Phew, it feels good to get this out on time! And right out for Chapter 28! What, that doesn't make sense you say? Then let me go into a bit of history regarding this new fic of mine. Now, if you browse the Mother 3 collection of fanfics here, you've surely come across Curimuch's Mother 3: Stand Up Strong. Let me tell you now that it's truly amazing, and if you've yet to read it, go do it now!
So, me and Curi were chatting and she told me about how Lucas and Claus were going to get a birthday party in the next chapter with all the kids helping them out. And I said; "Man, imagine if Angie and Fuel were stuck making the cake together." Then the idea came of me doing it in an actual fic, and Curi said it was a great idea, so I decided to do it! Let me be clear; this DOES fit into her own fanfic. So it's a bit like a fanfic in a fanfic. Basically, it takes place while Lucas and Claus are busy fishing and everyone is busy doing the birthday party. The aim was to focus on Angie and Fuel as characters, and how they feel about the twins. I won't spoil anything for you, but while this fic for the majority is quite childish since Angie and Fuel are 11, it does have serious moments, which is of course down to the mess the Pigmasks are making. It's also good because Curi feels she hasn't focus on some of the minor characters enough, so it's a neat way of fleshing them out, wouldn't you say? Anyway, she has faith in me, so she allowed me to make it, which is a fantastic honour! Thanks again, girl! Oh, and for beta-reading. ;)
Anyway, enough of the history lesson! Read and enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Mother 3. All rights to Nintendo.
~Cake Making with the Demoness~
"What? You can't be serious! Say that again, and slowly this time!"
Fuel merely allowed his head to droop; his face facing his knees in embarrassment next to the Tazmily well. It was always like Angie to make a tremendous fuss of things, but he had to yet to find a way to get her to be quiet. Maybe Richie could be successful.
"I said..." and the orange-clothed girl took a deep pause as if preparing herself to send someone to death with her next breath. "...that you and Fuel are making the birthday cake. Together. Your mother agreed to give us her kitchen for the morning."
"Why do I have to be with him?" Her voice was like a whip cracking across Fuel's back, and although normally such a voice would make someone quiver, Fuel had gratefully gotten used to it in normal years. Sometimes, if he was lucky, he could actually tune her out for the most part. In fact, he wish he could tune out Angie like a Happy Box.
"Because me and Nichols are busy decorating the Inn with Tessie, and Nana and Alle are going to get the presents in order!" Richie shot back in front of the white-shirt boy, her temper matching Angie's. As Fuel slid down by the well slightly, he noticed Nichols back away as if scared to be near them. Fuel himself was used to one, yet not two girls raging about.
Nana and Alle seemed quite indifferent, or perhaps more oblivious to what was happening in front of him. Indeed, for Nana was twirling a simple flower in her hands, as if intrigued in the object, and she had gazed up with disinterest when her name was said. Fuel wasn't quite sure how she had been roped into the project until Richie had confided she had popped her head in through the window as her and Nichols had been discussing it earlier. Personally, Fuel didn't have anything against her, and hey, the more the merrier, right? She was good with Alle, in any case, but Fuel would rather handle the white-haired girl then the yellow-dressed banshee-he meant girl next to him.
"But can't I decorate the Inn with you and leave the boys to the cake-making?"
"No way! You know your mother said we couldn't unless you helped us because you cook in there all the time! And you can't really expect boys to make a cake, can you?"
"This cake is for...Lucas and Claus and they're boys..." Despite her argument however, Angie seemed to have lost a bit of her fire in Richie's retaliation, and looked to ground, grumbling slightly as if the world was against her there and then.
It was an early summer's day, the 21st of June. It was about eight o'clock, the sun still rising above Tazmily, and the children had gotten up before-hand to sort out the day. Because today was Claus and Lucas's birthday.
"And Lucas has been through so much, losing both his parents and then becoming blind!" Fuel had heard Angie remark the day before. "So it's only right we be good friends and help make them a good birthday party! That includes you, Fuel!"
How she must be regretting that now. Why she had mentioned Lucas's name only, Fuel only had an inkling of the idea. What was definite was that Angie's thoughts catered more to Lucas than Claus. He wasn't quite sure however who to feel more sorry for out of the twins.
"Oh Angie, I wish you wouldn't be selfish sometimes! Just get the cake done and it's over, okay? It's not that hard, and it's not very nice to complain when we're all working so hard ourselves!"
"But your partners aren't...aren't..." She struggled to come up with a proper term, and glancing at Fuel, who was looking right back with an exasperated expression, she suddenly seemed to cave in. "All right, all right! I'll make the cake, geez! Come on, you!"
