#Maxwell get your niece a snack

[thekahootofeverything]

I have a lot of thoughts with Maxwell and Wendy as a dynamic duo because nine times out of ten I make that angsty kid despite that old man. Wendy is filled with heart crushing pains and confusions, all of these emotions can be easily pinned on the man who took her into a nightmare dimension. But in those few cases where I kinda envision them working together or having a closer familial bond, it’s so… fascinating. How thick is blood when your uncle is barely something or someone you truly know anymore?

[sfb123]

Uncle Drake and his Royal Valentine

Turns out I have one more Valentine’s Day fic in me. Instead of romantic Valentine stuff, I’m all about that cute little kid Valentine fluff, which means it’s time for our second installment of...

Book: The Royal Heir

Pairing: Uncle Drake x Eleanor (uncle/niece/friendship)

All characters belong to Pixelberry, except for Thomas (who is ever so briefly mentioned), he is my OC.

Rating: G

Warning:

Word Count: 1,679

Tags: Listed below. Let me know if you want to be added/removed.

Drake entered the palace and headed straight for the Great Room. Riley and Liam had a couple of meetings that were going to run late, so he agreed to pick up Eleanor from her lessons and watch her until they got back. He got there to find Thomas, Eleanor’s guard, standing watch at the door.

“Babysitting duty again, Walker?” Thomas extended his hand, shaking Drake’s.

“Yea, you know how it is. She almost done?”

“Should be wrapping up, I’ll go get her for you.” He entered the room, and returned shortly after with Eleanor in tow.

“Uncle Drake!” Eleanor ran straight for him at full speed. He caught her in his arms and lifted her up, placing a kiss on her cheek.

“Hey kiddo, how were your lessons?”

“They were good. I learned about manners today. Thank you for asking.” She smiled proudly.

Drake put her back down on the ground and took her hand in his. “Well look at that, already putting it into practice. Your parents are going to be very proud. I was going to hang out with you for a bit, until they’re done with their meetings, would that be ok with you?”

“Yay! Can we color?”

“I think we could make that happen.”

They got back to the Royal quarters, and after getting Eleanor changed and giving her a quick snack, Drake set them up on the coffee table with some paper and crayons.

“Hey, Uncle Drake?” Eleanor put down her crayon and looked up at him thoughtfully.

“Hey Eleanor.” He looked up and smiled.

“Will you be my Valentime?” She looked at him hopefully.

Drake was slightly taken aback by the question. “You want me to be your Valentine?” She grinned and nodded her head. “Why me? I figured you’d ask your dad.”

“No daddy and mommy are valentimes, I need one for me too. Please, Uncle Drake?”

“I would love nothing more, Princess Eleanor.” He reached across the table and lifted her tiny hand to his lips, causing her to giggle.

They continued on with their coloring a little longer, until Riley and Liam entered the room. As soon as she saw them, Eleanor dropped her crayon and ran to them. “Mommy, daddy! I missed you!”

“Aww, we missed you too baby girl. Did you have a good day?” Riley knelt down to her level and gave her a hug.

She nodded her head and smiled. “Uncle Drake is going to be my valentime!”

“He is? That’s wonderful, Princess!” Liam leaned down and hugged his daughter, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Why don’t you go wash up for dinner? We’re going to be eating soon.

“Ok daddy.” She went up to Drake and gave him a hug. “Bye Uncle Drake. Thank you.”

“Anytime kid.” Once Eleanor left the room, Drake turned to his friends. “You know, if you guys wanted time to watch her for Valentine’s Day, you could have just asked. You didn’t need this whole elaborate plot of asking me through the kid.” He chuckled.

“Drake, we didn’t do that. She asked you that completely on her own.” Liam held up his hands, shaking his head.

“Yea, sure.”

“No, really.” Riley interjected. “We weren’t even going to ask you to watch her, we were going to have her go to Ramsford, Maxwell is going to be watching Bartie for Bertrand and Savannah, we were going to set up a slumber party for them.”

Drake's eyes darted between Liam and Riley. “So you mean she asked because…”

“Because she genuinely wants to spend Valentine’s Day with her Uncle Drake.” Liam approached his best friend and clapped him on the back.

“Obviously you don’t have to take her, it’s last minute, we don’t want to mess up your weekend.” Riley said.

“No, really, it’s ok. I’m just kind of surprised, wasn’t expecting that.”

“I’m not, she loves you Drake, she’s always telling us stories about your adventures.” Riley said as she walked into the kitchen to get dinner together.

Drake blushed, he loved spending time with Eleanor too. He always made sure to balance out all of her courtly lessons with real kid stuff so that she was able to have the most normal childhood possible. He knew she had fun when they were together, but he always just assumed Maxwell was the favorite uncle, because he was so loud and crazy. That’s the kind of stuff kids were all about, right?

“Drake, would you like to stay and join us for dinner?” Liam asked, taking Drake out of his thoughts.

“No, that’s alright. I’ve got a big date this weekend, I’ve gotta go get ready.” He smiled as he shook Liam’s hand and gave Riley a hug before heading out the door and back to his cabin.

A few days later, Riley was with Eleanor in her room getting her ready for her evening with Drake. She put her in a red dress with matching shoes. Riley had also put together a small overnight bag with the essentials that Eleanor would need until she returned to the palace the next day. They heard the front door open and Riley smiled at her daughter. “I think your Valentine just got here, Eleanor.”

“Yay! Valentime!”

Riley took Eleanor’s hand and they walked out to the living room where Drake and Liam were sitting on the couch talking. Riley cleared her throat to get their attention. They both stood and turned around, smiling wildly at the sight of the Princess and her excitement for the evening.

“Eleanor, you look stunning. Just like your mother.” Liam bowed, looking up just in time to catch the blush in his wife’s cheeks. He winked at her and smiled.

Drake approached the girls and bowed in front of Eleanor. As he rose, he took her hand and kissed the back of it. “Princess Eleanor, you look beautiful tonight. Here, these are for you.” He pulled a small bouquet of daisies from behind his back and handed them to her.

“For me?” Eleanor asked excitedly, bringing the flowers to her face and smelling them, just like her mother did every time her father would bring flowers home.

“Of course. It’s the rule, you have to get flowers for your Valentine.”

“Eleanor, what do you say?” Riley placed her hand on Eleanor’s back to get her attention.

“Thank you, Uncle Drake!” She smiled and hugged him.

“Good girl. I’ll take these and get them in some water. They’ll be in your room when you get home tomorrow.” Riley took the flowers from Eleanor. “Don’t you have something for your Uncle Drake?”

Eleanor nodded and walked over to the end table by the couch, picking up a red piece of paper. She walked over to Drake and handed it to him. “Here Uncle Drake, happy Valentime’s Day!”

Drake examined the picture, it appeared to be two people among a bunch of squiggly lines. “This is beautiful Eleanor. Is that me and you?”

“Mhm, we’re playing in the garden at Valoria.”

“That’s Valtoria, Eleanor.” Liam interrupted her.

“Daddy, that’s what I said!” She turned around and gave her father a stern face, causing him to chuckle.

“It’s beautiful Eleanor. Thank you so much. Will you help me find a good place to hang it up when we get to my cabin?”

“Sure!”

“Great! Well, we should be heading out. We have a busy night planned.” Drake and Eleanor said their goodbyes to Riley and Liam. Before they walked out the door, Drake extended his hand to Eleanor. “M’lady.” Eleanor put her hand in his, and they walked out the door together.

Once they arrived at Drake’s cabin, he brought her overnight bag to the guest room, and they found a perfect spot right in the center of the refrigerator to display his new artwork. “Alright kiddo, I’m starving. You want to have dinner?”

“Yes please, what are we having?”

“I was thinking we could make a pizza.”

Eleanor got a confused look on her face. “How do you make pizza, Uncle Drake?”

“Come on into the kitchen and I’ll show you.”

They went into the kitchen and made a pizza. Eleanor loved sprinkling on the cheese and getting to artistically placing the toppings on the saucy disc. They cleaned up the kitchen while they waited for it to cook, and once it was finished, they sat at the kitchen table together and enjoyed the fruits of their labor.

