Taking The Plunge

Chapter Six: The First Breakfast

Disclaimer: I don't own Wander Over Yonder. Just my ideas.

Hater has determined he doesn't want to destroy Wander anymore. Look at all that progress he's made!

Yes, I know I'm stealing this title from the episode "The Breakfast." It's just the title this chapter seemed to need.

Thank you so much to those reading and enjoying this. It really encourages me that others are liking this story. I'll do my best to keep updating in a timely manner.

Enjoy the chapter!

Hater wasn't looking at him. His eyes were determinably elsewhere. Wander didn't mind. He was just happy the hadn't chased him off the ship yet and actually seemed willing to eat the breakfast he'd made. They were walking the short distance to Hater's private dining hall side by side in the long, red hallway. Wander was carrying the food and juice on a tray. He'd slipped his and Sylvia's breakfasts into his hat. He didn't want to have to leave them behind if things went south. It would have been a shame if Sylvia didn't get her breakfast because Mr. Peepers decided to see Wander off in a hurry. Besides, this way the hat would keep the food warm for them. It was thoughtful like that. He could always return the dishes next time he visited.

Wander glanced over at Hater as the overlord slumped along the hallway. He fought to keep a big smile off his face at the fact that they were here, walking peacefully through the skull-ship together. It became easier to keep his face serious when examined the skeleton more closely. Awkwardness rolled off his buddy in waves. This wasn't like when they were planning for the destruction ceremony together, when Hater was caught up in the excitement and neither of them were thinking about their usual status. No, this time the overlord seemed fully aware of how he usually reacted when the nomad showed up.

Wander wasn't exactly sure why Hater had responded to him the way he had this morning. No chasing, no zapping and no attempts at destruction despite Hater's explicit threat the night before. Not that Wander wasn't grateful! He had just expected to have to tip-toe around the overlord for a while following the confrontation in his room. He'd figured that he would have had to leave the skeleton's food on the dining hall table, possibly disguising it as something Mr. Peepers had made, and then make himself scarce before Hater found it. Now he would actually get to see if Hater enjoyed what he'd made, which was exciting, but slightly nerve-wracking as well.

He'd cooked for other people before, of course. He and Sylvia usually alternated meals with Wander making breakfast most of the time, since he woke up earlier, and Sylvia doing more of the suppers. He also cooked regularly for any locals on the planets he stopped on, and whenever he encountered a soup kitchen, bake sale, or anyone else who needed some of the ol' culinary help.

But he'd never cooked for Hater before.

Wander bit his lip slightly in nervous anticipation. He glanced over again, unable to help himself. His careful gaze took in every detail of the overlord walking beside him. Hater looked tired. His robe was wrinkled and his lightning horns drooped slightly. He looked like he'd barely slept, which worried Wander a little. He'd hoped that Commander Peepers would maybe have been able to comfort Hater last night as Sylvia had done for him, but Hater still seemed like he was hurting.

Wander had to admit to being a little out of his depth. He would like to start up a conversation, but after last night, he didn't want to say something wrong again and make Hater upset. Hater didn't seem to want to talk right now, so Wander tried to keep quiet as well.

Instead, he focused on the dining room which was just ahead.

Hopefully having breakfast would help Hater to feel at least a little better. Aside from that, Wander decided he would just have to try his best to be patient and to listen if the overlord needed it. He knew he wasn't the best at staying quiet without throwing in his two cents now and again, so he promised himself he would show restraint today and not push his friend into topics he wasn't ready for.

Hater could feel Wander's eyes on him. The little nomad kept giving him concerned sideling glances and shy little smiles and it was making him nervous. He already didn't know how to behave around the wanderer without all the chasing and zapping. It had been easy while they were planning for the big day, but that was because Hater had been caught up in all the excitement and hadn't been thinking about the fact that this was Wander, the person he hated the most in the whole universe.

Now it was all too obvious.

He resolutely ignored the little orange pest at his side and made sure his own eyes stayed staring literally anywhere else in the hallway.

