A Summer Fling (Aris x Reader AU)

30) Cleaning Day

“Oh look. Bacon,”I pointed out.

“Yeah. Bacon,”she slowly nodded, taking her hands out of her pockets. The sight of the full plate, while drool-worthy, held something much bigger at stake here.

With pure determination, I was first to sprint for the kitchen, the couch not even fully registering as I was focused on one goal. Not one for losing, never one for losing, she was barely an inch behind me, racing for the same thing.

As I was about to find the tile, to win at something, she found the back of my shirt, prepared to beat me even if it meant playing dirty. Knowing I only had a second before she actually pulled me backwards, I reached for the plate on the edge of the table, the scent of goodness getting stronger. Right as she pulled me, I grasped a piece, holding it tightly in my fist like it would save my life. Before she could do the same, I tossed it to the dog under the table, making him wag his tail as he instantly devoured it, understanding its greatness just as much as we do.

“I didn't even want to win anyway,”she grumbled, reluctantly letting go.

“It's your lucky day then,”I pointed out, giving my most innocent smile. She rolled her eyes at my completely genuine gesture that held not one him of mockery or sarcasm. I could never even image doing something like that.

“I take it it's not your lucky day?”Aunt Susan sighed from behind us.

“No it's not.”
“Of course it is.”

I could practically see her questioning how she ended up with us this summer as we stepped aside, giving her room to sit in front of her usual plate. We quickly followed suit, careful not to crush the dog that was right under us.

“I have something that might make it better.”

“Really?”

“Inside work today. Your room looks clean, but you gotta take care of it every now and then. You don't want to get sick now.”

“I could go for being . . . not in the sun,”I agreed, picking up my own piece of breakfast meat. It was wonderfully crispy, the first bite reminding me why Brutus was always begging for it.

“Careful there. You're gonna fall in love with your breakfast,”she teased, going to snatch a piece from my plate.

“Get your own,”I demanded, covering my entire meal with my arms and pushing it closer to me, defending it from my apparent breakfast enemy. She just froze, and eyebrow raised and hand halfway to me, as though I was absolutely insane.

“That . . . wasn't the main concern,”she said slowly, reaching for me. With not one hint of greed, she brushed some of his fur off of my shoulder. The recent trip to the landry mat meant nothing to him, with jumping and laying on my clothes when I left them unattended still behind a delicacy to him.

“Right. Sorry,”I mumbled, looking down at my shoes in hopes she wouldn't notice my face burning. Granted, she definitely did, but she didn't mention it as she sat beside me, indeed with her own plate. “You want a piece?”I tried to make it up.

“Sorry to break your heart, but I already got my own,”she answered without skipping a beat.

“Fair enou-Brutus! That's my bacon!”

☆ ☆ ⁠☆

“If you tackle fan, vents, you know, the ceiling, then I can do the windows and walls.”

“Right. Then we could do everything else minus floors.”

“Then, you’ll start the hallway.”

“Alright. Sounds like a plan,”I agreed, clapping my hands together.