How Green Becomes Wood

"I think it's only fair you do, 'bout time you start pulling your weight around here," Cooger teased, checking on the pot pie and the corn bread mix, "Yeah, they'll be ready at just around the same time."
 
Lex raised her eyebrows at him. "Oh really? Alright, then." She walked behind him to take care of the potatoes and pinched his rump as she passed. "I'll work on that." She set about making the mashed potatoes.
 
Lex took his advice and did just that, putting together a nice mashed potato mound in no time at all. Then she helped him set the table and get everything set up for dinner. She then helped herself some water and sat down once everything was ready. "Thanks for this, Cooger. This is amazing."
 
"Aw, it's nothing, wasn't gonna let you go hungry," Cooger said, getting a can of coke from the fridge and sitting down across from her, "Thanks for helping. It made it a lot easier. It's been nice having you over today, I gotta say. Even though it threw off my plans something fierce."
 
"Sorry about that. What were your plans? Other than chopping wood," she asked, having a momentary flashback to the scene she'd driven up to earlier. That lovely, lovely scene. She should surprise him more often.
 
"Boring stuff. I was going to check the chicken coop lighting, sharpen my tools. We're coming up on winter, so I need to make preparations for that. And start prepping the compost so the garden beds are fertile for next year. Spent most of the morning just taking inventory of what I've got and what I still need."
 
Lex nodded thoughtfully as she took her portion of the pot pie. "I've been thinking about getting a bit of land, not this much, but a bit so my neighbors are forced to be farther away from my forge, and I've been considering if I'd want to get animals on it. I guess that's putting the cart before the horse, but it's fun to dream. Do you like having chickens?"
 
"I like them fine, they mostly take care of themselves. Once in awhile we lose one due to coyotes in the area, but most of the time Millie wakes me up when they get close and I can run out to chase 'em off." Cooger explained, and continued chatting with her while they ate. Mid-way through dinner, he glanced outside and swore under his breath, "It's snowing. Roads here can get pretty bad, are you good to get home? Could be safer if you just stay the night."
 
Lex was enjoying chatting with Cooger and just hanging out with him. She started a little at his abrupt curse, but when she understood his reason, she muttered a curse as well. "I don't know," she said doubtfully. "I've been putting off getting snow tires because I didn't think it snowed this early." She glanced at him. "Are you sure you're alright if I stay the night?"
 
"Of course you can. I mean, I don't have any shower stuff that smells, you know, girlie or nothing, but I'm not gonna put you at risk so you don't have to smell like me." Cooger replied, "You can sleep in one of my shirts, if you'd like."
 
Lex laughed at that. "I think I can skip one shower without crumbling into a mess, but thank you for the offer, and I will take one of your shirts, yes." She smiled at him. "But you might not get it back."
 
"Then I'll be sure to give you one I like the least," He replied, leaning in to kiss her briefly before standing to clear the table, "I've got to feed all the cats, feel free to make yourself comfortable, okay? You should probably make sure Toby knows you'll be here overnight so he doesn't worry."
 
Lex smiled, pleased he would think of Toby. She helped him clean up and then stepped away to call Toby, letting know she wasn't going to be home that evening and making sure he was alright. Toby said he was going to go stay with a friend, which satisfied her, and then she got ready for the night, taking whatever shirt Cooger gave her and making it work. She wondered, as she changed, what the sleeping arrangements would be. Would he let her take the couch? Insist she take the bed while he took the couch? Or would he be comfortable enough to share the bed like a proper girlfriend and boyfriend? She hoped the last. It was cold tonight, and he was a warm body, but some men were odd about things like that. She had a good guess which he'd do, but she wasn't going to assume.
 
Unlike his girlfriend, Cooger didn't really think twice about where Lex would sleep. So he just went about his chores and chatted with her until it was coming up on when he typically actually went to sleep, at which point he just said, "The kittens might start meowing over night, you think that'll bother you?"
 
"Not in the least," Lex assured him, taking that as her hint where she would be sleeping and pleased about it. She touched his arm lightly and drew him in for a kiss. "Thank you. For caring," she whispered. "And sleep well."
 
"No promises, Jasper," she told him, climbing in. "I've never been a proper lady." She snuggled in, finding his bed surprisingly comfortable and making a note to try to remember to get the brand of matress he had. This was nice! And safe. So much about Cooger felt safe. She liked that best of all. She closed her eyes, not falling asleep quickly, but not anxious or worried, just drifting in comfort and pleasure.
 
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