Color

Hundred Two

The next morning, Avi found Alex downstairs in the kitchen. 

The only care he took was to run a hand through his hair, as he stumbled into the room tiredly, giving Alex a nod. 

Alex smiled at him with a little too much enthusiasm for how early it was. "I made coffee, you can have the rest if you want."

Avi grunted at him, immediately walking over to the coffee pot. 

"Still too early for words, I see."

Avi nodded once, reaching up into the cabinet above the coffee pot to grab a mug. 

Alex glanced back at him. "That's my mug."

Avi glared at him over his shoulder. 

"Dude, your mugs are right next to mine, I don't understand." Alex responded exasperatedly, turning back around. 

Avi paused to think about it, and ended up putting the blue mug back, to grab the one right next to it that he knew was his own. 

He poured a cup of coffee, and then moved to stand beside Alex to watch what he was doing. 

Alex ignored him long enough to finishing dicing a tomato, as well as turning down the heat on the spinach he was cooking in a pan.

He finally glanced at Avi. "One of those days, huh?"

Avi just tilted his head. "Hmm?"

"You only drink coffee black when you're upset about something. What's up?"

Avi glanced down at his coffee. "That's not true."

"Yes it is. You're just upset that I understand you too well."

Avi pouted and looked up. "Are you reading my mind right now? Get out of my brain."

Alex giggled at him, mixing all his ingredients into the pan of spinach. "I didn't ask to be there. I just want to understand you better, that's all."

Kirstie suddenly walked into the kitchen, hair in a bun and a large sweatshirt over her body. She waved at them with one hand balled up in the fabric of the sweatshirt. 

Alex grinned at her. "Morning, Kit. There's some coffee left if you want it."

She gave him a small smile, as she walked over behind them. "Thanks."

Alex leaned toward Avi enough to bump into him lightly to regain his attention. "Sorry about earlier... That was silly, I'm just kinda tired and I did a lot of dishes this morning and--"

Avi interrupted him in the same soft tone that Alex was using. "Hey, okay. I forgive you. Slow down, explain it to me."

Alex paused, looking down at the omelette he was making. "I just... Was cranky this morning because I felt like I was doing everyone else's dishes. Which I really don't mind, because we all eat together, but... I don't know."

Avi slid a hand around to rest at the small of Alex's back. "Don't say you don't know because you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. You can tell me."

Alex nodded, turning the burner off as he decided the omelette was as good as it was going to get. "It's not that, I just. I don't know why I was upset."

Kirstie had poured herself some coffee, as she turned to lean on the counter opposite of them. "I can do the dishes tonight, Allie. I didn't mean to make you do all the chores."

Alex looked down at the counter with a guilty look on his face. "Okay. Thank you."

"No problem." She answered easily, walking out of the kitchen after adding a little sugar and cream into her coffee. 

Alex used the spatula in his hand to cut the omelette in half (more like 60/40) and then put one half on each plate. "Figured you'd want to share some of this with me."

"Oh, no that's--"

"Either I cut in half now, or I sit down and wait for you to peck half of it off my plate."

"Peck? Like a bird?" Avi paused. "Rude."

Alex finally grinned a little. "Sorry. That's what it feels like though."

*

By the time Scott got into the kitchen, Avi and Alex were sitting at the table finishing their omelette, completely lost in their conversation. 

Scott went unnoticed by them, as he opened the dishwasher to unload what he knew were clean dishes that Alex had finished earlier in the morning. 

Alex seemed to notice that though, and he spoke up a little louder so Scott would hear him. "Be careful, don't burn your fingers. Those just finished."

Scott just shrugged. "I lack any and all feeling before I'm caffeinated, so this is fine."

Avi was the next to speak, with a proud smile on his face. "He's trying to rid himself of his fingerprints so he can't get arrested the next time he's an idiot."

Scott looked up, holding two of Alex's blue bowls in hand. "Do you think that would work?"

Alex spoke sympathetically. "I think that would create more problems than it would solve."

Scott just frowned, and turned to put Kirstie's bowls in her cabinet. 

Avi stood from the table. "Need some help, Hoying?"

Scott grabbed Mitch's favorite mug out of the washer then. "Nah. Thanks."

Alex pointed to Avi's plate. "You gotta finish eating first, babe."

"Okay, mom. I'm not a growing boy anymore, y'know." Avi responded with a hint of sarcasm, although he still sat down to do what he was told anyway. 

Alex stood from the table, grabbing his mug as well as Avi's. "I just care, is all. Want more coffee?"

"Yes please." He responded softly.

Scott was leaving all the cabinet doors open as he went, which was slightly bothersome to Alex, but he chose not to say anything. 

Alex walked past him carefully, setting the mugs on the counter so he could prepare another pot of coffee.

Scott suddenly stood directly behind him, and Alex turned quickly. 

"Oh sorry." Alex mumbled, stepping aside for Scott to use the cabinet behind him. 

Scott just shrugged. "Got one of your mugs, is all."

Alex looked at it, and frowned. "Oh look, another cup that Avi loves to steal from me."

Avi stood from the table to defend himself. "You said--"

Scott spoke over him, winking at Alex. "I'll just put it on the top shelf, where only you and I can reach it."

Alex grinned at him. "Go for it."

Avi frowned at both of them. "This is discrimination."

Alex's smile dimmed a little. "I'm not sure you know what that word means."

"Rude! Is today Roast Avi Day or something?"

Scott was quick to jump on the opportunity. "No, but it can be. Hey Avi, at least short people are cheaper to bury."

Alex giggled at him. "I don't think--"

"Wait, I'm on a roll." Scott turned to look Avi in the eyes. "I could roast you, but Mitch says I'm not supposed to burn trash."

**