#but WOW it is worth the effort. i love a layer cake every now and then but never make them cause they never get eaten and go to waste

[supercantaloupe]

Favorite recipe of all time?

i don't have a specific favorite per se especially because so many of the "recipes" i grew up with and thus became my favorites aren't really defined/written recipes at all but are stuff that i or my mom or whomever would put together by familiarity. stuff like my family's version of latkes and matzo ball soup and pirozhki. also it would be impossible for me to pick a specific favorite since i'm the kind of guy who is very much into trying out lots of different recipes and dishes.

at the same time there are a few actual written recipes for stuff that i absolutely swear by, namely baking recipes because i'm not nearly enough of a Baker to be able to confidently bake a cake or whatever without written measurements, times, and temperatures as a guide. the two dessert favorites i'll mention here for the purposes of the ask are my no-bake pumpkin pie and this gingerbread layer cake recipe by cooks illustrated/america's test kitchen (sorry if it ends up paywalled). historically both myself and my mom (from whom i learned to bake) have been really good at pie (that pumpkin pie recipe is so good the two of us alone will devour it in three days flat) but not too successful at cakes; that gingerbread layer cake is the tastiest and most successful layer cake i've ever made and even people who aren't that into cake have told me they love it

[mxvladdy]

Barbatos- True Form

It’s here! Thx for your patience's I hope it’s worth it :<

Last but not least for this series is: Belphegor  

Of all the demons you’ve met, he unnerves you the most. Not because of his demeanor or temperament. No, no you genuinely like him and his company. There is just something about him that unnerves you sometimes. He is just so hard to place.

You see- how can I explain this. The brothers are easy to understand’ easy to neatly categorize and compartmentalize in your mind as friend or foe. For as ancient as they are you do share some common traits. Family lineage for one. Traceable origins. It’s familiar, it’s comforting.

Hells, even Diavolo has an origins, a genealogy one could trace. A family made of stone flesh and blue blood. (He’d be happy to tell you about it too- if you have a few eons to waste).

But Barbatos? Barbatos had just always been- here...there? From the context clues you’ve picked up from Lucifer and Diavolo he was older than even the great kings of the past. He even helped raise the crown price. He grew in experience and expanded his talents, but never aged. Did he have kin? A bloodline? Hell did he even bleed? His very existence raises the hackles of your self preservation skills. 

If he is older than the old kings is he old then the concept of time itself? Does the idea of time really exist to him at all? 

The odd fight or flight feelings he gives you lessen and disappear over time though. He knows he can be quite uncomfortable to the human psychic and evolutionary survival traits instilled in you after hundreds of thousands of years fighting to the top of the food chain. 

It took you a bit, but one day you finally warm up enough to ask him about- well him. How he works, and what is relation with the idea of time even is. It was shot in the dark question. He is a notoriously private demon. But for you he will open up a little. Besides it’s not like you could do anything with the information anyway. Just promise to never tell Solomon. 

The best he can explain time to a mortal is in an analogy. If time was an object it would best be described as a stream or creek to him. And all the little minnows and guppies trapped in it’s currents were the beings of the three realms. While they are bound by the waters he would be the one standing on the riverbank. 

Most of the time he is happy enough to walk alongside the flow. Other times he enjoys simply dipping his feet in and watch it all pass him by seeing what it all does without his intervention. 

Others he’ll slip in himself and gauge out new deviations and channels of his own. He loves to see what flourishes in his hand crafted areas without intervention.

He does confide in you however. Despite his age and maturity he can still slip up from time to time. He is not infallible after all. Barbatos’s corporeal existence depends heavily on his emotional state and mental fortitude. If he is not careful he has a tendency to just-get swept up. 

One moment he is having a delightful time with you over a fresh pot of tea and the next… You had a lovely funeral. Wait- hmmm no. Honestly, humans can be so gaudy sometimes. He was actually offended on your behalf. The flowers weren’t even freshly cut. 

Ah well. Once he is stable he’ll simply dam this stream and kill the flow before this travesty would happen. Now where was he? Ah yes, do you think this blend goes better with Madame Screams or a human bakery? 

Truthfully Barbatos doesn’t use his abilities all that often. It gets boring real quick. But sometimes he is tempted. Anything to do with you is a struggle to be exact. Most streams involving you he is happy to let slip by. All the ones of you falling for the brothers, or his highness, even the angel. There are even a few of you falling for Solomon. Those he doesn’t wise to see. 

But the streams where you fall for him? The itch to look is overwhelming. Just a peek, a small taste of your favor. What had he done to make you his? Did he have a chance in this timeline? He always loved a good mystery. So he’ll bide his time and wait. 

Now naturally there are some other rules to his existence. Being constantly hyper vigilant of himself can get exhausting and he needs to rest. He doesn’t sleep though, not by human standards anyway. You’ve walked in on him “resting” once or twice. He calls it a stasis period. To you he looks like he’s frozen. Stock still and just standing there in his room. His lanky form flickering in and out of focus. After images appear around him, hundreds of different hims there but not. 

It’s an absorption stage, or so he explains. All the input from the trillion parts of hims scattered about all sharing like a hive mind their encounters and experiences. This is the one time every version of him is in sync and very vulnerable. 

