#a mix of exhaustion and work being done on my house and holiday things has kept me away

[science-lings]

Would love to see what you would do with this, just randomly popped in my head,

Valley seekers

Or

It's Okay to be Okay (taken from song by Harry hudson)

For both of these, I immidiately thought of Sage and Scholar. 'Valley Seekers' would be them going through the canyon that leads up to the forgotten temple, (likely right before canon in hsfr, or like that's where the incident that separates them happens), besides the ominous ending, it would be kind of a fun road trip fic that focuses on them being kind of in love but maybe a little awkward about it.

The second one would be Sage dealing with guilt for actually having a good time for once in spite of everything they have been through. There are days and weeks without nightmares and with actual healing and they start to feel guilty for not being as affected as Scholar is about everything. There's still a massive disconnect between who they were before and who they are now so it's hard for them to conceptualize just how bad the calamity was, and they feel bad for not being sympathetic enough. This was the world they were reborn in, it's all they know, they love it this way, but there are scars on the land and on their body that they just don't feel the implications of. In this one, I don't think that Scholar would be able to feel better, or anyone else that lived through the Calamity but still grew up knowing about it. Like Paya or Riju. Maybe to Scholar or Impa, Sage's indifference to the tragedy that had befallen them with their own eyes would seem unbelievable, maybe that would be what gets them to accept that they aren't the same person as before, they there's no way to get that hero back.

Send me a title and I'll tell you what fic I'd write with it!

[tommyspeakycap]

request for jack grealish one where he’s really upset over something and you’re there with him to comfort him, lots of physical contact being his love language and you being the only person he likes touching his hair ?

Comfort

You knew from the very second he walked through the door that annoyed would be an incredibly generous word to describe the emotions running through the Brummie boys head. You grimace to yourself, shoulder raising closer to your ears at the sound of the brand new front door slamming heavily behind him with a curse at the fact he couldn't get his shoes kicked off just right the first time he attempted it in the foyer.

The first game was a loss and just about all he'd gotten for the past few days was hate, stress, hate and some more fucking stress. He was exhausted. From Mykonos to Birmingham to get a bag full of clothes so he could meet Villa in London before eventually travelling to Manchester, his sleep schedule has been completely messed up and even when he did have bursts of time where he should have been sleeping, he had been laying awake scrolling through countless tweets criticising his every single move. Add to that the fact his body was exhausted from international duty and that he had wanted nothing more than to curl up by your side and let his worries melt away like he had last gotten to do nearly three whole months ago.

He doesn't know you're here. To the very best of Jack's knowledge, you were still home in Birmingham and he would probably have to broach the conversation of whether or not you'll be joining him up anytime soon, if ever. He lets out a frustrated grunt, but you know Jack better than anyone else and there's the thick sheen of his heart aching tears existing beneath his frustration.

"Hey baby."

His head snaps around to land his eyes on you the second your sweet voice meets his buzzing ears. The echos of Etihad still burn a bit of his hearing away for now, but he knows it'll return to normal by the end of the night. The tears that had previously been kept on his lash line, pushed back by his will not to breakdown for fear he might not be able to stop if he starts are now past the last line of defence, streaming over his cheeks as he crossed the floor at a pace that would send his fife rating into surefire question.

Your body makes an involuntary 'oof' as he crashes against you, his arms so tight around your body as he stops you from stumbling back with the force of his incoming hug. You don't think he's ever actually held you that tightly before, never with such dire necessity, with such urgency for you to be as close to him as he could get you.

The hair that's been allowed to fall loose from the band he'd earlier had it tied back in tickles the back of your neck as it dangles over the exposed skin. He mumbles something almost incoherent about how much he's missed you into your neck, pepping chaste kisses where his lips have landed against you in this hug. You wished you could enjoy that, but the dampening that has begun to occur over the shoulder that his head is above reminds you of the pain he must be in.

Leaving your childhood club is one thing, but leaving it when everybody else seems to think he's a monster for it is a whole different kind of agony. There were just too many emotions for people to see the kind of things Jack had given for the club and the huge opportunity he had left them with his legacy and with the money they copped for his record breaking sale.

"It's okay, Jacky." You coo, tightening your arms around you as he attempts one tighter squeeze to force the tears back into him. It's a futile attempt, his arms loosening but never dropping away from you as he squeezes his eyes shut and lets those sobs shake his body. "I got you, baby. I've got you."

There was such a mix of emotions running through him that made him feel like the world had just pushed him to the ground and taken the perfect opportunity to give his body a good kicking. First final for England in 55 years, then they lost in a penalty shootout he didn't even get to be a part of after a game he barely got to play in. Then a holiday he couldn't take with you because of work commitments and a sudden coworker needed sooner maternity leave meaning your holiday was completely eliminated. As if those things didn't dampen his spirit, all that transfer business had gone down and it was finally all hitting him.

His exhaustion had caught up, an inevitable burn out that could be messed only by the presence of you in his life. Some of this tears that stream down his cheeks and pool on the grey material of your t-shirt are ones of joy and relief for finally having you back in his arms again for the first time in far too long of a time. Jack vows he will never ever spend that amount of time without you again. Never will he let so much time pass before he gets to hold you, kiss you and tell you face to face how much he truly loves every single thing about you.

"You're my rockstar, you know." You announce, seemingly out of the blue ones his body wracking sobs had died to smaller sniffled and period tears streaking down onto you. "I've literally never been prouder of anyone in my life ever. Not only did you fucking smash the euros, but then you stayed so sweet and so amicable during such a difficult process. You handled everything so well, J. I'm so proud or you and I'm so, so happy for you." You promise, pushing him back so you can take his blotchy, tear streaked face in your head. The expanse of that face is coved in your kisses, pecked all over the surface until he's giggling like the Jack that you know so well, his laugh the most contagious sound you've ever been lucky enough to get to hear on a daily basis. "And I'm so lucky that you let me share this journey with you." You finish, landing your lips softly and perfectly onto his with a warmth and love he had been desperately missing out on for those last vital few weeks of his break.

"S' our journey," Jack mumbles in response against your lips, pulling back every so slightly so he can get a proper good look at the face he had missed so much in person. Your cute quirked eyebrows and confusion tainted eyes make him smile before he elaborates. "Not my journey, it's our journey together. All of this, just the two of us."

His words make your heart sore, flying up onto the space above you in pure glee. You had to admit there was a mild element of fear wondering if he would want you here or if he'd maybe be wanting fresh start, but that was certainly not the case for Jack.

"I love you," he says as you feel him tuck you right back into his chest with a content hum. "I love you too, but you need a wash."

Jack's laughter bellows loudly from his chest beneath your ear at your lightly playful and yet very truthful statement.

"I ran you a bubble bath for you. Bathroom's huuuuge." Your eyes are full of wonder like he thought they might be when he would get the opportunity to bring you out to his temporary Manchester abode. This is you would both stay until he could find a house to place some money down on so he can truly start to settle out the fact he's going to have the next six years of his life here in this area with this club. It makes him more than happy, being here. But something that tickles him in thought as he follows you up the stairs is that he'll get to experience all of this newness with you. You’ll get to explore the new area together, find nee places, making it home together. You had both known Soulihull like the back of your hand, now you could find new places to just be together. He can go house hunting with you. He'll let you drag him through the houses he probably wouldn't otherwise look so much into, talking about what room could be which and silly little things he wouldn't even have noticed.

He could pick a house with you that would have enough room to start a family in together within the next year or so, like you had been hoping to do depending on what the club and transfer season had brought. This brought stability, a team that would function well without a reliance on him if there were some things he had to sit out in order to build this family.

It had been, unbeknownst to you, such a pivotal part of discussions with the Manchester City agents. Jack made it clear he was looking for stability and trophies. He had done so much for Villa and now it was time for him to invest energy in bigger fights with bigger clubs that don't face relegation so constantly. He made it clear to the managers also that the was looking to be in the business of starting a family sometime soon. He was welcomed with open arms still. A club who wanted him desperately and would probably have caved to many more demands from him, not having a fraction of an issue with negotiated paternity pay and leave.

He couldn't wait to find a house and settle down here with you for the foreseeable future, even if things didn't look exactly as he thought they might've looked when you first got together as merely young adults.

"What's going on in that pretty head of yours, eh?" You ask softly, running your fingers gently through his tangled and sweaty hair as he stands there in the middle of the large bathroom. Jack shrugs. There's so much in there today, not really like usual where he could sort through those thoughts and keep his head clear for every day and every game he faces.

"Just stressed," he huffs, allowing you to help him out of the brand new away strip he had been given at the beginning of the day today for his first first game with the new team.

His muscles are achy and tight, body still stiff from the cold that the rain had battered into his limbs as you easily hook off his boxers and tug them down his legs so he can step over the bathtub into the perfect temperature bubble filled water that makes him heave out a heavy sigh of relief the second it meets his skin.

"Talk to me, baby?"

And talk to you he did after he sat down in that bath with you.

He leaned back against you, allowing you to lather shampoo into the hair he trusted very few people with multiple times to massage the ache out of his skull from the previous days tension headaches. He talks about all those messages from so many unhappy people, some even City fans who didn't even want to entertain the idea of him being there. He talks about his worry of sitting on the bench season after season, telling you he was hoping to god those tweets wouldn't be further from the truth. He confided in you some of his greatest pains; the concept that he'd let his Villa teammates down and maybe even made his family unhappy despite the fact they had given him nothing but their full support and unsurprising pride just like everybody else in his immediate circle.

You massage muscle relaxing soap into all of the muscles in his body as he just talks, letting the weight of the world off of his shoulders to dissipate like the steam in the air from the bath. Only once he has everything off his chest and the waters gone cold do you both leave the bathroom, wrapped in towels then into pyjamas where he wraps you up in his arms like he's been desperate to do since the moment he touched off for International duty months ago, and he talks again.

This time, he talks to you instead of just talking out every worry and fear he's ever had.

Jack uses probably the most amount of words he's ever used in such sensible succession in order to paint you a perfect mental picture of a house just outside the city with a huge garden, fenced in for dogs and kids with a pool and enough room for all three of those future kids to have their own room, even though they'll share at first just for fun. He paints a picture of you at his games with two sons and a daughter, his name on each shirt along your back. The kids will call Foden uncle Phil and they’ll love him just like you both do. They'll get to play with the teams kids on the pitch after the games no matter how tired the guys are even if they've been thrashed in a loss. He depicts the kind of life you had both wanted for so long, somehow always deterred by something until right this moment, the time feeling like it had rolled perfectly into place for both of you.

And Jack tells you about how you'll poke fun at him when he starts to get those salt and pepper strands of hair and he'll love you no matter how you look. Your kids will learn what love is from their parents, they'll pick it up and they'll emulate it in their own lives sometime in the future. They'll stamp out hate with the hearts full of love that you will both allow those kids to grow into.

You both fall asleep together that night, wrapped in each others arms drifting off into dreams of kids that don't exist yet in a house you haven't even looked for with a future that each of you wants nothing more than to grab onto with both hands.

Jack's heart hurts for the changes he's made this week. He doubts the pain will ever fully leave him and he hopes that one day his club will welcome him back to end his career on a high note with them. However, until then the pain will be dulled by the prospect of his new future here.

One he can't wait to get stuck right into.

[honeypiehotchner]

coming out -- Hotch’s Daughter!Reader headcanon

Just a lil thing I wrote to comfort myself because sometimes I wonder a little too much about how different I’d be if I had a better coming out experience a.k.a. if Aaron Hotchner was my dad he would’ve been a lot nicer to me

(Also it’s in hc format because I am too exhausted to write a full blown fic right now, love y’all though xx.)

Summary: Hotch adopted you when you were 17 and he’s been nothing but the best Dad anyone could ask for. You’re 19 now and a freshman in college, and you have something important to tell him. Thanksgiving break is coming up soon and...you invited your girlfriend to spend the week with you.

Warnings: mentions of anxiety, one mention of being too anxious to eat

you’d be a nervous fucking wreck

who wouldn’t be, though?

even when you know the person is supportive, you’re still nervous. when you came out to your best friend, you were trembling like crazy, even though she’s never once been anything but supportive of the lgbtq+ community

all that aside, your dad is different

he’s pretty closed off at times, but you expected that when he adopted you

he’s a single dad, raising a young son, and for some reason decided to add you, a seventeen year old girl into the mix

you’re nineteen now, and in your freshman year of college, which means you’ve gone through a lot of self-exploration

and in the short period that you’ve been on your own, you’ve realized something

you like girls. like a lot. like, so much so that you have a girlfriend, and you’ve been dating her for seven months now

and you invited her home for thanksgiving

in your defense, she has nowhere else to go, because her family is from out of the country, and they don’t celebrate thanksgiving

you want her to experience the holiday for the first time, and when she mentioned wanting to spend it with someone she loves, you blurted out the offer

the only problem is, your dad has no idea she’s coming home with you

thanksgiving break starts in two days

on a last minute, impulsive, “if i don’t tell him right now i will throw up everywhere” decision, you drove to your dad’s office

the BAU is only a thirty minute drive from your dorm, so you visit your dad every other week or so

it’s a Wednesday and it’s barely 2pm, so you know he’ll be there

but he doesn’t expect you at all

he’s in the middle of a phone call when you knock on his office door, and his facial expression is more than shocked when he sees its you standing there

you stretch out on the couch like you’ve done countless times when you didn’t want to be alone at home and Jack was off with friends

Hotch can tell something is eating you, so he tries to hurry the phone call along as quick as he can, and soon he’s hanging up

“hey you,” he says, standing and rounding the desk to give you a hug

you gladly accept it, wrapping your arms around his middle

you never really used to like hugs, but his have always made you feel safe

that and Jack loves hugs, so you kind of had to get used to them with him being your little brother

“surprise,” you chuckle nervously

having a profiler for a dad means that absolutely nothing gets past him, but he’s done his best since adopting you to not push subjects that you don’t want pushed

but occasionally, when he can see how badly something is hurting you to keep inside, he breaks that rule

just like he does today

“what’s going on?” he asks, sitting in one of the chairs across from the couch, letting you stretch back out

“well,” you pause to clear your throat, “you know how thanksgiving is next week?”

“yes,” he nods. “you’re on break, right?”

“mhm,” you confirm. “all week.”

“Jack will like having you back home all the time.”

“i’ll like getting to spend more time with him,” you smile, having forgotten about that. Hotch will still be working up until Wednesday, and then will probably be back Friday, but you and Jack can fill the other days easily, especially since it’s been a while

“was that all?” Hotch asks, knowing it wasn’t

“well,” you say again; it’s your nervous tell. “how would you feel if i...invited someone over?”

“like a friend?” he asks, and you nod hesitantly. “i don’t see why not.”

“okay,” you exhale. that was easy enough, but it wasn’t the truth. not completely. “what if it’s a girl?”

Hotch chuckles quietly. “it can be a girl, a boy, or anyone. i don’t mind. as long as they don’t mind an air mattress to sleep on and a little brother running around.”

“what if...what if she slept in my bed? with me.”

silence.

but then he smiles. “that’s okay too.”

“you’re not mad?” you ask.

“why would i be mad?” he asks seriously. “is she your girlfriend?”

“...yes.”

“for how long?”

“seven months,” you blurt. “and is it okay if she’s here all week? her family is from out of the country, so she can’t exactly go anywhere else, and i panicked because i love her and i invited her--”

“it’s okay, Y/N, slow down,” he says softly. “yes, she can stay the whole week.”

“thank you,” you murmur, chewing on your lower lip, and stopping when you see your dad tap his own lip

it’s a small thing he’s done for you since he adopted you. if you’re chewing your lips or cheeks, he quietly taps his

“you’re not mad or...weirded out or anything?”

“not at all,” he says. “truthfully, i’m surprised it took you this long to tell me. i knew you were seeing someone.”

“what?!” you gasp. “how could you even tell?”

“the tone of your voice,” he confesses. “i could tell when she would be there, but i didn’t know who and i didn’t want to bring it up. you don’t have to tell me everything and i knew you’d tell me whenever you were ready. but i knew someone was making you happier.”

“well,” you half laugh, half scoff. “i can’t believe you. but i don’t know why i’m surprised-- hang on, did you already know i was gay?”

he shrugs. “i had my suspicions, but again, i knew you would tell me when you were ready -- if there was anything you wanted to tell.”

“oh my god,” you cover your face with your hands. leave it to your dad to make such a nerve-wracking situation become classically embarrassing. “are you kidding me? i swear to god.”

“on an unrelated note,” he laughs, “would you like to go out to dinner with her tonight?”

you furrow your eyebrows, lowering your hands. “yeah? her and i always do?”

“it’s on me,” he says. “use the credit card.”

“the card is for emergencies.”

“then consider this an emergency.”

“dad.”

“yes daughter?”

that always irritates you when he does that, but you smile anyway. “thank you. for being the best, always,” you roll your eyes with a laugh, always dramatic.

“thank you for sharing this part of your life with me,” he says sincerely. “oh, and i’m still giving her a hard time when she’s over.”

“what? no!”

“it’s my duty.”

“i will lock you out of the house.”

“i’ll kick the door down.”

“be nice to her,” you say seriously. “i really like her.”

“i know,” he smiles. “do you want to stay for lunch since you’re already here?”

oh, right, you haven’t eaten yet. you woke up anxious as hell about telling him, so you haven’t had any food today. “please,” you chuckle. “is garcia here?”

he nods, “in her office.”

“sweet,” you grin. “i’ll be back later with food.”

“okay,” he laughs, watching you practically bounce off the walls now that you’ve been relieved of that big secret. “hey, Y/N?”

you turn around. “yeah?”

“i love you.”

you smile wide, practically throwing yourself in his arms this time. “i love you too, dad.”

[hiinnys]

i buried a hatchet (it’s coming up lavender)

(hello! it’s been a minute! sorry, i’ve unfortunately been trapped under work’s capitalist foot!! but how are yall? MAJOR happy birthday to harry james! thank you for being my comfort character <3 anyways, hope you enjoy harry’s little 22nd party, which is also on ao3!) 

the planning starts in may. it’s nearly three months early, but may brings bad memories molly’s always tried to avoid. it’s a simple question about cake flavors pointed at harry and ginny, their birthdays always planned in tandem, but harry freezes nonetheless. it’s nothing anyone would notice, but ginny does because she’s ginny and harry’s always been what she’s good at. so when they’re alone later and she asks about it, he’s not surprised.

“it’s stupid,” he says, shaking his head in that way he does that makes him seem so small ginny’s heart aches.

“harry,” she pushes this one, feels like she has to.  

“it’s just…i’m twenty-two this year, aren’t i?”

“yeah?”

“i’m always gonna be older than them now,” he almost whispers, like it’s a crime to even speak aloud. he sits down on the bed just then. the bed in his flat that he’s been too scared to ask her to share with him. he wonders briefly if his dad was ever as scared to ask his mum something so easy; wonders if his dad ever got the chance to be, or if that was just another thing war took away from him.

“harry,” she sits next to him, body angled towards him so her legs are pushed up against his side. “talk to me.”

it’s a simple request; ginny’s like that, takes only the smallest pieces of him because she thinks everyone else takes too much. he wants to tell her that she can take as much as she wants, it’s all hers anyways, but he doesn’t know how, so he settles for giving her what she’s asked of him.

“it feels…wrong, i guess, to celebrate it,” he sighs, tries to quell the storm in his chest, in his head (doesn’t succeed). “it feels like i’m celebrating their deaths.”

she’s silent for a moment, like she’s thinking it all through, weighing the merits of what he’s said, and he can’t quite express how grateful he is that she gives him this - her respect, her thoughtfulness, her whole self, each and every time.

“i get it,” she finally says. “but you can’t live the rest of your life avoiding your birthday. i think you’ve already missed too many in your parents’ books.”

he knows she’s right, thinks about his years with the dursleys, about how he didn’t even know his birthday until he was five and a teacher at primary told him. he nods his head.

“but-,” he starts.

“just not this one,” she finishes. “yeah, i get it.”

the next time they’re at the burrow, ginny casually mentions that she’s actually surprised harry with a weekend trip for his birthday, seeing as he never takes time off otherwise, and if the family would like, they could do a joint cake at ginny’s birthday dinner.

***

she actually does surprise him with a trip, something that he wasn’t expecting, but she suggests they bring teddy along and harry reckons the kid’s due for a holiday. she doesn’t tell him where they’re going to start, just piles the three of them in harry’s car and tells him to drive (she’s yet to pass her driver’s test, but ginny’s one of the few people who genuinely enjoys the tube so she’s not in any rush).

it’s when they’re less than halfway there that harry realizes she has them set out for shell cottage.

“really? you thought bringing me to your brother’s place would be a nice birthday surprise?”

“first of all, you said yourself we aren’t celebrating your birthday, and, second, bill and fleur aren’t home. they’re in france, so i asked if we could borrow the place for the weekend and they said yes.”

“fair enough.”

***

teddy’s antsy for the water as soon as he sees it, so they only go as far as throwing their stuff in the sitting room before taking him down to the shoreline. he splashes happily through the calm water, and his clothes are soaked to the brim, but his laughter fills the air, so harry lets it be.

“harry!” the five year-old shouts, holding up a distinctly purple piece of coral. “look! pretty!”

“you wanna take it with you?”

“YES!” he screams, eyes wide with glee, and harry can’t help the rush of love for his godson. he exaggerates tucking the coral into his pocket when teddy hands it to him, just to affirm ted’s desire to keep it safe. when he turns around, ginny’s smiling at them from her place on a rock, jeans pushed up to her knees, feet in the water and red hair blowing in the wind, and harry finally feels peace settle into his heart.

***

the rest of the day passes rather quietly. when they finally make it in from the beach, the day catches up with teddy, leaving him exhausted and irate, so harry gives him a quick bath and settles the boy in for a small nap. when he gets back down, ginny’s changed and sits on a bar stool in the kitchen, picking at the last of the snack plate harry had made earlier in lieu of a proper lunch.

“hungry?” harry asks and, at her nod of affirmation, starts looking through the fridge to figure out what dinner can be. they sit in an easy silence for a bit, harry washing and cutting vegetables and ginny watching. over the years, he’s learned she likes to watch him cook, and though the reason for it doesn’t make too much sense to him, he likes having her there, so he’s never questioned it much.

“thank you for this,” he finally says.

“for what?”

“bringing us here. i’ve been in my head about it all too much, i think. the whole twenty-two thing. it’s nice to not have to think about it for a bit.”

she studies him for a minute, like she’s trying to look right at the core of him, so he puts down the knife he’s been using to chop the vegetables and gives her all of himself.

“you never have to thank me,” she says after a minute.

“i know.”

***

teddy “helps” harry clean up after dinner that night, which really just means that ted sits on the counter next to the kitchen sink and rattles on about something or the other while harry does the dishes. every now and then, harry blows some soap bubbles on the boy and basks in the glow of the laughter it brings out of him.

an hour later (and well past his bedtime), harry finally manages to get teddy to stay beneath the sheets, but it’s only when ginny reads him babbity rabbity twice and swears on her life that they’ll go back down to the water tomorrow that teddy settles in for the night.

“harry!” he whispers as harry’s switching off the light.

“yeah, mate,” harry stage-whispers back, his eyebrows raised for ginny’s amusement.

“happy birthday!” teddy murmurs tiredly.

“that’s tomorrow, mate.”

“still,” the boy whines.

“thanks, ted,” harry responds, gentle smile on his face.

when they finally make it into their room, harry places a quick silencing charm on the door. at ginny’s raised brow, he says, rather simply:

“for good measure.”

ginny snorts.

they’re silent as they get ready for bed, and harry lets himself sink deep into the warmth of it. they don’t get this too often, the pair of them; ginny’s spot in the harpies takes her across the world and, when harry’s not in some obscure town somewhere tracking some homicidal maniac or the other, kingsley has him on diplomatic missions across the continent. it grates at harry sometimes, how little he gets to be with his girlfriend, but ginny has games to play and championships to win and harry has people to catch and (every now and then) laws to change, and neither has any desire to stop anytime soon so they live with it. in his opinion, they’re pretty good at it. they know their limits. they carve time out for each other, always. harry makes it to all the big games, the ones she’s nervous about. ginny makes it to every stupid ceremony and the endless galas that make harry want to claw his eyes out. she keeps him going; he keeps her sane, and the rest they take as it comes, together. always together.

“harry,” her voice, light as the sun, breaks him out of his reverie. “where’d you go?”

“sorry,” he whispers back. “just in my head a bit.”

“that’s okay. it’s a nice head.”

“it’s a nice head?” he grins at her, knowing she’s caught. ginny rolls her eyes, but there’s a smile on her face, and when she’s done feigning her annoyance, she pulls him in for a kiss. it’s calm and confident and everything that is ginny and when they fuck, they look into each other’s eyes the entire time, and he’s reminded, with each thrust, of just how much he loves her.

***

when he wakes up, the room’s dark, the spot next to him is empty, and he can hear voices coming from below. his heart clenches for a minute, a piece of the war he’ll never be able to let go of, but it eases when he sees ginny’s wand, still on the table, still next to his.

he gets out of bed silently (mentally thanking his auror training) and makes the short walk down the hallway towards the stairs when he sees teddy’s door open too. before he has the chance to panic this time, though, he hears the boy’s laugh followed by ginny’s own giggle. there’s a smile on his face now that he knows ginny would tease him about if she could see it, but he honestly can’t help it. not when he’s in this house, full of a warmth that he’s finally, blessedly, allowed to be a part of. he spots them in the kitchen, but from their angle, he knows they can’t see him. ginny’s leaning against the counter, mixing something in a rather large bowl, while teddy’s sitting on the counter next to her, weirdly, waving a strawberry in the air.

“we gotta put it in!” he whispers, in the way five year-olds do, which isn’t much of a whisper at all. “harry loves strawberries!”

“strawberries in a birthday cake? i’m afraid you may be a genius, ted,” ginny announces in a quiet voice, while harry’s eyes fill with unshed tears. he stays glued to the spot for a bit longer, knowing somewhere in the back of his mind that he’s ruining their surprise, but not being able to turn away from his family. eventually though, he does. he climbs, silently, back up the stairs and slips back into his and ginny’s bed. when he falls back asleep, it’s with the ghost of a smile on his face and a feeling he doesn’t think he’s known until this moment.

***

he’s woken up in the morning by teddy trying to pull his arm off.

“wha-”

“come on,” the boy whines. “it’s breakfast!”

at that, harry wakes up instantly, feeling the guilt wash over him at the idea of leaving teddy without food. it’s only then that he smells the coffee in the air and realizes that ginny isn’t next to him. he breathes just then, quickly realizing that teddy isn’t hungry; he just wants harry awake.

“sorry, mate,” harry smiles at him guiltily, voice a bit rough with sleep. he lets ted drag him down stairs, the boy practically bouncing the entire way down. when they get to the kitchen, he’s met with ginny - long hair in a knot atop her head, eyes still a little sleep tired - grinning around a piece of toast.

“morning,” she smiles up at him and he gives her a lopsided grin in return.

“ginny, ginny, ginny,” teddy bounces next to her. “we’ve gotta do it now!” he whispers.

“we should probably let him eat first,” ginny whispers back.

“no! we gotta do it now!”

“alright, alright,” she responds. “harry,” she gestures to a seat, which harry takes, brows furrowed though he thinks he knows what’s coming. sure enough, ginny and teddy disappear for a few seconds, then come back with a slightly lopsided cake adorned in strawberries, a single candle lit in the middle. he beams the minute he sees them, which turns into an all out laugh the minute teddy starts up his rendition of ‘happy birthday’ which usually involves a lot of lyrics that never stay the same and none of them ever know. when ted’s done, ginny tells him to make a wish and harry asks teddy for help blowing out the candle.

they skip actual breakfast, choosing to tuck into the cake first. it’s sickly sweet and makes teddy smile from ear to ear, frosting covering his cheeks.

“like it, mate,” harry bemusedly asks. all teddy manages is a quick nod between bites, and harry knows he’ll regret letting the kid have two slices later on. but that’s later and this is right now and right now, he’s sat at a table with the two people he loves most in the world, eating a cake they made for him. right now, he’s celebrating - in his own, admittedly, small way -  a birthday his parents’ never got to. right now, he’s doing everything they wanted for themselves and him. right now (and everyday after), he’s their son, the same as he’s always been, keeping them alive with every breath he breathes, every birthday he celebrates. right now, he’s sat with the woman he loves, laughing as he watches his godson attempt to fit an entire strawberry in his mouth, so completely and ridiculously happy.

happy birthday, ginny mouths from over teddy’s head. harry smiles easily at her, love shining through his eyes, lighter than he’s ever been.

[costellos]

a/n: the Crusaders have a very special place in my heart during the holidays. I finished Part 3 around this time last year, and things were a lil rough then. as a result, I wanted to focus on happier things for this year! so without further ado, here are ya fav globe-trotting boys and their fav holiday traditions.

tw: mentions of death and alcohol in Polnareff’s section.

❥ ┋ ❝ stardust crusaders & their favorite holiday traditions to do with you!

joseph joestar.

Joseph’s favorite holiday tradition is putting up Christmas lights.

the eldest Joestar is really obnoxious when it comes to holiday traditions. while he loves them all, he has a particular affinity for decking out his house in elaborate light displays. it brings him a lot of good memories from when Holly and Jotaro were still young.

that said, he has to get you involved in helping him. he pulls out the biggest boxes from storage and drops them at your feet. despite his being a literal millionaire, it feels very... suburban. not that you mind. you knew exactly what you were getting into when it came to Joseph. that childish zeal for everything keeps you on your toes, and while putting up lights may not be the most fun activity in the world, his boisterous laugh makes you think otherwise.

Joseph’s smiling ear-to-ear as you help him, especially when you set up an LED wire reindeer without his help. but nothing will top that toothy grin when you’re standing side-by-side, right in front of the house, and he plugs in the displays.

the house erupts into a flurry of colors ― blues, reds, whites, greens ― too many for you to count. that LED wire reindeer comes to life, with its head slowly rising and falling. and the trees, all laced with bulbs that mimic stars more than tacky lights from Home Depot, twinkle and dance to the displays around them. it’s beautiful. (and like him, a little obnoxious.)

you feel an arm wrap around your shoulder, pulling you to Joseph’s enormous figure. though his smile is unwavering, his gaze isn’t on the house in front of you. no, it’s on you yourself. for all the sweat and effort you both put into this, his attention still falls back to you. ↳ “haha! there you have it. you have a real knack for this, kiddo. couldn’t’ve done it without you. ...now let’s go back inside, I can’t feel my damn fingers...!” 

muhammad avdol.

