"I swear to all that is Hawkeye Pierce, Sarah. Your brother is driving me up a friggin wall!" Rowan hissed into her phone, trying to keep her voice low as she held her cell phone between her jaw and shoulder, making a valiant effort not to accidentally burn herself as she tried to remove a pan of brownies from the oven. "I mean it! He really, truly is."

Sarah Booth, once Sarah Booth-Montgomery, chortled from the other end of the line. "What is Ryan doing now?" she questioned, amusement clear in her voice.

"What is he not doing would be a more adequate question. He's bringing me things from work, he's letting me pick the radio station whenever we go out without arguing or teasing. When he took me grocery shopping, because Heaven forbid I drive myself, he wanted me to ride in the basket. I caught him trying to do my laundry the other day, Sarah. He's awesome, he really is, and I appreciate all the help but I'm not an absolute invalid. He's driving me crazy!" Rowan ranted.
Turning off the oven she paced along the length of the kitchen as she waited for her snack to cool and for Sarah to say something. The only thing she could here was her friend's laughter as the recent divorcee let loose.

"Your laundry?"

"Yes! He would've had his mitts all over my delicates!" she shuddered. "It's very sweet but I've been doing my own laundry since I was eight and my mother let me load the dryer and match socks. I got out of the shower to find him gathering what hadn't made it into the hamper and he was mere steps away from a pair of red lacy panties- clean thank goodness." Giving a mental screw it she reached for a knife and cut a hunk of dark chocolate chip brownie from the pan, playing hot potato with it as she bounced it palm to palm to dish. Routing in the freezer briefly she scooped some chocolate truffle ice cream onto her treat.

"I don't know what to say about all this," Sarah stated, a smile in her voice. "It's all very, er, domestic of you two."

"I know right? It's horrible," Rowan said through a mouthful of food. "Could you imagine if anything were to ever truly happen?"

Sarah cut her off. "Rowan answer me this- what are you and Ryan?"

Rowan stopped, another forkful of desert pausing halfway to her mouth. "He's my partner."

"He's your partner. Partners are there to help and support and guide you."

Dark auburn brows furrowed. "You make it sound like we're married."

"There are some days when you two sound like you are and anyways, he treats you better than Sir DB ever treated me," Sarah scoffed and snarled. Though her ex-husband had signed the divorce papers he was still dragging his feet on truly leaving.

"Do we seriously?"

"Seriously."

Huh. She had always thought people had been teasing with their comments. Weird. Maybe they did bicker but did they bicker like an old married couple? Shaking herself she tensed with her cheeks puffed full of food as the sound of keys in the lock echoed throughout the apartment. Gnashing her food and swallowing it down she coughed for a moment as it went down the wrong tube. Not fully registering the sound of whatever Sarah was saying, Rowan flushed as Ryan appeared in the doorway to the kitchen still in his work clothes, his right hand at his throat loosening his tie.

"Ro- It's me!" he called out. "Something smells good."

She watched as he abandoned his blazer and tie over the back of the couch, toeing his shoes off and leaving them on the mat by the door. Images of 'I Love Lucy' reruns ran through her mind and she gulped, flinching when Sarah's voice rang through her phone, tinny and sharp.

"Rowan?" Sarah demanded. "Are you still here?"

"I -uh – I have to go. Ryan just got here." She hoped that her momentary panic wasn't audible.

"Are you okay? What has he done?"

"I feel like this is the fifties and I'm Lucy and oh my god I'm losing my mind," Rowan rambled. Eyeing Ryan as he waved to her and made his way to where Thor was lounging, all paws in the air, she lowered her voice. "That whole domestic thing? He just came in, using his emergency key, and stripped off his tie and work coat and then he told me the brownies smell good."

"How very retro," Sarah teased.

"If you need me I will be having a panic attack, stuffing my face with chocolate," Rowan hissed.

The call disconnected to the sound of Sarah laughing hysterically.

The feel of soft cotton against her skin had goosebumps jumping to attention, the gentle 'swish' of it around her thighs as familiar as the sensation of heat against her forearm as she leaned forward in her heels to remove the pan from the oven. Cursing with words that were less than lady like she flinched, exhaling through her teeth as she set the dish on a pot holder, shaking her arm out as she made her way to the sink, throwing the faucet open to cold as she thrust her arm beneath the stream. Son of a…. hands pressed against the structured bodice of her dress, bracketing the dip of her waist as another heat, this of a flesh and blood being, pressed against her from behind. Drawing a breath through her teeth and biting her lip, she closed her eyes momentarily as she inhaled the scent of cologne and something purely male.

"How do you always manage this?" the deep, deep voice questioned, pitched low and sending shivers up her spine with its raspiness. "My little calamity."

