Quarantine

Chapter Four

"Hero?" I cough and fan my way through to the kitchen, covering my mouth as I go and squinting my eyes shut from the irritating smoke that is hurting my eyes and attacking all my senses.

The smoke soon begins to thin and clear, and as I reach the kitchen, the sprinkler whirs into action; leaving us both completely and entirely drenched within seconds.

Maybe I will get to cry in the rain, after all.. Seeing as how I brought it indoors!

"Hero? I'm so sorry.." I begin.

"It's ok. I only nearly died.. It's nothing really." He teases.

"Stop!" I take a step forward and nudge him. "Honestly I don't think I could feel any more guilty.." I say looking away to avoid eye contact.

"Why? You have nothing to feel guilty about." He frowns, taking a step closer.

"I wanted to cook for you. I chose to sit next to you and hold you when you needed someone." He frowns.

"You needed a friend, so why would I think twice?" He shrugged.

I smile. I don't know what else to say other than "Thankyou.."

"You don't need to thank me for being me and doing what I want to do." He laughs and frowns.

"I do!" I whine, the sprinkler finally shutting itself off.

"Fine, whatever. You're welcome, happy?" He rolls his eyes and raises an eyebrow.

"Yes!" I smile.

"Good. Now for fuck sake, can we please order something?" He pulls his phone out of the pocket of his grey jogging bottoms.

I laugh and nod my head. "You choose." I tell him, sitting on the now wet breakfast stool.

"Pasta?" He joins me, sitting next to me at the kitchen island.

I shake my head, my chin on my hands and my elbows touching the work surface.

"No? Why not!" He says looking really taken aback.

"Because!" I laugh.

"Because...?" He prompts.

"It's not yours." I smile, poking him in the arm, not that he probably felt it due to the fact of how tense his muscles were.

"And?!" He shrugs.

"And, now that I have a taste for your cooking.. Well, your pasta at least, I don't think anyone else's pasta will ever compare!" I laugh. "Not in LA, anyway." I grin, now studying my nails.

"Wow, thanks.. Was that your way of giving me an actual compliment?" He frowns before smirking a little.

"Hey! I give you compliments!" I say.

"No, you don't." He says turning back to his phone and concentrating.

"I do? Don't i?" I ask, arching my brow in thought.

"Nope, I think I'd remember.." He raises his own eyebrows and sighs.

"Okay.. But. Surely I have complimented your hair.. You know I like the way it's all smoothed back, right? And not just when we're on set either."

He doesn't answer, clearly too busy and engrossed in ordering, prompting me to have a little fun, seeing as he isn't listening and all.

"Oh and don't get me started on those pecs.."
I say stifling a giggle.

Still no answer..

"Honestly, they are so perky.." I pull my lips inwards and cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing, still convinced he isn't listening and is 100% incapable of multitasking.

"Bit like yours then." He puts his phone down and turns to me.

"Wait, you were actually listening?" My eyes widen.

"Yes. I can multi task you know."

I burst out laughing and he soon joins me.

For the next ten minutes that we spend waiting for our food to arrive, we laugh and forget the worries of the outside world; enjoying each other's company and bantering back and forth like a couple of immature teenagers.

Ding Dong

"I'll get it!" I hold my hand up to volunteer and climb begin to climb down from the stall.

"Err, not like that you won't." He puts my hand down and rushes to the front door.

I frown and look down at myself before realising I am actually still wet and my top is pretty much see-through, shit.

I fold my arms and turn away from Hero and the delivery guy's direction.

I'm so hungry and yet so cold.. Do I eat first? Or spend potentially half an hour getting dry?

"Come on." Hero says, appearing at my side with two large brown paper bags.

"Let's go and eat outside. That way, you can dry off a little as you eat." He explains matter of factly.

Why didn't I think of that?

___________________________________

Tucking in to the chicken burger that Hero had chosen so well for me, I stared at the odd little droplets that were still lingering on his upper torso.

With every small movement he made whilst eating opposite me, I could see the little beads of water glisten; reminding me of our days spent in the lake for our movie; After.

"What are you thinking about?" He mumbled, his mouth still full of food.

"You.. Being all wet like that just reminds me of that day where we were filming in the water." I admit.

"Oh!" He laughs a little before taking another bite of his burger.

"We were so cold that day.." He says taking a sip from his cola. "Well, I was anyway. And judging by your..."

"Hero!" I frown.

"What? I wasn't going to say nipples. I was going to say goosebumps, actually." He smirks before munching on a couple of fries.

"Ugh." I roll my eyes and take a sip of my drink, too embarrassed to say anything else.

"You uh, must of been pretty cold in the kitchen earlier though. And for what it's worth, I didn't see a single goosebump."

"Oh my gosh! You are so bad!" I say, throwing a fry at him.

"What?!" He laughs. "It's not my fault! You were the one pointing those things at me!? I never asked you too!" He shrugs with a grin.

"Hero, I swear.." I give him my best warning look which is a mixture of "Can you not?" And, "Don't you dare!" for good extra measure.

"Anyway, enough. We need to go and tidy up." I say, both standing and changing the subject.

I watch as he leans back, moaning as his hands grab a hold of the picnic bench. "Now?" He moans.

"Yes, now!" I fold my arms defensively, trying to cover my chest. Despite my top being completely dry after Hero's thoughtful suggestion, I was still self conscious about his recent remarks and observations.

"You haven't even finished your food!" He held his hand out; indicating to my leftovers.

"Hero, if you wanted my food you only had to ask." I smirk.

Pinching a chip, his frown quickly softens into a smile.

"Look, I'll go and make a start.. And whenever you're done here, you can help?" I raise my eyebrows, waiting for his reply.

"Sounds like a plan."