Only You

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, I’m just borrowing them.

Author’s Note: This is in response to a domestic prompt request of ‘cooking together’.

Summary: Kaylee and Seth enjoy an evening of cooking together, until some minor incidents leave Seth unsure of himself. 

Kaylee set down the knife she’d been using to chop a small onion and dabbed her eyes with the hem of her shirt. So far so good, she thought,  surveying piles of neatly chopped vegetables and finely grated cheese before her. A smile touched her lips as ‘Killer Queen’ poured through the bluetooth speaker and her boyfriend began attempting to sing along with Freddie Mercury.

She’d just opened her mouth to comment how fun making their own pizza was rather than ordering in when a panicked yelp sounded from behind her, followed shortly by a wet plop.

Kaylee spun around in a flash.

Seth stood at the kitchen island, pizza dough draped loosely over his hands. His wide eyes stared helplessly at  a sizeable glob of said dough now lying on the tile floor.

“Shit! Wait, Rocket no! “He yelled, trying to wave his arms without dropping anything more.

The ocelot cub, who had rushed in at the first sound of a hubbub, starred up at the large man in front of him for a split second before his gaze dropped back to the new treat within his reach.

“Don’t you dare think about… you little devil! The carbs will go right to your hips! Ahhhhhh crap.” The animal darted away, having successfully claimed his prize and Seth sighed in defeat. Then, apparently noticing her gaze for the first time, he gave Kaylee a slightly sheepish look.

Kaylee stifled a laugh, but failed to stop a half grin from forming on her lips.

“Seth…how…it’s dough from a can. You pop the top, pull it out, and roll it onto the pan.”

“I know. But… I wanted to be like the cool chefs and twirl the dough in the air.” His eyes peered down into hers, embarrassment seeping out through a crack in the otherwise playful facade he’d quickly donned.

“Only you, Ohio, only you,”she said with a smile.

Moving closer beside him, she stretched up to place a soft kiss on his cheek, the scratch of facial hair along her lips sending a zing of comfort throughout her being.

“How about we do this part together.” Her arms tangled around his as she helped him lower the remaining dough onto the pan.

They worked side by side to stretch and piece together the gooey mass. It wasn’t a particularly difficult or time consuming task but they took their time, hips bumping and elbows brushing one another while they danced to the music still blaring through the kitchen.

“Sauce time!” Kaylee proclaimed once they’d finished. She shimmied over to grab a jar on the other end of the counter. Her hand wrapped around metal and glass as she lifted the jar by the top.

“Wait! I don’t know if the lid is…” Seth warned.

He was a split second too late.

Her fingers slid off the smooth glass jar, sending it careening back toward the counter, much to Kaylee’s surprise, while the metal lid remained clenched tightly in her palm. The jar landed with a clatter before toppling onto its side. A geyser of tomato, basil, oregano, and other spices Kaylee couldn’t quite identify, showered everything in close proximity… including her.

Neither she nor Seth moved a muscle for a long moment, as though they were playing a game of Statues, both waiting for the other to make the first move.  Even Rocket, who had returned once more -likely hoping to score more treats- stood frozen in the archway examining the scene with a half cocked head.

Eventually, when sauce edged far too close to the edge of her brow for comfort, Kaylee reached a hand up to wipe the sauce off forehead, breaking the spell cast on the room. She gazed up at Seth when he offered her a dish towel. His normally sparkling eyes were dull and nearly unreadable, save for the hint of guilt hiding within their ocean blue depths. A slight frown painted his features, his lower lip drawn thin as he worried it. Once the towel had been delivered, Seth’s hand dropped to his side and began drumming a frantic rhythm against his thigh.

It took all of one quick read of his body language for Kaylee to know what was running through his head. He was blaming himself and worrying what her reaction would be.

If she was remembering correctly, he’d tried to warn her about the lid. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out he was probably the one to leave it loose, unless her ocelot had acquired opposable thumbs overnight. Still, it was just an accident.

Oh Seth, only you would get this worried about a little sauce.

Her heart ached in her chest as it always did when she witnessed his anxiety and self-doubt overtake his usual bumbly, playful personality. This was the side of him he tried to mask behind the comedy, the side that was surfacing far less around her than it had when they first met, but still made the occasional random appearance. And while she loved every part of him, even this part, it still hurt that she couldn’t somehow erase it from his being completely and shield him from the pain.

She could, however, help him resurface quickly.

Seth opened his mouth to speak, but Kaylee jumped in before a sound could be uttered. “You know, I’ve heard of people getting thoroughly sauced before but I’m starting to think this wasn’t what they were talking about.”

