Chapter Eight

A/N: added two scenes to chapter seven today in case it's been a minute since you read it.

The sky was clear on the flight into Dallas. Coop stayed glued to the window, amazed that he was finally back. A young mother and her toddler sat next to him. The kid was energetic, constantly grabbing his shoulder to steady himself so he could follow whatever Coop was looking at outside.

When they were getting ready to land the young boy's mother made him sit down and put on his seatbelt. He hung his head and pouted. Coop took his phone out and used his camera to show the kid the airport, runway and surrounding buildings to cheer him up.

His mother smiled appreciatively.

Once they taxied to the gate, Cooper took the opportunity to stand and stretch. He also grabbed his bags, seeing that the mother was busy getting her son ready he offered to grab their bags as well,

Cooper waved to the boy as his mother stepped out into the aisle. Cooper followed behind them, the boy and he taking turns making funny faces at each other. Once they reached the gate the boy waved at him, Coop smiled and waved back. Cinching the bag on his shoulder, Coop turned to look for directions to the baggage claim when he saw her.

Danielle stood off to the side, just next to where passengers were filing past. Her hair which had once stopped before her shoulder, now reached a few inches past it.

She was wearing a loose blouse and jeans looking completely casual. Then he noticed she was holding a sign. The cardboard read 'A. Dummé', his mouth fell open.

He couldn't believe the sheer audacity of her. He shook his head and walked over. Once she noticed him a radiant smile appeared on her face. He saw that smile and remembered why he'd told her not to come.

When he was finally standing before her, she did her best to make it a stony facade. She was pretending to look around and behind him, he knew what game she was playing.

He pointed to the sign. "That's me. I'm him"

Danielle acted surprised. "Oh, excuse me, are you who I'm supposed to be picking up? I see, could you verify your name for me please. The service is very strict about these things."

He let his bag drop off his shoulder and looked to the sky, breathing deeply before looking slightly down at the girl he used to stand eye to eye with.

Very slowly he spoke, enunciating strongly. "I am A. Dummé."

Danielle smiled. "You certainly are."

The next thing he knew her arms were wrapped around him, and she was burying her face into the space between his shoulder and his neck. He was stunned into inaction for a second.

'Just this once, I'll make an exception.'

He wrapped his arms around the middle of her back, lifting her and arching his back. He now stood 6'3 to her 5'9, so her feet easily dangled in the air. He would have rag dolled her a bit, but he didn't want to hit any of the other passengers passing by.

Strands of her hair tickled his nose, and he told himself inhaling the scent was an accident. It was something floral; he couldn't tell exactly what but he liked it.

He came back to his senses, lowering her to the ground. He immediately bent down to pick up his bag, giving himself a second to wipe the goofy smile from his face. When he looked back at her, she was running to the bathroom.

She called back to him without looking his way. "One minute, been waiting a while!"

He went and stood over by the restroom, checking his messages, letting everyone know he had landed. Inside the lady's restroom, Dany stood in front of the mirror. She had been on the verge of crying when Cooper had put her down. It's not as if they were touchy feely before he left. But it was the fact that she couldn't touch him even if she wanted to.

No matter how much they talked he was so far away, figuratively as well as physically. But he was here now, and they could start over, if he was willing. Things didn't have to be the way they were before.

When she stepped out, Cooper smiled at her, putting away his phone. "I spoke to my grandparents, apparently you told my grandpa I didn't need a ride and he said I was being, and I quote. 'Ignant'."

Danielle shrugged her shoulders and held up her hands. "What can I say, the elderly have depths of wisdom we can't understand."

Cooper rolled his eyes and tilted his head to the side, looking at a map of the airport. "Alright, baggage claim is this way."

As he turned back to her, he saw that another traveler was about to bump into her. Cooper brought up his hand, bringing it to her lower back to pull her away from the man, grazing the skin just past the bottom of her shirt.

When his hand made contact, Danielle jumped away from it as if she'd been bitten, bumping into his side. He flinched inwardly, believing she took it as him being affectionate.

