(Author's note: Hello! This story is standalone, but if you want more of Margo and Noel, you can read "Candy Cane Addict," my Christmas story from last year. Merry Christmas, Enjoy!)
Noel
Ding
Perfect.
I was just finishing up wiping down the counters as the oven timer went off. I pulled on my oven mitts and transferred the simmering pot into the oven to keep it warm, swearing loudly as I nearly burned myself in the process. I fished one of our nice plates from the back of the cabinet and arranged the christmas cookies I'd made in a way that would hopefully hide the extremely wonky icing job I'd done. The last cookie didn't fit, so I ate it as I stepped back to admire my work. My girlfriend Margo had a retail job, so of course with the holidays coming up, she'd been extra stressed and overworked. Earlier today I'd decided to make her favorite meal and some cookies to hopefully cheer her up when she got home. I checked the time on my phone.
"Shit," I murmured, scrambling for my jacket and my keys once I realized I was about to be late for work. Unfortunately, I worked evenings, and with the extra hours Margo'd been working, she came home just a little bit after I left, so I wouldn't get to see her reaction. The dish in the oven wasn't immediately obvious, and I wanted to make sure she knew the cookies were for her, so I scribbled out a quick note on a post-it and stuck it to the counter. After a moment of thought, I wrote one more and stuck it to the plate of cookies, then headed for the door. Miso, Margo's mischievous cat, was perched on the back of the sofa, watching me with her huge, staring eyes. I pointed at her, staring back.
"Don't you dare steal a cookie," I warned. She mewled innocently, blinking her wide eyes at me. I scratched behind her ear, then left for work.
+++
Margo
"Ugh." I lamented to no one in particular as I unlocked the door to our apartment. Work had been particularly grueling today, as a large herd of Karens had come in to buy insanely specific Christmas gifts for every single person in their unreasonably large families, sending me running all over the store and making me gift wrap every. Single. Item.
I stumbled into the apartment and immediately tossed myself onto the couch with a contented groan, sinking into the crappy cushions like they were feather mattresses. Miso immediately hopped up onto my chest and kneaded me with her little paws. She meowed.
"I missed you too Mimibear," I cooed, petting her head. She meowed a little more insistently. I sighed.
"You want food, don't you?" With that, she hopped off me and trotted to the kitchen. "Yeah, I guess I could eat something too," I muttered, my words punctuated by the growl of my stomach. I pulled myself off the couch with a deafening groan and trudged after her. It was nice to see Miso after such a long day, but I really missed my girlfriend Noel. We used to have a lot of time together in the afternoons, but since I'd been doing holiday overtime, we kept missing each other. She was also a much better cook than me, which seemed like the most important fact at the moment as I tried to remember if I'd already eaten our last TopRamen.
As I rounded the corner into the kitchen, I gasped. The kitchen was spotless, and Miso was sitting next to a huge plate of cookies on the counter, stomping her feet expectantly. Delicious smells wafted from the oven, and I was barely able to stop myself from drooling everywhere as I took a deep breath in. I rushed over to the counter and found a sticky note sitting next to the plate of cookies.
Hey Marg, know work has been shit lately so I wanted to cheer u up a lil. I made sukiyaki (not as good as ur mom's :/ but still pretty good), it's keeping warm in the oven (PLS TURN OFF OVEN). Also made u some cookies with lil candy cane pieces in them (u know why ;) also they're good as fuck, pls eat them all). Consider it an early xmas present. thank me later, love u :)
I started tearing up a little bit as I read through the note. We'd only been dating for barely a year, but Noel had already made my life so much better. I pulled the other sticky note off the plate of cookies, this one with a much shorter message.
Eat Me!! :)
I picked a candy-cane shaped cookie off the plate, blushing fiercely as it reminded me of when we first got together. I took a bite, my knees almost buckling as it melted in my mouth. It was the best cookie I'd ever eaten, and not just because I was starving. Miso meowed impatiently at me again.
"Yeah yeah, I know, starving to death." I popped the rest of the cookie in my mouth and made her a plate of wet food. Once her hunger was finally sated, I pulled the hotpot out of the oven and went to town on it. It was just as incredible as the cookies. The only thing that could've made the meal better was if Noel had been sitting next to me. I demolished the sukiyaki, then plowed through about half the plate of cookies before I was too stuffed to even look at them.
I sighed happily, thoroughly satisfied and grateful and feeling much better than when I'd gotten home. I had to think of some way to thank Noel, but could I do? I was a terrible cook, and even if I wasn't, I probably didn't have enough time before she got home to make something even half as good. With a sigh, I stood up to take my dishes to the sink. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught something small and pink flutter to the ground beside me. I bent down, picking up the post-it note that had been stuck to the plate of cookies. It must have gotten stuck to my arm...
Suddenly, the perfect way to thank Noel popped into my head. I checked the clock in the microwave. Perfect, just enough time to set everything up before she got home. I dropped my dishes in the sink and practically bounced into the hallway in excitement, Miso at my heels. This was going to be a night to remember.
+++
Noel
I couldn't wait to see how Margo had liked the food. The apartment hadn't burned down, so that was a good sign that she'd gotten my message. I unlocked the door and stepped in, dropping my bag and jacket on the floor and kicking off my shoes. Miso was sat in her usual spot on the back of the couch, which was strange. Usually when Margo was home, Miso was always in the room she was in.
"Babe? I'm home!" I called into the apartment. No answer.