mtlumby2d Chapter 502 Cooking And Disaster II
Chapter 502 Cooking And Disaster II
Eventually the cooking was done.
The kitchen looked like it had survived a small war.
There were bowls scattered everywhere, vegetable peels piled near the sink, seasoning containers left open across the counter and enough dirty utensils to keep somebody busy for an hour. Yet somehow the chaos only made the place feel warmer. The entire suite was filled with the smell of freshly cooked food. Steam rose from the rice sitting in a large pot while the chicken rested on a tray beside it, golden brown and covered in seasoning. The vegetables looked colorful and fresh and even Ann’s pancakes had survived without being burned.
Liam was already standing beside the counter holding a plate.
Waiting.
Watching.
Looking suspiciously like a predator waiting for prey.
Lana noticed immediately.
"Don’t even think about it."
"I wasn’t."
"You were."
"I wasn’t."
"You’ve been staring at that chicken for five minutes."
Liam looked down at his plate.
Then back at her.
"I am a growing boy."
Ann nearly choked laughing.
"A growing boy? You’re over twenty."
"Growth never stops."
"That sounds scientifically wrong."
Liam pointed at her.
"I don’t need negativity right now."
Lana rolled her eyes before grabbing a large serving spoon. She began serving rice onto three plates while Ann arranged the vegetables. The simple act somehow turned into another argument because neither of them could agree on presentation.
Ann wanted everything arranged neatly.
Lana wanted everything dumped onto the plate because, according to her, food was food.
"You eat with your eyes first."
"No, you eat with your mouth first."
"Presentation matters."
"Not when you’re starving."
"It absolutely matters."
"Tell that to Liam."
The two girls turned toward him.
Liam had already stolen a piece of chicken.
He froze.
Slowly lowered it.
Then immediately stuffed it into his mouth anyway.
Ann pointed dramatically.
"See?"
Lana nodded.
"Exactly my point."
Liam chewed quietly.
He wasn’t participating in this discussion.
He had chosen survival.
A few minutes later they finally carried everything over to the dining table.
The table itself was positioned beside a large window overlooking the city. Sunlight poured through the glass, bathing everything in a soft golden glow. The city below looked peaceful from this height. Cars moved through the streets. People walked along sidewalks. It almost felt strange after everything they had gone through recently.
The moment everyone sat down Liam grabbed his fork.
"Finally."
The word came out with genuine emotion.
Ann laughed.
"You’ve been acting like a prisoner who hasn’t eaten in weeks."
"I understand prisoners now."
"You ate yesterday."
"Barely."
Lana didn’t even bother replying.
She simply took a bite of her food.
The reaction was immediate.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Then she nodded.
"Okay."
Ann looked interested.
"Okay what?"
"It’s actually good."
Ann immediately straightened in her chair.
"Of course it’s good."
"I wasn’t talking about your pancakes."
Ann gasped.
The betrayal.
Liam burst out laughing so hard he nearly dropped his fork.
The meal quickly turned into complete chaos.
Every few minutes somebody would tease somebody else. Every joke somehow became another argument which became another joke.
At one point Ann proudly placed a pancake onto Liam’s plate.
"There."
Liam looked down.
Then took a bite.
"Hmmm."
"Hmmm what?"
"It’s nice."
Ann smiled proudly.
Then Liam continued.
"For a first attempt."
The smile vanished instantly.
Lana almost fell out of her chair laughing.
"It wasn’t my first attempt!"
"It tasted like one."
"You’re horrible."
"I speak truth."
"You literally tried frying a pan full of oil."
Liam immediately pointed at Lana.
"Tell her she’s exaggerating."
"I’m not helping you."
"Traitor."
The laughter continued.
For nearly an hour they barely focused on eating because they spent more time talking than chewing.
Liam learned very quickly that sitting between both women was dangerous because every time he complimented one of them, the other would immediately stare at him.
Not angry.
Just staring.
Waiting.
Judging.
The first time it happened he complimented Lana’s cooking.
Ann simply looked at him.
Silently.
For ten whole seconds.
Liam finally sighed.
"You cooked well too."
"Thank you."
The stare disappeared.
Ten minutes later he made the mistake of complimenting Ann’s pancakes.
This time Lana looked at him.
Again.
Silently.
Patiently.
Waiting.
Liam lowered his fork.
"The chicken was amazing too."
"Thank you."
The stare disappeared.
Ann laughed so hard tears formed in her eyes.
"You’re being trained."
"No I’m not."
"You absolutely are."
Liam refused to acknowledge reality.
As the meal continued the atmosphere became softer.
The teasing never stopped but it became gentler.
Comfortable.
The kind of comfort that only existed between people who genuinely enjoyed each other’s company.
At one point Lana rested her chin on her hand while watching the two of them argue over pancakes.
Sunlight illuminated her face and highlighted the loose strands of hair around her cheeks.
She looked relaxed.
Happy.
The exhaustion from yesterday seemed lighter now.
Ann wasn’t much different.
She sat comfortably in her chair laughing every few minutes, occasionally stealing food from Liam’s plate whenever he wasn’t paying attention.
Which happened more often than he wanted to admit.
"Hey."
"What?"
"That’s mine."
"No."
"It literally came from my plate."
"Then you should have protected it better."
Lana nodded.
"Fair point."
Liam stared at both of them.
"You’re teaming up against me."
"Obviously."
"Why?"
The answer came instantly.
"Because it’s funny."
Liam looked genuinely heartbroken.
Which only made them laugh harder.
By the time they finished eating, everyone was full.
The plates were nearly empty.
The room smelled pleasantly of food.
The sunlight had shifted slightly.
Nobody moved immediately.
They simply sat there.
Comfortable.
Satisfied.
For a few moments the conversation faded and silence settled naturally over the table.
Not awkward silence.
The good kind.
The kind where nobody felt pressured to speak.
Liam leaned back in his chair and looked around at the messy table, the empty plates, the sunlight filling the room and the two women beside him.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Yesterday he had been fighting a monster strong enough to destroy buildings.
Today he was arguing about pancakes.
Honestly, he preferred today.
A lot more.