Not even waiting for an answer, she snatched at the front of his t-shirt; her hand like crocodile's teeth, and yanked him forwards, dragging the poor boy off. Fuel gave a yell, but nothing else in terms of protest, because he didn't want to make Angie angrier then she already was.
Pulling him into her house, Angie slammed the door shut with her back as if fearful someone might see them together. She took a deep breath before relaxing, and then her eyes lit up with a sort of firey determination you'd see in someone perhaps training for a one hundred metre sprint. Fuel found himself standing his ground despite this however; Angie was somewhat predictable given how long he'd known her.
"Alright you! If you think you can mess about all you want today, you're in big trouble! This is a very special day and I won't let it be ruined by your mischief!" She wagged her finger at him as if she were a mother scolding a child. "Got i-"
"Where does your mother keep the recipe book?" Fuel cut across. Angie blinked; her train of thought disrupted.
"Um...top shelf, big green book..." Fuel breathed a sigh of relief as he turned around to collect the book; the shelf it was on wasn't terrifically high up, and on tiptoes he reached it.
"H-Hey! Don't go touching things unless I say you can!"
Fuel's free-hand twitched with the urge to clamp it across her mouth. Sometimes, he was able to keep Angie in check by interrupting her when she was speaking and changing the subject. Of course, this was proving less and less effective...his dad had thrown out subtle hints that girls were easily silenced more by mere compliments, but Nut Bread wouldn't be made from Nuts before Fuel would compliment Angie on...well, anything.
Placing the book upon the wooden table, Fuel opened the book and was nearly rammed aside as Angie hopped next to the boy.
"I picked out a perfect cake last night!" She began rummaging through the pages until she came to one with a pink piece of paper sticking out of it. "Ah, here it is!"
Fuel stared down at the page with her; there was a picture of a scrumptious looking, yet simple vanilla cake.
"I know, great, isn't it?" The girl didn't notice right away the sceptical look upon Fuel's face, and when she did, she was naturally offended. "Oh, you don't like it?"
"It's not a bad cake..." Fuel began. "But don't you remember that Claus hates vanilla and loves chocolate? I mean, okay," He nodded to the cake. "Lucas will love this; he adores vanilla, but you keep forgetting we're making a cake for Lucas AND Claus."
Angie seemed slightly stunned, as if unsure how to respond.
"W-Well, I mean...I know Lucas really well..." Fuel smacked his hand lightly against his head.
"Yeah, but I know both really well, though, and Claus isn't gonna like it. Um..." He flicked through the next pages, attempting to come up with a suitable replacement
"So what do you suggest we do?" Angie nearly yelled at Fuel, who merely blocked her out best he could. "Make a cake combining both chocolate and vanilla?"
It was a while before she realized Fuel's attention was off the book and on her; staring as if he'd never seen her before in his life.
"Wh-what? Is something on my face?"
"Angie, that's brilliant!" Fuel's eyes seemed to shine in admiration almost; his annoyance with the girl gone in a flash. "Is there such a cake in here?"
Angie hesitated for a moment, placing a finger on her chin. "Um...page eighteen!" She suddenly answered. Fuel turned to the correct page and they consulted the recipe, titled 'Vanilla Crazy Cake'.
"Hm, a good oven time, and it's really easy to make...and we have all the ingredients!" Fuel finished. Angie read over his shoulder, making a mental note of what they required. "Okay, let's get to work!"
As Angie set about collecting utensils and ingredients from the cupboards, and Fuel busied himself with getting a blue-coloured apron on. He realized why Angie was being silent and not screaming orders at him.
"Did I just compliment her...?"
He stood there for a bit, puzzled slightly. It was true that it was quite the clever idea...and now that he'd thought about it, Angie's hesitation only a moment ago seemed because she had been taken-aback.
"Taken aback by what I said...? How I said it?" He wiped over both of his eyes with his hands, as if careful to remove anything that may have left her dazzled by him...well, it's not like she was kissing him all ov-
"Fuel! Have you washed your hands?"
The boy shook his head furiously, unable to comprehend what he had just been thinking. Angie? Kissing him? That was mad! It wasn't as if it wasn't clear enough...well, to him at least, that she seemed to have a crush on Lucas. That didn't totally surprise him. Some of the girls in Tazmily admired Claus for his 'manliness', which Fuel had never teased Claus about. The twin probably would have set sail off Nowhere Islands for fear of his well-being. But those same girls also thought Lucas was absolutely adorable. Again, Fuel had never told Lucas this; the boy would become so shy he'd never speak another word, and sometimes it was hard to get a word out of him.
