There Vanessa was, trying to be a good sister and wingwoman for her brother, and what was she met with? Skepticism and mockery! What had she done to earn that? Well, besides Shelby. And Chloe. And Spencer. In hindsight, it was easy to see where Booker might have doubts toward Vanessa’s sincerity.

Her comment was not meant to sound flirty, either! It was just an observation that Rebecca was a pretty mutant, (which she could begrudgingly admit,) and Svetlana was a pretty mutant. Hell, Agnes was a pretty mutant, which was hard to stomach. The X-Gene did good things to women, and they all seemed to congregate in New York City.

The way Booker tacked on a snarky jab at her vegetarianism gave her the impression she might be putting herself in the doghouse with her own brother. She rolled her eyes at the man in the doorway, proving she was willing to take a joke, (and not trying to steal his latest paramour.) ”Oh, you know me. All about…” She was definitely about to say “all about meat” with a straight face. At least she caught herself one time that morning. ”I’ll take whatever the cook deems appropriate.” Booker was not a jerk; if he was making her something, he would not put meat in front of her.

Turning her attention back to Svetlana, the woman explained her power. A coffee aura? It sounded both interesting and appealing to the night owl who needed caffeine to survive day in and day out. Vanessa glanced at her brother to see if he was walking out of “range,” but it was immediately clear that he had.

Suddenly, Vanessa felt like her blood was pumping more earnestly and her energy and senses had both been kicked up a notch. It was kind of refreshing; exactly as she said, it felt like the moment a caffeine or sugar rush hit.

Smiling and chuckling, Vanessa joked, ”Yeah, wow. I could definitely use a bit of that getting out of bed in the morning.” She chuckled for another half second before she caught what that comment actually sounded like and her eyes went wide. She was back to shoving her foot into her mouth, and with Booker out of range, Vanessa was looking Svetlana square in the eyes, able to catch any immediate thoughts she had in response.

Feeling her cheeks quickly burning, she stammered out a weak explanation for her joke. ”Like… you know… morning coffee.” If any higher powers are listening, kill me now. I’ve had a good run.

>> "Not allergic, no." 

>> ”Oh, you know me. All about…I’ll take whatever the cook deems appropriate.”  

Hearing from both ladies, even Nessa as she tried to remain diplomatic so that she could get a free homemade breakfast out of him, the librarian set to work making breakfast. However, even the act of preparing on of his favorite meals of the day couldn’t distract him from just how strange the whole event was. A glance over the counter, he was out of earshot of earshot in here, but he had to vaguely wonder just what the hell he was doing. Last night with Svetlana was fun, a lot of fun (and a little eye opening), but he had a feeling that she wasn’t one to stick around come morning. So…why was she?  

Don’t misunderstand, Booker was more than ecstatic to spend more time with the blonde but, honestly, part of him had expected to wake up in the morning with the only thing keeping him company was the wicked case of sex hair he was sporting right now. Was she merely staying due to the awkwardness of meeting his sister? Or was it out of mere curiosity? Bah, he was over thinking it, over analyzing, and over whipping his freakin’ batter.  

”Ah!” he squeaked as he looked down to see that he had whipped his ingredients so hard some of it had managed to splash onto his robe. With a roll of his eyes, he grabbed a dishtowel and proceeded to wipe it off. He needed to get out of his head.  

Turning back to his duties, Booker tried to let the sounds of the two women chatting incoherently turn to a dull, white noise in the back of his mind. There was something Zen about cooking, something that Booker found peace and comfort in. Maybe it was the exactness of it, maybe it was the fact that soon the kitchen, and the rest of the apartment, would begin to smell amazingly, whatever the case it was a state that Booker enjoyed wrapping himself up in.  

Once the batter for his waffles were done, Booker turned a set out bacon and soy bacon (an affront to nature) on separate cookie sheets and placed them in the over. A lot of people preferred pan-fried but Bookers method of oven baking, with a last minute run under the broiler, produced a far superior breakfast meat (and soy). Once those were in, the man proceeded to mix eggs for omelets and just busied himself around the kitchen, trying to time every carefully so that it would all come out at the same time – he was a perfectionist in this regard.  

