Aubrey Posen huffs as she grumpily storms through the halls, towards the communal kitchen at three in the morning, having gotten absolutely nowhere with her rather incompetent project partners.
"I may as well just do it all myself," she mutters to herself, eyebrows furrowed and practically fuming as she pushes through the doors only to stop in her trail as she realizes she's no longer alone.
Stacie Conrad, who is perfectly content with being enthralled in her book, sitting up on the table, looks up from said book the moment Aubrey shows up, and offers her a small smile as she quietly utters, "Hello."
Though still reeling from having to deal with stupid people, her curiosity and upfront nature causes Aubrey to blurt out the first thing that comes to mind, "What're you doing here? It's three o'clock in the morning."
She watches as Stacie, who she faintly remembers from having shared a couple of classes with before, puts down the book and leans back against the table and shrugs, "I'm baking cookies." She says it so factually, her eyes sparkling with an undercurrent of delicious mischief.
"At three in the morning…?" Aubrey asks as she raises an eyebrow, not quite sure about just how serious Stacie is being right now.
Grinning at her, Stacie nods, "Mhm. I was up anyways, and I really wanted some homemade cookies…so, here I am." She pauses, taking in Aubrey's slightly disheveled look, stress obviously playing a role in her appearance, before asking, "Would you like some after they're done?"
Slightly taken aback by the offer, Aubrey ends up sort of staring at this woman in front of her. The woman that's offering her some freshly baked goods.
"I mean, you don't have to say yes…it's alright, I just…I thought I'd offer that's all," Stacie says stiltedly, wondering if perhaps she should have just kept silent when Aubrey obviously was pissed off and not in the mood.
"No! I mean…yes, I'd love to have some cookies, thank you." Aubrey manages after having kicked her brain into gear. She shakes her head slightly at herself as she catches Stacie's eyes, trying to come off less aggressive as she says, "You're baking cookies in the communal kitchen at 3 A.M. and I'm angry but also really hungry…so I mean, yeah if you wouldn't mind sharing, I'd love some."
Tilting her head, Stacie bravely ventures forth, "Is…everything alright? Not to burst your carefully constructed façade or anything but uh you look like you need to punch something…or someone."
Aubrey lets out a surprised laugh as she stiffly walks towards the chair that Stacie is supposed to be using, which is located in front of her swinging legs, and nods her head as she looks up at her, "Yeah…punching isn't exactly what I was imagining but I'll say it was, so you don't go thinking I'm completely insane."
Barely kicking her heels back and forth, Stacie smiles at Aubrey, a full one now that she's at least pretty sure she won't bite her head off, and says, "Rough day, huh?"
Aubrey nods, not even caring that she's pretty sure she's about to open up to this practical stranger, "Just about one of the roughest ever."
Stacie hums and just watches as the blonde shuts her eyes and lets out an angry breath with the words, "I hate group projects."
Stacie lets out a breathless laugh, completely understanding the anger now, "Ah…I see."
Aubrey's eyes open and she locks her gaze with Stacie, "Do you? Because if so, I am so sorry. No one should ever experience this level of incompetence and ignorance mixed in with a state of laziness that has even sloths ashamed and embarrassed."
Stacie doesn't mean to laugh, because she honestly does know how awful group work can be, but Aubrey's snark is intimidatingly hilarious and she's incredibly amused, "I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you. It's just…you're really funny." She grins as she says this before switching gears towards a more serious look as she says, "I do totally understand the horror of group projects though. It's ridiculous. I'd rather just do the whole thing on my own, than have to put up with this stupidity."
Aubrey nods, "Right?! Exactly. I can efficiently do all the work and finish everything in half the time it takes to get them to even pretend to be doing anything of value!"
Stacie nods, "Absolutely. It's such bullshit."
Sighing, Aubrey then groans, "Truth."
