one-shots :]

"cake and cuddles" ~ niki nihachu

requested by: no one (guys please request something i only have two more ive come up with on my own left)
pronouns: they/them
(keep in mind you can change pronouns)
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You had recently bought a cute little cottage-esque house near the beach in Brighton, England with your girlfriend, Niki, and tonight, Wilbur was sleeping over in the guest bedroom, though you knew he wasn't asleep because you were scrolling through social media on your phone with your legs across his lap as he tuned into one of Quackity's Jackbox streams on his own phone.

Niki was asleep in your shared bedroom, so you had obviously come in here so as to not bother her with your occasional snickering.

You had somehow gotten to the bakery side of TikTok, not that you minded, and seeing all the cute cakes made you crave one of your own, and you accidentally scared Wilbur enough to drop his phone on the floor when you suddenly popped up from your spot on the bed.

He stared suspiciously at you. "What are you plotting?"

"C'mon we're gonna make a cake. I'm sure Niki won't mind, especially if we put strawberries on the top like how she likes it," you say, not waiting for his answer before going downstairs to start pulling out the ingredients.

Will came down after you and loomed on the other side of the counter like the giant goblin man he is instead of helping. You knew the recipe by heart, having made it nearly every week with Niki and sometimes her old roommates. It was her favourite; strawberry shortcake with whipped cream frosting and strawberries between the layers of cake and on the top.

Niki always did the decorating, partly because you weren't that great at it, partly because it was her favourite part, other than eating it, and you found it adorable how hard she'd concentrate on getting it perfect.

Will wasn't much help, and you were actually pretty certain he had fallen asleep on the counter by the time you were pulling the cakes out of the oven. You glanced at the clock, and- oh shit, it was already six in the morning?- realized Niki would be waking up soon.

You were busy frosting the cake evenly, and putting the strawberries in little hearts all over the top and sides wherever they'd stick well when Niki scared you out of your focus by wrapping her arms around your waist from behind, setting her forehead on your shoulder blades. You couldn't hold back a smile at the gesture.

"Good morning," you cooed. She hummed in return, still sleepy clearly.

"Smells yummy," she mumbled. "Usually takes like an hour and a half to make, why were you up so early?"

"Never went to bed," you mumbled back. Wilbur was slumped over the counter, drooling in his sleep. You ignored the grossness of it and grabbed your phone from the counter next to you to take a couple blackmail photos.

Niki mumbled something in German you didn't quite catch, and you turned around in her arms to give her a kiss on the head and a hug. She melted into your touch, and you felt bad that you hadn't gone into bed since your room got really cold at night, and the blankets never seemed to be enough, so you cuddled for warmth most nights.

"You know you need to stop doing that," she scolded you, but based on the way her lips fell into a soft smile you knew she wasn't mad at you in any way. "Did Will help you at all with the cake?"

You quietly let out a snort of laughter. "I made him come downstairs, but he fell asleep as soon as he got down here. Pretty sure he left Big Q's stream playing until his phone died."

"We should let him sleep. You need to too," Niki said quietly. "We should put the cake away first, though."

You nod, putting in one of the cake container things you'd stolen from a grocery store a few years back. Not your proudest moment, but it was a dare, and you'd gotten away with it. Niki took it from your hands and carefully sat it in the fridge.

She went over to Will to shake him awake. "Will, you should get to the couch at least, or your back will hurt a lot." He mumbled something back, and Niki led him by his arm over to the couch in the living room where he promptly laid down and fell right back asleep.

Niki put a blanket over him with a soft smile and you followed her upstairs. With every step, you found it to be more and more tiring, your exhaustion creeping up on you. Niki sat on her side of the bed, unplugging her phone from her charger. You got under the blankets as well, laying your head on her chest as you cuddled up to her for more warmth. You'd probably get a little too hot, but whenever you were sleepy when you cuddled her, she'd hum or sing quietly for you, and you wanted to be as close to her voice.

And sing she did, her soft words lulling you to sleep within a few minutes.

When you awoke, the bed was empty other than you and Zuko- Niki's cat- who had curled into a ball of adorable fuff right up against your stomach. He emitted soft purrs, and the sounds made you smile. You looked up at the alarm clock and sat up suddenly when you saw it was nearing three in the afternoon.

Niki clearly made Will not come in to wake you up, because knowing him, he would've tried to wake you up as soon as he could. Zuko lifted his head slowly, squinting tiredly up at you. You pet his head a little before getting up and getting dressed and ready for the day. You carefully scooped Zuko up into your arms, his purring picked up again as soon as you did.

You walked downstairs to find Will and Niki playing Mario Kart quietly. How they'd managed to not wake you up while playing was a mystery. Niki paused the game when she heard your footsteps, and Will grumbled something about being such a simp that she had to pause Mario Kart.

Niki welcomed you with a warm smile that you returned with a small wave, still a little sleepy as you wandered into the kitchen for breakfast. You opened the pantry to look for anything that you found appealing, but with as groggy as you were, nothing was enticing. The fridge seemed to be the way to go, and you set Zuko down on the countertop as he squirmed a little in your arms.

You felt a little more awake as the cool air reached your face, and you pulled the currently untouched cake you made earlier this morning out from the shelf, placing it by Zuko, who inspected it curiously. You shut the fridge quietly, but it still attracted the attention of both Will and Niki, who came around the corner and into the kitchen at the same time.

Niki gave you a disapproving frown when she saw you with the cake, but Will grinned.

"Oh, I forgot about that!" Will said excitedly. "Can I have a piece?"

Niki swatted lightly at his arm before coming up to give Zuko a little pet on his head and pull you into another hug. Will groaned dramatically, scooping the cat up from the counter again and taking him into the living room with him. You rested your head on Niki's collarbone, pressing your forehead against the side of her neck.

She hummed happily, and you closed your eyes, relishing in the warmth. Your stomach growled, ruining the moment, and you pulled away with a small giggle. You turn back to the cake, and despite Niki's protests that you should eat and actual meal, or at least a snack, you open the container and grab one of the knives in the knife block sat on the counter by the fridge and cut the treat into halves first, then fourths, then eighths. Niki only gave a good-natured playful sigh as she got out three plates.

You were kind of worried she was actually mad at you, so you hesitated plating any pieces, but her soft smile told you it was okay, so you continued. Niki put the cake back in the fridge and you waited for her to grab the plate she wanted before you picked the other two up. You handed one to Will and sat down next to him. Niki, the saving grace as always, thought to bring over forks, so the three of you quietly ate the cake, savouring the sweet flavour. Will started a movie on the TV, something you didn't recognise.

Niki tugged on your sleeve and you let her pull you closer to her as you set your now-empty plate down on the coffee table. She snuggled up against you, and you caught Will's frown out of the corner of your eye.

You gave him a questioning look, and he put his head in your lap, falling sideways. Zuko scrambled away from Will's arms, and darted out of the room.

Niki and you giggled at Will's sudden action. You put your hands in his hair, running your fingers through his curls gently. Niki pat her thigh a few times in a row, and Zuko hopped up into her lap, turning in a circle before settling down.

"Cake and cuddles," Niki mumbled into your chest, muffling her voice a little. "The perfect combo."