While he can convene with all his scattered parts of him in stasis he still cannot be in the same visible area as them. One of the two would have to yield to the other. The weaker one reabsorbed quite violently. It is a most unpleasant feeling. 

After exerting large amounts of energy and not resting it can take him a bit to recover, and it is very noticeable. He lags hard after such instances, literally. The first time you saw him snapping and rubberbanding around the castle gave you a few more grey hairs then was normal for your age. He’s normally smooth movements were now choppy and stiff. It would have been funny if you weren’t so worried for his well being. The only thing to stop him is Diavolo himself having to throw his weight and power around to get him to rest. He hates being reprimanded. 

Don’t get me wrong though. He loves serving the royal family. The years spent in the Devildom have been an utterly delightful vacation. The menial labor and tasks keeps his mind anchored in the present and mutes all the other voices of him to a manageable static. 

Now when it comes to his form quite frankly even he has forgotten what he originally looks like. He has been in this form for so long he might as well call it his original form. You ask to see it once, beyond curious. If you could see it that was. Was he like Dia? A formless form? A mass of contradicting layers stack one on one on top of each other?

He is hesitant to say the least. He consults with himself on this. Have any of the others come across this yet? If not he promises to look into it for you. He practices with Simone, knowing that aside from Solomon he knows the limits of a human. Once certain he comes to you delighted to share himself with you.

He is so smol small. His form fitting neatly in the palm of your hand. He is warm and pulses like with a faint heartbeat. You can’t really make heads or tails of what his defined form really is though. His tiny form is covered in a glowing haze flicks of distorted images and sounds invade your senses whenever you hold him. But one thing you can sense in some kind of bony nodules and slender legs. Thousands of them all skittering and tickling your flesh, like an obscenely long centipede.

Now that you know of this form he likes to pop up from time to time when he misses you. His favorite spot to appear is in the breast pocket of your uniform. It’s dark and quiet and close to your heart. While he can’t talk in this form, the physical closeness is enough for the both of you. 

Mini Fic

“Be honest with me. Which one of me is your favorite?” You flip over onto your pleasantly full stomach. His tea sandwiches and cakes make you feel sleepy. You stretch out with a grunt of happiness enjoying all the little touches that were distinctly Barbatos. The blanket protecting you from the early morning dew smelt of elderflower and juniper. The fleece material was a personal favorite, soft, warm, and perfect. Even the foods had all been your favorites. He had crafted this all with you in mind. Surely you were the favorite. If he would put this much effort into it.

The demon in question hums from his chair. A steaming cup of tea resting lightly on his bottom lip. A perplexing thought. Each one of you was a delight to his many senses, so similar, yet so different at the same time. Like a reflection in a broken mirror. Each one so stunning and vivacious in a way only a human could be. Yet so few even glanced his way. “Does a parent have a treasured child?” He quips back. 

Your peal of laughter warms him better than any tea. “Ha! You must be an only child then.” You snort. He matches your smile, pleased that you were pleased. 

“Perhaps-” He takes a sip cutting off that train of thought there. He didn’t need to sour a pleasant morning with such melancholy questions. Was he an only child? Surely he at least had a sire. If he had such kin would they have not met by now? He was on every plane of existence that he knew of. Had they missed each other? Slipping past each other like ships in the night.

More likely they would be more like two similar ends of a magnet being forcibly kept away by their molecular structure than merely missed chances. Incapable of existing in the same dimension at the same time.

Ignorant to his inner turmoil you flip back over to your back eyeing the snack tray he refilled. “How much longer now?” He checks his pocket watch then looks out at the carnage below them.

The Battle of Omosu was in full swing. The ancient warriors below oblivious to the strangely dressed human and otherworldly man sitting on top of a neighboring cliffside to observe the preordained outcome. “Any moment- now pay attention.” He chastises you but without any heat. Pocketing his watch he comes to sit beside you on the fleece blanket. You scoot closer, happy to have his naturally warmer body beside you. The heat of which fends off the cold sea breeze. “There, look.” He points to a growing patch of bubbles by one of the enemy ships. 

The water turns turbulent, oily green, and black bubbles foaming on top of the surface. “Wow.” It was all you could manage to whisper. 

Leviathan enters the fray now, called forth by his pact barer. The great serpent emerges like a ghost from the depths. Invisible to the other mortals you watch fascinated as his massive tail wraps around a boat crushing it as easily as if it were a stick. Another capsizes, getting pushed away by his massive shoulder. 

The sailors fall into the choppy water mouths open in silent screams. They would not survive after hitting the water. Levi’s legion waits below, ready to drag them deeper down. Their bodies will be added to the Devildom navy. Something dark and humanoid darts around the remaining boats. From what you remember from class Levi had called forth an umibozu from the nearby depth for this fight. Its bloated grey body jostles the boats knocking more sailors overboard whole. The two of them make fast work of the enemy ships. The human sailors pick off the rest.

“Quite impressive.” Barbatos remarks. “I can see why humans want to make deals all the time. But what a terrible cost, don't you think?” 

“What’s going to happen to the pact holder?” You ask. 

“Depends on whatever Levi feels like. Mostly his holders are trapped in the depths of his realms. Left to the devices of their victims. But each brother is different.” The air around you both grows thick with your sudden fear. You rub subconsciously where your pact mark rested, eyes blank. 

