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"Daaaaaad! Pleaseeee? We barely hang out nowadays." Trick pouted, tugging on Joey's sleeve. The man had just gotten back from a long shift, he was exhausted, sweat clung to his skin, and he probably had a few burns on his fingertips from handling food.
"Kiddo, I said- Shouldn't you be in bed? It's... what? 11PM?" Joey considered checking his watch or a certain clock hung up in the house, but where he was lying was comfortable. Probably too comfortable as he hasn't even changed out of his chef attire.
Trick huffed, ceasing the tugging, but still looked at Joey expectantly. "I stayed up waiting for you. Please, dad? It doesn't even have to be something big! Maybe one round of a boardgame? Or could you read me a book to help me sleep? It doesn't even have to be the whole thing!" Joey cracked one eye open to look at his son. The boy was in his pajamas; hair tussled from previous sleep attempts. Joey felt a pang of guilt hit. He'd hung out with his son so little that the kid was begging for him to read a few pages of a book to him.
Joey forced himself to sit up, his muscles aching. "Y'know what, bud? How about you help daddy in the kitchen? I'll teach you how to make my favorite dish." Joey smiled softly as he saw Trick's face light up. "Sound good?"
"Yes! Yes! Yes! Let's go!" Trick hurried to the kitchen, leaving Joey to get himself to his feet and begin dragging himself the same way.
Trick pulled a stepstool over to the kitchen island, huffing in slight exhaustion as he set it down. Joey wandered into the kitchen soon after, huffing out a breath akin to a soft chuckle at how giddy his son seemed.
"C'mon! C'mon! You're taking forever!" Trick whined, puffing out his cheeks in another pout
"And I can take longer," Joey rubbed at his eyes, then carded a hand through his hair. "Sorry, bud. I'm just tired. Work is difficult on your ol' pops, that's how I afford this house though! And the food in that fridge." Joey lifts Trick up by his armpits, spinning the boy in the air. He grins as Trick laughs and giggles, before setting him back down once more.
"The food we're about to use?"
"Yep." God, he just wants to smoke. "Wanna go grab Nana's cookbook?"
Trick nodded eagerly, rushing to the cabinet where they stored said book. It was filled with recipes that Joey wouldn't even dare think about suggesting adding to the restaurant menu. His mother was certainly not a cook. He wonders how his dad and himself managed to choke down her food.
His opinion could be biased though, considering he actually cooks stuff now.
So, why does he keep the book? Nostalgia maybe. Or the fact he spent hours correcting recipes in that damn book with way better ingredients and steps and was absolutely not throwing away all the hard work. Plus, there's a certain recipe in there that Trick really enjoys. He wasn't going to take that away from his kid.
"Got it!" Trick announced, holding up the cookbook to Joey, both hands on either side. It is a pretty big book.
"Atta boy." He ruffles the kid's hair, with Trick laughing and playfully swatting his hands away. "Now, let's make... hmm..." Joey eyes his son, who has his hands gripping the edge of the counter, head slightly tilted forward to peer at the pages full of countless recipes. "How about you choose, kiddo?"
"Me?" Trick raises an eyebrow, his voice a mumble. He shrugs though and pulls the cookbook closer to him to flip through the pages.
Trick barely knows who his grandma is, rarely ever getting the chance to talk to her before she died. And even when he did? She didn't say much. Trick guesses she didn't really enjoy his presence that much, or anyone's for that matter. He was never really bothered by it though, as he never got the chance to bond with her. He still remembers how small her funeral was.
"This one; the strawberry shortcake." Joey raised an eyebrow, an amused smirk crossing his face.
"You've really been liking strawberries recently. Huh, kid?"
"They taste good." Trick replied, shrugging his shoulders. Mom had let him try one of her energy drinks, claiming it would make him super fast. Trick guesses it may have been one of her good days because she was actually playing with him. And she didn't need to try to convince Trick to try a sip, he already wanted one. It was good!
"They do, they do." Joey agreed ruffling his son's hair. "Alright then, let's get baking!"
"Yay!"
By the time the two were finished with the small cakes, they were covered in flour, sugar--which Trick was licking off his fingers--, and whatever other ingredients they used to bake this sugary confection.
"Can we try them now?" Trick asked, huffing in annoyance when Joey wetted a paper towel and wiped his hands and face, knowing that sugar would leave a sticky trail.
"And.. yep. Now we can." Trick pounced for one of the small cakes, taking in his hands and scarfing it down. he bounced on his toes.
"Ihts goophd." He said with a mouthful of food.
"Chew first, Tricky." Joey chided and Trick just rolled his eyes. he did chew and swallow the rest of the cake before speaking again though.
"Are you gonna have one?" Trick looked up at his dad, tilting his head slightly in curiosity.
Joey shook his head, "Nah, I'm not that hungry. Plus, we made them for you, right?" Trick's lips protruded in a pout, the boy's eyes furrowing in something akin to concern and a hint of worry. It made Joey feel a bit guilty. His own kid? Worrying over him?
"But-" "Don't worry, Trick. The next time we do this I'll try the food." Joey grabbed another paper towel and wiped frosting from the corners of Trick's mouth, sighing. "And considering how you wolfed down that? I don't think I need to taste test it with you."
Trick whined in annoyance but stopped persisting eventually. He just held out his pinky and looked Joey in the eyes with a determined glare as he uttered,
"Promise?"
Joey smiled softly and knelt down to be eye level with Trick. He interlocked his pinky with Trick's.
"Promise."