I'm not sure if it was the angry shrieking of my apartment's smoke detector or the smell of something burning that woke me up the next morning, but either way, I fumbled for my glasses and leapt out of bed, noting as I dashed out the door that Sophie had disappeared from where she'd fallen asleep beside me during the night. 

"Sophie," I said as I burst into my living room, afraid of what I'd find. "Are you okay..."

The rest of the sentence died on my lips while I looked around in horror at the ruin that had once been my kitchen. Egg shells and flour lay strewn across the countertops and a giant puddle of off-white liquid seeped out from a mixing bowl that had landed on the floor. The base of the bowl looked like it had melted off and dark smoke billowed from a frying pan still on the stove. The putrid smell of charred plastic hung in the air and, even worse, it looked like the same beige goo on the ground had splattered onto the walls. Sophie stood staring at the disaster that surrounded her with the same guilty look on her face as a dog that'd been caught eating garbage.

I covered my eyes with my hands, not wanting to see anymore. "Oh, God," I said with a groan and a sinking pit in my stomach. What would my landlord say if he saw my apartment now? "My deposit."

"I'm sorry," Sophie said and I could hear the nervousness in her voice. "I was trying to make breakfast."

"Yeah?" I said, still not looking at her. "And what happened?"

"A few things went wrong."

I lowered my fingers from my face and stared at her incredulously. "I think that's an understatement."

"I know, okay? I'll clean it up."

"Forget it," I said. "I'll take care of it."

As soon as the words left my mouth, I winced at how harsh they'd sounded. A strange expression flickered over Sophie's features and I sighed, hoping that I hadn't hurt her feelings. She'd dug a pair of slippers out of her suitcase the night before and now stood shifting from foot to foot like a child afraid of being scolded. Her slender frame swam in the collared shirt I'd given her to wear to bed and as I watched her fiddle with a button on the shirt's front, my heart swelled with such a strong surge of affection that I bit my tongue before I could say anything stupid.

"Hey," I said gently, moving over to take her hand in mine. She looked startled when I bent to kiss her on the mouth. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just not great with surprises first thing in the morning, that's all."

"They were supposed to be pancakes," Sophie blurted, pointing accusingly at the stove. I peered over at the mess, and tried to keep my expression neutral.

"Oh," I said. Even if they hadn't been burnt to a crisp, I had little faith the charred lumps of coal on the frying pan would've ever been classified as anything other than a health and safety hazard. "I see."

"I'm guessing you don't want to try them."

Like hell I do, I thought, shuddering at the idea. Still, Sophie looked so hopeful that I knew I couldn't refuse. "Sure," I said hesitantly. "Maybe one."

"Great," Sophie said, grabbing a spatula from the countertop. "I'm sure they taste fine. They're just a little crispy."

"Right."

I turned on the extractor fan and then watched Sophie struggle to scrape the blackened mess from the pan, her face screwed up with concentration while she chipped away at one of the ruined pancakes. After doubling her efforts, one finally dislodged--and went hurtling towards the wall opposite where we stood. I watched as it bounced off and onto the floor, leaving behind a dark stain on the beige paint. Sophie smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Maybe not."

"You know I don't own this place, right?" I said, turning on the sink's faucet and letting the water run until it grew hot. I grabbed a sponge from the soap dish and rinsed it out before beginning to wipe down the surfaces.

"This was definitely a fluke. I'm usually pretty decent at cooking." Sophie brushed her hair back from her face and reached for a roll of paper towels. I snorted.

"Are you sure?"

"Shut up," Sophie said, smacking me on the shoulder. 

"No, seriously, Soph, I'm not trying to be mean but how'd you even manage this?" I asked, gesturing towards the heap of plastic on the ground. 

"Well," Sophie replied, as she glanced around and considered where she'd gone wrong. "I think the mixing bowl got too close to the flame where I was cooking and it started to melt."

"Uh huh."

"I didn't realize it at first, obviously, but by the time I did, the plastic and some of the batter had started leaking onto the stove."

"Uh huh."

"So I panicked and tried to move it but then I burned my wrist on the pan. Look, see." She lifted her hand to show me her battle wound and I nodded, eyeing the faint pink line that cut across the inside of her arm. "It really hurts, too, for the record. Anyway, I dropped the bowl and went to run my arm under some water." She paused. "I guess that's probably about when the pancakes started burning... Then the smoke alarm went off and here you are."

"Uh huh." I studied Sophie from beneath raised eyebrows and she scowled. "And exactly which part of that story was supposed to convince me that you're good at cooking?"

"Never again," Sophie muttered, bending over to pick up the ruined bowl. I laughed so that she'd know I'd only been kidding and continued mopping up the mess, peeking at her whenever I thought she wouldn't notice. 

