31 Day Writing Challenge #2: Day 18 - Noodles

Luca followed the woman along the hall, rubbing his throat where her fore-arm had been moments before. By the time Luca reached the sitting room, the woman had returned to her residence on the comfiest sofa. It had become apparent, very quickly, that she had claimed it as her own. It was now her spot. Luca didn't mind, he'd always preferred father's armchair anyway, and his mother had her rocking chair. As Luca walked silently through to the kitchen, the woman's eyes followed him. When he returned to the sitting room, carrying two bowls of freshly prepared noodles, her eyes were still trained on the doorway to the kitchen and she hadn't moved a muscle. He was getting used to living under her intense, focused gaze. He still noticed it, but it no longer unnerved him.

Placing one bowl on the coffee table, directly in front of the woman, Luca sat down in the old armchair with his bowl in his lap, her gaze following his every move. The woman made no move to pick up her lunch, she just sat there, watching Luca.

"Is this because of the comment about the soup?" Luca watched the woman right back, while making his way through his own bowl.

"You need to eat. I am not going to poison you, or hurt you." Luca sighed, stood up and placing his bowl on the table as he did. "OK. Proof time." Taking his fork, he took some noodles out of her bowl and ate them. After pausing for a few moments, he sat back down and continued to eat his noodles.

"See, I am totally fine. So, eat." When she still didn't move he tried a different tact. "You'll need all your strength if you want to protect Rafe."

Slowly, without taking her eyes off Luca, the woman leant forward and picked up the bowl and fork. They sat in silence and ate,

"You value his life above your own." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. "Rafe's, I mean," The woman stiffened. Their silent truce was over. Their temporary bouts of peace always ended when he mentioned Rafe, which he invariably did. Luca persevered.

"Is he as loyal to you as you are to him?"

If the woman was a cat, her heckles would be up, her teeth bared and she'd have hissing. Luca quickly realised he was pushing a bit too far, but he couldn't seem to stop there.

"Look, that wasn't a threat. We, my mum and I, are not a threat to Rafe. Or to you. I just wanna know about him. I'd like to know that the person with my exact DNA is loyal and protective. That he would put someone else's life before his own." Luca sighed. "I just want to know something, anything, about my brother." With a defeated look, Luca stood, collected the bowls and forks and walked towards the kitchen.

"We protect each other." Luca turned. The woman, as always, was staring at him, but this time, with less suspicion and her expression was softly. "Rafe and I. We protect each other, Whatever it takes." It was a reassurance, but it was also a warning. Her last sentence confirmed what Luca had suspected: Rafe and his protector would kill for one another. And they had killed before.