{Chapter One}
"Ugh...No more..." Kyle complained, trying to dodge a spoon that was shoved towards his mouth. "Come on, Maria....." He whined, bristling as Liz and Michael chuckled to themselves.
Ever since Maria had began craving things, she had used him as her science project, making him eat the things first before she'd even take a bite. It annoyed him that she didn't go after anyone else with her weird foods, but at the same time, he was honored. In her own freakish way, he knew she was just letting him know that she cared about him, in a different way from the others, as a brother.
But no matter how much he loved that he was high up on Maria's scale, he refused to eat another tabasco lined cookie, or ice cream, or pudding...or weird pickle and peanut butter sandwiches.
"Maria!" He barked, his voice harsh as he gritted his teeth, then immediately regretted his tone as he watched those big green eyes fill with tears. She sniffled and then suddenly they were flowing and she was making quiet crying noises. He inwardly groaned...the cravings were one thing, the mood swings were a whole different thing.
"Good going, Valenti.." Michael growled as he shoved Kyle aside and pulled Maria into his arms. Easily fitting her into him, despite her bulging stomach. "Shhh..." His lips brushed over her ear as he rubbed her back. "Come on Ria, you know he didn't mean anything by that tone.." He murmered. Everytime she cried, he was at a loss. He hated to see any type of pain in her eyes. "Hey..." He pulled back some and brush tears away, never noticing how Liz slipped out of the kitchen, or the way Kyle backed up, looking ready to dart at having to watch this show of affection. "I'll let you try to stab me with the spoon...how about that?" His lips tugged into a small smile as she started to giggle.
"I was not trying to stab him Michael." Maria informed him as she pouted, almost a spark of anger creeping into her voice too, but Michael was just so glad she wasn't crying any longer to care if she got riled up.
"Could have fooled me." He smirked as he pulled back further, crossing his arms and staring down at her as she set her hands on her hips. Out of the cornor of his eye, he could see Kyle high tailing it out of the room. "I'm actually surprised Valenti didn't run screaming as soon as he saw you in the kitchen, everytime he's around and your in there, you try to poison him with your weird cravings..."
"That is not true!" Maria denied, she was trying desperately not to laugh or smile and try to remain angry. "Kyle likes my new inventions in food. Don't you Ky-" She turned around to see the man in question had flown the coop. She huffed as Michael began to laugh, or chuckle...or...well...whatever you could call his amused noises.
"Looks like he doesn't agree so much, now does it?" He asked, smirking as she just waddled past him, his face immediately fell though with her words.
"Your sleeping on the couch tonight." She barked back at him as she walked from the kitchen.
Michael groaned and slumped onto a stool, hearing their bedroom door slam down the hall. What would that make this? The fifth time in the last three weeks?
"You know where the extra comforters and pillows are. Hall closet." Liz called with amusement from the living room.
~~~~~~
Later that night, Maria wandered down the hall from her bedroom, making a sleepy bee-line towards the couch bed that Michael had no doubtedly pulled out for himself to sleep on. This happened everytime she condemed him to sleep on the couch. She'd wake up lonely in that big bed by herself, and end up in the couch bed beside Michael minutes later.
"Come 'er..." Michael hushed and tired voice reached her as she reached the end of the bed. He lifted the covers he used all the time now and she, with a little help from him, slipping in next to him, closing her eyes as his body spooned hers. "Now go back to sleep.." He murmured, kissing her neck gently as his chest and stomach pressed against the length of her back, his arm settling around her waist and his hand rubbing her stomach.
"I'm sorry I made you sleep on the couch." She whispered tiredly, and Michael could tell she was already on the verge of sleep again.
"It's alright baby, just sleep." Michael peered down at her in the darkness, and only when her breathing evened out and he was sure she was asleep, did he relax and begin to fall back asleep himself. He was used to the couch, he didn't mind sleeping there, because he knew he'd wake up with Maria no matter what. And half the time, he admitted that he made her so angry, that if he was her, he'd send himself to the couch too.
"I love you..." He smirked at her sleepy, slurred voice cut through his thoughts. He settled his head back on the pillow next to her, his face nuzzling the back of her neck.
"Love you too." He whispered and then closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him.