“What now, Uncle Drake?”

“I was thinking about setting up the projector by the fire pit so we could have s’mores and a movie. Does that sound like fun?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What movie?”

He laughed to himself, what movie was she expecting that would cause her to give him the dirty look he’d seen from Riley countless times? “I mean, I was thinking The Little Mermaid, but if you don’t want to watch that, I guess we could pick something else.”

“No! I love Little Mermaid, she’s my favorite!” She grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the yard.

“Whoa whoa, slow down there killer. I’ve gotta get everything and set up. Why don’t you go wait for me by the fire pit. I’ll be right there.”

She nodded and ran to the backyard. Drake gathered everything he needed, and started setting things up in the backyard as Eleanor watched. Drake had her set up the s’mores supplies on the table. Once everything was ready, he lit the fire and started the movie. They sat watching and eating. Eleanor animatedly explained the movie to Drake, and sang along to all of the songs.

As the movie came to a close, Drake looked over to Eleanor and saw her yawning. “Alright, I think it’s bedtime. There’s not much more fun that can be had tonight. Did you have a good Valentine’s Day, Eleanor?”

“Yes Uncle Drake. Thank you. Happy Valentime’s Day.” She said groggily.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, kiddo.” He lifted her out of her seat and walked her to the guest room to get her changed and into bed.

Tags: @txemrn​ @texaskitten30​ @kingliam2019​ @anjanettexcordonia​ @twinkleallnight​ @mile9213​ @kittypryde-bipride​ @motorcitymademadame​ @kat-tia801​ @bebepac​ @gkittylove99​ @khoicesbyk​ @jessiembruno​ @queenrileyrose​ @athena-penrose​ @pixie88​ @eadanga​ @choicesficwriterscreations​ @iaminlovewithtrr​ @hopelessromanticmonie​ @annarenee355​ @burnsoslow​ @shewillreadyou​ @imturaxamara​ @gabesmommie1130​​ @cordoniaqueensworld​​ @marshmallowsaremyfavorite​

[loveisblindfanfictionbka]

Love Is Blind: Chapter Eighteen

Robyn frowned as she held her dress up to her body. She sighed as she let her hand drop to her side and she stared at herself in the mirror. Chris didn’t give her any clothing requirements but she didn’t want him to waste all his energy for her to come out in sweatpants and a t-shirt, even though that’s really all she feels comfortable in. She tossed the dress on the bed, grabbed a pair of black joggers, a fitted black t-shirt and a pair of black flats. She pulled on a black/white printed cardigan and left out of her bedroom. 

Chris stood up from the couch and smiled at her, “Hey Babe.”

“Hey, you ready to go?”

“Yea. I was thinking we could watch a movie then get dinner, if that’s ok with you?”

“Works for me.”

“You don’t sound too enthusiastic.”

“I’m trying to get used to this again, like you suggested.”

“As long as you’re trying. Anything you need to bring along?”

“Nope. I pumped for the night so I’m good in that aspect.”

“You feeling ok?”

“I’m fine. Let’s go.”

Chris moved towards the front door and opened it for her, “you look pretty, Babe.”

“Chris, you really don’t have to do that.”

“Do what?”

“Compliment me when it’s not true. I look very regular and you know it.”

“Looking regular doesn’t mean you don’t look pretty. You really don't have to second guess everything I say or do. I don’t see you the way you think I do.”

Robyn opened her mouth to say something but just shook her head instead, “Ok.”

Chris frowned as she walked out the door and over to the car. Anesa and Christian were with Leandra and Maxwell while they went out but Chris was partly regretting his decision. Was he pushing her too hard to get back to normal? On the other hand, if he didn’t push her at all, she’d never leave the house again; Robyn was stubborn that way.

The ride to the movie theater was awkwardly quiet. Chris kept glancing over at Robyn through his peripheral vision and she looked distracted.

“Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” she replied without looking at him, “what movie are we going to see?”

“It’s a few comedies playing, I figured you’d could pick whatever interested you when we got there.”

“Oh. That’s cool.”

They both fell silent again and Chris sighed as he stopped at a red light. Being home with the baby didn’t give them as much time together as he had anticipated so they had never really been able to talk as much as before. Christian and Anesa required all of their attention and when they weren’t around, Robyn just kind of mopes around the house or is asleep. As the light turned green, he turned into the complex that housed the movie theater and a bunch of stores and restaurants. Pulling into an empty parking space in a lit but sparsely filled section, he turned off the car, “do you hate me?”

Robyn’s brow arched as she turned to face him, “hate you for what?”

“Anything.”

“No. Why would I?”

“I don’t know but it feels like I’m being punished for something and I can’t figure out what it is.”

“The world doesn’t revolve around you, you know. Everybody isn’t out to get Christopher for something.”

“I’m not talking about everybody. I’m talking about you. You’re either giving me attitude, ignoring me, or second-guessing everything I say to you. I know the world doesn’t revolve around me but when I’m the one catching the tail end of whatever you’re feeling, I’m allowed to question if there is a problem. We were good when we left the hospital but now I’m confused.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you because it’s honestly not even crossed my mind to be mean to you. Definitely not my intention.”

“It’s that right there. The tone. The look of “I don’t give a fuck” on your face.”

“I am apologizing.”

“And rolling your eyes as you are doing it. Kind of defeats the purpose.”

“You’re being really sensitive, Christopher.”

“Sensitive? Wow.”

“Yes, sensitive. I’ve barely said two words to you since I’ve been home from the hospital. Where would I even find the energy to be mean to you?”

“Well you found the energy tonight.”

“You started this.”

“I am trying to figure out what is wrong with you. I’m catching hell and I don’t know why. I try to stay out of your way, I try to make sure you are on track with the doctor, I help with both our children. I want to fix this. I want to change whatever I’m apparently doing that is pissing you off.”

“You are doing nothing to piss me off except insisting that I’m pissed off. Can I not have no feelings right now? Can I not just chill and go through my motions without you wanting to Dr. Phil me.”

“When it’s affecting me, no.”

Robyn threw her hands up and groaned, “you know what, I don’t even care. I don’t have the energy to care right now, I used it all just getting out of the house. Can we go do what we came to do or are we going home?”

“Neither.”

“Chris, for once, listen to me when I say this is not the time to push me. Let me have my moments, I can go back to my apartment, if you can’t handle it but I am not in the space to be pushed or challenged. I am out because I know I need to be, I am doing the best that my emotions will allow me to do. I don’t have anything else to give you.”

“Except anger.”

“I will get out of this car, call a cab and take my ass back to the house. I’m here because you wanted me to be but I can go where I would really rather be if this is how this night is going to be conducted.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

Chris started the car and drove to a parking space in front of the theater. He turned off the ignition and climbed out to open the passenger door. Robyn was already standing by the closed door, “no need to be formal. It’s not that big of a deal.”

Chris just shook his head as they started walking to the theater. Robyn stared at the movie titles before selecting one and Chris paid for the two tickets. He paid for their concession stand snacks before they left to the appropriate screening room. He sat in the corner seat while Robyn sat in another seat on the same row, leaving an empty chair between them. He scoffed then turned his attention to the screen, feigning interest in the previews.

                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Chris parked the car in front of the house, he climbed out before Robyn could even take off her seatbelt. She watched as he went up the stairs and opened the front door then turned on the living room light. She didn’t want to go into the house because she just knew he was going to want to talk to her again. She grabbed her phone and dialed Leandra’s number. It rang for a few moments before a voice picked, “hello?”

“Le, hey, are the kids asleep yet?”

“No. Why? What’s up?”

“You mind if I come pick them up?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be on a date with your boyfriend?”

“We went to the movies and had dinner already. I miss my babies.”

“Not buying it. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I want to get my babies, why is that a bad thing?”

“Because you want to get them to avoid being alone with your boyfriend and I will not be your co-conspirator. It’s your first night out in a long time and clearly something has happened. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“It’s something.”

“He’s just being- I don’t want to talk to him.”