He backed away from where she was making contact. Trying not to feel too dejected, he smiled lightly. "Sorry, there was someone about to run into you. Let's head to the carousel." He started off without looking back at her. She stood there a second, her cheeks flushed.

'Okay, file that under things to think about far later in the future.'

When his hand had made contact with the small of her back , it had sent a shiver up her spine. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation, but it was one she was wholly unprepared for.

She followed after and fell into step beside him, speaking without looking at him. "So how was the flight, did you get a chance to sleep at all?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I stayed up since yesterday, wanted to try and fix my sleep schedule. Besides, there was a much too rambunctious kid sitting next to me."

"Well then let's get you fed and in bed."

For some reason the way she said it immediately filled the air with tension. His face went stark white and he almost tripped over his feet, but he kept it together.

She realized her error and stammered out. "I mean get you fed and then you can go to bed."

Coop nodded while still looking forward. "Right, sounds good."

* * *

Cooper opened the door to his grandparents' house, letting Danielle enter first and then following behind her. Both approached the kitchen, where music was playing. As they came around the corner they stopped and stared.

His grandparents were standing in front of the stove. Franklin was hugging his wife from behind, both of them swaying to the music "We can come back if you two need some more time?"

Both of them acted like teenagers caught making out on lover's lane. They quickly settled down and approached him, his grandmother kissing him on the cheek and his grandfather giving him a hug.

Cooper took off his bag and went to set it down on one of the dining room chairs. His grandmother stepped forward. "Hold it mister, those are meant for behinds not backpacks, if you're staying over go ahead and put it up in the spare room."

Coop shook his head. "No can do, I just brought in some clothes so I can shower before dinner. I've gotta get home and start packing stuff up."

His grandfather nodded, remembering his conversation with his son about Coop moving into the loft building. "That's right!"

Danielle looked worried, looking back and forth between Coop and his grandpa. "Wait, what's right? Why do you need to start packing?"

Coop hadn't told her about his sister getting the house. It was a mixture of forgetfulness and avoidance. "So, I told you about my sister getting married right?"

Danielle nodded to the affirmative. "Well, my dad is gonna be in Japan indefinitely, and I'm gonna be busy with college. So, my dad asked me, and we're going to give her the house as a wedding present."

Danielle's mouth opened, but she couldn't find any words. Realistically she knew at some point they would both move out of their parents' homes permanently, but he literally just got back.

She was looking forward to being able to peek across their yards and see him standing in his room for a while longer. To be honest she sometimes stared at his window and imagined him standing there.

Being gone for so long she wasn't ready for him to leave again so soon. Cooper saw her distress and realized he may have been a little too callous. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

She abruptly shook it off, no longer in shock but still feeling melancholy. "No, it's fine, I'm just being sentimental."

His grandpa, seeing the uncomfortable atmosphere forming, grabbed Coop by the arm and motioned back towards the stairs. "Go ahead and get washed up, the three of us can manage a conversation without you just fine."

Coop started up the stairs, turning back just long enough to catch the impassive look on Danielle's face, turned away from him listening to his grandmother speak.

He kept going up the stairs and out of sight. Coop's grandmother lifted her hand and rubbed Danielle's shoulder.

Turning to her husband she spoke. "So where is Coop going to be staying while he's attending college then hon?"

She looked at him pointedly, he got the message. "You remember the old records building? Jack and I decided since Christine is getting the house we're giving Coop the loft apartment there. It'll still be in the family's name. But other than the Chinese restaurant, he'll have the run of the place. And it's only twenty minutes from Campus I believe."

He looked at Danielle. "You're going there too aren't you darlin'?"

Danielle moved towards the kitchen, coaxed by the elderly couple. "Yes Mr. Bogdan, I'm gonna do my prerequisites there before I go to veterinary school."

Franklin looked at her. "Danielle, with as long as you've known me and been around this family, you call me grandpa or Frank or grandpa Frank. Mister is what I have out on the porch to cool us down during the hot months."

She smiled, glad for the distraction. Franklin started back up again. "Once Coop gets everything in the loft ready and stuff moved over, you kids could probably have sleepover's just like you used to have when you were younger."

