Hey, Pumpkin {SEASONAL EVENT}

Kalt closed his eyes with a grin, the sweet, earthy scent of boiling pumpkin guts filling the room. He rubbed his chin, finally bare of the thick beard he had sported for the past two years, which gave him such a strange feeling. Theea was still getting used to her father without the excess facial hair to play with, but it was a pleasantly familiar feeling from years ago.       The man was standing in his kitchen with the fire going. Theea was helping to ground the cinnamon and nutmeg, while Kalt worked to blend a few of the other ingredients.       He already prepared the pumpkin overnight, after a strange bit of time having to hunt and kill the gourds – which in and of itself still confused the shit out of him – so he believed he earned this fucking pumpkin bread.       The scent wafted through his house, and he smiled to himself, casting a glance over his shoulder at the little girl getting more spices out of the bowl than she was keeping in. It would be a while before the smell was out of his house, but it was lucky that he actually really enjoyed it. Cooking had always been a slightly guilty pleasure of his, and he was capable of creating gourmet meals out of nearly nothing thanks to his experimentation in the Guild and even before then.       Looking down again, he watched Theea get to her feet and start running – as fast as a three-year-old could run – towards the door with a wide smile on her face. ”Hey!” He called out with a grin, following her, his clothing and hands dusted with flour and bits of pumpkin. Ashetta Kalt I  am flesh and I am bone, i rise up, ting ting, like glitter and gold i've got fire in my soul

Ashe had sat outside the house for nearly an hour.    It had taken a full hour of the wolf sitting entirely still, fading from view with that strange magic of hers, to decide to finally approach the front door. It took her another five minutes of standing just out front, ears back and golden eyes staring upwards, just to figure out whether she should knock or not. He told her it was home, gods, he was home… but it was Theea’s home too.    Finally she had shifted, making up her mind and simply turning the knob and quietly slipping into Kalt’s house. As she had smelled so strongly outside, there were spices and a familiar, sweet scent of… She smirked wryly to herself. Demon pumpkins. She began moving gingerly towards that smell on the balls of her feet, fire-blue eyes searching as she followed the warmth. She had just crossed into view of the kitchen when she pulled up short.    Theea ran into view, coming to a quick halt at the sight of the raven-haired girl. ”Theea,” she greeted with a warm smile.  She let out a bright laugh, as if she had expected her, turning back to look at… Ashe stopped her gaze on Kalt . She pulled in a deep breath and held it tensely, flickering a smile at him. This was the first time she had entered his home on her own. ”Successful day hunting?” she asked, just barely releasing that breath. ashe When all the days go by in the firelight We'll never fade out in the night

He had heard her before he had seen her when she uttered Theea’s name, but she fell into his line of sight pretty quickly after the toddler found her. Kalt flashed a cheery grin at her. He hadn’t knocked...good. It was about time she got over all of the boundary bullshit she created for herself.       The man huffed a laugh slightly, glancing down at his messy clothing. ”Not sure,” he said in response to her hunting comment. ”Pumpkins, yes. Toddlers...” He looked at the little girl between them and scooped her up so she was hanging under his arm, squirming in frustration at having been captured. ”...depends who you ask.”       He turned to walk back into the kitchen and sat Theea on the table, though she was climbing down and running off as soon as he let go of her. It seemed her attention span had maxed out for that project, so Kalt didn’t force her to stay. The last thing he felt like dealing with was a toddler’s tantrum. His eyes flicked to Ashetta with a raise of his brow, and he tossed a large spoon at her.       There was a slightly devious look in his eye with the words he chose next. ”Your choice, blue,” he started. ”Either stir some sugar into the pot, or I’ll dump it on you.” Yeah, he fucking remembered her thinking she was clever the last time they played with sugar... Kalt I  am flesh and I am bone, i rise up, ting ting, like glitter and gold i've got fire in my soul

