#dev emxblackreader

The drive home was quiet, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. They were cooking down from the soft buzz of a perfect evening. Magnolia kept sneaking glances at Dev through the rearview mirror, same as she was on her way to the clinic—half-expecting him to disappear like some fever dream. She was still getting used to his presence, even though she took his unexpected arrival pretty well. She still could not get over that a human being fell from the sky and landed on her property of all places, survived and was now sitting next to her, abled bodied.

But there Dev remained in her sight, his posture straight within the passenger seat, his gaze tracking the trees whipping past, the soft sound of The O’Jays playing over the radio.

By the time they pulled into her driveway, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting long, creeping shadows across the front porch. Magnolia turned off the engine and exhaled. "Alright. Let’s get you settled in." She said, looking over at him with a soft smile before hopping out of the truck.

Dev followed her out, stretching his tall frame. His eyes flickered up towards the sky, something Magnolia noticed when she didn’t hear his boots thudding close behind her as usual. And she didn’t know why it was something she noticed about him so quickly, but she shook it off as she looked back him.

His gaze was focused on the evening sky, like he was taking mental notes of the stars. His expression was unreadable, but there was something about the way his brows furrowed, his lips pressing into a thin line, that made her hesitate to speak. She followed his gaze toward the gradient sky, dotted with subtle stars just beginning to flicker to life. To her, it was just another evening—peaceful, familiar. But to him? She wondered what he saw when he looked up there. Was he trying to find home? Or was he realizing, all over again, that it was gone?

She swallowed, suddenly feeling intrusive for watching him so closely. Instead, she turned turned on her heels to head for the porch, her shoes making nice against the gravel, which snapped him out of his trance. She fiddled with the keys to the home as she listens the soft steps of the large man come closer.

The house was warm, carrying the scent of pine and something faintly sweet—probably the lavender incenses she kept stuck in the walls of her home. “It’s time we settle you in, honey.” The girl hummed as, just as the familiar soft bell of Mufasa hit her ears, the orange cat round the corner with a small meow. Magnolia smiled down at the sight of her fur compassion, bending down to pet him while Dev closed the door. “Isn’t that right, my little baby. We gotta settle in our new roomie.” She said as scratched behind his ears. Mufasa purred at her touch, Dev just standing behind her as he watched her okay with the cat.

She then stood up from playing with the animal and looked over at him, meeting his usually intense gaze that seemed to always be on her whenever she looked over at him. “You can wait down here while I got try to find you some more clothes to wear.” She said, her southern dialect thick but soft. “Make yourself comfortable, okay?” She said, giving a lousy gesture to large archway that led to the living room to their left. She didn’t want for a response from him before moving up the stairs that were place right outside of the living room doorway.

Dev watched her until she was out of his sight. He paused near her door, contemplating his next moves within her home. He then began to copy the moves he saw her door, coming out of his shoes and setting them in the rack by the door. He then took off the large coat jacket that was given to him, that he only slid into when night began to fall upon them after leaving the diner, and hung it on the rack she got it from.

While he was situating himself downstairs, Magnolia was rummaging through her clothes to find more for Dev. She gathered a few large shirts and pound shirts for him, ones she usually wore to be lazy in. But these were no clothes for a man to go out in, and even if he didn’t, they sure as hell weren’t clothes for enough for a man to work in.

She stood from her wooden dressers with a sigh, holding all of the old clothes in her arms as she thought of where to get some durable cloths for the large man downstairs. She wasn’t too keen on going to buy him some, considering she has not a single clue as so how long he would be rooming with her. And then she thought of it, there was in place where she could get some clothes that would fit him, she just was t all too sure if she wanted travel there. Not alone, at least.

“Dev?” She called out before blinding down the stairs. She didn’t get a verbal reply, only a deep hum when she way at the center of the steps. “Would you be a darlin’ an—.” She stopped once she made it down the stairs and stopped at the sight in her living room. Dev sat on the couch, the remote in his hands as he curiously flickered through channels with Mufasa curled in his lap. The man was obviously tense, his normally straight posture a little rigid and his hands were up and away from the pet ,as if he didn’t want to touch it. Magnolia furrowed her brows at the pair, easing her way into the cozy living space. “What is going on here?” She asked with small amusement, sitting the small amount of clothes she had on the empty space available on the couch. The sight of the tense man and comfortable cat was cute, especially since Mufasa hated all people, even her sometimes.

“I do not know.” Dev said, his eyes trained on the large screen that showed random strangers living their life. His brows twitched subtly in confusion, concerned for the unknowingly surveyed individuals. “He just…got comfortable after I sat down. And he stepped on this thing which turned on…that.” He explained, hesitantly gesturing towards the television. Magnolia followed his eyes, looking at the characters of ‘A Different World’ on the screen.

She blinked. Then blinked again, struggling to come up with an explanation for the obviously confused man. “Okay…uh, forget that for now.” She said, letting out a small laugh before taking the remote from his hand and turn the TV off. Dev frowned slightly, watching the screen go black before looking at the device she took from him and sat if the coffee table. “Would you be a darlin’ and come help me look for some clothes for you up in the attic?” She asked sweetly, putting on her best polite smile as she looked down at the large man on her sofa. Dev blinked at her, catching her convincing tactic in slight intrigue.

“Okay.” He said.

Magnolia gaped a little, smiling down at him. “Really?” She asked, receiving a simple nod. “Yes.” He said. He then looked down at the cat in his lap before looking back at he, Magnolia catching the hint and moving the unfamiliar animal to him from his vicinity. Dev then stood once he was free of the weight, looking down at Magnolia, who gave the sleepy cat a forehead kiss. “You do not have to lie and beg. This is your home.” He stated. And Magnolia’s snapped towards him, bros scrunched at his audacious claim.

“Excuse me? I was not lyin’ and beggin’.” She sassed at him, her twang hitting more.

“Well, you aren’t telling the whole truth.” Dev stated. This caused Magnolia to scoff, not because of his false claims, it was because he was right. She didn’t want to go to the attic because it was dark and there was no telling would critter could be lurking up there. Or worst, spiders. As much time as she spent outdoors, catering to her plants and catching fish, she hated bugs. Hated them all with a burning passion, even lady bugs.

She also didn’t want to go into the room full of old memories and retrieve the very box that was so hard to put away.

“And how would you know that, Dev?” She asked, launch the sleeping cat down to place her hands on her hips, that spot being on top of the cloths she sat down. Dev blinked down at her, sensing her rising attitude during to her hostility at being caught. But he just slightly tilted his head as he gave her a quick once over. “You do that little smile where you show your bottom teeth.” He stated, causing her to blink at his genuine answer. Her slightly ticked expression slowly drifted away, looking up at him. “You did it in the care unit. That’s why I said you’re bad.” He continued to explain his observation, referring to the small moment in the hall they shared as Leroy led them to an examination room. He then moved past her, going to where she came from upstairs, not really know what an “attic” even was.

Magnolia simply scoffed at him again, following after the man the she knew had no idea where he was. “Whatever.” She grabbed under her teeth, all the way at the bottom of the stairs, but Dev heard her loud and clear. He stood in the hall at the top, watching as she stomped her way up to him and then grabbed a stool to pull the string of the attic ladder down. The old wood and rusty metal cogs creaked as the door opened and the ladder fell down.

Dev and Magnolia both leaned to look up into the open space, though their faces held totally different expressions. Dev looked into the dark hole that was now in her roof with pure curiosity, blinking up at the ceiling he could see clearly. He could see everything—the worn wooden beams, the dust hanging in the air, the old trunks and forgotten relics of the past. Magnolia, on the other hand, had her brows furrowed in worry, biting at the inside of her cheek as she tried to fight back a scared whine. She couldn’t see a damn thing up there, and her body tensed with unease.

Dev then looked down at her, not sure on what was supposed to be done now that the door was open. He saw her face, the tip of her brows almost touching from how deep her frown was. He saw her teeth peek from the corner of her lips for a quick second, practically chewing on her win flesh as her eyes bounded around the dark space she couldn’t even see into from her position. “Okay.” She sighed, being her hands together in an almost pleading motion. “You go first.” She said, sparing him a barely noticeable glance before looking back up into the attic.

It then clicked for him.

“Oh, I see now.” He murmured, though the woman’s terrified eyes didn’t move to look his way. “You’re scarred.” He continued, looking down at her.

“I am not.” She snapped, though she still never made eye contact with him as her hands held themselves, as if soothing herself.

“Then why am I going first?” He questioned, his tone calm and ever curious, genuinely wonder what her fear was. He looked back up into the attic, squinting to see if he could find anything that would cause such a reaction within her. “I don’t see anything that could be causing you such discomfort.” He stated.

“You’re going first because you’re a man.” Magnolia retorted, a little fed up with the man’s observant nature. Though she could admit, she was being a little harsh, but Dev had no clue on actual earth customs yet so she was going to use that to her advantage. “Things are different on Earth, Dev, men do dirty work, that’s, like, a law.” She sassed, crossing her arms as she looked up at him, finally meeting his now grey eyes. The icy color was oddly inviting, instantly enveloping her with this calmness, one he seemed to always vary. She blinked, lashes fluttering as she tried to stop herself from getting lost in his stormy eyes.

Dev blinked as well, though his was out of blatant suspension, his eyes slightly squinting as he looked her up and down.

“I have a feeling you just made that up.”

“Well I somehow believe you’re the one that’s scared to go into the dark and spooky attic.” She hissed, not even thinking of what she was saying anymore. She just wanted nothing more for this all to be over with and this long conversation at the entrance of the place she deeded the most wasn’t speeding it up. Hell, she even contemplated leaving the man there to do it himself, or just ditch the whole idea of getting him clothes in the first place. He didn’t need them, not like he was going anywhere.

But she still wasn’t about to buy him a damn thing when perfectly good clothes were in her hating.

Dev, feeling challenged, simply frowned at her before making his way up the ladder silently, Magnolia watching his legs disappear into the ashes and thump against her ceiling. “Do, what now?” The man questioned, his voice e traveling through the hollow and thin space before bellowing down to her.

And in that moment, she dreaded her folks for being wise and frugal shoppers so she didn’t have to build the courage to climb up there when could just go buy them. She trudged over to the ladder, standing directly in front of the old wood as she looked up into the square hole. She then decided to just go for it before she talked herself out of it.