He turned to his wife. "Hon, do you remember when the kids used to take all the couch cushions and make their fort up in the attic."

Danielle felt a little bit nervous at the prospect of having a sleepover. She kept moving forwards and sat at the kitchen counter. Tonya Bogdan gave her husband a withering look, knowing he was intentionally teasing the girl.

She went back to the stove, speaking to Danielle. "You know ever since Coop first brought you around, I knew you were going to end up working with animals in some capacity. Being a veterinarian though that's impressive. "

Danielle smiled at her. "Thanks, I do like working with animals, living in Texas it also means I'll always have job security."

The older woman acted surprised. "So, you plan to stay in Texas after graduation?"

Danielle made a face that if translated to speech, could only be interpreted as 'Duh!' "Yeah, I mean, I can be on the beach looking out at the ocean in less than five hours. The ranch is only a half hour away. Everyone I care about is here."

'Now they are.' She silently said to herself.

Tonya moved to grab something for the meal, glancing into the laundry room. "Oh, Franklin, you never took the clean towels up to the bathroom."

A stack of clean towels meant for the second-floor bathroom sat in a basket on top of the dryer.

Franklin grimaced, he had been watching the football game and had promised to take them up afterwards. "Sorry hon, I'll take them up now."

Dany jumped up from the stool. "I can do it.

Franklin went to shoo her away, but she pointed at Tonya. "It's fine, you help her, lord knows I can't."

Tonya looked to Franklin as she put her hands on Danielle's, nodding in an awkward fashion. "You can make soups and stews honey, that's all that matters. Men have fought and won wars being fed nothing but soups and stews."

Coop's grandmother had always put the kids to work when they stayed over. Having them peel and mash potatoes, slice carrots, prep work. As they got older, she even showed them how to prepare a few of the family favorites. The kids enjoyed spending time with her, but Danielle was a little too mechanical when it came to cooking.

Her food was edible, but she didn't have the patience for it, so she claimed. She cut corners, rushed things. Soups and stews were the kind of thing you could do little bits at a time, or you could do all the prep in a hurry and let the crock pot handle the rest. Some of them took a full day to prepare.

Tonya pointed upstairs. "Just sit the basket on the chair outside the bathroom. I'll put them away when I go up for the night."

Danielle hefted the basket and smiled. "Got it."

Danielle walked through the kitchen, into the dining room, and towards the stairs.

Upstairs, Coop turned the handle on the hot tap. The water shutoff for a second before he turned the cold tap on. Bristling when he was blasted by the frigid stream of water.

He knew people did it for cryogenics and dopamine production. He honestly was just trying to keep himself awake long enough to get home and jump into bed.

He turned it off as quickly as it came on. He pulled the curtain aside and stepped out onto the bathroom rug. He would have liked to relax and enjoy the water a bit more but his stomach was rumbling something fierce.

One time he was especially glad he'd cut his hair was after the shower, no longer having to pat his head dry for an ungodly amount of time. He turned to the wall and saw there were no towels on the rack. Frowning, he walked over and opened the bathroom closet, none in there either.

He knew his grandmother sometimes put a few extra towels in the hallway closet when he and Danielle visited, maybe she had done so tonight. He tiptoed his way to the bathroom door knowing what would happen if his grandmother knew he was running around naked in her house. It wouldn't matter if no one saw, she would tan his hide.

Outside Danielle bent over to set the basket of laundry on the chair just next to the door. Right as she did so, Cooper quickly opened the bathroom door, counting on swiftness rather than stealth.

As he walked out of the door he turned to the left towards the closet, while glancing to the right and down the stairs. Danielle turned at the sound, only to be greeted by the near eye level sight of Coop's nakedness.

"Oh my god!"

Coop's head snapped to the left even as he jumped out of his skin. He saw Danielle falling backward with a basket in her arms. He reached out in a vain attempt to grab her, but his brain still hadn't caught up to what was happening.

She landed unceremoniously on her backside, towels spilling out on top of her. She was stunned for a moment before she glanced back up, only to see Coop's still exposed crotch. Her eyes bugged as she turned her head to the side, instinctively grabbing one of the towels and tossing it at where she thought his waist was.

