But I Had Plans (Ludwig/Liesel)

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He hadn't asked for it, but the law mandated that every so often workers must take time away from work, and so Ludwig had accepted this day off without complaint. The man disliked being idle, so as soon as he'd learned the date, he'd made a mental list of things he'd like to do at home, activities that he enjoyed but that would still keep him busy. He'd made himself a nice dinner the night before, had watched a movie with his dogs, and had gone to bed early, just to get a little extra sleep for once.

Of course, just the fact that he didn't have to work didn't stop Ludwig from waking up at his customary 5:30 a.m. time and going for his morning run; the end of the world probably wouldn't stop him from that. Schedules and repetition made Ludwig feel safe and comfortable, that was all. The weather in London that morning had been decent, and he had enjoyed his exercise; after returning home, he took a long hot shower, cleaned himself up, put on some casual clothes, and made himself breakfast.

Over a plate of cold cuts, bread, and cheese, Ludwig reviewed what he wanted to get done. The house could use a little cleaning, of course -- it always could. But he also wanted to walk his dogs in the nearby park, maybe spend some time outside in the garden, or perhaps start reading that new book he'd bought recently. Maybe he'd bake, or go into town to buy a birthday present for a friend. Or watch another movie later that night. None of his coworkers had the day off, so he couldn't very well call one of them up to go drinking, however; that would have to wait for a later day. For the time being -- what with the London weather being decently warm and pleasant -- he'd sit outside with his book and let the dogs run around and play for a bit. Ludwig cleaned up his breakfast plate, then made himself a cup of coffee before setting up some pillows on one of the outdoor chairs and stretching out.

This really was peaceful, he thought. Maybe, if he got more pleasant days off in the future, he'd do more of this: more reading and a little bit of resting. The hard housework could wait for the rainier days, when he had no choice but to stay inside but today, with the birds singing in the branches and just the hint of a pleasant breeze floating in the air, Ludwig felt unusually calm and content with everything.

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And this is where Liesel came in. She interrogated him endlessly to get the days he had off, and it was on those days she was going to keep him company. Knowing Ludwig - which she did - the poor fool was going to spend his day allowing around looking for random busywork. One of the things that annoyed her about her cousin was his sheer inability to just take it easy and do something good for himself. Ahh, but she was going to change that! Oh, yes she was. In one hand a brown paper bag, stuffed to the brim with all manner of baking goods. Knowing full well Ludwig's hobbies she figured it would be beneficial to perhaps goad him into a little baking. Nothing serious, nothing competitive. Just relaxing and productive at the same time - just how he liked it!

The other hand carried a large case of beer. The two of them could polish off all the bottles easily, but the goal wasn't to get him drunk. She never had that intention in mind, despite the fact he was a very amusing drunk, but she was very much invested in the idea of perhaps having legitimate fun with Ludwig. But did she call him first? Hell no! He would probably refuse and then lock his door and never answer if she did. Oh Ludwig, you overreact so much!

Liesel stole glances at every yard she passed. Good God, this neighborhood was rich. Someday she was going to be here in a massive house with a ton of dogs laughing at the poor saps trapped in those god-forsaken apartments in Vauxhall. How was it Ludwig was able to get a house in here when she was stuck in a dinky little apartment supplied by the government? Flickering lights, small spaces. She barely had enough room for her dog and he was a small little bugger. Ahh, someday she would have an amazing yard and her puppy would know the glory of grass.

Oh wait, his address--

With some difficulty she fished through her pockets, eventually giving up and putting down the cargo in order to properly find the paper. She knew this was his street but the house number-- Ah, there it is! With its perfectly manicured yard, impeccably pristine windows, and unmistakable BMW at the front. Picking the items back up she held back a distinct grin of excitement and bounded up to the front door. Her clothes checked for imperfections and her mess of curled hair pulled back out of her face, she rang the bell at the door at waiting to see Ludwig's surprise.

