𝙊𝙝 𝙈𝙮 𝙈𝙮 𝙈𝙮 | 𝘈𝘭𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘮

17: Breakfast?

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PAST

Collei, the pickiest eater of the group, eyes her plate weirdly. "What is it?" she asks. Your brother sighs.

"It's something I made for my culinary class," he replies. "I want you all to try it." Kaveh had invited everyone over to hang out. Like any hangout, that meant food, but he never mentioned he'd be cooking.

Knowing your brother's culinary capabilities, or lack thereof, you were a bit skeptical of the plate of stir fry noodles in front of you, but it did warm your heart to know that he was trying to improve his cooking skills. With a shrug, you picked up your fork.

"It can't be as bad as the time you tried to cook for mom's birthday," you say.

"Hey!" Kaveh exclaims. "I thought we agreed to never talk about it again."

"By your reaction, I'm not entirely convinced this will taste good," Alhaitham muses.

"Just shut up and try it! I followed my grandma's recipe, so it must be good."

From what you could tell, the dish looked edible. You brought your fork to the noodles, twirling it to gather as many of the noodles as you could. Kaveh's ruby eyes watched excitedly as you took a bite. The rest of your friends followed your action.

The spices blended with the noodles and vegetables in the dish. The savory taste danced on your tongue until a twinge of spice made its presence known.

At first, you didn't mind it. Your grandma always used a ton of spices in her cooking. As you continued to eat, the spice became more and more unbearable. Quickly, you reach for your glass and chug down its contents.

Kaveh's excited expression turned into one of worry once he saw your reaction. He surveys the rest of your friends' reactions. Disgust was written on many of their faces.

"So what do you think?" your brother chuckles nervously.

"How much spice did you use?" you ask.

"Half."

"Half of what?" Alhaitham replies sternly.

"That's the thing," Kaveh sheepishly replies. "Grandma always wrote her recipes on index cards. The writing for the noodle recipe was a bit faded. When it came to seasoning, it just said half."

"That still doesn't answer my question. Half of what?"

"T-the spice bottle."

"Did you not taste the noodles before you gave them to us?" Tighnari asks from across the table. You sent him a small smile, grateful for his efforts to diffuse the situation.

"Was I supposed to?" your brother responds with a blank expression. Alhaitham sighs at the blonde's response. A storm of anger brewed in his verdant eyes.

"Kaveh, run!" TIghnari calls out as Alhaitham stands from his chair.

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PRESENT

The sunlight streaming through your window woke you up. Groggily, you brought your hands to your eyes, rubbing them. The movement alerts the man next to you, causing him to tighten his arms around you.

"Don't go yet, it's too early," Alhaitham mumbles. Your back is to him as he pulls you closer to his chest. Alhaitham had been awake for about 30 minutes but didn't want to get up.