"Thoooo~" You barely tilted your head in his direction, stirring the pot in front of you. You did, however, grunt as his arms draped around you, chin resting on your shoulder. "What'th cooking?"
"I'm making meatloaf, with mashed potatoes and gravy, and mixed vegetables on the side." You glanced over, smiling lightly at the sight of his tongue sticking out of his mouth.
"Ick. Vegetableth."
"What are you, two?" You reached out to grab paprika, sprinkling some into the mashed potatoes you were stirring.
"Why two?"
"Because even Kayden eats his veggies."
"'Veggieth'? What are you, five?" You scoffed, lifting up the ladle to get some of the mash on his nose. As expected, he recoiled, trying to wipe it off. "Oh, come on, Car! You're the wortht!" You had to laugh, looking over as the water started running at his over-exaggerated attempt to wash his nose off.
"Oh, you drama queen." You touched the spoon to your lips, licking a bit off. You blinked, made a face, looked back down at the pot. "That, that was too much pepper-" Your eyes shifted up to scan the spice rack, before you grabbed the dried chives, shaking in a good amount before stirring again, and tasting it. Not as bad, at least.
"CM, you tathte thhit I don't even know ith in your food."
"Language, there are children in the other room." You left them to keep warm over the stove before turning on the oven light to check on the meatloaf through the window. "About another fifteen minutes, I'd guess. I can start the vegetables in five." His arms were around your waist again as you stood, and of course you moved your head to the side, letting his not so round face butt into your neck. "Bumble bee."
"Buzz." You laughed again, reaching up to flick his ear. "Ow!"
"Oh, I barely touched you." A kiss to his forehead. "You're making it hard to get things done."
"You're making thomething hard."
"Deontae Calathes!" That time, you swatted him away, scowling at his playful grin. "Honestly!"
"Well, this a bad time?" That voice sent a jolt of, something, down your spine, and your head whipped over. You could feel the heat returning to your cheeks as he rose a brow, glancing between you and your childhood friend.
"I, uhm-"
"Who the fuck ith you-" You jerked, scowling at Deontae as he squinted, his heterochromatic eyes narrowed.
"I was invited, lad."
"I didn't fucking invite-" You cleared your throat loud enough to cut off the spat that was surely forming, almost regretting it when both sets of their eyes were on you. Thankfully, the stern look at your best friend came naturally.
"Deontae, this is Orpheus. He's the new neighbor." A pointed look at him. "Orpheus, this is Deontae. He lives across from me-"
"And we're betht friendth tho fuck you."
"Deontae!" You threw the mashed potato ladle at him, satisfied with the shriek as he bolted out of the kitchen. He hated what the gruff chuckle did to your chest.
"He's a feisty one, ain' he?"
"Ugh, we grew up together, school, college, the like." You turned to a drawer, pulling out a new ladle. "He's just, rambunctious. Doesn't have any reserve for what he has to say."
"No filter?"
"Precisely." You were prepping the bag of vegetables now in the bowl, popping it into your microwave.
"Then, that display just then?" You felt yourself tense up, a momentary pause before you pressed the button.
"Not that it would be your business otherwise, but no. We haven't dated since our freshman year of college, and that was a disaster start to finish." You tried to come off as guarded, but by the chuckle behind you, you figured it didn't work too well. "He's just, overly affectionate. Neither of us have been in a relationship since our late wives." Okay, now you definitely weren't coming off as guarded. Too much information.
"'Wives'?" That accent again. You sighed irritably, turning to face him, arms crossed as you regarded him.
'Well, my late wife. His, late whatever they were." A dismissive wave. Oh, you'd forgotten how lovely the kitchen wall paper was.
"Ay, had a bad fallin' out with Eli's mother." That made you pause, and despite yourself you looked back over as he looked off across the room. The sudden darkness on his features sent a shiver down your spine, and you didn't think you were crossing your arms as much as hugging yourself at that point. "The bitch up an' left us, didn' look back. Ain' even tried ta contact me about Eli." You were listening, but your eyes had discovered the beautiful swirls of blue ink going up his upper left arm, around what could be an anchor vanishing under his sleeve. "Hm? Ya good?" You blinked, recoiling back and snapping your eyes to his, to that shade of blue violet that seemed so unreal. His brow was raised, and the darkness in his look was gone, replaced with that almost cocky grin.
"I, uhm." You cleared your throat, jumping at the sudden beep of the microwave. You did, however, appreciate the distraction, turning to focus on getting all of the food together, getting the pan out of the oven. You'd just opened a cupboard to reach for plates when you felt the warmth behind you, your breath hitching.
"Why don' ya let me lend a hand, Carmine. As a thanks fer invitin' us over." You saw his hand reach past, pulling down a stack and setting them on the counter, arms all but encased around you at that point. You had to take a breath, placing your hands on the counter to steal yourself.
"I'm, I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself, I prefer the self sufficiency, though the offer is appreciated-"
"Ya like ta use big words, don'tcha." You jolted, feeling the irk. "Like a walkin' dictionary, huh?" That chuckle. You managed to turn to him, then step forward, taking him off guard enough to make him step back a bit as you held a hand up to him, your eyes narrowed.