Ashe slowly let that breath go, a slow smile hinting at her lips as Kalt scooped up a now squawking three-year-old and held her under one arm. "That's because she knows she's no prey," she said smoothly, her eyes following the pair as they moved back into the kitchen. As if her presence were.. normal. Expected. Her brow creased just slightly with her smile as she followed, deciding to tuck that away for review later. For now.. well, whatever Silver Wing had cooking smelled sweet and earthy, and her stomach betrayed her with a growl. Not like she'd been eating much..    Before Ashe even made it into the kitchen, she had to twist and lift her arm to make way for the small child that zipped out of the room and off towards where she guessed was their sitting room. She smiled after her and walked into the kitchen warmed by fire, and Ashe looked back at Kalt just in time to catch the spoon he tossed, her expression matching his with a quirked brow as she moved a few steps towards him..    And slowed to a stop at the grin paired with the threat. She blinked a moment, and all at once she couldn't stop the heat that flared under her skin as well as the ridiculous grin that opened up unexpectedly on her face. "Fuck you," she muttered, shaking her head and pressed her smiling lips together as her eyes found the sack of sugar. Oh, she certainly remembered that disaster of a prank.    She took the bag in her hand, then glanced at the bowl, then looked at Kalt - absolutely pretending that her moon-pale skin hadn't gained a dusting of color. "If you don't tell me how much, the whole sack is going in." ashe When all the days go by in the firelight We'll never fade out in the night

Kalt smiled perhaps slightly wider at her own grin, and he glanced at the food for a moment. ’Fuck you.’ He resisted the urge to spit back at her with a snarky remark about being glad to fulfill her demands, as he wasn’t sure she would be able to take t so early in the day! After all, it wasn’t even lunch time. How dare her mind already be so filthy!       As she joined him over the counter, he repeatedly gave her sidelong looks lasting no more than a fleeting second. His eyes caught the flush of color to her cheeks, and he didn’t comment, only smirking slightly to himself to allow her to bring it up on her own.       Her lack of cooking skills never failed to amuse him, mostly because she was incredibly talented at nearly everything until it came to domestic work. She had never cared to learn such things in the Guild, so now she was a regular fish out of water, especially in the kitchen.       ”I really suggest you don’t,” he said with a breathy laugh. ”Just put some in.” Kalt never relied on recipes, just learning through trial and error, but Ashetta hadn’t done the same, so he pursed his lips and looked at the spoon he had given her. ”Uh, just maybe two and a half spoonfuls. No more than three.” Kalt I  am flesh and I am bone, i rise up, ting ting, like glitter and gold i've got fire in my soul

Ashe quirked her mouth to the side at first. Just put some in. "How much is some?" she asked. She set the sack down on the counter and pulled it open, peering inside at the white sweetness within. She looked up at him and then to her spoon.. and she dumped three heaping spoonfuls of sugar into the bowl. No more than three. Pfft. "Where in the five hells did you get sugar anyways?" she asked as she peered down at the sack. Then she read the print on the outside... grain. She shook her head. "Magic," she muttered, glancing back up at him. She didn't know when she'd get used to knowing he had such a thing.    When she looked up at him, she caught him just as he had been glancing at her. She held his gaze with a small smile and braced her hands on the counter, spoon still in one. She didn't let herself think about the hovering darkness in her head, and she let herself sink into the warmth of the kitchen and the familiarity of being with Kalt. "The beard is gone.. you look like yourself," she said still with her small smile. Her eyes flickered down to his own smiling lips and back up to his eyes. "The tattoo is growing on me though." She'd liked it from the start.. but she hadn't exactly been thinking about that back then. She let her gaze linger for a moment before she dropped it down to the bowl, picking up her spoon and diving into the mixture to stir. "What are you making anyways?" ashe When all the days go by in the firelight We'll never fade out in the night