The blonde finds herself opening up to Stacie about the issues she's been facing with this particular group while they wait for the first sheet of cookies to finish, and Aubrey is surprised by how receptive Stacie is, since she's basically just listening to her whine about her group mates from hell.
"And I wish she could have just admitted to not being sure about what she's supposed to be doing. No. No, instead she just figures she'll wait until the next time we all meet up to reveal that 'no actually I didn't do anything because I wasn't sure and I didn't wanna do something wrong.' Like…I literally have my phone with me all the damn time. My email is synced to it too…All she had to do was ask and I'd have been able to explain it all again. I've stressed it a million times."
Aubrey takes a deep breath and just lets the air out slowly, blowing out all of her pent up frustrations too.
The timer rings then, signaling that the cookies are ready to be taken out and Stacie grins at her beautifully as she hops off of the table top, "You've got impeccable timing."
Aubrey watches as she pulls out a baking sheet with a dozen of the most delicious smelling chocolate chip cookies she's had the privilege of being served, "Those smell exactly how I'd picture the perfect batch of homemade cookies would smell."
Stacie chuckles as she puts the baking sheet down before grabbing the second one and popping it into the oven, "You're telling me you've never baked cookies at home? Never had someone bake them for you either?"
Aubrey swallows past a tight throat, as she shakes her head once tersely, and then brusquely says "Affirmative."
Stacie turns then, to fully face the blonde after setting the timer once again, and realizes she's managed to prod her into going on the defensive.
"Oh…I'm sorry, I-that was insensitive of me."
Aubrey studies her face and she's surprised when she finds genuine remorse and she's even more surprised by the fact that she's lowering her shoulders and relaxing once again.
She's not one to usually forgive a hiccup like that so quickly. Once she's pulled the barrier back up, it usually takes a while to relax again enough around the person that caused them to have to go up…Except now. Except here.
Before she really realizes what she's doing, she hears herself saying, "It's alright. You didn't do say it to hurt me on purpose."
Stacie shakes her head, "Of course not."
Aubrey nods once, "Precisely. So, no need to apologize."
Clearing her throat, Stacie shuffles her feet slightly as she indicates with her thumb towards the cooling cookies, "I'm glad these are going to be your first 'homemade' ones then. They look perfect."
Silently watching the brunette grab a couple of glasses, Aubrey is suddenly hit with a profound wanting. A desperate sort of feeling really, and it's all to do with hoping beyond all hope that these cookies will live up to her imagination, and everything she's always dreamed homemade cookies would be.
It's crazy, Aubrey knows this, but she can't control these feelings. Especially not at nearly twenty past three in the morning, while hungry and drained and in desperate need of a bed soon after being fed.
"Here you go! I poured you some milk, but uh if you'd rather something else..?" Stacie says as she places the plate of cookies down on the table, quickly followed by the two glasses, now filled with milk as she takes a seat across from her.
Aubrey shakes her head, "No thank you, milk is perfectly acceptable. Thanks."
Stacie just grins at her and pushes the plate closer to her slightly, "Go 'head. I wanna see what you think of them."
Aubrey looks from Stacie's face down towards the plate of cookies just calling out to be eaten. She tilts her head and assesses each cookie, trying to find the most perfect one to leave for Stacie, seeing as she's the one that's baked these, and-
"These cookies of chewy goodness are not going to get consumed all on their own. Staring at them wont work either." Stacie teases lightly, and is glad when Aubrey just rolls her eyes at her and reaches out for one finally.
The first bite has Aubrey widening her eyes and blinking owlishly at Stacie, not even chewing anymore as she savors the moment the chips are melting against her tongue and lips, still nice and warm from the oven.
She whispers, "Oh my God," before taking another bite, her eyes shutting on their own accord as she manages to murmur, "I could kiss you right now, this is amazing."
Stacie just grins widely as she watches the blonde in front of her basically unravel at the seams because of cookies she's baked. She teases lightly, "Oh, that'd be more than alright with me…you'd just have to take me to dinner first, at the very least. Cookies don't exactly count."
