Crumbling Down

Chaotic Kitchen

We then head down the many flights of stairs to the kitchen. Noticing that we're still holding hands I squeeze his hand and he lets go. I'm a little disappointed as I only wanted his attention, But end up wandering around the kitchen aimlessly opening and closing cupboards hoping to find a recipe book of some kind. Figures there wouldn't be a recipe book.

I realized I'd been zoned out for a while and look around the kitchen to find Luka staring at me with an Amused look gracing his features.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, Nothing. What were you looking for?"

responding curtly I say "Recipe book."

"Could've just googled something you'd want to eat, you know?"

I facepalmed and just said, "Right forgot about that."

Giving him a lopsided grin while I pull out my phone only to find that I have no idea what I want to eat.

"Hey, Luka?"

"yes, Adrien?"

"What do you want to eat?"

"Well, I was thinking of pasta since it's fairly easy."

"let's do it!" I exclaim pumping my fist into the air.

He just chuckles and begins to list off the ingredients that we'll need to make the pasta, which we've decided shall be spaghetti. We then begin the search for said ingredients and of course the cookware.  

After lots of banging around and tossing items at each other, we finally had everything on the counter ready to assemble. 

"You want to cook the sauce or the noodles?" I ask.

Looking away from the stove where we had placed the giant pot of water, he gives me a wink and says, "I'd like to cook the noodles." 

Excitedly I tell him "Okay then, guess I'll be on sauce duty." 

Using his hand to cover his mouth while he laughs, he blushes a light pink, then turns away and proceeds to turn on the stoves and wait for the water to boil. And yes believe it or not I know how to boil water, after all my mother made sure I knew how. God, I just wish that she hadn't disappeared, maybe father would at least attempt to show he loves me like he did before he disappeared? maybe not though, he always fairly closed off as well as cold.

While lost in thought Luka has come over to me and waved his hand in my face shocking me a little before I relax and he tells me it's time to start heating the sauce.

I oblige and we end up standing so close that our shoulders are nearly touching, I quickly sneak a glance at him and wow, he's hot when he's focused. Turning my attention back to the now bubbling pot of sauce I scramble to grab a spoon to stir, once the sauce isn't at risk of burning, the same goes for me though I'd say in more of an 'I'm blushing' the colour of which I assume is bright red.

Amidst my scramble to halt the sauce's path to becoming burnt to the bottom of the pot Luka has poured the noodles into his pot and is lazily stirring them about.

"Burn anything yet Adrien?"

"No, of course not Luka," I laugh.

"Guess we'll find out" he grins. 

Grinning back before returning to the task at hand; not burning the spaghetti sauce. It seems like an eternity before Luka announces that the pasta is done and carries the burning pot over the strainer which lays within the shiny metal sink. A large plume of steam erupts as he pours the pasta into the strainer. 

Soon after we both have finished our plates of spaghetti and begin to work on tidying up placing all that can in the dishwasher before turning it on heading back towards the grand staircase in the entrance hall. 

Again it amazes me how much beauty my father can put into his designs or is it, love? I'm not sure but either way, it's more than he's shown to me since Mom disappeared. I turn around to looking towards the ceiling to take in just how much effort has been put into just the entranceway, it's still more than my father has put into our relationship.  The ceiling has been plastered in intricate swirling designs some incorporating beautiful little butterflies, somewhere in the midst of it all are slight hues of lilac and in the more shadowed areas a darker violet. Also incorporated are what look to be peacock feathers in a light pastel blue though they're scattered throughout the design on the high ceiling. This is just the type of thing my mother would love. 

A tear rolls down my cheek but I'm so lost in thoughts about my mother that I just let it fall.

"...rien?"

"Adrien?" Luka says, waving his hand before my eyes.

"You alright?" 

"Yeah, I was just admiring the ceiling plaster. If you look closely you can see tiny peacock feathers and butterflies." Vaguely I gesture in the direction of the small items I mentioned.

He looks up in the direction I gestured to, his eyes crinkle in focus before they widen and he smiles then turns his attention to me before asking,

"If you think that the ceiling is so beautiful why were you crying?" he says stepping closer and placing his hand upon my forearm pulling me towards him slightly.

Looking into his eyes, the worry he has for me clearly there I glanced away quickly, just catching the sad look crossing his face before I begin to speak.

"It just that, this whole design," I wave my hand above me, " Is something that my mother would have loved and I-"

"I miss her so much, it's been almost a year and I just want her back in my life." Biting my lip as tears begin to fall he pulls me into a hug and we just stand there in the middle of the entryway for what seems like forever. Him just holding me while I cry into his shoulder. He gently rubs his hands in small circles across my back while I calm down. 

Now that I think about it this is the most someone has seemed to care about me since my mother and I start to cry all over again. Hearing Luka's quiet reassurances whispered in my ear helps and eventually he walks me upstairs and leads me to my bed. God, I'm so exhausted and embarrassed at what happened but thankful that Luka actually cared enough, no one since my mother has done that. Then again I haven't really broken down like that since my mother. 

"Will you be alright here?" he asks from beside me on my bed.

"Yeah, thanks Luka, for everything." I pull him into a side hug, And whisper to him, "Thanks for caring." 

He stiffens but says you're welcome nonetheless. Eventually, he pulls out his phone to glance at the time he tells me that it's close to midnight, we pull away and out of the embrace. Then he leaves for his room. 

Once he's gone I feel empty like somehow all my emotions walked out the door along with him.