Separate Worlds

 Katherina

The next morning, Kat was ripped from her unusually pleasant dreams to the sound of thunder shaking her home. She sat bolt upright in bed, disoriented by not only the booming interruption to her sleep, but also the frigid temperature. Shivering, she realized she had left her window open in her exhaustion from last night’s activities.

She sighed in irritation, watching the rain that was steadily pooling in front of her window thanks to her lack of foresight.

“Lovely,” she griped, hurrying over to close the window before creeping out of her damp bedroom for towels to sop up the mess.  The window had been open since yesterday, and it looked to be close to dawn now. How had she slept through the rain for this long? And what had she been dreaming about again?

Tiptoeing down the hall, she slid open the door to the linen closet, grabbing a large towel and quietly slipping back into her room and soaking up the rainwater from her floors and windowpane. She looked up halfway through her unexpected chore to a pair of luminescent amber eyes glowing ominously at her from atop her bed. She shivered.

“Creepy little thing, aren’t you?” She called to the animal, who disregarded her in favor of continuing his death glare assault.

“You need a name,” she mumbled absently, folding up the saturated towel and hurling it into the basket in the corner of the room to be washed. “Maybe then you’ll feel less sinister,” she whispered before crawling back into bed and pulling the covers over her face to block the incoming light from her window. ‘Cat’, as she had mentally dubbed him, at least until she came up with a acceptable name, gave an answering purr that sounded closer to a growl. Kat, who clearly had a thing for beautiful, dangerous things simply shoved her face into the pillow and buried her fingers in his thick fur.

As she drifted back to sleep, she recalled yesterday’s events. More specifically, last night’s events when Itachi walked her to her bedroom after the Chase debacle. In all the excitement and panic of the evening, Kat had minimal time to process the entire ordeal. She was extremely lucky that Itachi had been lingering nearby. Because as much as she would like to think that she could have handled Chase’s possessive antics, she was proven wrong last night. He had clearly taken his stalking to the next level.

She only hoped the genjustu Itachi had used was enough to deter Chase for good, because she shuddered to think what would happen if he ever showed his face again after such a humiliating display. The ferocity that emitted from Itachi for those few brief moments had been enough to give her a glimpse of what he was truly capable of if pushed.

And to make it worse, Itachi had seemed frustrated at her for some reason.

As her eyes closed, she vowed to find a way to make whatever it was up to him when she woke up. Perhaps breakfast was in order? American style.

She smiled. Yes, after all he had done for her, breakfast seemed like a good start.

Katherina

Roughly four hours later, she emerged from her bedroom in her favorite cold weather leggings and fuzzy slippers. She was just pulling an oversized olive sweater over her tank top to cover her arms as she stepped into the hallway. It was much colder than it had been all season and the house was very chilly. She was surprised at the abrupt change in temperature overnight, but it had been unseasonably warm for quite a while now. She had not questioned it much since she was just generally more content when it was warm outside. Not to mention, warmer days meant that she could run or work out in the garden without the discomfort of breathing in frigid air. Though it was rather unusual now that she considered it. 

She would definitely be turning on the furnace today. Maybe they could even light a fire. She was excited to use the fireplace for the first time since last winter. She had painstakingly cut up a ton of wood earlier this year for this very reason. And considering how terrible she was at swinging an axe, she planned to make full use of the firewood by using that fireplace as much as possible. 

It was shaping up to be quite a languid day, what with the rain still pouring down and the fog gathering outside the windows. That was alright with her. After all the action last night, a quiet, relaxed day indoors sounded like heaven. Besides, after all the food she planned to make for breakfast, she could not be expected to do any cardio anyway. It had been a long time since she had even considered taking a day simply for recuperation and self care. She gave a happy little skip at the thought. Maybe she'd read that book she bought last month and never got around to reading.

As she descended the stairs, she noticed again the aroma of coffee wafting up from the kitchen. With a smile of gratitude, she breathed it in deeply. For some reason, it smelled different when Itachi brewed it. Better. 

She hovered in the doorway of the kitchen for a few moments, taking in the surreal sight of Itachi casually reading the paper in her father’s old chair. He did that a lot, she realized. He looked so out of place, yet completely comfortable at the same time.

