#found a thing of cheerios in my cupboard

[digitalcactusblog]

I feel like i've been living some sort of fucked up survival horror where you have to manage your food bar, except your food bar will randomize its value every 5 minutes, and if it's too low you enter a 'sonic drowning in water'-style emergency timer, where if you don't refill the bar in time, you'll have a heart attack and die

[abroadlifeactually]

The Soft Life or Slightly Cushioned?

I find myself contemplating what the “soft life” really means? During a conversation with one of my good friends from back home she said “girl, just embrace the soft life”. I was stunned for a minute, because nothing about my life at the moment felt soft. Is this the soft life!?!?Because it didn’t feel very soft. It hadn’t even occurred to me that it could be labeled that way.  I was a full-time housewife who’s free time was spent cleaning. I started looking into what exactly constituted a “soft life”. Quickly I realized, that label was being used very generally for vastly different ways of life. For example, there are stay at home moms (SAHM), and there are stay at home moms with nannies and/or housekeepers, and those two moms are living very different lives. At the time I was living the former.

When we first moved into our apartment, I was the main caregiver of Sunbeam, with help from my husband who is a very active dad. I was also solely responsible for all of the house upkeep, luckily my husband likes to cook and grocery shop so I had help with that part. This was the most grueling work I’ve ever done, and I worked in PR in NYC, and at a non-profit with what felt like 60% turnover. There were no breaks, no downtime, and you are plugged in 24 hours a day. The only time to myself was in the bathroom, which had to be quick because the Sunbeam is very active, and eventually that became similar to an open floor plan. I was exhausted and would crash immediately after Sunbeam went down. Nothing about that felt soft to me. There are people out in the world who would love this life, but being a housewife was never my dream. As a former professional woman, I found it much more challenging than any office job I’ve ever had.

After a few months of living in a haze, we finally sought help. A friend advised us to tear numbers off flyers on the grocery store bulletin board to find a nanny/help, which sounded crazy to me. Turns out it’s a legitimate way to find help here, so we did. We also joined facebook groups and put up help wanted posts. Eventually we found our nanny/housekeeper who changed my life. She works part-time so I’m still with Sunbeam most of the time, but now I have someone to help with the upkeep of the house, and allows me to go to appts, run errands, etc without having to pack a bag and drag my stroller onto trains and busses.

I will admit this is definitely a “softer” life, and affords me the flexibility in my life to do more self-care and things such as blogging, and working out, which is nice and necessary. However, my life does not look like what Tik Tok demonstrates as the soft life. There are no trips to chanel, or champagne brunches. My cupboard is not neatly laid out with monochromatic jars, and no matter how much we clean the apartment is always covered in toys, crushed cheerios, and whatever Sunbeam gets into. I’m still not convinced that I am living the soft life, certainly not as shown on social media. So maybe I’m living a slightly cushioned life??

I am grateful for the life that I have now, and I realize that flexibility is very privileged and that I live a life that some may desire. I love being home with Sunbeam and I wouldn’t change that for the world, but there are always challenges. Being a SAHM doesn’t feel like less work or soft work, but different work. And it’s very easy to lose your identity and feel bored and lonely, especially when living abroad. Daily meal planning (three healthy meals and two snacks) and creating an educational environment for a toddler all day with no attention span is not easy. The closet that I passionately curated over the course of several years now sits still, and is quickly being replaced by shirts with built-in bras, birkenstocks, and jogging pants. You dress for comfort and stains, which leads to fewer excuses to indulge in shopping like I would have previously. I can only speak for my experience, which might be different since I live abroad and my nanny only works part-time. But when I check-in with the fellow expat housewives in my little cohort, they all express similar sentiments so it’s not just me.

I understand the desire and the benefits to living this way, so my words aren’t meant to dissuade, but to just give perspective. From what I can see, unless you have unlimited amounts of money and a partner who doesn’t mind how you spend it, then if I am living what is considered a soft life, then it doesn’t look the way it’s shown on social media. At least if you have kids.

[purple-babygirl]

First of all… who told you that you could toy with my heart over your latest work: SamBucky and the injuries Little. Talk about the angst but fluff. Just mwah!

But will all that angst especially with Sam and Bucky—they are just a perfect combo, btw. I now am needy for angst to fluff (oops…). All I can think about is an insecure little who think that her daddies don’t love her after a misunderstanding, so she pack up her things and runs away. (But a happy ending is ensured) when Sam and Bucky are able to find her

Love you.

Pairing: SamBucky x little!f!reader

Word Count: 2,796

Warnings: polyamory, ddlg dynamics, a dash of angst, and a pinch of fluff

A/N: Hello, Nonnie! Thank you for reading, and thank you for sharing this idea with me and allowing me to toy with your heart over it!💜💜 I was a puddle writing this one. I'm really sorry if this took me too long; I hope it's to your liking and I love you too *ghost kisses*💜 please enjoy xx

~~

unwanted

“That's enough. Go to your room.” Sam demanded angrily, looking down at the cheerios covering the kitchen floor that he now would have to clean up.

“Papa-”

“All you do is cause trouble and I'm done! To your room, now!”

She's been bad again. It was the third time this week. She has been disobedient and impatient. Whenever Papa and Daddy told her to do anything she somehow managed to mess it up. Sam had told her not to touch anything but she wanted to help nevertheless. She couldn’t reach the cupboard though and ended up spilling the box of cereal all over the place.

Her gaze dropped and she walked to her room without another word and a few minutes later, Bucky came to give her lunch and collect her phone and tablet, taking away her screen time for the day.

“But daddy-”

“No, doll. I'm taking them away. You never listen anymore and it needs to stop.”

Papa and Daddy are mad at you. They don't love you no more. They're sick of you. You never listen and you're always bad. They could be so much happier and calmer if it wasn't for you always riling them up. They were done. It needed to stop. They don't love you no more. They don't want you no more. They don't love you. They don't want you.

She sat wallowing in her room, tears gathering in her eyes as her own mind attacked her. Maybe it was all true. All she does is cause trouble.

So maybe if she left…

She got up and got her big girl backpack out of the closet.

Maybe if she left Papa and Daddy would be better off without her.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she gathered and pushed items into her bag.

Maybe if she was gone they would be less angry.

She zipped the bag up before sloppily slipping her socks on and picking up her stuffed friend.

Maybe if she escaped the house she could escape her thoughts too; leave them all in her room and go.

She wiped her cheeks, tiptoed out of her room, found her shoes by the front door and quietly got into them. She could hear Daddy and Papa lowly laughing together while they got things done in the backyard. Leaving really was the right decision then; they were happier without her.

Taking one, last, tear-blurred look at the house, she stepped outside and quietly closed the door behind her. She held her small white bunny to her chest and sniffed before taking off, walking to the only place that would bring her comfort.

~

“She's going to be so happy. I can't wait to see her face.” Sam smiled proudly, hands on his waist as he took one last look at the swing he and Bucky have put together for their baby girl in the backyard.

“I really hope she likes it.” Bucky smiled back in agreement before opening the door for Sam and walking inside behind him.

They felt they were too hard on her that morning and she was usually a good girl, only intending to do good for her Daddy and Papa. So they decided to build the swing earlier than they’d previously planned to lighten things up again.

“Is it just me or is it awfully quiet in here?” Bucky murmured, bringing the water bottle down from his mouth and looking around the living room in slight suspicion.

“I mean, she is in a timeout and you did take away her phone,” Sam reminded him, trying not to let himself panic as he got himself a water bottle from the fridge.

But it wasn’t that. Bucky could still hear her presence no matter how quiet. He could hear her crayons gliding on paper when she would sit down to color. He could hear her hum as she organized her toys around the table for tea parties. This quietness wasn’t normal.

Bucky jogged up the stairs to her room and just as he feared, she wasn't in there. Her sandwich was untouched. Her closet was open and her backpack and favourite blankie were missing.

“Sam!” He called for his husband, taking long strides to their bedroom to find she wasn't there either.

Sam ran up the stairs at Bucky's freaked tone and saw him pacing through the hallway.

“She's not here.”

“What?” Sam’s heart sank into his stomach.

“I can't find her.” Bucky shook his head at Sam, running his fingers through his hair in growing panic.

“Hey, calm down. We're gonna find her.” Sam rubbed a hand down Bucky's back, trying to hide his own fright for Bucky's sake as his mind ran to every single place she knew how to get to on her own.

“How? How are we gonna find her? We don't even know where she went or if she's okay-”

Sam put a hand on Bucky’s shoulder, the other cupping his cheek.

“Hey, breathe,” Sam instructed, slowly breathing so Bucky could copy him, trying to send away the panic attack ready to take over him. Bucky nuzzled his palm, his breath coming out shaky.

“That's it, Buck. In and out.” He moved his hands to Bucky’s.

“But she was so little when we sent her to her room and she probably doesn't even have any ID or money with her-”

“Bucky,” Sam squeezed his husband’s hands.

“We can't lose her, Sam. I can't- I took her phone away- if she's in trouble, she won't be able to-”

“Bucky, baby, we're gonna find her and she's gonna be okay. I promise.” Sam reassured him with words he himself wasn't sure would turn out to be true, his large palm stroking up and down the tense muscles of Bucky’s back, “I need you to keep breathing for me.”

Bucky tried to manage his breathing, slightly calming down to the thought of getting to hold her again.

“She couldn't have gotten that far, so we're gonna look around and I'm gonna call Steve, okay?” Bucky nodded at Sam's words, glossy eyes closing as Sam planted a kiss to the side of his forehead, “okay, baby. Let's go.”

~

Sam took the car, driving slowly, roaming the neighborhood to see if she was anywhere around the area. He was asking anyone and everyone who passed by his car if they've seen her. But apparently, no one has. Not even the old couple at the end of the street with the dog she loved to pet so much.

Bucky chose to go on foot as he walked in the other direction, preferring to depend on his enhanced senses instead of talking to other people. Even if he did talk to them for help, no one would understand that while her picture looked like that of a grown lady, she was a mere baby. They would never understand their panic.

Sam rubbed his forehead in frustration, leaning it against the wheel. He’d just hung up with Steve. He said she didn't come to his place; didn't even stop by. In fact, he hasn’t heard from her at all and got worried when Sam called. He took an uneven breath, trying to maintain his cool before he lifted his head up and started the car again.

~

Leaning back on the big tree, she wrapped her soft blankie tighter around her frame. It was getting kind of chilly and she was starting to regret leaving now that it wasn't that sunny anymore. The tears drying on her cheeks made her shiver even more and she sniffled, kissing her bunny's head and tugging the stuffed animal under her chin. She hoped Daddy and Papa were feeling better now that she was no longer there with them.

“Doll?” She heard Bucky's voice and before she could wonder if she'd imagined it, she was pressed to a hard chest.

“Oh, thank god,” Bucky sighed, kissing the side of her head over and over again, his hands tight around her back, holding her and her bunny close to his frantically beating heart.

“Baby, why'd you leave like that? We were so worried! We looked everywhere, we called everyone.” Bucky kissed her forehead a bunch before “-oh right!”

He got his phone out of his pocket with one arm, the other still firmly holding her to his chest. She kept holding onto her bunny, not really getting what was happening. Was she in trouble for leaving unannounced or not? Why would Daddy and Papa want to find her? She was nothing but trouble.

“Sam, I found her! We're in our secret place in the park.”

At Bucky's call, Sam took a sharp turn, stepping on the gas to get to the park as fast as he could.

“Are you okay, doll? Are you hurt anywhere?” Bucky asked her after hanging up, anxiously checking her head, face, arms and legs for injuries.

She shook her head silently, fresh, hot tears burning at the brims of her eyes.

“Thank god.” Bucky hugged her to his chest again, “we were so scared, doll. We were so scared.”

He kissed her damp cheeks and chin as she kept biting her lip, quietly sniveling.

She'd scared them. She'd worried them. Why was it always that she did something wrong while trying to do anything right? She was no good.

“It’s okay, love. I found you. I’m right here.” Bucky kissed her eyelids, then her nose, thinking she was crying because she was lost alone.

He pulled her on his lap and adjusted himself in her place, his back to the tree trunk as he held her close, fearing she’d disappear if he were to loosen his grip around her.

“Sugar!” Sam’s voice echoed through the empty part of the park when he saw her burrito-wrapped body in Bucky’s lap.

“Papa’s here, doll. It’s okay.” Bucky whispered to her when she didn’t stop crying.

She turned around and her eyes met Sam’s watery, brown ones.

“Hey, sugar,” Sam greeted softly, getting down on his knees before her.

Her lower lip jutted out further as new tears soaked her pretty face. It hasn’t even been a whole day and she’s missed Papa and Daddy so much. How was she ever planning on running away from them or being without them?

“Aww, no, no, baby, it’s okay,” Sam cooed, bringing her to his chest and engulfing her in a protective hug.

Her blanket fell in Bucky’s lap and she dropped her bunny to cling to Sam, barely quieting her sobs.

Not able to hold himself together any longer, a tear escaped Sam’s eye his gaze met Bucky’s. He buried his nose in her hair and squeezed her closer to him, sighing in relief that they’ve found her. His mind kept torturing him with scenarios of her getting hurt and not getting help. He didn’t know what he would’ve done if they’d actually lost her.

“You’re okay, sugar. Papa’s here with you. I’m sorry it took us so long, baby. We were looking in a lot of places.” Sam sniffled, pulling back to pepper featherlike kisses all over her face.

“You wanted to find me?” Her small, brittle voice asked, doe eyes staring up sadly.

“What? Of course we wanted to find you, baby! Why would you think otherwise?!”

“But I was bad. You w-were done. It needed to stop,” she repeated his and Bucky’s words on him and Sam felt shame cover him from head to toe, Bucky not any different as he bit down to stop his tears.

“Doll,” Bucky went to hold her hands only to find they were freezing.

“Shit! She’s too cold,” he told Sam, who immediately started taking off his jacket.

“Dada, bad word,” she softly reminded Bucky, covering her mouth with her hand before Sam got out of his jacket.

Sam slipped his warm jacket on her and pulled the zipper up, her small hands disappearing inside the long sleeves.

“Good girl, sugar. It is a bad word.” He rolled the sleeves back just enough to get her palms out so she could still hold her bunny.

“But you don’t see me asking daddy to leave because he was bad, do you?” Sam asked tenderly and she shook her head no.

“Exactly, I’m not. You know why?” Sam pressed kisses to both of her hands multiple times, rubbing them between his palms to warm her up.

“Why, papa?” she asked as he carried her in his arms; Bucky gathering the rest of her stuff.

“Because I love him so much." Sam wiped her tears. "And both me and daddy love you so so so much, sugar.” He pressed a firm kiss to her temple.

Bucky handed her the small bunny back after patting any dust or leaves out of it.

“We never want you to go, doll.” Bucky pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

“Even when I’m really really bad?”

“Even if you’re really really bad,” Sam guaranteed, kissing her temple again.

“But- I thought papa and daddy would be happier and not so angry no more if I left,” she mumbled innocently as Sam started walking to the car with her in his arms.

“That could never be true, doll. We’re only happy as long as we have you,” Bucky reassured her, opening the backseat door so Papa could slip in with her on his lap.

“And you still love me?” Her pout, teary puppy eyes and words were just killing both men inside.

“Of course we love you, doll! We will always love you. We can never afford to lose you,” Bucky told her, his eyes searching hers to offer them comfort.

“Baby, we love you so much it’s uncountable, remember?” Sam ran his thumb over the knuckles of her stuffie-holding hands.

She nodded, her eyes teary but her smile comforted and reassured. “I love you too, Papa,” she mumbled, grabbing onto Sam’s thumb, her eyelids barely staying open.

“I’m sorry I left,” she sniffled.

“It’s alright, baby. We’re all together now and we're going home.” Sam kissed her forehead once more, wanting her to forget all about it and know everything was okay again.

“Told you we’d find her,” Sam said, drawing Bucky inside the car by the cheek and brushing his lips against his.

“You did.” Bucky nodded, pressing his forehead to Sam’s and kissing him again.

Bucky pulled back and smiled adoringly at her sleepy eyes fighting to stay open as she leaned onto Sam's chest before getting in the driver’s seat to take them home. Sam was caressing her hair and before she knew it her eyes were fluttering closed.

All the crying all day had drained her and her body could finally give up and relax now that she was in Papa’s hold; she was out like a light.

“You’re so important to me and daddy, sugar. Never ever forget that,” Sam whispered against her forehead before pressing a slow kiss to her skin.

She might've had no idea how adored and cherished she actually was, but that was okay. Sam and Bucky had a lifetime ahead of them where they could show her again and again that they loved and needed her just as much as she did them.

~

“Dada! Papa! Wake up! We have a swing!”

She’d fallen asleep pretty early in the car last night and neither Sam nor Bucky had the heart to wake her up when they got home. So they took her shoes and socks off and tucked her in in their bed.

Now they had to deal with her waking up way too early. She’d gone to the bathroom on her own like a good girl before her stomach hungrily grumbled. And when she got to the kitchen for a cup of water and maybe the plate of fruit in the fridge, her eyes fell on the swing showing outside the small window on the kitchen door.

Bucky rolled over and opened his eyes first, her jumping on her knees on the bed beside him pulling him out of his dreams. Sam, however, didn’t move a muscle. The man slept so soundly that sometimes Bucky was jealous. How heavy of a sleeper could a person be?

“Yes, we do, baby.” Bucky chuckled. “Me and papa built it just for you.” He smiled sleepily at her excited face before annoyingly poking Sam’s back, “Sam, wake up.”

“Tank you, dada.” She settled back on her ankles though still buzzing with joy.

“You like it, sugar?” Bucky opened his arms wide for her.

“Yes, I love it.” She nodded happily before perching herself on his hard chest, cutely kissing his jaw, “and I love you, dada.”

“Sam.” He affectionately punched his sleeping husband’s shoulder, smirking when he heard him groan, “she likes the swing.”

[talesofstyles]

Good Morning Indeed

absolutely no plot whatsoever, just a bit of husband and dad harry in the midst of the family’s morning chaos 😂

Harry

“Go get the condom on.”

“I’ll pull out, I promise.”

“Your pull out game is weak.”

“Oi, them’s fightin’ words.”

“There’s a reason we’ve got six kids.” Says the missus with a roll of those pretty—but sometimes deadly (please don’t tell her I said this)—eyes. “‘Sides, I’ve just changed the sheets yesterday. You are not coming on the sodding sheets.”

“Fine,” I sigh and reach down to the bedside table. Why is the drawer filled with sodding Duplo and those tiny, pricey Sylvanian Family bunnies? I’m guessing kid number two, three and four have something to do with that. A few more seconds of rummaging before I finally found my treasure in the very back of the drawer. I lay on my back as I sheath myself up, and seeing as I’m already here… might as well, right? I smirk at her as I say, “hop on then.”

“Fat chance that,” she mutters. “Do I have to take off my top?”

“Nah,” I shake my head, it’s cold, and I’m a considerate husband. “A flash will do. Just give me a visual.”

She rolls up my shirt that she wears to sleep, a really old white rolling stones t-shirt that has two holes and a loose thread hanging on for dear life from the hem. She looks homeless. Gorgeous homeless though. 

“Nice,” I flash her a boyish grin, like a teenage boy seeing his first pair of tits. “You’ve got great racks.”

“You’re just saying that…”

I know what she sees when she looks at herself in the mirror and I wish she could look at herself through my eyes. 

“Hey, don’t you dare. My babies grew in that body, that’s everything.”

Her tender smile hits me right in the gut. “I love you.”

“Love me enough to ride me?” I say with a playful flick to one nipple.

“Nice try.”

“I love you,” I mutter near her mouth and give her a searing kiss. I run my tongue over her bottom lip, then I kiss her down her neck, her cleavage and her breasts. I slowly circle one nipple, and she giggles, knowing it’s a well-rehearsed move that is guaranteed to do what’s needed. See, her tits are kind of like start buttons. No matter the situation, a little attention to those bad boys switches things around real quick. Her head slams back against the pillow. And she moans, holding my head in place.

We’ve got ignition lads. 

I nestle my body on top of hers, and there’s a bit of wayward angling and poking until I find my way inside of her. And then it’s on. Two bodies writhing on the bed. My hips rotate in long, slow circles.

“Bollocks!”

“What? The condom isn’t broken, is it?”

“No, it’s bin day. I forgot to take out the recycling bin.”

“S’fine, we’ve got time before the school run.”

The bin’s sorted, back to the shag…

I slide my hands under her, bringing us closer. Rocking us faster. My forehead hovers close to hers and I open my eyes so I can watch. What can I say? I’m greedy like that. I want to soak up every gasp, every flicker of pleasure across her face. Pleasure I’m giving her.

Her breathing changes. It turns panting and desperate, and I know she’s close. I move harder, grinding against her, inside her, with every forward push. Warms sparks tickle my spine and heat spreads down until every nerve in my body is shaking. I slam inside her, burying deep as her hips jerk upward. She spasms hard around me, gripping me tight. 

I rock back my hips and pull almost all the way out, but then I freeze. Because a dreaded sound echoes across the room, grabbing our full attention. It’s coming from the baby monitor. It’s a rustling, the sound of cotton rubbing cotton. Like snipers in the jungle, we don’t move a muscle. We don’t say a word. We wait, until the rustling stops. And all is quiet again. 

Too bad it’s not for long. Because two thrusts in, a light comes on in the landing. Followed by small footsteps heading down the stairs. Shit.

“Harry, just come already. They’ll all be up soon.”

“I’m close… don’t rush it, you’re scaring it away.” 

She grinds her hips. Also another well-rehearsed move that she knows will get me off. But I freeze again, because there’s a second set of footsteps and the sound of a toilet flushing. Oh, and the babies next door are starting to whimper. 

Great.

“I’M HUNGRY!” That’s James, darling little cockblocker number four who likes to be fed on time. He’s three.

“WE’LL BE OUT IN A SECOND!” My wife shouts over my shoulder. “Harry for the love of god-”

I pick up the rhythm. Small beads of sweat form on my brow. She grinds her hips again, and I try to focus. “Just like that, fuck, keep doing that.”

“Sshh, keep your voice down.”

“IS THERE ANY BREAD THAT ISN’T 50/50?” That’s Eleanor, child number two. She’s seven, and she’s one of those children who seem to possess a discernible palate that knows when we’ve changed brands of baked beans or attempt to bring sugar-free fruit squash through the doors.

“IT’S THE SAME,” I reply.

“NO, IT’S NOT. DO WE HAVE OTHER FOOD?”

“THERE ARE SHREDDIES.”

“DON’T LIKE ‘EM.”

“PORRIDGE.”

“I’M NOT A BEAR!”

Honestly, seven-year-olds gunning for a fight this early in the morning can go do one.

The babies are starting to gather volume next door so I try to focus again. It only takes a few more thrusts before ecstasy wrecks my body, making me shudder. I press my lips against her neck as I come back down to earth. But I don’t move yet. I know we should get going because things are already chaotic outside our door, but I just don’t have the will yet. I’m considering going back to sleep for a minute or two. She won’t mind, will she? Well, I’m wrong. Because she proceeds to perform the move that seems to amuse every sodding woman on earth. And causes every man to squeal like a bloody pig. Without warning, she uses her powerful muscle to squeeze my extremely sensitive cock. 

Girls, grab a piece of paper and write this down. I’m speaking on behalf of every man to walk on earth here; we hate that. We don’t think it’s funny.

I jerk back, pull out, and roll off her. I try to look annoyed as she giggles, and obviously I fail, because that freshly fucked, flushed-face makes it impossible not to grin back.

“CAN I HAVE JAFFA CAKE?” That’s Victoria, child number three. She’s five, and she’s yelling as she thunders up the stairs. 

“JAFFA CAKE ISN’T BREAKFAST,” my wife shouts back as she sits up and hands me a nappy sack. “Harry…”

I wrap up the condom with it and toss it to the bin. “You’ve just taken me life force, woman, give me a moment.”

“CUSTARD CREAM?”

“NO.” We shout in unison. 

“HOBNOB THEN?”

“STAY AWAY FROM THE BISCUIT TIN!”

“You want to wrestle a biscuit-hunting kid out of a cupboard and 50/50 bread drama or fussy babies with full nappies?”

“Babies.” I hear a small child get whacked by a sibling downstairs and I feel like I may have got the better deal here.

Next door, the twins are not happy. They’re six months old now, and they’re both teething. Thing one glares at me as I walk into their nursery and thing two stares at me stroppily from the corner of her cot. Their cheeks are scarlet, and thing one proceeds to bark at me like a seal. I pick his warm, sleepy, cuddly body and cradle it close to mine as I lay him down on the changing table. I smell the dampness. It’s definitely wee. He’s soaked through, I think I didn’t tuck his willy in when I last changed him around three in the morning so it sprayed in some upward motion and drenched his clothes. See, this is why girls are better than boys. There’s no way they can pee upwards. 

After I put a fresh nappy and a change of clothes, I put him down on the rug so he can wiggle around while I grab his sister and sort her out. After six kids, I’m definitely a pro with baby duty and can practically change their clothes one-handed. The whole thing takes only a few minutes.

I cuddle the babies on each side as I walk downstairs and into the kitchen. They immediately reach out to their mum who’s cracking some eggs as soon as they spot her, knowing she’s the only one who can cure their hunger this morning. 

“Uniforms!” She says to the big kids as she takes one baby into her arms. “We’ll do breakfast after. Please, please, please…”

Desperate pleas lead them to saunter out and up the stairs. I follow my wife into the living room and hand her the other baby as she plops down on the couch. She rolls up her shirt and the babies latch instantly. Tandem nursing is harder now that they’re a little older and aware of their surroundings. They’re trying to scratch each other’s faces as they nurse. “Oi, what’s this? You each get a tit, stop fighting.”

They seem to somehow listen to me and have stopped trying to poke each other’s eyeballs. We’ll see how long that lasts. “Finish the eggs?”

I nod. “I’m on it.”

I brew some coffee, finish the scrambled eggs, and pop the slices after slices of bread in the toaster. Breakfast is done just in time as my wife walks back into the kitchen with two full and happy babies. She puts them in their high chairs and I scoop a bit of eggs on each of their trays for them to nibble on.

George appears back in the kitchen clad in his uniform with his also dressed brother trailing behind. We always lay his clothes the night before on his bed and he gets dressed all by himself in the morning. And he’s getting better at it, seeing he only missed a button on his shirt.

“Hi mate,” I say as I fix his button and he flashes a toothy grin at me. I plop him down on the chair, he’s graduated from the high chair now but still uses a booster seat.

“No toast!”

“What do you want then?”

“Chee-yos?”

I nod before I grab a handful of cheerios and set them on his plate next to his eggs. Then I take a few steps back across the table. “Hey, James, set it up.”

He flashes me another toothy grin before he opens his mouth wide and keeps it open. I hold a single Cheerio between my fingers while I bend my knees and bounce my hand as if I were dribbling a basketball. “Three seconds left on the clock, down by one. Styles got the ball. He fakes left, he drives in, he shoots…”

I toss the Cheerios in a high arc. It lands right into his mouth.

“He scores! The crowd goes wild!”

James holds both hands over his head. “Core!”

“Viv stole the biscuit tin, you know? She ate three jammie dodgers upstairs.” Eleanor says as she walks in with book bags and school shoes. 

George, seeing his sister walks in, proceeds to open his mouth wide and flashes her the half-chewed eggs on his tongue. It’s his current thing and it annoys his sisters to death. The young’uns think differently though as they double over in laughter. 

“Eeewww!” She shrieks. “You’re so gross!”

“VICTORIA, PUT THAT BISCUIT TIN DOWN AND GET YOUR BUTT IN THE KITCHEN! AND GO GET THEM HAIR TIE THINGIES…” 

“I didn’t have any biscuits!” She yells and runs down the stairs.

This kid is the quintessential daddy’s girl. She climbs up onto my lap right away, handing me the brush and a hair tie. 

“See, poppet, I would’ve believed you if you didn’t leave evidence all over your face,” I arch one of my eyebrows as I sweep a speck of raspberry jam on the corner of her mouth. 

“You always do a ponytail,” she huffs.

“Either that or I give you a bowl cut with kitchen scissors. I reckon that fruit bowl will do. Your choice.”

“Can I have some more eggs?” George asks with his mouth full of his last bite.

“God, that’s like your third serving,” Eleanor grumbles.

“Nag.”

At that insult, Eleanor flings a piece of toast like a ninja. Before George can retaliate, my wife gives them both the look.

“Viv, will you at least have some eggs?”

“No.”

“Fine,” my wife sighs. “I’m gonna get changed then.”

I glance at the clock and, well, shit, I should get dressed too. “Can you lot watch the babies and try not to kill each other for the next five minutes?”

“Five quid each?” Eleanor tries to negotiate. “Babysitting isn’t supposed to be free, you know? That sounds like child labour to me.” 

Bollocks. 

“Two quid each,” I give her my dad look that says the offer is final and indisputable.

“Deal.”

[equestrianwritingsstuff]

For the bad things happen Bingo... burns for villain?

Circle for completed, heart for requested

Thank you so much for the ask!

Quick warning that may need more context than a word or two. In this snippet, Villain saves a child and they are buried. Some may call this "minor whump", but the child is never hurt whatsoever.

I don't know if this exactly fits "burns" but I think it does.

Scathed Skin

@badthingshappenbingo

Warnings: explosion, burns from explosion, broken bones, starvation, fever, buried alive

*not edited*

~

Fourteen

Villain ran into the next room, greedily scanning the interior.

Thirteen.

He pushed away from the doorframe and sprinted into the next room, but that was also devoid of the assumed ticking.

Twelve.

Villain checked out the next room. A child, young in age and tiny in stature was cowering in a corner, sobbing.

"Hey, hey, hey," Villain soothed, bounding over to the child and picking her up. "I'll be okay, alright?"

"Where's my mommy?" The child cried. "I want my mommy."

"Yeah I know, I know," the villain whispered, rubbing the child's back and hoping that her mother was one of the people who managed to escape.

Eight.

Villain ran out of the room with the child. He couldn't disable the bomb now.

So he ran towards the exit, knowing he would have to jump and somehow break the child's fall.

Six.

The ticking started to get more consistent and more intense. Villain looked up, the exit was only five feet, four feet, three feet...

One.

Villain knelt to the ground, wrapping the child with his arms and legs- his whole body- as an earsplitting boomed sounded throughout his ears.

Pain ripped at his back and he fell forward, careful not to harm the child. She was hysterically screaming now.

Villain groaned as black spots danced at his vision, but those weren't his top concern. The ticking had returned, symbolizing another bomb threat.

Villain pushed himself to his feet, though stability abandoned him after one crisp second. He stumbled over to a wall and leaned against it, still holding the child and breathing heavily.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Villain's ears perked and he turned to exit the building, but found that the exit was decimated. He sighed and took off half-sprinting, half-limping, the other way as agony pierced every cell of his being.

He barely made it to the stairs before he collpased sideways, head banging against the floor, making a hollow thud sound. Stars illuminated the black dust in his vision, making him wince and grimace.

The feeling of wet slowly snapped him out of it. His eyesight somewhat cleared as he felt more in-tune with his limbs- or was it just adrenaline?

The child was crying into his shirt, hugging him madly. He grunted, wrapping his arm around her comfortingly, but that only made her wail harder.

"Shh, shh, it's okay. We are going to be alright, okay?" Villain whispered just as another explosion sent a wave of buzzing discomfort through his ears.

The floor beneath him rattled and creaked before it caved in. Villain and the child fell, but Villain was able to twist around and use his mutilated back to break the young girl's fall.

His body connected with the tile floor. He barely registered the whistle of a kettle before dirt and debris crumbled around him, and inevitable unconsciousness took hold.

He awoke sometime later on his side, cheek pressed into the floor. He groaned and winced in pain as the world flared up around him. Blinding lights shot at his eyeballs as rocks and glass bit into his back.

