The gentle scent of shower gel spreads through the living room before you even see him.

You are lying on the big, cozy couch in Lando’s apartment, completely lost in the pages.

"What are you doing, baby?" He asks from the bathroom.

"Reading." You murmur, without taking your eyes off the paper.

The letters are almost blurring before your eyes, that's how deeply trapped you are in the world of Navarre.

"The book with the dragons?" He asks as the light in the bathroom goes out.

Lando walks in, his hair still wildly messy, shirtless and wearing only comfortable shorts. A towel hangs casually around his neck.

"Yep." You say with a laugh, feeling your heart do a little skip, just like it always does.

He heads straight to the couch, leans over you, and pauses for a moment.

"I'll cook us something, okay? I'm starving." He says with that typical, charming grin, pressing his lips briefly against yours.

You return the kiss, breathing in his fresh scent and smile against his lips. "You can cook?"

"Not much. My mom taught me some things." He defends himself immediately, raising his eyebrows.

You tilt your head and raise an eyebrow. "You mean like last time? Burned toast and burned fried eggs?"

Lando stops mid-motion and gives you a warning look, even though his eyes are twinkling. "And bacon. And it wasn't my fault. You distracted me with your book."

You let out a soft laugh and try to make an innocent face. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, really?" He stops abruptly and looks down at you. "You were getting upset about some Dean who tried to touch this girl. To do what exactly? Manipulate her?"

You roll your eyes in amusement, grin widely, and look up at him over the edge of the book. "First of all, his name is Dain. And second, he didn't want to manipulate her, he wanted to look into her head."

Lando just shakes his head in disbelief and stares at the massive hardcover in your hand.

It is almost bigger than your head and definitely thicker than both your hands put together.

An absolutely monumental work of fantasy.

"What kind of brick is that anyway..." He murmurs, stepping closer and pointing at the cover with the golden dragon emblem.

"The other day you complained because you couldn't carry the watermelon because it was 'too heavy', but you willingly pick up this brick right here."

You protectively press the book against your chest, as if you had to shield Violet and Xaden from him. "It's not a brick!"

"Looks like one though." He teases, leaning in once more to steal a quick kiss from you before you can complain.

"I'm going in the kitchen. If something burns this time, it's still your fault because you're mentally distracting me with your dragon brick."

With a loud laugh, you throw a small pillow at him, which he skillfully catches, throws back onto the couch, and disappears toward the kitchen with a grin.

You look after him with a smile as you gather the pillow again and snuggle deeper into the couch.

From the kitchen, you can already hear the clattering of pots and the familiar sound of the fridge being opened.

"Okay, change of plans!" Lando calls, his voice echoing over the kitchen counter.

"Before I create a masterpiece here with...eggs, milk, pasta, and salad...that you end up not liking...what do you actually want? What are you hungry for, baby?"

You lower the book a bit and look over to the open kitchen.

Lando is standing at the countertop, holding a pack of pasta in one hand and salad in the other, looking at you questioningly.

"Surprise me." You call back, grinning. "As long as it's not the house specialty 'burned toast' again."

"Hey! I have serious options on offer." He protests loudly and places the pasta and the salad on the counter with a theatrical gesture.

"I could make dry pasta with Salad. Or...I check what the delivery service has on the app and just pretend I cooked it myself. What sounds better?"