Ethan sulked in his chair, lips pressed together like a child denied candy. He stared down at the elegant menu, but all the glittering dishes seemed to mock him. Too spicy. Too oily. Too greasy.
Seriously? Was Damien secretly a nutritionist now?
Damien calmly sipped from his glass of water, utterly unfazed by Ethan's pitiful state. To him, this little argument was over. To Ethan, however, it felt like he had just lost the battle of his lifetime.
The waiter cleared his throat softly, his professional smile straining. "Then… shall I recommend something lighter, sir?"
Ethan blinked up at him, eyes shining with desperate hope. "Like what?"
"We have a steamed fish with ginger, lightly seasoned vegetables, and a nourishing chicken soup that's very popular with expectant mothers—"
Ethan's expression cracked. "…Expectant mothers?"
The words stabbed him straight in the pride. He wanted to flip the table, but one look at Damien's icy profile and he swallowed his outrage.
With trembling hands, he pointed at the menu. "…Fine. Give me the fish. And soup."
The waiter bowed and left swiftly, probably to laugh in the kitchen about the "pregnant man."
Ethan buried his face in his hands. "This is humiliating. Do you know how humiliating this is?!" he muttered, voice muffled.
Damien glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "You're too dramatic."
"I wanted fried pork belly, not fish with no soul!" Ethan groaned.
Xixi rolled on his shoulder, giggling so hard it almost fell off. "Papa looks like a crying dumpling!"
Ethan shot the little creature a glare. "Traitor."
For a moment, Damien's lips twitched, almost as if he was holding back a smile. But he quickly covered it up with his usual cold mask.
Soon, the dishes arrived. The fragrant chicken soup was placed before Ethan, steam rising in delicate curls. He stared at it like it was his mortal enemy. Still, his stomach growled again, betraying him.
With a long sigh, he picked up his spoon. "…Fine. But only because the baby's hungry."
The chauffeur, standing quietly at the side, had to bite his tongue to stop himself from bursting out laughing. Even Damien's ears turned slightly red, though his face remained composed.
Ethan took one sip—then froze. His eyes widened. "…Wait. This is actually good."
The delicate flavor of ginger and tender chicken melted on his tongue, warming his empty stomach instantly. The fish came next, soft and fresh, without the oily heaviness he feared.
His spoon moved faster, his earlier complaints long forgotten. "Mmm… okay, I take it back. This is delicious. Who cares about pork belly? Long live soup!"
Damien's gaze softened almost imperceptibly as he watched Ethan eat with such unguarded joy. It was rare for him to see someone so easily satisfied. Somehow, the scene warmed a corner of his heart he didn't even realize had grown cold.
Then desert came.
Ethan chewed happily on the spoonful of chocolate lava cake Damien had fed him, eyes sparkling like a child. Honestly, it was the best thing he'd ever tasted.
But just as he was about to grab his own spoon and sneak another bite, a soft murmur floated from the table nearby.
"Oh my, are they a couple?"
Ethan froze.
Another voice chimed in, hushed but full of excitement. "They're so cute together!"
His chopsticks clattered against the table. "…"
WHAT?!
Ethan whipped his head around, staring in disbelief at the two women sneaking glances at their table. Their eyes sparkled like they were watching a romance drama unfold in real life.
He almost choked. Couple? Did they hit their heads on the chandelier?!
Before he could defend himself, another man walking past gave them a long look, then smiled knowingly. "Young love… so heartwarming."
Ethan's jaw dropped.
"Excuse me?!" he blurted, eyes wide. "What part of us screams couple?!"
Damien didn't even flinch. He calmly cut another bite of cake, ignoring the whispers entirely.
Ethan slapped a hand against the table, glaring at him. "Say something! Deny it! Tell them the truth!"
Damien glanced at him lazily, dark eyes glinting. "And what truth is that?"
"That we're not a..." Ethan's voice cracked as he noticed a waiter passing by with an unmistakable smirk. His face flushed red to the tips of his ears.
Oh no. Oh no no no. They all think we're—
Meanwhile, Damien nonchalantly held out another spoonful of chocolate. "Eat."
Ethan's soul nearly left his body. Boss, you're making this worse! They already think we're a couple, and now you're feeding me like some princess in a fairytale?!
The two women at the other table squealed under their breaths. "Ahhh, so romantic!"
"I wish my boyfriend treated me like that."
Ethan buried his burning face in his hands. "This is a misunderstanding of cosmic proportions…"
He peeked through his fingers, his heart in chaos. He wanted to explain, to shout that this was all a mistake, but every time he looked at Damien's calm, composed face, the words died on his tongue.
Because deep down… part of him wondered if protesting too loudly would only make it seem more suspicious.
The waiter returned with fresh glasses of water, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "You two make a very charming pair."
Ethan almost flipped the table. "We are not a pair!"
But his words only made the waiter chuckle more. "Of course, of course."
Ethan's face turned redder. "Why does no one believe me?!"
Damien, on the other hand, looked perfectly unbothered, as if none of this touched him. He leisurely speared a piece of fruit from Ethan's bowl and ate it without asking.
Ethan stared at him in disbelief. …Wait. Did he just eat MY fruit?
The squeals at the nearby table grew louder.
"They even share food! Oh my gosh, this is too sweet!"
Ethan slammed his forehead onto the table with a loud thunk. He was going to die from secondhand embarrassment.
Just as he was silently screaming into the polished wood, his eyes flicked sideways—and froze.
At a nearby table, half-hidden behind a pillar, sat a very familiar head of rainbow-colored hair.
Ethan's blood ran cold. Wait… isn't that the peacock from earlier?!
His gaze shifted to the person sitting across from him—a man with soft, gentle features, smiling faintly as he spoke. The kind of man who radiated warmth and elegance with every gesture.
Ethan's hands trembled. His whole body went stiff.
"…Wait. Wait wait wait." His voice was barely a whisper.
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
"Oh no," Ethan muttered, paling visibly. "I'm screwed!"