Magnolia swallowed hard, gripping the sides of the ladder as she hesitated at the top, the wood creaking under her weight. Her head then perked into the high room, and the attic was vast. Or at least, it felt vast—an endless stretch of dark space filled with dust, forgotten things, and possibly creatures she wanted no part of.

Dev stood just a few feet away, his figure barely illuminated by the faint light spilling in from hallway below. He wasn’t paying her much mind, scanning the attic with quiet curiosity, but that didn’t matter. Magnolia knew exactly what was lurking in the shadows: nothing good. Or, so, that’s what she convinced herself to believe. But her feelings were true, nothing good could be lurking in the dark and the fear of the unknown and unexpected was jawing at her.

She sucked in a breath and forced herself to step onto the attic floor. The air was musty, and the room was filled with old trunks and dust-covered boxes. The wood groaned beneath her weight, and she swore she heard something scurry in the distance, causing her body lock up immediately.

Nope. Nope, nope, nope.

Before she could stop herself, she let out a small yell and latched onto the closest solid thing—Dev’s arm.

He barely moved at the sudden contact, only tilting his head down at her in silent observation, then a blink. Magnolia didn’t dare look up at him, she couldn’t see in the dark and she was far too focused on steadying her breath and keeping her feet planted in case something decided to crawl up her leg.

“You’re holding me,” Dev stated plainly, though there was a hit of questioning in his voice, one that Magnolia didn’t hear in her fear induced state. He was still looking down at the woman that he could see perfectly fine in the dark room, questioning her sudden attachment to him, and as well as why he wanted to smile at the feeling her cheek squinted against his arm.

“No shit, Sherlock.” The woman hissed, but not the same venom in her voice as it was down stairs, a small whine underlining the statement as her eyes bounced around the dark room. Her contact with the large man next to her being her only sense of comfort and grounding.

He blinked. “I do not know who that is, but that is not me.” He stated firmly, ticked off at the random name he was just given by the odd woman gripped onto him. But what about any of these past few hours were normal? He thought to himself.

Magnolia let out a sharp breath, realizing she still had a death grip on him. But letting go meant facing the attic alone and in the dark, and that wasn’t happening anytime soon.

Dev tilted his was down some more to get a good look at her face, his eyes catching her unfocused ones as they dated around the same space. He furrowed his brows in genuine worry, looking around the room for what she seemed so scared about, but saw nothing but different types of boxes and old furniture.

“If you are afraid, you should have said so.” He stated, his voice soft but firm in his claim.

She coffed, forcing herself to straighten. “I ain’t afraid.” She said, not even looking up at him to talk since she knew she wouldn’t be able to see if face while she placed her hand on her hips.

Dev arched a single brow, his eyes flicking to her white-knuckled grip on his arm, and then back up at her. She didn’t even have to look at his face to know he didn’t believe a word out of her mouth, casing her to sigh.

Magnolia hesitated—then begrudgingly loosened her hold. But she didn’t let go completely. Instead, she slid her hand down, curling her fingers around his wrist like it was just for balance, the appendage still large in her hands. Dev hummed in acknowledgment at her silent complacent and admittance, and thankfully, he didn’t press her further. Instead, he turned his attention back to the attic, completely unbothered by whatever had her like she is now.

Magnolia sighed, glancing around. This was gonna be a long night.

“Can you just, uh, find the string hanging from the ceiling and pull it, please?” She questioned, her voice now soft. Dev completed immediately, taking orders like a true soldier as he subconsciously folded his hands so his fingers could brush against hers, that were wrapped around his wrist. He looked around the space before catching sight of the hanging string. He walked over, making sure to be easy and gentle with the essentially blind woman as he led the way.

He pulled the string, turning the light on, however, the string was pulled out, as well as the electronics attached to the lights, wires coming out of the wall while the string fell limp in his hands. She was now able to see things somewhat clearly, though the dim yellow light didn’t catch highlight the full room, and the now swinging light didn’t help much.

“It broke.” Dev said, holding up the string.

Magnolia groaned, her grip on Dev tightening instinctively as she took the dusty, lost excuse for a pull mechanism into her hands. “Of course it did.” She huffed, glaring at the dangling string like it had personally wronged her. “Old damn house.” She muttered agitated.

Dev observed the broken light mechanism that lightly swayed in front of him, then looked back at Magnolia, his expression unreadable. “Shall I attempt to fix it?” He questioned.

Magnolia looked up at him, her brows furrowed. “You know how to fix lights?” She asked, blinking in confusion at the sudden exchange of information.

He tilted his head slightly, considering. “No.” He stated. “I just feel bad.” He said, pursing his lips at her. Magnolia sighed, shaking her head as fight a small smile at her sheer naivety. “Don’t bother. I’ll try to get someone to deal with it later.” She swallowed, straightening up despite the nagging fear still clinging to her nerves. “Just… help me find those clothes. They’re in a chest with the name Eugene engraved on it.” She said. She then looked down before slowly letting go of his wrist, not even being to look at him once their contact was broken, not wanting to deal with the tension it would create.

Dev nodded, stepping forward with a quiet confidence that made Magnolia both envious and annoyed. He moved like the dark they were just en trapped in meant nothing to him, like it wasn’t swallowing them whole.

Meanwhile, she was still fighting the urge to book it back down the ladder in the dimly lit area.

It was long before their searching ended in success, Dev announcing that he found it. “Is this what you seek?” Dev asked. Magnolia turned, then watched in shock as the man effortlessly lifted the packed chest, moving it over to an empty side of the room so she could pop it open. “Woah.” The girl said, easing her way over once Dev stood to his full height again. “I knew you were strong, ya know, considering your build and all, but I didn’t know you were that strong.” She said, letting out an awkward laugh and looking at his body in the grey shirt that fit him sort of tight, eyeing his large muscles. She then she cleared her throat before quickly bending to unlatch the trunk.“But yeah… This should be a bunch of my dad’s old stuff in there.” She mumbled.

“I am strong, but that thing felt empty.” Dev stated. Magnolia only opened the crate,,pupping the lid to reveal the chest paced to the brim with clothes. "These should do.” She muttered, holding up some of the article of clothing while Dev stood there slightly perplexed. That chest felt weightless to him, a mere feeling against the touch of his skin as he held it. But it now appeared to be packed full. He blinked, wanting nothing more than to rule this all up to Earth and its weird habits, but Dev was no idiot. He knew that didn’t make any sense it bothered him that he couldn’t figure it out.

"I’ll get these washed up for you.” He was snapped out of his thoughts at Magnolia voice, looking down to see her snapping the chest tight. "And while I’m at it, I’ll even run you a nice bath. You’re probably still achin’ from that fall…Maybe, I don’t know.” She quickly stated as she stood up from the floor.

“Will they fit?” He asked, referring to the clothes in the crate as she stepped away from the box.

Magnolia hummed in contemplation as she gave him a once-over, taking in his broad frame. “…Might be a tight squeeze.” She shrugged, tilting her head at him. Dev nodded, seemingly unbothered. “Tight squeeze.” He echoed, as if making a mental note.

Magnolia shook her head with a small smile at him before placing her hands on her hips and walking away. “Alright, that should do. Now, grab the crate and let’s go before I start hearing things that aren’t there.” She said, already direct above the hole in the floor fire she ended the sentence.

Dev glanced at her after effortlessly lifting up the chest, curiosity flickering in his stormy eyes. “You already believe something is here.” He stated.

She shivered at the way he said it, like he could sense something she couldn’t. Like he was leaving her point all along, when he was just using proper English. She squinted at him calling her out once again.

“…Shut up and get down the ladder.” She simply hissed before decking the ladder, making sure nothing had a chance to grab her from the shadows.

Dev complied to her demands without protest, descending first with the clothes in tow since they wouldn’t fit with the width in his hands. Magnolia quirked a brow as she watched him come down the steps with the chest held in one hand. It was an excellent display of strength, and he didn’t seem to be breaking a sweat, but it did seem like an extreme feat for any man.

Though, Dev was too average to begin with, considering…

The second her feet hit the ground, she let out a deep breath, relief washing over her. “Never again.” She muttered under her breath, placing a hand over her running heart as she closed her eyes.

Dev simply watched her, head tilted with the chest in his hands. “You are…odd.” He stated, referencing the words she’d said to him before.

Magnolia rolled her eyes. “And you’re about to be wearing my dad’s jeans, so I guess we’re both suffering from something weird.” She said. “And let’s not forget how you got here.” She said, giving him an exaggerated once over as she crossed her arms.

Dev considered this, then nodded. “Fair trade.”

She sighed, but there was a small smile on her lips. Maybe having an alien crash-land in her backyard wouldn’t be all bad. As weird as it was. And if she ever uttered those words to another living being, she’d either be put down or sent somewhere sedated. But it was a little cool, especially now having someone to talk to that could actually eroding with words rather than a ‘meow’.

Magnolia led Dev back down the stairs, his presence behind her almost too quiet for a man his size, but the soft creak of the wood beneath his steps confirmed he was there. The crate of clothes sat effortlessly in his grasp, though she barely paid it any mind—her thoughts were elsewhere.

The moment her feet hit the living room rug, she flicked on the TV and let the familiar sounds of A Different World fill the space. The laugh track, the banter between Whitley and Dwayne—it was all routine, predictable. Safe.

Dev was instantly hooked, settling into his now designated at the far end of the green couch, an intense focus that made the woman grin softly. He barely acknowledged her when she muttered about washing the clothes and getting his bath ready. She didn’t expect him to—he was too busy absorbing the show, his stormy eyes locked onto the screen as if trying to decipher some hidden message in the sitcom. Did he know what a sitcom was? Maybe that was why he was so intrigued,

She slipped away, carrying a handful of the clothes in a hamper toward the laundry room attached to the back of her kitchen. Her movements were calm, steady. Her hands didn’t shake, her breath remained even. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t feeling everything that had clawed at her in that cramped, dark space upstairs. With her now being out of his sight, almost if her body sense it, it felt like a weight was placed upon her.

Magnolia had always hated that room.

The smell of dust and aged wood clung to her like something alive, sinking into her skin, into her lungs. She dressed the blank space, the darkness a thick blanket of everything she never wanted to face again. The stillness of it, the way the air seemed too thick—it had felt like a tomb. Like a grave full of things she wasn’t ready to lay to rest.