“So don’t. Don’t start using your babies as emotional shields. You don’t want to talk to him, be a grown woman and tell him that.”

“Then he’s gonna ask me why.”

“And you don’t have to explain why especially if you don’t want to talk to him. I don’t need to tell you how to handle this. You act like y’all haven’t been in the same house all this time. How do you normally go through this?”

“We don’t normally go through anything. I’m either taking care of the babies or sleep.”

“And where’s Chris?”

“Helping.”

“And you don’t talk to him during that time?”

“No.”

“How long have y’all not been talking?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t even notice until he said something before we went to the movies.”

“And what did you say?”

“I apologized.”

“How did you apologize?”

“Leandra.”

“You were a bitch to him, weren’t you?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“Play that game with someone else. Robyn, what did you say to that man?”

“I apologized but I guess I said with an attitude. I don’t know. I don’t care. I just don’t want to talk about it and I know once I go in this house, he is.”

“Which is a mature way of handling the situation. The longer you don’t talk about it, the worst is it gonna get.”

“Eh, I don’t think so.”

“When’d you get so scary? All this time you’ve been praising him for being upfront and communicating with you and now it’s a problem.”

“It’s not a problem I feel like dealing with right now.”

“Again, tell him that.”

“Ugh….”

“You are on the phone stalling because you’re hoping he isn’t sitting there waiting for you to come in so you can talk. You did this back when you were in high school and you are too damn old to be doing it now. You don’t want to talk about this with him right now, tell him that. You want time to get your mind together, tell him that. Don’t drive this man away or make him feel like he’s crazy just because you have something going on. If there’s an issue, fix it.”

“Leandra.”

“I am not arguing with you about this and no, you cannot come and get my niece and nephew just so you don’t have to deal with your adult problems. They are enjoying themselves and deserve time with their family so their parents can act like fucking adults. Go talk to your man, Robyn Rihanna Fenty Brown.”

Leandra hung up. Robyn closed her eyes and leaned her head against the headrest. Just then she got a text message: You can come in the house, I am not waiting up to talk. I am not going to push the conversation or make you talk to me so you don’t have to sit in the car waiting for me to fall asleep. You want your space, I am giving it to you.

Robyn waited a few more minutes before she grabbed the keys out of the ignition and went into the house. Chris was on the couch, watching TV. She locked the door behind her and dropped the keys on the console by the wall. Without looking at her, he spoke, “the room is all yours.”

“You’re sleeping out here?”

“Would it really matter to you if I was?”

“This isn’t what I wanted this night to turn into.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t but we can’t all get what we want. Sleep well.”

“Chr- Goodnight.”

Robyn left to the bedroom and closed the door.

Chris sighed as he turned off the TV and pressed his head into the back of the couch. This wasn’t supposed to be this hard. At all.

                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey Baby Boy,” Chris cooed softly as he grabbed Christian out of his crib. The infant gave him a small yawn as his eyes fluttered open, “too early for you, I know but we gotta get you changed and fed so we can go out for the day.”

Christian simply blinked and Chris chuckled as he went into his bathroom. Settling Christian on his knee, he carefully turned on the tub faucet to fill up the baby bath. As the warming water filled the tub, he dropped a few drops of baby wash and swirled it around a bit to foam. Taking off Christian’s onesie and diaper, he sat him in the small tub then turned off the faucet. The baby stared up at him as Chris carefully washed his arms then legs. He giggled as Chris ran the cloth over his belly and Chris bent down to kiss his forehead.

“I’m glad you and your sister aren’t taking on any of my and your mommy’s energy. Just smiling and happy as can be. We always want it to be that way,” he murmured as he grabbed a cup to pour some water over Christian’s hair. Setting the washcloth aside, he poured a little shampoo into his hand and rubbed it into the baby’s curls before carefully washing it away. Soon Christian was rinsed, dried and dressed in a fresh diaper and laying on Chris’s chest as he sat in the lounge chair in the corner of the nursery. 

Things in the house were strained. The tension was so tangible, it could probably be cut with a knife. Chris agreed not to push but he couldn’t help but feel like he was going to hit his breaking point with Robyn. She was there, physically. She was all in with the babies as was he but mentally, they weren’t in the same book, let alone on the same page. Finding her lying in blood, watching them bring her back to consciousness just so they could have their baby, shook him in a manner he had not expected. For the jubilation of her survival to turn into this tension filled house shook him in a different way. When he allowed himself, in the past, to dream of having her in his life again, this wasn’t what he imagined. They were supposed to rehash the past, move on and start over fresh but this isn’t what starting over was supposed to look like. Maybe Robyn had the right idea about them taking on too many things at one time but the idea of her having his baby still held more weight than their fears. To get what they never had the chance to have before was important and what was to say they couldn’t build on this progression. He wasn’t sure if it was postpartum or if Robyn just really didn’t like him anymore but he wasn’t feeling good about their situation. 

Robyn felt this heavy weight on her legs and frowned as she willed her eyes open. The frown turned into a smile as she saw Anesa sitting on her legs staring at her, “Hey Pretty Girl.”

“Hi Mommy, are you gonna get up soon?”

“Are we supposed to be going somewhere?”

“Daddy’s taking us to the aquarium, I thought you were coming too.”

“Oh Sweetie, Mommy’s taking it really slow after her hospital visit, I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to be at the aquarium all day.”

“Oh. Did they say when you can play again?”

“I can play, it’s just painful to do things for a long time, that’s all. My body is still healing from the baby.”

“Oh, want me to stay home with you?”

“I don’t want you to stop your fun time because of me.”

“Do you not like us anymore?”

“What? Anesa, why would you think something like that?”

“You always stay by yourself.”

Robyn sat up then held out her arms for Anesa to fold into them, “Anesa, Love, I love you and your brother. Me spending time at home a lot has never had anything to do with not wanting to be around you guys. Recovery can take a long time after you have a baby and the fact I had surgery can make it take even longer. There’s nothing I love more than being with my babies, nothing will ever change that. Am I not up with you every morning? Do we not watch Tv and movies together? Don’t we play board games and things?”

“Yes but it’s not like before. Before it was all of us, now you and Daddy aren’t friends anymore.”

“Anesa, me and your Daddy will always be friends and we’re even more than that now. Whatever is going on between us will never have a bearing on how I treat you. I’m sorry if you feel like I haven’t been there for you and Mommy will absolutely try her best to be better but you also have to understand that I can only do as much as my body can physically handle. So long trips aren’t the best thing for my health right now but I’m getting stronger every day and I’m moving more and things will be back to normal in no time.”

“You promise?”

“I promise, Nesa Boo.”

Anesa smiled and gave her a kiss, “Sorry if I hurt your feelings, Mommy.”

“You didn’t. If you feel some kind of way, I’m always here to listen and do what I can to make you feel better, ok?”

“OK.”

Robyn felt another presence in the room and her suspicion was confirmed when she saw Anesa smile.

“Hi Daddy,” Anesa said, “you coming to wake up Mommy? I already did it.”

Chris chuckled, “I see but I was actually coming to get you. Are you ready to go?”

“Can I stay home with Mommy?”

“Anesa, I told you that you don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine,” Robyn interjected, “this is your day to have fun with Daddy.”

“I know but if you can’t come, I can wait.”

“Sweetie, don’t do that. We can always go together on another day. You had plans, don’t cancel them for me.”

“But I want you to come.”

“I know but I can’t walk around all that time.”

“But-”

“Anesa, why don’t you go get your shoes and stuff while I talk to your mommy, ok?” Chris interjected.

“Ok. Mommy, I’ll be back.”

“I’ll be here, Love.”

Anesa left and Chris sat down on the side of the bed, “why didn’t you tell me she asked you to come?”

“Because she didn’t ask. I think she just assumed it was supposed to be an everybody trip. And I didn’t even know that until she woke me up this morning. Why you coming at me sideways?”

“I’m not.”

“You are. I told her to not change her mind about going just because I wasn’t going. Trust me, I am not trying to ruin your day.”

“That wasn’t what I was thinking.”

“Sure.”

“If I get your wheelchair, will you come with us? She’s not gonna go if you stay.”

