Robin carefully does up his shirt and bowtie before heading out of his room. His parents are at work now, but his sister is still in the house.

“Hey, Lark,” he says, leaning against the door to their home gym—i.e. the extra bedroom in the house.

Lark stops her deadlifts with a huge sigh. “Yeah?”

“I’m going to be late home tonight,” he says. “Tell mum and dad not to cook for me, right?”

Lark smirks. “Oh, my little brother has a date?”

“If it was a girl, would you think it’s a date?”

“Well, you could be more flexible than you realised…”

Robin rolls his eyes. “He’s the guy you pestered me about last week that I went to brunch with. You know, the one that looked up the womens’ Carlton Blues.”

Lark grins. “Oh, the one that’s getting ready to meet the family?”

“He’s a friend and we’re having dinner.”

“During work hours?...Unless you’re going after work…” Lark smirks. “Unless you’re going to a bar or club…”

Robin stares at her. “Just tell our parents that I’m having dinner in the city, alright?”

Lark’s smirk widens “Alright, alright. Have fun.”

“And you have fun teaching annoying kids,” Robin returns.

He leaves the house, driving to the station and taking the train up the city. As he enters his shop—a few hours before opening time—he flicks on the oven and takes in the delivery boxes of fruit and ingredients. Some of that fruit is specially ordered, just for today.

This morning, Robin decides to make himself half a serving of Royal Milk Tea. While the bubble tea franchises prefer using a powder, he steeps spices and Assam tea leaves. As it steeps, Robin starts on boiling the boba. The boba won’t finish in time for his drink, but he doesn’t need them. He strains the tea into a glass and adds warm milk and sugar to taste.

The milk tea is smooth and sweet, and the hint of spices warm it further.

Oliver would like it, Robin muses, warm feeling his chest.

But Robin has other plans for dessert tonight. He’ll have to prepare the fruits in the evening, but right now, Robin starts the meringue for the cake...