loving you is free

"Well, this really is a surprise." Regulus leaned against the doorframe to the kitchen, folding his arms as he watched James. He smiled warmly when James looked over at him. "Oh, don't mind me. I'm just enjoying the view."

James looked exasperated. He was wearing a purple christmas apron with two strategically placed christmas puddings on the chest, and he was covered head to toe in flour, dough and Merlin knows what else. "Okay, but why?" He asked. He had about five different bowls of various baking products around him, the oven was beeping, and for some reason the tap was running.

"You just look so hilarious right now," Regulus replied. "You do know you have icing sugar on your nose?"

James wiped his face with his sleeve, only resulting in smearing more flour on his glasses. He sighed, and Regulus laughed and walked across the kitchen, pulling the glasses off James's face. James blinked down at him groggily.

"I haven't got time to not be able to see, Reg," he said. "The cupcakes come out in...is that the oven beeping?"

Regulus wiped James's glasses on the hem of his sweater. "It's been beeping for the last five minutes, I think. That's why I came to see what was going on." He reached to put James's glasses back on his face, and James dropped the bowl he was holding and rushed over to the oven.

"No, no, no," he groaned as he pulled a baking tray out of the oven, releasing a billowing cloud of smoke. He tossed the tray onto the counter, and Regulus raised his eyebrow at the dozen burnt cupcakes that sat on the tray.

"I'm sure they're not that bad," he said optimistically, and picked up one of the cupcakes before James could stop him. "Ouch! That's hot." He dropped the cake back on the counter and put his burnt fingertips in his mouth.

"Come here," James muttered, and he pulled Regulus over to the sink and proceeded to hold his hand under the cold water to ease off the burn.

"Good job you left the tap running," said Regulus with a grin. He pulled his arm away from the sink after a few minutes, and looked around the kitchen. "What on earth are you doing, anyway?"

James deadpanned. "Guess," he said mildly, rolling his eyes.

"Well, obviously you're baking," Regulus scoffed. "I mean, why are you doing it without magic? Did you forget you have an actual wand?"

James looked a little embarrassed, and Regulus furrowed his brow. "I just wanted...to prove I could do something nice for you, without having to resort to magic."

"For me?"

"I know how much you like cakes and stuff, especially at Christmas."

"James!" Regulus put his arms around James's waist and hugged him tight, uncaring that he was getting his black sweater covered in flour. "You're such an idiot. I love you."

James kissed the top of Regulus's hair affectionately. "I love you too."

"I hope you're going to clean the kitchen before Sirius gets home. He will go mad," Regulus added. He pulled away from James, and glanced over at the counter, where he spotted another plate, covered with chocolate chip cookies. "You managed to successfully bake something, I see."

James grinned sheepishly. "I may have used a little bit of magic with those ones. Just to test out my skills."

Regulus reached behind James to snatch one of the cookies, but James batted his hand away. "Who said you could eat my cookies, hmm?" He said, gripping Regulus's fingers in his. Regulus pouted. "Okay, fine. But it'll cost you."

"What do you want?"

James reached down and kissed Regulus softly on the lips, then took his burnt fingertips to his mouth and kissed those too. "There. Now you can have one."

Written For:

- Assignment #11/Culinary Arts Task #2: Write about someone baking.

- Winter Funfair/Naughty Elf on the Shelf: 14. (dialogue) "Don't mind me, I'm just enjoying the view."

- Winter Funfair/Guess the Name: Reindeer 8. (action) Baking/Cooking

- Winter Funfair/Snowman Dressing: Hats 1. Tophat - Fluff

- Winter Funfair/Hot Chocolate Station: Mix Fix 1. (dialogue) "What on Earth are you doing?"

- Winter Funfair/Shoebox to Charity: 18. (food) cookies

- Winter Funfair/Advent Calendar: 24. Purple

- Winter Funfair/12 Days of Shipmas: 1. (dialogue) "Okay, but why?"

- Winter Funfair/Magical Mistletoe: 13. (dialogue) "Guess."

- Writing Club/Gotta Catch Them All: 2. (dialogue) "Ouch! That's hot!"

- Writing Club/Written in the Stars: 8. (color) purple

- Writing Club/This or That: Alone 2. (character) Regulus Black

- Writing Club/Film Festival: 23. (action) smiling

- Writing Club/They Said What: 12. "Who told you you could eat my cookies?"

- Writing Club/Buttons: Actions 2. Laughing

- Writing Club/TV Spree: 12. (object) Christmas apron

- Autumn Seasonal/Days of the Year: 14th October - National Dessert Day: Write about someone with a sweet tooth

- Autumn Seasonal/Jewellery Month: 20. (food) Cupcake

- Autumn Seasonal/World Farm Animals Day: 8. (trait) Affectionate

Word Count: 636