She approached somewhat self-consciously, taking her seat at the table across from her guest. Just as she opened her mouth to greet Itachi, she gasped quietly as an unexpected weight landed lithely in her lap, turning in several circles before plopping down and placing its face on her abdomen. Mouth still open, Kat glanced down and huffed with feigned irritation. 

“Attention whore,” she grumbled under her breath, indulging him with a brief chin scratch.

“Good morning to you, too,” Itachi responded with a raised brow, still skimming the paper and sipping his coffee. Kat snorted lightly, knowing he was teasing, and thankful for the broken tension. Perhaps this morning would be fine, after all. 

“Good morning,” she smiled. “This little guy has a creepy stare, but he’s a good cuddler,” she commented airily, running her fingers through his beautiful black fur. He was a long-haired cat, his fur almost wavy when he walked. He seemed to be very well fed and taken care of. He also did not behave like a stray, but...here he was, in the middle of nowhere. “He needs a name. Any suggestions?”

Itachi glanced at the ball of fluff purring sleepily in her lap before turning back to his paper. What was he reading about, anyway? Was he attempting to better acquaint himself with this world by reading up on current events? Well, the paper he was reading was a local paper, so wouldn't be much to learn there. Not unless Itachi was interested in the fire department's new canine partners, or the long overdue remodel of the antiquated elementary school she’d once attended. He’d really have better luck reading international news if his aim was to get a handle on his new surroundings.

“My mother had a cat when Sasuke and I were children,” Itachi offered. 

“Oh? I was under the impression Sasuke is still a child,” Kat retorted offhandedly, without thinking. Catching herself, she quickly looked up to apologize for her slight. Sasuke was Itachi's only living family, after all. He met her eyes with a smirk, easing her mortification at speaking before considering her words, and how they might make her guest feel.

“Quite right,” he concurred, black eyes dancing with mirth. “Pleased to know I’m not the only one who thinks he is foolish,” he added, putting down the paper and folding his hands on top of the table.

“Well, I do believe the Hokage would be inclined to agree with our assessment at any rate,” Kat winced. “Sasuke and the rest of team seven do seem to give her more work than she ever asked for with their antics,” she grinned.

“What sorts of trouble do they cause?” He asked, standing to refill his coffee cup. With pleasure, she noticed he grabbed a second mug and filled it with the delightful smelling elixir before returning to the table.

She smiled at him as he sat back down, taking her pre-offered cup with quiet thanks. “Well, you already know how Kakashi always makes it his point to be at least two hours late to everything. It drives his teammates crazy, the Hokage too,” she laughed, rolling her eyes. 

“Naruto…” she sighed. What didn’t the boy do to grate on his leader’s last nerve. “Well, he’s noisy. Boisterous. Not very good at blending in or following directions,” she explained, knowing Itachi must know exactly what she meant. “He must be terrible at covert missions,” she marveled with a headshake, trying to picture Naruto following the Hokage’s orders to leave no trace when all his signature moves blew the landscape apart...not to mention his very loud proclamations of becoming Hokage.

Itachi smiled slightly in agreement. “Naruto-kun is very earnest and direct. Not at all cut out for ANBU assignments, but I do believe he will make an admirable leader one day.” Kat watched his expression dampen minutely before he grimly added. “If he can survive that long.” 

Kat nodded seriously. “If any of them can,” she whispered, taking a calming sip of her bitter black beverage before grimacing. Itachi chuckled before rising to fetch the cream from the refrigerator for her. She thanked him earnestly, hating the taste of unsweetened coffee. She poured some of the sweetened creamer into her cup before setting it back down on the table, closer to Itachi in case he should need it.

“And their kunoichi teammate?” He inquired, adding his own liberal dash of cream. “I’ve encountered her only once, and I was there only to delay their team from reaching the Akatsuki hideout.”

“During Shukaku’s extraction,” Kat whispered, blowing on her coffee, looking up at him. His expression did not change, but she knew that he was unhappy remembering the missions that placed him in opposition to his leaf comrades. “He died, you know? Gaara did,” she added. She didn’t know why. She of all people did not want to make him feel bad for the things he was made to do to keep from blowing his cover while spying for Konoha. But the words were out of her before she could make the conscious decision to quiet herself.

“...yes.” 

“Sorry. I know you had no choice. I shouldn’t mention it. He was saved in the end,” she mumbled quietly, avoiding his gaze. 

“At the expense of another life,” he replied somberly.

