❛ 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆 ❜

9

after y/n was done fetching the plates, she turned around to place them on the table, only to find that it was littered with crumbs of past meals, papers, books, and other junk. "bleh..." y/n wrinkled her nose in disgust, her stomach churning as she recoiled away from the mess. not really having much of a choice, she used her forearm to press against the pile, pushing and groaning until enough debris tumbled to the ground on the other side, leaving a clear space for her and howl.

as she placed the plates on the table, y/n couldn't help but feel a twinge of irritation at the state of disarray that surrounded her. it was clear that howl didn't put much effort into maintaining the cleanliness of his home, a fact that spoke volumes about his priorities—or lack thereof.

meanwhile, the wizard's back remained turned towards y/n, his attention focused on the sizzling pan atop calcifer. but after the commotion from behind him subsided, he spoke up, his voice tinged with a hint of regret. "i don't get much company," he explained. "so, i don't bother much with cleaning. and, well, i'm not in the castle a whole lot, so i don't really have the time to do so." he added.

a heavy silence settled over the room at his confession, broken only by the crackling of the fire and the sizzle of food cooking in the pan. but before the tension could stretch on for too long, howl cleared his throat, "but... that's no excuse," he continued. "you'll have to forgive me for my bad manners."

y/n's gaze softened at his words. "it's...fine." she soon answered.

suddenly, howl extended his hand, pointing off to the side. "hand me two more slices of that bacon and four more of those eggs," he requested.

y/n wandered off to the side, her eyes scanning the cluttered space for the ingredients. amidst the disarray, she finally spotted a basket of eggs nestled on a high shelf. reaching up on tiptoe, she carefully lifted it down and carried it over to the blond. howl glanced over his shoulder with a small smile, plucking the required amount from the basket with practiced ease. one by one, he cracked the eggs over the pan that rested on calcifer, the clear and yolk sizzling upon contact with the heated surface. the empty shells were tossed into calcifer's mouth, the fire demon devouring them with a satisfied crunch.

y/n found the sight amusing and after giggling to herself, she set the basket down and turned her attention to the bacon, her brow furrowing as she scanned the cluttered kitchen. where could it be? she rifled through cupboards and drawers and moved aside stacks of dishes and books, but no matter what she did, she couldn't find it. just as frustration began to creep in, her eyes fell upon a cloche sitting inconspicuously on the counter.

she lifted the covering cautiously, her breath catching in her throat as she uncovered a platter stacked with several slices of bacon. she sighed with relief as she quickly set the cloche top off to the side and picked up the platter. carrying it over to howl, she watched as he selected a few slabs of bacon and deftly tossed them into the pan. the strips sizzled and crackled, their aroma filling the air and mingling with the scent of eggs.

as he cooked, she found herself stealing glances at his profile, noting the way his blond hair fell across his face and the intense concentration in his eyes. something was captivating about howl, an enigma wrapped in layers of mystery that she couldn't quite unravel. he was so handsome...lost in her thoughts, y/n was jolted back to reality by the sound of howl's voice. "you're doing well," he commented, his tone warm and encouraging as he glanced over at her.

"thank you," she replied, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. soon, y/n turned and sat at the table, her eyes still fixed on howl as he expertly moved around the kitchen, attending to the sizzling contents of the pan. the rhythmic sound of cooking and the occasional crackle from calcifer provided a soothing backdrop and for the next few minutes, the h/c-haired woman simply watched, taking in the surprising domesticity of the scene, feeling a strange sense of contentment settle over her.