He did not catch it. He was still stuck on the fact that he was naked in front of her and had almost run over the top of her. Using her peripheral vision, she could see he was still naked.

She grunted in a hushed tone. "Cover up!"

He lamely bent over and picked up the towel, holding it in front of himself, meekly he said. "Sorry."

He backed up into the bathroom and went to shut the door. As he did, Danielle turned just in time to see his 'pink as the day he was born' rump disappear behind the closing door, 'Dimples?' She thought.

On the other side of the door the words 'Oh Shit!' ran through Cooper's mind about a hundred times. Even though he was already flushed from his shower he was sure he must resemble a tomato now more than a person.

Franklin called up the stairs. "Danielle, are you okay up there?"

Dany rose and hurried down the stairs. Franklin looked up at her as she got to the bottom, she brushed it off by saying. "Yeah sorry, I just saw a spider."

He chuckled. "I didn't think a tough gal like you was afraid of spiders."

She glanced back upstairs as she tried to calm herself. "Yeah, well, you'd understand if you saw it."

* * *

Cooper came down the stairs, freshly changed. He hadn't bothered to fuss with his hair, famished as he was after the long flight. Stepping down onto the landing between the first and second floor, he saw that supper was ready.

The other three were filling their plates with barbecue and side dishes. As he came down the last few steps one creaked, he glanced up, swearing he could just barely see the end of a head whip from Danielle.

Franklin noticed Coop. "Hey there, you feel fresh, like a new man?"

Coop glanced at Danielle again, but she was busy making her plate. "Yeah, I didn't realize how on autopilot I was the last few hours."

That was his subtle, half-hearted apology to her for not paying more attention when he strode out of the bathroom in his birthday suit.

His grandmother made a get over here motion. "Come and make your plate honey, cornbread will be out in two minutes."

Coop walked over to the kitchen. His grandfather was sitting in the living room, going over some papers from the office he imagined. His sons saw over much of the day-to-day affairs, but everything filtered its way past his eyes eventually.

His grandmother was making both her and her husband's plate, ready to call him in when they were ready to eat. It was sweet how they complimented each other. How thoughtful they were.

His grandfather could have gone over the documents while she prepared their meal. Instead he chose to keep her company and help where needed. Coop went to grab a plate off the stack set aside.

Danielle walked over and thrust a plate at him."Don't bother, I fixed you one."

She held out the plate with one hand, bringing the other up to her mouth to lick a little bit of barbecue sauce off her finger from making it. Cooper regarded her, like he was seeing her for the first time. 

'Since when does she do stuff like that?'

A goofy, lopsided and far too pleased grin greeted her when she looked back at him. She immediately looked annoyed, but also had a weird kind of playful tone when she responded.

"I'm starving and I don't wanna wait five minutes for you to pick your way over everything."

He grabbed the plate. "Appreciate it." 

She brushed past him, smiling shyly as she walked back to the dining room table where her plate was waiting for her.

Secretly she was pleased with his reaction, she was starting small. It wasn't a sprint but a marathon, or maybe a jog. Marathon made it sound like they were having to really work for it.

She wanted things to be effortless, like before. But she knew they had to work back up to that, so not quite effortless then. Give her a break, this was all new territory for her.

She wanted the same shorthand they had always shared, able to just be in each other's presence without needing to fill the air with empty words. The only difference was that if things went as she hoped, they would be more.

* * *

Franklin wrapped up the saying of grace; unfolding his hands and smiling across the table at Tonya. They all started in on their supper.

Before too long Franklin said to Coop. "How soon do you want to move into the loft? We could probably rope your uncles and cousins into helping and have you in there before the end of day Sunday."

Coop stopped spreading butter on the piece of cornbread he had split in half, looking back and forth between his grandparents. He looked Dany's way to gauge her reaction, but she was staring at a random spot on the table while chewing her food.

Coop spoke as he thought. "Well, I think, for now I should probably just focus on finishing out the school year."

He glanced at Danielle again, she was now looking directly at him. He caught her eye before quickly looking away. "Then after graduation I'll move, finish out high school first." Danielle smiled slightly, he tried to make it look like he didn't see but he did.