Aubrey's eyes spring open then, and she stares at Stacie silently, barely even breathing for a beat before she nods her head slowly, swallowing her mouthful of delicious chocolate chip goodness before saying, "You're right. Cookies don't count. So, how about, as a thank you for having listened to me go off about my group project, as well as sharing these heaven sent cookies, I treat you to dinner tomorrow night?"
Stacie bites her lip before she tilts her head and asks, barely believing this turn of events, "Really? You're really asking me out to dinner?"
Aubrey takes a sip of her drink before she nods and says, "I'm really asking you out to dinner. But don't feel like you have to say yes or anything. I can imagine what you must be thinking, this crazed blonde-"
Stacie cuts her off by grabbing hold of her hand and squeezing, a large smile on her face, "I would love to have dinner with you!"
"Ye-yeah?"
Giggling, Stacie nods, "Yeah."
A faint blush appears on Aubrey's cheeks, but she refuses to acknowledge it as she smiles at Stacie, wondering to herself what good she must have done in another life to deserve this.
As she watches the brunette wash and put away their used dishes, she's hit with the realization that she's going to be going out with her later in the day and that thought sort of causes her heart to skip a beat in her chest, a little stumble in the normal sinus rhythm.
The thought crosses her mind once again when the timer goes off and Stacie packs all of the cookies into a plastic Tupperware container and hands it over to her.
"What're you doing?"
Stacie raises an eyebrow as she continues to hold out the container full of cookies, "Uh, giving you these cookies."
Aubrey shakes her head, rolling her eyes as she says, "No, yeah I can see that. Why are you doing that?"
Stacie shrugs nonchalantly as she gives her a small smile, eyes twinkling, "You seemed to have been enjoying them rather enthusiastically. Definitely more so than I could, and you probably need another pick me up after dealing with the group mates from hell tomorrow too."
The blush on Aubrey's face darkens slightly, and really she blames it on the fact that it's super late. Plus, she's really tired now that she's been fed, and she's feeling rather warm inside.
Definitely nothing to do with the woman in front of her being such a cutie.
Her hands tremble slightly as she reaches for the container, not enough for it to be noticeable to anyone else, and she smiles bashfully at Stacie as she says, "Thank you. I mean it. You didn't have to keep me company, listen to me rant, and then feed me afterwards."
Stacie shrugs a shoulder, dropping her arms to her side, smile a little wider, "It was no problem at all. I mean, getting to spend some quality time with a cute girl at three in the morning is kinda goals to be honest."
Aubrey laughs lightly, and she mentally face palms when she notices that she's shuffling her feet, but she can't stop herself from doing it, "I uhm…I feel a lot better after having spent time with you."
"I'm glad I could help," Stacie says as she nods seriously.
Clearing her throat, Aubrey lifts the container in her hands slightly as she turns slightly in the direction of the door, "Thank you uh for these. Again. And good night. I'll see you later…Or I mean I'll definitely text you later, and we'll-I'll…"
She lets out a slightly frustrated breath at having so spectacularly fumbled her words.
Stacie giggles and she gently reaches out a hand and barely touches her shoulder, "I think these cookies wrecked havoc on you…I'll text you back. You're welcome by the way, and yeah good night…sleep well. I can't wait for dinner."
Aubrey watches with slightly widened eyes as Stacie seems to contemplate her next move, before a serene smile crosses her face and she seems to have come to a decision.
Aubrey's breath catches when she sees Stacie's face come closer to hers, and she lets it out all in a rush when Stacie's lips press against her cheek lightly, a whisper of, "Sweet dreams," and then she's gone, leaving Aubrey standing alone in the middle of the communal kitchen holding onto a container full of cookies, with a dazed expression and a slight smile on her face.
A/N: So y'all can thank Knappster for this, cuz she asked for cute staubrey and I say ask and (maybe) ye shall receive lol