Work Text:
“Advisor… Do you have any plans for tonight?”
Zahhak looked up from his desk, raising a brow as emperor Zio walked in unannounced. Usually, Zahhak would go to Zio to see if he needed something. It was weird to think that the positions had reversed. He sets down his pen, nodding slowly. “Yes, just some documents to fill out. Why do you ask, Your Majesty?”
“Hm.” Zio walked closer to Zahhak to see all of the papers on his desk. Neatly stacked and organized with a flawless script, Zahhak was almost always on top of his paperwork. Though Zio never gave him stacks this big before; most of the papers seemed to be Zahhak’s own work and plans. At least he was keeping his mind sharp; always working behind the scenes to help Zio in private. Zio truly couldn’t have asked for a better advisor. And he was going to return the favor in the best way he knew how: spending time with Zahhak outside of their respective duties. It was rare that Zio and Zahhak could truly enjoy themselves. After all, they had quite a large mess to clean up after the events at Heaven’s Eye.
Zio clicked his tongue, leaning over the desk and placing a hand down on it. “Well, I have a… Special assignment for you tonight.” A sly smile appeared on his face… One that Zahhak knew all too well. This man was planning something and intentionally kept it from Zahhak to catch him off-guard. “How do you feel about baking with me?”
“Baking…” Zahhak raises a brow. “At this time? What made you come up with this idea so suddenly?”
“Well, you see, I couldn’t help but notice that you’ve been working extra hard lately. Staying up late to catch up on work, always asking for debriefings on the situations going on outside of Theranhad, ensuring that everything runs without a hitch…” He places a hand on his hip. “I just don’t want you thinking I’m taking you for granted is all. You may be my advisor but I also consider you a dear friend. We can be productive together but, at the same time, you can get away from your desk and focus on something that won’t take such a large toll on you.”
“Oh.” Zahhak’s gaze softens ever so slightly. He was always taken aback by the way Zio treated him because he didn’t expect anything in return. He shakes his head fondly, putting down his pen and standing. “If that would make you happy… So be it.”
Zio huffs. “Oh, you misunderstand. Your happiness is more than enough to make me happy. I know how happy you were when you got to make that vanilla cake not too long ago. Besides, there are quite a few recipes that I myself would like to try.” He turns to Zahhak with a sly smile, fingers turning the doorknob. “Let’s look at the cookbook ourselves to see what to make.”
Zahhak followed Zio to the kitchen and took out the cookbook. He hadn’t opened it since making that vanilla cake. However, he added a message to Zio and Sharun’s “bulletin board” about his “review” of the recipe. He flipped to the page so Zio could see it for himself:
“Divine is the best way to describe this recipe; it lives up to its name perfectly.”
Zio read the message then laughed. “I’m glad you enjoyed baking and eating it. I remember at one of our non-poisonous banquets that you tried the vanilla cake our chefs made and loved it.”
“I did read that in Sharun’s note,” Zahhak says, pointing to it. “I don’t recall saying it, though.”
“Well, I must admit that you didn’t say it directly to me or Sharun. It was during one of our non-poisonous banquets; you were eyeing the cake quite a bit after you initially tried it.” Zahhak cleared his throat in slight embarrassment and averted his gaze. Zio had to admit that seeing Zahhak get flustered at the most miniscule things was endearing. The fact that only Zio could see Zahhak falter ever so slightly was truly the cherry on top. “You didn’t have to be embarrassed to get another slice. I myself had four.”
“... You know that I’m not one to overindulge— … sorry, what’s this about you having four sli—”
“But that’s besides the point!” Zio interrupts, flipping to the table of contents he and Sharun made. Zahhak’s love for sweets was far more secret and subtle than Zio’s love for sweets and he did not want to get reprimanded for it. “Is there a particular dessert you want to make?”
Zahhak’s finger slowly dragged down the page as he read each of the delicacies. He didn’t read the table of contents before, instead flipping straight to the paper crane bookmark. But now he could once again appreciate how much thought and detail Sharun and Zio put into this book, all the way down to the drawings next to each name: a halo and wings next to the angel cake, devil horns and a tail next to the devil’s food cake. Even the vanilla cake had the flower next to it.