His grandfather gave an approving nod. "That's a good plan, and not just because it'll spare my back."

Tonya shook her head, turning to look at Coop. "Sweetheart, have you thought about what you want to do for your graduation party?"

Coop thought for a second. "Not really Grams, I've just been focused on coming home for so long, nothing else even really crossed my mind." He had to force himself not to check and see Danielle's reaction to that.

Tonya chimed in, admonishing him "Well you need to start thinking about the here and now mister."

Coop nodded, then it came to him. "Do you remember the get-together out at the ranch when everyone came to help put up Adam and Kari's barn?" 

His grandmother's eyes sparkled. "Yes! We even set up a dance floor, you kids looked so cute trying to box step."

It had been when they were ten, the kids were mostly just fooling around that day. They occasionally were summoned to fetch a tool, or to grab one of the older members who were supervising the work a beverage.

When the work had settled down and everyone started getting ready for the party, Danielle had been stolen away by some of his female cousins, some of them aspiring rodeo queens.

When Coop asked his uncle Adam where they were going, Adam understood what the girls were doing and followed suit with him. He took him and his cousin Marshall who was about his size upstairs. They then proceeded to find him an outfit, a pearl snap shirt, jeans, some boots and a cowboy hat.

When he came back outside, the family, and some neighbors who had helped that day were gathered around outside. Someone set a stereo up outside, the older couples took the younger kids under their tutelage and taught them how to dance.

Coop naturally got paired up with Danielle. Once the kids got the basics the adults just hovered outside the area and corrected the kids. Eventually the adults left, and after a while the other kids did too. Cooper and Danielle stayed, practicing a little longer, goofy grins plastered on their faces. Cooper found himself tripping over his feet occasionally.

Not because he was a bad dancer, but he had just never seen Danielle like that and couldn't concentrate. They had styled her hair, pinning one side back and letting the other fall naturally They then placed her in a yellow sun dress with white flowers on it.

It was the first time he had ever really looked at Danielle as a girl, that day flipped a switch in his mind, even if he didn't realize it until later. Coop hadn't really thought it through when he brought it up.

He looked over at Danielle, she was off in her own world, not paying him any attention. Whatever she was thinking about it seemed pleasant enough. She noticed him staring and straightened up in her chair.

He continued on, sounding more confident in his choice now. "If we could do something like that with just the family, that'd be nice." Danielle bristled a bit at that. She continued looking down using her fork to move around some food on her plate.

"Did you have plans with your family that night? I don't mind holding off a day or two if need be."

She didn't realize he was talking to her, until no one else answered.

She looked up and everyone was looking at her inquisitively. "Huh?"

Cooper rolled his eyes. "I said, are you busy after graduation with your family, or can you make it if we have a get together out at the ranch."

Danielle looked confused. "But you just said it was for the family."

Tonya said sincerely. "That includes you dear."

Danielle looked at her, mouth agape, she glanced at Franklin who was grinning. Finally, she looked at Coop. He was looking at her with one eyebrow raised. "Obviously, dummy."

He playfully used her nickname for him, shaking his head at her. She thought of what her plans were the next weekend. "My mom is taking my sister and I to the spa the day after graduation, but I'm free the night of."

Cooper reached over the table to grab the serving plate of barbecue, looking at her as he did so. "I would have thought the other girls from the volleyball team would be doing something, you guys are pretty tight."

She moved her fork back and forth as she talked, it was cute. "No one has made plans yet, I don't think, it's still a week away."

Tonya stood, grabbing her plate. "Well, it's settled then, we'll have a party out at the ranch for you two. I'll call Kari to see if they had anything planned for their kid's that day, maybe it'll serve as their graduation party too."

Danielle smiled at her. "Sounds good."

* * *

After dinner, Coop and Franklin offered to do the dishes so the ladies could chat. Coop washed and Franklin dried, The senior smirked at him. As he turned to put away something. "It's the small things, when dinner's done you take care of the dishes. When you mow the lawn, she fixes you a glass of iced tea.

