100 Pancake (2/2)

'You know I'm not patient. I might be worse when it finally gets to my turn,' Ryder warned.

'I doubt it. You know how to control yourself, even if you do overact and are a bit aggressive,' Antonin sighed.

'Sure,' Ryder chuckled.

”Antonin?” Regan called out, tapping the table to get Antonin's attention.

”Hmm?” Antonin murmured in reply.

”You zoned out,” Regan chuckled.

”D-did I?” Antonin stuttered. 'Ughhhh, sound more confident dumbass,' Ryder scolded.

Antonin ignored him.

”Yup,” Regan smiled.

”Oh ok…” Antonin muttered. He looked down at the food on her table, ” you need to start eating before it goes warm.” He lifted the plate up and placed his hand under it. ”It has a little heat left but not enough before it becomes lukewarm so hurry and eat.”

”Sigh… just when I was starting to get comfortable, you shut me up…” Regan pouted.

”Heh?!! I'm sorry, I didn't notice. I just wanted you to eat well, we can talk more after you finish eating, you know. You are the last person I have to visit for this time period so I can talk with you for as long as you'd like,” Antonin hurriedly apologized, pure concern showing on his face.

”Hehe, you worry too much,” Regan giggled, she was teasing him.

Antonin paused for a moment and then blushed. 'Damn, she got you good there,' Ryder smirked, 'you fell for that so easily.'

”I can't help but worry,” Antonin sighed, ”but I do worry too much don't I…”

”Yup,” Regan nodded as she unraveled the napkins wrapped around her utensils and started to cut into her pancake with her knife.

Antonin's eyes widened in fear, ”ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! You're not about to eat a bland pancake.”

Regan looked down at her pancake, it was bare. No condiments. ”Is it not supposed to look like this? I don't mind if it is.”

Antonin let out a big sigh of disappointment, ”you scare me. I've never seen someone try to eat a pancake without even having syrup on it. It's like eating rice as rice. Good but not enough.” He stood up from his seat and walked to the cart, looking through the things he had to find situated toppings to put on the pancake.

”Rice is good bland though,” Regan teased.

”Don't be psychotic,” Antonin frowned, his frown settled a bit when he found all he needed. He walked back to the table with a cup of fruits, whipped cream, and maple syrup.

Regan grinned, ”What is this a hotel? Am I getting special treatment?”

”Yes. You are,” Antonin answered.

Regan didn't reply back. 'What for?' she thought to herself, 'Why do I deserve special treatment? I've done nothing to deserve it… so why…?'

”Give me the plate,” Antonin ordered.

Regan slid it over. She watched as he seriously sat down and looked at the plate as if he was debating how to decorate it. 'No… he is debating how to decorate it.'

”Why do you look so serious?” Regan chuckled, ”like you're some pancake artist.”

”Hell yeah I am,” Antonin smirked, ”the best you'll ever see.”

”Someone's confident,” Regan teased.

”Rightfully confident,” Antonin locked eyes with her, his eyes holding so much confidence she shivered. It was the first time she had seen that look in his eyes.

”Well then,” Regan smiled, leaning forward to look at Antonin in action, ”get to work then, artist. Work your magic.”

”Gladly,” Antonin grinned.

He first separated the syrup into two cups, mixing the first cup with the square of butter at the tip of Regan's plate and leaving the second cup as is. Then taking the first cup, he poured out the syrup in a circular motion, letting the butter-syrup mix pour out smoothly. It was the perfect amount of syrup. Enough to make it cover the top of the pancake and run down the sides but not drown the pancake. Then he picked up some strawberries and lined the edge of the pancake with them, making sure each strawberry was placed perfectly. After making two lines of strawberries, he picked up the whipped cream and shook it momentary before pressing down on the nozzle close to the surface of the pancake and slowly lifting it up. In the small crater formed in the middle of the whipped cream, he placed another strawberry.

Then he picked up the second cup of syrup and slowly tipped it over, making a zig-zag motion with his hand as the syrup drizzled on the surface of the whipped cream.

”Almost done… sigh... I wish I had powdered sugar…” Antonin thought to himself.

He then lined the base of the pancake with more strawberries and carefully pressed little blueberries on top of the strawberries. Then taking a step back from his creation, he picked up the second cup of syrup and made three thin curved lines lending into the pancake with them.

He grinned with satisfaction and turned his masterpiece to Regan, ”Finished.”