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Ludwig had just barely finished both his cup of coffee and the first chapter of his book when he heard the doorbell ring. All three of his dogs, who had up until now been rolling around in the grass nearby and playfully snapping at each other, sat up with their ears pricked. Ludwig had long ago trained them not to bark at any visitors, but his dogs were smart: they knew a guest when they heard the sound of the bell. Ludwig was only a second after them; frowning in curiosity, he marked his place in his book and took that and his coffee cup inside, setting both on the counter.

He wasn't expecting visitors and, in all honesty, he didn't enjoy being interrupted. And especially today, when he'd finally managed to wring a genuine moment of peace out of his busy schedule, Ludwig grew more irritated. Then again, there was the fact that he kept his house fairly secure; it wasn't as though just anyone could waltz up to his front door. Unfortunately the added security was the consequence of being in a position of power and visibility -- but on the bright side, he never had any traveling salesman knocking at his door. So... could it be someone from work? If Ludwig had to go in to the office today, he'd do that. Work took first priority. Then again, it could also be someone from the press... they tended to be especially sneaky when it came to finding out how to get past the systems he'd set up. Ludwig winced. He hated talking to the press.

But when he reached his door and checked through the peephole, Ludwig found himself wrong on all counts. Without hesitation, he opened the door.

"Liesel? What on earth are you doing here?" Ludwig's gaze went from his cousin's cheerful expression to the parcel and beer tucked under her arms and back again; his shocked expression hadn't changed. "I, I mean, it's good to see you, but I wasn't really expecting anyone," he added, running a hand nervously over his hair. Ludwig liked seeing his cousin, and given that she was usually so busy, the visits were treats, but they also tended to be planned beforehand. With Liesel showing up out of the blue all of a sudden, Ludwig couldn't help but suspecting that something had gone wrong, something bad had happened, and she'd come to break the news to him.

"Come on in," he offered, stepping out of the way so she could enter. "How've you been? Can I get you something to drink? Coffee or tea?" As familiar as Ludwig and his cousin were, the man hadn't come down from his surprise at her arrival and promptly reverted to the usual polite manner he employed with visitors; his expression remained guarded and slightly anxious, prepared for something bad.

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One of the bags slid slightly from Liesel's grasp, but she caught it expertly while waiting for Ludwig to answer, silently praying he would be more diligent than he normally was because he grip on the bags was still rather tenuous. The door slid open and Liesel greeted her cousin with her best smile.

"Liesel? What on earth are you doing here?" He was surprised to see her. Of course he was surprised. This was, in fact, a surprise visit, though her interrogating him about his days off from his big government job would have been a big warning flag to expect her randomly.

"Really, Ludwig? That was an awful greeting." She huffed playfully, poking her lower lip out in a faux pout.

"I, I mean, it's good to see you, but I wasn't really expecting anyone," He stammered out quickly in response, to which Liesel grinned.

"Surprise, surprise." she said. "We haven't hung out in a while, you know. We're always both so busy-- I know if you could you'd be back at the office." Ludwig then invited her in, stepping aside to give her enough room with her handfuls of items. "I planned to come another day but I got roped into doing a shift for another employee."

"Where would you not mind me setting this?" Balancing on one leg she used her knee to push one of the falling bags back into position, gesturing that they were harder to hold than they looked. They were heavy, not particularly, but her grip wasn't the best. "You could call this an impromptu visit for both of us, I was actually going to call first."

"How've you been? Can I get you something to drink? Coffee or tea?" The door closed behind her. Excellent, she made it. She really needed to memorize this address.

"I've been well. A little bored at the bakery, though." She explained through a sigh. "It's been slowing down, lately. Bad season, I guess-- oh, coffee would be nice, please. I trust everything's been well with you? No government insanity to speak of?"

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"Really, Ludwig? That was an awful greeting." Even if his cousin was only joking -- and she was, he could tell by the pout -- Ludwig felt his cheeks go pink; he hadn't meant to be so unintentionally rude. And while she easily accepted his apology, Liesel had clearly come here with the intention of spending time together, and Ludwig wasn't sure how he felt about that. Of course he cared about his cousin: with the relationship he had with his parents frankly strained, Liesel was probably the most genuine family member he had, in the literal and emotional sense of the definition. But this unexpected visit upset his schedule, upset his plans. And despite the good intentions with which Liesel came to his house, Ludwig couldn't help feeling anxious.

