Charlotte's hand paused for a moment above the pan when she noticed Hunter's protest. She had just poured the first ladle of pancake batter, but a slight worry crept into her chest. The thought of the first piece burning bothered her, but worse was the possibility that Leonid might wake up from Hunter's noise.
Before she could calm him down, the apartment's doorbell suddenly rang, cutting through her scattered thoughts. Even Hunter's barking stopped for a moment, as if the sound startled him too.
"Hold on... just a minute!"
Charlotte called out irritably.
She quickly flipped the pancake to the other side and rushed to the door, but her hand froze over the handle. A familiar sense of danger crept into her chest. She swallowed hard and whispered quietly behind the door.
"Who is it?"
Her heartbeat quickened, but that anxiety faded as soon as she heard a familiar, lazy voice reply.
"It's me, Daniel."
His drowsy, relaxed tone was enough to make her feel safe. She quickly turned the handle and opened the door.
"Hello~"
Daniel waved lazily, smiling with half closed eyes. He stepped forward and hugged her tightly, resting his head on her shoulder.
Charlotte stiffened, her breath catching for a moment. She tried to remind herself that this was Daniel not anyone else.
Of course, he wasn't just anyone. She inhaled slowly, trying to calm her unease, then spoke in a soft voice.
"What brings you here this morning, Daniel?"
"Hmm... I'm sleepy... and hungry too~"
Daniel replied lazily, lifting his head to look at her with an innocent, childlike smile, using his sleepy features to his advantage. His messy blond hair mixed with faint purple strands.
"Didn't you tell me a few days ago to come over for breakfast?"
Charlotte eyed him hesitantly.
"Did I really say that?"
Daniel chuckled playfully and shrugged.
"I don't know... maybe yes, maybe no."
Daniel fell silent for a moment, sniffing the air slightly, his nose moving slowly as if catching a familiar scent.
"Smells delicious~"
Charlotte suddenly gasped, as if remembering something important.
"Oh, the pancakes!"
She gently pushed Daniel's arms off her and hurried to the kitchen.
Daniel watched her with slight disappointment, frowning a little but saying nothing as he quietly closed the door behind him and followed her with calm steps.
Standing behind her, he extended his arms again to hug her, leaning slightly to peek over her shoulder at the pan where the pancake had turned a perfect golden color.
"So, what do you want to eat?"
Charlotte asked casually as she placed the cooked pancake on a plate and poured another ladle of batter into the pan.
"Hmm~"
Daniel murmured, resting his chin on her shoulder in a show of thoughtfulness. After a brief pause, he said.
"There's no need to ask, I want to eat pancakes with you~!"
He smiled politely, raising a finger as if to add another comment, but suddenly, the creak of a door shattered the calm atmosphere.
Daniel froze for a moment, slowly lifting his head toward the sound, his eyebrows gradually rising with growing tension.
And there, stood someone he never expected to see in this situation.
In a way he hadn't anticipated either.
Leonid stood at the doorway, shirtless, yawning carelessly as he ran his fingers through his messy hair. His half closed eyes suggested he hadn't had enough sleep.
Below, Hunter sat wagging his tail excitedly, proud of his successful mission to wake his owner.
There was nothing imposing or tense about Leonid's presence. He simply looked like an ordinary man who had just woken up.
Yet Daniel felt the weight of the moment intensify. He was barely recovering from the shock of seeing Kaiser and Natalia together, and now here he was, witnessing Charlotte with Leonid in an unexpectedly quick turn of events, in an unbelievable situation!
Daniel slowly lifted his hands off Charlotte and stepped back.
Leonid first glanced at his puppy, then at Charlotte, noticing Daniel standing beside her. It took him a few moments to process what to say.
"Good... morning."
His voice was hoarse but naturally toned, free of any coldness or stiffness.
Leonid yawned again and lazily walked toward the bathroom, as if Daniel's presence meant nothing to him.
Charlotte and Daniel stood frozen for a moment. Charlotte could still hear her pounding heartbeat, while Daniel blinked slowly, processing what he had seen and whether it had actually happened.
Charlotte broke the silence with a quiet gasp, as if she suddenly remembered.
"Oh, the pancakes!"
She quickly turned back to the pan, trying to hide her flustered state behind her cooking. Without looking back, she spoke quickly.
"Listen, Daniel... go sit at the table until I'm done. It won't take long."