"Uh, I'm doing that now." Careful to avoid eye contact with her for fear she would figure out what he'd been thinking about, Fuel ran water and washed his hands. After thoroughly cleansing them, he turned to find Angie placing the last of the utensils and ingredients on the same wooden table, with the book next to them. She was smiling slightly, wearing a simple red apron, and Fuel was unsure of how to proceed with the cake-making for a moment.
"We...uh...oh yeah, the book!" He made for it a little too quickly, nearly stumbling, and tried to remain calm. It was essential he did that. "Okay, so...pre-heat the oven."
"Done!"
Fuel half-smiled, half-sighed, giving him a look that didn't quite blend well together. It was so like Angie to be one step ahead with the recipe, and so he decided to test her. "Okay, what's next?"
"Hm..." She placed a finger to her chin, deep in thought. "Well, in the baking pan, we have to combine..."
Angie huffed, mashing the egg and vanilla together with the whisk intently, almost as if she had a grudge against the ingredients. Fuel watched her nervously, creating a well in a bowl of flour.
"Um...Angie, there's no need to rush, take your tim-"
"I'm not rushing!" She said fiercely, now whipping the ingredients at such a fast pace Fuel could swear that the bowl was spinning from the sheer speed. "This cake just simply has to be perfect! I won't let Lucas's birthday be wrecked by a shoddy cake!"
"...Lucas and Claus." Fuel pointed out.
A streak of red appeared across Angie's face. "Y-Yeah, right! Anyway, quit talking and keep making that well! We're behind enough as is it!" Her face glanced up at the clock, which now read quarter to eight.
"Only by about five minutes..." There had been a lack of flour, and so Fuel had quickly rushed to Jackie's Inn in order to get some. This had therefore set Angie's temper off again.
"Five minutes is the difference between on time and not on time! Now don't stress me, Fuel!"
"I'm just saying-"
"Oh!" She suddenly threw the whisk down into the bowl, her streak of red from earlier now all across her face, and the deep red kind. "Fuel, one more word from you and so help me, I'll take the rest of the flour and dump it all over you!"
Fuel recoiled, now quite scared for his life. It hadn't been so long ago that he'd been covered in soot, and had no desire to be covered in something similar. The demon-he meant girl staring daggers at him eventually exhaled what seemed to be a great deal of frustration, then, in a more relaxed manner, picked up the whisk and continue mixing. After a few moments of silence, Fuel returned to his work as well.
Really, what was it about this girl that made him act so stupid? With Claus he always knew to try and at least stop if he pushed his friend too far; the same with Lucas. But with Angie, he always ended up messing up and pushing her buttons to their limit, to the point she became a very dangerous girl, to say the least. He wondered if all girls were like that...but no; it was impossible to imagine sweet little Alle to share any similarities with...with her. He probably shouldn't be so rude, even in his thoughts, but man, did she push him as much as he pushed her!
Once they had finished their work, the pair took a step back and evaluated the jobs they had done.
"Seems good to me." Fuel murmured quietly. Angie scowled at him slightly.
"Can't you sound a little more enthusiastic?"
"But...you just told me not to say any-"
"Oh, never mind!" She waved a hand dismissively. "Let's just get the cake shape going and we can finally put it in the oven."
Setting themselves back to work, the pair began mixing and stirring most of the remainder of their ingredients in order to get the cake base going. Fuel was now slowly adding milk into a third mix as Angie carefully stirring the well Fuel had made earlier.
"Careful, Fuel!" Angie warned despite the boy holding the milk perfectly steadily. "No wonder Richie assigned us together."
Fuel looked at her questioningly as she paused, giving the vanilla and egg mix another fierce spin with the whisk with her hand.
"Obviously she wanted me to keep you in check!"
Fuel scoffed inwardly. "Keep me in check. Yeah. Okay."
"Now we need to add it in the cake tin layer by layer."
Doing so, they managed to get the form of cake going. As Fuel was about to do the top layer, Angie scolded him with little cause once more.
"Oh, I can't believe you, Fuel! The cake will be all lopsided if you keep tilting it to the right! And you've made enough mistakes today as it is-"
Fuel was not often an angry person, but he gripped the slowly emptying bowl all the same tightly, his teeth pressed together as if he was exerting a horrible sort of pressure of rage.
"-Lucas will be extremely lucky if this cake doesn't turn out to be a mess!"