Villain floated around in that whirlpool of pain as his senses struggled to snap back into it. Memories dabbed at the bruises in his head gingerly.

There was an explosion, then pain, then nothing.

But that was only once sentence that was missing a lot of facts.

He started to become aware of another presence looming over him. It started with the faintest of breezes against his forehead, then a noise like a whimper.

The child.

Villain tried to blink away the haze in his vision, but it only made things even foggier and thick.

"Sir?" The child squeaked when she realized that Villain woke up. "Sir, where's my mommy?"

Her words went right over Villain's head; heck, he hardly came to the conclusion that someone was speaking.

His limited span of sight started to double, then triple as consciousness was snatched away again.

When Villain regained consciousness the second time, he found that he was much more aware of his surroundings.

They were trapped in a somewhat capacious room. Villain's leg was trapped under a wooden beam and was so painful that it had to be broken.

The child was drawing figures in the dust and dirt. Apart from a very dirty face, she didn't appear to be harmed.

But nonetheless, Villain asked out of courtesy, "You good, kid?"

The girl blinked a couple times before nodding. Gosh, she hardly looked ten.

Villain looked around. It seemed that they were trapped in some sort of kitchen. It was very tiny and by some miracle, the various blocks of plaster and heavy metal pipes didn't crush them.

But it did crush the only possible food supply, but the girl seemed to have grabbed a cereal box.

"Hey, give me that," Villain said, trying to pull himself close to the girl, but immediately scream in pain as he tugged at his leg. He collapsed fully on the ground, groaning and somewhat dazed.

The girl pushed the box towards him. It fell over and landed on his face. Villain shakily tipped it over and looked inside.

It was half full. Or empty, depending on how you looked at it.

"Is there anymore food in those cabinets?" Villain asked, nodded towards the dark colored cupboards.

The girl shook her head and pulled her legs in. Her dirty face was tearstained with crusty eyelashes. She had been crying while Villain was unconscious.

"Hey, we'll be okay," Villain soothed as he thrusted his hand into the box. "We are going to have to ration. Ten pieces twice a day, not that we can exactly tell the day."

That wouldn't be enough, but it would have to suffice.

"Okay," the girl squeaked, crawling over and picking out ten cheerios. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." She smiled and popped a couple into her mouth.

Villain dozed off a little after that, back and leg in scorching pain, not enabling a truly restful sleep. The girl also slept, or Villain thought, her back was turned towards him.

They somewhat bonded too. The girl started to talk about her barbie and My Little Pony roleplays and even asked Villain to join. He played along a little bit, awkwardly voicing Applejack, before exhaustion took its toll and he fell asleep mid-sentence.

He was getting sick and he knew it. The pair ate their alloted cereal in silence, both knowing that they would soon run out.

"I'm hungry," the girl complained one day- the first complaint in who know's how long.

Villain gave her a sympathetic smile and pushed half of his cheerios over. He wasn't that hungry anyways.

His head started to hurt as he felt fever set in. He couldn't sleep anymore other than periodic, short-lived black outs. But he always awoke more dizzy and tired than before.

Soon after, the fever started to worsen. He would thrash in his sleep and wake up more entangled than before. It hurt, everything hurt and there was no relief.

The girl was his only source of light. She would watch him with wide eyes, bright gaze never faltering. He would reach for her in half-consious states, desperate to know if she was okay.

He quit eating entirely, allowing the girl all the food, but still she ate her twenty pieces a day.

Once, Villain woke up so weak and exhausted that we couldn't even turn his head to look around. He groaned, staring at the floor with a dull gaze.

"Sir? Sir are you okay?" The girl asked, voice thick with sobs. "Are-are you dead?"

Villaim forced himself to peel up his eyes to look at her, but could only keep the look for so long before his eyelids drooped again.

The girl crawled over and picked Villain's head up an inch from the ground. Like a ragdoll, he allowed total and utter control of his head and neck.

"We'll be okay," Villain wheezed, closing his eyes as pressure built in between his eyebrows.

The girl dropped his head just as the fever pulled him under again.

The girl crawled back to her spot, laid down, and also took a nap.

Neither knew of the rescue team just feet above them.

[saturngrqy]

gray and the reader going shopping and grayson keeps grabbing random shit and steering off the list and the reader gets annoyed and tells him to stop. when they get home and put up groceries they start arguing over where things go because the reader is new to living with grayson. I JUST NEED SOME ANGST IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW.

"Grayson, we have a whole box of vegan mac and cheese at home in the pantry. Put it back," you said sternly, staring at Grayson intensely.

He pouted, trying to get you to change your mind. When you kept the same deep gaze, he sighed and put the box back on the shelf.

You had recently moved in with Grayson after he asked you to do so on your 6-month anniversary. You were beyond ecstatic to be able to spend time 24/7 with your favorite person, but grocery store runs you learned was now something you'd be doing separately.

Grayson was putting everything in the cart with the label 'vegan' on it, and you were getting stressed out thinking about how much groceries would cost; regardless of the fact that Grayson was going to pay.

You continued down the pasta aisle, stopping in front of the sauce section, looking for the specific brand you wanted.

"Babe," Grayson interrupted, running down the aisle. "Look what I found,"

You look down to see him holding a box of fruit gushers. You raised your eyebrow, shaking your head immediately.

"Absolutely not," you said, returning your gaze back to the sauces.

"Please?" He pleaded. "I'll put the ramen back,"

Your eyes widened, looking back into the cart to sure enough find a 6- pack of chicken ramen. You hadn't even seen him put that in the cart. You rolled your eyes.

"No. Put that back, we are just here to get stuff for dinner tomorrow. Fruit snacks are not on the menu,"

Grayson groaned. "You're like my mom."

You shrugged, picking up a bottle of sauce.

He put them back, running back to find you. He followed you around aimlessly as you started looking for the specific type of noodles you wanted.

Eventually you finished shopping after about an hour, continuously getting distracted by new snacks Grayson found. After, you head home with two packs of noodles, sauce, cereal, goldfish, ramen, and much more munchies that were definitely not on the grocery list.

You carried the cardboard bags into the kitchen, setting them on the island.

"Can you help me put stuff away, baby?" You asked, beginning to put some boxes in the pantry. He nodded, reaching for more food.

You panicked slightly as you realized you had no idea where he wanted everything to go, so instead of asking, you just began putting them in random cupboards.

"Y/n- what are you doing, those don't go there," he approached from behind you, ripping the goldfish box from your hands. You raised your arms in defense, reaching for a box of honey nut cheerios, going to put them in the same cabinet.

Grayson returned from the pantry to see you putting another box in the same spot.

"Babe- no, does it look like the cereal goes there?" He moans, taking yet another box from you. You slumped, turning around to get another food item before he pulls your hand away gently, interrupting you.

"Here, just- just let me finish this, sweetheart. I know where everything goes," he sighs. You frowned.

"I was just trying to help," you said softly.

"I know, I'm not mad at you sweet girl," he chuckles, pulling your head into his shoulders, pecking the top of it. "Here, I'll show you where everything goes."

He proceeded to lead you through the kitchen, opening every cabinet and drawer to show you where stuff went, putting the food away in the process.

how do you even end this

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

Wrong Number

Summary: An accidental text message leads to something more between Jensen and the reader...

Pairing: Jensen x reader

Word Count: 1,500ish

Warnings: language, previous bad marriage

A/N: Jensen’s wife is an OC in this one...

_______

Jensen’s POV 

“Wait, wait, wait,” said Jared, holding up a hand as we flew back to Austin for the weekend. I knew I shouldn’t have brought this up now, not when I was trapped in a seat next to him for the next five hours. “Wait.”

“Jared. Forget I said anything,” I said. He only stared and I sighed. “I know.”

“Let me get this straight. Misha accidentally texted a fan, this chick responds and Misha adds you to the group message and now you’re texting her on your own? Like, daily?” asked Jared. “For how long?”

“...Two months,” I said.

“Dude!”

“I know.”

“Dude.”

“I’m divorced. I can talk to women if I want to. We’re just friends,” I said.

“You’re friends with the random fan girl-”

“Don’t be mean. She’s not a fan girl,” I said, shaking my head. “She’s a fan but no, she’s not psychotic if that’s what’s got you all...whatever.”

“I thought you and Cati were trying to work things out again,” said Jared.

“I tried and you know what? I deserve to be happy, no matter what that looks like. You know who told me that? The random ‘fan girl’ you seem to have an issue with,” I said. Jared blinked and sat back in his seat.

“I am sorry if you think I’m making fun of fans or something. I’m not. I wouldn’t. Most of them are super awesome. Don’t you think it’s a little strange is all to suddenly be friends with-”

“We have plenty of people come on the show that were fans of it and they turn into friends,” I shot back.

“Pretty defensive of your just friend.”

“I know Cati and Gen are friends and all and it used to be the four of us but-”

“Fuck. Relax. Gen hasn’t spoken a word to Cati since she found out she cheated. Those two are done. I’m done. Forget Cati. I just want you to be smart about this. Who knows what this girl is up to, if she’s even real,” said Jared.

“She knows I’m divorced. She’s known for weeks and she hasn’t let it slip to the media. She doesn’t even acknowledge anything on social media that she knows me or anything. I gave her a bombshell and you know what she did? Nothing. She’s my friend, asks how I’m doing, tells me I’m worth someone that respects me. Yeah, sounds like a total bitch,” I said.

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt again. You’re still hurt in case you didn’t realize. I know you. If this chick is your friend, awesome. Just be careful,” said Jared. “No need to be a dick about it.”

“Whatever.”

“Hey,” I said when the car got to Jared’s house that night. “About earlier. I was a dick.”

“Well so was I. You have seemed a bit happier lately. I’m glad your new friend does that,” said Jared.

“It’s all it is. I swear,” I said. “Maybe grab dinner tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Come over tomorrow. We’ll fire up the grill,” said Jared as he climbed out. “Night Jens.”

“You too, buddy,” I said. Ten minutes later I was standing in my bedroom, plopping down on the bed with a sigh.

I was too old for this shit. Thirty fucking seven. I knew what a friend was. I knew exactly what it felt like to start falling for someone too. The show was done. There were a few more meetings to be had and some episodes left to air but it was winding down. Cons would go on and people would still be calling me Dean out at the store.

But maybe now would be a good time to try again. The new miniseries was set to start filming in September. Only a few months away from home. 

“Man up and just talk to her,” I said, dragging my hands over my face. I grabbed my phone and started to call her when I realized how late it was. 

One more night wouldn’t kill me.

Reader’s POV

You stared at the cereal in your cupboard, debating between cheerios and cinnamon toast crunch for breakfast. You grabbed the cheerios just as your phone on the counter rang, a name popping up that made you smile.

“Good morning, Jensen,” you said, tucking the phone in between your shoulder as you stared to move around.

“Good morning, Y/N,” he chuckled. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“Nah. Debating what’s for breakfast,” you said as you poured yourself a bowl. “You’re up early.”

“It’s only seven,” he yawned. “How was work yesterday?”

“Thrilling. Can’t wait to go again today. What’s up? I highly doubt you called this early to talk about work. You doing okay?” you asked.

“Can I ask you a personal question? Since we’re friends and all,” he said.

“Shoot,” you said, sitting up on your counter and putting the phone on speaker, eating from your bowl.

“Every time we talk or text, you always ask if I’m okay. Why?”

You froze. 

“I’m sorry if I annoyed you,” you said.

“You treating me like I’m some celebrity makes me uncomfortable. I thought we talked about the you apologizing for stuff you don’t need to thing,” he said.

“Maybe us being friends wasn’t the best idea,” you said quietly.

“Why?”

“We are two incredibly different people with incredibly different lives.”

“I know things about you that you’ve never told a soul and I’ve done the same with you.”

“Jensen,” you said, putting your bowl down, tucking your knees to your chest. “I think for my own mental well-being, we shouldn’t talk anymore.”

“I’m sorry if I upset or bothered you,” he said.

“Jensen, no, it’s…” you sighed, resting your chin on your knees. 

“It’s okay, Y/N,” said Jensen softly. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I won’t contact you again.”

“Wait,” you said before he could hang up. “I...like you.”

“What?”

“I like you,” you said, squeezing your eyes shut. “I know it sounds pathetic. A fan liking the lead on a show she watches. I’m sorry.”

“Y/N, I called this morning to tell you I like you,” said Jensen. Your head snapped up and you stared at the phone. “I...after Cati...I have been pretty fucked up the past six months and I hide it pretty well too. But you feel safe and you make me feel better and happy again. I don’t even know what you look like but I know I like you, Y/N. You asking me if I’m okay everyday is one of the best things that’s happened to me in the past year. Also, you are not pathetic. I see the being nice to yourself thing still needs some work too.”

“Why on earth would you ever like me? I’m a freak. I’ve never even had a real boyfriend. I work and go home and I’m boring and-”

“I’ve been married and she belittled me and cheated on me. It is not all it’s cracked up to be. You’re younger than me and I don’t care. I don’t. I’m a workaholic, way more than you. I know you got your own issues and I know for some reason, you told me about them. Maybe because we were strangers at first it was easier but we trust each other and I haven’t trusted someone like that in a long time, maybe not ever. I don’t know what it is but I really really like you, Y/N so don’t apologize for liking me too.”

“Alright,” you said.

“Alright,” he said, the other end quiet for a moment. “So...you got any plans this weekend?”

“Grocery shopping. Laundry,” you said.

“Want to come down to Austin tonight?”

“What?”

“I can book you a flight for after work. It’s only a few hours ride,” he said. “What do you think?”

“Jensen,” you said, scratching your head. “I-”

“I’d really like to meet you in person,” he said. “I will book you a hotel room. You don’t even have to stay under the same roof as me.”

“Sounds kind of silly when you put it like that. I mean, we already know we like one another,” you said.

“Well I don’t want to make my girlfriend feel like she has to stay at my house,” he said.

“Girlfriend?” you asked.

“Well when two people like each other, they date and-”

“Cute, Ackles,” you said.

“Why yes, I am,” he chuckled.

“...I will stay in your guest room. I have to be back in time for work on Monday though,” you said.

“I will have you back on time, I promise,” he said. “So, I’ll see you tonight?”

“I guess I will,” you said, a smile crossing your face.

“You okay with us dating?” 

“Yeah,” you said softly. “I’m okay with that, Jensen. I’ll see you tonight.”

________

A/N: Read Part 2 here!

[what-is-your-plan-today]

Stark Spangled Forever

A Very Rogers Christmas. Part 2- You Gotta Be Kitten Me.

Summary: Christmas draws ever nearer and the two eldest littles in the Rogers household break up from school from the holidays, and Jamie is given his first taste of independence…and brings a few surprises home as a consequence.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

Warnings: Bad language, talks of violence…a little bit of actual violence and Katie acting like a hell cat!

A/N: You can find Part 1 of my Stark Spangled 2020 Christmas special- A Very Rogers Christmas. HERE.    Part 3 will be posted next week.

SSF Masterlist // WIYPT Masterlist 

Katie walked into the bathroom where Steve was stood, his top half bare, towel round his waist as he gently examined his face. Katie stopped to take him in, his broad shoulders still beaded with drops of water from his shower, his back muscles rippling as he turned this way and that way, tilting his body as he stared at his reflection.

Katie could see in his eyes that he was lost, battling with those little doubts that every now and then would niggle away in his brain ever since he had noticed the changes to his body some two years ago. He was petrified the serum was going to disappear overnight and leave him back to his previous state, small and weak, but both Katie and Banner had reassured him that wasn't going to happen. What he was seeing now was it gradually depleting, a process Banner had predicted from various tests would take twenty more year or so. And besides, as Katie had reminded him, there was nothing weak about Steve Rogers. That said, she understood as well as anyone what it was like to deal with your body changing. Having carried four children she now had wider hips, a soft stomach, bigger chest and she knew full well that by the time Christmas was over she'd be about twelve pound heavier and be on a diet for two months to shift said Christmas weight, but she was beyond the point of caring. Where once it had made her feel sick to look at herself, now, seeing her kids each day was a reminder of just why she had changed, and what was a few extra inches here and there when you had a gorgeous family to show for it?

Plus Steve adored her. She knew that. He took any and every chance he could to touch her and remind her how beautiful he thought she was. And she felt the same about him. Whilst he wasn't quite as defined as he had been once upon a time, his hard, chiselled abs had been replaced with a flat but softer stomach, his pectoral muscles also ever so slightly less pronounced, he was beyond perfect to her. She loved his softer body, and yes he complained his knees cracked and ached a little if he over did it on the running, and sometimes his back gave him a twinge every now and then, but he was fit, healthy and had a physique most men would die for. He was also still ridiculously strong. He could roughhouse with Jamie all day long, he could sweep Rori up in one hand and tuck her under his arm whilst she squealed with laughter, he could throw Emmy over his shoulder with easy, he could lift Harry and Flossie up one in each hand with no trouble, and he could pick Katie up and toss her around the bedroom like she was a ragdoll, which suited her just fine. With a smile, Katie gently dropped the clothes she was carrying into the hamper and moved behind him, her hands slipping to his belly, spraying flat against his skin as she pressed a kiss to the back of his shoulder. "Get out of your head, Soldier." Steve gave a soft smile as his hands lay over hers, as she peeked round him, their eyes locking in the mirror and he let out a sigh. "I was just thinking, that's all." "I can tell." She nuzzled the top of his arm "You had your thinking face on." He gave her another smile, his right hand teaching up to his chin and he gently rubbed his beard "I was just debating whether or not to shave." "Don't you dare!" Katie narrowed her eyes and he chuckled. "Yeah, didn't think you'd take it well." "Why do you wanna shave?" She frowned. "You've had a beard now for years. I thought you liked it as it keeps you on the low mostly." "I do." He shrugged, tipping his head to the side slightly. “But I don’t like all this grey that appears to get worse every morning." Katie arched an eyebrow as she slid round to face him, Steve stepping back to allow her to stand in the space between him and the basin unit. She glanced up, examining the dark whiskers which adorned his chin and cheeks, spattered intermittently with lighter blonde, auburn and an increasing amount of grey. "Well, I’m a big fan," she mused, standing on her tip toes to brush her lips over his jaw, the pads of her fingers cupping his cheeks. "And I also happen to think you're fucking gorgeous either way. If you wanna murder it, go ahead." "You talk about it as it it’s a living, breathing thing." Steve scoffed, his hands falling to her hips. "Well it’s that glorious it could be." She smiled and he laughed. "Look, I promise you, the only person who’s noticing it so much is you, but if it's bothering you why don't you just trim it a little before you completely get rid? Then you can see how you feel when it's shorter."

“Yeah, maybe.” he glanced at the mirror again as Katie’s hands slid to the top of his shoulders, smoothing up and over until they reached round his neck, the fingers of her right hand gently tangling in the strands of his hair at the back of his head.

“As long as you don’t shave all this off when it starts going grey too.” She teased and he rolled his eyes and gave her an exasperated look as she pondered something. “Actually, you’d probably suit a buzz cut.”

“Shut up.” He looked at her and she grinned as her eyes flashed mischievously.

“Mind you, I like having something here to tug.” she pulled his hair slightly causing his head to tip back a little before she released him, biting her lip, a cheeky glint in her eyes.

“You are incorrigible.” He smirked, dropping his head to catch her lips.

“Shut up and put that silver on me, Soldier.” She grinned against his mouth and Steve couldn’t help the little growl that rumbled in his throat at her words. In an easy movement he’d picked her up and perched her on the unit in front of him, causing a dirty little giggle to fly from her lips which he swallowed with his mouth. He kissed her, long and hard, his hands splaying on her back as her legs locked around his hips, the pair of them laughing in between the kisses and just as Katie’s hands moved to untuck the edge of the towel round Steve’s waist they heard Rori yelling that she couldn’t find her Snowman sweater and Steve gave a groan, his forehead resting against Katie’s, his eyes closed.

“You know, I love out kids, I would die for them but sometimes, well I swear to God they get their bad timing skills from your brother, her especially.”

Katie chuckled as her eyes opened and locked onto Steve’s which were twinkling with good humour.

“Yeah, there’s no doubting she has a lot of Stark in her.”

“Not to mention she’s a dramatic ass.” Steve snorted as Katie laughed

“Yeah that too.”

“You know, your dad would have been crazy about her.” He added as he stepped back to allow Katie to hop down from the unit.

“Maybe, I don’t remember enough about him to agree or otherwise,” she mused, “but I know if Tony were still here he would adore her.”

“Yeah, he would.” Steve agreed. “And as a result she’d be calling me Capsicle instead of Daddy.”

Katie laughed and gently gave his cheek a kiss “I’ll go start breakfast, can you sort Harry and Floss?”

“Sure.” He kissed her gently watching as she left the room.

Katie found Rori’s sweater, much to her daughter’s excitement and then they headed downstairs where Jamie was already sat eating a bowl of cereal. She smiled at him and he wished her good morning before he offered to get Rori’s cheerio’s for her. Rori grinned at him and nodded so Katie left the two of them to it whilst she threw some toast in for her and Steve and turned to see Jamie had also grabbed Harry’s bowl from the cupboard and was busy measuring him some cereal out for him too.

“Thanks Jamie.” She smiled.

“It’s ok.” He shrugged. There was a moment’s pause as Katie threw on a pot of coffee before he spoke again. “Actually, mom, I kinda wanted to ask you something.”

Katie paused, and turned around smiling “You buttering me up?”

“No, that’s not…” he began floundering for excuses the same way Steve did before he rolled his eyes when he saw Katie grinning. “Rude.”

She laughed “Okay, sorry sweetie. What is it?”

“Well, I was wondering if me and Seb could go to the park after school.”

“I wanna go to the park, too!”  Rori nodded and Katie shrugged.

“I don’t see why not. Sure your dad will take you for an hour when I make dinner.”

“No, I mean on our own.” Jamie looked at Katie “I thought we could like walk home and stop off for an hour.”

“You want to walk home from school, with Seb, and go to the park?” Katie clarified and Jamie nodded. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

"Why not?"

"You're ten." She said flatly as she mixed Flossie’s porridge and moved to the microwave. "I know you're growing up now but..." "I'll be with Seb" Jamie pleaded "It’s not that far to walk, and I’ll call you.” His eyes lit up as if he had found some kind of huge bargaining chip “Like, when I'm leaving school and when we get to the park and then every ten minutes after. And we’ll be home for five for dinner. I promise.” Katie sighed, shutting the microwave door as she bit her lip. She has been dreading this day, when Jamie staked his first claim on wanting some independence. And here it was, a request to go to the park after the schools broke up for Christmas.  It wasn't that she didn't want him to go, far from it. Her and Steve were keen that, despite their background, the kids all had as normal an upbringing as possible. But now she was torn. Jamie was pushing eleven and would start middle school next time round. She wanted to give him a little more responsibility yet in the same breath also wasn't sure she was completely comfortable with the idea of him and Seb walking home from school alone.

At that point Steve walked into the kitchen, Flossie in his arms and a dressed Harry bounding behind him as he was gabbling on about something.

"Everything okay?" He frowned, instantly spotting the look on Katie's face.

"Jamie wants to walk home today, via the park." She said, looking at him and Steve took a deep breath "And I'm not sure I like the idea."

Steve shook his head."Neither do I."

"But daaaaad!" Jamie groaned “It’s Christmas."

"That doesn't mean all rules get suspended, or that you can simply do as you please." Steve shrugged, dropping Flossie into her high chair as Harry scrambled up to the place at the table his cereal bowl was waiting for him. "Besides which it’s freezing outside."

That was a crap excuse, and Steve knew it, as it wasn't like he couldn't wrap up or that he'd never been allowed to play out in the snow before. Jamie groaned and as Steve shot him a look, his shoulders slumped and his eyes dropped down.

"Fine. It doesn't matter. Forget I asked. Can I leave the table? I need to get dressed."

“Me too.” Rori added and Katie nodded. There was the loud scraping of chairs across the floor as they both moved and Jamie stood up and walked dejectedly out of the room, Rori following behind. As soon as they were gone Katie turned to Steve and gave a sigh.

"Are we being too harsh?" She bit her lip as the microwave dinged and she turned to open the door. "I mean..."

"Honey, don't do this." Steve looked at her, as she mixed the porridge around before testing the temperature. “You always second guess your decisions"

"I just feel bad." She shrugged as she carried the bowl over to the table. "I mean he doesn’t ask for a lot, he never gets in trouble or causes any problems, not like that Diva upstairs. Maybe, oh I dunno, ignore me. You're right."

“Here, I’ll do that.” Steve said gently, taking the bowl from her, allowing her to collect Jamie and Rori’s empty dishes. He sat down next to his youngest where he started to feed her, Flossie making excited noises at the first spoon full and Steve grinned, his face positively beaming as the baby eagerly took her porridge.

A minute or so later Katie placed a plate of toast and coffee down for him before grabbing her own and settling down to eat.

"You got many meetings today?" Steve asked, he himself having finished work the previous week.  Katie shook her head.

"Just going in to clear my inbox and wish everyone Merry Christmas. I'll be done by lunch. Not even worth me going to the Tower, but I want to say it in person. Plus Pep's gonna be there so..."

"Well, how about me, Harry and this little sprout come with you?  I can take them round Central Park for the morning and we can get something to eat when you're done." "Sounds good." She smiled. "Just don't tell the other two. Rori was already kicking off about the fact they get to stay home with you and she doesn't."

"Well Rori can get over herself." Steve scoffed taking a bite of toast as Katie snorted.

"That as maybe, but I’d rather not deal with a second disappointed kid this morning if I can help it."

"Don’t let it bother you.” Steve shook his head and Katie swallowed her coffee and wrinkled her nose.

"I just don't want him thinking we don't trust him. I mean is the park really a hard no? It’s not in a bad area and we can practically see it from the rooms upstairs."

Steve pondered for a moment. "I guess not. But it's a fair way to walk home from school. It’s a good twenty minutes or so. And there's a lot of roads to cross, not all of them safe."

"So maybe there's a compromise?" Katie looked at him. "What if we said no to the walk but yes to an hour or so play time? That way give him a little leeway, show him we trust him."

Steve took a deep breath "What you thinking?”

"Maybe if we dropped him and Seb at the park or something. I'll call Seb's mom, check she's okay with it, I mean he's staying here tonight but I don't want to do anything she isn't happy with. If she is then..."

Steve pondered what she was saying for a moment, grappling with his inner voice. On the one hand he knew Katie was right, Jamie was a good, responsible kid. On the other hand he worried. It was common knowledge Jamie was the son of two Avengers, and it still petrified him that it could result in someone using him to get to them. That said, just as with Emmy, he knew he couldn't bubble wrap him forever.

"Okay." Steve nodded. "See what Sebastian's parents say. If they’re fine then I guess we can run with it."

**** Half an hour or so later, Jamie and Rori were ready for school, Rori bounding around loudly singing ‘All I Want For Christmas’ whilst Jamie was a little more subdued, and Steve could tell he was fighting his desire to sulk at the fact they'd said no to his earlier request. Unlike Rori, Jamie rarely threw temper tantrums when he didn't get what he wanted. He merely retreated into himself a little, but recently he'd grown up even more and simply tried to get over whatever it was that was irritating him without trying to feel hard done by. Another sign he was growing up.

As he thanked Katie, albeit a little quietly when she told him she'd packed him an extra few pieces of cake to share with his friends, she glanced at Steve who nodded to her and she loudly made a show of taking Rori, Flossie and Harry to the car leaving Steve and his eldest boy alone as he locked up the house.

"Jamie," Steve locked the door and turned to him as Jamie stood patiently waiting at the bottom of the stoop. "Me and your Ma have had a chat, she talked to Seb's mom and we decided you can both go to the park." "Really?" Jamie's eyes lit up. "Yes but on a couple of conditions." "Sure Dad. Anything." "I pick you all up from school. We'll walk home, and I'll drop you off on the way through." Steve said, "You and Seb can walk behind or ahead of us, whatever, I don't care. Then you have to promise you call us to check in every fifteen minutes and it’s for an hour tops. And, as you said, dinner at five so make sure you're home." "Okay, I promise." "I trust you." Steve looked at him, nodding "So does your mom, don't give us reason not to"

"I won't." Jamie beamed at him as they walked to the car "Thanks dad."

Steve smiled and reached out, ruffling his hair which earned him a moan of complaint as Jamie pulled away.

"You're ruining my style!" He hastily shoved Steve gently in the side as he pushed his hands upwards to flatten it all back down and Steve chuckled before he studied his eldest boy, a conflicting feeling of happy sadness washed over him.

They were all growing up far too fast. **** At just gone midday, Steve strolled into the reception area of the once more named Stark Tower. He could have gone in the back entrance from the underground car park but Katie had told him to bring the kids into the foyer so they could see the tree, and he instantly knew why. It was stood next to the plinth in the middle of the large entrance rotunda which bore one of Tony's Iron Man suits that had been arranged in his signature palms out pose a few years back as a permanent memorial to his brother in law. The tree was huge, decked out in scarlet and gold, and the Iron Man suit had a Santa Hat on its head. He smiled, remembering the Christmas in the tower where he, Clint and Bruce had all taken it in turns to deck the Iron Legion bots out in the same hats, much to Tony's exasperation at the time.

"Look, Daddy!" Harry exclaimed excitedly as he spotted the hat "Uncle Nee is Santa!"

"I can see, buddy!" Steve chuckled as the young boy ran towards the suit, staring up at it. "Think it suits him?"

"Yep!" Harry nodded, his eyes focussed up before he turned to Steve. "I need one"

"A hat?" Steve asked, looking at him. “Well, I’m sure we can find one-“

"No, not a hat!” Jamie giggled “ A Iron Man suit."

Steve scoffed "No chance."

Just as Harry turned to look back at the suit once more, the elevator door opened and Katie walked out with Pepper. Pepper, as always, was dressed in a crisp grey suit and a pair of heels whereas Katie was in a pair of jeans, a Stark Industries hoody and a pair of knee high boots, her hair pulled back into a pony tail. Her coat was open and her scarf was loosely looped around her neck, woollen hat in her hands. Steve smiled at her as she greeted Harry who ran towards her and she picked him up. He gave his mom a kiss before he leaned over to wrap his arms around his Auntie's neck.

"Hi Sweetheart." Pepper beamed at him

"Hi Auntie Pep." He grinned before he wriggled a little so Katie placed him down as Steve approached giving her a soft kiss before he pecked his sister-in-law on the cheek.

"Hey Pep." He smiled as she gave him a hug.

"Hi Steve and hi baby!" She waggled her fingers at Flossie who beamed back and mimicked her actions. "God she's so big now."

"Yeah she's mastered the art of crawling. Poor Stark bolts from the room now to hide." Katie chuckled as she did up her coat.

"Auntie Pep, who put the hat on Uncle Nee?" Harry asked and Pepper looked at him, then to the Iron Man suit and snorted. "Your mommy"

"Why am I not surprised?" Steve looked at Katie and she shrugged.

"Tone loved Christmas much as me, he would approve." She tightened her scarf around her neck before she turned to Pepper "Can I change your mind about lunch?"

Pepper shook her head "I need to finish a few things then get to pick Moo up. But you guys enjoy and we'll see you in a couple of days for Christmas Eve."

"Sure?"

"Positive." Pepper nodded.

After bidding Pepper a good bye the four of them headed out into the cold December air and took their lunch at a little Italian not far from Grand Central. It was a nice way for Katie to finish work for the holidays and when they’d finished they took a walk so the younger kids could go and see the tree by the Rockefeller Centre. Flossie was mesmerised by ice skaters, Steve lifting her from the stroller so she could take a closer look whilst Harry tugged on Katie’s hand, pulling her closer to the tree to investigate.

