Look, it's amazing, right? It's amazing, right?

Taro blinked and brightened up at Tomoko's agreeing tone, happy that the boy had decided to focus on the more positive things now. "A-alrighty!" He chirped, before wincing at his own too-high-pitched voice and lowering his head in embarrassment. "S-sorry, I'll try to keep it down." He said, blushing as he scratched the side of his face with a stray fingernail. "Even I can tell when I've crossed the line from 'okay' to 'really freaking annoying'."

It wasn't long before they managed to climb up to the second floor, right above the deck, where the kitchen was. Sitting Tomoko down in the comfiest chair that he could find, he put his hands on his hips and puffed out his cheeks. "Okay!" He called out. "What kind of cookies do you want? And don't bother making tea, you deserve some rest. I can make it myself, okay?"

He winked playfully. "Just tell me what flavors you want and I'll do the rest, ne?"

(Is Taro gonna be Tomoko's Olivia, making all the damn cookies))

Tomoko had winced at the high pitch breaking through the quiet atmosphere he had built up in his mind, resisting the urge to glare intensely at Taro, instead scrunching his eyes shut briefly as he waited for the sound to pass. "Thank you, Taro. It was just loud, not annoying." He said, exhaling heavily. For the rest of the journey, he carried on walking silently, not wanting to interrupt Taro's happier attitude with his own weighted thoughts. 

Well... He had never had a cookie before. They always seemed tasty, but neither he nor his brother ever got to try one - probably so they wouldn't have to run the risk of getting poisoned by something so seemingly innocent. Chocolate chip cookies always seemed... Intriguing though. Tomoko couldn't understand how a combination such as pieces of chocolate and hardened... dough? -- Whatever the hell it was made out of, was so likable. Considering that he probably wouldn't run the risk of getting poisoned by a person who was considerably shorter and probably did not even know which kind of poisons were strong enough, he murmured, "Does chocolate chip cookies sound possible?"

At the second part another frown developed on his face, with a surprisingly determined look coming over his expression. "I would like to make the tea, Taro." 

Taro hesitated, before giving Tomoko the best, albeit probably one of the sloppiest, salutes that he could do. "Uh-huh! I'll try my absolute hardest to make the best chocolate chip cookies ever!" He winked, just once, for added effect in hopes that it would convince Tomoko of how confident he was in his non-existant baking skills.

However, at Tomoko's next statement, he frowned. "Uhm, are you sure?" He asked hesitantly. "You're not exactly in your best possible state right now, and I had to help you all the way up here, so I don't want you passing out on me as you're making tea - especially when you're making tea, actually, cause you could burn yourself. But if you're really confident about yourself, then-" He hesitated before sighing. "I guess you can make tea."

A smirk came over his face at the sight of Taro trying his best to make him believe in his ability to cook. Was this honestly all just because he felt guilty for what he said? Surely he was going out of his way a little, right? Tomoko dismissed the thought, wanting to conserve the energy he had on thinking about slightly happier things.

Why had he even insisted on making tea in the first place? Maybe it was just because of muscle memory now; every time he spent a whole with someone, he would offer to make them tea... Unless he was with Ju-- Don't end that thought. "Your permission is appreciated, Taro." Tomoko said slowly as he stood himself up. "Shall we go to the kitchen?"

bumperz

nump part 2

Taro paused at Tomoko's question. "Uhm," He began out, tapping his chin. In all honesty, he had never actually had tea before. It wasn't that he was too poor to afford tea - though he was poor enough - but he had never really actually gotten around to drinking the liquid. Thus, he had no idea what the flavors or, even less the ones that he would prefer.

"I think I'd like..." He trailed off, searching his mind for the answer, "chamomile tea? Yeah, I think that's what it called. Chamomile. I'd like that, if that's alright with you, of course."