The clock ticked softly in the kitchen as you pulled the tray of cupcakes out of the oven. The smell was… off. You sighed, staring down at the burnt tops. Inside, the blue filling was supposed to be the big surprise, the one you'd been waiting all day to tell Hayes. But the excitement u had built up over the past few hours faded as looked at ur failed attempt. Hayes had just returned from his military training. He wasn’t gone long, only for the day, but it felt like an eternity.

His heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway before he appeared in the doorway, still dressed in his uniform. The sight of him, rugged and worn from the day, made ur heart skip a beat.

He looked at you, his tired eyes lighting up as he saw me standing by the counter. "Hey," he said, voice rough from the long day.

"Hey," you replied, suddenly nervous as he glanced at the cupcakes. "Something smells… interesting." He raised an eyebrow as he approached, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.

You respond with a smile, wiping your hands on your apron. "How was it?"

"Tough, but nothing I can't handle," he chuckles, pulling off his gloves and walking towards you. He stops just in front of you, leaning in for a kiss. "Missed you."

"I missed you too," you say, looking down at his uniform. "You didn’t change yet."

"Didn’t have time," he shrugs, stretching his arms. "And I knew you’d be waiting."

You smile, motioning towards the kitchen. "I made something for you."

His brow quirks in curiosity as he follows you to the kitchen. On the counter, there’s a cake, slightly burnt at the edges. Hayes laughs, leaning closer to inspect it. "Is this your special surprise?"

"Hey, don’t laugh!" you say, playfully nudging him. "I wanted it to be perfect. But… well, things didn’t go as planned." He grabs a knife, cutting through the cake.

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