"Yeah. It does." He gently lays a hand on Edgar's shoulder. "Because it means we haven't forgotten the lessons we were raised with. It wasn't for nothing, because we carry it on with us. That makes all the difference in the world."
(It isn't Curtis he's thinking about, for once; Curtis at least he's been able to talk to since. It's Tanya, who hasn't come to Milliways, who hasn't come here either.)
(... Although to be honest he's a little grateful she hasn't shown up here.)
Max administers a gentle squeeze, letting the moment of quiet linger just a bit longer before taking a sharp breath in and straightening. A smile once more blooms on his face.
"Okay, let's see how those eyes are looking. Pretty good, but the one might be a smidge too big."
That looks a lot more effective than what Edgar was going to try, which was something like bashing the chocolate repeatedly with the tool to flatten it. He takes the roller back from Max and imitates his movements, gradually getting the hang of it.
"See why you like this sort of thing so much," he says to Max, grinning a little. "'S fun."
(We only beat intruders with the rolling pin, Edgar, not the chocolate.)
"Yeah? You like it?" Max's heart could sing for how happy it makes him just to hear that. "I'm serious about letting you try to make a few things for the café, if you're up for it. We can keep practicing."
(While he hasn't thought about it consciously, the rolling pin's got a very satisfactory weight in his hands, and some part of him has definitely recognized it as suitable for an improvised weapon should the need arise.)
"Like to try that," he says, looking up again from the forming sheet of chocolate with a small, warm smile. "Really. It'd be great to do what you do."
[ Chell has been picking up shifts at the cafe again in the last few weeks, but she's still been keeping a noticeable distance from Max -- coming in early to bake, that kind of thing.
As winter turns into spring, though, and the hurt of losing Beau fades to something more manageable, and no more consequences seem to be coming down on anyone who participated in the strike, that distance starts to feel ... silly. And lonely, more to the point.
Chell's pretty stubborn, and she's not always that smart. But she'll usually get it if you give her long enough. So, finally, on a drizzly afternoon, Max gets a message in his tome: ]
I miss you. I'm sorry I've been so weird since everything happened.
[It's been hard to let her have that distance. Every part of him screaming to try and merge the gap. But he has steadfastly resisted. It's what she wants.
When that text lights up his tome, however, the urge to spring right to his feet and find her floods back with all the strength of his being. His handwriting is just a bit sloppier than usual in his hasty reply.]
I understand your reasons. But I miss you too. Where are you?
I want nothing more. I'll be there as soon as I can.
[He's not giving her a chance to stop him this time. He's already throwing his apron off at the café, telling Mark how to close up so he can race back to the castle.]
[ Her heart melts a little at that, and she sends back a
♥.
When Max arrives, he'll find her settled in one of the
pillowed corners, paging through a book without really reading it. She
looks up when her comes through the door, and her face breaks into a
sheepish smile. ]
[ That gets a laugh out of her. She stands to come meet him, wrapping her arms around him, and giving him a hard, long-overdue hug.
Long-overdue and also long, once it starts. She hadn't realized how badly she'd been missing this until now, and now that she's in his arms again, she doesn't want to let go. ]
[He doesn't want to let go either. It's been so long that he's wanted to hold her like this. His hand strokes the back of her hair, soft and soothing while he whispers in her ear.]
Apology accepted. It's water under the bridge now. Okay? I'm just glad I can finally hold you.
[Since she's leaning back enough, he switches to sign. His skill has improved vastly, but he's still a little less skilled doing it one handed like she is. It's just a bit slower.]
I must have stopped myself a hundred times from trying to go up to you. I learned with Lucas, though, sometimes it just takes a while. I do know how much it hurts to lose people.
[He settles in next to her, drawing a blanket up into his lap to spread between them.]
If they were, and it wasn't just a coincidence, then yeah. I've gone back to, you know, appeasing them so... [He shrugs but somehow makes it look mildly guilty.]
I understand being afraid of more people leaving. But, pretty soon, you won't have to worry about that with me. I'm planning on making a deal with the fae to stay here permanently. I spoke to Mab about it when she and the others showed up at the ball.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-13 04:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-14 03:45 am (UTC)(It isn't Curtis he's thinking about, for once; Curtis at least he's been able to talk to since. It's Tanya, who hasn't come to Milliways, who hasn't come here either.)