Eventually it was time to head back to pick Jamie and Rori up from school. Katie dropped Steve by the gate where he collected them, plus Seb, and they set off on the twenty minute or so walk back, the two boys staying slightly ahead of him and Rori. As predicted, she begged for some time on the park and Steve acquiesced and they bounced from the swings to the slide before he told her it was time they headed home. He gave the boys strict instructions not to get into trouble or be late, and he left them to it, a gnawing, anxious feeling brewing in his chest as he made the three minute walk back to their house.

However, it all seemed to be okay. Jamie rang like clockwork as promised after fifteen minutes, then thirty, then forty-five, and when the security system sounded at the gate to announce that Jamie was home at three minutes to five, Steve finally relaxed.

That was until he heard Katie scream from the hallway.

“Jamie! Oh my God! What the hell happened?”

In a flash he was off the rug where he had been colouring with Harry and hurried into the entrance hall, stopping dead, his chest constricting as he saw his boy with a split lip, an already bruising cheek and eye and a slightly torn jacket collar.

“It wasn’t his fault Mrs Rogers.” Seb started to protest as Katie gently cupped Jamie’s face to examine his bruises.

“Are you hurt, Jamie?” Harry frowned as he looked at his brother from where he had followed Steve and Jamie shook his head.

“I’m okay Harry.”

“You don’t look okay.” Katie’s face was contorted in worry as Steve strode forward.

“Mom, I’m fine.” Jamie assured her “Honestly.”

“The other four boys aint.” Seb sniggered and at that Katie balked.

“Four? You were fighting with four other boys?” she stuttered and Steve gently touched her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down a little. Jamie was roughed up, he could see that, but after his initial shock he’d fast realised his boy’s injuries were superficial, and that most of the blood on his grey jacket wasn’t actually his…

“Honey, why don’t you go grab-“ Steve began but Rori cut him off, shocking Steve a little as he hadn’t realised she’d joined them.

“What’s in your coat?” she demand, pointed to the front of Jamie’s jacket. Steve glanced down and noticed that there was a slight bulge there, and it was moving.

“Jamie?” Steve nodded to it and Jamie looked up at him.

“They were hurting it.” He said softly, undoing his zip to reveal a tiny black and white kitten with bright blue eyes, and behind him, Steve heard Rori give a gasp.

“A kitty?”

“That’s why I got in the fight.” Jamie ignored his sister, his eyes fixed firmly on the kitten before he looked up at his mom. “I told them to stop but they were throwing stones at her and when she tried to run away they grabbed her tail and pulled her over. I think her leg is broken.”

“It’s true.” Seb insisted as Katie let out a sigh, gently reaching out for the cat which gave a loud shriek in protest as she picked it up.

“How do you know it’s a her?” Rori asked, her eyes fixed on the cat as Katie gently held it close to her chest.

“Because she doesn’t have a penis.” Jamie shot back and Steve gave an exasperated groan.

“Jamie!”

“What?” his son looked up at him. “It’s true!”

“Okay.” Katie cut over them both. “Take her by the fire to warm up.” She instructed, passing the protesting animal to Steve. He gently took the kitten, frowning as he could feel her bony spine as the tiny animal shivered in his large hand, from fright or cold, possibly both. “Jamie, into the kitchen so I can clean you up.”

“Mom, I’m sorry.” he sighed “I know you’re gonna be angry I was fighting but they really were hurting her.”

“I’m not mad.” She assured him, shaking her head “You did a good thing just…” she sighed trailing off “Go, kitchen.”

He looked at Steve who gave him a nod and he trudged off, Seb following.

“Hey, he’s okay.” Steve looked at her and she ran her hand over her face “Looks a damned site better than I used to when I came home to my Ma after a fight.”

“He was fighting four of them.” She practically squeaked and Steve took a deep breath.

“And from the looks of it, he came off better.” Steve mused, before Rori tugged at his jeans.

“Daddy can I see the kitty?”

“Me too!” Harry nodded eagerly.

“Go grab her a blanket from the cupboard under the stairs.” Steve instructed “And you can both sit with her in the lounge okay?”

“Okay!” Rori bounded off and Katie shook her head before she wandered into the downstairs bathroom and came out with the first aid kit. Without another word she headed into the kitchen where Jamie was shrugging off his jacket.

“Sit.” She instructed him, before she grabbed a bowl and filled it with warm water. Jamie obediently parked himself on a chair, Seb taking up the one on the other side of the table as Katie pulled a chair round and sat opposite her son and began to gently wipe his face with the cotton wool. He winced a little as she mopped the blood from around his lip and the dirt down the side of his face, taking care to be gently around his bruising cheek and eye, but other than that he showed no sign of injury. Just as she’d finished, and was retrieving an ice pack for him from the freezer, Steve walked into the room, stopping to examine Jamie’s face.

“That’s going to be an impressive black eye, son.” He mused, before he sighed, moving so his back was resting against the kitchen island, arms folded “So, what happened?”

“We were just about to head home, as it was cold anyway and we thought we’d come back a bit early but as we passed the corner there were four boys from the elementary school by the bush and they were prodding something with a stick.” Jamie began to explain, pressing the ice pack to the side of his face “When we passed I heard it crying so I told them to stop. They just swore at me and then one picked up a stone and threw it. That’s when I saw the cat and it fell over, making a horrible noise.” Jamie swallowed and bowed his head “Then when the pulled its tail, I just kinda lost it. I know I shouldn’t have done it but I pushed the one who had thrown the rock over and went to grab the cat, but then they all just started punching and kicking us.”

“I got a jab in.” Seb said, almost excitedly as Steve looked at him, arching an eyebrow, “But Jamie, man, he was something else. Took two down, WHAM, and then then pulled the third away from me. Then they all kinda ran away after that.”

“Elementary school.” Katie swallowed “How old were they Jamie?”

“One of them was Lisa Bradley’s older brother, she’s in my class.” Jamie mused, the ice pack pressed to his face “I think she said he was like 13 or something?”

“Not that it matters.” Seb grinned “Jamie’s like the same size as them, bigger than one of them actually.”

“I didn’t hit him.” Jamie shook his head “Just pushed him away when he swung at me.” He looked at his dad, pleading with his eyes for his father to believe him, which Steve did. His son wasn’t a liar. “I didn’t want to fight with someone smaller. You told me bullying is wrong.”

Steve took a deep breath, the pride welling in his chest “It is, son, but it sounds to me like he’s a bully, not you. Size isn’t everything all the time.”

Jamie shrugged, then his shoulders slumped “I ruined it didn’t I?”

“Ruined what?” Katie asked.

“You trusting me. You’ll never let me go to the park on my own again.”

Steve looked at Katie, before he turned to his son “I don’t recall us saying that.”

“But I got in a fight, and ripped my jacket. I know that was expensive and-”

“Jamie, we don’t care about your jacket.” Katie shook her head, “The rate you’re growing at it most likely won’t fit you for much longer anyway.” She sighed, “Look, hitting people isn’t right. And no, maybe you shouldn’t have started it but, we’re never going to get mad at you for standing up for yourself or someone, well something in this case, that needs help.” Katie looked at her son, smiling gently. “You did a good thing, fighting…well, I don’t like the fact you were involved in one but…”

“So you’re not gonna ground me?”

“No.” Steve shook his head.

“Even if their parent’s come round and start shouting and stuff?”

“We’ll worry about that if or when it happens.” Katie spoke, her voice was calm but Steve noticed her shoulders draw back a little and he had to fight the smirk on his face. She was an absolute hell cat where her kids were involved and he almost pitied the first parent to complain about Jamie’s behaviour. They’d feel the full on wrath of her Stark temper, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. With a deep breath she stood up, “Now, you boys thirsty? I got some peach tea if you want it?”

“My favourite!” Seb beamed “You’re the best Mrs R!”

With a soft smile, Katie gathered the bowl of dirty water and cotton pads and turned towards the sink. As she passed Steve he gently pushed away from the counter, reaching out to stop her. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and she took a deep breath, as she saw the tension leave her body before she continued across the kitchen.

“I’ll go check on the cat, make sure Rori hasn’t dressed it in a tutu or something.” He said, making for the door.

“I think she needs to go to the vet.” Jamie looked at him, “She was hurt real bad.”

Steve looked at Katie as she had pulled the jug of tea from the fridge. “Okay, if she needs to go I can take her whilst you guys have dinner.”

“You sure?” Steve looked at her and she nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll call them, see if John Mason is working.”

“I like him.” Jamie nodded “He was really kind with Lucky, and he’s nice to Stark too.”

With a nod, Katie moved from the room, calling out to Rori and Steve made to follow, stopping by Jamie as he did so, placing his hand on his shoulder.

“I’m proud of you, Son.” Steve’s head cocked to one side as Jamie looked up at him “We both are.”

“Thanks Dad.” He smiled softly.

“Just, maybe try not to take four of them on at once next time.” Steve arched an eyebrow. “Not that there should be a next time, but if there is…just don’t. You’ll give your Ma a heart attack.”

******

 “It’s not broken.” John Mason said, looking a Katie. “Just dislocated. To be honest the malnutrition and dehydration is more of a worry along with the nasty infection she has in her ear. Poor thing has been through the wars.”

“Yeah, she feels very skinny.” Katie sighed “She going to be ok?”

“Next forty-eight hours will be critical.” The vet straightened up. “We’ll get her on a drip and see if we can locate an owner. She’s not chipped so chances are that won’t happen. But if she makes it we’ll get her in at the shelter.”

Katie nodded “Could you keep me updated on how she is? My son got into a bit of a punch up during his efforts to rescue her.”

Mason smiled “Absolutely.”

“Thanks. Oh and you can send the bill to me. I’ll front it, not the rescue.”

“That’s very kind Mrs Rogers.” he smiled “I’ll be in touch.”

Katie left the vets, rubbing her temple. She had a banging headache and needed a fucking stiff drink. She drove the short distance home, and frowned as she pulled up their drive. Steve was stood on the stoop, in full on Captain mode if his body language was anything to go by. His hands were on his belt buckle, broad shoulders squared, face set in a furious expression as he faced off against a pair of people stood at the bottom of the steps, the woman waving her hands excitedly. Katie let out a groan, as she would lay odds on these being the irate parents of one of the boys Jamie had been in a fight with, but her groan turned into a growl as the woman stepped up to Steve, pushing him in the chest. In a flash she was out of the car and ran over, gripping the lady by her hair and yanking her backwards down the stoop before she released her, shoving her harshly on the shoulder. The woman stumbled back a little, into the man who was stood there looking completely abashed, like he would rather be anywhere else. Katie pulled herself upright and glared at the pair of them before pointing at the sharp-faced woman, her eyes blazing with anger.

“Touch my husband again and I’ll break your arm.” Katie snarled, looking the woman up and down “Who the fuck are you?”

“Your son kicked the crap out of my boy!” The woman shrieked and Katie grimaced, her voice was as irritating as nails scraping down a black board. “I want to know what the hell you’re going to do about it.”

“As I pointed out, if your son hadn’t been part of a group throwing rocks at an animal, this wouldn’t have happened.” Steve’s voice was calm, but laced with authority.

“So you’re saying he deserved it?”

“I told you, James has been made perfectly aware that violence is not acceptable.” Steve avoided spitting out the yes that had flown into his mind, instead remaining as diplomatic and as calm as he could “But as far as we’re concerned, that’s end of the matter. So, if you don’t mind, I think you need to leave.”

“End of the matter?” the woman exploded “My son has got a broken nose, a black eye and he’s shaken up to heaven!”

Steve bit back the smirk that was threatening to spread across his face, the amusement that his ten year old really had managed to kick the crap out of a boy three years his senior really wasn’t appropriate but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t like bullies, in any shape or form.

“Oh, my heart bleeds.” Katie wasn’t quite as subtle, not that Steve expected anything else. As predicted, she was in full Momma Bear mode. Just like she was whenever anyone messed with her kids. “Go tell someone who cares, because I sure as hell don’t.”

"You know, it makes me want to barf the fact we’re all supposed to kiss your ass after everything that happened.” The woman scoffed and Katie simply looked at her, rolling her eyes. She’d heard it all before. “Fucking Katie Stark, married Captain America…” the woman continued, “parading around like she owns the place. God, you think you’re so special don’t you?”

At that Steve groaned as he saw Katie stiffen even more, her shoulders rolling back a little as she drew herself to full height, her body language one of a snake ready to strike, and he’d seen it countless times before, none of them ending particularly well for the other person involved.

“Not special, no.” Katie shook her head, her voice low and steely “But I’m certainly better than some piece of shit parent that brings their kid up with an attitude which makes them think it’s acceptable to not only harm a defenceless animal but be part of a gang of four boys who pick a fight with two kids three years younger than them.” She then stepped forward into the woman’s space and at that Steve hastily made his way down the stoop steps, ready to break up what he sensed was going to become another fight. “Now I suggest you get the fuck off my property before I drag you out of the gates myself, and trust me, patching up your son’s bruised ego at having the crap kicked out of him by a ten year old will be the least of your worries if that happens"

Steve slid his arm between the two women and gently moved Katie away. She acknowledged his touch, taking a step back but her eyes, which were blazing with anger, never left the woman in front of her. 

"Come on, Hallie..." the man next to her spoke

"Yeah, go on Hallie," Katie hissed, unable as usual not have the last word, "fuck off back to your troll cave and mark my words, your son goes near mine again and I’ll be the one stood on your door step. You got me?"

The woman swallowed, her face slipping before she turned and left, Katie’s eyes following them out of the gate.

“Stupid bitch.” Katie spat as she spun to Steve who shook his head, “What?”

“You’re scary when you’re angry.” He stated simply, raising an eyebrow.

“What do you expect?” She blazed. “Coming round here, shooting her mouth off, shoving you in the chest. I don’t like people touching my stuff. Fuck her.”

Steve chuckled and wrapped his arm round her shoulder, pressing a kiss to her temple and quickly changing the subject. “How’s the cat?”

“Vet says in a bad way but we’ll see. Her leg wasn’t broken but she’s poorly” Katie sighed, her demeanour calming somewhat as they stepped inside the house. “He said he’d call me when they have news.”

“Rori’s already been asking if we can keep her.”

Katie groaned “Why am I not surprised?” she paused as Steve shut the door. “So were they the only ones to turn up then or-“

“Yeah.” Steve nodded “I took a call off the parents of two others, but both were very apologetic when I explained what had actually happened.”

“How are you so calm about all this?” Katie stopped and looked at him. “It’s normally me that’s level headed when it comes to stuff they’ve done but-“

“Honey, I got my ass kicked all over Brooklyn.” Steve smiled gently, shrugging “As I said before, my Ma saw me in far worse states than Jamie came home in, and whilst I don’t like what happened, rightly or wrongly I’m kinda pleased that he’s way stronger than I was and can stand up for himself. Gives us a little less to worry about, don’t you think?”

Katie pondered his words for a moment before she let out a soft sigh. “I need a drink.”

**** Three days later on the Monday, after lunch, the entire Rogers family sat in the large living room watching Home Alone. Katie was curled up on one of the sofas her feet resting in Steve’s lap as he absentmindedly traced circles on the skin just above her right ankle, his eye focussed on the TV. Rori lay tucked up against his other side as she nestled into him, her legs hanging over the arm of the sofa whilst Emmy, Pete and Harry were sat on the larger sofa opposite, Harry perched on Emmy’s knee. Jamie was sprawled in the large armchair with Stark, his hand tangling in his faithful dog’s fur and Flossie was napping in her pack and play to the side of the room. Katie loved moments like this, having all her kids together, laughing and joking and chatting as they watched, every so often Steve making some kind of ‘dad’ remark that would earn him a groan in response, or cause Jamie and Emmy to exchange exasperated glances whilst he turned and winked at Katie, knowing exactly what he was doing.

This was what the holidays were all about to them both. Their family.

Feeling her phone vibrate, Katie shifted a little to locate it from down the side of the cushion and Steve looked at her, questioningly as she glanced at her phone.

“Be right back.” She said, leaving the room so as not to disturb them.

“Mrs Rogers, its John Mason.” The vet greeted her as she answered, shutting the door to the kitchen. “I just wanted to update you on Erica, the kitten you brought in.”

"Erica?" Katie blinked and the vet gave a little chuckle.

“Sorry, yeah, one of the vet nurses kinda nicknamed her and it stuck." The man's tone was almost apologetic. "It’s short for America. Cat-tain America to be specific" Katie let out a little groan of a chuckle “You know you'd really get on with my eldest daughter." The man laughed "Well, despite the odds being stacked against her I’m pleased to tell you she pulled through. She was extremely weak when you brought her in but she's healthy enough to be moved to the shelter tomorrow where they can continue to look after her until she hopefully finds a home" "Well I appreciate it. Thank you for letting me know. Are you emailing the bill over?” "No, there's no charge." The vet replied. "It’s Christmas after all. The time for good will and all that." Katie smiled "Well in that case I'll give an extra donation to the shelter. We normally take them something this time of year, especially seeing as that’s where our dog came from." "Yes how is Stark after we last saw him?" "He’s good." Katie turned her head to eye up the mutt in question who had followed her into the kitchen in the hope he was going to sneak some coveted human food, not a care in the world at the fact the last time he had snatched something he shouldn’t, it had cost them almost four hundred bucks and a Jamie melt down. "The sickness drugs obviously worked as he was fine. No chocolate poisoning thank God. I’d like to say it taught him a lesson on not eating things that are not meant to be eaten by him but sadly no, he still sticks his nose into everything, including my shoe closet. The vet laughed “Yes, they keep us on our toes. Well, lovely talking to you Mrs Rogers. Hopefully, no offence, but we won't see you soon and I hope you have a lovely Christmas." "You too. And thank you."

With that she put the phone back in her pocket and headed into the lounge.

“That was the vet.” She said.  Steve looked up at her, and the paused the film, all eyes turning to her. “The kitten is fine. She pulled through.”

“Well that’s good news.” Steve smiled, as Jamie gave a little grin and Rori cheered.

“They’re going to take her to the shelter tomorrow.”

“But it’s Christmas.” Rori said gently, her face falling. “She’ll be all alone.”

“She won’t” Katie assured her, knowing full well that she was as much of an animal lover as Jamie. “She’ll have other cat friends. Hey, they even gave her a name, they like her that much so…”

“What?” Rori asked.

“Erica.” Katie grinned, her eyes flicking to Steve “Short for Cat-tain America.”

At that Steve let out a groan as Peter and Emmy both snorted, Jamie howling with laugher but Rori’s face remained deadly serious.

“They should have called her Emmy.”

“Why?” Emmy looked at Rori who gave a shrug.

“Because she’s like you.”

“What, has a furry face and whiskers?” Pete quipped, causing Jamie to howl even more. Steve gave a grin as Pete easily dodged the blow Emmy aimed to the back of his head, his spidey senses telling him it was coming.

“No.” Rori rolled her eyes, sighing dramatically “I mean because she was all alone too until Jamie found her, just like you were until momma and daddy found you” she looked at her sister, the expression on her little face serious as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Steve and Katie exchanged a look, both of them sideswiped by Rori’s comment.

“I just hope she’s as lucky as you were.” Rori shrugged. “And that she finds a family that’s kind to her.” With that she turned back to the TV. “Now, can we finish the movie?”

“Erm, yeah.” Steve pressed play again and Katie excused herself to start dinner. He waited a few minutes before he headed out into the hallway to see Katie hastily pulling on her jacket.

“I need cheese for the lasagne.” She looked at him and he arched an eyebrow.

“Yeah, right. Cheese.”

She shrugged and headed out of the door, and Steve turned to see Jamie stood behind him.

“Ten bucks says she’s coming back with the cat.” Jamie spoke and Steve snorted.

“First rule of gambling, you bet on a cert not against it. No deal.” He folded his arms as Jamie grinned “Not a word to your sister until your mom gets home or we won’t hear the end of it.”

***** About forty minutes or so later the system announced that Katie was home and Steve and Jamie exchanged a look. A few moments later Katie called them all out into the hallway and Steve watched as Rori and Harry shot out first, the rest following, as they heard Rori gave a shriek.

“Are we keeping her?”

“An early Christmas gift from Jamie to everyone.” Katie smiled as she crouched down and opened the little cat carrier and reached in for the kitten, which looked a damned site better than when Steve had last seen her.

“Jamie, you’re the best!” Rori turned to her brother and hugged him tightly. Jamie grinned and hugged her back before Rori turned round and held her arms out, Katie handing the kitten over.

“Hi Erica!” Rori beamed at the cat who looked at her, then around the room blinking before giving a tiny meow.

“Okay, look, if the cat’s staying can we at least think of a better name?” Steve pleaded, before he smiled and looked at Katie “What about T’Challa?”

Katie laughed as his suggestion was met with a resounding chorus of protest.

“Nope.” Rori shook her head, looking at him. “It’s bad luck to change an animal’s name. And now we have a dog named after Uncle Nee and momma, and now a kitty named after you.” She shrugged, her attention turning back to the cat and Steve watched Erica batted slightly at the little coloured woollen balls that adorned Rori’s sweater. Rori gave a giggle, gently pressing her nose to the cat’s head.

In the corner of his eye, Steve noticed a flash of white and tan fur but before he could do anything, Jamie grabbed Stark’s collar to stop him jumping all over Rori and the kitten.

“You’ll have to take them into the lounge so they can meet each other.” Katie instructed and Jamie nodded.

“Come on, I’ll help.” Emmy smiled.

“Me too, I love cats!” Peter grinned, and together they all headed into the lounge, Rori talking excitedly about all the tricks she was going to teach her new pet, leaving Steve and Katie alone in the hall.

“Funny looking cheese.” Steve quipped, as he looked down at the bag of items from the pet store, finally meeting his wife’s eyes with a smirk as she looked at him, her expression a little sheepish. “And after all that abuse you gave me last week over saying maybe.”

“Shut up.” She mumbled, and then with a grin she moved and slipped her arms round his neck. “I’ll make it up to you later.”

“Oh, I know you will.” He smirked, his hands resting on her hips. “And for the record, the next time you say that our little Diva knows how to play me, I’m totally gonna remind you of this.”

“I don’t doubt it for a second, Soldier.” She grinned, pulling his head down towards hers, kissing him deeply, “But for the record, it was the name that totally did it.”

“Sure it was.”

“That and the fact it’s black and white.” She grinned, a mischievous look in her face “Like your beard.”

“Well for that I’m definitely shaving.” His lips brushed against hers and she laughed, shaking her head.

“Please don’t.” she whispered, her teeth nipping at his jaw line, her mouth sliding softly down his neck and Steve gave a little moan, his fingers flexing on her hips.

“Well, maybe you can convince me to keep it.” He spoke softly, as once more his lips claimed hers.

[thepointoftheneedle]

Happy New Year!

I wrote a little New Year’s Eve one shot.  It’s below the cut or you can read it on AO3 here.  (I’ve started a collection of short pieces just to keep things tidy.) I hope you are all able to celebrate safely and I wish you a healthy and happy 2021.

It was obvious that the party was going off the rails as soon as Archie started lining up shots along the whole length of the marble counter top.  He called Reggie out and Reggie never backed down from a challenge to his machismo so they both worked their way along the little bullets of stupid until, breathless and belly laughing, they slid to the floor, their eyes swivelling in their dumb skulls like cartoon coyotes that had just been smashed over the head with an Acme anvil.  It was nine fifteen. Betty had wondered if Veronica would be mad about it but she seemed in the mood for some chaos as she set up two more lines of glasses opposite each other on the counter and challenged Cheryl who had never met an unnecessary drama she didn’t like.  

Betty had drunk a very pleasant glass of good champagne and had been contemplating having a couple more before midnight.  She’d never been a big drinker so for her that was cutting loose.  It had been, to put it crudely, a shit-show of a year and she was glad to see the back of it.  At the last New Year’s party she had been showing off a dazzling engagement ring, about to start the job that she had been expensively and laboriously trained for and she and her intended had signed the lease on a cute and well appointed apartment in Sunset Park which everyone said was the up and coming neighbourhood. The world had been unfolding for her like a flower.  Then the frost had come and scorched the petals with its chill. This year she was single, her job sometimes felt like it was eating her up and that cute apartment burned through every cent of her pay check now she had to make the rent alone.  It was possible that she was the saddest girl in a cocktail dress on the whole island of Manhattan, she was certainly the soberest person at the party.

An hour later the shots were completely out of hand and Betty had only just prevented Ethel from throwing up into the piano.  Moose made some half hearted effort to restore order, offering glasses of water, trying to start a game of Charades, but Kevin was in too mischievous a mood for his efforts to bear any fruit and instead they were embarking on Drunk Jenga, the rules of which seemed to be that you took a shot whenever you removed a block and then another when you placed it on top of the stack.  She imagined you took a shot if the tower fell but she didn’t stick around to find out.  She sidled over to where the Pol Roger was stacked, neglected,  in its very own champagne refrigerator and helped herself while everyone else was supporting the economy of Mexico by the prodigious consumption of Patron Silver.

She took her recharged glass to the window and looked out at the snowy expanse of Central Park far below.  It looked like the idealised interior of a snow globe, the air glassy and still and a huge yellow moon surveying its domain.  Betty remembered walking through the park with Trev last Christmas, bundled in a thick coat and scarf.  They’d held hands inside one of his mittens. They’d made snow angels.  They’d skated at the Wollman Rink and drunk hot chocolate afterwards.  Her life had been a cover image from a romance novel. This year she had spent Christmas being patronised by Polly’s constant offers of introductions to a succession of Jason’s frat brothers and golfing buddies.  Eventually she’d pointed out that if she’d wanted some obstructionist, bigoted blowhard she could have found one herself, without Polly’s oh so sympathetic intervention.  Polly cried and Betty apologised but she still wasn’t going to go on a date with a junior vice president of acquisitions even if he did have a weekend place in Connecticut.  She wouldn’t tolerate being paraded in front of prospective suitors like a prize dairy cow at the county show, not by Veronica and certainly not by her sister.

As she reminisced she became aware of Archie and Veronica deep in conversation in the corner of the room.  “We have a teeny emergenshy,” Veronica said, her hand on Archie’s forearm.  Veronica was never less than perfectly composed but that slur at the end of her word and the ramped up sincerity gave her away to her best friend. She was sozzled. “Only two bottles of Patron left and then the cupboard is bare. I may have over-ordered on the fizz and neglected the tequila.”

Archie nodded, taking the situation as seriously as his wife.  Then some kind of light dawned on his handsome face.  “We’ll get the magic doorman to get us some.  He’ll be on duty now.  I’ll go slip him a fifty and he’ll take care of it.”  He turned to reach for his wallet and promptly fell on his face. It was ten to eleven and all was decidedly not well.

Betty went over to help Archie off the rug.  He grinned even though his nose was bloody. “Ronnie, Betty’s all sober and sensible.  She can go talk to the wizard.  Here Betty, here’s fifty for a tip and Ronnie’ll give you her credit card for the booze.  Okay?  Shit I’m bleeding… still it’s not a party til something gets broke.”

V was looking at her imploringly now.  Somewhere there was the sound of glass smashing and Monroe’s attempt to do chin ups on the kitchen doorframe seemed to be bringing plaster down on the floor.  Betty would rather be almost anywhere than right here so she nodded at her friend.  "What do you need V?”

V explained that the building’s night doorman was a kind of fixer.  When Tom in 204 had forgotten his wife’s birthday Jones had got him a gluten free chiffon cake iced with her name at two thirty on a Thursday morning along with a bouquet of out of season narcissuses....narcissi? When the little boy in 116 had told his mama at midnight that he needed a George Washington costume for school the next day the night doorman had sourced it, complete with powdered wig, before the little tyke had finished his cheerios.  When V had realised an hour before her 5.15 a.m. flight to Miami that she had completely forgotten her niece’s confirmation gift he had sourced a personalised Catholic Bible bound in white leather which he handed to her as she got into her cab.  “He’s a miracle worker B.  Just tell him we need a case…no two cases of Patron Silver before midnight.  Give him the fifty but tell him I’ll make it a hundred if he can fix it by eleven thirty. OK?”

“Sure.  On my way.”  

She travelled down in the elevator imagining the doorman.  He’d be some old guy in a uniform with gold braid on the chest. He probably knew all the residents and their dogs by name and had one of those old timey extended families so that he could reach out to Cousin Ike for last minute birthday cakes or get his nephew’s wife to sew a costume at no notice.  She needed a fixer herself since her life seemed so broken.  She wondered what he could do for a lonely woman who was trying to work out if getting a cat was too much of an admission that she had given up.

As she stepped out into the lobby she was slightly taken aback by the mismatch between her expectations and reality.  He was behind the reception desk, dark head bowed over a laptop, no braid in evidence, no grey whiskers or paunch, just this dark, poetic looking guy in a black sweater.  She approached the desk and he looked up at her, fingers still flying over the keys without him needing to glance down.  He seemed to reach a natural pause, closed the lid of the laptop and smiled politely.  “Yes ma’am, how can I help?”  His eyes were blue.  They seemed to look through her probably thinking she was just another rich girl bringing him problems.  He must get that a lot.

“Yeah, hi, I’m a guest of Mr and Mrs Lodge Andrews up in the penthouse.  They’re having a little New Year's Eve party and they’re running low on liquor.  They wondered if you could source them a couple of cases of…”

“Patron Silver?  Yes ma’am, of course.  Who should I charge it to?”  She had no idea how he could have known what she was going to ask for.  It made her want to say that they wanted Stolichnaya or absinthe or something, just to surprise him but she’d been sent for Patron and Patron she would get.

“Oh, yes, I have a credit card.” She handed it over,  “and Mr Andrews said to give you this for the trouble.”  She passed him the fifty, embarrassed.

“No incentive to get it here before the coaches turn into pumpkins?” he asked, eyebrow raised.  She thought he was making fun of her but she couldn’t be sure.  

“Oh yes, that’s right.  Veronica said another $50 if it’s here by eleven thirty.”

“Okay ma’am.  I’ll buzz up when it’s here.  If that’s all.”

“Oh please don’t call me ma’am.  I’m Betty.”

“I’m Jones... Jughead. Nickname. Long dull story.” He raised an eyebrow, clearly wondering why she was still standing in front of his desk.

“Look, it’s a little crazy up there.  Would it be okay if I just stay down here for a minute? Just say if it’s inconvenient. I don’t want to disturb you if you’re busy.” She didn’t think she could bear to be the responsible adult at Veronica’s party for a moment longer. Here it was quiet and no one needed her to hold back their hair while they were getting sick.

“Busy getting hold of twelve bottles of good tequila on New Year's Eve but that’s all.  I just need to make a call.  Excuse me.”  He stood and walked away from the desk, his back turned to her.  It was a good back.  He was wearing the black sweater over grey slacks with a key chain hanging from one of his belt loops.  He had broad shoulders but his neck was fine, not thick and meaty like the guys who needed to lift weights to manufacture some self esteem. He was slim at the waist and the hips, long legs, tall.  The hair was the USP though, dark waves of it tumbling freely as he dragged long fingers through it, waiting for someone to pick up his call.  Finally he yelled “Hey Toni.  Yeah, two cases of Patron Silver asap.  Yeah, I’d noticed that but mark it up. Can Sweetpea drop it over?  Yeah right now.  Hey, ask him to get me a burger on the way too.”  He turned and looked at Betty with a questioning look and she shrugged and nodded, “Two, make it two.  Ok, thanks Toni.  Yeah you too.  See you Sunday.”

He ended the call and made his way back to the desk.  “My pal Toni runs a bar,” he explained with a grin. 

“Veronica says you’re magic, a wizard,” she told him.

“Nothing occult about it.  I’m just observant, that’s all.”

“Seems magical to produce a George Washington costume overnight,” she countered.  

“Oh well, that was a lucky break.  My sister’s a textile artist.  A struggling one.  I gave her the brief and she knocked up the costume in a few hours.  Now all the upper east side mommies have her business card and she can afford to buy materials and pay her rent.  She had to pull an all nighter but it paid off pretty big in the end.”