"I would appreciate it if you kindly departed from my kitchen, before I feel the need to beseech it from you." You enunciated every advanced word you could use in the sentence before giving your best sickeningly sweet grin. "Or do I need to dumb it down for you?" You almost felt bad at the look of being slapped to cross his face, but you turned your back to him before any such feeling could surface, separating the pile of plates to start making them.
By the time you turned with the kids' plates made, he was indeed gone. You ignored the twist in your stomach as you walked in, your smile back as you announced that dinner was done, setting the plates down for the three children at the Disney table. Elias only moved over after a gentle push from his father, who you absolutely refused to look at.
"The three of you go on and make your plates, I need to pour juice for the kids." And you were back in the kitchen before any remarks were made. You were grateful that the three came in together, leaving you alone with none of the other two males, as you didn't really think that you would be able to handle it. At least the two were too busy bickering between themselves over something stupid to pay you much mind as you took the cups out to the three, kissing Arthur's and Kayden's heads, and giving Elias a gentle pat to the hair before standing, taking a breath and returning to make your own plate.
And finding your mother had stayed behind to wait for you.
"Carmine."
"Ah, yes mother?" You grabbed your plate, putting food onto it.
"I noticed how you looked at Arthur, for one." You paused in your movements, turning your head to her, just barely.
"....."
"I'm not going to pretend I didn't, and neither are you."
".... I, I don't know what-" You heard the sound of her plate being set down before her arms were around you from behind, making you tense up.
"Your brother would be so proud of you, Junebug." Ah, the conversation you had been hoping to avoid. Why would you even be remotely that lucky? "Raising two beautiful boys, working a fulltime job on the side. So proud."
"Mom-" You'd been meaning to come off as strong, as fine, but God damn was that betrayed by the crack in your voice. You had to swallow down the sob that threatened you. "Fuck me..."
"Language."
"Yes, yes, I know, I just, I don't want to talk about this right now, okay?" You moved out of her arms, though you knew it was only because she allowed you to. "I'm hungry, there's a stranger and his child in my home-"
"Who you need to be more hospitable to." You felt your eye twitch. Yet another unwanted discussion. "I saw the look on his face when he came out of the kitchen. What did you say to that poor man?"
"He was getting too close, so I made him back off. Can we please sit down and eat now?" You didn't even wait for a response before walking past with your plate, moving to the couch, where the other two men had already taken residence, watching the movie that you'd put on for the kids. You could only raise a brow. "What are you-"
"Ththththth, the rathecar ith realizing he doethn't want to rathe anymore-" He even batted at you through the air, eyes glued to the tv. You rolled your eyes, crossing past both of them to get to your recliner. Even Orpheus leaned to look around you as you did, a look of complaint crossing his features momentarily as he ate. "Why ith it alwayth love? Ugh, grothth."
"You child." You took a bite, making a face. "Oh, come on-"
"Carmine, you say one bad thing about your cooking, I swear." A scowl from your mother, who was in her own recliner across the room. You made a face.
"But-"
"Car, it'th fu-" He closed his mouth at the glares from yourself and your mother, his eyes shifting to the kids before he sighed dramatically. "Fine, whatever, it'th really fantathtic, okay? I didn't cuthth tho it doesthn't thound ath motivathional ath it wath thuppothed to but you get what I mean." You shook your head, taking another bite, glancing away.
"..."
"Don't you dare, Junebug."
"..."
"Car, dude-"
"..... Too many chives-" You grinned innocently at the collective groans of the two other adults in the room, both with looks of annoyance.
"If, I can get a say." You paused, spoon still in your mouth as you turned your attention to the other adult in the room, who was still watching the movie while he took a bite. Something in your stomach churned when he gave you a pointed glance. "I ain' had a homemade meal in what feels like ages. This," a flourish to his plate, which you glanced at briefly before looking back up at him, "is fuckin' fantastic, pardon my language."
"Eh hem!" Your mother scowled, wildly motioning to the children.
"What, tho I can't cuthth, but he can?!"
"Oh, calm yer seas, Tae, they ain' listenin' ta us talk. Hell, I barely am, with this movie playin'."
"It'th Calathes, you fff-" A glare from yourself. A groan. "U g h." You looked at Orpheus, lowering your spoon from your mouth.
"I do ask that, while you are in my home, you refrain from any and all foul language. Please." He glanced at you, taking another bite before looking back at the television. "But, I do appreciate your compliment. Thank you."
"A' course, chief." You couldn't tell if it was genuine or patronizing and you don't know which infuriated you more.
"I- Don't, call me that-" He didn't even glance at you that time.
"Sure." You saw the glimmer of a grin though, and felt the heat returning to your cheeks. The television was definitely more interesting now, than anything else in the room, at least. You didn't pay attention to the remainder of the conversation, watching the remainder of the race the cars were now partaking in. You rather liked the message it told, that winning was not everything, that it was the friendships you built along the way that truly made winning special.
. . . . .
Maybe you really are five-