He places a firm hand on your thigh bringing your focus back to him. “Don’t worry. Like I said the choice is up to the demon that holds the pact. I doubt you would be advantageous to the royal navy.” You chuckle weakly, still rubbing at the growing chill climbing up your arm. “Will this be enough for your project?” He removes his hand begrudgingly away from your soft leg. “It is getting late.”

You nod glancing back down to the battle. It was already over-with the great sea beasts and demons in the water, Takeda’s forces didn’t stand a chance. You don’t wait to see Levi’s victory lap. “Yes, thank you for your help.” You accept his help in picking up your books and supplies. “I hope Kinz is happy with this.” You had been having a bit of trouble in your history class with Professor Kinz. Nothing major, you had assured him. But if it continued your ranking within the school would be at risk, and with it your scholarships. 

“Any time.” Barbatos moves an elegant hand to the center of your back escorting you away from the edge. A door slowly emerges from within the mist. He grabs the semi-translucent knob and opens it for you. “I know it will be more than satisfactory.” 

“Ye?” You adjust your pack’s shoulder strap bracing yourself for the weirdness of time travel. “Think you can give me next week's lotto numbers? I’m asking for a friend.” Your teasing pulls a deep rumble from him. It was all in good fun, but truth be told he came to find that not keeping one of his many eyes on you had the most enjoyable outcomes. You little human ramblings and witty comebacks being one of them. You at least weren’t afraid to joke around him. 

“Now, who said I did anything of the sort?” He chuckles. Keeping a firm grip on your forearm he ushers you through the threshold. You clung to him hating the sticky feeling of the space between time. It clung to your skin, thousands of webs grab and pull at your clothes knowing that you were not supposed to be outside of their control. You were envious of the fact that you couldn’t experience it the way Barabatos did. To him, this was nothing more than the feel of a cool shower. The pulls of time merely buffering off of him. Hardly a threat like it was to you. 

He sees you off at the gate to the house bowing deeply as you hop up the front stairs waving at him. You had to hurry lest you be late for dinner. Once you had disappeared through the door he melds into the timestream once more emerging in front of your classroom. A week had passed and your paper was due. He was excited to see what you had gotten and just didn’t feel like waiting this time. He could indulge from time to time. 

The bell rings and your class files out. They pay him no mind. The prince’s butler was nothing to gawk at. He counts heads. His frown deepens when you do not appear from the lecture hall. Kinz leaves the room last, her heels clacking obnoxiously on the marble. “Oh! Good afternoon Barbatos, are my services needed by the prince?” She smiles showing far too many teeth to be considered polite. Their mutual dislike of each other was a poorly kept secret. But she had a talent that Diavolo needed; for the moment. 

He matches her predatory smile. “I was here looking for our esteemed exchange student.” Her smile falters, her hackles raising for a moment before her face goes blank. 

“They didn’t show up today.” She flicks her tail dismissively. “You know how pathetic humans are.” She challenges him, locking eyes with him like the fool she was. 

“Hmm. I do not share this sentiment, but it is unusual to have them miss class.” All airs of pleasantly evaporate from him. The cold fury of his ire permeates the narrow hallway. Kinz flinches, breaking eye contact with him. Her weak attempt at dominance is gone. “A moment if you will-” His voice brittle and laced with malice. “I shall return for you later.” He bows shallowly and blinks out of existents leaving the woman quaking in the hall. 

________________________________________________________________

An insult, a complete violation of the rules set by Diavolo himself. If the celestial council caught wind of such a flagrant disregard for your mental well being- the program would be in jeopardy. Hiding your death had been hard enough. But a room full of demons acting out unsupervised? 

Barbatos struggles to control himself. He could feel his grasp on himself waver with each passing second. His very self unraveling at the seams. Your tears fuel his rage.

Kinz stands over you mocking your relentlessness in front of your peers since the brothers were not present in the class. You had been so excited to test your merit on your own, believing that after getting to know the student body you could handle it. Diavolo approved, figuring his name and the program's initiative was enough to protect you- at least on campus. In theory, it seemed like a good idea, you were well liked among the student body. But that same feeling didn’t bleed over to this particular teacher it seems. A grave error on the councils’ part. 

Barbatos watches along with the rest of the silent class as Kinz burns your paper at the front of the lecture hall, berating you for “showing off” and “abusing your statues for brownie points”. You leave halfway through the start of class. A trail of salty tears and ashes left behind in your wake. 

Such disgustingly uncouth behavior. To a guest of the prince no less. To you. 

He arrives inside Diavolo’s office in a blur, filling the empty air by his prince’s side. The younger demon used to the sudden comings and goings of his most trusted ally didn't even look up from his paperwork. “Something the matter? You are getting a little wispy around the edges.” Diavolo asks signing off on a form. 

Barbatos inhales deeply focusing on his present self. The unneeded action of breathing, the expanding and contracting of his chest cavity was soothing. Not necessary for him, but nice. Yet another odd quirk he had picked up during his time in the Devildom. “Kinz has been putting the program in jeopardy.” He grinds out once he finally locks himself back in. 

“Oh?” Diavolo dips his pen in its ink well. “That is quite unfortunate for her. Do you suggest a council meeting on the matter?” Barbatos bites his cheek. 

“I believe her offense far outweighs just a slap on the wrist. I believe her tenure should be revoked. This isn’t her first strike.” 

