The Gun and the Rose

27 | Flour Shower

"I think this is the last one," I said, setting the box down, wiping my hands on my thighs.

Ales pressed a kiss against the top of my head, chuckling. "That was much faster than expected."

I scowled. "I already told you I don't own much." Even though I had already informed Ales, it surprised me to see how I was able to collect my life in a handful of boxes.

"Did everything end up working out with your landlord?" 

I winced, recalling the rather tense past two weeks with my landlord. He was obviously angry that I had decided to move out so suddenly and with no warning. I told him I'd stay if he were to lower the rent, but he laughed and shut the door in my face. "Yeah, it's all done now."

"Now you're home. Let's take these two boxes upstairs," Ales said, pointing to two boxes containing my clothes. I nodded and followed his lead up to the second floor. "You can stay in the spare room or in mine, it's up to you."

I bit my lip. "Where do you want me to stay?"

"With me, but this is your choice, not mine." 

I hugged my box a little tighter. "Your room."

He sent me a cheeky wink before placing them down in front of his bed. "Welcome to your new home."

I sat on the bed, letting out a sigh. "What do you want to do until tonight?"

"We have a couple of hours till Blake asked us to come and help set up," he pondered. "Hey, you suck at cooking."

I raised a brow, twisting my mouth. "I'm not that bad."

Ales simpered. "I meant that I could teach you a recipe."

I perked up as he sat beside me. "Really?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes, Rosa. What do you want to learn? A dessert? Entree?"

"Cupcakes! Please can you teach me how to make cupcakes?" I jumped up, grinning.

He kissed my forehead, smiling all the while. "What type of cupcakes do you like? Chocolate? Do you like sprinkles? I actually have quite a few frosting recipes that you might like."

I blinked before blushing. "I love all kinds of cupcakes, but how about your favourite?"

Ales' eyes lit up. "That means lots and lots of chocolate." I nodded and he grabbed my hand, leading me downstairs. I stood as he pulled out ingredients. "Can you grab the measuring cups? They're in the small drawer to the left."

I did as he asked and set them down on the counter as he continued to bring things out. "That seems like an awful amount of stuff for just cupcakes."

"They're not just cupcakes, Rosa. They're so much more than that," he muttered surprisingly passionate about the topic. He sighed, placing the dish of butter beside the flour. "My dad loved cupcakes and would always ask my mother to bake them for him. She taught me quite a few recipes. But that was a long time ago." He shook a fog that clouded his eyes, turning to me with a smile tighter than it was a moment before.

I placed my hand on his arm. "Was this before you and your dad..." I trailed off, not knowing how to phrase the sentence.

"Before I hated him? Yeah, I didn't know anything about him until I was twelve." He took a measuring cup and lowered into the flour, levelled it out and dumped it into a bowl. He told me what exactly he was doing and then handed the tools over, guiding me. I followed his instructions and soon enough, I was staring into the oven as the baked. Ales was making the frosting behind me, stirring the creamy goodness together. When he finished, he looked up at me. "You have flour on your cheek."

"Where?" I asked, wiping my face.

He used his thumb to brush it away then burst into laughter. "I got frosting on you, I'm sorry!"

I touched my cheek and it came away smeared with brown. "Oh, you're so on." I grabbed a handful of flour and launched it at him before he could react.

He coughed, a puff of white floating in front of him. He smirked. "Baby, you have no idea what you just started."

I stood and we both circled around each other, faces falsely angry and barely holding back laughter. Then he charged me, tackling me to the floor. His hand cupped the back of my head as we fell back, absorbing the fall. We struggled for a minute, pushing each other back and forth. I screamed as he began tickling me. "No! Please stop!" I was trying to catch my breath on the floor, when Ales jumped off me, grabbing the whole bag of flour, smiling devilishly at me. "No, Ales."

He kneeled before me and I flinched, covering my face. "I wouldn't do that to you."

I lowered my hand, gesturing for him to come closer to me. "You are the sweetest guy ever, aren't you?" Ales hummed in agreement, pressing his lips against mine softly. "Too bad I don't play fair," I murmured against his lips. I grabbed the flour, tossing it onto him.

Ales had to have anticipated it because as soon as the powder flew out of the bag, he ripped it out of my grasp and poured the remainder over my head, throwing the now empty bag to the side. "I lied too."

I brushed it out of my eyes, taking in our appearances. "I need to take a shower."

    "Me too." Ales shook his head, flour raining from his hair. "You still look beautiful even when you're all white." Then the timer went off on his phone and Ales stood up, offering me a hand and pulling me to my feet. He grabbed his gloves and took the cupcakes out of the oven, setting them down. "We have some time to kill before they cool."

    "Shower?"

    "I don't think we have enough time for two," Ales said cheekily.

    "Then we'll take one," I shrugged, smiling suggestively at him.