Kat swallowed thickly, choosing not to dwell on the loss of Chiyo. “Sakura. The last member of team seven is Haruno Sakura, the hokage’s apprentice,” she informed him. “She...well, she’s a mini-Tsunade in terms of fighting skills. And kind of a bitch in terms of people skills,” Kat continued with a noncommittal shrug. “She’s getting better,” she said to be fair to the poor girl. Kat had always told herself that it wasn’t Sakura’s fault Kishimoto gave her such potential yet wrote her character so poorly. What did that mean now that she knew they were all real?

Itachi shifted in his seat slightly, regaining her attention. “You are quite earnest and direct yourself, Katherina-san,” he told her, holding eye contact. 

Her face grew warm at his comment. Was that a compliment or an admonishment? She forced herself to look away, suddenly very interested in the animal still resting in her lap. “Kat,” she corrected absently. 

He gave a low hum in response. 

“So…” Kat hedged, trying to think of something, anything really, to move them away from the current subject. “Your mother’s cat, what did she name it?”

“Kin,” he answered. “He was an orange tabby.” He glanced down at the cat resting on her thighs. “Not very fitting for this one, however.” Kat silently agreed. “Kin” meant golden, if she was remembering correctly. Cute, but inappropriate for her feline newcomer.

“How about Yasha?” He asked with a small smile. 

“Yasha,” Kat repeated, trying out the name on her tongue. “I don’t know, what does it mean?” 

“More or less...night devil,” he answered, sipping his coffee innocently. Kat’s mouth fell open.

“Night...devil?! What? No way, he’s sweet!” she insisted, reaching down to rub his fluffy tummy to prove her point and getting his claws stuck in her palm for her efforts. 

Itachi stared pointedly at the spectacle. “Seems ideal to me…” he persisted, earning himself a scowl from Kat. “He took advantage of the darkness and late hour to use my head as a trampoline,” he added offhandedly, causing Kat to splutter. 

“What?! When? He was in my room all night as far as I know!"

“As far as you know,” he hinted, taking another noncommittal sip of his coffee looking very pleased with himself. Kat waited silently for an explanation.

“...I may have brought him to your door early this morning and shoved him inside before returning to bed,” he admitted with an evil little smirk at her shocked expression.

“You…wha--” she broke off with an exasperated sigh. “He’s not a devil ,” she argued, attempting to pry his claws out of her flesh as gently as possible, to Itachi’s obvious amusement. “He’s...playful,” she told him unconvincingly, watching as the little hellion pulled her captive hand closer to him so that he could sink his teeth into her thumb. She hissed in alarm, this time forcefully yanking her hand away from him. “Not to mention I had no idea he was even in my room until the storm woke me up. He didn’t bother me once,” she informed him succinctly. 

With exaggerated displeasure, the creature glowered upward at her and leapt out of her lap, making his way to the empty bowl in front of the lower cabinets, staring at her in expectation.

Kat sighed. This cat clearly belonged to someone before making his way here and adopting her as his new human pet, she realized with an eyeroll. He had very obvious expectations, and she didn’t seem to be living up to a single one of them.

Itachi watched triumphantly as Kat rose to fill the bowl with some milk for the spoiled little feline prince. “Very well, then how about...Debu?” He proposed, the beginnings of another smirk already forming on his lips, making Kat wary. 

She narrowed her eyes. “Wait a minute…” she started.

Itachi was grinning openly now, and Kat had to fight hard not to get distracted from her task of caring for the cat at the sight of it.

“Does that mean what I think it means, Itachi?”

“I told you last night that he was plump.”

Kat burst into a fit of laughter, nearly dropping the carton of eggs they had purchased the day before. “Stop it,” she said through bouts of giggles. “He isn’t fat! He’s just so fluffy that it makes him seem that way!” As if to emphasize her statement, the nameless fluffball stopped lapping up his breakfast long enough to growl lowly at this suggested name, causing Kat to laugh even harder. She was aware she must look like an absolute fool, but she was finding it difficult to care. Especially when she looked up long enough to see Itachi laugh as well, albeit in a more composed, dignified manner. 

She shook her head. “You’re...funny,” she told him when she finally recovered her composure. “Who knew?”

“What ever do you mean?” He asked with faux innocence, causing Kat to narrow her eyes. Decent actor, too, she thought wryly. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he was genuinely confused by her statement.

