"The fuck are you doing?" was what he wanted to say once he walked into {Name's} kitchen through the backdoor, but he decided to go with something subtle instead. "What are you doing?"

{Name} lifts her brow in confusion. "I'm baking?" She continued to stir the bowl with a wooden spoon. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Like you got a thumb stuck up your bubbly arse." Vanitas retorted with, shaking his head as he watches {Name} struggling with the dough until she looked at her butt from Vanitas's retort.

She hummed. "Huh. What do you know?"

The third challenge on the list was baking; gingerbread, candy canes, anything Christmassy really. It was yet another thing Vanitas didn't want to do, but if he is to win a challenge, he's got to do it. Plus {Name} had allowed him to sleep-in as long as he comes in to participate. He should've woken up earlier. There were eggshells and flour on the counter and floor ーmostly on {Name}. Dishes were piled up in the sink; no doubt the dishwasher was full because it looked ready to burst any second. {Name's} weird pet raccoon had a toque on for some weird reason. Next to it was a tray full of fresh cookies whilst next to {Name} ーother than ingredients for what she is about to make nextー was a tray of dead cookies way past its' burning point. Vanitas sighed in disappointment. Yeah, he should have woken up earlier.

"Please tell me you made the cookies that are sitting beside the pest." He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

{Name's} eyes slowly wander towards the tray of delights beside her pet. She paused, chewing on her bottom lip. "And if I didn't?" She said, in a challenging tone, her eyes glancing back towards him; she was obviously offended by his question as she stood with her left arm akimbo.

Vanitas sighs once more. That's the third time today and it's not even been a minute. He rubbed the back of his neck before joining {Name} in the kitchen, going into her pantry and looking for a broom.

"Where's your cleaning equipment?" He asked, closing the door when he found nothing.

"Oh, they should be in the closet under the staircase." She replied with, pointing towards the foyer through the archway that leads to the front entrance.

Without another word, Vanitas sought out for the cleaning tool. It wasn't until he walked through the archway did it occur to {Name} that he came from the back sliding door. "Hey Van," she called, earning a barely audible "Yeah?" as his response, "did you climb over the fence to my backyard?"

There was a slight pause. "Maybe?"

This time {Name} sighed. She shouldn't be surprised. It wasn't the first time he did this. The memory of their first meeting came to mind when her pet raccoon, Meeko, decided to go over the fence and do what he does best. She expected him with a mouthful of food and a few trinkets in hand. She did not expect a boy following after him. Good memories.

{Name} turned her attention from the archway to her pet, who had been "discreetly" eating the cookies from the tray. He literally took everything in his mouth, leaving crumbs in his wake. She chuckled at her pet's behaviour, patting him to ease his guard ーas he had been caught in the act.

"Back." Vanitas announced in a mumble with a few cleaning utensils in hand. He tosses one of them to {Name} as a pass, which appeared to be a towel. "Go clean yourself off before we start."

{Name} caught it with ease, looking at it weirdly before glancing up at Vanitas with a curious look. "Start? Start what?"

"Someone's gotta do this stupid challenge." Vanitas retorted, taking the tray of burnt cookies and throwing them out; placing the tray into the sink.

{Name} couldn't help but snort. "So he cooks, does he?" She giggles, waiting for a reaction. Unfortunately, it didn't work. "What are you gonna do?" She decided to ask as she watched him work over his shoulder.

Vanitas gave her a weird look with eyebrows arched; finally reacting. "Clean." He stated, though his tone was more along the lines of in a matter-of-fact way with a "duh" in there somewhere.

{Name} ignored his tone, sending him a sceptical look. "You are going to clean? You?"

"Keep talking and we'll see where this is going to end." Vanitas threatened with a mischievous yet dangerous glint in his eyes, a sly smirk curving at the corners of his lips as he pulled on the rag around his neck.

{Name} held up her hand in defeat, quickly backing away. She wanted to say something in retort, but decided against it. It'll probably get the pale boy going. Then again...

Just as she was a centimetre out of the archway, she quickly looked back over her shoulder. "Just don't make a mess."

