cassidy-sykes

[cassidy-sykes]

Just freshly off his break, Cassidy stepped inside to be alerted someone sat in his section.  A sigh left his lips, his feet were tired and it had been one of those days where he just wanted to go home and plop down on the couch which also served as his bed.  

Making his way over there, he recognized the little girl given Lily often played with her.

“Hello, I am Cassidy.  May I get you both started with someone to drink?  We have Coke products, tea and milkshakes.”  The scent of cigarettes lingering on his breath and clothes as he told the young girl and her mother.

“Jessi right?  I think you play with my daughter Lily,” he commented with a soft smile.  Despite his insistence that he did not like most of mankind, children did often hold a soft spot in his heart.

For Cassidy – @cassidy-sykes Location: The Golden Spoon

Talia ushered Jessi into the restaurant, hurrying to close the door behind her to keep the cold wind from following them inside anymore than necessary. Her daughter might really enjoy the snow and playing in it, but she herself could only take so long before running back inside to the warmth. Not above bribing when it came to getting out of the cold, she’d decided to splurge on lunch.

“Okay, sweetheart, what do you think you want to eat?” she asked her daughter as she dug out a coloring book and crayons from the ever-present backpack.

“French fries!” Jessi announced.

“Yes, that I knew,” she acknowledged dryly. Her daughter and the love of French fries. It might as well be legendary. “Anything else?”

“Hmm . . . a milkshake.”

“In this . . .” Letting her words fade, Talia just shook her head. “Never mind. How about chicken tenders, fries, and a milkshake.”

“Okay, Mama.”

As her daughter began to color her favorite princess, Talia sighed in relief at the lack of argument and began to look at the menu to try and figure out her own meal.

[cassidy-sykes]

A part of Cassidy hoped, the next time Jesse and him ran into each other that he would be doing better.  So when they did speak, things would not be awkward and he would be showing off everything that Jesse was missing.  Not that he actually thought it would happen, a boy could dream right?  No, he was just as messed up as he was a couple of months ago.  Not a single day had gone by that he didn’t think of Jesse at least once.

“Suppose not,” he acknowledged.  Cassidy knew by the tone of Jesse’s voice he was concerned over his sister’s safety.  A part of him wanted to comfort him, but he was ill-equipped on how to do so.  “Perhaps she found shelter somewhere in town, I think before everything went dead, I heard others were finding places at local stores.”  He offered, in hopes of soothing the other’s nerves just a little.

Right now, Cassidy felt torn whether he should leave Jesse be or remain there in their awkwardness.  Despite the temptation to head back into the diner area, he stayed.  “We were never great at the big talks either,” he softly smiled.  “We were always better with our actions.”  The heated kiss shared between them outside Jesse’s trailer came to mind.  “Sounds like you’re getting it together, that’s good.”  Cassidy nodded to himself.

As their eyes met, Cassidy offered the partial smile where the corner of his right side of his lips pulled up.  “It depends on the crew, sometimes we get a poker ring out back.  Mainly just some pranks and shit, not a whole lot else to do to keep us occupied.”  For the most part, he enjoyed the people he worked with even though he had an asshole tendency with a lot of them.  Hell, sometimes after work Willow and him catch a meeting, but that wasn’t something he was going to divulge.

Smacking his lips, he looked up unsure what else they could discuss.  Both of them had to focus on their families, so any kind of real discussion between them was off the table for both their peace of mind.

“Shit, running out of topics.  Christmas and New Year’s are the only things that come to mind.”  He commented, in a teasing manner trying to lighten up things.

It kind of bugged him, the way Cassidy wouldn't look him straight on. Not that Jesse seemed to be doing all that better himself, but he was enough to know that the other was actively looking everywhere else. Was it because of what happened between them? Stupid question. Of course it had to be. Maybe, even, the guy wasn't too keen on having Jesse around right then and he ought to go and leave him alone. There used to be a time when Cass had no qualms in telling him to scram or get lost, though. Far as he saw, there shouldn't be any reasons for the other to suddenly had trouble shooing him off if space was what he needed. Jesse kept his mouth shut, however. Last thing he wanted -- or needed -- was another mindless spat drummed up between the two of them over what? Literally nothing. Neither of them wanted to look the other in the eye and Jesse sure as hell figured they might have different reasons for doing so, too.