What really caught Zahhak’s eye, though, was a drawing of a volcano next to the molten lava cake. Not only was it clever, he was in the mood for something more bittersweet. “How about a lava cake?”
“Hm, I was thinking the exact same thing. You truly do understand me best, Advisor.” Zio went to grab the bowls as Zahhak flipped to the recipe page. “I somewhat remember this recipe. But only because I demanded that I taste the batter to make sure it’s the perfect ratio of bitter to sweet. I know that you like your foods to be perfectly balanced, so the recipe reflects that.”
“... I appreciate that, Your Majesty.”
Zio smirks. “What emperor would I be if I didn’t know my Advisor’s likes and dislikes?” He clicks his tongue, setting down the necessary supplies, seeming a bit lost in thought. “I realize, though… That I don’t know as much about you as I’d like. And perhaps you don’t know as much about me as you would like.” He turns to face Zahhak. “It’s not me, is it? I know that you’ve had your own plans for the future which is why you never let me in. I’m glad you decided to let me exist in your future should you live to see it. But just to make sure, I didn’t contribute to your closed-off nature, did I?”
Zahhak turns to Zio, shaking his head. “No, Your Majesty. It was not you. … In fact, I’ve been like this long before I even met you.” He was not one to open up to anyone, especially not any of the emperors that came before Zio. But he could see Zio was sincere in getting closer and opening up; it was only fair that Zahhak at least made an attempt to meet him in the middle. “Your predecessors were not people I wanted to get close to anyways. The line between us was clear: I was merely the emperor’s advisor. I was high above the people of Theranhad but I could never be on the same level as the one on the throne.”
“What lowly creatures they are.” Zio scoffs, taking out ingredients from the fridge and cupboards. “You’re the reason why they lasted as long as they did, I’m sure. I don’t know much about my predecessors but it seems that they didn’t value your company nearly as much as I do.”
“... That is true. But you’re different from them, Your Majesty.” Zahhak neatly sets out the ingredients as Zio brings them out, organizing them based on what the recipe says. “You blur the line between our roles to the point where even I don’t know where I stand.”
“... You stand by my side, Zahhak,” Zio says gently. “You’re the reason why I’m in this position, after all. I’d be lost without you by my side. Even outside of my status and your duties, though, I see you as a friend. Someone I can rely on. It’s why I hoped to get closer to you.”
“Is that so? I cannot deny that I was initially wary about your intention. Nobody had ever treated me the way you did.”
“Not even that half-suin?”
“...”
Zio sighs. “And to think that I thought I was at fault for your reserved nature…” He went over to Zahhak, lightly patting the back of his hand. “I at least hope that you now see that I truly value your company.”
“...” Zahhak looked down at where Zio touched him. Before the emperor could move away, Zahhak took Zio’s hands in between his own, catching Zio off-guard. “I do see that now, Your Majesty. I suppose I was blind to it.” He couldn’t deny that his fondness for Zio had slowly grown over the years. To think that the emperor was the one that allowed Zahhak to open up without any judgment. If it were any other emperor, Zahhak wouldn’t even think of doing so. No wonder Zahhak saw Zio as the perfect successor.
Zio looked down at their hands then up at Zahhak before smirking. “Haha, it seems that I have a profound effect on you. I don’t think you’ve ever been so bold… I like it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. But let’s start baking the cake, lest we forget why we came to begin with,” Zahhak says, letting go of Zio’s hand to begin the lava cake. And while they baked, perhaps Zahhak could ask Zio a few questions about some of the little details he couldn’t help but pay attention to in the recipe book.
***
‘First: After preheating the oven, grease the bottom and the sides of the ramekins (serves 6) using some melted butter. Make sure to properly grease the sides so the cakes don’t stick when trying to flip it.’’
‘Second: Chop the semisweet or bittersweet chocolate and add it to a saucepan containing the butter. Stir until melted and smooth but make sure not to overheat it.’
(The sweeter the chocolate, the better in my opinion!)
