Baby waited for Otis that morning at the kitchen table, stirring her coffee. When he finally came down the stairs, she smiled. He had some bruises on his neck.

"How was your date last night?

He smirked over his shoulder at her as he poured a mug of coffee for himself.

"Well?"

"Uh...Good...Real good..." He cleared his throat. "Said she wants to see me again."

"Ohhh! Good!"

"Yeah...Uh...I...I really...enjoyed her..."

"Awww, Otis."

His face reddened.

"Looks like you had a good time." She winked at him.

"Huh?"

"Your hair is a fucking mess and you've got hickeys."

"Shit...Ah, hell. Who cares."

"So she liked you too, then, huh? I told her she would."

"One thing is...She told me to get out of her car after I got dressed again. Said she had to go to work, which could have been true. But I can't help but...feel like I fucked something up."

"No. She really did have work. She's like that. She'll just tell you how it is."

"She...also said I wasn't single anymore?"

"What?!"

"W...What? What does that mean?"

"It means she wants to be serious about you, idiot!"

"Serious?"

"How can you be so smart and so fucking dumb at the same time? She wants to start seeing you on a serious basis! She wants you to be her boyfriend."

Otis grimaced. "That sounds so...childish."

"Okay, asshole. She wants to be more committed to you."

"You...You sure that's what she meant?"

"Oh my god. YES!"

"Okay..."

Baby, giggling, stood up and hugged her older brother. He had been through so much hell in his life, she was just happy that someone had finally seen through it all to see him. "I'm so happy for you."

Grumbling, face red, Otis made his coffee and went back upstairs.

Days passed, and not one went by that Otis didn't think about Adi. He worried that he had fucked up. That something hadn't gone right, and she was just going to play him.

Rufus and Otis came in from the garage, both sweaty and grease-covered.

"Dammit. I can't get in there to get that, Otis. You're smaller'n I am, you're gonna have to crawl back there."

He sighed. "Alright. You're gonna have to pick my legs up, though-"

"Hey, Otis."

"Adi?"

She sat on the couch with Baby, talking and holding a cup of coffee in her hand.

"You free today? Thought we could do something together."

"Uh, yeah! Just uh...give me a second...I'm..."

"Otis what about-" Rufus began, but was silenced by a glare from Otis. "Tomorrow, then."

"Yeah. Tomorrow."

"You've got till I finish my coffee, Otis. Make it quick." Adi smirked.

"You're on." He bolted up the stairs, changing quickly and wiping the grease and sweat off of himself. "Alright, mama."

"Aaaah. So you can put new clothes on as fast as you can take them off?" Adi smirked, standing in front of Otis. She grabbed his flannel and pulled him to her, kissing him. "You haven't shaved, either."

"That would have taken more time."

"I like it."

Otis quirked an eyebrow, chuckling.

Adi rushed Otis to the car, shoving him into the passenger seat.

"Jesus, woman. Where's the fire?"

"I'm just excited to see you. Sorry. I..." She blushed, the rose color lighting up her face. "I thought about you a lot."

"Ain't nothin' special about me, mama."

"Yes there is, Otis." She drove them to a park, green spread for miles and trees shaded the path. "I uh...Figured because it was such a nice day. And...If we take a walk, the path is shaded so you don't have to worry about getting sunburn..."

He smiled slightly. She had thought of him that much to plan an outing. "Alright. Let's go."

They walked a bit, then sat down on a bench together. "You know, you can wrap your arm around me and shit like that."

"Hm?"

"I like that. That physical affection. You can do that stuff."

Otis smirked. "Like this?" He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

She giggled. "Yeah, like that." She reached up to touch his face, but he flinched back, grunting in displeasure. "Oh...Sorry..."

He cleared his throat. "S'alright."

"...I think I know what Baby meant by you having a rough childhood now..."

He only nodded in response.

"Can I touch your face?"

Otis nodded. She gently placed her hand on his cheek, stroking lightly with her thumb.

"You're so handsome..." She leaned in, kissing him once more. "Just a forewarning: You're not going to get laid every time I see you."

Otis laughed. "No, I figured."

"I love seeing you smile. It's a treat not many have gotten to see, is it?"

Otis flushed. "No. I guess not..."

"God, you're cute." She kissed his cheek. "Come on! I wanna show you off some more."

"What...?"

She grabbed his arm and stood him up, dragging him along the trail until he caught up. "Jesus, mama. You could have just told me to get up."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"You're somethin' else." He smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Awww. Aren't you gonna hold my hand?"

"What?"

Adi stared blankly back at him. "You...You never..."

"No...?"

She smiled softly. "It's just another display of affection."

"O...Oh..."

She took his hand in hers, smiling. He couldn't help but marvel at how petite her hand was in his, or how warm it felt. "You've got some callouses."

"Hn? Yeah, sorry..."

"No. Don't. It's who you are." She reached with her other hand to place it on his neck, and he flinched again, closing his eyes and silently cursing himself. "Shhh..." She placed her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him down to kiss her. "You're going to get over that flinching business. I'm a touchy person."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Wh...Why."

"Why what?"

Otis sighed, pulling his hand away from hers. He hated the heartbreak that flew across her face. "I...You're a doctor, for christ sake's. I...I'm a mechanic and an artist. Not only that, but..." He sighed. "I'm albino. You're...Fucking gorgeous. What...What in HELL are you doing trying to be with me?"

"Otis..."

"No, I'm serious. I've been fucked with enough times to know. Why? Why do you think all this effort is worth it for me?"

The sadness in her eyes wasn't for her own pain, but his. In a way, he hated how she could see right through into his soul, or how it seemed like she could, anyway. She saw that scared little boy huddling in the corner of his bedroom, just begging to be loved.

She decided to start slow. "What do you mean, all this effort? It's just been two dates, Otis."

"Don't bullshit me."

She sighed. "Okay. Damn, you're observant."

"I'm an artist."

"Mm..." She sighed again. "Otis...I...I don't know what you see when you look in the mirror, but I see someone special. I knew that from the moment Baby showed me a picture of you. I see someone who desperately wants to be loved, but is scared someone will hurt him. And I see someone who is more than deserving of that." She smirked. "And doesn't it take someone special to love someone special?"

He paused, looking down at his feet, and then back up at her.

"Hasn't anyone ever said anything good about you? Anything positive? I'm willing to put forth the effort to get you to open up. I'm willing to put the time into you, because I see who you are. You deserve to have someone that's willing to put time and effort into you, not just run away the second it becomes difficult. So please, PLEASE, let me give you what I want. Let me put that effort into you. I want to be the woman who makes Otis Driftwood smile."

He nodded. "Okay...Okay." He took her hand in his again, stroking circles with his thumb.

"It's not a sin to feel good, Otis."

God, that was the first time he had ever thought about that one.