She shook her head in amazement. “Never thought I’d meet an Uchiha...let alone an Uchiha with a sense of humor,” she explained, watching his expression for any giveaway. 

“Shisui had a sense of humor,” Itachi pointed out quietly.

Kat smiled sadly. She was quite fond of his character as well. Top three, for sure. “Shisui was an anomaly,” she responded softly, studying Itachi’s face. His expression seemed far away somehow, and it was apparent that he was remembering a different time and place. The ball of dark fluff paused and met her eyes, giving a low mewl, as if agreeing with her statement in his own way.

“That he was,” Itachi agreed, eyes refocusing first on her, then shifting to rest on the cat who was now staring intently at Itachi. He considered for a moment. “Watage?” 

Kat glanced over her shoulder at him as she reached for the pancake batter on the top shelf of the cabinet. “Translation?”

“Fluffy.”

Kat smiled. “That he is. But I don’t know, the sound of the name doesn’t fit him…you were onto something earlier,” she told him, removing the syrup and powdered sugar while she was at it and placing it beside the batter. “When you called him ‘Night Devil’, it was a nod at his dark fur. Perhaps something like that, but...nicer?” she suggested.

“You’re being picky, Katherina-san,” he chided with contrived exasperation.

“And you’re being a troll, Uchiha,” she retorted without missing a beat. 

“A what?”

Kat simply snorted and continued collecting the breakfast ingredients, not looking over her shoulder again since she expected that he would give her a serious name in due time. Just as she was greasing the skillet with butter for the pancakes he spoke again.

“Yami.”

She turned to ask what it meant, but at that moment the cat hopped up into Itachi’s lap and curled into a contented ball. He stared down in astonishment, reaching down to stroke his fur with reluctance, lest he get nicked as she had earlier. Seems the cat was satisfied with the title, so who was she to argue. 

“Darkness,” he said, by way of explanation.

Kat beamed as she mixed the pancake batter. “Yami it is, then.”

“What are you making?” he questioned, his voice was closer to her than before which startled her only marginally this time. She was growing accustomed to not hearing him move. She glanced up in time to see him peek over her shoulder into the mixing bowl.

“ Breakfast ,” she answered vaguely. 

“...”

“What?” She looked at him long enough to see the blank stare he was fixing in her direction.

“I'll help.” 

“You will not ,” she replied succinctly. “You’re a guest, you made dinner last night after I promised to do it, and you scared the hell out of my stalker. I will make you breakfast, and you will relax and do nothing in the meantime.”

“...”

She sighed. “Pancakes,” she relented. “I’m making pancakes.”

“I will assist you.”

“...”

She met his deadpan stare, knowing she was destined to lose this battle of wills. Well, shit.

“Fine,” she nearly growled, handing over the mixing bowl to her guest , muttering about stubborn red-eyed men who couldn’t take no for an answer as she snatched another mixing bowl from the cabinet above his face to beat the eggs in. Yami gave a happy mewl of agreement from under the table at her insults, or she took it as such.

“Do you eat bacon?” She questioned, cracking each of the eggs neatly into the bowl before whisking them all together for the omelets she had planned. 

Itachi glanced at her briefly. “Are you expecting someone else for breakfast?” He asked, inspecting the batter.

She stopped her ministrations, perplexed by his question. “No, why do you ask?” She glanced toward the door and held her breath anxiously at the thought of another surprise guest showing up with no warning. All she needed was a reprise of the night before to give her a nervous breakdown.

Itachi’s lips twitched minutely before shaking his head. “There's no one outside. I'm just wondering why you are making so much food if it's only the two of us eating,” he explained, beginning to stir the batter once more, apparently dissatisfied with the consistency. 

Kat sighed heavily in relief. Thank the Gods for small miracles. She was not ready to deal with Chase again so soon. Or ever, if she was being honest. But some small nagging part of her mind told her they had not seen the last of that obstinate lunatic. 

“Truth be told, I’m not very big on breakfast foods, Itachi-san,” she told him, pausing to look at him questioningly when he dropped the wooden spoon deliberately back into the bowl. 

“Then why all this?” 