“I don't need you making any concessions on my behalf, Chris.”

“This is about our daughter, not you.”

Robyn’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Chris but something softened them as he stared back at her, “what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just want to have a good day today and Anesa is not going to if her mother doesn’t hang out with us. I don't want to fight with you.”

“We’ve never fought.”

“I don’t know if that’s better or worse,” Chris murmured as he stood up, “I’ll prepare the chair and everything. It’ll be a walk about the aquarium, possibly the botanical gardens and then I’ll bring you back to rest and maybe take the kids to the park or something to give you some space.”

“Guess I should get dressed then.”

“Let me know if you need anything.”

Chris left.

[nazariolahela]

Something Domestic: Chapter 10

A/N: Hey y'all! This story is told in first-person narrative, from Riley’s (MC) POV. There will likely be smidges of canon in this, but not too much. Thanks for reading, and please leave feedback, and/or if you would like to be tagged.

NOTE: This chapter contains adult themes. Reader discretion is advised.

Catch up here

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Synopsis: When Riley Brooks takes a new job as a nanny for the affluent Rhys family in New York’s Upper East Side, she assumes she’s just going to care for the children of the couple who hired her. But instead of just school pick-ups and afternoon snacks, she also finds herself spending time with Liam, the handsome divorced dad. Can Riley control her feelings for Liam while still performing the job she was hired for?

All characters are the property of Pixelberry Studios. Thanks for allowing me to borrow them.

Chapter Summary: Things between Riley and Liam get hot and heavy after a tense standoff.

“That dinner was amazing. I don’t think I can eat another bite,” Hana exclaims as she pushes her plate away. Meanwhile, I scowl down at mine, picking at the entree with my fork. I’ve barely touched my food, too upset to eat. Why was Liam kissing Madeleine? Maybe I saw that wrong. Nope, pretty sure that was a kiss on the cheek. And the look on his face was pretty affectionate. I need to find a way to get him alone and figure out what the fuck is going on. Busboys come around to our table to collect dirty dishes. I drain the remainder of my wine and motion to the waiter for another.

The waiter sets another glass of wine in front of me and I immediately chug it. Hana frowns. “Are you okay, Riley? You should probably slow down. And definitely eat something.” I pick up my fork and violently stab several pieces of broccoli and carrots with it. I shove the vegetables in my mouth and set the fork down.

Dr. Ethan Ramsey takes the podium and begins his speech. He talks about his patients at Edenbrook Hospital and the rookie interns he’s mentored throughout the years. He also speaks about kids who have gone on to become successful physicians at his hospital because of the opportunities granted to them from this scholarship program. All eyes in the room are on him, except for two. I glance to my left and see Liam staring at me from across the room. I look from him to Madeleine, and back to him. Anger burns in my eyes. He gives me a confused look.

After Dr. Ramsey wraps up his speech, I get up from my seat and move to the bar to order another glass of wine. I lean up against the bar and survey the room. Most of the people here are networking. I see Hana talking to an older gentleman before they exchange business cards. I chug my wine and signal for another one when out of the corner of my eye, a tall, blonde man sidles up to the bar and takes the seat next to me.

”So, this is the amazing nanny.” I look to my left to see the man Maxwell pointed out earlier as Liam’s brother perched on a barstool. ”I have to say, my brother has excellent taste,” he says, looking me up and down. Up close, I can definitely see the similarities between the two of them. He has wavy blonde hair and the same piercing blue eyes as his younger brother. The lines around his eyes definitely give away his age. His sharp jaw is covered in a light stubble and he flashes me a mouth of straight white teeth. I understand now why the tabloids (and the ladies) love this guy so much. If I wasn't so hung up on his brother, I could find myself interested in him.

”You must be the infamous older brother I've heard so much about. Riley Brooks. A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” I extend my hand to shake his, and he brings it to his lips, pressing a feather-light kiss to the back of it. My cheeks immediately flush. Obviously from the alcohol.

”Leo Rhys. Trust me, the pleasure’s all mine. It’s not every day a gorgeous woman falls into my lap.”

”Do wha…” before I can finish, he grabs my forearm and pulls me into his lap. I let out a yelp as he wraps his arms around my waist. ”Mr. Rhys. I see your reputation speaks for itself.”

He chuckles and signals to the bartender. She pours three fingers of scotch and slides the tumbler toward him with a wink. He grabs the glass and brings it to his lips, grinning seductively. ”If you really want to know about my reputation, I can show you.”

I look over Leo’s shoulder to see Liam staring at us from across the room, his expression unreadable. Oh, this is going to be fun.

I hide my blush behind my wine glass. ”Mr. Rhys. Are you coming on to me?”

He leans in closer to whisper in my ear and I inhale his scent. His cologne is intoxicating. He slides his hand down my back, coming to rest just above my ass. ”That is an amazing dress, Miss Brooks. Is this what you wear when you watch my niece and nephew? Cause if so, Uncle Leo needs to come and visit more. We could get to know each other over naptime.”

Whoa! This took a turn.

”Mr. Rhys…”

”Call me Leo.”

I clear my throat. “It seems the tabloids were right about you, Leo. I had heard you were a bit of a flirt.”

He laughs and squeezes my ass. “Sugar, you have no idea.”

Okay. As fun as this is, we’re getting a little out of control. ”Leo, I'm flattered, but I take my job seriously. And as much as I’d like to learn more about your ‘reputation,’ I have my eye on someone else.”

He grins. ”Don’t worry. I’m well aware. My brother wouldn't appreciate me trying to steal his girl. Nor would he like it if I banged his kids’ nanny. I'm simply trying to help you out. Don't think I haven’t seen the looks he’s been giving you from across the room. He might have everyone else in this room fooled, but he’s been eye-fucking you all night.”

I look past him and see Liam staring a hole through me. The intensity of his gaze sets my body on fire. His eyes move to Leo, then back to me. I raise an eyebrow at him, daring him to come over here and do something. He rises from his seat as if to head my way when Madeleine appears from behind and loops her arm in his, kissing his cheek.

“Excuse me. I need to get some air,” I say quietly — sliding off Leo’s lap — and make my exit. I spot Hana from across the room and she gives me a concerned look as I sneak out and make my way toward the front entrance of the hotel. I push open the door and the cool night air hits my face. I turn to the sky and let out an aggravated scream. People walking past me on the street shoot dirty looks as they pass. Deep breaths, Riley. Don’t let him ruin your evening. Is he doing all of this to test me? I keep thinking about what he said in the conference room. How his words sounded so sincere. Was it all bullshit? Was the whole court date story just a line to try and get into my pants?

I battle with my inner thoughts. Okay, so what if he is telling the truth? Does that mean that once the divorce is final, we can be together? What happens with my job? I’m pretty sure getting involved with him is a conflict of interest. Even though he’d technically be divorced, people would still frown upon the whole “sleeping with your nanny” thing. And what happens if we can’t make it work? I’ve only been with them for a few weeks, but I already care about Charlotte and Philip. They would be devastated. I lean against the side of the building, struggling to figure out how to handle this whole situation. The realization hits that I’ve been standing here for a while. What time is it anyway? I check the pockets of my dress for my phone and curse when I remember that I left it at the table. After taking a few more moments to calm myself, I head back inside. I’m greeted by the sight of Liam standing in the lobby. My mouth waters as my eyes rake up and down his body. His black suit fits like a glove and I find myself struggling to breathe.

“Where did you go?” he asks. I regain my composure and shoot him a glare before brushing past him. He catches my arm, stopping me. “Riley? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, Liam. You tell me?” He stares at me for a long moment, trying to figure out what I’m talking about. I roll my eyes and try to jerk out of his hold. His grip tightens. “What happened to ‘the divorce becomes final on Wednesday?’ It sure didn’t look that way when you were cozying up to your ex.”

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “It’s not what you think.”

“Yeah, whatever,” I reply and pull free from his grip.

He laughs sarcastically. “Yeah, well what about that little show you were putting on with my brother just now?”