Avdol’s favorite holiday tradition is drinking hot chocolate.

though he doesn’t celebrate Christmas, Avdol enjoys the traditions that come with it for you. his personal favorite is drinking something hot after a long day. Cairo may be in the desert, but it still gets quite chilly at night!

he usually opts for tea in the evening (masala chai being his favorite), but he’s starting to warm up to hot chocolate. while American hot chocolate is far too sweet for him, a pinch of cayenne pepper and a little cinnamon makes it more tolerable.

it’s become something of a challenge to get him to drink hot chocolate. it’s not his first choice. sure, he’ll still drink it if you offer, but you’re quick to notice that small grimace as he takes his first sip. you’ve taken it as a sign to make something delicious for him. so you go back to the basics: cayenne and cinnamon. considering Avdol’s distaste for overly sweet foods, you opt to make the beverage out of semi-sweet chocolate. mix it all together with some warm milk, add a cinnamon stick and some nutmeg at the top, and you’ve got the key to Avdol’s heart.

you place it proudly in front of him. this has to be it. you know him well enough to recognize his tastes. yet when he rests his mug against his lips, taking that first sip... you can’t read him. his features are still. 

truth be told, it’s exactly the kind of drink he’d love. damn. you nailed his tastes a little too well. but he's not going to admit defeat. seeing you try so hard to impress him in a desperate attempt to share your culture with him... it’s heartwarming. he doesn’t want it to end. so he sends you a click of his tongue, a sly grin, and the shake of his head. ↳ “it tastes much better, but I think something is missing... why don’t we try to find it together?”

jotaro kujo.

Jotaro’s favorite holiday tradition is eating Christmas cake.

Christmas cake is just a strawberry shortcake. it’s a simple dessert, something that most Japanese families eat around the holidays. Holly’s become a master at baking it. and while Jotaro doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, he loves Christmas cake.

the only thing he loves more than Christmas cake is his family, though he’d never admit it outwardly. he has a lot of fond memories of eating Christmas cake right after dinner. sometimes if he behaved well enough Holly would sneak him a slice before then. even now he gets a warm feeling seeing all his favorite people together, sharing the fruits of Holly’s kitchen labors.

and because he’s dating you, you’re one of those people, too. the invite is casual; he makes it sound like you can come if you have nothing better to do. so of course you come. you show up at his house, smile in tow, eager to celebrate with him and his own family. (but let’s be real, Holly has adopted you as one of her own ― his family is as much as yours now.)

that same warm feeling creeps up on him as he watches you and Holly bake the cake. you look so happy here, so natural, as if you were always meant to be a part of this household. he won’t smile back at you. no, if you catch him staring, he’ll just dip his head and turn away. you know by now that he’s happy too, however.

when it comes time to eat, Jotaro won’t say anything. he’ll let his mom, Joseph, and Suzie Q do their little pre-feast speech, rambling some bullshit about tradition and midnight Mass. but when he looks back at you, standing there at his side, that warm feeling bubbles in his stomach once more. you belong here. this is where you’re meant to be: right here, with him, placed so perfectly within his own family. ↳ “hey. you know you can come back whenever. being surrounded by all this noise is actually tolerable when you’re here.”

noriaki kakyoin.

Kakyoin’s favorite holiday tradition is exchanging presents.

though his family isn’t Christian, Kakyoin fondly remembers his parents exchanging presents every year. small things, tiny trinkets and letters to express their love for one another. as such, he’s always wanted to celebrate it with someone special. he’d be lying if he said he hasn’t romanticized the holiday.

as such, he’s beyond excited to celebrate it with you. he tries to keep his cool about the whole affair, but his eyes are bright and he refuses to let go of your hand as he pulls you through the streets of Tokyo.

the city is decked out in all sorts of light displays, from hanging icicles to flashy LEDs. mascots line the streets delivering candy canes with advertisements for local restaurants. the smell of chocolate is evident throughout every street you turn on.

but the city is only part of it. a big part of the date, yes, but Kakyoin has the finale all planned out. he brings you to a shrine outside of the hustle and bustle. it’s a bit of a hike and it’s dimly lit, though you figure that’s why no one else is up here. he sits you down on a short bench, short enough for you to be sitting shoulder to shoulder, gazing down at the city below. that’s when he gives it to you:

it’s a small gold box wrapped with a red ribbon. fancy, you think to yourself. with his teasing you to just open it, though, you get to work pulling apart the red ribbon. you’re not sure what to expect. Kakyoin’s not one for brands, nor does he like anything flashy himself. had he gotten you something like that...? yet when you open the box, what stares back is a cassette tape. of course. he’s far more thoughtful than you gave him credit for. ↳ “clichéd, I know. but every time I hear any of these songs, all I can think of is you. I can, ah... I can play it for you when we get back.”

jean pierre polnareff.

Polnareff’s favorite holiday tradition is shopping for presents.

shopping for presents is a melancholy activity. it was a tradition he had with Sherry, to go about the nearest market and pick out the best gifts for their family and friends. she’s been gone for a while now. even still, it hurts all the same.

he’s beyond thankful that he has you. you don’t try to get him to forget about her, but you also don’t let him to wallow in self-pity. you honor her memory, letting him reminisce about better times. likewise, you’re more than happy to accompany him on his shopping trip.

Polnareff is quiet for most of the trip. it’s uncharacteristic of him, and if you’re being honest, a little uncomfortable. though you know he’s doing his best to focus. you can tell from the way his gloved fingers stay laced with yours, his grip tightening just the slightest to remind you that he’s still present. 

you try to cheer him up by getting a spiced wine and offering to share with him. and. jesus christ. his eyes just light up. it’s that cute, couple-y shit that he loves and you did it for him like it was nothing. from then on, Polnareff is a little less mopey. more lighthearted. the Polnareff you know and so deeply love, back at it with his high-spirited self.

he stops you when it’s time to return home. shopping bags rest in his grip, with the faintest tint of red on his upper lip from all the wine. you’re pretty exhausted ― both from shopping and trying to keep him happy ― and he knows this, yet he stops you nonetheless. it’s a quick affair, where he puts a simple, glass heart ornament in your palm, the date written in silvery letters. oh? he must have gotten it when you weren’t looking. ↳ “you’ve helped me a lot today. you know that, vérité? I just... want to remember this day forever.”

[yungidreamer]

Pampered

Summary: Finals are finally over and its time to relax a little before heading home, but not everyone really has a home to go to. 

Word count: 2k

Content warnings: none, this is basically a little hit of domestic fluff

Finals time passed like a flash. On Monday morning, while Mingi prepared to go and take his test and Yunho continued to study and finish his take home tests, she took San out for a walk to get some extra food and supplies. They walked to the store close to them to get the few things that they needed, having fun in the very clear cold morning air. The storm had cleared and left a crystalline world in its wake. The sky was clear, the snow was a bright and pure white sheet that covered and softened every surface. Everything looked like a Christmas card, clean and white.

They successfully bought all the things that they needed and had a little bit of fun along the way. Fields of snow were too tempting, too perfect, to be left alone. She was the one who started it, lobbing a soft ball of snow at the back of San’s head as he walked ahead of her. When it hit him with a soft whoof sending a burst of powdery snow over his head and shoulders the battle was begun. By the time it was over and he had tackled her into a snowdrift they were both laughing, exhausted, and covered in snow. It was the most fun San had had in months.

They arrived home not long after Mingi got home from his final and his spirit was much improved by the sight of both of them entering the house looking like they were snow monsters more than people. He greeted her with laughter and kisses, cupping her cold pinkened cheeks to warm them.

“You know, I’m cold too,” San laughed. 

“Of course,” Yunho broke into giggles, joining them at the door to use his large warm hands to warm San’s cheeks much like Mingi was doing with their girl, but skipping the kisses, which he wasn’t particularly sure he would have appreciated. The scene left everyone in stitches and raised the mood of the house in general. Yunho and Hong Joong returned to their studies while she, Mingi, and San spent the evening watching movies in the bedroom room to keep from distracting the others.

When Tuesday afternoon finally rolled around Yunho was finally done and Hong Joong headed back to his dorm to get ready to head home. They were all done and all free and it was time to relax and pamper themselves. Yunho felt like he had done well on his exam and started the holidays on a positive note. He came home to find that they had gotten the spa day prepared for his arrival. In the living room a calming natural soundscape was playing and the steam diffuser was filling the air with a mix of lavender and chamomile. They had drawn the curtains and lit a few candles around the room to create the mood. 

“Welcome home,” Mingi greeted him with a hug and passed him a warm cup of cider. “You should hop in the shower and get clean so you can get on with your pampering.”

“Okay,” Yunho gave his cheek a kiss and took the mug from his hand. “Where is our girl?”

“She’s in the shower but she’ll be out in a minute,” Mingi smiled.

“I’m going to see if I can’t catch her,” Yunho’s eyes sparkled and he hurried back to their shared bathroom. Pulling off his outer layers as he walked down the hall, he hurried to the bathroom, catching her just as she was about to step out. With a mischievous grin, he pulled her back into the shower, insisting on washing her hair, which she had skipped, figuring she could do it before bed instead. But Yunho enjoyed taking the moment to take care of her, even if it was just a small thing.

Feeling clean and warm after their shower, they threw on some comfy clothes and headed out to join San and Mingi in the spa prepared living room. Mingi had laid out their favorite masks and beauty products on the coffee table and had put out cookies and cakes for everyone to snack on. San was seated on the couch, dressed in some comfy shorts and a t-shirt he had borrowed from Mingi. Beauty could get messy after all, Mingi had said as he gave him the clothes to change into after his shower.

“Where do I start?” San asked, grabbing a cookie and taking a bite.

“Let’s start you with a mask,” She suggested. “I have just the one I want you to try.”

“I don’t trust that smile you have,” He narrowed his eyes at her as she pulled a container off the table.

“It’s fun, I promise,” she laughed.

“Carbonated clay bubble mask,” San read off the side of the container. “What on earth?”

“Just wait,” Yunho assured him.

“Okay sit facing me so I can put it on you,” she instructed, sitting next to him. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously but did as she asked. She pulled out a tiny silicone spatula and opened the container. San peered inside at the shiny grey paste, still not sure what he thought about it. She spooned out a little on the spatula before bringing it up to his face. Over a period of a minute or two, she spread a small layer of it onto his face. 

When she was done, she closed up the tub and set it back on the table, then chose one for herself and let Mingi put it on her face. The two boys took sheet masks that smelled like lovely fresh fruits. San waited and sat, letting the mask work on his face. At first it just felt cool and slick on his face, but after a few minutes it started to tickle.

“Here, look,” Mingi gave him a hand mirror to look at his face. San made a sound of surprise as he caught sight of himself. He looked like he had stuck his face in some sort of grey cloud. The slick mask had bubbled itself into something like a fluffy, airy poof.

“It’s cool, isn’t it?” Yunho asked.

“It’s weird,” he commented, poking slightly at one section. 

“You can wash it off in like 10 minutes,” She told him from where she had stretched out in front of the fireplace. San sighed and leaned back in the loveseat, trying not to give into the urge to just sit and pop the layer of bubbles on his face.

“Ummm, is your dad going to be home for Christmas?” She asked him. 

“Not really,” San sighed. “He’ll be there for a couple of days after I get there but…”

“Then you are coming over for Christmas dinner at my parents,” she replied, more as a statement than as a question.

“I don’t know,” he sighed. “I don’t want to be an imposition or something. You’re supposed to be with family and...I don’t want to intrude.”

“You aren’t an imposition,” she dismissed. “I already asked at Thanksgiving. Like, if you want you can just come over and stay for the whole break with us. But you can also just come when your dad leaves.”

“I don’t know,” San sighed. “I just feel like I am going to be a bother and just because my holidays are messed up, doesn’t mean yours should be.”

“Pfft, please,” she scoffed. “Oh my God, if we adopt you, I wouldn’t have to be the oldest anymore! Yooooou can be the oldest kid and I can be a middle child!”

“Love, I don’t think that is how it works,” Yunho laughed, casting her a look that was mostly obscured by the fabric of the mask on his face.

“Shhhhh, let me have my dream,” she shushed.

“I wish I could stay at your place for Christmas,” Mingi sighed, not looking forward to spending the holiday at his own home.

“Someday we can just do our own Christmas.” She shrugged. “I’d hate to think we have to wait until we graduate or something but...yeah. Anyway, San, you are coming for Christmas.”

“I don’t know,” San sighed. “You need to ask your parents again at least. And really I would be fine at home. I can take care of myself and you guys have already been so nice to have me the past few days already. It was like Christmas even without presents. You have the tree and everything.”

“I’ll call them later so you can hear the invitation from them,” she agreed, not willing to let him just be fine over the holidays by himself. “If you really don’t want to come, I won’t make you, but like if you think you shouldn’t come because you would be a bother, then you’re being stupid and you are going to come for Christmas.”

“We’ll see,” San gave her a smile. He appreciated the invitation even if he didn’t end up going. “Maybe after Christmas, or for New Years.”

“Oh that, too,” she spoke with such confidence that he almost believed her.

***

“Hey mom,” she said, stepping out onto the back porch after San had gone to bed in Mingi’s room.

“Hey honey,” her mother said cheerily from the other end of the phone. “It’s pretty late, is everything okay?”

“Yeah yeah and we are still coming home tomorrow,” she replied quickly, not wanting her mom to worry about why she was calling. “I asked at Thanksgiving already but...is it okay if San comes and stays for Christmas?”

“Is his dad going to be gone again?” Her mother sounded appropriately annoyed by the thought.

“Yeah at least for a good part of it,” she confirmed. “Can’t we just, like, adopt him...for a while at least until his dad realizes he is an idiot?”

“Of course he can come,” her mother assured her. “He is always welcome to come over.”

“I am sure you’ve probably already bought most of my presents but…” she sighed and shivered. “Can you take some back and get a few things to put under the tree for San?”

“Oh honey,” her mother could not have been more proud of her daughter. “When you get here we can go shopping and get a few things for him. You probably know better what he might want than I would.”

“Okay, that works, thanks mom,” she was relieved, not that she ever doubted her mom would say yes. “Can you have dad call San soon and invite him. He doesn’t believe me that he has an open invite.”

“Of course, I’ll tell him now,” her mother was quick to agree. “Was there anything else you needed to talk about?”

“No, that was it,” she said easily. “I’ll call again tomorrow when we are ready to leave. Tell dad I said hi, too.”

“Okay honey,” Her mother’s smile could be heard through the phone. “Sleep well, I love you.”

“Love you, too, mom,” she said earnestly.

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

She ended the call and headed back inside the warm house. Locking the back door, she went through the house, making sure that all the doors were locked and turning off the Christmas tree lights and the other lights in the living room and kitchen. Mingi and Yunho had already headed to the bedroom when she had waved them off, holding up her phone to silently indicate that she had a call to make.

Assured that the house was safe and shut down for the night, she headed down the dim hall she could have walked down blind at this point. As she passed Mingi’s bedroom door, she heard San’s phone ring and then heard him answer it, saying her dad’s name as he did. Though she couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying, a smile spread across her face. She headed into the bedroom, deciding she didn’t need to eavesdrop, as she was pretty sure she knew what it was her father would tell him.

Masterlist

[writerbyaccident]

Date Night: Part Three (Yandere ErasermicxReader)

Request: I just wanted to say that I love you Date Night Fics a lot! Will there be a part 3 of it? 😊😆😆❤️

Part One Part Two

           Night was falling quickly that evening, and most houses were blended easily into the darkness, their occupants out for a Valentine’s Day celebration. One house though, isolated and outside of the city proper, was alive with light and sound. Inside, two men worked diligently in the kitchen, the whole home filling with the tempting aroma of the dishes they were making.

           “Alright,” said Aizawa, “the chocolate-covered strawberries are in the freezer. What can I help you with?”

           “Well, the lamb still needs a little bit longer in the oven, you want to start putting the broccoli and rice into the dishes?” Hizashi answered as he peered into the oven.

           “Sure thing. Do you know if she’s left work yet?”

“Um, let me check,” Hizashi said, scrolling through his phone for the answer. “The tracker says she’s still at work, but she’s probably going to leave soon. And when she does, we’ll only have like twenty-five minutes before she gets home.”

“We can make it,” Aizawa said with a determined nod.

The next few minutes were pleasantly quiet as the sound of clattering dishes resounded throughout the kitchen, Aizawa moving the steaming sides to their bowls and covering them to ensure that they would still be warm by the time you came back home. He set them down gently on his and Hizashi’s round dining room table, being certain to make sure that they weren’t blocking the vase of pink magnolias and crimson roses that he and his boyfriend had so carefully chosen. The roses had been Aizawa’s idea, as he wanted a flower that would properly set the mood for this holiday dinner, and he found their deep, vibrant color a fitting representation of his feelings. Hizashi, by contrast, had chosen the magnolias, wanting to add something utterly unique and beautiful to match you. And together, he and Aizawa thought, the effect was breathtaking.

           When Aizawa reentered the kitchen, he saw Hizashi with his face practically pressed flat against the oven door. Smiling in amusement, Aizawa silently slunk up behind him, then suddenly darting forward to place a kiss on Hizashi’s neck. The blond jumped slightly at the unexpected touch, having been concentrating too hard to even hear his boyfriend’s approach, but soon melted in his arms.

           “You know,” Aizawa chuckled, “it’s not going to cook any faster if you stare at it.”

           “I know that. I just don’t want it to dry out, so I’m keeping an eye on it.”

           “I’m sure it’s going to be perfect,” Aizawa reassured him. At that, Hizashi turned to him, his eyes wide and anxious.

           “But what if it’s not?” Hizashi asked nervously. “What if we’ve done something wrong? What if she says no?” At the mere mention of that possibility, Aizawa’s stomach clenched and then spiraled downward, all the way down and past the kitchen floor. And even though Hizashi had already had the thought, actually saying it out loud had fishhooks piercing his heart and dragging it up to his throat. Seeing each other like that had both men squeezing the other tightly, just breathing for a moment until Aizawa finally spoke.

           “That’s not going to happen. We saved her. We’ve taken care of her for weeks now, protected her from Dabi and anyone else who would try to hurt her. We’ve shown her the love she really deserves. She can’t say no.”

           Hizashi sighed and gave a nervous grin.

           “You’re right, you’re always right, babe,” he said with a shaky nod. “I mean, really she’s already our sweetheart. We’re just making it official tonight.”

           It was true, both men thought to themselves. You were already theirs, they just needed to tell you that. So later that night, when the three of were finally sitting down to dinner, Aizawa and Hizashi forgot their worries in their lovesick excitement.

           “So how was work today?” Aizawa asked as he scooped some more rice onto your plate.

           “Oh, it was fine, just average,” you said with a tired smile.

           “I still can’t believe that they made you work on Valentine’s Day,” Hizashi muttered.

           “Well,” you laughed, “it’s not exactly a national holiday. And it’s not like I have a Valentine anyway.” At that, Aizawa flashed a stern look at his lover, warning him not to correct you just yet.

           “You haven’t seen any sign of Dabi, have you?” Aizawa asked, noting the way your eyes dimmed at your question. Now, he understood that everything that had happened was traumatic for you, but really, you should be glad that they had gotten that villain out of your life for you.

           “No, thankfully not,” you answered. “I don’t know if he actually cares enough about me to risk it.”

           “Well,” Aizawa said, “I’m glad he’s not mixing you up in his shit. You deserve so much better than that.” Hizashi nodded in agreement, and your cheeks heated at their concern. Really, these past few weeks had been so emotionally exhausting, you didn’t think you could have gotten through it without the two of them. They had opened up their home to you, had made you feel safe. They practically doted on you, providing everything that you could ever possibly want or need. And now—now they were even letting you intrude on their Valentine’s Day date. You hadn’t wanted to force yourself into their celebration, but they had insisted. In all honesty, Aizawa and Hizashi were probably the best friends you ever had.

           “Speaking of that though, I was thinking it’s about time for me to go home.”

           For a moment, Hizashi and Aizawa could only stare at you with disbelieving eyes.

           “What?” Hizashi finally responded with pure shock. “Why?”

           “It’s just that, well, it’s been weeks now. I haven’t seen the slightest sign of Dabi, and neither have either of you. I don’t think he’s going to try to contact me. And anyway, I feel bad about intruding into your home.”

           “You are not intruding!” Hizashi insisted as Aizawa took his hand.

           “Besides,” Aizawa added. “Dabi might just be waiting for you to leave.”

           “But—”

           “And we’d miss you!” Hizashi shouted over you.

           “I’d miss you guys too, but it’s not like we can’t see each other,” you reasoned. “We’d still be friends, right?”

           When you said that word—friend—Aizawa and Hizashi simultaneously squeezed each other’s hands tightly enough to make them go numb. Flashing a quick look towards each other, they made a silent lovers’ agreement.

           “But that’s the thing, sweetheart,” Aizawa started to say. “We don’t want to be your friends.”

           “What?”

           “We don’t want to be your friends,” Hizashi continued. “We want to be more than that with you. We love you.”

           Now it was your turn to be silent as their confession looped around and around in your mind. But with the two of them gazing at you so hopefully, it wasn’t long before you forced yourself to speak.

           “I—I’m sorry,” you began softly. “But I just can’t feel that way about anybody right now. What happened with Dabi, it—it really got to me, you saw how much it hurt me.”

           “We would never hurt you though,” Aizawa told you.

           “But I’m just not ready to be that vulnerable yet.”

           “Sure you are,” Aizawa said. “You have two men here who love you, who love you more than anyone else ever has. That’s all you need to be ready.”

           “I decide when I’m ready.”

           “Songbird, you’re just confused,” Hizashi said as Aizawa quietly slipped into the kitchen. “We know that this is a lot to take in, but taking this next step together is what’s right for all of us. We need to love you, and you need to let us.”

           “You’re not—”

           “Shouta and I can take care of you, we want to take care of you! You’ll never have to worry about anything again with us: not work, not bills, not villains, not anything! You would finally have the love that you deserve.”

           “I already said no,” you told as you began to stand from your chair. “I’m not going to say it again.”

           “And where are you going?” Aizawa suddenly asked from the dining room doorway.

           “I’m going to go back to my apartment and give you two a chance to cool down. Neither of you is making any sense.”

           “Really? Because you’re the one rejecting your soulmates.”

           “The two of you are not my soulmates.”

           “Of course we are,” Hizashi argued, tears beginning to fill his eyes at your stubbornness. When Aizawa spotted his boyfriend’s tears he frowned, extracting a syringe from his pocket and started to move towards you slowly and cautiously, the way one might with a spooked animal. As soon as you saw what he held in his hand, you tried to run for the door, only for Hizashi to immediately capture you in his arms. You writhed in his grip while Aizawa continued to approach you, and Hizashi nuzzled you comfortingly.

           “It’s alright, sweetheart,” Aizawa reassured you. “You’re just tired, you’re exhausted from work so you aren’t in your right mind.”

           “I told you that job was bad for you,” Hizashi grumbled into your neck.

           “Let me go!” you yelled. “Let me go or I swear—”

           “Ah, ah, songbird,” Hizashi lectured you as he held his hand over your mouth. “That’s no way to treat your lovers.”

           “Exactly,” Aizawa agreed. “So you’re going to have a little rest, and then hopefully in the morning you’ll realize just how foolishly you’ve been acting.”

           With that, Aizawa plunged the needle into your skin, both he and Hizashi ignoring your muffled pleas. The effects didn’t hit immediately, but soon enough you were melting into your captors’ arms, their touch the last thing you felt.

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[treechangeseachange]

The return

It’s coming up to 3 months since we returned to our block and it took us 8 weeks to slow down. On the weekend we slowed down we enjoyed the first official Friday night catch up with our neighbours as the full moon rose. On Saturday we went out for brunch. No sport on Sunday morning meant a sleep in. I played handball with my boys for the first time ever in my life. Lamb shanks slow cooked on the wood heater. We squeezed in a late Sunday afternoon fishing trip. It took us 8 weeks to find some calm. We had forgotten how to do normal. I haven’t written for this blog since um wow December?! My leisure time since then has been extremely limited and when it occurred I prioritised my mental wellbeing and sleep.

This journey has brought me to the edge of my psychological and physical limitations. I watched my husband do a terminator style non stop renovation while trying also to commence a rebuild. His promises to take time off over Christmas dwindled to 2 days. There was so much to do. I helped with whatever jobs I was able to and then focussed on the household and occasionally, our boys. Midway through January this year we realised trying to work on both the renovation and the rebuild was insanity. The local real-estate market was booming. Post COVID, Sydney city dwellers realised they could put in a few days in the city then work from their coastal holiday pad the rest of the week. We decided to get our investment property, come bushfire haven, onto the market before the summer ended. We mapped out each remaining job and the days required to accomplish them. We calculated selling time, settlement time and remaining bank balance. What were need to do’s and what were optional extras. If everything went to plan, we could pay to get some work done at the block and make it habitable enough to move into. It was an extreme test of time, energy and resources.

It worked. We listed by the end of February, sold in three weeks and settled five weeks after settlement. I write that all in one glib sentence. Of course all of that only happened with considerable focus and effort. Life for the boys was hectic. 99% of their toys were packed and moved into storage weeks before the house went on the market. As the house neared completion we stressed about them damaging something. When the house was on the market we stressed about them getting things dirty - the walls, the windows or the cupboards. I banished them from the bathroom, they had to brush teeth in the laundry and shower outside. Luckily it was warm and didn’t rain much in those few weeks! Anyone who has sold a house while living in it knows how painful open homes are. The logistics and effort of cleaning and styling, while working full time from home, scheduling everything between work appointments, getting the dog out of the way and the boys to school, nearly broke me. Thankfully the selling process was short, but we packed a lot of opens into that time and by the end of it all, I had become a shouty, grouchy mum and wife. It was also a real highlight to hit menopause and bring some phenomenal hormonal energy into the mix. Phew.

Before we packed up and left I was lucky enough to have a week away with the boys. My fully wired self hit Melbs and my family gave me refuge and forgave my intensity. We managed some fun and the change of scenery was a big relief. Husband, however, stayed behind to work on the temporary shed home. Holiday behind me, I returned to packup and clean and polish the house for the financial return of our lives. Literally.

Can you then imagine our triumphant and spectacular return to our block bathed in happiness and light? Um well perhaps instead picture this - we arrived exhausted to an unpowered, work in progress temporary residence in the middle of a mice plague and endured 200ml of heavy rain in four days leaving us surrounded by mud. Happy to catch the rain in our tank? I wish! The new tank leaked 8000L the week before we moved, and only our neighbour’s spare tank loan meant we had any water at all. But being so small, it overflowed and made even more mud. The heavy rain was so loud on the tin roof it frequently woke the kids in the night (who then woke us), mice ran across the floor, huntsmen spiders dropped from the ceiling. With nowhere really to unpack things, cooking became like the biggest ever memory game, which box were the bowls in? Where did I pack the cutlery? The rain delayed our solar power install so for 10 days we lived out of an esky and by torchlight. We both kept working full time, getting the boys to school, after school sport commitments and then husband kept building after he got home and into the night. After a week of stress and chaos we knew something had to give, fortunately husband could take time off work to focus on our build and family life.

Fast forward to now. The financial pressure of the summer has eased. The temporary living quarters are functional and steadily improving. We have a beautiful wood heater. Our off grid solar system is powering us even during these short winter days. I have more kitchen cupboards than ever before, plus a dishwasher! I have hung up my clothes in a full wardrobe for the first time in nearly four years. The boys each have clean new wardrobes. Their separate rooms are still being built so they are in what will be our room which is insulated and wall paneled. We can cope with an outside shower and toilet. My husband is a legend.

What’s it like actually being back? I confess I was nervous about my own and the boys emotions. Eldest son is extremely happy to be back. Youngest son has taken time to adjust but that has more been due to his fear of the dark. The noises of the bush are unfamiliar and there are no streetlights out here! There has only been one time where a prebushfire memory overwhelmed me. Every person’s bushfire experience and recovery is unique. Unlike many others we are fortunate have the opportunity to not have to build on the exact footprint of the old place and I think this is psychologically helpful. It’s not the same space, and with some trees dead and gone the landscape is altered, its a slightly different perspective. The boys are older now, so our lifestyle is different too. Slowly we are finding a new rhythm on our land. The boys are absolutely loving being back on their bikes on bush tracks.

I was excited to resume my morning walks, although maybe not as excited the dog! He’s happy to have his off-lead roam again. But the first week of walking I found tough, the burnt and recovering state forest I traverse didn’t bring me the joy it used to. In the heavily logged areas where only isolated saplings were left unlogged, they couldn’t survive the heat of the fire or they didn’t have community trees to share nutrients through their roots to support recovery. The undergrowth is now the canopy and is booming with all the extra sunlight but when I look at it, all I see is fire hazard. Then as the weeks went by, my view softened, I recognise the bush is healing like me. I am appreciating small wonders of nature. A spider’s web highlighted with morning dew or the fascination of new plants thriving. There are trees that have fully recovered, others seem to be doing well, and there is much green in the landscape to enjoy.

On my morning walk I also see which animals are about in the night from what they leave behind. There is at least one very busy wombat! We see wallabies reasonably often and last week one morning I found big roo prints in the clay right near our place. We hear a boobook owl calling most nights and more frogs chirping croaking from the gully than I ever remember. Which now makes sense, we definitely were in drought for some years prior to the fires and the creek has this year been running for months. Less exciting is hearing foxes at night, my son especially dislikes their eerie calls. In daytime the bird life is altered. We are down to one lyrebird, there used to be two with adjacent territories battling loudly with their extraordinary mimicry. But at least there is one, how a ground bird survived I can’t imagine. The yellow robins aren’t around us now, we have wrens in the cleared spaces and in the lush shrubs busy brown gerygones dart and chirp. A shrike thrush has made a nest in our bushfire remains pile, her song is piercing and wonderful. Rarely are the yellow crested black cockatoos here now. This past weekend we did see two circling wedge tailed eagles the silent assassins of the sky wheeling high over the gully with that phenomenal wingspan.

Surprisingly my greatest source of happiness in these first few months being back has come from the sky. Unobstructed by buildings, the sky feels bigger in the bush. I’m loving the late winter sunrises. My very favourite time is just after the sun has risen when the horizontal sun rays set tops of the trees bright orange. Those are magical minutes of golden tinged trees. The sunsets. The stars. The moon. the sky has been a revelation and a source of happiness. Maybe because I’m spending more time outside I notice it more. Seeing glittering stars through the steam of a hot outdoor shower makes the cold walk inside completely worth it!

Slowly I am regaining my sense of gratitude for this place. The quiet. The privilege of not seeing another house. Having no curtains and that not mattering. Not worrying about noise and neighbours. Lack of street lights at night.

All of a sudden things aren’t hectic and we are settling in. It still amazes me after 6 moves in 5 years how intense moving is and then how imperceptibly things transition to not being new anymore. Normalcy sneaks up on me every time. Clearly this isn’t really normal but we’re enjoying this new start in our old place.

[malissawithan-a]

Oh hi, long time no update. I blame the lateness of my kids’ bedtimes and the need to get Christmas shopping done. I’ve also avoided social media a bit lately, just feeling drained. Overall, life has been good and everyone is healthy at the moment so I’m grateful for that. Time for a big update since I haven’t really done much on here since October. 

-Halloween was really good. The weather was perfect and we brought our firepit to the front yard and had that going during the whole trick or treating time. We and a bunch of other neighbors all had tables with individual grab and go bags set up at the end of driveways and I’m totally for doing that again next year. It was great to just go table to table and not worry about ringing a doorbell, it also felt like way more neighbors were outside and friendly which was nice. Alice was a pirate and Lucy was a duck.

- We have 5 family birthdays during October-December and it’s just a lot. My MIL and BIL’s are 5 days apart and they’re both hard to find gifts for, they also fall the week of Thanksgiving so in past years it’s just been so much family time. This year was a little different obviously.

