The Daylighter Apprentice

Chapter 17 - Don't Look In The Fridge

"So, how is he?" 

I freeze in the hallway, plate of uneaten food clutched in my hands.
"Uh..." I reply intelligently, gulping as Chris's head appears from the kitchen. Did he know Matt had stayed round last night? I feel the blood drain from my face as I try to hurriedly create an excuse. He grins at me and laughs.
"No need to look so shell shocked! I'm a Hunter so have frequent contact with the council. I can't tell anyone what I know but you work with him so I guess we can talk freely."
"By him I'm assuming you mean..." I trail off, placing my plate down on the counter.
"Well, what do you know him as?"
"You first."
"Matthew. That's all I know him as. No last name. Nothing. Have to watch my mouth around Tom and Morgan; calling him anything but The Trapdoor Spider would be too risky." Chris stirs a freshly brewed cup of coffee and hands it to me. I take it, nodding gratefully.
"Thanks. And yeah, I know him as Matthew too." Well, kinda.
"He speaks very highly of you, you know. He's appreciative of your help." Chris smiles, pouring himself a cup of coffee and leaning against the side. I blush, ducking my head and seeing my distorted reflection in the mug's liquid.
"Does he? That's nice." I murmur, trying hard not to grin manically.
"Yeah, he thinks very highly of you. I've only seen him once since you came along but he wouldn't shut up about you!" Chris chuckles and I blush deeper. If only I could talk freely about Matt... I'd be exactly the same.
"So how come, if you know he's a good guy, when Tom is yelling at me for working with him, you don't step in?"
"Well, by doing that I'd be giving up information I cannot share. I'm only talking with you about him because you know him." Chris takes a sip of his coffee and winces at the temperature.
"Ah. Well, that makes sense." I muse, staring out the window at the small plot of garden behind the house.

A moment of silence passes before Chris pours the rest of his coffee down the sink and swills out his cup.
"You going back to the lab today?" He asks, putting the cup on the drainer.
"Yeah, at about twelve. You got work?" I reply, still drinking my coffee but now sat at the kitchen table.
"Yeah, got a meeting with the other Hunters at lunch and then a night at the supermarket. Joy." The taller man rolls his eyes and I laugh, watching as he stretches, yawning as he reaches up for the ceiling.
"Fun for you." I take the last mouthful of coffee and get up to rinse my cup out.
"Very. You gonna be OK here alone? I got to pop out for groceries and probably won't be back before you go." Chris asks, grabbing a set of keys from the side and swinging them round his finger.
"Sure! I'll probably watch some TV and have a shower so yeah." I laugh and Chris smiles at me.
"Good. Well, I'll catch you later, Dom." Chris says, waving once before heading out the kitchen.
"See you later." I call after him, seconds before the front door closes, leaving me alone to get ready.

At almost exactly 12, I walk into the lab, hang up my coat and head through to the kitchen. Matt isn't anywhere in sight and I furrow my brow in the general direction of the stove, where 2 pans of something are cooking.
"Matt?" I call, just as two arms snake around my waist and a cold face nuzzles into my neck.
"Yes, my dear?" Matt hums, kissing my jaw and massaging my hips with his proven deft fingers.
"I was wondering where you were. I expected to find you in the kitchen."
"I was getting changed. Gotta look my best for you." He smiles against my skin and I giggle.
"Matt, you could dress in a potato sack and I'd still find you hot." I twist in his arms and kiss him tenderly. The kiss lingers and hangs between us, even when our lips are barely touching.
"I may try that. Just to test you." Matt smirks, pressing his forehead against mine.
"I wouldn't mind. Would mean that there was more of you to see." I counter finding Matt's bum and squeezing slightly. He moans, erection pressed hard against my thigh.
"I would like to keep my trousers on for the time being... Can you stop being so damn irresistible for a while?" Matt murmurs, fingers tangling in my hair.
"Do I get to take them off after we've done everything we need to do?" I stick out my bottom lip and Matt nods before leaning in and taking it between his teeth, gently sucking and then deepening the kiss, tongue intruding my mouth.
"Matt, things are cooking and I don't want to end up burnt if it suddenly catches fire." I break the kiss and Matt chuckles, leaving me to stir the contents of the pans.
"Nothing is likely to set on fire, but if it makes you happy..." Matt sighs in pretend exasperation. I lean against one of the kitchen chairs, watching him as he glides across the kitchen.
"What are you cooking? Whatever it is, it smells delicious!" I praise, inhaling deeply. Matt smiles and comes back over to me, pulling out a chair and gesturing for me to sit.
"You will see in a matter of minutes. Now, sit. What would you like to drink?"
"Whatever you're having." I hum, sitting down and watching him retreat to the fridge. He produces a bottle of white wine and grabs two glasses from the shelf. He puts them both on the table and pours the wine, pushing one glass towards me and the other to the place opposite me.
"I take it white wine will suffice?"
"More than. Thank you." I take a sip of the crisp liquid, savouring the taste of what is, evidently, a good wine.

