Page 179 of Knot That Serious

He chuckled just thinking about it, and pulled out his keys as he neared the door.

Someone on the floor must have been making dinner as well, because the hallway was flooded with its scent.

The keys jingled as he unlocked the door and pushed in… only for the scent to intensify. Eli was in the kitchen, and Raj cleared his throat as he shut the door behind him.

He heard a bang and a curse, and then her head popped up over the counter, visible through the breakfast bar cut-out.

“Hello,” Raj greeted, surprise filling him.

“You’re early!” Eli called out, brow furrowing. Her bottom lip extended in a pout, and his chest squeezed tight.

“You’re… here?” he asked, and took his paper bags to the bartop.

“Yes. Yep. That I am,” she said, laughing softly and avoiding his gaze. “Surprise,” she said, lifting her hands and wiggling her fingers.

Raj rounded the bar and peered around the corner. Eli was clearly in the middle of something, and he arched a brow. “Did you get tired of Beckett?” he asked. “Came to use my kitchen instead?”

He’d given her a key about a week ago, so she had somewhere to escape if the two alphas got to be too much.

He was happy she’d taken him seriously, but he had plans! Plans he couldn’t prepare for if she was already here.

“Well, not totally. I just wanted to make you dinner,” she said, shrugging.

He caved under her sweet little smile. Alright, alright, Raj would wait and ask her another night.

“You are just so sweet. Thank you,” he said, resisting the urge to pick her up and squeeze her.

He settled for a less violent hug and a chaste kiss. “Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked.

“No, no, no. This is a gesture,” she said. “No helping.”

The phrasing rang a bell, and he tried not to look too closely at it. “I picked up some groceries to do the exact same thing for you today, you know?” he told her.

Eli beamed at him, gaze trailing to the paper bags he’d sat on the bar. “Really?”

“Yeah, really. So I’ll just put those away and then I’ll be out of your way.”

“You’re sweet, too, you know,” she told him. “Sorry I ruined your plans.”

“That’s okay. It just means I’ll get to return the favor another night,” he said, offering her a smile.

“It’s a date,” she declared.

With a chuckle he grabbed a paper bag and put the cold items away, folding the bag and storing it in his recycling cabinet, before repeating the process with the cabinet items.

“Alright, I’m officially out of your hair,” he said, leaving the kitchen with lifted hands.

“Go get comfy. I’m almost finished.”

He’d tried not to peek at what she was making, not wanting to ruin the surprise, so Raj kept his eyes averted as he passed by the breakfast bar and headed to his room.

The door shut quietly behind him and he released a breath, leaning back against it and letting the disappointment settle in his chest.

There’s always another night.

He blinked his eyes open and then panicked at the sight of his messy bed. Springing forward, he grabbed a silly-shaped pillow from his bed and stashed that away in the closet. He really hoped Eli hadn’t come in here. It would’ve spoiled the surprise.

With a sigh, Raj gathered his comfy clothes, the ones he knew Eli liked. Then he took a quicker-than-lightning shower to wash the day off, and dressed. His long hair hadn’t gotten wet, but he left it up in the bun as he finally trailed back into the living area.

---