Dinner at home - locked to Lou

[anddowntothesea]

It's one of his most closely guarded secrets - the fact that he can actually cook. He bakes, too. His Ma was determined that she wasn't going to raise any sons who were a burden on wives. As it turned out, wives had been purely theoretical, but Gabriel Monroe is a man that can look after himself.

When the doorbell rings, he opens the door in jeans and plaid rolled up to his elbows. He smiles.

"I was halfway expecting you to cancel."

Comments

[louise_abasi]

"I'm fine with your suggestion!" She gets up. "Let me help with something. The dishes?"

[anddowntothesea]

"How about I'll wash, you dry?" he asks, pushing up his sleeves again as he heads towards the sink. "Sound fair?"

[louise_abasi]

"Do you trust me to be able to?" She wants to make it a joke, but it comes out too firm. "That was .. what did you have planned for dessert, again?"

[anddowntothesea]

"I think you're capable of anything you set your mind to, Lou," he says, setting down the plates in his hands and flicking the faucet on, squirting a generous amount of dish soap under the flowing water. "I've got pie. And ice-cream. Homemade. The pie, I mean. Not the ice-cream."

[louise_abasi]

"I've been told that home made ice cream is a lot of bother for little result, so I won't hold it against you." She follows him to the kitchen. "Which kind of pie?"

[anddowntothesea]

"Apple," he says. "Ma got a good crop this year, and it'd be criminal to let them go to waste."

On 29 November 2015 at 14:57, louise_abasi - DW Comment < dw_null@dreamwidth.org> wrote:

[louise_abasi]

"Your mother has a yard? Trees?" She finds a tea towel and starts on the dishes, almost relaxed even though he's so close to her.

[anddowntothesea]

"She does. Apples, pears, plums," he says, finding that he likes having her standing next to him, even doing something as mundane as dishes.

[louise_abasi]

"Pl-" She almost asks a stupid question. "So never lack of fruit, growing up."

[anddowntothesea]

"We ate right," he says, carefully rinsing a plate before he hands it to her. "How'd you think I grew up to be this big and tall and handsome?"

[louise_abasi]

She chokes on a giggle. "Vegetables and shampoo?"

[anddowntothesea]

He huffs a laugh.

"Something like that," he says, rolling his eyes and handing her another plate. "Didn't turn out too badly though."

[louise_abasi]

"You have beautiful hair", she says like an apology, stacking the plates. "If I can say so."

[anddowntothesea]

"You can say whatever you like to me," he says, flashing her a cheek grin as he drains the sink and dries his hands. "Any time you like."

[louise_abasi]

"No, that's-" That wasn't true, Louise knows they're still working their way through a minefield. "Can I have the towel for a second as well?"

[anddowntothesea]

"Of course," he says, presenting her the towel with a flourish. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable I'll bring desert."

[louise_abasi]

"Pie. I hope it will disappoint." What did she just say? "Eh, Abasi brunch is this Sunday. We discuss pie. Our patisserier would be disappointed if I would have to tell him I had a better pie somewhere else. You should come."

Louise was unraveling around the edges.

[anddowntothesea]

"I'd love to," says Gabe, ignoring the flutter in his stomach as he accepts the invitation. He moves to the pantry and cuts two slices of pie, adds a scoop of ice-cream to each plate and grabs two spoons.

He carries them into the sitting room. "For you."

[louise_abasi]

"It's going to be smaller than usual. My parents and brothers won't be present. They always leave for the holiday weekend." She follows him, accepts a plate before sitting down. "Probably more hangover food and drinks as well. Which movie where we planning on seeing again?"

[anddowntothesea]

"I was going to let you pick," he says, returning to a previous theme. "Hang on." Instead of going for a DVD, he boots up the TV and Netflix and then offers her the remote. "Knock yourself out."

[louise_abasi]

"Netflix?" It's not that funny, but laughter still escapes her. What's next, getting a fleece plaid out and gossip about other students?
"But a movie, right? No series."

[anddowntothesea]

"Series seems like a pretty big commitment," says Gabe, more than aware of the game that they're playing here. He rolls one shoulder in a shrug, settling back against the sofa, taking a bite of his pie. "But whatever you want."

[louise_abasi]

"And we don't want those." She was doing well, come on. "Can I put my feet on the couch? A movie it will be. Something innocent."

[anddowntothesea]

"You can put your feet up on the couch," he says, settling back. "You can put your feet up on me if you want."

[louise_abasi]

"I'll take my heels off, first." She keeps her eyes on the screen, zapping past a lot of films that are mostly unfamiliar to her. "Comedy?"