- At the end of October I went to see a dermatologist because I’ve been having some hair thinning issues for a few months now, since maybe May. Not bad, but more shedding than I should be seeing. She ran a bunch of my levels to try and figure out a root cause and one them came back abnormal so she referred me to a rheumatologist, who I saw a week ago. The good news is that I don’t have Lupus like the dermatologist made me fear that I did, the weird level is because of my existing hypothyroidism, but I don’t have a good answer for my hair loss. Trying a few topical treatments and going to find a new endocrinologist because my current one is crap and not taking this seriously. 

- Alex’s Grandpa tested positive for COVID a couple of weeks ago. They live in an old folk’s home and one of the housekeepers that cleaned their room must have had it, several other people there tested positive all at the same time.  He’s recovering well, was mostly just exhausted and had a bad headache for a couple of days. His Grandma also got it we think, but she tested negative at the time. They’ve only lived in this place since August of last year and it’s gone downhill pretty badly during COVID, lots of staff turnover and lots of issues with care. My in laws have decided to move them out and move them to a home in Tennessee where they’ll be closer to other family and where the weather is milder so they can be outside sooner than they would here. It was a hard decision but the right one, the timing is terrible though. 

- Alice is driving me up the wall, there’s been so much development in her understanding and ability to relay how she’s feeling (like asking me to apologize when I’ve hurt her feelings) but it’s coming across in a lot of tantrums right now. She also said “stupid mama” for the first time the other day so that was fun. The age of 3 hasn’t been terrible but it’s definitely been more challenging than other stages, she’s big enough to understand better and reason with but oh gosh does she want her way and protest when she doesn’t get it. It’s been a lot of fun though too, there’s a lot of sweet moments mixed in and most days are good ones (like always, the bad just stick out more in my mind). 

- Lucy is not such a baby anymore, she’s going to be 2 in February. She’s started doing 2-3 words sentences in the last couple of weeks and my favorite word from her right now is “elbow” because she pronounces it “belbow”. She’s very independent, she likes to try and do things by herself first and gets frustrated when it doesn’t always work out. The amount of times that she’s gotten upset over not getting a sock on by herself is up there. Her current favorite stuffed animal is Baby Yoda, she calls him “Baby!” and treats him very well. 

- My parents are talking about driving up for Christmas, supposedly in about a week’s time. They haven’t totally made up their minds yet but I’m really hoping that they do. This is their first holiday season after the loss of my brother and I would rather have them spend it with us than alone in their house. My dad does fall into the high risk category for COVID though so not traveling would be safer, it’s just a sucky decision to make overall. I know that the responsible choice would be to stay home but it’s really hard to tell them to do that in this circumstance.

- I turn 33 on the 19th and I’m okay with that, I have a feeling I’ll be fine up until I hit 35 and then I’m going to start being in denial over my age. I could be wrong about that though, I honestly have enjoyed being in my 30′s way more than my 20′s. 

I think that’s about it, at least for now. Lots of Christmas prep still going on because I was slow on ordering, I hate wrapping presents and would totally do bags if I could, but my kids love opening wrapped gifts so that’s not really an option for now. I hope all of you out there are doing okay, finding ways to enjoy this season!

[artificialqueens]

Underneath The Mistletoe, Part 2 (Bianca/???) - Albatross

AN: second installment of Underneath The Mistletoe! This is probably gonna end up being 4 parts in total but we’ll see.

As Bianca drove off from Willam’s apartment, she placed her phone on speaker and called up Alyssa. She only had to wait through three rings before a voice on the other line picked up with a rather unamused, “Bitch.”

“Hey, Alyssa!-”

“No, no. Nuh-uh,” she interrupted in order to start a tirade that had been stewing all day, “Don’t you talk to me like you didn’t leave my house in absolute state last night! Y’all tryna drink me out of house and home and-”

“Hey, I wasn’t the only one! Raja-”

“You and Raja! You two were the ones that broke into my liquor cabinet-”

“No, we didn’t!” Bianca squeaked out as she attempted to defend herself. “It was unlocked!”

“You both spearheaded it!” Alyssa declared adamantly. “None of the others would’ve even found those bottles if it weren’t for you two snooping around!”

Hating that she was getting sidetracked by this unwanted argument, Bianca felt obligated to point out, “We weren’t snooping!”

But that only produced another loud tangent being screamed through the phone line as Alyssa ranted away. If the car hadn’t been steadily moving along through the busy streets, Bianca might have been inclined to bang her head on the steering wheel. After her eyes rolled for the umpteenth time and Alyssa’s scolding reached it’s eighth minute, Bianca just couldn’t take it anymore. Interrupting the rant much like a wrecking ball going through drywall, she relented, “Okay! Fuck! I’m sorry, alright? I’m sorry.”

To her surprise, Alyssa actually remained quiet as she waited for her to go on. At this point Bianca expected there to be more to her bitching but it seems she was willing to listen to what Bianca had to say. After knowing the other woman for so long, Bianca knew the best and quickest solution would be to remedy the situation. Though in this case it felt like more like a bribe than anything else.

But either way it was the right thing to do and had she not needed Alyssa’s help anyway, she likely would have done something similar eventually. Allowing a decent amount of shame and guilt to tint her voice, Bianca offered, “Listen…Can I make it up to you, buy you another bottle or two? Maybe that fruity shit you like?”

She couldn’t remember the brand at the moment but she had no doubt Alyssa knew which wine she was referring to. Expensive, flashy, and hardly worth the cost in Bianca’s opinion but it’d be worth it to soothe Alyssa’s anger and get the information she desperately wanted. 

But almost expectantly, Alyssa was playing hardball. She countered with a very firm, “…Four bottles.”

“Four?!?” Bianca screamed out in disbelief. That shit is pricey. She could practically hear her bank account crying in protest already. Alyssa, however, remained stubborn and brought up once again, “Excuse you, bitch. Did you see how much y’all drank last night? I can tell you right now, it was a helluva lot more than four bottles worth!”

“Ugh, fine!” She conceded, along with a mental note that Raja owes her for this. “But you gotta answer my questions.”

Joyful and smug at having been promised her favorite drink, Alyssa was all too happy to assist Bianca with her dilemma. As the hostess, she did try remain somewhat level-headed throughout the evening, more so than her roommate, and was able to recall a few names that she thought she remembered seeing towards the end of the get-together.

Running through her list, Bianca noted, “Right…so I missed…Shangie, Violet, and…”

“Nina,” Alyssa supplied absently, undoubtedly doing something else more engaging as she talked with Bianca.

Dreading the answer, Bianca began, “Which-”

“West.”

“Oh, fuck me,” she muttered to herself. She could only imagine what kind of impression she left on one of her newest friends. There was a small hope that just maybe Nina wouldn’t remember any more of the night than she or Willam had…or at least that anything she might’ve done while drunk would not come back to haunt her later. After all, she really had hoped to get to know Nina better in the coming weeks and acting like a drunken, hot mess was not in her plan.

Breaking through Bianca’s wandering mind, Alyssa took to suspiciously asking her, “Now are you gonna tell me what this is about, Miss Thing?”

“Nope!” Bianca replied briskly, “Thanks, bye!”

“Bitch, my wine-”

“I’ll drop it off tomorrow,” she assured her and right as she ended the call, let out another teasing “Bye!”

As soon as she was sure she dropped the other line, Bianca let out a groan of frustration. If she knew she could keep it, she’d have promised herself anything that she’d never drink around friends again! But that’d be a very short-lived pledge and she knew it all too well. At least she got three more names she missed from Alyssa. Though she had a feeling that none of them were her mystery kisser.

Nina was far too tall, even if she were wearing flats that night, which seemed rather unlikely. As for Violet, Bianca couldn’t really see her getting drunk enough to make out with her and just vaguely she recalled seeing Violet with red lips earlier in the night…But Shangela…she was a possibility, though very unlikely.

As soon as Bianca got home, she confirmed that Shangie had been wearing green lipstick (thanks Instagram) but what kept Bianca from officially adding her to the list was simply because of Alyssa. 

Those two were close. 

And if Bianca had kissed Shangela, she doubted very much Alyssa would not already know about it, especially considering it would have happened in her house. So for now, Shangela will just remain in the back of her mind…Maybe if no one else pans out, she’ll reconsider but for now she has four other suspects to consider and first on her list is Dela.

Of the four, Dela seemed the most likely. Bianca had always felt comfortable and open around her. If something had happened between them last night, it would have just been for fun because of the stupid mistletoe. Bianca could see herself giving into Dela for a quick peck if she had bugged her long enough. After all, it was hard to say ‘no’ to someone so bubbly and friendly, particularly if she throws in one of those infectious smiles…Plus out of all the suspects that remained, she was probably the most sober and might actually remember what all had happened…not that that really said much with Bianca’s group of friends.

But following a short conversation with her that night, Bianca learned that Dela had actually gone home shortly after 2AM. Seems Jinkx had a little too much to drink so Dela took charge of ordering a Lyft ride for both of them. She actually made a quick joke that Jinkx was trying to kiss just about everyone she found near one of the clumps of mistletoe. One person that took her up on the offer was actually Willam, not that Bianca was much too surprised by that…Though now that she’s thought about it, that’s probably how Willam’s lipstick got smudged with red…

Well, one minor mystery solved. 

She thanked Dela for the information and crossed her off the list. They made plans to meet up well after the holidays but Bianca knew they’d probably see each sometime around New Year’s. Rumor had it that someone was thinking of hosting a party that night. Maybe Roxxxy, maybe not. But if not, they’ll probably find each other while bar-hopping.

For now, Bianca had to remove her from her mind and refocus on finding her mystery makeout partner. Her list already had two of the five original suspects crossed. Now who’s the next most likely? Bianca knew she’d have a chance to meet up Phi Phi in a few days, she could always ask her then but as for Trixie and Manila? Perhaps a text…or wait!

Bianca still had holiday gifts to deliver to her friends!

That was actually why she’d set up the dinner date with Phi Phi in the first place; to exchange gifts before Phi Phi left to go visit family across the country. Bianca could always use her delivery as an excuse to talk to the others…In fact, tomorrow would be perfect to visit Raja and Manila. She needs to pick up wine for Alyssa anyways, why not an extra bottle for Raja and then take it over to the couple?

And a little booze in her system might help soften the blow if Bianca had in fact kissed her girlfriend….

******

Dela: 🎶Guess who I just got a text from🎶

Mariah: Spill it baby!

Dela: Bianca…

Vanessa: Well?

Vanessa: Quit stalling and tell us the goss, girl! I got Netflix to binge!

Willam sat back and watched the conversation play out on the screen. Every so often she’d save a screenshot of a particularly hilarious comment or reaction.

‘For reference,’ she told herself. When the time comes to play all her cards.

*******

Unsurprisingly, the wine and spirits shop was quite busy when Bianca decided to drop in. Whether it was purely holiday related or just because it was after work and people wanted to get a head start on happy hour was left up to debate…probably a mix of both. Either way, Bianca had to dodge person after person in order to navigate the aisles, not to mention the occasional basket hitting her as someone unexpectedly backed up or rushed past her. But she was successful in locating both Alyssa’s overpriced shit and a suitable potential peace offering for Raja.

Right before dropping off the bottles at Alyssa’s house, Bianca made sure to text Raja and ask if both she and Manila were at home. It took nearly the entire length of her visit with Alyssa to get a response back (50 long, exhausting minutes thanks to Alyssa’s inane chatter and Laganja chiming in every now and then) but once she had her confirmation, she excused herself using the very true, if somewhat exaggerated, reason that she had other gifts to deliver tonight.

******

Manila: Three guesses who’s coming over!

Manila: she’s on her way now

Raja: We’ll keep you updated with all the juicy details 😜

Manila: 🙄

Raja: 😘😘😘😘

Sharon: Ugh. Get a fucking room

*******

Upon arriving at the girlfriends’ shared house, Bianca was greeted at the door by an immediate warm and a tad too tight hug from Manila. Not that this was anything unusual for the woman, she’d always been rather physical with her signs of affection. Raja welcomed her with a more brief embrace and relieved Bianca of the parcels she was carrying, particularly after spotting the wine bottle peeking out from the gift bag.

“You know me so well,” she complimented.

“Easiest person to shop for,” Bianca agreed. “Just pick up a bottle for you and a bottle for me.”

Once inside and settled down, Bianca let each of the women unwrap their real gifts as she watched and drank from the bottle Raja already had opened for the night. Raja’s present consisted of several odd little keys that they had found while out shopping together a few months ago. Each was unique, especially in regards to their handles. Immediately after spotting them, Raja had announced her desire to use the keys for some kind of new art project or perhaps even to make an accessory of some kind. She was entirely ready to purchase them on the spot except for one small detail; the antique store’s strict cash-only policy.

Raja just didn’t have enough cash on her at the time. Had she asked, Bianca certainly would have lent her the money that day but for whatever reason, Raja didn’t even seem to think of it. Perhaps she thought she’d just come back later and pick them up but it worked out better for Bianca either way. Shortly after departing Raja’s company, she circled back to buy the keys and only a day or two following that, she received a text from Raja complaining that the items were already gone from the shop.

The instant Raja recognized her gift, she let out an affectionate murmur of “Bitch” and pulled Bianca in for a proper hug. She fell into a distracted state, examining each one and undoubtedly forming a plan of what she wanted to do now that they were finally in her possession. Though she remained quiet and calm, Bianca could easily spot the sparkle in her eyes. The one she’d always get when she becomes absorbed in her artwork.

As Raja mulled over ideas, Bianca turned her attention back to Manila. She’d been planning Manila’s gift for quite awhile and took great pains in researching and finding just the right thing. 

Much earlier in the year, when the couple moved into their new house, one of Manila’s favorite bracelets broke. It had been a gift from Raja on their first anniversary; yellow gold twisted into a unique, almost braid-like appearance. Rubies accented some of the knots while diamond chips filled in the remainder.

Manila had been wearing the bracelet, as she did almost every other day, while the pair unpacked boxes and moved around their larger belongings. At some point during the process, the bracelet caught itself on a piece of furniture and one of the links snapped at its weakest point, sending a number of its neighboring pieces clattering to the floor. Manila had been heartbroken, she took it to the same jeweler it originally came from but the style had been discontinued several years prior; they had no additional links that could replace the broken one.

Knowing how much that bracelet meant to her, Bianca questioned a number of jewelry shops in both their city and others close by. After perhaps the tenth or eleventh call, she finally found someone who still retained a few extra links in their store’s repair department and with Raja’s help, she was able to sneak out the bracelet without Manila’s noticing. The work had been completed just three weeks prior and to both women’s amazement, Manila had yet to realize her bracelet was missing from her jewelry box.

But the instant she saw her prized bracelet gleaming back at her looking just like new, her eyes clouded with tears and she pulled in Bianca for another tight squeeze. She marveled at how amazing it looked, nothing could be seen to suggest it had ever been broken, and asked how she even managed to accomplish this. Bianca downplayed the effort, preferring not to get into too much detail but she made sure to cite Raja’s help as a main reason for why she’d been so successful in keeping this a secret.

In the end, she wasn’t sure how much Manila actually heard but that didn’t matter. All she cared about was that Manila loved her gift and if the stray tears falling down her cheek or admiring grin weren’t enough to convince her, the near bone-crunching hugs she kept receiving certainly got the point across.

They spent another hour or so chatting until the bottle of wine was nearly empty. It was only at this point that Bianca felt confident enough to ask the couple what they remembered of Alyssa’s party. Much to Bianca’s surprise they’d been a good bit more sober than she was but certain details seemed to have escaped them.

“So nothing exciting or, I don’t know, interesting, happened that you remember?” she probed, trying not to feel utterly let down or disappointed.

“Not really, it was pretty tame for us, all things considered,” Raja replied back with a fond, secretive smile before taking another sip. “No one got really wild or out of hand like we do on New Year’s. One of the few parties where no one even broke anything.”

“Right,” Bianca agreed slowly. She stalled for a moment then decided to try a subtle route one final time, “But you didn’t do anything after like, 2ish? That you can remember, I mean?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Raja wandered through her thoughts for a few seconds before recalling, “I was smoking with Laganja and Adore and that’s about it. Oh, and Alaska joined, too.”

“And I was talking with Nina and Phi Phi,” Manila chimed in. A considering look flashed across her face, as if she weren’t sure if were recalling the events correctly or not, but ultimately decided to mention, “…I think…you were with Shangela. Shangela and someone else. Maybe Katya?”

Perking back up, Bianca inquired earnestly, “Anything after that?”

The couple shared another perplexed glance with each other, like neither could entirely fill in the blanks, which was fair, but Bianca had a hope there still might be something they hadn’t mentioned yet. Unfortunately, as she soon found out, there was.

“We finished the joints and came back upstairs…,” Raja stated, taking another sip of her wine, and adding in, “I went off to find Manila and then…Adore and Laganja found you.”

Feeling her eyes roll out habit, Bianca let out an annoyed groan, “Ugh. Bet that conversation was thrilling. Glad I don’t remember that.”

Chuckling at the statement, Raja insisted, “You two were getting along, actually. You were all laughing at least. Adore put her feet in your lap at some point or tried to…I think you pushed them away and she fell off the couch.”

“Oh! And Alyssa caught Jinkx making out with someone!” Manila chirped away before breaking into a case of the giggles. “Dela took her home after that, I think.”

A reluctant smile stretched across Bianca’s lips but she couldn’t find it in her heart to be as amused by the situation as she normally would be. By now it was entirely clear that Bianca was fishing for information and that was a line of questioning she dreaded having to answer. Had the two not been privy to the group chat, they might have been more tactful…but in this case, they wanted to have a little fun too.

The pair exchanged a silent, meaningful look with one another as Bianca drained her glass and released a heavy sigh. Coming to a mutual agreement to pursue this further, Raja opted to be direct and ask outright why Bianca kept harping on the events of the party. Trying to remain aloof, Bianca didn’t answer the question right away. She played it off as a simple wondering of the party’s late night events.

No, as Raja anticipated, it took quite a bit of probing (as well as some gentle encouragement from Manila) before Bianca was ready to share anything…Though the copious amount of wine rushing through her system probably helped too. It was after draining one final glass that Bianca finally revealed some of the details of what she knew happened at the party…and who one of her potential suspects might be.

Raja laughed a little, because of course she would, and even Manila couldn’t help but to smile at the thought of just how off her reasoning was. Still, she did feel a bit of sympathy for Bianca’s confusion.

“And you’re sure I didn’t kiss you?”

Reaching over to take Bianca’s hand in hers, she assured her friend with a sympathetic smile, “Pretty sure, honey.”

This time the disappointment was clear on Bianca’s face but a small part of her was still skeptical. While it wouldn’t be ideal for her to have kissed one of her closest friend’s girlfriend, Bianca would have preferred Manila over her remaining suspects. It’d be a lot less messy after all.

As she tried to bring herself to accept this answer as it is, the couple next to her exchanged a few glances. It was the kind of nonverbal communication that only occurs between people that are exceptionally close, something Bianca was a little envious of. A darting of their eyes, a tilt to the head, a soft noise of questioning and finally a nod and grin of approval.

Bianca’s mind worked to unravel the meaning but in a second, it became clear. For just a few moments, her lips were connected with Manila’s and her eyes slid shut at the sensation. 

It was different from Willam’s, very different. 

Her tempo was relaxed and confident, so self-assured in what she was doing. It was almost like a meeting of the minds as they instantly fell into a matching pace…but there was absolutely no spark to it. If anything it was like each was just going through the motions and in some manner, that was even more of a let down than when she had kissed Willam. There had been some trace of passion or excitement with that kiss but here there was a stark lack of any emotions. Nothing like what she’d seen when Raja and Manila had kissed in front of her.

But that was just as well, she supposed. And now she had her answer for certain.

Pulling away, she conceded with a bittersweet smile, “Definitely not you.”

“Sorry, sweetie,” Manila murmured as she ran a consoling hand across Bianca’s back, “Hope you find out who it was, though.”

“Yeah…Me too.”

[theawkwardterrier]

things left behind and the things that are ahead, ch. 29

AO3 link here

They had planned to spend Christmas up in Brooklyn, but two weeks beforehand, Bucky calls and ruefully announces that the chickenpox have gotten ahold of his kids. Steve knows that there’s nothing to be done - Steve has had them, obviously, as has Peggy, but they’re the only Carters who have that they know of, and it’s particularly important that Drea not get sick - but he still lets himself groan along with the kids when he tells them at dinner that night.

“You know,” Peggy says, brushing out her hair in front of her vanity that night, once she’s gotten home from her late meeting, “Howard mentioned that he’s giving Jarvis the week off - his first vacation in years.”

“Where are they going?” Steve asks, sitting on the edge of the bed to strip off one sock and then the other.

“He promised Ana that he would take her to some exciting ski resort.” Steve snorts, and Peggy smiles at him in the mirror and adds, “Well, I’m certain that for Mr. Jarvis, it will be closer to an exciting book in front of a fireplace. Perhaps an extreme cup of tea if he’s feeling adventurous. But regardless, it means that Howard and Maria are alone for the holiday as well. We might ask if they would like for us to host them.”

Steve calls Maria the next day and asks if the Starks would join them for the holiday.

“Oh, you know how it is with the baby,” Maria says. “I don’t know how well he would put up with the trip. Why don’t you come here? I can take care of everything.”

He tries to imagine her doing all that cooking with Tony on her hip or whining from his seat - he has no confidence at all in Howard’s helpfulness - and tries tactfully suggesting that the Stark home could be the site of the festivities with all the preparations left up to him. But Maria’s hostess sensibilities simply cannot allow for a guest to take care of things that way…

It takes a bit more wrestling back and forth before they agree that they will all travel to the Stark’s home in Maine, and Steve and Maria will do the cooking together.

(“Now we’ll both be a little inconvenienced and probably step on each other’s toes, but I guess it’s a compromise,” Steve tells Peggy the next morning.)

Christmas Day is on a Tuesday this year, and the Carters leave on Saturday afternoon, sleeping over for the night in Connecticut and pulling up to the house just before noon on Sunday. The kids know the routine and join their parents in unpacking the car; several trips ferrying suitcases and the boxes of supplies that Steve had brought, and they’re done and ringing the doorbell.

Howard and Maria step out onto the porch, Tony forced to hold one of each of their hands because of the wind and the icy steps (he keeps straining away from them and pouting when he can’t seem to best their strength). There is a flurry of greetings before the kids slip through the doorway to choose bedrooms and set up games, somehow stealing Tony from under his parents’ noses and swooping him inside with them as well.

(Steve has the feeling that Em is going to regret thinking he is going to be a discreet and amenable accessory.)

There are plenty of trees on the property, and Howard, who had offered to pay someone to cut one down, leaves his wife behind serving drinks to Peggy and reluctantly bundles up and shows Steve to the caretaker’s shed where they find a saw and round tape measure. That evening, they all have hot chocolate while trimming the tree with a combination of decorations brought from the Carters’ home and the Starks’. If Howard is proprietary about the tree, primping its branches, making sure the ornaments are properly balanced so it can look its best, commenting every so often about how he’d spotted it behind a larger, showier one and knew it was the perfect candidate, Steve only lifts an amused eyebrow to Peggy and says nothing.

Later, he is in the kitchen, taking advantage of Maria having gone to take Tony to bed by putting away the supper leftovers that she had told him she would take care of. In the hall, the phone rings. The kids have the TV up, watching Mary Tyler Moore, and he barely registers it until his wife joins him in the kitchen. Without a word, she begins covering dishes, arranging the refrigerator, judging whether the last dinner roll is worth saving on its own.

“Who was that calling?” Steve asks after several minutes of quiet. There’s an edge to this particular silence of hers, a feeling of suspended breath.

Peggy stands with the refrigerator door open, scanning over the shelves. “Mrs. Truman,” she says finally, closing the door. “Her husband wants to see Howard and myself.”

“He doesn’t have long?” Steve leans against the counter. The newspapers and broadcasters have been reporting each turn of President Truman’s declining health over the past weeks.

“He was apparently barely awake long enough to ask for us. I expect—” Her mouth pulls inward. "I expect he will try to request our reassurance about the bomb again.” Peggy’s tone does not speak to any futility she might see in obeying such a summons, especially at this particular time, when the man in question might not be aware enough to receive them, might not even be alive when they arrive. It is as if she is already preparing herself for the visit, even here with him, setting on a mask. But then she steps toward him, taking advantage of his open arms and pressing herself against his chest. “I’ll tell the children,” she says, muffled against his neck as he moves automatically to hold her. “I know they’ll be disappointed.”“We’ll do it together.”

Their kids are old enough to handle their mother potentially missing Christmas with a decent amount of grace - even Nate is thirteen, though he would likely have accepted the news with equanimity even before - and Tony is too young to really understand what is happening and too accustomed to his father’s travel besides. Still, there is an air of slightly forced cheer replacing the natural cousin of past holidays. As dusk falls on Christmas Eve, Emma bakes several trays of gingerbread cookies, the scent filling the house warmly. Rosie lights the fireplace and suggests/pressures them into singing carols; Maria has a lovely voice and somehow manages to hit some fairly impressive notes even as she must redirect a scrabbling Tony away from the flames. Steve grins at her, one parent to another.

He had revived his old skill and crocheted the stockings for each of his children, along with ones for himself and Peggy, and though he’s offered to make new ones over the years, the most they have ever agreed to is repairs as necessary. The last thing they do before the kids head to bed is hang them over the now-cooling fireplace. The Stark stockings are far more elaborate than his simple ones, but he feels a little sad seeing Maria hanging them herself, Tony having exhausted himself several hours ago.

She sits looking at them with an afghan draped over her lap, head tipped gently to one side, while he mixes a martini and gets her one of Emma’s cookies. (He would have poured some eggnog, but he doesn’t know her feelings on it.)

“Are you alright?” he asks softly once he’s settled on the couch next to her. This might be the first time they have been alone together. He likes Maria and considers her a friend, but they have rarely had occasion to talk just the two of them, without Howard or Peggy or both. He isn’t even sure that he’s correctly reading the sadness in her expression.

She breaks off a piece of gingerbread (the point of a star: Steve didn’t bring cookie cutters, so Em did the best she could with a knife; it’s resulted in some slightly lopsided but tasty shapes) and bites into it.

After a moment, she says slowly, “I know that marriage is hard, every marriage is in its own way. But sometimes being married to Howard...It’s different, and lonelier than I thought it would be.” She breaks off another point, but sits looking at it rather than eating it. “Sometimes I don’t know what he was imagining in a wife, and I don’t know that he does either. It’s hard to build a family, a life, a home, all the traditions that come with it, when it seems you’re doing it by yourself. Not that Jarvis and Ana aren’t darling, the most wonderful, and I’m so grateful for them but—I married Howard, not the Jarvises, and he’s so busy all of the time, rarely shares his work with me. I know what he does is important, but it would be—I would—I wish things would just stop, so I could have my husband for a while. I wish he would make the time, even when things haven’t stopped.”

Setting the cookie down, she meets Steve’s eye and takes a hasty sip of her drink. “You and Peggy must have had some of the same problems, though. I know that she’s different from Howard, but the things she can’t tell you, the times when she works late or has to travel and leave you alone with the kids…”

“It is hard,” he says gently, and she lets out a breath of relief, as if she feared he would say that he’s never been bothered, it’s only her. “It’s hard knowing that something urgent can call her away when the kids need her - and maybe it’s selfish, but sometimes I need her too and she can’t be there. It’s hard being the one at home, knowing that the work can be dangerous, feeling as if no story about a dry-cleaning mixup or a good sale on cereal can match up with what she deals with every day. Going back to school, finding friends and hobbies of my own, that’s helped. We’ve also been at this a long time. We’ve learned to talk about the way we feel and, as much as we can, about the work. Sometimes there isn’t anything she’s able to say, and all I can do is make her a cup of tea or settle an argument between the kids so she doesn’t have to do it. But she always knows that I’m there to listen if she needs it.”

Maria nods, looking down at the blanket on her lap. She picks a little at the stitching before seeming to catch herself and smooth it back. “You’re right,” she says, a little overly bright. “I’m glad I’m not the only one. And it’s probably different because Peggy is Peggy and not Howard, and she’s not married to me, she’s married to Captain America.”

Steve’s instinct is, strangely, to freeze, as if he might sit still enough to rewind time. When he gathers himself, seconds that feel like an eternity later, he says, very carefully, “I hadn’t realized that Howard told you.”

“Told me?” She finally pops the little piece of gingerbread into her mouth, chewing a little puzzledly. “Oh, that you’re Captain America? Well, Howard didn’t need to tell me that. I knew that he did a lot of top-secret work during the war, it’s what brought him to SHIELD now, and you knew him and Peggy from back then. The two of them never call you Grant, only Steve, just like Bucky and his family, and that crew who attended our wedding - the Howling Commandos, even if no one introduced them that way. I didn’t realize it was meant to be a real secret.”

“You’re a smart woman,” is all Steve can manage, torn between the urge to review the last twenty years for any others who might have caught on, and the urge to laugh because despite the apparently shoddy cover story and his proximity to the US intelligence apparatus, Maria is probably the only one who ever has.

“I know I am,” she says simply. From what Steve’s been told over the past few years, she had graduated top of her high school class and gone right out to work - perfume counter jobs, secretarial work, bank teller. The academic scholarships she’d earned, in and out of state, hadn’t made a difference when there were still room and board and fees to be covered, and parents and three younger siblings to support besides. “But apparently not smart enough for my husband to want to share much of anything with me, even the identity of one of his best friends, who happens to be my son’s godfather.”

He’s still a little overwhelmed by the idea that she even knows who she is - that she has for nearly this whole time, that she just figured it out on her own and it didn’t seem to matter to her - but he knows that it’s less important right now. He rests his hand atop hers. “It has nothing to do with how smart you are, or how trustworthy. With this, and of his work, Howard—He’s my friend, and I know that he loves you, but I also know how he gets caught up in things. Doesn’t always remember the value of what he has, and it shouldn’t have to be your job to constantly remind him. So if you put your foot down, if you put in the effort, and he doesn’t really change, I hope you know that whatever decision you make for yourself, and for Tony, I’ll support you. And I think I can speak for Peggy when I say she’ll support you too.” He smiles. “If anyone can sympathize with having to deal with Howard….” She smiles back, though it is bent at the corners.

“I think,” she tells him, “that nearly anyone else would have said that there was no decision to make, that it was simply my lot to stand by him, for our child or whatever status our marriage grants me, or because that is a wife’s duty. Even with all the change in the last decade, all the lectures I’ve gone to, the legislation I supported, the women who I know do things differently, it sometimes seems as if that’s only for other people - stronger women, or more exceptional ones.”

“I’d say that you’re a strong woman, and an exceptional one,” Steve says in return. “But you shouldn’t need to be. All the changes being made are important, of course they are, they’re necessary, but you don’t need to think about it as setting an example or being an inspiration for others. You can just be a person making the right choice for herself.”

She takes down the last of her drink, the remains of the ice chips tinkling in the bottom of the glass as she gestures to the mantle. “Good advice, handy with a needle - those stockings you made are darling, I saw how much the children adore them - and you say you cook too,” she jokes. “Peggy’s lucky to have you.”

And although he knows that she’s trying to change the tone of things, he shakes his head. “I’m luckier to have her. And you deserve to have the same, whether it’s Howard or someone else or no one.” She looks past him and her breath catches, but finally she meets his eyes and nods.