Daniel hesitated for a moment but obeyed.
"Alright... got it."
Slowly, he walked to the dining table and sat down politely, watching Charlotte from the corner of his eye, trying to ignore the strange situation he found himself in.
Daniel never thought he'd have to get used to seeing Charlotte with another man. Just imagining her sharing touches and kisses was enough to make his skin pale.
Lost in his thoughts, Charlotte continued quietly making breakfast. Moments later, Leonid emerged from the bathroom, wiping his hands with a towel.
He leaned casually against the wall, studying Daniel for a brief moment before shifting his gaze to Charlotte, who remained unaware of his presence. Lowering his head slightly, he looked at Hunter wagging his tail happily after waking him up.
Leonid silently admitted to himself: if Charlotte weren't here, he would have kicked this puppy out without hesitation.
Without warning, Leonid calmly approached Charlotte. Once he stood behind her, he wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned slightly over her back.
A sudden warmth filled Charlotte's chest, making her breath quicken.
"Pancakes... again?"
Leonid grumbled hoarsely, his low voice brushing against her ear as he leaned on the counter near the stove.
Charlotte frowned, flipping the pancake to the other side.
"Don't talk like you devoured a whole plate yesterday."
"But I did eat pancakes."
Leonid lazily smiled as he spoke.
"A tiny bite doesn't count as a meal!"
Charlotte's voice rose slightly above normal, ignoring his gaze, while he simply stared at the pan before looking back at her.
"Fine, I get it."
Leonid whispered softly, then lifted his hand from her waist to pinch her chin between his fingers, gently turning her face toward him.
Charlotte blinked in surprise, staring into his icy blue eyes that radiated a calm coldness. Yet, his gaze wasn't harsh; it was slightly tired but steady.
Her heart pounded under his captivating gaze.
"W-what are you doing?!"
She stammered, flustered, sensing he was about to do something.
"Hmm?"
Daniel finally snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Charlotte, only to freeze in place. The scene before him was one he never expected. He blinked slowly, trying to process the sight of Leonid looming over Charlotte in such a suggestive posture.
"It's time for a morning kiss."
Leonid whispered calmly before leaning in and placing a light kiss on Charlotte's forehead.
The soft sound of the kiss made Daniel's heart tremble violently, his skin flushing red.
He had no idea where he was, how, or why but all he saw was Leonid's broad back completely shielding Charlotte from view.
Daniel's mouth hung open in shock as his stomach twisted painfully, like a herd of animals trampling its walls without mercy. He closed his eyes briefly, clutching his stomach, trying to steady himself.
Suddenly, a soft thud hit the dining table. Daniel slowly opened his eyes to see Leonid placing a plate of pancakes in front of him after tapping the table with his finger.
"Charlotte says you need to finish the whole plate."
Leonid said coldly before quietly sitting in the chair across from Daniel.
Daniel glanced at his physique for a moment, overwhelmed by a hidden wave of shame. Leonid's well defined muscles, broad chest, strong arms, and firm torso all of it commanded presence.
Daniel quickly averted his gaze, trying to ignore the heavy feeling pressing on him.
In truth, he felt a hint of jealousy. For him, it was never easy to sculpt and define his abs, but looking at every detail of Leonid's physique, he realized he was undoubtedly on a lower level.
Daniel lifted his fork and knife and began eating slowly, trying to ignore his jealousy. Meanwhile, Leonid watched him with subtle interest, observing how Daniel used his hands while eating breakfast, before slowly shifting his gaze toward Charlotte.
The room was quiet for a moment before Leonid spoke in a noticeable tone.
"Could you step outside so I can smoke?"
"Of course not."
Charlotte replied quickly and without hesitation.
In contrast, Daniel raised his eyebrows in surprise and stared at Leonid with a reproachful tone.
"Do you really smoke? Don't you know that Charlotte hates the smell of tobacco?"
Leonid simply looked at Daniel indifferently but answered calmly.
"The cigarettes I smoke are mint-flavored."
Leonid was confident, as if his cigarettes weren't just tobacco but something beneficial with a refreshing scent.
"Are there flavored cigarettes?"
Daniel leaned back slightly in disbelief. He might have been an expert when it came to drinking, but he was undoubtedly clueless about cigarettes especially since he hated smoking just as much as Charlotte did.