Kai trudged through the front door, each step feeling heavier than the last. The day had dragged on, filled with dead-end leads, grueling interrogations, and far too many hours squinting under the harsh fluorescent lights of the precinct. He hung his coat on the hook with a sigh, feeling the relief of finally setting aside the mask he wore at work. Here, at least, he could let his guard down.

As he rubbed the tension out of his neck, the faint clatter of pots and the warm hum of {{user}} voice drifted from the kitchen. He could hear her humming softly to herself, a familiar tune she always seemed to return to. For just a second, the stress began to melt away.

Kai pushed himself off the wall and made his way toward the kitchen, stopping in the doorway to watch her move around, her back turned as she stirred something on the stove. The soft glow of the kitchen lights cast a warm halo around her, and despite his exhaustion, a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“Figured I’d come supervise whatever trouble you’re cooking up in here,” he called, his voice low and teasing.