Chereads / Exiled Hearts / Chapter 11 - The Art of Subtlety (Or Lack Thereof)

Chapter 11 - The Art of Subtlety (Or Lack Thereof)

The morning started in typical chaos—well, typical for this household, anyway.

Kaelan barely made it out of his room before hearing a loud crash from the kitchen, followed by a very dramatic groan. He rushed down the hallway, his heart already beating faster, ready for some new disaster.

"I swear, I was just trying to cook eggs!" Damien shouted, clearly exasperated.

Kaelan stopped short as he entered the kitchen, immediately greeted by the sight of a small fire on the stove and Ethan furiously fanning it with a dish towel.

"You're a vampire," Ethan grumbled, shaking his head. "How are you still this bad at cooking?"

Damien looked genuinely offended, his crimson eyes flashing. "Cooking wasn't exactly a priority in the 1800s, alright?!"

Kaelan couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. He grabbed a glass of water and splashed it over the fire, extinguishing the small flame. The smell of burnt eggs lingered in the air, but at least the kitchen wasn't going to burn down—today, at least.

"You know, Damien," Kaelan said, leaning against the counter, "maybe it's time to admit that cooking just… isn't your thing."

Damien scowled, crossing his arms. "It's the stove's fault. It's possessed."

"Right," Ethan smirked, tossing the charred pan into the sink. "Blame the technology."

Before Kaelan could make another joke, the door to the backyard swung open, and Seraphina stepped in, her golden hair flowing like sunlight. Her expression was calm, as usual, but there was a slight twinkle of amusement in her celestial blue eyes.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked, her voice soft but teasing.

Kaelan waved a hand. "Just another failed attempt at breakfast."

Seraphina raised an eyebrow as she surveyed the damage. "I see. Well, at least no one's on fire this time."

"Small victories," Ethan chuckled, leaning on the counter beside Kaelan. He was close, closer than usual, and Kaelan could feel the heat of his presence. The unspoken tension between them had been growing thicker, and he knew it wouldn't stay unspoken for much longer.

Seraphina seemed to sense it too, because she gave Kaelan a knowing smile before gracefully gliding toward the fridge to grab some juice.

Damien, still sulking over his cooking failure, muttered something under his breath before storming out of the kitchen, likely off to brood somewhere in his usual dramatic fashion.

Kaelan sighed, glancing over at Ethan. "So… about last night—"

But before he could finish, the front door slammed open, and Lucifer strode into the room, his fiery red eyes narrowed, clearly not in the mood for casual conversation.

"We need to talk," Lucifer growled, his voice tense.

Ethan straightened, his usual relaxed demeanor quickly replaced by caution. "What's going on?"

Lucifer's gaze flicked between Kaelan and Ethan, his jaw clenched. "Thorne and Zephyr. They're planning something, and it's not good."

Kaelan exchanged a look with Ethan before focusing on Lucifer. "What kind of 'something'?"

Lucifer ran a hand through his pitch-black hair, frustration evident in his every movement. "They're pulling strings. I overheard them talking about some sort of… exchange. I don't have all the details, but they're up to no good."

Seraphina, who had been quietly sipping her juice, stepped forward. "What are they exchanging?"

Lucifer's fiery red eyes met hers, and for a moment, he hesitated. "Power. And they want mine."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Kaelan felt his gut twist. Whatever game Thorne and Zephyr were playing, it was clear Lucifer was caught in the middle, whether he wanted to be or not.

"We can't let them take your power," Ethan said firmly, crossing his arms. "If they're planning something big, we need to stop them."

Lucifer scoffed. "Easier said than done. They've already got connections—people, demons, gods. If I refuse, things could get ugly fast."

Kaelan stepped forward, his piercing blue eyes locked on Lucifer. "Then we fight back. We're not going to let them corner you."

Lucifer looked at him for a long moment, his expression softening ever so slightly. "You'd do that?"

Kaelan nodded without hesitation. "We're all in this together."

Ethan, standing beside him, added, "Even if we do have to stop Damien from burning the house down in the process."

The tension broke for a moment, and even Lucifer let out a small chuckle, though it was quickly followed by a sigh.

"Alright," Lucifer said, his voice firm again. "Then we'll need to come up with a plan."

---

Later That Night

As the chaos of the day died down, the house settled into an unusual calm. Everyone was scattered—Damien was probably brooding somewhere, Lucifer locked himself in his room to think, and Seraphina was out flying under the stars, as she often did.

Kaelan found himself alone in the living room, staring at the flickering fire in the hearth. The weight of the day, of everything that had been building up, felt heavy on his shoulders.

Just as he was about to get lost in his thoughts, the door to the living room creaked open, and Ethan stepped in. He looked hesitant, but determined, as he made his way over to the couch where Kaelan sat.

Without saying a word, Ethan sat down next to him, close enough that their shoulders brushed. Kaelan's heart sped up, but he didn't move away.

For a long time, neither of them said anything. The fire crackled softly, filling the silence between them.

"I've been thinking," Ethan finally said, his voice low.

Kaelan turned to look at him, their eyes meeting in the soft glow of the firelight. "About what?"

Ethan hesitated, then let out a small sigh. "About us."

Kaelan's breath caught in his throat. "Us?"

Ethan nodded, his deep blue eyes intense. "I know things are crazy right now, with Lucifer and everything. But… I've been wanting to say this for a while."

Kaelan's heart was pounding now, his chest tight with anticipation. "Say what?"

Ethan took a deep breath, his voice soft but steady. "I care about you, Kaelan. More than I've ever cared about anyone."

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and full of meaning.

Kaelan didn't know what to say. His mind was racing, his emotions a tangled mess of fear and excitement. But before he could respond, Ethan leaned in, closing the distance between them, and pressed his lips gently against Kaelan's.

For a moment, time seemed to stop. The world around them disappeared, leaving only the warmth of the fire and the electric sensation of the kiss.

When they finally pulled away, Kaelan's heart was racing, his mind spinning.

"I care about you too," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Ethan smiled, his eyes softening. "Good. Because I'm not going anywhere."

Kaelan smiled back, feeling a sense of calm he hadn't felt in a long time. Whatever was coming, whatever they had to face next, he knew one thing for sure.

They would face it together.