And just as she said it, Vanitas turned only to find her gone. The thumping noise of her footsteps echoed throughout the house. He sighed for the last time.

🍪

{Name} came down, feeling fresh and vibrant. She felt cleaner once she saw the state her kitchen was in. Previously from her baking time, the kitchen looked like someone sneezed on dough and the debris splattered everywhere, sticking on to anything it touches. Now, it looked like she moved into a new house.

{Name's} eyes were widened to the point you could see the egg whites of her pupils. She held onto the towel around her neck as she scanned her surroundings. "Wow〜!" She wolf-whistled. "This place looks impressive."

Vanitas snorted. "You think this is impressive?" He shook his head. "You need to have a better look at my house, {Name}."

"But I have seen your house?" She said, tilting her head in confusion.

"Obviously you weren't focusing on it closely." Vanitas scoffed, brushing the last bit of dust.

"Well I can't help it if you distract me." {Name} shrugged like his words had no effect on her as she folded her towel in hand.

"Oh, am I distracting?" He cheekily grinned, leaning in close to her personal bubble with his chin on his hand that balanced his weight on the broom. This time she reacted faster, placing a hand to his chest and gently pushing him back.

A smirk graced her features. "All right, James Dean, I thought we were going to cook."

Vanitas scoffs. "I said someone, namely me, is going to have to do this stupid challenge. I never said you were going to do it."

"But this is a team effort!" {Name} stated, opposing the idea that she had to miss out on a challenge. {Name} admits she wasn't the best of cooks, but she wasn't going to miss out on a challenging opportunity that could be fun. That is the point to the challenge, isn't it? "You can't just leave me out of it. What am I going to tell the group when we share our experiences? That I let you have the fun to yourself whilst I sit in a corner growing mushrooms?"

"I highly doubt you can grow something edible, let alone cook it." Vanitas retorted as he pulled back his long sleeves; prepared to cook.

"That's not the point!" {Name} snapped, grabbing his shoulders whilst shaking him vigorously. "Vanitas, please! You gotta let me join in on the fun! Come on〜! Please? Please?" She started to bat her lashes innocently, her eyes suddenly widening as she pleads like a puppy behind glass windows. "Come on〜! It'll be fu〜n! I promise I'll behave!"

Vanitas narrowed his eyes in a fixed glare before letting out a defeated sigh. "Fine." But before {Name} could dance about it, Vanitas struck her with a warning glare. "But if I find a little spark in this kitchen, you will be at the corner."

{Name} beamed brightly, doing a little victory dance before putting on her (newly clean) apron. "So, what should we do first?"

"By the looks of it, we're in charge of desserts, aren't we?" The pale boy asked, grabbing the Christmas challenge list only to find "Desserts (3-6)" written next to their challenge list, confirming his question. "Three to six desserts, huh? Hmm..." Vanitas hummed, his golden eyes slightly darkened in thought.

{Name} was lost in his concentrated look. For a guy who procrastinates against this jolly festivity, he sure knows how to be serious when needed to be. {Name} couldn't help but smile at the thought. "How about we do three traditional desserts and make the other three our originals, like experiments?"

Vanitas hummed once more, contemplating on the thought before nodding in agreement. "That could work. I can get you to do the three traditional desserts whilst I do the other three." Vanitas glanced at the girl. "It shouldn't be that hard to follow directions from a book, right?"

"Come on, even a three year-old can follow simple instructions!" {Name} retorted, rolling her eyes at his obvious insult.

"...that worries me." Vanitas blatantly stated; his face contorted into an anxious one. "Three year-olds are unpredictable. And if I remember correctly, Aqua said something about you being a curious child that would talk to strangers at that age."

"What ーno! Pssh...I don't know where she gets her info from." {Name} laughed nervously; brushing strands of hair back in a slick, cool way, trying to make it seem nonchalant.

"You know what; maybe I should do this aloー"

"No don't!" {Name} cried desperately, clutching onto his arm. "I'll follow instructions, I promise!" All of a sudden, {Name's} reactions changed dramatically. At first she was desperate for his approval. Now... "You said I could! You promised! Are you going against your word?"

