Chapter 391: Dumbfounded.

Chapter 391: Chapter 391: Dumbfounded.

​"No," Khobi retorts smoothly, because Loac’s ego doesn’t need stoking any bigger than it already is.

It’s a useless effort though; they both know he’s lying, and as Loac’s smirk spreads wide and knowing, the horrifying thought that he’s been doing it on purpose this whole time suddenly occurs to Khobi.

​Tease .

​(He’s gonna get him back for that, for sure. Two can play at that game.)

​But first, he’s got honeycakes to bake.

Sometime today, preferably. So he grits his teeth, shoves all thoughts of what exactly he’d like Loac to do to him later tonight, and tries his best to focus on the task at hand. There are some things more important than sex.

​"...Do you mind?" Khobi huffs, ploughing an elbow into his stomach to give him enough space to get to the hearth unhindered.

It connects without resistance and Loac leans back on his elbows against the bench looking unapologetic.

​" Nope ."

​Seriously, Khobi can’t help but wonder, shaking his head as he sets the honeycakes on to bake, what’s gotten into this guy ?

​" –Hmm, what’s this?" Loac hums from somewhere behind him not even a minute later.

That’s always concerning, especially when Khobi catches the panicked stammer of Tobo’s voice rising in pitch, and when he turns he’s not entirely surprised to find Loac inspecting the tray that Khobi had set off to one side to cool.

​"A-Loac, I don’t think –"

​Shit, he’s found them.

​" –Fuck yeah, I love these things." Ignoring the horrified look in Tobo’s eyes, Loac reaches out and snaps one up, blows on it, and takes an enormous bite.

No sooner is it in his mouth than his eyes are sinking closed and a thick satisfied rumble bubbles up from deep in his throat.

​"Mmmm, these are good ," he decides, stuffing the rest of the treat in his mouth before he’s even swallowed the first and immediately reaching for another one.

Tobo makes a valiant but ultimately useless attempt at standing in his way.

The second one vanishes just as quickly, and Loac smacks his lips as he decides to just go straight for the whole tray.

Khobi’s not sure if he’s pleased or annoyed that he’s been completely forgotten.

​" –They taste different," Loac decides, eyeing them up with interest.

It doesn’t sound like he means that as a bad thing.

​"D-do they?" Tobo shoots a glance in Khobi’s direction; Loac’s grabbed the batch that Khobi had modified slightly.

​" –Mhmm," he nods, certain, "...You should make em like this more often."

​"A-Loac," Tobo’s voice drops to a whisper, "I didn’t make them."

​Loac stops chewing. It’s the perfect opportunity for Khobi to snatch the tray from his hands before he polishes them all off. He hasn’t even had one of them yet.

​"I did," he tells him flatly, taking the half-eaten one from his hand and polishing it off. Loac barely even reacts.

​It does taste good.

​" You made them," Loac states blankly, openly gaping at him, "... You know how to make custard puddings ?"

​"...What of it?" Khobi sniffs irritably.

​"Wait, so you’re tellin’ me I’ve been eatin’ shitty honeycakes when I could’ve had custard puddings this whole time?" he complains, and Khobi’s not sure where he’s gotten that idea from.

He also sees the confused look Tobo gives him and ignores it.

​" –Just coz I can make em doesn’t mean I will," Khobi huffs crossly, because he’s a hypocrite. "And my honeycakes are not shitty." He’s a little offended.

Honeycakes aren’t his favourite by any means, but they’re not bad .

And the ones he makes are pretty damn good, if he does say so himself. And Loac’s never complained about them before.

Except maybe that there weren’t enough of them.

​" –What else can you make?" Loac inquires suspiciously, and a vein twitches in Khobi’s forehead, because this guy is unbelievable.

​" What did I just say ?" Khobi grinds out, and gawks at him as Loac starts naming dishes at random, " – Don’t just start listing your favourite foods !"

​"Well can you ?" Loac presses, and there’s something about the challenging raised eyebrow that makes Khobi want to prove to him that he can.

