Business: I do not own the Great British Bake Off. I do not own Bleach. I do however own Cherry. And the Kraken that eats everything. The 'new level of sarcasm' line i have borrowed from Skulduggery Pleasant.

A/n: because it's Aizen's birthday today, apparently [29 May]. And luckily I had a short one already written.

summary: Gin bakes Aizen a thing. (for his birthday) to prove to Ran he can bake edible things.

Wordcount: 1188

Notes: nothing but fluffy waffles and humour [also pre-emptively fluffing myself up before Cat breaks me with her fic so my heart has some extra padding]. As always the vast majority of these oneshots CAN be read independently. Some are Heirverse but don't let that stop you :)

Baking

Gin smiled to himself and stretched lazily. He'd had the house to himself, due to Sousuke being away for a few days in the living world. Days which Gin spent lazing around, playing with Cherry, and binge watching 'Bake Off' – a high class baking competition pitting amateur bakers against each other that consisted of three challenges. A technical, signature, and a showstopper. The last of which was an ornate bake sculpted to look like something, usually decorated with icing and sugar and various edible bits.

He'd invited Rangiku around, knowing she liked this sort of thing, and the two of them watched it together.

"Ha," Gin laughed, when one of the contestants messed up. "That's supposed to be the easy bit,"

Rangiku snorted, calling him out. "Hey, baking isn't very easy, you know," she said. "You should try it for yourself, if you think it's that easy." She grinned. Gin snorted and crossed his arms.

"Fine. I will."

"Oh good," Rangiku smiled. "Because I'd love to see if the results are edible."

Gin fumed quietly, determined to prove her wrong.

. . .

The very next morning, Gin went shopping to get the necessary ingredients. Sugar, eggs, flour, chocolate. He looked at the recipe books in the bookshop windows, but decided against getting one. Thinking to himself, Nah, it can't be that hard. I don't need no instructions.

'I think you're making a big mistake there...' Shinsou warned him.

Ha,what do you know?

'More than you.' Shinsou answered dryly. Which is to say, isn't much.

Huh. You seem to have reached a new level of sarcasm. Impressive.

Shinsou just sighed. 'Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you...'

Gin sighed. Determined to ignore Shinsou's wincing and complete lack of faith in his baking abilities. He'd show Shinsou. He'd show everyone.

. . .

When he laid out the bag of flour, and the mixing bowls, and all the other things he'd need, he spied Cherry coming in to investigate. She sniffed the air curiously, nose drawn to the smell of the chocolate.

Gin smiled at her. "Heya Che-Che," he called warmly, "Ya come in ta help me?"

The little fox yipped and wagged her tail excitedly, jumping up onto the countertop. Gin beamed at his darling pet.

"Ah, good good. So let's get baking then, ne?"

Cherry yipped again, picked up the wooden spoon with her teeth and sat on the counter, pawing the large mixing bowl and making Gin laugh. After that, he settled her down and began pouring the flour into the bowl and cracked a couple eggs into it, along with the butter and sugar. Not really measuring anything out. Then he mixed the whole lot together, singing a rendition of 'if I knew you were coming I'd have baked a cake', with Cherry yowling along in accompaniment. And just generally making a mess.

Finally, he poured the whole lot into a baking tin, stuck in the oven, and waited.

. . .

It was several hours later that Sousuke came home, calling out to Gin to announce his presence, just in case his fox was napping. He didn't want another incident like last time when Gin had been startled awake and instinctively attacked him. He sighed and shook his head at the memory. You can take the boy out of the Rukongai but you can't take the Rukongai out of the boy. As Aizen learned the hard way. So he made a habit of announcing himself.

When he received no answer though, he grew suspicious. Gin had had the whole day off to spend with Ran, which they usually spent at their house or Rangiku's and Shuuhei's apartment. If Gin wasn't here then he was likely at Rangiku's. But usually Gin was back home in time for dinner. Unless he'd lost track of time again. Those two tended to do that a lot. Not that he could talk. How many hours could fly by when he and Gin were having quality time together?

Sousuke took off his sandals at the door and started moving through the house, calling Gin's name as he went.

"Gin?"

No answer in the hall.

"Gin?"

No answer in the living room, either.

Hm, that's odd, he thought. Catching a whiff of something coming from the kitchen. Following his nose to the origin of the sweet scent. Is that pumpkin?

He stepped through to the kitchen. "Gi-"

He stood stock still. Horrified by the sight before him. Carnage. Everywhere, carnage. Eggshells all over the floor. Flour just everywhere. Smears of butter on every possible surface. White floury fox pawprints dotted around...

It was a mess. Just a frightful mess.

"My... my kitchen..." Sousuke gaped. Horrified.

"Ah, Sou!" Gin called out cheerfully, appearing out of seemingly nowhere. Or most likely the pantry. "Welcome home! Oh, an' happy birthday! We made you some pumpkin bread. I heard it's yer favourite."

"Wha- what have you done to my kitchen?"

"Aw don' worry 'bout that. It'll clean up." Gin cooed. "C'mon, try some pumpkin bread!"

Yes, and who's going to clean it up? You? Aizen thought, but he sighed and allowed Gin to steer him towards the still warm, freshly baked pumpkin loaf. And he had to admit, it did smell good. More so when Gin picked up a knife and cut into it, and handed him a slice on a little plate hastily wiped of it's flour.

"Here," Gin said. Aizen smiled as he took it.

"Thankyou."

"Is it good?"

He laughed at his Gin's impatience. "Let me try it first," he said. And he did. He was just in the middle of hoping it would be edible, knowing how much of a kitchen disaster Gin was, but he was gladly proven wrong. The loaf was delicious!

"Mmm," he smiled.

"Good?" Gin asked again. Bright eyed and eager to please. If his fox had a tail it would surely be wagging furiously right now.

"Delicious," Aizen replied with a mouthful of the pumpkin bread.

"Yes!" Gin grinned. "In yer face, Ran!"

"I'm glad I could help settle your dispute," Aizen smiled warmly. Gin just beamed at him.

"I gotta go take this loaf an' rub it in Rans face!" Gin said, making a dash for the loaf, ready to carry it out and away.

"Nice try," Aizen said, smirking, stopping Gin in his tracks with an invisible barrier of spiritual energy. "But before you go anywhere, you're cleaning up the mess you made of our kitchen."

He watched with great satisfaction as Gin pouted and crossed his arms. "Fine."

Aizen's smile broadened as he handed Gin a wet sponge and cleaning spray. Now this was a homecoming. His fox waiting for him after a successful mission, not having to clean up for once, and his favourite treat waiting for him, freshly baked. He smiled and bit off another piece of the loaf, and to cap it all off, he got to watch an attractive man work. Today was definitely a good day.