Her father’s old things. As well as his mother’s.

It should’ve been easier by now. People always said time softened the sharp edges of grief, made it easier to carry. But Magnolia knew the truth—time didn’t heal, it just buried. It packed things away in trunks and crates, left them in attics and basements, let them gather dust until one day, someone like her had to open them again.

Her fingers tightened around a flannel shirt before she forced herself to toss it into the machine.

She didn’t cry. She didn’t even sigh. She just loaded the clothes, turned on the washer, and let it run.

She then moved to the bathroom, walking up the stairs to the one located at the end of the hall, near her room. She set the water to just the right warmth, a little on the hotter side in order to serve its purpose for his aches. She then grabbed a towel, scooped some epsom salt into the water grabbed ab extra bar of soap for him. She went through the motions like second nature. If she kept moving, kept working, she wouldn’t have to think about it too hard.

Wouldn’t have to think about how quiet the house had become over the years.

Wouldn’t have to think about all the voices that had once filled her grandmother’s old home—her father’s deep drawl, her mother’s softer lilt, the sound of laughter over home-cooked meals.

Wouldn’t have to think about how much emptier it felt now, despite Dev’s heavy presence in the next room.

She swallowed, gripping the edge of the basin tub as she steadied herself.

This wasn’t the time to linger in ghosts.

She took a breath, then released it slowly before turning off the water.

By the time she walked back into the living room, she had on a small, easy smile. A mask, but one that fit well.

“Alright, sassy bottom, your bath’s ready.” She said, crossing her arms as she looked at the man on her couch, entrapped in the television. Dev barely tore his gaze from the TV, murmuring, “What is a Whitley?” before finally acknowledging her. Magnolia just huffed a small laugh, shaking her head.

“C’mon, Dwayne. You can solve the mysteries of the 90s after you get cleaned up, we still got diner to make.” She said. Dev nodded, though he cast a longing glance back at the screen before standing. "Thank you." He said, his blue gaze intense as he looked down at her, walking over. Magnolia waved him off like it wasn’t a big deal, but her stomach fluttered at the softness in his tone. "It’s all fine. Take your time." She said softly, and then watched him go, arms crossed loosely over her chest, and for the first time that night, she let herself accept a small, strange truth—

Maybe, just maybe, this house wouldn’t feel so empty for a little while longer.

And now, with him in bath, she could get started on diner. She took the salmon out of the freezer, running it under some warm water to let it defrost. She hissed at herself, knowing she should’ve taken it out earlier, but she was too preoccupied with the new to earth human she now existed with. She shrugged before placing the vaccines seal fish into a bowl of cold water and placing it in the microwave to defrost, not carrying about anything else but speeding up the process. She’ll think of the consequences later.

She didn’t even change into proper clothing before she put on her rain boots and walked into her backyard, lit up by the fair lights she had hanging outside. She dug up the small red potatoes she grew, placing them in whicker basket she grabbed from her back porch, choosing it ignore the giant crater she still had on the right side of her lawn. She brought those veggies in to wash off while the fish continued to unthaw. She wanted those cooking asking with the fish, so she waited a few minutes before taking the fish out. She cleaned and season her fish and was about to start cutting her potatoes into small chunks when she heard the sound of that soft bell.

She looked up to, seeing Mufasa sitting outside of the kitchen arch. He let out a small ‘meow’ when they made eye contact, as if speaking to her. Magnolia took in a small gasp, emailing I’ve at him. “Look at you, following the rules and not coming into my kitchen.” She grinned. “I would give you some fish but it’s cooking right now so you’ll have to wait for your salmon dinner from the pantry.” She said, placing another piece of fish into the small drop of olive oil that was in the hot pan.

She then wiped her hands on a dish towel and walked over to the doorway, leaning against the paining and sliding down until her bottom hit the floor, regarding the fluffy orange cat sitting just outside the threshold. Mufasa flicked his tail lazily, eyes half-lidded as if unimpressed by her amusement.

“I guess you can be trained, mister.” She teased, crossing her arms as she grinned at the feline.

Another small, unimpressed meow.

She smirked, shaking her head before glancing back toward the stove. She had two more pieces of salmon seasoned, waiting to be cooked, and the potatoes needed chopping. But for just a second, she allowed herself to linger, watching Mufasa as he watched her. She tried hard everyday but to be a crazy cat intent, but her grumpy boy made that hard with every waking moment. Even though he seemed like an old man, fed up with her every time she opened her mouth, she knew the love they had for one another was deep.

He had always been a quiet sort of companion. Independent but ever-present, slipping in and out of the house like a ghost who refused to be exorcised. Magnolia had never minded—she preferred it, actually. Mufasa didn’t demand anything from her. Didn’t ask questions. Didn’t press into things she wasn’t ready to say. He was just there, a warm presence in an otherwise empty home.

Empty until now.

Her gaze flickered toward the upstairs hallway that she could somewhat see from her space at the kitchen entrance next to the foyer. Her ear couldn’t pick up on anything from the far bathroom, but his presence was felt. She just started as Mufasa watched her, the girl wondering if he was undoubtedly trying to make sense of whatever foreign human ritual she had just subjected him to with no explanation. The thought made her lips twitch in amusement, but the feeling was brief. She really hoped he knew what a bath was.

For years, it had just been her and Mufasa. A quiet house. A quiet life.

Now, there was someone else.

Mufasa meowed again, softer this time, as if sensing the shift in her mood. Magnolia sighed, looking down at him as he waked closer and rubbed his fur against her clothes legs.

“I know.” She murmured. “It’s weird, huh? There’s a man here. An actual person.”

The cat only blinked as it softly purred, unbothered.

Magnolia let out a breath before straightening up as she stood. “Alright, I gotta finish dinner before the new houseguest comes running.” She said, more to herself than him.

Mufasa took this as his cue to saunter off, tail high, as if he had already lost interest in whatever Magnolia was dealing with. She watched him go before turning back to her task, flipping the piece of fish in the pan over before adding another to the skillet. Weird or not, Dev was here. And for the first time in a long time, Magnolia wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that.

After that, the dryer beeped. She walked over, only taking out something she knew the man could wear now since she didn’t have time to do the rest. A fresh shirt and shirts, even a clean pair of undies, in her hands, she walked up the stairs and to the bathroom door. Giving the white painted wood a few soft knock before she spoke. “Uh, I got you sine fresh clothes.” She said. It was silent for a moment before Dev spoke. “Okay.” Was all he said, causing the girl to wince, feeling like she was bagging him while he was trying to relax. “I’ll j-just leave these right here. Out here, by the door.” She said awkwardly, placing the clean clothes in the floor outside of the bathroom and then scurrying away.

Dev, in the other hand, was trying to understand why the hell he could not only hear the conversation she just had with Mufasa’s from all the way downstairs, but why he heard a heartbeat that was his think quickly in his ears.

A few minutes later, she was halfway done with the food when she realized she didn’t have enough potatoes. So she quickly slipped in her booth, that was on the back porch, and went to pick some more.

She went out in the garden, knelt in the dirt and placing the vegetables in her shirt since she was moving too fast to grab her basket that was about twelve feet away.

The night air was cool, the scent of damp earth and growing things soothing her nerves. The breeze was drifting over her skin at a constant pace, lightly blowing her hair and smooth her sticky body from the hot kitchen she just left. She looked up when she heard footsteps from the porch, seeing Dev’s large figure in her back door.

"You’re... harvesting?" Dev’s voice sounded closer than it was as he stepped more out onto the porch, filled with quiet curiosity as he watched the girl pick a few more potatoes. He had passed the cooking food on his way out here, hearing her steady breaths as she worked frantically but was internally calm, something he could hear now, it seemed. He was now dressed in a shirt muscle suit and black shorts, no socks or anything for him yet, but he didn’t seem to mind. He actually seems more than comfortable the way he was, hands placed into the gym short pockets.

Magnolia glanced up, smiling. "Pickin’ some extra potatoes for dinner. Thought they’d go nice with the salmon." She said, dusting off the small round veggie and placing it makeshift sack—her shirt. "I don’t usually do it like this.” She state with a nervous laugh as she stood up to walk past him. “Ever had fresh-picked before?" She asked as she struggled to come out of her garden boots. Dev was a bit to respond, but stopped as she watched the women struggle. He then waked closer behind her, placing his hands under her armpits and lifted her up with ease.

Magnolia’s eyes widened as she unexpectedly became weightless. She blinked, still hooding her shirt up to carry those extra potatoes, and the thought of her food cooking was the only that got her to quickly kick off her boots while she had the chance. One the rubbed shies were off, she turned to the man behind her, an unexplainable look in her face.

Dev looked down at her, his hands still hovering near her sides, as if ready to catch her again. Magnolia’s heart thumped harder than she cared to admit.

“That was—” She paused, searching for the right word.

“Efficient,” Dev supplied, deadpan.

Magnolia narrowed her eyes. “I was gonna say unnecessary.” He seems to really know how to bring the nasty attitude out of her, even if it wasn’t 100% all of the time. Dev simply tilted his head, clearly not understanding. “You were struggling.” He pointed out with a shrug.

Magnolia huffed, adjusting her grip on her shirt full of potatoes. “I had it under control.” She stated.

He then studied her for a moment, his gaze intense as he thought. She never really liked helped, unless she asked. And based off the way she asked earlier, she definitely didn’t like that either. But Dev knew that type of keen he was, and that sort of attitude was only never going to cut it. So he just nodded, stepping back slightly. “Noted.” He stated.

She stared at him, lips pressing together. She didn’t think it wood end that soon. She had known the man only hire and she knew that he wasn’t one to back down so easily, and now she felt mad for constantly giving him attitude. “Okay.” She said softly, her big eyes looking up at him.

Dev simply nodded, looking down at her with his it eyes. "And no,” He admitted. "We had... food, but not like this." He stated, referring to her previous question.

Magnolia wasn’t sure what to make of that, but she nodded. "Well, you’re in for a treat." She grinned, hoping to bring back the lively mood they always had before tiring to take her way to check on her food. Dev stayed where he was for a moment, his mind processing what just happened. He wasn’t sure why he had helped her so quickly. He had barely thought about it—just reacted. And the sensation of holding her, even for that brief moment, lingered in his hands like an imprint.

