21 Days - Love and Deepspace

21 Days - Day 2

Day 2

Light shines through the curtains, illuminating the room in a soft glow. You wake slowly, begrudgingly. It's warm under the covers, and you're so comfortable that you're not sure you even want to get up. You roll onto your back and stretch with a sleepy yawn. The bed is comfortable, and the moment would be serene if not for the faint smell of burning that has reached your nostrils. You sit up in bed, noting Xavier's absence, and take a sniff of the air. Yep. That's smoke. You scramble out of bed and hurry to the kitchen to investigate.

Xavier stands in front of the stove, an oven mitt in hand, waving ineffectively at the wisps of smoke billowing out of the oven. The contents of said oven are unrecognizable at a glance.

"Xavier! Oh my god!" You cough and cover your face as more smoke wafts through the kitchen.

"It's fine. Go back to sleep. I can fix this."

"Fix this? What were you doing?" you ask incredulously as he fans the smoke even harder, a grimace on his face.

"I was hungry and making egg tarts. I think I set the oven too high..." He trails off as he starts pressing random buttons on the stove.

"Yeah, you think? You're going to set the whole apartment on fire!" you screech, sidestepping him to fumble with the exhaust fan. It spins to life with a dull hum, and the smoke begins to waft upward into the blades.

Xavier stops fanning the smoke with the oven mitt and looks at the fan as if seeing it for the first time. His hair is messy, and his expression is a mix of annoyance and embarrassment.

"I told you to go back to bed," he says roughly. "I had it under control."

"Whatever you say, chef."

You take the oven mitt from his hand and gingerly open the oven door all the way. You're met with another cloud of smoke that immediately floats upwards. Sure enough, the remnants of what might once have been egg tarts sit blackened on the baking sheet. As you are removing the tray, there's a knock at the door.

You and Xavier exchange an alarmed look.

"Shit," Xavier whispers, eyeing the front door.

"Oh, god," you whisper back. "You answer it."

You fuss with your hair and tug at your tank top and shorts, trying to look presentable while Xavier makes his way to the door. You watch as he visibly relaxes his posture before swinging it open with a smile.

The neighbors, two older women dressed in nearly matching floral prints, are mid-sentence as he opens the door.

"Strange coupl—oh, you're the new neighbors who just moved in, right? Is everything okay? We heard some shouting. Were you two fighting?" the first woman asks, looking positively delighted by the idea.

The second woman elbows her in the side and adds, "It's perfectly normal to have arguments. You should try to understand each other, though. Why don't you two join our weekend event? You could strengthen your relationship."

You close the distance between you and Xavier, standing beside him. "Oh...sorry. No, it's okay. We love each other. A lot."

God, why do you have to say the dumbest things when you're nervous? You feel rather than see Xavier take a step back, and his arms encircle your waist to hug you from behind. He presses a quick, chaste kiss to your temple.

"No worries, ladies. She is my everything. Just a kitchen mishap," Xavier says confidently, and you feel his words vibrate through his chest against your back.