She had no control over the breathlessness that seeped into her words. "What can I say- it's a talent," she sassed.

Leaving her waist, the large, calloused hands trailed down her left arm, scraping along sensitive flesh. Turning off the water as it continued to sluice over the burn Ryan pat it dry with a gentleness that would not have been expected from someone of his size, stature, and gruff exterior. Setting the hand towel aside it was a matter of seconds before she was turned, pressed chest to chest, thigh to thigh, her breath caught as she glanced up through thick lashes as the pupils just slightly above her eye level flared, taking over shades of blue that were darkening. A squeak was barely repressed as the soles of her heels left hardwood floors, falling to dangle by her toes before dropping off completely as she was set atop the counter.

Those hands that fascinated her so much caressed along her neck and jaw, releasing the pins that held the neat coil of hair at the base of her neck with a single gesture, curtaining around her shoulders and billowing on the breeze coming in through the open kitchen window. Fingers knotted in it, moving her head in ways that would grant him the best access. His lips were slightly chapped when they finally made contact her own, his tongue tasting of the peppermints he notoriously popped throughout the day as it slipped in to tangle with her own as she gasped. She loved when he got this way, able to distract her from every little thing in a matter of seconds. She loved these kisses, simultaneously rough and sweet, passionate and teasing, drawing her away from thoughts of her own imperfections and on her way to her own version of Nirvana. Scrabbling for purchase on broad shoulders as Ryan leaned closer, Rowan moaned, breathing heavy as she pulled back for a moment, eyes glazed as she used her thumb to rub away the trace amounts of red lip stick that had been smeared across Ryan's lips.

"Dinner is going to get cold," she whispered, fingers fidgeting with the buttons down the front of his dark navy shirt, plucking at the wrinkles she had caused when she had grabbed at him.

"We have a microwave," Ryan smirked.

"Macaroni and cheese is pretty good reheated," Rowan nodded sagely.

"Good," he chuckled. "That settles it then." Hands slipping beneath toned thighs Ryan lifted her off the counter, her arms winding around his neck as he made to carry her down the nearby hallway, stepping over the discarded shoes and multiple dog toys.

Dropped on their king sized mattress Rowan bounced, skirt flaring around her has Ryan began crawling towards her, toeing out of his dress shoes and socks. Brushing strands of hair out of her face as she watched him, Rowan noted the gleam of the midafternoon sunshine off of the silver wedding set on her left ring finger, still astonished that they had finally taken the plunge.

"What are you thinking, Mrs. Booth?" Ryan questioned, voice pitching lower.

Lips tilting up at the corners Rowan leaned back on her elbows. "Wouldn't you like to know, Mr. Booth?"

Jolting awake to the feel of a weight around her torso Rowan scrambled, hands grasping and pushing until she was freed and rolling to a crouch beside the living room couch. Chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath she clenched her eyes shut, counted to five and opened them once more only to repeat the gesture. She had been asleep on the couch; it was all a dream. Everything had been so vivid. The scent of Ryan's cologne intensified because she'd been spooned up against him, both of them out cold on the couch. How the hell did this keep happening? Was there melatonin in the water supply? Something in the food? If that was the case, how was she the only one affected? Pinching the bridge of her nose as she righted herself she began tip toeing towards her brother's recliner, pausing midstep at a throaty moan coming from behind her.

"Ro? Where'd ya go?" The sleepy voice inquired.

Shoot. "Oh uh, just getting a glass of water," she floundered.

Ryan grunted as he eased upright, rubbing at this back like he did after too long at his desk. "Want me to make something for dinner?"

"I already ate," she answered automatically.

"Brownies don't count," he snarked back.

"Says you," Rowan pouted.

"If you are going back to work tomorrow you are eating a real meal tonight." His voice was stern and reminded Rowan of the one that his mother often used to get her way with him and she had no problem telling him that.

"You sound like your mother," she smirked.

Blue eyes rolled towards the heaven's as if asking for the strength to deal with her. "I only sound like her because you don't listen."

Harrumphing in his direction there was a surge of giddiness within her, a delayed reaction to his words. "That's right, I go back tomorrow!"

Tomorrow came sooner than she had expected, Rowan mused as she tied off her braid and adjusted the fall of the cream colored sweater that she wore beneath a

dark charcoal blazer. Toeing on a pair of matching ballet flats and smoothing wrinkles from her Kelly green jeans she accepted a travel mug of coffee from Eliot, who had just gotten off shift, as she made her way through the kitchen. Looping a black knit scarf around her neck and slipping on her pea coat, Rowan waved as she responded to Ryan's text that he was out front. It was time to go back to work. Her skin pebbling with goosebumps as she shouldered her purse and made her way to the elevator she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. She could do this. It was just another day in the office.