Xaviers!

"I can do that." He offered, starting in on cleaning up their mess.

"Zere, and zat is anozer important lesson Basil. Women may fall in love wiz a man because he can cook. But zey stay in love wiz one who does ze washing up."

"Probably a good thing, because I can't cook." He laughed.

"What do you want for Christmas?" He asked.

"You cannot cook yet, but you can be taught." Colette said in a reassuring tone, before his question caught him off guard.

"I... honestly cannot say. I had not considered it."

" Well Santa can't bring presents to girls who don't make wishlists."

Colette hesitated. Instinctively she wanted to explain how she hadn't gotten a lot of presents as she was growing up but she thought better of it, lest Basil think she was manipulating him to get what she wanted. Of course she knew he didn't feel that way but it was always something she felt guilty about.

"Ehm, well... I suppose I could use a coat for ze winter...."

"Anything else?" He asked, up to his rolled up sleeves in dishwater.

"I zink zat is more zan enough. Especially if I have a certain boy to walk arm in arm wiz when I am wearing it."

" Mamoru Chiba?" He joked.

"Oh, now zere is somezing I could get you for Christmas. A nice pair of pink slacks."

It wasn't long before the oven timer signalled that the cookies were done. Colette directed Basil to place the morsels on some cooling racks while she finished melting the bowl of chocolate chips, which she then drizzled over the cookies with a fork.

"Zere, zat was not so hard, was it Basil?"