Diavolo chuckles resting back in his chair. He gives his full attention to his butler who was bustling around the room, tiding an already spotless room. “I haven’t seen you this bloodthirsty since those scribes in Alexandria poked at you.” 

“I gave them a fair warning. As I have with Kinz.” He bristles. Diavolo waves a hand, willing to listen. “Kinz has taken up public humiliation and verbal abuses since the brothers are not around to interject. You know how she is. This will only accelerate in time if not nipped now.” 

“Is that what you see?” 

“I don’t need to to know.” 

Diavolo sighs deeply, weighing the pros and cons of losing such an asset. He already knew his verdict, as did Barbatos. Even without his powers, they both knew either one of them would bend for you. “Fine.” He returns to his desk of papers. “I will let you do as you please. Just don’t tangle things up too much.” 

“Thank you, my lord.” 

In a way, it was a pity. Kinz is- well- was one of the Devildom’s more esteemed historians. Her place amongst the upper echelon had been a commendable feat. She certainly lasted longer than the archivist and scribes that had come before her. 

 Barbatos stares in disgust at his once stark white gloves. But better soil a pair of gloves or two then touch her wretched corpse with his bare hands. Ugh. Was that some viscera on his wingtips? The cruor of it turns purple as it oxidizes in the open air. Perhaps he had gone a bit overboard. Though to him, it was merited. She had been a pain in his ass for years. Plus the past thirty or so versions of her had put up a bit of a fight. Once even he had walked in on a reflection of him taking her down for some other transgressions. He rolls his shoulders as a phantom twitch shoots up his spin. Merging consciousness was unbearable. Yet, as he went about his duties “cleaning” he realized he would handle as many as needed to see you safe. Fascinating. 

At first, he had debated with himself on at least keeping a few versions of Kinz around. While he universally hated her, there were a few less volatile Kinz floating around. If only to steal her work for the prince and his goals. But even without her, her discoveries and advancements would be found by others. He had even found a diamond in the rough, a potential successor. Given time to grow and which paths they take they could benefit Diavolo greatly. Even more than her. A gamble he was happy to take. With that discovery, Kinz’s faith was sealed. She was set to be only a figment of a memory left in his mind. The rest of the universe will never remember her.

 ______________________________________________________________

You stare bewildered at the aged bronze plaque on the door. Something about it didn’t sit well with you. But damned if you could place it. It had something to do with the name. Des Moines...Moines? Who in the hells was that? You glance at your schedule like it was your first day of school instead of your 150th. 

Room 325- Demonic history: Professor Des Moines Riel.

This can’t be right. Where was Kinz? You grab at your head crying out at the sudden violent throbbing that erupted between your eyes. The queasiness it caused was beyond description. It was enough to send you to your knees. Indecipherable images layer themselves in your mind, folding and stacking on top of each other. The mounting pressure scares you and then-

Nothing.

Bliss and clarity. Like sucking in a breath of fresh air after a near death experience. What were you thinking about again? How did you end up on the floor? Shaking yourself from your stupor you stumble back to your feet. The school hallway was too stuffy for some reason. You needed to walk away, especially from this door. Just looking at it made your stomach clench. Yes, you needed some fresh air. That’s all. 

“Is something wrong?” Patent leather shoes appear beside you matching your hurried gate effortlessly. You shake your head, not trusting yourself to open your mouth lest you start feeling ill again. Barbatos stops you with a gentle hand on your waist. He scrutinizes you, teal eyes roving over every inch of you. Shucking a glove he places a warm palm on your forehead. “You are clammy.” 

“I’m fine.” You lie through your locked jaw. “Just got dizzy for a second.” He looks alarmed. “Don’t worry about it- probably just one of those mysteries of the school.” 

“I’m not worried about it, but you on the other hand.” He looks up from your flushed face to the hallway you had vacated in such a hurry. The history wing. Could you? Impossible. “Is there an issue inside the department?” Had he missed something? 

“What? Oh, no really! Everything is great! I think.” You lean into his hand now resting idly on your cheek. It felt so good compared to your cold skin. “I just- I could have sworn. Is Riel new?” You rub at the bridge of your nose. A knot was growing between your eyes now. “Where is Kin-Kinel? You draw a blank. A name was on the tip of your tongue. You glance up at Barbatos. His hand on your cheek becoming stiff. “What?”

“Nothing my dear.” He recovers smoothly. The hand on your cheek slides down to your shoulder. “Perhaps you should sit out of this class for today? You sound like you're overworking yourself. I’ll make a note of it to Diavolo and Lucifer so it won’t be counted against you.” 

“I- don’t think that’s wise,” You argue meekly. “I have a paper to work on for this class-”

Barbatos ignores your weak plea. Drawing you close to his side he steers you down to the lower floor. “Nonsense. Why don’t we spend some time together? I can help you with that paper later as a trade.”

Hmm. That wasn’t a bad idea. If any demon could get you out of class and help you make it up it would be him. Maybe a little break would be good for you. Though you can’t remember why you needed it in the first place. 

[chibinekochan]

😭 all I can think of for the twins birthday is the cake. Maybe the kinds of cake you think they’d eat?

Lol, the true glutton choice — I mean it's right on the mark.

Now I'm hungry. T-T

I just made a little baking cake scenario, where you bake a cake with one twin for the other twin.