After getting over the shock of seeing her on my doorstep the night before, Sophie had explained that Kelly and the film's producers had clashed over the fact that the temperamental director's vision of the blockbuster had apparently included more of everything: more stunts, more effects, more extras, and a lot more money. With the shoot running weeks behind schedule and the movie's budget rapidly ballooning out of control, the producers had vetoed Kelly's demands for more funding and insisted that the remaining scenes be shot on set in L.A. Wanting to surprise me, Sophie had kept the news a secret and bought a plane ticket for the first return flight to California. Maybe I was too embarrassed to admit just how happy I was to have her back but the truth was that she probably could've burned the place down and it still wouldn't have changed how I felt. 

"What are you doing up this early, anyway?" I asked as I pushed my glasses up my nose and finished wiping the splatter off walls. "Don't you have jet lag?"

Sophie shook her head. 

"Really?"

"Weird, right?" 

"Definitely a factory defect," I teased and Sophie lobbed a batter covered rag at my head.

We made small talk while we cleaned and once the kitchen started looking like it had before Hurricane Winters blew through, I turned to her and asked, "So when do your shoots start up again?"

The smoke detector had quieted and the actress shrugged before tossing a wad of paper towels into the garbage can that I kept under the sink. "No idea. Probably whenever Kelly's calmed down enough to come up with a schedule. He was still going completely postal the last time I talked to him--like, actually insane."

I nodded and moved towards the couch. "Thanks for breakfast," I said before sitting down and patting the cushion next to me.

Sophie crossed over to where I'd motioned for her to sit and sank down onto the seat, sliding her feet out of her slippers before curling her legs beneath her. I draped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into me so that the top of her head tickled my chin. She'd used my shampoo when she showered the night before and I found myself missing the way her hair usually smelled. "What do you want to do today?" I asked, running my fingertips up and down the length of her arm.

"I want to go on a date," she said and I felt my ears warm.

"Where?"

"I don't care. Somewhere."

"You have to care where."

"Disneyland?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Too many people," I said, wondering if she was testing my resolve. I doubted that she was actually brazen enough to flaunt our relationship in public when everyone still believed she and Richard were dating but, then again, maybe she was.

"Beach?"

"Probably crowded, it's supposed to be really nice out later."

"Dinner and a movie?" Sophie sounded frustrated now and she squirmed out of my grasp to run her hand through her hair. "Drinks? Bowling? Pottery spinning? Bungee jumping?"

"Where are you coming up with these?"

"I don't know," Sophie whined. "I want to do something."

"We can," I said slowly. "We just need to do something that makes it look like we're two friends hanging out."

"But that's no fun." Sophie's lower lip jutted out into a pout. "I feel like a prisoner."

"In that case, maybe we should drive up to San Quentin." Sophie's eyes lit up and before she could get any strange ideas about visiting the high security prison, I added quickly, "That was a joke, Soph."

"I mean, duh, but we can go for a drive, can't we?" She tugged on my shirt sleeve and looked at me hopefully. "Please?"

"Sure," I said, thinking of the scenic State Route 1 that ran from northern California down to Orange County. "Maybe we can take the P.C.H. up along the coast and have a picnic somewhere."

Sophie jumped to her feet, a broad smile stretching from ear to ear. "That sounds perfect," she said, clearly excited by the new plan for the day. "What should I wear?"

"Clothes?"

Unimpressed with my response, Sophie rolled her eyes. "Parker, it's our first date."

"No, it's not."

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, it's not really our first date," I pointed out. "We've gone out plenty of times before."

Sophie stared at me like I'd grown a second head and I scratched the back of my neck. "Wrong answer?"

"Considering the fact that I spent twenty hours flying home to see you, yes, that was the wrong answer." Sophie clucked her tongue with disapproval. "Besides, none of those count."

"Why not?"

This time, instead of answering, Sophie gave me a look that could've killed the Grim Reaper. I held my hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay," I said. "You're right."

Sophie nodded. "I know I am."

"I told you I suck at this stuff." I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my palm. "So, what do we do? How do we make it, uh, special?"

"You've been on first dates before," Sophie chided. "Do what you did then."

"Alright." I didn't particularly want to tell her that most of the first dates that I'd been on had ended in varying degrees of failure so I racked my brain to remember the painfully small handful that had gone well. Sophie eyed me encouragingly until I asked, "Should I pretend to pick you up, too?"

Beaming, Sophie exclaimed, "Yes!"

And so, forty minutes later, I stood outside my apartment and knocked on the door, feeling like a cross between a complete idiot and a hopeless romantic. "Who is it?" Sophie sang from inside and I fought the urge to bang my head against the wall.

I cleared my throat. "It's, uh, me."

With that, the door swung open and there stood Sophie in a lacy sundress that fell just above her knees. She wore tan leather sandals and held a grey cardigan in her arms alongside her purse. Smiling shyly, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gave me an expectant look. "Oh," I said after a moment, slightly dumbstruck. "You actually look really nice."

Sophie's mouth fell open and I blushed when I realized what I'd said. "Actually?" she repeated, offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that. I mean, I'm just surprised you look so good after traveling..." Sophie's expression turned stormy and I groaned. "Ah, dammit. Can I try again?"

