Chapter 77 Untitled Chapter

Chapter 77 Untitled Chapter
Roberto didn’t move. If anything he leaned in more, like he was testing something.
Kendrix’s heart did that stupid thing again.
“Tell me to move,” he said, voice lower.
She looked up at him, then she said in a whisper. “I didn’t ask you to stand so close.”
The air shifted after that. Like something clicked into place neither of them had words for yet. His hand left the chair and landed on the table edge instead. 
Kendrix let out a breath. “You’re still smiling.”
“I know.”
She frowned. “That’s shady.”
“No it’s not.”
She shook her head. “Yes it is.”
That pulled a breath out of him. Almost a laugh.
“Eat,” he said again.
Kendrix picked up her fork, smiling at him.

. .

The front door opened and Bash stopped talking mid-story. Skyler looked up from his phone. Nobody said anything for a second.
Kendrix walked in first, then Roberto. And somehow that was enough to make Bash squint. Something was off. He couldn't place it right away. The trip had changed something.
Kendrix looked lighter, happier. And Roberto looked….
Bash blinked. Wait. His eyes dropped, then widened.
"Absolutely not."
Kendrix knew immediately what he saw. Her cheeks heated in embarrassment.
Skyler frowned. "What?"
Bash pointed and Skyler followed his finger. Then he nearly choked.
"No."
Roberto glanced between them. "What?"
"Is that a bear?"
Kendrix wanted the floor to open and swallow her whole. Because yes there was a teddy bear. And yes, Roberto was holding it. She had shoved it into his hands when they had walked inside and he had taken it without thinking.
Skyler slowly sat forward like he was witnessing a historical event. "Why do you have that?"
Roberto looked down at the bear, then back at him. "Because my hands work."
Bash slapped a hand over his face. "He's serious."
"Can we not start, guys?" Kendrix groaned.
"No," Bash said immediately. "We absolutely can."
Skyler nodded with a satisfied smile. "I've waited years for this."
"What moment?" Roberto asked.
"The moment you start acting like a normal person." He leaned back slowly. “Ice man is finally melting. Just…oh.”
Bash looked at him."Oh?"
"Yeah. Oh."
"What does that mean?"
Skyler pointed at Roberto and Kendrix. "That's what it means."
Bash stared at them for a second then his eyes widened. "Oh."
Now Kendrix really wanted to disappear.
"Can you two stop saying oh?"
"Hell no." Bash and Skyler said, simultaneously.
Roberto pinched the bridge of his nose. "You two need hobbies."
That only made Bash grin wider.
"We were gone one day," Roberto said.
"Exactly," Bash replied. "Just one day."
Skyler nodded like he was reviewing evidence. "One day and you come back carrying a teddy bear."
"It's not mine."
The second the words left his mouth, Kendrix looked at him. Skyler and Bash raised questioning brows at him.
After a moment of silence, Bash's grin spread.
"Oh wow."
Roberto knew he had messed up. Kendrix covered her face with her palms. Her cheeks were heating.
Skyler looked seconds away from losing the battle against laughter.
"Not yours?" Bash repeated. "Interesting choice of words."
Roberto muttered something under his breath.
"What?" Skyler asked.
"Nothing." He looked away.
"Nope. Don't just say nothing.”
Bash pointed at Roberto. "Say it louder."
Roberto looked ready to leave, which only encouraged them.
Kendrix reached for the bear. "Give me that."
Roberto handed it over without hesitation. The movement was so casual that it quieted the room for a second.
Skyler and Bash exchange a look. Then both turned toward Roberto. The exact same realization settling in at the exact same time.
Roberto saw it immediately. His eyes narrowed. "What?"
Bash shook his head slowly, a smile tugging at his mouth. "You're screwed, man."
Kendrix laughed hard this time. Somehow it made Roberto smile as well. Just a little smile, but Bash had known Roberto for years. And he couldn't remember the last time he had seen him smile effortlessly.

. .

The second Roberto disappeared upstairs, Kendrix knew she was in trouble. She gripped the teddy bear tighter.
Bash cleared his throat. "So…"
Kendrix didn’t look at him. "Don’t."
Skyler sat in the armchair. "We haven’t said anything yet."
"You were about to."
"Yeah, we were."
Kendrix groaned.
Bash grinned. "There she is."
"I’m leaving."
She took two steps and Bash slid sideways into the hallway, blocking her.
"Bash."
"Nope."
She groaned. "Bash!"
"Still nope."
Kendrix looked at Skyler. "Help me."
Skyler crossed his arms, shaking his head. “Nope.”
“Traitors. Both of you.”
Kendrix turned back. Bash was still there, smiling. That smug look that meant he thought he had figured something out.
"What do you want?" She asked.
Bash gasped. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Her voice."
Skyler nodded seriously. "She’s nervous."
"I am not."
"You are."
"I’m not."
"You totally are."
Kendrix threw a cushion at him which he caught.
"That’s not proof," she said.
"Feels like proof to me," Skyler said.
Kendrix pointed at him. "You’ve changed."
Skyler looked offended. "Well, I wasn't the one playing all lovey dovey."
Kendrix closed her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.
Bash probbed forward. "So...about the bear."
"It’s just a bear, Bash.”
Skyler tilted his head. "Then why’s your face red?"
Kendrix touched her face without thinking.
Bash pointed. "Gotcha!"
"What?"
"Yeah, I caught you."
"Just shut up…please."
Bash looked way too pleased. "This is gold."
Kendrix briefly considered killing him.
"What happened on the trip?" Bash asked.
"Nothing."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Nothing."
Skyler looked thoughtful. "Normally I’d buy that."
Kendrix frowned. "Normally?"
"Yeah. But Roberto smiled. Ice man doesn't smile easily."
The room went quiet. Kendrix and Bash blinked.  
Skyler shrugged."What?"
Bash pointed. "See?"
"See what?"
"He noticed it too."
Skyler nodded. "I saw it too."
Kendrix looked between them. "What are you talking about?"
Bash stared. "You didn’t catch it?"
"Catch what?"
"The smile."
"What smile?"
Both of them looked horrified.
Skyler leaned forward. "She’s serious."
Bash looked genuinely offended. "How’d you miss it?"
"Miss what?"
"Roberto smiles at you."
Kendrix laughed, because that was ridiculous. When neither of them were laughing, she stopped.
After a beat, Bash pointed. "Gotcha."
Kendrix hated them all. Skyler almost looked almost sorry. 
"To be fair, I don’t think he even knows he does it."
That made it worse. Way worse. Kendrix looked away, her ears were hot.
"I think you’re done," Bash said.
"I’m right here."
"Your body's here, but your brain checked out already."
Kendrix grabbed another cushion. This time it hit him square in the face.
Skyler lost it, turning away to laugh.
Bash looked betrayed. "You're so violent.."
"You earned it."
"I was helping."
"You were not."
They were still going when a voice came from the stairs.
"What the hell is happening?"
Everyone stopped. Skyler looked way too pleased. Roberto stood halfway down the stairs, one hand in his pocket, looking at all of them. Kendrix saw Bash’s face and knew he was about to make it worse.
Bash smiled slowly. That mean, satisfied smile. Then looked straight at Roberto.
"We were talking about why you keep smiling at her."
Skyler bit his fist to stop himself from laughing out loud.