He then followed her inside, observing as she quickly added the last piece of fish into the skillet before taking it the other piece. She then turned to the sink, washing and chopping the potatoes.

Dev watched her work, his sharp eyes following the rhythm of her hands as she chopped the potatoes with practiced ease. The scent of the cooking salmon filled the kitchen, warm and rich, and something about it—about this—felt oddly grounding.

His gaze flickered from the sizzling pan to her hands, his head tilting slightly as he asked, "How do you know when it’s ready?"

She chuckled, stirring the fish. "You just do. Takes practice."

Magnolia, for her part, tried not to focus too much on the fact that Dev was still hovering nearby, his presence far too solid for her to ignore. She snuck a glance at him, noting the way he stood—relaxed but attentive, his arms loosely crossed behind his back, like he was taking everything in.

“You gonna keep watchin’ me cook, or you wanna help?” She asked, raising a brow.

Dev blinked, as if the idea hadn’t occurred to him. “What would I do?”

Magnolia gestured toward the potatoes. “Here, dry these off.” She handed him a towel, waiting to see if he’d fumble the task.

He didn’t. He took the towel, picked up a handful of the wet chunks, and carefully patted them dry, his large hands surprisingly precise for someone who probably never had to do something so… ordinary.

Magnolia hummed in approval. “Not bad.” She said with a grin and a small shrug.

Dev glanced up. “Really?” He asked with wide and hopeful eyes, a small smile on his lips, the first one Magnolia had never seen out of him. “Yeah.” She said, her smile enlarging as she watched him grin for himself, an odd sense of proudness settling over her.

He considered that for a moment, then shrugged. “Thanks.”

It was then diner between them, Magnolia giving Dev more potatoes to fry while she alternated between cooking the fish and the vegetables. She glanced up at him before decking to speak again. “Ya know.” She said, catching his attention. “You’re real good at pickin’ me up like I weigh nothin’.” She muttered. “Not too sure how I feel about that. Since you’re living in my house and all.” She said, wanting to catch his reaction in order to plane her next move around what to do with a man with strength that profound.

Dev blinked, then glanced down at his own hands as if surprised by his own strength. “You do weigh something.” He assured her, almost as if he thought that would help.

Magnolia let out a short laugh, shaking her head. “That ain’t exactly comfortin’.” She grinned.

He was quiet for a beat before asking, “Would it help if I pretended you were heavy?”

That caught her off guard. Magnolia squinted at him, trying to tell if he was joking. His expression was unreadable, but something about the way he stood—so still, so patient—told her he was completely serious. She then huffed out a laugh, shaking her head as she flipped the fish. “That might just make it worse.” She admitted, giving him a side glance. “Like you tryna spare my feelings or somethin’.”

Dev frowned, considering this. “That’s not my intent.” He assured her, his mind racing with all the new details she was discovering of himself in her home. First the unexplainable strength, then the sight, and now the hearing. Her gaze made it seem like she knew if it already, but he didn’t want risk it and scare her, hell, they’re both still terrified firm the crash.

Magnolia smirked. “I know, I’m just messin’ with you.”

He seemed to relax at that, though his gaze lingered on her for a second longer before he returned to drying the potatoes, though his hearing tuned in again, catching the steady rhythm of her heartbeat as she moved inside. It was stronger now, more pronounced.

Different.

Something about her was changing, too.

Dev kept his expression neutral, but his mind was already running through possibilities. His senses had been sharp since arriving on Earth—tuned into every unfamiliar sound, scent, and movement—but Magnolia was the only thing that seemed to be shifting in real time. Her heartbeat, her breathing, even the subtle changes in her scent.

Was it the crash? Was it him?

He didn’t know, and that unsettled him more than he’d like to admit.

Magnolia, unaware of his inner turmoil, grabbed a fork and poked at the fish. “Almost done.” She murmured, mostly to herself. She then turned to check on Dev and found him already staring at her, his expression unreadable. But this was something she had gotten used to in the day that they’ve known each other.

She still frowned, however, tilting her head at him. “You good?” She asked, taking a small step towards him. Dev blinked, her soft voice running in his ears and snapping him out of his thoughts. He just nodded, but she wasn’t convinced.

“You sure?” She pressed, narrowing her eyes slightly. “You look like you just seen a ghost.” Her eyes then widen, looking at him. “Did you see a ghost? In the attic or in here? What did it look like? Do you even know what a ghost is? Or maybe you’re sick. Oh my, I should call uncle Leroy again, huh?” She rushed out, begging to panic with an onslaught of unanswered questions. She tried to move to go get her phone but was caught by Dev, his hands in her side of her shoulders as he tried to calm her down. He was quick to hold up a hand, stopping her mid-ramble with wide eyes. “No ghosts.” He assured her, his voice calm but firm. “And I’m not sick.” He stated, trying not to dwell on what the hell a ghost was.

Magnolia studied him with large eyes that shined under the lights in the kitchen, clearly not convinced. “You hesitated.” She accuse me with a pout.

Dev sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was just thinking.” He admitted softly, his eyes flicking from her face.

“About what?”

He paused. He couldn’t exactly tell her “I think you’re changing in a way I can’t explain, but I’m not sure if it’s you or just me and I don’t know if it’s my fault or yours.” Instead, he opted for something very vague but still truthful. “You.”

Magnolia blinked, eye widening some, but for a different reason. She was now thrown off. “Me?” She questioned softly, trying not to freak out about the way her heart skipped at his words.

He nodded, watching her closely. “You said you feel fine, but… are you sure? No headaches? No dizziness? No… unusual sensations?”

Magnolia frowned, her face heating up. She was now looking at herself, checking her arms as if expecting to see something out of place. “I mean, now that you mention it, my left pinky toe’s been achin’ a little—”

Dev exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Magnolia.” He said firmly, causing the woman to snap her moth shut as she looked up at her. He didn’t drop the serious look, making her let out a small sigh. “I’m fine, Dev.” She said, softer this time. “What’s this really about? This caused him to hesitate, meeting her gaze. She was sharp—smarter than she let on. He could either keep deflecting, or he could tell her just enough to make her cautious.

“I just…think you should’ve gotten a check up at Leroy’s too.” He said Sidney, but able to meet her eyes. And Magnolia felt her heart clench at the sheer adorableness this large grown man exuded, causing her to poke out her button lip as she looked at him. “Awww, are you worried about me, sugarplum?” She asked in a high pitched vice, moving her hand up to cup his cheek and make him look her in the eyes. Dev rolled his eye at her, he didn’t speak or move in protest to her soft grip on his face.

Dev stood still, his eyes narrowing slightly at the playful teasing in her voice, but there was no mistaking the sincerity in his gaze. He didn’t flinch from her touch, even though he wasn’t used to such casual affection, especially not from someone who, just moments ago, had been on the defensive.

Magnolia’s teasing grin softened as she continued to hold his gaze, still cupping his cheek gently. “You know, I can take care of myself.” She said softly, her tone changing just slightly as she looked into his eyes, sensing the worry beneath his casual stance. When she got no response, she squinted at him, shaking his face in her hand.“I said I feel fine.” She said. “A little tired, maybe, but that’s ‘cause somebody crashed into my yard and threw my whole week off.”

Dev huffed through his nose, a sound dangerously close to amusement. “I did apologize.” He stated, his lips slightly puckered due to her hand still hold her cheeks in between her finger and her thumb. “It’s not like I want to land here.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Magnolia waved him off with a boop to his nose, moving to platte the fish and vegetables. “You’re still on thin ice.” She playfully threatened. There was then a long pause before she spoke again. Though, this time she wasn’t looking up at him, and her voice was so soft he probably wouldn’t have been able to hear her if it wasn’t for his newfound trait. “But I appreciate you caring.” She said softly before glancing his way.

Dev didn’t know how to respond to that, and for a moment, he simply let the silence hang between them. It felt different. The way she was looking at him—like he wasn’t just the guy who had come crashing into her life, but someone who mattered. Started to matter in their little amount of time together. Someone who was starting to understand her.

He cleared his throat, finally breaking the quiet. “Just… don’t ignore stuff that could be important, okay?” He said, his voice gruff but with an undercurrent of concern. “It’s not about whether you can take care of yourself. It’s about what happens if something happens when you don’t see it coming.” He stated with a firm nod. Magnolia blinked, a hint of confusion in her gaze. And for the first time in a while, her usual confident smirk faltered slightly. She hadn’t expected this kind of vulnerability from him. And yet, here it was.

“Alright, honeybunch.” She said, her voice quieter now but still playful. “I’ll take that under advisement.”

“And if anything does feel off… you’ll tell me, right?”

Magnolia studied him for a long moment before nodding. “Yes, Dev” She said. “I’ll tell you.” Her tie was beginning to become tired, having enough of his contact questioning. “You’re worse than me when you landed in my yard, Papa Bear.” She said, seeing him a small smiled She wasn’t sure why she was making that promise to begin with. Maybe it was the way his usually unreadable face seemed to soften just a little, or the way his eyes searched hers like he needed her to say it.

Either way, she’d keep her word.

Dev watched her for a moment longer, his mind still lingering on the change he was sensing. Whatever it was, it wasn’t harming her. Not yet. But he’d keep an eye on it.

On her.

Dinner was quiet but comfortable. Not much to be said after an oddly heavy conversation they had at the stove only moments ago. Magnolia watched out of the corner of her eye as Dev took slow, thoughtful bites, his brow furrowing slightly like he was committing each flavor to memory. She couldn’t help but smile to herself as she noticed the way Dev savored each bite. She didn’t say anything at first, just letting the comfortable silence stretch between them, but a part of her felt proud.

After a few more moments of him chewing slowly, as if weighing each flavor, Dev looked up at her. “This…this is really good.” He said, his voice low and sincere. “I didn’t expect it to be like this.”

Magnolia’s grin widened, the playful edge returning to her voice. “You didn’t think I could cook?” She teased, lifting her glass of water for a sip.

Dev raised an eyebrow, almost looking a little defensive. “I didn’t say that.” He paused, his eyes flicking down to his plate for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “I remember you said you love cooking. That’s what you die for work.” He said before looking back to at her, catching her eyes. Magnolia, though she didn’t show it, was happy to hear that he remembered, nodding her head at him. “Yea.” She said with a small smile. “I do love cooking. But, I enjoy being more.” She stated.

