.﹊✮﹊. 𝓐𝚔𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚊.﹊✮﹊.

The soft clatter of utensils and the low hum of the oven filled the small apartment kitchen. Ava leaned on the counter, arms crossed, watching Pierce carefully measure flour into a bowl. His brows were furrowed in concentration, mouth set in a serious line.

"You don’t have to do all this," Ava said with a laugh. "We could've just ordered something."

Pierce didn’t look up, to focused on the task ahead. He shook his head, a small, determined motion.

"I want to," he said, voice low but steady.

Ava smiled faintly, a warmth blooming in her chest.

He wasn’t the type to make grand declarations. He didn’t need to. Everything he did, for her said more than words ever could.

She stepped closer, catching a glimpse of the messy cookbook he was following. Half the measurements were smudged out with flour.

"You sure you’re following that right?" she teased.

Pierce glanced at her, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, barely there, but recognizable to Ava.

"More or less," he muttered and went back to work.

Ava leaned against the counter again, quietly watching. It was oddly calming, being here with him like this. Even when he accidentally dropped an egg on the floor, he didn’t curse or shout like the others. He just sighed, cleaned it up, and kept working.

Eventually, Pierce pulled the dish out of the oven, and it looked... questionable at best. The "bread" was more black than golden, and the stew smelled a little too burnt to be edible.

Pierce stared at it for a long moment.

"I messed it up," he said quietly, a hint of disappointment evident. Ava shook her head, stepping up beside him to stare at the meal. "You tried. That’s what matters."

For a second, he didn’t move. Then, hesitantly, he offered her a plate. His warm hand brushed against hers. Ava took the plate and sat at the table. She took a spoonful and studied it carefully before taking a... cautious bite.

It was terrible. But she smiled anyway. "It's perfect," she said. Pierce's face lit up, smile wide on his face.

He sat across from her, resting his chin on one hand, watching her with soft, serious eyes.