December Prompt #22: Cookies
Bella hummed under her breath as she pulled out the fresh batch of gingerbread cookies from the oven. She placed it on the counter and pulled off her oven mitts to wipe her hands on her apron, patting her belly absentmindedly.
"Do I smell cookies?" Paul asked, popping his head into the kitchen and staring at her with wide eyes.
"Did we hear Paul say cookies?" Collin and Brady yelled, sprinting into the kitchen, shoving past Paul and almost tripping him in the process.
Paul grabbed them by the scruff of their necks and dragged them back. "Uh-uh, nope. I'm not letting you two anywhere near my girl right now. Leave her alone, you two fucks."
"But, Paul!" Brady whined, frantically trying to pull away. "She's got cookies."
"I don't care if she's got cookies or the world's largest piñata—you two are not going anywhere near her until she's done baking," Paul barked, holding them a few inches off the ground.
Bella openly ogled his bulging arms and sighed happily at the sight. Just looking at her mate got her hot and bothered, but when he was disciplining their (unofficially adopted) pups, she couldn't help but want to jump on him like an idiot in front of a freight train. She was already pregnant—what harm would climbing him like a tree and asking him to take her on the table do?
"Bella," Collin called out, and Bella glanced over at the boy, who was now pouting and had widened his eyes for emphasis. "Can't we please come in and have some of those wonderful cookies? We're so hungry—and they smell delicious!"
Bella licked her dry lips, thinking of what to say. The boys were always stealing food from the kitchen as they were always hungry, yes, but their round faces were so innocent and sweet that every time they apologized by ducking their heads and batting their dark eyes, Bella melted like a bowl of buttercream frosting left out in the sun for too long. But the cookies were for the bonfire party later that night, and she didn't want to have to bake even more cookies…
She had hesitated for too long because Collin's eyes suddenly filled with tears and he let out a gut-wrenching sob. He whispered in a heartbroken tone, "Y-you don't trust us in the kitchen, do you?"
Brady ducked his head and sniffled loudly, reaching up to wipe his eyes. Guilt punched Bella in the gut at their slumped shoulders and defeated postures. She quickly hurried up to them and threw her arms around their waists, trying to hug them both at once. She cried, "Oh, no, boys! Of course, I trust you! I'm so sorry!"
Even as twelve-year-olds, they were not only taller than her but also incredibly buff; if anyone saw them, they would assume the boys could crush skulls between their thighs like a sparrow's eggs. They would never know that Collin and Brady were like emotional support dogs people deserved to have by their sides.
They were both adorable and sweet and just complete sweethearts. Bella loved them with all her heart; she never wanted to break their hearts by making them think she didn't trust them.
Making a quick decision, she pulled back and climbed onto Paul's feet—he scowled but didn't push her away—before reaching up to cup Collin's face. "Collin, I'm really sorry. Of course, you two can have as many cookies as you want. I'll just bake some more for tonight's bonfire."
Brady shook his head and piped in, "No, no, it's fine. We understand. We'll just be getting in your way—"
"Are you two seriously fucking with her right now?" Paul demanded, interrupting them. He let go of their necks and reached down to wrap his arms around Bella's waist. He held her to his chest and said, "Babe, can't you see how fucking manipulative these two bastards are being?"
Bella smacked Paul's chest and cried, "Paul, language! And these two aren't manipulating me—you're just really suspicious of everything!"
"I can't believe you would even say something like that to us, Paul," Collin said, placing his hand on his chest and sniffling. He glanced down at Bella and his shoulders slumped a bit more. "I guess we now know we're not wanted here anymore."
"We'll just go then," Brady whispered and took a step back.
Bella's eyes widened. "What? No! Who said you're not wanted here? No, I refuse to let you leave," she exclaimed, leaping forward to grab their hands. She dragged them behind her towards the kitchen table and shoved them onto the chairs, where they landed with a soft thump. She stated, "You two will sit right here and eat as many cookies as you want—Paul, make sure their plates aren't empty for even a second. Also, could you please heat up some milk to give to them? Cookies always go well with milk."
Paul stared at her with disbelief, but Bella just ignored him while placing the batch of cookies in front of the boys. She leaned forward and dropped a soft kiss on their heads, rubbing her back.
"You're sure about this, Bella?" Brady asked, blinking at her quickly as if he had something in his eyes. He rubbed his nose and added, "We don't want to be a burden on you…"
"You're not a burden at all!" Bella cried, tears welling up in her eyes. She threw her arms around Brady's shoulders and sobbed in his neck. "I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"
Brady immediately stiffened before he wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her onto his lap. "Hey, hey, please don't cry…"
"We're sorry," Collin said, getting onto his knees and hugging her legs. He dropped his head on her knees and gazed up at her through his thick, dark lashes. He murmured, "We were just joking—"
"Yeah, we didn't really think you thought of us as burdens—"
"—or that we were getting in your way—"
"—or that you didn't trust us," Brady finished for them. He kissed her head and said, "Paul's right, you know. We were just trying to get to the cookies."
"We were only acting. We didn't mean to make you cry," Collin said softly. "We're so sorry. Will you please forgive us?"
Bella sniffled a couple of times before all the tears disappeared from her eyes. She sat up straighter and crossed her arms, staring at them pointedly. "Well, guess what? I was acting too. Don't try that trick on me again, you two. I have a few tricks up my sleeve too."
Collin and Brady gawked at her as she climbed off Brady's lap and walked over to the counter. She didn't look over her shoulder at them when she said, "Now, I'll give you two cookies each if you help out with the next batch."
"We'll help!" the boys said immediately, hurrying over to her side just like she had expected. They began fighting over who got to pour out the batter and who got to use the cookie cutter.
Bella tilted her head to look at Paul, who was standing in the doorway with a huge smirk. He mouthed, "You're fucking awesome," and even gave her a big thumbs-up.
She mouthed back, "I know." Winking at Paul, she turned to the boys to settle their argument.