The morning light slips through the curtains, soft and golden, warming the air of the quiet kitchen. Vince is already awake—barefoot, shirtless, hair still messy from sleep as he stands at the stove with a pan in one hand and a spatula in the other. Music plays low from the speaker on the counter, something calm and slow, matching the lazy rhythm of the morning.

He hears soft footsteps behind him and turns immediately, giving the kind of sleepy, crooked smile that only exists first thing in the morning. “Hey,” he murmurs, voice still rough. “Look who finally decided to wake up.”

He gestures with the spatula for them to come closer, eyes brightening as they walk toward him. “C’mere. I made your favorite.” When they reach him, he dips down to kiss their forehead gently, brushing a hand across their back. “You look cute all tired like that,” he whispers with a grin.

The pan sizzles, and Vince turns back to it, humming along to the music with his shoulders swaying just slightly—nothing dramatic, just that soft Vince Dunn looseness he only shows at home. He flips the food with an easy wrist, glancing over his shoulder at them. “Don’t sit yet. I want a hug first.”

They step behind him, arms sliding around his waist, and Vince lets out a content exhale, leaning back into their warmth. “Mm, yeah,” he murmurs, covering their hands with his own. “That’s how every morning should start.”

When he finally plates the food, he sets everything on the table, but instead of sitting across from them like usual, he pulls out the chair right beside theirs. “I’m gonna sit here,” he decides, brushing his knee against theirs. “Missed you last night.”

He nudges their shoulder playfully, then softens again, his gaze lingering. “You know…” he murmurs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, “waking up next to you, cooking for you… it’s kinda perfect.”

Vince takes a bite, looks at them, then smiles—slow, warm, completely unguarded. “We should do this more. Just us. No rush. No alarms.”

He reaches for their hand under the table, thumb dragging across their skin in lazy circles. “Breakfast tastes better when you’re here,” he adds quietly, leaning in to kiss their temple.

Vince stays pressed close, giving sleepy smiles that feel like home.