"Mm," this hum of agreement came as he took another drag, this time the smoke billowing from his nostrils like some overheated dragon as he looked back over his shoulder, "I know. Don't make it any easier to just be here while she's out there needin' help." Jessica was important -- the most important, especially to his sister. He knew she should and would always come first now, no matter what. But it'd be a lie to say that she was his only priority. In his eyes, Talia was just as important and she'd been important the longest. He couldn't just shove aside all of that, either. "If the fuckin' phones were workin'.." he trailed off with a small frown. All he needed was to hear she was still okay. Jesse had already given himself an arbitrary deadline-- if there wasn't hide nor hair of her by ten, he'd entrust Jessica to someone while he went out himself to drag her mother back safely.

When Cassidy moved away, Jesse got distracted from these concerns. That smell somehow still lingered all over him and in the trailer. Or maybe it was just the memory of it was that potent. Jesse shifted then to take up the spot recently vacated by the employee only his back was set to it, so he could still mostly face Cassidy's direction.

"Work?" A dry chuckle came from him then, as he shook his head. "We were never great at small talk, huh?" Jesse smiled to himself. It was all he could do, since the tension was still there, thick and ever-present. He wondered if it would ever go away one day. "Work," he stressed the word while he ashed the butt of the cigarette on the sole of his boot, "is as it ever was. Got the damn yard cleared of all those roots n' shit, finally. Now business as usual." Jesse moved his arm so the door could close, which cut off a direct sense of coldness almost immediately. He came forward, but only to toss the cig into the trash next to Cassidy.

"So," Jesse rested a palm to the counter and looked around the kitchen where most of the guests didn't get a chance to see, "what kinda stuff do you get up to, back here?" Now, his gaze did settle on Cass.

[cassidy-sykes]

With the cigarette between his fingers, Cassidy stared outside as he spoke to Jesse. Despite the agonizing cold causing his teeth to chatter a little, he found it easier than making eye contact.  If their eyes met, there was a chance Jesse could see that emptiness in him.  Anxious, he wondered if it was about the storm or two being in the same place at the same time.  Somehow for a small town, the two managed to avoid each other the last couple of months.  The question was quickly answered and Cassidy nodded, he too understood the fear of one’s sister being out there.  Thankfully he heard from Abigail, her and his eldest safe and their house.  And his three youngest here in the booth trying to stay warm.

“You made the right decision,” Cassidy softly commented as his eyes glanced over towards Jesse for a split second.  “Talia would want you to first take care of her child.”  He knew, because he was a parent and their safety came first.

“Me?  Same shit, different day.”  What else was there to say?  If it weren’t an ice storm going on, he would be at his small apartment with his kids hearing them argue while he tried to clean.  At least now, there was some peace and quiet with the three.  In public, they tended to act fairly well.  It was behind closed doors where they at times acted out.

Cassidy took the last drag from his cigarette and took a step back from the door, leaving the space for Jesse as he leaned up against one of the counters in the kitchen.  A part of him wanted to ask if he ever crossed Jesse’s mind.  But that was a question that would hurt either direction it went.

“Work going well?”

Why was he staying?  He finished the cigarette, it would be alright if he returned to the front with everyone else.  But, like a moth to the flame, he was attracted to Jesse and didn’t want to leave his presence. 

As Jesse reached to take one of the offered cigs, he stepped in closer so the other man could light it as well. Truth of the matter was, he had his own lighter in a back pocket and could have done that for himself. But it allowed him the reason and excuse to shed some distance between the two-- physically and perhaps even mentally. Inhaling the smoke, he leaned in against the frame of the door from its other side, rather than move away. He told himself it was because manners dictated he ought to blow the smoke outside the way Cassidy was, but when was the last time he ever really cared about manners? It was just simply that, he yearned to be closer.

"Well," Jesse exhaled some of the smoke towards the airway, "anxious, I guess." There didn't seem any point in lying about anything. He wasn't okay, he wasn't fine. Hadn't been in who knew how long now, at this point. "Talia got stuck out in this somewhere," here he gestured towards the open door, referencing the storm, "tryin' to get Jess from school, n' called me up to see if I could.. I was goin' to go try n' find her once I had Jess but the damn winds got too bad n' now we're stuck here." He paused only to take another drag from the cigarette, eyes observing the snow casually building up at the bottom of the doorway. "If I didn't have Jess with me, I wouldn'a have stopped." The man wasn't going to risk his niece's safety for anything-- Talia would never have forgiven it, either, regardless if it was in the pursuit of her own life.