"BE QUIET!" Fuel shouted, suddenly slamming the bowl back down, spilling a few drops of the contents over the counter. "I can't believe you!" Something had gone off in his head; a trigger, a bell, a bomb; he wasn't sure exactly what. All he knew was that he was brimming with rage, and the stunned girl next to him was his target.
"What do you mea-"
"This!" He waved a hand at the cake tin, then shook his head ferociously. "No, everything! What's your problem? Why are you so insensitive?"
Now Angie seemed highly appalled, not to mention furious. Her arms swinging down and her face shooting forward, the girl fought back.
"What are you talking about! How am I-"
"Lucas this! Lucas that! This is all about poor Lucas!" He waited for a moment, wondering if she actually had any brain cells to understand what he was pointing out. A huge blush was upon the girl's face.
"Well, yes! I mean, the poor boy indeed! He lost his mother, then his father, both in horrible situations and then he became nearly blind! And I mean, those pig people were very helpful, yes, they saved his sight, but who can trust them?" She drew herself up, suspicion in her eyes. "No doubt they were just using him as a simple guinea pig, poor thin-"
"Claus." Fuel responded simply. The girl blinked. Then, her face suddenly twisted into understanding, and deep hurt.
"I...I mean-"
"C. L. A. U. S." Fuel stated, deliberately slowly. "Lucas's twin. Orange-hair. Twelve years old. Lost both his parents as well. Has had to help and guide his brother around the last few days; was alone when Lucas was asleep, was alone when those pig people were helping Lucas. The person we're also making this cake for."
Angie was silent, finally realizing what Fuel was pointing out. Claus had suffered just as Lucas had, and yet, she didn't feel entirely guilty or sorry for him. Pity mingled with a swelling sort of force inside her.
"Answer me this, Fuel." Angie spoke, holding up a finger as if to show her point. "Who tried to kill that Drago and ended up blinding his poor brother who was just trying to help-"
"I'm not saying Claus hasn't made mistakes! But are you really going to hold a grudge against him?It was an accident!"
"I don't like Claus," Angie stated bluntly; dislike painted all over her face. "He is reckless, selfish-"
"Selfish?"
"-He has been cold and shunning people away ever since this all started-"
"That's because he's alone, just as much as his twin brother!" Fuel actually seized the girl, his hands on her shoulders and shaking her; she seemed quite frightened but he barely cared. "Don't you see? Claus has been hurting inwardly. Just because he didn't nearly lost his sight or didn't have as bad injuries as his brother, doesn't mean he doesn't have big problems of his own, or didn't even nearly die! Apart from placing a flower by Lucas's bed everyday when he was unconscious, you've barely been near him! How can you possibly understand how bad it is for either of them?"
Indeed, how could this simple, stupid girl understand anything about his best friends? He, who saw them nearly all the time. He who knew about them more then anyone else. He who cared about them more then anyone else, or this uncaring girl in front of him for that matter.
Angie went still in Fuel's hands, refusing to look at him, but merely staring pass him as if she had seen a ghost. But Fuel knew that was nothing of the sort; it was because his words had hit her, hard. Then his heart plummeted.
Angie was crying.
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." She repeated simply, tears falling quietly onto Fuel's shoulder as she placed her head upon his shoulder. Fuel was feeling too horrible at the sight of her crying to protest, and he didn't really want to anyway. Rather, he simply draped one arm around Angie's back and patted her.
"I...I didn't mean to rant at you like that...I'm sorry..."
She shook her head, still saying the same words, like she didn't know any other ones. They came out as pleas, as if Fuel had to understand how she felt.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm really...sorry..."
The boy wasn't entirely sure what to do, but he had learned from his father that actions spoke kinder then words. Pulling from his pocket a slightly wood dust covered handkerchief, he offered it to Angie who accepted, sniffing as she blew into it. Then, the boy kindly led her down to sit at the table.
"I'll finish the cake and put it in the oven." She gave a shaky nod in response. Emptying the rest of the contents into the cake tin, Fuel carefully placed the cake into the oven, then gazed up at the clock. The cake needed forty five minutes and it was quarter to nine. He looked at Angie, who was wiping never-ending tears from her eyes, and his heart sank further.
This was going to be a long forty-five minutes.
Never before had Fuel felt so awkward. He felt cruel turning his back on Angie, but the sight of the poor girl in front of him was almost too much for himself; pink puffy eyes, upset all over her expression, stiff and silent. He wasn't quite sure how to fix this. He regretted his loss of temper, but he had to admit, he was glad she seemed to now be aware of Claus's suffering, even if it had taken a bit of pounding to get it into her head.
Three-fourths through the silence, she spoke.
