Soulmates: Writing on Skin [Seaycee AU]

Twenty-eight

Sean was typically anything but uneasy around the Rice family. With that being said, as he sat on the couch in the family room with Laura, Brad, and Kylie waiting for Kaycee to finish whatever she was doing in her room, he found himself incredibly anxious. He fixed his gaze in his lap, despite feeling their intense stares on him, he'd barely spoken a word to any of them since Kylie let him inside a few minutes ago. He wasn't sure what information Kaycee had relayed to them already; if they knew why he was there, if they knew about the letters.

While he waited semi-patiently for Kaycee, he allowed himself to overthink. He was the one who suggested this pseudo-date, but he was also the one who was second-guessing himself with every moment that passed. Though they were used to being together alone most of the time, this time was different, things in their relationship had changed. What were they even going to do today? They didn't have a project to work on, which Sean secretly wished that they did, because dancing was their common ground. He felt weird just lounging around all day, even though that's what they normally did; this entire situation just made him all sorts of disorganized and uncomfortable.

"What's your problem, Lew?" Kylie asked, annoyance lacing her voice. "You're all quiet."

Normally, Sean would've shot back with a sarcastic remark, but he could barely think straight, so he settled with a nonchalant shrug. "I didn't think I had a problem."

"The fact that you didn't shoot some snarky comment back to me makes me think otherwise." Kylie retorted, pursing her lips in contempt.

"You are being awfully quiet, kid." Brad remarked from his spot across from Sean. "It's not like you."

Sean was about to conjure up an answer when he heard light footsteps making their way down the stairs. He turned his head quickly, making eye contact with a smiling curly-haired brunette.

"My room was kind of a disaster, sorry that took so long." Kaycee said shyly, gripping her left wrist tightly. She shuffled her way over to the couch, plopping herself down beside Sean.

Sean didn't bother answering, he found himself focused on Kaycee's left wrist, which she had finally let go of. The black letters covered with a thick layer of concealer, to the point where only someone who was actively looking at her wrist would even notice they were there. At least that answered one of his questions, she still hadn't told her parents. Not that he had either.

Kaycee kicked Sean's ankle lightly, pulling him out of his thoughts. He turned his attention back to the girl to his right, who looked at him expectantly, a sly grin on her lips.

"Hi, nice of you to join us back on Earth. I asked if you wanted to watch a movie upstairs, since you so obviously weren't paying attention." Kaycee quipped, the smile on her face growing as she spoke.

Sean nodded absentmindedly, wanting nothing more than to leave the family room and get away from the rest of the Rice family. Their continuous stares were starting to make him nauseous, he felt as though he were under a microscope.

He followed Kaycee's lead as she stood up from the couch and padded over to the staircase, making her ascent to her bedroom. As soon as Sean set foot into the room, two things stood out to him. For one, Kaycee's vanity was coated with makeup products, brushes, and sponges, which he assumed to have been from her attempt to cover up her wrist. And next, a new picture frame stood on her nightstand, a photo of her and Sean from their trip to Solvang a few weeks ago. The picture was completely candid, Sean could honestly say that he didn't even know that anyone had even taken a picture of them, both of their smiles so large you could arguably see them from another planet.

"My mom took that." Kaycee spoke, plopping herself down onto her bed and flicking on the tv. "That's easily a new favorite."

Sean grinned, moving his attention from the frame back to the brunette in front of him. She sat with her legs crossed, facing the television, but her head tilted toward him, a perplexed look on her face.