Those brown eyes lifted back to Cassidy's as he focused. "N' you?" The guy looked paler than he remembered. Maybe even a bit lighter, too, like he wasn't eating as much.

[cassidy-sykes]

Damn right he was, he was just wondering who was holding out.  Was it Ria, Willow, the short order cook?  So many suspects and only a few decent hiding spots in the back.  Eventually, he would have to take a peak.

Cassidy’s eyes fluttered towards the window as he nodded.  Although it snowed and they had blizzards before, he could not recall the last time it was like this.  “Oh, you're new in town or somethin’?”  Made sense since he didn’t even recognize the woman.  Although she had an eerie resemblance to someone he did know in town.

Her head turned as she heard someone chuckle. She was sure a diner didn't actually have alcohol as they catered to the 'family business' side of things. It also didn't surprise her that there may be some here as well, just probably not for customers.

She sighed and shrugged, "Your probably right," She muttered looking out the window, "It just keeps getting worse the more I stare at it, why did I decide to move here again?"

[cassidy-sykes]

Anyone who knew Cassidy, often knew he was not a pocketful of sunshine.  Most days, he was in a bad mood and today he was literally stuck in a frozen hell at work.  At least, his three youngest were there in the booth where they were resting and he could keep an eye on them.  Instead of him pondering if they were freezing or hurt.  Like so many others were going through.

Just as he was trying to relax, close his eyes for a moment Micah spoke to him causing him to let out a sigh.  “Loads,” he commented sarcastically.  “What are you even doing here?”

Who: @cassidy-sykes ||Cassidy and Micah

Where: Golden spoon (Before the roof caves in)

Micah sighed as ran a hand through his hair, shaking out some of the snow that had settled there as he pulled the door behind he closed as entered the diner. He glanced around the diner, seeing if Baylie had turned up. Micah couldn't understand why he agreed to this, sure it was his sister but he didn't know the women.

Micah shook his head as he headed towards the door that lead out the back. Micah looked around before he spotted Cassidy. "Hey." Micah said as he walked towards and leaned on one of the benches. "Enjoying the weather?" Micah asked in a small teasing tone.

[cassidy-sykes]

Two months was not nearly enough time for Cassidy to work through all his feelings when it came to Jesse.  Things between them, well they ended up exactly the way he thought it would.  At least this time more on a respectable note.  The other was not ready to deal with the realities of Cassidy’s life and Cassidy needed space before he could even think about being friends with Jesse.

But of course, Raven’s Peak always had something up its sleeve.  Now, he was stuck at his fucking job with all these annoyances around him…including Cowen.  Really, what the fuck did he do in his previous life?

Everything had him on edge, the storm.  The amount of people in the diner, talking amongst each other and the fact he was out of pills to help cut the edge.  So, he had to rely on those trusty cancer sticks to help soothe his nerves.

The moment Jesse was out of sight and his children were distracted, he slipped towards the back and opened the door just barely so he could enjoy the cigarette.  Just as he was exhaling, feeling the nicotine already working its magic the hair on his neck stood up.  Even now, Cassidy could feel Jesse’s presence near him and he tried to mentally prepare himself in that split second when the other asked to bum a smoke.

“Yeah,” he murmured under his breath as he grabbed the pack from his pocket and pulled it out, opening it so Jesse could reach for one.  Soon, he had the lighter out ready to light it for Jesse.

Cassidy wondered how long the two could last in silence, apparently not long.  “Uh, so how are you?”  That was a normal question after all, the two haven’t talked in a hot minute.  It was polite to just have basic conversation.

@cassidy-sykes

Boy, oh boy, he sure could use a stiff drink right about now. His nerves were a bit on edge, the man entirely uncomfortable because he was painfully aware of the fact he was holed up in The Golden Spoon with someone he hadn't exactly spoken to in the past two months.

Definitely not because he didn't want to. It was simply not the time for it. And Jesse wasn't sure when it ever would be, either.

Imagine, he had made the first mature decision since forever and hated himself for it at the same time. Jesse's life, in the past six months especially, had been uprooted and tossed around in multiple different ways. Most poignantly, the return of his sister and this girl she came in tow with as her daughter. Not to mention certain events that resulted in his realizing just how fragile a human he was, in a town chock full of beings that could do whatever they wanted. To put it bluntly, the man simply hadn't felt there was room in his life right then to try and figure out a potential relationship that would entail two baby mamas and four other children in the mix, too. No matter how much Jesse liked him. It was a lot. He wasn't in the right headspace to give any of it a genuine effort and honestly, that man deserved better than that. They were supposed to keep talking-- texting, if anything. But they just... hadn't.