Just minutes later, Matt returns to the table with 2 bowls full of pasta with lashings of a cream-like sauce. He places a bowl in front of me and sits opposite, smiling warmly at me.
"What's this?" I asks, taking one piece of pasta and tentatively biting into it. Sour cream oozes over my tongue and the pasta is filled with tomato marinated chicken. It's delicious and like nothing I've ever tasted before.
"Pelmeni. I picked up the recipe on my travels." Matt takes a forkful of his own pasta.
"It's gorgeous! You'll have to make this more often!" I implore, taking a sip of wine in order to soothe my tongue, which I'd burned in my haste to eat more of the pasta.
"Definitely." Matt grins, rubbing his foot along my shin under the table. I catch his eyes and we hold the gaze for a few seconds, just smiling at each other, like nothing else in the world matters.
"I love you so much." I murmur putting down my fork and reaching out for Matt's free hand.
"I love you too, but if you're going to let my pelmeni go cold just so you can serenade me I may just have to rethink." He winks, squeezing my hand and bringing it up to his lips. He grazes the skin with a kiss eyes fluttering shut for a brief moment.
"I wouldn't let this go to waste for anything. It's amazing." I say as he releases my hand. We carry on eating, making comfortable conversation about our mornings. As we talk, Matt rubs his foot against my leg, constantly holding my gaze and barely breaking eye contact. His blue eyes twinkle as he speaks, the corners crinkling every time he smiles at me. I can't quite fathom how I managed to get so lucky with who I fell in love with; how could this perfect being be in love with me too?!

Matt refuses to let me clear up so I watch as he works, making small talk as I sip my wine. Matt explains that we'd be spending the afternoon cultivating the bacteria and putting it into large containers to chill before we can use it.

We make our way into the lab a little past 1. Lab coats are pulled on and trays of cultivated bacteria are spread over all over the available benches.
"I trust you know how to do this? Peel the layer of growth from the petri dish and place it in the small tuppaware boxes. Once the box is full, seal it, label it and put it in the fridge." Matt instructs, smiling at me before opening the first petri dish and using a pair of tweezers to lift out the layer of bacteria growth. I do the same and we set to work, working at a leisurely pace. Matt hums something and I sway slightly along, not knowing the song but appreciating the break in the silence all the same.

I fill a tub fairly quickly and put a lid on, taking it over to the fridge in the corner. I open the door and almost pass out at the sight.
"Holy SHIT!" I scream, recoiling in horror. Matt's instantly at my side, arms wrapped tight around me but I don't respond, frozen in shock at the contents of the fridge.
"Are you OK? Crap, you scared the life out of me- not that I really have life to scare out of me but the same principles apply."
"T-t-the fridge." I stammer out, still staring at the shelves full of blood and various dissected body bits, presumably for experiments.
"I told you not to go in there on a full stomach! That's where I keep stuff for experiments, research and trials!" Matt pulls me tighter after using one hand to shut the fridge door.
"You told me to put the bacteria in the fridge!" I protest and Matt chuckles, kissing the back of my neck.
"I didn't realise you have such a weak stomach. And you want me to turn you..." He laughs and I scowl, wriggling out of his arms and folding my own, pouting with as much effort as possible. This prompts more laughter from the brunette who pulls me back into his arms.
"You can just pack the boxes and I'll take them all at the end- saves you the trauma of going in the fridge." I relax slightly and hug him back, nuzzling my face into his shoulder. I mumble something along the lines of a muffled thank you and stay cuddled in his arms.

Just moments later though, he detaches himself from me, leaving me stood confused in the middle of the lab.
"Look busy!" He hisses. "Someone's coming." I furrow my brow quickly before returning to the bench where Matt's now stood, and resuming my job of putting the bacteria into tubs. And as promised, the sound of footsteps fill the lab and my head whips around to see Katherine walking into the lab.
"Hello Katherine." Matt says before even turning around. Katherine smiles at both of us.
"Matthew. Dominic. I trust you're hard at work?" She says, standing in the middle of the room, staring at the both of us.
"We are. We're just harvesting the bacteria for the elixir. What brings you here today? I thought all bad blood was resolved from earlier." Matt leans against the workbench, arms folded across his chest.
"Well, I have some important and unfortunate news." Katherine starts. My stomach churns before she continues and I gulp.
"I would have told you earlier today about this but we've only had flimsy evidence until about an hour ago. The Hunters and I have agreed to now alert the town and prepare ourselves for any trouble." Katherine continues but Matt sighs.
"That's all well and good but what has happened?"
"Ashton Franklin has been seen on the outskirts of town recently. He was captured on CCTV near the scrap yard and he seemed to have company of 2 other men."
Matt's eyes widen in terror.
"I thought he was exiled?"
"He was. But the 5 year warrant ended recently and now he's back. I fear for your safety as should he find out about the elixir, who knows what could happen?" Katherine shudders.
"What about Dominic's safety? Do you not fear for him too?" Matt counters, casting a sideway glance at me. I smile at him and he smiles back before returning his attention to Katherine.
"Of course. That's why I implore that you protect the lab much more than usual. Dead lock the tunnel entry each night and for gods sake, actually lock the trapdoor." Matt and I both snicker but quickly stop when the woman in front of us sends us a dirty look. Matt clears his throat once before speaking again.
"I will be sure to do so. Is there anything else I can do while you're here?" He asks but Katherine shakes her head.
"I think that's all. I'll be back if I need anything. Stay safe Matthew, Dominic." She nods before disappearing again.

Matt runs both of his hands through his hair and groans.
"Why now? Why not later when we're not working on a vitally important medicine?" He moans, tugging the brunette strands between his fingers. I take his hands and lace my fingers in his.
"Because that's not how life works." I say, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
"Hmm... You don't seem fussed by this." Matt contemplates and I sigh.
"Chris told me the other night when you stayed at mine. That's why I was so down; I was kinda scared." I admit sheepishly.
"How come you didn't tell me when I was with you!" Matt exclaims.
"Because I assumed you knew and I didn't want to bother you."
"You wouldn't be bothering me, silly!" Matt frowns but pulls me into a hug all the same.
"I guess... But do you think Ashton may actually find out about the elixir?" I ask and Matt hums.
"I hope not. I t would really fuck things over. Now, enough with the heavy. Lets finish harvesting the bacteria and then sit and just relax. Sound good to you?"
"Sounds perfect." I smile, kissing Matt once more before returning to our work.