PANIC ROOM • KENJI KON

LXXVI. Who's The Cutest Ugliest Little Thing?

Chapter Seventy Six:  Who's The Cutest Ugliest Little Thing?

~~~

"Hey, Kenji, how you been doing?" Eva asked, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, everything's chaotic like always, and you said you've been having nightmares, too, and I haven't even asked how you've been— which is, like, bad girlfriend on my part—" she smiled as she said girlfriend, "—so, I don't know. Have you been doing okay?"

Why could she ask her friends, but get so defensive when they ask her?

"I'm good whenever you're near," he admitted, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I wouldn't trade you for the world, Evangeline Rocker."

A blush crept up her neck and through her cheeks. "Whatever you say, Pretty Boy."

"Well, I wouldn't. And I do say. You're kind of the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Stop. I'm, I'm blushing."

"And you're absolutely stunning, and funny, and I still love getting into arguments with you, and you're this perfect little angel that came into my life when I most needed it. We may have been through hell and back together, but I wouldn't change a single second of it."

Eva gripped his bicep and leaned up, placing a single kiss to his cheek.

"You call that a kiss?" Kenji joked. He pulled her around to face his front, then lifted her chin, pressing his lips to her own. They moved together, playing on a rhythm they both secretly knew.

Eva hands gripped his soft cotton shirt, pulling him down to meet her. His branch fell out of his hands, which ended up on her lower back. She smiled against his mouth, enjoying every second of this.

And then, Brooklynn's shrill voice pierced through their moment. "Evangelina Aster Rocker, step away from Kenji and get your ass moving!"

"What are they doing?" Yaz asked.

"This is all your fault, Yaz! They were kissing! Kissing!"

Yaz sucked in such a sharp breath, Eva could hear it. "Yeah, I did do that."

Eva backed away from Kenji, picking up the branch. She handed it back to him, sliding her palms together— which ultimately hurt. "Rain check?"

"This isn't over."

"Except for right now. Because we should be hurrying, and also, Brooklynn might threaten to feed me to the Mosasaurus," Eva joked.

"Yeah, let's go."

~~~

Eva ran over to a box, looking it over.

"What are you doing?"

"We need to cover our tracks, make it look like the animals got out on their own, y'know?"

Kenji gestured to a fuse box on the wall. "What about that? Blow a fuse?"

"Yeah, as long as it's the right one."

The door opened, and out came Ben. "Oh, she never gets tired," he panted. Out ran a brachiosaurus baby, who whined, then rammed Ben against the box he was standing next to.