? ? ENHYPEN ??? ?IMAGINES ?°?

Your new boyfriend's persistent desire to prepare meals for you left you feeling confused and curious...

You were a detective and a pretty good one. But you couldn't quite put your finger on why he was so eager to cook every time.

Jay, on the other hand, was secretly a well-known professional chef, yet he is too shy to admit it, so he just told you he was some type of office worker.

While you leaned against the counter, watching as he effortlessly prepared a dish you couldn't even begin to identify, a smile graced your lips. "You're quite the chef, huh?" you teased affectionately, admiring his focused demeanour.

Jay glanced up, his hands moving with practiced precision as he chopped vegetables. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, a tinge of pink colouring his cheeks.
"I guess you could say that," he replied, his voice soft. "Though you're distracting me."

You smirk after connecting some pieces together. "You can't keep the secret hidden forever, Jay."

Jay chuckled a bit at that. He continued cooking, trying to maintain his focus. "And why is that?" he asked, playing coy as he glanced up at you through his eyelashes.

"Cmon, I know you're a professional chef."

His eyes widened at that, a mix of surprise and disbelief on his face. "And what makes you think that?" he asked innocently, feigning ignorance as he focused on stirring the pot of sauce.

"Just my detective skills."

Jay let out a softchuckle. "Detective skills, huh?" he repeated, arching an eyebrow with a playful smirk. "Okay then, detective, tell me how you figured it out so effortlessly."

"I have my ways."

He rolled his eyes but couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips at your vague response. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he observed, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he continued cooking.

"Finee, maybe I saw some awards in your office when you told me to grab your phone, and I started to think more," you admitted.

His smile widened at your confession, clearly amused by your unexpected discovery. "Ah, so you were snooping around my office, huh?" he teased, his gaze flicking between you and the food he was preparing.

"Perks of dating a detective," you smile.

He couldn't help but chuckle again.
"Right, I should've known better than to underestimate your sleuthing skills," he joked, the corners of his eyes crinkling in silent laughter.

"Sorry for snooping, baby... But why didn't you tell me?" You asked

"I guess I was just... scared," he confessed, averting his gaze a bit nervously.
"I didn't want you to treat me differently or have any preconceptions about me. I just wanted to be myself when I'm with you."
He looked back up at you, his gaze holding a mix of sheepishness and honesty.
"And... I don't know; I guess I wasn't sure how you'd react. I didn't want you to think that I was trying to impress you all the time or anything like that," he added with a slight shrug, running a hand through his hair.

"I would never do that, love."

His shoulders relaxed at your reassurance, a small sigh of relief escaping him. "Yeah?" he asked, a look of vulnerability in his eyes as he sought your reassurance.
"You're not... disappointed or anything?"

"Why would I be? I understand, baby.. and I still love you for who you are." You say

His heart warmed at your words, a mixture of gratitude and relief flooding his eyes.
He set aside his cooking duties to come closer to you, his hand reaching out to gently cup your cheek. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice a gentle, heartfelt whisper.
"That means more to me than you know."

You chuckled and pulled him in a small, loving hug. He embraced you back, wrapping his arms around you tightly. He buried his face in the crook of your neck, his breaths steadying. "I was so scared of losing you," he admitted, his words slightly muffled against your skin.
"I didn't want you to think I was some arrogant, pretentious chef, or just trying to show off for you."

He held you closer, his fingers gently rubbing soothing patterns against your back. "And I didn't want my status to change how you see me," he confessed, his voice slightly shaky.
"I just wanted us to have a normal, genuine relationship."

"I understand, but now that I know... you better cook me one of my favourite meals one day." you tease

His chest rumbled with a low laugh against your ear. "You got it," he promised, gently drawing back from the embrace to look at you, a small, determined smile on his face. "Just name the dish and I'll whip it up for you; no complaints."

You pulled away with a smile, "Well anyways, I'm gonna go back to my office and work on my case."

You see him tilt his head slightly, his gaze turning curious. "Alright," he said, stepping back to return to the food he was preparing. "Don't work too hard, and don't forget to take breaks."

"My break will be you calling me for dinner."

"Count on it," he replied, pausing to shoot you a wink before returning to his cooking.

Jay continued to cook, his focus now back on the task at hand. The scent of the aromatic spices began to fill the room, enveloping you both in a comforting, homely atmosphere.
The silence was comfortable, punctuated only by the occasional sizzling of ingredients on the pan and the gentle clatter of cooking utensils against bowls.