A/N: Thanks to DifferentChild who figured out that David is a stress baker... and the on-the-fly betaing. I need to stop relying on spell check ... and actually write when awake!
A cab drops the boys off at Dalton around nine. They walk into the dorm together, in companionable silence. It's a safe sort of silence, although its pregnant with the knowledge that things will need to be said soon.
Nick is emotionally drained. Most people think he's this well of stability, but he's not. And tonight, he just needs to cut loose.
Thad is the first person the boys meet. He eyes them, suspiciously. "At some point, you are going to tell me what happened, tonight," he orders. "But, I think you guys better reassure David and Trent first. They're in the kitchen."
A nervous look passes between the blond and the brunette as the council member saunters off. The kitchen can only mean one thing: David has been baking.
David is the kind of guy who bakes when he is stressed. The more stressful the situation, the more elaborate the confection.
A test usually warrants warm oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies, spiced with cinnamon.
There are cupcakes before the Dalton swim meets, usually decorated impeccably with red and white icing. (Joe, the swim team captain banned navy after the Night of Black Poop.)
When his beloved Fighting Irish loose, David makes bread pudding, and would try his hand at Whiskey sauce if he didn't think he would get caught. For some reason, Trent and Thad always cheer against Notre Dame. Unless the boys in blue are playing USC, because the Trojans are just plain evil.
Nick and Jeff are afraid that they will walk into the kitchen to a full wedding cake, all things considered. They knock on the locked kitchen door – another sure sign David is stressed – and wait.
Trent opens the door for them, and the first thing the boys see is a three layer cake, dirty iced, on the sideboard in the corner. A package of fondant sits beside it. The oven door is open and filled with small, white, fluffy shells. A bowl of whipped cream sits on the table in the center of the room, and David is washing and slicing strawberries at the sink.
The bowl of whipped cream is on the table in the center of the room, next to the remains of what used to be a toaster. If David bakes when he's stressed, Trent eats desserts and tries to "fix" small electronics. At least this time David made him unplug the Toaster before taking it apart. Nick isn't sure he could take a burned, shocked Trent.
Jeff grins, and goes to make tea. Nick helps Trent clear the toaster fragments from the table and wash away the breadcrumbs. David removes the meringue like shells from the oven, and assembles them.
Then, the four boys sit down together at the table to talk about purple and pink elephant doing a tap dance by the refrigerator. They have to talk about it. But, they help Sebastian do damage control if they keep it among themselves.