A/N: Oh goodness it has been a loooonnngggg time since I published anything on this dusty, old account. And I have since received my BA in Creative Writing, lol, go figure. ANYWAY, you don't care. You care about this story. I originally wrote this to get out all my Hubert/Pascal feels out. I had a totally different direction when I started this, but, well, it changed. Such is the way of a story. It wanted to be more than a one shot. Hopefully I'll actually be determined to finish it. It's terribly cheesy, I apologize, but I had so many feels. Enjoy, critique, comment, etc. First ToG fic so I'm still working on getting the personalities down. Also, I apologize for formatting...there have been...issues with things.
Hubert Ozwell prided himself on his many talents and skills. He could read about anything and perfect the skill with minimal practice. But there was one thing he had never fully grasped; cooking. And yet here he was, standing in the Ozwell kitchen, flour, sugar and banana peels everywhere. There was only one person who he could blame for this; the only person who managed to talk him into this, and she was sitting up on the counter, laughing.
"Hu, you gotta little something on your nose," Pascal grinned from her perched position.
"Yes, Pascal, I realize I have more than a little something…everywhere," Hubert sighed, pushing his glasses upon his nose.
The kitchen was a mess and the attempted banana pie was burned beyond saving. He had tried to tell the Amarcian that cooking was best left to the Ozwell manor maids, but somehow Pascal ended up convincing him this was a better idea. She'd only been in Strahta for two days and so far she'd managed to get him to do everything she had asked. Then again, Pascal had caught Hubert completely off guard when she showed up on his doorstep, unannounced with plans of staying for two weeks. There wasn't a real explanation; something about the cryas and a new idea she had, but so far it seemed to Hubert she was just here to keep him from working. To be fair, he didn't mind completely, but he wasn't going to let her know that.
"I think this woulda gone a lot better if you had mixed the goopy stuff with the thingy there and then mixed with the thingamajig!"
Hubert stared at her for a moment, trying to make sense of what she had just said, but failed.
"I, uh, suppose so."
He leaned against the counter space beside her and surveyed the mess. It would be unfair to ask the maids to clean this since it was his fault. Well, Pascal's, but still, he would most likely be cleaning it up.
"I really don't understand how I allowed you to talk me into this…" he muttered, loud enough for the Amarcian to pick up.
"Aww, Hu, don't be like that! You know I had to get a famous banana treat from Strahta!"
"Which is why we have bakeries that sell the very things you would seek. And yet here we are, covered in mess with a burnt pie."
"But this was fun!"
"Humph," Hubert moved to start cleaning, refusing to get into it further with the clueless woman.
Pascal nudged him with her foot, "C'mon Hu! Aren't you having fun?"
"Pascal, I must ask you to stop that, I need to start cleaning this up." Pouting, she moved her foot and pushed herself off of the counter. She followed behind him, picking at left over banana slices as they moved.
"Hu, you aren't mad at me are ya? I just thought we could have some fun before I started work out at the ruins!"
"Well, this isn't exactly my idea of fun, being covered in pie ingredients and then left to clean it all up."
"Don't be grumpy Hu; embrace the chaos around you or whatever!"
"I think we'd had plenty of that those many months ago with Lambda and then the Little Queens."
Pascal rolled her eyes, "That's totally not what I meant. Be crazy, like me!"
"I don't think anyone can be that level of crazy."
She stuck her tongue out at the Strahtan lieutenant, "Here, I gotta perfect idea!"
Moving to the counter, Pascal grabbed the nearest bag of flour and thrust it into Hubert's hands,
"Take this stuff and throw it."
Hubert stared at her as though she had two heads. He had just stressed to her how much he was neither enjoying this mess nor cleaning it up and she wanted him to make an even bigger one?
"Pascal, you are truly mad, aren't you? I am not going to throw flour at your nor make this place even worse."
"You know you want to! Just do it! Break free from stuck upness…or something," she said with a sing song tone.
"No."
"Then I'll start!"
"Very well…wait wha-"
Hubert didn't even finish his sentence before a burst of white powder hit him square in the face. He sputtered, trying to get the stuff out of his mouth. This was it, the proof that Pascal was insane. He removed his glasses and squinted, trying to focus on her blurry form.
"Y-You insufferable…" He stammered but she just stood there and laughed.
"Wow Hu! You should see yourself!"
His mouth twitched as annoyance built in him. He began to dust off his glasses, trying to refrain from yelling at this woman. This woman who drove him crazy in more ways than should be healthy. Pascal continued to laugh, the sound causing his heart to flutter rather than enrage him more. He knew this was a losing battle and nothing he said would have any effect on her. Instead he picked up the burnt pie from the counter, examining it. The crust was burnt but the inside still seemed goopy and sticky. With a smirk he moved closer to her.
"You're right. I look quite ridiculous. But, not as ridiculous," he shoved the creamy, sweetened banana goop into her face, "as you," he finished.
Pascal stood there for a good few moments, mouth agape, as the pie filling slowly dripped down her face. For a few moments, Hubert was worried he had gone too far as she stood there either too shocked or too mad to react. But Pascal grinned and leaped towards him.
"Oh Hu! You're gonna get it now!" She exclaimed, jumping onto the younger man, causing them both to topple over and onto the powdery ground. Hubert coughed after hitting the ground while Pascal kept laughing, sitting on top of him, flour mixing with the goop on her face.
"Way to go Hu! I knew you weren't a big ol' stick in the mud!"
He winced as she shifted on top of him "Of course I can have fun," he said, "Now do you really have to be on top of me?"
Hubert was grateful for the flour that covered his face as he felt his cheeks burn with a bright lush. Pascal was so close, his heart raced in his chest and for a moment he feared she could hear it.
"I gotta get you back first! Banana is much messier than flour, though it is tastier!" She wiggled as she licked some of the mess still moving down her face, "Oh oh! We should make something new that everyone totally needs; Banana gel!"
Groaning, Hubert shoved her off and sat up,
"It's a wonder you get anything done at the rate your brain switches topics."
"Uwaah, Hu, that wasn't nice!"
He stood up, dusting powder from his clothes. Looking around he moved to the sink and grabbed a damp rag.
"Here," he crouched down beside Pascal and wiped her face, gently removing the sticky substance, "You really know how to make a mess of things, don't you?"
"One of my many talents," Pascal grinned, "But you're not mad, right?"
Hubert shook his head, "No, just wondering if I can really keep up with you for two weeks." He brushed her hair behind her ear, leaning ever so forward.
"I'll go easy on ya," Pascal said before placing her lips on Hubert's powdered white cheek.
A kiss. Pascal had just kissed him. Hubert froze and quickly got up from beside her. He made his way to the door.
"You should really go bathe. I will, ah, see to this mess. Let me go find a maid."
Pascal blinked, still sitting on the floor after Hubert left the kitchen, stammering and was that a blush she had seen on his face before he pulled away?
"What the heck was that all about? Hu sure is weird."
Hubert, meanwhile, leaned against the door to the kitchen, thoughts racing. What had that just meant? Why was he over reacting? How could this woman get in his head like this?
It would take a miracle for Hubert to get through these next two weeks without going mad. And if Pascal continued to do things like this, he was surely doomed.