Kat flushed. “Well, obviously for you.” He held her gaze unflinchingly, blank expression giving away nothing. “I mean, to thank you for everything. For last night. And well, you made such an impressive dinner, and I…” She trailed off, not knowing what else to say. It was true, she didn’t care much for breakfast foods. Or even eating first thing in the morning since she normally had no appetite until at least noon. But this was an occasion, and she felt she owed the man for defusing the situation the previous night and healing her burned hands.

Itachi began to mix the batter once more, finally relenting and dropping his eyes back to his stirring. No idea what to say, Kat began chopping tomatoes for her egg creation silently, trying awfully hard to ignore the sudden change in his disposition and to not glance at the man beside her.

Itachi

Itachi bit the inside of his cheek to keep from telling her how absurd it was that she felt the need to repay him for anything that he did on her behalf the evening before. The girl was half dead on her feet, and injured to boot, from trying out a technique that he had not only introduced to her, but persuaded her to attempt. And even more so because she had spent her entire afternoon sprinting back and forth, before all but challenging a literal shinobi to a race in order to prove something.

He paused at the last thought. Perhaps that was a bit of an arrogant thought to have, however he felt it rang true. Though he knew she would have taken the time to train even if he had not been present, it was only natural to push yourself harder in the presence of another. 

She had been exhausted, and he had not. It only made sense that he should cook in that situation, regardless of what the original plan had been. An undesirable guest shows up and begins to quarrel with her, put his hands on her, so he did what any honorable man would do. He put an end to it. 

He did not need her to repay him for something he would’ve done anyway. It was simple enough to scare the coward away. And he would gladly do it again if it meant one less of his kind in the world to harass others. 

He sighed internally. It would not do to have her going out of her way for him. Not when she had provided him with so many unnecessary amenities as it was. Yes, he was her guest. But she was also his benefactor. He had no knowledge of how to navigate this world, or any currency to exchange for basic essentials. He had only the clothes on his back, which she had also provided. 

To hear she was preparing a meal that she did not even care for just for his sake did not sit well with him. How to tell her this without coming off as abrasive? He shot furtive glances her way as she chopped the ingredients for the...whatever the thing was that she was preparing on the other side of the counter. 

His first instinct had been to tell her to please not go to such lengths for him, as he truly did not care what they ate. He was used to quick, tasteless meals, oftentimes few and far between. He wanted her to know how appreciative he was for all she was already doing without her feeling compelled to do more. As he saw it, this only placed them on even more unequal footing as he had nothing to give her in return for her kindness. 

He continued to watch surreptitiously as her expression changed to one of concentration while chopping green peppers to the precise size and shape she desired. 

So careful. 

His stare softened as he observed the effort she was putting into preparing this meal. He drew in a deep breath just as she looked up from the cutting board, perhaps due to his lack of movement for several minutes. She frowned with worry.

“What is it?”

He felt immediate regret when her voice came out quiet and unsure. The last thing he wanted was for her to believe he was angry with her. He wasn’t, he was simply frustrated that he had no way to repay her. Not unlike the rest of his family, he was quite dreadful at conveying his feelings. Making a split-second decision to correct the miscommunication before it escalated, he turned to face her fully.

“Thank you, Katherina-san,” he told her sincerely, executing a small bow that would have pleased his late mother greatly. 

Katherina’s jaw dropped slightly, eye widening at the showcase of gratitude. He smirked, straightening up once more to inspect the batter one last time nonchalantly, as if he had said or done nothing out of the ordinary. Truth be told, he just wanted to fuck with her some more. The girl should really get a handle on her facial expressions. 

“O-oh,” she fumbled, regaining her composure slightly. She closed her mouth at the very least, he thought approvingly. “You’re welcome, of course,” she added primly, turning quickly back to the chopping board and her forgotten vegetables. “It isn’t often I have anyone around to eat with, so…” she shrugged, dismissing the thought. 

He considered this. Perhaps it was not only for his benefit, then. He hoped not, at any rate. It was possible she was merely happy to have someone else to share meals with. 

He nodded, both in resolution of his internal thoughts and her last statement. A sudden thought occurred to him and he leapt at the chance to lighten the atmosphere. “Katherina?”

“Hmm?”

“What’s an omelet?” 

Her already large green eyes widened comically before she burst into peals of joyful laughter at the question. He hid a satisfied little smile of his own, not once questioning why the sound of her happiness made his heart feel inexplicably lighter.