“Why do you enjoy cooking so much?” He asks with a tilt of his head, causing Magnolia to subconsciously mimic him as she looked him in the eyes, answering his question. “Well, sugarplum, there’s something satisfying about making sure the people you care about have a full belly.” She grinned, jarring out a small laugh.

Dev blinked, as if taken off guard by her words, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. His gaze softened slightly, a small shift in his expression as he seemed to be processing something. Magnolia didn’t push, letting the quiet linger as the warmth of the meal and their conversation settled around them. It wasn’t often that Dev opened up in such a way, and even though it was a small moment, it meant something.

The comfortable silence stretched on, and Dev finally broke it again. “Well, I might just have to let you cook for me more often.” He flashed a grin, his playful side returning. “I eat a lot, if you haven’t noticed by now.” He said, caring the woman to laugh as she looked down at his plate that was practically empty, a few scarce potatoes and broccoli stems with a small chunk of his second piece of salmon. “Oh, trust me, honey, I know.” She grinned, causing the pair to laugh. And every time it happened, Magnolia tried not to get lost in his adorable smile that made his eye squint. Every time he grinned, it was like seeing it for the first time. And she pretty sure this was the first time.

Her heart did a small flutter when he caught her gaze with that quiet confidence of his. She quickly busied herself by adjusting her napkin in her lap to avoid getting too lost in the moment. “I might have to double up on the portions next time.” She chuckled.

Dev grinned. “I wouldn’t complain about that.” He replied, his voice low but with a teasing edge. He set down his fork and leaned back slightly, eyeing her with a hint of appreciation in his expression.

Magnolia met his gaze, the atmosphere between them shifting into something a bit warmer, more intimate. “Well,” She said, breaking the silence with a softer tone, “if you’re sticking around, I might just get used to cooking actual meal instead of baked goods all day.” She shrugged.

The way Dev looked at her—so effortlessly relaxed but with that underlying intensity—caught her off guard. She didn’t even know if she was seeing it correctly, his bright eyes making everything so confusing for her as she tried not to get lost in them everyone she looked his way.

The thought that she could provide him with a space like this, where there was no need to worry about anything but the here and now, made her chest tighten a little with emotion she hadn’t expected.

Dev leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice as if sharing something more private. “I’d like that.” He said simply. “Trying your baked goods all the time.” He said, causing her to let out a small laugh. Her smile then softened. She didn’t want to say it aloud—didn’t even want to think it—but a part of her slightly hoped that things between them were quietly changing. That this could be a new beginning. For the both do them.

“Well.” She said, standing up to clear their plates, “I’m gonna hold you to that.” She gave him a look over her shoulder, the grin still tugging at the corners of her lips. “You better be ready to eat even more next time.”

Dev chuckled and sat back, his arms folded across his chest, watching her with an expression that was a little too hard to read—his usual guarded demeanor softened just enough to make her feel like there was more to him than met the eye.

“I’m ready.” He said simply, his voice barely above a whisper. And that was enough for Magnolia.

After dinner, Magnolia led Dev down the hall to the “guest” room—a space much larger than her own, though the reasons behind it were hers alone to keep. The room felt inviting, warmed by the soft glow of the heater she had turned on earlier for when he existed the bath, and the thick quilts on the bed promised comfort against the cool night air.

“This is yours for now.” She said, her voice gentle as she gestured toward the room. “I hope it’s comfortable enough. Probably can’t compete with yours back home.” She stated with a shrug before softly curing and shaking her head. “Sorry.” She apologized with a purse on her lips, looking over at the tall man.

Dev stepped inside, pausing for a moment to take it all in. The cozy atmosphere seemed to put him at ease, but his attention shifted back to her, his gaze steady. “You’ve done more for me than I can repay.” He said quietly, sincerity laced in his words. “I won’t ever forget it, Magnolia.” And there it was, he used her name again. And she swore she almost collapsed under his gaze and shake her names caused within her firm his tongue. Her chest tightened, a flutter in her heart that caught her off guard. She leaned against the doorframe, her smile soft but warm. “Get some rest, Dev.” She said, her tone reassuring, not wanting to linger on the heaviness of his gratitude.

She left him there, her footsteps light as she made her way back to her own room. And all throughout the south bath if her own. All though your getting dressed. Ann until she she slipped under the covers, she couldn’t help but think the stillness of the house felt different. She couldn’t quite silence the thoughts swirling in her mind, nor the sense of quiet comfort that crept in knowing Dev was just across the hall. She listened for the faint sound of movement, the soft rustle of sheets, and the steady presence that seemed to have settled into her home. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to soothe her, to make the night feel less lonely.

@kneelarmhstrung @winorlosetogether @joshuafatubaee

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“So, we need to get some sort of story in order before we see Uncle Leroy.” She said, her flyaways blowing within the wind.

The golden sunlight of Louisiana filtered through the dense canopy of oak trees draped in Spanish moss, casting dappled shadows on the winding dirt road. Magnolia had one hand on the steering wheel of her old pickup truck, the other tapping nervously on the door of the open window. The ride was silent the majority of the time it took them to get to Leroy’s. Dev’s eyes were trained out of the window, jumping between all of the different things he could as they went from the scarce homes of the countryside to the French-style city. He would see the occasional stray dog that ran with some others as they raced for scraps or a stork rise for the waters and fly off.

Magnolia would glance over now and then, watch as Dev leaned forward slightly, his piercing eyes scanning everything outside with the intensity of someone cataloging the world for the first time. She assumed speaking would snap him out of his thoughts, but his gaze was focused intensely out of the window.

“You don’t blink much, do you?” Magnolia asked, squinting over at him out of the corner of her eye.

Dev turned his gaze to her at that, his expression calm but curious. “Blinking is inefficient when observing. I might miss something important.” She stated.

“You sound like some sort is soldier.” She said, letting out a small chortle. She glanced over at him to see his eyes flicker away from her, his jaw flexing quickly as he trained his eyes out of the car again. She could see that her statement hit a nerve, so she just awkwardly cleared her throat. “Well, now that I have your attention.” She began as her fingers flexed on the wheel. “When we get to Uncle Leroy’s, just let me do all the talking, okay? He’s old and suspicious of everything so there will be a lot of questions and I don’t want his mumbo jumbo to confuse you.” Her words only caused Dev to furrow his brows slightly, glancing over at her.

“Mumbo Jumbo?” He questioned. Magnolia just blinked at him. “Right.” She said. “Uh, forget that. Let’s just get our story straight, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Um….”She trailed off as she thought, tapping her fingers against the door her arm rested on. “You’re a friend from college!” She stated, glancing over at him with a nervous smile. “We can say you’re in the military and you just got back from deployment and needed a place to stay.” She said with a grin.

“Why would I choose to stay with you?” Dev asked, blinking over at her. Her grin faltered slightly as she glanced from the road and over to him. “Because we’re college friends?” She asked herself more than she answered him, thinking over the logic of their plan.

“Why wouldn’t I stay with family?” Dev continued.

“They’re dead,” Magnolia stated simply with a shrug, not taking her eyes off the road as her grin appeared again since she came up with another take that seemed to fit their plan. “See, it checks out now.” She stated, not charging the way Dev’s eyes seemed to dim. His jaw tightened as he focused his eyes down at his hands, which were clenched together in his lap as he tried to keep his composure. “That won’t be too hard for me to adjust to.” He stated plainly. Magnolia glanced over at him due to his deep tone, deeper than usual. It was filled with dread and anger, although it was masked to seem like average indifference.

She blinked once she registered his words, her gaze returning back to the road. She internally cursed herself out for being so forward. She felt her heart clench as she thought it over again and again in her mind. He was so lost, in a strange world with no family. Everything was unfamiliar to him and he could barely remember how he ended up here. He was helpless. And she wasn’t making it any better.

“Well, let’s just scrap that all then.” She stated softly. “It wouldn’t make much sense for you to be in the U.S. military anyways with your accent and all.” She said, turning her head to look out of her driver-side window as she cringed again as words kept slipping out of her mouth. She didn’t mean to keep bringing up how different he was and his home but she couldn’t help it. They are coming up with his background story after all, so they don’t have to explain that he fell from the sky in some unknown object.

“We’ll just say that you’re an exchange student, in a way but still a college friend.” She began again. “You’re here to gain the full American experience, the one you didn’t really get in university since you were always on campus, and I’m your host.“ She looked over at him for any sign that she probably said something wrong again, only to be met with a simple nod from him. She subconsciously copied his actions before turning back to the road, engaging them in another moment of silence.

Magnolia wanted nothing more than to apologize. She felt that she always seemed to say the wrong things to him. She didn’t really know how to house anyone despite being the southern belle people assume she is because she bakes pastries at her friend’s cafe. So add not only a stranger but an alien, a hot alien that crashed into her backyard….She felt that she was owed the right to be a little confused and on edge.

She also couldn’t describe this strong pull she felt towards him. She felt this urge to care for him and be there to get him to open up some. Dev gave off this strong and intimidating aura, but she could see right through it with every little move he made. Granted, maybe everything she was thinking and feeling was the after-effects of the crash. It’s not every day something like that happens and it’s probably some reverse Stockholm syndrome. And it also could do with the fact that she was a decent human being and would always help another in need if she could But she hasn’t felt this sort of pull to anything or anyone besides Mufasa when she found him in the rain outside of work three years ago.

This entire situation was doing nothing for her lack of social cues and anxiety.

They rode the rest of the way to Uncle Leroy’s clinic in silence. Dev continued to observe everything around him, taking in all details he noted as worthy while Magnolia raced in what she would say next and whether or not it would lead to thoughts she didn’t want him to have.

Once they pulled into the parking lot of the clinic which was surrounded by other businesses, Magnolia stopped the car. “Follow me.” She said as she gathered her bag and then hopped out of the dark, unknowingly slamming the large metal behind her. Dev followed with no question, almost taking himself out as he tried to hurry after her and forgot he still had his seatbelt on. Magnolia turned around when she heard a soft strangled noise, but only saw Dev exit the car and quickly close the door behind him before fixing his clothes. She just simply shook her head, thinking it was nothing.