“And I don’t say I cook, I’ve proved it more than once,” he says, teasing now, allowing things to move forward. “But we might want to head to bed ourselves if we want to be awake enough to pull off the menu for tomorrow.”

They tidy up a bit, making sure the fire has entirely burned itself out before they walk down the hall together. As Steve goes to turn the knob on the guest bedroom where he and Peggy are staying, Maria puts a hand on his wrist to stop him.

“It’s hard finding someone who understands,” she says, coming up to kiss his cheek. “Thank you, Steve, for listening.”

How strange to hear her say his name. It’s been such a long time since someone new called him by it. He smiles. “Any time. Really.”

The next morning, as the kids are unwrapping presents and Tony is collecting the wrapping paper to hoard, Maria looks to see what’s been added to her stocking in the night. Along with a small box of chocolates, there are three crocheted stockings, a little hastily made and clearly with some yarn remainders patched in where certain colors have run out, but in corresponding plaids with names stitched at the top. The note inside reads, Always time to start new traditions if you want to.

Steve is bent over the open oven with a meat thermometer, listening with one ear to Tony who is ignoring his new Fisher-Price farm set and play telephone in favor of crumpling, uncrumpling, and tearing up his wrapping paper stash, when he hears footsteps entering the kitchen behind him; probably Maria coming back from showing the kids where the plates are.

“Do you want to take care of dessert, or getting the Brussels sprouts ready to roast?” he asks.

“I hope you didn’t think I’d learned to bake in just a day.”

He closes the oven and puts the thermometer on the counter before turning to see his wife standing, arms crossed, in the doorway.

“Hey,” he says, the smile coming to his face without thought at all. His chest is filled suddenly with a tenderness. He hadn’t even fully realized how much he missed her until he has her back here with him.

She steps forward and he does the same, meeting her in the middle of the kitchen tile. Her kiss is brief and sweet, so sweet, against his mouth.

“Do you want to talk?” he asks softly, knowing without having to be told that she’s come back troubled, and her head barely considers a nod. “Well, I have a lot to tell you,” he murmurs into her hair, and she steps back to look at him, seeing something in his face that makes her nod and put a hand to his cheek.

“Later tonight, we’ll talk,” she says, as good as a promise. And he feels lucky, so lucky, not just at everyone together for the holiday, the warm smells of food around them, his family laughing in the next room, but because he is able to have this woman by his side, all of their yesterdays and today and the tomorrows too. He turns his head just so, and touches a kiss to her palm, and hears her breath catch for just that second.

“I’ll—I’ll cut the sprouts, shall I?” she says, indicating the knife and cutting board on the counter. He nods, pressing one last kiss to her hair before she moves to rinse her hands and roll up her sleeves. “What exactly are you looking at?” she asks, concentrating on the vegetables, when he still hasn’t moved a minute later, still watching her.

“Merry Christmas, Peg,” is all he says. She smiles over at him before saying mock severely, “Not if there isn’t cake, it won’t be,” and he laughs and goes to gather ingredients. He’ll make her favorite, but he knows that it will be a good day either way. With their kids all safe and healthy and her back with them again, it already is.

More chapters here

[sweetbyte]

Title: Magical Mistletoe Woes  | (Apart of Lessons in Magic series) 

Rating: T 

Pairing: Shouto Todoroki | Momo Yaoyorozu

Summary: The thing about magical mistletoe was that it was conniving. It was a pesky plant and if not careful enough, one would find themselves trapped into forced intimacy at the mercy of said plant, with a perfect stranger even, until this plant was satisfied. What a wicked and perverse weed. 

The thing about magical mistletoe was that it was conniving. It was a pesky plant and if not careful enough, one would find themselves trapped into forced intimacy at the mercy of said plant, with a perfect stranger even, until this plant was satisfied. What a wicked and perverse weed.

Yes, mistletoe was a staple for the holiday festivities, but it was simply inappropriate given the nature of the plant. Muggles had a similar tradition, but theirs was innocent. Just a peck would do, and if truly bothered, one could leave without repercussions. Simple, sweet and classy. Theirs wasn’t…magical, in the literal sense of course.

In hindsight, maybe she should have paid more attention to the planning of the Christmas party. As Head Girl, she should have inspected all of the minor details that went into it. But she hadn’t. She had much on her plate at the time, still does, and she was happy to let the Prefects take charge of the whole ordeal. She should have known better given the fact that the Gryffindor Prefects were just extremely too giddy to be given the honor. So giddy that even Head Boy Bakugou had commented on her decision being a mistake. She had waved it off then, touched by the energy, eagerness and initiative they were showing. Plus, Bakugou was always belittling the courageous house.  

At the first sight of the mistletoe, Yaoyorozu immediately set to work in taking them down -replacing them with transfigured artificial mistletoe- after having a word with Prefect Mina, who pouted, not at all perturbed by the fact that she had just seen a fourth year being dragged by the ankle back to a petrified fifth year, bound by the mistletoe.

Midway through her hunt, she recruited Bakugou to assist her who looked positively overjoyed at the chance to blast something, which she reminded him he absolutely could not do. She also requested assistance from her Ravenclaw prefects, Iida and Jirou, as she knew they were reliable and competent to get the task done with minor explanation. Call it bias, but they were efficient.

They tackled the great hall being used first, as that’s where the majority of the students were. It was completed in a decent amount of time, and Momo thanked her two prefects and wished them to enjoy the rest of the party, which seemed to be turning out to be a success, mistletoe fiasco aside.

Instead of joining the party, she set off into the corridors to make sure they were clear from the treacherous mistletoe as well. They were not. She had run into 3 sprigs and by the fourth one, she was starting to run out of patience. Or maybe it was seeing Mineta camping underneath trying to lure in a victim before she sent him off with a warning.

She was aware she was missing most of the party, but she also had no interest in attending. Her heart wasn’t in it and the last thing she wanted to do was ruin the festivities for others.

As she stalked the rest of the corridors and checked the alcoves, she was beginning to feel triumphant in her quest. Content and convinced that she had cleared all of the offending vines, she started to make her way back to the great hall.

She sighed half-heartily, thinking about how she was near the end of her time at Hogwarts. It felt bittersweet to reminisce on all the events and changes that had taken control of her life in only the last year. Mainly, the person who had changed everything. If she focused on him, maybe she could ignore the chaos around her. Completely mental and inaccurate, seeing as he was ironically the center of her chaos.

Nearing another alcove, she paused when she heard murmurs and frowned. She wasn’t particularly fond of eavesdropping but if it was the start of explicitly inappropriate conduct, she would have no choice but to intervene.  

She didn’t make out much other than an apology in a low timbre. It was the same timbre that had been making her knees weak all year and she held her breath.

“I’m sorry for wasting your time.” A female voiced rushed out and Momo heard the clicks of heels on the floor nearing her direction. She knew she should have made to move, but she found she was rooted on the spot, wide-eyed, as a girl she recognized as a Hufflepuff ran past her, close to tears. It was obvious, what the conversation she heard was about, and she felt a mix of guilt and relief engulf her.

By the time Todoroki came into her sights, she decidedly chose to bite the inside of her cheek, a horrid habit she had developed this year, and refused to look at him, even when he stopped in front of her.

“Yaoyorozu.” The way he said her name made her flinch. It was void of anything that would betray his feelings, his mask was set into place.

It was interesting really, how different each of their masks worked. Katsuki hid behind wrath, Midoriya behind hope, Shouto behind indifference, and she, well she was still figuring it out.

“Todoroki.” She managed to murmur; the name almost foreign on her tongue after months of not using it. He’d been Shouto to her, until he couldn’t be anymore.

“You shouldn’t be out here, alone.”

She bit her cheek one final time before finally looking up at him. He indeed sounded emotionless, but his eyes said otherwise. She wished she hadn’t looked.

“As Head Girl, there is no one more qualified to be in these corridors, alone.” She begins haughtily, as she practiced. “Not that I have to explain my actions, much less to someone beneath me.” Her words are accusing, biting and offensive and his eyes finally narrowed at her. She feels sick the moment they leave her, but it has to be done. Constant vigilance.

“Very well.” He bites, and she expects him to move, she wants nothing but to run away herself, but she can’t.

Her eyes widen in horror, when she looks up and sees the despicable mistletoe disgustingly hidden in a nook overhead.

“Fuck.” She hears Shouto mutters and it’s ridiculous how it she still can’t control the shivers. He’s not one to use such profanities. She watches him send hexes, intricate ones, but the plant remains intact.

“Once a pair is locked, its binds them until it is satisfied, no curse will work.” She supplies, sounding more bitter than ever at being caught by the blasted mistletoe what starts to entangle around them.

“I know.” He snaps a little too harshly causing her to look down in shame.

Her eyes sweep around the corridor and when she’s content that absolutely no one is in sight, she mutters a small apology only to be shocked to hear him apologize at the same time.

“This is harder than I thought it would be.” She confesses quietly, only wanting her words to reach him.  

Shouto sighs tiredly and the mask falls, leaving an exhausted broken boy in front of her. “This is how it has to be.” For now lingers between them like the damned mistletoe.

“Get on with it, then.” Momo demands softly and she catches his smirk before his lips finally brush against hers. Its soft and tender at first, and she wants to sob at the innocence of it. It’s been too long. It turns needy, and she’s fine with that, for she truly is needy for him.  She wills her hands to stay by her side, but the will is broken once she feels his hands cradle her face and she ends up clutching any part of him she can reach.

It’s torture when they part to confirm the plant had subsided because as much as disdain the forsaken mistletoe had brought her, it also gave her this moment with him again.

“Not that I’m complaining, but perhaps this was too much.” She manages to whisper and Shouto only shakes his head while bringing her into his arms. She misses him. She misses him so much, but what they are doing in dangerous. “Shouto we can’t-“

“I’ve already cast a disillusionment and silencing charm.” Her mutters into the crook of her neck causing her to sigh and bring her hands to rub circles along his back. Of course, he’s always been steps ahead of her. They stay like that for a moment making the most of it before they pull away.

“You really shouldn’t be out alone, where is Bakugou?” He asks tersely causing her to roll her eyes.

“I’ll be fine, it’s you who should really be careful. Don’t be reckless.” She chides gently. “Besides, it’s only until the end of the year.”

“You would think he’d keep a better eye on you.” He complains causing her to tut in response. “Contrary to popular belief, I am not the one who needs to be watched.” She rebukes pointedly while banishing the mistletoe above them with her wand. He's quick to drop one last lingering kiss on her lips before he swishes his and she knows the charms giving them privacy are gone with the return of his cold mask.

“I recommend you watch your back Todoroki, wouldn’t want anything unfortunate to happen to you in these lonely halls, now would we?” She taunts before she brushes past him. ‘Be careful’ She stresses.

She waits until she’s in the comfort of her quarters to touch her lips, reliving the touches and kiss they had managed to share, if only for a moment underneath the blasted mistletoe.

But that was the thing about magical mistletoe, wasn’t it?

A/N: Happy Holidays everyone! As you can see, I’m still in such a HP mood. 

[gemini-sonic]

Preview

Hello everyone,

So as you know I’m getting married on Saturday (HOLY SHIT!) so it’s been a bit crazy trying to get things accomplished and write at the same time. I am not yet done editing my chapter 4 for Take on the World but I so badly wanted to give you something before I leave for my December trip. So I’m uploading a small preview to the chapter and come January, it will be ready to go! 

Thank you so much for all the feedback and support so far and don’t worry I will be sure to upload some pictures when I get back as well. Please be safe and have a wonderful holiday season. 

Love,

Gem

Chapter 4 Preview for Take on the World

Jack dropped Rapunzel off and headed over to his father’s house to have a family dinner now that Flynn was visiting. It was a nice surprise to see him in town, considering he usually couldn’t visit until the holidays. Luckily, he was working on a show not to far from Burgess and couldn’t resist some of North’s home cooking.

He parked and walked inside to the familiar scent of home cooked food that made his stomach growl. The house he grew up in hadn’t changed at all, only difference being the sound of Vanellope’s racing games she liked to play. But the warmth and comfort were never absent.

He made it to the kitchen to see his father busy at the stove cooking while Flynn leaned on the counter having a chat with him. Jack looked over towards the family room to see Vanellope engrossed in her racing game with headphones on.  

Max, old and feeble now, barked as ferociously as he could while hobbling over to see Jack. Out of instinct, Jack kneeled to scratch behind his ears, earning a soft snort from the dog. Another thing that may have changed but one thing was still certain; the way Max and Flynn glared at one another across the room proved old rivalries didn’t always die.

“Jack! Good to see you son!” his father boomed loudly, and Jack rushed over to quickly hug him, grateful to erase whatever negative and disgusting memories he might have had earlier that week. Flynn waved from the counter and Jack walked over to lean on the island across from where he stood.

“How’s wedding planning?” Flynn asked him with a grin.

Jack rolled his eyes heavenward, “Exhausting.”

North chuckled, “It will be here before you know it.”

“About time.” Flynn teased, “All I know is, the Bachelor Party better be epic.”

“You know Hiccup will make sure of that.” Jack chuckled.

“Unless there’s a tiger in the hotel room, it wouldn’t be a party.” Flynn snorted.

“Stop watching movies.” Jack groaned.

“Stop being a dick.” Flynn grinned mischievously.

“Stop being an ass- “

“BOYS!” North warned in a stern but loving tone as the two grinned sheepishly.

“If you give me twenty bucks, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear you both curse.” Vanellope smirked as she made her way to the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Jack before trying to sneak a cookie off the counter.

Flynn had a slight longing look in his eyes as he watched the two of them bond. Everyone understood though that he hadn’t gotten a chance to really be around Vanellope when she first came to live with North, as he’d been in college. Jack however still had another year or so with her as he finished high school and that gave them time to bond and he could be the big brother he’d always wanted to be.  

“So,” Jack looked up at Flynn, “When do we get free Hamilton tickets?”

Flynn shook his head, “You and I both know that isn’t happening. I can’t even get them, and I work on Broadway.”

“You should give them tickets as a wedding gift!” Vanellope pointed out.

“Not a bad idea Squirt.” Flynn smiled as he walked by her and ruffled her messy hair.

“We’ll take cash at this point.” Jack grumbled and followed his siblings to the table where Flynn must have already set up.

“Jack, is everything alright at home?” North asked with concern as he began dishing out food.

“Oh yeah,” Jack said quickly, “Work has been picking up and Rapunzel still has her job, but I know school is starting to get to her a little bit.”

“It’s a pretty big step.” Flynn nodded but smiled warmly at him, “But I’m proud of her for going for it.”

“Me too.” Jack smiled; glad Rapunzel decided to spend some time with her mother tonight. He too felt a sense of comfort as he sat with his family around the table, laughing and catching up on their days. Vanellope was chatting consistently as she ate, and Flynn of course did his usual teasing towards both his siblings. He couldn’t lie and admit he’d missed this, but he also would never regret finally moving in with Rapunzel, no matter how stressful it was.  

“Well, I set the table, so now you clean.” Flynn smirked at Jack who threw his napkin down with a grunt.

“Knew I should have come earlier!” he pouted.

Vanellope snorted, “You’re both so dumb.”

North chuckled and looked over at her, “Don’t forget you need to finish your math.”

She groaned, hoping she would have had more time to play her game, but she would never disappoint her adopted father. As much as she’d come a long way to trusting him, she still had that lingering fear in the back of her mind that if she screwed up even the tiniest amount, he’d abandon her like all the others before him.

“Jack…” she gave him an innocent look and he knew what was coming, “Do you think you could help me?”

“No problem,” he grinned, “You get started so I can clean up then I’ll come over and take a look.”

“Deal!” she squealed happily and rushed off to find her bookbag.

“I’m glad you both want to help her with her homework.” North nodded proudly at his boys, recalling that Flynn had taken the time to sit with her yesterday after school and help her with some science. Because she’d had a late start in life and due to her medical issues, she had to work extra hard to keep up. But thanks to a lot of great teachers and her after school tutoring, she was finally at the level she needed to be, but staying the course was just as tricky.

“Trust me, if she has Bunny as her math teacher, she needs all the help she can get.” Jack admitted with a laugh as he collected the plates and started cleaning. As he did, he suddenly looked up to see his reflection in the window and that haunting nightmare came back full force as he froze for a few moments, thankful when he was jolted out of it by Vanellope yelling for her calculator.

He finished cleaning quickly and turned to see his father still sitting at the table with Flynn and decided to at least see if maybe there was a way to keep his bad memories at bay. His father and Flynn had always been good about it.

“Hey, uh,” he stammered as he sat down, “Did I ever um…talk in my sleep living here?” he asked.

They both stared at him a moment before North nodded, “As a matter of fact, you did, especially in the beginning.”

“You would walk around too.” Flynn nodded.

Jack stared at Flynn and to his surprise, so did North as apparently this was news to him, “When?” he asked.

Flynn narrowed his eyes and thought back, “I know I only caught it that one time and I don’t think you ever did it again, but I remember I found you in the bathroom staring at the mirror or something. I tried to wake you up but just ended up putting you back to bed. It was weird.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that?” North asked him.

Flynn shrugged, “He was still adjusting, and I used to do stuff like that all the time, I honestly figured you knew and had worked it out after that.”

“You said you found me in the bathroom?” Jack asked nervously.

“Yeah, I would have laughed but I didn’t have room to, considering I’d wake up in closets all the time.” Flynn chuckled.

“They say a lot of children with severe abuse will have odd sleep patterns, you were both still in survival mode even if you were safe.” North said sadly, “But then one day, you both had your moment to realize you could relax and just be children; happy and free from all that pain.”

They both smiled fondly remembering the day it clicked for them, light a window finally opening for them, letting in the sun and fresh air.

“Flynn you were such a good brother when Jack came to us.” North reminisced, “I did have to teach you patience because you so badly wanted Jack to be your little brother, but he was still afraid and needed his space. But not once did you complain or fail to lend a helping hand where you could.”

Jack smiled at his brother who nodded to him, “I admit, it never gets any easier, but you definitely made my life worth it, Dad.”

“Mine too.” Jack agreed.

“So, are you having a hard time at the new place, Jack?” Flynn asked in a nonjudgmental voice. To many it would seem nosy, but Jack understood his brother’s question having both come from a place of learning to adjust in new places. In response he shrugged, “We’re both adjusting but, I don’t know, lately I’ve been having some…off nights.” He admitted.

“Well, with a new place, a wedding to plan, and a job, it is a lot.” North smiled knowingly, “But you and Rapunzel love each other very much and I’m sure you two make a wonderful team as you process it all.”

“We are a good team.” He smiled but it felt forced as he recalled her face looking at him after that horrible dream, memory, whatever it was. Her eyes mixed with tears, pain, fear, and disappointment. He was her fiancé; he was supposed to be honest with her. So why, why couldn’t he be honest about this? Oh yes, because he’d never been, and it had gotten him this far so why worry about it.

He rubbed his eyes and sat back, “Sometimes I just wish all that bad stuff would disappear completely.”

“You and me both.” Flynn agreed, resting his chin in his hand as he too seemed far away in unhappy thoughts.

“Let me tell you both something.” North sighed heavily, “You’re both old enough now to know, but there’s a big reason I started adopting.”

They both stared at him, his once warm and cheery smile, bright eyes full of wonder, suddenly became dark and lost in a memory full of pain and fear. They had been told many times by North that he’d had a past in Russia, but he never went into detail before.

He sighed and looked up at them, all three now ready to know the truth behind the man they only ever knew as their father.

[audreyannerp]

Lola Leads

(A roleplay between @askaudreyanne / @audreyannerp and @red-rad-and-rod . It doesn’t have a real ending, but, here we gooooo.) - It was finally starting to look and feel like springtime in Michigan. The seemingly sporadic weather seemed to have finally settled on a warmer temperature. There were no more snowfalls coming out of nowhere and the plants were becoming more lively by the day. The grass was green and dusted with flecks of other colors as the flowers began to bloom. A certain freckled redhead by the name of Audrey had been looking forward to this day, more so for her furry friend than herself. Lola, a scruffy-looking mixed breed about the size of a beagle, had been Audrey's Christmas gift to herself. As such, she had never seen the local park, with the weather as cold as it was. Now, however, the young dog trotted happily next to her owner, or rather, a little ahead. She was quite the excitable one and still had trouble walking calmly with her master. It didn't help matters that she was finally getting to see a new setting and was eager to see and smell everything in the immediate vicinity. Though it took an uncountable number of pit stops, the two made it to the park. The young woman found a bench and sat down, reaching into her bag to get out a bottle of water and a doggy dish. After pouring her pet a drink and taking a sip for herself, she pet her dog's floppy ears. “That was a long walk, huh, girl?” The dog didn't respond, but simply lapped up the water vigorously. “Yeah. Can't blame ya for being thirsty,” the redhead giggled. Lola stopped to look up at Audrey, wagging her tail for a moment, before looking into the distance. Before she had a chance to respond, the dog had shot off in a blur of brown and white, taking her leash with her. “Ack! Lola! Come here, girl!”

- "I'm bored" J.C. looked over from his spot, a bench fairly close to one of the two play structures, and scoffed gently. Both Mum and Dad had work today, so lo and behold, he was tasked with watching his little sisters. No big deal, really; might as well do his standard thing and take them to the park to tire them out. Usually made for a fairly easy time afterwards. Seemed like that wasn't the case today, at least with one of them. "Syd, we've only been here for about half an hour, how can you be bored already?" Syd, currently laying on the grass near him, blew a bit of hair out of her face as a response. "You haven't even done all that much; save for surveying the play structure, checking out the swings, and nearly getting sick on the little roundabout. You tired or something? Still a bit dizzy from spinning around super fast." "No." J.C. shrugged, letting out a sigh. "Theeeen I don't know what to tell ya, kid. You can hang with me and have a boring time ooooor you can go play." He looked up to catch a glimpse at the younger of the sisters, Kat, looking like she was having a blast on the swings. "What about the swings?" "Kat's on them, and she's talkin' with another kid. Knowing them, they're gonna be on there for hours. An' there's a line for the rest of the swings...I could just go over, push some of the other kids outta the way, and jump the queue..." Syd looked to her brother, a sort of defeated look on her face, "but if I do, then you'll make me sit on one of the benches and 'think about what I did' and 'how wrong it is'." "Preeeeetty much, kiddo. Laws of the playground, can't exactly break 'em." Syd had a small chuckle at the comment, before starting to focus on something. "Y'see that?" J.C. looked in the same direction. "What?" "There's something coming in our direction....kinda small...really fast...." Suddenly, the ten-year-old let out an excited gasp. Kind of small and really fast? That usually meant... "PUPPYYYYYYYY!!!" - Despite the clear excitement of the child, Lola opted to focus her attention on the young man. She bounded over to the bench and promptly placed her front paws on his knees as she 'danced' excitedly for attention, tail wagging a mile a minute. The dog was scruffy-looking, but clearly not a stray. Aside from the collar and leash dangling from her neck, she was clearly cared for with a healthy weight and a shiny clean coat. What's more, she looked too cute for someone not to take her in. Her markings, shades of brown with a white face and underbelly, were beautiful, while her pale blue eyes practically sparkled, and her cute little pink nose was too much to resist! Audrey followed a short distance behind, putting those athletic legs of hers to work. The redhead dashed past the swing set, quickly addressing the girl Kat was talking to. “Hi, Jenna! Bye, Jenna!” With that out of the way, she continued to call for her dog. “Looooolaaaaa!” - Kat, a little confused, looked to Jenna. "You know 'er?" Jenna laughed, "Know her? I can tell you all about her...." (....) At the sound of Syd shouting, J.C. jumped a little. Jeez, she could be loud sometimes...what was that all abo...ooooh, a puppy. Of course. From what he could tell, they had a leash, tags, and they weren't some hulking looking thing (even if it was, Syd'd still go nuts. Something as big as a Newfie, she'd risk getting bowled over, regardless). Eh, as long as he kept an eye on the two of them, it shouldn't be an issu- wait, why was the dog coming towards him? Ignoring the small "Heeeey!" from Syd, J.C. looked down and gave the little dog a smile. "Heeeey there, little bit." he chuckled, "Who'd you get away from, eh?" Hearing the sound of "Looooooolaaaaaaa!", Syd pointed it the direction of where it was coming from. "Prooooobably the person shouting 'er name?" "Ah, good call." J.C. shouted back, "Over 'ere!" - The canine rested her head on his knee for a moment before she perked up at the sound of her owner growing closer. While she was happy to see her, the dog didn't approach, merely faced her with a wagging tail. “Lolaaaa,” Audrey, started with a lecturing tone, “you can't run off like that. You could get hurt.” Lola lowered her head in apology as her owner took the leash once more. “I'm sorry about her. She's still a bit of a puppy.” Lola looked up at the two of them talking, tail wagging. - J.C. chuckled, giving Lola a little pat on the head, "Mischevious little thing, aren't ya? Worrying your Mummy like that..." He looked to Audrey. "Cute little dog you've got there. Lola, was it? That's her name?" - Audrey giggled. "Thank you. Yes, this is Lola," she gestured, 'introducing' them. She may have left things at that, but the accent got her curious. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you're not from around here. Like, not even somewhat close to around here." - "Nnnnnnope!" piped up Syd, moving next to her brother. "We're from WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY across the Atlantic. ....Or...whatever degree of "way" Bristol is." - Audrey jolted slightly, not having noticed the child in the scramble for her dog. Placing a hand to her chest, she let out a wheezy laugh. "I'd say that's pretty far. Also, diggin' the hair. What are you two doing all the way over here?" - "Work." J.C. answered, "Dad works for one of those international companies, and often times, we end up coming with. Kind of like a mini-holiday, I guess you could call it." "Aaaaand 'cos he and Mum each had something they needed to take care of, we got to go to the park with this guy right here!" Syd added. - Lola looked at the child, tail wagging as she looked at her expectantly. "Ahh. That makes sense." She paused, raising a brow. "We?" - Syd giggled at Lola, "Silly puppy..." "Yup," J.C. tossuled Syd's hair a little bit, "This one right here is Syd, aaaand my other little sister should be on the swings..." he looked towards the swing and could see a blur of blonde, pink, and purple. Yep, that was her. Cool, she hadn't moved...save for the back and forth motion of the swing, but..."Yup, Kat's on the swings." "I'm 10 aaaand Kat's 8." Syd added. - "You can pet her, if you want," she smiled at Syd. "She's a friendly dog, albeit rowdy at times." Audrey turned to look towards the swing. "Ahhh. I knew there was a reason I didn't recognize her," she turned back to J.C. "I have a good reputation as a babysitter, so I've gotten to know a lot of the kids around here. For example," she pointed back towards the swings with her thumb. "That's Jenna talking to your sister. She has a baby brother on the way." - Syd's eyes lit up like it was Chrtistmas morning. Giving Audrey a quiet "Thank yoooou", she went about gently petting Lola, all the while quietly going "Puuuuuppy, puppy, puppy, puppy, puppyyyyyyyyyy....." J.C. snickered at his sister before turning to Audrey. "Aaah. Baby brother on the way, eh? That oughta be fun." - Lola rolled onto her back, exposing her underbelly as her tongue lulled out. “Yeah. I don't have any siblings myself, but I do have five younger cousins who were over at our house pretty often. Actually, that's the reason I don't have any siblings,” she snickered. “Enough kids in the house as it was.” - J.C. laughed, "Kind of sounds like our place, at least around the holidays. Syd and Kat can be a handful, but add...I don't know, at least five to ten other kids to the mix- anywhere from two years old to well into their teenage years- and it's...something, alright." "Exhausting?" Syd asked, "Is that 'cos we'll drag you outside to play?" "...To be honest, I'd rather be out with you guys than having to deal with relatives asking a number of questions." he snickered. - "Good golly, Miss Molly! That's a lot of kids! I sure hope the other adults help out, at least a little bit. I mean; I love kids, but even I need a break here and there." She chuckled. "It still is sweet of you to play with them, regardless of the awkward questions with the older relatives. Let me guess... 'How's school? Work? Are you seeing anyone? Thinking about marriage? Kids? What's in your future?' "

