Rule Three// c.h

Sock Drawers

Standing in front of Jake, tapping my foot, I rolled my eyes as he handed me his laundry basket sheepishly. "You remember what happened last time right?" He complained. "I caught the dryer on fire."

"And I still don't know how." Jake rubbed the back of his neck.

"The repair man said it was overheating."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." I sighed. "You're hopeless big brother."

"Thank you!" He called out as I began to walk away.

"I'm going to need more than a thank you Jake. I'm not you or Calum's mother." I dropped Jakes dirty clothes into my hamper before opening the door to the apartment. I had been getting ready to do laundry, mine and Calum's. Calum usually does his but he begged me over the phone today to do it because he apparently "really needs something at the bottom of his basket to wear to work tomorrow". After promising to buy me my favorite ice cream on his drive home, I let him get back to his lunch break. Jake had apparently heard our conversation and popped his head in to ask if I could do his laundry as well.

"Ella usually does it and.."

"What?" I demanded. "You make Ella do your laundry?" He blushed red.

"I don't make her do it. She just does because she loves me and hates seeing all my clothes everywhere."

"How long has she been doing your laundry?" Jake hadn't replied and after scolding him profusely, I agreed to do his laundry as well.

"Do you want me to help you?"

"No its fine. Just.. Go make dinner. I'm transferring cooking duty to you." I told him as I began to slowly climb down the stairs to the communal laundry room.

"What should I make?" I sighed.

"Please don't make frozen pizza. Other than that, I'll eat it."

"Well damn, that's my specialty." I groaned as Jake laughed and closed the door. Jake is kind of a terrible cook. The only thing he really knows how to make is meatloaf and not even that well. I usually have to help him. That's why having Ella around is a blessing. She helps him make food on the nights that it's his turn to cook but she's not coming by tonight. I would honestly rather cook than have Jake do it but I wasn't down for doing both the laundry and making dinner.

Thankfully, there were two washer downstairs that were open. I separated the clothes by light and dark before pouring the soap into the dispenser and paying for the machines with the bag of coins I had slipped into my pocket. I grabbed the laundry basket back up and headed back to the apartment. As expected, I found Jake making meatloaf.

"You're hopeless." I said, watching him pull out carrots from the fridge.

"You said to make dinner. If you didn't want meatloaf or frozen pizza then you should have made it yourself."

"Don't you remember how to make any of the things Ella has showed you?" Jake shook his head. "Hopeless."

"It's not like she's following a recipe. She just cooks." I frown.

"I'm so glad she's moving in soon." Jake nodded, a small smile on his lips.

"Yeah but the girls still haven't found another roommate. She might be there a couple more weeks."

"Are you going to propose to her?" Jake paused in cutting the carrots.

"Why?" He asked nervously.

"Just asking. I like her and I'll kill you if you break up with her." He snorted.

"She'd probably kill me too." He paused. "I don't know. I want to propose to her. I always feel like it's too soon though."

"Why? Dad proposed to mom a month after they had been together and look at them now. One great kid, one not so great." I punched his arm and he swatted my hand away. "Besides.." I grumbled. "Look at Calum and I. Going on six years and he hasn't proposed." Jake smirked. "Do you have something to do with that?" I demanded.