“Just giving you a taste of your own medicine. Since that’s the game we seem to be playing tonight.” I attempt to walk away and he grabs me again, shoving me into the nearby coat check closet.

“Riley. Listen to me. It’s not like that at all. This whole evening is for show. It’s my last gift to Madeleine before the divorce is final.”

Tears prick my eyes. “Your last gift? You don’t owe her anything, Liam. She cheated on you. Or did you forget that?”

He sighs and puts his hand on my chin, tilting my face up. “You’re right. And no, I didn’t forget. But I agreed to ‘play nice’ with her tonight to keep up appearances with her friends and our colleagues. They don’t know about the divorce, and she doesn’t want to tell them until it’s done. She said if I went along with it, she wouldn’t give me any trouble with the custody hearing.”

“And you believe her?”

“I have to. I just want this whole thing to be over, so I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.” He leans in and presses his forehead against mine. “Please understand me when I tell you that you’re the only woman I want. Any love I had for her is gone, and the only thing I want from her is to go to this hearing, say there are no unresolved matters, and get out of my house.” He reaches out and touches my arm and my body tenses. He notices and pulls away. “Riley, please. It was an act.”

“Well, someone should give you an Oscar, because that was very convincing,” I snap.

His expression hardens and for the first time in weeks, I see a different side of Liam. Sure, I’m being stubborn, but I feel like it’s warranted after being strung along all this time. He gives me an almost unreadable look. “Is that what you think of me?” he barks.

“I’m starting to question everything I think about you.”  

He grabs my hand, pressing it to his crotch. His erection strains against his pants. “You feel this? This isn’t because of her. This is because of you. Every night, when I get myself off, it’s not to images of her. It’s to images of you.” He leans in brushes his lips against mine, whispering, “I don’t want her. I want you right here, right now, in this coat closet.” I look around the closet. It’s small, but there is just enough room for the two of us, even with all the expensive coats and jackets. The hunger in his eyes for me is carnal; it makes me physically shudder.

“Prove it,” I challenge.

He pushes me against a rack of coats, his face against mine, and pulls my skirt up. I wrap my arms around his neck and nibble on his earlobe. He grunts and slides his hands in my underwear, finding my wet clit. I swallow hard, letting my legs fall open at his touch. “You’re so wet for me. Your mouth says that you’re still mad, but your pussy says you’re all mine.” He slips one finger into me and I nearly explode on the spot.

He pulls his hands away and I gasp in disappointment. He smirks and drops to his knees, lifting my skirt and draping it over his head. “Lean back. Grab that closet rod and hold on tight.” He moves his mouth down my stomach before grabbing my underwear with his teeth and dragging them down my legs. Once I step out of them, he puts both hands on each of my legs and slowly drags them up toward the apex of my thighs, spreading my legs. I grip the closet rod, my knuckles turning white, as he rubs his nose along my clit. He lifts one of my legs and rests it on his shoulder. In one motion, he flicks his tongue against my clit and my knees buckle.

“Ohmygods, Liam,” I cry. I immediately slap one hand over my mouth. He laughs softly before giving me another long, luscious stroke. I allow a whimper to slip out, then bite down on my palm to keep from screaming. The last thing we need is for someone to hear us and come barging in. He pushes my dress off his head. “Do you want me to stop?”

“Don’t you dare!”

He grins and returns to massaging my clit with his tongue. He slips a finger inside me and begins fucking me with his hand, causing my body to tighten. It doesn’t take long before I’m gasping and shuddering, my orgasm powering through me. With one last kiss to my inner thigh, he crawls out from under my skirt and rises to his feet.

“Holy shit,” he says, pressing a kiss to my lips. I taste myself on him and it’s the hottest fucking thing ever. I reach down to undo his pants when he grabs my hands, stopping me. “Not tonight, sweetheart.”

“What do you mean? It’s my turn to take care of you.”

He shakes his head and kisses my forehead. “Another time. Tonight was for you.”

I nod and take a few moments to come down from my high. We straighten ourselves out and exit the coat closet, making sure no one saw us. He takes my hand in his and we make our way back down the hall towards the ballroom. When we reach the doors, he brings my hand to his lips and softly kisses the back of it.

“If I don’t talk to you again tonight, I’ll see you Monday morning, okay?”

I nod, avoiding eye contact. After what just happened in that coat closet, it’s going to be hard pretending we’re just associates. He grips my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to look into his eyes.

“Hey. I know what you’re thinking right now, but remember what I told you. We just have to get through these next few days.” He leans in and presses one last kiss to my lips. “You go ahead. I need to hit the men’s room before I go back in there.”

I smirk. “Behave yourself, Mr. Rhys.”

He groans and taps me on the ass before turning and making his way down the hall towards the bathroom. I chuckle and enter the ballroom, making a beeline for Hana.

“Riley? Are you okay? You ran out of here pretty quickly.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just needed some air. You ready to get out of here?”

She nods and heads over to our table to retrieve our things. We say our goodbyes and make our way out of the ballroom arm-in-arm. Before the doors close, I take one last look back and see Liam standing next to his brother. He shoots me a wink and my cheeks flush. As Hana and I make our way outside to wait for our ride, I feel a little better about our situation. We just have to get through these next few days. I repeat his words in my mind, willing myself to believe them.

[pug-bitch]

That’s not why I’m staying (4)

Messes, and a small fire

Book: The Royal Romance, Book 2

Pairing: Drake Walker x Amara Suarez

Rating: some foul language, some extremely suggestive, and a VERY steamy scene, right at the beginning (I guess I now start every chapter with some people getting it on :D). This is absolutely NOT appropriate for people under 18.

Word count: about 3,700 (Sorry for the absence of a Keep Reading option - I’m on mobile!)

Notes: This picks up where we left off, during Liv and Rashad’s date (pre-boeuf bourguignon), starting with Olivia’s POV. This chapter is slightly shorter than my usual ones, but I needed to have a shorter one to get myself back in the spirit of writing for pleasure. I’m sorry I’ve been MIA for a couple of weeks, my job is taking over, and writing is a big part of it, so opening a Word doc has been quite the scary experience. But I’m doing my best, and I intend to keep writing this series, because it makes me happy :) Thank you for sticking with me!!!

*****

Olivia’s lips find Rashad’s and capture them seamlessly. She feels him lean into her kiss, as he closes his eyes and lets out a quiet moan. Fuck, he’s sexy, she thinks. How had she never noticed before? Now she can’t get enough of him.

‘Fuck, Nevrakis,’ he sighs. ‘You’re so hot.’

She smirks and kisses him again, all the while unbuttoning his shirt. Rashad’s hands run down her spine, giving her chills as they do. They grab her ass firmly, and press her further against him. She can very clearly feel his hard cock under his pants. The mere thought of it makes her wet.

She can’t wait anymore. They had multiple makeout sessions, endless flirting, and a lukewarm sex session. She needs the real him, now, or else…

She grinds him more and more intensely, until they both can’t take it any longer. His right hand leaves her ass to find the spot under her dress, between her thighs, and he gently pulls her already wet panties onto the side. Breathlessly, she follows suit and unzips his pants, and quickly pulls down his boxers, finally freeing his big cock. He moans harder onto her kiss.

She can’t wait anymore. He teases her entrance with the tip of his cock, but she wants more, now.

Once he’s completely inside her, they both let out a low groan.

Finally, she thinks. That’s what she’s talking about.

*****

Liam can’t stop his eyelid from twitching. The collar of his white shirt is hurting his neck, suffocating him. He wishes he could just run away and never look back.

His encounter with Drake this afternoon did him a world of good. Finally someone listened to him, not in a fake way like Madeleine used to, when she was trying to seduce him with her pretend compassion.

He has his best friend back. They can count on each other again.

Madeleine is wearing a pre-bridal outfit — white everything. She looks so angelic, Liam himself has trouble believing that she really is a schemer, just from looking at her. But when he thinks back of their awkward, forced interactions… He shudders. No more thinking.

Leo pats him on the back. The two brothers smile at each other. They had a heart-to-heart earlier, and Leo perfectly understood that Liam can’t ask him to be best man, with the history that he and Madeleine share. It felt good to be supported, even by just two people.

