Chapter Text
~~*~~
Lucanis woke before his alarm and reached for his phone on the nightstand to turn it off before it could start to blare. It was honestly more of a safety net than anything really useful. He was up well before the sun to do this morning routine and the alarm was just a precaution to ensure he didn't sleep in on days he was opening the shop.
Pulling himself from the comfort of his bed, he took a moment to stretch upwards, popping his back, then headed towards the bathroom, skillfully avoiding the living shadow that darted across his path in an attempt to trip him. Lucanis tossed the cat an unimpressed look, unfazed as he plopped his butt down and looked up at him with big, fuchsia eyes, feigning innocence.
"Right, like you know how to be innocent at this hour," he commented, earning a throaty meow in reply. "You get fed when I'm done, Spite. You know this." Lucanis stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, ignoring the yowl of displeasure that followed, as though the feline would keel over at any moment from hunger. He rolled his eyes as little black paws appeared underneath the door in an attempt to catch his feet.
After using the restroom, Lucanis changed into some work out clothes and ran through his exercises with Spite’s "assistance". Flopped underneath his owner, every push-up was met with a paw batting at the silver locket around Lucanis’s neck, and every second of his plank was weighted with the feline curled up on his back. Lucanis just let him do so, understanding after a year of owning the cat that protesting would get him nowhere.
Once finished, he finally made his way to the kitchen with his shadow close behind, meowing insistently the entire time. He popped open a can of wet food and emptied it into a shallow dish before setting it on the floor for Spite, who pounced on it like he hadn't eaten in months.
Lucanis rolled his eyes and went to start making his morning coffee.
The bakery was just a short ten minute train ride away, allowing him plenty of time to make and enjoy his coffee — because he had yet to find someone in Nevarra City who could pull a decent shot of espresso — and eat an easy breakfast of some fruit and leftover pastries he had brought home with him the night before. Once the Antivan had showered and groomed, he picked out a lavender button-up for the day, tucking neatly into the waistband of a pair of dark jeans. He paused on his way to the door to get in as many pets as Spite would pretend to tolerate, as though he wasn't a glutton for affection. Lucanis then shrugged on his jacket, grabbed his keys and coffee, and headed out the door.
As he made his way out of his apartment building, Lucanis paused to hold open the door for his elderly neighbor, returning from walking her little pomeranian regardless of the early hour.
"Such a nice young man," the woman praised as she reached up to affectionately pat his cheek. "Are you off to work now, dear?"
"Yes, ma'am," Lucanis replied, giving her a small smile. Ms. Ida's casual touches had made him uncomfortable when they first met, but after so long of being neighbors, he had grown accustom to them. They reminded him a little of Antiva, where the elderly could be quite affectionate and giving to those they liked, though Maker help the poor soul who got on their bad side. Nothing was more terrifying than an angry Antivan woman of any age armed with a wooden spoon or a shoe.
Lucanis knelt to greet Ms. Ida's dog who was dancing and spinning with excitement for him to greet her as well. The man looked back up at his neighbor. "Would you like me to bring anything back for you, Ms. Ida?"
"Oh well, since you were so kind as to offer…" The old woman began digging into her handbag. "I would love a loaf of bread. The grocery story doesn't come close to the taste of yours; it's always so sweet and fluffy, I don't know how you do it." She pulled a few coins from her purse and held them out to him, but Lucanis waved her off as he came to stand again.
"There is no need. What sort of bread would you like? I just introduced a honey wheat and a tomato basil loaf the other day, if you would like to try something new."
Ms. Ida held her coins to her chest, looking up at him in surprise from behind her round, golden glasses. "Are you sure, dear? You should really be paid for your goods."
"And I am," Lucanis assured. "But you are such a wonderful neighbor, that I do not mind bringing home a loaf or two of bread for you. It truly is no trouble."
The woman smiled at this, her pale eyes crinkling at the corners. "Aren't you just a gem? That is so very kind of you, Lucanis." She tucked her money away again and rested her arms comfortably in front of her. "I have lived in this apartment complex for quite some time now, and I just have to say that you are the sweetest, most considerate neighbor I have ever had."
This made Lucanis smile in return, warmed by her words. "That is kind of you to say."