“Birthday cake?  Out of season flowers?” 

“The husband’s kind of a dick.  He forgot last year too. They had a fight about it in this very lobby so I wrote down the date and got ready to save his bacon.  If he’d remembered the date I’d have had cake for my breakfast and sent my sister a bunch of flowers.  As it was I made a couple hundred bucks.”

Betty was laughing now at the smug look on his face.  “So you could have reminded him beforehand?”

“Could have, but maybe the expense’ll help him remember next time.  Anyway if the doorman knows more about your wife than you do it might be time to review your priorities.”

“Ok but what about the Bible?  That seems pretty miraculous.”

“Actually it’s kind of the opposite. The kid’s confirmation name is Maria. Hardly original.  My buddy Joaquin’s little sister was confirmed a few months ago.  Her confirmation name’s Maria.  She hadn’t made a whole lot of use of the Bible.  Your pal paid me three hundred, Joaquin’s kid sister got two hundred in her college fund.”

“Seems like the side hustles are more remunerative than the pay check,” Betty observed.

“It’s all a side hustle.  I’m a writer.  This job’s kept me supplied with characters and plot lines and given me eight hours of mostly uninterrupted writing time.”

Betty flushed pink and jumped up from the corner of the desk where she had been leaning.  “Oh I’m so sorry. Here I am wasting your time.  I’ll be on my way.”

“No, wait,” he reached out and put his hand on her arm.  It tingled.  “I didn’t mean it like that.  This is research.  Maybe I’ll put you in my next book.  The sad girl in a party frock who’d rather be in the lobby than with her friends at a party being kissed for New Year.”

“There’s no-one to kiss up there,” she confessed with a sad smile and then, without having any idea why, she said “I broke up with my fiancé last February.”

“Aha,” he said.  “There’s the plot.  Tell me.”

“He’s great.  A really good guy.  Kind, loyal, handsome.  Everything I should have wanted. Any girl would be lucky to have him. I think I broke his heart.”

“Why?”

“We started to plan the wedding and I wanted to run away.  I couldn’t bear to think about it.  Then one day I found myself imagining what I’d do if something bad happened that prevented it, like if he got sick or if I was in a car accident or something.  It was pretty clear that I couldn’t go through with it if I preferred the idea of one of us being in a coma to the idea of my wedding day.”

“Cold feet?”

“Oh freezing but it wasn’t just nerves.  When I imagined being married to him I couldn’t see myself, I was just a blank. It was… I don’t know how to say it…like I was finished.  I’d never be anything more than I was, never change or grow or struggle.  It was all too easy.  No grit in the oyster.  I know it’s crazy.”

“You didn’t say it was you not him did you?  You didn’t do that to him?” He was smiling at her, sympathising not mocking.

She blushed.  “I did.  All the clichés.  How could I explain?  I don’t even understand it myself.”

“I understand it.  You want to find out who you can be and he couldn’t give you that.  He was happy with who you were, didn’t want you to change.  He was probably scared of losing you. Anyone would be.” He looked at her with an intensity that made her nervous so she tried to change the subject.  

“A writer then?  What do you write?”

“Mostly mystery stories.  Magazines and online so far but I’ve just got a publisher for the novel.  I’m going to quit this next year.  What do you do?”

“I’m a psychologist.  I work with kids who are in trouble.  Try to get them back on track.  I love it but it’s hard sometimes.  I hear things that it’s tough to leave at the office.”

“You need to take care of you first.  You can’t save someone if you aren’t safe yourself. ”

“Writer or life coach?” she smiled.

He chuckled.  “Sorry.  I’m not good at small talk.  I get too intense too fast and freak people out.  Oh hey, cometh the man, cometh the tequila.”  

A tall guy in a leather jacket was pulling boxes out of the back of a truck that he’d illegally bumped up the curb outside..  He looked a little scary.  Once he was in the lobby she saw that he had a snake tattooed on his neck.  He fist bumped Jughead and then pulled him into a side hug. “Hey man.  Happy new year and all that. Hey,” he said, noticing Betty for the first time. 

“Hey.  Thanks so much for bringing it over. There’s a whole apartment full of drunk idiots upstairs just waiting to make themselves sick on it. Oh!” He turned back to Betty, aghast at what he’d said. “Sorry Betty.”

“You’ll not get an argument from me.  That’s why I’m down here talking to you.”

Neck tattoo laughed and held out his hand “Sweetpea.  Pleasure doing business with you.”  He turned back to Jughead,  “So I have to get back, I’m supposed to be on the door at the Wyrm.  See you Sunday?”

“Burgers?” Jug reminded him and his friend nodded, trotting back to the truck to grab a take out bag and toss it back to Jughead who snatched it from the air like a dolphin snatching a fish at Seaworld.

Betty buzzed up to the penthouse to get one of the assembled jocks to come and collect two cases of tequila and bring down a bottle of Pol Roger and the promised fifty dollars. It was eleven twenty four.  Ten minutes later she was sitting on the reception desk eating a burger, washing it down with $200 champagne.  “This is the best New Year's Eve I’ve ever had,” she grinned, a little disinhibited by the bubbles.  

“Weren’t you engaged last year?”

“This is much better.  I was pretending last year.  Now I’m just being me.”

“I always find that works better.  The not pretending bit. Especially not with someone you can love.”

She certainly wasn’t pretending at eleven fifty nine when she reached out to him and he took her in his arms and kissed her softly as cheers and yells rang out from the parties all over the city and fireworks exploded high above the park, casting confetti of coloured lights across the marble lobby. 

As the kiss ended she looked up into his blue eyes, wondering if it was the champagne that was making her blurry and relaxed or if it was him.  She thought she’d have to keep on kissing him to know for sure.  He really was a fixer though.  Her heart felt lighter, hopeful.

He grinned.  “Spectacular as that was, this is probably the most surveilled lobby in the city.  Can we schedule the repeat for when I’m not actually on the clock?”  He gestured at the security cameras covering every inch of the space and she blushed to think that somewhere there was taped evidence of her trying to seduce the sexy doorman.

“Can I stay here and talk to you some more if I promise not to touch?”

“I wish you would.  I get off at six and I know a great diner for breakfast.  We can tell people our first date was breakfast.  They’ll be scandalised.” She couldn’t hold back at the mention of the first date, of them telling people about it, so she kissed him on the cheek before retreating back to the edge of the desk with her hands up.

They talked about her work, his writing, they compiled an ultimate New Year's Eve playlist and top tens of movies and books.  She found herself distracted by the fullness of his lips, the expressiveness of his face, the heaviness of the locks of hair that fell forward over his eyes only to be pushed back impatiently.  They agreed on almost nothing and that was exactly how she liked it.  When she crept up to the penthouse at five thirty to collect her coat and change her party shoes for snow boots, she was met with a scene of devastation.  Prostrate bodies sprawled on every flat surface.  The two cases of tequila sat unopened in the kitchen, clearly surplus to requirements by the time they had been manifested.  She picked her way through the carnage and found the coat closet where Archie had put her things when she’d arrived the night before.  Opening the door she noticed the cases of liquor stacked inside, three unopened boxes of Patron among them.  She realised that Jug wasn’t the only fixer in the building.  She made sure to lean over her sleeping friend to place a kiss on her forehead before she let herself out, locking the door behind her.

[wiypt-writes]

Stark Spangled Forever

A Very Rogers Christmas Part 2- You Gotta Be Kitten Me

Summary: Christmas draws ever nearer and the two eldest littles in the Rogers household break up from school from the holidays, and Jamie is given his first taste of independence…and brings a few surprises home as a consequence.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

Warnings: Bad language, talks of violence…a little bit of actual violence and Katie acting like a hell cat!

A/N: You can find Part 1 of my Stark Spangled 2020 Christmas special- A Very Rogers Christmas. HERE.

Katie walked into the bathroom where Steve was stood, his top half bare, towel round his waist as he gently examined his face. Katie stopped to take him in, his broad shoulders still beaded with drops of water from his shower, his back muscles rippling as he turned this way and that way, tilting his body as he stared at his reflection. Katie could see in his eyes that he was lost, battling with those little doubts that every now and then would niggle away in his brain ever since he had noticed the changes to his body some two years ago. He was petrified the serum was going to disappear overnight and leave him back to his previous state, small and weak, but both Katie and Banner had reassured him that wasn't going to happen. What he was seeing now was it gradually depleting, a process Banner had predicted from various tests would take twenty more year or so. And besides, as Katie had reminded him, there was nothing weak about Steve Rogers. That said, she understood as well as anyone what it was like to deal with your body changing. Having carried four children she now had wider hips, a soft stomach, bigger chest and she knew full well that by the time Christmas was over she'd be about twelve pound heavier and be on a diet for two months to shift said Christmas weight, but she was beyond the point of caring. Where once it had made her feel sick to look at herself, now, seeing her kids each day was a reminder of just why she had changed, and what was a few extra inches here and there when you had a gorgeous family to show for it?

Plus Steve adored her. She knew that. He took any and every chance he could to touch her and remind her how beautiful he thought she was. And she felt the same about him. Whilst he wasn't quite as defined as he had been once upon a time, his hard, chiselled abs had been replaced with a flat but softer stomach, his pectoral muscles also ever so slightly less pronounced, he was beyond perfect to her. She loved his softer body, and yes he complained his knees cracked and ached a little if he over did it on the running, and sometimes his back gave him a twinge every now and then, but he was fit, healthy and had a physique most men would die for. He was also still ridiculously strong. He could roughhouse with Jamie all day long, he could sweep Rori up in one hand and tuck her under his arm whilst she squealed with laughter, he could throw Emmy over his shoulder with easy, he could lift Harry and Flossie up one in each hand with no trouble, and he could pick Katie up and toss her around the bedroom like she was a ragdoll, which suited her just fine. With a smile, Katie gently dropped the clothes she was carrying into the hamper and moved behind him, her hands slipping to his belly, spraying flat against his skin as she pressed a kiss to the back of his shoulder. "Get out of your head, Soldier." Steve gave a soft smile as his hands lay over hers, as she peeked round him, their eyes locking in the mirror and he let out a sigh. "I was just thinking, that's all." "I can tell." She nuzzled the top of his arm "You had your thinking face on." He gave her another smile, his right hand teaching up to his chin and he gently rubbed his beard "I was just debating whether or not to shave." "Don't you dare!" Katie narrowed her eyes and he chuckled. "Yeah, didn't think you'd take it well." "Why do you wanna shave?" She frowned. "You've had a beard now for years. I thought you liked it as it keeps you on the low mostly." "I do." He shrugged, tipping his head to the side slightly. “But I don’t like all this grey that appears to get worse every morning." Katie arched an eyebrow as she slid round to face him, Steve stepping back to allow her to stand in the space between him and the basin unit. She glanced up, examining the dark whiskers which adorned his chin and cheeks, spattered intermittently with lighter blonde, auburn and an increasing amount of grey. "Well, I’m a big fan," she mused, standing on her tip toes to brush her lips over his jaw, the pads of her fingers cupping his cheeks. "And I also happen to think you're fucking gorgeous either way. If you wanna murder it, go ahead." "You talk about it as it it’s a living, breathing thing." Steve scoffed, his hands falling to her hips. "Well it’s that glorious it could be." She smiled and he laughed. "Look, I promise you, the only person who’s noticing it so much is you, but if it's bothering you why don't you just trim it a little before you completely get rid? Then you can see how you feel when it's shorter."

“Yeah, maybe.” he glanced at the mirror again as Katie’s hands slid to the top of his shoulders, smoothing up and over until they reached round his neck, the fingers of her right hand gently tangling in the strands of his hair at the back of his head.

“As long as you don’t shave all this off when it starts going grey too.” She teased and he rolled his eyes and gave her an exasperated look as she pondered something. “Actually, you’d probably suit a buzz cut.”

“Shut up.” He looked at her and she grinned as her eyes flashed mischievously.

“Mind you, I like having something here to tug.” she pulled his hair slightly causing his head to tip back a little before she released him, biting her lip, a cheeky glint in her eyes.

“You are incorrigible.” He smirked, dropping his head to catch her lips.

“Shut up and put that silver on me, Soldier.” She grinned against his mouth and Steve couldn’t help the little growl that rumbled in his throat at her words. In an easy movement he’d picked her up and perched her on the unit in front of him, causing a dirty little giggle to fly from her lips which he swallowed with his mouth. He kissed her, long and hard, his hands splaying on her back as her legs locked around his hips, the pair of them laughing in between the kisses and just as Katie’s hands moved to untuck the edge of the towel round Steve’s waist they heard Rori yelling that she couldn’t find her Snowman sweater and Steve gave a groan, his forehead resting against Katie’s, his eyes closed.

“You know, I love out kids, I would die for them but sometimes, well I swear to God they get their bad timing skills from your brother, her especially.”

Katie chuckled as her eyes opened and locked onto Steve’s which were twinkling with good humour.

“Yeah, there’s no doubting she has a lot of Stark in her.”

“Not to mention she’s a dramatic ass.” Steve snorted as Katie laughed

“Yeah that too.”

“You know, your dad would have been crazy about her.” He added as he stepped back to allow Katie to hop down from the unit.

“Maybe, I don’t remember enough about him to agree or otherwise,” she mused, “but I know if Tony were still here he would adore her.”

“Yeah, he would.” Steve agreed. “And as a result she’d be calling me Capsicle instead of Daddy.”

Katie laughed and gently gave his cheek a kiss “I’ll go start breakfast, can you sort Harry and Floss?”

“Sure.” He kissed her gently watching as she left the room.

Katie found Rori’s sweater, much to her daughter’s excitement and then they headed downstairs where Jamie was already sat eating a bowl of cereal. She smiled at him and he wished her good morning before he offered to get Rori’s cheerio’s for her. Rori grinned at him and nodded so Katie left the two of them to it whilst she threw some toast in for her and Steve and turned to see Jamie had also grabbed Harry’s bowl from the cupboard and was busy measuring him some cereal out for him too.

“Thanks Jamie.” She smiled.

“It’s ok.” He shrugged. There was a moment’s pause as Katie threw on a pot of coffee before he spoke again. “Actually, mom, I kinda wanted to ask you something.”

Katie paused, and turned around smiling “You buttering me up?”

“No, that’s not…” he began floundering for excuses the same way Steve did before he rolled his eyes when he saw Katie grinning. “Rude.”

She laughed “Okay, sorry sweetie. What is it?”

“Well, I was wondering if me and Seb could go to the park after school.”

“I wanna go to the park, too!”  Rori nodded and Katie shrugged.

“I don’t see why not. Sure your dad will take you for an hour when I make dinner.”

“No, I mean on our own.” Jamie looked at Katie “I thought we could like walk home and stop off for an hour.”

“You want to walk home from school, with Seb, and go to the park?” Katie clarified and Jamie nodded. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

"Why not?"

"You're ten." She said flatly as she mixed Flossie’s porridge and moved to the microwave. "I know you're growing up now but..." "I'll be with Seb" Jamie pleaded "It’s not that far to walk, and I’ll call you.” His eyes lit up as if he had found some kind of huge bargaining chip “Like, when I'm leaving school and when we get to the park and then every ten minutes after. And we’ll be home for five for dinner. I promise.” Katie sighed, shutting the microwave door as she bit her lip. She has been dreading this day, when Jamie staked his first claim on wanting some independence. And here it was, a request to go to the park after the schools broke up for Christmas.  It wasn't that she didn't want him to go, far from it. Her and Steve were keen that, despite their background, the kids all had as normal an upbringing as possible. But now she was torn. Jamie was pushing eleven and would start middle school next time round. She wanted to give him a little more responsibility yet in the same breath also wasn't sure she was completely comfortable with the idea of him and Seb walking home from school alone.

At that point Steve walked into the kitchen, Flossie in his arms and a dressed Harry bounding behind him as he was gabbling on about something.

"Everything okay?" He frowned, instantly spotting the look on Katie's face.

"Jamie wants to walk home today, via the park." She said, looking at him and Steve took a deep breath "And I'm not sure I like the idea."

Steve shook his head."Neither do I."

"But daaaaad!" Jamie groaned “It’s Christmas."

"That doesn't mean all rules get suspended, or that you can simply do as you please." Steve shrugged, dropping Flossie into her high chair as Harry scrambled up to the place at the table his cereal bowl was waiting for him. "Besides which it’s freezing outside."

That was a crap excuse, and Steve knew it, as it wasn't like he couldn't wrap up or that he'd never been allowed to play out in the snow before. Jamie groaned and as Steve shot him a look, his shoulders slumped and his eyes dropped down.

"Fine. It doesn't matter. Forget I asked. Can I leave the table? I need to get dressed."

“Me too.” Rori added and Katie nodded. There was the loud scraping of chairs across the floor as they both moved and Jamie stood up and walked dejectedly out of the room, Rori following behind. As soon as they were gone Katie turned to Steve and gave a sigh.

"Are we being too harsh?" She bit her lip as the microwave dinged and she turned to open the door. "I mean..."

"Honey, don't do this." Steve looked at her, as she mixed the porridge around before testing the temperature. “You always second guess your decisions"

"I just feel bad." She shrugged as she carried the bowl over to the table. "I mean he doesn’t ask for a lot, he never gets in trouble or causes any problems, not like that Diva upstairs. Maybe, oh I dunno, ignore me. You're right."

“Here, I’ll do that.” Steve said gently, taking the bowl from her, allowing her to collect Jamie and Rori’s empty dishes. He sat down next to his youngest where he started to feed her, Flossie making excited noises at the first spoon full and Steve grinned, his face positively beaming as the baby eagerly took her porridge.

A minute or so later Katie placed a plate of toast and coffee down for him before grabbing her own and settling down to eat.

"You got many meetings today?" Steve asked, he himself having finished work the previous week.  Katie shook her head.

"Just going in to clear my inbox and wish everyone Merry Christmas. I'll be done by lunch. Not even worth me going to the Tower, but I want to say it in person. Plus Pep's gonna be there so..."

"Well, how about me, Harry and this little sprout come with you?  I can take them round Central Park for the morning and we can get something to eat when you're done." "Sounds good." She smiled. "Just don't tell the other two. Rori was already kicking off about the fact they get to stay home with you and she doesn't."

"Well Rori can get over herself." Steve scoffed taking a bite of toast as Katie snorted.

"That as maybe, but I’d rather not deal with a second disappointed kid this morning if I can help it."

"Don’t let it bother you.” Steve shook his head and Katie swallowed her coffee and wrinkled her nose.

"I just don't want him thinking we don't trust him. I mean is the park really a hard no? It’s not in a bad area and we can practically see it from the rooms upstairs."

Steve pondered for a moment. "I guess not. But it's a fair way to walk home from school. It’s a good twenty minutes or so. And there's a lot of roads to cross, not all of them safe."

"So maybe there's a compromise?" Katie looked at him. "What if we said no to the walk but yes to an hour or so play time? That way give him a little leeway, show him we trust him."

Steve took a deep breath "What you thinking?”

"Maybe if we dropped him and Seb at the park or something. I'll call Seb's mom, check she's okay with it, I mean he's staying here tonight but I don't want to do anything she isn't happy with. If she is then..."

Steve pondered what she was saying for a moment, grappling with his inner voice. On the one hand he knew Katie was right, Jamie was a good, responsible kid. On the other hand he worried. It was common knowledge Jamie was the son of two Avengers, and it still petrified him that it could result in someone using him to get to them. That said, just as with Emmy, he knew he couldn't bubble wrap him forever.

"Okay." Steve nodded. "See what Sebastian's parents say. If they’re fine then I guess we can run with it."

**** Half an hour or so later, Jamie and Rori were ready for school, Rori bounding around loudly singing ‘All I Want For Christmas’ whilst Jamie was a little more subdued, and Steve could tell he was fighting his desire to sulk at the fact they'd said no to his earlier request. Unlike Rori, Jamie rarely threw temper tantrums when he didn't get what he wanted. He merely retreated into himself a little, but recently he'd grown up even more and simply tried to get over whatever it was that was irritating him without trying to feel hard done by. Another sign he was growing up.

As he thanked Katie, albeit a little quietly when she told him she'd packed him an extra few pieces of cake to share with his friends, she glanced at Steve who nodded to her and she loudly made a show of taking Rori, Flossie and Harry to the car leaving Steve and his eldest boy alone as he locked up the house.

"Jamie," Steve locked the door and turned to him as Jamie stood patiently waiting at the bottom of the stoop. "Me and your Ma have had a chat, she talked to Seb's mom and we decided you can both go to the park." "Really?" Jamie's eyes lit up. "Yes but on a couple of conditions." "Sure Dad. Anything." "I pick you all up from school. We'll walk home, and I'll drop you off on the way through." Steve said, "You and Seb can walk behind or ahead of us, whatever, I don't care. Then you have to promise you call us to check in every fifteen minutes and it’s for an hour tops. And, as you said, dinner at five so make sure you're home." "Okay, I promise." "I trust you." Steve looked at him, nodding "So does your mom, don't give us reason not to"

"I won't." Jamie beamed at him as they walked to the car "Thanks dad."

Steve smiled and reached out, ruffling his hair which earned him a moan of complaint as Jamie pulled away.

"You're ruining my style!" He hastily shoved Steve gently in the side as he pushed his hands upwards to flatten it all back down and Steve chuckled before he studied his eldest boy, a conflicting feeling of happy sadness washed over him.

They were all growing up far too fast. **** At just gone midday, Steve strolled into the reception area of the once more named Stark Tower. He could have gone in the back entrance from the underground car park but Katie had told him to bring the kids into the foyer so they could see the tree, and he instantly knew why. It was stood next to the plinth in the middle of the large entrance rotunda which bore one of Tony's Iron Man suits that had been arranged in his signature palms out pose a few years back as a permanent memorial to his brother in law. The tree was huge, decked out in scarlet and gold, and the Iron Man suit had a Santa Hat on its head. He smiled, remembering the Christmas in the tower where he, Clint and Bruce had all taken it in turns to deck the Iron Legion bots out in the same hats, much to Tony's exasperation at the time.

"Look, Daddy!" Harry exclaimed excitedly as he spotted the hat "Uncle Nee is Santa!"

"I can see, buddy!" Steve chuckled as the young boy ran towards the suit, staring up at it. "Think it suits him?"

"Yep!" Harry nodded, his eyes focussed up before he turned to Steve. "I need one"

"A hat?" Steve asked, looking at him. “Well, I’m sure we can find one-“

"No, not a hat!” Jamie giggled “ A Iron Man suit."

Steve scoffed "No chance."

Just as Harry turned to look back at the suit once more, the elevator door opened and Katie walked out with Pepper. Pepper, as always, was dressed in a crisp grey suit and a pair of heels whereas Katie was in a pair of jeans, a Stark Industries hoody and a pair of knee high boots, her hair pulled back into a pony tail. Her coat was open and her scarf was loosely looped around her neck, woollen hat in her hands. Steve smiled at her as she greeted Harry who ran towards her and she picked him up. He gave his mom a kiss before he leaned over to wrap his arms around his Auntie's neck.

"Hi Sweetheart." Pepper beamed at him

"Hi Auntie Pep." He grinned before he wriggled a little so Katie placed him down as Steve approached giving her a soft kiss before he pecked his sister-in-law on the cheek.

"Hey Pep." He smiled as she gave him a hug.

"Hi Steve and hi baby!" She waggled her fingers at Flossie who beamed back and mimicked her actions. "God she's so big now."

"Yeah she's mastered the art of crawling. Poor Stark bolts from the room now to hide." Katie chuckled as she did up her coat.

"Auntie Pep, who put the hat on Uncle Nee?" Harry asked and Pepper looked at him, then to the Iron Man suit and snorted. "Your mommy"

"Why am I not surprised?" Steve looked at Katie and she shrugged.

"Tone loved Christmas much as me, he would approve." She tightened her scarf around her neck before she turned to Pepper "Can I change your mind about lunch?"

Pepper shook her head "I need to finish a few things then get to pick Moo up. But you guys enjoy and we'll see you in a couple of days for Christmas Eve."

"Sure?"

"Positive." Pepper nodded.

After bidding Pepper a good bye the four of them headed out into the cold December air and took their lunch at a little Italian not far from Grand Central. It was a nice way for Katie to finish work for the holidays and when they’d finished they took a walk so the younger kids could go and see the tree by the Rockefeller Centre. Flossie was mesmerised by ice skaters, Steve lifting her from the stroller so she could take a closer look whilst Harry tugged on Katie’s hand, pulling her closer to the tree to investigate.

Eventually it was time to head back to pick Jamie and Rori up from school. Katie dropped Steve by the gate where he collected them, plus Seb, and they set off on the twenty minute or so walk back, the two boys staying slightly ahead of him and Rori. As predicted, she begged for some time on the park and Steve acquiesced and they bounced from the swings to the slide before he told her it was time they headed home. He gave the boys strict instructions not to get into trouble or be late, and he left them to it, a gnawing, anxious feeling brewing in his chest as he made the three minute walk back to their house.

However, it all seemed to be okay. Jamie rang like clockwork as promised after fifteen minutes, then thirty, then forty-five, and when the security system sounded at the gate to announce that Jamie was home at three minutes to five, Steve finally relaxed.

That was until he heard Katie scream from the hallway.

“Jamie! Oh my God! What the hell happened?”

In a flash he was off the rug where he had been colouring with Harry and hurried into the entrance hall, stopping dead, his chest constricting as he saw his boy with a split lip, an already bruising cheek and eye and a slightly torn jacket collar.

“It wasn’t his fault Mrs Rogers.” Seb started to protest as Katie gently cupped Jamie’s face to examine his bruises.

“Are you hurt, Jamie?” Harry frowned as he looked at his brother from where he had followed Steve and Jamie shook his head.

“I’m okay Harry.”

“You don’t look okay.” Katie’s face was contorted in worry as Steve strode forward.

“Mom, I’m fine.” Jamie assured her “Honestly.”

“The other four boys aint.” Seb sniggered and at that Katie balked.

“Four? You were fighting with four other boys?” she stuttered and Steve gently touched her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down a little. Jamie was roughed up, he could see that, but after his initial shock he’d fast realised his boy’s injuries were superficial, and that most of the blood on his grey jacket wasn’t actually his…

“Honey, why don’t you go grab-“ Steve began but Rori cut him off, shocking Steve a little as he hadn’t realised she’d joined them.

“What’s in your coat?” she demand, pointed to the front of Jamie’s jacket. Steve glanced down and noticed that there was a slight bulge there, and it was moving.

“Jamie?” Steve nodded to it and Jamie looked up at him.

“They were hurting it.” He said softly, undoing his zip to reveal a tiny black and white kitten with bright blue eyes, and behind him, Steve heard Rori give a gasp.

“A kitty?”

“That’s why I got in the fight.” Jamie ignored his sister, his eyes fixed firmly on the kitten before he looked up at his mom. “I told them to stop but they were throwing stones at her and when she tried to run away they grabbed her tail and pulled her over. I think her leg is broken.”

“It’s true.” Seb insisted as Katie let out a sigh, gently reaching out for the cat which gave a loud shriek in protest as she picked it up.

“How do you know it’s a her?” Rori asked, her eyes fixed on the cat as Katie gently held it close to her chest.

“Because she doesn’t have a penis.” Jamie shot back and Steve gave an exasperated groan.

“Jamie!”

“What?” his son looked up at him. “It’s true!”

“Okay.” Katie cut over them both. “Take her by the fire to warm up.” She instructed, passing the protesting animal to Steve. He gently took the kitten, frowning as he could feel her bony spine as the tiny animal shivered in his large hand, from fright or cold, possibly both. “Jamie, into the kitchen so I can clean you up.”

“Mom, I’m sorry.” he sighed “I know you’re gonna be angry I was fighting but they really were hurting her.”

“I’m not mad.” She assured him, shaking her head “You did a good thing just…” she sighed trailing off “Go, kitchen.”

He looked at Steve who gave him a nod and he trudged off, Seb following.

“Hey, he’s okay.” Steve looked at her and she ran her hand over her face “Looks a damned site better than I used to when I came home to my Ma after a fight.”

“He was fighting four of them.” She practically squeaked and Steve took a deep breath.

“And from the looks of it, he came off better.” Steve mused, before Rori tugged at his jeans.

“Daddy can I see the kitty?”

“Me too!” Harry nodded eagerly.

“Go grab her a blanket from the cupboard under the stairs.” Steve instructed “And you can both sit with her in the lounge okay?”

“Okay!” Rori bounded off and Katie shook her head before she wandered into the downstairs bathroom and came out with the first aid kit. Without another word she headed into the kitchen where Jamie was shrugging off his jacket.

“Sit.” She instructed him, before she grabbed a bowl and filled it with warm water. Jamie obediently parked himself on a chair, Seb taking up the one on the other side of the table as Katie pulled a chair round and sat opposite her son and began to gently wipe his face with the cotton wool. He winced a little as she mopped the blood from around his lip and the dirt down the side of his face, taking care to be gently around his bruising cheek and eye, but other than that he showed no sign of injury. Just as she’d finished, and was retrieving an ice pack for him from the freezer, Steve walked into the room, stopping to examine Jamie’s face.

“That’s going to be an impressive black eye, son.” He mused, before he sighed, moving so his back was resting against the kitchen island, arms folded “So, what happened?”

“We were just about to head home, as it was cold anyway and we thought we’d come back a bit early but as we passed the corner there were four boys from the elementary school by the bush and they were prodding something with a stick.” Jamie began to explain, pressing the ice pack to the side of his face “When we passed I heard it crying so I told them to stop. They just swore at me and then one picked up a stone and threw it. That’s when I saw the cat and it fell over, making a horrible noise.” Jamie swallowed and bowed his head “Then when the pulled its tail, I just kinda lost it. I know I shouldn’t have done it but I pushed the one who had thrown the rock over and went to grab the cat, but then they all just started punching and kicking us.”

“I got a jab in.” Seb said, almost excitedly as Steve looked at him, arching an eyebrow, “But Jamie, man, he was something else. Took two down, WHAM, and then then pulled the third away from me. Then they all kinda ran away after that.”

“Elementary school.” Katie swallowed “How old were they Jamie?”

“One of them was Lisa Bradley’s older brother, she’s in my class.” Jamie mused, the ice pack pressed to his face “I think she said he was like 13 or something?”

“Not that it matters.” Seb grinned “Jamie’s like the same size as them, bigger than one of them actually.”

“I didn’t hit him.” Jamie shook his head “Just pushed him away when he swung at me.” He looked at his dad, pleading with his eyes for his father to believe him, which Steve did. His son wasn’t a liar. “I didn’t want to fight with someone smaller. You told me bullying is wrong.”

Steve took a deep breath, the pride welling in his chest “It is, son, but it sounds to me like he’s a bully, not you. Size isn’t everything all the time.”

Jamie shrugged, then his shoulders slumped “I ruined it didn’t I?”

“Ruined what?” Katie asked.

“You trusting me. You’ll never let me go to the park on my own again.”

Steve looked at Katie, before he turned to his son “I don’t recall us saying that.”

“But I got in a fight, and ripped my jacket. I know that was expensive and-”

“Jamie, we don’t care about your jacket.” Katie shook her head, “The rate you’re growing at it most likely won’t fit you for much longer anyway.” She sighed, “Look, hitting people isn’t right. And no, maybe you shouldn’t have started it but, we’re never going to get mad at you for standing up for yourself or someone, well something in this case, that needs help.” Katie looked at her son, smiling gently. “You did a good thing, fighting…well, I don’t like the fact you were involved in one but…”

“So you’re not gonna ground me?”

“No.” Steve shook his head.

“Even if their parent’s come round and start shouting and stuff?”

“We’ll worry about that if or when it happens.” Katie spoke, her voice was calm but Steve noticed her shoulders draw back a little and he had to fight the smirk on his face. She was an absolute hell cat where her kids were involved and he almost pitied the first parent to complain about Jamie’s behaviour. They’d feel the full on wrath of her Stark temper, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. With a deep breath she stood up, “Now, you boys thirsty? I got some peach tea if you want it?”