Both of these are like 1k words

Belphie

He comes to you with his request. 

"Look, I want to bake a nine-tier cake for Beel. Last year we all baked him a small one, but it just wasn't enough to feed him at all. So this year I want to make sure that he gets enough cake to be full." 

"Nine tiers? That's a lot. Will that even be possible?" You can't imagine it. 

"Normally it wouldn't, but I have some special powder that will make it possible. It will cause the cake to be super light." Belphie then shows you a couple of cupcakes. He lets them go, and they float in the air. "See, I made these to make sure it will work."

"Wow, that's pretty cool. But wouldn't it be easier to just bake nine cakes and why nine tiers anyway?" You are impressed but still wonder why the extra effort.

"Maybe, but that's how we do it every year. I want something special for him this year and the number is just for every person that means so much to us." Belphie is steadfast in his decision. 

"Did you include me on that list?" That is the only way the math adds up. 

Belphie grins. "Yes, of course. So will you help me?" 

"I will help you. I want to see Beel’s smile too." Naturally, you agree. 

Belphie is honestly relieved. 

It's a challenge to put it lightly. The sheer amount of ingredients makes you dizzy. 

Your whole body hurts after mixing everything together. 

Belphie is very determined, you rarely see him like this. 

He doesn't even seem to be tired at all. 

Baking the cake is another big challenge. 

You use the kitchen in the castle since the oven is bigger.  

Both of you are kinda bored watching the oven. 

"You are covered in flour." Belphie chuckles. 

"Haha yeah, so are you." You shake the flour off your clothes and laugh.

Belphie cleans himself up. "You forgot some." Belphie pats your shoulder and then wipes your face. His hand lingers longer on your face than it needs to be. 

You blush. 

"Belphie, do I really have flour there?" You are pretty sure that it must be all gone now. 

Belphie smiles at you in a devious way. "Probably not." Then he pokes your nose and giggles. 

You puff your cheeks. He always does things like this to you. "You got some flour left too." With that, you ruffle his hair. 

Belphie huffs. "If you play dirty like that I will get you back." With that, Belphie starts to tickle you. 

"Ahh, so unfair." You playfully protest. "I will get you back for that one!" You start to attack his side. 

What causes Belphie to laugh uncontrollably. "Stop, stop, I admit defeat."

"Alright, I hope you learned your lesson." You grin at him victoriously. 

Belphie holds his hand up in the air. "I will not mess with the new tickle champ anymore. How about a victory kiss?" He smiles at you. 

You shake your head and are about to give in when the timer rings. 

Belphie groans. "Talk about bad timing."

You giggle and help to pull the cake out. 

Then you layer everything and cover the whole cake. 

It's a very impressive sight. 

"So, now we just have to bring it to the room where the food for the party is stored." It will still be a challenge, that much is certain. 

"Don't worry Barbatos said we can leave it here, and he will bring it to the party." Belphie is glad that he already took care of it. 

"Great, so that means we are done?" You feel a sense of relief. 

"Well, yeah except for one thing." Belphie smiles at you. 

"And that is?" You wonder what you have forgotten. 

"Close your eyes," Belphie smirks at you. You know what that means. So you play along. "Alright." You close your eyes. 

Anticipating what will come next. 

You can feel his breath on your face.

Then he gives you a very soft kiss. "Thank you for your help today."

Your eyes flutter open, and you see Belphie with slightly red cheeks. 

"No problem." You barely manage to say this much. 

Then you get interrupted by Barbatos and just go back to your room. 

Finally, the day of the party arrives. 

You barely can wait for Beel’s reaction.

The cake is massive. It's the biggest thing you have ever seen. 

When Beel sees it he is so happy. He barely stops himself from jumping into it. 

The hugs both you and Belphie with a bear hug. "Thank you so much you two! This is the best present."

"No problem Beel." You only manage to say this much. 

"As long as you like it I'm happy." Belphie is very pleased with this reaction. 

It was all worth it.

  Beel

He comes to you with a big request. 

"I really need your help with baking a cake for Belphie." 

"Sure, what can I help you with?" You have a feeling why he might need help. 

"Well, first of all, I want to make sure that I don't eat all the ingredients. I bought more than enough but I can't mess it up. I also need some help with the decoration." Beel looks like a distraught puppy. 

"I can help you with that no problem." You know how hard this is for Beel. So you gladly offer your support. 

"Thank you so much! I will pay you back for sure." Beel lights up, it seems like a big stone fell off his heart. 

"There is no need for that. I enjoy baking and I love spending time with you." It's a great way to spend time together in your opinion. 

"Great, then let's do this!" Beel is pumped. 

You both go to the kitchen. 

You can see that Beel bought at least 10 times the amount of ingredients. 

"Alright, I will manage the ingredients and you will do the mixing." This is the best plan in my opinion. 

Beel agrees with a nod. "Sounds good."

You carefully measure everything and Beel really fights against his urge to eat everything. 

It's a struggle for Beel. 

"Here have this." You hand him an xxxxxl chocolate bar. 

"Thanks, you are a lifesaver." Beel gratefully eats it. This seems to help Beel a lot. 

"No problem. That's why I'm your baking assistant after all." You smile at Beel. 

"I'm glad that I asked you. I can't thank you enough for this." Beel smiles kindly at you. 

"How did you do this before I came?" You are pretty curious about this.

