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]

Anders blinks at her. "The creamed corn did. Don't ask me where it came from! Oh, but there was Jell-O, too."

A lump of Jell-O, lime this time, drops out of nowhere and lands on the table.

"See?"

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally blinks. "Well, I don't--" She slaps a hand over her mouth. "That was almost very bad."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders sags in relief when Cally doesn't finish that particular phrase. "Yeah. No more of that, 'kay? 'cause I think the bed still hasn't quite dried out from the other night, and I keep picking bits of dried slime out of the desk drawers, and I got Bridge's room soaked the other night too. 'sides, slime doesn't go real well with chicken."

He laughs and eyes the timer he remembered to set on the oven, then leans in to rest his forehead against Cally's. "Love you. Hope this dinner turns out okay."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"I know it will," Cally says. "Cause it was made with love... okay, that was totally cheesy. Sorry."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Well, I didn't get any cheese," Anders says absently. "Oh, wait, that's not what you . . . heh."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally laughs. "How much longer before its ready?"

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"About twenty minutes, I think?" Anders peers at the timer. "Okay, more like thirty-five. Gives me plenty of time to get the beans ready, so I won't do that just yet. But I do have something I can do!"

He clears the Jell-O off the table and wipes it down quickly, then spreads a black-and-white checked tablecloth out. His place settings wouldn't pass for acceptable in any fancy restaurant, but he at least gets points for effort. The champagne flutes come out, and although he wasn't going to risk actual alcohol in the common room again, there's sparkling cider.

Anders finishes setting up the table and shoves his hands into his pockets, looking sheepishly at Cally. "I wanted candles too, but I wasn't sure the fire would be a good idea."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"Fire bad," Cally says.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I have this weird fear of fire," Anders agrees. "Used to have nightmares about dying in a burning building, and that was not fun."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally meeps.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders comes over and wraps his arms around her. "I stopped having 'em, though. Wanna guess about when that was?"

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally wraps her arms around Anders and holds him tightly. "No idea," she says. "When?"