“My favourite!” Seb beamed “You’re the best Mrs R!”

With a soft smile, Katie gathered the bowl of dirty water and cotton pads and turned towards the sink. As she passed Steve he gently pushed away from the counter, reaching out to stop her. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and she took a deep breath, as she saw the tension leave her body before she continued across the kitchen.

“I’ll go check on the cat, make sure Rori hasn’t dressed it in a tutu or something.” He said, making for the door.

“I think she needs to go to the vet.” Jamie looked at him, “She was hurt real bad.”

Steve looked at Katie as she had pulled the jug of tea from the fridge. “Okay, if she needs to go I can take her whilst you guys have dinner.”

“You sure?” Steve looked at her and she nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll call them, see if John Mason is working.”

“I like him.” Jamie nodded “He was really kind with Lucky, and he’s nice to Stark too.”

With a nod, Katie moved from the room, calling out to Rori and Steve made to follow, stopping by Jamie as he did so, placing his hand on his shoulder.

“I’m proud of you, Son.” Steve’s head cocked to one side as Jamie looked up at him “We both are.”

“Thanks Dad.” He smiled softly.

“Just, maybe try not to take four of them on at once next time.” Steve arched an eyebrow. “Not that there should be a next time, but if there is…just don’t. You’ll give your Ma a heart attack.”

******

 “It’s not broken.” John Mason said, looking a Katie. “Just dislocated. To be honest the malnutrition and dehydration is more of a worry along with the nasty infection she has in her ear. Poor thing has been through the wars.”

“Yeah, she feels very skinny.” Katie sighed “She going to be ok?”

“Next forty-eight hours will be critical.” The vet straightened up. “We’ll get her on a drip and see if we can locate an owner. She’s not chipped so chances are that won’t happen. But if she makes it we’ll get her in at the shelter.”

Katie nodded “Could you keep me updated on how she is? My son got into a bit of a punch up during his efforts to rescue her.”

Mason smiled “Absolutely.”

“Thanks. Oh and you can send the bill to me. I’ll front it, not the rescue.”

“That’s very kind Mrs Rogers.” he smiled “I’ll be in touch.”

Katie left the vets, rubbing her temple. She had a banging headache and needed a fucking stiff drink. She drove the short distance home, and frowned as she pulled up their drive. Steve was stood on the stoop, in full on Captain mode if his body language was anything to go by. His hands were on his belt buckle, broad shoulders squared, face set in a furious expression as he faced off against a pair of people stood at the bottom of the steps, the woman waving her hands excitedly. Katie let out a groan, as she would lay odds on these being the irate parents of one of the boys Jamie had been in a fight with, but her groan turned into a growl as the woman stepped up to Steve, pushing him in the chest. In a flash she was out of the car and ran over, gripping the lady by her hair and yanking her backwards down the stoop before she released her, shoving her harshly on the shoulder. The woman stumbled back a little, into the man who was stood there looking completely abashed, like he would rather be anywhere else. Katie pulled herself upright and glared at the pair of them before pointing at the sharp-faced woman, her eyes blazing with anger.

“Touch my husband again and I’ll break your arm.” Katie snarled, looking the woman up and down “Who the fuck are you?”

“Your son kicked the crap out of my boy!” The woman shrieked and Katie grimaced, her voice was as irritating as nails scraping down a black board. “I want to know what the hell you’re going to do about it.”

“As I pointed out, if your son hadn’t been part of a group throwing rocks at an animal, this wouldn’t have happened.” Steve’s voice was calm, but laced with authority.

“So you’re saying he deserved it?”

“I told you, James has been made perfectly aware that violence is not acceptable.” Steve avoided spitting out the yes that had flown into his mind, instead remaining as diplomatic and as calm as he could “But as far as we’re concerned, that’s end of the matter. So, if you don’t mind, I think you need to leave.”

“End of the matter?” the woman exploded “My son has got a broken nose, a black eye and he’s shaken up to heaven!”

Steve bit back the smirk that was threatening to spread across his face, the amusement that his ten year old really had managed to kick the crap out of a boy three years his senior really wasn’t appropriate but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t like bullies, in any shape or form.

“Oh, my heart bleeds.” Katie wasn’t quite as subtle, not that Steve expected anything else. As predicted, she was in full Momma Bear mode. Just like she was whenever anyone messed with her kids. “Go tell someone who cares, because I sure as hell don’t.”

"You know, it makes me want to barf the fact we’re all supposed to kiss your ass after everything that happened.” The woman scoffed and Katie simply looked at her, rolling her eyes. She’d heard it all before. “Fucking Katie Stark, married Captain America…” the woman continued, “parading around like she owns the place. God, you think you’re so special don’t you?”

At that Steve groaned as he saw Katie stiffen even more, her shoulders rolling back a little as she drew herself to full height, her body language one of a snake ready to strike, and he’d seen it countless times before, none of them ending particularly well for the other person involved.

“Not special, no.” Katie shook her head, her voice low and steely “But I’m certainly better than some piece of shit parent that brings their kid up with an attitude which makes them think it’s acceptable to not only harm a defenceless animal but be part of a gang of four boys who pick a fight with two kids three years younger than them.” She then stepped forward into the woman’s space and at that Steve hastily made his way down the stoop steps, ready to break up what he sensed was going to become another fight. “Now I suggest you get the fuck off my property before I drag you out of the gates myself, and trust me, patching up your son’s bruised ego at having the crap kicked out of him by a ten year old will be the least of your worries if that happens"

Steve slid his arm between the two women and gently moved Katie away. She acknowledged his touch, taking a step back but her eyes, which were blazing with anger, never left the woman in front of her. 

"Come on, Hallie..." the man next to her spoke

"Yeah, go on Hallie," Katie hissed, unable as usual not have the last word, "fuck off back to your troll cave and mark my words, your son goes near mine again and I’ll be the one stood on your door step. You got me?"

The woman swallowed, her face slipping before she turned and left, Katie’s eyes following them out of the gate.

“Stupid bitch.” Katie spat as she spun to Steve who shook his head, “What?”

“You’re scary when you’re angry.” He stated simply, raising an eyebrow.

“What do you expect?” She blazed. “Coming round here, shooting her mouth off, shoving you in the chest. I don’t like people touching my stuff. Fuck her.”

Steve chuckled and wrapped his arm round her shoulder, pressing a kiss to her temple and quickly changing the subject. “How’s the cat?”

“Vet says in a bad way but we’ll see. Her leg wasn’t broken but she’s poorly” Katie sighed, her demeanour calming somewhat as they stepped inside the house. “He said he’d call me when they have news.”

“Rori’s already been asking if we can keep her.”

Katie groaned “Why am I not surprised?” she paused as Steve shut the door. “So were they the only ones to turn up then or-“

“Yeah.” Steve nodded “I took a call off the parents of two others, but both were very apologetic when I explained what had actually happened.”

“How are you so calm about all this?” Katie stopped and looked at him. “It’s normally me that’s level headed when it comes to stuff they’ve done but-“

“Honey, I got my ass kicked all over Brooklyn.” Steve smiled gently, shrugging “As I said before, my Ma saw me in far worse states than Jamie came home in, and whilst I don’t like what happened, rightly or wrongly I’m kinda pleased that he’s way stronger than I was and can stand up for himself. Gives us a little less to worry about, don’t you think?”

Katie pondered his words for a moment before she let out a soft sigh. “I need a drink.”

**** Three days later on the Monday, after lunch, the entire Rogers family sat in the large living room watching Home Alone. Katie was curled up on one of the sofas her feet resting in Steve’s lap as he absentmindedly traced circles on the skin just above her right ankle, his eye focussed on the TV. Rori lay tucked up against his other side as she nestled into him, her legs hanging over the arm of the sofa whilst Emmy, Pete and Harry were sat on the larger sofa opposite, Harry perched on Emmy’s knee. Jamie was sprawled in the large armchair with Stark, his hand tangling in his faithful dog’s fur and Flossie was napping in her pack and play to the side of the room. Katie loved moments like this, having all her kids together, laughing and joking and chatting as they watched, every so often Steve making some kind of ‘dad’ remark that would earn him a groan in response, or cause Jamie and Emmy to exchange exasperated glances whilst he turned and winked at Katie, knowing exactly what he was doing.

This was what the holidays were all about to them both. Their family.

Feeling her phone vibrate, Katie shifted a little to locate it from down the side of the cushion and Steve looked at her, questioningly as she glanced at her phone.

“Be right back.” She said, leaving the room so as not to disturb them.

“Mrs Rogers, its John Mason.” The vet greeted her as she answered, shutting the door to the kitchen. “I just wanted to update you on Erica, the kitten you brought in.”

"Erica?" Katie blinked and the vet gave a little chuckle.

“Sorry, yeah, one of the vet nurses kinda nicknamed her and it stuck." The man's tone was almost apologetic. "It’s short for America. Cat-tain America to be specific" Katie let out a little groan of a chuckle “You know you'd really get on with my eldest daughter." The man laughed "Well, despite the odds being stacked against her I’m pleased to tell you she pulled through. She was extremely weak when you brought her in but she's healthy enough to be moved to the shelter tomorrow where they can continue to look after her until she hopefully finds a home" "Well I appreciate it. Thank you for letting me know. Are you emailing the bill over?” "No, there's no charge." The vet replied. "It’s Christmas after all. The time for good will and all that." Katie smiled "Well in that case I'll give an extra donation to the shelter. We normally take them something this time of year, especially seeing as that’s where our dog came from." "Yes how is Stark after we last saw him?" "He’s good." Katie turned her head to eye up the mutt in question who had followed her into the kitchen in the hope he was going to sneak some coveted human food, not a care in the world at the fact the last time he had snatched something he shouldn’t, it had cost them almost four hundred bucks and a Jamie melt down. "The sickness drugs obviously worked as he was fine. No chocolate poisoning thank God. I’d like to say it taught him a lesson on not eating things that are not meant to be eaten by him but sadly no, he still sticks his nose into everything, including my shoe closet. The vet laughed “Yes, they keep us on our toes. Well, lovely talking to you Mrs Rogers. Hopefully, no offence, but we won't see you soon and I hope you have a lovely Christmas." "You too. And thank you."

With that she put the phone back in her pocket and headed into the lounge.

“That was the vet.” She said.  Steve looked up at her, and the paused the film, all eyes turning to her. “The kitten is fine. She pulled through.”

“Well that’s good news.” Steve smiled, as Jamie gave a little grin and Rori cheered.

“They’re going to take her to the shelter tomorrow.”

“But it’s Christmas.” Rori said gently, her face falling. “She’ll be all alone.”

“She won’t” Katie assured her, knowing full well that she was as much of an animal lover as Jamie. “She’ll have other cat friends. Hey, they even gave her a name, they like her that much so…”

“What?” Rori asked.

“Erica.” Katie grinned, her eyes flicking to Steve “Short for Cat-tain America.”

At that Steve let out a groan as Peter and Emmy both snorted, Jamie howling with laugher but Rori’s face remained deadly serious.

“They should have called her Emmy.”

“Why?” Emmy looked at Rori who gave a shrug.

“Because she’s like you.”

“What, has a furry face and whiskers?” Pete quipped, causing Jamie to howl even more. Steve gave a grin as Pete easily dodged the blow Emmy aimed to the back of his head, his spidey senses telling him it was coming.

“No.” Rori rolled her eyes, sighing dramatically “I mean because she was all alone too until Jamie found her, just like you were until momma and daddy found you” she looked at her sister, the expression on her little face serious as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Steve and Katie exchanged a look, both of them sideswiped by Rori’s comment.

“I just hope she’s as lucky as you were.” Rori shrugged. “And that she finds a family that’s kind to her.” With that she turned back to the TV. “Now, can we finish the movie?”

“Erm, yeah.” Steve pressed play again and Katie excused herself to start dinner. He waited a few minutes before he headed out into the hallway to see Katie hastily pulling on her jacket.

“I need cheese for the lasagne.” She looked at him and he arched an eyebrow.

“Yeah, right. Cheese.”

She shrugged and headed out of the door, and Steve turned to see Jamie stood behind him.

“Ten bucks says she’s coming back with the cat.” Jamie spoke and Steve snorted.

“First rule of gambling, you bet on a cert not against it. No deal.” He folded his arms as Jamie grinned “Not a word to your sister until your mom gets home or we won’t hear the end of it.”

***** About forty minutes or so later the system announced that Katie was home and Steve and Jamie exchanged a look. A few moments later Katie called them all out into the hallway and Steve watched as Rori and Harry shot out first, the rest following, as they heard Rori gave a shriek.

“Are we keeping her?”

“An early Christmas gift from Jamie to everyone.” Katie smiled as she crouched down and opened the little cat carrier and reached in for the kitten, which looked a damned site better than when Steve had last seen her.

“Jamie, you’re the best!” Rori turned to her brother and hugged him tightly. Jamie grinned and hugged her back before Rori turned round and held her arms out, Katie handing the kitten over.

“Hi Erica!” Rori beamed at the cat who looked at her, then around the room blinking before giving a tiny meow.

“Okay, look, if the cat’s staying can we at least think of a better name?” Steve pleaded, before he smiled and looked at Katie “What about T’Challa?”

Katie laughed as his suggestion was met with a resounding chorus of protest.

“Nope.” Rori shook her head, looking at him. “It’s bad luck to change an animal’s name. And now we have a dog named after Uncle Nee and momma, and now a kitty named after you.” She shrugged, her attention turning back to the cat and Steve watched Erica batted slightly at the little coloured woollen balls that adorned Rori’s sweater. Rori gave a giggle, gently pressing her nose to the cat’s head.

In the corner of his eye, Steve noticed a flash of white and tan fur but before he could do anything, Jamie grabbed Stark’s collar to stop him jumping all over Rori and the kitten.

“You’ll have to take them into the lounge so they can meet each other.” Katie instructed and Jamie nodded.

“Come on, I’ll help.” Emmy smiled.

“Me too, I love cats!” Peter grinned, and together they all headed into the lounge, Rori talking excitedly about all the tricks she was going to teach her new pet, leaving Steve and Katie alone in the hall.

“Funny looking cheese.” Steve quipped, as he looked down at the bag of items from the pet store, finally meeting his wife’s eyes with a smirk as she looked at him, her expression a little sheepish. “And after all that abuse you gave me last week over saying maybe.”

“Shut up.” She mumbled, and then with a grin she moved and slipped her arms round his neck. “I’ll make it up to you later.”

“Oh, I know you will.” He smirked, his hands resting on her hips. “And for the record, the next time you say that our little Diva knows how to play me, I’m totally gonna remind you of this.”

“I don’t doubt it for a second, Soldier.” She grinned, pulling his head down towards hers, kissing him deeply, “But for the record, it was the name that totally did it.”

“Sure it was.”

“That and the fact it’s black and white.” She grinned, a mischievous look in her face “Like your beard.”

“Well for that I’m definitely shaving.” His lips brushed against hers and she laughed, shaking her head.

“Please don’t.” she whispered, her teeth nipping at his jaw line, her mouth sliding softly down his neck and Steve gave a little moan, his fingers flexing on her hips.

“Well, maybe you can convince me to keep it.” He spoke softly, as once more his lips claimed hers.

[amoderndreamletdown]

Crushing

After Luke gets into a fight with his mom, he goes to stay with Bobby. This leads Bobby to have to deal with his feelings for Luke that he never knew he had.

AKA the Lukebobby fic no one asked for (Warning for swearing)

It all started the night Luke had moved into the studio after a huge fight with his mom. He had knocked on Bobby’s door and Bobby, as always, had answered it. It didn’t matter that it was almost midnight and they had school the next morning, Bobby always answered the door as his house was the only one that his friends felt truly safe in. Besides, most of the time, his parents were out of town on some kind of business trip.

“Luke?” Bobby asked when he opened the door. 

“Hey,” Luke responded. “Mind if I stay here for the night? I, um, I got into a big fight with my mom.”

Bobby nodded. “Of course, come in.” 

Luke came in, and Bobby shut the door behind him. 

“Are you okay?” Bobby asked once Luke was inside. “What happened?” 

“I’m fine,” Luke said. “Just the usual. My mom thought I was focusing too much on the band and needed to focus more on school.”

Bobby nodded. “You need anything?”

Luke shook his head. “Nah, I just want to sleep. Can I crash on the couch?”

Bobby nodded. “Yeah, of course, man.”

“Thanks, man,” Luke said. “I owe you one.”

Bobby shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay,” Luke said, and made his way over to the couch.

“Just call me if you need anything,” Bobby told Luke. “I’ll be right upstairs.”

“Umhum,” Luke said, already half asleep.

Bobby smiled and made his way up to his room. He didn’t sleep much that night. He kept thinking about the fact that Luke was right downstairs, and, of some reason, this caused butterflies to swarm in his stomach and his heart to pound. He just contributed it to him being concerned for Luke, and nervous that he was actually, in fact, not okay.

Bobby woke up in the morning to loud noises and the smell of burnt food downstairs. 

“What the hell?” Bobby asked the empty room, practically launching himself out of bed and running down to the kitchen. There, he saw Luke, and, wait, was he cooking?

“You’re cooking?” Bobby asked him.

Luke nodded. “Yeah. I figured making you breakfast was the least I could do for you for letting me stay here.”

“I get that,” Bobby said. “But you can’t cook.”

“Who says that?” Luke asked, and, almost as a response, the smoke alarm started to go off. 

“The smoke alarm,” Bobby responded, rushing to turn it off, and, when it finally stopped, Bobby made his way back over to Luke. 

“Maybe you should take over,” Luke suggested.

“Maybe I should,” Bobby said, going to look at the mess Luke had created. “How did you burn everything?”

Luke just made a face and shrugged.

Bobby rolled his eyes, removed the pans from the stove, and scraped the burnt food into the garbage. He then grabbed two cereal bowls from the cupboard and a box of cereal from the shelf and set it in front of him and Luke.

“Eat up,” he said. 

Luke smiled. “Gourmet meal, huh?”

Bobby smiled. Wow, Luke’s eyes were insanely green, were they that green before? Now the butterflies were back in his stomach, and his heart was beating faster. Why did that keep happening? 

“I, uh, Cheerios okay?” Bobby asked, a bit flustered. Why was he flustered? There was nothing to be flustered about.

“Yeah, they’re perfect,” Luke said. “Thanks, man.”

Bobby nodded, and passed the cereal box to Luke. He watched as he poured the cereal. He thought that it was a shame Luke wasn’t wearing a shirt that showed off his arms more, then quickly pushed that thought aside. What was wrong with him?

“Hey, earth to Bobby,” Luke said.

“Huh?” Bobby asked, looking at Luke. 

“Can you get some milk?” Luke asked.

“Right,” Bobby said, going to the fridge and pulling out the milk. He wondered what had gotten into him. 

“Shit,” Luke said from behind Bobby.

“What?” Bobby asked, then saw what Luke was looking at. The clock. It was 9:30. School started at 8.

“Shit,” Bobby repeated. “Well there goes that.”

“Whatever,” Luke said. “I was planning on dropping out anyways.” 

Bobby laughed. “Well that would be a good enough reason.”

Luke smiled. “I guess so.”

God, Luke’s smile was the most beautiful thing Bobby had ever seen. Oh no. 

“Um, so when do you think you’re gonna go back home?” Bobby asked.

Luke shrugged. “I’m not sure, why?”

“Just wondering,” Bobby answered. “You know you can stay here as long as you want.”

Luke nodded. “I know.”

“Okay,” Bobby said. 

The rest of the day consisted of Luke and Bobby working on songs or watching TV. Alex and Reggie came after school ended, asking where they had been. They just said they woke up late and left it at that. Alex and Reggie didn’t ask anymore questions.

After Reggie and Alex left, Bobby and Luke stayed in the studio for a bit. They talked about dumb things like school and music. 

“My parents are coming home for Christmas,” Bobby told Luke.

“Oh,” Luke said. 

“I’m sure they won’t mind if you stay here,” Bobby added. 

Luke nodded.

“Unless you wanna go back home?” Bobby asked.

Luke shook his head. “Christmas is next week, and I, I don’t think I can.”

Bobby nodded. He understood how Luke’s mom was. 

“Then you can spend Christmas with us,” Bobby said. 

Luke nodded. “Thanks.”

Bobby nodded in response, and made the mistake of making eye contact with Luke. Once again, he was overwhelmed with the color of Luke’s eyes. They were beautiful. They weren’t exactly green, like Bobby had previously thought, but more of a cross between blue, green, and brown. He assumed hazel would be the right word for them, but they were more than that. They were more than hazel. They were intense, bright, and Bobby found himself getting lost in them. 

“What about you and Katherine?” Luke asked, snapping Bobby back to reality with the name of his ex-girlfriend. 

“We, um, we broke up,” Bobby replied.

“Oh,” Luke said. “I’m sorry.”

Bobby shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal. She liked someone else, I didn’t protest. I’d rather be broken up with than cheated on.”

Luke nodded. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I didn’t think you guy would care,” Bobby admitted. 

“Of course we care,” Luke told him. “You can tell us anything.”

Bobby smiled. “Thanks.”

Luke nodded. “It’s getting late, maybe we should-”

“Go to sleep?” Bobby suggested.

Luke nodded.

“Yeah, probably,” Bobby said.

“I’ll stay in the studio,” Luke said.

“Okay,” Bobby said. “Do you need anything?”

Luke shook his head. “No, I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Bobby said. “Just come get me if you need anything.”

Luke nodded, and Bobby headed out of the studio, and back to his house. There, he made his way to his room, and flopped on his bed. He thought about what Luke had said. 

“You can tell us anything.”

He wasn’t sure why that phrase kept coming to his mind. It wasn’t like he was hiding anything from the band, much less Luke. Why would he? He knew the band wouldn’t judge him. They never judged each other, and, when Alex had come out only a few months before, they had been nothing but supportive. They had even threatened to beat up anyone that gave Alex a hard time. So why was that phrase coming back to him.

He tried to push the thought out of his mind, but it was too hard. The phrase kept coming back to him over and over again as the night went on. Even when he fell asleep, it wouldn’t be long before he woke up and that phrase was the first thing on his mind, and, still, he wasn’t sure why.

“Can I just go to sleep, please?” He asked his brain. However, it didn’t seem to hear him as his mind kept wandering. Finally, it wandered back to Luke. His eyes, his muscles, his smile. 

“Shit,” Bobby said out loud and the dawning realization hit him. He had a crush on Luke.

[crimsonheart01]

Set the Pace (Coco x OC/Reader)

A/N: Needed an escape today. Have some cute and sexy Coco all rolled into one. This has everything? Romance, fluff, angst, smut.  Word Count: 10,612 Playlist: Body High - Alicia Moffat Warning: Fluffy smut. Is this a thing? I feel like it’s a thing! Swearing but that’s probably a given in all my works! Oh, and a small moment of being rough with a hangaround. 

She pulled up into the desolate driveway. She chuckled to herself, nothing ever changed with him. There was junk all around the place and a pristine Harley sitting amoung it all. The only thing he ever took care of. She grinned, recalling the baby-faced man when he started prospecting.

She killed the engine, grabbed her duffel and hopped out of her car. She skipped up the steps and up onto her tiptoes to rummage in the eavestrough. Her fingers connected with the cool metal of the spare key and she pulled it out, using it to let herself inside.

As she kicked the door closed behind her, she was met with the overwhelming bachelor mustiness and scoffed. He needed to open a window, or several. She laughed and called out into the house, “You got any food in this place? The long drive through the night has me famished.”

There was no answer, but she picked up the sounds of water running and figured he was in the shower. She dropped the spare key onto the counter, followed by her bag. She spotted the kutte hanging folded over the back of the couch. He was definitely home. He never went anywhere with out the leather. She turned into the kitchen and immediately went for the snack cupboard. The one where she knew he kept the goods.

~(MMC)~

He turned off the water and grabbed a towel, quickly drying off. He grabbed his jeans, pulling them up over his boxers and when he went to grab his vest, he heard the noises coming from out in the main area. He narrowed his eyes, flipping his hair back and out of his face. He dropped his vest back down, draping it over the sink and stepped towards the door.

He opened it slightly, ensuring that the latch didn’t make a sound as he opened it. He pressed his ear to the opening and listened intently. He knew that Angel wasn’t home. He was at the yard this morning. On duty. It couldn’t be EZ, he didn’t have a key and Gilly was over at Vicky’s. Which begged the question as to who was currently inside? He swore internally to himself for letting his guard down and leaving his kutte in the living room. That’s where his piece was sitting.

He adjusted his pants, slipping around the ajar door, and padded out into the hall. He lined his back against the wall and peered around it, surveying the living room and kitchen. He spotted someone in the kitchen, crouched down and took his chance. He darted out into the living room and reached into his kutte. Grabbing his gun, he cocked it and flicked off the safety. He straightened out and stepped through into the kitchen.

He noted the duffel bag sitting on the floor and the spare key on the counter. He looked down to see where the intruder was reaching into the back of one cupboard. He trained his hands and kept his stance steady. Waiting for her to pop back up. He narrowed his eyes, half a dozen thoughts crossing his mind, mainly why Angel never mentioned another woman.

He watched as she rocked back on her heels, a box of cereal in her hand and opened it with her back to him.

~(MMC)~

She stood up and poured a handful of Cheerios into her mouth. She spun around and went to put her hand behind her, an aide to help her sit on the counter when she was startled by the person standing there but more so the fact that she was being held at gunpoint. She shrieked and clutched at the box. The packaging crinkling under her grip.

“Who the fuck are you?” She yelled, her voice jumping up an octave in fear.

She kept her eyes trained on him. Noting that he definitely wasn’t Angel. Who’s house they were currently in. She had no idea who this man was. She figured if anyone was going to be in this house it would’ve been one of the Reyes brothers. Not this random.

He didn’t offer any kind of expression change at her question, nor at her scream and that irked her. He didn’t even flinch. All he did was stand his ground and glare at her. Her heart pumped erratically, suddenly terrified. Had she entered the wrong house? No, that was insane. The spare key was in the same place it always had been. Ever since he bought the damn place. All the furniture was the same. There was nothing different about his house

She took a deep breath, irritated at the hitched sound it made. She licked her lips and swallowed. She slowly let go of her grip on the box, flinching as it crinkled loudly in the silence between them.

“You’re not Angel.” She said. Point blank.

This did illicit a response. He shook his head, his dark eyes never leaving hers. She exhaled. That was something. At least they both knew Angel. That helped. Maybe.

“He knows I’m here.” She started, “Or well, that I’m coming.”

She waited for a response, but none came. Her panic and terror was starting to hit a high and she needed whoever this man was to lower the gun. She needed him to understand that she was ok to be here. Without him shooting her first. Or at all, preferably. She made deliberate and slow movements, trying to keep her rationale in place as she addressed him.

She lowered the box, placing it on the counter behind her. She held her hands back up in surrender and then pointed to her back pocket, “I’m going to reach for my phone.” She talked him through her movements. He remained a statue as she dipped her hand into her back pocket to produce her phone. She unlocked it, opened her recent messages with Angel and held it out to him.

“Check the number with yours. It’s Angel.”

~(MMC)~

He took the offered phone but kept the gun trained on her. He opened up the contact information, reading the number a few times. Nodding, it was Angel’s. He skimmed through the messages between them and noted that Angel knew she was coming. Offered up the house to her for as long as she needed it. He flipped the phone around and handed it back to her. Then lowered the gun.

He tucked the gun into the back of his pants and gave her a half-hearted shrug by way of an apology. He didn’t know what to say her specifically. He had virtually no idea who she was. Only that Angel knew her. In some capacity. He briefly wondered if he’d been fucking another woman. Maybe Adelita wasn’t the only one he was getting around with. That wasn’t something he needed to think about. It wasn’t his business, as long as whoever his brother fucked wasn’t about to ruin the club, he was free to do what he wanted.

His eyes were caught by her movement as she pocketed her phone and he followed the curve of her hips all the way up her torso and then to her face. He hadn’t meant to check her out, but he couldn’t deny that she was hot. He’d been staring at her for a while. Since he first stepped into the kitchen. He was bound to notice her looks. When his gaze met hers, she was staring at him with her eyebrows raised. She’d obviously noticed his perusal. She tilted her head to the side, minutely and arched one eyebrow.

He winced internally, waiting for her attack. He found he wasn’t that great with women when they weren’t hangarounds. The club women were easy to deal with. They didn’t care about his lack of conversational skills. They only cared about the patch, and his status. They were there to provide him with a service, hoping he’d slip up and either gain another baby mama, or take one on as his vieja. Which, neither was going to happen. He’d learned his lesson from the 3 kids he already had and wasn’t interested in taking on a hangaround in an official capacity.

Instead of a confrontation, he watched her grab the abandoned cereal box, grab another handful for herself and then offer it out to him. She held her closed fist above her mouth and gave him a weird half smile. He realized he scared her but she was trying to work through that and be friendly.

“Want some?” She asked.

~(MMC)~

She’d been sleeping on Angel’s couch for more than a week now. Her neck was killing her but it was better than the backseat of her car. She flipped over onto her front, burying her head into her pillow. Groaning as she rolled a few kinks out. Her biggest problem though was the fact that she’d been dreaming about the Mayan she met on her first day back. Coco. She couldn’t shake the way he checked her out. Nor the silent exterior. There was something about him. Something that called out to her.

“Prima?” Angel called out from his bedroom, pulling her from her thoughts.

He walked through to the living room and leaning over the couch to grin down at her. He reached out and ruffled her hair while she grumbled, slapping his hand away. He let out a laugh but pulled his hand back and crossed both his arms over the head of the couch. She rolled over onto her back and peered up at him, her eyes still tired.

“Why are you up this early?” She questioned.

He shrugged, “Club business.”

She scoffed and swatted at him with a roll of her eyes. She knew he was lying. He was on yard duty today. Nothing about that had to do with the club.

“EZ said he wants to see you.” He mentioned, “Y’know, before you skip town again.”

Angel widened his eyes at that comment, giving her that knowing look. She shook her head, an amused smile on her mouth.

“I’m not skipping anything.” She said, “Maybe you should tell him to call me himself. He has my number. When did you turn into the messenger for baby brother Ezekiel?”

Angel rolled his eyes at her, “He hasn’t seen you, or talked to you, since he got out. Give him a break. He probably feels like you’re pissed at him.”

She closed her eyes in subtle annoyance. These two were the worst. The biggest babies.

“I’m not mad at anyone. He should’ve told me though. Whether or not if he knew you did.” She opened her eyes and met Angel’s gaze, “I don’t wanna be here longer than necessary. I’m just here to clear out that house and sell it. Nothing more.”

Angel feigned hurt but she knew he understood. Santo held nothing for her. No family, no friends, no prospects. Well, aside from him and EZ that was. They’d always be her oldest and dearest friends. The original trio. Angel stood back up and slipped on his kutte, rounding to the front of the couch and purposely draped himself over her to give her a hug.

“Angel!” She laughed; her voice muffled by his shirt.

He wrapped his arms around her tighter. Giving her one of those annoyingly, comforting, big brother like hugs. She enjoyed it. Something she hadn’t felt in too long. She hadn’t bothered to make deep friendships with anyone out her way. She had all she needed in Angel, and EZ too. Now that he was out. She sighed and wiggled around until she could return the embrace and he sat up, pulling her with him.

“We missed you.” He murmured.

She smiled into his shoulder, “I know. I’m only up in San Jose. Take a road trip up my way some time.”

He chuckled and let go of her, standing back up, “Listen, there’s a party tonight. You should come.”

She screwed her face up at that. Club parties weren’t really her thing. She’d been ditched by Angel one too many times at them. There wasn’t much for her to do there. Aside from EZ and Angel, she didn’t know any of the other MC members. He seemed to sense her hesitation, looking down at her with understanding eyes. He gave her his little half smile. The one that he used in lieu of puppy dog eyes. She sighed and started to shake her head.

