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Something smells awfully good in the kitchen when I come home from my shift at the library. Zakaria told me to come into his apartment after work, and I can smell why. He’s cooking!
“Zakaria?” I walk in to find him getting something from his “garden,” and he has the sweetest smile on his face.
“Hey!” he grins. “I wasn’t expecting you to come home for another hour.”
“Lena let me go early.” His smile is so contagious, and I can’t help but start to mirror it.
He graciously takes me in his arms, and every bone in my body tingles as I feel his lips brush against my own. Tender and caring… just how I like it.
I let out a gasp when he grabs my butt, and out of impulse I give his arm a little smack. “Dick.”
His laugh is the best music I’ve ever heard. I follow him into the kitchen.
“My mom and Idris gave me some garlic seeds a while back, and they’re finally ripe!” he beams as he starts to peel a couple from the clove he’s been holding. “Making a homemade pasta sauce with it.”
“No wonder it smells good,” I chuckle and grab a spoon. In turn, he shoos my hand away.
“Not yet, Arlo,” he frowns. “It’s not ready.”
“But it already smells so good!” I whine and step back. “I can’t be over there without wanting to taste it.”
“Humph.” He pouts as he continues cooking.
I look around his living room, and absolutely nothing’s out of place. He’s always the tidier one out of the two of us. He makes it extra difficult for me to do good deeds for him, after everything he’s done for me.
“Arlo?” he calls. “I need your help a the stove.”
Finally! A good deed!
“Okay.” I return with intent to be the best little helper. “What’s up?”
“Can you just put some water in this pot for me? I gotta let the angel hair boil.”
“Sure!” I grab the pot and let it run under the water. It’s a lot heavier than it seems.
It’s sometimes frustrating trying to grab things with my left hand, but I tend to remain optimistic. Today though, I have a hard time maintaining the weight. It’s about to tip over onto the floor, and I hurry to grab it with my other hand—
Oh.
“Arlo!” Zakaria gasps as the water starts to pour onto the floor. He quickly moves away from the stove to help support the pot. “Hey, I didn’t say get it on the floor!” He laughs, trying to show that he’s teasing, but it’s not funny.
I stare at the right stub in utter disdain.
“Hey…” The worry on his face is starting to show as he raises his eyebrows up. “What’s the matter?”
“…Phantom limb,” I mumble through gritted teeth.
He places the pot on the stove before grabbing some towels. He starts to clean the floor, and I just… watch. He’s always on top of things while I’m just too heavily weighted to catch up. It’s impossible for me to try and find something to do.
“It’s alright. At least I can get some of this grime off the floor.”
My throat starts to tighten up.
I guess he hears my sob and scoots back over. “Hey, I want no crying,” he chides. His hands cup my cheeks, and he looks me in the eye. “We’re gonna have a nice dinner and eat some delicious pasta that may have too much garlic in it. So, I want no crying.”
I give a faltering smile and try to wipe my eyes. “I’m sorry, I can’t do anything right…”
“Well, sure you can,” he smiles. “If you’re still kicking and still taking care of yourself, you’re doing something right.”
As he helps me up to my feet, I try wiping my eyes. My stub is still tingling, and I just need to fight my body’s urge to adapt to it. “It’s not fair that I can’t do anything to repay you, like you’ve been doing for me.”
“But you are.” Zakaria brings me over to the stove, and I pour the pasta into the now boiling water. He starts to stir the sauce, adding in the garlic and several pinches of salt as he does. “I can kill a vampire with this sauce.”
I cover my mouth to stifle a snorting laugh. “What do you mean, I’m already repaying you?”
“Well, you’re here, aren’t you?” His eyes light up as he turns his head to look at me. “Let’s just say, you’re repaying me with your time. I mean, it’s not like you owe me any debts at all, but I’m just saying… I’m terrible at this.”
“You’re fine,” I grin and start to rub his side. “How are you so perfect?”
He chuckles and wipes the last of the stray tears from my eyes. “I just have that effect on people.”
We lean closer to each other, and I go to kiss him when one thing stops me. “I just realized. You’ve been sneaking and eating the garlic, haven’t you?”
His lips quirk up wider. “Guilty.”
“I smell it on your breath, you weirdo,” I tease.
“It’s to ward off the vampires!” he grimaces. “What are you saying? Are you a vampire, Arlo? After all this time?”
