I knew full well that I was too close for comfort.

How could I have not?

He was visibly trying to make some space between us but I kept moving forward into his personal bubble, throwing all regards to personal space out the window. I couldn't comprehend the sudden compulsion right then and there in the moment but I clearly wanted to just be close.

Truthfully, I wasn't even mad that he said that I couldn't cook. It was undeniably a fact and I couldn't even attempt to prove him wrong even if I wanted to. The unbestowed truth is that I had the desperate desire to just be in existence in the same space as Koushi.

It was as if my overnight realization had finally set in and completely changed my whole attitude towards the man. Just yesterday I was reserved and timid, scared that if I were so much to look at him for too long that he would shatter in front of me.

But now, it all was so different.

Now I was shockingly valiant.

I had my sights set. Granted, I knew that he would probably never want me in that way, but maybe I would be able to feel a sense of relief for him just noticing that I exist.

Knowing that I'm here and thinking about him.

But, even with my newfound boldness, I still couldn't find it in myself to look him in his eyes while moving in closer.

Well, that is until he stumbled a bit and fell a little further back into the counter, then I looked at him.

Catching his gaze quickly, I chuckled lowly before tearing my eyes away from the electricity I felt. Even something as simple as a glance from him was affecting me.

Damn.

I tried my best not to make it that I seemingly wasn't fazed by this exchange Even though indisputably it was obvious, but that was beside the point. Leaning in closer towards his ear, I whispered, "take it back or you're going to regret it." I genuinely tried to make it sound authenticity menacing but it came out more lighthearted and playful.

Slowly, I pulled back from him. Moving my gaze from the side of his head to his big hazel eyes, letting a smirk play against my lips. He, for a brief second, wore a look on his face that looked slightly panicked but quickly eased to be smug.

"Then I'd just be lying to you. Is that what you really want? A lie?" He narrowed his eyes at me playfully, laughing faintly as he did.

The literal sun was between my arms. All this time we thought the sun was a hot ball of glowing gasses when in reality it was just a man named Koushi Sugawara.

And even though he had somewhat insulted me, that all went out the window. I couldn't think. Everything was blocked. And even though I knew that in real-time only a couple of seconds had passed, it felt like it had been years. Before I could comprehend it, my mouth was forming words.

"Maybe it's because my hands are more skilled in other fields."

The statement was more suggestive than I would have preferred to verbalize out loud. However, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't mean for the statement itself to be suggestive.

But thankfully, my dual advances went right over the man's head.

"And what exactly would those skills be exactly?"

I let out a lighthearted chuckle before letting my hands slip away from their position on the counter. Quickly, before Koushi had the chance to react, I brought my hands to the sides of his stomach.

Instantly, I started mercilessly tickling him.

"I warned you!" I exclaimed, ignoring his pleas for me to stop through his sea of laughter.

This went on for a couple of seconds.

I kept demanding that he apologize if he wanted me to stop, to which he refused many times due to pride.

It wasn't until his socks had caused him to slip against the kitchen floor that I had stopped tickling him to catch him.

Out of reaction, I pulled him tightly to my chest making sure that he was safely standing straight before quickly releasing him. I honestly would have rather just held him, but I knew that was probably way out of line.

He was about to open his mouth to speak but the sound of the smoke alarm going off for the second time that morning interrupted him. He snatched the spatula from my hand and ran over to it, waving the smoke away.

When it stopped, he sighed lightly and waltzed over to the stove.

With his back turned to me, he said

"I think that is evidence enough."

He grabbed an egg from the carton and broke it open.

"You really, really suck at cooking." In response to this, I let out a deep laugh, knowing full well I couldn't even argue at this point.

Slowly, I approached him.

I stood at his side, attentively watching him cook.

" Then what do you suggest I do?"

Koushi hummed, "you should probably just stay far, far away from any type of cooking honestly."

A small gasp of mock betrayal slipped past my lips.

"I'm wounded. How do you expect me to feed myself and my darling son?"

For a while, we just stood in silence while Koushi tried to think of a solution to my dire problem. It got to the point where I was almost convinced he either didn't hear me or was just ignoring me.

But then he answered.

"I'll just have to help you," he muttered, so quietly that I almost didn't hear him.

I was a little taken back. After everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours, he was still intent on helping me.

"But you told me to stay away from the stove."

"Yeah, but maybe it will go better under my supervision." He replied, peering at me from the corner of his eye.

As he flipped the egg, he continued talking.

"At least till you learn, maybe."

I stood in absolute shocked silence. Koushi took this silence as disapproval because he instantly tried to take his offer back insisting that it was probably a bad idea and it was fine if I didn't want that.

But I cut him off.

"No, that actually sounds perfect"

Perfect, amazing, flawless, excellent, and every synonym in between.