Downton July Fanfic Bonanza!

2nd July prompt: "Wet"

Modern AU

Anthony stared at the misshapen lump. It was obscene. It was horrible. He couldn't expect Edith to even look at it.

It had all looked so easy when he'd read it in the recipe book. It was Delia Smith for heaven's sake! Not even he could ruin it. Or so he had thought. He looked up at the clock. There wasn't even enough time now to get to the shops and back.

With ever rising panic he weighed out the ingredients again. It was while he was still mixing that he heard the front door slam shut.

"Hi! I'm home!" She trilled it happily every day, and every day her voice still thrilled him, and he welcomed her home with a kiss and sweet nothings. Today, however…

"Damn and blast!" said Anthony under his breath.

"Sorry? What did you say? Where are you?"

"In the kitchen" he called out with unsuccessful nonchalance, as he tried to cover the thing with a tea towel, and stand in front of his efforts, all at the same time.

"Anthony?" Edith peered around the kitchen door, more in trepidation than affection.

"Happy birthday, my dearest darling!" His smile covered all sorts of anxieties simmering underneath the surface.

His greeting softened her expression and eased her fears. That was until she saw the state the kitchen was in.

"Where exactly did the bomb hit?" she asked, deadpan.

Anthony decided to come clean…or at least as clean as you can when you have half a pound of flour impacted about your person.

"I'm so sorry, my darling. I…I was trying to bake you a cake…and…well…"

He lifted the tea towel to display his shameful effort.

Edith stared at it for a second before creasing up into uncontrollable giggles.

Anthony was partly relieved, and partly insulted by her reaction.

"Oh my love…but that's so sweet of you…even to try! But you really shouldn't be allowed into a kitchen without a bodyguard and a security cordon thrown around the house. We've known this ever since the incident with the pancakes!"

"I just don't understand it. I can follow instructions. I do follow the instructions, but when I put it in the oven then this…this…creature from hell emerges out of it! I think cooking is a branch of Black Magic!" he huffed. "I was about to try again when you came in."

Edith looked in the mixing bowl, dipped her finger daintily into the batter and, with some nervousness, tasted it.

"It's lovely, Anthony. No, really! You've just made the mixture too wet, that's all! It tastes really good, but there's no point in cooking it. It'll just end up like the thing from the Black Lagoon over there."

"Chinese take away?" Anthony offered in desperation. "Not much of a birthday treat though, is it?"

"I have a much better idea" purred Edith, still sucking her finger in a most sensual and provocative way. Anthony's breath was stolen out of his body, as she picked up the mixing bowl, and smeared cake batter down his throat, and then proceeded to suck and lick it all off again, very slowly.

"Oh my!"

"I think men who think they can cook should be taught a lesson in how to…prepare ingredients with…loving respect…don't you?" she whispered in his ear.

"Oh my!" he repeated.

She lifted the apron over his head, and took his hand to lead him to their bedroom.

"I shall have to make the cake mixture too wet more often…"