After a quick prep, Themis unhooked her biggest skillet and set it on the stove, turning the heat up and letting it preheat as she started cracking eggs in a bowl. She set a smaller pan next to the big one and laid out bacon bits, letting them cook for a moment by themselves before adding butter to the big pan. She picked up the bowl and started beating the eggs, mixing the yolks and the whites until they were smooth. In the meantime the butter had melted and was frothing, ready for her to pour the eggs in. Stirring both the eggs and the bacon was by no means easy, she had to dual wield spatulas to make sure neither got too hot, but she had made that recipe more times than she could count. She could make it blindfolded if she had to.
It took longer than usual for the eggs to cook, she wasn’t used to cooking that many at the same time. By the time they were about ready the bacon had crisped up. She pulled both pans from the heat, topping the eggs with shredded cheddar and dumping the bacon on paper towels. In the pan with the bacon she dumped some more butter, mixing it with the bacon fat. Back to the other pan, the eggs had finished cooking and the cheese had melted. Themis added the crispy bacon and began flipping the omelet, using some of the bacon butter to help it off the pan. She rolled it on a platter over her dinner table, covering it with a pot lid so it would stay warm, before going back to the kitchen to chop vegetables. A green bell pepper, a jalapeno and chives to top the omelete; lettuce, red onion and carrots for a quick salad. She parsed through her mental cookbook of dressing recipes when she heard Artie’s bike pull up to the building.
Themis served black coffee on a pair of Muppet Show cups, the Swedish Chef for herself and Stater and Waldorf for Artie. Then she uncovered the still hot omelet and garnished it with the chopped vegetables, right on time for her bell to be rung. At the other side of the door Artie looked derelict, her whole face was tensed up as even breathing came hard for her. She was hidden behind a pair of the darkest sunglasses Themis had ever seen, she doubted her sister could even see anything through them. They hugged, exchanging whispered greetings. Artie perked up once she was let in and a waft of bacon and coffee hit her across the face.
“What did you do?” she asked, practically drooling as she made her way to her kitchen and collapsed on a chair.
“Your favourite,” Themis said, fishing forks and knives from the drawer.
They ate from the same plate, like they used to when they were little. Like then Artie tore the eggs apart, scooping up all the melted bits that spilled out as she cut it open. Themis knew her well enough to know that she’d be licking the grease off the plate if she was on her own. What Artie didn’t attack head on was the greens, actively avoiding the jalapeno. That one was mostly for Themis, added to stall her sister as she enjoyed her salad alongside the omelet. The coffee was a poor fit taste wise, but it worked like medicine for both women’s hangovers. Bitter, but effective. Too bitter for either of them to finish their cup, but by the time they were done with them Artie felt better. Enough for them to talk in their regular voices.
“Fuck,” Artie exclaimed, sitting back against her chair. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“Why not?” Themis smiled, forking the last bits of salad she was gonna eat before shoving the bowl towards her sister. “I’m sure you are used to McMuffins and burritos. Nothing beats homemade though, does it?”
“Eh, those muffins do be pretty good,” Artie chuckled. Her tease was cut short when her sister kicked her shin. She picked up the salad and started finishing up the greens without saying anything about it. “Thank you, though. Are you naked?”
“I got a shirt on,” Themis said, pulling on said shirt. A sudden breeze brushing against her crotch made her reconsider and let it down.
“You look like a clingy hookup,” Artie noted, putting her fork down.
“Your hookup, maybe. Mine stay passed out till noon.”
Artie laughed, feigning disgust. They had always been open about their sexuality and they held no secrets from each other. They helped each other when they needed to, and they stayed out of each other’s way. Part of the reason Themis wanted to meet Artie was to chew her out for the Raven situation. But as they laughed around a breakfast table, it seemed so trivial. She was just glad she had her sister back.
“So,” Themis said. “Hof today? Should I get dressed?”
“We got time,” Artie said, stretching her arms as she got comfortable. “Odin won’t be in until at least noon. And I think Dinah is sick, she probably won’t come in.”
“I see.”
“Are you nervous?”
Themis sighed. “Yeah, I guess. It’s my first time. I don’t want to screw it up.”
“I know, I felt like that too,” Artie said. “But it's not like in the movies. We don’t make, like, life or death decisions and shit. We just talk shop, gossip a bit and it’s done. Besides, I was alone in my first one. I’ll be right there for you.”
The older sister cracked a smile and asked: “You are right. It’s us against the world, right?”
Artie took her glasses off to look Themis in the eye directly. “Us against the world,” she agreed. “So, you still have your console hooked up?”
“Marvel vs Capcom?” Themis cocked an eyebrow. “You think you got a chance?”
“Oh, you are gonna eat it so hard,” Artie chuckled.