Okay, I wasn't sure what to make at first. But this literally just brewed up in my brain and I couldn't resist XD So, I hope you enjoy this little Father's Day treat from me.
Maria carefully opened the door and walked slowly towards her dad's sleeping form. For a moment, she was considering letting him sleep a little longer, but she didn't want him to miss what she'd done for him. The impling gently shook him by the shoulder.
"Daddy. Wake up, daddy." she spoke softly.
Striker moaned but gave in and yawned stretching as he sat up. "What's up, baby doll?"
"Come downstairs, I got a surprise for ya!"
"Oh? What is it?"
"If I told you, then it wouldn't a surprise."
Striker gave his daughter a playful smirk, "Well, if ya tell me, I'll still act surprised."
Maria giggled, "C'mon, daddy, ya gotta see it for yourself."
"Alright, alright. Just gimme a few minutes to get dressed, would ya?"
Once he was ready, Maria grabbed his hand, lead him all the way down to the kitchen table, and pulled back the chair for him before he sat down.
"Okay, close your eyes."
Striker couldn't help but chuckle, yet he complied; whatever her surprise was, she clearly planned things out.
"Can I look?"
"Not yet."
As she returned and prepared the surprise, she waved her hand in front of his face to make sure his eyes were really closed.
"I ain't lookin', Maria. Not till ya tell me."
"Okay... now!"
When Striker opened his eyes, he saw a chocolate cake dotted with blueberries in front of him. The scent alone nearly made his mouth water; he didn't even notice his tail wagging.
"Happy Father's Day, daddy!" Maria smiled brightly.
"This looks great, sweetheart. Did ya make it yourself?"
"Uh-huh. Hope you like it."
"Well, only one way to find out."
Striker picked up the knife placed conveniently right by the dessert and cut himself a piece... only for it dissolve between his fingers the minute he picked it up. Maria's face dropped in shock while he looked absolutely flabbergasted.
"Maria... is it supposed to do that?" he asked warily.
"No!" She tried to make out a little piece herself and pulled it out, but it too was runny. "I don't understand, I followed the recipe exact-"
Striker looked concerned seeing his daughter's face sink even more. "Maria?"
"I forgot the flour!" she moaned dropping her face onto the table. "How did I miss that?! That's the most important ingredient!"
Striker felt his heart clench seeing Maria looked ready to burst into tears as she stared sadly at the ruined cake. She clearly put a lot of thought into baking something just for him only for it to go wrong right in front of him.
"Hey, it's okay, sweetheart. Ya just made a little mistake; it could've happened to anybody."
"But daddy, I really wanted to make something special for you all by myself. I mean, it's your day to take it easy. And I ruined it. I'm... I'm so sorry!"
Maria couldn't hold back her tears anymore and buried her face in her arms, sobbing.
Striker sighed, hating to see his daughter cry. He got up from his chair and knelt down next to her.
"Baby girl, look at me." She did so, looking embarrassed and ashamed. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I can tell ya gave it yer all for me despite what happened."
"But I-"
"Nah ah ah, no 'buts', Maria. I'm being serious. You did your best, that's all that matters."
"Y-you sure?"
"Absolutely." Striker smiled gently, wiping his daughter's tears. "Besides, I haven't tasted it yet. I betcha it'll still taste good."
He stood up and went to fetch a couple of spoons for each of them then scooped up a spoonful of the sticky cake. Maria watched hesitantly as he chewed the chocolate and blueberries then he made a satisfied hum as his eyes widened.
"Well, how about that? This is delicious."
"Ya mean it?" Maria asked hopefully.
"Of course, it's like pudding." He gave her the other spoon. "Try it."
Despite herself, Maria tried a spoonful. To her vast surprise, he was right, it was delicious. "Hey, this is pretty good."
"See, I knew ya had it in ya."
"I guess so... still, I wish it turned out better."
"Aww sweetie, don't beat yourself up about it." Striker petted his daughter's head. "Like I told ya, it was just one little mistake. Trust me, this is far from the worst thing I've ever eaten. And even farther from the worst thing I ever made. Would you believe I nearly destroyed the kitchen at one point when I was a kid?"
"Get outta here."
"It's true. I tried to make pancakes for your grandpa on his birthday and lemme tell ya, it looked like a twister somehow got into the house."
Maria burst out laughing just imagining the disaster. "You did get better after that, right?"
Striker scratched the back of his neck. "It took me a couple years or so, plus I had to be supervised at all costs. But I eventually did manage to stop making anymore messes."
"Does this mean you're gonna have to watch me cook from now on?" she asked sheepishly.
"Well, at least you managed not to make a mess in here. But, yeah, I'm gonna need to make sure you're able to bake anything the proper way." He sat back down, lifting her up onto his lap. "And hey, if ya like, I could teach a few little tricks I picked up from your grandma."
"I think I'd like that." Maria smiled up at him. "Maybe I'll actually make something more presentable?"
"I don't think anythin' non-presentable will ever stop me from loving you."
Maria embraced him. "I love you more, daddy. Happy Father's Day."
Striker returned the gesture giving her a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you, baby girl."
Sorry it's been a while since I last did something like this. Life's been getting in the way, y'know?
But yeah, who knows when I'll be able to get to the next volume or even the next season. I assure you, though, I'm not giving up on this series.
Oh! And Happy Father's Day, everybody! ^^