"I know if you could you'd be back at the office," Liesel continued, pushing one of the bags she was carrying up with her knee. Ludwig reached out to help her.

"I'll take that-- and that's not true," he protested, although he instantly felt dismayed at how uncertain he sounded when he declared that. "If they can't survive one day without me than they are in worse trouble than I suspected," he added, surer now, although he carefully left out the information that it had been British law that had forced him to take a vacation, not so much his own choice. Ludwig did hope that nothing was falling to pieces without him. His coworkers had his cell phone number; they'd certainly call him if something went wrong...

Relieving Liesel of both of the bags, Ludwig carried them into his tidy kitchen, peering inside after setting them on the counter. Flour, sugar, baking chocolate... and beer? Ludwig glanced over his shoulder; was this supposed to be some kind of riddle? What exactly did Liesel have planned? Something with cooking, maybe... drunk cooking, perhaps? It wasn't even noon yet - although Ludwig realized with some embarrassment that the time had never stopped him before when beer was on the menu.

"Make yourself at home," he offered, abandoning the curious bags for now, "and I'll get the coffee going." He did exactly that, listening as his cousin spoke about the bakery. Schade - he hadn't been there in ages, but Liesel always made the best bread and cookies and cakes. Everything there reminded him very much of home, and it was a comforting place to be whenever he felt homesick. "I'm sorry to hear that," he answered, when Liesel revealed that business hadn't been good, "but it'll pick up around the holidays - it always does, right? That's when everyone wants cakes the most. Being bored isn't any good." Glaring directly at the coffee machine always seemed to make it work faster, and Ludwig did just that until he had two cups of fresh coffee, which he set on the kitchen counter next to his cousin's luggage.

"I trust everything's been well with you? No government insanity to speak of?"

"The government is always insane," Ludwig insisted solemnly, leaning against the counter and folding his arms. "But if it wasn't insane, it would probably stop working. That's our dirty little secret. Come in here, the coffee's ready." He waited until Liesel joined him in the kitchen before speaking up again, "So what have you been up to besides running the bakery? And - I have to ask - what's with the beer?" He gestured to the bag in question.

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Ludwig's anxiety would, hopefully, disappear quickly. Though Liesel was visiting and intending to spend time with him, she brought gifts that would either ensure he would have fun, or at least come out of it with a pile of food. She didn't think those prospects were particularly nerve-wracking and thus Ludwig was currently overanalyzing and overreacting. As always. She wasn't entirely surprised. After all, his job left him all sorts of things to worry about and here she was, showing up unexpectedly. Most people would assume she had bad news, but what bad news was accompanied by booze?

The smell of fresh coffee was a joy to behold, feeling as if just the aroma alone was enough to give her a burst of energy. With Ludwig in the kitchen Liesel stretched her arms out above her head, reveling in the ecstatic feelings of actually having room to do so. Ludwig was so lucky - hardworking was the better word - to live in such a huge, gorgeous house. Liesel guaranteed to herself one day she'd have one comparable, with all the pets she could ask for. Gosh, she needed a better home. It was embarrassing to have company in a home that could barely hold more people that just herself.

When Ludwig called her she was back on her feet again and heading towards his immaculate kitchen, wearing a grin on her face as he asked her about the beer. "Did you honestly believe for a moment I'd interrupt your day off without bringing a gift to placate you?" The pack wasn't a party at all, but she was confident it was enough to at least make him feel better. She could always go pick up more, anyway. "Well, surprise!"

The rest of the items, he could probably use his imagination to figure out what they were for. What Liesel made a into a profession, Ludwig preferred to keep tamed into a hobby. One of the reasons she didn't bring enough alcohol to render both of them ridiculously intoxicated. As hilarious as it sounded, drunk baking was not a wise thing to do. Or, well, drunk cooking with a stove. Baking anything would allow a few precious moments to sober.