Katherina

Half an hour later found Kat making her way to the table balancing a plate stacked high with pancakes, a bowl of fruits for topping, and a plate of bacon. She sat them down on the table carefully before returning to the stove to put one omelet on each bare plate and placing one down in front of Itachi’s favorite chair. As she did this, Itachi busied himself with pouring a glass of orange juice and one of milk, putting them in the middle of the table between them.

Kat took her seat across from him and immediately began tucking into her omelet before leaping back out of her chair and snatching a bottle of hot sauce from the cabinet. Itachi watched as she doused her breakfast in the pungent liquid before recapping the bottle and taking a satisfied bite, humming in appreciation. He caught her eye as he lifted the first forkful of his own breakfast and took a cautious bite before chewing and nodding in approval. Her eyes twinkled with amusement. She swallowed before speaking. “Do you not like spicy foods, Itachi-san?”

He regarded her as he chewed. “I think the food tastes perfectly fine as is,” he shrugged, drawing a smile from her.

“So you do like the mystery food?” she teased.

He nodded, taking another bite before speaking. “I don’t eat eggs often,” he shared before taking another bite.

“Don’t like them?”

“On the contrary, I like them very much. However, I seem to have a hard time cooking them without burning them,” he admitted.

Kat wasn’t sure what to say to this information. Something that Uchiha Itachi could not do with absolute precision? No way.

“It’s not hard, really,” she murmured. “At least not the way I made them. I suppose if you’re trying to make some sort of complicated egg dish…but then, as I said, I don’t much care for breakfast foods. Every now and again is okay.”

“It’s something I’ve always had trouble with.”

She stared at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I would be glad to teach you, Itachi-san,” she assured him, fighting the urge to laugh at his slightly frustrated expression.

He watched her with an inscrutable expression for a moment before shaking his head. “You are already doing so much more than anyone else has done for me in a very long time. I do not wish to unbalance the scales further.”

Kat clicked her tongue in irritation, shaking her head. “It’s only eggs. And if I remember correctly, you spent yesterday evening teaching me to locate and use my chakra, sensei,” she joked with an eyeroll. How ridiculous of him to feel indebted to her in any way.

Across from her, he hummed thoughtfully. “So I did,” he murmured distractedly, almost to himself more than to her.

“What are you thinking?” she asked with trepidation, hoping he was not still trying to convince himself that he was imposing on her.

He sat his fork down with a decisive clink on the now empty glass plate. She eyed him warily, hoping beyond all hope that he had not just talked himself into leaving here for good rather than accept further hospitality. Itachi had been notorious for refusing to depend on others before his death, after all. Perhaps this singular character flaw had followed him into his new life.

He held her gaze thoughtfully. “If you are agreeable, I would like to do something to perhaps earn my keep while I remain here with you,” he began. Kat released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, relieved that he was not planning to leave just yet.

“Like what?”

“Because of the turns my career took early in life, I never had the privilege of taking on a team of students,” he hedged, almost reluctantly. Kat blinked, determined to make him spell this out for her before jumping to conclusions. Itachi, who clearly had not banked on his statement being met with uncharacteristic silence, shifted uncomfortably before resolutely clearing his throat and continuing. “I have much knowledge to impart, if you are interested.”

Kat continued to stare at him in shock. “Are—are you offering to…what exactly are you offering to do?” she asked in an awed whisper.

His posture and expression relaxed somewhat as she broke the silence. “I would have thought that to be obvious, Katherina-san,” he teased. “I would very much like to teach you the shinobi arts, as much or as little as you are comfortable with, in exchange for your kindness and continued hospitality.”

The fork in her hand fell from her grip and clattered noisily onto her plate as she continued to stare in disbelief at the man across the table from her. “You would do that?” She asked in wonderment. Sure, he had showed her something simple the night before, but what he was offering now was so much more.

“Naturally,” he responded easily.

“Well...of course I accept. But,” she broke off with uncertainty. “Are you sure I am able to learn this sort of thing?”

“I would not offer if I believed you less than capable.”

She swallowed down her pleasure at his praise and smiled at him with every ounce of joy and gratitude she possessed. “Then I would love nothing more,” she assured him.

For a few precious seconds, he returned her smile with a dazzling one of his own, causing her breath to catch. “Excellent,” he said, picking his fork back up and loading two oversized pancakes onto his plate. “We will begin after breakfast.”

Kat nodded, reaching out for her own stack of pancakes.