However, he couldn't control his other senses and he heard his stomach growl again as he caught another waft of delectable scents from the plate Wander was holding. His cheek bones heated slightly at the sound and he found himself looking over at Wander sharply in embarrassment. Any hope that the nomad hadn't noticed was dashed when Wander managed to catch his eye and winked.

"Don't worry, Hatey. Won't be long now!" That bright smile was back, and there was a lilt to Wander's voice that made his words sound almost like a song. Hater tore his gaze away again with a snarl under his breath.

"Just so you know," he said with as much dignity as he could muster. "That was because I skipped dinner last night, not because it smells good or anything."

The concerned look was back. Hater wished the nomad wouldn't do that. It was giving him weird feelings again. At least Wander was keeping his hands to himself today. Hater didn't think he could have handled a hug on top of everything else.

Wander opened the door to the dining room, holding it open for Hater while balancing the tray on one hand. Hater hunched his shoulders and swept through the door, trying to pretend this was all perfectly normal. The table was already set, complete with candles, a flower in a vase and even a napkin folded to resemble a skull. Hater glanced at Wander again warily as he took his seat. The fuzzy nuisance must have been here pretty early to set all this up, as well as cook everything.

It bothered Hater how comfortable Wander was on the skull ship. He always knew where everything was and seemed to get in and out of the ship, not to mention the prisons, without being detected most of the time. That just shouldn't be allowed.

It bothered him more how much Wander seemed to want to be on the skull ship; how much he wanted to spend time with the overlord. That was one of the things which had always infuriated him about the pest; how he wanted to visit Hater, hang out with him and do things for him. His hugs and smiles and constant declarations of friendship. It would be so much easier if he acted like every other do-gooder; if he was ever frightened or intimidated, or at least defiant, or if he tried to stop the overlord from doing villainy the way the zbornak did.

It would be easier if Wander treated Hater like a villain.

Wander set the plate before him and Hater couldn't resist giving it an appreciative glance, covertly of course. It looked amazing, even if it was frustrating that Wander seemed to know his favourite breakfast foods as well. The plate contained chocolate chip pancakes with maple syrup, whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle, crispy sausages and bacon, scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese and thick toast dripping with butter. Hater strongly suspected Wander had baked the bread for the toast this morning as well. It wasn't their usual brand and it smelled mouth-wateringly fresh.

He forced a glower onto his face as he stared down at the plate. He couldn't bring himself to look over to where Wander was waiting expectantly. Now it came down to it, Hater felt a brief temptation to overturn the table, or grab the plate and smash it right in Wander's face. That's what he'd normally do, wasn't it?

Instead, he gingerly speared some eggs with his fork and took a small bite, all set to spit them out if they tasted gross. He closed his eyes involuntarily in bliss. The eggs were light and fluffy, cheese melted delectably throughout. He heard a small, suppressed noise to his left like a stifled squeak and opened his eyes to find Wander watching him intently with a trembling smile, eyes sparkling and hands clasped.

"Grop! Stop that!" Hater snapped; his patience already frayed by the weirdness of everything. He slammed his hand holding the fork on the table, rattling the dishes.

"Sorry, Hater." Wander seemed to make an effort to force the smile off of his face, though his lips still twitched a little at the corners. "I was just waitin' to see if ya liked it. How is it? An' don't sugarcoat it or nothin'," he urged.

As if he would!

The skeleton glared down at his plate again, unable to meet the Wander's eyes. There was no way he was going to admit just how amazing the food tasted.

"It's…okay," he decided on after a moment of deliberation. "Surprisingly edible for being made by you." He shot another glare at Wander, who looked gratified rather than unhappy at the verdict. Hater scoffed and turned his attention back to his plate. He took another small bite. Prepared for the burst of flavour this time, he managed to keep his glare firmly on his face. He chewed and swallowed, then found his gaze drawn back to where the nomad was still watching him with rapt attention. Wander's smile looked like it was trying to break through again. Hater cast around for something to distract the annoyance. "Aren't you gonna eat or something?" he demanded, stabbing a sausage with his fork harder than necessary. There was a sharp intake of breath from Wander.

