Author's note: I was watching random videos on youtube and saw the one where Sara got hurt in the explosion. Got a little inspired so here ya go!
He finally talked her into making dinner together. She knew how to cook but always said she didn't have time or cooking for just herself didn't make sense. He wanted it to be a tradition for them. Something they could do together and get to know each other more. He decided a basic veggie stir fry with a spicy noodle sauce would be perfect. The veggies had been chopped. Peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, and snap peas were ready to be added.
"I knew you were a good cook," he said in a teasing tone that made her smile.
"I never said I didn't know how to cook, I just don't often."
"Well, now we can do it together. I think the veggies are ready to go in," he responded by adding in the many colorful vegetables to the pan already sizzling with fresh garlic.
She immediately started stirring the veggies around the pan as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and tucked his face into her neck.
"I told you this would be fun," he mumbled into her neck and adding a warm kiss to the exposed skin he found below her ear.
She could feel the smile on her neck and hear the happiness in his voice. "That's because I am doing all of the cooking and you are just feeling me up."
That brought an even bigger smile to his face. He untucked his face from her neck and perched his chin on her shoulder. "No, I am just letting you be in control. We both know how you like that."
"Ha ha, very funny, Gil," is the response he earned. The mood of the kitchen was romantic. The lights in the rest of his house were dimmed and the main lights over and around the stove were on. He looked down at her hand that was moving the vegetables around the pan with a spatula to prevent burning and he noticed something shiny on her left hand. A thin line just below her thumb.
In a heartbeat, he knew where the scar was from. The explosion in the lab. It rocked everyone that day. He had to be the person in charge. Make sure Greg was okay and find out what happened. He had just gotten Greg into the ambulance and he immediately started looking for her. It wasn't long and he found her sitting on the curb. She looked dazed. He walked over to her and seeing the crimson blood on her face was enough to raise his heartrate. He wasn't prepared to see the gash on her hand. She was cradling her injured limb and going on about getting back to work and cleaning up. His priority in that moment was to make sure she was okay and that her hand was tended to. He called for a paramedic and she willingly went.
"What? Am I doing something wrong with the food?" she asked and it snapped him out of his memories. Without saying a word, he untucked himself from her and moved to her right side. Taking the spatula from her, he pulled her left hand up closer to his face and delicately ran his finger over the scar. It was very faint. He only caught a glimpse of it due the lighting over the stove.
"Your scar from the lab explosion. I…I think this is the first time I have seen it since you got hurt. The scar is faint. It healed very well."
"My hands tend to get dry from wearing gloves a lot so I make sure to have hand lotion nearby." She could tell he was a little shaken from seeing it. She knew he was remembering what happened that day and the following investigation. People got hurt due to a stupid mistake.
Delicately, he lifted her hand closer to his face and placed a faint kiss over the thin line.
"Thank you for taking care of me that day… for making sure I got the cuts tended to," she added with a sad smile. In the years she had known him, he had made several comments that made her heart flutter. That was the first time he called her "honey", a pet name that he continued to use in their new personal relationship. "I was in shock after and the pain didn't register until the adrenaline wore off. Knowing me, I would have just left it or tried to tend to it myself."
They locked eyes. "I will always make sure you are okay." And with that promise, he added a soft kiss to her lips. He smiled back at her and resumed his previous position of wrapping his arms around her and watching her make them dinner. It became one of their favorite meals to make, not just for the deliciousness of the food itself, but for the moment they shared.
