do & die [h.s]

t w e n t y

Eve.

"So what are we eating?" Louis impatiently taps his fingers against the arm of the coffee stained couch.

He's slouched into the cushions, feet just barely ghosting the transparent table top in as smoke escapes his nostrils and through his mouth.

"I don't know, but I wouldn't get my hopes up," Storm shrugs, "it's Jake's turn to cook."

He sarcastically drops his jaw in shock, holding his hand to his heart.

"I made salad yesterday. I'm not cooking anything," he plasters on that same cliché smirk, crossing his built arms over his chest.

"Jake," she whines. "You offered to do that because I hurt myself. You wouldn't just use that against me."

"Oh, but we all know I would," he pokes at her cheek before extending his arm on the rail of the couch behind me and kicking his feet up.

He looks down at me, eyes washing over each of my features and it's hard to read into what he's thinking, but I already know I don't it.

"Hi," I smile, trying to break his stare, but he doesn't look fazed as a soft chuckle tumbles from his lips.

"Hey."

"Woah wait you what?" I hear Louis worriedly interrogate.

"Freak accident. Accidentally cut her finger. Blood everywhere," Jake replies in false agony, trailing his tongue across his bottom lip as his eyes stay trained on mine.

"Well I'm not cooking anything because you're a little shit and you know damn well that it's your turn," Storm huffs.

"Stacy, baby," Jake whines through a smile.

"Jake, be a doll," she mimics through gritted teeth and rolling eyes.

"Come on, babe, please," he begs, both hands clasped with his chin resting on top as he sincerely smiled up at her, "for me?"

"Fine whatever," she groans, stomping away in the direction of the kitchen.

A soft smirk curves his lips as he looks between the two boys on either side of the love seat who gawk in disbelief.

"That's right. Pay up," he raises his brows, laying his hands out and I watch as Peter and Louis each pull out a twenty dollar bill and place them in his palms.

"Unbelievable," Louis scoffs under his breath as his eyes trail to Storm who wears an annoyed frown and a ninja turtle bandaid where her left thumb should be.

A soft laughs spills from Jake's lips as he follows after her, pressing a kiss to her cheek before spinning her in circles. Her frown ceases to scream in the silence when his fingers find her waist and his chin the crook of her shoulder.

I've never seen Jake like this before, but I think I'm starting to like this side of him.

"Go sit with them, I'll cook," he offers with a laugh as he places another kiss to her shoulder blade and lets her go.

"You're a douche," she attempts to mumble through a straight face as she tosses the towel in his face.

When it falls, only to be caught in his hands, the features unearthed are of that of a teenage boy, giddy and tripping on nothing but pure comfort and joy.

I know it must be synthetic and I know for certain that it was only temporary, but in this very moment, I'm willing to take it.

He smiles up at me as he struggles to tie his apron when he catches me staring and for once, I think I smile back.