#reltationship problems

[jerzwriter]

Realistically speaking was there a time, in their whole life together, when any of your pairings had to work a little harder on their relationship because it has being affected by their day-to-day (work, parenthood, personal changes, just life itself) ?

Of course. Let's be real. Every couple does, and, in my experience, any couple who says they don't is lying (and their kids tell the truth!) 😂

I haven't really written about the mundane parts of their lives because, well, do we want to read about the mundane? Do we want to know about when Kaycee is furious at Ethan because he left his dishes in the sink after she asked him to wash them 3 times? Do we want to know if Tobias is ready to snap because Casey left her hair in the bathtub drain for the 15th time this month? And normally, these issues don't really bother them, but they do today because they had a BAD DAY. This happens to all of us. I'm not really here for THAT, but...

As I get through more of my HC for the pairings (tell me to stop with series, please!), we'll see a little more of this, but it won't be my focus. I'd rather focus on the good/happy times and the REAL big challenges. And AUs are where I will go a little wilder with problems. Sometimes they're not even surmountable.

It's odd because I have Ethan and Kaycee as more of the "fantasy" pair and Tobias and Casey as more "reality". But with Kaycee in place of Casey in Ethan's world, I think I am able to change that a bit.

In addition to Casey's insecurity at the start of their relationship and a third pregnancy that is life-threatening, they have other things they'll go through. Like a phenomenal job opportunity that would force their young family to relocate from a life they love, and at first, they're not necessarily on the same page. After the birth of their daughter, Casey comes to the realization that no matter how much she may emphasize with her husband, his family, and now her daughter dealing with racism in every aspect of their lives, she will never be able to fully understand. She will face issues, from outside forces and internally, about what it means to be a white woman raising a child who is bi-racial, and at times she will feel she's not up to the task. There are other things as well, but these are some I have outlined. But, after baby 3 and the huge impact it takes on their lives, Casey and Tobias are titanium. Not that they weren't before, but now, after he had to face the prospect of life without her, and she had to face the prospect of dying and leaving him and her babies alone... everything is in a different perspective, and they will be united on a whole other level.

For Kaycee and Ethan, I see a lot of their struggles in the part of their lives where they lead up to being a couple, but they're not too bad after. They're a strong unit, they understand each other, and they're both mature enough to know. They really don't want to invite drama. I think that's evident in both pairs. The guys are nearly 40 when they get together, and while Kaycee/Casey is approaching 30, she is mature and more in tune with herself than many her age. Why invite bullshit is the motto.

But Ethan and Kaycee will have things too. When dealing with infertility, for one. Had I kept my pairing Ethan/Casey, I think we would have seen more personality clash issues. But with Kaycee, they're a little more in tune. But still, he lived alone for all of his adult life, adjusting to a partner. No matter how much he adores her, being around them is still an adjustment. When they disagree on work-related issues, there are times it spills over into the home until they learn how to better manage that. Kaycee has a tendency to put others before herself, sometimes to the point that she is harming herself, and Ethan does not cope with that well.

Jesus, how do my answers get so long. But you've inspired something - I'm going to ask you all - take a look at my next post. :)

Thanks, Nonny - I love when you guys make me think like this!

[fightingforcreativity]

Everyone Needs A Home

My contribution for the 2day of Rhodeyweek2020 @rhodeyappreciationweek Prompts included:

Roommate

Home

"Are you kidding me?"

Reltationship: pre-friendship Tony& Rhodey

Wordcount: 1013

Chapterwarning: Vile humans mention

Summary: Rhodey comes home from MIT for a bit. He loves home and he loves his momma. There is just this tiny problem with a kid at MIT.

AO3-Link: Everyone Needs A Home

It was good to be home again. Sure, the dorm wasn’t bad, and if you could overlook the noisy and nosey neighbors it was fine living there. Still, the dorms had nothing on home. Nothing on the noises his siblings tended to make when home themselves. Nothing on his momma’s cooking and baking and most definitely nothing on the weird non-private-privacy only experienced at home.

The welcome was warm, his mother hugging him, giving him embarrassing but still welcomed kisses on the cheek, and ushering him into the living room. His siblings weren’t home yet, and, judging by the smell of it, his mother was at the part of preparing their meal where she could afford to spend some time away.

