Aiden and Natalie have a few shared moments

When Natalie stepped into the kitchen Wednesday morning, tugging at her robe around her waist, it didn’t carry the same sense of dread that it had the day before. The hum of the single-serve machine filled the kitchen when she slid a pod into place and set her mug beneath the spout.

Aiden came in a moment later, phone in one hand and a granola bar in the other. He gave her a small nod as he crossed to the fridge.

“Morning,” he said as he tore open the wrapper.

“Morning,” she returned, keeping her eyes on the stream of coffee filling her mug.

For a few seconds there was only the sound of the machine, and the rustle of the granola bar. Then he stepped back, leaned against the counter, and glanced over. “Got a busy day today?”

“Not really,” she said, reaching for the creamer. “Just trying to get ahead on a few things.”

“Yeah,” he said, biting into the bar. “Same.”

The pleasantries may have been limited, barely more than passing acknowledgments, but it was an improvement on the strained silence of the last few days. By the time she stirred her coffee and he headed toward the door, it almost felt like the mornings they’d had before. It was ordinary in how unremarkable it was, and a bit more natural feeling than either had expected.

Natalie let herself in that evening, setting her bag down by the door and slipping off her shoes. The faint sounds of an animated battle drifted from the living room, loud enough that she didn’t have to guess what he was watching.

Aiden was stretched across the couch in his sweats, snacking from a half-empty bag of chips that was balanced on the armrest. He sat up a little when she appeared. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she said, glancing toward the TV. “Back to your shows, huh?”

He gave a small shrug as if he’d been caught. “Yeah. I haven’t watched any in a while.”

She set her keys on the counter and leaned a hip against it, watching a colorful blur flash across the screen. “Is this the one with the giant robots, or the one with the swords?”

He smirked. “Swords. But technically there’s magic too.”

“Of course there is,” she replied, turning toward the kitchen, shaking her head and pulling a bottle of water from the fridge.

By the time she came back over, he had scooted to the far side of the couch, leaving enough space for her. “If you wanna sit,” he said, not quite looking at her, “you can. I can put something else on if it’s annoying.”

Natalie hesitated. The offer was more than they’d managed in days. She uncapped the bottle and took a sip, then gave him a small nod. “Maybe in a bit.”

He nodded too, going back to watching the TV, though his attention wasn’t really on it anymore.

Natalie lingered a few minutes longer, quickly finishing her water before moving into the kitchen. She opened the fridge, and pulled out ingredients to make both of them dinner, assuming he wouldn’t object. She plated two portions when it was ready, setting one on the counter near the couch as she passed. “Eat before it gets cold,” she said simply.

Aiden blinked at the unexpected command, then pushed himself upright. “Thanks.”

She gave a small nod, carrying her own plate down the hall. The TV played behind her as she shut her door, hearing the muted over-the-top dialogue through the walls.

Natalie came out of her room a little after seven. Aiden was at the counter with a glass of orange juice, scrolling on his phone. He looked up when he noticed her heading to make her morning coffee.

“Want me to start one?” he asked, pointing to a pod he’d already set out.

Her brow lifted faintly. “You were gonna make my coffee?”

“I figured it’s the least I can do for all of the food you made me,” he said with a small shrug. “I know it’s usually the first thing you do when you get up.”

She slid the pod into place herself, pressing the button. “Thanks, but I can handle it.”

“I know, but thought I’d offer,” he said with a hint of a grin before he turned back to his glass.

The machine hummed, filling the pause between them. Natalie poured in her creamer when her coffee was ready. “You’ve got class today?”

“Yeah. Two of them. Then I’m free for the afternoon.” He leaned an elbow on the counter, watching her. “What about you?”

“I’ve got a meeting this afternoon.” She took a sip, and then set the mug down. “Mostly catch-up stuff before the weekend.”

He nodded, tracing a finger along the rim of his glass. “So… not a terrible day, then.”

“No, not terrible,” she agreed.

“Well, here’s hoping it actually stays that way,” Aiden said, then set his own glass down.

Natalie glanced over, and for the quickest moment, so fast it could’ve been nothing, she was pretty sure she saw his eyes flick over her legs before going back to his phone. The look was fleeting, maybe even involuntary, but the warmth that rose in her cheeks was harder to brush off.

She picked her mug back up, clearing her throat. “I should get ready for my shower,” she said, stepping back from the counter.

“Didn’t you already take one?” Aiden asked, glancing at her damp hair.

Natalie cleared her throat. “Right. I just meant I need to finish getting ready for work. You know what I mean,” she finished, hoping he hadn’t noticed her blushing.

He lifted his glass, trying not to smirk. “Sure.”

As she crossed the kitchen, he told himself he’d only looked up at her because she’d spoken. It was the polite thing to do. Yet he couldn’t pull his eyes off the sway of her robe, or the way the fabric shifted below the cinched belt, until she disappeared around the corner to the hall.

When Natalie sat down at the dining table to finish a project with her laptop, she could hear some show Aiden had been watching. She tucked her hair behind one ear and tried to focus on the screen, scrolling through a client’s draft. Work had been busier than expected the last few days, so she hadn’t managed to finish the project at the office.

From the couch, Aiden flipped through a few channels with the remote before landing on one of her shows. He leaned back like it was nothing, switching his attention to his phone instead of the TV.

Natalie caught the sound of the familiar theme and glanced up. Her brows lifted, though she didn’t say anything. Instead, she refocused on her laptop, trying to ignore the clear gesture he was making.

He didn’t comment either. Just let the show play as he messed around on his phone, though he could’ve retreated to his room. Natalie’s fingers tapped out a few more notes, her gaze sliding once toward the TV, and then back again.

“That’s sweet of you to put my show on,” Natalie said after a few minutes, trying to stay focused on her project. “But I’ve got work to do, so you can watch whatever you’d like.”

Aiden turned to look at her from the couch, lowering his phone. “Nah, it’s fine. I figured you’d prefer to listen to this in the background than one of my shows.”

She smiled faintly, though she kept typing. “You don’t even like this one.”

“Sure I do,” he said, almost managing to sound convincing. “I mean, not enough to binge it, but…” He let the sentence trail with a small shrug. “I’ve picked up plenty just from hearing it.”

Natalie glanced over at him, cocking her head at him. “From hearing it?”

“Yeah,” he said with a crooked grin. “You’ve had it on enough times, so it’s hard not to pick things up.”

She watched him with a small smile. “Well, thanks for the consideration.”

“No problem,” he murmured, going back to his phone.

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