She grinned up at her boyfriend. His eyes seemed to search hers for a minute and she hoped he would find exactly what he needed within them.

“Definitely not. Though it should be,” he finally replied, a soft chuckle following his words. “I bet if you post a selfie to Pictagram and claim you’re doing some sort of newfangled beauty regime you would start a new trend.”

Tucking the towel under one arm, Kaylee pulled her phone from her pocket before donning the most outrageous facial expressions she could think of and pretending to snap photos.

“Introducing the all new Tomato and Basil Cleanse. It eliminates pores, tames even the most unruly hair, and leaves you looking five years younger after just one application.”

“Not to mention the added benefit of attracting every nearby lover of Italian cuisine.”

Unrestrained laughter filled the room and Kaylee was relieved to see Seth’s shoulders visibly relax. His usual good humor illuminated his features, casting a warmth over the entire room- at least that’s how it always felt to her.

“If you don’t feel like being a saucy trend setter anymore, I can finish up the pizza while you clean yourself up,” Seth offered once their mirth had died down. “It’ll also give me a chance to have a chat with Rocket about not leaving jar lids loose when he feels the need to taste test our food.” A wry  half grin spread across his face, coaxing a soft giggle out of Kaylee.

“And why exactly did he need to test the sauce that would be going on the pizza later anyways?” She asked, eyeing her boyfriend closely, one eyebrow raised.

“I don’t know. Maybe he hadn’t had this brand before and wanted to know how it tasted without all the toppings?”

“Oh, Seth, only you,” she laughed. “Alright, I’ll go clean up. Make sure he doesn’t burn the house down, please.”

“I will.”

“I was talking to Rocket.”

—–

Nearly a half hour later Kaylee made her way back to the kitchen clad in her favorite yoga pants and over-sized sweatshirt, her still damp hair pulled back into a large braid. The scent of pepperoni, onions, and peppers caressed her nostrils, eliciting a gurgle from her stomach.

Much to her surprise, she found  their earlier work space spotless and smelling lemony fresh. Seth was bent low over the oven, hot pads in both hands ready to retrieve their dinner. She stopped for a moment to enjoy the view and made a mental note to encourage him to wear tighter fitting jeans more often.

“Thanks for cleaning up and finishing dinner,” she said, strolling up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist, once the pizza was safely on the counter of course.

“Hey, it’s the least I could do after my part in The Great Saucing of 2019.” He broke her grasp easily, spinning around to give her a peck on the forehead. “Now let’s eat!”

Kaylee’s eyes widened as he stepped to the side, revealing his masterpiece. Pepperoni dusted with a fine layer of cheese formed an unbroken ring just inside the raised outer crust, providing the perfect frame for two green pepper eyes with black olive pupils, a red pepper smile, wavy onion hair, and a large mushroom slice nose, all atop what appeared to be a very thick layer of cheese.

“Do you like it?” Seth asked with hesitation in his voice, when Kaylee failed to react for several long moments.

“Yes! Oh, yes of course I like it, Seth, I’m just surprised. I wasn’t expecting a smiley face pizza. Though I don’t know why I wouldn’t, now that I think about it. This is so totally you.” Kaylee beamed up at him.

“Uh, is that a good thing?”

“A very good thing,” she replied, grabbing one of his hands in her own and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “But I hope you’re planning to eat the pieces with most of the hair. There is such a thing as too much onion you know.”

“Oh I am- as long as you save me from the fungus,” he said, making a face of disgust toward the mushroom in question.

“With pleasure.”

—–

“So, do you think the whole making our own pizza thing was a success?” Seth asked later, as they sat snuggled on the sofa watching TV, one of his arms slung over her shoulders while her head rested on his chest.

“Seth, I ate three pieces and am currently arguing with my stomach about grabbing a fourth. I think this was our best cooking night yet.” Kaylee replied, tipping her head up to look at him.

“Despite your co-chef causing some minor catastrophes?” Worry flashed over his features, causing Kaylee’s heart to freeze in her chest.

“I don’t care about that, Seth, you know I don’t,” she said, reaching into his lap and trapping one fidgeting hand in both of her own. “You’re little quirks like wanting to toss pizza dough in the air and taste test the sauce are part of what make you…well, you. I love you with all my heart and I love all your cute quirks too. There’s only one co-chef I ever want to have in my kitchen.”

“Gordon Ramsay?”

A snort of laughter pierced the air around them and Kaylee was faintly aware that it came from her.

“No, silly,” she replied, stretching up to pepper kisses along the side of Seth’s neck. “You. Only you.”

-The End