Aqua leaned up against her balcony, looking over the small garden that she tended to and to her small cafe, where her workers were cleaning up for the day. A scotch glass sat next to her, filled with a dark amber liquid and glistening cubed ice, and she picked it up, taking a small sip before returning it to its previous position.
Her dark jacket was stained with a myriad of ingredients, from the various flours of her pastries to the juices of multiple meats that prepped that morning. She traced her murky blue gaze at each stain, giving them the pride and disdain that they each deserve, proud of the work that she has done with her dishes.
After a moment of contemplation, a knock came to her office door. Her contemplative gaze moved to the source as her young protege and Sous Chef, Anika Anima, entered the room, bearing the special of the day. “I have your dinner Chef, the broiled eel on top a bowl of rice,” she remarked as she set the bowl down at Aqua’s dark oak desk.
The young woman stood at the desk as the steaming bowl of eel and rice sat saturated with the dark caramel-colored sauce. Her petite stature clashed with the stern brow and vibrant dark grey hair that was cut short to save time in the morning’s styling. Her dark amber gaze met with Aqua’s as she politely bowed her head. “Is there anything else you ask of me,” as her voice rang of light concern.
“This should be fine Anika. Thank you,” to which Aqua replied with a smile, trying to convince her protege that everything was alright.
Anika merely nodded, politely bowed and left the room, closing the door behind her. Aqua sighed with light relief as she moved to her desk. Pulling her drawer open, she pulled out her personalized chopsticks with her tanned hands and sat down. She inspected the details of her chopsticks, making sure that they didn’t need to be cleaned before she ate her meal. Luckily, they didn’t need to.
Her gaze returned to the balcony, where the moon decided to come out of the clouds and greet the relatively quiet cityscape with its pale white gaze. A light smile graced her face as she sighed in contentment as she began her indulging into her meal. Her own handiwork was present in this dish, letting the savory and sweetness of the eel grace her taste buds.
A couple minutes of content silence passed as she ate her meal before her own thoughts crept into her mind, the memories of times before. Aqua began to rub her forearms as they began to ache, remembering that time before being rescued, the time that she spent in that obsidian room, where hot iron chains pierced her limbs that held her in place.
A few moments of pain and remembrance later, a knock came at her door, snapping her back to the present. Wiping the tears from her eyes and rubbing her arms to make the aching go away, in a shaky voice “W...who is it?”
“Its me, love,” a familiar and calming voice replied as the door opened up gently to reveal a young woman in her early twenties. Rika brushed back her dark ebony and lavender hair away from her eyes, setting down her rapier and pistol at the stand beside the door as her boots echoed on the light hardwood floor. “Are you doing okay? Your staff told me that you were retiring earlier than usual.”
Aqua simply smiled at her as she motioned for her to join her for the meal. “I’ll be fine, I just gotta get through tonight is all,” to which she returned her gaze to her meal, her murky blue eyes resembling that of the stormy cobalt sea.
“Right, the anniversary….” Rika trailed off as she hesitated to take another step to her love. “Do you wish for me to leave then? I know that there are times where you want to be left alone.”
Aqua shook her head as she abruptly got up from her chair and swiftly moved to Rika, where she wrapped her arms around her lover. “This time, stay for me. I could use your company, especially for tonight.” Aqua’s gaze moved to meet Rika’s, her eyes filled with worry and dread as the pale moonlight bathed them both. “Tonight of all nights, I would rather not be left with my thoughts.”
Rika nodded as she reciprocated Aqua’s embrace. “I got you love,” she replied. After a moment of enjoying each others’ warmth, they broke apart their embrace as, in hand in hand, they made their way to her desk.
“Do you wish for your own bowl? I can have Anika prepare another,” Aqua inquired Rika as they sat down at her desk.
Rika shook her head, “no, I ate a bit of street food on my way over here. I’ll just share with you, love.” Rika smiled as Aqua pulled out a spoon from her desk, handing it over to Rika. Twirling the spoon around in her hand, she dipped it into the meal, taking a bite, savoring it. “Ooo, savory and sweet.”
“Adapted an elven dish to better suit the modern hustle and bustle,” Aqua stated, a quirky and confident smile gracing her lips as she took another bite before taking a swig from her glass.
Rika eyed the glass, noticing the dark amber drink. “You didn’t spike this, did you?”
“Gods no, I don’t care much of the stuff alone,” Aqua chuckled as she pulled out a cola bottle from the mini fridge underneath her desk and refilled her drink. “And even then, I don’t like alcohol in general. I’ve seen what that stuff can do to the mind, especially one like mine.” She then poured Rika some in a separate glass.
The room was then filled with a delightful sound of a couple enjoying a meal together. Aqua recounted today’s events at her little cafe downstairs while Rika laments having to sit through Council meetings. Aqua noted to herself to let the eel crisp up a bit more while Rika assures her that its fine as it is.
“I know love but I can make it better,” Aqua stated as she noted it onto her phone.
Rika nodded as she took a spoonful of rice and eel, gingerly placing her hand underneath as to catch any crumbs that would fall from the spoon. “Here love,” Rika raised the spoon up to match the level of Aqua’s lips.
Aqua chuckled before matching Rika’s action with her own chopsticks, gathering the last bite of the meal. “On three?”
Rika nodded, a playful smile etched in her lips. “Of course.”
“One,”
“Two,”
“Three!”
Aqua leaned forward, anticipating Rika’s playful trick of pulling away her spoon, letting her free hand balance her leaning form with ease. Rika, despite her giggling, focused herself and leaned forward to nab her bite. Unfortunately for Rika, Aqua reached the spoon first, chomping down and rinsing the spoon. Aqua then moved her chopsticks into Rika’s awaiting mouth.
“I got you, you sly girl,” Aqua huffed with satisfaction as she swallowed the final bite.
“Congrats love,” Rika stated as she swallowed her last bite and clapped her hands lightly. “Should we bring this down to the restaurant?”
Aqua simply shook her head, “I’ll do it in the morning.” Aqua set the bowl aside on the end table by her office door as well as the empty glass of hers.
Rika looked at her silver watch. “I need to bampf out of here, I have work tomorrow morning. I’m overhearing proceedings regarding a recent cultic uprising in Valencia. I figured that since I was in town for the investigations that are tied to the Empire, I would stop by.”
Aqua looked nervous as Rika began to gather her things. “Rika...” she hesitated as Rika’s gaze turned to Aqua, a look over concern taking over her face. “Can you stay the night, I can write a letter giving you an excuse for being late to the morning meeting.”
Rika nodded as she walked back to Aqua and held her in her arms. “I’ll stay the night, don’t worry love,” Rika reassured as she ran her hand through Aqua’s dark locks. “You just have to make it up to me with something in the morning.”
Aqua chuckled as she melted in response to Rika’s embrace as she maneuvered the both of them to the couch. “So what would you like in the morning,” Aqua pondered as she stared into Rika’s sapphire gaze.
“Oh you know what I would like, love,” Rika smiled, meeting Aqua’s oceanic gaze. “I would like my usual, if you please.”
Aqua giggled as she buried herself into Rika’s arms.
“So do you want me to change up your eggs, hun,” Aqua asked as the morning light broke through the curtains of the dim dining room.
“Maybe use garlic salt instead this time,” Rika remarked as she took a bite from her roll. “And make a bit extra so I can have some more later.”
Aqua smiled as she went back to her cooking, happy that Rika kept her company in the yesterday’s moonlight.
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