[Closed Post: Cinnamon Roll]

[timebethine]

A few days' recovery have left Laertes feeling refreshed enough to return to his baking, although not quite ready to dive into anything particularly complicated. Thus, he abandons the more complex direktørsnegl recipe he'd been meaning to try in favor of perfecting the humble cinnamon roll.

The days are getting shorter--even Laertes can feel it, though his sense of time is poor. He can no longer rely on the sunrise to wake him at a decent hour for baking, and so today he's up a little before the sun, kneading the bready dough by hand rather than using the paddle of the stand mixer in the hopes that the physical exertion will wake him up a little. It's not working particularly well; his eyelids keep drooping.

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[timebethine]

"Thou couldst--" but then the timer beeps, and Laertes loses his train of thought entirely as he puts on potholders and opens the oven. "They look good," he says. "A deep golden, but not yet brown." He whisks out both trays of cinnamon rolls and sets them on the racks that Susan has just vacated to cool.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

The recipe had said to put the icing on the rolls whilst they're still warm, so Susan passes one of the bowls over to Laertes and gathers the other to her own side. "They smell marvelous," she says.

[timebethine]

"The fruit and nuts were a wise choice," he agrees. "The smell is richer for them." He takes the vanilla icing and begins to drizzle it carefully over the rolls, making sure to get at least a little on every roll.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan does the same with the cream cheese icing. "You were about to say something," she prompts, as the icing drizzles over the rolls. "A moment ago, before the timer went off."

[timebethine]

"Was I?" Laertes thinks back as the last of the icing drizzles out. "It's gone now."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Well then!" Susan scoops the rest of her icing out of the bowl and onto the rolls and then holds out her hand for Laertes's empty bowl. "I can do the washing-up."

[timebethine]

"Then I can take the rolls to the café," says Laertes. "My thanks for thy company this morning. It was good, to know thee better."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan offers him a smile. "I've rather enjoyed myself," she says. "If you'd like company during your morning bake again, do let me know. The conversation needn't always be so... heavy." As she starts moving the rest of their dirty dishes into the sink, she adds, "The biscuits are for the cafe too, if that wasn't clear."

[timebethine]

"Ah, then I'll just--" and he sets both sets of rolls upon a tray. "There. And thou art welcome to join me whenever thou likest. Next time," archly, "perhaps I'll here more about these plays from after thy time."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Then I shall study up," Susan says, "so that I can give an accurate accounting."

[timebethine]

"Farewell, Susan." And with a laugh and last waft of cinnamon and vanilla, Laertes is out the door.