Sawyer
“Morning, Viv,” Sawyer said as he walked into the kitchen. He’d slept late, a lot later than he wanted, but he still had time to attempt his latest idea for coaxing the stranger out of the woods. His guardians weren’t exactly thrilled with his multiple attempts, especially the ones he involved them in. His staff wasn’t either. But Sawyer knew to the very core of his being that he needed to dosomethingto break the ice.
In the hustle and bustle after the attack that had left both Sawyer and his brother, Mikey, seriously injured, Sawyer hadn’t really stopped to think about the golden-eyed creature who’d intervened and saved him. He’d been focused on what he’d learned both during and after the attack instead. Mainly, the fact that he was a god. Well, part god? Demi god? God-lite? He honestly wasn’t sure. No one could answer his questions. Apparently, there wererules. Sawyer really hated rules.
“Sawyer,” Viv said as she smiled and moved to the fridge. “I have your smoothie ready and waiting. I thought you were going to sleep all day.”
“Don’t think I didn’t try,” Sawyer said with a grin. “Um, Viv. I need a favor.”
“Of course, hon. What can I do?”
Sawyer bit his lip and laid the piece of paper he had clutched in his hand on the counter. “Will you let me cook something?”
His chef immediately scowled. “What?”
“It’s just… Okay, I know the kitchen is your domain and you’ve made it abundantly clear that you don’t like anyone in here messing around, but I had an idea about how to get through to Yellow Eyes. See, if he’s hanging around out there, then he’s gotta be hungry, right? I mean, what is he eating?”
“We’ve been through this, Sawyer. I took food out there to him. So did Cecil. So did Henry, and Loch, and—”
“But I didn’t.”
Her scowl deepened. “And how does that change anything? You say he’s still out there, but none of the guards have caught a glimpse of your mystery man. And the food we left out there didn’t get touched.”
Sawyer sighed. “Yeah, I know. But I want to try. Please, Viv? I mean, I don’t want to make you mad at me, but I think I should at least try. I’m running out of ideas, you know?”
“Fine.”
He let out another sigh. “Thanks. I found a recipe online for homemade Hamburger Helper. I used to love that. But homemade is better, right? I didn’t want to make something out of a box. And the recipe says it’s easy. What do you think?”
She spun the paper around and skimmed the recipe. “I have all of this on hand. And yeah, I think it’s quick and easy. Is this the kind of stuff you want to eat?”
Sawyer reached over the counter and put his hand on hers. “No. I mean, I miss just being able to go out and grab a burger, you know? But I like that you let me try new things and you always figure out what I’ll like and not like. How do you do that?”
“It’s pretty easy. You’ll eat about anything. Except snails.”
Sawyer grinned. “True. Okay, let me do this then. And if it doesn’t work, then I’ll figure out another plan.”
Viv grabbed the paper and began pointing to various cabinets. Sawyer followed her points and gathered all the ingredients before setting to work. It only took about thirty minutes for him to have a big, heaping pot of beef and macaroni noodles in a cheesy tomato sauce. He and Viv both taste-tested the results. She made a face, as it clearly wasn’t up to her culinary standards, but Sawyer grinned around the piping hot mouthful.
“It’s good.”
“It’s not bad,” Viv countered.
Draco walked into the kitchen, his eyes bleary and only half open. “Where’d you go?” he grumbled.
“Right here.”
Draco grabbed him around the waist and tucked his face in Sawyer’s neck. “You didn’t tell me. I woke up and you were gone.”
Sawyer gave him a gentle squeeze. “Sorry, Drake. I slept for a long time, though. I needed to get up.”
Draco grunted. It had been his turn to keep watch the night before, so he hadn’t gone to bed until the early hours of the morning.
“You should go back to bed.”
“What’s that smell?” Draco asked, not so subtly ignoring Sawyer’s suggestion.
“I cooked,” Sawyer explained. “I was trying to make something like that goulash stuff Mama Thea used to make. Remember? It was kind of like Hamburger Helper?”