I start to laugh. “Nope. Not a vampire. Just sensitive to the garlic smell.”
“What’s wrong with it, huh?” He challenges. “I’m gonna lick you all over! You won’t be able to escape the wrath of the garlic breath!”
“Please, don’t—” I’m giggling now as he tickles my sides and leans in real close to grossly run his tongue over my neck. “You ass! Eww, you’re all slobbery!”
He breathes out a chuckle, his hot breath radiating on my neck. “I’ve marked you. Mr. Vampire.”
“I’m not a vampire!” I ruffle his hair to his dismay. “Get back to the sauce before it sticks to the pot again.”
“That’s only because you tempted me with your ass, Corporal!” He smirks while stirring the sauce. “How dare you break your ranks.”
I’m so red right now. “Y-you’re the one that got charmed by it and fucked me on the table!”
“Ms. Patrice was so mad that we let off the smoke alarm,” he snorts. “Alright, this time I gotta finish it. After dinner, though, look out for my—”
“If you say an innuendo about using a wooden stake instead of your dick, I am going to smack you.”
“Is that a threat, or a promise?”
My eyes widen, and I meekly lean against the counter. “A-a promise.”
When he kisses me it’s deep and hungry, and I don’t protest against the garlic smell anymore. I moan as his arms keep me tightly pressed against the counter on either side, and I pull his head in closer. He’s kissing me harder still, and I’m worried that he lost track of our dinner.
The way he then caresses my stub makes me shiver, and by some miracle the tingly feeling stops. He has weird ways of bringing me back to reality and making me aware of my surroundings. I love every single method that he has.
He hoists me up against the counter, lifting my legs to hook around his waist. Now I know he’s definitely lost track.
I’m breathless as he pulls away, trailing fiery kisses down to my neck again. The slobbery feeling along it from earlier is forgotten and replaced by the new memory of his teeth catching onto my skin.
“Zak—baby, the dinner,” I gasp out, regretting my choice of words. I don’t want him to stop, loving it whenever he worships my body. “W-we can do this after, yeah?”
He groans in protest against my collar, and he’d started unbuttoning my shirt in the meantime. “Nooo, I’m so horny now, Arlo.”
“Me too, but we gotta eat first,” I grin. “Besides, we’re not doing anything until we both brush our teeth.”
“I’m not gonna need to brush my teeth if I’m gonna eat your a—”
“Jesus!” I sputter and cut him off. “Well, you’re going to after that!”
“Fine, fine,” he chuckles and reluctantly sets me down to finish cooking.
The garlic does add extra flavor to the pasta sauce, and I’m amazed by how delicious it is. Zakaria always makes the best food when using his homegrown produce and spices. I’m so in love!
“Wanna go on a double date with Tulio and Sinéad this Wednesday?” he asks while we’re talking about our day. “They invited us while you were still at work.”
“Sure, why not?” I smile. “What will we be doing?”
“They wanna go out and see that new movie that’s out now. American Sniper, it’s called.”
I start to falter. “Yeah. I know about that movie.”
“If you don’t wanna go, we can pick another movie,” he insists. “I’ve heard Lena say that it might be pretty intense for you.”
I shake my head. “No. No, it’s fine,” I assure him while giving him my best smile. “I mean, I only cried a little bit when we watched Saving Private Ryan. How bad can it be?”
“If you’re sure,” he murmurs. “I don’t want you to push yourself.”
“I know… you’re way too generous towards me for your own good.” As I finish my dinner, I lean over the little table to give him a kiss. “If it turns out I can’t handle it, I’ll tell you. You know that.”
He nods with a smile. We start to clean up when he finishes his own meal. “So… now that we’re done eating…”
I can’t stop my smile from growing into a wider smirk. “Where do you plan on eating my ass, Captain?”
He pulls me away from the kitchen, and we’re quick to start removing each other’s clothes. “I’m thinking I’ll start my main course right here on the table. And during your refractory period, we’re gonna brush our teeth.”
“Thank goodness, that’s on the to-do list,” I tease.
“And then…” He grins as he picks me up, and I help get myself situated on the table while he’s removing both our pants. “Then I’m gonna take you against the sliding door to the balcony.”
“Why can’t we do it on the balcony?” I pout.
He smirks while rubbing my thighs, and I plant my hand against the wall behind us to keep myself supported. What he says next sends a jolt of arousal through me.
“We’ll try that next time.”