Zahhak looked at the notes that Sharun and Zio had left respectively. He couldn’t help but chuckle a bit reading Zio’s comment in the parentheses. The emperor was known for his sweet tooth. Zahhak was a bit surprised, though, that the chocolate Zio took out was more on the bitter side. “You took out the bittersweet chocolate? I thought you would have wanted the sweeter brand,” Zahhak notes as he unwraps the chocolate and chopped it on the cutting board.
Zio shrugs, carefully brushing the ramekins with some of the melted butter in the saucepan before Zahhak could add the chocolate. “Bittersweet is still considered sweet, no? As long as it isn’t completely bitter then it’s fine with me. And it’s fine with you, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that is fine. I do not mind sweets, I quite enjoy them actually. Once in a while, that is.” Zahhak then dumped the chocolate into the saucepan, taking out a spatula and gently stirring it, adjusting the heat as needed. “I wanted to ask, though, did I ever mention or suggest enjoying lava cake?”
“Yes, actually! This was at a poisonous banquet but you did take time to sample some of the desserts. Not only because they were tasty but because they were some of the only foods we hadn’t poisoned that day.”
“Ah… I do remember that. It goes without saying that I would leave the desserts untouched for you, Your Majesty.” Zahhak turns off the heat just as Zio finishes greasing the ramekins, the latter going to read the next few steps and sub-steps.
‘Once the chocolate mixture has melted, take it off the heat and stir in the salt and vanilla extract. Allow it to cool to room temperature.’
‘Third: use a stand mixer to beat the eggs and egg yolks until thick and light in color’
(Put your all into the egg mixture; you have a stand mixer so there’s no excuses to be lazy or tired!)
Zio smirks a bit, taking it on himself to beat the eggs. “Hah, I almost forgot I wrote that. Of course, though, I’ll make sure this lava cake is truly fit for an emperor… And his royal Advisor.”
Zahhak nods, setting aside the chocolate mixture after he stirred in the salt and vanilla, being careful not to put in too much vanilla extract. He noticed that Zio wrote “careful” next to the vanilla extract listed under the ingredients. Zahhak couldn’t blame him; a little vanilla extract could go a long way. He hummed softly while the stand mixer whirred in the background, preparing the powdered sugar and the flour to add to the egg mixture.
“It seems that time is flying rather fast, don’t you think?” Zio asks.
“I’d say so, Your Majesty. Time goes by when you’re preoccupied.”
“I think that only applies if you’re doing something you enjoy with other people you like.” Zio turns to Zahhak, leaning against the counter. “I’m sure that if you were still in your room sitting at your desk, it would feel much longer.”
“Perhaps. I’ve grown accustomed to it, though,” Zahhak says. “It’s simply a part of my routine.”
“Yeah, well, it doesn’t help to shake things up a little bit.” Zio smiles. “That’s why I’m glad you ultimately decided to bake with me. I know how you prefer to follow your schedule to a T.”
“... When it comes to you, Your Majesty,” Zahhak says while turning to look at Zio, “how could I say no?”
Zio’s gaze softens but shakes his head with a warm laugh. “Come now, you need not keep up the subservience. Although I must admit, it is quite… Charming. I’m just glad you decided to spend this time with me in general; it’s not often that we can be alone together without any duties to attend to.”
“That is true. Speaking as Zahhak and not as your… obedient Advisor… I am also happy that we can spend this leisure time together.”
“Haha, that’s more like it. I think the egg mixture is ready.” Zio turns down the speed and goes to the book. “What’s next?”
‘Next, add the powdered sugar to the egg mixture and mix until combined. Then add the chocolate mixture and flour, mixing with a spoon or spatula until just combined.’
“Ah, finally, I can do something myself. I was getting a bit bored just watching the mixer do the work. It’s effective, yes, but sometimes one must do things themself.” Zio rolled up his transparent sleeves, properly revealing the tattoos that are often hidden by the fabric’s black sheen. He also removed his ring (he forgot to do it before) and set it to the side so it wouldn’t get dirty. After detaching the bowl from the stand mixer, Zahhak first added the powdered sugar and waited for Zio’s command before adding the flour and chocolate mixture. After some time, Zio says, “looking good. You can add the chocolate and flour now. Slowly.”