"..."

🍪

Despite being given approval to participate in the challenge, the only way {Name} can cook is if Meeko (her pet raccoon) keeps a close eye on her. {Name} pouted as she slowly changed the pages as she scanned through the cookbook, not really paying much attention on the recipe; looking at the picture was enough at this moment.

Vanitas has been working hard on his side of the challenge, experimenting as he goes along. He didn't have a specific recipe, he just played with whatever edible items {Name} had lying around in the kitchen. He was too absorbed in his work, he hasn't noticed the many times {Name} sighed; purposely trying to get his attention.

This was supposed to be fun...she couldn't help but think to herself, huffing with a hand to her cheek.

Meeko made a noise, noticing the annoyed expression on his owner. Hearing Meeko caught the pale boy's attention. He took a quick sidelong peek over his shoulder, finding {Name} leaning on the counter as she browsed through the cookbook with little to no interest before glancing back at the bowl he had in his left arm with a whisk in his right hand.

"What's the problem, {Name}?" Vanitas called monotonously, concentrating on his whisking power.

{Name} puffed up her cheeks childishly, eyebrows knitted closely as she sulked. "Nothin'..."

Hearing the obvious dullness in her tone rather than her usual (annoying) joyful cries certainly got his attention faster than Meeko's noise previously. It was serious to the point where Vanitas stopped whisking the bowl and actually had a better look over his shoulder, before finally turning to face her properly.

Seeing his blank face says it all. {Name} blew out the puff of breath she held in. Of course he wouldn't get it; I'd have to spell it out for him. "It's just...I thought it would be more fun to cook together?"

"Isn't that what we're doing now?" Vanitas stated bluntly.

"Yeah but, what I meant was "together" together, not separately-together." {Name} said, hoping that was enough to state out her points.

It obviously did by the way Vanitas's face suddenly lightening up in understanding. He sighed, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. It wasn't {Name's} request he was embarrassed about, he was embarrassed at the fact that he missed her point of doing the challenge together. Vanitas lightly snorted before sending {Name} an apologetic smile.

"Yeah, okay. I gotcha." He said, nodding in understanding, catching {Name} off-guard with his meek smile. "Well, since I've got this one started, we should finish this one first."

His sudden invitation brought light back into {Name's} eyes, her lips widening into a bright smile as she skipped her way towards Vanitas's cooking area of the room. She eyed the substance in the bowl. "What're you making?"

"Gingerbread cookies." Vanitas replied. "I don't think we'll have enough to make a house, but we might by making a tree."

"A gingerbread cookie tree?" {Name} repeated sceptically, earning a glare from the boy.

"You have any better ideas with the little ingredients you have left over?" Vanitas snapped, baring his canines.

{Name} held up her hand in defence. "No, no. You're the chef. Instruct away."

Vanitas gave her a warning look before smirking with pride. "Damn right I am." He then passes the bowl and whisk to her. "Now, what I want you to do right now is whisk the butter and sugar as gently as you can, but with a lot of power."

{Name} started to whisk as gently as she could and with enough power, but because she was nervous, her whisking ability was slightly going a bit haywire. "L-Like this?"

Vanitas could sense her nervousness and decided to show her how, going behind her and taking her hand in his. "Yeah, you're not wrong. Just need to do it like this."

{Name} watched intently how Vanitas directed her hands with the whisk and correcting her hold on the bowl. Once he knew she was confident enough, he slowly let her go and watched as {Name} put a lot of effort into her whisking. She was getting the hang of it, he praised, as he added the rest of the ingredients. As she continued to whisk the rest of the ingredients together, Vanitas quietly walked towards the lounge; turned on the TV to the music channel, letting the TV play Christmas songs ーyou know, just to have sound around the room and liven it up a bit.

At one stage, the Dean Martin show came on and they were playing A Marshmallow World [1] just as Vanitas and {Name} started on their sixth dessert; and that's when a little bit of disaster happened. Must've been the song or how Martin and Sinatra was really into the song ーwhatever it wasー the two couldn't help but throw a bit of flour at each other as if it were snow or shoot whip-cream and dough. (In all honesty, Vanitas had initiated it). Laughter filled the house and even though the two were creating a mess of the house again, they continued baking and just having fun. Once they were done with the sixth dessert, allowing it to bake in the oven, the two got down to cleaning, not really bothered about the messy state they were in.

