Second Floor Common Room, Friday Evening

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

There could be better (read: less potentially humiliating) places to do this than the second floor common room, but Anders isn't about to climb the stairs with this big box of groceries. He unpacks everything and arranges it on the counter in some manner that makes sense to him (insofar as these things ever do, really), preheats the oven, and gets to work.

It's Friday night, which means Official Date Night, and somehow or other he's ended up with the brilliant idea to make dinner for himself and Cally. Because those breakfasts turned out pretty well. Ah, ambition -- he has plans for a roasted chicken, baked potatoes, and green beans. Okay, the green beans are canned, but there's only so much he's willing to attempt in one night. Seriously.

This could possibly be an unprecedented success, though the odds lean much more in favor of spectacular disaster.

Comments

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally sits on the counter, obviously being more of a nuisance than a useful kitchen helper. She swings her legs a little, grinning.

"You're really getting good at this, aren't you?"

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders raises an eyebrow at her as he gets the chicken into the roasting pan and sprinkles it with some herbs. "I'd hold off until after you taste it before saying something like that. Assuming you get to taste it. You know, assuming I don't, like, turn it to charcoal."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"I'll taste it even if you decide to experiment with alternate cooking procedures," Cally says with a nod. "You made it, so I will eat it."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Not if it ends up being something that could poison you, you won't!" exclaims Anders after he gets the chicken into the oven. He bounds over to stand in front of Cally at the counter and leans forward to rub noses with her. "That doesn't go with my whole taking care of you duty."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"Okay, okay. But I trust you not to do that," Cally says. "So, what did you make of those schematics Doctor Oliver showed? They weren't anything I'd ever seen before."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"They were weird," says Anders. "Like, the one I got? I can't even tell where the controls are supposed to be. There's just, like . . . a globe in a little room as far as I can tell. Was red, though. I kinda like the color. How 'bout yours?"

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"Yellow," Cally says. "Same deal, actually. I have no idea how Doctor Oliver plans on using that stuff with us."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Red and yellow, huh? I like that combination. That's like C-Bucs colors! All we need is a little bit of blue and we're good." Anders grins, squeezes Cally's knee, and gives her a quick kiss before wrapping the potatoes in foil and popping them into the oven. A brief whiff of roasting chicken scent comes wafting over toward Cally, followed by Anders as he comes bounding back over to her.

"But yeah, when it comes to what the frak we're gonna do with 'em I got no idea."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"Smells good, champ," Cally says. "So, ummm, yeah. I got nothing else, then. Nothing else has really happened."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"It has been a pretty quiet day, yeah." Anders frowns. "I mean, there isn't even anybody else in here. What's up with that? Where the frak is everyone?"

His stomach growls a little and he pokes at it. "Shut up, you."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally shrugs. "People are busy, I guess." She leans down and pokes Anders in the stomach. "You ate lunch, right?"

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"I totally had lunch." Anders makes a little squeaking sound when Cally pokes him, and sticks his tongue out at her. "Had a sandwich and, um, creamed corn 'cause I got hit again."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"You got hit? Who hit you?"

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Hey, you're making it. That's totally special enough for me," Cally says. "Just having it with you is special, even."

Anders scritches Cally under the chin and smiles at her. "You're sweet, coach. Oh, frak --" And he bounds over to the stove to retrieve a slightly singed, but still pretty much intact, chicken. "Okay, maybe I shoulda turned the heat down a little bit, but it looks okay otherwise. Whaddya think?"

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"It looks delicious," Cally says, and means it. "Just perfect."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders gets the baked potatoes out of the oven and unwraps their foil, then grins shyly and picks up a knife and fork. "Bring your plate here so I can serve you?"

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally grabs her plate and slides off the counter. She walks over and holds out the dish. "Ready to be served."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders laughs and carefully lays several steaming slices of chicken, plus one drumstick, on Cally's plate, then adds one of the two baked potatoes and a spoonful of beans. He helps himself to the same, then takes his plate over to the table, sets it down, and pulls a chair out for Cally, waiting for her to sit.

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally sits down, but not before rolling her eyes a little.

"It's sweet, honest. But I can get my own chair, you know."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"But this way I get to kiss you on top of the head after you sit down, see?" Anders demonstrates by doing exactly that. He sits down across from Cally and looks slightly worried. "If it bothers you, I won't do it any more."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally shakes her head and smiles. "Nevermind."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Not doin' it to treat you like you can't do it yourself or anything." Anders pours each of them a glass of cider and holds his up across the table. "Cheers, coach?"

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally hold up her glass as well. "Cheers. It all looks great, champ. Really, really great."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well." Anders prods nervously at his chicken. "How's it taste?"

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally cuts off a bit of chicken and puts it in her mouth. She chews deliberately for a few moments, then smiles.

"Delicious."