Crunching sounds had Lucy whipping around to glare at Cobra. She screeched, "Did you just eat another one?!"

With his mouth full of cucumber, he said, "Nope."

A growl reminiscent of the dragon slayers she spent so much time around came from Lucy's throat as she stomped over and very roughly slapped another cucumber slice onto his eye. "Damn, woman. Be careful. That's the only good eye I have."

"Well," she spat the word irritably, "if you hadn't sliced the other one up in a stupid attempt to get stronger, you wouldn't have to worry about it."

He took the new cucumber slice off his eye and popped it in his mouth when she looked away again. Not at all trying to conceal the sound of him chewing while talking, he said, "For the record, it wasn't stupid because it worked."

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes so forcefully that he could hear them moving in their sockets. She sat down on the edge of the couch and pushed him down when he tried to sit up from his spot lying with his head propped up by the armrest. Giving up on the cucumbers, she put the bowl on his stomach and said, "Just eat the rest and hold still while I massage in the oil. I'm trying to do you a favor and keep you from looking sixty-five when you turn forty."

"I'll still be sexy as fuck when I'm forty. I don't care if I have wrinkles." She smoothed the coconut oil across his skin and then began massaging in gentle strokes. He admitted, "This actually feels kind of nice."

"See?" She sounded much less irritated now that he was cooperating. "And all you've done is complain."

"Of course I complained about the damn brush. It felt like you were trying to scrub off my fucking skin."

She laughed softly as she said, "Beauty is pain."

"You we're doing that shit on purpose."

Lucy smiled and didn't deny her earlier vindictiveness. Done with the massage, she pushed the headband she'd forced him to wear back a little further so she could lay the face mask across his face without his hair getting in the way. While she worked, Cobra started humming a familiar sounding tune. Once she figured out what song it was, she said, "I didn't know you knew that song, or any songs, to be honest. You never play any music."

"I don't have to play music to hear the shit constantly, and it's hard not to know this song when the neighbors play the entire fucking album on repeat daily. At least this song is pretty good." He started humming again and then switched to softly singing the lyrics.

All of Lucy's movements ceased as she stared at him in shock. "How have we lived together for eight months and I didn't know you could sing like that?"

With a smirk, he said, "I'm packed full of surprises. I can even do the dance you were just thinking would go with this music."

"Now you're just lying!" She accused, but she silently hoped he wasn't. It had been a long time since she'd danced. "There's no way you know how to samba, especially not the advanced version I was thinking about."

"You must've forgotten who the fuck I am." His cockiness had her rolling her eyes again. He stood up from the couch and put out his hand to pull her to her feet. "I know every damn move you'll make before you make it. Just try me."

"Fine. Let's see if you can keep up." She couldn't hear the music but she knew every word of the song he was again singing, so she started dancing to the rhythm. He kept up with her every step and twist of the hips, not missing a beat when it was time for both of them to turn and cross their arms behind each other's heads.

Lucy laughed delightedly as he spun her around until her back was against his chest and then they were pressed together, moving their hips in sync. Tauntingly, he said into her ear, "Told you."

When she spun again to move a few steps away, they mirrored each other's movements as they followed the routine in Lucy's head. She was still smiling brightly as she watched him move in perfect time with the song, as if he'd taken just as many dance lessons as she had.

"We should get married." His random declaration had Lucy freezing in place for a moment before eloquently responding with, "Huh?"

Closing they distance between them, he put his arms around her waist as he explained, "I'm a massive asshole with a past dark enough to scare most women away. You are, by far, the best I could ever do. So, I need to lock this shit down before you realize you can do way better than me."

"You're serious." She said, and then started laughing when he nodded. "I never, ever would've imagined I'd finally be proposed to be a guy wearing a moisturizing face mask and a sparkly, pink headband."

"So, is that a yes?"

She couldn't stop herself from teasing, "You can't already hear the answer with that impressive magic of yours?"

Now he was smiling too as he said, "I'd rather hear it said out loud."

"Yes, I'll marry you."