​"I dunno," Khobi huffs, and even though he’s never heard of a couple of them, in his experience you don’t need to know what a food’s called to be able to learn how to make it, " Probably ."

​It’s the wrong thing to say.

​"You should make em for me."

​In hindsight he should’ve probably seen that one coming.

​"What, all of them?" he scoffs incredulously. He’s already said like ten different things.

"Not happening."

​"Why not?"

​" –I made you these puddings, isn’t that enough?"

​Clearly about to launch into a really unconvincing speech about just why Khobi should spend his time and effort making him a ten-course meal, Loac abruptly falls silent.

​So does Khobi. About a sentence too late.

​Ah.

​Fuck .

​"...You...made them for me ?" Loac queries slowly, and Khobi cringes as he watches the realisation begin to dawn.

​"No?"

​It comes out even less convincing than the last lie. Khobi hears it too, and with a reluctant sigh, changes his answer.

"...Maybe." Loac considers this answer, looking down at the two trays on the bench between them, laden with cooling sweet treats.

​"...They’re my favourite," he states vacantly.

​"Oh," Khobi says, because I know feels like too dangerous of an answer. And then too late, he spots that wicked glint flaring back into Loac’s eyes as he reaches out and hooks up two at once.

​"...That means I get to eat them all, right?"

​"Wha – no , give those back!" Khobi complains, and gives Tobo a look to get him to run interference.

He wants some too, and he wants to be able to judge for himself whether they taste better cold or fresh off the fire. Which at this rate he won’t get the chance to do.

"Tobo, don’t let him have any more," he orders as he heads back to check on the honeycakes.

​" –Teetee, give em to me."

​The conflicting orders have Tobo looking like he kind of wants to throw himself on the fire.

​Thankfully, the honeycakes are done, and Loac’s nearly burned himself –or Khobi –enough times by now to finally know to stand clear while he’s taking them off the fire.

And Khobi is pleased to report that they’ve turned out perfect.

The first one he cuts into smells sweet and citrusy, and Loac looks positively mutinous that Khobi deliberately hands one half to Tobo and devours the other himself.

They taste as good as they smell, too, and while they cool he sets to tidying up his work station.

The servants used to tut and fuss that he didn’t have to do that himself but he likes doing it –it’s part of the process, and they always leave the benches immaculate for him; the least he can do is offer them the same courtesy.

​Dimly, he comes to realise that the sulky where’s mine he’d been expecting hadn’t come.

​In fact, Loac’s fallen completely silent.

​Which is always dangerous. He’s probably sulking, and Khobi knows he shouldn’t look, just in case he’s not , but despite himself his better judgement he does anyway.

​Loac’s not sulking.

He’s not trying to steal anything, either. Instead, he’s leaning up against the bench not a pace and a half from him doing that thing again; that thing that he does that makes Khobi feel weirdly self-conscious.

The one where he just... watches him. Intently –almost contemplatively –like Khobi’s somehow the most interesting thing in the room and the only thing. No smirk.

No snarky grin. Just serious, fathomless blue.

​(He’s the only person that’s ever looked at him like that.)

​"...See something you like?" Khobi inquires cheekily, echoing Loac’s words from earlier. It doesn’t come out quite as casual as he was hoping it would.

​"No," Loac replies, just as he had. He’s lying, same as Khobi had, and doesn’t look away. Instead, his gaze dips to Khobi’s lips, and lingers.

He’s never seen Loac look at anyone else like this, either. He wonders if he has.

Or does. And then doesn’t wonder about why that would matter.

​It does that a lot, come to think of it, and these days whenever it happens Khobi finds himself wrestling with the overwhelming urge to close the gap; to just push up into the space between them wherever they are and bring their lips together.

Not to necessarily start something, or because he’s feeling pent up; just because he wants to kiss him and Loac wants him to.

​Today, Khobi does just that; just leans in and kisses him.

Right there in the kitchen. Nothing deep, nothing dirty; just something light and fleeting and just because.

​Loac...doesn’t kiss him back.