The bell above the door chimed as the pair walked in, Magnolia in front of him. He followed her to a small counter where he could see a woman sitting behind a computer, typing away. “Hey, Jess.” She looked up at the sound of the bell, offering a small smile to the familiar face of Magnolia, but doing a double take at the unfamiliar man behind her.

“Hey, Magnolia.” The woman said as she ceased her typing and once between the two. “What’s up with you today? You don’t have an appointment.”

“Oh, I know,” Magnolia stated nonchalantly. “I just need a walk-in for my—.” She paused mid-sentence as she glanced over her shoulder, expecting to find Dev in one of the available lobby seats, but was met with the sight of the man’s broad chest directly behind her. Her eyes quickly bounced up, catching his eyes when he looked down at her. “My friend. He’s new to…well, the country.” She added as she looked back over at the woman behind the desk, letting out a small laugh at the end. Dev looked back at the woman as well, giving her a polite smile. “Hello.” He said.

And it was as if the sound of his voice ignited something within the woman, causing her to let out a giggle as she looked at him. “Hi.” She grinned, not taking her eyes off of him. Dev blinked at her, his smile only faltering slightly at the woman’s odd behavior. Magnolia's brows twitched, looking at the woman who was no longer paying her any attention and cutting her eyes to the tall man next to her who seemed to be a little uncomfortable.

After flicking her questioning gaze between the two for only a few seconds longer, she cleared her throat. “Jess?” She said.

“Yeah?” Jess responded her eyes only momentarily leaving Dev’s figure to look over at Magnolia as she bit at her lip, trying to keep her grin at bay.

“We’re gonna go to my uncle's office, Kay?” She said, not even trying to set up a walk-in appointment anymore. She was going to lie and say the man knew she would be here but there was no point in any of that since the receptionist seemed more than occupied just staring at the man next to her.

“Yeah, sure.” Jess sighed, still looking at the man next to her. Magnolia blinked, trying to keep her words at bay as a sour feeling spread through her chest. She just gave the woman a sarcastic smile, not that she could even see it, before reaching back and grabbing ahold of Deb’s hand to pull him away.

Dev didn’t protest the feeling of the woman’s grip on him, only glancing down at the contact and up at the back of her head as she pulled him through the foggy glass door to their left. It was silent as she dragged him down the hall, passing rooms with doors open as waiting patients sat for a doctor and some closed as they convoluted over their meeting. Dev could feel the annoyance radiating off of her Magnolia as she led him through the hall of the small clinic. He couldn’t tell what had her angry, but by the way, she gripped his hand and the small frown he saw before she turned her back to him, she was a little ticked off.

She composed herself when they got to a wooden door near the end of one of the halls she led them through. The name ‘Dr.Jenkins’ was written on the foggy glass panel in gold ink and fancy writing. Dev watched as Magnolia took in a deep breath and then let it out, her eyes closed as she tried to gain a sense of herself back.

She then turned and looked up at him, trying not to jump back at the sight of his bright eyes already on her. “You ready?” She asked, her voice as soft as ever.

“Yes,” Dev said, giving her a single nod. Magnolia nodded herself before opening the door, not even caring to knock.

Her smile was large as she stepped into the room, Dev’s hands still in hers. “Hey, Uncle Leroy.” She said to the man behind the desk, who looked up at the sound of his door opening. The man had small, rectangular glasses sitting on the edge of his nose, looking over from the papers on his desk and over the frames to see them.

His face automatically broke out into a grin at the sight of the woman. “Hey, my little moon pie.” He said, his voice light and smooth with a scruffy undertone. He stood from the seat of his leather chair, and that’s when Magnolia finally let go of Dev’s hand, moving to meet the man halfway, around the large dark wooden desk, in a hug. Dev watched as she smiled largely as she wrapped her arms around the man, trying not to pay attention to the cold feeling that washed over him once her hand left his.

They rocked back and forth for a few seconds, savoring the embrace. They then pulled away from the hug with a breath, the older man looking down at the girl. “It’s been months.” The man began, a fond look on his face as she looked down at her. Magnolia let out a small sigh, looking aura from the man’s gaze. “The only time I hear from you is when I see you at church or work. We barely talk anymore.”

“I know, Lee, I know,” Magnolia said. “I’ve just been busy since..everything.” She said, sparing Dev a quick glance out of the corner of her eye when she paused. Dev caught on to what she was saying, but oddly enough he had a feeling she wasn’t alluding to him when she mentioned everything.

Her eyes cut to him and the man before her looked his way. The brown-skinned man's eyes scanned Dev up and down skeptically before his eyes drifted back to Magnolia only briefly. Magnolia avoided his eye, her lips pursed into an awkward smile as she gazed at Dev.

“Ah, so this is what’s kept you busy.” The man stated, before stepping around the woman. Magnolia gaped in shock at his words, tilting her head as she tried to decipher what he meant by that. Before she could question him, Leroy spoke back up, now standing before Dev. His shoulders were squared as he looked up at the taller man. Dev kept his ground, although he did shirk himself in slightly due to the man’s smaller but as well as intimidating stature. The younger man studied the older man before him, taking in his salt and pepper goatee that matched his small fro.

“And you must be?” Leroy said before holding out his hand. Dev placed his hand into his, each of their grips firm on the other. “I am Dev-Em, sir.” He answered. Magnolia silently winded when he said his name but quickly fixed it when Leroy furrowed his brows and glanced over at her. “Dev-Em?” He repeated back to the man, his tone giving way to his confusion.

“Deven!” Magnolia yelped, causing both men to look over at her. “Deven, you have to say your full name, silly.” She quickly added, letting out a nervous laugh as she eased her way over to stand back next to the new man in her life. Her smile was strained on her face and she hoped the facade wasn’t obvious as she placed her hand on Dev’s bicep. “Sorry about him, he’s getting used to the whole Southern Hospitality thing.” She said to Leroy as she glanced between him and the man she stood next to. Dev was confused by the ordeal taking place before him but just went with whatever the short woman next to him said. That is what she said in the car on the way over and he was following her orders.

“His name is Deven Embrose. He’s from the United Kingdom. It’s, like, a lil nickname thing they do over there.” She finished, her hand still connected to Dev’s skin, to which she gave a small pat.

Leroy nodded, placing his hands in his pockets as he gave the tall man another once over. “So I heard.” He said, giving a lowly gesture to his mouth as she referred to the other man’s accent. “I’ve met a few men from across the pond in my day.” He nodded. Magnolia let out another bout of anxious laughter, unknowingly leaning into Dev’s side more. Neither of them seemed to pay attention to the touch she was applying, but Leroy did glance between them suspiciously.

“Anyways!” Magnolia was quick to inject before more questions about Dev’s past could be asked. “I’m here because he needs a check-up.”

“A check-up?” The older man asked. “Why? What happened?” He questioned.

“Oh, nothing much.” Magnolia shrugged. “There was just…a tumble that..occurred.” She explained as nonchalantly as she could, making up a lie on the spot. Leroy furrowed his brows again, his eye dating between the close pair. His suspicions were loud and clear within his gaze, especially in the way he eyed the random man who was with someone he considered a daughter.

“A tumble?” He echoed.

“Yup,” Magnolia said. “It happened when we were moving his things in. He fell down the stairs with a large box in his hands.”

“Fell down the stairs?” Leroy questioned in shock, his eyes moving across the young man before him to gauge any serious wounds on him at such a serious incident. Magnolia was quick to interject his scurrying mind. “Not down all of the stairs! It was just a small tumble down, like, the bottom five. Right, Dev?”

“Yes.” The man replied with a firm nod.

It was silent for a moment, the younger duo standing close as they waited for the older man to speak.

Leroy just nodded, completely unsure and a little stunned by whatever was going in before him. He just subtly shook his head as he blinked. “Okay, well why don’t we just go to one of the available rooms and get this checkup started.” He said with a small grin. Magnolia nodded as she moved out of the way for Leroy to walk through and led them to the room.

Once he was out, Dev looked down at the woman who made her way out of the door before him.

“You’re..bad at this.” He murmured. Magnolia shot a look at him over her shoulder, taken back by his audacity. “What?” She said but didn’t have any time to respond before she stopped outside of the room Leroy did.

He clicked the lights on and gestured them into the space. “Have a seat.” He said as he moved over to the counters that held tons of average-grade medical equipment. The sound of rubber stretching echoed within the small room as Dev sat on the leather seat of the operation chair. The chair was pretty large but the big man that sat in it made it seem like it was made for his form. Magnolia stood near the chair, her stature putting her at the perfect height so that she didn’t have to crane her head to see Dev’s face clearly.

Her lips were pursed as Leroy turned around with gloves now on his hands and his stethoscope out of his white coat.

“Okay, now why don’t you just take a deep breath in for me.” He said as he stepped over, placing the bell of the tool on Dev’s chest. Dev did as he said, his chest lifting outwards. “Now, release.” Dev followed his instructions, breathing out. Leroy just let out a small hum before taking the tool out of his ear and hanging it on his neck. He then took out a pen-like flashlight from his coat pocket and clicked it on.

Magnolia stood off to the side, watching the whole produce as Leroy foaled the small light into Dev’s eyes, who flowed a little upon impact but did as the man instructed about where to look. Leroy stood with another hum, pocketing the pen. “Everything looks fine to me. I’d just need to run a few more tests before you can head out. Let me alert one of my nurses.” He said before stepping out briefly.

He came back only seconds later. “So, Deven.” He began in a questioning tone as he began to switch out his gloves. His cadence caused Magnolia to throw her back as she released a silent groan, her movement catching Dev’s attention. He furrowed his brows at her as he watched her go back to normal when Leroy turned back around. “What do you do?” He asked.

“Military, sir.” He stated, his eyes briefly jumping to the woman next to him, making sure he remembered their small conversation from the car. Magnolia’s brows twitched as she tried to keep them from peaking since she wasn’t all too sure if they had scrapped the whole military story in the car or not. She could’ve sworn they decided not to go with that idea. And while she was having a mini internal freakout, Leroy just nodded. “What branch?”

“The Navy.” Magnolia was quick to add since she was certain most of this wasn’t covered in their small conversation from the car ride over. “Marines, more specifically.” She nodded.

“But why are you here? In America?” The old man continued to question, not paying much mind to her interjection this time.

