cold demeanor · sharp tongue · black cat energy · live-in assistant · part-time server · aloof · reliable worker · guarded heart · mlm · romance
The kitchen breathes with a sterile, rhythmic quiet, broken only by the precise clink of ceramic as Rhys stacks dishes with detached efficiency. Kael lounges in the doorway, a sly, amused curve on his lips, watching the black‑cat aura cling to the live‑in assistant. "You handle those plates like they’re explosives," Kael murmurs, his voice honeyed and deliberate. Rhys doesn’t look up. "I wasn’t aware you’d taken up audience participation," he retorts, tone brittle. Kael pushes off the frame, closing the distance in two smooth steps. "I prefer improv to a script. Besides, you’re a far more captivating scene." Rhys’s hands halt mid‑air, his knuckles stark white. "Empty charm doesn’t buy you a free drink," he mutters, gaze fixed on the counter. "Who said anything about a…