"Ya really don't mind if I eat with you? I didn't wanna be a bother, but I am pretty hungry m'self."
"Whatever," Hater growled. Anything to get those eyes off of him. Needing no more encouragement, Wander reached into his hat and pulled out the plate of pancakes Hater had seen previously, still miraculously intact and steaming, as well as a knife and fork. The nomad placed the plate next to Hater's and then, realizing there was no second chair, toed his shoes off and climbed up onto the table, crossing his sock-clad feet and settling the dish in his lap. Hater rolled his eyes, but elected to ignore these antics and go back to eating his breakfast.

At least he could no longer feel those too wide eyes boring into him.

For a little while, a somewhat pleasant silence filled the room as both aliens focused their attentions on the food in front of them.

Wander paused in between bites of his pancakes and glanced over again at his companion, trying to keep it unobtrusive. He didn't want to bug the overlord by staring. He had obviously been making Hater uncomfortable before while he was trying to eat, and that wasn't nice. Wander took in the sight appreciatively, but silently. Hater seemed to have forgotten that he was supposed to be pretending not to be enjoying the food as he shoveled pancakes and bacon into his mouth. He had a happy smile on his face and Wander felt his chest swell with joy. This was going so much better than he'd thought it would. He hadn't imagined that the overlord would invite him to eat with him, not after last night.

Wander had actually worried that he might have set back their relationship a little by not escaping. It had forced Hater to do something he clearly wasn't ready for yet, and though the confirmation that the skeleton cared about him had been gratifying for Wander, Hater had seemed terrified at the realization. This morning, he was clearly still uncomfortable, but it felt like he was starting to give Wander a chance, which was wonderful. He was a little grumpy, but nowhere near as aggressive with the traveler as he usually was.

And it was so nice to see Hater looking happy again. The skeleton smiled around him so rarely that Wander found himself treasuring the expression every time he saw it. All smiles made him happy, but Hater's was especially precious to him. It lit up his face and brought a light to his green eyes.

Wander finished his meal and set his dishes on the table. He watched as Hater crunched the last of his toast, then washed it down with a long swig from his juice glass. The skeleton sighed in contentment and sank back in his chair. His eyes lazily trailed across the room until they landed on Wander, whereupon he started as though he'd forgotten the nomad was there.

Wander realized he was staring again and clasped his hands subconsciously in his lap, thumbs twiddling slightly. He waited for Hater to make the first move. He didn't want to push him again.

"You're, uh, still here, huh?" Hater mumbled, almost to himself. Wander had been uncharacteristically quiet while they were eating, and Hater had somehow started relaxing and enjoying himself almost as though he were eating breakfast alone. It wasn't exactly that he'd forgotten about Wander, more that he hadn't actively been thinking about him and how much he annoyed him, which was unusual, especially while the nomad was in his vicinity.

"Yep," Wander agreed happily. His smile lessened slightly the next moment, and he looked down at his hands which were folded in his lap. "I should prob'ly get goin' soon though. Don't wanna make Sylvia worry about me again."

"Yeah, well." Hater's thumbs tapped together nervously. He couldn't explain the slight sinking sensation in his stomach at the nomad's words. Wander leaving was a good thing, after all. "I was gonna kick you out soon anyway," he continued after a moment. "Got a lot of conquering to do today. You know, armies, subjugation, gloating, the whole nine yards." He glanced at Wander as though daring him to disapprove. Wander just smiled again like Hater had known he would. He stood and hopped down from the table, slipping his sneakers back on as he did so.

"Well then, I won't keep ya, Hatey. Don't want ta get in your way." Hater snorted. That would be a first. Wander hesitated for a moment, swaying back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Thanks for lettin' me hang out with ya a bit, Hater," he said finally. "'M glad you liked your breakfast, and I'll see you again soon." Hater didn't bother disputing it. Wander would be back. There probably wasn't a force in the universe that could keep him away.