He held up a hand to stop her, “C’mon. EZ’s prospecting. He has to be on his toes all night, so he’ll be around for extra company.”

She groaned, throwing herself back down and tugging her flimsy sheet up around her shoulders. She glared up at Angel before flipping over, fixing her pillow dramatically and snuggled back into her makeshift bed. She closed her eyes but smirked as she did.

“Fine.” She agreed, “I’ll come, but mark my words Reyes, if you ditch me again, you’ll regret it.”

She peeked up at him out of one eye, in time to catch the wide smile. “Gracias prima! You still remember where the yard is?” When she nodded, he grinned at her, “Good, see you around 9?”

He turned and was heading out the door, knowing that she’d be there. She planned to get her fill of the boys before heading back home. She missed them. It’d been too long since she’d actually see them. Video chats and texts weren’t the same. Having their presence around was a different feeling altogether. It occasionally made her think about moving back but that was a pipe dream.

She checked the time on her phone and groaned. There was no way she’d get back to sleep now. She rolled off the couch and immediately went to the bathroom to turn the shower on. As she got ready for the day, the small thought that she’d be able to see Coco again kept popping up. One more person she’d sort of know at the Mayans party.

~(MMC)~

He’d kept himself scarce during the last week. Staying away from Angel’s and keeping to being at the yard. He didn’t have a read on the girl staying there nor how she knew Angel. It was best for him to keep his distance. Besides, they hadn’t exchanged much besides names before he was hightailing out of Angel’s place. He was good at sweet talking, he wasn’t good at normal conversation. At least not with women. Especially ones where he was trying to trying to figure out if they were sleeping together or not. He felt guilty for thinking about her, not knowing whether her and Angel were a thing.

He eventually asked Angel about her. Got a general overview. Old friend from the block. Neighbours. They grew up together on the same street. She left after high school and settled down somewhere up north. It explained why Angel never mentioned her before. He wasn’t in the practice of announcing all the private conversations he had on a daily basis. He learned that she was here to sell her parents old place. The house across from where Felipe still lived.

He hated to admit it to himself, but he was relieved when he discovered that there was nothing going on between Angel and her. The way Angel spoke about her was if she was his sister, or another family member. He still hadn’t figured out her deal with EZ, but he hoped it was the same. Considering boy scout was still hung up on Mrs. Galindo, he figured there was nothing there either. He sipped his beer, not that he’d ever act on any of these initial inklings he was having. He didn’t even know where to start.

He reclined in the metal chair, a beer in hand and was laughing at something dumb Gilly had said to one of the hangarounds. He shook his head. The party was in full swing and he was glad for the chance to relax with his brothers. After the constant back and forth, he was grateful for this time. He felt a body come up to him and without much ado, he allowed the hangaround to settle herself in his lap. He didn’t pay her too much mind, but that wasn’t any different than any other day. He picked up a light conversation with Gilly, laughing with him when his eyes zeroed in on a new car pulling up.

His hackles raised, always prepared for the worst and he shooed the hangaround off him. He sat forward, keeping a whether eye on the newcomer, his free hand reaching into his kutte. He was dumbfounded when he watched her appear from behind the front door of the car. He lowered his hand back into his lap but continued leaning forward to watch her.

He watched as she scanned the compound, a small smile growing in her face. It lit her features, whether she noticed it or not. It was the smallest change, but it made the biggest difference. She slammed her car door shut and then leaned against the hood for a moment. She was looking for someone. It didn’t take long for her to find Angel and Coco watched as she pushed off the car and called out to him.

He heard the distinct word she used. Primo. It settled the sudden lick of jealousy he felt and clamped down on. He shouldn’t be relieved by the term. It shouldn’t mean anything to him. He had no claim. She barely even knew his name. He settled back in his chair when she reached Angel, gulping down the acid growing in his throat as Angel’s arm slid over her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. Coco looked away, staring at the fire pit in front of him and downing half his beer in one go.

~(MMC)~

She sat on the steps, a bottle hanging between her fingers and watched the party go on around her. She smiled. She hadn’t felt this at ease in a while. She didn’t have these types of social interactions where she lived now. She had a few acquaintances she’d meet up for drinks with, but it wasn’t the same kind of camaraderie she felt here. It wasn’t all bad though. She had a core group. She wasn’t lonely. She just hadn’t taken the time to get as involved in new friendships.

She’d spent the majority of her night at Angel’s side. He kept good on his promise not to ditch her. That was until one of the club women made it known she wanted his attention. Leaving him to his fun, she found herself sitting on the steps of the clubhouse. She’d been introduced to everyone, officially as the Reyes’ brother’s cousin. It wasn’t wholly wrong. Chosen family and all that.

It didn’t take long for her to feel eyes on her though. Throughout the night she caught small glimpses of the quiet Mayan. Coco. The one she ran into at Angel’s. She still shivered at how cold he was until he figured out she wasn’t a threat, but it bode well for his character. In a strange sort of way. She didn’t fault him for the incident. He was protecting himself and potentially his brothers. She didn’t like that he held a gun up to her, but she understood his initial response.

Each time she glanced over at him; he was alone. No hangarounds draped all over him. Only conversation between him and his brothers. Or at least she assumed. She caught his mouth moving occasionally and the responses from the Mayans around him made her think they were speaking. She was never close enough to hear though. She never let her eyes rest long on him. Not wanting to draw his attention away from whatever he was focused on. However, he made her curious. Curious about him. Who he was.

She was pulled from her thoughts as EZ’s boots scuffed the step next to her leg. He dropped down to sit next to her, tilting a cold beer in her direction. She chugged down the dregs of her current bottle before taking the new one from him. He chuckled at her, grabbing her discarded bottle and setting the empty behind them.

She looked over at him, “Sooooo, prospect?”

He grinned, breaking into comfortable laughter and knocked her shoulder with his. She never thought she’d see the day that the studious Ezekiel Reyes would be prospecting for a motorcycle club. It never seemed to be his deal. Much more Angel’s lane. Not in a bad way. They were extreme opposites of one another, but perfectly so. It was one of her favourite things about the Reyes brothers. Their differences but how they complimented each other’s personalities. Angel always getting in trouble and EZ always managing to use his book smarts to get them both out of it.

“Not going to lie, I think I’m coming around to the whole leather aesthetic.” She smirked, “Between you and your brother, I’m getting it from all sides.”

EZ shrugged, and inclined his head in one direction subtly, “You might even be getting it from that angle too.”

She followed his incline and her eyes flicked over multiple people until her gaze met another one. His dark eyes were trained on her. That intense, hyper focus. All for her. She tilted her head to the side, meeting his stare head on. This was the first time they’d caught each other looking. She thought back on the one prior meeting they had. He hadn’t said much to her that day. A lot of nods, shrugs and half spoken words. It intrigued her. In an odd way. Made her wonder what it would take to make him talkative. Right now, however, he didn’t have a small gesture. He just stared. A subdued heat in his gaze. She wondered for what. For her? No. That was a wild thought.

“Is he always that quiet?” She asked EZ, still watching Coco.

His gaze never wavered from her and she felt a shiver forming. She licked the front of her teeth before taking another sip of her beer. She recalled the way he looked when she first met him. Shirtless. Covered in tattoos. His hair sopping wet but the slight wave forming near the ends. She wouldn’t lie to herself. He was good-looking. No, it was more than that. She was attracted to him. She found him hotter than most of the men she’d dated in the past. She chuckled internally to herself at that realization. She watched his mouth move, as he spoke with someone. She didn’t bother to try and see who, because if he was going to keep up this staring contest, she was game.

His tongue darted out along his lower lip before he brought the cigarette up to his mouth. He continued to speak around it. She watched each one of the muscles in his face contract and release as he spoke. She could almost hear his words from here. It was mesmerizing. Everything about him subtle. Striking, and calculated. Dangerous. Every move he made had a detailed thought process. She could tell by the way he carried himself. She admired the outline of his jaw. The crooked nature of his nose adding to his appeal. She liked him. She didn’t know him, at all. But she still liked him. Especially that hyper focus thing he had going. It made her feel seen. Read. In a strange sort of way.

EZ nodded in response to her and she caught the movement from the corner of her eye, “Yeah. He’s a bit odd around new people. Women especially.”

She laughed, turning briefly to shake her head at EZ, “That’s not exactly something a girl wants to hear.”

“He interested in you, or at least thinks you’re hot. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t care enough to pay any mind to you. He’ll never start the conversation though.” EZ said, “Go over there, get him to talk. Don’t even bother playing dumb. I’ve seen you watching as much as he’s been with you.”

She pushed EZ lightly, letting out a huff of disbelief, “Are you wingmaning him? You know he held me at gunpoint the first time we met?”

EZ burst into laughter, “Yeah, that sounds like Coco.” He took a moment to cool off before breathing in and continuing, “Like I said. He has a hard time warming up to new people.”

She shook her head. A wide grin on her mouth and laughing. She turned her hands out and sighed, “Great, that really gives me something to start with.”

EZ smirked at her sarcasm but raised his shoulders as if to say ‘why not?’. She rolled her eyes at him but placed her hand on his shoulder and used it as a support to hoist herself back up. She took the cold beer he had yet to open from him and walked down the steps. She spun around and stuck her tongue out at EZ as he winked at her.

She walked over to the table where Coco was sitting and dropped down into the empty seat across from him. She popped off the cap and slid the bottle across the table to sit in front of him. She looked around at the others at the table, but they all seemed otherwise occupied, so she directed all her attention on him.

“I figured you could use a refill.” She smiled at him.

~(MMC)~

He wasn’t sure when it happened, but at some point, she gravitated into his personal space. She was sitting next him, her body leaned beside his. It wasn’t in a flirtatious way. She was barely even touching him. Not like how the hangarounds approached him. It was relaxed. They were both watching the argument across the compound unfold. It wouldn’t be a Mayans party without someone getting into the ring. She was adding tiny little quips. Outlandish and hilarious one-liners.

He couldn’t help it. He was smiling. A genuine one. Not just the smirk. He watched her profile as she spoke. His eyes tracking the way her hands moved with every sentence. She was expressive in the way she spoke. Everything had emotion, passion. It was intense and he enjoyed that. What he liked the most was the way she wasn’t trying to impress him. All she was interested in doing was spending time with him. Being there. Being present. He honestly couldn’t remember when the last time anyone tried to befriend him for him. Aside from his hermanos.

She gave him the space he felt comfortable with. She never pushed anything out of him. She was patient and when he couldn’t find the words, she kept the conversation flowing. His chest rumbled with quiet laughter at her latest remark and she turned her head, hearing the sound. She stared at him; her eyes wide at his reaction. When she took in his smile and laid back posture she grinned widely at him. She gave him a wink before going back to the scene before them, continuing with her commentary.

He took a chance. He figured they were on the same page. Nevertheless, his heart still beat wildly in his chest. This wasn’t one of Vicky’s girls, or the hangarounds. She could easily turn him down. It was a terrifying reality. One he knew he wouldn’t handle well. The rejection. Either way, he swallowed and tried anyways. Propping his elbows on the table behind him, he inched one arm across the top of it and lined it behind her back. He glanced out of the corner of his eye, and she still hadn’t noticed.

He took in a silent but deep breath. Taking his time. Smoothing his arm across her shoulders, pulling her against his chest. She startled as he did it, flicking her eyes to his hand resting on her arm and then back up to him. He let his mouth curl into a grin, and she bit down on her lower lip. She shook her head, amused at his coy expression. She shifted her shoulders, lining her back into his front, getting comfortable.

He leaned in closer to her ear and whispered, “Knew you’d warm up to me eventually.”

She threw her head back into his shoulder, laughing loudly. Both of them knowing it was exactly the opposite. He saw the affection in her expression as she turned towards him. She found him funny. She was sincerely laughing. His arm tightened around her, her excited energy lifting him up. He pulled her in tighter, his lips grazing her temple as he laughed with her.

~(MMC)~

With the help of the Reyes brothers and their lovely friends, the MC, they had her old house gutted, the important bits packed into a moving trailer and sold. She left after that. Making her way back up to San Jose to pack away the keepsakes. She kept up her regular contact with the brothers, adding one more to the rotation.

Her and Coco talked nearly every day. Even if it was just a quick ‘how you doing?’ and nothing more. She had no idea when it happened. It sort of just came to be. On its own. Neither of them planned for it. Nor did either of them push for something to happen. From exchanging numbers after that one club party. Texting led to calling and calling led to video chats. Which led to all-nighters. She hung on his every message, or call. Expecting them daily now.

After a couple of months, it became clear to both of them, that they hadn’t told Angel or EZ that they were talking to each other. Neither of them could agree why they did it. Only that they kept quiet because the other one still hadn’t mentioned anything. It was maybe the very first argument they had. Maybe even the only one.

Coco hated confrontation and she respected that. Whenever they got heated, which was often, they agreed to say goodbye before they got mad at one another. They always promised to come back to it when they’d cooled off. It worked pretty well. Gave Coco the time to think through what he was trying to convey and it gave her the time to calm down. Reevaluate what she was actually angry about and focus on explaining her point of view.

It was hard to define what their relationship was. They weren’t a couple. They weren’t really anything. Only two people in constant contact. She felt something for him, however she wasn’t sure it was real or not. They only ever spoke over the phone, aside from the one night in Santo Padre. That was the last time she saw him in person. The last time she felt his touch. She tried to reign in her own feelings. Not wanting to scare him away. She enjoyed their friendship, even if that’s all it stayed at.

They’d been talking to each other for a little over a year when he surprised her. She pulled into her driveway after work and spotted the Harley immediately. At first, she thought it was Angel, or even EZ, but when she looked up at her front porch, there he was. Sitting on the top step. He had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth as he watched her park. Her heart raced at his sudden appearance and she tackled him, much to his surprise.

She couldn’t explain the reaction, or well she could but wasn’t willing to admit it out loud. Not to him. They were friends. She wasn’t going to ruin that by dumping her feelings all over and making things messy. He laughed, her body pressing him down into her porch as she clung to him. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed back. He forgot what it felt like to have her in his arms. Suddenly she was popping up, both her hands anchored on his biceps.

“Is everything ok?” Her brow was furrowed in concern as she asked.

He smiled at the worry and nodded his head to reassure her, “Everything’s fine, linda.”

She let out a sigh of relief and dragged him up and into her house. She whirled through the kitchen, getting them something to drink and pushing him down to sit on her couch. She began regaling him with the mundane ins and outs of her day. He sat through the whole tirade. Leaning against the back of her couch, one arm spread along the top as he smiled over at her. His legs were extended out in front of him, and she looked at him sitting there. In her living room. Like he belonged there.

Her heart palpitated at that thought. That he belonged with her. She hid the shiver that ran down her spine and laughed at the way he waved his hand as if to tell her she could continue with her monologue. She rolled her eyes playfully and swatted at him. Pretending to be annoyed by his coy gesture. She picked up on her speech, telling him everything. Her entire being filled with giddiness. She was gushing. Excited and happy that he was here. She missed him. It was like she was trying to make up for all the details she left out on their phone calls. She continued to talk, waving her hands around as she did.

At some point, when she’d gone off on a mini rant about something that irritated her, he stood up. She was pacing back and forth in front of the couch and when she turned back to continue in the other direction, he stopped her. He was staring down at her, his eyes dark and raw. She gulped; her own feelings being reflected back at her through his gaze. He framed his outstretched hand against the right side of her cheek and face. She shuddered obviously as he bowed his head towards hers. Her teeth pulling her bottom lip between them. He stared at the indentation her teeth were making in her lip and darted his gaze up to hers, looking for her approval. She gave him an encouraging smile and he dove in.

It was tentative at first. Both of them scared of the result. This was a moment where they could ruin everything. Her nerve endings exploded as his mouth caught hers. She reciprocated slowly, at first. Before pushing hard, tilting her head and giving him opened mouth kisses. Their tongues meeting and teasing each other. Her hands slid up his torso, fisting the fabric of his t-shirt as their embrace heated. She threw all caution to the wind. She wanted him. He wanted her. She broke away from him, grabbed the hem of her shirt and ripped it over her head.

“Fuck.” He swore, as she stood in front of him in her bra.

She had no idea how long he was here for. She knew the drive was long. She’d done it herself. If he was only here for tonight, then she wasn’t going to waste any time. She wasn’t going to let her self-doubt get in her way. He was here. For her. Alone. He seemed to be on the same course of thought because he was suddenly dragging her forward into him. His lips capturing her again, in another intense kiss.

Her hands dipped under the kutte, dropping it away from his shoulders and he caught it. Folding it half, he tossed it behind him, letting it hang over the arm rest of her sofa. He followed her lead, tugging his shirt off and tossing it down. The rush between them, heightening both their highs. They made quick work of the remainder of their clothes. Lips and teeth meeting several body parts as they tossed another garment away.

He was running hot kisses down her neck when he started backing up, bringing her with him. He dropped onto the couch, pulling her down and adjusting her over his lap. They both groaned at the contact. She rolled her hips, causing more friction and more urgency to their situation. He dropped his head back against the headrest, staring up at the ceiling as she ground against him. One less layer and they’d be one.

He palmed her thigh with one hand, smoothing it up to the line of her underwear on her hip. He tugged them down without warning and she shivered. They both smiled at the reaction. She hopped off him, kicking her underwear away and yanking his boxers off. She grabbed the back of the couch next to his head and straddled his lap.

She kept herself propped up, so their laps hadn’t connected yet. He growled up at her as she thread her fingers through his hair, pulling his head farther back. She loomed over him, both their smiles reflecting in each other’s expressions. She smoothed a hand over one side of his hair and knew in that moment she was screwed. This was her turning point and she didn’t care. She’d always want him. She tipped her head down and kissed him soundly.

One of his hands dropped away from her hip, to between her thighs. He swiped one finger through her folds, and she shuddered with anticipation. He circled around himself, lining up against her core and with a firm gaze between them, he waited. Without taking her eyes off him, she leaned back and sank down onto him.

They both let out breaths of constricted arousal. His came out as a deep groan while hers was a hitched gasp. Her hands splayed out over his shoulders. She used him to keep her steady and lifted to drop down onto him hard. His hips snapped up into hers as a reaction and they both cried out at the deep angle. They set a strong pace between them. She worked up a sweat as she flicked her hips into each one of his thrusts. Both of them working hard to get the other off.

She panted, looking down at him. His eyes were glued to the area where their bodies were connected. His fingers digging into her hips. She threw her head back, rolling deeper. A sigh of pleasure escaping from her. She felt herself reaching the edge. He noticed it as well and immediately lifted her off him. She moaned at the loss of contact and he let out a quiet huff of a laugh.

With his hands firmly repositioned onto her back, he tipped her backwards and down into the couch cushions. He hovered above her, admiring the mussed look of her hair. The flush on her cheeks. He drank in every inch of her face, committing everything to memory. He didn’t want to forget any of this.

“I got you.” He said, before kissing her hard.

He slipped back into her. Hiking one of her legs up over his waist and pushing the other one up to bend into her chest. He tilted her hips sideways, fitting between her perfectly. She cried out at the change in angle. He smirked. Proud of himself. For being the one to have her feeling this way. For being the one to illicit this type of response. He resumed a steady pace. Both of their bodies moving together. Each of them chasing their own releases.

The muscles in her abdomen tightened at the coming feeling. She dropped her head back, closing her eyes. Her release reaching its breaking point. She was about to boil over when one of his hands caught her chin and pulled her down to look at him. She was breathing erratically, unable to control it.

“Mírame, princesa.” He murmured, “Let me see those pretty eyes.”

“Coco,” She whined.

He lost his rhythm at the sound of her voice. He stilled momentarily before he gathered himself back and slammed into her. Several more times, harder than he had been before. Her body arched up into his while he slipped one hand to her lower back to balance her. She grabbed for him. Keeping her eyes on his. Her orgasm moments away. He felt her body tensing and he hit it harder. Wanting her to let go.

He reached his peak before her, cursing at the feeling and himself. He dropped a hand down into the junction between her thighs and circled that sensitive spot. She bucked up into his touch, crying out and rocking harder along him. He twitched with a satisfied groan. The feeling of her body coming apart while he was still buried deep in her sending him. He let go of her gaze, dropping his head to lay on her chest, working her nub until she was chanting out his name and spilling over.

He turned his cheek to press an open mouth kiss to her collarbone before they collapsed down into a heap on her couch. She wrapped her arms around him, cuddling him closer to her. He fit himself comfortably between the back of her couch and her side. She nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck and felt his smile. They stayed there, connected and sated. Each of them breathing deeply, evening out their breaths. She could hold him like this forever. She never expected this in a million years, but damn was she glad it happened.

~(MMC)~

He was sitting around the bar with the rest of the club. They were winding down from another long day of meetings and dealings. He was reclining back in his seat, drinking a beer and smirking along with the conversation. He was constantly fading in and out of the conversation. He wondered if they needed him back home after tonight, or if he could make another detour up north for a night.

At the thought of her, he pulled out his phone and opened up their ongoing messages. He noticed she hadn’t said anything for a while, and it worried him slightly. Even when they were both busy, they both made an effort to at least check in. He was the last one to send a message and for fear of coming on too strong, he shut off the screen. He didn’t want to text again. He always worried about ruining the dynamic they built. Especially after that weekend two months ago.

He smirked at the reminder. Remembering how many times he had her. They’d stayed up the entire night. Learning everything they could about each other’s bodies. When the sun finally came up over the horizon, they succumbed to their exhaustion and curled up in her bed. He kept her close to him the entire time they slept. He didn’t have a lot of time with her, but he was determined to make it worth it.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the same hangaround crawling back into his lap. He glared at her as she did it. He’d told her multiple times throughout the night that he wasn’t interested. He considered just leaving her alone. It wasn’t like he was going to do anything with her. She could sit there all she wanted. She wasn’t getting anything out of him. He glanced around the table and noted that there were several empty laps. She had no business continuing to try and get into his.

He grabbed the woman by the back of her neck and put his lips to ear, “Find someone else to hang off of.”

His voice came out in a growl and in a show of defiance, she turned and straddled his lap. His hand fell down and brushed against her hip. He dropped his beer down on to the table and gripped both her hips, attempting to lift her off him when he heard a voice he wasn’t expecting.

~(MMC)~

She sped well over the speed limit. Her destination in sight. The map on her propped-up tablet, showing her the directions. She chuckled to herself at the lengths she’d gone to try and surprise him. When Angel accidentally let it slip that they were going to be in Vegas this weekend, it wasn’t hard to figure out where they were going to be. There were three possible casinos that were under Tribal law.

She’d already checked the first two. Inside and out, and no MC’s. Now she was speeding down the side roads to the other end of the strip. Third time’s the charm and all that. She pulled into the general parking lot and killed the engine. She did a quick glance around before grabbing her bag out of her backseat. She shifted the front seat all the way back and ripped her track pants off, switching them for a pair of ripped jeans. She adjusted her shirt and then did a quick touch up of her makeup. She grabbed her wallet and keys and stepped out of the car.

She stopped at the doors. This was definitely the right place. She could see the line of pristine chromed out Harley’s off to the left. If he could surprise her, it was only fair that she return the gesture. She pushed through the doors and scanned the main area. She spotted the bar and knew that that’s where he’d be. With a wide smile, she walked over to the area, stepping through the threshold and spotting the dozen Mayans kuttes. She moved towards the table but halted in her advance at what she saw.  

Several emotions ran through her at the sight of him with his hands all over another woman. The one that stuck the most was how dumb she’d been. Had she really expected him to not take up with someone else. Whatever they had between them was clearly a long-distance thing. Long distance translated into not having a warm body next to him when he wanted it. She wasn’t there when he wanted something more than conversation. How had she managed to delude herself into believing he wasn’t exactly like the rest of them.

She never worried about Angel and his way with women. They’d never been anything more than friends. She never had to worry about him doing her wrong. There were no expectations between them. However, with Coco it was different. This was the first time she actually got caught up with a member. Giving her heart away to him. Whether he knew it or not.

“Coco?” Her voice rang out.

Surprising herself. She hadn’t meant to say anything. She was planning her escape. Ready to run and never speak to him again. All without him ever knowing about her shame. When he heard her say his name, he looked up. The shock at seeing her was clear in his expression. He tilted his head, unsure as to why she had an expression of hurt across her face when the woman in his lap shifted. She watched as the realization hit him. How bad it looked. He shoved the woman away from him and stood immediately.

Everyone at the table followed the sudden movement from him. Angel and EZ spotted her and were the ones to put together what was really happening. Her glare said everything. She spun around on her heel and fled the casino. Coco pushed away from the table and went after her. Angel and EZ not far behind him. The three of them exiting the glass doors together, to find her standing on the edge of the parking lot. Her hands wrapped around her torso. None of them moved. Each afraid to approach her for different reasons.

He watched her, standing there and holding herself together. He could see the shake in her shoulders, and he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her. Reassure that he had her. But he knew she wouldn’t accept it. Not now. He stayed behind her, unsure of how to handle the situation.

How did he explain that what she saw was nothing? Literally nothing. He barely even noticed the other woman there. The hangarounds were like that. All the time. He never paid them any mind. He didn’t care about them for the most part. Not when he had her. However, this wasn’t their normal, come back to it when they’re cooled off argument. They never discussed the real ramifications of their relationship. He never gave her a proper heads up. He never ran through the potentials, the rules. He’d been too wrapped up in everything else.

She didn’t plan to stick around. She wasn’t going to be embarrassed by anyone else noticing her. If he couldn’t explain himself, then she wouldn’t stay to be humiliated even more. She’d been naïve. Believing that things were different for them. She began to walk away when Angel shoved him aside, an irritated glare in his direction before chasing after one of his oldest friends.

EZ came to stand beside him, as they watched Angel stop her and gather her into a hug. They could both see that she was crying. A lump grew in his throat. He was the problem. He was always going to be the problem. Shit. She was better off without him. He heard EZ’s inhale but was grateful the prospect kept silent on the scene unfolding.

“I fucked up boy scout.” He muttered, before turning around and retreating back into the casino.

~(MMC)~

She sat on Angel’s front porch. She didn’t know why she was here. Or well, yes, she did but she figured it was too late. She made her bed. She muted his number. Ignoring him. She didn’t have it in her to delete it completely, but she knew the messages were still there. Sitting at the bottom of her inbox. She acted rashly. She could’ve given him the chance to explain. Maybe it wasn’t what she assumed. She wasn’t sure how it could’ve been any different than what she witnessed with her own eyes, but she held out hope. It didn’t help that he never tried. He never reached out to her. She checked.

The sound of a Harley roaring down the street had her heart doing double time. It’d been so long since she heard one. She knew it wasn’t Coco, but she had a glimmer of hope that maybe it was. The driver didn’t notice her, or at least didn’t indicate that they did as they pulled into the driveway. She knew it was Angel as he pulled to a stop and unbuckled his helmet.

He killed the engine and hung his helmet off the sideview mirror. He sighed as he looked over at her. He leaned back and crossed his arms. She knew he was mad at her, but she also knew he’d never turn her away. He pushed up off the bike and trudged over to her. Standing above her for a long moment while she peered up at him. With a final sigh, he turned.

“You alright?” He asked, sitting down next to her and lighting a cigarette.

She shrugged, “Not really.”

He let out a bitter scoff, “You two are a disaster.”

She creased her eyebrows together at the comment. He’d been here all of a minute, and she hadn’t even mentioned Coco.

He shook his head, “He’s been miserable since you two broke up, or whatever it is that happened.” He kicked his shoe against the bottom step, “Thanks for telling me, by the way. Were you planning to let anyone know? Or were going to keep sneaking around?”

She felt the anger exuding from Angel, and he had a right to it. In the months following Vegas, he never asked her about them. She knew he wanted too but he was smart enough to know that she was hurting too much. She also knew why he was mad at her. She’d never kept secrets from him. Neither had he with her. They knew everything about each other. She sighed. She knew his feelings were hurt. She felt bad but she also wouldn’t change anything about the time she had with Coco.

“I didn’t know how to explain it.” She muttered, “He was never really my boyfriend.”

“That’s a lie.” Angel scoffed, “Whether you two labelled it or not, it’s pretty clear what you meant to each other. I got it out of him later. He told me – showed me – how often you two talked.” He said the last word with quotations.

She threw her hands up in defeat, “I’m sorry Angel but how did you expect me to tell you something like that? Oh, hey, by the way. I’ve been messaging your boy for some time now. We call and talk to each other daily but he’s not my boyfriend? Would that have worked?”

He shook his head at her, “Whatever. It doesn’t matter now.”

They fell into a stressed silence. Both of them irritated at each other. She didn’t come to fight. Not with her best friend. The man she considered a brother. She inched across the step towards him and wrapped her hands around him.

“I’m sorry,” She said, “I don’t want to argue with you. I should’ve told you, but I was scared. Now that it’s over, there’s nothing to be scared about.”

Angel opened his arms and wrapped her up into him, “It’s not over. Not by a longshot. You haven’t been subjected to the hot mess that he’s been since you left Vegas that night. It’s been months and he’s still hung up on you.”

She chuckled, “I doubt that.”

“I mean it, prima.” Angel pulled back and looked down at her with a sincere expression, “He’s fucking miserable without you.”

She cowered away from Angel. She didn’t know how to respond to that. She caught him with a woman crawling all over him. How was he going to justify that? She had a vague understanding of the club and the way it worked when it came to the hangarounds, but that didn’t mean she was ok with the fact that he was getting on like that. She never would be and she figured that was a deal breaker. There was no changing that nature of the club.

“He fucked up. He knows it.” Angel murmured as he watched her thoughts cross her face, “At least hear him out. Then figure out where you two sit with this.” He looked down at the screen of his phone, noting the time. “He’s still on schedule at the yard. For another couple of hours.”

They looked at each other for a long moment when Angel smirked. He knew she wanted too but she felt torn. She came to see Angel, not Coco. She wanted her best friend. Someone who understood her and still loved her. He shook his head and pulled her into a one-armed hug. Letting her know that he got it. They had a slim chance at fixing this. He was okay with her ditching him this time.

“Go.” He urged her, “At least talk it out.”

~(MMC)~

He was sitting on top of the table, his feet shoulder width apart on the bench below him. He was slouched over, smoking and staring off into the distance. The sun was extra hot today and it was irritating him. Really bringing his mood to a horrible peak. Most of the boys had left him alone, sensing his growing temper.

He popped the smoke into his mouth, bowed his head and took off the snapback. He smoothed his hair down, tucking it back under the hat and out of his face. He ran his other hand down his face before grabbing the cigarette again and blowing out a cloud of smoke.

He tried his best not to think about her. He even went so far as to mute her number in his phone. On the off chance that she reached out to him. After a month of no contact, her name dropped from the top of messages to the bottom and stayed there. When he had a bad moment, he’d go back and reread some of their conversations. It helped, sometimes. Other times it made him even worse.

He’d been livid. The more he thought about it afterwards. Mad that she showed up out of the blue. However, that was short lived when he recognized the in-kind gesture. She was returning his surprise to him. It came from a good place. She only wanted to see him again. He wished she’d given him some kind of heads up though. It would’ve made things go a lot smoother.

He could still remember the way Angel rounded on him after she left Vegas. Him and EZ had retreated back to the casino, while Angel took her up to his room and let her sleep through the night. She left early the next morning. Meanwhile he drank himself into a stupor and wasn’t sure how he even made it back to his room in the first place. When Angel found him, he was beyond pissed. Eventually Coco explained it all to him. What was really going on. Apparently, she refused to even talk to Angel. Keeping mum until she finally fell asleep. Angel warned him to stay away from her. Lose her number even. He agreed with his brother. This was on him.