She knew exactly where everything in his kitchen was, making herself quite at home as he had invited by helping herself to a coffee mug and the coffee he'd just made.

"I know this is likely uncomfortably impromptu, but I thought you might enjoy a little quality time and something homecooked." She leaned herself up against his counter, holding the mug up to her lips to take the lightest of sips from the liquid.

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Wrapping his fingers around the comfortably warm mug of coffee, Ludwig watched his cousin stretch out and pace around his kitchen. He'd visited her apartment a few times and knew just how cramped it was. It wasn't entirely fair: Liesel worked as hard as anyone he knew, and she deserved better than she was able to afford. Honestly, if he knew he wouldn't offend her pride, he would have offered to let her share his house. He had the space to spare, and their dogs already got along. While Ludwig genuinely treasured having his own living space and Liesel tended to worry over him at times worse than his own mother, he would have overlooked all of that had she honestly needed or asked for a place to stay. But stubbornness seemed to run in their family, and as long as she didn't raise the issue, Ludwig had decided he wouldn't push it. He sipped his coffee thoughtfully as she explained her reasons for interrupting his day off.

That the beer was intended as a gift and not... well, a challenge caused Ludwig's tense expression to lift just a little. It was a better surprise than he'd expected, really, and when the rest of his cousin's plan spelled itself out clearly in his head, Ludwig realized that Liesel had actually put a lot of thought into this. He loved beer but it was far too early in the day to drink for the sake of drinking, and he hadn't had enough free time to bake anything in ages. Liesel's actual plan touched him, and he quickly felt guilty for acting so standoffish and irritated upon first answering the door and finding her there. Working in politics had apparently made him automatically suspicious of everything, even his family.

"It is a bit impromptu," he remarked, his face and voice gentler as he took another sip of his coffee, "but I'd be insane to turn away beer and the chance to try and outbake you." To solidify that promise, Ludwig casually reached over and flipped the oven on with a quiet beep. "Do you think if I ever get kicked out of politics, I can come work for you?" he asked, half-smiling as he set his coffee aside and started unpacking the baking supplies. "Or would I just be stepping on your toes? You're the professional, ja?"

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"It is a bit impromptu, but I'd be insane to turn away beer and the chance to try and outbake you." Oho. Keyword there was “try.” Liesel fully expected to defeat Ludwig so utterly it would be hilarious, but at this particular moment and on this particular day, she would try to be only slightly competitive. After all, this was a day to hang out and not wage a war. The oven made a quiet beep as the preheat was turned on, signaling the start of a beautiful battle. She grinned into her cup and winked. “I’d pay to see you try, but hah, I don’t!”

"Do you think if I ever get kicked out of politics, I can come work for you? Or would I just be stepping on your toes? You're the professional, ja?"

Ooooh, hostile.

“Please, you wouldn’t be stepping on my toes any more or less than the other people I work with.” She said, grinning widely. She took another sip of her coffee, then set the cup down on the counter. “If anything, you’d be a welcome improvement over several incompetents.”

Most of the ingredients Ludwig unpacked were brand new. Liesel didn’t stock her own apartment with the necessary items very often. What she liked to do took up more room than she had to spare to flour and seasonings that were not edible on their own. She went out on a spree specifically for this adventure. “I went ahead and brought everything I think we’ll need. Seeing as this is you, if we need anything else I’m sure you’ll have it.”

“It’s all brand new,” she said, holding up a handful of various tiny bottles of extracts and spices, “and by the time we’re done here you’ll have accrued two gifts.” Beer AND more baking supplies. She looked at him expectantly with a ‘you better use this stuff’ kind of look in her eyes.

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Ludwig smirked in response to the cheeky wink his cousin gave him. While baking was a hobby for him, Liesel had made it her profession, and no matter how much he tried to reach that level, nothing Ludwig ever made turned out perfectly. Ludwig knew she was proud of her skills, but Liesel knew how much of a perfectionist he was, so it was kind of her not to rub it in that he couldn't do as good a job.