Waffles were going to be his best. As he wasn’t sure totally of Svetlana’s tastes (at least food wise…ahem…), he proceeded to make a rather Frankenstein-esque creation of waffles. Splitting the batter and adding a cocoa to the remaining, he proceeded to pour both batters into separate halves of the waffle iron. There was some minor bleed through in the middle, but it was to be expected. The end result would be half a regular waffle, half a chocolate-swirl waffle.  

He was good at this.  

It seemed like breakfast didn’t take the man long at all, and with his practiced hands, it was very clear that it didn’t. It had been suggested in the past that if Booker career in the library field tanked that he could instead move on to work as a short order cook; such a sweet thought. As he started to plate things (yes, even Nessa's vegetarian options), however he noticed that Nessa was still conversing with Svetlana and the longer he allowed her to linger, the more likely she would get brave enough to make a pass.  

So, he called out… 

”NESSA!” he shouted a bit more loudly than he needed to. ”If you’re going to eat at my table…” It was her apartment, but it was his table! He had the receipt! ”…you can at least get off your ass and help serve.” 

Booker made his way to the kitchen to whip up some breakfast (which, from the sound of it, involved some actual whipping). Sveta suddenly realized that she was hungry, so much so that she could feel her stomach growl. No wonder, after the, um, exercise they got last night... But still, now that the initial awkwardness was gone, her body reminded her that it was time for some sustenance.
As Booker left and took his aura with him, Sveta could see her own powers hitting the girl sitting in front of her. Her coffee buzz was not nearly as brutal as touching would have been, but right out of an adapted range, it was definitely easy to sense.

>>”Yeah, wow. I could definitely use a bit of that getting out of bed in the morning.”

Sveta blinked, not sure if that was an innocent comment, or if the girl was still flirting with her. It was clear that she liked women, and just because a pretty blonde just walked out of her brother's bedroom, it didn't mean... Sveta shook her head. She was not good at guessing games. Maybe she could ask Agnes later about this flirting thing, she was bound to know...

>>”Like… you know… morning coffee.”

Well, that cleared things up.

"Oh." Sveta chuckled "Yes, it can be useful for people... and sometimes funny, when dey don't know what is causing it." Some people got jittery or hyper, just like coffee had different effects on different bodies.

Booker hollered from the kitchen for his sister, about serving the food. Sveta's ears perked up. She'd expected some light breakfast, but not really something that needed two people to be served... she turned her head towards the kitchen.

"He really likes cooking, doesn't he..."

It was tragic. Vanessa never considered she would die from a case of critical embarrassment over her own breakfast table. She was actually making an honest to goodness effort not to flirt with her brother’s most recent sexual partner. In the past, she was always such a flirt, and it occasionally led to romantic entanglements with Booker’s ex-girlfriends. Now, she was trying her hardest to make innocent conversation, and it was like some latent part of her brain failed to get the memo. She was dropping flirtatious lines unintentionally, and every time she caught herself, she was left open-mouthed and awkward.

Being a good sister was apparently overrated.

As if she was not flustered enough, Svetlana was actively wondering now if she was being flirted with. Who was the first person she considered asking for advice? Agnes. Agnes, star violinist and stealer of redheaded girlfriends. Even in other people’s thoughts her ex’s ex-ex was inescapable.

If anything useful was picked up from Svetlana’s thoughts, it was the vibe that she was not interested in women, or at least not used to women flirting with her. (Given her stunning appearance, Vanessa found it hard to believe she was the first to take a shot—not that she was actually taking any shots, of course.)

Svetlana played off the moment in stride, and Vanessa might have loved her for moving the conversation forward. ”Well, I’m definitely a fan of this pseudo-caffeine boost,” she assured her. All awkwardness aside, Vanessa could get used to the pep in her step that came with being around Svetlana.

Before any further damage could be done, Booker’s voice called out, giving Vanessa an out to save herself. She was thankful, even if his intentions were likely more selfish than altruistic. ”You’ve probably figured this out by now, but he’s a bit of a showboat. With food, at least, he can back it up,” she told Svetlana, averting her eyes on the off-chance the blonde wanted to think about other areas Booker had boast-worthy skills.

