Tarin said that he would actually be impressed if she managed to burn water. Lee was sure that would happen sooner or later.

But he didn’t care? For a moment, Lee wondered how Tarin didn’t care that she was so bad in the kitchen that she was actually able to burn water. But she also had not actually cooked anything in the over two months since Tarin had moved in. And he’d never made even so much as a comment about that.

Just like he hadn’t made a single comment or complaint about her not sleeping with him before she’d tried that first night. He had thought it was just something that wasn’t possible with her powers, accepted it, and moved on.

He really didn’t care that she couldn’t cook to save her life, did he?

Lee’s smile had grown slightly until she heard Tarin continue speaking. He wanted her to explicitly say that she’d done a good job with making the pie. And followed that by asking why it was so hard for her to be proud of herself.

Lee frowned slightly at this point, too. It wasn’t that she wasn’t proud, but for this, Adele had literally walked her through step by step. It was hand holding through video chat. She was very confident in what she was able to do with her powers…though Lee realized, that really wasn’t the same as being proud; how could she be proud of it because of the things that had happened to teach her that much about her powers?

As Lee stood there, her frown deepened slightly, her lip slowly moving between her teeth and her eyes dropping away from Tarin’s. Lee knew that she was good at things, a lot of things. And for certain things, she would often be jokingly arrogant, like of course she was right about this or that. But that wasn’t being proud, either, was it?

”I’m not sure…” Lee finally admitted in a whisper.

Watching Lee’s smile turn into a frown was pretty much one of Tarin’s least favorite things, he decided.

He hadn’t meant to turn the conversation sour, but based on the way Lee was worrying her bottom lip she was thinking hard about what he had said.

Eventually she said she didn’t know why it was so hard for her to be proud of herself.

”You did something that is difficult for you. You did it well. You should be proud.” he said.

”Just try it. ‘I did a great job and I made a very good pie’ “ he said, goading just a bit and hoping to see Lee smile again.

After she’d made her admission, Lee looked back up at Tarin as she heard him speaking. He was right, it was something that was hard for her. Very hard, as evidenced by the first attempt, and that even with Adele’s help, Lee had been worried she’d messed it up. And even Kevin had admitted that the pie was good.

So why was it so hard to admit it, to be proud?

”Just try it. ‘I did a great job and I made a very good pie’ “

Lee took a breath as she looked up at Tarin. ”I did…make a very good pie,” Lee said. Why was it easier for her to say that than what else Tarin wanted her to say? Another breath, slow but not as deep as the last. ”I did a good job,” she whispered.

Tarin didn’t know why it mattered to him so much that Lee did this. Why it mattered to him that she acknowledge the work that she had done out loud.
But it did. Still, Tarin swore to himself that if Lee really couldn’t bring herself to say it, he’d be content with her knowing that he knew.

Lee spoke though, and while it was part of what he’d wanted her to say, it was arguably the less important part.

Tarin just waited, arms still around Lee as they stood in the kitchen, looking down at her patiently.

Finally she said the words, so quietly they were hardly audible and Tarin grinned down at her, ”You really did.” he said and leaned down to drop a kiss on her forehead.

One Tarin had said those words again, trying to get her to acknowledge how she had done, he just said there looking at her, his arms around her.

Normally, someone looking at her while waiting as Tarin was would be uncomfortable. But as Lee looked into his green eyes as they stood there, it wasn't. He wanted her to say it, admit it, that was obvious by how many times he had asked.

But it didn't feel like he was forcing her. It was just…encouraging.

When she had finally managed to get the words out of her mouth, Lee smiled slightly seeing the happy grin that spread across Tarin's face.

After Tarin had kissed her on the forehead, Lee tightened her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. Hopefully, Tarin was done with all of that now.

Though Lee did still have a small smile on her face.

”I am happy that you liked it” Lee said after a few moments.

Well there, and Lee was even smiling instead of being mad at him for pushing.

It looked like everything had worked out.

It was nice, standing here like this, and Tarin had to stop and think for a moment that he had been completely truthful when he’d said that location and activity were irrelevant when it came to spending time with Lee.

Lee said again that she was happy that he had liked the pie and Tarin nodded and smiled even if she couldn’t see him do it.

”I should start looking at recipes for your birthday now if I want to be prepared…” he teased lightly, ”So many options to sort out though, so many kinds of cake, icings, fillings, toppings….Ive got my work cut out for me. ”

Lee happily stood there for a few moments hugging Tarin with her head against his shoulder. It really was very nice just being with him, even just like this in the kitchen.

But when she heard him speak again, even though she could hear the teasing tone in his voice, Lee pulled back to look up at him, her eyes slightly widened. ”You really don’t need to do that, Tarin,” she told him. ”That’s not why I did this. You know that, right?”

She hadn’t expected anything from this. Lee had simply hoped that Tarin would like the pie.

Was he actually going to spend the next 6 months figuring out, and practicing making a cake for her birthday?

Well that wasn’t what he’d wanted to happen.

Lee pulled back and looked quite surprised and maybe even a bit…horrified? That he was suggesting that he might make her a cake for her birthday.

Tarin didn’t laugh, but he did roll his eyes a little bit.

”I was teasing.” he said, ”But you’re crazy if you think you’re not getting a cake for your birthday after all this.” he added.

Lee did laugh slightly at this point as she looked up at Tarin. ”Oh, I fully expect to get a cake for my birthday,” she informed him with a smile. ”And a good one, at that. But we’re probably going to have enough to do right before Christmas for you to be worrying about trying to make me a cake.”

That said, Lee stretched up in Tarin’s arms to give him a kiss. ”But maybe we should find somewhere a little more comfortable than standing in the middle of the kitchen?” Lee suggested. Because she could think of a few places that were more comfortable. And two of them were not in common areas of the apartment.

Tarin had to admit…Lee did have a point. Her birthday was right before Christmas and with what she’d asked for and the holiday…maybe making a cake was ambitious. They’d just have to see.

Lee made another great point a moment later, she was just full of excellent ideas tonight and as she stretched up to kiss him, Tarin couldn’t help but smile.

”My place or yours?” he asked without leaning in for another kiss. They were in the kitchen after all.

As she looked up at Tarin, she thought that she saw the relization that him attempting to make her a birthday cake might not have been the best idea. Her birthday was just days before Christmas, after all. And though he had said that he hadn’t done much of anything for Christmas really ever since leaving home, Lee hoped that Tarin realized that would be different this year. Even without the fact that Lee knew she was going to want to do something for Tarin this year, there was still Kevin. He may be 13 and pretended that Christmas was no big deal, Lee knew that he’d be hurt and sad if they didn’t celebrate the holiday like they had for the previous 6 years.

Returning Tarin’s smile after she kissed him, Lee laughed as he questioned where to go. She just thought it was funny since it sounded like after a date asking which apartment a couple would go to, while here they were standing in their kitchen.

”I chose last time,” she said. ”So it’s up to you.” Because it wasn’t like there was much difference between the two, and it wasn’t as urgent they get behind closed doors this time.

Man, Christmas was going to be really different this year, wasn’t it? By the simple fact that it was going to be more than a day where almost everything was closed it would be wildly different than anything Tarin had experienced in longer than he wanted to admit. He wondered if Lee went all out? Did she and Kevin decorate the apartment? Piles of presents? This were questions for later though, Lee had suggested they go somewhere more comfortable.

His choice this time, huh?

Tarin just kept right on smiling as he dropped his arms from around Lee and grabbed her hand when she did the same and tugged her in the direction of their rooms.

”It’s only fair to share hosting duties…” he said, moving past Lee’s room and all the way down the hall to his room.