Madeleine holds out her hand for Liam to take. Together, they walk onto the platform, surrounded by reporters and various representatives of the Cordonian press. King Constantine is already on the platform, and Liam can’t help but think that he hasn’t really seen his father in motion for a very, very long time. Can he even walk anymore? In any case, he’s good at concealing. If that’s what being a King means, well, Liam won’t be any good. He can feel the beads of sweat dangling over his brow.

His father gives him a curt nod. It’s time.

He clears his throat. ‘People of Cordonia. It is with great pleasure that I officially announce my engagement to Countess Madeleine of Fydelia.’ He turns to Madeleine and they offer each other their fakest smile. ‘We couldn’t be happier about the news, and we look forward to the upcoming festivities. In four days, this Friday, we will depart for our engagement tour, which will stop in Rome, then Paris, then London, finally culminating in a trip to New York City. With us, we will have the pleasure to welcome our wedding parties. Please, Lady Madeleine,’ he says as he turns to her.

She smiles and says, ‘My maid of honor will be Lady Kiara of Castelsarreillan. In my wedding party, I will be delighted to count my fellow former contestants Lady Penelope of Portavira, Duchess Olivia Nevrakis of Lythikos, Lady Hana Lee, and—‘ she pauses and Liam could swear she let a slight smirk show. ‘Lady Amara Suarez.’

The crowd lets out a slight gasp. Liam hurries with his list. ‘And my best man will be my longtime friend Drake Walker. In my wedding party, I am welcoming my brother, former Prince Leo, Duke Bertrand Beaumont of Ramsford, Lord Maxwell Beaumont of Ramsford, and Lord Rashad Domvallier.’ He takes a long breath. ‘Thank you, dear people of Cordonia, for your well wishes. We both wish you all the happiness we are experiencing ourselves, and to all a good night.’

*****

‘Well, I guess it’s official,’ Drake says as he turns off the TV. ‘We gotta do this thing.’

Hana nods as she takes a sip of her wine. ‘Yep. Just the thought of pretending to be helpful to that bitch is giving me hives.’

Drake has to chuckle at Hana’s swearing - he might never get used to it. ‘And I have to be Liam’s freaking best man. Which, like… it’s fine, of course I want to be there for him, but—‘ He trails off. Amara meets his eye.

‘You’re nervous about being in the spotlight,’ she finishes his sentence. He nods. She continues, rubbing Drake’s hand in support. ‘I know, me too, babe. But think about it. It’s for the best. We’ll be on the frontline, ready to pounce if Madeleine shows her hand in the slightest.’

Maxwell nods. ‘Exactly. We’ll be there for each other, too. Oh and, after these drinks, let’s all write our acknowledgements to Liam and Madeleine. That way, tomorrow, we can go to the cabin without a care in the world.’

Drake smiles earnestly. ‘I can’t wait. We all need it. You’ll see, Mike, it’s as calm as what we’ve seen of the coast today, but even more remote.’

Michael smiles excitedly. ‘I’m excited! I’ll take loads of pictures for Callie, she’s been asking about where we are. She’ll love that.’

Drake looks to Amara, who is smiling quietly, a sneaky tear in her eye. Without saying a word, Drake takes her hand again, and squeezes it. He knows how much she’s missed her niece. How badly she wants to be a part of her life again. Drake can’t help but imagine Amara’s family visiting Cordonia, coming to the cabin, having long dinners on the patio, overlooking nature… He may not have much of a family —it’s broken, it spans over two continents and three countries, it’s riddled with lies and unspoken things— but Amara makes him want to fix things. With her folks, with his… He wants their ducks to be in a row.

‘Guys,’ Maxwell whispers dramatically, ‘has anyone heard from Liv?’

This takes Amara out of her daydream, and she replies, ‘Oh, not at all. Let’s hope she’s too busy to text.’ She performs a theatrical wiggling of her eyebrows.

Hana joins in, ‘Maybe she’s just too tied up at the moment.’

Michael nods, a cheeky smile on his face, ‘Maybe she needs to remain on top of things.’

Maxwell, a proud look on his face, chimes in: ‘Maybe she can’t talk because her mouth is full.’

Everyone looks on in horror, until a collective roaring laughter takes over the silence.

‘Holy shit Max,’ Amara says, crying with laughter, ‘too far, honey!’

Michael wipes off a tear, ‘Jeez Maxwell, we were trying to be subtle over here!’

Maxwell shrugs. ‘I just wanted to be a part of it, guys.’

*****

‘Please Michael, go to bed,’ Maxwell waves him off. ‘You don’t need to do all this.’

Michael continues to carry plates from the living room to the sink. ‘No, I want to help! Drake cooked, Amara made the after-dinner drinks, I want to do my part.’ He pauses and makes a charming face at Maxwell. ‘Please.’

Max sighs. Why must they always meet like this, in the kitchen? All Maxwell has ever done in here is messes, and a small fire once —Bertrand still won’t let him use the oven—, but these days, he finds himself drawn to this space. This is where he puts plates together for his friends. Even though he can’t cook, he loves to entertain, and while he happily leaves the roasting and chopping to Drake, Maxwell loves preparing snacks and apéritif trays.

Not to mention the late-night cleanups. Which Michael always joins in on.

He chuckles and busies himself with the dishes. He told everyone else to go to bed, that he’s got it. Truth is, he was kinda hoping this would happen. People going upstairs to pack for tomorrow’s trip, and, if we’re being realistic, Drake and Amara probably going upstairs to get it on. Bertrand went to bed a while ago, as soon as he came home, and that leaves him here, now.

Dammit, he thinks. Why did the girls have to put these ideas in his head?

Well, once again, if we’re being honest, the ideas were already in there, but Maxwell was simply burying them under piles and piles of insecurity, laced with unwavering friendliness.

Maxwell had never been the one in charge before —no one trusts him with anything usually, see the kitchen fire anecdote—, but ever since Michael turned up, it had been Max’s pleasure to show him around, make sure he’s okay, and, most importantly, help him and Amara fix their relationship.

He knows Amara trusts him, and considers him like a brother, which is of course reciprocal. From the moment he told her about Savannah, and instead of judging him for keeping that secret from Drake, she helped him come clean, he’s known that she is a true friend.

So, if she herself is telling him that she sees something between him and Michael, could there be some truth to it?

‘Hey Max,’ Michael says softly, interrupting his incessant internal questions. ‘Is your brother ok?’

Maxwell smiles. ‘Yeah, Bertrand’s fine. He’s just stressed out. He found out that he’s part of the wedding party and needs to come on the Tour, and he’s like Drake in a way. He doesn’t like the spotlight.’

Michael nods. ‘I see. It’s crazy how different you guys are.’ He pauses. ‘I don’t mean that you love the spotlight or anything, but you’re just more...comfortable. In any situation. It’s really admirable, actually.’

Maxwell chuckles and turns back to his dishwashing so Michael can’t see that he’s blushing. ‘Oh, thanks, but it’s nothing, really.’ He bites his lip, annoyed at himself for not finding the right words. It used to be so effortless between them, why did the girls have to fill his head with stupid fantasies?

But Michael doesn’t seem to mind. He sits at the kitchen island and starts putting cookies back in their tins, slowly, one by one, as if he wanted to drag this moment for longer. ‘I’m serious,’ he adds. ‘It takes a lot of guts, and a lot of adaptability, to be able to navigate any social situation without too much anxiety.’

Maxwell turns around to grab another dirty dish. He meets Michael’s eye. ‘Well thank you, but I don’t think I navigate that well. Plus, I was born into it, I guess, so I have no merit. Amara, on the other hand…’

Michael laughs. ‘Yeah, Amara has always been good with people. She’s analytic, too, you know. She figures people out really quickly.’ He pauses and absentmindedly plays with a cookie. ‘Like with Drake. You said he was basically the broody type, right?’

Max smiles. ‘Yeah. Not much of a social butterfly, our Drake.’

Michael chuckles. ‘Right. But I don’t know, around her, he seems to light up. Around us too, actually, when I went on the tour with him this afternoon, he was all friendly and talkative.’