To Be Continued
"Ugh...No more..." Kyle complained, trying to dodge a spoon that was shoved towards his mouth. "Come on, Maria....." He whined, bristling as Liz and Michael chuckled to themselves.
Ever since Maria had began craving things, she had used him as her science project, making him eat the things first before she'd even take a bite. It annoyed him that she didn't go after anyone else with her weird foods, but at the same time, he was honored. In her own freakish way, he knew she was just letting him know that she cared about him, in a different way from the others, as a brother.
But no matter how much he loved that he was high up on Maria's scale, he refused to eat another tabasco lined cookie, or ice cream, or pudding...or weird pickle and peanut butter sandwiches.
"Maria!" He barked, his voice harsh as he gritted his teeth, then immediately regretted his tone as he watched those big green eyes fill with tears. She sniffled and then suddenly they were flowing and she was making quiet crying noises. He inwardly groaned...the cravings were one thing, the mood swings were a whole different thing.
"Good going, Valenti.." Michael growled as he shoved Kyle aside and pulled Maria into his arms. Easily fitting her into him, despite her bulging stomach. "Shhh..." His lips brushed over her ear as he rubbed her back. "Come on Ria, you know he didn't mean anything by that tone.." He murmered. Everytime she cried, he was at a loss. He hated to see any type of pain in her eyes. "Hey..." He pulled back some and brush tears away, never noticing how Liz slipped out of the kitchen, or the way Kyle backed up, looking ready to dart at having to watch this show of affection. "I'll let you try to stab me with the spoon...how about that?" His lips tugged into a small smile as she started to giggle.
"I was not trying to stab him Michael." Maria informed him as she pouted, almost a spark of anger creeping into her voice too, but Michael was just so glad she wasn't crying any longer to care if she got riled up.
"Could have fooled me." He smirked as he pulled back further, crossing his arms and staring down at her as she set her hands on her hips. Out of the cornor of his eye, he could see Kyle high tailing it out of the room. "I'm actually surprised Valenti didn't run screaming as soon as he saw you in the kitchen, everytime he's around and your in there, you try to poison him with your weird cravings..."
"That is not true!" Maria denied, she was trying desperately not to laugh or smile and try to remain angry. "Kyle likes my new inventions in food. Don't you Ky-" She turned around to see the man in question had flown the coop. She huffed as Michael began to laugh, or chuckle...or...well...whatever you could call his amused noises.
"Looks like he doesn't agree so much, now does it?" He asked, smirking as she just waddled past him, his face immediately fell though with her words.
"Your sleeping on the couch tonight." She barked back at him as she walked from the kitchen.
Michael groaned and slumped onto a stool, hearing their bedroom door slam down the hall. What would that make this? The fifth time in the last three weeks?
"You know where the extra comforters and pillows are. Hall closet." Liz called with amusement from the living room.
~~~~~~
Later that night, Maria wandered down the hall from her bedroom, making a sleepy bee-line towards the couch bed that Michael had no doubtedly pulled out for himself to sleep on. This happened everytime she condemed him to sleep on the couch. She'd wake up lonely in that big bed by herself, and end up in the couch bed beside Michael minutes later.
"Come 'er..." Michael hushed and tired voice reached her as she reached the end of the bed. He lifted the covers he used all the time now and she, with a little help from him, slipping in next to him, closing her eyes as his body spooned hers. "Now go back to sleep.." He murmured, kissing her neck gently as his chest and stomach pressed against the length of her back, his arm settling around her waist and his hand rubbing her stomach.
"I'm sorry I made you sleep on the couch." She whispered tiredly, and Michael could tell she was already on the verge of sleep again.
"It's alright baby, just sleep." Michael peered down at her in the darkness, and only when her breathing evened out and he was sure she was asleep, did he relax and begin to fall back asleep himself. He was used to the couch, he didn't mind sleeping there, because he knew he'd wake up with Maria no matter what. And half the time, he admitted that he made her so angry, that if he was her, he'd send himself to the couch too.
"I love you..." He smirked at her sleepy, slurred voice cut through his thoughts. He settled his head back on the pillow next to her, his face nuzzling the back of her neck.
"Love you too." He whispered and then closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him.
To Be Continued