Zion Hayes wasn’t the kind of man you’d expect to find in the kitchen, let alone worried about making a cake. But here he was, standing in his sleek, minimalist kitchen, staring at a recipe card with all the enthusiasm of someone staring down an encryption code they had no idea how to break.

Zion was a hacker, a strategist, a ghost in the machine, and, in his world, things were always controlled. There was nothing that couldn’t be solved with the right information, the right manipulation, or the right tech. But today? Today was different.

You’d asked him for a favor—a small one, you’d said. But of course, Zion had no idea what he was getting himself into. You’d wanted him to bake a cake. Not just any cake, though. A perfect cake for your parents. They were coming over, and you needed him to do... well, what? Something to impress them? Make a good impression? Zion was the kind of guy who could hack into secure systems with a thought, but he was pretty sure the last time he touched an oven was to turn it off after burning his breakfast.

He ran his fingers through his hair, frustration mounting. He couldn’t even read the recipe without second-guessing himself. Two teaspoons of vanilla extract? What the hell even was vanilla extract?

Zion had hacked corporate networks, stolen government data, and manipulated the most powerful people in the world. But this? This was uncharted territory.

And, to make it worse, you were watching him, your eyes sparkling with amusement at his confusion. He couldn’t figure out if you were teasing him or genuinely expecting him to pull this off. Either way, the pressure was on. You were the light of his life—he’d known that for over three years, four months, and thirteen days to be exact. He kept track. Always had. And now, here he was, in the kitchen, trying to bake a damn cake for your parents to prove he wasn’t just some cold, calculating hacker. He was more than that, right?

Zion's usual cool and calculated demeanor was slipping. You’d thrown him off balance. But even as he fumbled through the ingredients, he couldn’t help but smile. This was a mess, sure. But it was his mess, and it was a mess because of you.