Yuuto woke to sunlight spilling across silk sheets, soft and golden. For a moment, he forgot where he was. Then the scent of expensive fabric, the quiet hum of morning silence, and the vague memory of Aiden's cold gaze brought it all back.
I'm still here. He really saved me.
He sat up slowly, the oversized shirt he wore slipping off one shoulder. He glanced around—no one. The house was quiet.
Maybe I should say thank you… somehow.
He tiptoed into the enormous kitchen. Marble counters. Stainless steel. Spotless and intimidating.
But Yuuto had cooked before—for people who never said thank you.
He wanted this one to feel different.
He found eggs, vegetables, bread. The shirt barely reached mid-thigh, and the sleeves were too long, but he rolled them up, determined. The scent of garlic and oil soon filled the kitchen.
He hummed softly, flipping the eggs. Then—
"Cooking in my house now?"
Yuuto spun, pan in hand.
Aiden stood at the doorway, shirt unbuttoned halfway, hair still damp from a shower, black trousers hugging his lean frame. His voice was calm—but those eyes?
They weren't cold. They were watching.
Yuuto froze. "I-I was just… saying thank you. With breakfast."
Aiden's eyes slid down his figure. The oversized shirt. The bare legs. The flushed cheeks.
"Like that?"
Yuuto glanced down, realizing just how much skin was showing. "It's your shirt! It's not like I—" he shut his mouth, suddenly feeling warm all over.
Aiden walked in, slow, measured. "You know how to cook?"
"I—I had to learn." Yuuto looked away. "People expected it."
Aiden stood beside him now, close enough to feel. "They expected too much from someone so small."
Yuuto's breath caught. "I'm not that small."
Aiden leaned down slightly. "You sure?"
Their eyes met. Silence. The air felt electric.
Then Yuuto turned back to the stove, cheeks burning. "The eggs will burn."
Aiden smiled—just barely. "Let them."
Yuuto glanced at him, heart racing. "Do you always flirt with people you rescue?"
"I don't rescue people."
"So I'm special?"
"I don't flirt either," Aiden added, voice low. "I just say what I want."
"And what do you want?" Yuuto asked, the question out before he could stop it.
Aiden didn't answer. He reached over, his hand brushing Yuuto's waist as he turned off the stove.
"You should eat," he said finally, stepping back.
Yuuto stood there, heart hammering, lips parted.
This man was dangerous. Not in the way the others were.
But in the way he made Yuuto feel.