Rumored Nights

Alice boredly sat at the counter in her kitchen, switching between cooking dinner and doing her Calculus homework.

It was one of the downsides with being the only adult at home that she didn’t enjoy.

Fending for herself consisted of frozen waffles, or Boyardee, but that wouldn’t cut it with her mom and Luke.

Not when she was babysitting.

If it weren’t for having cable to distract her step sister Hailey it might've been even more taxing.

A few giggles interrupted the silence every minute or so, reassuring her that the blue eyed bright smiling demon was still subdued.

Babysitting would've been so much simpler to do if her older sister Caroline hadn't been out with a few friends.

Being in her first semester of college only kept her out of the house more, despite that she was living with them till she saved enough money for her own place.

From the few close friends she had, Caroline was the closest, their two year age difference bringing them closer together.

The thought of her sister tugged at her heart, a painful reminder of the wedge that had grown between them.

"Ally is dinner ready yet?" A small voice asked.

She glanced down at the wide eyed seven year old.

"Not yet kid, why don't you go back to the living room? I'll call you when it's done."

She pouted a little but clearly was at the disadvantage in the situation and wandered back into the other room.

Alice stared down at the words and diagrams of her book till they blurred together and forced her to leave her homework for later.

Dinner was a good distraction from the usual collection of thoughts that clouded her mind.

It was like a story web with her in the middle and bubbles branching out.

There were thoughts of her future, her sister, her older brother, and William to name a few.

Inwardly she wished her life was as simple as it appeared on the outside, but those wishes were the kind not even shooting stars could grant.

Distractions came in spades to Alice, like she was a magnet for them.

Just as she began settling on the tangle of problems weighing on her mind the soft silence of the room was interrupted by a knock.

Several knocks.

There in the window was William's grinning face, shades of blue and gold in the wake of the setting sun.

It was as if there was an eraser that had slipped over her mind with the sight of his boyish smirk, or the small wave of his hand.

The innocent gesture was more than enough incentive for her to slide off the stool and open the door to the stifling heat of outside.

"Alice!" He breathed, pulling her into a hug, followed by his chuckle. "Judging by the smell I'm right on time."

Right on cue the timer on the stove went off.

Alice stood statuesque for a brief moment as Bill brushed past her, pressing a small kiss on her forehead as he did.

When she turned around he was already trying to spoon some of the steaming pasta into his mouth.

She didn’t even waste words warning him but instead sat back and watched as his expression went from devious to agonized.

"Ah! Hot!" He breathed, jumping slightly, fanning his burning mouth.

A few giggles slipped, just in time for Hailey to come running in.

"Billy!" She squealed delighted, launching her tiny frame at his giant one.

He had only enough time to focus on catching her, mouth still burning judging by his watering eyes, before he toppled over onto the floor.

The seven year old sat victoriously on his chest, her arms crossed.

"You're stealing my dinner."

He chuckled despite his precarious situation and attempted to slide Hailey off him.

"If it makes you feel any better I won't be able to enjoy it... or anything else delicious for a while." He muttered, still lightly fanning his tongue.

She giggled in delight and jumped happily on his bony frame where she sat.

"Careful Hailey, you could cut yourself on him if you're not careful." Alice smirked from behind her crossed arms.

Bill glared at her mockingly as he finally managed to pull Hailey off him.

"If that was a jab at my skinniness then I have a solution." He resolved, stalking over between her and the oven.

As if answering her, he turned around a spooned the pasta into a nearby bowl.

Alice watched him stick his tongue out at Hailey while he fixed a smaller bowl for her next to his.

Before she could even say anything he somehow jostled the food and silverware into one arm, freeing his other enough to hold her hand and pull Alice into the living room with him.

Something nagged her in the back of her mind like a forgotten thought that refused to stay that way.

"So wasn’t there a reason you came over today? Or do a cook prepackaged dinners that well?"

Bill smiled softly at her, the kind of smile Alice had learned was his way of covering his laughter.

"Well as much as I love your cooking, there actually was a reason."

He paused for dramatics, only to be hit by a pillow from his impatient best friend.

"Alright, alright. So, I used my many connections and managed to get us tickets... to see Midtown."

Being best friend's with each other for so long, William had long since figured out Alice's many musical weaknesses, along with adding to them of course.

One of the bands they had bonded over through the years had been Midtown, so for Bill to get then tickets to see them live, especially after they had been sold out for weeks... there weren’t words for it.

That was why instead Alice merely grinned like a maniac and pulled him into a quick but meaningful hug.

When she pulled away a moment later Bill was clearly surprised.

Even for being his friend for so long, Alice had only ever hugged Bill enough times to count on one or two hands.

That's not to say they didn't hug, just that in the scheme of things it was always him pulling her small frame toward him.

Alice's eyes must've been playing with her afterward because there was no way there was a faint blush playing on his cheeks.

Instead she decided to blame the now spattered dinner that laced their clothes.

"There goes dinner." She muttered dejectedly, trying to mop up the mess.

Will chuckled and did his best to help but by the time Hailey came walking in with Caroline on her heels they were worse off than before.

"I just can't leave you two alone unattended can I?" She asked, a small smile shadowing on her older sister's face.

Alice felt her heart lurch a little, seeing the hint of happiness that had been absent for so long from her eyes.

"I suppose not." Bill chuckled, tugging humorously at the food stained shirt sticking warmly to his chest.

The blush crept up Alice's cheeks, despite her inner warnings and pleadings, and she let the words that caused it fall from her lips.

"Do you want to go home? Or should I wash that for you?"

With a shy awkwardness he reserved for things he wanted, Bill looked up at her from under the hair that had fallen in his eyes.

"Um, could you wash it? I'm not quite ready to go home- I still haven't eaten." He explained with a sly smile, patting his flat abdomen.

Alice sighed, which Bill took for a yes, and without thinking about it gave her a quick hug despite her chagrin.

Before she could hit him for it he jumped off the couch triumphantly and ran past her still present sister.

Alice thought she was safe until from out of seemingly nowhere, a very familiar, slightly musky mingled with cheese shirt hit her in the face.

Somewhere in her house was a shirtless William Beckett; that thought would haunt her tonight, worming its way into her head just before she'd fall asleep.

Deep in her mind she swore he planned for that.