Academic lovers

46 | Deja vû

The next day

He let out a cough, his voice strained with regret. "Thompson, I'm sorry," Aiden said, his words interrupted by a sniffle.

"I told you, you should've brought your jacket," I responded, a hint of frustration in my voice. "I know, I know, I'm sorry; please forgive me," he pleaded.

"If you weren't such a dumbass and didn't decide to go into the freezing cold without a jacket, this wouldn't have happened." I could hear him sniffle on the other end of the line. We were in the midst of talking about our plans for the day, which had been disrupted by Aiden's dumbass decision to not wear a jacket tomorrow, which made him sick.

"Are you going to be alone?" I asked

"My parents aren't here, yeah."

"Okay, I'll be there," I assured him. Without giving him a chance to ask any questions, I ended the call.

—

As I approached the front door, I raised my hand to knock, but before I could make contact, the door swung open widely, revealing a devastated Aiden. His usually nice hair was dishevelled, as if he had been running his fingers through it for hours. His eyes, usually bright, were now a bit red. His whole body seemed to slump, as if the weight of the world was resting on his shoulders.

As I entered the house, a chuckle escaped my lips at the sight of Aiden's dishevelled appearance. "Is that how you look when you're sick?" I couldn't help but tease, taking in the scene around me.

Aiden's voice, tinged with exhaustion and irritation, snapped me back to reality. "Don't make fun of me, Thompson," he replied.

Quickly realizing my mistake, I reassured him, "No, no, I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry, Aiden." Placing my bags on the kitchen counter, I began taking out the ingredients.

Curiosity got the better of him, and he peered over my shoulder, asking, "What are you doing?"

I shifted slightly, not wanting him to invade my personal space. "I'm making food. You mentioned that you haven't eaten all day, right? Let me make something up for you." I pulled out an apron, ready to get started.

Aiden's surprise was evident in his voice as he exclaimed, "Why am I only finding out now that you can cook, sweetheart?"

With a shrug, I replied, "I only know the basics, but I'll give it my best shot. Cooking can be fun, you know."

And so, with an apron on and determination in my eyes, I set out to prepare a meal for him. The kitchen became a hub of activity as I chopped, stirred, and seasoned, hoping to create something delicious for Aiden's body.

20 minutes later

"What on earth is that?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the "food" sizzling away on the stove. I let out a sigh and shook my head in disappointment.

"Honestly, I have no clue," I replied, my voice tinged with a mix of confusion.

The sight on the stove was a total bummer. We were faced with a mishmash of random ingredients, all thrown together without any rhyme or reason. There were these blobs of tofu swimming in a green sauce and a tangled mess of overcooked spaghetti noodles that clung together like they were glued. And to add insult to injury, there were these burnt onions scattered all over, giving off a nasty, charred smell.