Biggest problem of a mind-reader who tread the romantic ground once walked by Booker: the uncomfortable second-hand knowledge that her brother was good in bed. The first time she caught one of those thoughts, she seriously contemplated self-immolation.

Strolling into the kitchen, Vanessa spoke in a hushed, but clearly annoyed voice. ”Okay, new house rule: no more drop-dead gorgeous blonde bombshells! They apparently turn me into a spazzy idiot!” She was not serious, (mainly because she had no intentions of following a rule like that,) but she wanted to make it clear to Booker how much she was failing at existing around Svetlana.

Breakfast was nearly completed. All he needed now was a lackey to help him carry the stuff out. Booker busied himself with organizing everything, trying to both hurry but make things presentable so that it could all be taken out. The last thing he really wanted was to continue to leave his sister alone with the pretty blonde because it was assured that she was going to say or do something to make the whole meeting as awkward as possible. What was supposed to be just a fun one-night stand was during into a big ole flustercuck because his sister had to change her plans. Sure there was probably some blame to share as he didn’t check with her first, or really even check his phone, but still, there was some equal parts blaming to be had here.  

Really, he just hoped that Nessa wasn’t making everything too weird. He loved his sister but she clearly had a history of flirting and seducing his ex-lovers. He didn’t understand how she could moan and complain so much about not being able to find love of her own when she so easily could manage to swoop in and collect those whom he had passing clings with. It was a little creepy the more he thought about it, so Booker pushed those thoughts away. The last thing he needed was to imagine Nessa being the vulture to carcasses of his love life. Ugh! Bad thoughts! U-Turn! U-TURN!! 

In all honesty he knew that Nessa wasn’t a bad person. She was just like him, she was looking for love in all the wrong places. And, as she would state constantly, it wasn’t really hurt fault that the women he became interested in also made her list. He was lucky that at least she was lesbian and she didn’t go after any of his ex-boyfriends. That was the one intersection on the Venn diagram of their romantic interests that he knew was solely his.  

But, dammit, women were just so pretty. He sighed at this and just grumbled under his breath about the impossibility of things. He couldn’t dwell, not right now. Instead he had a breakfast to swear and a one-night stand to save from the awkward Jabberwocky that was his sibling.  

So he called out. He heard nothing of the conversation that they were having and shouted that he needed help. He wouldn’t be kept waiting for long as, soon enough, the doorway to the kitchen was framed by his sister whom walked in…looking a little worse for the wear. Head tilted, he eyed her curiously. Shit…what had she done? 

”…what did you d—“ 

>> ”Okay, new house rule: no more drop-dead gorgeous blonde bombshells! They apparently turn me into a spazzy idiot!” 

He shook his head. He could only imagine what she was talking about. He had been around her when she was around an extremely attractive woman and he knew just how deeply she would swallow her foot. If this was a continuation of what he had already witnessed this morning, he could only imagine the lengths that she had gone through when he was out of the room. So, resolute to end this as peaceful as possible, he hefted up the platter that was filled with half-and-half waffles he had made, and handed her the platter with scrambled eggs.  

”Nessa…just…” his head lolled before moving into a shake. ”Just take these out there. I’ll bring the bacon and plates.” He turned and started to collect the empty plates and silverware. However, before he released her, he turned back around and just gave her an exhausted look. ”Nessa. It’s just one breakfast. Just…sack up already. Jesus.” Before she was fully gone, he thought about what he said and turned back to her. When they locked eyes he sighed and shrugged his shoulders as he mouthed “sorry” and waved her away with one of the big serving spoons.  

Collecting the last of the items, Booker hefted up the platter of bacon (regular and soy), a small stack of empty plates, and silverware balanced atop. With a smile and sigh (and a prayer) he returned to the dining area and gave a smile to the Svetlana before turning to his sister as well. 

”Alllllrighty…” he said. ”I made plenty so please, mangia, mangia,” He started to set food down on the table. He gave Svetlana’s eye again and grinned. ”I hope my sister has been pleasant company and hasn’t talked your ear off?”  