“Rupert! How have you been? You look worn out. Are you eating enough?” she fretted over him. 

“I’m alright, Mom. Just busy, like always. Exams, term papers, the usual. I’m eating, stop fussing.” Rhodey knew his voice wasn’t even close to the annoyed huff he was aiming for, but he couldn’t help it. He loved his momma, and he was endlessly grateful to be home. To have a home, with a family who doted on him waiting there. Unlike the kid he met at school a while ago.

~

Roberta, ever perceptive, saw her oldest kid’s mood change and was intrigued. “What’s bothering you, hun?”

“Who says anything’s bothering me, Mom?” 

The woman just gave her son a stern, unrelenting look. She didn’t like dishonesty in her household, and had raised all her kids to know better than to try to lie or avoid answering questions. At least, she thought she had. ‘Maybe college isn’t doing him good in that regard.’ 

After a few minutes under Roberta’s stare, her oldest wilted. With a deep sigh, he slumped, leaning back into the couch and pursing his lips. 

“There’s this kid. He’s… I dunno, Mom. He’s a loner? At least I think he is. I’ve talked to him like three times now, and he’s fu- freaking smart, Momma. Like, genius smart. I don’t envy him. Everyone and their mother seems to want something from him. Like, I overheard one student claiming he’d got a lot of money from the kid just because he was nice to him? Then all the others decided to be nice to the kid for the same reason, and when he didn’t pay for something, like their books and this one time a girl wanted him to buy her a dress, they were awful to him.”

“Hm. Sounds like a harsh life. That young man must have a supportive family, to keep on living with that kind of attention.” The woman was surprised, and also dreaded the reason for the scoff her words invoked from Rupert.

“I doubt that, Mom.”

Roberta shifted from her seat and moved closer to her son, not invading his space but near enough to give comfort if needed. In a measured tone, she asked, “What do you mean by that, Rupert?”

“It’s just…” Her son groaned in frustration before he stood and paced in front of the coffee table. Roberta waited him out, not much caring about the food she should see to.

~

After a few loops, Rhodey stopped and turned towards his momma again. “Admittedly, I’ve only talked to him those three times, but he’s literally a kid, Mom. He’s 14. And, from what I’ve heard, his father is paying for anything the kid asks for, but he was all too glad to ship him off to boarding school and now MIT.”

He took a breath, waiting for her to interrupt. When nothing came, he continued.

“I mean, I was nice to him, polite, and then just as I was packing to come home he stormed into my dorm room. He took one look around, wrinkled his nose and told me I was moving in with him. ‘This isn’t a bedroom, it’s a cell,’ he said. I asked him where he was staying if my room was so bad and he said he’s got an apartment just off campus, like not five minutes walking distance.” 

He sank into the seat next to his mom, leaning his head on her shoulder. With another wary sigh he murmured, “That’s not normal, Momma. No kid that age is supposed to live alone, and he should definitely know better than  to invite almost complete strangers to live in his home.”

His mom was silent for a moment before she took his hand and squeezed it gently. “You care about him.”

It wasn’t a question. Rhodey was aware that he was protective of that squirt. To Rhodey, the kid was just a lost little lamb in a big sea of sharks and wolves and hunters. He gave her a small nod.

“Well, as far as I see it, there’s only one solution, hun.”

“Hm?”

“Tell him to move onto campus if he wants to live with you. Become his roommate.”

As soon as those words registered with the young adult he jerked away from his mom, gaping. “Are you kidding me?” 

“Think about it, Rupert. You want to keep an eye on him, I know you, hon. In order to do that, you need to show him that you don’t want anything out of the situation, so instead of moving into his place you have him move in with you. You get to prove you’re not just befriending him for his money, and if he accepts, you know he’s actually interested in being your friend, not just trying to get something from you. Not that it sounds like he’d behave like that.”

Rhodey spluttered at that. What was his momma thinking? 

With a gentle pat to his knee she stood. She walked towards the kitchen door only to turn once more. Her face was soft, her eyes understanding and she was smiling as she said, “Just think about it, hun. The kid’s probably not the only one who needs a friend.”

~

When Rhodey went back to MIT, the first thing he did was searching for the shrimp named Tony Stark.