Honeybee

Common Ground

Tejano music filled the kitchen. Aria was dicing jalapeños, onions, and tomatoes for the hot sauce she was making while singing along to the radio. Chris stood near her making the corn tortillas for the mornings breakfast while dancing in place. Aria turned to the stove sliding the peppers off the cutting board and into the prepared skillet. Chris made his way to the refrigerator grabbing the eggs for his friend.

Last night, the pair were sitting with Alec explaining the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the forever teen. The event turned into the friends talking about Texas and Chris happily filled Aria in on everything that had happened while she had been in Washington. Before Alec realized it the duo were discussing food that Aria found to be atrocious and unpalatable. She discussed how sweet tea wasn't really sweet tea nearly breaking Chris's heart. Chris would go on to promise that he and Aria would make huevos rancheros the following morning and have a Mexican food kind of day.

The promise lead to the moment right here. The teens dancing, singing, and cooking together just like old times. Aria began frying the eggs and making the salsa while her bestie busied himself with cooking the tortillas. Chris finished his task quickly and begun helping his smaller companion. Soon the food was plated and they sat down at the table to eat.

"So," Chris said with a mouth full of food, "why isn't your boyfriend joining us for breakfast?"

Aria smiled softly at the mention of her boyfriend, "He doesn't eat human food."

"We could've whipped up some blood sausages for him!"

Aria laughed before taking a bite of her taco and wiggling in her chair. She missed good Mexican food and this was complete heaven for her. She had her best friend, good food, and good music playing. It all felt right making her forget her psychotic ex boyfriend that wanted to kill her was only a three hour drive away. Aria chewed her mouthful lost in the moment unaware that Alec entered the room glaring at Chris who glared back at him.

It wasn't a secret to everyone in the house, minus Aria, that Chris and Alec hated each other. Chris viewed Alec as a problem waiting to happen, while Alec viewed Chris as a threat to his happiness. When Aria was around the two boys got along laughed at each other's jokes, talked like civilized people, but when she wasn't around....let's just say things got heated. Alec couldn't hit the human for fear of killing him and his girlfriend rejecting him and Chris couldn't hurt Alec without hurting his little pebbles or himself. Instead heated glares, snide remarks, offensive terms and language was used.

They were the enemy in each other's eyes, but they tried not to let Aria know what was going on between the pair. Only, they forgot that she was an empath, Aria could already sense the growing disdain between the pair she just couldn't figure out the reason why. She would stay up at night trying to figure out the reasons that both could have for hating each other. She would confide in her aunt who was always more than happy to her come up with answers. Aria's answers made sense slightly for each boy.

She knew Chris always prided himself on being the only guy that knew her so well, so well in fact he could tell by how she breathed if there was a problem. They both wanted to protect her. Chris's need to protect her stemmed from a life long security need. She had always been small and weak, her only weapon was her gift and brain. It made Chris act like a bodyguard 24/7, he never wanted anything bad to her. After all, his mom raised him and his older brother to protect those they loved. By now, it was normal for Chris to throw himself in harms way or rush to her defense.

As for Alec, Aria understood that as long as she was human she would be a weakness to him. He wanted her to stay safe and well, but if a threat was looming too close for comfort he wouldn't hesitate to make the problem go away. She knew that mates were extremely protective of each other, she found out the hard way when she threw herself between Demetri and Alec when they were sparing and she had to have Carlisle pop her shoulder back into place. That wasn't a pleasant time, lucky for her though she got Alec's version of a dose of morphine to numb her sense of pain so it worked out. problem. Alec enjoyed having her all to himself, normally coming up with an excuse to get her alone with him, Chris got in the way o f that. Also, Alec was very protective and never strayed to far away from her because he was always so terrified something would happen.