And now, as he came from the bathroom tucking in the ends of his shirt, Jesse paused at the sight of Cassidy near the rear entrance of the diner with the door slightly nudged open. The wind outside seemed to have let up for the moment, and the server had taken advantage of that. Things were definitely awkward, but he wasn't going to walk on like they hadn't just made eye-contact. Besides... It was easier to pretend Cassidy didn't exist when they weren't in the same room. Otherwise, that was impossible. Honestly, it wasn't easy the other way either-- Jesse had countless times in the past several weeks where he caught himself staring at the man's contact in his phone, or scrolling through their old messages. A few times he had even started to write something only to then erase it all and toss the phone aside.

Jesse cleared his throat, thumbed his nose, and made a gesture towards the cigarette in Cassidy's hand. "You ah, got an extra smoke?"

[cassidy-sykes]

Not much was taking place right now, most of the staff were at a standstill watching the accumulation of snow on the ground.  They lived up north, they were used to the snow.  However, this seemed to be something else.  A storm of a century if you will.  The winds howled causing a shiver down Cassidy’s spine.

“I mean, I’ve seen snow storms.  This feels different though.”

Cassidy swallowed the lump in his throat and shook his head.  “Probably not, they’re fuckin’ useless.”  Letting out a sigh, he wasn’t sure what the right answer was, but he rather had his kids with him.  Fuck school and everyone else that has an issue with it.  Missing part of a day won’t hurt anything.  “I say we go get them.  Or one of us can go and bring all the kids here, the place should have a generator and there is food,” he mentioned.

LOCATION: The Golden Spoon (before the snow starts causing havoc) CLOSED for @cassidy-sykes

The end of her shift was quickly approaching, and Ria was watching the snow and the wind from the safety of the diner. She couldn't help but wonder if she should leave early and go pick her siblings up from school. It didn't look like things were going to ease up any time soon, and she didn't want them to get stuck. The Golden Spoon had been busy for most of the day, and when she finally got a moment to herself, Ria found herself leaning against the wall next to Cassidy.

"Have you ever seen a snow storm like this before?" She asked him, trying to think back, but deciding that she'd never seen snow this bad in her life. It had her a little nervous, if she was being honest. "The schools will call if they're going to close, right? Or do you think we should go and pick the kids up?" Cassidy was a parent, Ria was sure he would understand her concerns.

[cassidy-sykes]

Of course a snow storm would hit when he was supposed to get off work.  Cassidy tried opening the door once to see if his children and him could make it through the storm, but the winds were too strong and you could hardly see two feet in front of you.  “Go sit down in your usual booth,” he commented.  At least it was away from the front door and in the warmer area of the diner.  “I’ll see if I can get you some food soon, just find a way to keep yourself busy.”

As Cassidy looked around, he overheard someone and chuckled to himself.  “Hell, there might be.”

Knowing his fellow co-workers, there had to be a stash somewhere.

“Although, we might want to hold off until a bit later tonight.”

Where: Golden Spoon

Who: Open for event

After the events that had happened at the clinic, Micah and Baylie had agreed to meet to talk things out. It was probably best that they did it in public, not that she thought anything bad could happen, but who really knew? The thought of bringing Kian with her crossed her mind. But, with the weather the way it was and not knowing how Micah would react, she decided it was best to keep him at home with the nanny. 

The thought about cancelling on Micah had crossed her mind, as she was on her way. But she wanted to try to make an effort, even though her head was telling her to do otherwise. She walked in, glancing around for the man before glancing back outside at the weather, grimacing. Even if Micah didn’t show up, at least she got a good meal. She wasn’t even sure if she would make it home, but she could go to the clinic for a bit waiting for the storm to pass. 

“I wonder if this place has alcohol,” she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. It could at least ease her anxiety a bit. 

[cassidy-sykes]

Honesty is a bitch!

The moment he sent those responses, Cassidy waited in agony for a response and yet nothing.  Obviously, he scared Jesse off.  Who the hell wouldn’t be scared of getting with someone with four kids?  Maybe he inundated Jesse with too much information at once.  But all he was trying to do was answer every question that was sent his way.

