The kitchen smells delightfully sweet when Lisa steps in. She spots her girlfriend hunched over the counter, her brow sweaty and knitted with concentration as she furiously stirs something creamy and chocolatey into a bowl. She's already drooling as she excitedly walks up behind Jennie, wrapping her arms around her waist in a hug.
"Oh my god, that smell," she moans, propping her chin onto Jennie's shoulder and eyeing the mixture with wide, hungry eyes.
Jennie huffs out a laugh, cracking an egg on the edge of the glass bowl. Lisa makes a keening noise as the yolk drops into the smooth chocolate mix. "Knew you'd like it," she mutters, grabbing a wooden spoon to stir it in.
She has no idea what it is exactly, but it looks creamy and chocolatey and has bright, plump raspberries mixed in, and that's more than enough to make her mouth water and rumble her stomach. (Even though she ate less than an hour ago. Whatever.)
"What is it?" inquires Lisa, leaning forward to swipe her finger swiftly into the bowl, popping it between her lips noisily.
She was right; lots of chocolate, along with a sour tang of fresh raspberries. It melts against her tongue like warm butter, and she's already dipping her finger in again when Jennie softly takes a hold of her wrist.
"No," she tuts, shaking her head. "Knowing you-which I do, by the way-you'll eat the whole thing," she claims, with her pretty pink lips curled into a fond smile. Lisa pouts, defeatedly withdrawing her hand back to Jennie's waist. "And it's raspberry brownies. New recipe that I'm trying out."
Lisa's mouth waters. She turns her head to press a loud, smacking kiss to Jennie's cheek, getting a mouthful of flour instead, thanks to the patch on Jennie's cheek. Oh well. "I love you, I love you, know me so well," she breathes out, kissing her just below her ear. "Marry me, seriously." Another big, sloppy kiss; this time to her neck.
Jennie laughs again, a light, airy sound that warms the kitchen. She drops the spoon back into the bowl and swivels around, meeting Lisa's lips for a brief moment. Their lips mould together perfectly, just like they always do. Jennie tastes sweeter than honey, her lips soft and warm. "Love you too, babe," she says, turning back around to sprinkle extra sugar into the bowl.
"When are they gonna be ready?"
"Not for a while, sorry. Still gotta cook in the oven for, like, twenty minutes."
"Awww," Lisa drawls. "Can I help at all? To, uh, you know, speed up the process?"
Jennie hums thoughtfully. "You could get me the brownie tin. And preheat the oven to 180 degrees."
Lisa nods, determinedly crossing the tiled floor and crouching in front of the cupboards, flinging them open. She pauses for a short moment, scanning the shelves, before plucking out the metal tin. Then, she turns the knobs on the oven. It beeps successfully, and she hands the metal tin to Jennie.
Jennie pours the brownie mixture into the tin. The thick, creamy batter overlaps as it evens out and fills each corner of the tin, the raspberries poking out of the glossy top. Lisa helps Jennie delicately place the last few berries on top, and then Jennie pops her oven mitts to slide the tray into the preheated oven. She sets a timer for twenty minutes, much to Lisa's dismay, and starts stacking the dirty dishes into the sink.
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"This is why I hate baking!" complains Lisa gruffly, not even ten minutes later, angrily scrubbing at the bowl as it bobs in the soapy water. Droplets of hot water splash from out of the sink, wetting her clothes and the wall. "Stupid, stupid cleaning," she murmurs, scratching the last bits of dried chocolate off the bowl with a blunt fingernail.
Jennie chortles and takes the bowl from her, loading it into the dishwasher along with the other rinsed utensils. "That's what this is for," she says, tapping the dishwasher with a grin.
Lisa huffs and flicks the tap off. "Dishwasher can't rinse the dishes first, though. Or wipe the bench." She bats a hand at her hair, and specks of flour fall out. "Or get this stupid flour out of my stupid hair."
"True," agrees Jennie. She wrings out a used cloth over the sink, using it to wipe the grimy counter down. She tosses it back into the water-filled sink. Then, she faces Lisa and ruffles her ponytail and picks something out of it, presumably the flour.
