HEAT |OMEGAVERSE| ⚣ ✔️

A Place to Call Home

ALEX'S POV

As I open the door to Jasper and I's apartment, the aroma of something amazing immediately reaches into my senses like a warm hug.

"Wow," I say loudly, catching Jasper's attention from the kitchen. "Whatever the hell you made smells immaculate."

I kick off my shoes and hang my jacket on the coat rack, tossing my keys into the dish on the side table next to me.

"It's just chicken parmigiana," he downplays, smiling sheepishly.

"Hell I could manage to burn water if you let me cook, so I don't want hear none of that 'it's just chicken whatever' crap," I reply playfully with a grin, walking over to Jas.

I wrap my arms around his waist, and pull him close to me, placing a kiss on those soft lips of his. I smile against his mouth as he raises his own arms, snaking them around my neck.

"I missed you," I whisper, holding him tighter against me.

"I missed you too," he whispers back, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek.

My stomach rumbles and I remember the delightful food that awaits me on the counter.

Taking Jaspers hand, I guide him around the island and we sit together, digging into our plates.

"Mm—oh my god, this is amazing," I mumble with my mouth still full.

Jasper lets out a quiet chuckle and I happen to glance over at him, noticing a tinge of sadness on his face that he most likely meant to conceal.

I'll ask after we eat.

Together in silence we finish our food, and I go into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of wine from my rack. Jasper starts to clean up behind me, placing dishes into the sink, and I open the drawer closest to the stove, retrieving a wine-opener.

As I pour a tall glass, I watch Jas as he continues to rinse off dishes and place them into the dishwasher. I can't help but feel something is wrong, his face occasionally drooping with sadness, or maybe it's boredom...or both?

I set down my glass, and wedge myself beside him at the sink, rinsing glasses and plates, then handing them over to him so he can put them into the racks.

Soon we finish, and I grab my glass of wine again, finishing the rest of it.

"Jas, love...are you alright?" I ask quietly, and for a moment he's hesitant to meet my eyes.

"Oh—uh, yeah," he replies quickly and rather blunt.

I sigh quietly, and take his hand in mine, grabbing ahold of his attention. I lean against the counter behind me while he sits between me and the island, our eyes locked on each other's.

"Please talk to me. I can tell something is wrong," I plead, raising his hand to my lips and pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it. My eyes search his, silently begging him to let me in.

He sucks his bottom lip between his teeth, his gaze dropping as if the weight of his thoughts is too much to handle. I can see the internal war waging behind his eyes—the part of him that wants to spill everything fighting against the part desperate to keep the floodgates sealed.