"How do you always smell of vanilla?"

Rose smiled, feeling his lips move against her bare shoulder. She trailed her fingertips over his arm that was wrapped tight around her waist, and lazily turned around to face him.

"Vanilla, huh?"

"Mhm," he muttered, pressing his face against her hair, then her cheek, and finally her neck. "Like a cupcake."

"Then why don't you take a bite?"

She knew he was smirking before she even saw his face. He pressed a soft, languorous kiss on her neck, making her shiver inspite of the warmth of the room. His fingers trailed down her sides, leaving a trail of goosebumps, before landing firmly on her waist. He turned, and before she knew it, she was trapped under him.

Rose looked up, eyes trailing over every part of him. From the dark, thick locks of hair falling all around his face, messed up from the many times she had run her fingers through them, to the soft smile dancing on his lips. And of course, his eyes. God, his eyes. She could stare into them forever. He had universes trapped behind those eyes of his, and they were all hers. He was all hers.

"I love you," she whispered as she leaned up, pressing her lips against his. His arms snaked around her back, holding her steady as she pushed into him. All that mattered was here, in this tiny dorm room. The world could fall apart, but she'd have him, and he'd have her.

The kiss grew more desperate, urgent even, as he pushed her back into the bed, pressing himself into her. Her fingers gripped his shoulder, trying to pull him even closer. He could never be close enough. Nothing was ever enough.

"I love you," he whispered back, his words muffled by her lips.

One hand travelled up, tracing the side of her face before entwining his fingers in her hair. His lips left hers, only to place a searing kiss on on her jaw. "I love you," he breathed, before going to her neck. "I love you," he repeated, kissing her neck, then her shoulder, her collarbone, her chest, each kiss peppered with the same three words, repeated over and over again, like a prayer.

He finally met her eyes again, and dropped his forehead onto hers. For a long moment, they just existed, quietly, together.

And then she heard the crackling.

Immediately, Rose scampered up, her eyes widening in fear. He didn't seem to hear anything, though, looking completely unbothered. He reached out, cupping her face in his hand, his thumb gently brushing over her cheekbone. Rose wanted to scream, tell him to look around, tell him to run. But she sat there, frozen, watching as her entire room slowly got enveloped in flames.

Tongues of flames danced over the sides of her bed, burning her bedspread and their clothes, before licking his legs. They curled up his frame, clinging to him like a lover as they burned him. Rose was crying, her tears burning their path down her cheeks. But she still couldn't move. All she could do was watch, as the one person she had loved, the only person she would ever love, got consumed by the flames.

-🥀-

Rose had stopped waking up screaming a while back. The nightmares didn't even rattle her as badly as they once did.

But that didn't mean they did nothing.

Her eyes flew open, and for a moment that seemed to stretch on forever, everything was completely still. There was no air in the room for her to breathe, no sound aside from the throb of her heart in her ear. An oppressive, hot weight sat on her, pushing her deep into the bed, refusing to let her go. It was just her, and this paralyzing horror that wrapped its cruel tendrils around her, poisoning her from within.

Breathe in.

Rose forced her eyes shut, parting her lips to take a deep, painful breath.

Breathe out.

Two simple motions, repeated over and over again, until finally, Rose opened her eyes.

Sometimes she wondered if waking up thrashing and screaming was better than this.

Rose looked around, wrinkling her nose at the mess she had made of the perfect bed. A couple pillows had fallen off the bed, and the sheets were a horrible, sweaty tangle. Sighing, she got up, wincing as the cold floor touched her bare feet. She quickly got to fixing up the bed as best she could, not being one to make her messes someone else's problem. Once done, she head to the washroom, relishing in the warm mist building from the running hot water as she prepared to freshen up.

This could work. She could just camp out in this room, barely leaving. It wouldn't be the worst.

But her stomach had other plans.

It let out a loud grumble, begging for food, making her ever so grateful that nobody was around to hear it. Whether she wanted to or not, she had to venture out. Gritting her teeth, she stepped out, and much to her stomach's joy, was immediately greeted by the smell of something delicious cooking.

She followed it all the way to the kitchen, before stopping at the archway that opened into the kitchen. It was a beautiful kitchen, unsurprisingly, with wood and marble embellishments and potted plants filled with herbs on the windowsill. But what made Rose stop wasn't any of that. It was the cook.

She had expected a chef, someone who once worked at a five Michelin star boasting restaurant, to be whipping up breakfast. But no. It wasn't. Instead, she stared at Sebastian, clad in his pyjamas and a chef's hat, going around the kitchen, stirring and frying and cooking. He seemed blissfully unaware of her presence, happily humming a tune to himself as he worked. It almost made Rose smile. She quietly leaned against the archway, waiting to see how long it'd take him to realise.

It wasn't long.

He turned around, a bowl of batter in one hand, whisk in another, heading towards the kitchen island, before his eyes fell on her. Rose had to bite her lip to stop a chuckle. Sebastian was not only wearing a chef's hat, but also a matching apron, both boasting a penguin motif. His eyes darted from her, to his apron, and back to her, and a heavy red hue immediately bloomed all over his face.

"Can I put the blame on my nephew again?" he finally asked, putting the bowl down.

"Morning to you too," Rose said, walking in.

"I figured you'd sleep in," Sebastian said, walking around the island to get to her. "Thought I'd get you breakfast in bed."

Rose smiled. "Well, I'm up now. Do you want some help?"

Sebastian ducked his head, looking apologetic. "How do I put this... I'm a little bit of a control freak in the kitchen," he explained. "It would be a very bad way to start off the day. Trust me. You wouldn't like me very much after."

"Huh. Intriguing," Rose eyed him. "So... I'll just sit and wait, then?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

This seemed to make Sebastian very happy. He went back to the counter, picking up his whisk and bowl on the way. "In that case, I have a proposal."

Rose quirked an eyebrow, gesturing for him to continue.

"I have at least five different food items I'm preparing, and I can promise you, they'll be delicious. But, you get them on one condition. You'll have to tell me five things about yourself."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Very juvenile," she muttered, gaining a grin from Sebastian.

"Sure, but so far, I know absolutely nothing about you. If bribery is what it takes, then so be it."

Rose sighed, shaking her head. "Alright. But only because the food smells heavenly."

And so Rose sat, quietly watching as Sebastian danced around the kitchen, finishing up his cooking spree. Strange as it was, Rose was glad she stepped out of her room.

—🥀—

A/N: It isn't Friday yet, but I was way too excited to get this chapter out. Do let me know your thoughts! Constructive criticism is always appreciated (as are votes hehe).

Have a wonderful day, see you all tomorrow<3