Blake
"Honey, I'm home!" I call out before telling the guys to take off their shoes. My kitten hates mess and since we've just come back from practice and it's quite rainy outside, our shoes are not the cleanest.
We all head to the kitchen where my cute fiancée is making dinner, wearing one of my t-shirts and yoga pants. She greets me with a smile and I make my way to her, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind.
"Hi baby." Lia greets with a smile, turning her head to give me a kiss.
"Hi kitten." I lean my chin on her shoulder, watching her cook.
"We're here, too, you know." Simon mocks from his seat at the breakfast bar, making the others chuckle. James, David and he wanted to come over for a while, and after asking my kitten if she's alright with it, we picked a date when we're both available. The guys wanted to meet my girl so badly they kept pestering me about it ever since they saw my engagement ring. But Lia, being Lia, didn't even notice their curious glances whenever she waited for me to be done with practice.
"So?" Lia mocks Simon back, glancing at him over her shoulder with a smirk.
"So maybe you could knock your PDA down a little, huh?" Simon's smirk matches Lia's.
"Nah, I think I'm fine. Are you allergic to anything?" I barely stop myself from chuckling at the dumbstruck expressions on guys' faces. They slowly shake their heads, still confused about Lia's question.
"Okay, then." My kitten doesn't even bother to explain why she asked the guys about their allergies, so I decide to clarify.
"If you were allergic to something, you could have a reaction to the food and we don't really want to be responsible for your untimely death." I smirk mockingly without taking my head off kitten's shoulder.
"Oh... - They nod in understanding - So what are you making?" David speaks for the first time, leaning against the counter.
"Roast beef with stir-fried vegetables and cheesy roasted sweet potatoes." Lia replies offhandedly, focusing on the veggies in front of her. My prissy little chef. Nothing can take her attention off food, whether she's making it or eating.
"Damn it you two. I fucking hate you." David grumbles, glaring at us. I feel my brow rise at the sudden change of mood.
"Come on, man, what's your problem?" James asks, staring at Dave incredulously, as surprised about his sudden moodiness as me.
"Did something happen?" I question before leaving a kiss on my girl's head and going to sit at the bar in front of the guys.
"It just irks me to watch couples like you. – he sighs – Cassie and I broke up." I don't say anything, knowing he doesn't need words of comfort.
"Why? You were fine just days ago!" Simon is clearly taken aback by his brother's words.
Dave mulls over his response, glancing at my girl longingly, as if reminiscing his relationship, before sighing heavily. "After watching you guys, you know, living together, studying together, planning your life together and everything... It made me want the same thing. That stability. But after I talked to Cassie about it, she straight out told me she's not ready for such commitment and she never thought about having a future with me. I really thought she loved me, but she only called me stupid and said she was with me just for popularity, since I'm the captain of the team. I've never felt so fucking hurt. 2 years! We've been together for almost 2 years and she tells me it was all fake! That she had no feelings!" We all stay quiet, letting David pour it all out.
"Maybe you've been looking in the wrong direction?" Lia quietly says with a sympathetic expression, standing behind me with her arms around my shoulders.
"What?"
"The kind of girls you've been seeing. – I clarify, catching onto kitten's meaning – Maybe you're seeing wrong girls..."
"What kind of girls?" Simon asks.
Dave seems to realize what I mean, staring at us dejectedly. "The easy kind." He breathes out ruefully.
"I'm not trying to make you feel worse, but... if there's one thing I know about Cassie is that she's not a wife material." I add, wincing at the broken look on my friend's face.
"I know. I figured as much. During those two years, not even once have we talked about our future, our plans never went that far. I see it all now. But after seeing you two – he looks at me and Lia seriously – I started to fucking yearn for something more than just going on meaningless dates, visiting one party after another or parading around the campus pretending to be the 'power couple'. – he scoffs at the name – It's actually you that should be called that, you two are fucking relationship goals." I only grin, stroking my girl's arms that are wrapped around my neck as she leans against me.
"If there's anything I can tell you is to look somewhere you'd never think of looking. I know it worked for me. You don't appreciate something that comes easily, but when you have to work for it, you realize its worth. The best people are the hardest to get." I give my kitten a loving glance, which turns into a frown when I catch her glare.
"Did you seriously call me an 'it'?" I gulp at the calmness in her voice as she tightens her hold of my neck. The guys don't even bother hiding their amusement, laughing at my misfortune.
"I'm just trying to say that to get someone as amazing and incredible as you, he needs to work for it- I mean them – I correct myself quickly when I see the threat in Lia's eyes – and that when he finds the right person, like I found you, he'll realize that they're worth all the effort." I choose my words carefully, not wanting to piss my kitten off. When she finally loosens her hold on me, I sigh in relief before pulling her in for a kiss.
"You two are so fucking strange." David chuckles, seemingly in a better mood.
"Hey, don't judge. She's really scary when she's mad."
"What?!"
"I meant cute." I quickly add, keeping a hold of Lia's arms so she doesn't strangle me again.
"You better. - she retorts, giving me a peck - The food should be almost ready, so set the table while I dish it out." Lia swiftly changes the subject, leaving a kiss on my temple before walking away.
"Come on guys. If you want to eat, you'll do as she says." I stage-whisper, getting a quick glare from Lia which I counter with a cheeky grin.
"See? This is what I mean. This is what I want." David sighs longingly, taking the plates out of the cupboard in the corner. I don't respond to that, focusing on dismantling the coffee table.
Since our kitchen is connected with the living room and there's only Lia and I living here, we have no dining table or chairs, usually eating at the breakfast bar or in the living room at the coffee table. Lia found one that can be dismantled to fit more people and we just sit on the floor and eat. Both Lia and I hate clutter, so we keep our apartment minimalistic, having only the necessary stuff here. Everything is adjustable to fit more people when needed, like when our friends come to visit, but most of the time we keep it small and compact.
After a long talk, we even decided to turn the second bedroom into our study, leaving only a pull-out couch there, so we can have someone overnight in case there's a need for that. We don't need two bedrooms anyway, since we always sleep together.
"Oh fuck it smells good!" Simon exclaims when Lia carries the food to the table.
"Go wash up. I'll bring everything out." My girl orders sternly, getting groans in response. "Come on, chop-chop. Or you're not eating." She warns, making me chortle.
I show the guys where the bathroom is then help my girl take everything to the table. "Can you bring the wine?" Lia requests, dishing out the vegetables. I only nod, kissing the back of her head on my way to the fridge. Lia loves cold wine and always keeps the decanter in the fridge after opening the bottle.
"You got beer too?" I ask surprised when I see three six-packs of Heineken on the shelf.
"Yeah, I figured you'd want some drinks since it's Saturday." Damn I love this girl. She thinks about everything.
"Hey you two lovebirds, the food will get cold." James calls out from the table teasingly.
"We're coming! Damn, you're impatient." Lia laughs, shaking her head. We all sit around the table and not wasting a moment dig into the food. I fill Lia's plate while she pours out the lemonade for everyone, before getting my share. Thank god Lia's smart enough to make a loooot of food, cause I'm freaking starving and I'm sure the guys are too after today's practice.
"Oh fuck it's so good!" Simon groans in delight, stuffing his mouth, while I chuckle. I know my kitten's cooking skills are remarkable, but the guys are tasting her food for the first time.
"It's delicious." I quietly murmur against Lia's lips, giving her a quick peck.
"Thank you."
"Knock it off, you two." James warns, pointing at us with his fork.
"Why should we? I'm not afraid of showing my affection." I mock.
"Neither am I." Lia adds with a smirk, pulling me in for a kiss.
"You're so annoying." All three guys groan, scowling at us playfully.