"Go on then," he growled instead. "Don't expect me to see you out or anything." The nomad paused to gather up their dishes from the table, stacking them neatly. He gave Hater one last smile, a soft, gentle one that made the skeleton want to yell at him to just leave already. Then with a "Later, Hater" and a hat tip, he was gone.

The overlord remained seated for a while in the empty dining hall. Everything felt vaguely surreal now that Wander's strange presence was missing from the room. What a bizarre encounter that had been, and all the more bizarre because, despite the annoyance and the awkwardness, he hadn't hated having Wander here.

At least, he told himself, he hadn't hated the food. The meals his commander cooked for him were fine, but this breakfast had been amazing, and that was with the annoyance of knowing it had been cooked by his greatest enemy.

Still, he couldn't help turning the incident over in his mind. It had been so different from what normally happened when Wander showed up uninvited to make a pest of himself. Hater knew he was the only one to blame for the differences. Wander's behavior hadn't been any different, except that he had maybe been a little quieter than usual. Hater was the one who was acting strangely.

Hater stood slowly, his shoulders slumping as the exhaustion from last night swept over him again. He felt a little lost; adrift in a sea of uncertainty. Where did he go from here? What was he supposed to do the next time Wander showed up, which would probably happen sooner rather than later? Should he just try to act the way he had before? After all, no one had seen Wander's visit this morning, or their conversation last night. So far as Peepers and his soldiers knew, nothing had changed. They'd all seen Hater save Wander, but it was like Peepers had said to him last night: Wander created chaos wherever he went, and Hater could probably blame his actions during the ceremony on something of that sort. It sounded like Wander hadn't even told the zbornak about coming to make him breakfast, so he didn't have to worry about her causing any extra problems.

Nothing had to change.

Was that what he wanted?

Hater headed out the door, winding his way through the red and black hallways back to his room. A shower might help to wake him up a little more. Maybe then his tired brain would work better.

What would Wander do if Hater attacked him the next time he showed up, like the overlord normally did? He'd probably go along with it, right? He wouldn't be afraid of Hater, but he never was anyway. Hater chewed his lower jaw thoughtfully. Yeah, that would probably work.

Could he keep up the charade? Hater didn't usually have to pretend to do anything. He did whatever he wanted and his soldiers and subjects just had to deal. Did he want to chase Wander around trying to blast him, all while knowing he didn't want to actually hit the furry pest? He knew ignoring Wander wouldn't work. He'd never been able to do that.

"Argh! This is too hard!" Hater screamed suddenly, blasting green lightning all around him. Its only effect was to terrify a passing watchdog. Hater watched coldly as the trembling soldier fled down the hallway. The overlord stormed the rest of the way to his room, threw his clothes on the floor in a heap and stomped his way to the shower. He was just so tired of feeling this way. He was the Greatest In The Galaxy, Lord Hater: Number One Superstar. He shouldn't be worrying about his feelings or fretting about how to act, especially not because of Wander!

Hater turned the hot water up as high as it would go, relaxing slightly as the heat worked its way through his bones. He decided after his shower he would go and wake Peepers up if he wasn't up already. Then maybe he really would go and conquer a planet today. Maybe that would help him to feel a little more like himself. As he finished his shower, he promised himself that he wouldn't think about annoying, scruffy vagabonds for the rest of the day.

Now if only he could manage to keep that promise.

Hope you enjoyed!

Ah, the awkwardness. Hater really isn't sure how to behave around Wander without attacking him, or even if he should. And Wander's really trying to not put too many expectations on Hater, but having difficulty being casual.

And what are Sylvia and Peepers doing, you ask? Probably having a nice, relaxing sleep-in, for once.

If you feel like letting me know how I'm doing I always appreciate it. Next up will be one of my WOY stories. Depends which of them pokes me with an idea stick first.

Bye for now!