CeCe leaned over the pan of brownies and sniffed happily.

"Oh man, you've missed your calling Hessenheffer."

Gunther did not blush because that would be old him, young him. But he did feel his ears warm, just a bit. "Actually I didn't. I vent back to the old country, you know. Got that crown."

"What was that?" CeCe laughed, mouth half full of a brownie. "Was that a joke? Cheeky. I like it."

Gunther cringed. "Gross, CeCe. Mouth closed vhen you chew, please?"

CeCe grinned toothily, the brown chunks between each of her teeth. "Got something in my teeth?"

"Seriously… gross," Gunther turned away, smiling nevertheless. "See if I make you brownies ever again."

CeCe instantly put her head on his shoulder, making a show of chewing and swallowing before she blinked over dramatically. "Oh please Gunther, forgive me? More brownies? All the brownies?"

Gunther wasn't one to resist CeCe's face on the best of days, but her stupid over exaggerated pout and big eyes would be the death of him some day. He gently pushed her forehead away from his shoulder and started to clean up the kitchen around him.

"I'll make you brownies, all the brownies," he said, deliberately concentrating on the task of cleaning. "I mean, you're letting me stay at your place rent free vhile I figure out… everything."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see a soft smile on CeCe's face. "Oh come on Gunther, you know mi casa es su casa. You owe me nothing… I mean. I'm not fighting off the baking but don't feel like you have to. I'm pretty sure your cooking and baking is the most action this kitchen has seen since I moved here."

At that Gunther did blush, which was pretty much the worst timing he could have done it and he felt entirely stupid, because he was 21 years old and he was standing in the kitchen with one of his best friends, previously frenemies, blushing at the phrase "getting action". He thought to make a joke of it, but it was too late. It would definitely be too weird and awkward.

Besides, CeCe had turned away and started to clean around the kitchen. Which was so not what she was meant to do.

"I told you I vas doing this as a thank you," he all but squeaked. "You cleaning is defeating the point!"

CeCe turned to him. "So you'll owe me more brownies, right? Either way, Mama taught me whoever cooks doesn't clean. Not that she ever cooked...but anyway, it's a basic rule of the kitchen. Trust me."

Gunther put his hands on his hips. "Vell, then ve do it the riiiight way. You've got to do that by hand. It doesn't go in the dishwasher."

"I bought stuff that wasn't dishwasher safe?" CeCe baffled, looking over the pan like it had personally offended her.

Gunther took the pan from her hand. "No. You did not. But I did."

"Why would you do that? The whole point is to buy stuff for the dishwasher. It washes dishes."

"But it doesn't bake as vell, this bakes the brownies more evenly."

Gunther wasn't entirely sure if that was right, but it was the pan that he had always used and the one that his family always had used so he kind of just felt like it made the brownies better. Or maybe it was the memories? He didn't know. He filled the sink with warm water and put the pan into it.

"You are a man of many layers," CeCe nudged him out of the way with her hip and grabbed the soap and a scrubbing brush (that Gunther had brought along with the pan, CeCe's kitchen was sadly lacking).

"Be gentle!"

CeCe arched her eyebrow. "Dude, I've cleaned pans by hand before. I'm not a complete heathen."

Gunther didn't say what he wanted to say, but instead stood close to her and watched carefully. He liked it, secretly, standing there so close to her. Watching her clean the pan and seeing her feet move while she hummed something indistinct.

"New dance?" Gunther asked.

CeCe paused and shrugged. "Maybe. Just there's a tune in my head. I have to come up with more moves."

"Moves are hard," Gunther said, with just that touch of whine. CeCe laughed at him, nothing new. "Vhat? They are."

"I've seen you dance around here, Gunther. You've got the moves going for you."

Gunther took the pan out of CeCe's hand, drying it off with an extra towel. "You're not supposed to vatch, you vere supposed to be sleeping."

"It was nice," CeCe said, leaned up against the sink. "Made the house seem a little more like someone lives here, less like a tomb."

