Chef in the Apocalypse

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm, orange glow upon the group of friends gathered in the central square of Bastion. Lianna, along with her group of friends from the shelter, in addition to some she had met since moving here, sat around watching the sun set. The fading light painted a picturesque backdrop for their conversation.

Lianna, her emerald eyes reflecting the fiery hues of the setting sun, looked a little distracted. Her eyes darted around, as if she were waiting for someone or something in particular. In truth, she had heard from Jackie that Jayce had arrived safely into Bastion a few hours ago, so she decided to wait near his residence.

She had been worried about Jayce this whole time, yet she had no one to confide in. She had really taken her oath to heart, wanting to appear calm and composed so that Jayce would feel comfortable around her and be willing to share some of his burdens.

Despite wanting to meet him alone, she was interrogated by her friends and was forced to let them know that Jayce had returned. Kylie and Shae, who were part of the original shelter’s inhabitants, would not let Lianna go alone, forcing her to bring them along.

While she was not too pleased about it, it was true that Jayce had become a dependable leader, becoming the affection of many women who now resided in Bastion. Were it not for the fact he was nigh unapproachable due to his serious aura, Lianna would have had a lot more competition.

It was then that a stench wafted from behind her, causing Lianna’s delicate features twisted in a grimace as she covered her nose with her hand. "What is that smell?" she exclaimed.

Kellie and Shae were the next to react to the sudden assault on their senses, trying not to retch. "Oh my god, it smells like dirty swamp water." Shae said.

Kelly almost fainted, wrinkling her nose, "It’s like something crawled out of the depths of the earth and died right here."

Lianna felt the source of the smell move, drifting past her and disappearing in the direction of Jayce’s residence. Her eye twitched for a moment, a hint of understanding drifting into her expression.

"Okay girls, I think I’m going to leave. The smell has put me off." Lianna said hurriedly, trying to get the others to do the same.

Murmurs of agreement rang out as the women continued to complain about the stench. Lianna held back a giggle, wondering what kind of expressions the women would have if they knew that the source of the horrible smell was the person they held affection for.

Part of her wanted to tell them in order to thin out her competition. However, she felt that it would be a bad idea. Clearly Jayce was self-conscious about how he smelt, considering he probably used the Master of Stealth skill to avoid all of them.

Thankfully, she had taken the liberty of filling up his bath water and heating it up with the help of Amber. It did not take much convincing to enlist the assistance of their fire mage, considering she also adored Jayce, albeit a little differently to herself.

Lianna decided to leave the area, biding her time until everyone had disappeared so she could perhaps see Jayce alone. The sun had now completely retreated, bringing with it a calming darkness, illuminated by the soft light of the moon.

She walked up the stairs to Jayce’s room, knocking a few times before waiting patiently. After a minute, she knocked once more, causing the door to open on its own. She hesitated for a moment before calling out in a small voice, "Jayce, it’s me Lianna. Are you awake?"

Not hearing a response, she gathered up her courage and walked into the room. The first thing that she felt was the same obscene smell that she had experienced a few hours before, coming from the bathroom. Pinching her nose, she approached the bathroom, finding Jayce’s Chef attire heaped together on the floor with a seemingly visible stench.

Making her way over to the soiled clothes, she swallowed hard before picking them up and throwing them out the front door. It would not be good for the air quality if they were left to stew there overnight.

After dealing with that issue for now, she looked around the house for Jayce, finally hearing the soft and rhythmic snores coming from his bedroom. She stood frozen at the doorway, staring at the man who was in no more than a pair of briefs, laying on top of his covers.

She swallowed hard, marveling at the sight before her. The moonlight shone in from the bedroom window, casting shadows on the defined muscles of the sleeping Jayce. Her eyes took in the feast, searching every nook and cranny greedily, as if trying to etch the figure into her mind.

Her eyes then reached his briefs which seemed to be tight in certain areas. The waist band seemed to be tight, probably from the large increase in the density of Jayce’s core muscles, yet it painted an appealing picture. Lianna’s face burned red as her eyes darted over the bulge that was present, curiosity mixed with apprehension and desire.

Thankfully, a draft from outside the front door brought with it a sobering stench, washing away the untoward ideas and feelings that kept her thoughts in turmoil. ’What are you doing Lianna?’ she said, chastising herself internally.

Feeling like a bit of a creep, she quickly composed herself and set off to do a bout of washing. Grabbing the clothes in one hand and covering her nose in the other, she retreated from Jayce’s house, heading to the washing facility.

An hour or so later, she returned with pristine clothes and some cleaning implements, intending to remove any leftover stenches that had taken root in the bathroom. Doing her best to resist the temptation of ogling Jayce’s sleeping visage once more, she waltzed in and got to work.