The moment Theodore stepped into the house, he gave an approving whistle, eyes sweeping over the clean, cozy space.

“Nice place,” he said, letting his fingertips graze the edge of a picture frame on the wall. “It feels… lived-in. I like it.”

Remi grinned and tugged at his hand. “Come on, we’re hungry. Kitchen’s this way.”

Ash was already pulling out ingredients from the fridge—sliced turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, spicy mustard. Remi hopped onto the counter, legs swinging as he watched them both.

“I’ll make my own sandwich,” Theo announced, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt with a little smirk. “But here’s the deal—Ash and I will taste each other’s when we’re done.”

Ash shot him a sideways look, brows raised. “You wanna taste mine, huh?”

“Only if you’re not scared to taste mine too,” Theo replied, smooth and suggestive.

The tension hung thick for a moment.

Remi blinked. “Okay. Wow. Am I supposed to pretend this isn’t foreplay or…?”

They both ignored him.

Ash stepped closer to Theo, the corner of his mouth twitching up. “Fine. Remi’s the judge. He’ll eat both sandwiches and pick the better one.”

Remi groaned dramatically. “I feel like a food critic caught in a very inappropriate cooking competition.”

Theodore winked at him, already layering meat and cheese on bread. “You’re lucky. Most people would kill for this kind of personal chef service.”

Ash scoffed. “Let’s just see if you can actually cook.”

“I’m not cooking. I’m assembling art.”

Remi slid off the counter and moved between them, snatching a tomato slice to munch on. “You two are acting like rival love interests on a cooking show and I’m the clueless main character.”

Ash leaned in and murmured against Remi’s neck, “You’re anything but clueless, sweetheart.”

Remi shivered.

Theo was watching, sandwich knife frozen mid-air, lips curling into a slow grin. “You two are disgusting.”

“And you love it,” Ash threw back.

Theo just chuckled. “I’ll admit it’s entertaining.”

As they kept assembling their sandwiches with playful rivalry, Ash and Theo brushed against each other more than necessary—shoulders bumping, fingers grazing when they reached for the same jar of mayo. Remi just leaned back against the counter, cheeks warm, heart fluttering.

God help him… he already fell for one idiot and he was going to fall for the other idiot, wasn’t he?

Ash slapped the last piece of bread onto the third sandwich he'd made, setting it beside the other two like a final touch on a masterpiece. "Alright. That's mine. All of them," he said smugly.

"Three?" Remi laughed. "Who are you feeding, the entire neighborhood?"

Ash shrugged. "I cook when I'm nervous."

"Who's making you nervous?" Theodore asked, his tone light, but his eyes never left Ash.

Ash avoided answering, choosing instead to rinse his hands at the sink. He could feel Theodore's gaze still on him—warm and steady, like it was peeling him apart and cataloguing the pieces.

When Theo finally stepped back from the counter, sandwich complete, the scent of grilled turkey, spicy mustard, and toasted bread followed him like a magnetic field. He moved like he belonged there. Like he'd always been there. His rolled-up sleeves hugged his forearms, veins slightly visible, and the way his lips curled—cocky, unreadable—sent a flush crawling up Remi's neck.

The whole house was filled with the mouth-watering aroma of warm bread, melted cheese, and something else entirely. Something less tangible. Heat. Tension.

Ash was the first to speak, throat dry. "Smells like a deli in here."

"Or danger," Remi mumbled under his breath, eyes bouncing between them.

Theo placed his sandwich down beside Ash's and turned to face them both. "Alright, Remi. Time for the moment of truth."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Be honest, not biased."

Remi threw his hands up. "You two act like I'm not the most honest man in this room."

"You're also the easiest to bribe," Ash muttered.

Theo smirked. "Then maybe I should've made dessert too."

Remi snorted, but as he picked up half of Ash's sandwich, his hands trembled slightly. The weight of their expectant stares pressed down on him like a physical force. He took a careful bite, chewing slowly, methodically, his brow furrowing in concentration.

The flavors exploded across his tongue—perfectly balanced, familiar yet elevated. Ash's signature touch was evident in every layer: the way the spices complemented rather than competed, the careful ratio of ingredients that spoke of years of practice and an intimate understanding of what made food not just good, but memorable.

He swallowed and reached for Theo's sandwich, aware of how both men had gone completely still. Theo's creation looked different—bolder, more experimental. The first bite made Remi's eyes widen. It was unexpected, layers of flavor that shouldn't have worked together but somehow created something entirely new. Complex. Sophisticated. Like Theo himself.

Remi set both sandwich halves down, his face cycling through expressions as he processed what he'd just experienced. His mouth opened, then closed. He looked between Ash and Theo, then back at the sandwiches, then at them again.

"Well?" Ash asked, crossing his arms, but there was vulnerability hidden beneath his defensive posture.

"Come on, Remi," Theo urged, stepping closer. "Don't leave us in suspense."

Remi ran a hand through his hair, clearly struggling. “I... this is impossible. You can't ask me to—”

“Just pick one,” Ash said, but his voice had lost some of its earlier confidence.

“It's not that simple!” Remi protested, backing up a step as both men moved toward him. “You don't understand, they're both—”

Theo took another step forward, his tall frame casting a shadow over Remi. "They're both what?"

Ash mirrored the movement from the other side, effectively cornering Remi against the kitchen island. "Yeah, Remi. Both what?"

The space between them seemed to shrink with each heartbeat. Remi found himself pressed back against the cool marble countertop, Ash on his left and Theo on his right, both towering over him with their broad shoulders and expectant faces. The scent of their respective colognes mixed with the lingering aroma of the sandwiches, creating a heady combination that made Remi's head spin.

"This isn't fair," Remi squeaked, his voice climbing an octave as he pressed his palms flat against the counter behind him. "You're both... you're too close. I can't think when you're—"

"When we're what?" Theo asked, leaning down slightly, his voice dropping to that dangerous register that made Remi's knees weak.

Ash moved closer too, close enough that Remi could see the golden flecks in his eyes. "Come on, Remi. Just tell us which one's better."

"I can't!" Remi burst out, his face flushing a deep crimson that spread down his neck and disappeared beneath his collar. He pushed at both their chests with his small hands, trying to create some breathing room. "Back off! Both of you! This is exactly why I don't judge your cooking competitions anymore!"

They stepped back, but not far, both wearing matching expressions of amused satisfaction at having reduced their usually articulate friend to a flustered mess.

Remi took several deep breaths, fanning his face with his hands. "You two are terrible. Absolutely terrible. Using your... your ridiculous height and your stupid attractive faces to intimidate me into making an impossible decision."

"So you think we're attractive?" Theo asked with a grin that was pure trouble.

"Shut up," Remi snapped, but his blush deepened. "And don't think I don't know what you were doing. Both of you. The intense staring, the moving into my personal space, the—"

"The what?" Ash asked innocently.

Remi glared at them both before sighing heavily. "Fine. You want the truth? You really want to know what I think about your stupid sandwiches?"

They both nodded eagerly.