart ache. "D'you want me to cut it for you?" He asked gently - very gently; he didn't want to upset him - as he set his coffee down on the table and reached a hand out to take it if Taavi agreed and passed it to him.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Oh..." Taavi considered the suggestion for a few moments before passing his plate to Abel. "Um, yeah, thanks." That made the decision for him, which was a lot easier. "It smells good," he added but only because he felt he ought to say something like that, it was what you said when somebody gave you nice food.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

After putting his own plate down, Abel accepted Taavi's and used the fork to cut it into manageable pieces. "No problem," he replied lightly - it really wasn't any trouble at all, and he was glad to at least do something for his friend, even if it was a relatively small thing - then passed the plate back once he'd finished. "It does smell good, yeah? I think Zev's going to spoil us pretty soon, and then we'll want him to cook all our meals," the blond said, trying to inject a bit of levity into the atmosphere as he picked his plate back up again.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Thanks," Taavi repeated as he took the plate back and speared a bite of the pancake with his fork. He paused before lifting it to his mouth however and gave Abel a weak smile. "Ha, right? We'll have to kidnap him or something and... yeah, make him our personal chef. He can stay in your room, you wouldn't mind that too much right?" Make conversation, eat food; Taavi ate the food.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Or maybe just ask nicely," he suggested, a smirk crossing his face unbidden, "and I don't think I'd mind that too much, no." The moment passed and his expression softened as he cut into his own pancake and began to eat. Every couple of bites he reached for his mug of coffee for another sip, and once he finished, he stood and headed back into the kitchen with his empty plate. "How's everything going in here? Need a hand with anything?"  

[TawnyAngel]

"Oh, yeah, I guess that would be a better option," Taavi agreed with a weak grin, an upward curve of his mouth that briefly showed teeth at least. "Plus, you know, he's quite small so he wouldn't take up much space." This much conversation seemed to exhaust Taavi as with a last shrug he looked down at his plate and started the laborious process of eating with a throat that didn't want to let him swallow.

In the kitchen Zevran had just put a third pancake on a stack waiting to go out to the living room, and was half way through eating one of his own. "Ah, good timing," he smiled to Abel. "All is well, did you enjoy? Humm, and yes actually; would you wash one of the small pans for me? I have finished the eggs and bacon, and I would like to start warming the frozen fruit." Maybe with a splash of brandy? The alcohol would cook off by the time it was ready to serve leaving just the flavour.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Vanessa snuggled up against Taavi's side again. she said for want of something to contribute, although she didn't quite understand why exactly not taking up much space was important in this context.

"Sure," Abel agreed amiably as he set his plate down and moved to the sink to wash the pan in question. As his hands worked, he nodded and said, "Yes, it was very good; thank you again for cooking breakfast for us. And," he added in an official-sounding voice - or as official-sounding as he could manage - as he tried very hard not to smirk, "Taavi and I are in agreement: You're spoiling us with all your cooking, so we're going to need you to live here and be our personal chef. Taavi says you can stay in my bed."  

[TawnyAngel]

Taavi swallowed his mouthful and smiled down at the Lopunny. "No you don't, but you'd be just as great if you did," he said gently.

"Gracias," Zevran replied, and he had been just about to take another bite of his breakfast when Abel's decision cut him off. "Oh-ho, is that the case?" he laughed. "You shouldn't tempt me Abel, it is rather nice here and the prospect of sharing your best is also quite attractive. If you aren't careful you will never be able to get rid of me." It was warm here, occupied by people he liked, and contained a proper bed rather than an increasingly uncomfortable hammock. It had been fine in the summer, more so before he had realised how big and empty it was compared to Abel's apartment but still basically alright until the weather had started to turned.

Zevran grinned at the joke and took his bite of pancake.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

she said as she tried not to sound too pleased, and buried her face in the fabric of his sleeve.

"It is," Abel affirmed with a small smirk as he turned off the tap and grabbed a towel to dry the pan with. "I'll tempt you all I want, and you say that like I'd want to get rid of you." He couldn't imagine wanting to get rid of his friend, and he couldn't help but ponder the notion more seriously. While Taavi had lived there for months now - he couldn't recall off the top of his head quite how long it had been, but probably near a year now - his apartment wasn't exactly made for roommates. Couples, though...