He set the last of the items down, before returning to the kitchen to grab those last few odds and ends, such as syrup, butter, whipped cream, what have you, but stopped. Where was the whipped cream? He walked out of the kitchen in thought before he winced, lowered his head, and walked back into his bedroom. After some rummaging, he slowly returned, not meeting anyone’s gaze as he held the whipped cream in hand. Heh…forgot that was used last night. Standing in front of the table, Booker looked between them (including an awkward look at Svetlana), the whipped cream can, and carefully decided to set it aside on one of the nearby end tables.  

”Um…empty. Heh. I…I’ll just set that over here.” Lips curled under his teeth in thought, he claimed his seat at the table. He glanced to Nessa, not meeting her eyes though. ”I’ll…buy you a new one…” Another second of thought and Booker grabbed plate and smiled. ”Um...dig in?” 

>>”You’ve probably figured this out by now, but he’s a bit of a showboat. With food, at least, he can back it up,”

With food, and with boxing, and with... other things. Apparently the guy did not only have the looks, he also had the talent, or at least the kind of talent people expected him to have, anyway. And then some, since he was a librarian... Dammit. Sveta shook her head and chuckled. The more she thought about it, the more annoying Booker got. That had to be a talent too. Nessa, on the other hand, was getting more flustered for some reason, probably because of her aura, and eventually went to join her brother in the kitchen, and help him bring out the heaps of delicious-smelling breakfast he had made.
Showboat indeed.

>>”Alllllrighty… I made plenty so please, mangia, mangia. I hope my sister has been pleasant company and hasn’t talked your ear off?”

"She's okay" Sveta grinned at the siblings. She really did not mind Vanessa, and even though she seemed to think she was being awkward, Sveta found her chatting endearing. She reminded her of her brother in a way, and also like a friend she had not met before.
They took seats around the table - except for Booker, who rummaged around for something, then returned to the bedroom... just to reemerge moments later with the whipped cream can. Sveta blinked.

Oh. That.

>>”Um…empty. Heh. I…I’ll just set that over here. I’ll…buy you a new one… Um...dig in?”

The moment hung in the air. Brother. Sister. One-night-stand. Whipped cream. Breakfast. Fuzzy bathrobes.

Sveta burst out laughing.

It was... good, to laugh like that. Like something was genuinely funny, and she was among people who would think the same; like she could laugh at the fact that she somehow used up an entire can of whipped cream over the course of an awesome night, and she was not feeling regret or shame, just the satisfaction over having spent it with someone who was not creepy or clingy or dangerous, in fact, he was safe, and friendly, and looking at him and his weird but friendly sister they made Sveta feel like she might actually become friends with them. She did not have many friends like this. Or any at all. So she laughed, and shook her head, wiping some tears way in the end.

"No... I think, I should buy you a new can."

Nessa winced at the… colorful verbiage Booker used while telling her to get it together. Luckily, Booker was conscious enough, even on awkward mornings like this, to catch himself and apologize. He was trying to keep things from getting too weird, which could be exhausting, so she could give him a pass and shrug it off. He was right, anyway; Svetlana was just another pretty girl, and Vanessa could handle herself around those, even if they slept with her brother.

Grabbing some of the available plates and silently thanking Booker for adding soy bacon to the offerings for the mornings breakfast. She was a pest, but Booker was always going to have a soft spot for his kid sister.

Taking her place back at the table, Svetlana confirmed that she was, in fact, okay. She could take that! There were many kinds of okay, but Svetlana’s grin assured her she was not coming across as weird or obnoxious. Feeling victorious, Nessa reached for a piece of soy bacon and took a celebratory bite.

The piece of faux-meat hung from her mouth when Booker returned with an empty can of whipped cream.

From the bedroom.

Not even Booker’s aura was going to save her from the visuals an empty can of whipped cream evoked. There was an awkwardness so strong hanging in the air, Vanessa was tempted to grab her breakfast and retreat to her room. Fortunately, the silence was broken by Svetlana’s uncontrollable laughter. Soon enough, Vanessa found herself laughing because it was an absurd situation. Now she knew they were all on the same page, and they could finally admit it.

”Oh man,” she said finally, catching her breath from laughter. ”Dammit, you two, maybe you can spring for a new can and the subsequent therapy sessions I’m going to need after this morning.” Feeling more comfortable, she spooned some fluffy scrambled eggs onto her plate along with a waffle. ”At least I somehow managed to sleep through all that.”