Gunther looked over at where CeCe seemed to be relaxed, smiling, but something was there too. He smiled back though. "Vell, you did get a pretty big house."

"I'd kind of thought of it in the long term without thinking short term," she admitted. "I blame the lady who sold it. She could have been an actress in another life. Or a writer. She painted the life, you know? Married, two point five kids, puppy running around the yard."

"You've got your cat," Gunther pointed out, putting the cleaned pan off to the side and leaning against the side of the sink with CeCe. They were a little too close. A little too intimate. But he wasn't moving. He was, however, going to break the silence. "I never understood the two point five kids thing. Like… do you have a kid part time? Or do you only have half a kid? Vhat do they mean?"

CeCe huffed out a laugh. "It's an average, I think. You helped me with math once. I know you know what averages are."

"Vell vith such a lost student, I had to."

"When did you get so sassy, Hessenheffer?"

Was she getting closer? Maybe Gunther was the one leaning in. He couldn't tell. All he knew was he had gone from a full foot of space between them to the sudden feeling of CeCe pressed along his side, and the warmth of her breath near his mouth.

"CeCe?" he exhaled.

"Yeah?"

He inched a little closer. They were so close. So so so close. He couldn't put into words what he was thinking beyond the fact that it felt like a long time coming and all of a sudden all at once.

"Vhat are ve doing?"

In response CeCe kissed him.

Her lips were only slightly chapped, like always, he had spent countless hours staring at her biting on her stupid lips. He'd even gone so far as buying chapstick and leaving it out but while CeCe had thanked him and even used it a few times, it didn't help.

Everything felt… satisfying. That was the word. Like the first taste of a birthday cake, the first note played at a concert, and the sound of laughter from a group of friends all at once.

CeCe wrapped her arms around Gunther's neck and he did the same to her back. The kiss which had started almost slowly had gone into a mode of feverishness. Of need. CeCe was pushing forward and he pushed back.

"Um. Can ve, Do ve..." he pulled back and tried to collect his words. "Can ve go to the couch?"

CeCs blinked at him. "What?"

"This isn't the most comfortable position to be in…"

"And you want to … keep going?"

Gunther sometimes regretted that they met when they did. Because no matter where they went in their life, there would always be a part of CeCe who saw him as who he was. The glittery teenager who could dance but who couldn't make a decision without his twin sister helping him. The boy who teased and insulted her and her best friend constantly. Thankfully it wasn't all that CeCe saw of him, but he did know that it would be there.

"Come on," he smiled and took her hand, which was still just a little damp from the sink. He lead her through the kitchen and into the wide open living room. It really did speak to a family. He could picture kids and mess and craziness everywhere. But instead there were a few cat toys and a sleeping cat in the corner, who lifted her head and looked at the two of them for all of a second before turning her head and went back to bed.

The couch, thankfully, was large and deep and kind of perfect for what he wanted to do. Which was… well. Make out seemed like such a childish term but there wasn't really a grown up way of saying it.

"Sit?" he said, internally groaning at the way his voice went way up at the end. Make out like teenagers, indeed. He tried again. "Sit."

CeCe did, and looked at him, her brown eyes warm and pupils slightly larger than normal.

Gunther didn't have… a ton of experience. Not that he would tell CeCe that under pain of death, but he had had some experience. He climbed onto the couch and onto CeCe, straddling her. He leveraged himself with his elbows and looked at CeCe, who's mouth was slack and eyes were a little wide.

"Hi," he said, close to her lips and followed it by giving her a quick peck on her lips.

CeCe leaned a little back. "Hey?"

"Is this okay?" Gunther leaned back as well, not sure if he'd gone too far too fast.

"Hey, wait," CeCe's hand landed on the back of his head and pulled him in for a long kiss. "You are a never ending puzzle."

He smiled into their next kiss. That was something he was okay with. It just meant that CeCe would need more time with him to figure it out.