- J.C. chuckled, nodding. "Preeeeeetty much. At least with kids, they ask you things like what your favorite dinosaur is." "It's a brachiosaurus." Syd loudly whispered. "It most certainly is. There's usually a 'tag out' system in place, so I do get to have some 'grown up' time...speaking of questions, I....don't think we've actually officially introduced ourselves. I'm J.C., and you are?" - Audrey giggled at the dinosaur comment. “Oh, how rude of me,” she held a hand to her chest before holding it out to shake. “I'm Audrey, born and raised Michigan citizen,” she smiled widely, revealing her large front teeth. “Is this your first time here? I could recommend some good spots to visit.” - "Charmed," J.C. responded, smiling as he shook her hand. "It is...we actually came across this place by accident, so...any help or tips are greatly appreciated." - Taking her hand back, she held two fingers to her head and mock saluted. “Can do! Now, let me just think a moment here...” She put her chin in her hand as she thought. “Well, when it comes to free entertainment, you've already found one of our parks. As for spending a little cash, you can't come to Michigan and not try a Coney Dog. It's a shame you didn't come in the summer, since that's when you can get the best Coneys from Timmy's Coneys. Old Timmy only sets up shop in summer, but there are restaurants you can get them from year round.” - "Aaaah, drat. I'll have to make a note of that...if it's open only during one time of the year, they must be pretty good." "What's a coney dog?" Syd asked, "'Cos all I'm picturing is, like...you put it in an ice cream cone and put regular hot dog stuff on it." - “An ice cream cone? What makes you think- Ohhhhh, coney dog. Nahh. It's short for Coney Island Hot Dog. Basically, they take this specific kind of hot dog and top it with this meat sauce; not chili. It's something else. Anyway, it's usually topped with a heaping helping of onions and mustard. You can get them plain too though. Some people like theirs with cheese.” - "Ooooooooooooh." Syd blinked, "I don't know, I kind of like my idea more." J.C. scoffed lightly and shook his head. Kids could be such weirdos sometimes. "Well, even if we can't get them specifically from Timmy's Coneys , is that something that you'd be willing to eat after we're done here?" Syd nodded enthusiastically. "I think Kat would, too, 'cos it doesn't have green stuff on it. At least, from the sounds of it." "You want to go and ask her?" Syd gave the two a salute and ran off, yelling "PLAY NICE, YOU TWO!" to the pair. J.C. laughed, "We weren't...! Aaaaaand she's gone. Dang, she's fast." - Lola watched as Syd ran off. There goes the person giving her attention... Oh well. She rolled back over onto her stomach and closed her eyes. Audrey laughed as well, taking a seat next to J.C. on the bench. “Your sister seems like a hoot and a half! I'm guessing she keeps you on your toes, huh?” - "Tiptoes is more like it." he responded, smirking a bit. "She's a character, I will give her that." - She chuckled. “I've known kids like that; like real life versions of Calvin from Calvin & Hobbes... You ever read that comic?” - "Oh, yeeeah! I read those all the time when I was a bit younger. Still do, occasionally. ...Although, I read them in French first, then went to English once my grasp on the language improved a bit..." - Audrey cocked her head to the side. Didn't his sister say they lived in Bristol? “French?” - "....Ah, right, right..." He cleared his throat a little, "See, I'm....not originally from England. Syd and Kat's mum and dad are my adoptive mum and dad. Been so since I was around 2 years old. I'm originally from France." - She slowly raised her head and lowered it as she let out a drawn out, “Ohhhhhhh.” Rather than pry for details, she simply smiled and said, “I'm glad you were able to get adopted at a young age. Adapt to your new family faster and all that. I've thought about adopting myself, but I think it's a little early to think about that sort of thing. I don't even have a boyfriend right now,” she laughed. - He gave her a smile back, as a silent way of saying thanks. "I'm thinking of doing the same, honestly. I mean, I'm happy either way- adoption or otherwise., but...kind of in the same boat; just out of school, no girlfriend...all that fun stuff." - “Not often I see a man who openly admits to wanting kids,” she giggled, nudging him with her elbow. “Shame you live across the ocean,” she joked with a wink. - J.C. chuckled, a little bit of a awkward/nervous edge to it. "Haha, yeah. It kind of be nice to have a couple of my own...I mean, there's Syd and Kat, but they're my sisters. Having a kid be your own's a little different." - “Ah, I'm just messing with you,” Audrey smiled, hoping he didn't think she was actually hitting on him. “I would imagine so. Speaking of, I wonder what those two are talking about. With how fast Syd sprinted off, you'd think she'd be back by now.” - "That's a good question...I don't hear any sort of screaming or yelling, so they're not fighting..." He snickered, "Maybe she got distracted and now they're both on the swings?" - Audrey shrugged. “Maybe. I don't mind though. I'm totally free today, so I don't mind waiting... Though I suppose those two don't have to be here for the directions. Would you rather I just tell you where to go and get out of your hair?” - "If you want; you're welcome to hang around if you don't have anywhere to be today. Besides, I think the minute Syd mentions the word 'puppy' to Kat, she'll come running over." - Audrey snickered. “I think I'll stay. Lola loves attention, I love kids, and you seem pretty nice~” - J.C. couldn't help but blush a little. "I, um....I try, heh..." All of a sudden, a more high-pitched "PUPPYYYYYYYYYY!!" came from the playground. Aaaaah, there it was...a "Kat, wait up!!" followed shortly. "Speaking of kids, sounds like Syd mentioned the 'P' word...." - “Sounds like it,” she agreed, making sure she had a firm hold on Lola's leash. Lola had perked up at the sound of the shout and was now wagging her tail eagerly, whining impatiently for what she was sure would be more attention. - Pretty soon, a little blonde girl dressed in pink and purple had joined the pair. She looked to the redhead, smiling. "Sooooo, you're Audrey, right? Jenna's been tellin' me about you." Shortly after Kat had arrived, Syd turned up, out of breath. "Easy, kiddo. Take a sec and rest." he told the smaller redhead. Syd did just that, walking over to the other open space on the bnch and plopping down with an "Oof!" "An' Syd says you've got a puppy. Can I pet her, please?" - “Mm-hm,” Audrey smiled warmly at the blonde. “And you're Kat?” Lola was currently on her hind legs, trying to pull away to reach Kat, whining all the while. “I don't think I have a choice here,” she laughed, gesturing for Kat to come over. - "Yep!" She nodded, skipping a little closer. "Hiiiiiii, puppyyyyy~!" "The name's Lola." Syd piped up. "Hiiii, Lolaaaaa~!" - Lola wagged her tail as she excitedly sniffed at the newcomer. Deciding she liked the child, the dog gave her a few licks. “She's a friendly one, isn't she? I like your outfit, by the way. Pink and purple are my favorite colors~” - "Uh-huuuuuh." Kat giggled, as Lola showed her affection. "Mine too!" - “Neat!” While Audrey was curious as to what Jenna said about her, she decided keeping the focus on the dog would make more sense. “I got her from the local shelter. The people working there said she's a mixed breed, but weren't sure what all is in her. They think she might have a bit of Border Collie in her though.” - "Oooo, Border Collie, eh?" Kat looked to J.C., "That's not one of those super big dogs, right?" J.C. smirked, "Yeeees, and I know what you're asking. You know my answer already." "Dang it." - “I'm guessing you've been wanting a dog? I know the feeling,” she smiled sympathetically. “Lola here is my first dog and I've just recently turned twenty four years old! My family's house could get so chaotic at times that a dog just seemed like it would be too much, despite my asking. Figures my parents would adopt their own dog not long after I went to college.” She shrugged. “Oh well. At least the two get along.” - Both kids looked at Audrey. Twenty-four? "...No way, you look way too young." Syd spoke up. J.C. couldn't help but laugh a little. "Syd, twenty four's not old. Nowhere near it." "You only say that 'cos you're twenty three." Kat added. "Twenty four in August, though. Point is, early to mid twenties is not old." - Audrey giggled, taking 'look way too young' as a compliment. “I sure hope not! I want to be married with kids before I'm old!” - "Human years don't work like dog years, you two." J.C. chuckled. "If that were the case, Syd would be anywhere from 56 to 78 years old." Kat snickered. J.C. looked to the little girl, "And you'd be somewhere from 48 to 64 years old, depending on breed." Syd tilted her head, looking at her sister. "Soooooo, what kinda dog d'you think she'd be? One o' those yappy little chihuahuas?" Kat gave her sister a cheeky smile, "You're probably one of those big, bumbling ones that slobbers a lot." J.C. sighed quietly, seeing where this conversation was going. "Okay, you two, tone it down a bit." - Audrey chuckled. She knew where this was going... and just how to stop it. "My parents have one of those; a little chihuahua, I mean. I should have a video of her playing with Lola on my phone, if you two can get along long enough to watch it." - Ah, Audrey was pulling out the big guns...puppy videos! Dang it, she knew one of their weaknesses! Looking begrudgingly to each other, smiling a semi-forced smile, the sisters slowly side-hugged each other in a "See? Friends!" sort of way. - She could tell the two weren't happy, but they got an A for effort. “Alrighty~ Let me just get out my phone real quick.” Digging through her purse (which she had thankfully kept on before she ran after Lola), she soon pulled out her phone, which had a unique cover. The cover was pink in color, with a pattern of purple hearts and teddy bears, as well as rhinestones scattered throughout. “Oh yeah! I'm still getting used to that,” she showed them the phone. “My cousin made this case for my birthday. Isn't it neat?!” - Syd and Kat were like a pair of puppies themselves, watching as Audrey pulled out her phone. If their ears could've perked up, they would have- the case was so cute! "Uh-huuuuuuuh." J.C. had to chuckle a bit; he didn't really know whether it was the shininess of the phone case or the promise of watching dogs playing together, but the way his sisters looked right now was pretty funny. - Audrey chuckled. “Alright alright. Enough of that. Onto the video~” Scrolling through her gallery, she found what she was looking for, turned up the brightness and volume, then pointed the screen towards the girls as she pressed play. The video started with a view of Lola and a small white chihuahua with semi long fur. The two dogs were sharing a rope toy, each with an end in their mouth. While the chihuahua tugged with all her might, Lola simply stayed still, tail wagging as she watched the smaller dog try to take the toy. “I don't think Daisy's getting that toy any time soon,” Audrey's voice could be heard from behind the camera. “Let's give her a break. Lola, come here, girl!” Rather than drop the toy and come to her master, Lola instead dragged the toy and the chihuahua over to her, resulting in cackles from those off screen. - The once squabbling siblings immediately quieted down and watched the video intently. It almost seemed like the two were in some sort of trance, giggling almost simultaneously. J.C. shook his head, amused at the girls and the dogs. - The video ended and Audrey chuckled. “Yeah. They're a hoot, alright! You want to see some pictures?” - Cue a simultaneous nod from the sisters.

- "Alrighty~" She brought up her photo album for Lola and Daisy and proceeded to flip through it. - Both girls giggled at the sight of the two. "Note to self: when these two start squabbling, find cute puppy pictures." J.C. mumbled, pretending to scribble on an invisible notepad. - Audrey giggled, then snorted. She proceeded to cover up her nose, bashful. - J.C. giggled at...well, Audrey's giggle; it was so cute! - She cleared her throat, as if to clear the awkwardness she felt away, and moved on to flip through the pictures. She had quite a few of them. “I could send you some, if you want. Though I suppose I would need your email for that.” - E-mail? Huh...that...must mean that she wanted to keep in contact?? Not that he minded, of course. It was just...they'd only JUST met. Or maybe it was because if he didn't have them, Syd and Kat would constantly be begging to go back to Michigan, just so they could find Audrey and have her show pictures of Daisy and Lola. "Uuuuuh, sure!" he said, trying not to chuckle awkwardly. First time a pretty girl had asked for his e-mail. "Do you, um...want me to type it in on your phone as a little note, or...?" - She really hadn't put much thought into it when she'd said it, but she soon realized the implications of what she'd said. Oops. Not that she would mind keeping in contact... She thought for a moment, then smiled. “Sure thing!” she said as she opened up her notes app and handed it to him. “If you get an email from 'teddy bear lover,' it's me.” - J.C. gave her a nod and quickly typed in his e-mail address. "Aaaaand if you get a response from...." His...e-mail was a liiiittle embarrasing, he thought. He had made it when he was about Syd's age, so... "...well, this, then it's me." "Bluerangerbaguette714"....seemed like a good idea at the time. He liked Power Rangers, he liked baguettes, and 7/14 was an important holiday in France. "I, uh...haven't updated it yet. Made it when I was about 10 or 11...." he chuckled nervously, face turning a bit pink. - Audrey looked at the email address and had to make a great effort not to laugh. She was trying so hard, her body was actually shaking slightly. “Makes sense,” her voice came out as a squeak. “My dad helped me pick mine so I wouldn't be embarrassed late-her-her-her!” So much for not laughing. “I'm sorr-ee-hee-hee!” - Eeeeeh, he should've seen that coming. Way to go, 10-11 year old J.C. ...Buuuuut at least he could laugh at himself. He joined in on the laughter; a little awkward at first, but it started to sound more natural as he went on laughing. "It is kind of ridiculous, looking back on it." he admitted. - Audrey held a hand to her face, trying to stifle the laughter. “It's not that funny! I just told myself not to laugh and that made it hilarious!” Her laughter did die down to a snicker and Lola looked at the two in confusion. - "I mean, if you imagine something like..." he began to "demonstrate" a few Power Rangers-like poses and trying to say random things in French as epically as he could, "...while thinking of it, then...I mean, that's usually what I think of anytime I read that." - She snickered a few more times at the poses. “As someone who knows karate, that just makes it more hilarious.” - Syd snickered at her brother. "You're a dork, J.C." "The dorkiest~" he responded. "The dorkiest in all the la- wait a sec...karate??" Syd asked, turning her focus to karate. "You knowkarate??" - “Mm-hm~” she nodded. “I may not be the violent type, but karate is good for blowing of steam and is a good confidence booster. I may not be the brightest, but at least I can raise my foot above my head.” She smiled awkwardly. “That's what I like to tell myself, anyway.” - "Show me!!" Syd said, bouncing on her heels excitedly, "Please??" - “Raise my foot above my head? Sure!” She stood up from her seat on the bench and proceeded to do a few stretches before lifting her leg almost completely vertically. “Don't try this at home, kids. Not without lots of practice, anyway.” - All 3 Malones (Syd, mainly-followed by J.C. and Kat in terms of intensity) went wide eyed. "Hoooooly crud!" Syd gasped, awestruck. - Audrey chuckled and brought her leg back down. “Yeah. I've been practicing this sort of stuff since I was a kid.” - "Not to brag, but..." Syd dusted off her knuckles, "I, uh....I do a bit of karate myself." "I don't think what you do is actually karate," Kat piped up, "I think that's more like flailing about." Syd "hmmph"ed, took a few steps back, and demonstrated some of her "moves". - “Hmmm... I'd say that was more... avant-garde karate than traditional karate.” Translation: You're not very good, but I don't want to hurt your feelings. - Syd smirked at her sister. "See? She knows talent when she sees it." - Audrey simply smiled and nodded. Best not to break her confidence. She'd offer to teach her some moves, but she doubted she'd see the trio again anytime soon. - "Whateeeever you say." Kat mumbled quietly, rolling her eyes at her sister. " 'S gonna come in handy when I get a job when I'm older." Syd added. "...What was that again?" J.C. asked. With Syd, it changed just about every couple of weeks. "Circus performer/bodyguard/secret agent...with a penthouse." - "I'm guessing you're aiming for a more physical line of work then? Can't blame ya. I'm a personal trainer myself." - "Oooo, that sounds like a good idea, too! Maybe add that to the list..." J.C. chuckled, "With a physique like that, I wouldn't be surprised." Maybe that was a little too forward? He coughed, and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "Good surprised, though. You, ah...I imagine you're very skilled at your job- helping people with getting into shape. - “My physique? You haven't even seen me out of these clothes,” she laughed, before realizing what she said. “N-not like that!” she stammered. “I meant out of these specific clothes! My workout clothes show more.” - "I, um...I'd hope so? N-not in a weird way! Just....so you don't get overheated or anything; speeding up the dehydration process while exercising is rather risky, and..." His voice began to trail off, "I'm...gonna stop talking now...I...made it awkward..." Syd looked between the two, smirking a bit to herself. Super friendly to each other AND awkward when they think they've made a misstep? Oooo, was Cupid nearby~? - “No, no; it's fine,” she chuckled. “I know what you meant. It's good to dress for your workout; don't overheat or sweat up your regular clothes.” She sat back down and began petting Lola. “Though I know some prefer the less revealing clothes. I used to be the same. Took me a while to get past some of my self esteem issues, y'know? You just gotta get a breathable material.” - J.C. nodded, understanding the "self-esteem issue" thing all too well. Not really wanting to dive into that (mainly because...well, come on, he and Audrey had just met), he focused more on the breathable fabric thing."Yeah. That way it's like...when a person's all done workin' out for the day, they're not dripping with sweat or smelling like an old pair of socks." - Audrey snickered. “Depends on your definition of a workout. That's why we have showers at the gym~” She paused for a moment. “Weren't we talking about stuff to do in Michigan? How'd we get here?” she laughed. - Oh thank goodness, the subject changed. He laughed, "Dunno, that's actually a really good question..." "Can I go back an' play now?" Kat asked. "Go for it." J.C. told her, giving her a small nod and taking a glance at his watch. " 'Bout 30 more minutes, alright? I want to get you guys fed, too." "Can we get those coney dogs??" Syd asked. J.C. shrugged, "Yeah, sure. Probably the only time we're going to be able to get them, so why not?" "Sweet!" Syd gave Lola a quick pet before running back to the playground. "Last one there's a rotten egg!" she called to Kat. The little blonde mimicked her sister's actions, instead yelling "Bye, Audrey! It was nice to meet you!" "What she said!!" Syd shouted back. - “Same to you!” she called out before relaxing back against the bench. “They seemed nice~ I should probably give you directions before I forget.” She proceeded to dig through her purse. “I'm sure I have a pen and paper in here somewhere... Also; while it's not limited to Michigan, it seems to be a northern U.S. thing. If you can find Blue Moon ice cream, go ahead and try some. I can't really describe the flavor, but I love the stuff. If you've ever had Superman ice cream, it's basically the blue part in that.” - J.C. chuckled. "They try. Kind of nice that they're screaming more from running around than fighting. Iiii...don't think I've had that flavour before, but with a name like 'Superman', that might sound like something Syd'll like. May as well try some Blue Moon just for the heck of it, y'know?" - Having pulled a notebook and a pen, Audrey proceeded to jot down the directions. “Yup yup! Always nice to try something new~” In addition to the directions, she jotted down a few other places they could look into while in Michigan. - "Haha, yeah. I should tell that to Kat, or as I call her: 'Little Miss No-Greens'. She'll eat her fruits and veg, yeah, but only if they aren't green. ...Good thing it's 'Blue Moon' ice cream and not...'Green Moon'." Okay, so that was kind of a lame joke, but hey. Glancing over at her writing, he smiled a bit. Not only writing down the names of places, but directions, too! "...Forgive me if this sounds a bit weird, but...you have really nice handwriting." - Audrey chuckled at the green moon joke, then giggled at the compliment of her handwriting. “Not weird,” she assured as she bashfully played with her hair, twirling a short curl around her finger. It was nice to get a compliment on something that wasn't her physique. “I take a lot of notes. Helps me remember things.” - He nodded, "Always good, always good. Nothing worse than having something super important you need to do or get, then completely forgetting to. Like... 'don't forget the milk....don't forget the milk....wait, what was I getting?...Ah, crud! I forgot the milk!" - Audrey snickered. “Yeah. That's why I write everything down,” she flipped through her notebook to show page upon page of notes. “I've had friends ask how I got them the perfect gift, and I'm like, 'Remember how you were talking about that thing three months ago? Yeah. I wrote it down.'” She flipped a page and twirled her pen. “Speaking of, how do you spell your sisters' names? I wanna write them down. Yours too... I'm imagining there's more to your name than a J and a C.“ - "I should start doing that," he noted, "Did it a lot more while I was still in school, but having recently graduated, eeeeh....not so much. Would be good to get back into the habit." At the "more than a J and a C" comment, he chuckled. "I would hope so, otherwise my parents were very lazy. It's short for Jean-Claude: J-E-A-N, dash ,C-L-A-U-D-E. Syd's is S-Y-D-N-E-Y, and Kat's is K-A-T-R-I-N-A." - “A-ha! It's a good thing I asked,” she proceeded to write the names down. “I definitely would have spelled those wrong otherwise. You never know; that Greg could be spelled with two Gs at the end or something.” - "Haha, yeah! Or the 'Christopher' that you pass by every day spells it as 'K-R-I-S-T-O-F-F-E-R." he replied, offering an example. - “Oh goodness. That reminds me of a comedian talking about names who said he met a girl named Amy, but it was spelled A-Y-M-I-E. I think it was Brian Regan.” - J.C. had to laugh, "Or you get a name that has about seven different consonants all piled together, but it's pronounced as 'Jim'." - Audrey snickered. "Okay; now you're just making stuff up." - J.C. gave her a cheeky smile. "Maaaaybe just a little, yeah." - “Your sister was right. You are a dork,” she grinned. - "Now if only being a dork was a profession." he snickered, "I'm overqualified." - “You'd have some stiff competition. I've memorized at least half the recent My Little Pony songs word for word. And let's not forget all the Disney songs.” - "If it's any consolation, I do a meeeean rendition of 'I Just Can't Wait to Be King'...granted, I'm always designated as Zazu, but hey." J.C. shrugged, "Now my 'Winter Wrap Up' can use a bit of work, but..." - He knew My Little Pony too? Nice! Audrey grinned before softly singing one of Nala's lines. “No one saying be there~” - Cue him responding with a "No one saying 'Stop that!' " - “No one saying seeee heeeere~” She jokingly thought that, if he joined her on that line, he must be her soulmate. - He did indeed, laughing a bit as he did so. - Audrey laughed as well, unable to believe he actually did it. “Oh, wow. You're the first guy who's ever sung Disney with me... Well, besides kids... and my dad... Okay; the first adult male who isn't related to me.” - J.C. shrugged, smiling, "Hey, you have to admit that they are pretty catchy, so it's kind of hard not to. ...Well, that and it's pretty fun to sing along to stuff, anyway." - She nodded in agreement. “It's a little different when you're in front of other people though.” She rubbed her arm, smiling bashfully. “I'm usually a bit shy with that sort of thing, but, I dunno, you seem... safe? for lack of a better word. Like, I don't imagine you would make fun of me. Then again, we did just meet, but, eh,” she shrugged. “just a feeling.” - 'Safe', awwww~ That was kind of the way he felt about her, too. His heart felt like it was burning with something. Not heartburn or anything like that, but more like...some warm affection-type feelings. They appeared to be past the level of acquaintance and more on the level of "friends who hadn't seen each other in years"...which was kind of strange, since they'd just met. Best not to question it, though.... He gave her a gentle smile, "It sucks being on the end where you get laughed at. I know from experience, it's...not the best feeling. So I make it a point not to do that to others, y'know? Break the cycle, treat others how you want to be, something along those lines..." - “Woof,” Audrey exhaled, looking towards the sky. “Tell me about it. I was prime bully bait as a kid. Not only did I have plenty to make fun of, I cried really easy, so they always got a reaction.” - J.C. mimicked Audrey's actions, "My main 'points of fault', I say with heavy emphasis on the air quotes, were the fact that I was still learning English, my accent- a lot heavier at the time- my glasses... the list goes on and on." - She sat back up and pointed to her front teeth, which were fairly large in comparison to the rest of her teeth. “You see these? This is after I've grown into them.” She paused for a moment, looking confused. “Who makes fun of a French-English accent?!” she exclaimed as she threw her hands up. “Those are, like, the best accents to have!” - "At least they weren't missing...? I know that's not a lot of help, but..." he pointed to his, "These two are actually fake. Got my two adult teeth knocked clean out when I was a little older than Syd. Took a while to get the implants, so..." he blew a bit of air out of his nose, "Bet you can guess how well that went over with the little buttmunches that were in my class. The real kicker was when I finally got them and sounded like Daffy Duck for a solid month and a half." He rubbed the back of his neck, "That....probably isn't much help, and I don't mean to make it sound like I'm taking the conversation away from you, but...I dunno, that whole 'safe' feeling you said you have with me kind of...extends over from me to you, too." - “Cheese on a cracker!” Audrey exclaimed with a hand to her chest. “That's horrible! How on earth did they manage that; a hammer?!” She waved her hands. “Oh no no no no. It's fine. I'm talking to you, not at you.” - He gave her a nod, a sort of not verbal way of saying "I understand", before continuing. "More like running into a tree...going down a hill on a bike...at near full speed....as part of a dare from a couple of older boys. The bit they forgot to mention was that I had to jump off the bike before it hit." He sighed, shaking his head, "Y'know, part of that was my fault for taking the dare, but...11 year old me didn't want them thinkin' I was a chicken or anything." He smirked, another thought occurring to him, "Althooooough....I knew one of the older kids, so before I went home, I went to his house first and showed his parents- who knew my parents and were good friends with them- what happened." - Audrey grimaced, recoiling at the thought of such a stunt. “I'm sure that was a delight for them to see,” she shuddered before shaking her head to rid herself of the thought. “My dad actually had to have a veneer in high school. He got in a fight, something he never does, because the guy made my mom cry. They barely knew each other at the time, but Dad was smitten with her from day one. Anyway, he was beaten to a pulp and lost a chunk of tooth, but he married my mom in the end so... yaaaayyy...” she waved her hands. - "Ooof..." J.C. had to cringe at the thought, "Buuuut...I guess in the end, it all worked out? Better than my parents. ...I'm...not 100% sure of how my birth parents met, but my current ones...that's a different story. Short and skinny is that they knew each other as kids, Mum was a right pillock to Dad, she moved away, then they re-united in uni and I guess...everything worked out? Apologies, burying the hatchet, all that good stuff." - “Huh,” she shrugged, “Fair enough.” She paused to look down at Lola. “I wonder if she knew we would get along somehow. Like some sort of doggy sixth sense. I mean, out of all the people in the park, she went straight for you.” - He chuckled, "I dunno...I mean, the same tends to happen when people ask me to hold their babies and they're all smiles and whatnot. I don't even do much, other than give them a 'Hey, what's up, little darlin'?' or 'Salut, petit lapin!' and I'm getting this few-toothed smile." He stopped and thought for a second, "I mean...people aren't handing me babies all the time, but...you get what I mean, right?" - Audrey tittered at the thought. “Come, Julia! We must find a kind stranger to hold our baby!” - J.C. started to go into a giggle fit, trying to picture the scenario. - Audrey did as well. Meanwhile... While Edward wasn't the boss, he was well respected in his workplace. He was a hard worker and had been with the company for over twenty years. He knew the inner workings of things and could navigate the building blindfolded. While he may not be the most social, he was certainly polite and was sure to greet the employee from their English branch. “Roger Malone, was it?” the exceedingly tall man inquired, holding out his hand to shake. - New country, new people...at least it's the same company? Albeit, a different branch, but...stiiill the same company, so not all that much should be that different. Kind of wished that Reggie or Eric had come along, that way I'd at least know someone... "Roger Malone, was it?" came a voice. Snapping out of his little funk, the Englishman smiled in the direction it was coming from. Ah! Now time to match a voice to a faaaaa....hoooooly moley, this guy was huge! Was...was that who that voice belonged to? Only one way to find out.... "Aaah, yes! Yes, that's me." he chuckled, "I know I have a few names I was supposed to remember, so I'm going to take a stab in the dark, and say yooooou're..." David? Jack? Not a Sandra, that was for sure... "...Edward?" - "First try; impressive. Edward Davis; yes," he nodded. "I believe the meeting is in," he checked his watch, "about fifteen minutes. So you should have time to learn your way around or stop by the breakroom. There may still be a doughnut or two, if you hurry." - Roger gave him a nod. Sure, this guy seemed really intimidating, but...it wasn't like he was trying to assert his dominance over him? Nothing like "Move it, peasant, there are doughnuts with MY name on it in the breakroom." "Duly noted...perhaps a little stroll around, then, ah...get down to business, eh?" Totally nailed that office small talk. - Edward simply nodded, not acknowledging the awkwardness. He could be awkward himself, when out of his element. “I'll leave you to it then. If you need help with anything, Sandra should be happy to assist. She's pretty easy to spot with her curly blonde hair and large glasses. If you can't find her, well, it's pretty hard to miss me,” he chuckled slightly. - "Curly hair, large glasses...got it. Cheers, mate." he gave him a smile and a nod before heading off. Hmm, maybe this guy would be the guy to stick to during this whole shebang. Seemed like he knew what was up. - Edward did the same and went about his business until it was time for the meeting. The meeting went about as well as one could expect, if a little longer than usual to fill in the newcomer. Statistics were discussed, questions were asked, ideas were suggested, and progress was made. Satisfied, the higher ups dismissed the others to go about their usual business. - The question was...what...exactly was his usual business now? Roger's usual usual business involved bumming around with Reg and Eric for a little bit before getting back to work, but they were back in England. Then he got a glimpse of Edward again. He knew his way around...would he mind if he just shadowed him for a bit? "Aaah, Edward?" - Edward turned around and raised a brow at the Brit. "Yes? Can I help you?" - "Er, perhaps." He cleared his throat, obviously a little nervous, "Would it...trouble you if I, ah...shadowed you for a little while? You're the only face that I can actually immediately place. I don't know if our positions are equivalents to one another, but...it's always good to know a little about a lot?" Translation: Holy cow, I'm beyond awkward around here, please let me just stay under your wing for a bit. - Thankfully, Edward decided to show mercy on the awkward man. “That shouldn't be a problem, as long as you don't go shouting in my ear while I'm trying to work or something.” He made a subtle gesture with his head to follow him before heading for his office. The inside of his office was a strange mix of sterile and welcoming. While he had various degrees on his walls with pens and papers arranged just so, he also had photos and childish nick-knacks scattered about. Seemed he wasn't the only influence on his office. - "Oh! Noooo, no, no, no, I usually keep to myself, anyway. Perhaps a little chatter here and there with a couple of colleagues, but otherwise..." Upon entering the office, the sterility offset him juuuust a tad. Sure, Roger was a rather tidy man as well, but this was perhaps a step up from his level of cleanliness. Then he caught sight of the photos and little "decorations". Resisting the urge to breathe a sigh of relief ("Oh thank god, he's human"), Roger couldn't help but crack a small smile, having a couple in his own little office space back home. Must be a "dad" thing- having a couple little "projects" your kids have done just hanging around in your workspace. "Family man, eh?" he asked, breaking the silence. - “They're my world,” he admitted, smiling softly and making his front teeth even more prominent. Turning a frame on his desk to face the other man, the photo revealed a recent photo of his wife and daughter. The two women shared the traits of red hair, green eyes, and freckles. The daughter had short hair while the mother had long hair. Another major difference between them, besides their ages, was the fact the mother was short and of an average build while the daughter was taller with an athletic build. “My wife, Abigail, and our daughter, Audrey. Quite the family resemblance, isn't there?” he smiled widely, proud of his girls. Edward almost seemed to become another person when it came to his family. - Roger had to chuckle a little; to think that this scary looking guy was a big ol' softie. "They're lovely~" he responded, as he started to dig out his wallet. If they were going to do an impromptu show and tell, then he supposed it was his turn. "Let's see..." Finally getting the wallet out, Roger dug around and found a more recent photo of his family. "Aha!" He handed it over to Edward, "This one took a few tries, since everyone wanted to muck about, buuuut..." In it were him, a blonde woman who was a couple inches shorter (and had a looser sense of dressing; nice jeans and a shirt as opposed to Roger's shirt and tie deal), a young man close to his height and in a rugby shirt, and two young girls: one with hair a shade or two darker than her mother's and dressed a little more "girly"(t-shirt and a skort), and one with bright red hair, dressed more casually: sweatshirt and shorts...and a purposefully goofy smile. "My wife Charlotte, my son J.C., and my daughters: Katrina and Sydney." he said, pointing each of them out. - Edward took the photo and adjusted his glasses as he got a good look. “You still have young ones, I see. One of them pretty mischievous, from the looks of it,” he smirked as he handed the picture back. “Thankfully the more mischievous of my family are my nieces and nephews and not my responsibility... They're nothing compared to their mothers though.” - Roger chuckled, both at Edward's comment on his picture and his "not my responsibility" comment. "Yeeeeah, haha. Could be worse...one of Charlotte's siblings has triplets, who've just turned two." - “Three terrible twos? I'm good with numbers, but I don't have an answer to that. Speaking of multiples; my wife's older sisters are identical twins. Quite literally double trouble, given their natures.” - "They don't either, apparently. Just kind of taking it a day at a time. " he laughed, "Twins, eh? Interesting! My wife's older brothers are twins as well. Fraternal, though." - “Huh. Small world,” he mused aloud as he sat down at his desk and began typing away. “Sorry. We can keep talking. I just feel the need to be productive while we do so.” Working was practically a compulsion for the man. - "Guess so." he chuckled. "And that's totally alright." Granted, as he said that, Roger had sort of...run out of things to talk about other than the weather... - The room was silent for a bit, save for the click-clacking of the computer keys. “...Would it be alright with you if I put some music on?” He usually listened to music while he worked. While this was usually done via headphones, he didn't want to appear as though he was ignoring the man, nor did he want to leave him in awkward silence. - Roger gave him a nod. "Go for it." Hey, potential new topic of conversation! "What, ah...what sort of music are you into, out of curiosity?" - Edward proceeded to take out an iPod from one of his drawers and skim through his music. “It's difficult to pinpoint, honestly. I listen to multiple genres and it can vary depending on my mood.” Now, what might the average person like? “...How about some pop rock?” - Roger shrugged, "Fine by me." - Edward nodded and brought up the playlist. Upon pressing play, Michael Jackson's Thriller started through the iPod's speaker. - A smile started to spread across Roger's face. "Heh. Usually anytime I hear this, it's from Sydney blasting it the morning of October 31st. I find it interesting that it was actually released almost an entire month after Halloween, yet that's what a lot of people associate the song with..." - “Not surprising, given the theme of the song and the accompanying music video. I really appreciate the choreography in that video.” - "Right? To be honest, the one that gets me is 'Beat It'; albeit more so for the whole 'two legitimate rival gangs' thing. To think they were able to not completely brutalize each other honestly astounds me." - “Couldn't have been easy,” he remarked as he typed. “Shame music and dancing can't really solve your problems, like in the movies.” - Roger chuckled, "Yeeeah. If it was able to, my wife and I would have been friends starting in childhood, as opposed to establishing a friendship during university. Long story." - “Actually, if it weren't for conflict, I likely wouldn't have wound up with my wife. Also a long story.” - ...Huh. Interesting... "I mean...I'm up for sharing mine; I'm not sure about you. Though, I am curious. If you're comfortable sharing, would you like to elaborate first or shall I?" - Edward took a look at his watch, before scooting away from his desk and facing his chair towards Roger. If they were going into long stories, he could at least give him his full attention. “I have some time. Go ahead,” he gestured slightly with his hand. - Roger gave him a small nod, found an available chair, sat, and took a deep breath. "Fair enough. Right, let's see...both her and I were born in and spent most of our childhood in Liverpool. It's a fairly sizeable city, however, the two of us ended up attending the same primary school. Her by her own volition, and myself since my mother was the headmistress. Her being a 'rebel' and me being a 'toffee-nose' as she called it, Charlotte wasn't exactly keen on me, or a number of other students. Or teachers, for that matter. She was a...er, perhaps a couple of steps above being considered a 'troublemaker'- enough to the point where she ended up being expelled. Now, after that, there were several rumours that had gone around; saying she ended up in prison, fled the country..." He chuckled, thinking back on some of the other rumors that circulated, "In actuality, she went to another school. Save for perhaps...two or three times in between, neither of us saw each other again until university. We ended up being paired together for a project. I was still considered as a bit of 'teacher's pet', whereas she never really left her 'rebellious' phase. The process itself was akin to pulling teeth, but eventually, we found out that the two of us knew each other...albeit, our last memories of one another were not exactly the best, per se. It took a number of months. but eventually, she had opened up quite a bit and ended up apologizing for the grief she'd caused me as a lad. " He smiled slightly, "After that, we just started hanging out together, and lo and behold, sometime later we ended up getting married and raising three children." - Edward listened and nodded politely as the other spoke. “That's a nice story. Not everyone gets an apology from someone who wronged them, let alone marries them.” - Roger shrugged, chuckling. "I guess she really needed was some time to mature. Same for me, as well. Come a bit out of my shell and all." - Edward nodded. “I know the feeling. Abigail makes sure I don't keep to myself too much. As for our story... how much time do you have? I have a tendency to wax poetic with this sort of thing.” - Roger laughed, "I've got all day, mate. Lay it on me." - “Very well.” Smiling, he began his story. “Abigail... I'll never forget the moment I saw her... It was during my junior year of high school. I was on my way to class when, among the cacophony of locker doors slamming, the squeaking of shoes on the hallway floor, and the incessant chatter of students, I heard the most beautiful sound to ever grace my ears. It was a giggle, soft and pure, conveying the warmth and happiness one would expect of an angel. That's what she was, an angel. And, just as one would expect of an ethereal being, I was only able to catch a glimpse of her as she passed by. Hair the color of the rising sun and eyes that sparkled like emeralds, she was, and still is, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I was completely in awe. I had no idea how a girl as beautiful as her could exist, nor how I couldn't have noticed her until that point. While I've never been able to answer the first question, it wasn't long until I was able to answer the latter. I'd never seen her before because she had only just begun attending our school.” He did warn Roger he could wax poetic. The rest of his story was just as eloquently worded; covering how, though he admired her, he didn't pursue her, how he tried to be happy for her when she began dating a bully of his, the rage he felt when the other had taken advantage of her, the fight for her honor that he lost, and the gratitude Abigail had for his attempt. - ....Man, he wasn't kidding. Edward was practically a reincarnation of Shakespeare- armed with a silver tongue and a talent for creating crystal clear imagery. It was almost as if Roger was there himself, observing from the sidelines. "That was....forgive me for being so emotional, but..." Roger wiped some stray tears from his eyes. "That was absolutely beautiful..." - Edward chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head as a blush painted his features. “The story itself or the way I told it?” - "Both. Any of those degrees you hold happen to be an English or Literature one?" - He chuckled once more. “I'm afraid not. My interest in the arts is not something I've pursued outside of hobbies. I was encouraged to pursue a stable career path, in my youth.” - "Aaah. I mean...perhaps having it as a hobby is slightly better than a career? In those fields, I have been told that how much you make- if anything- is all dependent on luck. With your talent, I imagine you would be able to have been noticed fairly easily, but...perhaps it would be more stressful, in a sense. There are deadlines in an office setting, yes, but deadlines in an artistic sense...what if you're in a creative slump but need to produce something the next day and are unable to?" He chuckled nervously, hoping that his 'spitballing' of sorts made at least some sense. "That's all a matter of opinion , I suppose. I-I don't consider myself as one of those types that thinks that being an artist, in any medium, isn't a career..." - “Exactly. I don't think I'd be able to think and create freely whilst simultaneously being restricted by deadlines.” He sighed slightly and smiled. “Besides, I'm quite content with where I am now. I'm not looking for fame. I have a job that provides for my family and I can still engage in my interests as hobbies.” - Roger nodded, smiling as well, "So all in all, it sort of worked out." - “Pretty much.” He checked his watch, brows rising at the time. “I really talked your ear off there. It's almost lunch. Speaking of, I can recommend some good places to eat, if you haven't been here before.” - "Is it?" Roger checked his as well, and eyebrows shooting up as a result. "Ah, so it is. Time flies when you're having fun, I suppose. That would be great, actually! I've been to the States several times, but not Michigan...so I'm not sure what this place does and doesn't have." - "It would be remiss of me to not mention coney dogs while you're here. Other states have tried to make them, but Michigan really is the best place to get one. Though the absolute best place to get one is a little shop only open in the summer, but I know a place that's a close second." - "Aw, drat...but hey, second best is better than nothing I suppose!" Roger paused, "What, ah...what exactly is a coney dog, if you don't mind my asking?" - Edward laughed, or rather, exhaled through his nose. “It's basically a really good hot dog topped with a seasoned meat sauce, onions, and mustard. Not to be confused with a chili dog. While not gourmet food, it's sort of a local specialty that I've yet to see done just right anywhere else.” - Roger nodded as he listened. "Ah! Definitely sounds like something the kids will eat, so if need be, that covers dinner...probably will have one for myself as well- just to say that I've tried it." - “I certainly recommend it. Jackson is serious about its coney dogs, so if you ever want to try one, here's the place... Now I'm craving one, honestly. You want to come with me so I can show you where it is?” - Roger chuckled, "Might as well." - Back at the park, Audrey parted ways with the trio of tourists to take Lola back home. Energetic as she was, a puppy needed her rest. In fact, Audrey had to carry the pooped pooch part of the way home. When lunchtime rolled around, the redhead found herself craving a Coney dog something fierce. She didn't want to come across as though she was following the group, but she figured they would have already eaten and left by the time she got there. Upon reaching the restaurant, Audrey was surprised to see a different familiar face exiting his car. “Hi, Dad!” Audrey called from across the parking lot. What were the odds? “Hi, sweetie!” Edward called back. - Upon arriving, Roger stayed in the car for a brief second to send a quick text to his son. When it sent, he unbuckled his seatbelt and joined Edward, chuckling a bit at the two's interaction. "Ah! Daughter, right?" After Audrey left, it was soon time for J.C. and the kiddos to head on out. As expected, Syd and Kat had worked up an appetite, and started getting into a bit of a "discussion" over what to have. To keep them from going at it the entire time they were walking, the older brother told them that he already had a place in mind. ...Granted, that meant he'd have to deal with the two of them going "Where're we going?", "C'mon, tell us!", and "No, wait, lemme guess, it's THIS place!", but hey- they weren't fighting. Pulling out his phone to check the time, he noticed that he had a text from his dad: If you're in the area, I'm grabbing lunch with a colleague. If the girls can't agree on somewhere, here's the place's address..." The young adult chuckled, texting back You must be a mind reader, we're actually on our way there now. Be there in 7-10 min. - Audrey cocked her head, confused, but smiled. It wasn't often she saw her father outside the office with someone she hadn't seen before, but she saw it as a good thing.