Just close your eyes, go to sleep and forget tonight ever happened.  Not that was going to happen, but it was a nice thought.  Lying there he just dropped the phone to the floor, figuring there was no way Jesse was going to respond with everything that he just laid out.

“How the fuck did I get here?”

Easily enough, Cassidy knew the answer but he wasn’t exactly sure he would change anything given his love for his children.  Sure, he wasn’t always the best dad and often was an absentee father.  But, he did love his children despite all his flaws.

Suddenly, he heard the light vibration against the old tile floor and quickly reached down to lift the cellular device up.

FUCK, how did he mess the text up?

[TEXT]: No, she doesn’t live with me. I mean my eldest and his mom live in town, but not with me.

The next few texts were all fair, Cassidy wasn’t even sure how he could respond because he wasn’t even sure what they were, but he wanted to figure it out.

[TEXT]: You sure? I would be scared if you did.

[TEXT]: I don’t know what we are right now to be honest, but I want to maybe give it a chance.

Who the hell was he all of a sudden?  Usually, Cassidy was rough around the edges and certainly didn’t say shit like that.  But everything he said so far was true.  There was a magnetic connection between Cowen and him that he could not deny.  Well he could, but it would be to his own detriment.

[TEXT]: Yes, she lives in town and we are good friends.  Honestly, she is probably my best friend. It is a lot to explain in texts, but let’s just say I am an asshole who fucked up a lot and wasn’t a good father or person.

[TEXT]: So, where does this leave us?

"Holy shit, four?" Jesse looked over his shoulder and towards the hallway as he spoke his disbelief out loud. It'd been gut reaction, but he didn't want to wake Ria and her siblings up. Four? FOUR?

As he looked back at the phone, his brows furrowed. Four but there were only 3 lists of ages? Jesse thought maybe Cassidy forgot one but this confusion was cleared up by the next few texts, as the man revealed he had a set of twins. And they were the thirteen year olds, apparently.

"Christ," he murmured to himself, rubbing a hand over his face. It was definitely a lot to sink in and the more that came through, the less he felt like Cassidy was messing with him. There was just too much specific information now for this to be some great big ruse to fuck with him. Cassidy was dad. He had four kids. He was thirty-two... Meant he started having them when he was just a kid himself, by those numbers.. He had two baby mamas, one that even lived with him? Was he reading that right?

[TEXT]: Wait, she lives with you?

That could be a problem. Never a good sign, right? If the guy's ex was around and on hand all the time, how could he be fully over her? Or what if they decided to try again for the kid's sake? Jesse assumed this woman had to be Cassidy's first love and well, those were even more difficult to contend with.

Jesse paused, tongue idly feeling along the ridges of his teeth in thought. He realized then, that his concerns seemed more focused on the woman in Cassidy's life, and not the children. And he wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Not that his kids weren't an unimportant fact -- they definitely were -- but his focus had zeroed in on the potential of this unknown woman possibly getting in the way of anything he might want to pursue with this guy.

[TEXT]: It's a lot to take in.

He was back to covering his mouth as he considered the screen for a moment.

[TEXT]: I'm not scared you have kids. [TEXT]: But I get we've got some stuff to consider here. [TEXT]: Like.. I guess how serious we are. [TEXT]: Or if this is just some phase. [TEXT]: And IDK, you got one of your baby mamas like right there. [TEXT]: How good of friends are you?

Jesse's bottom lip rolled inward as he gently bit down on the flesh. He couldn't believe he was jealous of this chick he didn't even know. It was weird, too. To be fucking jealous of someone because they might mean more to someone he wanted to mean something to.

Ah, fuck. He liked Cassidy.

[cassidy-sykes]

To this day, Cassidy never understood the fact he could not cook.  Cooking was supposed to be a science and he excelled in the sciences, but here he was being schooled by his nephew trying not to roll his eyes as Asher put him to shame.

“Yeah, yeah, we get it.  You’re good at making pancakes.”

Of course, the twins were not interested since they just entered teenage years and everything was unimpressive to them.  However, Lily watched Asher with beaming eyes just in awe with her cousin.

Some part of Cassidy wondered when his nephew got this cocky, he couldn’t remember.  Whatever happened to that sweet kid that was practically his little brother in some ways given their small age gap.