Now it was months later, and he was still wallowing. He wanted to apologize; he just didn’t know how. Even if she hadn’t already deleted his number, him sending any kind of message, or even calling, wouldn’t fix the hurt he caused.

At this point it didn’t matter that he had been trying to get the hangaround away from him. She’d still been able to weasel her way into the position in the first place and that was on him. He was used to it. It was how things worked around here. He hadn’t thought to explain that to her though. He hadn’t realized she didn’t fully grasp the club life. He could’ve made that easier on her. He could’ve tried to clarify it.  

He shook his head and tossed his finished cigarette down into the dirt, snuffing it out. No matter now. He hopped off the table, the dirt kicking up around him. He turned back, making his way back farther into the yard to pick up where he’d left off.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been banging the metal bar but at some point, he became aware of someone calling his name. He glanced up to see Chucky trying to get his attention. He dropped the mallet in his hand and pulled off his gloves. He walked over, towards the office and raised an eyebrow at the man.

“There’s someone in there, said she was looking for you.” Chucky smiled.

Coco furrowed his brows. What she could be looking for him. He panicked, thinking it might be one of his baby mamas, but caught the movement in the window and recognized that silhouette. She was looking down at something and hadn’t noticed him yet. He gulped, his breath coming up short and glanced over a Chucky. Chucky gave him a happy shrug and held out a hand in the direction of the room.

Coco licked his lips and took slow steps towards the building. He paused at the entrance, taking a moment to watch her. He felt a strong emotion rise within him, but found it terrifying. He had no way to express it, not now. He knew for damn sure this wasn’t a moment to speak on it either. With an inhale, he moved forward.

“Hey.” He said, shutting the door behind him.

Her head snapped up as he spoke. Her eyes were wide, as if she was surprised, he came to see her. They stared at each other for a moment before he had to tear his eyes away. He couldn’t handle what he might find there. He avoided her direct eye contact, looking off to the side. She shifted on her feet, nervous at being here with him.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek before addressing him, “Angel said you’d be here.”

He nodded. That made sense. From the corner of his eye, he watched her wring her hands together. She was nervous. He didn’t like that. He didn’t want to be the reason she felt that way. He watched her, his eyes tracking every subtle shift she made. She wasn’t only nervous; she was agitated as well. That had his back raise. His temper already on the cusp of being igniting. Now with her here, throwing everything off axis.

“I – “ She stuttered and it caught his attention.

He snapped his head up fully to meet her eyes again. There were tears welling in the corners and she was fidgeting. He took a step towards her, inadvertently. She noticed the movement and unconsciously leaned in his direction. When she realized what she’d done she let out a scoff at her reaction. It pulled on her heart and she could form the proper words now.

Finding her resolve she tried again, on an exhale she spoke, “I don’t want this to be over.”

He stopped. His entire world freezing with her statement. He’d been expecting a fight. He was riled up. Prepared to start yelling. He was breathing heavily, staring at her. He couldn’t tell what her expression contained. There were too many emotions passing across her features. All he could tell was that she was being honest. Whether or not she was happy with her statement, he didn’t know. He licked his lips, creasing his eyebrows together. He didn’t want her to feel trapped. Trapped in the downward spiral he’d pulled so many other women into.

“Yeah?” He finally spoke.

It was a dumb question and he knew it. She wiped away at her tears and nodded. He was relieved she didn’t feel to call him out on his horrible response. He didn’t want it to be over either. He took another step towards her, waiting and judging her reaction. She didn’t flinch away from him. Giving him more confidence in himself with her. They weren’t shattered, only broken. They had the tools to mend things back. This time with the truth. He nodded, knowing exactly where he stood. It was her. He wanted her. He always had. Since the day she randomly showed up at Angel’s.

“I don’t want it to be over either.” He mumbled.

A sob bubbled up from the back of her throat as he let his stance known. He was quick to close the distance between them and pull her into his arms. He sighed as she leaned into him willingly. Her arms constricting around his middle. Strong and stable. She buried her face into his chest. Inhaling, memorizing his scent. Committing it to memory. The comfort she brought him, settling back in, like an old friend. A puzzle piece, fitting perfectly into his emotional make up. He felt her shift, turning her head to rest her cheek above his heart.

“I think I’m in love with you.” She whispered into the fabric of his uniform.

He tightened his arms in response, resting a hand on the back of her head and kissing her crown. He smiled. That emotion from earlier resurging and now he knew how to properly explain it. He could place it. For the real feeling that it was. It wasn’t the perfect declaration of affections, but it was start. It would help them get through the storms. Weather it out together.

He pressed his nose against her temple, murmuring into here ear, “I think I am too.”

[stormcrawler75]

For the prompt thingy, Reluctant Caretaker With Janus and Infant!Patton? (Aka sunshine pure baby and unqualified papa)

Characters: Janus, Patton, Virgil, mentions of Logan, Remus, and Roman

Warnings: Coma, drunk driving, bruises, stitches

“Unnnnnnnnn’caaaaaaaaa, ‘Anu!”

Janus groaned, cracking his eyes open and rubbing at his eyes sleepily. He glanced at his alarm clock and after blinking a few times, he groaned again when he saw just how early it was. “Fucking- ugh,” he muttered, rubbing his hand down his face. He sighed and got up, slowly walking out of the room.

“Unnnnnnnnn’caaaaaaaaa, ‘Anu!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Janus muttered, yawning so hard that his jaw clicked. He walked into the room that had been nothing but a guest room a few days ago - when things had still been normal and Janus didn’t have to worry about raising a baby - and to the old crib that he had gotten three splinters setting up. 

His nephew was standing up in the crib and looking up at Janus with wide eyes and a bright grin. He bounced up and down and made grabby hands at Janus. “Un’ca ‘Anu’, up! Up!”

Janus yawned and picked Patton up, bracing him against his hip. “Yes, Uncle Janus is up now. Though, the fact that either of us is up at four fifteen is a crime,” he told the one-year-old seriously. 

And in return for the great wisdom that he had given his nephew, Patton reached up and grabbed Janus’ nose. Well... Janus supposed that he had gotten worse feedback from people who he had given advice to.

“Alright now, no playing games now,” Janus hummed sleepily, gently moving Patton’s hand away and walking out of the used-to-be-a-guest-room. He glanced out the window and sighed. The stupid sun could already be seen peeking up over the horizon. “Are you hungry? Is that why you woke me up?”

“’anna ‘ee Daddy,”

Janus froze right at the top of the stairs, feeling like he had just been slapped. He had been so good pushing back and ignoring the heart-crushing grief, confusion, and helplessness that the last few days had brought. And with three words, his one-year-old nephew had almost completely toppled all the walls that Janus had put up to try and cope. Janus took a shaky breath, eyes burning with unshed tears. “I’m afraid that you can’t see your Daddy right now,” he said softly, walking down the stairs. “You’re living with me for now, Patton. I... will explain in the morning, okay?”

Patton gave him a look with so much of Virgil’s stubbornness that Janus almost let out a sob. Virgil had barely had Patton for a year and his son was already so much like him. 

“For now, let’s think of better things,” Janus said with forced chipper in his voice. He walked into the kitchen grabbed a small box of cheerios from his cupboard. “Even though it’s far too early to be up and awake, five o’clock is also the time when the old cartoons come on. I used to watch these shows with your daddy when I was just a toddler and he was your age.” He managed a weak smile as he walked into the living room. “Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“Yes,” Patton chirped, grinning at Janus widely that wrinkled the stark white bandaid that he had gotten at the hospital. “Yes!”

Janus chuckled, sitting down in his favourite old armchair, shifting Patton so he was in one arm so he could open up the box of cheerios. “Did you watch these shows with your daddy? Or did Mr. Lawyer show his son more serious shows? Educational programs?” He got a blank stare in response and decided that it was far too early in the morning to use big words with his nephew. So instead he just switched the channel until he found old reruns of ‘The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show”.

Besides, Patton’s excited cry of, “T’eety!” made Janus think that maybe this wasn’t the first time he had watched these shows.

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

Janus’ shoes clicked against the hospital tiles, the only sound in the eerily quiet hallway. He could hear distant coughs and the quiet sound of people talking but here, in the long term care section of the hospital at eight o’clock in the morning, there wasn’t much noise. And it made Janus so sad. His poor baby brother didn’t belong in a place like this.

He stopped outside the last door in the hallway, knocking gently at the half-open door. “Good morning,” he said softly, walking in and draping his coat over one of the chairs. He sat down with a sigh. “I’m sorry that I’m here so early but your son woke me up at four AM. I left him with my friends so I can come to see you. Please don’t worry about your son, Virgil. Logan and Remus are good people and they already love Patton." He took off his bowler hat and put it in his lap, tapping his finger against it gently. “Do you have anything to say about that?”

Of course Virgil didn’t. Though, Janus supposed that he couldn’t be too upset with his brother. It was rather hard to speak with tubes down your throat. And the fact that Virgil was in a coma made it even harder, Janus was sure.

Virgil was lying completely still on his hospital bed, looking strangely peaceful. He didn’t seem bothered at the dark purple bruises on his cheeks or the stitched-up cut on his forehead. And then Janus remembered how he had looked a few days ago when he had first been brought to the hospital and had to look away.

“Your friend Roman came to my house the other day,” Janus said, forcing himself to continue. He had to speak talking. He feared what would come out of his mouth if he didn’t. “I must say, Roman may not be as interesting as his brother but he is a good lawyer. He’s pushing me to press charges and he is assuring me that I would have a very good case.” He snorted and shook his head. “Though, I suppose that you don’t have to be a good lawyer to know that driving while is against the law.”

When there was no response to his words, Janus sighed and reached forward, gently putting a hand over Virgil’s bruised one. “Do you remember how happy I was when you made me Patton’s Godfather,” he whispered softly and with a slight tremble to his words. “Well, I change my mind. Virgil... I have no idea how to care for a baby. You have to wake up so you can raise your son. Please.” He laughed and blinked, vision turning a little blurry. “I am begging, Virgil. You have to wake up. I can’t do this. I don’t know how to do this.”

The only response Janus received was the steady beeping of Virgil’s heart monitor. It looked like Janus was on his own for now.

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[atths--twice]

Faith’s Second Birthday

It's Halloween again! 🎃 Time to celebrate the birthday of a certain little girl. Two years... where has the time gone? ❤️

This story... I have had some of it planned for months and some presented themselves to me, demanding to be added. I thought it was finished, but no, it needed more. I hope you all enjoy it. I do so love writing these happy family stories. God... they so deserve to be happy.

October 30, 2020

Scully looked out the kitchen window as she rinsed the blueberries for Faith’s dinner and smiled as she watched Mulder and Faith at the edge of the lake. Faith was wearing her fuzzy green Halloween costume, the alien-faced hood of it lying down her back, as she had asked to wear a black headband with a sparkly black bat attached to it, which Mulder was only happy to oblige.

Faith laughed as Mulder knelt in front of her, blowing bubbles as she tried to catch them, a few of them landing in her hair. She laughed harder when one popped on her nose and she covered it with her hand. Mulder kissed her cheek with a smile, before he blew more bubbles.

Drying her hands, Scully left the blueberries draining in a colander in the sink. She glanced at the timer on her phone and smiled as she slipped it into her pocket. Twenty five minutes until dinner would be ready. Perfect.

She grabbed the baggie of the ends of bread off the counter and stepped onto the porch. Double checking that Bella was sleeping inside, she closed the door and slipped on her shoes, walking down the stairs to join Faith and Mulder.

“Mama!” Faith called, looking at her and smiling. “Dada. Buhbos. Pitee.” Scully picked her up and kissed her, breathing in her nearly intoxicating scent.

“Yes, love, they are pretty. Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. Should we maybe take a little walk? See if we can find the ducks?” Faith’s eyes lit up and she nodded.

“Ducks. Yes, Mama. Down.” Scully laughed, setting her down as Mulder stood up with a grin.

“Well, let’s go then, my girl. Let’s go find those ducks.” He put the cap on the small bottle of bubbles and placed it into the pocket of his black fleece vest. Smiling, he took the baggie of bread from Scully and put it into his other pocket.

They each took a hold of one of Faith’s hands and began to walk toward the small log near the house where they had found a small family of ducks. Mulder glanced at Scully and winked as they walked over the stones and the sand, and she smiled as she took a deep breath of fresh air.

It had been a great idea to come to the lake. After Mulder’s birthday, which had gone wrong from nearly the moment they woke up, a change had been exactly what they had needed…

_________

A little over two weeks ago

Faith woke up in a grumpy mood on the morning of Mulder’s birthday. She was very clingy, wanting only Scully to hold her, with no desire to see Mulder. He did not take offense to it, knowing she would feel better once she had woken up a bit more and had eaten her breakfast.

Scully was making breakfast while Mulder was outside with Bella. As the pancakes and bacon were cooking, Faith had picked up Grey’s water bowl and spilled it all over the floor, unbeknownst to Scully, who nearly slipped, catching herself against the counter and banging her knee into the cupboard. Tears sprang into her eyes as she heard the cat food hitting the linoleum floor and falling all around her.

“Uh oh,” Faith said, squatting down and beginning to spread the food across the floor.

“Don’t touch it!” Scully yelled, louder than she had intended, her knee throbbing. Faith looked up at her, her eyes widening and then filling with tears as her bottom lip stuck out. She began to cry, her head dropping down and Scully limped over to her, ignoring the excrutiating pain in her knee.

“I’m sorry, my love. I’m so sorry. Come here.” She bent at the waist, stifling a moan as she picked her up and snuggled her close. Faith buried her face in her neck, crying hard as Scully held her tightly, trying not to cry herself as she took a deep breath.

“Hey,” Mulder called, coming in through the door with Bella right behind him. He stopped in his tracks as he locked eyes with Scully, his eyebrows raising. At that same moment, they both realized the food on the stove was burning. He walked toward it, but Scully stopped him.

“There’s water all over the floor. Faith spilled Grey’s water and I slipped in it. She also dumped out her food and I yelled at her not to play in it. I didn’t mean to make her cry, but…” She shook her head and closed her eyes, hating that she had caused her to cry. Her knee aching, she kissed Faith’s head, shushing her softly.

“Well… Bella is making quick work of the cat food on the floor. I’ll be careful as I walk to the stove.” He walked past them as Scully opened her eyes and limped a few steps to the table and sat down in a chair. Rubbing Faith’s back, she closed her eyes again, the smell of burning food beginning to fill the room.

“There, at least one thing is taken care of, well by me anyway. Bella’s gotten all the food.” Scully opened her eyes and looked at him as he moved the pans of food to a different burner. The air around him was smoky as he turned on the vent above the stove, hoping to clear it away.

He looked over at her and smiled softly, walking over and squatting down in front of them, putting his hand on Faith’s back, rubbing gently along with Scully.

“Did you fall or just slip?”

“Slipped into the cabinet and hit my knee pretty hard.” She straightened her leg with a wince and he nodded as Faith sniffled and clung to her shirt.

As he pulled up the leg of her pajama bottoms, she winced again as she looked over Faith‘s back and saw the damage that had been done, already imagining the bruise she would have in a few days. Mulder let out a low whistle and looked up at her.

“Let me wipe up the floor and then I’ll get the first aid kit. You bashed it pretty good. It’s bleeding, but not too terribly. It’s gonna be a good bruise, though.” He left her pant leg as it was and stood up, grabbing the paper towels.

The floor clean and her knee bandaged, they sat on the front porch, the house airing out as they ate dry cereal; the last of the milk having been used for the now burnt pancakes. Faith was still rather clingy, laying back against Scully as she sat with her leg up, a bag of frozen peas on her knee to bring down the swelling.

She watched the hanging ghosts and witches blowing in the breeze, as she rubbed Faith’s arm. They had scaled down the decorations, neither of them really in the mood after the year they had. There were still the kid friendly ones: yard flamingos, scarecrows, cats, witches and bats. But the hay bales, pumpkins, and spiderwebs, were not added to the fray this time. The animated witch Mulder had purchased and then hated, getting scared every time she had laughed, had been placed back in the plastic tote, Faith absolutely terrified of it. Mulder had been ecstatic of course, shoving the witch away with a gleeful smile.

“So much for your birthday breakfast,” Scully said with a sigh, as Faith reached into her snack cup and took out some Cheerios, shoving them into her mouth.

“Hey, how is this not a fabulous birthday meal?” he asked, eating right out of a large box of Lucky Charms. “I’m eating only the marshmallow pieces, Scully. It’s perfect.” He shrugged with a smile, popping some into his mouth and chewing loudly. She smiled back with another sigh, shaking his head.

“Mama. Eat,” Faith said, sitting up and turning around, attempting to push some Cheerios into Scully’s mouth.

“Oh, thank you,” she said, moving them over her lips and into her mouth. Mulder chuckled as she glanced at him, chewing up the Cheerios and he held out an offering of a pink heart marshmallow. She leaned closer and he placed it into her mouth with a smile.

The phone rang inside the house and Mulder stood up to answer it, bringing the box of cereal with him. Faith leaned back, eating more Cheerios as Scully moved her knee, adjusting the bag of peas with a groan.

“Mama, owie,” Faith said, touching the bag of peas as she sat up again.

“Yes, my girl. I have an owie. But, it’s okay.” She hummed as Faith lay back against her again, closing her eyes with a small smiile.

“Okay, here she is,” Mulder said as he walked out and Scully opened her eyes, looking up at him as he handed her her cell phone. “Louise.” She took the phone and he picked Faith up from her lap, holding onto the cup of Cheerios and walking away a few steps.

"Louise? Hello,” Scully said. “How are you?”

“Dana, hello! I am doing well, how are you?” Scully laughed as she looked at the bag of peas lying on her knee.

“Well…” She laughed again and fell into conversation with Louise, hearing how her family was and telling her of their rather catastrophic morning.

“Sounds like you three could use some time away from that little house. You know the lake house is just sitting there… as always. No one has been out there in at least a month, and that was just me checking on a small tree that had fallen over. You all are welcome to borrow it again. A change of scenery might be just what you need.”

“The lake house?” Scully asked, looking up at Mulder and his eyes widened. He nodded and Scully smiled. “That sounds perfect, Louise.”

And so, they had packed up, taking Grey to stay with Denis and Violet, leaving them their house keys so they could stop by and feed the fish. Bella sat beside Faith in the backseat as they drove away, waving goodbye to Denis, Violet, and Jaf, the large wooden giraffe in their yard.

Sticking her head out of the half open window, Bella sniffed at the breeze, her tongue hanging out at intervals, as she whined happily and Faith laughed as she watched her. Scully closed her eyes as Mulder took her hand and she breathed out a contented sigh.

“This will be great,” he said and she nodded with a smile.

And it had been. Arriving on Wednesday afternoon, they had all gone to the house before Mulder went to the store for supplies and Scully opened the windows to air it out.

For two weeks, they had that change of scenery they desperately needed. Bella was in the water often, running down the dock and launching after the ball or stick Mulder had thrown for her. She would tire herself out and lay on the porch, napping as she dried off in a patch of sunlight.

The water was far too cold for them, and especially for Faith, though she did enjoy putting her feet in and splashing around, her eyes wide when the cold water hit her face.

They rented a boat and rode around the lake, Bella barking at birds flying by and Faith toddling around in a purple life jacket. They stopped and Scully showed her how to bait a hook and they ate lunch while they hoped for a nibble. Catching nothing, Scully reeled in the line and they headed back to the dock.

They went on walks, collected rocks, pinecones, leaves and anything else Faith found interesting. Mulder made another trip into town and bought some painting supplies. The next day they sat at the outdoor table on the porch and painted the rocks they had collected. Leaving them to dry, they walked down to the water and splashed along the shore, Bella chasing the ball that was thrown for her.

When the rocks were dry, Mulder placed them into his pockets and Scully picked up the backpack and the bag containing their picnic lunch. They walked to the spot, the one they had avoided since they had arrived. Mulder squeezed Scully‘s hand as the long log came into view and she drew in a deep breath as she squeezed back.

When they arrived, Mulder took the rocks from his pockets and placed them on the log, laying them in a line as he told Faith about her grandma. He laughed at some of the stories and was quieter at others. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath and looked at Faith.

“Faithy, she would have loved you so much. She would have given you anything you ever wanted, made you your favorite dessert and driven all the way over just to give it to you and see the happiness on your face. Her house would have been filled with toys just waiting for your arrival.” He smiled at Faith and Scully sniffled, thinking of how much her mother would have loved having a granddaughter to spoil. Mulder looked up and she nodded, letting him know she was okay. He nodded and looked back at Faith.

“So, my love, we will leave these rocks here to remember her and let her know we are thinking of her- always.”

He handed Faith the rocks she had painted and placed his own at the base of the log, showing her what they were doing. She squatted down beside him and laid her rocks next to his own. Scully picked hers up and bent down beside Faith, rubbing her thumb over the dark blue painted rock with the white heart in the middle that she had made. Whispering “I love you,” she placed it beside Faith’s and sniffled once more. Mulder glanced at her, his eyes concerned, and she nodded again.

Stepping back, they walked to a less rocky spot and laid down a couple of blankets, the log within their view as they ate.

A couple of days later, Skinner and Rachel had driven out on Thursday afternoon to stay for a long weekend. It was a much welcome change and their weekend was filled with laughter and fun. Wine was drunk with dinner and then out on the porch once Faith had gone down for the night. Bella lay at their feet, as they laughed and shared stories, the crickets chirping in the crisp night air.

Rachel and Skinner both doted on Faith, doing whatever she liked, taking her wherever she wanted. Scully smiled at Mulder as Faith was taken from them, given cookies, or read a book she had heard five times in the past fifteen minutes.

Sunday afternoon, Scully and Skinner stood on the porch watching as Rachel, Mulder, and Faith played by the water. Faith picked up rocks and threw them in the water, laughing at the splash they created. Scully glanced at Skinner and slid her arm through his, where it was resting on the railing. He turned his head to look at her and she smiled.

“So,” she said, clearing her throat and he hummed, as though reading her mind.

“Yes?” he asked and she put her head on his shoulder with a sigh.

“She’s great, Walter. More than great.”

“I know she is,” he agreed gruffly and she laughed, raising her head and looking at him.

“So…” She raised her eyebrows and he let out a heavy sigh. “It’s been a year… and I mean… a year .”

“No shit,” he muttered and she laughed.

“Well, what I mean is, this year has been like five pressed together.” He nodded and she smiled. “If the two of you can survive the craziness of this new life, I’d say you can get through anything.” He hummed again, looking over at Rachel as she laughed. “So, I suppose my question is: what are you waiting for?” She squeezed his arm before moving her arm, and clasping her hands together.

“Hmm,” he hummed, shifting and letting out a sigh. “You sound like me asking Mulder if twenty five years was enough time to know someone.” She laughed and shook her head.

“To be fair though, we weren’t dating for twenty five years.” He snorted and looked at her, both of them laughing.

“Whatever you need to tell yourself,” he said and she chuckled softly, both of them quiet for a moment.

“It’s not that he didn’t ask me or that he didn’t want it, I just… I didn’t feel it was part of our journey until…”

“Until you did,” he said quietly and she nodded, her thumb rubbing the wedding band around her finger.

“Yeah…” she agreed and he hummed in response.

“You know, since the quarantine started in earnest, I haven’t been working as much, at least not in the office. I could have, but… I’ve lived rather simply most of my life. I didn’t travel much or spend a lot of money. I’ve made good decisions with investments and I’m comfortable. Many of the people working at the VA office needed their paycheck more than I did and so I gladly stepped aside.”

“I would expect nothing less of you,” she said, looking at him with a smile and he nodded.

“I had more time at home as a result, obviously, and I could hear Rachel speaking to her patients. We didn’t discuss her patients and we still don’t, but I couldn't help but hear her speaking to them. While I didn’t pay attention to the problems discussed, what I did hear was the kindness and also the firmness she carries. She doesn’t coddle anyone and yet she lets them feel and cry, sometimes crying with them, and more often than not, crying when the session is finished. She’s an amazing therapist, Dana.” He looked at Scully, his expression serious and she smiled.

“Yes, I know. I honestly don't know where we would have been without her help.” She looked at Mulder making funny faces at Faith and she shook her head. “We may not even have had her if it hadn’t been for Rachel’s help, helping him to face the past to secure our future.” She looked back at Skinner and he nodded with a smile.

“Most of her patients were fine with the teletherapy and Zoom calls at first, but as time went on, some of them weren't. They wanted the one-on-one meetings they were used to, but sitting in a room with someone, or many someones throughout the day, was not ideal. Or safe.”

He looked over at Rachel again, smiling as Bella ran out of the water and shook her body, spraying all of them with water, causing Rachel to gasp loudly. He laughed softly and Scully watched him, seeing the love in his eyes. Clearing his throat, he looked back at her and she grinned.

“So, anyway…” he said and she laughed as he shook his head. “She didn’t want to lose the patients, not for her , but for them, not wanting them to lose ground on their progress.” Scully smiled and sighed, glancing at Rachel as she smiled and took a rock Faith was offering her, and slipped it into her pocket. “Taking precautions, she made plans to meet with the few who wanted to meet in person. Twice a week now, she goes to her office and sits outside in the parking lot of the empty businesses surrounding hers, and talks to them face-to-face. They each bring a chair and wear masks, sitting far enough apart for it to not be a threat, but she’s there . She shows up for them in these worrisome times. “People need someone to talk to, Walter.” That’s what she told me that first day and every day since as she’s getting ready to leave, making sure she has everything she needs. She brings bottles of water, individual packs of tissues, and even prepackaged snacks for them.” He shook his head and sighed.

“Dana…” he said, turning toward her, touching her arm and taking a deep breath. “I knew that I cared for her, that I loved her, but that first day she packed up the basket of items to take… watching the care and thought she put into it… something changed. When she left, I picked up my laptop and began looking online for engagement rings.”

She clutched his arm, taking a deep breath and letting it out, as she scrunched her chin and smiled. He covered her hand with his own and grinned with a nod.

“I… that makes me so happy,” she said quietly, shaking her head. “I like her for you so much. I like her in general, but especially for you.” He patted her hand before she moved it, continuing to smile happily.

“So, I take it you found the perfect one, after telling me all that,” she said and he nodded with a grin. She hummed as they turned back to look at Rachel, Mulder and Faith. Shaking her head again, unable to stop smiling, she put her arm through his again and squeezed.

“Come on,” she said after a couple of minutes, wanting to join the others. Tugging at his arm and stepping back, she smiled as they walked down the stairs and past the pumpkins they had all carved the previous evening. They had all laughed as Faith pulled away, not wanting to touch the insides, declaring them “yucky,” though she had been intrigued by them when they were finished.

__________

“Ohhh, ducks!” Faith said, pulling Scully’s thoughts back to the present. Faith began to walk faster, but still stepping carefully over the rocks, and they smiled at each other as they watched her.

Mulder took the baggie of bread from his pocket and opened it, taking out a piece and breaking it into smaller pieces. He threw a few of them out to entice the ducks to come toward them. They started quacking softly as they got up, eating the bread as they came closer.

“Hi, ducks. Hi,” Faith said, squatting down and waiting for them. She put her hand out and Mulder placed a small piece of bread onto it. “Eat ducks. Heah.” She showed them the bread and soon they were in front of her, taking the bread from her gently. She laughed and reached out for more bread.

Scully smiled and shook her head as she watched her. Tomorrow was her second birthday… where had the time gone so fast?

“Okay, last few pieces here guys,” Mulder said. “Or girls, as most of you seem to be. Here, honey, there’s just a few more.” He handed Faith a couple more pieces and the ducks gathered around her.

Scully shook her head again, watching her, smiling at how cute she was in her costume. Now that she saw how much she loved it, she was happy they had given it to her early, despite not actually going trick-or-treating this year.

“It doesn’t matter, Scully,” Mulder had said when he excitedly showed her the costume online. “She’s our Halloween baby, she needs to get used to wearing costumes.” She had smiled and nodded as he had ordered it.

Little did he know that as he was distracted with his glee, she had bought something for them. Not a costume, but something fun for them to wear that she knew he would find humorous.

“Okay, that’s it. No more bread, ducks,” Mulder said, standing up and brushing off his hands. “Let’s say goodbye, honey. We’ll see them tomorrow or the next day. Say bye, Faithy.”

“Bye ducks. See waytah.”

“I know she’ll outgrow the way she says things, but I hope it isn’t anytime soon,” Mulder said with a grin. “I love hearing it. It’s so cute.”

He put the empty baggie into his pocket and scooped Faith up, as it was now getting dark. Scully put her arm around his waist and he put his around her shoulders, and they headed back to eat the dinner that was very nearly ready.

_______________

A few hours later, Scully sat on the floor, her arms resting on the coffee table as she looked at her phone with a sigh.

“Hey,” Mulder said softly, stepping into the room after letting Bella out one last time before they went to bed. “Whatcha doing?”

“Ohhh…” She sighed again and smiled up at him as he sat down on the couch. She leaned back and set her phone down. “I was just sending an email to everyone. The ones at Faith’s party last year I mean and I…” She shook her head with a sigh as he began to stroke her hair.

“An email about what?”

“They each sent an email earlier and I was sending out a group one; thanking them for their early birthday wishes. I told them that I wished we could all get together this year, but…” She shook her head and sighed again.

“Hmm,” he hummed and she pushed herself up to join him on the couch. He put his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder.

“Two years, Mulder. How did two years go by so fast? The first year seemed fast, even though there were months that seemed never ending when we were so exhausted. But…” She laughed softly and he nodded against her head.

“I know, honey,” he said quietly and she snuggled closer to him, putting an arm around his waist. “But… although we won’t be having a party this year, the reason to avoid too many people being a devastating one… these past few months have been… calling it a gift sounds wrong, but I can’t think of a better way to describe it. We’ve had to plan things differently and limit our contact with others, but… it’s been good. Hasn’t it?”

“It has, yes. But that’s not what I meant.”

“I know you didn’t.” He kissed her head and she hummed. “I’m just saying that although I know this time has been crazy and scary, we’ve been good and I’ve loved our time together. Even the moments when, though you might not say anything, your eyes were angry and annoyed.”

“As if you never looked at me with the same eyes?” she asked, squeezing his side.

“I would never,” he answered and she pulled away, turning her body to climb into his lap and straddle him, his hands landing on her thighs and her arms wrapping loosely around his neck.

“You’re such a liar,” she whispered with a smile and he shrugged with a smug grin and a raised eyebrow. She shook her head, her fingernails scratching at his neck, his breathing became faster.

“It led to some amazing sex,” he admitted breathily, his hands moving to her hips, his thumbs stroking under her shirt as her heart began to race.

“It did indeed,” she agreed, her voice low, and he groaned as she rocked into him, desire coursing through her.

“What do you say we uh… we move this somewhere a little more… uh… to the bedroom?” he asked, swallowing hard.

“By this, you mean…” she teased, rocking into him again, yelping as he stood up with a mighty push and held her tightly, walking toward the stairs.

“You know exactly what this is,” he said and she grinned, kissing him deeply as they reached the base of the stairs, halting their progress. “Woman, stop distracting me.” She laughed happily as they stumbled up the stairs and into the bedroom.

______________

Scully smiled happily, humming as she made breakfast the next morning, adding rainbow sprinkles to the birthday waffle batter. Mulder walked up behind her, grabbing her hips and pulling her close and kissing her neck. She laughed and smiled at him as he stepped to the side and she stirred in the sprinkles.

“What time will Skinner and Rachel be here?” he asked, popping a strawberry into his mouth.

“Noon. They’re bringing lunch to thank us for the weekend they spent here and… they’re picking up the cake. Rachel said Skinner picked it out.” She looked at him and he raised his eyebrows.

“Is that right? Hmm, it will be interesting to see what he’s chosen.”

“It will indeed.” She continued to stare at him and he bit his lip with a nod.

“Hmm… seems to me, those two should just get married already.” He held her gaze and she pursed her lips, trying not to smile and give anything away. “Mm-hmm.” He nodded with a smile, not inquiring any further, but obviously aware that something was up.

