Magically entwined

A baking battle

* Rainy's POV *

I desperately needed that run to help clear my head. Nothing beats the feeling of your paws pounding against the earth and feeling the vibrations shake your core, or how the breeze tugs at your fur like it's a living thing trying to hold on. Being a wolf makes me think so much less about the possibility of being a witch.

I return back to the cottage, sweaty and achey. To my surprise, there's a prince on my doorstep. Yeah, this is kinda the last thing I need right now. As I approach I can hear Rylie laughing, and I see her tugging his sleeve trying to entice him inside. "I'm not sure Rylie..." he says, and I see him shifting nervously, one hand cradling the back of his neck.

"What's going on guys?" I ask, and they both turn around to look at me.

As soon as she hears my voice Rylie barges past Jax to give me a hug. I crouch down to her level to give her the tighest bear hug ever, and she's clearly excited to talk to me. "Jax and I went shopping and we got something really cool but I think he wants to show you himself and Hunter and Cella were looking at some funny books in the library and anyway I got a book out for myself and -"

"Okay okay Ryles, take a breath! I'm glad you got something from the library too. What's all this about shopping? Our cupboards were pretty well stocked the last time I checked." I reply, gently pushing Rylie back inside the cottage and raising my eyebrow at Jax, questioning whether he intends to come inside or not.

"They are but, well we thought you'd had a busy day and could do with an extra treat. You missed out on dessert after all so-"

"WE BOUGHT COOKIE INGREDIENTS!" screams Rylie, trying to pry the shopping bag from Jax's hands. He didn't put up much resistance, and Rylie ran over to me carrying a bunch of baking supplies.

"Well that's... pretty thoughtful of you. You didn't have to buy us anything though your high- Jax. Jax. You've already provided for us more than adequately." I say, trying to urge Rylie to return our very unnecessary ingredients, but all she does is pout at me.

Jax finally decides that now is the appropriate time to actually enter the threshold and close the door behind him.

"Well as much as you would like to argue, it's really no big deal. And I think one little sister wolf has very much set her heart on expertly decorating some cookies to take with her to class tomorrow. And hey, us alphas are prone to a cookie every once in a while too. So if we make them, you'd be doing me a solid too." he says, and with that he's already sauntered past me to the kitchen area to start scrounging bowls and whisks and weighing scales. At this point, I think this is happening whether I'm all for it or not. I do have to admit though, it is a super sweet gesture. He is literally sweet-talking you ya know!

As he starts to organise everything on the counter, I can tell that he's a fan of keeping things precise and in order. Despite this, he doesn't correct Rylie at all when she moves something out of place or dips her finger in the can of buttercream. Rylie waves at her hand at me, gesturing for me to come over, and I take my place next to her so that she's sandwiched between me and Jax. We designate recipe-instruction-reading to Jax, and take it in turns to weigh things or add things or mix them accordingly. However, when the flour comes out, those two meant business. Rylie weighs it out first, and then straight after realising there's plenty left over, scoops a bunch into her hand and throws it at Jax. It completely covers his hair, making it look like he'd been caught in a snowstorm.

"Rylie! You know better! You don't just go around flour-bombing princes!" I say, looking over at Jax as apologetically as I can manage. I don't think it's very convincing though - I can hardly contain my laughter at how dorky he looks.

"It's okay Rainy, really. She's just a kid. And if that's how she wants to play it then..."

Before I can even blink Jax had scavenged his own floury pile and propelled it towards Rylie, coating her own hair in flour. Before I knew what was happening there was a full blown flour war raging in the kitchen. Jax had tipped over a chair and was ducking behind that, while Rylie used a tray as a shield. When they thought they had a free shot, they fired. It was fair to say the kitchen looked very much like a frost-covered warzone - a very giggly warzone.

I decide it was about time these people become civilised, and step into the fray. "You two are so ridiculous! I hope you know I will not be responsible for cleaning thi-"

And I am silenced as Jax's latest flour attack catches me head-on, missing his intended target of my little sister. I stare at Jax, stunned for a second.

"Oooohh you're in troubleee" mocks Rylie from behind me, and I can just tell she has one hand on her hip and the other is pointing at Jax accusingly.

"I'm so so sorry Rainy, I really didn't mean to hit you whatsoever! I'm just, I'm so sorry" says Jax, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Rylie, I think I might require myself some ammo" I say, holding out my palm upwards towards the ceiling. Without a second thought Rylie places the last remaining remnants of the flour scourge in my hand, and I throw it straight at Jax's chest, completely covering his t-shirt.

"Apology accepted." I say, dusting my hands off. "Now then, these cookies aren't going to bake themselves are they?"

