James. sirius. Cupcakes. Disaster guaranteed...
don't ask where it came from because I have no answer.
"Siruis!"
A pound on the door drew Sirius from his midmorning nap. Reluctantly, Sirius ambled towards the front door, cursing early-morning callers. He swung the door open to reveal his best friend James looking nothing short of distraught. The seriousness was incredibly uncharacteristic; Sirius actually took a step back.
"James, what...?"
"I'm dead, Sirius," James moaned, stepping inside. "Oh my God, I'm so dead..."
Sirius closed the door. "Mind telling me why?" He watched as James paced the length of the kitchen, and his confusion rose. He had hardly ever seen his friend like this, and it was beginning to scare him a little.
James came to rest in a chair, running his hands through his hair distractedly. At last he looked up. "Today's Lily's birthday!"
Sirius opened his mouth to reply but then stopped, allowing the words to really sink in. Then he began to laugh. "Is that all?"
James stared in disbelief. "What do you mean, 'is that all'? I forgot, I didn't get her anything---this is serious!"
"James, you've got nothing to worry about. There's one simple gift that an girl would love."
James looked up, eyes shining with anticipation. "Really?"
"Yup...Cupcakes."
dot dot dot
James cast a wary eye on each of the ingredients in turn. Eggs, flour, sugar, oil...
"You sure we've got everything?"
James questioned for the umpteenth time.
"Eh...looks about right," Sirius replied almost indifferently. "Wish Remus was around---he can pull this kind of stuff off---right, so...ready?
"Um, are you positive we can't just use magic or something? I mean it---'
"Hey, you love this girl, right?"
james didn't hesitate. "'Course I do."
"Then you've gotta do this the right way! Nothing screams "I love you!" like homemade."
"I get it, i get it," James mumbled. "Just wanted an easier way, you know?"
"Well believe me when i say this is the only way." He backed p as James proceeded to crack the eggs over the bowl of flour. It seemed to be going well; the two of them combined the remaining ingredients, tipped the mixture into cupcake tins, and put them in the oven.
"So...now what?"
"Nothing. We gotta wait ...what, an hour or two?" He threw himself on the couch. "I never really finished my nap..."
dot dot dot
"SIRIUS!"
for the second time that morning, Sirius awoke to James' shout. Sirius sat up, expecting to meet James and a perfect batch of cupcakes; instead, he met a think cloud of smoke.
"What's...going on?"
The smoke cleared. James was holding a tray of the sorriest excuses for cupcakes Sirius has ever seen. They were dry, deformed, and each had a black top.
Sirius swallowed a laugh.
"Just make another batch is all."
But James was looking more forlorn than Sirius had ever seen him.
"I told her to meet me here in ten minutes."
dot dot dot
Lily came in a few moments later, beaming and smiling. Sirius bounded out to greet her, not a care in the world, while James shuffled out, defeat etched over his face, looking like a lost child.
"Happy Birthday!" cried Sirius with robust, hoping to draw her attention from the burning smell, and also from the look on James' face. He'd have to have a little talk with him later on...Sirius nudged James in the ribs. james mumbled, "Happy Birthday," carefully avoiding Lily's gaze.
"Uh...James made you something," continued Sirius, staring meaningfully at his best friend.
Slowly, James presented the ruined cupcakes. Lily just stared, but Sirius could see her fighting a giggle. James saw nothing, hiding his eyes, shining with embarrassment, failure, and fear.
Lily moved forward. "James..."
"Well, they were cupcakes," James began, trying to smile but failing. Just like he had failed the love of his life...he couldn't even make her a decent birthday gift...
Lily understood perfectly even though James said nothing else. She took his hand in her own. "Come on, James, you know I don't need stuff like that. i could never want anything besides you."
And Sirius saw it coming---he stood by awkwardly as one minute James and Lily's eyes met passionately and their lips the next. James didn't feel like a like a failure anymore as he felt Lily's smiling lips against his...she didn't really mind not getting a gift.
"AHEM..."
James and Lily broke apart. Sirius grinned as his friends came crashing back into reality, avoiding Sirius' eyes quite embarrassedly.
"So...anyone up for cupcakes?"
The sad thing about this all is that this is probably my longest story...
They forgot milk...