[FIN] Pancake Party

[TawnyAngel]

"Good, that's okay than," Taavi said with a weak smile. "I know how impatient- er, I mean- restless you got last time so... Yeah just don't try to do too much too soon." It seemed like everything was just getting worse and worse recently, and whenever something good happened there had to be something bad to balance it back out.

Taavi poked listlessly at the last piece of pancake on his plate. "Abel do you ever feel like... like you're being punished for something? I was stupid to," he glanced quickly at the kitchen; was Zevran listening? "You know but I was only sixteen, does that excuse it? Or maybe it's not that maybe it's something else I did wrong that I don't even realise I did, or that I didn't realise was wrong. Something thoughtless, or cruel, or... I don't know, ignore me, that was a stupid thing to say anyway."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Both are just as accurate," he pointed out with a small, self-deprecating smile, "because I definitely was both."

He speared another bite of pancake but paused with it halfway to his mouth when Taavi spoke. Hm... As he pondered the question he stuck the bite into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully for a few moments. "You mean like karma? It seems like it for some things, but I really don't think you did anything that bad to deserve - well - all of this s**t," he said with a wave of his fork; Taavi would understand his meaning. "I think some of it, yesterday especially, was just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, rather than some kind of divine retribution or something."  

[TawnyAngel]

"Yeah. I guess." Taavi ate the last bit of pancake, swallowing it with difficulty. "I guess... I guess I just want there to be a reason or something," he said slowly after a short pause. "If I can explain it then... then I can make it not happen again? Or? I don't know." Wrong place at the wrong time, that was all. A tiny spark of anger flickered to life in the cold void that had been there since he'd realised what had happened. Why him, why Valour? Why did s**t keep happening to him and the people he cared about? They weren't bad people they didn't deserve it! What was the point of a world where decent people suffered and bad people, people like Alyssa seemed to coast by getting everything they wanted?

"What's the point?" he asked bitterly of nobody in particular.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"A reason, huh..." Well, reasons for things were usually a much easier pill to swallow than to shrug and say 'life sucks sometimes.' Abandoning the remainder of his pancake, Abel stood and moved to the couch. Vanessa scooted out of the way to make room and the blond took her place, wrapping an arm around Taavi's shoulders as he did so. "Well, if you need a reason then what about the girl you helped? If you weren't there then she would've been much worse off than she was, I'm sure, though I know how it went down was pretty bad all the same... Uh," another reason, another reason, shoot... "I don't really know any other reason except maybe Team Rocket was out doing stuff, in which case.. you'll just have to try and prepare for that again so it goes better next time? But what already happened can't be changed, you can't go back and do something different no matter how badly you might want to." Oh, how he'd wanted to so many times... Taavi probably was too, and Abel couldn't blame him in the least.

Man, though, he wasn't very good at this. Rather than voice that thought he gave his friend's shoulder a light squeeze. What was the point? That was a difficult question to answer.  

[TawnyAngel]

He'd thought this already, he guessed. What would have happened to Sera if they hadn't been there? She'd saved Isaac, she'd been caring for Diancie, and though he found her hard to understand and get along with she was a good person.

Taavi closed his eyes, pushed the plate away vaguely and lent against Abel. "I know. I just wish it was different, I...." He choked on his words and squeezed his eyes tighter shut. "You know how I feel," he added eventually. All that time Isaac had been gone? Of course it had been Alyssa but what might she have done to him? Anything. He missed Valour. He missed his Dad, and even his Mom. What would have happened if he'd just stuck it out and finished school instead of running away? He'd never know and he didn't know if that was good or bad.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"I know," he said gently as he wrapped his other arm around him, "I know exactly how you feel. It's an awful, terrible feeling. I also know that there really isn't anything I can say to make it better or change anything except that you know I'm here for you."  

[TawnyAngel]

"No, not really," Taavi agreed with a weak sad smile for his friend. "You could get me a sweet pancake though, if they're ready? And... thank you. That means a lot."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel returned the sad smile with his own as he withdrew one arm, but gave Taavi's shoulder another squeeze before withdrawing the other arm. "Sure. And you're welcome. It's the least I can do, yeah?" As he spoke, he pushed himself back to his feet to collect some of the dishes before he headed into the kitchen.

Aware that he'd agreed to help cook some of the sweet pancakes but had been gone for longer than anticipated, the blond offered Zevran a small, apologetic smile. "Sorry it took me a bit. How're the pancakes coming along?"  

[TawnyAngel]

"Thanks Abel."

Zevran glanced over his shoulder and smiled softly as Abel appeared. "Important things were being said, not that I heard anything," he said, lying conspicuously. "Two sweet pancakes are done and this one is nearly ready to flip. Will you watch it while I have one of these?" The smell was making him rather hungry and he also wanted to keep Abel here for a moment to talk, he certainly had heard most of Abel' conversation with Taavi - hard not to in a small apartment - and while he couldn't do much for most of it he could do something small for them.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

His smile softened a bit; he didn't believe him for a second, but then again it wasn't difficult to hear conversations from another room in his apartment. "I don't know what you're talking about, I see three sweet pancakes here," he said as he stepped close to plant a quick kiss on Zevran's cheek - he couldn't resist anymore - before he slipped his hand under Zev's to take hold of the pan. "We've been eating away this whole time, so you sit down and eat for a while, yeah?"  

[TawnyAngel]

Couldn't they just keep doing this always? Silly kisses that demanded no more? Jokes and light touches? He wouldn't be a bother, he would cook for Abel and Taavi and....

No.

Zevran chuckled and relinquished the pan before leaning up to kiss Abel's jaw briefly in return. "The last pancake needed a little more sugar before it was ready," he explained before pouring some of the cooked fruits onto one of the pancakes, topping it with cream and then sliding it onto a waiting plate.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel shot him a brief smirk before turning his focus to the actual pancake. He gave the pan an experimental shake, deemed it ready to flip, then flipped it -- and nearly flipped it right out of the pan. A quick flick of the wrist and another shake of the pan set it right again, rather than hanging half out of the pan. "So all the fruit and stuff is ready?" He asked as he set the pan back down on the burner and glanced over his shoulder at the shorter blond.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Ooooh, very close! But you also have good wrist action my friend," Zevran said with a smirk for Abel's save as he folded his pancake up to his liking with knife and fork. "Si, the heat is off the fruit now but the hot pan will keep it nice until it is wanted.... And while I was not eavesdropping," Zevran waved his fork at Abel, "this is a small apartment so I could not help but hear, you are going back to work tomorrow? I will make you lunch to take, you must eat properly." Protein, carbohydrates, vegetables.... Yes, easily done. "Do you like omelette?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Zevran's comment earned him another very serious, mature response: Abel stuck his tongue out at him for a moment or two. The moment passed and he gave his friend a rather surprised look instead. "Aw, man, you don't have to do that."  

[TawnyAngel]

He didn't have to, of course he didn't. "No, I...." Was it such a bad thing? Zevran looked over at Abel with a slighty confused frown. "I know I am not compelled to do so but I want to, is that strange?" Were normal people not supposed to do things like that for their friends?