"It's the truth!" Ms. Ida insisted as she reached out to gently squeeze his arm with one of her thin, wrinkled hands, surprisingly firm for her age. "Now, you have presented me with quite the conundrum. I had wanted a simple loaf of white bread, but that tomato basil sounds lovely as well."
Lucanis placed his hand over hers. "I will bring you one of each. You can freeze whichever one you do not wish to use at the moment. Though I highly recommend toasting the tomato one with a nice bit of cheese."
"Ooh, that does sound delicious. If you're sure it's alright, then I will graciously accept both."
"Very good. I will stop by later tonight with them, if that is alright?"
"Of course, of course! Sugar and I go for her last walk around eight, so if you stop by and we aren't in, we should be back shortly."
Sugar offered a bark of agreement from where she sat at their feet.
Lucanis chuckled and knelt down to give the little dog a few more pets. Spite was going to be so jealous when he smelled her scent on him later; it didn't matter how many times he washed his hands or how much baking he did, Spite always managed to tell when he had encountered Sugar, and always made his displeasure known in the form of snubbing him for a good hour after he got home.
"Alright, if I miss you, I will just stop by another time," Lucanis told her.
"Such a good man, thank you, dear. I hope you have a wonderful day at work."
Lucanis watched her make her way towards the elevator before he slipped out the door and headed down the street towards the nearest station.
It was still dark out at this early hour, with green Veil Fire flickering in the the old antique-looking streetlights that lined the road. It was chilly enough to justify the jacket he had slipped on, which was slowly collecting a light layer of moisture from the fog that had settled over the cobblestone streets.
Lucanis didn't see another person until he turned the corner and spotted the station sign, lit up over the staircase descending into the underground. He did notice a few spirits however, flickering in and out of sight as they moved silently across the concrete. It had certainly been an unnerving thing to witness when he’d first moved to Nevarra, having never seen spirits back in Antiva. But most of the spirits here seemed content to exist just as the people around them did. Some were more mischievous than others, and Lucanis had had to chase a few Curiosity spirits out of his kitchen more than once, but, for the most part, they didn't really bother him or anyone else. They might nod in passing or even stop for conversation, but other times they could be found sitting on benches and just watching the world go by. It had taken a while for Lucanis to relax around them, yes, but after four years in Nevarra, they were now as normal to him as birds were to the sky.
After a short train ride closer to the city center and walk down a few blocks, Lucanis arrived at his little bakery, wedged between a bookstore and a florist, both of which didn't open for another few hours. It was a narrow unit, the pale beige walls framing two large windows with intricate panel molding underneath. There was a single blue door into the shop, sporting a large glass pane with a doubled-sided sign reading ‘closed’. Above the door, hanging from a decorative gallow bracket, was the wooden sign embossed with his logo and the name of his shop — Hearth and Honey Bakery. A simple but homey title he had come up with after many weeks of tossing around ideas. The name and logo of a brick oven with a steaming loaf of bread resting in front of it had been placed on one of the windows in white vinyl large enough to be clearly legible.
Lucanis unlocked the front door and opened it just wide enough to slip inside, earning a chime from the bell hanging above it, before he shut and locked it behind him once more.
The bakery was entirely open plan. A row of wooden display cases formed an L shape around the lobby with enough room behind them to access the sliding glass doors in the back, their lights illuminating the currently empty shelves Lucanis intended to fill. The service counter sat parallel to the front door and at the end of the shape, the till on one side of the chic wood surface and several glass cake stands polished to a shine on the other. Behind the counter was the kitchen, less of a room, more a section of floor partitioned by a half-wall. It allowed Lucanis to be seen by anyone entering the bakery, and more importantly allowed him to see them in turn.
Flipping on the lights as he made his way through to the kitchen, Lucanis hung up his coat in the small office to the side and slipped a white apron over his head, tying it snug around his waist. With his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, he pulled back his hair into as neat of a bun as his waves would allow. After washing his hands, he got to work on the list of things that needed to be done before he opened the store in two hours.
Lastly, while everything was either baking or proofing, Lucanis got to work on the small list of custom orders that were due the next day, most of which were specialty cakes and cupcakes for different events. While the store front was where Lucanis made most of his money, the orders were a nice little bonus. He only took on up to four orders in a given window, depending on the size and complexity, yet despite his interest in taking on more, time prevented him from doing so. Between running the store and managing the admin side of the business, he just couldn't take on more orders than he already was.
