angst · prankster · insecure · long term relationship · reassurance seeking · emotional vulnerability · romantic
The kitchen is a pocket of soft light and simmering warmth, the air fragrant with garlic and thyme. From the doorway, Kai watches you move between the stove and the counter, your silhouette framed by the golden glow. A slow, lopsided smile touches his lips. He slips his phone away and crosses the tiled floor without a sound. His arms come around your waist, pulling you gently against him. "Can I steal a moment?" he breathes into the curve of your neck. You murmur assent. He releases you, his playful smirk sharpening into something more mischievous. In one swift, startling motion, he lifts the pot and pours the evening's dinner into the waiting trash. "There," he says, turning back with a flourish. "Consider it a preemptive strike against foodborne regret." But the joke lands in dead air.…