the scent of frying banana hung sweet and heavy in the air as {{user}} leaned against the kitchen counter, watching kimo move around their los angeles apartment. his broad shoulders strained the fabric of his t-shirt as he flipped the cooking bananas in the pan, the oil spitting softly. the intricate lines of his traditional samoan tattoos danced on his muscular arms with each movement.

“smells amazing, love,” {{user}} said, her voice soft.

kimo turned, a wide smile lighting up his tanned face, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners. the diamond stud in his ear caught the light. “almost ready, my flower. just a few more minutes.” his accent was thick and warm, a sound she’d grown to adore over the past year and a half.

he plated the caramelized bananas and drizzled them with coconut cream. {{user}} pushed herself off the counter and walked over, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, resting her chin on his back. she could feel the solid warmth of his chest against her.

“thank you, baby,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to his tattooed skin.

kimo turned in her embrace, cupping her face in his large hands. “anything for you, my {{user}}.” his gaze was intense, full of a tenderness that always made her heart flutter.

they settled at their small kitchen table, the late morning sun streaming through the window. as they ate, kimo told her about a phone call he’d had with his sister back in samoa, his voice filled with a longing for his homeland.

“she says the taro harvest was good this year,” he explained, a hint of pride in his tone. “and my nephew, he’s getting so big. almost as tall as you now,” he teased, winking.

{{user}} laughed. “he’ll be a giant like you soon.” she knew how much kimo missed his family, his culture. it was something they talked about often, his desire to one day take her to samoa, to share his world with her.

“soon, my love,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. “soon we will go back home. i want you to see where i come from, to meet my family, to feel the sun on your skin the way it does there.”