Well, he could, but then he would be working himself into the ground again, and he had been very firm with himself that this new life of his would be more relaxing than his last. Lucanis opened the bakery because he wanted to pursue a craft he was passionate about, something he enjoyed doing and that made people smile. He didn't want this to be yet another grave for himself. So for now, he would stick to his four order limit.
"Honestly, I could probably hire someone at this point," Lucanis mused as he stared into the smaller stand mixer on the counter, watching the batter grow steadily pinker as the red dye was distributed throughout it. It was an old machine, soft pink and built like a tank; his mother's. The damn thing had seen countless dinner parties, birthday celebrations, and two house fires, and still ran like the day it came off the assembly line. One of the best, and few things, his mother had left him after he lost her.
"Business has been picking up lately, and I have gotten more requests for orders… I can certainly afford it. Plus more orders means more funds I could use to pay someone." He thoughtfully tapped his fingernail against the metal counter, then shrugged and turned off the mixer when it was finished. "Something to look into."
After a few hours of work, the displays had been filled with fresh goods and one of the cake orders was in the oven — just in time for the clock to strike eight am. Wiping his hands on a towel resting over his shoulder, Lucanis walked around the counter to flip over the open sign, as well as turn on the pink neon bakery sign in the window, and unlocked the door. He returned to the kitchen to work on his second cake order until his regulars showed up for their usual goods.
Lucanis's clientele consisted of people that came in for his breads and other basics they would need for the week, and curious bystanders who were drawn in by the scent of freshly baked goods, some just off the street while others came over from the nearby open-air market when it was running every other day.
A smaller percentage, but slowly growing, were people who came in with custom orders. Nevarra was big on celebrating their dead, so Lucanis got just as many requests for funeral cakes as he did birthday cakes. The concept had been very strange to him when he first moved here, more used to the loud celebrations of life back in Antiva, filled with drinking and brawls with other guests until they were tossed out onto the street by an unassuming but very strong woman. Sometimes wielding a shoe, if they were really unlucky.
Here in Nevarra, their celebration of life parties were a little different, for death wasn't truly the end in their eyes, but a new beginning. No one knew what lay beyond death, but spirits and lost loved ones were still very much a part of their daily lives. Small altars were kept in their homes with mementos and pictures of those who had passed on. On a grander scale, the entirety of Nevarra City held a festival every year around fall that lasted a week. Lucanis always did well during that time. Once he’d learned how to make traditional Nevarran breads and desserts for the different holidays, he was set to make three times as many sales than usual. Of course he also hardly slept during those times, but that was what coffee was for.
Within a few minutes of the store opening, the first of his regular customers started to arrive. Everyone Lucanis had encountered in Nevarra so far had impressed him with their kindness, always patiently waiting for him to finish whatever it was he was doing before coming over to serve them. After the first rush, the Antivan restocked what breads he had almost sold out of and used the brief lull to decorate his first cake order.
While he only made cakes for special orders, he greatly enjoyed the process. His mother had instilled in him an appreciation of the skill and patience required, teaching him from a young age how to pipe the perfect letters and make entire floral pieces out of icing. Any time Lucanis got a chance to refresh one of the many skills she had taught him, it would warm him a little on the inside, feeling closer to her in those moments.
Sometimes he wondered what she would think of his life now, and always felt assured that she would be proud of him. While work had been important to both his parents, the joy found in pursuing a passion had been especially close to his mother's heart. She had loved the spark of curiosity in her son's eyes and always nurtured it in whatever way she could, be it having him help her with dinner in the kitchen or buying him countless books about wyverns. To see him stepping away from the family business to do something he loved would likely thrill her. Oh, how Lucanis wished she could see all he had accomplished.
Well, if the Nevarrans were to be believed, she already had, watching over him from wherever it was the souls of the deceased went once they passed.
It was around one in the afternoon when Lucanis glanced up from piping a collection of black roses atop a custom cake, the sound of the bell above the front door chiming as someone entered. He straightened when he saw who it was.
In walked his shop neighbor, the nice gentleman who owned the bookstore that had opened six months ago. He was dressed in a pair of tan slacks with a cream button-up shirt under a green knitted vest. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his forearms and fingers decorated in delicate gold pieces as many Nevarrans were. He also sported piercings in his ears and one on the side of his nose.