There was a moment of silence after her question about the sugar, as he waited for Ashetta to piece it together. It didn’t take too long, and he flashed her another grin when she answered it for herself. Magic. He’d been with it for so long that he had almost forgotten what it was like to not have magic. Of course his power went through a bit of a rough patch in the first few weeks of being here, but it seemed to be getting more stable.       He raised one brow at the mention of his beard - or lack thereof - and touched his jaw. ”What?” He said, feigning offense at the comment she made. ”I didn’t look like me with a little facial hair?” In reality, it had managed to be a decent enough disguise to keep her off his trail in Northaven, so he couldn’t be too put off by her take on the look. Besides, it had been getting annoying anyway.       He glossed over the tattoo remark, however, not seeing a necessity to bring up the origins of the mark. He was glad she liked it, though... Not like it was going anywhere anytime soon!       ”You mean you can’t tell?” He mocked jokingly. He broke open three eggs over the pot and poured some flour into it for her to keep stirring. ”Pumpkin bread,” Kalt said with a smirk. Kalt I  am flesh and I am bone, i rise up, ting ting, like glitter and gold i've got fire in my soul

Ashe smirked up at Kalt as she moved the spoon through the sugar and other ingredients, watching as he rasped his hand over his jaw. She kept her eyes on him for a moment before she looked back down. "The beard tickled," she said without really thinking of what she was saying. Her movements paused for a moment then, blinking down at the bowl with the way her heart stumbled over itself. She made herself continue stirring then, perhaps seeming to focus a little more as she ducked her head down and let her hair fall into her face.    She watched his hands as he added more ingredients, pausing only for a moment before she continued stirring. At his tone, she flashed her eyes up and stuck her tongue out at him, but still glanced about the kitchen and the ingredients on the counter. It all looked like the usual shit she found in kitchens, the biggest difference being the smell of pumpkin and all the evidence of their butchery. "Pumpkin bread," she echoed, and she glanced back at him. She looked down at the bowl, squinting slightly at it as if she couldn't quite believe the slop of eggs and flour and sugar and whatever-else-was-there would turn into pumpkin bread.    "You know this is pretty big damn mess for you, silver," she said. She looked back up at him with a crooked smirk and gestured with a shoulder at the kitchen. "I'm surprised you're not twitching." In truth, it wasn't exactly a mess. Kalt was a gods-damned neat freak. ashe When all the days go by in the firelight We'll never fade out in the night

A breathy laugh escaped in a huff at her mention of the mess in the kitchen, and he cast a glance over his shoulder at the - for his standards - absolute disaster area. Kalt’s meticulousness could’ve driven other people insane, but it was really his own mind that suffered in the presence of any mess. Thankfully, he had been forced out of that mindset rather abruptly once Theea gained the ability to use her legs.       ”Yeah, well, living with a toddler means being adaptable,” he said with a huff. ”Lucky for me, I already had plenty of practice dealing with you.” He moved behind her quickly, pulling her into his body with a quick kiss to the side of her neck, hopefully avoiding the anticipated elbow to the ribs he was so used to getting from her whenever he was being a smartass.       He let his mind wander briefly as he reached into his cabinet and pulled out a bread pan. He set it on the counter, going over the few times that his beard might have tickled her. A subtle smirk played at his lips, but he did a good job in suppressing it. At least he thought he did.       Kalt lifted the bowl, tilting it over so the contents would pour into the bread pan. He glanced at Ashe, then back to the empty bowl, placing it down and swiping a finger in the mixture. He put his finger in his mouth to taste it before cooking it and smirked. A little too much sugar for his taste, but she had a sweet tooth, so he wasn’t going to say anything. Scooping his finger in it again, he held it out to her with a crooked grin. ”Try it,” he said. Kalt I  am flesh and I am bone, i rise up, ting ting, like glitter and gold i've got fire in my soul