Vanessa made the decision that she liked Svetlana, not just as a hot blonde Russian potential model, but as a person. She had a sense of humor and an ability to take things in stride that would make her a great friend to have around. (And oh, she had a feeling Booker would appreciate that friendship.)

The blush on his cheeks, the clear embarrassment on his face, all of it was hard to ignore at this point. Booker had been caught red-handed, well whipped-cream-handed, and it was clearly one of the more mortifying things that could happen. As he peered over, looking awkwardly at Sveta, reclaiming his seat at the table, and shifting his gaze over to Nessa, the awkwardness hung like a heavy quilt with sex positions sewn onto it. Neither really wanted to address what had happened but neither could they fully ignore it either.

A glance to Nessa showed that she was damn near ready to flee for her bedroom (a look he was familiar with), what with the faux-bacon hanging from her mouth as he eyes widened at the sight of the can of (surprisingly gratifying) whipped cream sitting on a nearby table. Yeah, he wasn’t a mind reader but you didn’t exactly need to have special gifts like that to imagine the scenarios that were running through Nessa’s mind. Ugh!

Sveta was the next to receive a look and she had been stunned into silence. The two of them just looked awkwardly at one another, minds flipping back to last night and those certain acts that only a man, a woman, and a can of whipped cream could called their own. Yeah, it was probably best to not dwell on those thoughts anymore lest things become even more embarrassing.

Thankfully it would be the latest addition to this apartment that would break the silence. Svetlana laughed; like, really laughed. It was as if someone had a direct connection to her funny bone and were tickling it for all it was worth. So utterly amused by the whole strange morning, the blonde bombshell just laughed so heartily at the ridiculousness of it all that even Nessa found herself laughing, which in turn infected Booker. For several seconds the three of them just laughed, the discomfort dissipating and allowing all three to breathe freely once more. Thank god for the healing gift of laughter.

>>"No... I think, I should buy you a new can."

Booker smirked, snorting a bit as he laughed and covered his face with his hands. He really wasn’t going to argue with her at this point.

>> ”Oh man,…Dammit, you two, maybe you can spring for a new can and the subsequent therapy sessions I’m going to need after this morning. At least I somehow managed to sleep through all that.”

”I’ll admit, that surprised me too.” Booker chuckled. Sveta and he had not been particularly quiet last night. Then again, the walls of their apartment were fairly thick, which had always been a boon for Nessa’s need to record videos for work and the high volumes that she played her video games at. But, with a sigh he turned back to smile a crooked smile at Sveta, unable to keep the amused grin from his lips. ”Well…I can only imagine the impression that we’ve made on you. Regrets?” he cut into his waffle, taking a hearty bite.

They all laughed together, and the awkwardness dissolved at their shared amusement. It was friendly, as if they had been friends for a while, and not a group of random people two of whom had just had a one night stand. Life was strange that way sometimes. People made friends with the wrong people, and sometimes it worked out just fine.

>>”Oh man,…Dammit, you two, maybe you can spring for a new can and the subsequent therapy sessions I’m going to need after this morning. At least I somehow managed to sleep through all that.”

>>”I’ll admit, that surprised me too.”

"A healthy sex life is good for everyone." Sveta grinned, digging into her breakfast, sans whipped cream. And their night had definitely been healthy. And a bit of a workout. "You must be a good sleeper. Did you live in a dorm? I learned to sleep through noise in one..." It had been more of a halfway house, really, but she did not want to go into detail. Her mood was too good for that.

>>”Well…I can only imagine the impression that we’ve made on you. Regrets?”

"None" Sveta chuckled, her mouth full of delicious waffles. "Which is weird, really. You are somehow not a creep,
and neither is your sister. I admit, this was my first time going home with a librarian..."

Laughter had a way of turning a situation around for the better. A weird, tense breakfast with Booker and his latest conquest had become a weird, fun breakfast (with Booker and his latest conquest) in a matter of seconds. Sure, the details of her brother’s sex life could be mildly traumatizing, but Vanessa knew what she was signing up for when she let her brother move in with her. They were both adults, and even when they were still teenagers, their rooms were close enough together that they would receive unfortunate glimpses into each other’s sex lives. (Or, in the case of Spencer, Booker’s very clear glimpse on his own dorm room bed.)