The man was nice; sweet, even. Lucanis had stopped by a few days after the bookshop had opened with a box of cookies as a welcome gesture, which Emmrich had been delighted with, his face brightening like the sun. Ever since, he would stop in every other day for a sweet treat or a loaf of bread to take home with him. He would also go out of his way to procure whatever book Lucanis might be interested in and hand deliver it alongside that month's bookmark and tote bag done by a local artist. When Lucanis had tried to pay for them, the older man had fervidly declined, insisting they were "tokens of his gratitude for his repeat business." The baker was pretty sure it was just the man being kind and repaying the extra cookies he would through into his orders. Between the mage's sweet tooth and Lucanis's addiction to romance dramas, they had been seeing quite a bit of each other as of late.
"Emmrich," Lucanis greeted with smile.
Upon seeing the younger man behind the counter, Emmrich returned his smile and visibly brightened. "Good afternoon, Lucanis," he replied as he walked up to the counter to rest his hands against it. "How are you on this beautiful day?"
"I cannot complain." Lucanis took a moment to store the cake he was working on in the fridge and wipe his hands on the towel thrown over his shoulder before stepping behind the counter. "How are you?"
"I'm doing quite well, thank you for asking." Emmrich turned to glance over his shoulder and out the large windows to the moderately busy sidewalk bathed in sunlight. "I just thought to step out for some fresh air, stretch my legs a bit after sitting for a while." He turned back around with a bit of a sheepish smile. "I fear I lost an entire hour to a fascinating work of poetry. Thank goodness Myrna is so attentive, or a few customers would have gone unattended."
Lucanis chuckled. "You live a dangerous life, my friend. It is a choice to be a bookworm and also own a bookstore. I certainly would not have the willpower."
Emmrich's eyes sparkled with amusement as he placed his palms together in front of him. "It is a risk I am willing to take. It's quite rewarding to recommend a novel to someone, only to have them return and share with me how much they enjoyed it. I also learn of so many new books to add to my To-Read list. You should see my reading journal. It's quite extensive."
The baker hummed, eyes crinkling with fondness. "I will take your word for it. Speaking of new books, has my order arrived yet?"
"Oh, not yet, but it should arrive with tomorrow’s shipment. I could bring it by for you, if you like?"
Lucanis perked up slightly at this, excited for the next book in his romance series. He’d had it pre-ordered for months now. "That would be wonderful, thank you. I will be sure to have a few oatmeal raisin cookies ready for you as payment for the personal hand-delivery."
Emmrich chuckled. "There truly is no need. You are just next door, it is not putting me out to stop by to drop it off for you," he insisted, but Lucanis shook his head.
"And it is not putting me out to give you a dozen or so cookies, so there we have it," he said, ending the argument there.
The bookstore owner raised a brow at him, but didn't offer any rebuttal beyond an amused hum. Instead, he turned his attention to the display cases as he slowly began wandering through the small store front. "Oh my, is this new?" he asked as he pointed into the case. Lucanis moved closer to see what he was gesturing to.
"The tomato basil one?"
"Yes, I don't believe I've seen it before."
The baker rested an arm on top of the display case and leaned against it. "Yes, I just put them out yesterday."
"Where ever did you get such an idea? I would never have thought to bake tomatoes into bread."
Lucanis smiled, pleased to be asked. "It is my mother's recipe, actually. Would you like to try some?"
Emmrich straightened and touched his hand to his chest. "Oh goodness, I would hate to have you cut into something you could potentially sell."
Lucanis waved him off. "It's fine. I have one back here I have already cut into for lunch," he insisted, turning to walk back into the kitchen and grab the wrapped loaf from a shelf.
"Well, if you're certain… I would love to try it. It has such a vibrant color."
"That would be the tomato paste." Lucanis pulled a bread knife from the wooden block on the counter and flicked it over the back of his hand in a mindless flourish before cleanly slicing through the loaf in one clean motion.
"That was very impressive," Emmrich said, causing the baker to look up.
"Pardon?"
Emmrich made a motion with his hand. "Flipping the knife over your hand like that," he explained. "Are you not worried you'll cut yourself doing that, or that you’ll drop it?"