Cassidy decided to set the table, quietly putting everything down so they could all enjoy the meal together.  “Could have done without the show,” he teased.  “But get your ass over here and bring the food.”  He motioned for everyone to sit down so they all could enjoy a meal together.

“What have you been up to?  How’s work going?”

Asher smirked when Cassidy handed the apron to him. He tied it around his waist. “Alright, Uncle Cass, step aside and let a professional work.” He clapped his hands, rolling up his sleeves. “Now, kids, watch closely. This is what we call pancake magic. Literally.”

He picked up a mixing bowl, grabbed the ingredients, and started humming a lively tune under his breath. The sound was light and rhythmic, like the first few notes of a happy folk song. As he worked, his magic began to flow with the melody. The eggs cracked themselves into the bowl, flour measured and poured without a single spill, and the milk swirled in like it was dancing to his hum.

With a snap of his fingers in time with the music, the batter began mixing itself, the whisk spinning smoothly in the bowl. “See? No mess. No smoke. Just vibes,” he said, shooting Cassidy a teasing grin.

He stepped over to the griddle, still humming, and as the melody shifted into a playful chorus, the batter poured itself into perfect circles on the pan. The smell of golden, perfectly-cooked pancakes soon replaced the burnt aroma from earlier. “Don’t look so shocked,” Asher said over his shoulder as he flipped a pancake mid-air with a wave of his hand. “This is what happens when you let the master work.”

“Oh, and to answer your question, Uncle Cass—just came by to hang out. Figured you’d appreciate the company and, clearly, the rescue mission.” He looked over with a smug grin. “Besides, you know I can’t resist an audience for my culinary magic.”

[cassidy-sykes]

[TEXT]: Fair enough

Perhaps, Cassidy should have waited for more of a response that day instead of walking away from Jesse.  It was easier though to use his children as an excuse to walk away before Jesse could reject him.

Waiting in anticipation, Cassidy wondered what was coming next from Jesse.  There were moments he would see dots then suddenly nothing causing a flutter in his heartbeat.  Lying there on the couch, he knew he wouldn't get a wink of sleep tonight.  Even if Jesse stopped this whole interaction, it would be playing over and over again in his head.  What exactly was he hoping for from all of this?  Why did he open this can of worms?

Suddenly, he received text after text of questions and he paused.  All the questions were simple ones, ones he had answers to.  But, it was complicated.  How do you say you have four kids and everything else so casually, but what other choice did he have?  Jesse had a right to know these things, especially after all that took place between them.[TEXT]: Lots of questions… [TEXT]: 4 [TEXT]: 16, 13 & 4 [TEXT]: My eldest’s mom lives here.  The twins, well she is batshit crazy and can pop up anytime.  And my youngest, I don’t know where her mother is. [TEXT]: The twins and youngest live with me. [TEXT]: Somewhat with my eldest, his mother and I remained friends and have good communication.  Although my eldest isn’t really a fan of me and only comes around to see his siblings.  The twins’ mom comes and goes as she pleases and always leaves havoc and chaos behind her. [TEXT]: 32 [TEXT]: Damn, here I thought I looked older than I was not younger. [TEXT]: Should I take 28 as a compliment? [TEXT]: Scared off?

As Jesse sat back on the couch, arm rested on the side as a finger came to rest over his lips in consideration of the texts he was reading. With the lights out now, the only light came from the screen of his phone as the journal was now put away for the night. He wouldn't be able to focus now with Cassidy back on his mind.

[TEXT]: I don't know what I'm ready for.

That was just the truth. It was good to be honest, right? Jesse still had a hard time believing that Cassidy was actually telling him the truth. Kids? Fucking kids? If there was anyone he would not think of having children, it'd be Cassidy. The guy didn't seem to be the type, let alone responsible. They were a lot alike, actually. That's why he couldn't believe it.

Like, who the hell would believe Jesse had kids? Or that he'd be responsible enough to have them? Or that he'd be any decent kind of father? Not that he thought Cassidy wouldn't be a decent father... He just-- could hardly even imagine it. He wouldn't know what to think of the guy as a father, one way or another. But there had to be more maturity there than Jesse had, if he was saying all of this, right? Cassidy was putting his children and Jesse first, before himself and any of those selfish desires. Giving him a chance to know what he might get himself into if he wanted to be involved.