"Well, I always manage somehow. I would make a few cakes or just ask one of my brothers to hold me back. It was always a huge battle. It's pretty shameful to be honest." Beel looks distraught. 

"You still always manage to do it for Belphie and that is all that matters in my opinion. No matter how tough it is on you, you still do it just to make him happy. I think that's pretty amazing." You want to encourage Beel. 

Beel smiles at you. "You might be right. Thank you for seeing it like this." 

It's like he never even considered thinking this way. 

Then the cake is ready to be baked. 

Beel is very careful with it. 

You look at all the ingredients you still have left. "What should we do with these?" 

"Hmmm, it's much more than what I usually leave. I haven't thought about it." Beel expected to eat most of the extra ingredients. 

"I think we should make some muffins with them. It would be a great treat for everyone." You think it will give Belphie the chance to enjoy his favorite cake in a new way. 

"That's a great idea. I'm sure Belphie will love that." Beel loves this idea. 

"How about we have a snack while the cake is baking? It smells so good I'm getting hungry." As if to agree, my stomach rumbles. 

"I thought it was just me. I will make us some sandwiches. Is that alright with you?" Beel chuckles lightly. 

"Sounds great." You can only agree. 

While Beel is preparing food for you, you notice the flour in his hair. "Can you bend down for a moment?" 

"Um, sure." Beel doesn't even question why. 

You gently remove the flour. "There you go."

He looks a bit confused.

"There was flour in your hair." 

"Ah, and I thought you were just patting me for some reason." Beel smiles at me. 

"I can do that too. You definitely deserve headpats." You giggle a little. 

Beel blushes and then his stomach starts to sound like a lion. "We need to do that later."

"Haha yeah sure seems like it." You both eat your sandwiches. Beel eats an entire package. 

Then the cake is done. 

"It already looks great. Now it needs to cook down and then we get to decorate it." You look at the cake. 

Beel nods. "We should use the time to make the muffins."

"Yeah, that's right." You start to prepare the ingredients and Beel does the mixing. 

This works best for both of you. Then you bake the muffins. 

"So now to decorate this cake. Will you use the chocolate or do you want to put the sugar decorations on it?" 

"I will do the chocolate. These sugar decorations somehow always break when I touch them." Beel seems to have tried it many times. 

It makes sense to you that he is so strong that they probably just crumble. "Okay."

Beel carefully covers the whole cake and I place the various tiny and fragile decorations on top of it. 

"There we go. What do you think? Does it look good?" You are pretty proud of yourself, but it's most important to you that Belphie will like it. 

"It looks great. I couldn't have done it without you." Beel beams with happiness and pride. He pats you on the head. 

You blush. 

"That was because you deserve some head pats." Beel uses your words. It's pretty embarrassing to hear it from him. 

"Thank you." You aren't sure what else to say. 

"Hold on, you got some chocolate there." Beel eyes your face and then uses his finger to clean your cheek. He then licks his finger. "Delicious." 

You blush even more from that statement. 

The timer for the muffins saves you. 

They honestly look and smell great. 

"They are amazing! This was a great idea." Beel looks with a lot of pride at the muffins. 

"I have to agree. Do you want to decorate them too?" You look at the load of muffins that you made. 

"I will coat them in chocolate. Maybe one decoration each? Just leave two without." Beel has a plan. 

"Sure, but what about the leftover two?" You don't mind at all. 

"I've got a plan for these." Beel doesn't say anything else.

You don't mind it, it's making you curious if anything. 

So you decorate the muffins and Beel does something with the extra muffins behind you. 

You have to work hard to not peek. 

Once you are done Beel comes up to you, hands behind his back. 

"I made something for you." Beel then sheepishly hands you two very nicely decorated muffins. They each seem to represent one of the twins. 

It makes you smile. "Aww, that's so sweet of you Beel. Thank you so much." 

"I'm glad you like it." Beel smiles brightly. 

You take the muffins and decide to follow up on something you wanted to do earlier. 

"Could you bend down for me?" You ask with a smile. 

"Have I more flour in my hair?" He ruffles his hair.

"No, just do it." You shake your head. 

Beel then shrugs and bends down. 

You smile at him and give him a light kiss on the lips. 

Beel blushes, he didn't expect that at all. 

"That one was because you are so awesome." You give him a big smile. 

Beel blushes. "Thank you."

The day of the party arrives and Beel presents the cake and muffins to Belphie. 

He is very happy about all the effort that Beel put into it. 

"Wow, that's the best cake ever." Belphie loves all the work and love that was put into this. 

"Thank you but they helped me a lot." Beel looks at you. "It would've been impossible without them."

"That's sweet of you to say, but you did the most work. I'm just glad that Belphie likes it." This is a bit embarrassing to hear. 

"I love it. Thank you both."Belphie beams at both of you. It is a full success.

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[intim3ate]

Quiet Space | Ashido Mina/Uraraka Ochaco [My Hero Academia]

Ochaco comes from her internship later than usual and ends up missing a party. Not wanting her to feel left out, Mina decides to bring her a treat.

I wanted to write something cute and fluffy, and there's not nearly enough of this ship, so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone and write this.

Enjoy!!

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It’s been a long day.