This time Lucanis purposely twisted the knife to spin the handle against the back of his hand before flicking his wrist and catching it again. Showing off, perhaps, but he wasn't above it. "No, I never drop my knives," he assured him. Setting the blade aside to grab a plate for the bread, he carried it back over and set it down in front of the other man.
"How did you learn to do such a thing? I would be worried I'd drop it and it would go right through my foot."
The baker chuckled and shrugged. "I saw a street performer juggling knives once when I was a little boy and I was determined to learn how to do so as well. My mother was not thrilled about an eight year old running around with daggers, so she gave me wooden ones to practice with. Once I mastered that, she allowed me to use real knives, blunted and under supervision, of course."
"Did you not cut yourself?"
"A few times, but that is all it takes to encourage you to learn not to let that happen. That and the threat of getting your ass beaten with a wooden spoon for getting blood on your mother's nice imported rug."
Emmrich laughed. "Yes, I do imagine those would be very effective incentives." He looked down at the slice of bread placed before him. "Speaking of your mother, you said this was her recipe?"
"Yes." Lucanis shifted to prop one hand against the counter to lean against while the other settled on his hip. "She would toast it with mozzarella and olive oil and give it to us as a snack. That is usually what I do with it, but it is good for sandwiches, too." He watched as Emmrich tore off a small piece to pop into his mouth, then watched his eyes widen in surprise.
"Oh my," the professor said as he lifted a hand to cover his mouth. He finished chewing before continuing. "Lucanis, that is incredible. I'm surprised it has a bit of sweetness to it. It seems like a very savory bread."
The owner offered him a crooked smile. "That is due to the tomatoes. You need good quality ones for this, or it will come out bland."
"I see, that makes sense." Emmrich tore off another piece. "Well, I would say you have convinced me. I will take a loaf of this. I simply must try it as your mother would prepare it."
Lucanis leaned forward to grab a paper bag from under the counter and flicked it open with a practiced gesture. "If you do, you will have to tell me how you liked it. I would hate to lead you astray," he said as he slipped on a glove to grab a red loaf from the display case and carefully tuck it into the bag. He expertly rolled the top flaps down and tucked them under so the bag would stay closed and set it on the counter.
"My dear, you have yet do so, and I highly doubt you will start now."
Lucanis let out a little chuckle, feeling something light bubble in his chest. "That is very kind of you. Can I get you anything else?"
"Ah, yes." Emmrich clapped his hands together and looked into the closest case. "I would like three of your brotchen and one of your apple tarts, please." He smiled at the other. "A little treat to get me through the day."
Lucanis grabbed two more paper bags from under the counter and a piece of purple tissue paper to grab the baked goods with. "I would be surprised if you left without one," he said as he slid open the case to grab the requested items. When he placed an extra pastry into the bag, Emmrich held up his hand.
"Oh, I only wanted one," he said.
"I know."
The mage blinked in confusion as he watched the bags be folded and set in front of him, then huffed softly. "I take it you won't allow me to pay for the additional one."
Lucanis looked up at him as though offended, his hand pausing over the touch screen of the register. "Emmrich, please. Do not insult me. It is a gift. I would not simply add something to your order to get you to pay more. What sort of business do you believe I am running here?"
Emmrich smiled. "Forgive me, I have no idea what I was thinking." His gaze flicked up to scan the open kitchen while his items were rang up. "Speaking of business, have you received any more specialty orders? I know you were hoping to branch out into such a thing."
The bakery owner glanced over his shoulder at the large, double door fridge at the back of the room then back down to the screen. "I have received more inquiries, yes. Unfortunately, I find myself lacking the time to take as many orders as I would like to. I am considering hiring some help."
Emmrich held up a hand, expression brightening. "Oh, I highly recommend it! Myrna has been such a delight. I never realized how much I had taken on until I had someone to help to take care of things."
Lucanis hummed and rotated the screen around to display the total for the bread. "I suppose it can't hurt. I can certainly afford it at this point. You wouldn't happen to know anyone, would you?"
Emmrich hummed as he pulled his wallet out from his back pocket and retrieved a card that he tapped against the reader. "Not off hand. But if I do think of someone, I will be sure to let you know," he said.