So.. Jesse had to sort himself out and quick. Decide what he did and didn't want to do here. Show that same kind of maturity and respect back to Cassidy, if he really was being serious about the kids. It was fucked up to string Cassidy along just as much.

[TEXT]: How many kids do you have? [TEXT]: How old are they? [TEXT]: Where's the mom? .. Moms? [TEXT]: Do they live with you? [TEXT]: Are you co-parenting? [TEXT]: How old are you??? [TEXT]: I thought like 28 or something.

Did Cassidy even know how old he was? Were these too many questions? Didn't matter. He wanted them answered. If the guy didn't feel like answering them then... Well, that was the end of that then, right?

[cassidy-sykes]

“It never seems sincere and rather annoying,” he flat out told her.  “What���s there to be happy about?  I don’t like sweets,” he told the woman.

Perhaps he could have been polite and nice, but he was itching for a cigarette and was struggling to find gifts for his children within his budget.  It seemed this time of year was always stressful, dealing with crowds or trying to order things online.  Not to mention hiding the presents so his children couldn’t find them and having one still young and believing in all the magic of Christmas.  Including a jolly ole fat man in a red suit.

Maeve was taken aback by his reaction, her smile faltering a bit. He could've said 'no' and walked away. This man was clearly annoyed at something. It couldn't be by her cheerfulness. She blinked a few times.

She put her smile on again and lifted the tray closer to him, "What's wrong with being Joyful?" She asked, "There's always something to be happy about, like a treat." She says smiling at him her eyes still shining brightly, maybe she could brighten his day somewhat.

[cassidy-sykes]

“Sounds very fulfilling,” he nodded.  A job one enjoys and finds fulfilling had to be hard to find, but he was glad there were people out there that managed it.  Gave a glimmer of hope to those still struggling with their job choices.

Cassidy shrugged, “I mean I hear some interesting ones.  The oldtimers usually have the more interesting ones from back in their day.  Especially those from this town, discussing some of the oddities over the decades.  Sometimes, I wonder if they exaggerate just to get people to listen.  Lonely bunch.”  He chuckled, “hardly doubt you could ever be unpleasant.  You don't seem the type.” Cassidy assured the young woman.  “Uh, probably about six or so months.  Haven’t really kept track.”  Which was a lie, it coincided with his sobriety, but it was not something he wanted to discuss.

"Even the not so exciting cases can be nice. Just giving family members and friends piece of mind, there's really nothing like it." Especially in a town like Raven's Peak, where it was starting to seem like anything was possible. Recently, more and more interesting cases had come up, and it was a learning curve for Eden and her co-workers. Especially since demons had started appearing.

"That makes sense. I can't even begin to imagine some of the stories you must've heard." That was one of the reasons that Eden had always wished that she had been closer to her grandparents, she was sure they would've had a lot of stories to share, but they were always so caught up with other things, hunting and the like, that they never really got to sit down and just chat. "Oh! Well, I'll have to be sure to always be a pleasant customer so that I don't have to worry about anything happening to my food." She said with a laugh. "Have you worked here long?"

[cassidy-sykes]

“Wow, way to ruin the surprise.”  It never really came as a surprise being called an asshole.  Mainly, because just in Ria’s words it was a fact.  “Eh, she’ll be fine.  She’s seen worse,” Cassidy commented as he shrugged.  Given she had teen siblings and a father with a colorful past, it was a miracle Lily was naive as she was.  He gave a playful roll of the eyes, “friends…kind of stretching that aren’t we?”  Although she certainly wasn’t.  Over the last few months of sobriety and working at the diner he had made progress in the whole being friends with people, Ria being included in that.  “As cheery as I can be.”  Giving her a nod, he sighed.  Not only was his eldest driving, his eldest was the same age when he had him.  It was a scary thought.  Cassidy always figured he would be that chill/cool dad but was not that at all.  “Tell me about it, fucking blows my mind all the time.   How are your siblings?”

"Maybe there will just be a whole surviver type voting me off the island thing." Ria said, continuing to joke along. The shifts she had with Cassidy were always her favourite, he had a way of making them just a little more enjoyable. "It's definitely not a coincidence. I think it's just time to face facts, Cass." She didn't really think he was an asshole, quite the opposite in fact. Of all of her co-workers, he was probably her favourite (outside of Willow of course) because he didn't take any shit. That was something she could respect. "Oh, shit, really? Was she okay afterwards?" Another thing about Cassidy that Ria really respected was how much he cared about his kids. It was something she could relate to with her siblings, even though they weren't her kids they felt like they were sometimes. "I knew it. We're friends, okay? You don't have to hide these things from me. I know it must've been so tough for you having to work my shifts and make extra money. But, I'm back now, so you can cheer up again." And she was glad to be back. Just getting out of the house again was what she was most happy about. "Wait, Spencer is driving already? There's no way." She shook her head in disbelief. "And the twins are teenagers? Where has that time gone?"