Jax smiles the biggest smile I have ever seen. And I have to admit, smiling really suits him. Although I can't quite gather why being pummelled by flour has made him so happy. Since she initated the battle, Rylie offers to sweep up the mess and I hand her the dustpan and brush. Myself and Jax return to cookie-making. He goes to hand me the brown sugar, and our fingers accidentally brush against each other as I go to grab it from him. I mutter a "sorry" underneath my breath, and I look up to see that he's slightly blushing, his hand cradling his neck again. He looks over his shoulder to see if Rylie's listening, and when he deems it safe he grabs hold of my hands gently and says: "You don't have to apologise, for anything, ever. But especially not for that. It felt.. pretty nice to feel your hand in mine." he whispered, never breaking eye contact with me. I detach my hand from his, although I must admit I'm reluctant to do so. Now it's my turn to blush.

I return to baking to take my mind off the interaction, picking up a whisk to start mixing everything together. Before I know it, I feel Jax stood behind me. His body's pressed against mine, one arm wrapped tightly around my waist and the other holding my whisking hand steady, helping me turn it in circular motions. I can't help but take a sharp intake of breath at his touch, but I've also never felt more safe and secure in my whole life. I can feel my heart beating pretty rapidly at first, but it soons settles into a steady rhythm, and his touch is oddly calming as it is simultaneously electric. I never want him to let go of me.

Rylie loudly announces that she's done sweeping, and Jax and I quickly break ourselves apart. I excuse myself to go water the plants outside (the first excuse that comes into my head) and leave the goofy duo to it. I step outside with the watering can, watering the lilacs and daisies as quickly as I can before just sitting down on the front steps. I can't help but trace the space on my hands where his hands touched mine. It takes me a second to realise that I'm smiling like an i***t, and my skin is oddly warm - like the warmth is spreading throughout my body and lighting up every cell. What are you doing out here you i***t? You can't fool yourself for much longer - you know you want to spend more time with him! So go! You can be a smiley in-love girl for just a few hours. A little romance isn't gonna kill you!

I get up from the steps and walk inside, something new and exciting in each step forward. I'd left them alone for a little while, and the sweet smell of freshly baked cookies hits my nose as I get to the kitchen door. "So what are we up to in here chefs?" I say, announcing my return.

"We just made the cookies! We just need them to cool down so we can decorate them! Can you make us some icing Big sis?" asks Rylie, batting her eyelashes at me. She knows she doesn't have to do that, she already has me completely wrapped around her little finger.

"Sure thing little cub. What colours do you need?"

"Like, the whole rainbow! But loads of black in particular" Rylie says.

"Black huh? Weird choice kiddo but you're the artist".

I see Jax and Rylie settle at the table, drawing out the plans for how they'll decorate each cookie. I set about preparing some royal icing, separating it into bowls and adding a different coloured food dye into each - using a larger bowl for the black icing. Once it's done, and Rylie announces the cookies have sufficiently coolef, she asks me if I can help her decorate the cookies for her class tomorrow. While I'm in charge of this project, it seems Jax is doing his own thing, as he only the red and black icing to work with compared to my smorgasbord of colours.

I show Rylie my finished cookies and she squeals, helping me place them on a tray to dry so they can be aesthetically packaged the following morning for her friends to enjoy.

"We need a cookie each to eat now! It's only fair the bakers get to try their goods first!" she says, taking two of the leftover rainbow cookies, handing one to Jax and keeping one for herself. I go to grab one for myself, but Rylie lightly slaps my hand away.

"Not that one big sis! Jax, show her show her!". She shouts, gently tugging on Jax's sleeve.

He looks at me, looking slightly embarassed, before presenting me with a very black sugar cookie. Upon closer inspection, I am truly blown away. His sugar cookie resembles me sitting down on a step, wearing my black combat gear, my red hair loose and floating behind me. It's expertly done, and for some reason I had never envisioned him to be so artistic. The thought that went behind that one gesture was everything. He could have designed anything he wanted to, and he chose to paint me. And not only that, but he captured me the way I like to look, how he knows I like to come across. He didn't try to change me, and it made me feel seen.

"I didn't know princes had enough time in their schedules to finesse the art of cookie decorating" I say, teasing him despite how truly delighted I feel.

"Well, this prince has his priorities straight" he quips back, smiling when he sees my smile too.

Yeah, this was a pretty okay day after all.

* Jax's POV *

I bid the girls goodnight, a carefully wrapped rainbow cookie tucked safely into my pocket. As I take one last look back at Rainy smiling, I could almost swear that the sunflowers on the windowsill behind her had grown a few inches since I'd delivered the cookie supplies. I think all the sugar is going to my head, I'm just imagining things... But one thing I do know is that I could stare at that smile forever.