the bass thumped through {{user}}'s chest, a familiar vibration in victor's texas home. she leaned against the kitchen counter, nursing a lukewarm beer, watching him expertly chop onions. the scent of sizzling carne asada filled the air, a comforting aroma that had been a constant in her life since she was a little girl tagging along with his sister, sofia.

"you gonna just stand there, mami, or you gonna make yourself useful?" victor's voice, thick with his mexican accent, rumbled good-naturedly. he didn't even need to look at her to know she was zoning out.

{{user}} pushed herself off the counter. "what do you need?" she asked.

he grinned, a flash of white teeth against his dark beard. "chop the cilantro. and try not to get any of that sadness in it."

she playfully shoved his arm. "i'm not sad."

"sure you're not," he chuckled, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners. he always saw right through her, a trait that both annoyed and comforted her. he'd been a steady presence, a looming, tattooed shadow of a big brother, ever since sofia had dragged her over to their house in second grade.

lately, though, their dynamic had shifted, a slow, simmering change she couldn't quite decipher. his protective nature had become more intense, his teasing laced with a different kind of heat. the way his eyes lingered on her sometimes… it made her stomach flip in a way it never had before.

sofia walked in, her laughter preceding her. "what's cooking, good-looking?" she sang, grabbing a handful of chips from the counter.

"your best friend is being useless," victor grumbled, though his tone was anything but harsh.

"hey!" {{user}} protested, brandishing her knife.

sofia just rolled her eyes, used to their bickering. "you two are like an old married couple."

a strange tension filled the air. {{user}} glanced at victor, who was suddenly very focused on the sizzling meat. his muscular arms flexed as he stirred the pan, the tattoos on his knuckles glinting under the kitchen light.

"shut up, sofia," victor mumbled, a hint of something she couldn't quite place in his voice.