[cassidy-sykes]

In the kitchen, Cassidy attempted to make breakfast.  Of course, it meant smoke filling the small kitchen area.  Somehow part of the food was partially cooked and burnt at the same time.  And of course, his nephew walked into the apartment filled with the twins complaining about the smell and quality of their meal while Lily was running around acting like a wild child.

“I really need new locks,” he teased seeing his nephew.  “No silly, you can’t eat bricks.”  The little girl responded as she placed her little arms as much around her cousin.

Cassidy gave an unamused expression towards Asher.  Honestly, he could not figure out how he manages to destroy nearly any meal he attempts to cook.  Especially given his talents in witchcraft.  It made absolutely no sense.

“Lucky for us, we have a pancake master in the apartment. C’mon up to the plate.”  He smiled as he started to take off the apron to hand it to his nephew.

“What brings you by?”

who: @cassidy-sykes where: cassidy's house

Asher knew walking into Cassidy’s house meant diving headfirst into pure chaos—and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He thrived in it, really. Being a self-proclaimed chaos monkey, he found something comforting about the noisy, whirlwind energy of his cousins. Today was no exception as he headed over for breakfast with the Sykes clan.

He didn’t bother knocking as he pushed the door open. “What’s up, Sykes?” he called out, his voice cutting through the buzz of the household. Almost instantly, the sound of small feet pattering across the floor reached him, and he barely had time to brace himself before Lily came barreling toward him.

“Asher!” she squealed, launching herself into his arms like a tiny cannonball.

“Sup, Lily?” Asher grinned, easily catching her and propping her on his hip. “You’re getting heavy, kiddo. What’ve they been feeding you, bricks?”

She giggled, clinging to him as he started toward the kitchen. “Dad’s making pancakes! But he burned the first batch,” she whispered conspiratorially.

“Oh, classic Cassidy,” Asher chuckled, stepping into the kitchen where the smell of slightly overcooked batter lingered. “What’s the story, Cass? Experimenting with ‘extra crispy’ pancakes again?” He shot his uncle a teasing grin, already feeling right at home amidst the Sykes family chaos.

[cassidy-sykes]

END

“I came around?  Only took me how many years?”  Cassidy softly smiled as his eyes gazed down not wanting to meet hers.  As they spoke about his tap dancing, he shook his head.  “Oh, I am still clumsy at times.”  As the two spoke, he shrugged.  “Perhaps you’re right, but it isn’t as if I have much free time to do a lot.”  It was his fault, he made decisions when he was younger which put him in the predicament he was in today.  He wasn’t complaining though, just stating facts.  “Well, thanks Mollie for the dance.  I probably should let you be and get back to having fun.”

[cassidy-sykes]

“Private school? How fancy, for some reason I didn't picture that.”  Apparently Willow had some surprises up her sleeves as well.  As they  both walked in and stood there at the counter.  The place was nearly empty, not many people out wanting coffee at this time of night.  But, as junkies they needed a fix.  Caffeine would have to do for the time being.

“Close, just black for me.  Don’t love myself enough to put any cream or sugar in it.”  Cassidy joked.  As they placed their orders and got their drinks, he settled in a corner.  “I’m gonna have to get back home soon,” he told her.  “I can only rely on the twins watching Lily for so long.”

~~*~~

"Yea, I went to private school. Learning how to do this shit was part of the curriculum." It wasn't completely accurate. Not like the teachers taught them. But taking something to keep you awake to work or study was common. Then recreationally taking things at the extravagant parties her parents threw with their friends was the norm at home. There was no escaping it. She was just one of the few that couldn't handle it. She abused it. Her fault. Always.

She mumbled her thanks as she walked through the door to a thankfully almost empty coffee shop and toward the counter. Avoiding caffeine was another thing they were told to do as addicts. It never worked. She'd never met one that didn't drink too much coffee or energy drinks. "Lemme guess, black and some cream? No sugar?"