Chapter Twenty-Two: Kitchen Disturbances
The morning after their reconciliation, Jay woke determined to make things right.
Not that things were wrong anymore. They'd talked. They'd hugged. They'd kissed. They'd fallen asleep wrapped around each other.
But still. She'd run away. She'd doubted him. She'd spent an entire day being dramatic at her family's house while he suffered.
So today, she would make it up to him.
With food.
Lots of food.
---
She slipped out of bed at six-thirty, leaving Keifer still sleeping. Quiet as a mouse, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen.
The mansion was peaceful. Staff not yet moving. Keiran still asleep. Keigan's door firmly closed.
Perfect.
She gathered ingredients. Flour, eggs, sugar, chocolate chips. Keifer's favorite cookies. Then pancake batter. Then breakfast meats. Then—
"Morning."
She jumped, spinning around.
Keifer stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, shirtless, hair adorably messy, eyes still heavy with sleep.
"You're supposed to be asleep."
"Woke up. You were gone. Got worried." He crossed to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Found you."
"I'm making breakfast."
"I see that."
"And cookies."
"Even better."
"And—Keif, your arms are distracting."
"Good." He kissed her neck. "That's the goal."
---
She tried to cook.
Really, she tried.
But Keifer had other plans.
Every time she reached for an ingredient, his lips found her shoulder. Every time she stirred, his hands wandered her waist. Every time she tried to focus, his breath warmed her ear.
"Keif." Her voice was strained. "I'm trying to cook."
"Cook faster."
"That doesn't make sense."
"Nothing makes sense when you're this beautiful."
She laughed despite herself. "That's cheesy."
"True, though."
He spun her around, pinning her gently against the counter. His eyes were dark, playful, full of love.
"I love you," he said. "I love you so much. And I'm sorry about yesterday. And I'm going to spend the rest of my life making it up to you."
"You already made it up."
"Not enough." He kissed her forehead. "Never enough."
"Keif—"
He kissed her nose.
"Keif—"
Her cheek.
"Keif—"
Her other cheek.
"KEIF—"
Her lips.
She melted into him, all thoughts of breakfast forgotten.
---
They might have stayed like that forever if not for the smoke.
"WHAT'S THAT SMELL?"
Jay pulled back, eyes wide. "THE PANCAKES!"
She whirled around to find the pancakes on the stove—blackened, smoking, completely ruined.
Keifer looked at the disaster. Then at her flour-covered face. Then burst out laughing.
"It's NOT funny!"
"It's a little funny."
"My pancakes!"
"We'll make more."
"I was trying to be NICE!"
"You are nice. You're the nicest." He pulled her close again, ignoring the smoke. "And I love your burnt pancakes."
"They're burnt because of YOU."
"Worth it."
She smacked his chest, but she was laughing.
---
They made more pancakes together.
This time, with significantly fewer interruptions. Though not zero.
He kissed her while she flipped. He kissed her while she stirred. He kissed her while she reached for plates.
"Keif. If you keep this up, we'll never eat."
"Fine." He stepped back, hands raised. "I'll behave."
"Thank you."
"For now."
She threw a dish towel at him. He caught it, grinning.
---
By the time the pancakes were actually ready, they were both covered in flour and happier than ever.
Keiran wandered in, rubbing his eyes. "Mamma? Pappa? Why you messy?"
"Cooking accident, baby."
"Looks like flour fight."
"It was not a flour fight."
Keifer looked at her. "It could be a flour fight."
"Keif. No."
"KEIF YES!" He grabbed a handful of flour and tossed it gently in her direction.
She gasped. "You did NOT!"
"I absolutely did."
Keiran squealed with delight. "FLOUR FIGHT!"
Within seconds, the kitchen was chaos.
Flour everywhere. Keiran shrieking with laughter. Keifer chasing Jay around the island. Jay retaliating with a handful of her own.
Keigan appeared in the doorway, took one look at the scene, and slowly backed away.
"Nope. Not dealing with this. I'm getting breakfast at school."
"KEIGAN, HELP!"
"Absolutely not." He disappeared.
---
The flour fight ended with all three of them collapsed on the floor, laughing, covered head to toe in white.
Keiran was between them, face dusted with flour like a tiny ghost. "Again! Again!"
"Later, buddy." Keifer was breathless. "Mamma needs to rest."
"I do NOT need to rest. I need revenge."
She grabbed another handful of flour.
Keifer's eyes widened. "Jay. No."
"Jay YES!"
She attacked.
Keiran howled with laughter.
---
The kitchen staff found them twenty minutes later—three flour-covered humans, half-cooked pancakes, and a massive mess.
The head chef just sighed. "I'll clean up. You go... shower. Multiple showers. Separately."
Keifer and Jay exchanged a look.
"Separately?" Keifer asked innocently.
"Separately," the chef repeated firmly. "I know what happens in this house."
Keiran tugged Jay's hand. "Mamma, can we have a bath together? With bubbles?"
"Of course, baby."
Keifer pouted. "What about me?"
"You can have your own bath. Separately." Jay kissed his cheek. "Suffer."
"I love you."
"I love you too. Now clean up your flour child."
---
By noon, the kitchen was clean, the pancakes had been remade (by actual professionals), and everyone was fed.
Keiran took a nap, exhausted by flour-induced mania. Keigan had returned from school, suspiciously quiet about the morning's events.
Jay and Keifer sat on the patio, finally peaceful.
"Today was ridiculous," she said.
"The best kind of ridiculous."
"I was trying to be nice. Make you breakfast. Apologize for running away."
"You apologized enough." He took her hand. "I'm the one who should apologize. For being stupid about Valentina."
"You already did."
"Not enough." He kissed her knuckles. "I'll spend forever making it up to you."
"Good. I'll hold you to that."
They sat in comfortable silence, watching the city.
Then Jay spoke again. "Keif?"
"Yeah?"
"The flour fight was fun. We should do it again."
He grinned. "Absolutely. Next time, we invite Percy. And Yuri films."
"KEIRAN gets Yuri. Yuri gets flour. Perfect."
"I love the way you think."
"I love you."
He kissed her—soft, sweet, flour-free.
Life was good.
---
That night, after Keiran was tucked in (with extra promises of future flour fights), Keigan had retreated to his room, and the mansion had finally settled...
Jay found Keifer in the kitchen.
He was staring at the spot where the flour fight happened, smiling.
"Reliving the chaos?"
"Reliving you." He pulled her close. "Covered in flour. Laughing. Beautiful."
"I was a mess."
"My mess." He kissed her. "Always my mess."
"Always."
They stood together in the quiet kitchen, surrounded by memories of the day's ridiculousness.
And it was perfect.
---
End of Chapter Twenty-Two