They waited on the floor as their dessert cooked; keeping a close eye on it. Vanitas was on his back with his head on {Name's} lap, whilst {Name's} back was on the kitchen drawer. She couldn't resist stroking the pale boy's hair. Initially it was to clean out the flour in his hair, but for some reason his hair was just so soft to the touch, {Name} couldn't help but continue brushing her fingers through it; and Vanitas allowed her to do it. It was rather soothing.

"I can't believe we made a mess of the kitchen." {Name} sighed, giggling afterwards at the memory.

"I'm not surprised when it comes to you." Vanitas retorted, closing his eyes to the feel of her hand brushing through his locks.

"Hey, you started it this time." {Name} stated, laughing at his reaction as she flicked him on the forehead.

"Whatever." He mumbled in defeat, rubbing the slight tingle of pain away.

It went quiet again, save for what was playing on the TV and the slight cooking sound coming from the oven. There was a thought {Name} had that she has been itching to ask Vanitas before she had to go clean herself up previously. She didn't really find the time to ask whilst they were cooking, so she thought perhaps now would be a good time.

"Say, Van," {Name} called.

"Mmm?" He hummed in response, not opening his eyelids.

"How is it that you know how to cook, yet Aqua prepares your lunches for you?" was what {Name} wanted to ask, but she kinda envisioned his response. Something along the lines of, "She wakes up early and I don't". Yeah, that's plausible, that definitely sounds like something Vanitas would say.

Then; "Who taught you how to bake?"

"Well, I know how to cook, so it shouldn't be any different from baking."

...

"When did you start to cook?" {Name} decided to go with.

"...since I was seven." Vanitas responded with.

"Wow, so young." {Name} praised; surprised to say the least. "Did you enjoy cooking with your mum or something?"

Vanitas finally opened his lids, sharp golden eyes meeting with {Name's} [colour] hues. But he wasn't looking at her...

"...she doesn't cook." He said after a while. He took a deep breath in through his nose for some reason, closing his eyes once more. "Not much, anyway. So I had to be responsible for my own meals."

He then striked {Name} with his golden orbs. "What about you? Do your parents cook for you?"

"Mmm...well, not really." {Name} admitted. "Before I moved here, I lived with my grandparents. My parents were too busy with work to look after me."

"So why the move?" Vanitas curiously asked.

"The two of them were given a job promotion." {Name} said, scoffing at the thought. "It's funny how they both have to move in the same area."

"I hardly see them around." Vanitas remarked.

"That's because I live here alone." {Name} said. "Sometimes they visit, but that's only on rare days."

Vanitas quirked a brow. "Why do you live here alone?"

"Closer to school." {Name} shrugged nonchalantly, as if that's the best reason she had. "Plus, Aqua lives around the corner, so she does all my meals or I go over to have dinner. She's my cousin, if you haven't figured it out."

"Huh...five years and I still don't know much about you." Vanitas stated in realisation.

{Name} couldn't help but giggle at his reaction. "Yeah, well it's not something you would notice anyway."

Vanitas sat up, a look of mock hurt on his face. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're a dense idiot, you idiot." A voice stated from the kitchen archway. Both Vanitas and {Name} looked up to find Aqua with a plate of a gingerbread house in hand, Terra hidden behind her.

"Great. Nosy neighbours." Vanitas scoffed, lying back down on {Name's} lap, forcing his eyes to shut.

"Hello to you too, Vanitas." Aqua greeted in retort, coming up towards the two and flicking his forehead ーharder than {Name} had done.

He growled in response, to which Aqua clearly ignored. As she placed the gingerbread house on the counter, she noticed the many desserts. "Wow, you guys got busy."

"Touch anything and you die." Vanitas warned. "Especially you, Okiayu [2]." Vanitas clarified, catching Terra off-guard as Vanitas didn't have his eyes opened, yet he caught Terra red-handed.