At his snark, Ashe's lip curled back in a half-hearted snarl. "Just cause I don't get all huffy at the sight of dust doesn't mean I'm messy," she lied. He was moving behind her, and she was absolutely going to take the opportunity to jab him in the ribs, but firm hands pulled her back against him. Her breath caught with his lips to her neck in the same moment she flickered a smile. He snagged the bowl from in front of her, aparently satisfied with how she'd stirred it, and she let out a softly frustrated breath as he moved away. Frustrated at the distance or at the fact that he'd distracted her, she wasn't sure.    She turned to watch him pour the batter, watched him test it. She leaned back against the counter and braced her palms over the edge. "Did I ruin it?" she asked with a quirked brow, tilting her head at him. It occurred to her that he'd been watching her the whole time she mixed, and she couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips at that. There had been more than one occassion of her purposefully messing up his cooking when his back was turned.    Then he held his finger out to her, leftover batter waiting for her with a crooked smile behind it. She glanced from the batter and then to him.. and she obeyed. She tasted the mixture with her lips over his finger, and her eyes met his as she carefully drew her mouth back, hardly a trace of the batter left behind. Her heart raced as heat flushed her skin, and she darted her eyes away. It was stupid, but she leaned back against the counter and ducked her head down, as if it would hide her face from him. "Could use more sugar," she teased without looking up. ashe When all the days go by in the firelight We'll never fade out in the night

Her lips pulled the batter off of his finger, and his eyes lingered on hers, stirring his grin once again as he saw the flush against her pale skin. It was only more encouraged when she ducked her head away, trying to hide the fact that she had pink over her face. Kalt patted the flour from his clothing, some white clouds puffing around his legs. He stopped then, hearing Ashetta tease about the amount of sugar in the mixture.       ”More sugar?” He said dramatically. ”More sugar? Well, fine. Only because you’re insisting on it, though.” Kalt put his hand over her hip, pulling her smoothly into his body, and pressing a kiss against her lips, not giving her a chance to initially protest. He pulled away from her with a smirk, then slipped back into resuming what he was making.       She was lucky he wasn’t as anal about cooking as he wasn’t about cleaning, otherwise she wouldn’t have been allowed anywhere near the food before it was finished. All of those times she thought she was oh so funny by fucking yo his recipes in the Guild. They had ended up wearing more food than they actually ate in those circumstances.       He slid it onto the rack over the fire and brought his hand back quickly, having burned himself one too many times messing with fire when cooking. Kalt I  am flesh and I am bone, i rise up, ting ting, like glitter and gold i've got fire in my soul

Ashe tried to hide her smile with a glare as she looked back up at Kalt and his over-the-top exasperation. She opened her mouth to stay something back, but his hand moved over her hip and deftly pulled her into him. Her lips were claimed by him before she could so much as scoff at him, and her hands fell over his chest when her eyes drifted shut.. but he pulled away. She blinked up at him and half glared half smiled in return to his smirk, leaning back against the counter once more as he drew away.    Ashe watched him as he set to work in actually turning the batter into banana bread, and she glanced about the small kitchen before settling her eyes back on Kalt. Her heart strained, and she tried not to think about the last time she had been in a kitchen like this with anyone. Even now, it was a struggle to give herself over to this. To this moment right here with Kalt.    She watched him dart his hand back, and she smirked faintly to herself. Some part of her was tempted to pull at the flames under the rack and startle him, but she left it be - no need to burn the bread. Ashe braced her hands securely on the counter then and lifted herself up. She perched on the edge of the counter and kept fire-blue eyes on Silver Wing, watching with sharp and unwavering eyes now.    She listened to the quiet chatter of a three-year-old playing pretend in the other room, something about the sound easing a tightness in her chest. "You went hunting for demon gourds just so you could make pumpkin bread with them," Ashe observed, gesturing vaguely around the mess of carved out rinds and other mess. She smirked at him, swinging one of her dangling legs. "You're not worried we'll both be possessed with violent demon spirits?" ashe When all the days go by in the firelight We'll never fade out in the night