"Indeed I am~"

Edward beamed and placed a hand on her shoulder, always happy to introduce his daughter to someone.

"Hard to believe I helped make this beautiful young woman, isn't it?" Edward laughed.

"Daaaaaaaaddyyyyyyy," Audrey covered her face, but smiled all the same. - Roger chuckled, "Well, it's very nice to meet you. I'm Roger Malone, I'm, ah...sort of your father's shadow today." - Audrey raised a brow, not quite sure what he meant by that. “He works for a foreign branch of my company and has decided to stick close to me during his visit here," Edward explained. "Oohhh," Audrey nodded. "It's funny you should mention that. I actually met three people from England today. Well, two girls from England and one man originally from France..." - Roger raised an eyebrow and had to hold back a small smirk, "Let me guess...one of the girls had bright red hair, the other was blonde, and the man had glasses?" - Audrey blinked. "Yeah. How'd you know- wait..." she started snickering. "You're their dad, aren't you?" - The man chuckled, "Indeed I am." - "What are the odds?" Audrey laughed. "Wait... uh-oh..." Edward looked confused. "Why uh-oh?" "Now they're gonna think I'm following them," she half whined. "I told them about this place, but I thought they would have been here and left by now." "I doubt that will be a problem," her father assured. "Besides, who would be disappointed to see you again?" he smiled and ruffled her hair. "Dad..." she sighed. - Roger smiled slightly. "I sent him a text, he said he'd be here in no more than 10 minutes or so. May be a bit longer since he's got two little munchkins in tow, but we'll see." - "No more, but maybe longer," Audrey snickered. "Ahhh, I'm just kidding." - The father chuckled, "You never know." - Her smile faltered a bit. "Sooo, should I leave orrr...?" - "Nooo, no, no, no, no! You're welcome to stay, I don't see it being an issue at all." He looked to Edward, "Besides, lunch with your children- regardless of age- is always a nice change from grabbing something by yourself." - "I suppose it's like a daddy daughter double day... with a son," she smiled awkwardly. - "In a sense, yes." Roger chuckled, "Should we be heading over to get some food, or would you rather we wait for the other three?" - "It wouldn't be very polite to eat before everyone is seated, let alone before everyone is in the building," Edward remarked. - "Ah, true, true." He put a hand to his forehead and gasped, trying to be dramatic and funny. "A most shameful misstep on my part." - Audrey snorted at this as Edward exhaled through his nose. - Roger chuckled and straightened himself up. Seemed as though goofiness ran in the family... Meanwhile, about 2 minutes away... "J.C., come ON! Where're we going?!" Syd whined. "I told you, it's a surprise~" he said, teasing her a bit. - "-and then Lola just bolted over to them! J.C., specifically. I don't know what her deal was, but she went straight for him. Maybe she smelled the different country on him somehow," Audrey laughed. - Roger laughed, "Quite possibly! I know that there's the belief that animals and children can sense something in people, be that good or bad, so who knows..." "I don't WANT a surprise; I want food!" "Really? Huh, that's a first...fine, I'll tell you. You remember that place that Audrey was talking about earlier?" Upon being asked this, the ten year old started to calm down a bit. "...The one with the hot dogs?" "Well, coney dogs, to be more specific, but yes. And we have a guest joining us...." That seemed to perk the two up a bit. Food AND company... - "Well, she wanted attention from him, so I imagine she sensed good," she shrugged. "She certainly liked all the attention the girls gave her; that's for sure!" - Roger chuckled, "Aaaah, looks like I'm going to be getting the 'Dad, can we get a dog??' question when they get here..." - "Their brother already answered that, I think," she snickered. - "Hopefully, he went with what I told him, and not 'heck yeah, let's go down and get one right now." the father chuckled. "Are we there yet?" Kat asked. J.C. took a quick look at the street signs, then off into the distance, trying to see if the place across the street was indeed the name of the place that Audrey had recommended. "Aaaaah, I think so?" He saw a couple of people standing in the parking lot, one soooort of looking like their dad? He wasn't 100% sure. What he did know was that there was a guy who was huge..."C'mon, let's go check it out." Once they were safely across the street, Syd and Kat's eyes grew huge, recognizing a familiar face. So THAT'S who their surprise guest was! Even before J.C. could recognize who it was, the girls dashed off. Initially thinking that the two were coming to him, Roger, turning his head at the sound of a "YAAAAAAAAAAY!!" from Syd, knelt down and braced for impact. ...Only...they didn't go for him... "Audreeeeey!!" Kat happily cooed, "J.C. was right, this WAS a surprise!" - "Hi, girls!"Audrey laughed, hugging the two. "Didn't think I'd see you guys again so soon!" She smiled apologetically and shrugged at their father. "She has a way with kids," Edward quietly informed Roger. - "Apparently. They blew right past me..." the dad chuckled. Wow, they seemed excited...did they miss Dad that much? Once J.C. got closer, he couldn't help but smile. This was a nice surprise! Upon reaching his father, he put an arm around him. "I'm surprised they didn't knock her over..."

- "She is a strong one," Edward commented. "Turns out your dad and my dad work for the same company," Audrey gestured to the respective fathers. "What are the odds, huh?" - "They do?" Kat asked. Looking to where Audrey gestures, she finally noticed Roger and made a bee-line for him. "Daddy!" While Roger pulled his youngest into a one armed hug (the other arm being around J.C.), Syd, meanwhile, stayed silent and with Audrey, looking at her father...or whoever that gargantuan person was. Was she 100% sure on that? That this guy was really her dad? They didn't look all that alike, save maybe for the teeth. She wasn't scared, per se, more in awe of the size of Edward - Audrey followed Syd's gaze and she soon chuckled. "Tall, isn't he? Don't worry," she leaned closer to whisper, "he's nowhere near as tough as he looks." - Syd merely blinked, as if she was observing something at a museum. "So you said you and Audrey's daddy are here?" Kat asked. "Yup," Roger gestured to Edward, "Kat, this is Mr. Davis. Edward, this is Kat." The little girl looked up, then fell kind of quiet. He was HUGE! She was only 4'3", this guy had to be 11 feet tall at least. Tightening her grip around her dad's hand ever so slightly, she gave Edward a slight nod and a bashful "Hi..." - Edward frowned as he looked between the two girls, believing them to be frightened of him. "It's always this," he sighed, "or begging to sit on my shoulders." - "I'm not scared, really..." Syd spoke slowly, "You're just really tall..." she smiled a bit, trying to convey that she was more amazed than frightened. - "I'm aware," he nodded. "How many retorts do you have to 'How's the weather up there' joke now?" Audrey smirked. "I'm not sure, honestly. Surprisingly, it's been a while since I've been asked that." - "...How IS the weather up there, anyway?" the ten-year-old asked. - "Partly cloudy with a one hundred percent chance of a joke I've already heard." - ...Alright, that was kind of funny...Kat and an equally nervous J.C. (in a more "This is the girl that I think I like's dad?! I know I'd have to watch out regardless, but holy moly..." sense, as opposed to Kat's "I'm but a small bean, pls no.") giggled. - Edward smiled and exhaled through his nose. "We should probably get inside before our lunch break is over." "Ohh, good point," Audrey perked up. "I have the day off, but you don't." - J.C. exhaled through his nose as well, "Guess it's a good thing that you guys were here. These two were close to ripping my arms off from...'hangriness'? I know that's not a word, but you get the idea." - "I suppose the portmanteau of 'hanger' wouldn't really work, lest someone think they wanted to hold clothes," Edward remarked as he held the door open. - J.C. chuckled. The man had jokes...always a good sign. Upon the door opening, Syd practically ran in (giving Edward a 'Thanks!!' as she passed by)- partially to find a seat and partially because FOOOOD. "Sydney, slow down, please." Roger spoke up, "Running isn't going to speed up the amount of time it'll take to get your food." - "Nope. That's up to us," Audrey chuckled as she speed-walked in. "Thanks, Dad!" - J.C. and Roger (and a Kat attached to Roger's leg), followed suit, giving Edward a "Thanks, mate" as they passed by. Even the somewhat nervous eight-year-old managed to squeak out a "Thank you, mister". Syd quietly groaned and threw her hands up- not so much in an aggressive way, more like an exasperated Muppet. "Okaaaaay." - "You're welcome," Edward said just before heading in himself. Rather than several tables, the restaurant had a few very long tables with chairs on either side. "Sooo..." Audrey started, "three on one side, three on the other?" - "Sounds fair." J.C. nodded, "Keeps Kat and Syd from fighting over who gets to sit where." - "Maybe we can go by family? Wait... that's four to two..." Audrey pondered. "Boys and girls?" Edward suggested. - "That works." Roger looked to his youngest, still clinging to him. "You going to be okay? Sitting over with your sister and Audrey?" Kat thought for a second before answering. "If Syd's not gonna be flingin' stuff at me, yeah." Syd scoffed, "Naaaah, too many grown-ups around. You're fiiiiine." - "I could sit in the middle," Audrey offered. "Any fights would have to go through me." - Kat smiled slightly, "That works." - As the group took their seats, Audrey slid off her light jacket to reveal her T-shirt and bare arms underneath. If they were wondering if she had strength to match her flexibility, there was their answer. - J.C.'s eyebrow's popped up as he got a look at Audrey's arms. Knowing that her father was right next to him, he had to resist the urge to whistle. - Audrey eyebrows scrunched together, feeling as though she was being watched. She looked up to see J.C. "...What?" - "Hm?" Ah, crud, he was noticed! Granted, he was looking at a "tame" part of her body, but still! "Ah! Sorry, sorry, I, um...I..." His face going a little pink, J.C. averted his gaze. "I just...caught a glimpse of..." he coughed, "You look...pretty strong." Totally nailed that recovery. - Given her T-shirt didn't really show any cleavage, she believed him. "Oh," she shrugged before flexing her arm. "Yeah. I work out." "She's a pretty one, huh?" Edward smiled at him, but it was threatening and with a piercing gaze; a look that said, 'Don't you dare.' - Feeling incredibly small as he was given the "Dad Glare" (as Syd called it. Roger had a similar one, but Edward's was about twice as intimidating), J.C. slunk a little in his seat, and replied with a "Y-yes, sir." "Betcha she could totally piledrive ya, J.C." Syd noted, as she watched Audrey flex. "..P...piledrive?" "Yeah! Like...SLAM! Right through a table!" Oh, she meant WRESTLING...oh thank god. J.C. chuckled nervously. "Um...p-probably, but...I don't know if she would. N-not that it implies that she's weak or anything! She can...I imagine she holds her own. I, er...I'm...going to shut up now. - Audrey seemed oblivious to her father's 'threat' as she laughed. "Maybe? You can calm down though. I wouldn't try anything like that. I may like to spar here and there, but I only fight fight as a last resort." - J.C. chuckled, trying to have it come of as NOT being nervous. "Haha...good to know." "Aw, we could've tag teamed..." Syd whined slightly. - "Maybe for a play fight. If I gave it my all, I imagine I could be pretty dangerous. I mean, I have won a few karate competitions," she couldn't help but gloat a little. Her strength was something she had utmost confidence in. "I can break boards... cinder blocks... found out I can crush melons with my thighs..." - Cue J.C. sputtering and choking on his own saliva. "...You alright, son?" Roger asked. " [cough] [cough]Yeah! Yeah, I'm [cough] f-fine!" - "Oh jeez! You choked on your own spit, didn't you? Hate when that happens..." "Why did you try crushing melons with your thighs?" Edward asked. Audrey chuckled and absently played with her hair, "Well, I saw a lady do it on YouTube and it made me curious." - " [cough! cough cough] Yeah..." "Sometimes you learn the best stuff off of there." Syd pointed out. - "It's pretty good for how-tos," she agreed. - The little redhead thought for a second."...Soooo if I wanted to learn how to make a glitter bomb..." "Don't get any ideas..." Roger started "I said 'if', not 'I'm going to make one..." - Audrey tittered. "You're such a scamp, Syd." - "The scampiest~" Syd smiled. "So you're saying you're a shrimp dish?" J.C. asked, obviously joking. - Audrey giggled at the joke. "Or a chicken dish, depending on your taste and if you're scared or not." - J.C., Syd and Roger snickered. The only one who wasn't all snicker-y was Kat. She wasn't exactly scared or upset, per se, but more....cautious, mainly because of Edward. - Audrey noticed Kat's lack of laughter. "You okay, Kat?" Edward looked over to the young blonde with a raised brow. He didn't mean to look intimidating in doing so... but he looked intimidating in doing so. - Temporarily snapping out of her little funk, the little girl looked to Audrey. "Huh? Yeah! Yeah, I'm...I'm fine." "You're not sick, are you?" Syd asked, "'Cos I don't want to get whatever it is you've got." The little sister shook her head "no". - Audrey frowned, able to tell she was lying. "If you're worried about not liking the coney dog, you could always just scrape the coney meat off it and just eat the hot dog." - "I think I'll be okay." Ah, good, a slight change in focus. Perhaps she could keep it going and ask her "standard" question when it came to trying new foods: "It doesn't have any green stuff on it, does it? In the meat stuff?" - "Naahhh. You're good. Not a vegetable in sight... Except for onion, but you can get it without." - Kat smiled slightly, "That's doable." - "Good~ Oh, looks like it's time to order," Audrey chirped as she looked over at their server. - "Oo!" Syd chirped, looking over the menu. "In that case, I'll haaaaaaave..." Roger, J.C., and Kat followed in terms of ordering; nothing spectacular- a coney dog and a drink. - Audrey and Edward did the same; though they both ordered two coneys. Edward was a big guy and Audrey needed the fuel for her active lifestyle. - "They do dessert here, right?" Syd asked, smiling expectantly. - "They do, actually," Audrey smiled. "It's sort of a custom to get rice pudding as dessert when having coney dogs." - Aaaaaand there went that smile. Here she was thinking they had ice cream. The idea of rice pudding was not sitting well with her, indicated by a slight "Ick!". "Ah, c'mon, kiddo. You're trying something new for food, you won't do the same for dessert?" J.C. asked. He thought for a second; maybe a little of the "monkey see, monkey do" logic he would use when she was younger would work... "...I'm probably going to have some afterwards, would you be against trying a bite or two? "...I mean, I guess I could have a bite. If you really can't finish your dessert without someone else having a bite of it." Syd answered, trying to play it cool. J.C. smirked slightly. - "You've never had rice pudding?" she cocked her head. "It's really good! Like, I know rice might have a weird texture to some, but this rice pudding is nice and creamy and sweet with cinnamon." "Besides," Edward started, "how will you ever find a new favorite food if you don't try new food?" - Syd raised an eyebrow. "Cinnamon? Ooo, now I'm warming up to the idea~ That's one of my favourite flavours...other than bubble gum, cherry, lemon, and cotton candy." Kat's "stiffness", as it were, started to loosen up after she heard Edward. That sounded like something that her dad said a lot... - "Good~" Audrey and Edward spoke simultaneously. "I almost feel bad getting rice pudding without Mom," Audrey chuckled. "Speaking of, have you talked to her today?" "You should know the answer to that," Edward chuckled. "I called her this morning, just as I always do when we're not in the same house." "I'll catch you forgetting one of these days," she joked. - J.C. chuckled quietly, thinking the whole scenario was pretty cute. - "My mom is hanging out with her sisters today. That's why she's not here," Audrey informed. - "Speaking of, did yooooou call Mum today???" Syd asked, interrogating her father. Roger chuckled, "I had sent her a text earlier; making sure she got to where she was going alright." "You've gotta call her, though!" the ten year old lightly scolded, "It's more important to talk and hear each other's voices!" "I haven't had a chance to, sweetheart. I'll do it when I get back to the office, alright?" Syd gave her father a suspicious look, but backed down with an "...Okaaaaaay....if you say so..." - Edward couldn't help but snicker at this. "This isn't the competition of the dads, Syd," Audrey chuckled. - Ah, and he laughed too! Kat smiled a bit at his reaction. "Mmm, you're right, that's on Father's Day..." the child mused. - Audrey snorted at this. "No-ho it's not!" - "So then why do they have all those 'World's Greatest Dad' mugs?! You don't just get that title wily-nily!" - Audrey shook as she tried not to laugh.

"I don't know," she squeaked. - "They have the 'Dad Games' in Scotland, right?" J.C. asked, snickering and going along with Syd's misconception. "They sometimes coincide with Highland Games, so they combine the two?"

"Sometimes, I guess." Syd confirmed, "But they replace something like caber tossing with ball tossing, if I remember correctly..."

Roger couldn't help but snicker as well. - Audrey was a bit lost. She was certain he was joking, but she was unsure as to what was a joke and what wasn't. If they had wife carrying in Finland, Dad Games in Scotland wasn't that far fetched.

May as well play along so they don't think she's stupid.

"Do they have wife carrying like they do in Finland?" - "...They have that in Finland?" the child asked. - "If I remember right. I saw it on a show about strange competitions from around the world."

Yes, she purposely left out the show was called World's Dumbest. - "Oooooooh...."

"Soooo, do they?" J.C. asked Syd, seeing how long she could keep this up. "Have wife carrying competitions at the Dad Games?"

"I'm...not too sure. I think that's one of the new events being added this year. That, and...you know the relay race where you have to carry an egg with a spoon? There's s'posed to be something similar, except it's with a baby and you've got to carry them to their crib as quickly as you can without waking them up." - Audrey had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing.

Edward was pretty good at keeping a straight face, so he decided to weigh in while Audrey couldn't.

"I certainly hope they don't carry them using spoons. Dropping a baby is a lot worse than dropping an egg." - "Oh, no, no- they carry them like you normally carry a baby."

J.C. snickered, "You sure they don't just use really big spoons?"

"No, 'cos that's just dumb…" - "Pffckp!" Audrey clamped her hand over her mouth again. - Syd was confused; why was all of this so funny? They'd asked their question, and they were getting an answer. Adults were weird… - Audrey managed to stifle her laughter once more and her father remained straight faced, as usual.

"I'm guessing you four flew here," Edward piped up to break the silence. - " 'Course we did." Syd answered, "It's not like we can just jog across the ocean." - "Your arms must be really tired then," he smirked.

Audrey slapped a hand to her face.

-

J.C. mimicked Audrey, while Syd groaned. Total dad joke- she should've seen that coming!

Kat, on the other hand, giggled a little. Perhaps that apprehension of hers was starting to diminish.

-

Edward laughed at their reactions.

"Did you tell these dad jokes before I was born?" Audrey asked.

"No. They come in the handbook you get when you become a dad."

-

"I believe 'Dad Jokes' is Chapter 5." Roger added.

"...There's not a handbook, c'mooon..." Syd scoffed.

-

"Do you think we just learn as we go? That'd be ridiculous."

-

"Do mums get one, too?" Kat asked.

-

"Theirs is less of a handbook and more of a full encyclopedia."

-

"How come it's bigger than just a handbook?" the little girl asked. Now she was curious...

-

"Because their book has all the hard stuff in it. The dad book mostly has jokes and funny faces to practice."

-

Syd looked to J.C., "He's not serious, is he?"

"Oh, he is." the older brother confirmed, smirking. "When Mum was pregnant with you, they consulted their manuals. They did the same with Kat- you were too young to remember them doing it, though."

The ten-year-old raised an eyebrow, not buying it. "So what about with you, then? Did they consult this 'manual' too? "

"There's a section in the mum encyclopedia all about adoption- Chapters 15 and 16, if I remember correctly."

-

"...Adoption?" Edward blinked, surprised.

-

J.C. looked over to Edward, chuckling a bit sheepishly. "Yes, I, um...I was adopted by your, ah...work mate here," he gestured to Roger,  "at around 2 years old. Long story. ...Well, not really a long story, but..."

-

"Ah. Well, I won't pry. Didn't intend to put you on the spot there. Sorry."

-

J.C. gave him a small smile, "It's no big deal. You ever want to know, I'm open for questions."

-

"I'm not really sure if I'll ever see you again, so I may as well ask," he shrugged.

"Weeelllllll," Audrey started.

-

J.C.'s eyes darted over to Audrey, before looking back to Edward. "Ummm...."

-

Edward raised a brow, awaiting an explanation.

"I went ahead and got J.C.'s e-mail address so I could send him pictures of Lola and Daisy to show to Syd and Kat," Audrey said with a smile. "Don't know if we'll talk much outside of that, but I figured that counted as keeping contact," she shrugged. - "P-pretty much, yeah." J.C. confirmed, "What with being abroad and all. Can't really come rushing over every time the sibs want to see Lola, y'know?"

-

"Oh. Makes sense," Edward nodded, not too on edge yet. Seemed innocent enough.

-

"I mean, teeeeechnically we could..." Syd suggested.

Roger laughed, "Oh really? How do you plan on raising money to do so, eh?"

Syd stayed silent for a moment before giving an answer. "...I'll figure something out."

-

Audrey snickered.

"I couldn't afford that and I have a job." - "...Theeeeen I'll find a way that makes a lot of money."

-

"Will you let me in on it?" Audrey asked.

-

Syd steepled her fingers and leaned back slightly. "Perhaps. Once I find it, of course."

-

"... Please do so legally."

-

Syd made a facial expression, silently conveying something along the lines of "Dang it...".

"Eh, I can start with a lemonade stand, I guess..."

-

"I think you need a permit for that now, or something, unfortunately," Audrey frowned. "So dumb."

-

"A piece of paper that says 'I can do whatever I want' and has your signature on it doesn't count, either." J.C. added.

"Dang it!"

-

Edward inhaled, about to speak, but Audrey cut him off.

"If you go into an in-depth explanation as to why, I can't guarantee we'll all stay awake."

-

J.C. had to hold back a snicker.

-

"...Sometimes I wonder if we're related. Then I look at your mother," he proceeded to look left and right. "But she's not here right now, so I don't know."

Audrey snickered.

-

"That's what we say about Syd sometimes," Kat piped up, "And we look to Mum, too. Similar personalities."

Syd scoffed, "I'm waaaaay more tame than Mum was when she was my age. Or so I've been told."

-

"Audrey's pretty much a dead ringer for her mother at that age... but with more muscle."

"And less hair," Audrey added. - Roger chuckled, "Charlotte had pigtails at...well, at least at Kat's age.  I think she had them when she was as old as Syd, as well."

"Only real differences are that she's blonde, and that I've never accidently set a building on fire." Syd added. She paused, thinking how off that statement sounded. "It's....not as bad as it sounds. She tells the story better than I do."

-

Edward's eyebrows shot up at this, as did Audrey's.

Before they could question farther, however, their food arrive.

"Oo, yay~ You guys get to have your first Coney!" Audrey exclaimed.

-

Syd and Kat stared at the size of the food, trying to figure out how exactly they were going to get it in their mouths. That was one big hot dog...

"So do we just like....go for it?" The redhead asked, "Aim for the mouth and hope for the best?"

-

Audrey snorted. "Basically."

She and Edward both picked up their own coneys and took a bite. How did they do it? Very carefully.

-

J.C and Roger followed suit while the sisters observed and tried to mimic what they were doing. Kat ended up getting mostly meat sauce on her first go, but it still managed to garner a smile from the girl.

Syd's expression was a little more telling. It was a bit more extreme, as if she had just tasted the best thing in the world. She said nothing, as meat sauce started to drip down her face.