Svetlana made a comment about healthy sex lives, and Nessa could not help but mutter, ”Oh, so it was low-calorie whipped cream?” It was hard being so hilarious so early in the morning. ”I feel like strawberries would be a healthier option for… Booker, please tell me I still have strawberries in the fridge.” She looked to him, but her accusation was playful more than anything. He made her awkward, so it was only right she return the favor. Svetlana was certainly helping, which earned her major points with Vanessa.

”And no,” she added off-handedly, returning her attention to their lovely guest. ”Booker was the college boy. Stuff… came up, so I went a different path. Blame my heavy sleeping on a lot of at-work drinking.” Alcohol allowed her to sleep through the night untouched by the noises that might have come from Booker’s room. Vanessa owed alcohol a blood debt. She would go to the liquor store and buy a six pack to pay respects and thanks.

Booker was easing into the new, weird dynamic of breakfast, taking a chance to ask whether Svetlana was full of regret or trauma. True to her friendly, relaxed demeanor, she seemed to be enjoying her morning, (and Vanessa was already unfortunately certain she enjoyed her evening.) Vanessa finished chewing a mouthful of scrambled eggs, and once it was safely swallowed she smiled and lightly punched Booker’s shoulder. ”Hear that? I’m not a creep. And you apparently have her fooled,” she teased.

Booker was indeed surprised that Nessa had not woken up during his escapades with Svetlana last night, especially if she had been there for most of it. The two of them weren’t exactly quiet; he was sure, at one point, that he had even heard a downstairs neighbor jabbing at the ceiling with a broom handle. However, alcohol and a willingness to be adventurous had spurred the two onward, without a care as to who may be listening. Thankfully his sister was not one of those people.

Nessa had explained that alcohol had been the biggest reason as to why she wasn’t aware of the goings on. That wasn’t a surprise at all. Though he loved his sister, he didn’t care for how much she drank sometimes. Then again, given her co-workers and the fact that they worked a bit like a fraternity house, she wasn’t totally to blame. It was just the dynamic of their relationship, and one that Booker was steadily growing to accept.

Still, he hoped that at one point she would start to cut down while she still had a healthy liver. Damned if he was going to give her his.

Okay, maybe he would…

Back to the matter at hand, Booker was glad to see that things were slowly getting back on track. He didn’t want Svetlana to leave her thinking that this had been some kind of backwoods strangeness happening in this apartment. He and his sister were roommates and, unfortunately this kind of thing just happened. It was ridiculous and mind numbing when it did but the ease at which they were all able to find a balance again was endearing.

With a roll of his eyes, Booker eyed his sister. ”I will replace those too.” he said, in reference to her strawberries. When that earned him a look, he shrugged. ”What? I took the last you had with my lunch the other day.”

Ahem.

Overall, while things were initially weird, they finally seemed like they were hitting a good stride. Breakfast was good, Sveta was unoffended, and Nessa was behaving (for the most part).Still, the man was curious so he inquired, still in his laughing manner as he pulled up a chunk of waffle and bit into it. Did Sveta have any regrets? After all, there was no way that she could even think that this would happen, that she would meet his sister first thing in the morning as she was prowling out to use the restroom. He really couldn’t have blamed her if that was the case.

Luckily, it didn’t seem to be.

>> "None…Which is weird, really. You are somehow not a creep, and neither is your sister. I admit, this was my first time going home with a librarian..."

>> ”Hear that? I’m not a creep. And you apparently have her fooled,”

He gave Sveta a warm smile, nodding his head in thanks for not being considered a creep. She also admitted that this was her first time coming home with a librarian and Booker had to chuckle heartily at that one.

”Well I can see that I at least made it memorable.” he smirked at the blonde. At his sister chiming in, Booker gave her an exhausted, yet amused look. ”Yeah I’m sure with enough time she’ll realize how much of a creep you really are.” he reached over and slightly shoved her shoulder, still grinning.

This was nice.