“I got injured.” Dev was quick to respond, taking the woman who had eased her way next to him aback. “It wasn’t severe but it caused a lot of physiological trauma so I retired. I also wanted a change of scenery and Magnolia offered to house an old friend.” He explained. Leroy’s stare was stagnant, never wavering from the man as he listened to his story. Magnolia was still quite shocked. Not only at his quick thinking but also the way her stomach fluttered at hearing the sound of her mane on his lips for the first time.

“Okay,” Leroy said. The pair just blinked at him.

“Okay?” Magnolia replied, her tone slightly questioning. “That’s it?” She asked. Leroy just nodded. “Yeah. I’ve known you a long time, so I know how careful you are. Plus, you’re a grown woman. I’m not gonna ask too many questions.” He stated. Magnolia just nodded, and she honestly didn't think she had it in her to be shocked by anything anymore. If anything, the last 24 hours have proved anything is possible.

“But I still do have to run these tests.” He said as he glanced down at his watch, just time for a nurse to push in the machine that would check his vitals and blood pressure.

It didn’t take them long before they were out of the door.

“That was stressful.” Magnolia sighed, her shoulder slightly slumped as she walked before Dev as the pair made their way back to the lobby, Leroy absent since he had an actual patients waiting on him. “I’m stressed. I need something sweet.” She groaned. She then glanced back over at the tall man behind her. “You want something sweet. Ya’ like ice cream? I could go for some ice cream.” She rambled as she opened the door that looked like the one they walked into earlier, however, this door led them out on the opposite side of where they walked into, to the right of the receptionist's desk.

“I do not know what that is,” Dev stated. Magnolia paused and turned to him, just staring at him as she tried to gauge any sight of a lie within his gaze. Seeing the plain look the man was giving her, just staring into her eyes with no questions asked, she then broke out into a grin. “Oh, Dev, sweetie, I have so much to show you.” She said, her soft southern drawl almost luring him into a trance as she placed her hand on his arm, subconsciously rubbing her thumb against his skin.

It was however broken by the sound of someone speaking.

“Hey.”

The pair both looked over at the sound of Jess’s voice, the woman’s eyes trained solely on the man in front of her. She stood from her chair, showing her dark purple scrubs as she leaned forward to the tall counter and pushed over a small card. “It’s for you.” She said, a sultry grin on her face as she didn’t hide the way she eyed the man before her. Dev’s brows spiked a little in interest, the man reaching over and picking up the small piece of paper to see it held an odd series of numbers.

Magnolia tried her best to hide the frown that began at her brows as she watched, her eyes jumping between the ever-stoic Dev and the thirsty receptionist, Jess. She didn’t know why, but she got this sour tang in the back of her throat at the sight of Jess’s obvious flirting. Whether it was the way she didn’t care to even ask more about Dev before throwing herself at him or the fact that she was doing this all on the clock, hell, even the possibility that she and Dev could be together. She couldn’t care less about the specifics when this woman was obviously throwing herself at him right in front of her.

Dev blinked at the small card before looking back up at her. “Thanks.” He said, no smile, not even a nod. He just held the white card stock up in acknowledgment. Magnolia softly scoffed before quickly turning on her heels and strutting out of the clinic, her bunch of curly hair swinging on the top of her head. Dev was quick to follow her, not even sparing the woman behind him a glance as she tried to keep up with the only thing he knew in his new life.

The bell above the door chimed as they exited the clinic, entering the blazing sun shining down on them even from under the awning. Dev could feel a source of every course through his veins as he stood in the light but didn’t have time to focus on it before he felt the small card be ripped from his hands. He watched as Magnolia ripped the paper into pieces and then pocketed the scraps. She then pulled her keys from her purse, all in silence as Dev simply watched her.

Due to the pause in the atmosphere, she looked up once she held her keys to her truck to see the man staring at her. “What? I don’t litter.” She said before turning from him and walking over to her truck.

Dev followed behind her as usual, getting inside the odd contraption as he did before. “What was that she’d given me?” He asked as he copied the way to put on the seatbelt from watching her, glancing back now and then to see if it was correct.

“Her phone number.” She replied.

“What’s that?”

“It’s the way we communicate here without being face to face. We write letters as well but that takes too long. But then again, we also have electronic letters such as emails and text, so, I don’t know.” She shrugged, her tone flat as she started the car and began to pull out. Dev nodded, taking in what she said at face value since she didn't seem too in the mood to offer more context. Something both of them didn't bother to question.

“Why did she give me her number? Aren’t you her friend?”

Magnolia scoffed, glancing over at him. “Hell no, I’m just nice to her because it’s the right thing to do. She’s just doing her job and she works for my uncle.” She shrugged again. “And she gave you her number because she don’t want nothing but to get in the drawls.” She scoffed again, her tone bridging in pissed as she gripped the steering wheel.

“What?” Dev asked full-on confusion written across his face as he looked at her, not even focused on his task of gaining information by observing his surroundings. Magnolia paused, glancing over at him to see the look he was giving her. “She wanted nothing more than to just sleep with you, Dev.” She said bluntly. “That’s why she gave you her number. So you could call, talk, flirt a little, go out, and then hook up.” She explained as if it was obvious. Dev understood most of what she was saying, but he was still sort of lost on some parts.

“Hook up? What is that, how do you hook up?” He questioned.

“Sex.” She stated. “Hooking up is sex. Mating. The act most things do to reproduce offspring.” For some reason, she had no trouble explaining such things to him. Even though it was sort of awkward because she never really had to have “The Talk”™️ ever in her life, especially with a grown man, and with the way he was staring at her so intensely. But it seemed to just flow out. This conversation would probably be their easiest because every culture and race had to have sex…right? That’s how they had to reproduce?

“Ahh.” Dev nodded once he understood what it all meant. He then frowned, as if thinking over it all now. “She wanted to mate with me? We wouldn’t even be compatible. Her genetic makeup doesn’t offer anything to mine.” He said. Magnolia squinted her eyes in thought, blinking as she registered the way he stated that in her mind. She opened her mouth to respond but came out saying nothing.

“Hey, the check-up wasn’t so bad, was it?” She chimed in after a moment of silence. Dev glanced back over at her, giving a silent nod before realizing she probably couldn’t see him. “It went well. Odd, but well.” He said. “You’re terrible at lying on the spot, though.” He added.

Magnolia opened her mouth to say something snarky at his comment, but could only let out a small sigh. “Yeah, I know. I get nervous when being put on the spot.”

“Your uncle is an interesting character.”

“Yeah, he gets that a lot. I say he’s a little nosy but he likes to call it cautious. My grandma used to blame his age but he’s been like that my whole life and I’m almost thirty.” She told, a fond grin making its way into her face as memories began to flash in her mind. Memories filled with the family she used to have and the good times she always thought of before closing her eyes at night for a good night's rest.

Dev could sense the newfound softness in her voice at the mention of her grandmother. He stared at her, watching the subtle smile grace her lips as she zoned off within the hum of the road. He wanted to question more about what seemed to be the connection between the old man and her but could tell it was a sensitive subject by every mention of her. That and whatever that small conversation between her and Leroy was before his presence was made known.

“So, you wanna try some ice cream or what?” She suddenly asked, glancing over at him. Dev simply nodded, causing her to grin as she drove to the perfect spot.

────୨ৎ────

Before he could even get to observe his surroundings, they out of the car and walking into another establishment that had a lot of windows. The bell above the door chimed again, causing him to look up. “Another bell. Why the bell?” He asked, following closely behind the woman as his senses became invaded with a plethora of smells and sounds. He blinked frantically with a small frown, trying to clear his mind of the loud noise that surrounded him.

“It alerts the staff that new customers have arrived.” He heard Magnolia’s voice speak over the chaos, and it was as if that was all he needed to snap back in. Honing in on the sound of her voice caused the other sounds around him to come to a halt, to the point where he didn’t even hear them anymore. “It gets annoying but diners tend to keep that traditional vibe for some reason.” She finished with a shrug. She gave the person behind the counter a large smile with a wave before moving her way through the diner.

The pair passed countless booths that held a variety of people, from kids who were full of sugar and agitating their parents to groups of teens who gossiped around the small devices in their hands. Dev looked around at it all while it seemed that Magnolia led them somewhere she wanted to go since some of the tables they passed were empty.

He stopped, watching her drop herself into a booth by the window, scooting in the middle of the seat. Dev followed suit, watching as she pulled the large menus from the little folder stand next to her and handed him one.

He copied her actions, looking at the variety of names in the list before him. Some held small pictures of the food next to its name, but majority of the list he had no idea what was. Except water and he wasn’t quite sure why that was on the menu since it held no price next to it.

“I have no idea what any of this is.” He spoke as he placed the menu down on the table with a little force, sort of fed up with being utterly confused by most of everything around him. Magnolia hummed, placing her menu down as well with a nod. “I figured. Are you hungry?” She asked.

“No.” He shook his head innocently, staring at her. “I ate quite a bit this morning.” Magnolia let out a small chuckle at his words. “Boy, don’t I know it. I’m gonna have to go grocery shopping this week. I mean, I know I cooked it all but usually I have leftovers.” She said. Dev looked down, his eyes darting to his hands on the table. He couldn’t help but feel a little bad at that. That he was invading her space.

Magnolia’s smile faded slightly. She reached her arm across the table, placing her smaller hand atop his large ones. “Hey,” She said in a soft tone. She tilted her head down just as he looked up at her call, connecting his bright-colored eyes with hers. “I’m just pokin’ fun.” She stated with a mere grin. “I’m happy to have you in my home. I know have someone who can respond to the nonsense that I say.” She chided, causing him to let out a small chortle.

“You do talk a lot.” He stated nonchalantly. Magnolia blinked at his words. “Okay, ouch.” She said, but her smile was still there to let her know she wasn’t actually hurt by his words. Their small bonding moment was then interrupted by the sound of a voice coming up to them.

“Who comes to work on their day off?” The smooth voice of a familiar man spoke up, causing the pair to look over. A large smile instantly broke out into Magnolia’s features while she looked up at the man who made his way over to them, her hand unknowingly sifting away from Dev’s, that cold feeling enveloping him again just as it did at Leroy’s clinic.

