It was late afternoon at Gazth Sonika and the heat was sweltering, but the two females in the small apartment were far too engrossed in their activity to notice the exhausting temperature or anything else for that matter.

"Are you sure you want to go on with this? There's still time to back down if you want to…" the agent said.

"I would never back down now. I won't regret this" the brunette replied firmly.

Madlax observed her partner for a moment, seeking for the slightest shadow of a doubt on her face.

"I'm ready Madlax, I've made up my mind."

"It's just that I don't want to pressure you into this, after all it has been so sudden…" The young agent still looked worried and her eyes reflected guilt. It had been her idea after all but now she felt that it had been a decision perhaps made too hastily.

"It doesn't matter now, I wish to continue." But her friend's certainty gave Madlax the courage to keep going on.

"Besides" added the elder woman, "I'm with the best."

"I'm not the best, I still have a lot to learn." Unable to hide the incipient blush on her cheeks, the agent moved closer.

"We can learn together" Vanessa offered.

"That sounds fine. Here, use this…" as the blonde offered the appropriate protection for the current circumstances.

"We have to do something about your shirt" Vanessa noted.

"That's not important now" countered Madlax.

Both women began their task with a mixture of wariness and awkwardness.

"Your grip is too tight."

"Sorry, it's the first time I've done it like this."

The brunette asked tentatively as her hands slightly trembled: "and now, am I'm applying the correct pressure?"

"Yes, that's okay, but don't be afraid."

"It's just…that I don't want to mess things up. And how about like this?"

The agent's face began to relax as a smile of satisfaction began to curve on her lips.



"I like it this way too" commented Vanessa as she kept at her task with an expression of utter concentration.

"You might want to go faster…like this. Here, let me show you…" the blonde agent said as she took her partner's hands to demonstrate clearly what she meant.

"Are you sure?" inquired the brunette.

"Aha, keep it up."

"It smells so good…" Vanessa whispered as she inhaled deeply, basking in the pleasurable moment. "Now let me try with this…"

"That one's okay, but you should try this one also because it's a bit larger and I think it's better for the job."

"Madlax, you're so talented!" exclaimed Vanessa.

"And you're a fast learner Vanessa" Madlax remarked with a wink.

"I've got a great teacher."

"Hmmm, that's much better…."

"Easy, easy does it…" whispered Vanessa.

"Can I try now?" the agent inquired eagerly.

"Sure!" beamed Vanessa as she allowed the blonde her deserved turn.

"So, what do you think?" the blonde asked.

Vanessa stared at Madlax with a smile. "Very good, you've always been better than I with manual jobs. Hmmm, it's just perfect…how you like the texture?"

"I like it very much but I want to taste it."

"Take it easy because it's not ready yet" Vanessa warned with a chuckle. "Goodness, I'm sweating so much already…" the brunette commented as she wiped droplets of sweat from her brow.

"There, I think we got it…it tastes delicious" the agent replied.

"Aha…so, what do you think?"

"I've never experienced something like this."

"Neither have I. It has been an amazing experience."

"We should do this more often."



Both women were covered by droplets of fine sweat due to the activity they had just shared but they were enjoying the satisfaction of that experience together.

"And when is finally baked, I'm sure it will taste delicious." Madlax stared proudly at the concoction as it baked in the oven. "See, that wasn't so hard, wasn't it Vanessa Rene?"

"It really wasn't…thank you Madlax" Vanessa replied as she marveled at the homemade loaf of bread that she had just mixed and prepared. With a sense of pride, she watched the bread slowly grow and bake, amazed at how just minutes before, she had thought the task to be an impossible one.

"There's nothing to thank me for, you did most of the work." Madlax glanced at her shirt and then at Vanessa. She smirked. "And you see? Nothing happened to my shirt, but you should be glad your clothes were protected by that apron I handed you. Without it, you would have been a mess."

"You're right. Your shirt barely got dusted by a little bit of flour but I looked as I had plunged head first into the bag" the brunette said sheepishly as she attempted to dust off part of the flour that stuck to her hands and forearms.

"To think you didn't want to wear the apron…"

"Madlax, what should we cook tomorrow?"

"Hmm, how about a cake?"

"Sounds great!"

"Guess we have a plan then Vanessa Rene."

"But pasta's on you…baking bread is one thing but pasta is your thing."

"Yeah, like always."

And the two friends shared an uproarious laughter as they extracted the hot and firm of their shared labor from the oven.