To hell with it, she needed reinforcements. Luckily she knew just who to call.

"Hello?"

"Hey you," she finds herself smiling just from hearing him answer the phone.

"Hey Nance. What's up?"

"Um, well are you busy?"

"No, I just got home from work."

"Well uh, I kind of need your help. See it's my mom's birthday tomorrow but I thought I would surprise her with a cake tonight and so I was going to bake it now 'cause dad's taken her out to dinner in Indianapolis so they'll be gone awhile but uh…"

"… you're having some trouble?" She can almost here him chuckle. He knows she's not a great cook, to say the least.

"Yeah well someone has spilled something in the cook book so part of the recipe is smudged but I thought I could wing it but it turns out I can't."

"I'll be right over. By the way, Will's still there right?"

"Yeah yeah, they're all in the basement."

"Cool, see you soon."

"Yeah, bye."

Not even ten minutes later he's at the door. She's about to greet him with a hug but stops herself in time as she realizes she's got flour all over the apron she's wearing. He chuckles slightly and leans forward to kiss her instead.

"So, I think I didn't use enough eggs but too much flour," she begins to explain as they walk into the kitchen. "Or maybe the other way around," she adds as he inspects her attempt at a cake.

"Probably to many eggs yeah," he begins. He picks at the lump of mush formerly known as cake and picks up a bit.

"And also I kind of lost count when I added sugar" she adds, too late.

"Yep. Yep, you did," he confirms, grimacing at the frankly way too sugarysweet taste.

"Sorry," she says but can't help but giggle a bit at his expression.

"Well," he begins, taking out her mother's apron and putting it on. "Lets get started!" She can't resist pulling him in by the apron for another kiss.

Thankfully her mother always kept the pantry and fridge wellstocked for any unforseen baking needs so they had more than enough flour, sugar, eggs, milk and all the rest of it for another cake. Jonathan even found cocoa on the top shelf that she herself hadn't even bothered to rummage through earlier by virtue of her height, or lack there of. So they changed plans and decided to make a chocolate cake with frosting since Jonathan knew how to do it by heart because it was Will's favourite.

"Okay the butter's all melted now," she informed him.

"Good, add the cocoa, remember…" he answered without looking up from where he was cracking eggs for the cake.

"Yeah yeah, stir it 'til it's smooth, I've got it," she finished the sentence for him.

From the other room six pairs of eyes watched what was going on in the kitchen.

"Gross," Mike muttered as Jonathan walked up and kissed Nancy on the cheek.

Lucas and Dustin nodded in agreement but Max and El shushed him. Will watched quietly with a content smile on his face from seeing his brother happy.

"Ew," Lucas continued when Nancy dipped a finger in the chocolate batter and pushed it in between Jonathan's lips.

"Oh come on," Mike groaned when Jonathan returned the favour, to Nancy's giggles.

"Quiet," El urged.

They continued watching the for some sickening goings on in the kitchen, Mike's quiet muttering the only sound they made.

"Is that cake for us?" Dustin wondered hopeful, as Jonathan put it in the oven.

"It's for Mrs. Wheeler idiot," Lucas hissed.

"All of it?" Dustin countered.

"Good god why are we watching this? Let's go," Mike finally questioned, his limit definitely reached when his sister pushed Jonathan up against the fridge and kissed him.

"Hey wait if they're not going to do it I want to lick the ladle," Dustin announced, eyeing the bowl with the remnants of the chocolate frosting.

"No Dustin," Max tried to reach out and stop him but he was already trying to sneak his way into the kitchen.

And failed miserably, Nancy and Jonathan abruptly pulling a part at the sound of Dustin knocking over a measuring cup as he reached for the bowl with frosting.

"Oh, hey… guys," Dustin began awkwardly. "Uh… we'll be out of your hair," he finished. Nancy thought he at first referred to himself and the bowl of frosting but then she spotted the rest of the gang trying to sneak out of the next room.

"Real subtle you guys!" She called out, making them all stop in their tracks. "Were you spying on us?" She questioned as the rest of them shuffled to the kitchen.

"You guys are gross," Mike remarked. Nancy crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. Jonathan stood next to her looking a bit uncomfortable.

"Grow up, Mike. And you guys were the one's looking."

"I don't think you're gross," El said quietly. "It's cute," she added.

Nancy glanced to Jonathan, both blushing slightly.

"So uh, can we have cake?" Dustin asked, looking up from the mixing bowl.

"It's for mom when they get back," Nancy answered, looking at the clock on the wall and noting that they still had plenty of time for it to bake and get frosted and cool off. "But… take care of the dishes and you can all have a piece," she added.

"Sure thing Nance! Come on guys, lets get to it," Dustin immediately jumped at the task, throwing the bowl in the sink and starting to collect the rest, Will being quick to help out aswell.

Nancy smirked and turned around, tugging Jonathan out of the kitchen. Not like she wouldn't have let them all have a taste of it anyway, but she saw an opportunity to get out of doing the dishes and to spend some more quality time with Jonathan, and pounced on it.

For the first time in his life, a make-out session was interrupted by a "Ding!". Jonathan was confused as Nancy, to his great distress, pulled away from him. Her lips were swollen and he knew his were now the shame shade of red as hers.

"Cake's done," she announced with a smirk, pulling the oven timer she'd apparently taken with her out of her pocket.

"Right, right," he was shaken out of his daze. She smiled at him gave him another peck as they ventured back downstairs to the kitchen.

They took the cake out of the oven and let it cool before putting the frosting and other finishing touchens on it. All in all they were done with time to spare.

Her mother looked genuinely surprised and delighted when she and Mr. Wheeler returned. She gave Nancy a hug and after Nancy informed her, over his modest protests, that he'd helped, Mrs. Wheeler hugged him aswell.

They all sat down at the table they'd already set. Himself, Nancy, Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler, their brothers, Dustin, Lucas and Max. Nancy squeezed his hand under the table when her mother seemed to genuinely like the cake as much as Dustin and Will and the rest of the kids did. He found Mike giving him some sideway glances a couple of times but just shrugged at him and they stopped after Nancy got a wellplaced kick in at Mike's shins.