Lucanis turned the screen back around to complete the transaction and tore the receipt from the largely decorative printer to hand over. Usually, he would just send them over text or email, but he knew Emmrich enjoyed a physical copy. "That would be great. I trust your judge of character. It would be better than some random person off the street."
The older returned his wallet to his pocket, along with the receipt. "Of course, my dear."
"And you? How has the bookshop been?"
Emmrich placed his palms together and held them to his chest. "We have been doing quite well, I'm pleased to say! We mostly receive foot traffic off the street and from the market, but lately our online reviews have been taking off and we have received a few orders over the phone and in person. People seem very eager to return to purchasing books from small shops like ours, rather than ordering them online from big chains."
Lucanis smiled wide enough to flash a bit of teeth. "That is wonderful! I am glad to hear it. I truly wanted to see you succeed, if partially because I selfishly enjoy having a bookstore next door to feed my own addiction."
Emmrich chuckled low in his throat. "You are certainly one of my most loyal customers."
"As are you."
"How could I not be? Your baked goods are superb, Lucanis. It is both a blessing and a curse to have you as a neighbor. I have had to add more exercises to my morning routine because I simply cannot get enough of your sweets."
Lucanis's smile turned crooked as he placed his hands on the counter and leaned against them. "Ah, see? I am doing you a service!"
Emmrich raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a playfully judgmental look as he hummed. "How gracious of you," he replied in a dry tone. He glanced up at the large white clock on the wall. "I should get back, before Myrna comes looking for me and I receive a very firm lecture again."
The baker tipped his head back towards the kitchen behind him. "And I have to finish this cake order for tomorrow. Do not be a stranger, Emmrich."
"Same to you, my dear."
"Oh, you could not keep me out even if you locked the door."
Emmrich let out another chuckle and gave Lucanis a little wave as he took his purchases and stepped back out the bakery door.
Lucanis watched him disappear past the window and tapped his finger on the counter, smiling a little to himself. He enjoyed Emmrich's visits; looked forward to them, even. He found he always felt a little lighter afterwards. He not only eagerly anticipated his book delivery tomorrow, but also Emmrich’s return for more conversation.
~~*~~
As the day started to wind down and closing time approached, Lucanis began to to put together a few bags of the baked goods that hadn't sold that day and set them aside. There was a charity organization that came around every afternoon before closing to collect leftover food from restaurants and cafes to distribute to those in need. They had approached him not long after he had opened the shop, and it seemed like a sensible solution for whatever stock he hadn’t sold that day; better than it going into the trash.
Once those were set out and ready to go, he took a moment to make himself a strong cup of coffee to help him get through the rest of the chores that needed done before he left. Was it smart to have so much caffeine this late into the afternoon? No, but it was fine. Lucanis was used to it. He attributed it to his bakery's success; allowing him to push through the many long nights needed to get the fledgling business off the ground when he’d first moved to Nevarra.
Cup in hand, he turned his attention to prepping what he would need for the next day, such as more cookie dough and whatever jams he had ran out of. After that, he put the final touches on the cakes that would be going out tomorrow and stored them in the fridge.
The last thing Lucanis did, because he absolutely loathed it, was sit down in his office to go over the finances and ready a bank bag to drop off on his way home. "I really need to hire someone for this…" he muttered as he stared down at his ledger like it had personally offended him.
By eight o'clock he was trading his flour covered apron for his jacket and heading out the door, his bank bag and loaves of bread promised to Ms. Ida tucked under his arm. The bank was just down the street, enroute to the train station, making it easy to slip it into the drop box and be on his way. Lucanis sipped on the fresh cup of coffee he’d transferred to his thermos, scrolling through the numerous emails on his phone as he rode the train home.
It was about eight-thirty by the time Lucanis arrived at his apartment building, meaning Ms. Ida would hopefully be home. Bypassing the elevator and taking the stairs up to the third floor, he headed down the hall towards Ms. Ida’s door, located conveniently next to his own at the end of the corridor. The corner apartment had been a little more pricey on rent, but Lucanis had fallen in love with the extra windows. He’d decided he could cut back in some other places for the serenity of sitting in front of them on his days off, nursing a fresh cup of coffee and watching the city come alive as the sun rose.