“Please, you wouldn't be stepping on my toes any more of less than the other people I work with. If anything, you'd be a welcome improvement over several incompetents.”

Ludwig laughed and shook his head. "You know, most people would hire some new help in your position," he offered, arranging all the ingredients as he examined each item. Flour. Baking powder. Sugar. Chocolate. Vanilla extract. Sliced almonds. Liesel had really gone all out, Ludwig realized: she'd even brought eggs and milk, although Ludwig had plenty of both in his fridge. He looked up from organizing everything as his cousin spoke up again.

"I thinkg you've got everything covered," he said, "but I've got a good collection here if we need anything odd." Ludwig made trips back to Germany a few times a year for a variety of reasons, but he always stocked up on food and ingredients before he flew back. He had quite a hoard in his pantry of things that were harder to get in London, and although he tended to save them for special occasions, in this case he could make an exception. Ludwig took the tiny bottles of extract and spices that she'd been holding, weathering her pointed look calmly.

"You know I wouldn't let any of this go to waste," he chided gently. "I don't usually need an excuse to bake things, even." After a moment, he set the bottles down and flashed his cousin a brief, genuine smile. "Thank you. I really mean it. I didn't expect anything like this but, honestly, I'm kind of excited now." Ludwig rubbed his hands together and glanced at the oven; it was still warming up, but they could certainly get to work.

"Should we lay down any rules, or is this going to be every man for himself?"

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"You know, most people would hire some new help in your position,"

Hrm, he was right. What was she? Easy? Forgiving? Stupid? Hopefully not that last one. Fortunately for her, her incompetent help had yet to do anything wrong. They usually knew what they were doing... it was just those moments when all lucidity was lost and people were frantic, trying to figure out what went where despite having worked at the bakery for more than two years. Good help was hard to find sometimes. "I should, but I never do. It would feel empty if I replaced my team."

Everything was covered, unless Ludwig decided he wanted to bring out the big guns and start using all the crazy stuff instead. She'd only brought a few bare essentials, a couple of extracts and powders to fill the flavorless voice. She didn't go too overboard with stocking up, despite what Ludwig's first impressions were. It seemed only fitting that she supply what Ludwig could not, but also not make assumptions on what he had in the house. Her visit didn't require him to use HIS food up.

"Thank you. I really mean it. I didn't expect anything like this but, honestly, I'm kind of excited now." That was what she was looking for. That smile, that assurance. It felt nice that Ludwig was engaging in an event that didn't involve a stick being shoved up his ass. She smiled back, but waved it off like it was nothing.

"I'm just doing my duty as a relative." she replied simply, and then Ludwig inquired about rules.

Rules, rules... boring, but necessary. It'd be one thing to bake something incredible, but another entirely to bake something incredible that couldn't be eaten. "It has to be edible," she began. "Oh, and it has to actually be a thing. No messes of batter and icing that have no form."

She expected that Ludwig didn't need to be told this. He was a perfectionist of the highest caliber and would accept from himself nothing less than 100% of his effort. He'd make a cake and it wouldn't look like shit, basically. Rules, just in case though. One never knew what the other would do.

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He couldn’t help smiling a little bit as his cousin offered her reason for not hiring new workers to replace her current ones.

”I think I know what you mean,” he replied. ”You work with someone long enough and they become almost like your family — incompetence and all. But it’s incompetence you know, ja? You’re prepared for it.” It was similar to how he knew Michael Collins would always be late to reply to any of his messages… not that something like that was anything serious. All of the politicians tended to be overworked, and Ludwig had the distinct feeling he was the only one who made a sincere effort to be on time about everything.

Opening some of the lower cupboards, Ludwig pulled out mixing bowls and pans, spoons and whisks and spatulas. He didn’t keep an overabundance of anything in his house, but there were enough for them to share if the competition remained friendly.

”I’m just doing my duty as a relative,” Liesel had said. Ludwig put on a look of mock-pain.