Shaking her head, Sophie stepped back inside and slammed the door in my face. I took a deep breath before bringing my knuckles to the doorframe again. This time when Sophie opened the door, I said without hesitating, "You look beautiful."

Expression still sullen, Sophie muttered something as she brushed past me and started down the stairs to the carport. I sighed and locked my front door before following after her. "Seriously," I insisted. "You look amazing."

"Okay."

"You're the prettiest girl I've ever met," I offered, unlocking my car with the remote access button. "I'm sorry, Sophie, you know I'm a total moron."

"At least you're aware," Sophie said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth while she climbed into the passenger's seat.

As we drove north on the Pacific Coast Highway, Sophie alternated between fiddling with the radio and holding my hand. Every now and then, she even leaned over to kiss my cheek, giggling when she pulled away again. One of Vinny's chart toppers came on while we sped past Malibu and I drummed my free hand against the steering wheel in time with the beat. The cliffs that the highway had been built alongside stood overlooking the deep blue ocean below and I occasionally caught myself glancing out at the impressive coastline.

After a while, Sophie's cell began to chime. At first, she ignored the high pitched tone until a series of pings came through at once. Frowning, she pulled her phone from her purse and looked at the screen, expression darkening as she did. From the corner of my eye, I saw the same name flashing under her alerts: Richard, Richard, Richard, Richard. Sophie dismissed the notifications without opening the messages and then switched her phone to vibrate, letting it rest on her upper thigh. She turned her head to stare out the window, avoiding my gaze. The car was quiet for a moment until a pulsing noise filled the air and Sophie groaned.

"What?" she snapped, answering the incoming call. She pursed her lips together while she listened, shaking her head. "No, I'm busy. Huh? None of your business. Yes, I am. Yes, really."

She glanced at me, mouthing an apology, and I smiled to let her know it was alright. I turned down the volume of the song that was playing and strained my ears to listen to the actor on the other end of the line. Without warning, Sophie's eyebrows took a sharp downturn and her voice rose, "Seriously, stop. I said I'd think about it, alright? No, don't call Michael." She paused, listening. "Fine, I don't care. I have to go."

Sophie hung up then, powering her phone off. She gripped the metal casing in her hands so tightly that after a few seconds, her knuckles began to turn white. "Are you okay?" I asked after a long silence had passed between us.

"Sure," she said, the word coming out flat. "Why?"

"You seem a little stressed." Without taking my eyes off the road, I placed a hand on her knee and felt her tense.

Sophie shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"No."

I hesitated, wondering if prodding deeper would ruin the day. "What's going on?" I asked. "What'd Richard say?"

"Nothing."

"Oh."

Sophie took a deep breath. "Parker, have you actually thought about what dating me is going to be like for you?"

"Yeah, sure," I said. "Wonderful, perfect--"

"No, I'm serious. This is serious." Sophie looked at me searchingly. "Have you thought about it at all?"

"What do you mean? Of course I have. I thought about it for months before anything happened between us."

"So you realize how hard this is going to be? Like, actually?"

I nodded. "Yes. Don't tell me you didn't already know that, too."

"I don't just mean the fact we can't date like normal couples," Sophie continued, chewing on her bottom lip. "The tabloids love Richard. If people find out about us now, there's no way that you'd come out looking like a good guy and I--"

"I know." And I did know. "We'd both be screwed but there's no point in thinking about that unless something happens, is there?"

"Yeah, but I can't stop thinking about it, that's the problem. The media goes for the throat." Sophie twisted the platinum ring she wore on her thumb. Quietly, she added, "You don't deserve that."

"What are you saying?" I asked, confused by what she was getting at. With no cars around me for what felt like miles, I risked taking the chance to turn and look at her. "If you don't want to do this anymore, you should just tell me."

I tried and failed to keep the hurt out of my voice, looking away again when she swiveled in her seat to gaze at me. "I never said that," Sophie said. Her emphasis on the words was sharp and I shrugged, not trusting myself to meet her stare. Sighing, Sophie pressed her fingers against my cheek and traced a design along the stubble I hadn't bothered shaving. "Hey," she persisted, gentle caresses turning into a small slap. "Stop it. I'm just asking if you're ready."

"Ready for what?" I asked, although my mind was already flooding with nightmarish scenes of the worst case scenarios.

Sophie didn't reply right away and when I stole a glance at her, it seemed like she'd been consumed by her thoughts. She finally replied, "I don't know."

I wanted to tell Sophie that I was ready for anything, that I'd be there for her through it all, no matter what. I wanted her to know that I was ready to stand up for her, protect her, and try my hardest to make things work. I wanted to tell her all of that but as I squeezed her leg reassuringly, I decided that instead of saying it, I'd prove it to her. 

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A/N: Happy (early) Easter and Passover to all those who celebrate! Sorry for the slightly delayed update - it's been a busy week. o.o" 

This chapter is dedicated to @serendipity1989 for all the encouragement and cool new ship name. #TeamSparker <33