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There was nothing exactly like the feeling that Halloween gave off whether you loved it or hated it. Even the slightly bittersweet reality that Jean and Marco faced in their current teenage years wasn't so bad. Especially not now, not when they'd found new things to do on such an otherwise quiet day of the year.
While everyone else was out trick or treating, or partying, Jean and Marco had the night to themselves to do other, more personal things. They were still stumbling around in the infamous "honeymoon phase" of their relationship, but had the sense to keep it all very hush hush to avoid any unwanted attention.
It gave them the opportunity to be close whenever and however they wanted, without being supervised on nights like these when they knew they'd be alone, at night, for hours. Their secret plan for the night? Baking cupcakes.
Jean had really decided to make something special, even a bit fancy. Pumpkin carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. He could have done something simple and generic for Halloween, like red velvet cupcakes, or vanilla with a cherry pie filled center to look like blood. But that was the kind of silly thing he'd see in overpriced cooking magazines at Wal-Mart!
From what Jean knew this whole honeymoon phase nonsense was too good to be true, and that when it ended he wouldn't care so much about things like this. But why should he care? He wanted to make the night special when it normally never was for either of them.
They were just too old to dress up and go trick or treating, and they certainly didn't want to do what Jean's mother was doing; Volunteering at the local elementary school to take kids out trick or treating safely. Who babysits for free?
Partying was also so very far out of the question. For one, it wasn't really in them to go to parties. And another, Halloween parties probably had too many girls in slutty costumes and at least some alcohol. A bad, bad combo. They were too young to force themselves into that kind of situation.
Jean just wanted the night to be nice, it was after all, the first holiday he'd get to spend with Marco as something other than them just being friends. But he was a little nervous when he saw the lack of obvious joy on Marco's face, not that he wanted to comment on it.
Marco looked bored even, leaning on his hand as he sat at the peninsula in the kitchen, "Are they done yet?" He asked, eyeing the oven which he could barely even see inside of.
Jean took another glance at the timer, "Almost." Then he got back to dumping other ingredients into a bowl for the frosting.
"You should've let me help make 'em." Marco sighed, looking into a different, empty bowl disappointingly.
"They'd never be done in time if I waited for you to get here!" Jean defended himself, remembering all the prep work that had gone into the cake. Baking things from scratch took work, especially when it was carrot cake! Having to shred them was an absolute nightmare.
Although yes, he did use canned pumpkin puree. But you know what, cutting open your own pumpkins just to separate the seeds and then blend up all the messy insides wasn't fun or worth it. It tasted the same!
When Jean noticed the continuous pout on Marco's face he only turned away and pushed the bowl full of frosting ingredients towards him, "Fine then! Make the frosting. Do the work that I was gonna do for you...."
The doorbell rang, and Jean rolled his eyes, sighing. Marco seemed to find it rather funny, "How many times has that happened?" The light at the front door was off: That was generic Halloween etiquette! No light, no candy! Tonight was supposed to just be the two of them, alone, no interruptions.
"I'm gonna decorate the whole house in all that Catholic crap that's sitting in the basement next year!" Jean vowed, somewhat regretting having made decorations for the outside of the house this year. Perhaps his Nana's religion could be useful to him after all!
"Stop, I'll get it." Marco sighed, cleverly leaving the room and forcing Jean to whip up the frosting instead.
Marco had a soft spot for trick or treating brats. When he was younger, his costumes were almost always decided by his parents and even then, most of his candy was confiscated at the end of the night. He barely had a ring pop to his name.
"Don't give them my caramel apple pops!" Jean said. He quite honestly preferred green apple lollipops with a caramel center, but they just didn't make them like that anymore. Caramel covered green apple lollipops, however, were the closest thing he could get to that dream. God forbid Marco take that away from him!
"You're so over dramatic-- I can buy you more." Marco sighed, although Jean pretended he didn't hear it.
Instead Jean painstakingly forced the whisk through the cream cheese and butter in the bowl. It may have been softened but it was still a pain in the ass. There just wasn't anything more deserving for the night; cream cheese frosting was made for pumpkin and carrot cake.
Marco came back into the kitchen moments later, and Jean didn't think to pay attention to him as he left the frosting bowl unattended to look into the oven. Yes yes, he had a timer. But his oven was an inconsistent, devious machine that seemingly thought to crank itself up a few degrees on occasion.
Jean decided it was for the best to take them out and check. Slightly underdone cupcakes could be fixed, but burnt carrot cake was a sin he wasn't ready to commit. And he was sure Marco would be pretty upset with him too.
What he hadn't been expecting was to turn after setting the hot pan on the oven to realize there was some frosting missing from the bowl. Jean quickly looked around to see where Marco was, "Seriously!?" He demanded, his eyes landing on the criminal in question.
Marco was safely hanging back at the other side of the kitchen, practically in the pantry with something hanging out of his mouth. Taking what turned out to be a spoon from his mouth, Marco shrugged, feigning guilt.
So much for worrying about Marco being upset. "It's not even done!" Jean scoffed, looking back down at the violated frosting with disappointment.
He wanted to pull away when Marco walked over and set his hand over Jean's, but was surprised when he felt a gentle kiss on the side of his face. "Well I think it's perfect."
All the little disappointment that Jean had been feeling seeming to disappear, a blush forming on his face that he tried to force to go away. He'd almost forgotten in his moment of bitterness that they were dating.
When Marco finally pulled away, Jean turned around to say something sweet, but Marco was already leaving the kitchen. It almost seemed like he was in a hurry....
And then Jean noticed out of the corner of his eyes, one missing cupcake. "Fucking hell-- Marco! They're not done!"