”Oh, it’s your duty now, to make sure I’m entertained on my day off? You didn’t want to come, but it was your duty, after all,” he teased gently, before cracking a small smile again. ”I’ll cook you dinner later, anyways, when we’re done baking. That can be my duty.”

Even though the competition was a friendly one, Ludwig paid careful attention as Liesel explained the relatively few rules that they had to follow. He liked rules, even casual silly ones like these: they allowed him to focus better, although he couldn’t honestly explain why. Perhaps it just helped to have something concrete defining his thoughts.

”O ye of little faith,” Ludwig joked, opening a bag of flour and pouring it into the nearest free mixing bowl. ”You make it sound as though I’ve never baked a cake before.” True, he hadn’t baked a cake in a while, owing to the responsibilities of his job, both work-related and social. But he’d had enough practice in it before. Ludwig could have made a basic cake blindfolded, although to outdo his baker cousin… that would be more of a challenge. A fun challenge, though, and whatever happened, they’d at least get two cakes out of it.

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"Stupid family but, family all the same. I couldn't get rid of them, even if I actually tried." The one time she actually tried to fire someone, she quickly gave into their pleas for another chance, and this chance had been given several times over with no lesson learned. But, the store remained cohesive even with that minor flaw, so perhaps her position was not as compromising as Liesel had thought.

She'd taken one of the bags of flour and opened it. A puff of white flour billowed upward and stained her fingers.

Her cousin's dramatics following her comment about duty made her smile. He could be such a stick-in-the-mud sometimes, but with the right motivation and just the right words, he was just as playful and personable as everyone else - when in the right company, of course. Never would she expect Ludwig to be a paragon of social prowess when in the presence of strangers and certainly that was never the case in reality.

"You have a country to serve, but I suppose it would give me bragging rights to say Ludwig served me dinner." She pinched his cheek with a flour-covered finger, leaving a small print of white behind.

”You make it sound as though I’ve never baked a cake before.”

"Oooh, so you don't want a handicap, then? I just assumed, since it's been so long since we last did this..." Should she lay off? Nah. The two of them were firing back and forth and there didn't seem to be any hard feelings. Ludwig was, thankfully, very much used to her antics by now, and it was good to know his skin hadn't thinned out at all since the last meet-up. Lord knew few enough people could handle her at her worst as it was.

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It seemed as though an unusual amount of patience ran in his family, Ludwig decided. He’d only ever had a few people working under him, but whenever they made mistakes — even large ones — he’d given them second chances. And that was how the personal secretary who helped him out still drew a paycheck despite getting Ludwig’s reports (to be sent to other MPs) and Ludwig’s junk papers (to be shredded and recycled) mixed up. The German had at least been able to determine that it wasn’t being done on purpose, though… so maybe that had factored into his decision for mercy.

For a moment, he focused on measuring out a few key ingredients for his cake — spices, mainly — before a pinch to his cheek distracted him.

”Oi! That’s what we call an initiation of hostilities,” he accused with a half-grin, wiping the flour from his cheek less than successfully. ”Now if I throw eggs at you, my actions will be justified.” Of course he’d never do that… but perhaps Liesel didn’t know that. Her rules hadn’t stated that psychological warfare was prohibited. ”The bragging rights are yours,” he offered, turning his attention back to the bowl of ingredients in front of him, ”but you might want to wait and see how good any of this food turns out first. Especially since you’re apparently taking away my handicap…”

Dusting flour from his hands, he picked his way through the supplies laid out, trying to decide what other flavors to add. Ludwig certainly was no professional, not like his cousin, but he had the basic cake recipe down cold, as well as a few adjustments to make the finished product even better. Any modifications, however, were up to him. And as silly as their contest felt, he certainly wasn’t about to just let himself lose.

”So, how’s that puppy of yours doing? You still have him, right?” Ludwig’s favorite topics of conversation were politics, engineering, and dogs, and it was the final one that he and Liesel had the most common interest in, as far as he knew.