The Canons of Ships

46: Lazel

Hazel blew at the curl that kept falling in front of her face and obscuring her vision. Despite the distraction, she kept whisking the sauce that she was making. This had to be perfect. It was her anniversary with Leo and there was no way she was stuffing up this dinner. The roast was in the oven, and the cake was cooling in the fridge.

Eventually, Hazel got too annoyed with the rogue strand, and stepped back from the stove. She wiped her flour covered hands on her pants, and then gathered her hair into a ponytail. Or rather a giant fluff ball of cinnamon coloured curls.

Hazel picked up the whisk again and was about to start stirring the creamy white substance again, but she was stopped by a pair of arms wrapping themselves around her waist. Leo propped his chin on her shoulder and looked over at what she was cooking.

"Yum," he said. "Can I have taste it?"

Hazel resumed whisking the sauce. "Not yet," she told him. "It's for dinner tonight."

Leo sighed. "You've been working too hard on dinner, Haze. Take a break."

"No way," she said, shaking her head. "This is going to be perfect."

"Ha-zel," Leo said, drawing out the syllables. "Anything from you is perfect to me."

Hazel's heart fluttered slightly but she still wanted to perfect this dinner. "But I want to make it special, Leo."

Leo grabbed her hand so that she dropped the whisk and then turned her to face him. Her gold eyes met his chocolate brown ones. "We could go on a date to a dumpster Hazel, and eat fish bones for all I care, and it'd still be special," Leo declared.

"That's gross," Hazel giggled.

Leo pouted. "Aw, dam. So you don't want to go there? That was my next date."

Hazel smiled, then wriggled out of Leo's embrace and started whisking the sauce again. It was thickening slowly. "I just don't want to disappoint you, Leo," she admitted.

Leo mimed banging his head against a brick wall. "Did you not listen to a word I just said? Hazel, you could never disappoint me, because I think you're perfect. Come on, Haze. Put down the whisk for a second."

Hazel sighed and gave in, knowing that she wouldn't get a moment's peace otherwise. And although she'd never admit it, she did kind of want a break. Hazel paced the whisk to the side and moved the sauce off the heat. "Okay. So what now?"

Leo grinned that goofy smile of his and took her hand. "Dance with me, darling."

"There's no music, though," Hazel pointed out.

Leo waved the thought away. "You don't need to keep worrying about the little things like that. Here, I'll lead."

Leo placed a hand on her waist and Hazel put her hand on his shoulder. Leo started to hum the tune to a waltz. The couple moved in time, waltzing around the kitchen. Hazel was focused on her feet though, making sure she didn't get the steps wrong. Leo tilted her chin, so that she looked up to his face.

"Watch me," he said.

Hazel nodded. She held her gaze on his eyes, and he looked into hers. She felt her lips curl into a smile - like they did every time she was around Leo. She forgot about everything that had been stressing her out earlier and just relaxed, enjoying the moment. Hazel had no idea how Leo could make her feel like this, but he did, and she knew that she loved it. She loved everything about him.

Leo dropped her hand, and picked her up, spinning her around. Hazel squealed and Leo laughed. He set her down, both of them slightly dizzy. He placed a light kiss on her lips.

"That was fun," Hazel said. "I didn't know you could dance."

"Never doubt Leo McShizzle," Leo grinned.

"You're right. I might get kicked off Team Leo," Hazel laughed.

"You still remember that?" Leo chuckled.

"'Course I do," Hazel said. "How could I not?"

"You were so checking me out," Leo recalled. "I don't blame you, of course. How could anyone resist this hot stuff?"

Hazel blushed. "I was not!" she protested.

Leo laughed at Hazel's reaction. "Whatever you say, sweetheart," he said, kissing her forehead.

Hazel pushed him away gently, going back to her sauce. "Go get changed."

"Wanna come?" Leo joked, his eyes sparkling.

Hazel narrowed her eyes and pointed with the whisk to the door. "Now."

Leo left the kitchen, and Hazel continued finishing the dinner with a smile on her face, and not so much weight on her shoulders. She wasn't so worried about it anymore, humming a waltz under her breath as she finshed the last few touches.