The evening was supposed to be simple. A quiet dinner, some light banter, and maybe a toast to surviving yet another week in their unusual household. But, of course, nothing ever went according to plan in this house. Kaelan should've known better.
As he stirred the stew simmering on the stove, the aroma of spices filled the kitchen. Inas was chopping vegetables, her silver hair swaying with each slice. "Are you sure you don't want me to take over, Kaelan? You nearly burned the last batch of stew."
Kaelan shot her a look, playfully offended. "I've got it under control this time. Besides, it was only slightly singed last time."
"Slightly?" Ethan piped up from the dining table, grinning. "I'm pretty sure we used it to patch a hole in the wall."
Kaelan rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress a smile. He was about to retort when the kitchen door burst open, and Damien strode in, his black hair perfectly tousled and his crimson eyes glinting with amusement.
"What's this? Another attempt at culinary disaster?" Damien asked, leaning casually against the counter.
Kaelan glared at him but couldn't help laughing. "You've got jokes now, too? I must be rubbing off on you."
Damien's smirk widened. "Not in this lifetime."
As Kaelan turned back to the stove, Ethan glanced over his shoulder at him. "So, tonight's dinner… any special reason you wanted to cook? Or are you just trying to impress someone?" His tone was teasing, but Kaelan could hear the undertone of curiosity.
Kaelan's heart skipped a beat. Was he that obvious? He hadn't planned to impress Ethan specifically, but now that it was mentioned… His thoughts were interrupted by Seraphina's entrance, her golden hair glowing under the kitchen lights.
"What's the occasion?" she asked, taking a seat next to Ethan. "Or is this just another 'survive Kaelan's cooking' kind of night?"
"Okay, that's it!" Kaelan threw down the spoon dramatically. "Everyone's a critic!"
The room erupted into laughter, and for a moment, everything felt perfect—until Lucifer showed up.
Lucifer's Entry (And Chaos Ensues)
Lucifer Infernal, towering and intimidating, pushed open the kitchen door with his usual dramatic flair. His fiery red eyes scanned the room before settling on the pot of stew. "What's that smell? Burnt hopes and dreams?"
"You, too?" Kaelan groaned, throwing his hands up in defeat.
Lucifer chuckled, his deep voice sending shivers down Kaelan's spine. "Relax, Stormchaser. I'm sure it's edible. Probably." He winked at Seraphina, who shook her head in mock disapproval.
But before anyone could respond, the stew pot began to shake. Kaelan turned just in time to see the lid fly off, steam billowing out. The stew bubbled and hissed as if it had a mind of its own, and suddenly, with a loud pop, it exploded.
Thick, gooey stew flew across the kitchen, splattering the walls, the ceiling, and everyone within range. Ethan, who had been sitting closest to the pot, took the worst of it, his shirt completely drenched in sauce.
For a moment, there was stunned silence. Then, Inas burst out laughing, followed by Seraphina and Damien. Even Lucifer couldn't hide his amusement.
"I knew this would happen," Ethan deadpanned, wiping a chunk of stew from his hair.
Kaelan, still holding the ladle, stood frozen in disbelief. "I… I swear, it wasn't supposed to do that."
"Clearly," Damien said, smirking as he brushed stew off his shoulder. "You've outdone yourself, Kaelan."
"Okay, okay!" Kaelan laughed, finally giving in. "Next time, I'm leaving the cooking to Inas."
Inas winked. "Smartest decision you've made all night."
A Sudden Confession
As they cleaned up the mess, Kaelan found himself side by side with Ethan, who was still covered in stew. Kaelan handed him a towel, their fingers brushing for a moment.
"Thanks," Ethan said, his voice softer now, more serious. "You know, even though your cooking skills are questionable, this whole thing was kind of… nice."
Kaelan raised an eyebrow. "You mean the exploding stew?"
Ethan chuckled. "No, I mean… spending time together. It's easy to forget sometimes that we're all just trying to make this place feel like home."
Kaelan felt a warmth spread through his chest, the weight of Ethan's words settling in. "I know what you mean. I didn't expect to find a family here. But somehow, that's what we've become."
For a moment, their eyes met, and Kaelan could see the vulnerability in Ethan's deep blue gaze. He wanted to say more, but before he could find the words, Lucifer interrupted them.
"So, who's ready for round two?" Lucifer grinned, holding up another pot. "I'll give it a shot. Can't be worse than Kaelan's attempt, right?"
Ethan laughed, breaking the tension, and Kaelan shook his head, grateful for the interruption but also longing for more time alone with Ethan. There was something there between them, something unspoken but undeniable.