She needs this job. She needs the money so she can find her parents. Go on. Tell her you fucked up and Palton’s out for blood.
“It was great,” he lies between gritted teeth.
Eden makes a face. “What did he say?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Alexander.” His name rolls off her tongue as a whisper. “Please?”
Alexander sighs. “He said… He said I should stick to cooking my own people’s food.”
“He fuckingWHAT?” She rolls up her jacket sleeves, fists balling up tight. There’s murder in her eyes. “I’ll kill him. I’m going to kill him!”
“What’s going on?” Rina asks from her station.
“That asshole said—”
“Nothing!” Alexander interrupts, hurriedly dragging Eden towards the kitchen office. He nearly has to pick her up and throw her over his shoulder to keep Eden from wreaking havoc. He slams the door shut before she can scream bloody murder.
“I need you to calm down.”
“Calm down?” she exclaims, incredulous. “I’m not going to calm down. That asshole said—”
“I know what he said.”
“I’m going to shove a whole chicken down his gullet!”
Alexander wraps his arms around her and pulls her into an embrace. He isn’t sure if it’s because it’s the only thing he can think to do to restrain her or if it’s because he’s in need of comfort. Maybe it’s a little of column A, a little of column B. Regardless, he feels her melt into his hold, her arms circling around his waist to hug him back.
“It’s been a long day,” he murmurs, soothed by her proximity. “Can we just drop it and go home?”
Eden’s quiet for a long time, but her hug doesn’t loosen. She has her cheek pressed to his chest, her eyes closed. She eventually takes a deep breath and sighs. “Is that what you want?”
He nods. “Please?”
“Okay,” she says softly. “I’ll save my chicken-cramming for another day.”
This earns her a light chuckle. “Thank you. And thank you for taking care of the kitchen. It would have been impossible without your help.”
“Of course,” Eden replies. “We’re a team, aren’t we?”
His smile is tight, the weight of his guilt churning in his stomach. “Yeah.”
* * *
Alexander sinks into the driver’s seat, suddenly realizing how bone-tired he is. His feet hurt from standing all day. The skin between his fingers is itchy and dry from constant washing. His head feels so heavy, he’s worried his neck is about to snap. All he wants now is to go home and curl up in bed.
And maybe have Eden curl up with him.
He relaxes almost immediately when Eden slides into the passenger seat. She hasn’t even slipped on her seatbelt before he’s cupped her face and moves in for a bruising kiss. He finds solace in the way she groans against him. He discovers heaven in the way she kisses him back, just as passionately.
Eden giggles when she finally pulls away. She brushes some of his hair out of his eyes and asks, “Ready to go?”
“Fuck, yes.”
She snorts. “Seconded.”
“Thank you again for your hard work. You’re incredible.”
