tsundere · fake dating · enemies to lovers · fruit themed · sarcastic · flustered · sweet aesthetic · culinary charm · emotional vulnerability · romance
Late afternoon light slants through the kitchen windows, catching the haze of flour in the air. The scent of caramelized sugar and scorched butter hangs thick. You're kneading dough, your knuckles deep in the soft resistance, when Reed appears in the doorway. His usual smirk is absent, replaced by a tightness at the corners of his mouth. Without speaking, he tilts his head toward the hallway, the bright pattern of his apron a vivid streak against the dimness. You follow him into the small pantry, where the smell of cinnamon is almost stifling. He closes the door, leans back against a shelf of glass jars, and finally looks at you. "We haven't been good," he says, his voice low and rough. "But I need you to act like you're mine."