Just a Little Bit

Two

"You know for a bachelor living by himself you actually keep your home clean" I hear Cali say from the kitchen. She is making me lunch since she has made it her mission to take care of me. I have been home from the hospital for about a week and she has been here everyday, sleeping in the living room so that she can fill any need I may have. However I haven't been the most willing patient, much to her dismay.

"No one comes over and I am barely ever here so it isn't that hard to clean up" I reply. Since she doesn't let me do anything I am cleaning my guns and reloading them. Though I doubt that I will need to use them since I won't be going back to work for another couple of weeks. Cali comes in with a sandwich and a glass of water but freezes when she sees what I am doing.

"Why are you doing that?"

"Because my personal warden has decided that doing anything remotely physical is restricted" I say and rolls her eyes at me. She placed the glass and plate down on my nightstand and moves to sit next to me. I stiffens or a moment but then continue with what I am doing.

"I never really said thank you for what you did for my mom and I. You risked your life for us time and time again, and even though there were moments when I thought you were being a total asshole, you still deserve a proper thank you" she says putting her hands on mine. I freeze and look at her. She has been doing this a lot lately.

"Cali, I don't really think this is the time," I say and she lets out an aggravated sigh. She snatches her hands away and stands up. She begins to pace the side of my bedroom.

"You know I don't get you at all? You are either blind to the fact that I like you or you are just being an ass! I just don't get it, do you not feel anything for me?" She says and I look down. She is right about me being an ass, I know that she was developing feelings for me the moment she begged me not to leave before we were captured. I just kind of hoped that her feelings were stemming from gratitude and not because she actually liked something about me. But the more time she spent around me I could tell that her feelings were more than I thought and hoped they were. I just didn't pay any mind to it because there are so many reasons that she shouldn't have feelings for me, and I her. But I should of expected for her to notice what I was doing and say something about it. It is Cali after all, the one person in the world who I can count on to say something.

"You're right" I say simply and she stops pacing. I can feel her eyes turn onto me even though I can't find the courage to look up at her yet.

"Right about what? The fact you are blind to how I feel about you or the fact that you just may be an ass?" She asks and I can't he lot but laugh a little bit.

"A little bit of both to be honest. I knew that you liked me but I didn't think it was really that serious. But if you were me would you take yourself seriously after everything I have done for you? It isn't that hard for me to confuse you liking me for gratitude, even though I know that you feel that too. Not only that but you having feelings for me isn't really the most appropriate situation," I explain and she is silent.

"And why not? Are you afraid of what people are going to think of you, that I will ruin your heroic reputation?" She says and I can easily sense the bitterness in her tone.

"For once Cali can you think of things from a realistic standpoint? I am probably twice your age, and that is if I am guessing you're over 18, I'm a cop, your mother probably wouldn't be too happy about this, and what you are feeling can easily change in a week or two."

"What about how you feel? Is that going to change within a week?" She asks me and I sigh. She doesn't give up.

"What makes you so sure that I think of you as anything other than a pain in my ass?" I ask finally looking up at her. She is a little taken back by what I said and I begin to think that I may have hurt her when she smirks at me.