I know some things should just stay broken

i'm well aware this should remain unspoken

It wasn't often that Sterling freely gave up the kitchen duties within the apartment. It was only in the comfort of what had once been their home that he was allowed to truly showcase his skills, that he didn't have to follow some menu some other chef had come up with that he disagreed with in a thousand different ways. It was the only way the blue-eyed boy had to decompress after a chaotic day at work and yet...now..he found himself too much at a loss for what he was going to do with his life until this pandemic was over to care about something like dinner. He was well aware of Henry digging through the bags of groceries only to stock the fridge with what food Sterling had managed to acquire in the frenzy of the store. The last time he'd seen anything like this was when they had been warned about being slowed in two years ago - back then, though, he'd had Henry to return home to, to look forward to spending his time with. How things had changed within such a short time.

A soft sigh left his lips, even as he listened to the familiar sound of sizzling chuck in one of his prized skillets. His head remained nestled on his arms as Sterling considered his options. His frenzied nerves soothed only by the sound of a knife rhythmically hitting the cutting board. It was silly, he supposed, how desperate he was to cling onto the familiar, to find comfort in it. He glanced up, his chin resting upon his arm on the countertop as Sterling's bright blue eyes watched in silence as Henry moved about the kitchen, slicing the loaf of French bread in half. For several moments he remained silent, simply observing his ex as Henry slathered the loaf with butter and garlic and cheese. How well he remembered Henry's indecision on how he liked his bread, just as he remembered Henry's tendency to cook the meat and onion mixture just a touch too long till the edges of the onion had begun to brown, the man usually tended to become distracted from his cooking while they were together. God, what was Sterling doing, reminiscing of those evenings he had once so loved?

His lips parted as Henry slid the bread into the oven, only to inform his ex of the loss of his job (yet again) thanks to the pandemic. That roof he'd so struggled to ensure remained over their head was finally at the risk of being lost. He watched as Henry nodded in vague understanding, the man focusing upon the meal in front of him as a brief interlude of silence fell between them. He hardly expected the sudden way in which Henry looked up at him as he drained the grease from the hamburger meat, only to insist Henry would take care of him. For a moment, Sterling's brow rose, Henry's offer far beyond what he had anticipated from his ex. His head shook ever so slightly, "I'm...not really your problem anymore, Henry." He answered with a small shrug of his shoulders. Still, it brought to mind Henry's current predicament. After all, even if his ex wanted to help him, he was presently unable to anyways.

It was only natural for Sterling to inquire after the DMV. The audible sigh upon Henry's lips, however, spoke volumes far before the man even did. A small frown crossed his lips as Henry informed him that the DMV had closed - surely there had to be someway for Henry to replace his lost ID? His head bobbed slowly, "I'm sure they'll have something online." Sterling responded, after all, the government couldn't expect that it's citizens wouldn't still need those services...right? His cheek rested upon the palm of his hand, the warlock entirely aware of the sounds of the pasta sauce simmering away. Dinner would be done soon. The almost tentative sound of Henry's voice drew Sterling's gaze back towards his ex, his tone hardly matching the encouragement of his words. "Yeah, I'm sure I will." The Warlock agreed, making every effort to appear far more confident than he felt. His head cocked inquisitively to the side, however, as Henry grumbled about a bat being eaten in China, of all places. "Is that what started this?" He inquired, wholly oblivious to what the news had reported of late. A bat...in China. How the hell did anyone even cook a bat?!

Sterling

I'm on the ledge while you're so
God damn polite and composed