Lucanis paused at his neighbor's door and gave it a polite knock. A few moments later, the door opened and little Ms. Ida peered up at him from behind it. She smiled.
"Lucanis, hello dear," she greeted him as she opened it further.
The man held the paper bag containing the two wrapped loaves of bread out to her. "I just wanted to drop these off. One white bread and a tomato basil loaf, as promised."
Ms. Ida brightened at the sight of them and took them carefully with slightly unsteady hands. "Oh, how lovely. They smell delicious; I can't wait to try the tomato one. I will be sure to try your suggestion of toasting it with some cheese."
"Please do, and let me know what you think. If you have any constructive feedback on how I could improve them, I would gladly hear it."
The elderly woman set the loaves aside on a small table by the door and waved him off. "Nonsense. I'm certain they are wonderful just the way they are. What do I owe you for them?" she asked as she grabbed her purse.
Lucanis's eyes crinkled in fond amusement. "Ms. Ida, we have already discussed this. There is no need for you to pay me."
His neighbor looked up at him in surprise. "Are you sure? I certainly don't mind. You deserve to be paid for your goods."
"Yes, ma'am, I'm sure. It was a very good day at the shop today so I can spare a few loaves, I promise you."
Ms. Ida hummed in contemplation, before setting her purse back down. "Well, if you insist."
"I do."
She smiled up at him and reached out to give his forearm an affectionate squeeze. "Thank you, dear. You always take such good care of me."
Lucanis placed his hand over her and gently squeezed it in return. "Of course, it is my pleasure," he replied.
With the baked goods delivered, Lucanis moved on to his own apartment where he unlocked the door and slipped inside. He heard a thump, then demanding yowls as Spite approached. The baker raised an amused brow at him as he sat down on the hall tree bench to untie his shoes. "Hello to you too, Spite," he greeted in return. He held out his hand for the cat to sniff and deem his worth, finding it cute how gently he went about it.
Abruptly Spite straightened, looking highly offended. He stared up at Lucanis with his big fuchsia eyes and let his displeasure be known.
Once again Lucanis marveled at the cat's sense of smell, knowing instantly what he was upset about. "How do you do that?" he asked. "I only gave Sugar a few pets and it was hours ago."
At the confirmation of his disloyalty, Spite stuck his nose in the air and turned away from him. He walked away with an imperious dignity, his tail held high, as though Lucanis was nothing more than a cheap brand of cat food. Lucanis propped an elbow on his knee to hold his chin and watched him go, greatly amused. He knew Spite would search him out after an hour or so, unable to deny himself affection for long, the little glutton.
Lucanis set his shoes aside and picked up his thermos. Padding into the kitchen and setting his cup down, he grabbed a pot from under the counter and filled it with water. He set it on the stove then, he pulled out a large bag of homemade ravioli he had prepared the weekend before and dropped a generous portion into the salted water when it came to a boil. While that cooked, he poured himself a glass of red wine and propped his elbows on the counter, balancing on one foot as he scrolled through the news on his phone for the few minutes it took for the ravioli to float to the top of the water. Once finished, he tossed them in some homemade red sauce and covered it in freshly grated parmesan. He took his dinner to the sofa and sat down with his legs curled underneath him. Spite came to join him a few minutes later, but pointedly sat on the opposite end of the sofa. Lucanis raised a brow at him as he took a sip of his wine, but didn't comment. He knew as he finished his meal and moved onto reading the next book in his romance series, Spite would slowly make his way across the sofa in the form of shifting and flopping as though trying to get comfortable.
By the time Lucanis deemed it time for bed, Spite had found his way onto his lap, eyes closed and purring contentedly as he finally accepted affection from his owner. He couldn't bring himself to displace the little demon now that he was loafed so comfortably, which left Lucanis no choice but to remain a while longer and read another chapter.
Two chapters later, Lucanis felt his eyes growing heavy, finally forced to lift Spite from his lap to place him on the sofa. The cat made a low, displeased sound and glared up at him as he crouched on the cushion. "I know, I know. I am a terrible cat owner," the Antivan replied as he picked up his dishes to carry into the kitchen. Spite yowled after him as though agreeing, earning a snort from Lucanis.
After placing his dishes in the dishwasher, he turned off all the lights, washed up, and went to bed in preparation for another flour-filled day tomorrow.