...but why was he even entertaining the thought? He already was one half of a couple, even if he had no desire to be and never wanted to see her again, and on top of that he'd already come to the realization long ago that he shouldn't date anyone else anyway, not after Molly. Had she found someone to settle down with, to have the children she'd wanted with? He couldn't give her either of those things. Hell, he couldn't even give Taavi a safe place to stay until he got back on his feet. No, there was no way he could inflict himself on anyone else like that again, and it was selfish of him to think otherwise. All of Taavi's problems since moving here had been entirely his fault, without any doubt. All of it, all of it was his fault, all of his suffering--

"Here," he said, abruptly interrupting and scattering his miserable thoughts, and offered the dry pan to Zevran with a small, wan smile. "Anything else you need or want help with?"  

[TawnyAngel]

"You're great," Taavi added for good measure, leaning against Vanessa slightly again as he didn't have a free hand to pet her with.

He was sadder than he had expected to be that it was all merely jest, living here with Abel... Well it would just be nice that was all.

"Well maybe I will move in then; it would not take me long to move," Zevran said with a grin but the grin soon faded as Abel handed him the pan looking tired and sad again. Zevran took the pan and set it down on the side, returning Abel's weak smile. "Ah, is it such a terrible thought that it has depressed you? I'm kidding," he gave Abel's arm a gentle squeeze, "today is a difficult day." He knew what was really going through Abel's mind.

He believed he did anyway.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Vanessa pressed her small hands to her face and made an unintelligible noise in response.

"What? Oh, no, no that wasn't..." He trailed off and curled his fingers around Zevran's wrist, offering him a similarly weak smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I was just -- thinking, is all. It isn't a terrible idea at all."  

[TawnyAngel]

Did he mean that? Did he know what he was saying?

Zevran looked down at the fingers that coiled gently around his wrist and tried to think of a jovial response that wasn't; yes, I'll get my bag.

Abel couldn't mean it, Taavi was already here for one and for another - more important - Abel had a girlfriend who seemed to be more than a bit of a problem.

"You tease me," Zevran said with a light tisk, retrieving his wrist and turning away to grab the lemons he'd bought. "Do you have a zester or if not that a cheese grater?"

It was just that he was used to living with comrades, that being alone after so long was strange. It was strange. He had enjoyed the privacy at first but now the loneliness was biting like the cold was, the latter would get worse and he hoped the former didn't too. He just wanted... he wanted something he couldn't name and didn't understand. So helpful!  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Teasing; he always teased, he enjoyed teasing, but that little bout of teasing left him feeling very much like he'd done or said something wrong, something he shouldn't have. It wasn't a very good feeling. "I'm sorry," he said quickly, almost on reflex, and withdrew his hand as Zevran pulled away. His fingers fidgeted a bit before he turned and opened a drawer to fumble through it. "I don't have a zester, no, but I've a small grater you can use." As he spoke, he found and pulled out the instrument in question before offering it to his friend.

He hesitated for a few more seconds. "I'm sorry," he said again, though this time the words were more deliberate, apologetic. Abel sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair. "I just... I don't know. I think too much - or maybe I just have too much to think about, or stress about. Like how I shouldn't even have one roommate in an apartment meant for one person," he said, lowering his voice a bit. He didn't think Taavi would hear anyway but spoke softer just in case; the last thing he wanted to do was make his friend feel bad for something he had no control over. "So there's no way I could have another, management'd probably kick me out or up my rent or something, and I can't afford either of those." He couldn't afford a lot of things, but that was besides the point. Arceus, what was he thinking - joking about having his homeless friend move in with him? So what if he lived in a warehouse? It was more or less abandoned, it probably didn't have any electricity or heat or running water or anything. Oh yes Abel, good idea, just go ahead and crack a joke like that to someone who didn't have somewhere even remotely decent to live. You a**.  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran accepted the makeshift zester with a wry smile and reached out to catch Abel's hand in his own for a moment. "It's forgotten," he said before turning his attention back to the lemons. Now he had something to focus on that wasn't Abel's face he pondered what his friend had said and how best to respond to it.

"I would never wish to do anything that caused you trouble," he began as he worked the lemon over the cheese grater - he would need to use a knife to dice the zest up a bit more. "You do have a lot on your mind, I don't know what most of it is but...." He paused thoughtfully, paused in the action of grating too. After a few moments he started grating again and continued; "But I know it's there and I want to reduce your stress not increase it. Heh. I hope that made some kind of sense." He wasn't sure that he'd expressed himself well at all, he really was no good at this sort of thing.