Ain't Shady Baby, I'm Hot

57

His please was the straw that broke the camel's back. The final answer to my question of why. Why everything has happened the last several days.

I know it has been said before, that fine line between love and hate. I wouldn't consider us anywhere on the spectrum of love, but maybe closer to tolerance than what we both had originally thought.

Rafe was just braver than I was to let it come to light. And vulnerable enough to say what he wanted. Something I silently applauded him for. It wasn't every day you could step up and tell someone who you're certain hates you that you want to hold them.

"Okay." I whispered, the sound of Goose and Maverick shouting as they got caught in the Jetstream of Iceman's plane filled the pauses of silence. "Okay. Tonight. Until we go back to square one." I stuck my hand out between us. His hand grabbing ahold of my own as Maverick cried out for the brother he had lost.

I didn't dwell on it as I sat back down on the couch, this time in the middle grabbing my blanket. I stretched it out, glancing upward towards the large male as he stood his body frozen as he took in the scene. I gently pat the spot beside me, the blond making his way over calmly. A content smile on his lips as he sat, our shoulders touching.

I let myself relax into his body heat, his arm rising as he tucked me into him. The small click registering in my head as it made sense of why I had moved to curl up with him last night. I never realized how cozy being the little spoon or whatever variation of it would be. I had always been the one on the outside acting as a shield, now it just made sense.

We sat in silence. The sun going down outside as we finished the movie. The credits beginning to roll as the door lock jiggled. The two of us already standing as we went to the kitchen to start cooking.

Or in my case watch Rafe cook.

I don't think I'd ever seen Rafe so domesticated. I helped direct him to where things were but he did the rest. He was a natural. And I wasn't shocked.

He moved around the kitchen cooking chicken and pasta and green beans so effortlessly I'd have thought he worked at a restaurant. And shit did it smell good.

My mother had made it back home just before Rafe started prepping to cook. Gray was on the way as Rafe continued to use his mom's recipe and make the house smell amazing. My stomach rumbling as I tried not to drool.

I sat at the barstool and watched his back as he cooked at the stove top, my chin in my palm as I got lost in my mind again.

There is no way that after all this, we could go back to what we used to call normal. I've seen what I'd assume were all the sides of Rafe Cameron. The Kook Prince, the older brother, the troubled son, and the young adult just trying to make it through the day. His domestic and caring side, his aggressive and demeaning side, his arrogant and cruel side, and his intelligent and sarcastic side.

But now there was a new side that I had this urge to know. The Rafe who didn't care about the turf war. The Rafe who simply wanted to live his life.

"Xena, your phone is buzzing." I blinked, jerking my head away from my palm and looking for my phone. The screen lit up with messages from the Pogues as I quickly read them.

It seemed the set up went well, Kie and Sarah hadn't suspected anything. Though apparently they both were ready to dive out and start swimming.

I chuckled sending a quick reply back telling the boys picking them up tomorrow was all them. I silenced my phone knowing they'd be spamming me about it for the next hour or two complaining.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, just the guys joking around." I lied slipping my phone into the large hoodie pocket. "How's the food going?"

"Good. I'd say another ten more minutes and we'd be good to go." I hummed, tapping my hands on the counter.

"It smells amazing. Do you need anything from me?" He turned giving me a mischievous grin.

"What did you have in mind?" He wiggled his eyebrows as I rolled my eyes.

"With dinner, doofus. Plates, silverware, cups, drinks, napkins, I'd offer help with the food but." I grimaced remembering how I'd nearly put sugar on the chicken instead of salt earlier.

"Yeah, if you want to set the table. Make sure you grab the salt shaker though." He teased as he leaned against the counter watching me and the food.

"They weren't labeled and are in identical containers. Who does that?" I argued moving to grab plates and napkins for the dining table.

"People who know the difference between salt and sugar?" I gave him a slide glare as he laughed. I turned hiding my smile as I moved into the dining room to set the table.

I made two trips in and out of the kitchen with items to set the table, each time avoiding the pair of eyes boring into the side of my head. However on the third to grab cups I couldn't help myself.

"You're going to burn the food with your lack of supervision." I taunted as I pulled open a cabinet up high and reached for the glass. My heels lifting off the floor as I willed myself to be taller.

"And you're going to drop those with your lack of height." My jaw dropped as I stopped reaching for the glasses and turned around to see him. Arms folded over his chest, his right leg crossed over his left at the ankles, a smug smirk on his face and his eyes twinkled with amusement. His black sweatpants and grey hoodie really taking him out of character.

"For your information," I spoke reaching up to make sure the cabinet door was all the way open, "I have yet to drop glasses from this cabinet due to my height." I sassed turning around and setting my hands flat on the counter. With a quick push, I had lifted my left foot up on the counter and was rising up to stand.

"What are you- careful!" I rose to my full height atop the counter and turned to look at Rafe with a smug grin. He had taken two steps towards me while I was climbing up, his smug expression wiped clean off.

"Easy there, Love. I'm a big girl." I teased as I grabbed four glasses, carefully squatting and setting them down closer to the wall two at a time.

"I'd like to avoid a hospital visit." He grumbled while I elegantly crouched before sitting on the counter, moving out of the way to shut the cabinet door as I crossed one leg over the other.

"Then it's a good thing I'm not cooking." I grinned wickedly as he shut the stove off before he came within a hand's distance of me. His right hip leaning against the counter as he grinned back.

"I'm not sure what would have been worse, sweet chicken or burnt?" I shook my head as he laughed.

"You're never going to let me live that down?" He gave a cheeky wink.

"Never." I rolled my eyes before I lifted a hand and ruffled his hair. His blond locks swaying to and fro as I made his hair more of a mess. My eyes widened as I ran my hand through his hair his eyebrows raised as I found myself amazed. He instinctively leaned further into my hands as I continued to play with his hair.

"How is your hair so soft when you use so much gel?" He rose his left hand up and grabbed my own stopping me from gently pulling his strands.

"Xena, if you'd like to eat, I'd stop if I were you."