"People think you both need to give 100% all the time, but that's just bad math. Cause you gotta remember you're part of a team now. Sometimes you give 80% and they give 20%, They give 50% and you give 50%. If it's 100% at the end of the day that's all that matters."

Coop looked at him suspiciously. "Where did that come from?"

Franklin feigned innocence. "I'm just saying you don't have to put yourself all the way out there, but when the opportunity presents itself, you have to at least meet halfway."

Neither one of them noticed Danielle coming into the dining room to grab her purse to show Tonya something. Coop sighed once he realized his grandfather was trying to give him relationship advice. Danielle looked their way as she turned to go back to the sitting room.

"Gramps, that stuff's all been settled for years." She stopped just past the wall, her interest piqued by Coop's tone. "We're just friends, I don't want anything other than that."

Franklin raised his eyebrows. "Really, just friends huh?"

Coop mulled it over. "Okay, we're lifelong best friends, but that's all we are."

Danielle looked down glumly, then hurried around the corner, not interested in hearing more. Coop looked down at the sink, a dark cloud seeming to come over him.

* * *

After cleaning up after the meal, Coop walked into the dining room. Heading towards the living room to ask Danielle if she was ready to go. He nearly bumped into her as she was coming to ask him the same thing. Neither one of them said anything for a second.

Finally Coop pointed back and forth between them. "Great minds think alike." He immediately yawned, covering his mouth with his hand.

His grandmother came around the corner just then. "Honey if you're that tired just head upstairs, you got a perfectly good bed up there."

Coop took his hand away from his mouth. "I'm fine Grandma." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, Danielle stepped forward to give her a hug. "I told Christine I'd take her to breakfast tomorrow and tell her all about how Japan was."

Franklin came down the stairs, glasses on and a magazine in hand. "Your sister is willingly spending time with you, will wonders never cease."

Coop and Danielle walked over to the front door. Coop instinctively grabbed Danielle's jacket and held it out for her to slip her arms into. Danielle and Tonya shared a hopeful glance.

Coop meanwhile was looking at his grandfather. "I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder."

Coop opened the front door. His grandmother shook her head. "Nonsense, she's told me several times she missed not having you around."

Coop turned and looked at her. "Really?" Tonya only nodded in answer.

Coop made a face that showed what a pleasant surprise that was. The couple stood at the door and waved and watched them go. Danielle used her remote to unlock her SUV, Coop reached his door first and opened it, jumping inside.

Danielle crossed in front of the vehicle, she turned to see Coop bending over and opening her door. He held it until she grabbed it, not thinking about what the gesture meant in the moment.

Once she had a hold on it, he looked up at her, she looked so shy it was uncharacteristic. He suddenly became extremely self-conscious, straightening up and looking forward. Danielle slid inside and started the car, backing out of the driveway before putting it in drive and driving off.

After a minute or so, Danielle said self-consciously. "You know, you don't need to put off taking the loft if you don't want to."

Coop had his head rested back against the seat. Willing his eyes not to close he rolled his head towards her. "I know, when my dad told me I was getting my own place I was psyched. And a loft at that. I thought of how nice it was gonna be, being on my own and not being accountable to anyone. I was so busy thinking about the future and moving on."

He stopped, staring at her as she kept her eyes on the road. "I'm glad my sister is going to be starting her family. But while it's still my house I could stand to make a few more memories in it, even if it's just another week."

Danielle smiled. "Even though I'm going to be living at home until I go to vet school. It does kind of feel like the end of an era."

Coop closed his eyes momentarily, exhaustion letting his mind wander. "Who knows, maybe after we graduate, we'll both move back here and get houses next to each other."

He opened his eyes and turned away from her to look out the window. Then his intrusive thoughts gave voice to the obvious, but unwanted conclusion that line of thought led to.

"Our kids could even grow up being friends."

After a moment she registered exactly what he said. Turning her head, shocked at first, hurt next, but thought better and returned her eyes to the road.

'Why does it hurt so much to hear him say that? I'm the one who rejected him.'

Coop, clueless to her inner turmoil clenched his eyes shut to deny that imaginary world access to his mind, he refuted it. 'I'd leave again before I'd let that happen.' 