Ochaco flops backwards onto her bed, back to the plush comforter and face turned up toward the ceiling. She breathes a deep, exhausted sigh of relief as she sinks into the mattress, and lets herself enjoy the softness of it all around her.

“What a day…” she mumbles to herself, glad it’s finally over. It’s not unusual that she occasionally has to pull long hours at her internship with Ryukyu, but today had really taken the cake for drawing out her overtime. More fights and more criminals than usual had meant taking some extra time to make sure everything and everyone that had gotten involved were okay. It was exhausting, yes, and Ochaco thinks she might be able to sleep for a whole week straight after it all, but she can’t really complain. The work is rewarding. The smiles on those kids’ faces alone, after she’d stopped a truck from running over a family of ducks, had made all the extra time and effort worth it. Sure, it was just some ducks, and it may have seemed trivial in the eyes of the pros, but lives were lives.

Ochaco smiles to herself. It’s silly and she knows it, but she really does feel like a hero today.

A knock on the door rouses her from her thoughts and she sits up. A glance at the clock tells her it’s almost 10 PM. Who could possibly be looking for her this late at night?

“Ochaco? Hey, Ochaco! You in there?”

Mina?

“If you're in there, open up! I brought ya something!”

Ochaco is far too tired to answer the door, but she does want to know what this ‘something’ Mina's brought her could be. She weighs the pros and cons of pretending to be asleep in her head, but eventually curiosity beats out exhaustion and she gets up to answer the door.

Mina smiles at her the moment she's in view. “Sweet! I knew you were in there! This time, anyway. I've been by twice already. Here!” She thrusts a small container at Ochaco. “This is for you!”

Ochaco takes the container and opens it up. Inside is a slice of cake, iced with cream and topped with strawberries. A few chunks of strawberries are sealed between the layers, too. “Oh, wow!” She closes the container and looks back up at Mina. “What's the occasion?”

“It's Kendo's birthday today. You know, from class B? They all threw her a little party and asked if Class A wanted to join in, so we did! But you were busy with your internship, right?” It's a loaded question and they both know it, even though Mina's smile is as bright as ever. That’s the first sign that she’s digging for something, really. The second is that she leans in a little, like she's not just verbally, but physically angling for some deeper meaning to Ochaco's absence, but Ochaco just laughs and rubs the back of her head sheepishly.

“Yeah, things were really busy today!” she says. Mina's eyes narrow slyly.

“And that's it…?”

Ochaco laughs again, a little less patiently this time. “Of course! What else would I have been doing?”

“Oh, I dunno…” Mina shifts her weight from the balls of her feet to her heels. “Maybe you've got a secret boyfriend or something?”

Oh, god. This again. Ochaco feels her face heat up and she waves a hand in front of herself frantically. “No, no, nope! Nothin’ like that!”

She curses herself for letting her accent slip, but she can’t help it - there’s just something about Mina that gets her flustered. Maybe it’s how she has that tendency to get up in her personal space without thinking about it, or maybe the way she so casually asks questions like this, not just because she’s a bit of a gossip, but because she’s genuinely interested in the answer…

In any case, Ochaco has no interest in a boyfriend, secret or otherwise. Sure, she’d had that crush on Deku, but it’s been months since she’s even thought about it. And lately, there’s something - someone - else on her mind, anyway.

Still, sometimes she wonders if maybe…

“If you say so!” Mina’s voice snaps Ochaco out of her reverie. With the sly smirk on Mina’s face, there’s no way she’s convinced Ochaco isn’t keeping something from her, but Ochaco huffs and stands her ground anyway.

Mina laughs. “Relax, I’m kidding! Anyway, I better get going.” She turns around and smiles over her shoulder. “Enjoy the cake! I’ll tell Satou you loved it.” And with that, she starts to walk off. “G’night, Ochaco!”

“Wait!”

Ochaco covers her mouth quickly. She doesn’t know why she’d called out like that – she’s still tired, and she wants nothing more than to just go to bed, but…

Mina has barely taken two steps when she stops and turns around, head tilted to the side questioningly. Her eyes are wide. “Huh? What’s up?”

“Um… uh, d’you wanna come in?” She coughs to clear her throat, then tries again: “I mean… it’s way more fun having cake with friends, right? And you can tell me all about the party.”

Mina’s face lights up, her smile so big and happy that Ochaco can’t help but return it.

They sit down at the little table in the middle of the room. Ochaco lets Mina take the cushion (she insists on it, in fact, when Mina protests; it’s partially out of politeness, and partially because sitting on the floor instead of a comfy pillow will help keep her awake) while she brews some tea. When that’s done, she plates the cake and places it on the table along with her tea set.

Mina is already chatting about the party, her mouth going a mile a minute. Ochaco only kind of listens – she’s still tired – but it’s fine; she’s happy and content, soothed by the tea and comfortable in her friend’s company.

She tries to engage, though. Ochaco laughs when Mina recounts how Kendo literally picked Mineta up in her giant hand and tossed him out the window; she groans when Mina explains how, a moment later, the little hero managed to stick himself to the wall and climb up in no time flat.

“It was actually kind of impressive,” she says, albeit begrudgingly. “He’s gotten good at that. Too bad he can only ever use his powers for evil.”

“Ugh, I know.” Ochaco sighs and shakes her head. They both laugh quietly, and let that carry them into a natural lull in the conversation. Ochaco takes the opportunity to help herself to a forkful of cake. As soon as the first touch of cream passes her lips, she perks right up, like she’d never been tired at all.

