Day 6 - Phillip Graves 'Baking Disaster'
Snow had been flittering past the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse all morning, dusting the city beyond in an all-white blanket. Inside, however, warmth reigned supreme. Both from the oven humming away happily and from the constant hubbub in the kitchen. A certain Texan very much out of his depth as he stumbled around his partner, trying to keep up with their gentle instructions and explanations.
Phillip Graves - Commander and CEO of the Private Military Group, the 'Shadow Company' - stood at the kitchen aisle with his sleeves rolled up just enough to protect them from the flour that seemed to, somehow, decorate all the surfaces in his kitchen. His eyes narrowed onto the mixing bowl before him as if he was trying to outsmart the mixture inside. Brow furrowed into a soft frown. An expression you saw fairly often whenever Phil was struggling to understand something.
"You're sure its supposed to look like tha', doll?" He asked, poking tentatively at the dough with the end of his wooden spoon. "...Pretty sure this looks like that mystery substance I scraped off the Humvee the other weekend."
"It's cookie dough, Phil, not rocket science," you can't help but chuckle, padding across to take the wooden spoon from his hands and setting it down beside the bowl. "Also, pretty sure that mystery substance didn't have chocolate chip cookies in it."
"Well, pardon me for bein' concerned," he huffed, grabbing a hold of his half-drank mug of coffee. His third cup this morning, despite it not even being eleven yet. "If your Ma's recipe book says 'fold gently', then I'd like to know the operational definition of gently."
"Less poking, for starters" you replied cheekily, flicking flour at him.
The splattering of white landed on his dark button-up shirt and Graves froze. Slowly, he lowered his coffee, looking down at the flour coating him and then back up at you; blue eyes narrowing with mock offense.
"Did you just assault your Commander in his own home?"
"Oh, you're in trouble now, sweetheart-"
But, he didn't advance. Because, with perfect timing, the over timer went off. Beeping away and signalling that the latest batch of gingerbread cookies were ready. And, as you pulled them out, the apartment was filled with the rick scent of spices, butter and Christmas.
"I swear," Phillip sighed, voice softer now, as he closed his eyes for a moment. "This place gets any cosier and I might actually start to relax for the holidays."
"Good," you said, placing the cookies onto a cooling rack. "It's Christmas, Phil. You could stand to do a little relaxing while your home."
"I relax," he spluttered in defensive protest. "I relax all the time. Golf twice a month. BBQ Sundays. Wine weekends-"
"Falling asleep in the tasting room is hardly a good look, honey," you sighed, shaking your head at your boyfriend. "Especially when your excuse is that the chairs were 'too comfortable'."
Rolling your eyes, you turned to check your mother's recipe book. Flicking to the next page which displayed the chocolate tart recipes you'd adored in your childhood. Before noticing that the room had fallen a little too quiet.
Turning, the recipe book still held in your hands, you freeze.
The book fell from your hands, thumping as it hit the floor. Your hands rising to cover your mouth in shock.
Absent of his usual uniform, Phillip looked homely in his jeans and button-up. The flour you'd thrown at him still dusting his shirt and cheekbone like a misplaced war stripe. But his pose, the weight of it and what it meant, not to mention the way he looked - steadfast, certain and yet impossibly vulnerable - hit harder than anything else.
The ring box in his hands was simple and elegant. Knowing Phil, it was also near-ridiculously expensive. He spared no expense, not with anything, and certainly not when it came to you.
"So... this isn't exactly how I planned for this to go," he confessed, clearing his throat. "I figured I'd do this on Christmas day, with the family around. But... I don't know, this just feels right."
Your breathing hitched as happy tears welled in your eyes.
"Three years ago, you walked into my office for that secretary position and tried to convince me that you were organised enough to keep my schedule from goin' nuclear. And you did... you did everything. You listened to me rant about bad publicity, talked me down every time I wanted to strangle a client, stayed stupid hours to help me pour over written reports."
"It was my job, Phil" you laugh lightly, breathlessly.
"Point still stands, doll," he smirks. "You've been there, through it all, and I want you to be there for everything else too."
Opening the box, the Commander revealed a ring that sparkled in the soft white lights of the kitchen. The beauty of it an oddity in the chaotic mess of the baking you'd been doing mere moments ago.
"So," Phillip swallows thickly. "What do you say? You wanna marry a stubborn, coffee-addicted Texan who loves you more then anything?"
"Oh, Phil," your voice cracked. "Yes. Of course, I do."
The smile that split across his face was blinding - genuine and boyish in a way only a few people had the pleasure of viewing from Phillip Graves. Eagerly pushing the beautiful ring onto your finger, despite your flour-dusted hands.
Then he surged up, kissing you with the relief and joy of a man who'd just won the greatest contract of his life.
When Graves finally pulled back, he whispered as he pressed his forehead against your own,
"This means your stuck with me now, doll."
"I've been stuck with you since the day you asked if I could alphabetize your weapons contracts" you chuckled, pulling him into a tight embrace.
"Don't remind me," he groaned. "I was tryin' to flirt - admittedly badly."
"Worked though, didn't it?"
Incase you didn't know, I actually run a discord server named 'Beanie's Tea Room' ❤️ we host movie nights, gaming lobbies, art competitions and have so many fun people from all walks of life within the server.
I also post sneak peaks of my writings ahead of time 🤭
The link to my server is in the Linktree in my bio and while you're there, why not check out my other social media like Wattpad and TikTok 😊 can't wait to see you there!