(... Although to be honest he's a little grateful she hasn't shown up here.)
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-14 05:59 pm (UTC)"Okay, let's see how those eyes are looking. Pretty good, but the one might be a smidge too big."
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-15 01:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-16 03:28 am (UTC)"Use this." He takes up a wood rolling pin and sprinkles it with flour first before handing it over.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-17 02:41 am (UTC)"Uh," he says, eloquently.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-18 03:33 pm (UTC)He gently takes the roller back from Edgar and demonstrates by squashing down the hunk of modeling chocolate and starting to evenly roll it out.
"Keep going until you get the wings to the thickness you would like."
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-18 05:42 pm (UTC)"See why you like this sort of thing so much," he says to Max, grinning a little. "'S fun."
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-18 09:21 pm (UTC)"Yeah? You like it?" Max's heart could sing for how happy it makes him just to hear that. "I'm serious about letting you try to make a few things for the café, if you're up for it. We can keep practicing."
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-20 01:46 am (UTC)"Like to try that," he says, looking up again from the forming sheet of chocolate with a small, warm smile. "Really. It'd be great to do what you do."
what do you think of starting to fade this one out?
Date: 2022-03-24 02:45 pm (UTC)"I'll look forward to seeing what kind of creativity you bring to the craft, too. We all develop our own style of things."
Sounds good!
Date: 2022-03-24 09:49 pm (UTC)End~
Date: 2022-03-30 03:06 pm (UTC)text; late March
Date: 2022-03-30 08:24 pm (UTC)As winter turns into spring, though, and the hurt of losing Beau fades to something more manageable, and no more consequences seem to be coming down on anyone who participated in the strike, that distance starts to feel ... silly. And lonely, more to the point.
Chell's pretty stubborn, and she's not always that smart. But she'll usually get it if you give her long enough. So, finally, on a drizzly afternoon, Max gets a message in his tome: ]
I miss you.
I'm sorry I've been so weird since everything happened.
text; late March
Date: 2022-03-30 08:31 pm (UTC)When that text lights up his tome, however, the urge to spring right to his feet and find her floods back with all the strength of his being. His handwriting is just a bit sloppier than usual in his hasty reply.]
I understand your reasons. But I miss you too. Where are you?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-30 08:41 pm (UTC)[ She has also been avoiding the Summer Wing ever since she did her best wrecking ball impression on her room. Whoops! ]
Want to talk?
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-30 08:45 pm (UTC)[He's not giving her a chance to stop him this time. He's already throwing his apron off at the café, telling Mark how to close up so he can race back to the castle.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-30 08:59 pm (UTC)[ Her heart melts a little at that, and she sends back a ♥.
When Max arrives, he'll find her settled in one of the pillowed corners, paging through a book without really reading it. She looks up when her comes through the door, and her face breaks into a sheepish smile. ]
Hey, you.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-30 09:06 pm (UTC)[That said, he flings his arms open wide ready to catch her in them.]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-30 09:41 pm (UTC)Long-overdue and also long, once it starts. She hadn't realized how badly she'd been missing this until now, and now that she's in his arms again, she doesn't want to let go. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-30 09:53 pm (UTC)Apology accepted. It's water under the bridge now. Okay? I'm just glad I can finally hold you.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-30 11:09 pm (UTC)I feel stupid I waited. [ She shakes her head. ] But thank you for letting me. I really missed you, Max. I kept seeing you and missing you.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-31 03:03 pm (UTC)I must have stopped myself a hundred times from trying to go up to you. I learned with Lucas, though, sometimes it just takes a while. I do know how much it hurts to lose people.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-31 09:18 pm (UTC)[ Taking his hand, she tugs him over to join her in one of the nests of pillows, so they can sit and be close while signing. ]
And I'm still scared of losing you, too. If the fae were getting back for the strike, though, it seems like they might be over it for now.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-03-31 09:24 pm (UTC)If they were, and it wasn't just a coincidence, then yeah. I've gone back to, you know, appeasing them so... [He shrugs but somehow makes it look mildly guilty.]
I understand being afraid of more people leaving. But, pretty soon, you won't have to worry about that with me. I'm planning on making a deal with the fae to stay here permanently. I spoke to Mab about it when she and the others showed up at the ball.