Title: TLC
Fandom: Sleepy Hollow
Prompt and challenges: fan_flashworks challenge #232 prompt(s) « On top »
Characters and relationships: Ichabod Crane, Abigail Mills
Length: 860ish (words)
Content notes: May contain traces of nuts and fluff.
Author notes: Still no kink. Erf…
Summary:
Ichabod would do anything to help Abby heal, especially if it involves a healthy dose of TLC.



Ichabod was on top of the task.

Well, he thought he was. He had procured most of the tools he needed. He had deciphered the recipe with some difficulties but now he had a better grasp of the ‘Internet’, he’d been able to fathom the instructions and ingredients. Those had been rather easy to gather, in fact, he had enough to make ten times what he needed. How buying thrice the quantity needed could be cheaper than buying just enough would forever be beyond him. To say that the world was going to waste was an understatement. He only needed one last thing. He’d asked Jenny and she said there was bound to be one somewhere in the kitchen. So here he was, rummaging through every cupboard trying to find the wretched thing.

Someone cleared their throat loudly behind him.

“Need a hand?”

“No! No, not at all.” He tried his best to look inconspicuous and failed spectacularly when he reached behind him to lean on the counter and bumped in a glass jar. He barely caught it before it tumbled down. “I’m good!”

Abby surveyed the mayhem dispassionately. She shrugged and left. His good mood left him suddenly and his throat tightened. Nothing seemed to reach her anymore. Once upon a time she would never have let him off the hook until he confessed exactly what was going on. Now she couldn’t care less. Maybe he was doing it wrong. The way to bring her back was not to pamper her like he’d been doing but to make her get involved. Deciding on the spur of the moment, he went after her.

“Lieutenant?”

She was staring through the window, her back to him.

“Abigail? On second thought, I think I would like to enlist your help please.”

She turned slowly and focused again. “Yeah… What do you need?”

“I am told you possess a ‘cupcake’ pan?”

She stared blankly. “Cupcake pan? You’re making cupcakes?” Her tone betrayed genuine surprise.

“Yes. What did you think I was up to?”

“I don’t know. Some magical potion or something. I thought you preferred donuts?”

“I do but I think that particular recipe is a little beyond my reach yet. And I like ‘cupcakes’ too.” That was not quite a lie but not exactly the truth either.

She looked at him doubtfully and he tried his best to look innocent. She frowned and he spilled it all. “And Miss Jenny might have mentioned that ‘TLCs’ are your favourite kind. I thought I’d make something nice for you.”

“TLC? She gave you the recipe for TLCs?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Topped Lemon Cupcakes… Our granny gave her the recipe. She always refused to share it with me. I’m surprised she gave it to you. Anyway, the pan is up there.” She pointed to the ceiling.

Ichabod followed her finger and spotted it, in the middle of a mess of plates and jars. Of course, it had to be on top of the highest cupboard… He sighed and placed a chair under it then climbed and reached up. He tugged cautiously on it and managed to inch it towards him a bit. Taking confidence, he tugged more boldly and retrieved it without sending the whole mess tumbling down on his own head. He jumped down triumphantly and struck a pose. A ghost smile fleeted on Abby’s lips and he felt like singing.

They started cooking together and by the end of the afternoon, he had successfully bribed her into telling him how her grandmother used to make her cupcakes when she was very young, before her first encounter with Moloch.

“So how about toppings?”

“What toppings?” He eyed her guardedly. He hadn’t seen anything anywhere in the recipe about topping. He was ready to swear she made up words sometimes just to make fun of him.

“Toppings. You know, as in Topped Lemon Cupcakes.”

“We’ve put icing.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course. But on top of that? I mean, you have to put some vermicelli or chocolate chips or smarties, or it can’t be TLCs. So which do you want?”

He still wasn’t sure what she meant. “You choose.”

“Vermicelli then.” She reached among the spices and grabbed a small glass container full of colored stuff and started spraying the cream covered cupcakes. Ichabod watched delightedly the rainbow flakes snowing gently. She took a cake and held it up.

“Open!”

Ichabod obeyed and got stuffed with it. He munched it down and god that was delicious! Abby was laughing and that was even better than cream and lemon cupcakes topped with vermicelli. She reached up and stroke his nose, laughing then licked her finger.

“You got cream on it!” Then she took a bite and moaned. These were just as she remembered, creamy sour perfection. She sighed, she hadn’t felt this human in a very long time. She had not even felt the need to draw the symbol all afternoon. Her gaze fell on the remaining cupcakes and she noticed the pattern in which she’d put them on the table.

Then Ichabod made a joke and she laughed, all thoughts of the symbol forgotten.