Max puts down the last dish and put the kettle on, without even thinking about it. ‘Yeah. He and I have known each other forever. His sister is one of my closest friends. But before Amara showed up, I don’t know, he didn’t really open up. His dad died ten years ago and he really closed off afterwards.’ Maxwell stops himself. Shit, he thinks. That was a really sensitive topic to tackle, why did he have to talk about death right now?

Michael gets up and sets up two teacups on the island. Maxwell joins him while the kettle does its thing. ‘Well, Amara had closed off, too, as you know,’ Michael responds. ‘Just punished herself. Became a different person. Look, it’s really simple, I hadn’t seen my Amara for two years. But the minute I came here and saw her with you guys, with Drake, I knew. She’s back.’

Maxwell smiles brightly. ‘That’s really beautiful. I like that idea —they found each other and allowed each other to be open again.’

‘Right. But not just the two of them. Amara loves you, and Hana, and Olivia, and Bertrand, too. This isn’t just about Drake and Amara’s love, although that’s the obvious part. It’s more than that, it’s a group effort. You all support each other in ways I didn’t know were possible for people who’ve only been friends for a few months. It’s quite beautiful.’

Maxwell lets the silence wrap them both up, until the aggressive sound of the kettle draws them from their rêverie.

*****

‘Guys, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!’ Drake yells out from the front door. He’s been ready to go for a while, but Amara is carefully reviewing her bags to make sure she didn’t forget anything. They woke up very early and had a nice breakfast all together—Hana made a frittata—, and now Drake is loading up his Jeep.

‘One second babe,’ Amara responds, ‘Maxwell and Hana are still upstairs.’

Bertrand comes out of his study, and unsnaps his reading glasses. ‘Well, Amara, I wish you a pleasant stay, and I shall see you on Thursday.’

Amara wonders how someone who is under 35 years old has reading glasses that snap in the front. And are tied by a string that goes around his neck. Even her dad wouldn’t wear that. ‘Bertrand,’ she says as she pats his shoulder, ‘are you sure you don’t want to come? We can take two cars, we’d love to have you come with us.’

He blushes. ‘No no, thank you very much for the invitation, Drake insisted too, but I shall get my affairs in order before the tour commences on Thursday. I didn’t expect to be a part of it, you see.’

Amara smiles. ‘If you’re sure. But please, if you change your mind, call us and join us, ok?’

He nods. ‘Will do. Enjoy yourself, please.’

She squeezes his shoulder and heads outside. ‘Drake, relax,’ she says as she rolls her eyes, ‘they’ll be right out.’ She smiles upon seeing Michael outside, already loading his duffle bag into Drake’s Jeep. ‘Well someone else is eager,’ she teases.

Michael smiles, his blue eyes sparkling. ‘I gotta say, this is super exciting. Living in the city doesn’t give you too many opportunities like this one.’ He hops into the backseat.

Amara throws her luggage in the back and settles into the front seat. ‘You know,’ she says to Michael, looking at him in the rearview mirror, ‘you don’t HAVE to live in the city. From what Dad tells me, you have plenty of offers in Philly, you could comfortably live in the suburbs.’

Michael’s smile falters a bit as he nods along. ‘Yeah. I know Callie would love to get closer to Grampie and Grammie. But--’ he interrupts himself and shakes his head. ‘I can’t bring myself to sell the apartment before I find a place that I can really feel at home in. That’s the only home Callie has ever known. I can’t uproot her unless I’m sure.’

Amara nods and stretches her hand towards the backseat, reaching Michael’s knee. ‘You’re right. Sorry. You know best, it’s not my place.’

He grabs her hand. ‘It’s ok. I know it sounds silly, but nothing has clicked yet. Jorge and I visited this beautiful townhouse in Bryn Mawr, which is perfect on paper. I don’t know, it just didn’t work for me, for some reason.’

‘Listen to yourself. To your gut,’ she says. ‘It’ll happen.’

‘Wooooo here we come!’ Maxwell yells out from the front door. ‘Hana, give me your bag!’

He throws both bags in the back and opens the door for Hana, who makes quick eye contact with Amara before saying ‘Oh Max, would you mind getting in the middle? If I’m not near a window I’m gonna get nauseous.’

Amara has to fight the urge to roll her eyes and giggle. Maxwell isn’t wrong --acting must be the one thing Hana sucks at.

‘Sure thing babe,’ Max responds. He gets in right next to Michael, who smiles at him softly.

‘Alright guys,’ Drake says excitedly. ‘Let’s gooooooo!’

*****

‘Father, is everything alright?’ Liam asks, his fingers still rattling the door to ask for permission to enter.

He is met with a faint sound, emanating from his father, who is lying down on his bed, eyes half closed.

He gets closer, his hands shaky. He’s never seen him like this. He knew he had gotten worse, he knew his cancer was terminal, but he didn’t know just how bad it was.

‘Father?’ he asks hesitantly.

‘Li--Liam, you shouldn’t be here, I asked for no one to disturb me today.’ He swallows, but it’s obvious that he’s in pain. ‘Please go.’

Liam gets closer to his father. He feels like crying, but he can’t. Firstly, because it would make his father feel badly. Secondly, because Constantine has never been one to encourage displays of emotion.

‘Father,’ he whispers without making eye contact. ‘Bastien sent for me. He said you told your nurse to leave, and that you refused to take your medicine. Leo and I are concerned. Tell me what happened.’

Constantine rolls his eyes and sits up with tremendous effort. ‘Liam, this is none of your business. If you must know, this medicine is not helping, my pain is unmanageable. Please keep this to yourself, we’re not here for a pity party. The monarchy is strong, don’t let anyone think otherwise.’ He looks his son up and down. ‘How are things with your betrothed?’

Liam feels a pang in his heart. That’s the only thing his father cares about, visibly, and he’s not about to make the situation worse by opening up. ‘Things are fine. I’m hesitant to go on the tour, though, and to leave you alone here.’

Constantine lets a rare smile show on his face. ‘Don’t stay here on my behalf. Go, do your duty. You will come back here after London and attend the Engagement Ball. I’ll be here.’ He nods decisively.

Liam lets out a long sigh. ‘Alright, Father, as you wish.’

*****

‘Welcome, everyone!’ Drake yells out with a smile, as he opens the front door.

Michael takes in the gorgeousness of the scenery, before grabbing his bag from the Jeep. He shouldn’t feel so relaxed and happy without his daughter around, right? But something feels right around here. No stress, obviously, since he has zero responsibilities, and loving, supportive people surrounding him.

A pang of guilt goes through his chest. He should call Callie. Ever since Sergio passed, it’s been the two of them, always together, getting each other through life. Of course, his parents and in-laws are awesome and always around, but at the end of the day, it’s the two of them, the Hansen-Suarezes.

Drake distributes the rooms. Amara stays with him in his original bedroom, Max and Hana share Drake’s younger sister’s, and Michael is allotted the master bedroom.

‘Make yourself at home, Mike,’ Drake says to him softly. ‘I’ll let you get situated, if you need anything, let me know.’

‘Thank you so much,’ Michael replies gratefully. ‘This is amazing. I’ll be down soon, I wanna check in with my daughter really quickly.’

Drake nods. ‘Of course. Amara and I will be downstairs preparing drinks and snacks.’

Michael puts his bag down and opens it. Most of the clothes inside are too formal, too lawyery, but he notices that Maxwell snuck a couple of outfits in there for him. A note is pinned to a pair of jeans.

They suit you better than they suit me. All yours! :)

Michael smiles warmly. Maxwell never ceases to be thoughtful. He’d have to remember to buy him something as a thank you. Drake could help him sneak out and pick something.

He picks up his phone and dials Jorge’s number. His father-in-law’s warm voice picks up.

‘Hi sweetheart. Is everything ok?’

‘Hi Jorge, I’m doing great, how are you?’

‘Great,’ he says, ‘we’re in the countryside at Drake’s cabin for a couple of days.’

‘Wonderful, dear, is Amara ok too?’