-

Audrey snickered at Syd and took another bite. "Good, right?"

-

The child slowly nodded.

"Don't go all 'wild animal' on us now." J.C. spoke up, wiping a bit of sauce from his own face. "If there wasn't as much in the way of sauce and whatnot on there, I'd say go for it, but I don't think everyone else around us would appreciate getting covered in food.

Syd merely responded with a dazed "Uh-huuuuuh" and went back to chowing down.

-

Audrey giggled. "Agreed. Though there are worse things to be covered in than coney dog."

-

"Like ink from a pen that exploded on you, I suppose." Roger piped up.

"Or mud." Kat added.

"Aw, c'mon, being covered in mud's kinda fun!" Syd, briefly snapping out of her coney daze, spoke up. "Besides, people use it for, like,  beautifying themselves sometimes. Like on spa days, not just after a rainstorm."

"They do noooot..." the small blonde scoffed.

-

"Well, yes and no," Audrey clarified. "Mud masks are a thing, but it's not just plain old mud from the ground.  It's like, a special kind of mud mixed with special oils and stuff."

-

"What about mud baths, then?" Syd asked.

-

"I think it's the same basic idea."

-

"Mmm. So there goes another money-making idea, then." The redhead took a bite of her dog, "I was gonna dig a hole, fill it with mud, and use that as a space for people to take a mud bath in. Find some oils and put those in as well..."

-

"If only it was that simple..."

-

"I don't think you should be worrying too much about money." J.C. noted, "Childhood's meant more for worrying about...heck, I don't know, finding out what happens in the next episode of your favorite cartoon. Or whatever sort of drama will unfold between your dolls the next time you play pretend with them."

Syd scoffed, "But you need money to buy and do things, ya dingbat."

"Thaaaat's...where saving up your allowance comes in." he shrugged.

"Or having someone pay for something for you." the younger sister gave him a cheeky smile, "And give them an IOU, of course."

-

Audrey snickered.

"Yeah. That's what childhood should be, even if it isn't always like that. People always act as though childhood has no downsides. It can be stressful, I know. But it certainly has its perks."

-

"I mean, adulthood kinda has its perks too...you get to drive, stay up late, and even do biscuits for breakfast if you're so inclined." Syd mused, "Buuuuuuuuut you do have a point... I think."

-

"Adults have to pay taxes," Edward replied dryly, causing Audrey to snicker.

-

"...So do kids." the redhead responded, "You've never heard of the 'sibling tax'? Or the 'Halloween candy' tax?"

-

Audrey looked confused. "...I'm an only child and so is my dad, so, no."

-

"The 'Halloween candy' one isn't even really a tax," J.C. spoke up, "she gives up the candy that she doesn't like and gives it to me , Dad, and Mum"

"But I was still the one who went out and got it, so it's still kind of a tax." Syd argued.

"The sibling one is when your brother or sister gets you a snack or somethin' when they go out to a convenience store, and they take a small bit." Kat added. "Like a few Smarties out of a pack, or a sip of a slushie."

-

"Ohhhh," Audrey nodded. "That makes sense."

-

"Plus side is is that it rarely rises." the little blonde continued, "For example, Syd usually takes five of my Smarties; no more, no less. Even though there's a lot that comes in a tube."

"Well, that's 'cos they're /yours/ so obviously, you get the most." Syd shrugged, "Basic economics."

-

"She has a point," she shrugged.

-

Syd smirked. See? Audrey got it.

"Since when has this been a thing?" Roger asked, "I don't remember ever doing that with my siblings."

"It's fairly recent." Kat answered, " 'Sides, I guess it's kind of a good thing, what with you bein' the youngest out of yours an' all. Your siblings and mine are different in terms of personality."

"Oh jeez, can you imagine Mum?" Syd chuckled, "She'd have 5 other people that could tax 'er!"

-

"I thought they could only tax you if they helped get you something? Otherwise, I think it's just called sharing."

-

"Either way." Syd shrugged, "Bein' an only child has its perks, I imagine."

Kat looked over to her sister, appearing offended and assuming that that's what Syd preferred.  The redhead looked to her sister and gave her a playful nudge, one that nonverbally said something like "Hey, you're alright; I tolerate ya".

"It does get kinda lonely, though." J.C. piped up, "I was one for thirteen years."

-

"I've always been an only child. I did have my cousins to keep me company though. Them and the kids we'd babysit," Audrey remarked.

"I was more focused on my studies than socializing," Edward admitted.

-

"I tried to be," Roger admitted, "But that can be a bit difficult when you're needed either as goalie for your older brother's football game or brought to tea with Mumsy and other school officials."

Syd had to hold back a laugh. Ha! "Mumsy". Who called their mother that, nowadays!? That sounded so old-fashioned.

-

"You shouldn't be envious," Edward commented a bit quietly.

-

Roger raised an eyebrow, "I mean, I'm not exactly complaining. Could've settled for not having a football to the face and a black eye or some other bruise with most games, but..."

-

The only response he got was a light grunt. "Mm."

"Sooo," Audrey started, hoping to change the subject, "you want to order some rice pudding?"

-

Ooof, sounds like he was hitting a rough subject. Best not to push it. Thank goodness for Audrey and the rice pudding suggestion. "Uuuum, sure! Yes, let's, ah...let's try some of that!"

-

Audrey smiled and nodded, motioning for their server.

-

Syd looked to Edward, "Iiiif it's any consolation, she's a real 'witch with a capital B' now. I really don't like 'er." Not sure if that helped, but...

Kat, noticing the change in the other father's attitude, became quiet again.

-

Edward looked thoroughly confused. "Who?"

-

"Dad's mum. 'Mumsy', as 'e calls her." Syd clarified. "She's usually nice to him, but she's mean to a lot of other people."

-

"Oh. Not sure why that would be consolation, but, alright," he shrugged.

-

Syd shrugged as well.

Kat, meanwhile, continued cautiously watching.

-

After a moment of silence, Edward felt eyes on him and looked over to Kat.

Was she scared of him still?

Can't have that.

He briefly stuck his tongue out and pulled it back in, looking not unlike a snake.

-

Wait a sec.

Kind of scary guy?

Making silly faces?

That was pretty ridiculous. Silly, even.

The little blonde smiled slightly, giggling a bit at the display.

-

"Hm?" Audrey looked over to Kat, then to her father, who looked as serious as ever.

-

"What's so funny, shorty?" Syd asked.

"Noooothin'." the younger sibling responded, trying to control her giggles.

-

Edward suppressed a smirk. Once the attention was off him again, he crossed his eyes.

-

Cue a slightly bigger smile and more giggles.

-

That's better~, Edward thought to himself, believing that to be enough to calm her down.

The server soon came with their rice pudding.

Knowing the kids were a little unsure of the new dessert, Audrey took the first bite, making sure to look quite pleased with the flavor.

-

Like a group of little scientists, Syd and Kat watched closely to make sure that nothing adverse happened. Looked as if Audrey liked it...soooo if she wasn't immediately spitting it back out, then it had to be good, right?

Only one way to find out...

After a bit of deliberation between the two, Syd was the first to try the new dessert. Her expression had a couple of flashes of confusion (because of the texture), but was still overwhelmingly positive, indicated by the "Mmm!" she emitted.

-

Audrey did her best not to laugh at their cautiousness. She smiled as she continued eating. "Told ya."

-

Kat looked to Syd for confirmation.

"Ish guuuuuuuuh, Kad" she responded, mouth full of pudding.

Slowly, Kat took a small bit of pudding and placed it in her mouth. Her reactions were a bit similar to her sister's but they seemed to be pretty positive as well.

-

Audrey giggled. "So, what do you two think?" she asked J.C. and Roger.

-

Roger nodded, "It's different, but I must say, it does have a delightful taste."

J.C., meanwhile, was about halfway done with his. Must've been that good.

-

Audrey snorted when she looked over at J.C. before covering her mouth and nose.

-

J.C. looked up, a bit of pudding on his nose, wondering what Audrey was laughing at.

Roger couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Uuuum, son? You've got a bit of..."

J.C. looked down at the little blob on his nose, chuckled awkwardly, and used a napkin to get it off.

-

"You sure you want to be so blunt about it? I mean, you were a little... on the nose," she snickered, as did her father.

-

"I guess you could say that all that stuff on your face made you look a little...off-pudding." Roger added. Cue an "Oh god, dad jokes" sort of groan from Kat and Syd.

-

"How dair-y say that?" Edward jumped in.

-

J.C. couldn't help but laugh; he always appreciated a good dad joke.

-

Audrey tittered as she took another bite. "I'm out. Anyone have any puns left?"

-

"Aw, already? I thought those were some pretty rice puns we had going." Kat piped up.

-

Audrey snickered. "You sure like to go with the grain, don't you?"

-

"I'm surrounded by nerds..." Syd said, shaking her head.

"That's pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?" J.C. asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

"...You've still got a bit of pudding on your face, y'know." she said, smirking back. "Might want to get another napkin and dab it off."

-

"Dab it off?" Audrey proceeded to do the 'dab' movement with one arm out and her face in the crook of her other arm.

"I don't see how this will help."

-

At that moment, Syd and Kat immediately lost it, collapsing into a fit of laughter (and some pudding dribbling down their chins). J.C. snickered at their reaction.

Roger, however...was confused.

-

Edward felt the same.

Audrey chuckled, looking at J.C. "Should we tell them?"

-

"One of these days, maybe." J.C. snickered.

-

"If only we were still kids. We could use this as leverage."

-

"Truuuuue."

-

"Oh well. Maybe Syd and Kat can."

-

"...Once they stop laughing, of course."

"Why are they laughing, anyway?" Roger asked.

"Sorry, Dad, it's top secret. Those of a certain age are only privy to it." Syd answered, still trying to calm down.

-

"Ya hear that, Dad? No old people allowed."

"I have baby pictures in my wallet," Edward retorted.

"I'll shut up now."

-

"Oooohoo, the baby picture threat. Things are getting serious." J.C. snickered.

"I have yours, too, you know." Roger added, looking to his son and raising an eyebrow.

J.C. slunk down slightly.

-

"And I used to think you were cool," Audrey jokingly told her dad.

-

"He's kinda funny, I'll give him that..." Kat said, giggling.

-

"Only kinda?" he grinned, his large front teeth quite visible.

-

Kat laughed, "Okay, maybe more than kinda...."

-

"You should see him do the bunny face," Audrey smirked.

"I still have your baby pictures," he narrowed his eyes.

-

Kat gasped. "Bunnies?? I like bunnies!"

-

Edward glared at Audrey, knowing he had to do it now.

He let out a sigh before looking around to see who all could see him do this.

Upon deeming the coast clear, he wiggled his nose, then chattered his teeth.

-

Kat giggled, clapped her hands, and bounced up and down happily.

-

Audrey snickered and her father smiled slightly, still embarrassed, but pleased with the blonde's reaction.

-

"How come YOU can't do a bunny face?" Kat asked her father.

"I can do those really funny voices when you want a bedtime story," Roger offered, feigning hurt "Does that not count for anything?"

"It does, it does!" Kat reassured.

-

"Because not everyone can be graced with my freakish rabbit teeth," Edward commented.

"Dad," Audrey started sternly, "don't make me call mom to ramble about how cute your teeth are."

[selfignitingimagines]

Lydia- I Think I Do

Request-  Lydia + number 2 of the holiday prompts would be great ^^

2. “I know I was supposed to plan the entire Christmas party, but this is A LOT harder than it looks, okay?” In which decorations are destroyed, plans go awry, and someone has to swallow their pride and ask their crush for help.

A/N- I LOVE Lydia Martin, okay? I totally changed the holiday in the prompt but oh well. Thank you for the request!! Happy early New Year guys!!

“What do you think about a dutch braid?” Lydia asked, leaning forward as she held out a thick section of your hair.

You shrugged. “Whatever you want to do.”

“This is supposed to be your makeover,” she reminded you.

You tilted your head, smiling at her in the mirror. “I think we both know it’s always been your makeover.”

Lydia’s lips curled up. “Fine, so I’m a control freak when it comes to makeup.”

“Don’t forget hair and clothes too,” you added, winking at her.

Lydia blushed, and looked back down to examine your head. “I think I’m going to try a milkmaid braid on you. And then we can curl these strands right here…”

“How did I know we would be doing this when you invited me over?”

“Because you’re the perfect model,” she said swiftly. “And you’re perfectly willing. Unlike Malia, who almost took off my fingers when I tried to paint her nails.”

You laughed softly. “Sounds like Malia.”

“And, because I already talk too much about myself,” she continued. “This way, I’m too busy to gossip, and you get to catch me up on what’s been going on with you.”

“I haven’t been that busy…”

“Y/n, everytime I texted you at school, you were always studying. We haven’t really talked in months.”

“Well, I’m just glad the semester is over,” you admitted. “I didn’t do much but study and sleep when I was at school. And when I came back, I missed almost all the action.”

Lydia scoffed. “You skipped your finals to come save us from hunters, Y/n. You were the action.”

A warm feeling spread through you, a direct result of Lydia’s admiration. “Well, calculus could never be as important as my best friend. And you’re a lot more fun.”

“Speaking of fun,” she mused. “What are you doing for New Year’s?”

“Are you throwing another party to end all parties?” you wondered, teasing her just a little.

As her best friend, you had been to a fair amount of Lydia Martin’s infamous parties, and year after year, they never failed to impress. Things changed after Allison died, and it became only you and the rest of the pack, but Lydia still went all out.

“Honestly,” she told you. “This year was hell. I’m not sure I want to celebrate it.”

Your mouth fell open. “You want a quiet night in? Lydia Martin does not do quiet nights in.”

She sighed, smiling sadly. “Maybe at one point in time. I’m just not the same girl I was in high school, Y/n. None of us are the same.”

“Maybe,” you admitted. “But you’re still my best friend, and to be honest, I think we should celebrate the fact that we’re all still alive.”

“I’m just not in the mood to plan it,” she admitted. “If I’m doing it, it has to be done right. I just don’t have the energy.”

“Lydia,” you said softly. “We’re all going separate ways. And since everyone comes back for the holidays, New Year’s is the one time when the stars align and put everyone back in the same place. You really wanna pass that up?”

She frowned. “I don’t know.”

“What if I plan it?” you asked her.

She glanced at you with skeptical green eyes. “You’ve never planned a party before.”

“And?” you demanded. “Everyone has to start somewhere. We can still have it here, but I’ll do all the prep work. You can sit back, put your pretty feet up, and let me throw the party.”

She pursed her red lips. “You’re sure you want to do this? It’s a lot harder than it looks.”

You rolled your eyes. “Are you forgetting that I’ve seen you at your worst?”

Her lips curled upward, and she placed a warm hand on you shoulder. “You have...I guess it’s up to you then.”

You smiled brightly at her, ready to prove yourself. It wasn’t that you particularly cared about partying. You would have been just as excited about a movie night with the pack, but you secretly wanted to impress Lydia.

For years, you had watched her light up rooms full of people with her charisma and careful planning. You wanted that too, even if it was for one night. Maybe if she saw that, she’d finally want you as more than a friend.

As her fingers wove through your hair, you pushed away your longing and plastered a smile on your face. You were going to throw an amazing party if it was the last thing you did.

-----

It was a disaster.

The decorations you ordered ended up being for Halloween, due to some mix up at the shipping facility in Oregon. Little plastic champagne flutes were decorated with spiders and skeletons, despite your order for stars and glitter. Instead of silver and black banners, you now had purple and green ones, plastered with a shaky font reading “TIME TO GET SPOOKY.”

Your cookies had burned in the oven, the cake hadn’t arrived from the baker, and Malia had knocked over the enormous platter of cheese and crackers, intending to steal a snack.

“This is awful,” you groaned, as Malia munched on a cracker from the floor.

She was sitting at your kitchen table, staring at you with raised eyebrows. “I mean, the food is still good.”

“I literally charred these,” you reminded her, snatching a blackened chocolate chip cookie and waving it in her face.

She reached for it, took a crunchy bite, and looked thoughtful. “They’re not that bad.”

You sighed and ripped it from her hand, tossing it in the trash without a second glance.

“And why are you eating those?” you demanded. “They fell on the floor!”

“They still taste the same. Maybe a little bit dusty, but mostly the same.”

You opened your mouth to reply, but ended up closing it. It was better to just drop the subject.

“You know, you could always call L-”

“I am not calling Lydia!” you snapped, sinking down into the chair across from her and putting your face in your hands. “I told her I would take care of everything. I promised I would do it.”

“Look, I get you don’t want to look stupid in front of her, but I think you’re past that…”

You glared at her, but then your lip started to tremble, and you broke down into tears. “You’re right.”

Malia grimaced. Emotions were never something she had been good at dealing with, not even her own.

She reached forward to pat your back stiffly. “Um, hey. It’s not that bad. I mean, the worst she could do is be disappointed in you.”

You began to cry harder, and Malia groaned, reaching for your phone. “Y/n, just call her. She’ll probably be happy to help. You know how easily she gets bored.”

“I don’t want her to hate me.”

“I could never hate you.”

You glanced up, jumping slightly as you realized Lydia was standing in the doorway of your kitchen. Mortified, you asked “What are you doing here?”

She sighed. “I figured you might need a little help. And Malia, is right, I was bored out of my mind.”

She came over to wrap an arm around your shoulders. “Oh, Y/n, why didn’t you just call?”

“I wanted it to be perfect,” you explained, wiping tears away from your cheeks. “I wanted to do something special for you.”

“For me?” she asked.

“Well, for everyone,” you said quickly. “But especially for you. You always go all out, Lydia.”

She smiled. “Yes, and it’s exhausting...but the fact that you wanted to do this for me is amazing. And you almost pulled it off too.”

You buried your face in your hands, and she pulled you into a hug. “You were pretty damn close...which is why this party can absolutely be saved.”

You picked your head up and looked at her with puffy eyes. “It can?”

She nodded and winked at Malia, who didn’t seem to notice as she gnawed on another burned cookie. “It’s nothing a trip to the dollar store can’t fix.”

-----

“Wow, Lydia,” Scott remarked, as he stepped into her foyer. “This place looks great.”

“Actually,” Lydia informed him, looping an arm through yours as you stood in the entryway. “Y/n planned the whole thing. I was only here for assistance.”

Scott gave an impressed nod and smiled at you.

Kira smiled as she trailed behind him, glancing up at the cheap foil banners and balloons you and Lydia had dipped in glitter glue. As it turned out, no one could really tell the difference between expensive decorations and these.

“I love it,” she told you. “It reminds me of you. Very bright.”

You flushed, and Lydia squeezed your arm excitedly.  

Stiles showed up next, rolling his eyes as he led a chattering Liam and Mason into Lydia’s

house. He had been tasked with chauffeuring them to the party.

“Holy shit,” he said, as he walked inside. “You did better than I thought you would, Y/n.”

Lydia shot him a glare, and he swallowed. “It looks very nice.”

“Looks like that’s everyone,” you remarked as you followed them to the kitchen.

The cake was sitting on the kitchen table, decorated in silver and gold icing. It turned out that the bakery had just been running late, and on your way back from the door, you, Lydia and Malia had stopped by to pick it up.

Malia had stuck her face up against the glass, eyeing all the pastries and sweets, and she ended up choosing the cookies that would replace the ones you had burned. Even though, as Malia stated, “They tasted fine.”.

Throughout the night, you laughed and drank and enjoyed the time you had together. When Liam flicked on the TV to see the ball drop, you all screamed with joy as the new year rang in.

After the excitement had died down, everyone was either asleep (Malia), drunk (Mason and Stiles), or talking quietly.

You and Lydia had made your way to the top of her stairs, and were sitting quietly with near-empty glasses of champagne in your hands.

“Did you really want to do this for me?” Lydia asked softly.

You turned to her and smiled. “Yeah. You’ve come such a long way. I kinda wanted to celebrate that.”

She smiled, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks. “So have you. You’re the bravest person I know.”

“And you’re the strongest,” you said softly.

She gently shook her head, causing her red curls to shake. “I’m not strong. I’ve spent this entire year scared out of my mind, wondering if all of us are going to stay alive or not. I was terrified something would happen when you were at school.”

You laughed softly. “Lydia, I just went away to college. I was probably safer not being in Beacon Hills.”

“I know,” she whispered. “It’s just...there were things I wanted to tell you. I was afraid I wouldn’t get to say them.”

“Then tell me,” you said with a shrug. “We’re together now, aren’t we?”

She nodded. “Y/n, you’re my best friend. You’ve always been my best friend. Out of everyone else, I was most terrified of losing you and at first I thought that was why. But that wasn’t it.”

You felt your breath catch in your throat, and you set your glass down out of fear that Lydia could see your hands shaking.

“There’s more,” she continued. “When you did this tonight, I finally realized that you might feel the same way. That you might be in love with me too. And I really hope it’s true.”

She was staring at you with those wide green eyes, so full and hopeful. You wanted to say so many things, but you couldn’t put into words the years worth of feelings you had for her.

Instead, you leaned forward, cupping her warm cheeks and kissing her. She leaned into you, eagerly kissing you back.

With her lips on yours, you remembered all the small little moments that had told you that you loved her. They flashed through your head like a film reel, and it was like you were watching your life from the outside.

You could remember spending hours in her pool during the summer, spitting water at each other and splashing. You could see the two of you watching the notebook, hugging each other and crying. Getting ready for the first day of school together. Sitting with her after Peter attacked her. Clinging to each other for support at Allison’s funeral. Doing each other’s makeup for dances, prom, and tearfully before graduation. Saying a goodbye when you left for college, knowing it could never truly be goodbye, not with Lydia.

She kissed you back fiercely, as if she knew exactly what you were thinking and was feeling it too. When she pulled away, she reached up to run her thumb across your lip.

“You ruined your lipstick,” she remarked breathlessly.

“You can fix it,” your murmured to her, reaching forward to pull her into a hug. “Lydia, I love you.”

“I love you too,” she whispered. “So much, Y/n. You have no idea.”

You pulled away to smile at her, looking into her deep green eyes.

“I think I do.”

[aviationfiction]

XXXIV

Dante St. James

“Holy shit. It looks amazing in here.”

Stacey’s eyes widened in awe as she slowly walked through the foyer from the door and eventually stopped at the living room. Though the smirk on Mike’s face was one of teasing and slight sarcasm, even he looked on in amazement at the holiday spectacular that my fiancée has morphed my apartment into. She began the process the day after Thanksgiving and spent countless hours between then and the first of December putting every single aspect of it together with whatever minimal help that she needed from me. My only purpose as her handyman was to use my height to her advantage when she didn’t feel like climbing the ladder to reach something. The Balsam Hill website transformed her into a kid in a candy store and she clicked away at whatever was needed to make her fantasy of turning this place into her own version of the perfect holiday imagery and despite my protests, it was all done out of her pocket. The beginning of her efforts started with a fifteen foot pre-lit Aspen Fir tree that perfectly mirrors a living tree without the nature like whiff. I hadn’t noticed how high my ceilings were until that colossal tree was carried in here by eight different delivery men. They’d even given her a free ladder for what would be an exhausting experience in my opinion. Her adrenaline pumper to get it done? Anything Motown Christmas. Rather than the traditional red and green, her vision was silver and gold as Burl Ives sings it. Everything from the ornaments, tree picks, ribbon, and garlands followed that color palette and gave the tree some much needed life. Underneath the tree, she opted for a crimson velvet tree skirt. Over on the entertainment center was illuminated garland and a family of six polar bears. Hanging from their feet were six crimson velvet Christmas stockings with Autumn, Dante, Michael, Fredrick, Stacey, and Kaylee written on their upper flap. I think I fell even more in love with her after seeing that. On the apartment door is a wreath similar to the garland. My place hasn’t experienced the holiday season to this capacity…ever and despite my playful resistance early on, it’s nice to see.

“Yo, you really are married now. I bitched about your house looking worse than the Grinch’s crib for years and yet you still put that bitch ass Charlie Brown Christmas tree on the table. You get a girl, put a ring on her finger, and now it’s looking like Santa’s Workshop threw up in here. What the fuck?” Of course he would start with his complaints about my decorating. I’ve never felt compelled to decorate because I live alone. What is the point of throwing up decorations all over the place for only myself to glance at? Christmas is a family holiday. The mild depression that I’ve always experienced around this time of year would have worsened and I would have likely been finding toxic ways to numb the emotions. So that little tree, that Autumn amusingly threw away, was my acknowledgement of the holiday without going overboard.

“Well, you know what the power of the P will do.” Stacey’s vulgar statement earned a quick side eye from me as Mike erupted into more chuckling than necessary.

“Anyway, what’s bring y'all by?”

“Where’s the wife to be?” She hadn’t even given me the proper greeting and here she is already asking for Autumn.

“She’s not here. Why?”

“I’ve come with venue options for the engagement party.” Engagement party? Neither Autumn or myself have discussed anything wedding related with anyone in particular and after the speculative bullshit that Richard has fed to the media, and I’m not quite sure we will be. We’re caught in this weird space of her wanting me to make amends with my relatives so that they’ll be able to be apart of all of the wedding festivities and anything else we intend to do with our lives after it and yet, the behavior of my paternal parent has irritated her and left her conflicted on whether any of that is a good idea or not. Then there’s me, who couldn’t care less about their presence. So, an engagement party? I can already foreshadow the disagreements that will happen when mapping out a guest list. The thought of it sounds nice, but executing it? Even God will have a migraine.

“That’s really why you’re here?”

“That’s not the only reason why. We were out holiday shopping. Mike’s my designated driver since the husband has my car and I refuse to drive that monstrosity that he calls an SUV. We decided to drop by after lunch. I bought you pasta from the Cheesecake Factory.” She held up the bag in the midst of her stride to my kitchen and I glanced over at Mike, who playfully rolled his eyes.

“I’ve been her designated driver since eight this morning. I’m tried as hell.”

“Oh shut up. It’s only noon. You’re getting practice for whenever your too cool for school ass finally settles down with one of those young short skirt wearing legal secretaries around your office.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I dealt with a paralegal or two and y’all are turning it into me being a serial dater of people who work around me. I would never give myself that type of headache. You’re giving me flack and Dante’s literally marrying his corporate flight attendant. He mixed the shit out of business and pleasure.” Though I didn’t want to laugh to give him the satisfaction of getting that joke off, I couldn’t help it. While there is no comparison because he’s falsifying that one or two estimation, the mixing business with pleasure part is funny. I suppose I did, but it’s a regret that I don’t have.

“So how is everything after that bullshit that Richard pulled last week? I know we spoke briefly about it but you didn’t give me enough detail.”

“I don’t know, honestly. I know that I’m pissed off but I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of retaliation. As far as Autumn, she’s indifferent about it. She’s been extremely busy with that holiday party, so she’s been in Jersey a lot since then. She dropped by here yesterday evening because she was already in Manhattan and she made dinner. We talked about it some more and she seemed to be alright. Per usual, she was far more concerned with what I’m feeling rather than her own emotions. She went to bed around nine. She’s been tired all this week.”

“Pregnant?” My hands halted from the task of untying the bag and both of my eyebrows instantly raised at such a random question. Mike’s curious posture worsened the odd tension that suddenly arose in the room as he idly leaned against the counter and mischievously smirked while awaiting an answer.

“I just told you that she’s working crazy hours on a Christmas party and pregnancy is what you make of that? It doesn’t make sense Stace.”

“But lets just say that she is pregnant. What would you do?” Yet again, Mike and I made eye contact and he was seemingly far more curious about whatever my answer may be more so than Stacey and I’d be a fool if I stood here pretending to be clueless as to why. Though it is her who brought it up this time, he’s tossed it at me as a hypothetical more than once in the midst of a number of our conversations and though I wouldn’t say that he did it to inflict fear within me, it happened either way. I don’t fear starting a family with Autumn. I fear not being capable of protecting her through nine months of a vulnerable state and then the life we created together after the fact.

“I would do what I’m supposed to do; take care of her and prepare to be a father. Did you assume that I would do something else?”

“Of course not. That’s not who you are. That question is more so for how things are right now. I know you’d rather not have a baby here, right?”

“In New York? Location has nothing to do with anything.”

“Word. People make places ugly. It never has anything to do with location.” I nodded in agreement with Mike’s follow up and pulled the plastic container out of the bag.

“I would love to be settled in California when we conceive a child. That’s the goal. If life throws some sort of a curve ball and it happens before then, then we’ll be fine. More than anything for me, I’d prefer we be settled and not have to worried about getting there in the midst of preparing to have a baby and Autumn’s in a place of wanting to make sure she has certain things together on her end before she can focus on motherhood.”

“That’s understandable. Is a wedding going to happen before the move and everything that Autumn wants to do?”

“If I could, I’d marry her tomorrow. We have a date for next year that we discussed, but the problem is the outside factors. For as long as you two and Fredrick are at the wedding and maybe Camille, I couldn’t give two shits about anyone else who attends for the sake of me. She can invite her entire family, all of her friends, and anyone else she feels compelled to have there. All I need is the four of you and I’m straight. She’s not okay with that. She’s pushing for me to at least make some kind of a reconciliation with my mother and I can’t force that no matter how hard I try. I’d love to do that for her, but that’s the thing. She doesn’t want me to do it for her because it wouldn’t be genuine. She’s insists that I need to do it for myself.”

“Because despite what you all are going through, you only get one set of parents. Don’t get me wrong, your parents are fucked up. I’ll never deny that because it would be a slap in your face. Richard is who he is and that who he’s going to be until his body is lifeless and cold. As for your mother, I think there’s potential there. She loves you. She’s had a screwed up way of showing it in the midst of dealing with the whirlwind of bullshit that she caused within her own life, but the love is there. I think she’s witnessed that and believes bridging that gap may be good for you. I don’t think it’ll hurt.” Of course he’d agree with her. They’re all extremely family driven and despite all of the good they’ve done while being apart of my life, none of them will ever be able to fill certain voids. It’s unrealistic to put that kind of pressure on any of them, including Autumn. I may not say it or show it, but I love my mother. I’m not sure if it’s because I feel obligated to out of honor for her birthing me or if it’s naturally emotionally driven, but the love is there. More than any apology, I at least deserve some acknowledgement of the manner in which I was dismissed. It’s the only sensible method to move forward because I can’t play catch up with a woman who deliberately missed out on so much of my life when she didn’t have to. I wasn’t shipped off to the next of kin because we were financially struggling. She wasn’t some drug addict or alcoholic mother who was so caught up in her addictions that they overshadowed my presence. I wasn’t a misfit kid who would rather be running the streets and looking for every possible troublesome outcome to avoid living a structured life at home. Selfishness was the driving force behind every decision that she made and she doesn’t deserve to breeze on by without admitting to it all because she suddenly sees me.

“Maybe some day it’ll happen. I don’t….”

I paused mid sentence at the sound of the door opening and though it wasn’t the typical sound of heels, I could hear Autumn’s feet dragging against the flooring.

“Yo.”

“Yo.” As she called back out to me, she inched closer to the kitchen and finally appeared in the doorway for all to see. The usual glamour that she exudes was scaled down to a grey Ralph Lauren sweatsuit, a Moncler coat, hat, and scarf, and surprisingly a pair of blue Ugg boots that left me beyond amused. I never thought I’d see her in a pair of those clunky boots in my lifetime and yet here she is proudly in a pair and bundled up against the thirty degree weather outside. Even in the comfort wear, she looked stunning and yet adorable in the midst of it. The only make up on her face was lip gloss and that took about ten years off of her actual age.