"I...still don't think much of Claus. I think he's too hard on Lucas, and he was wrong to abandon his brother like that. But...I know he was just hurting inside."
"Um...okay." Fuel meekly nodded at her back. He found himself unable to say anything else. Why was she so intent on staring at the table? Why couldn't she say something to his face? Maybe he would be able to help her more then!
Maybe...
"I...Claus isn't my favourite person in the world. I was just...always a bit protective of Lucas, to be truthful. Rare moments as little kids, I would try and defend him in front of Claus...and yet he'd always rebuff me quietly, Lucas would." Angie gave a tiny little sigh, both hands grasping her dress in fists.
"Lucas cares for Claus deeply. I mean..." Fuel looked away himself; spurred on somewhat by the lack of Angie in his vision. "They're brothers...I...I think Lucas wouldn't be happy to hear you speak of Claus that way."
"And of course, he knows Claus better then I ever will." Angie sniffed, wiping under her nose with her arm.
On instinct, Fuel walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Surprise, mingled with sympathy was upon his face. "You could get to know Claus. I mean, you don't have to like him immediately, but take it in small steps. Start with saying hello to him-"
"You noticed I never said hi to him?" Angie cut in, staring up at Fuel. The boy shrugged.
"Just begin there and then try and understand him." The boy smiled lightly. "Believe me, there's as much to Claus as there is to Lucas." Angie giggled softly.
"Well...okay, if it gets me closer to both of them, I'll do my best." The girl smiled, and Fuel nodded encouragingly. "Thank you, Fuel."
A sudden ping made the pair jump, and they realized that before all this they had been making a birthday cake.
"You know," Fuel said. "I'm sure making a birthday cake for the both of them would be a great start to really get to know both Lucas and Claus."
"I agree!" Angie spoke brightly, suddenly pushing her chair back into Fuel, who had to grip it quickly in order to not be slammed onto the floor out of surprise. "Let's put the finishing touches on a great cake!"
Sometimes, the brown-haired lad just didn't know how girls could change emotions so quickly.
"Hm..."
Angie was bending down, an almost strict look focused upon the finished cake. It looked pretty spectacular, in Fuel's opinion.
"It's fine, okay?" Fuel laughed, wary of trying to drag her away from the poor dessert in case she rounded upon him. Then she turned around herself, and he knew he was going to get chewed out...if he was lucky.
Instead, she had the biggest smile ever on her face.
"I really couldn't have made this without you, Fuel! Thank you so much for all your help."
Suddenly, Fuel found himself quite hot, as if his face was steaming. He placed a finger upon his cheek, as if to reassure himself that everything was okay.
"Well, you...uh...it's not like I could have managed myself. But because of you, Lucas and Claus are gonna have a great birthday party!" He spoke, then added a smile slightly hesitantly. Yet, it felt warm and even right to do so.
"Okay then! How about you get the cake over to the Inn and I'll clean up here?" Angie offered.
"Sure!" Fuel took the cake, which he noted was unusual for him with Angie beside him, and Angie didn't shout at him, which was even more unusual. The thing is; Fuel didn't really care, because it felt great to him. Especially since he was on the receiving end of her rage ninety-five percent of the time.
"Well, you hurry along then." Gently, Angie pushed him, although not in a mean or bossy manner towards the door, and was even kind enough to open it for him.
"Thanks, see you then!" Fuel stepped out and the door shut behind him. He quickly did a double-check to ensure Lucas and Claus weren't about. Then he gave the biggest sigh of relief of his life.
"I made it through cake-making with Angie, and what more, everything turned out great!" The boy could have leaped into the air had he not been holding a big cake. "I mean, wow, dad was right for once! Maybe I should take note of what he says more often..." Then Fuel blinked.
"Wait a minute..." It took him a bit to connect the dots as to what had exactly happened, but when the boy finally pieced that his feelings for Angie weren't the same as they were before all this, and there was now a good chance that was the same for the young girl herself, he mentally sweatdropped.
"Oh no..." He mumbled. Now he'd wish Angie was mean to him again. Forever.
Alas, there was truly no escape for the poor boy.
So there we go, Fuel and Angie have feelings for each other, and Curi will be giving them some spotlight in her fic based on that~ Hopefully it was a worthy fic up to her standards; it's quite a bit of pressure since her fic is so excellent, and while I obviously wanted to make it like her own, I also wanted to inject some of my own style into it. 'Sides, I've got a long ways to go before I'm at her level. XD
Hope you enjoyed it, and keep reading Mother 3: Stand Up Strong! Please leave a review, and criticism is welcomed as long as it's constructive. ^.^
~Blue Toad~