We fell in love in math class

Chapter 14 "The Kitchen Disaster"

It's Sunday morning, and Xyleme is dragging his feet to Ethan's house for another tutoring session. After the intense moment they had the previous day, Xyleme wasn’t sure what to expect. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, and he was determined to play it cool... even though he definitely wasn't cool.

Xyleme's POV: Okay, just act normal. You’re here to study math, not to get flustered over Ethan’s abs. Just… math. Only math.

X: “Good morning!”

Ethan opened the door, but instead of his usual casual outfit, he was wearing an apron.

Ethan: “Morning, Xyleme! Guess what? We’re not just doing math today… we’re cooking!”

Xyleme: “…Cooking? Since when was that part of the curriculum?”

Ethan: “Since I realized that you're terrible at math and need to develop other life skills.”

Xyleme narrowed his eyes, not sure if he should be offended or impressed by Ethan’s brutal honesty.

Xyleme: “Oh, great. So, I get to burn your kitchen down AND fail math. Can’t wait.”

Ethan: “Relax. I’m a great teacher, remember?”

He winked, and Xyleme could already feel his face heating up. Why did he have to look so effortlessly charming, even in an apron?

(Time skip - Kitchen Adventures Begin!)

Ethan handed Xyleme a whisk and some eggs, smiling brightly.

Ethan: “Alright, first step: crack the eggs into the bowl. Easy enough, right?”

Xyleme confidently picked up an egg, but the moment he tried to crack it, the egg slipped out of his hand and smashed onto the floor.

Xyleme: “…It slipped. The egg was too… slippery.”

Ethan: “Or maybe you’re just terrible at this.”

Ethan couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Xyleme frowned, grabbing another egg.

Xyleme: “Oh yeah? Watch me. I’ll be an egg-cracking master.”

He tried again, but this time, he cracked the egg way too hard, and it splattered all over the counter.

Xyleme: “Perfect… just like I planned.”

Ethan: “Right. Maybe stick to stirring for now.”

Ethan reached over to clean up the mess, getting closer than he needed to. Xyleme tried not to notice, but it was impossible. Ethan’s shoulder brushed against him, and for a moment, he could feel Ethan’s warmth. He quickly picked up the whisk and started stirring, pretending he hadn’t just lost his train of thought.

Xyleme: “So… um, what are we making?”

Ethan: “Pancakes. Because, clearly, you need something simple and easy to manage.”

Xyleme glared at him, but there was no malice in it. Just the usual banter.

(Time skip - Pancakes are made, kind of.)

As they finished, Ethan took a bite and immediately made a face.

Ethan: “This is… actually kind of terrible.”

Xyleme: “Hey, I didn’t see you doing any better! And for the record, I like my pancakes slightly burnt.”

Ethan smiled, leaning closer to Xyleme, his voice lowering to a playful whisper.

Ethan: “Good thing we’re not here just for the pancakes, right?”

Xyleme’s heart skipped a beat. He looked up at Ethan, and for a moment, it felt like they were back to that intense moment from before. But before he could react, Ethan lightly flicked his forehead.

Ethan: “Come on, let’s clean up. We’ll call today’s lesson ‘How Not to Cook.’”

Xyleme rubbed his forehead, laughing despite himself.

Xyleme: “Fine, but next time, I’m picking the lesson. And we’re going to do something I’m actually good at.”

Ethan: “Oh yeah? Like what?”

Xyleme: “I don’t know… running away from awkward situations?”

Ethan: “Pretty sure you already mastered that.”

As they cleaned up, Xyleme felt lighter, the tension between them dissolving into their usual back-and-forth banter. He couldn’t help but feel grateful. Even if math and cooking weren’t his strong suits, at least he was learning to enjoy Ethan’s company… even if it did come with a few unexpected lessons along the way.