Cooper kept looking out the window. The lights passed by, lulling him to sleep. By the time they pulled up in front of his house he had passed out, Danielle stared at him for a moment.

He scowled in his sleep, something she had known for years. He did his best to always put on a happy face for his friends and family during his waking hours.

Even just seeing his face on her phone these last couple of years she knew when he was legitimately happy and when he was putting on a front.

It never did any good bringing it up though. He'd get defensive and deflect the question until it started an argument completely unrelated to the topic, which was his goal the whole time.

A car driving past broke her from appreciating the sight of him sleeping. She shook his shoulder, getting no response.

She was forced to resort to a tactic as old as time, his ears. Coop had ears on the bigger side when he was a kid. She thought they complimented his shaggy hair and skin tone.

He was very aware of their size, because he had been teased about them for years. His solitary demeanor had made him a target of derision for more than just Anthony and his lot. Since he wasn't very fond of other kids, he brushed it off, mostly.

When he had manhandled Anthony, that was the first time he had ever taken things into his own hands. That had been on her behalf rather than his own. She could see it did have an effect, which is why she was usually the one to step in and put people in their place.

She noted that now at almost eighteen, they suited his face. His main concern when he started wrestling and practicing martial arts had been developing cauliflower ears.

It's a condition where the ears get injured and heal over and over, eventually deforming and shriveling. He even wore special headgear to avoid it, though some would say it's a badge of honor.

To him, if for some reason you got in a fight with some random person on the street, why telegraph to them that you have trained to fight?

If anything, that made it more likely they would try and sucker punch you, hoping to end the fight before it got that far. Counting on someone getting scared off by your looks was a surefire way to end up passed out on the street, or worse.

Smiling to herself, she brought her hand up to his head. Slowly she pinched the lower lobe of his ear and ran it back and forth between her fingers. He pulled his head away, grunting something unintelligible. She paused for a moment, laughing as quietly as possible.

She then cupped her hand, her face becoming more earnest. Placing the tips of her fingers behind his ear and running it down. Her knuckles brushed his hair as he went, halfway down he leaned into her hand, making a small cooing noise as he did.

That was far too much for her, snatching her hand back in an instant, flicking his ear in the process. He woke with a start, slapping the air next to his ear. He took stock of where he was and looked over at Danielle. She was doing her best to look innocent and failing miserably.

"You know I hate it when you futz with my ears." He brought his palm up and rubbed the side of his head vigorously. 

Danielle grinned. "You know that's the point, right?"

He finished and looked back at her. "So, do you mind if I unload my stuff tomorrow, when you have time? I'm gonna have a hard enough time getting up the stairs right now."

Danielle nodded. "Yeah, just give me a call when you get back from breakfast with your sister."

Cooper opened the door, stepping out before poking his head back in. "Or I could just come knock on your door."

She nodded. "Right, what was I thinking, you're only a stone throw away again. It's going to take some time to get used to having you back."

Cooper shrugged. "I've been told I'm an acquired taste. Guess that means you just need to re-acquire it."

Her visage became serious. "I meant--"

He interrupted. "I know, I missed you too, it's good to be home."

After a moment, she managed to eke out a quiet. "Good night."

He cursed himself for that little slip, '…I missed you too….' He seriously considered slapping himself for being so corny. He lifted his hand from the door and waved his hand as he nodded. "Yup, good night."

He closed the door, stepping back before she pulled away from the curb. Making a U-turn and almost immediately pulling into her own driveway. He laughed at the fact that she bothered to let him out in front of his house when she was so close.

'She was just being considerate because I'm tired.' 

But he didn't want her to be considerate. And the fact that she had changed how she dressed and styled her hair didn't help things either. She never bothered to dress in a way that accentuated her curves when they were younger.

He had wanted to compliment her on her appearance when he saw her at the airport, but that path held a land-mine in every direction. It would do no good to call her pretty if he was trying to keep distance between them. There weren't many other ways for her to take that.

He turned and looked at his front door, appreciating being back at his childhood home. The lullaby of his old bed was too much to resist, and within five minutes he was passed out face down on his bed.