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Carmen sat around their dinner table, watching everyone laugh. It was Thanksgiving Day, and everyone she loved was around her table.
Well, almost everyone. She noticed his absence from his usual spot at the table, almost immediately. She quirked her eyebrow at Shadowsan, before his head tilted slightly to the side, in the direction of the kitchen. Carmen smiled at him, before excusing herself from the table.
Carmen could hear the music coming from the kitchen, a melody she lightly recognized from her time in America.
Yeah you can call me loverboy
Carmen stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, watching Gray at the stove. He was singing along faintly, while stirring a pot of something.
He turned to the fridge, throwing the door open before grabbing an assortment of ingredients from it. He turned back towards the stove, before turning around and stopping, seeing her leaned against the doorway. He smiled at her, dancing his way over to her.
“Hey! What brings you to the kitchen?” He said over the music, before grabbing her hand to drag her over to the stove so he could talk to her and watch the food at the same time.
“Noticed you weren’t at the table, so I asked Shadowsan where you were.” Carmen replied, looking at him sway his hips slowly. “What’re you making? Zack keeps saying how amazing the cooking is.” He smiled at her, his eyes lightening with pure joy, before he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.
“It’s ah, it’s something the lady who took care of all the kids in the orphanage I was at taught me to make.” He smiled, looking at the food. “She was the only one there who was really there for me, you know? So I make this on Thanksgiving to ‘give thanks’ to her.”
Carmen smiled at him. She liked learning things like this about him. It let her look into his life. It let her look at Gray- no Graham.
They say I throw my heart around
Gray turned to her. “You wanna learn to make it?” Carmen looked at him in surprise. She thought he wouldn’t teach her something so dear to his heart.
Carmen smiled back at him “I would love to, Gray.”
Gray grabbed her hand, sending shocks up Carmen’s spine. He guided her to the front of the stove, standing behind her and pressing his chest against her back.
“Here,” his lips whispered against her ear, making her stomach do flips. “You keep stirring like this, but you gotta make sure to not stir it too fast or slow, or the noodles will stick to the pot, or spill out of it.” Carmen shivered against him, his frontside pressing against her backside felt too good for friends. She could feel his heartbeat thudding against his chest, going faster than normal. Why was it going faster than normal?
Carmen felt Gray step away from her, and had barely had time to silence a disappointed groan coming from her throat.
Carmen's train of confusing thoughts were interrupted when Gray placed his hands on her hips and turned her around. Carmen gulped, feeling his hands tighten on her hips.
“What- uh what’s the next step?” Carmen stuttered out, looking into his beautiful hazel eyes, then down to his lips.
“Dance.” Carmen tore her eyes from his lips, looking back into his eyes.
“What?”
“Dance.” He shrugged nonchalantly, starting to sing along to the music again before grabbing her hands and bringing it up to his shoulder, before placing his hands back on her hips.
And you can be my lover girl
He sang softly. Like a soft breeze was going through your hair soft. Gray and Carmen swayed gently to the song, looking into each other's eyes.
Gray brought one of his hands up to her cheek, softly caressing it. His eyes dipped down her face, towards her lips before flicking back up to her eyes, and dropping his hand down to her hip again.
I’ll pick you up and drive you around
I’ll show you how to fall in love
Carmen had enough. The small glances towards each other when no one was looking, the brush of their hands when they walk side-by-side, the quick look at each other's lips in quiet moments like these.
She loved him. Carmen Sandiego, a super thief, loved her old partner, one of her oldest friends.
She loved him. And she was done hiding it.
Carmen surged forwards, crushing her lips onto his.
For two moments, he didn’t respond. For two moments, Carmen thought she fucked up, that their friendship was absolutely screwed now. But then, she felt the press of Gray’s lips against hers, the rush of love, lust, excitement rushing into her head as his arms encircled her waist and hers wrapped around his neck.
He turned her towards the island counter in the middle of the kitchen, and pressed her against it. Their lips molded together like they were made for each other, and fireworks went off in their heads.
He loved her.
She loved him.
We’ll be the talk of all the town
Zack, Ivy, and Shadowsan all stood in the doorway, absolutely shell shocked. Shadowsan had his eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth set in a straight line. Zack handed Ivy a twenty dollar bill, smirking at the couple still currently kissing.
Shadowsan went to walk forward towards them, but Zack and Ivy both grabbed his arm and dragged him back into the dining room, leaving the couple be.
Carmen and Gray separated, both their faces flushed and panting. Their fingers intertwined between them, making them both smile. Gray leaned his forehead against hers, and Carmen closed her eyes.
“I love you, you know that?” Gray whispered, looking at Carmen’s closed eyes. Her eyes flickered open again, looking deep into his hazel gaze.
“I do. I do know that.” She whispered. “And I hope you know that I love you too.”
Gray smiled slightly before leaning in again, but to this time capture her lips in a searing kiss, truly showing his love to her.
Zack came bursting in, making them separate hastily. “I know you guys are proclaiming your love for each other, and kissing and all that, but is the food done yet?”
Carmen and Gray both laughed before returning to the stove to continue preparing the meal.