“Someone who loves their job,” Magnolia said, looking up at him as he stopped in front of their table. The man rolled his eyes at her, pulling a notepad out of his coat jacket. “Yeah, whatever, kiss-ass. You just got a raise out of me. You’re not getting another this soon.” He said as he flipped the pad and pen in his hands.

“Oh, you’ll know when I’m kissing ass, G.” She said, causing them both to let out a small laugh. The man’s gaze then drifted to Dev, who eyed the obviously familiar pair with a subtly arched brow. The stranger held out his hand, his gold watch peaking from underneath the expensive brown suit he had on, the man standing out against the rest of the diner. “Giorgio Clarance, nice to meet you.” He introduced himself.

Dev placed his hand into his, both of their grips firm as they stared at one another. “Deven Embrose.” He said, speaking the name Magnolia made up earlier. It felt weird coming off of his tongue, unnatural. He just hoped Giorgio couldn’t tell.

The overdressed man hummed at his words. “Around the way type of guy, I see.” He said with a nod. “Cool.” He stated simply, giving the man a plain once over before directing his attention back to Magnolia. Dev furrowed his brows at the man’s dismissal of him, one that was a little hostile with the look he was just given. He tried not to read much into it, but he couldn’t help but question if he felt that Giorgio was throwing at him.

“He’s my boss,” Magnolia spoke up, seeing the questioning look on Dev’s face, thinking that’s what he was questioning. “He owns this place.”

“And others,” Giorgio added with a smirk.

“And others,” Magnolia repeated in a stupid tone, playfully rolling her eyes at him. Dev's eyes jumped between them. He nodded at what Magnolia told him “I’m a chef. Well, a baker.” She stated. Dev's eyes gleamed at that, and he was about to say something to her about her occupation before Giorgio cut in.

“A Chef.” He retorted firmly, looking down at her with a small frown. “What did I tell you about cutting yourself short? You are a chef.” He said, and Magnolia softly rolled her eyes at him again, looking down at her hands, though she couldn’t hide the soft smile on her face at his words.

“All I know how to really do is bake.” She said softly, looking up at Dev as if she was answering him. He could only offer her a polite smile back before her eyes drifted away and toward the man who stood next to them.

“You make amazing pastries for two a five start restaurants.” At this point, he had leaned down, slightly holding his weight on the table with his hands so he could be closer to Magnolia. Magnolia looked him in the eye, her face as neutral as it could be due to his praise. As if this proximity for them was normal as if they did this all the time and were fine. Dev, on the other hand, was not fine. He raised his hands from the table, leaning his back against the cushion leather seat of the booth. His brows twitched into a frown, staring the at side of the man’s head as his view of Magnolia was almost blocked. Almost.

“In the diner, you may be the baker, but at Augusto’s Chevalier, you’re a chef.” He explained, never once taking his eyes off the woman next to him. “You think they differentiate all that back there in that kitchen?” Magnolia squinted her eyes at him with a slight tilt of her head.

“They literally do?…in every kitchen.” She said, understanding the point her good friend was trying to make but also not seeing how a restaurant business mogul didn’t know such a thing.

“Yeah, whatever.” He said with a shrug as he waved her off playfully.

She rolled her eyes at him again. “Are you gonna take our order or not Mr. Hotshot?” She asked with a playful smirk, looking at the man decked in a nice suit and gold jewelry whose face stood only a few feet away from hers. She caught sight of Dev’s bright eyes next to his briefly, staring at her intensely. She felt a chill run down her spine at the gaze, but her eyes never directly met his.

“No, actually. I just came to speak.” He said to her with a small smile. He then turned his head, giving the man next to them a sideways glance and another once-over. He let out a dry chortle that was barely audible before rising from his relaxed position to stand fully. “This is just for show.” He said, gesturing to the pen and paper he’d gathered from his large blazer.

“Good, because we’re not even ready to order,” Magnolia said. Giorgio just hummed with a nod, giving her face one last good look. “It was nice seeing you, Magnolia.” He practically purred, his eyes trained on her face. Magnolia nodded at his words. “It was nice seeing you again too, G.” She said, giving him a soft smile. Giorgio couldn’t help but smile at the name, his perfect teeth showing as he looked at her, gleaming in contrast to his chocolate skin. He blinked before his gaze drifted to the other man at the booth. He nodded his head down at Dev before walking away from them, passing by Magnolia.

Dev sat there, watching the man leave their table. He didn’t even offer a nod back to Giorgio. He just stayed in place, a stone-cold look on his face, even when Giorgio glanced back at Magnolia with a smirk, said woman eyeing the menu. His eyes drifted to Dev’s, his grin turning more sinister before leaving his eyesight.

“Not gonna lie, I could go for a butter pecan.” He was snapped out of his trance at the sound of the woman mumbling to herself. “I’m definitely getting up there because I used to hate that shit.” She let out a small chortle of herself. Dev’s gaze moved across her form, not speaking as he continued to think about the interaction between Giorgio and Magnolia. “I never had pistachio, maybe I should try that.” She said, continuing her search, unbeknownst of the watching eyes she had on her.

She then looked up, slightly shaken to see the man’s gaze on her already but didn’t speak on it. “I’m gonna start you off simple with a waffle cone and some chocolate ice cream. I know vanilla is more basic, but I said simple, not plain.” She stated, waving her finger about as she explained the rundown to him, her abundance of jewelry clinging about. “But don’t get me wrong, I love a good vanilla. Especially a homemade one? Tuh! Word around town is your girls makes the best.”

“I think Giorgio wants to hook up with you.”

Magnolia’s head jerked back at Dev’s statement as her smile dropped. “What?” Her face contorted between confusion and disgust but also a little bit of intrigue as she tried to gather what Dev saw. “No, I’m positive he does not.” She said, letting out a nervous laugh at what her newfound friend said.

“He was acting a little like Jess.” Dev continued, not taking his eyes away from the woman in front of him. “Just a little different.”

“That’s just how we interact here.” She said softly, sitting forward more in her seat to lean closer to him as she began to explain. “He’s technically my boss and I’m his worker. In today’s time, to create a more healthy work environment, bosses tend to be friendly to their staff so what they’re doing isn’t considered slave labor.” She said letting out a small chuckle. “That and so their bond is somewhat like a work family and that there’s a trust put into everything said company produces.” She explained. She then worked her head, looking him in the eye. “We’re just friends.” She said softly. “Barely even that, we’ve never even gone out for a beverage.”

“He looks at you a lot,” Dev continued to comment, his face still the same even though this warm feeling spread through him at the way she was gazing at him over the table. He had subconsciously leaned forward in his seat and against the table, the pair sitting closer to one another.

“That’s what we do here. Eye contact is expected in most settings.” She said, her eyes stuck on his. They were practically whispering now, faces sort of close as they leaned across the table. “I mean, look at us now. I look at you, you look at me.”

“That is because we are having a conversation.”

“Were me and Giorgio not having a conversation?”

“Yes, but even when you weren’t looking at him, he was looking at you. Everywhere.”

“You look at me all the time.” Magnolia was quick to add to their small and somewhat silent argument, ignoring the last part about Giorgio’s eyes drifting over her figure when she wasn’t looking.

“I am observing because I am new here. What’s his excuse?” Dev added with a small tilt of his head. Magnolia let up a quick gasp at his words, looking him up and down. “Oh, you’re a little sassy when you want to be.” She said with a playful grin. Dev’s face stayed stoic, causing her to let out a small laugh. “Dev, relax and pick out an ice cream door before it gets dark out.” She said, jerking her head out of the window at the cloud-covered sun. “I hate driving in the dark.” She said softly before going back to her menu.

Dev blinked at her before looking down at his menu in front of him, both still leaned forward on the table as they observed what they were going to have.

His mind was clouded, full of questions and thoughts regarding not only the ones Ms out of his new life, it whatever was going on between Giorgio and Magnolia. Dev was no stranger to emotions, as oddly as he acted about them. He’d never really felt such staring emotions about anyone, not even his intended, but he’s seen those who have. And he could see that there were feelings between the two, even if it was one-sided. And something was telling him that Giorgio was the one that fancied her more, which caused this acidic feeling to enter the back of his throat and made his face want to contort into a scowl.

Giorgio rubbed him the wrong way and it’s not just because he’s into Magnolia. Although, Dev wasn’t quite sure why that last part bothered him more.

Magnolia on the other hand was simply a little confused. This had been the first time anyone had ever told her such a thing about her and Giorgio. Although they weren’t friends who went out anywhere, they’ve been around and conversed with others, and nothing of the sort has ever come up. She didn’t know what Dev saw, or if she could even trust his judgment since he was new to earth and e everything.

What bothered her most was that she wasn’t sure if she disliked the thought of Giorgio liking her. It was her boss after all and that wouldn’t be good for business, so she was more than likely never going to outside anything, but she couldn’t deny that he was an attractive man. A wealthy attractive man with a Brooklyn accent that dressed well. To Magnolia, he was a city boy through and through, and that intrigued her southern little behind. He was no blue-collar man, but she wasn’t picky and didn’t necessarily have a type. She was just used to one thing. All that to say is it were true, she wouldn’t mind hopping on the ride.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Dev’s speaking.

“I don’t want to hook up with Jess either.” He said, causing her to look and connect their eyes. “Ever.” He finished. Magnolia blinked in confusion before simply nodding. “Okay.” She said before looking back down at her menu. Dev frowned, looking at the top of her head.

“And you don’t want to hook up with Giorgio, right?” He questioned. Magnolia let out a small laugh before looking back up at him. “No, I do not, Dev.” She said softly, looking into his eyes, which were now a soft green. Even though she sort of contradicted her previous thoughts, she was telling the truth, she didn’t necessarily want to hook up with him. Dev’s eyes jumped between hers, trying to see if he could almost sense a lie from her. He then blinked with a nod. “Good.” He said, looking at her intensely before going back to his menu. Magnolia frowned in confusion at him in what he meant by that but was cut off by Dev speaking again.

“When do we get this ice cream? Where is it coming from?” He asked, looking over his shoulder as he observed the thing in the diner. Magnolia pursed her lips, watching him.

“There's so much you have to learn, honeybun, so when we get home, we’re watching movies.” She said. “There’s only so much I can do for you, sweet pea.” She said as she shook her head with a sad smile.

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