"I was only looking." Terra sheepishly replied, embarrassed he was caught.

"That's what they all say." Vanitas mumbled to himself.

"What brings you here, Aqua?" {Name} asked happily, continuing her strokes through Vanitas's hair.

Aqua glanced away from the desserts, picking up Meeko in her arms. The little thief tried to grab a bit of the gingerbread house. "Hm? Oh, I just assumed you were going to have problems with this challenge, but I guess I was wrong."

"Dead wrong." Vanitas clarified.

{Name} smacked him lightly. "Understandable. I mean, you know what I'm like, but I never knew Vanitas was capable of baking, let alone cooking."

"Vanitas baked all this?" Aqua asked in astonishment.

"Wait, Vanitas can cook?" Terra asked in annoyance.

"Got a problem with that, pretty boy?" Vanitas retorted; a cheeky smirk curved his lips.

"Yeah, I do actually." Terra admitted. "If you can cook this whole time, why are you getting my girlfriend to make you your lunches?"

Vanitas shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "She wakes up early and I don't."

{Name} couldn't help but burst into fits of laughter at his response. It was so predictable. Her bubble of laughter caught everyone's attention. They were curious as to why she was laughing so hard, but it was so contagious they couldn't help but laugh along. Save for Vanitas, who just shook his head with a smirk.

"Well, it looks like you won't be needing any of my help." Aqua said, having a browse at each dessert. "Everything looks good."

"Don't say it like that, Aqua." Vanitas said, catching everyone off-guard. "If you wanna make yourself useful, there's the door." And that's the Vanitas we all know and love.

Aqua sighed in disbelief. "Well, before I do go, might I remind you about my parent's dinner tomorrow evening?"

"Yeah? So what?" Vanitas responded with callously.

"So, I'm asking you two to come over and join." Aqua simply stated.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Well the next challenge is to do a good deed for somebody you care about." Aqua said. "And quite frankly, you don't have the bone to do a good deed and you don't have someone to care about, so no; you don't have a choice."

Vanitas rolled over so he was able to face Aqua, stopping {Name} from brushing her hands through his hair. "Are you challenging my good will or are you inviting me to go?"

Aqua paused, looking up at the ceiling in thought. "Both."

Vanitas paused, and then shrugged in defeat, lying back down on {Name's} lap. "Yeah, you're right. I don't have the bone for it."

Terra snorted, which caught the pale boy's attention. He instantly sat up from Terra's snort of derision. "You got something to say, pretty boy?"

Terra grits his teeth whilst sending Vanitas a shit-eating grin. "Regardless whether you have the bone for it or not, you're still going."

"Oh yeah?" Vanitas retorted in a challenge. "Says who?"

Terra just smirks in a know-it-all way.

🍪

[1] A Marshmallow World - sung by Dean Martin ft. Frank Sinatra.

[2] Okiayu is the surname of Terra's voice actor in Japanese. I've learnt Japanese people go by their surnames unless you are familiar with them and are given consent that you can use their first names. Even though Vanitas is familiar with Terra, they are not on good terms. Since Nomura Tetsuya doesn't give his KH characters full names, I just used Terra's Japanese voice actor's real surname as his own.

If you haven't figured it out, Meeko is Pocahontas's pet raccoon. It was a thought since in the game Sora can summon Disney characters. I wanted to choose a mischievous pet (like Stitch or something) since I wanted {Name} to be a quirky character who is different than most pet owners. Most people would have cats, dogs, mice or snakes (etc.), {Name} has a raccoon. I know there are people who have raccoons or foxes as pets, but it's unusual in the Kingdom Hearts world.

Started: 28.01.15; 14:31 PM
Edit #1: 07.02.15; 01:43 AM
Edit #2: 07.02.15; 13:52 PM
Edit #3: 11.02.15; 18:24 PM
Edit #4: 11.02.15; 23:27 PM
Edit #5: 12.02.15; 09:52 AM
Edit #6: 12.02.15; 23:18 PM
Edit#7: 17.02.15; 10:40 AM
Finished: 18.02.15; 13:28 PM