"There," she says, grinning widely. "Done. No dishwasher needed."
"Oh," Lisa mumbles, combing her fingers through her hair and squinting at them, finding no more bits of flour. "Thanks," she says gratefully, leaning forward to join their lips again.
Jennie smiles against her lips before kissing her back. She cups the back of Lisa's neck, strumming at it gently with her fingers, in the way that makes Lisa's knees go weak. There's faint traces of the brownies on Jennie's lips; the bitterness of the raspberries and the sweetness of the chocolate, Lisa can taste it on her own lips. A sigh slips between the kiss, and her lips part. Jennie cups her cheek and slowly pushes her against the bench, and Lisa lets her, barely wincing when her back suddenly meets the edge of the bench.
The dishes remain forgotten about, the two of them too wrapped up in each other to care. Lisa's surrounded by her girlfriend, her scent, her taste, her touch. It's thrilling and comforting at the same time, she thinks, as Jennie's thigh slots between hers, sending her heart racing and-
The timer for the oven goes off abruptly. Quickly, the girls spring apart, the final sparks of the kiss simmering down on their lips.
Jennie clears her throat, her cheeks flushing an interesting shade of red. "Right," she states. "Brownies."
-
Jennie is careful as she pokes the top of the brownie with the tip of a knife. It breaks easily, sliding through the crisp crust and slices through.
Soon enough, the brownie is successfully cut into even squares and is set onto a rack to cool for five minutes.
"Staring at them isn't going to make them cool faster," reminds Jennie, watching Lisa with amused eyes.
Lisa lets out an annoyed huff and shifts in her seat. "It might," she says, focusing her attention back on the brownies. It's not fair. The smell wafting from them is heavenly, it fills the kitchen with its deliciously sweet smell, and Lisa's not even allowed to try them.
"Can I just have one already?" she pleads, lifting her head from her hands to look at Jennie with big eyes.
"No," says Jennie with a firm shake of her head. "You'll burn your tastebuds off."
"It'll be worth it," Lisa retorts, licking her lips, turning back to the brownies.
"Not when you can't taste anymore."
"Ugh," groans Lisa, knowing Jennie is probably right. "Life is unfair."
"So unfair," Jennie quips back, patting Lisa's head as she passes over to the table, silver knife in hand.
She prods at the cooling brownies with it, leaving Lisa to wonder how that's gonna determine whether they're cold enough yet. It does, apparently, because Jennie sets the knife down and wanders back into the kitchen to grab plates. Lisa watches eagerly as she places a generous brownie, topped with a fresh raspberry, onto a plate and slides it across the table.
Lisa stops it and picks the raspberry off the top, popping it into her mouth. Then, she takes a large bite of the corner of the brownie, and is almost embarrassed at the high-pitched noise that comes from her.
"Holy hell," she says, breathlessly, feeding more of the brownie into her mouth until it disappears, finishing it in record time. She's still gulping the rest down as she grabs a napkin and wipes her mouth clean. "Best thing I've ever eaten, seriously, please start making another batch, like, right away."
Jennie swallows the last of her own chunk. "Tomorrow, I think I used the last of the flour, anyway," she says. She makes a humming sound and plucks a raspberry off the top of another brownie, leaning over the table with her lips tugged into a smile. "Open up," she instructs. Lisa parts her lips, and Jennie drops the berry into her mouth. It explodes in her mouth as she bites down on it, the tart juice running her rosy lips and dripping down her chin, and Jennie giggles with bright eyes as she wipes it away with a napkin. "Why don't we take these and eat them in bed? Maybe put on a movie, too," she proposes warmly, stacking Lisa's plate with two more pieces.
Lisa rises to her feet instantly. "Brownies, cuddling and a movie? " she says, taking the brownies in one hand and Jennie's hand in her other. "Hell yeah."
Jennie grins and pops a raspberry into her mouth. They leave the kitchen, the blissfully sweet smell following them all the way into their bed, as they fall underneath the thick blankets and spend the evening munching on brownies, watching movies and eventually drifting off together, the taste of chocolate and each other lingering on their lips.
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