this is a companion piece to another of my fics, Lingering Promises!
song inspiration: Uptown Girl, by Billy Joel (covered by Glee)
"Go for it," Dia grins, expectant and encouraging as Platinum delicately cradles the smooth white egg in her hand. Already in a blue bowl between them swim four tiny suns of yolk, waiting to be mixed up with all the other things that go into pancakes. According to Dia, anyway, who not only seems to have a couple recipes for the item in his head but is also altering them accordingly. She's fascinated.
Platinum brings her hand down slowly, slowly, willing the eggshell to crack in the same down-the-middle, even-on-both-sides split that Dia's four previous eggs had. Alas, nothing happens, not even a crackle.
She holds the egg out to him.
It's been a long night; her suitor of the day had had difficulties in arriving and showed up with gallant apologies about an hour too early to politely request a reschedule. So she and Dia had skipped dinner — of course the chef had left them some positively incredible options in the fridge — before she had finally sent the newest person out.
So here they are. It's 21:00 and the sun has finally started to dip. Dia has been living here for nearly a month already, and it's shaping up to be one of the best summers of Platinum's life. It rivals even that summer so long ago when she was ten and just starting to explore the world on her own, by her own merit. Of course, this summer is missing some crucial ones from that one, namely Pearl and traveling.
But there are also so many good things. New things.
Like cooking, for example.
Dia gently pushes her hand back to her side of the bowl.
"Give it another go," he says.
She likes that he's willing to show her around her own kitchen, pointing out things and getting them both turned around at identical cabinet drawers. Because some of these things are new to him too, are things that he has only seen in magazines until now. Sometimes she still catches him staring when he discovers a new room or new floor or new wing of the mansion.
And she realizes that she's tired of it. Of being alone, being the uptown, upriver, upscale, up girl.
But Dia warms soon enough, grabs her hand when no one else is around, and makes the mansion seem cozier. It feels good. Feels nice. Platinum would not have thought it possible, but here they are.
Making pancakes.
Platinum looks at the egg for a long time.
Then she raises her hand and brings it back down, faster this time.
Too fast.
Before she has time to close her eyes against it, egg yolk splatters out everywhere. By the time she does blink, there is egg dripping down her hair and coating her hands and speckled across the countertop. Platinum's eyes are wide. She looks slowly over at Dia, who is gape-mouthed.
She thinks later that she will never forget the way he keeps his quiet for a beat-beat-beat before laughing, laughing until he is wheezing, until he falls off the bar-stool chair completely and bangs his fist on the floor, tears pouring down his face.