“Esmeralda. What’s up?”

“Hey Mike. What’s up Stacey?”

“Hey gorgeous. How are you?”

“Tired.” She made her way to them one by one for the hugs that they were awaiting and I was left with her pressing her lips into my own for a longing kiss. After that, I was fine with her lack of a verbal greeting for me.

“I’m starving.”

“You want this pasta? I can just eat the leftovers from what you made last night. That’s what I was planning to do anyway.” As she opened the fridge, her eyes panned in the direction of the plastic container I was pointing at.

“Are you sure? I can just eat one of these greek yogurts and call it a day honestly.” I quickly nodded my head to her question. “Besides, I have to grab my shoes and head back to Jersey. I left my pumps over here last week and I need them for tonight.”

“Yeah. Come and eat this. What time do you need to be back at the venue tonight?” Rather than giving her the plastic fork that was already in the bag, I grabbed a silver one out of the drawer.

“Well, cocktail hour starts at seven, so I figure that I’ll be back by six. I made sure I crossed every T and dotted every I before I walked out of there this morning. I refuse to have to return this afternoon and be scrambling. I don’t even have the energy for that. I already have a headache from this morning.”

“I have some wings in here. I only ate like two of them. You can have those too.” Her eyes immediately lit up at Mike’s offering.

“It’s only noon. So, why don’t you eat the food and take a nap? You can sleep until like three. You have the car, so you can drive into Jersey as soon as you wake up and get ready from there. I think you can make it back in time by six.”

“No, it’s alright. I’ll just eat the pasta and I’ll head back in a few.”

“You need some sleep. Take the nap. I’ll be up, so I will make sure you’re up in time to make it back to Jersey. Why don’t you go to the room, take your stuff off, and lay down now. I’ll warm this up and bring it to you. What do you want to drink?”

“Water is fine.” As she turned to walk away, a part of me was surprised that she didn’t put up one of her stubborn protests. Maybe she’s just that damn tired. She claims that after this party, she has nothing else that is physically or mentally draining to do and I’m holding her to that. She’s been starting her mornings early and ending her nights later than normal because of it.

“You’re such a good husband.” Mike’s tease came with my middle finger instantly being pointed up, while Stacey snickered at yet another moment that they were able to goad me about. It’s never going to end. They’ve been anticipating the day when I’d fall in love because it seemed like hell freezing over was more of a sure thing for a long time. Despite the jokes, I know it all comes from them being proud.

“Since we’re on the husband topic, back to the engagement party. Seriously, I’m thinking it should be at The Rainbow Room or in Brooklyn at The William Vale. Maybe Gotham Hall?” I’ve been to different events at all of those venues she mentioned and the only thing that came to mind was the magnitude in size. Those are venues you book when you’re planning to have five hundred or more guests showing up to whatever you’re celebrating.

“It’s an engagement party. How many people do you think we’re inviting?” As I placed the container into the microwave and put the timer on two minutes, she loudly huffed with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Maybe two to two hundred and fifty.”

“Hell no.” Both Mike and I responded in unison. He knew that I wouldn’t get on board with that no matter how many times she batted her eyes and lightened her tone. That would be a social nightmare.

“Come on. You can’t just leave out everyone at the company. There are so many people there who love and admire you Dante. Be fair.”

“And they’d be there to fill seats and for the free food and drinks. They admire the work I do, not the man that I am. They don’t know me and I’d prefer to keep it that way. There are a few that I wouldn’t mind being there, but two hundred and fifty people? That’s going too far for an engagement party. If anything, it should be a nice dinner somewhere with no more than twenty or thirty people.”

“Twenty or thirty? Are you kidding me?”

“You think he’s kidding?”

“Dante, seriously?”

“Seriously. Find a dinner party venue and then run those options by me.”

“If that’s the case, we can just do it at Baraya. You all have one of the most beautiful restaurants in the city.”

“Sounds like a plan to me. We can get a decorator to do a couple of floral arrangements for some tables. Everything else we can do on our own. Cheap and yet effective.” Mike’s frugal idea instantly made me laugh. He can be somewhat of a Bargain Betty when he wants to be. The man makes over six figures a year and yet for the most part, he does his best to live a simple life. I always joke with Fredrick that Mike may be the wealthiest one out of all of us because he’s not really the splurging type unless the moment calls for it or for his mother. Fredrick’s flashy. Me? I’d like to think I’m moderate but for my baby? I’d break the bank on whatever.

“Nah, we’d have to turn Bayara into some sort of a vision. We’re going to need way more than just a couple of floral arrangements. I like the idea though. We’ll see what happens.”

“We’ll see what happens? We need to lock down these details soon.”

“We have time.” As soon as the microwave stopped, I removed the container and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. My short jog to the bedroom was met with Autumn carefully placing her coat down on the ottoman in the closet.

“You want the TV on?”

“No.” As I placed everything on the nightstand, she walked out of the closet and plopped down on the bed. My next move was to remove her Ugg boots and place them at the foot of the bed.

“Did you find your shoes?”

“Yeah, I put them in my bag. Thank you.” It didn’t long for her to dig into the pasta. I doubt she’ll finish all of it but more than half should be doable. It’ll probably be all that she has on her stomach for the rest of the night since she decided to work at the party rather than simply attending it.

“Am I going to see you tonight?”

“What do you mean?”

“Am I going to see you or am I going to only catch glimpses of you from around the room out of the corners of my eyes? I was thinking maybe we can have a drink together or something. Maybe have a dance or two? I know you’re going to be working and it’ll be a lot, but squeeze me in if you can. I’m not asking you to make any promises. It’s just awkward for us to be in the same room with one another with little to no interaction despite it being a work night for you.” There’s a part of me that believes she’s going to keep her distance because of the New York Post article and the extended coverage on the internet which has put us in an awkward space publicly. We’ve gone from living in this world where it’s just she and I with a chosen few who are aware of what we share to millions of people speculating and making the most absurd assumptions. There’s this weird presumption that she and I are some sort of fling. In the pictures, her hands are resting in her lap and in the one shot when we’re standing, her arm was extended behind my back so there were no glimpses of the ring. Despite that, why would I take a fling to an event of that magnitude? I know that’s the narrative Richard is trying to convince himself of so that I’ll remain under his wing and the driving force behind the company. Now he’s pushing it beyond that narrow-minded mind of his. Tonight, I’m pushing back.

“We’ll have a drink tonight. I’m sure at some point, I’ll take a break.”

“Alright.”

“Thank you for the pasta.”

“It’s no problem. Enjoy it.”

I left her to the privacy she needed and closed the door behind myself so that whatever noise coming from the kitchen didn’t disturb the nap that I’m not even sure she’s going to take. Often time, her stubborn nature holds strong, even in opposition against what she needs. More than anything, I’d rather she be well rested for the task that’s head of her tonight. Though I don’t know what the holiday party will consist of aside from the basics, I trust that her family has a lot more class than my own. I don’t expect any ridiculous speeches from neither Isaac or Silas about the family and if they do give a word or two, at least whatever statements are said will have mindfulness and a genuine tone behind them. I doubt Lillian will hound either one of us about wedding plans that are yet to be because she has absolutely nothing else to speak about. Most of all, I’ll be able to let my guard down. I don’t have to worry about being on alert to verbally or physically rip someone apart for even the slightest bit of disrespect towards me and most of all, towards her.

“Yo, you got some cuff links that I can borrow? Let me get the ones with the blue gems in them. I don’t know where I put my favorite pair and the next favorite pair that I have belong to you.”

But I will have to deal with Mike’s antics. I suppose that should be the easy part.

"So word has been traveling around about my potential move to L.A. and I’ve gotten a couple of phone calls. Manatt, Phelps, & Phillips called, I have a couple of e-mails from Greenberg Traurig, and Ziffern Brittenham reached out too.

“These are all tier one firms?” Once I was finally able to switch lanes, I turned off my blinker and slightly turned down Outkast’s Aquemini album. The traffic on I-95 S in Jersey had finally picked up in pace. While Autumn was asleep, I’d already called Marv to come and drive her home so that she wouldn’t have to drive while sleepy. I wish I hadn’t of woken her up from that nap because she couldn’t mask her grumpiness no matter how hard she tried to. Even the kiss she gave me as she walked out of the door was half assed and I could do nothing other than chuckle.

“Yeah. I believe so. I just don’t think I’m interesting in partnering with another firm whether they’re giving me name partner upon hiring or not. It’s a lot of politics that goes into that shit, especially when you’re walking in the door with perks that internal lawyers are busting their ass for. They immediately walk around with this chip on their shoulders while looking at you like you’re this designer suit wearing fuck boy who stepped on all of their toes to get a position that they deserve. I don’t care what anyone has to say but at the same time, I’m in a place where I feel like I don’t need to pet people in order to cease tension within a firm and I’m not playing a game of who can bust one another’s balls the best when it comes to power and rank amongst partners. I’m not even being cocky when I say that I’ve had far too much success to concern myself with that.”

“That’s why it’s time to branch out on your own and start your own firm. You’ve outgrown what’s being offered to you. You have enough clout and pull to snatch up a couple of hot shots from well known firms around this country, but I also know that we’re alike when it comes to giving people to chance to grow, show, and prove themselves to be the greatness that the future needs so I know your interns and first year selections will be good and just as great.”

“That's probably the most important part to me brother.”

“That’s how it should be.”

Autumn chose The Palace at Somerset Park as the venue for tonight’s festivies. Initially, she had ten different places in mind and I remember the headache she’d given herself over the course of a couple of days to narrow it down to the best three. After a numbers game, she eventually settled on the forty thousand dollar price tag simply to book The Palace. All of the extra perks that she added in there continued to raise the price by the thousands and I’m not even sure what was spent on the decorating team she hired to execute her Winter Wonderland theme. Despite her nonchalance about it, between everything she did for Heather’s wedding and now this party, I was exposed to yet another talent of hers that she doesn’t even recognize. I don’t believe I’ve come across another woman who can successfully dip her hands into many jars like Autumn can. I’m always in awe of her.

“So, that gentlemen in a blonde wig on BET ran with an escort story today. You want me to send out a statement or two? Maybe a couple of threats of legal action for defamation of character?”

“If you do that, it would just be me feeding into his bullshit and showing him that I’m uncomfortable.”

“But aren’t you? How is Autumn reacting to all of this?”

“We had a back and forth about it when we woke up to it initially and that was it. As I said earlier today, she’s been consumed with this party so I haven’t been able to observe her reactions or to pick her brain about most of it. I’m fucking frustrated because this route he’s resorting to is low as fuck. It’s a divide and conquer through she and I. He’s going to keep applying pressure for her to crack more so than myself. He’s well aware that I’m not going to abandon my relationship and the future I want on the behalf of anyone, let alone a family that I already struggle with claiming as my own, so he’s targeting her. He’s assuming it’s but so many attacks that she and her family will be able to take. It’ll feel just as repetitive as the media nightmare that was her relationship with that coach.” A hint of chills trickled up my arms at the reality of the comparison. The last thing I need is her folks viewing me as a toxic presence in her life. They may not have been able to access Andreas enough to get him out of the picture before everything went to shit, but they’ll never allow something like that to happen again. Hell, just Lillian’s protective nature alone lets me know that she’ll take me down in any way possible whether it’s my fault or not.

“Look, you know better than I do, that there’s a lot of underhanded shit going on, so you need to get the hell out of there. At this point, you’ve involved someone else in this. With marriage comes a vow of protection. No matter what you have me doing, you better be able to hold up your end of that.”

“I’m handling it.”

“The more I dig and ask questions, the more I’m realizing that eventually, I’m going to run into something that’s going to be explosive. I feel you’re trying to figure out which wire to clip to prevent a ticking time bomb from detonating and I’m trying to do everything that I can to influence you to say fuck it, get away from it, and let it explode however it does. You’ve saved them from far more than they’ve ever deserved. You’ve put that company on your back and have catapulted them to new heights year after year. What do you get in return aside from revenue and acclaim from Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, or some other business insider platform? If you’re finally putting your mental health first, then walk away immediately man. I’m telling your this as your brother and as someone who has looked into more enough for you to know that this shit isn’t going to end well.”

"It’s on my mind every time I walk into that building. There are a couple of situations that I need to handle before I can began to withdraw from everything. There are trusted clients, open contracts, and a large number of relationships that I’ve built over the years that I have to accommodate and still do want to maintain even with a departure. It’s about respect more than anything else.”

“I know.”

“So that information that I sent you about the Malibu house. What is that looking like?” We glanced at one another and he took a minute to gather his thoughts about yet another request I’d given him.

“Let me keep working on that.”

I left it at that. I know him well enough to understand that if he’s still working on something, it’s going to happen whether it’s soon or with some time. If it were impossible, he would have told me already. Time isn’t something that is to be wasted, especially right now.

It seems to be of the essence more than ever.

Upon entry to the venue, it immediately felt like we stepped into a party straight out of the North Pole or somewhere deep within the arctic circle. We were surrounded by a sea of white draping from the high ceilings down to the high gloss marble flooring. Christmas trees layered every space that made sense while flocking and sparking white lights breathed an enticing life into the place. The snow machines and the LED lighting were the enhancements that took the ambiance from fun to extravagant.

“If Autumn did all of this, I can only pity your pockets when it comes time to plan the wedding. Look at that.” My eyes panned in the direction of his finger and landed on a towering LED wall with rotating images of snow in the forest, moonlight, and laser designs. It damn near made you feel like you were outdoors. An ensemble of twelve women danced us through the doors while about a twenty to twenty-five piece band played the most famous holiday tunes that we all know and sing along to for our pleasures. The line up of microphones on the stage are a sign that there’s a performance coming. Mike's right about the money that was poured into this. She definitely went into this without a care or concern about a budget but it looks damn good and with the way the champagne, wine, and spiked egg nog are floating around, this is sure to be a night to remember or…drunkenly forget. Either way, she worked damn hard to make it a fun night for all and one that will leave Isaac with acclaim and praise.

“She did an excellent job.”

As I pulled out the ghost chair to take my seat, my eyes met those of Lillian and she immediately smiled and raised her hand up to wave at me. As I responded with a wave of my own, I noticed she was making her way over and pushed the chair back in to remain standing out of respect for her presence.

“Dante. How are you? Give me a hug.” The hug was as endearing as it is when she wraps her arms around her own children and she planted a soft kiss on my forehead. She then reached for Mike.

“Why are you two sitting over here? You have a placement card at the family table.” I didn’t even think about seating arrangements when I approached this empty table. This isn’t what you would call a corporate gala or a dinner party so, a seating arrangement isn’t really key to making or breaking this evening.

“I didn’t know.”

“Well yes, come over. We’re sitting right up there.”

With all of the baseless nonsense circulating about the two of us in the rumor mill, I was sure that there would at least be one or two awkward moments between her loved ones and I, but my thoughts jumped the gun quite a bit. Instead, I was welcomed with open arms as they showered me with physical and verbal affection and carried on dialogue as if I’d been a member of the family my entire life. It seemed like the more sips of red wine Silas took, the more he elaborated on holiday memories they’ve shared over the years. Despite the bittersweet emotions swirling within everyone with every word that he spoke, we shared laughter over stories like Shane and Autumn’s failed attempts at making a snowman, Isaac needing stitches after a failed sledding prank between the siblings led to him falling off and hurting himself, and Autumn bailing on a Christmas recital in the middle of the show.

As for my lady? She never joined the table, not that I expected her to. Instead, I was left with glimpses of her beauty out of the corners of my eyes as she zipped around the room to greet and properly accommodate just about everyone who walked through those double doors. Whether it was the way her long midnight black tresses swayed with the subtle and yet natural switch in her stride or the way the lightning around the room illuminated her alluring green eyes, she captivated just about every being filled with testosterone and they lustfully ogled over her like wolves hunting prey no matter where she moved. A black pencil dress is hugging every curve her body has to offer and its length stopped mid-thigh to display her impeccable legs, which were further accentuated by her Louboutin covered feet. Instinctively, while my ears tuned in and out of the conversation happening around me, my eyes followed her as much as they were able to as she maneuvered around with a graceful smile on her face and a clipboard that I assume is filled with names and the itinerary for the evening. There seemed to be this transition from a glare of lust to one of pride as I constantly caught glimpses of her engagement ring glimmering on her left hand ring finger.

“Why don’t you just go over here instead of sitting here and torturing yourself by staring at her so hard.” I looked on as she showered Heather with a more than normal amount of love. There was a mutual excitement between the two of them that I couldn’t quite pinpoint, but the repeated motion of Autumn brushing her hand against her best friend’s stomach gave me somewhat of a hint. A glow illuminated from the both of them as they giggling all throughout whatever small conversation they were having and both walked towards the bar hand in hand to continue their banter.

“I’m about to head over there. You want a drink from the bar?”

“You know my preference. Appreciate it brother.”

By the time I stood and began to make my way through a crowd of people heading towards the dance floor, I’d lost track of Autumn once again. I’ve yet to witness a moment when she’s sat down and yet she’s continuing to trek around this place in those extremely high heels like a butterfly waltzing in the air.

“What can I get for you handsome?” My back straightened as the young bartender trailed her eyes over my chest and eventually stopped at my lips, which then evoked her to run her tongue over her own set. The tips of her fingers grazed the skin of the top of my hand and the smirk that slowly grew on her face easily matched the intense glare radiating from her eyes. Within seconds, my hands found their way into my pockets.

“Remy Martin XO if you have it.”

“Remy? That’s an interesting choice. Rich, velvety, and lingering. It goes down smooth and tends to creep up on you sometime throughout the night and next thing you know, you’re doing the unexpected. I’ve seen it happen to many people over the years.” The unexpected? My snicker was low but she didn’t miss it. She refused to miss anything, including every breath that I’m taking. She’d yet to take a step in the direction of the alcohol to seek what I requested.

“Really? Well, thankfully, it’s not for me.”

“It’s not?” Her weirdly drawn on brows went up in wonder while she pondered on where to go next with this one sided conversation.

“No.”

“Well, what can I get for you?”

“Remy Martin XO.” An additional glance toward her face allowed me to recognize her from Meridian. She’s the receptionist who always makes it her business to thoroughly explain the same exact details about servicing to me in a snail paced manner while leaning over the desk to be as close to my face as possible. If I counted out the number of women from both companies who have attempted their hand at getting to know me beyond seeing me walk in and out of the doors, I’d sound pompous and be labeled an asshole. Despite my lack of interest, I know they’ve been a playground for Matthew and the thought of dipping into anything or anyone behind him agitates me. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve had a taste of his father too.

“I’ll get that for you.” Rather than fixing the potent beverage at the back counter, she grabbed the bottle of it along with a glass, and she returned to the exact position she’d been in; on the opposite side of me with the bar’s counter serving as a barrier between our bodies.

“You enjoying yourself tonight?”

“Sure.” I shrugged. I am enjoying myself. It’s a great party. Based upon what Isaac mentioned, Boyz II Men are going to walk out on that stage within a couple of minutes and give us a full performance of Christmas hits to make it even better. Based upon the way they were ogling over Autumn in Vegas, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did the performance for free.

“I’ve always noticed you at the holiday parties but you always tend to tuck yourself into a corner somewhere and that’s where you stay. You never hit the dance floor. I see you’re at the Dupont table tonight, but you’ve still yet to hit the dance floor. You can’t be enjoying it that much.” She poured enough of the cognac in the glass to make it a double and slid it in my direction. Intentionally, her knuckles lightly grazed my own.

“Interesting observation. Maybe I’ll hit the dance floor at the next one.”

“You could always save a dance for me tonight.”

“Or me. How about you save a dance for me? I am like your sister after all.” Both our heads snapped in the direction of Heather’s tense voice. If looks could kill, the bartender would have been dead in an instant. Heather’s smirk was sinister. The more she leaned towards the bar, the further the woman on the opposite side of it leaned away from it.

“Of course I can save a dance for you. What’s up Heather?” I immediately threw am arm over her shoulder and drew her in so that we could share a hug and most of all, so she’d stop looking like she was a second away from lunging over the bar and attacking a woman who couldn’t keep my attention even while speaking to me.

“Nothing much. How are you?”

“All is well over here. How are you?”

“I’m alright. Happy to be back home. Miami is nice and I enjoy it, but I can’t front like I don’t love when I get time to come up here to the good ol’ cold and enjoy time with my families.” Most people tend to want to run away and stay away from the cold. She’s one of the first people I’ve heard who craves to feel it after having moved to a warmer climate.

“You’re spending the holiday up here?”

“Yes we lucked out. They’re playing the Knicks the day before Christmas Eve and they have no Christmas Day game. So, once he flies up here for the game, we get to stick around. Thank God. Despite my mental battle with having my folks fly down to me, I wanted to come up here because my Dupont family is here. I love them just as much as my own.”

“That’s what’s up. I’m sure Autumn is thrilled. She misses having you up here.”

“I know. I miss her just as much. That’s my right hand and sometimes I need a bit more than phone calls or FaceTime sessions sometimes. We were once inseparable but you know, the whole marriage to that piece of shit stopped that, and now I feel like we’re really working towards being like that again but with moderation of course. Back when we were in college, she transferred to UCLA to be with me. Mind you, this was after I considered transferring into NYU to be with her. I couldn’t take much more of those valley white girls. When she got married, we did hang out in Miami a lot. I’d fly down there to be with her often. I know she’d do the same for me now, but she has her own life and I’m thrilled for her. She has you. You stole my girl, but I’m okay with that.” With a nudge to my arm, she looked up at me with a smile as we stood along side one another observing the atmosphere. For the third time tonight, there was Mark Patelli standing directly in Autumn’s pathway while obnoxiously leering at her and finding unnecessary commentary to speak with her about. Every few seconds, his tongue would graze his barely there bottom lip while his eyes trailed over her entire frame. I get it. Autumn is the embodiment of everything that sex appeal is and is supposed to exude. She’s a prowess at entering a room and stealing the show without ever trying to do so. Heads turn with every move that she makes. Her smirk makes your heart jump and then the small smile that follows eventually causes it to melt. Her eyes. Shit. They’re enhancing and yet there’s this mysteriousness within them that immediately draws you into whatever part of her world she’s going to allow you into. She’s an enigma and yet like a Rubik’s cube, you cannot stop working to win her over in some kind of a way. In his case, it’s simply to be in her presence. As far the other hundred or more men in the room, it’s to get her to approach their table or maybe for a dance. Despite my understanding this, it doesn’t cease my thoughts to beat the shit out of every single one of them for staring at what’s mine in the same manner that I do. Mark is at the top of the list.

“Easy Tiger. She wants no one other than you. Mark never had a chance before you and he never will.” As if I were a once tamed animal now ready to pounce, Heather patted my back to soothe my thoughts.

“You know, she’s yet to say anything to me tonight.”

“I know. There’s a part of her that’s uncomfortable. I’m married to a NBA guy but Mario isn’t what people would call a hot shot or a star player. He’s not Lebron or Dwayne Wade. He’s no Kobe, Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, or any of those guys. He’s more of a role player and it works for him. TMZ isn’t hunting down information about him or whatever he and I have going on. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a chick or two try to come at me over him on social media but even that wasn’t blown up enough to get any coverage. Autumn on the other hand has gone from being painted as the “wild young girl” at UCLA who was fucking the head coach of the basketball team, to being the college dropout NBA wife “chasing the fast life”, to being the tossed away naive woman who “didn’t know any better and allowed a man to shit on her”, and now she’s the “gold digger rebounding with a hot shot business man”. Put yourself into her shoes and think about how you’d feel about that. She’s voiceless in this situation and she feels like it, because ultimately, what can she say or do? Yeah, people talk and it is what it is, but she doesn’t live her life in a manner for people to speak about her. She’s not clout chasing or seeking fame.” I couldn’t deny her point. I’m just as unnerved as she is about all of it and it’s not because we’re being spoken about because I couldn’t care less. It’s the context. The last thing I want her to feel is attacked and cornered but I know it’s what she’s dealing with mentally, though she won’t express it to me through conversation. I’ve sensed it in her distance from the topic at hand whenever we speak to one another and in her sudden choice to spend more nights in Jersey rather than at my apartment.

“I know. It does fuck with me that she feels that way but more than anything, she shouldn’t bottle it up. Once she’s inside of that head of hers, this happens. There’s she and I, and then this weird ass wall in-between us.”

“Break it down. That’s Autumn. She’s been that way ever since I’ve known her. The wall is her comfort zone. Shane would invade her comfort zones all the time and it’s why she learned so much from him. I do it to her when I have to. More than anything else, show her that it's you and her beyond whatever noise is surrounding you.”

“I hear you.”

“I was just talking about this with Autumn, but I figure I need to let you know this too. Autumn and I talked about our kids growing up together in the same manner that we did, so I’m going to need you to get on it. You need to hurry up and shoot up the club a couple of times, so that we won’t be that far apart.” Laugher instantly spilled out of me in response to the manner she chose to reveal her pregnancy in. Autumn did tell me about those type of conversations that we’ve had but to hear it from Heather is hilarious.

“Congratulations Heather.” Once again, we shared a tight hug and she poked my side as I released her.

“I meant what I said though. Get started on the babies. You two are going to be the coolest aunt and uncle slash godparents ever, but I want to be the thing. I want my chance.”

“I think we may miss this go round and we’ll have to catch up with you when you have your second baby. I can make a deal with you there. I can’t wait to have kids, but we have a lot going on and we still have a wedding to plan. Give us some time to get all of that handled and I have high hopes the babies will come soon after.”

“I’m holding you to that.”

“I got you.”

“And remember what I said. The love between you two is real. Don’t allow anyone or anything to get in-between that, especially some outside noise that doesn’t even matter. If anything, show them differently. Leave them with egg on their faces. You know I have y’all backs. I won’t hesitate to pop off on anyone or slap a bitch, like a bartender who doesn’t know her boundaries.” As she glanced back to seek her new found enemy, I nudged her shoulder.

“I know you do and we have your back just as much. There’s no need to slap anyone. You know who my mind is on and where I want to be no matter what.”

“Thank you for loving my friend.”

“If anything, I should be thankful that your friend loves me.”

As Boyz II Men took the stage, I return to the table and handed Mike his drink and was off to find Autumn. On my hunt, I grabbed two glasses of champagne off of a servers tray as he passed by and panned my eyes over the crowds of people until I spotted her standing near the entrance speaking with someone unfamiliar to me. My feet moved as swiftly as possible without me looking like a mad man so that I could reach her before she trekked to the other side of the room or somewhere within this vicinity and out of my view.

“Hello beautiful.” Maybe I should have waited until their conversation was over or maybe I should have properly interjected whatever they were saying to receive her attention, but I couldn’t help myself and didn’t care.

“Hi.” A gleam filled her eyes as she panned over my attire and I extended my arm to offer her the champagne flute. My attire for the evening had all been her choice. I assume she’s pleased with her work.

“That drink that we spoke about earlier.”

“Thank you.” Once it was in her hand, that allowed me to wrap an arm around her waist. “If you’ll excuse me Dr. Patel.”

Within seconds of us turning to walk away, that very drink I’d handed her went down her throat within one swallow and a flustered expression washed over her face as I looked on awaiting some type of interaction from her. Without knowing it initially, it seems like I stepped in with perfect timing to distract her from whatever was being said and yet I’m beyond curious about all of it because her reaction isn’t what I was expecting.

“My hand has been fucking with me tonight. Maybe it’s because I’m beyond tired.” As she lifted it within eyes view, I could see the tremor that typically makes itself noticeable whenever she’s dealing with stress or exhaustion. Often times, she’ll squeeze a stress ball for strength and training. “Dr. Patel noticed of course and she immediately jumped into that conversation we’ve had over and over again about allowing her surgeon friend to fix this issue with what she says is a simple operation. She’s not even my damn doctor, she’s my mother’s friend. Oh and then there’s that part that maybe, just maybe I’ll be able to return to school to go after my medical school dreams again but she certainly made it clear that I’d only be able to be a psychiatrist, dermatologist, or some kind of a general practitioner because I wouldn’t be able to do anything surgical since I have a fucked up hand.”

“Baby, you can do whatever the hell you want to do. Some stupid ass doctor’s opinion doesn’t change that.” If we weren’t at a party, I’d have no issue with approaching that short and stumpy doctor to repeat that same message to her. Everything that she’s faced hasn’t stopped her greatness from shining through despite her reluctance and insecurities. Despite everything, Autumn continues to prove that she’s destined for a greatness that not even she sees or understands right now. With my love for her aside, I’m in awe of her and I know it’s not without reason.

“One of the most renowned doctors in this fucking state? That opinion doesn’t matter?”

“I wouldn’t give a shit if it were Barack Obama’s opinion.”

“This goes back to our conversation from a few days ago. Everything just rolls off of your shoulders and is no big deal to you. This shrug and whatever mentality works for you and everyone else in this room, but it’s not going to work for someone like myself.”

“And why won’t it? You give too many fucks about what people have to say. How do you feel about yourself? That’s the most important question that you should ask yourself whenever the irrelevant opinions of others gets to you.”

“Right. So while Wendy Williams labeled me as your whore, I should have been staring in the mirror and asking myself that question?”

“Are you my whore?” A tightness eased into my chest as my shoulders tightened. Our brows arose in unison as she glared at me in the same manner I was at her. Though the question had absolutely no intention to insult her behind it, it irked me that I even had to ask it.

“What kind of fucking question is that?”

“Answer it. Are you?”

“I’m not.”

“Then who are you to me?”

“You know exactly what I am to you.” Her arms flared out in an exaggerated manner and loudly slapped into her sides as she huffed in clear irritation with the way this interaction is going. Good. Now she knows how I feel.

“But do you? Who are you to me?”

“Your fiancée.”

“My fiancée. The woman that I got down on one knee and asked to marry me. The woman who I love more than anyone and any got damn thing. Wendy whoever gets to spew bullshit and put a cloud of darkness over that? You’re so caught up in being mad about that instead of being within this room with me. All I’ve been doing is watching you walk around here without ever stepping over in my direction to give me a hello. If anything, you’re feeding into narratives that shouldn’t even exist in our world. You’re treating me like a stranger because people ignorantly accused us of being strangers who fuck one another.  Now we’re standing here bickering back and forth over opinions that have absolutely nothing to do with either one of us when all I wanted to do was to approach you for a few minutes of your time.”

“Autumn!” Rachel exclaimed her name loud enough to turn our heads while catching the attention of a few others. With a clipboard in her hand, she adamantly waved her over for whatever task that needed to be handled.

“I have to go.”

“Sure. It’s not like we’ve had much interaction tonight to begin with. I can make a valid argument for the last week or so as well. You enjoying home?”

“We don’t live together.”

“A choice that you made.”  

“And I’m working.”

“Another choice that you made. Was it so we didn’t have to attend this together?”

“You sound so stupid.”

“Do I?”

My question went unanswered. Instead, my line of vision was met with her back as she jogged in Rachel’s direction to tend to whatever she wanted or needed. Just as she did, I tossed all of the content inside of the champagne glass down my throat and left it on a nearby empty tray.

My final move was to wave Mike over so that we could make our exit.

I’d had enough of the party.