Michael smiles. ‘Doing great, Jorge. You can rest assured, she is very happy here.’

Jorge’s voice lights up. ‘That’s so good to hear.’ He pauses. ‘Callie, sweetie, it’s your daddy. Come chat with him for a bit.’

Michael feels himself regenerate as he talks to his daughter. The conversation is short, it basically revolves around how much she loved going to Dilworth Park with Grampie and Grammy, and how fun it was playing in the fountain. Michael hangs up with a light heart.

He was silly to feel like a bad dad, just because he felt relaxed without her. Ever since Callie was born, he has been a reliable and loving father, who managed to maintain as stable a life for Callie as he could, after Sergio’s death. He juggled all the grueling paperwork, the grief, and the parenting duties, making sure she had enough love, hugs, support, tenderness in her life.

If anyone was good at being a widower, it was Michael. It fucking ruined his life, but he handled it like a champ. Stable in the face of adversity. Always even, only letting his feelings overflow when it came to his sister-in-law, whose grief he could not handle too well.

He had been stable. But not happy.

Of course, Callie makes him happy. She’s the light of his life, and always will be.

But he’d been on autopilot.

Seeing Amara actually thrive as her life got ridiculous and out of control had been eye opening. Maybe he needed that, too. Just for a while.

*****

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[heartslogos]

newfragile yellows [142]

“Pets aren’t allowed in this building,” Bull says as Ellana struggles to hold three - four - squirming kittens in her arms. Bull then turns and yells down the hall, “Cool it, Rutherford, I’m no snitch. I can hear you about to have a panic attack an entire hallway off. No one actually cares enough to tell the landlord and the landlord doesn’t care enough to do shit about it. You and your ten dogs are fine.”

“But Bull, they’re babies,” Ellana whines. “Look at them. Babies.”

Ellana holds her arms up without dropping any kittens and Bull looks at them, nodding.

“Yup, baby cats,” Bull says, holding a hand out and catching one that slips out of her grip. The kitten meows very loudly at him, as if baffled and slightly upset at being caught. Bull puts the kitten on his shoulder. “Were you just going to hide four kittens in our apartment and hope I don’t notice?”

“Maybe,” Ellana mumbles. “I mean, you hide people and I pretend not to notice.”

“Ellana, that’s not hiding people, that’s sheltering criminals from the feds and entirely different,” Bull sighs fondly.

Ellana pouts up at him. It’s a powerful expression. The only one who can really say no to it is Cullen and that’s because he’s a very, very tired person with ten dogs.

“Do they have names?” Bull asks. Ellana beams at him and then quickly looks down at the kittens in her arms.

“That means you get to stay and I’m going to love you and play with your little toes and feed you and keep you clean and warm and safe and play with you and spoil you absolutely rotten unless he starts in on it first,” Ellana says to them. “And no, I do not have names for them yet. We’re going to need to get them checked out.”

Ellana yells down the hallway, “Cullen, what’s the name of your vet?”

“Do you just always yell down the hallway,” Bull glances towards the open doorway on the other side of the hall and about three apartments down.

Isabela is leaning against the doorframe, looking only slightly disheveled and hung over as she yawns trying to arrange the large mass of curly dark hair on her head into something not in her face.

“Do you all just treat the entire building like one open common room and yell about like this? Because I’m going to have to move to a different complex immediately if that’s the case and that’s a shame because I just finished getting comfortable here.”

“I can’t believe Varric didn’t warn you about us,” Bull says as Ellana goes down the hall to Cullen’s apartment to pound on the door, demanding for the contact information for Cullen’s vet.

��He probably did, but I most likely wasn’t listening,” Isabela says and then waves a hand at them, “I think the most I remember hearing was that all of you are nerds.”

“Says the woman who LARPS during her free time,” Bull retorts.

“Never said I wasn’t,” Isabela shrugs and then grins at him, “I figured out a new way to make extremely realistic fake body parts for mock battles. You want to see some of my tests?”

“Are they dicks?”

“Of course.”

“Cool, she’s going to be at Rutherford’s for a while. She’s got to say hi to every dog. I’ve got about half an hour. Show me the fake dicks.”

-

“Someone new moved in across the hall,” Dorian says to Ellana as she navigates their living room towards the kitchen without once looking up from her phone. Ellana is madly tapping at the phone with her thumbs, tilting her body this way and that.

“Uh huh,” She says and Dorian quickly reaches a leg out and snags a chair out of her way before she runs into it. She meanders, like a very drunk bee, to the kitchen and leans against the counter.

“Were you here for something?”

“Water me,” She says and then opens her mouth.

Dorian rolls his eyes and carefully sets down the plastic robot parts he was assembling onto the black towel he’s laid out on the kitchen counter so he can see them better.

“I’m not going to stick a water bottle into your mouth and hold it for you,” Dorian says. He does go get her a glass of water though.

“Bummer,” Ellana sighs. “Also, I just failed this level. Again. Do you think I could get Malika to do it for me?”

“Malika as in Edric’s niece who visits him on weekends?”

“Yeah, she’s really good at mobile phone games,” Ellana says.

“You could get her to do it by offering to grind her mage to max cap,” Dorian guesses, “I still don’t know why she picked mage.”

“She just needs to figure out a good mage build that isn’t a glass canon, Dorian. It’s not that hard. I do it all the time.”

“Not everyone can successfully pull of a hybrid build, Ellana. And are you listening to me? Someone moved in across the hall.”

“They took Maxwell’s apartment?” Ellana blinks, putting her phone down as she goes to rummage for snacks in the pantry. “I still think it’s weird that Maxwell has a house now.”

“He’s got all of one chair in it, it’s not that impressive,” Dorian rolls his eyes. “And yes, Maxwell’s apartment now has a person in it. I think you’ll like him.”

“How so?”

“Well. He looks interesting.”

Ellana squints her eyes at him. It’s only partially because she’s been staring at a screen for most of the morning.

“That sounds more like a reason for you to like him.”

“Not my type of interesting. Well - alright, a little my type of interesting. But mostly mysterious type of interesting, which is your favorite,” Dorian says. “And I saw some of the stuff he was moving in with.”

“Snoop.” Ellana shakes her head fondly as she rips open a bag of almonds, raising it and inhaling a good mouthful straight from the bag. Dorian can hear her crunching from the other side of the kitchen.

“Well informed,” Dorian corrects once he’s pretty sure she can hear him over the sound of her own teeth. “I saw one of his boxes. Computer parts. I think he makes his own rig.”

Ellana stops chewing, eyes widening.

Dorian immediately dashes for the door at the same time Ellana does. Dorian crashes against the door and holds it closed even as Ellana tries to pull it open.

“You cannot,” Dorian says, “I repeat, you cannot go and accost our new neighbor by asking him to help you build a custom rig. He hasn’t even been in the building for three hours.”

“You can’t just tell me he’s building a rig and not expect me to go over there and look,” Ellana says after she gets through her mouthful of almonds. “Dorian that’s like telling Cullen that there’s a stray dog outside and it has no chip or collar. He’s going to adopt it.”

“Please, at least wait twenty four hours,” Dorian says. “Bring a welcome present. Like a civilized adult. Maker, I should have just told you he looked like a jock.”

“Maxwell’s kind of jock?”

“You know how Cullen tangentially knows this really terrifying woman he used to work with and went to boarding school with? And how that woman will occasionally stop by because she also knows Leliana on the fourth floor? And how that woman will very, very rarely be accompanied by a very imposing and tall sour faced man?”

“Yeah?”

“I want you to imagine that sour faced man being cloned. And then this guy across the hall eats both those clones and each clone is one bicep.”

Ellana’s mouth drops open.

“He’s jacked is what I’m saying,” Dorian says, “Yoked. Cut. Ripped. However the kids these days say it. His head is disproportionate compared to his muscle mass.”

“That is definitely your type of interesting and if you had lead with that I would have had approximately twenty percent less interest than I have right now,” Ellana concedes. “But instead you chose to lead with the fact that he might have a custom gaming rig and you really can’t take that knowledge back, Dorian. You just can’t.”