“Mmmm!” She closes her mouth, chews slowly, and savours the dessert. “It’s soooo good… Satou’s really outdone himself this time!”

“Yeah!” Mina agrees. She waits patiently for Ochaco to finish her mouthful, leaning forward with her elbows on the table and chin propped up on her hands. Ochaco startles a little when she opens her eyes, not having expected to see such a calm, sincere look of affection on Mina’s face. She smiles, but there’s something different in it this time. Something calmly affectionate, rather than excited and energetic like usual. It’s hard to place just what emotion she’s seeing looking back at her right now, but Ochaco likes it, and decides she’s going to try and remember this look.

Mina seems to notice Ochaco staring and she startles, too. “S-sorry! Wow, don’t know what came over me for a sec, there. Space case, am I right?”

Ochaco laughs. “Well, you are the alien queen.”

“Pfft!” Mina crosses her arms and sticks her tongue out in a pout. “Not anymore! I mean, Pinky’s a good name, but it’s not as cool, is it?”

“I think it’s cute!”

“Yeah?” Mina’s eyes shine, like she’s really, truly happy to have her friend’s approval. She reaches over the table in a sudden burst of emotion and takes Ochaco’s hand in both of her own. “D’you really mean that?”

“Of course I – wait, Mina, hold on--!”

But it’s too late. In her excitement, Mina seems to have forgotten about Ochaco’s quirk, and she presses her friend’s hand between her palms… and presses every single one of Ochaco’s fingers to her skin.

The sudden weightlessness catches Mina off-guard as she floats up into the air. She lurches back as she rises up above the table, throwing herself off what little balance she still had. She moves around frantically in the air and somehow ends up suspended upside-down, her messy hair falling about her head. One hand still holds Ochaco’s like she’s the last tether she has left to the ground, and she grips it tight.

It's nice. Warm.

Ochaco snaps out of it quickly. “Ack! Wait, hold on, Mina, I’ll get you down!” she says. She stands straight up and moves quickly so she can stand beneath Mina, ready to catch her when she falls. Ochaco is careful not to let go of her hand. “Ready?”

“Yeah, I’m ready! Get me down!”

“Okay! Release!”

And Mina falls.

She crashes down onto Ochaco gracelessly, knocking them both to the ground. Ochaco is beneath her, limbs akimbo, and Mina’s face is firmly buried in Ochaco’s stomach. It sends a sudden flipping sensation through her stomach her that has almost nothing to do with using her quirk.

Mina takes a second to right herself, squirming on top of Ochaco until she manages to get between her friend’s spread legs. She looks up, horrified, and when she realizes how red Ochaco’s face is, she bursts into laughter. Ochaco is not far behind her - she leans back and clutches her stomach as laughter rends itself from her throat.

“You look like a tomato!” Mina cries. “Jeeze, I haven’t seen you this red since Midoriya--”

“Nooo, no, stop!” Ochaco cackles, legs kicking out as Mina shifts and accidentally pokes her waist, where she just so happens to be incredibly ticklish. “Stop moving!”

Mina does, lifting her hands in the air like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She keeps laughing, though, raucous peals of it slowly subsiding to quieter giggles. Ochaco sits up as she, too, calms down. She wipes away a tear and opens her eyes, and suddenly, Mina is close. Much closer than she was a second ago.

Ochaco isn’t surprised when Mina kisses her. She just lets it happen - lets the warm, tingling feeling overtake her and spread from her lips to her cheeks to her ears. She’s sure she must be right back to looking like a tomato, but Mina’s eyes are closed. She can’t see it.

Ochaco closes her eyes, too, and when she does it’s like she enters a whole new world. One where nothing exists but the soft, sweet, berry-tinged lips moving against hers. Nothing but the hands that trace her face, cup her cheek, and slide through her hair. Nothing but Mina’s skin against her fingertips, her breath brushing over her cheek.

Mina pulls away first. Her eyes are unfocused as they open, like she had left Earth for a moment, too, and gone somewhere else entirely. It takes her a moment to get back, and it takes Ochaco just as long. She wants to go back immediately, back to that world where only the two of them exist. Just her and the Alien Queen.

“Mina…”

Mina blinks, and suddenly she’s fully aware again. Her face turns and even deeper shade of pink - not quite red, not like Ochaco - and she looks away, frantic and fearful.

“Oh gosh, oh gosh,” Mina says, and she sounds just as hysterical as she looks. “I didn’t - I wasn’t going to-”

Ochaco grabs Mina’s face in both hands and kisses her again. She holds her there for a few seconds before pulling away, and then she has to look away, embarrassed by the small pop sound their lips coming apart made.

Mina stares. Her face is the very picture of awe, like she can’t believe what’s just happened. She touches her lips, stunned, like she’s trying to catch and touch the feeling of Ochaco’s lips on hers.

Ochaco wonders if it still tingles for her, too.

It’s silent between them for a few seconds, until Mina drops her hand and licks her lips. Her cheeks are still pink as she looks Ochaco in the eye and says, “So… no boyfriend, then.”

Ochaco laughs. “No boyfriend.”

But maybe a girlfriend, now. She has to kiss Mina one more time to know for sure. So she does, and Mina kisses back.