They worked like a well-oiled machine, alternating between adding and mixing everything together. Zahhak was quite happy to see that things were going so well so fast. Perhaps he and Zio should bake more often. It would certainly break up the more mundane aspects of his life and it allowed him to slowly get closer to Zio.
Eventually, the flour and chocolate mixture were completely added to the larger bowl. Zio stirred the mixture gently, watching everything blend together to create a chocolate mixture that could compare to gold. Soon, he lifted up the spatula to test its consistency, watching gravity slowly pull it down so it drip-dropped back down into the bowl. He looked over at Zahhak who was now beginning to wash the smaller bowls. He smirked a bit, his fingers dragging across the edge of the bowl. “Zahhak… Would you mind coming here?”
“Hm?” Zahhak finished drying one of the bowls and set it aside before he walked over to Zio. “Is there anything wrong with the batter, Your Majesty?”
“No, no, it’s fine. Consistency is perfect. However…” Zio turned to Zahhak and lifted his chocolate-dipped index finger. “I was thinking, as my Advisor, you should have the first taste.”
“... Pardon?” Zahhak looked down at Zio’s finger. “You want me to taste the batter from… Your hand?”
“Yes. I wouldn’t let just anyone eat from my hand… Especially not in this way. Unless you’re not comfortable, then that’s perfectly fine. It was a sudden decision I made anyways; you can just use the-” Zio’s eyes widened when Zahhak suddenly but carefully grabbed his wrist. He didn’t realize how large Zahhak’s hand was compared to his own. Hands meant to serve and protect, just like an advisor should. He laughs a bit, raising a brow. “I suppose you’ve come to your senses now. Go on, have a taste.”
Zahhak nods, closing his eyes as he leans forward and licks from Zio’s finger. It tasted quite good even if this was not the normal method for tasting cake batter. “Mm. It tastes great.” He lets go of Zio’s hand, watching the emperor lick off the excess. “Thank you for letting me sample.”
“Of course. I’ll let you be my first in everything, my Zahhak.”
My Zahhak… Not my advisor. My Zahhak. The swarm feeling that crawled into Zahhak’s heart was foreign but not unwelcome. He shook his head to remove those… Fuzzy feelings before clearing his throat. “Right. Now that we’ve tested the batter… We should get the cakes in the oven,” he says quickly, taking out a spoon in accordance with the next step:
‘Spoon the cake batter into the ramekins smoothly and evenly. Note: if you taste any excess batter, do be careful because there are eggs. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes until the sides appear solid or firm.’
(Again, why have these odd times? Make it 10 or 15 minutes!)
It seems that Emperor Zio still has his frustrations with the intricacies of baking, Zahhak thinks as he continues to clean the rest of the bowls. Perhaps it’s why I find baking more fun than cooking: everything is done in its designated order. The cakes were in the oven so Zahhak and Zio got a head start on cleaning up. By the time they finished, the cakes would be done too. It would kill two birds with one stone. Zahhak pursed his lips, looking at the chocolate-stained bowl. He thought about what Zio had done, letting Zahhak sample the batter from his finger. Perhaps he should repay the favor.
“... Zio.”
“Hm? This better be good; you rarely call me Zi…o.” Zio turned around realizing that his advisor switched things around on him, holding out his chocolatey finger. He meets Zahhak’s eyes, sensing the slight awkwardness in them. Zio laughs softly, hoping to ease Zahhak’s tension. “As always… You find a way to pay me back tenfold. I truly don’t deserve your kindness.”
He leaned forward to lick off the batter, like how a cat would lap up a bowl of milk. Zahhak always thought Zio was more catlike from his sharp eyes to his slick demeanor, all the way to how he presented himself. He didn’t think that would apply to his simultaneously rough and delicate movements, too. To say that this was what Zahhak expected when Zio came into his room was a massive understatement. But that was okay. When it came to Zio, Zahhak slowly learned to expect the unexpected and not completely adhere to a rigid schedule. Deep down, it made him look forward to having more of these moments.
Zio pulled away from Zahhak’s hand with a smirk. “Delicious. Though I’m sure it’ll taste much better once it’s fully baked…” A ding came from the oven timer. They couldn’t have planned that any better if they tried. “Ah, perfect timing. Come now… let’s enjoy the feast that we ourselves prepared.”