He flashed her another grin, watching out of the corner of his eye as she pulled herself easily onto the counter. He decided to inform her later that she had just sat on some spilled flour. More subtle entertainment for him, and likely a small look of annoyance later on that he could enjoy.       Kalt lazily flung a rag over his shoulder and started wiping the table and counters around Ashetta with a second one, a smirk flickered at her since he had a pretty good hunch based off of their past cooking adventures that she wasn’t planning on moving. He tossed the rag onto the counter next to the girl and wiped his hands with the one from his shoulder, which joined the first when he was finished with it.       ”I always get the best ingredients,” he said, putting said ingredients back in the proper cabinets. ”Sometimes it’s right in the kitchen, sometimes it’s made with magic, and sometimes... Well, sometimes you have to hunt demon gourds. Being a chef isn’t all fun and games.”       He grinned at her, walking over and placing his hands on the counter on either side of her legs. ”How bad could pumpkin possession really be?” Kalt asked her, quirking a brow. ”Might add some spice to life.” He glanced down and saw the little contraption on her hand that replaced the pinky she lost. Gently lifting her hand, he flicked his gaze to her, then back at the prosthetic. ”I have a surprise for you while the bread’s cooking.”       Kalt encompassed her hand in both of his, using his magic to change the prosthetic from a clunky, metal device to one much sleeker with three joints that would be reactive to the muscle movements in her hand. He lifted one hand for her to see, then smirked, holding his hand up with his palm to her and bending all of his fingers, beckoning her to do the same. Kalt I  am flesh and I am bone, i rise up, ting ting, like glitter and gold i've got fire in my soul

Ashe smirked to herself and watched him as he began cleaning at some of the mess he'd made. Her eyes followed every movement, every feather of muscle or direction of his shoulders, the reach of his arms or the ever silent movements of his feet. His face was where her eyes kept settling, and she was struck by the shock of it all of a sudden. Without his beard, sitting there on the counter while he baked, it was easy to forget that two years and entire worlds stretched between them. It was easy to protend they were back at the Keep and had snuck into the kitchens, and it was them against the world.    Then she heard an overdramatic and forced laugh from Theea playing pretend in the other room, and Kalt turned to face her. Gold light filtering from the window illuminated them, setting his eyes on fire as he approached her. The illusion was gone, and... she grinned back at him, open and full. This wasn't the Keep. They weren't in the Guild. They had survived.    Ashe tilted her head at him with his hands on either side of her, pursing her lips at him. "Spice. Ha, ha," she deadpanned, quirking a brow. "Honestly silver, where has your humor gone?" She glanced down then as he took her hand, his focus on... her pinky. Or lackthereof. Her smile wavered as her heart stumbled, and she couldn't help but tense, remembering that day with harsh clarity. She remembered her final thought before she shattered apart against the stone cat on impact, battered and crushed by her own attack. She took a deep breath and glanced up at him. "Surprise?" she asked softly.    But his hand closed around hers, around that clunky metal prosthetic with sharp gears and a blade at the end of it. She frowned and felt his magic rather than saw it. And when he drew his hand back? She pulled in a breath at the sight of the three-jointed and sleek new finger, held to her hand with effecient and comfortable straps. Ashe let out a breath of a laugh, blinking down at her hand. The amount of trouble she got from the old one had been a source of frustration. Remi was going to build her a new one back in Northaven, but... life had been quite abruptly turned upside down for all of them. She looked up at Kalt and brought her hand up, mimicking his movements and flexing her fingers. She marveled at how smoothly the metal little finger moved, gleaming in the sunlight. Would she be able to start duel wielding as well as she once had again?    She looked back at Kalt.. and she placed her hands on either side of his face, her thumb rasping over the stubble of a sharp jaw. Then she leaned forward and fit her lips against his - softly and slowly. When she drew away her nose brushed against his, and she took a slow breath. "I missed you." ashe When all the days go by in the firelight We'll never fade out in the night