They ate breakfast, a rainbow polka dotted number two candle set in Faith’s waffle, glowing brightly as they sang happy birthday to her. Her eyes shone as she attempted to blow out the candle, both of them helping her in the end.

Whipped cream, strawberries, and syrup were added to her rainbow sprinkled waffle and she wiggled as she ate it, a huge smile on her face as she dipped her fingers into the whipped cream and put them in her mouth. Eggs and some sausages were added to her plate and she ate it all up, happy and smiling.

After breakfast, they gave her her birthday gifts: books, clothes, a stuffed yellow duck, and a plastic barn and farm set.

“Cow. Piggy. Sheep… baaa!” she said, taking them out and holding them tight as Scully smiled at her with a happy sigh.

Just before Skinner and Rachel were due to arrive, Scully took out the surprise she had bought for her and Mulder to wear that day. Faith was once again wearing her beloved alien costume over rainbow leggings and a black long sleeved shirt. A puffball headband with small black cat ears finished off her rather unusual costume.

She looked the part, ready for her Halloween birthday, now it was their turn.

“Mulllderrr,” she sang out and he walked in from the kitchen.

“Yeeees?” he answered and she smiled at him, her hands behind her back.

“Pick a hand,” she said and he raised his eyebrows, rubbing his hands together excitedly. He stood in front of her looking from one hand to the other, taking his time with his decision. She smiled, enjoying his excitement.

“Hmm…” he narrowed his eyes and pointed to her left hand.

“Are you sure?” she teased and he searched her face.

“Yeah. I’m sure.”

“Good choice,” she said, bringing her hand around and giving him the black T-shirt she had bought for him. He took it and unrolled it, laughing when he saw the picture on it.

It was the face of a grey alien with big black eyes, the yellow neck of a shirt showing within a blue arched frame. Underneath it, one word was written: believe.

“This is fantastic. I love it.” He took his shirt off quickly and put on the new one. Grinning, he looked at it and then at her. “Thank you.” She nodded, her right hand still behind her back.

“Close your eyes,” she said and he grinned again, doing as she asked.

Taking off her own shirt, she traded it for the one in her hand. Smoothing it down, she brushed her hair back and glanced at Faith, who was playing with her new barn. Grinning, she looked back at him.

“Okay, you can open them.” He opened his eyes and howled with laughter, causing Bella to bark excitedly as she ran over to them.

The shirt she had bought for herself was also black, but hers had a green alien in a small spaceship. Under the picture it said: “Not sure I believe.”

“Oh,” he said, wiping tears from his eyes and stepping closer to her. “This is too perfect.” He laughed again and she smiled.

“Yours is the only one that’s accurate, what with it being grey and all. Or, you know, maybe. I’m not entirely sure because…” She pointed down at her shirt and shrugged as he laughed and he shook his head.

“A perfect costume for the current state of the world we’re living in; low-key and easy.” She nodded with a happy smile as he bent to kiss her. “At least until next year when we will be wearing a matching family costume.” He kissed her quickly before she pulled back and gave him a look. He grinned with a nod and she shook her head.

Skinner and Rachel arrived a few minutes later, bringing in bags of food. They laughed at their shirts, Skinner shaking his head and rolling his eyes. As Rachel took out two pink bakery boxes from a bag, Scully saw a glint of light on her left hand. Her eyes swung to Skinner, who grinned with a nod.

Lunch was put on hold as the story of the proposal was told, Scully asking for all the details, smiling as she looked at the thin platinum band with a large diamond in the middle and smaller ones down the braided sides. It was beautiful and fit her perfectly, both in personality and in size.

Rachel’s eyes shone as she looked at Skinner and began to tell the story of how he had come to her office when she was done with her social distance therapy sessions. She had been surprised to see him, even more so when he set up a picnic meal in the back of his car, the same way he had one year ago.

They had eaten, talking about their day and as he got up to clear everything away, she stood up as well and when she turned around, he was on his knee and reaching for her hand.

Scully’s eyes filled with tears and she took a deep breath. Rachel smiled at her, the words of the proposal not said, but staying private as it should.

“Needless to say, I said yes,” she said with a laugh, holding up her hand and showing off the ring. Scully took her hand in hers, once more admiring it. Looking up at her, she smiled and shook her head.

“I’m so happy. Truly happy for you both.”

“Thank you,” Rachel said with a sniff. “It was hard to say no. I mean, he brought the fettuccine.”

“Oh, did he?” Scully said, with a laugh. “The magic fettuccine? The Maggie Scully fettuccine?”

They all laughed and a bottle of wine was opened to celebrate the happy news. Faith laughed and had the full attention of everyone as they ate and celebrated her birthday. They sang happy birthday many times during the meal as she asked to hear it, smiling happily and clapping her hands.

Lunch was cleared away and Skinner picked up one of the bakery boxes, moving it to the kitchen island. Scully looked on curiously as he used a knife to cut away the tape on the side. He glanced up at her as he lifted the lid and when she looked down at it, she gasped.

“Oh… that’s beautiful. The butterflies…” She looked up at him and he nodded as she squeezed his arm.

“I know she’s a Halloween girl, but…” He shrugged and Scully shook her head.

“No, it’s perfect.” She squeezed his arm again as she looked at the cake with a smile, remembering the weekend they had spent together.

As they had all been out for a walk one day, a small cluster of very colorful butterflies flew past and then around them. Skinner had been carrying Faith, her small legs becoming tired.

The butterflies flitted around them, coming close to Faith and then flying away, dancing on the breeze. Faith had been mesmerized by them, her eyes never leaving them.

“Buhafy’s! See? Buhafy’s. Pitee.”

They had watched them until they had flown away and they had continued on their walk.

Faith spoke about them, asking to see the pictures Rachel had taken and shown her, pointing at them and saying the colors she saw when the picture was zoomed in closer.

“It’s a perfect cake,” Scully said again, smiling at it.

It had sky blue fondant with bright rainbow colored butterflies and white clouds, also made with fondant, placed on the sides and the top. Skinner took the cake from the box and placed it on a stand that Scully found in a cupboard. Once it was set down, a rainbow, the same color as the butterflies, was added to the top with stabilizing skewers. Happy birthday, Faith! was written upon it, in white frosting with a happy font and the polka dotted number two candle from the morning was added as well.

“Before you take the cake over, you should see what Rachel picked out,” Skinner said quietly, nodding to the other box. Scully smiled as she reached for it and took off the lid.

“Oh, these are adorable,” she exclaimed as she looked at the Halloween macarons in the box.

There were orange pumpkins with and without faces, white ghosts with black eyes and pink cheeks, a couple of ghosts holding little pumpkins, and what looked like a ghost family gathered beside a pumpkin.

“I love these. They are nearly too cute to eat.”

“You’ll change your mind when you try one. We had a sample at the bakery and the filling tastes like pumpkin pie,” Skinner said and she licked her lips. He smiled and picked up the cake stand as she smiled back, following him to the table.

Catching Mulder’s eye, she glanced at the cake and he nodded slightly with a smile as the candle was lit and once again, they sang happy birthday as Faith yelled “Buhafy’s!” pointing and smiling widely.

No one blew the candle on the cake, instead Mulder took it out and held it closer to Faith, blowing on it gently as she tried to do it on her own. They all clapped and the candle was set aside.

“Dada, buhafy’s. So pitee. Puhpo buhafy’s. Geen buhafy’s.”

“Oh my girl, I love you so much. Yes, the butterflies are so pretty.” He kissed her forehead as Skinner placed a purple butterfly in front of her. She picked it up and kissed it, everyone groaning at the cuteness of it.

The cake was taken back to the island to be cut and served, Faith now showing Rachel the butterfly in her hand. Scully picked up a plate, putting some of the cookies onto it, deciding Faith should have a choice of what she wanted to eat. As she reached for a large knife to cut the cake, her cell phone rang. Seeing that it was Alan, she instead reached for the phone with a smile.

“Hello?”

“Double scotch! Hello!” he said and she chuckled.

“You’re terrible. How are you?” she asked, shaking her head and.

“Good, good. Hey, I was wondering if I could get you to do me a favor. Could you meet me outside?”

“Outside?”

“Mmhmm- you know that place that’s the opposite of inside?” he teased.

“Oh, Alan. I’m… I’m so sorry. We aren’t home right now. We’re-”

“Just… come outside, okay?” He hung up, the conversation ending abruptly and she stared at the phone in confusion, ready to call him back.

“Who was that?” Mulder asked, coming to stand beside her and grabbing a cookie from the plate.

“Alan. He said he wanted me to meet him outside and I told him we aren’t home, but I don’t think he understood. I think he may have a gift for Faith and wants to drop it off, but…” She shook her head and pressed the button to call him back when Mulder stopped her, setting her phone on the counter. She looked at him with a frown and he smiled.

“Maybe we should just do as he asked,” he said quietly, taking a bite of the cookie with a shrug, and she tilted her head.

“What are you talking about?” He stared at her and smiled again. “Mulder…

“Come on,” he said, shoving the last bit of cookie into his mouth, brushing off the crumbs, and reaching for her hand.

“What did you do?” she asked as she took it, still confused at what was happening.

“Me? Oh, I didn’t do anything,” he said, squeezing her hand as she noticed that Skinner had taken Faith from her high chair and was holding her, Rachel standing beside him.

“Did you two do something?” she asked and they both shrugged unconvincingly.

Mulder picked up another cookie, a pumpkin, and handed it to Faith. She grinned and showed it to Rachel.

“Puhkin, Raycho. See? Ohage puhkin.” Rachel grinned and nodded, looking at the pumpkin with her.

“Come on,” Mulder said again, tugging at Scully’s hand and they all walked out the back door and down the porch stairs.

Staying on the small path along the side of the house, they walked towards the front yard. Arriving there, they found no one. Not a car, or Alan standing in the street with a gift for Faith. The only cars in sight were Skinner's and their own in the driveway.

“See? He must’ve thought we were home and is now standing in front of our empty house.” She let go of Mulder’s hand and crossed her arms with a sigh as she looked around and shook her head. “I need to get my phone and call-” But then, she heard something to the right and she turned her head at the sound.

A black car was driving slowly from the direction of the cul-de-sac, brightly colored balloons tied down all over it, and music playing loudly from inside; all the windows rolled down in order for it to be heard. As they got closer, she realized it was “Happy Birthday” by Stevie Wonder.

Behind the car was a line of people, spaced far apart, and all of them wearing masks and Halloween costumes of some sort.

Alan and Ryan led the group, dancing along with the music. Alan was wearing jeans and a black shirt that said ELECT MORE WOMEN in rainbow letters as bright as the balloons on the car. He also wore a long rainbow colored wig to which he had added a bobble headband with photos of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Ryan also wore jeans and a dark blue shirt that said Vote Your Ossoff in white letters with a white outline of the state of Georgia beside it. He was also wearing a wig, a short metallic blue bob, which was quite comical when paired with the  scruffy beard that could be seen under his mask. He also wore a bobble headband, but the bobbles on his said Biden on one and Harris on the other.

Elise, Tyler, and Raina were next, all dressed as bunnies. Elise wore a short sleeved light yellow dress with a white pinafore apron over it. She also had a tail and white rabbit ears. Tyler wore a silly black vest covered in orange carrots over a denim shirt, wire glasses, and rabbit ears. Raina was in a full bunny costume, her mask made to look like a rabbit mouth and nose. She hopped along and danced happily to the music. The baby, who had been in utero last year, was now six months old and dressed as a carrot; Elise holding her in her arms.

Louise was next, dressed all in red as the Queen of England. White pearls were around her neck, a purse on her arm, white gloves on her hands, and a large fancy hat on her head. She waved at them regally as she walked closer.

Cassidy, Sean, and Jacob were last. Jacob, the same age as Faith, was dressed as a monkey; his zip up costume similar in style to Faith‘s. He held a felt banana in his hand, chewing on the end of it as they all walked and danced.

Sean was dressed as a chef, wearing an apron and a chefs hat over his clothes. Cassidy wore a hot pink and black tulle skirt over a pair of pink leggings. She was visibly pregnant, and wearing a black shirt with Bun in the Oven written in pink sparkly letters.

As the small parade arrived in front of the house, they stopped, keeping a safe distance from one another and the group watching them, as the music was turned down. Everyone clapped and cheered, waving at Faith as she stood by Mulder and Scully, hiding a little and holding onto Scully’s leg.  

“Happy birthday, Faith!” they all called and she leaned further into Scully’s leg, watching them with interest, but also a little bit hesitant.

“What are you all doing here?” Scully asked, smiling at the sight of them.

“As if we wouldn’t be here for a mini celebration. It’s her birthday! Also, we are in the middle of a pandemic. This might be the most exciting thing most of us will do for a few days,” Alan said, pushing a stray piece of his wig back, as they all laughed and nodded in agreement.

Scully shook her head as she looked at them with a happy smile. At Elise and their new sweet little baby, Louise as she adjusted her hat, and Cassidy as her eyes crinkled from a smile Scully could not see and she rubbed her pregnant belly lovingly.

“Thank you. All of you for this-”

“Oh… did you think this was it? Oh, come on now,” Alan said and nodded to the driver of the car, who she just noticed was dressed like a Blues Brother. He nodded and Alan looked back at Scully, giving her a wink.

Scully looked at Mulder and he shrugged with a smile. Turning to Skinner and Rachel, her eyes widened as she watched them toss their sweaters onto the bumper of their car and put on their own masks.

They joined the group, Skinner wearing a Superman shirt and Rachel a Wonder Woman. She winked at Scully as the music started and Raina clapped her hands excitedly, bouncing up and down as everyone faced them. In that moment, as the music started, she knew for certain that it was Rachel who had a large hand in planning this little party.

Don't think about it Just move your body Listen to the music Sing, oh, ey, oh

Just move those left feet Go ahead, get crazy Anyone can do it Sing, oh, ey, oh

Show the world you've got that fire (fire) Feel the rhythm getting louder Show the room what you can do Prove to them you got the moves I don't know about you,

But I feel better when I'm dancing, yeah, yeah Better when I'm dancing, yeah, yeah And we can do this together I bet you feel better when you're dancing, yeah, yeah

Scully laughed with tears in her eyes, as she watched them perform a little dance they had somehow rehearsed, their choreography absolutely perfect. Mulder picked Faith up and laughed as he too watched them, bouncing her happily.

When you finally let go And you slay that solo Cause you listen to the music Sing, oh, ey, oh

'Cause you're confident, babe And you make your hips sway We knew that you could do it Sing, oh, ey, oh

Show the world you've got that fire (fire, baby) Feel the rhythm getting louder Show the room what you can do Prove to them you got the moves I don't know about you,

But I feel better when I'm dancing, yeah, yeah Better when I'm dancing, yeah, yeah And we can do this together I bet you feel better when you're dancing, yeah, yeah

“What do you say, Faithy, you want to join the party?” Mulder asked and she pointed to the group of people with a smile, her pumpkin cookie long since eaten or dropped somewhere. He glanced at Scully and raised his eyebrows.

“Oh, hell yes. I just need a…” She stopped speaking as he took two masks from his pocket with a wink. “Oh, yeah. You definitely played some part in all of this.” She started to put on her mask, but he stopped her, bending close for a kiss.

“I’ll never tell,” he whispered and she grinned, kissing him once more before putting on her mask as he did the same. Winking at her again, they joined the group, though they kept a safe distance.

Oh, ey oh Oh, ey oh I feel better when I'm dancing I'm better when I'm dancing, aye, oh ey oh

Feel better when I'm dancing, yeah, yeah Better when I'm dancing, yeah, yeah, Don't you know We can do this together Bet you feel better when you're dancing, yeah, yeah

I feel better when I'm dancing I'm better when I'm dancing, hey Feel better when I'm, yeah, yeah

Cheering and clapping rang out as the song ended and a new one began, the music happy and fun. Scully looked around at all the people who had made the drive over to celebrate a birthday in the street. Not one of them looked perturbed to have done so, their happiness shining through as they laughed and danced.

She watched Skinner and Rachel dancing close together, her head thrown back in laughter as he then spun them around. She smiled at them and then she caught Louise’s eye.

Stepping closer to her, she put out her hands. Louise reached for them and Scully clasped her gloved ones tightly.

“Thank you,” she said, just loud enough for Louise to hear, knowing she knew she meant for more than just this moment of celebration, and Louise nodded.

“You’re welcome, my dear. A change of scenery is always good. It helps us to recenter and recharge.” Louise’s eyes crinkled and Scully nodded. “You know, amidst all of this the fun, I do hate to be a stickler.. but, it is customary to bow when one meets the Queen.” Scully stared at her before she laughed and curtsied slightly, apologizing for her insolence.

“Forgiven,” Louise said in a bored voice, though her eyes shone with happiness.

“Mama!” Faith called and Scully squeezed Louise’s hands once again before she walked over to Mulder and Faith.  

“Happy birthday, my sweet love!” she said, wrapping her arms around them both, her heart incredibly happy.

“Happy day,” Faith said with a smile and Scully sighed.

“Yes,” she said, looking at Mulder and she could see the smile in his eyes. “Yes, my love. It’s a very happy day.”

As the Happy Birthday song began to play again, the three of them seemed to move as one, their foreheads coming to rest together as they swayed slowly in their own little bubble, as the sounds of the birthday celebrations continued on around them.

Yes, it was a very happy day indeed.

____________________________

Oh, I hope you enjoyed this story. The tooth rotting fluff is my absolute favorite. I love them being happy, getting out of that little house, being at a lake, blowing bubbles, going for walks, finding ducks, and celebrating and remembering Maggie. I love the little parade party and the group of friends these previous hermits have made in the past couple of years.

And as always, I love Rachel. I love her so much and I especially love her for Skinner. She is the light HE needed, just as much as Mulder needs it from Scully. They balance each other out and thinking of him no longer alone in that sterile apartment makes me very happy. I hope you like her too, because she is 100% in their lives now. 💙

Oh... the song I used is Better When I'm Dancin' by Meghan Trainor. It's such a fun song and I can see Faith loving to dance to it.

[lovemesomesurveys]

Do you and your parents like any of the same bands/singers?  Yeah, especially my mom and I. Is there any food in your bedroom? Just my ramen bowl from last night that I haven’t taken out, yet, but it’s empty. Do you know anyone who has road rage? Yes. How expensive is too expensive for a pair of shoes?  I admit to liking my Adidas, which are pricy, but the kind I get are at least under a $100. How far away do your grandparents live from you? They live in another state, about a 12 hour drive away.

What kinds of cereal are in the cupboard? I think there’s just Cinnamon Cheerios at the moment. My family and I don’t really eat cereal much anymore.  Is there anything related to cats in your bedroom?  No. Whats the last thing you spent over 10$ on?  Stuff from Bath & Body Works. They have their fall/Halloween collection in and I just had to get some stuff. Over 30$?  ^^^^ Do you know who lives three houses down from you?  Nope. Do you think Canadians all really love maple syrup? Do they Lane? lol. I’m not Canadian, but I do love maple syrup.  Is there a bulletin board in your room?  Yep. Is your mom a big health freak or your dad? Or neither? Neither of them really are, but out of the two my mom is more than my dad. My dad has a major sweet tooth and he likes his junk food.  Easter or Halloween? I enjoy both. Do you know anyone who wants to be the president one day? No. What kinds of chips are in the cupboards?  I don’t think we have any at the moment. Do you have your moms or dads hair?  I have my dad’s hair color, but my mom’s waviness. She actually had curly hair and has all my life, but she says when she was a kid and teenager it was wavy and then it became curlier as she got older.  Whats the first thing you see when you walk into your bedroom? The 4ft giraffe stands out a lot.  Have you ever skipped history class?  In college I probably did sometimes. I didn’t make a habit of missing class, but it happened now and then either because I didn’t feel well or just didn’t feel up to it that day. I always made sure I knew what was going on that day (like nothing had to be handed in that day or there wasn’t a quiz or exam, of course) and thankfully because of the syllabus I could keep up with the reading and assignments. I just allowed myself to miss a day or two. Do you own any yellow clothes?  I have a yellow shirt and a yellow Adidas hoodie. Do you have any friends who have naturally red hair?  I have a cousin who does. Have you ever cried when a teacher retired?  No, but I cried on the last day of 4th grade because I just really liked my teacher lmao. Everyone loved him, he was awesome. It was cool because he ended up being an 8th grade teacher later on and I got to have him again. Does your kitchen looks like it was designed in a completely different decade? No. Whens the last time you wore heels?  Never. Do you have your moms or dads eyes?  My mom’s.  Is there anything shiny in the room youre in?  Yeah. Whats the best date movie? I wouldn’t know. How long has your current best friend been your best friend? All 31 years of my life. Have your parents ever been out of the country? Yes, they’ve both been to Italy before I was born and I’m super jealous. Actually, my mom went once when she was pregnant with me so I kinda went haha. I’d like to experience it for real one day. Are you older then the last person you laughed with?  Yes. How many pairs of jeans, all together, are in your house? I am not even going to attempt to figure that out. Do you swear and yell while playing video games?  No. Would you rather name your daughter Andrea or Eva?  Not having kids, but I do like the name Andrea. Is there any alcohol in the fridge?  I think there is. If you had to get up at 6am tomorrow morning, would it be painful? I’d be up considering I don’t even go to bed until like 7/8AM. :X Have you ever seen the last person you watched TV with drunk?  Yeah. Has a best friend ever ditched you for a girlfriend/boyfriend?  I had a friend do that. Would you rather get a new brother or sister? No new siblings at this point. My mom had a hysterectomy anyway, so unless she’s adopting, which she’s not, it’s not happening.  Do you have anything in your room youve had for ten years or more?  A lot of things. Do your pets chase after bugs?  My doggo chases flies sometimes lol. She sees me going after them with the fly swatter and she tries to help.  Would you ever kiss the last person who messaged you on facebook/MSN/etc? No. Do eat at home or in restaurants more? Well, I haven’t ate out at a restaurant since February. We do a lot of takeout, though. We did that a lot even before all this, I prefer it. Whens the last time you were so excited you couldnt sleep? Why?  Back in February the night before my Disneyland trip. Audrey Hepburn or Audrey Kicthing?  Hepburn. I’ve never even heard of Audrey Kitching.  Do you e-mail more often then you talk on MSN/AIM?  I don’t know about MSN, which I’ve never had, but AIM hasn’t been a thing for awhile. It’s been over a decade anyway since I’ve used it. I don’t email either, except recently to try and dispute a charge. If your best friends birthday was next week, what would you get them? Well, her birthday is actually next month so I’ve been thinking about what to get her. What is your moms favorite movie? Grease haha. <<< Ha, that’s one of my mom’s faves as well. How much older is your dad then you?  He’s 27 years older than me. What TV family reminds you of your own family?  Hmm. Do you own any flip-flops? Nope. I don’t wear flip flops, sandals, slip ons, or any open toed shoe. Did you ever really believe that the stork brought babies? Nah, my parents didn’t tell me that. Do you have any relatives who really spoil you?  My parents. Are there any drawers in your house that are just filled with junk?  Yeah, we have the designated junk drawer. I personally have a few :X Is the last person you spoke to in love?  Not that I know of. How far away is Chicago from where you live?  It’d be a 32 hour drive and like a 4 hour nonstop flight. Do you know anyone who always looks perfect? Who? I think my mom does. She likes to wear makeup, but I truly don’t think she needs it. I’m also super envious of her flawless skin, which I sadly didn’t get. Do you know anyone who has security cameras in their house?  Yeah. Do you think Zac Efron is really that good looking?  Eh, honestly I’ve never really found him attractive. What was the last movie to make you cry?  Hmm. I’m blanking at the moment. Has anyone you know ever pulled the fire alarm in school, joking around?  No. Who was the main character in the last book you read? Her name is Emma Griffin.  Is the last person you said goodbye to single?  One of them is. Who are the last people you saw kiss?  People on the show I was watching. Have you ever posted a fan fiction on a website?  No. Do you ever fantasize about your future wedding? Whos the bride/groom? Nope. I don’t plan on ever getting married. I’m also not the person who has dreamt of their wedding since they were little. Chapstick or lipgloss? Chapstick. I like ones with a tint of color. What was the last unplesant thing to wake you up?  A nightmare. Do you have any friends who are ALWAYS kissing their bf/gf?  Does that get annoying? Would you rather look at clouds or stars?  Stars. If you could trade appearances with the last person you hugged, would you?  Like I said, I’m super envious of my mom’s flawless skin and I think she looks beautiful with or without makeup. Do you have any relatives who are expecting a baby really soon?  No. Do you ever wonder what the opposite sex do at sleepovers?  Probably play video games, watch movies, and eat. When you get married, who will be the maid of honor/best man?  Sigh. Does your best friend get along with their parents? This same question was in a previous survey I just did. Anyway, yeah she was very close with them when they were alive, but sadly they both have passed away. :( If you were to walk to Florida from where you live, would it take long? Uh, yeah. I live in California and Florida is all the way across on the opposite side. According to Google it would take 912 hours to walk there! Do you understand why 'To kill a mockingbird' is called what it is? I know I learned about the reason why, but I don’t recall. Okay, so I just Googled it because I was curious and yep the explanation is what I was told. When's the last time you broke plans? Why? It’s been a few years now since I’ve had plans, but I started having to cancel and not make plans at all because of health stuff and just for the fact I was really going through a hard time. Have you ever been in a wedding? What were you?  Nope. Would you feel safer with an alarm systen or security camera? Both. Does the last person you touched smoke?  No. Do you know someone who is CONSTANTLY texting? Does that annoy you?  It only annoys me when I’m trying to talk to them because so often they’re too focused on whatever they’re doing on their phone. Does it matter to you what kind of shampoo you use?  Yeah. Rate this survey from 1 to 5 (1 worst, 5 best):  I don’t like rating stuff, but it was fine.

[philipronans]

okay so this is actually part of something that’s gonna be way longer (hi post canon florist!mickey fic how are you?), but 1) it was too cute not to post + 2) it works by itself too so why not post it + 3) it’s the first draft so it’s gonna change at least a little bit anyway

Mickey lets himself in through the front door,  careful of the grocery bag hanging from one wrist. He kicks his boots off as he takes his jacket off and hangs it up. The house is quiet, which isn’t all that strange these days, but no matter how much time passes it will never feel right. This place is meant to host the collective hurricane that is the Gallagher family.

He moves through the empty living room and into the equally empty kitchen – there’s an open textbook on the table that tells him Liam is around somewhere. After flicking the light on, he dumps the bag of groceries on the counter and immediately starts putting things away. There’s a box of Liam’s favourite cereal in his hand when he hears the giggling. His lips are twitching as he pulls open the cupboard and shoves the box in the general direction of a shelf.

The giggling gets louder the longer he stands there and when he eventually turns around, Franny’s head is poking around the edge of the fridge. She grins when he raises his eyebrows at her.

“Uncle Mickey!” She cries, charging towards him and wrapping her skinny arms around his shins.

He carefully puts the box of off brand Cheerios back on the counter and lets a hand brush over her hair. The ponytail that Ian had managed to tame it into this morning is barely hanging on.

“What’re you doing, kiddo?”

She releases his legs and holds her arms up. Mickey makes a show of sighing dramatically before lifting her up and settling her on his hip. Her hair tickles his cheek as she settles her head on his shoulder.

“Hiding.”

“Oh, yeah?” He jostles her a little, and then goes back to putting the last of the groceries away. “What’re you hiding from?”

“You!”

“Great job.” He says, quirking an eyebrow at the top of her head. She laughs again and pats at his shoulder. “Where’s Liam?”

Franny lifts her head and points at the ceiling.

“You down here by yourself?”

He shifts her around so he can sit her on the counter. She grumbles a little but quickly settles down when he opens a pack of cookies and hands her one. They’re triple chocolate – he’d learnt how to get into her good graces early.

“Hey, Orphan Annie, I asked you a question.”

Franny takes a huge bite out of the cookie and chews noisily. She doesn’t answer him until she’s managed to get cookie crumbs everywhere. The look she gives him is all Debbie, telling him he’s an idiot for even asking.

“You’re here!”

He sighs, but his mouth twitches. “Not exactly what I meant.”

His line of questioning is cut short when Liam appears at the bottom of the stairs. The orange t-shirt is damp around his neck, so Mickey doesn’t do anything but nod at him.

“Hey.” Liam says, eyeing up the pack of cookies. He must decide better of it, though, because he slips back into his chair at the table and pulls the textbook closer.

“You okay with spaghetti for dinner?”

Franny claps, forgetting the cookie still clasped in her hand and sending crumbs flying all over the place. She giggles at the unimpressed look Mickey gives her and squeals out something that kinda sounds like “Sketti!”

“I get a choice?” Liam asks, not looking up from his textbook.

Mickey shakes his head. “Not really. Just wanna know how bitchy you’re gonna be about it.”

Liam glances up at that and offers him a level look. He cracks a smile when Mickey snorts. “It’s fine with me.”

Mickey rummages around in the cupboard for a few minutes to find the saucepan he wants. Once he’s found it, he stands back up to find that Franny has helped herself to a second cookie. He raises his eyebrows at her, and she at least has the decency to look a little ashamed.

“It’s a good thing you’re cute, kid.”

Franny beams at him.

Ian comes in through the backdoor almost twenty minutes later. He pauses long enough to shrug his jacket off and put it away, and then he’s placing an obnoxious kiss to the top of Liam’s head just to hear him groan.

Mickey glances up from where he’s stirring the pot of pasta sauce and smiles. “Hey.”

Franny, who had been relegated to a dining chair, darts for Ian. She laughs when Ian catches her and easily lifts her into the air. She smacks a kiss to his cheek.

“Thank you.” He says, carrying her over to Mickey so he can press a kiss of his own to Mickey’s temple. “Hey yourself.”

Mickey stops stirring long enough to study his husband’s face. They aren’t dark enough to be worried about yet, but there are circles under his eyes and his cheeks are looking a little gaunt. He lifts a hand to stroke a thumb over Ian’s cheekbone.

“Have a good day?”

Ian catches his wrist and brushes his lips over Mickey’s palm, before stepping back. He pretends to drop Franny, smiling when she shrieks and wraps her arms tight around his neck.

“No one puked on me, so that’s something.”

“If that’s all it takes, I’ve had a coupla good months.”

“Yeah, well, we can’t all be as lucky as you.” Ian smiles and stoops to put Franny back on the ground. Thankfully, she doesn’t make a fuss about and instead just goes back to her seat at the table. “You need any help?”

“Yeah, actually, grab me some bowls? This is almost done.”

Ian does as he’s told, and Mickey goes about dishing up. He grabs two bowls and carries them over to the table, Ian not far behind him.

“Eat it slowly.” He aims at Franny, knowing she won’t. She nods solemnly but digs in the moment the bowl touches the tablecloth. He turns to Liam. “Better move that book of yours, Einstein, unless you want meatball juice all over those fancy pages of yours.”

Liam snaps the book shut and carefully places it on the empty chair next to him. He murmurs his thanks when Mickey places a bowls in front of him and picks up his fork.

Mickey sinks into his own chair and immediately hooks his foot around Ian’s ankle.

“Went to see Larry today. About findin’ me a new job.” He says, after he’s finished chewing a mouthful of noodles.

Ian stops twirling his fork and glances up at him. “How did that go?”

“Well, he’s definitely still Larry.”

“You doubted?”

“No, but I hoped. One of these days, Gallagher, my dreams of him being replaced by an alien will come true.”

Ian snorts. “So, what’d he say?”

“About an alien kickin’ him outta the job? Not a lot.” He grins at the unimpressed look Ian gives him. “Nah, he said he’d look into it, but he’s not promising anything.”

Liam sets his empty bowl aside. “May I be excused?”

Mickey shrugs and Ian murmurs an agreement. Liam pushes away from the table, snagging his book on the way.

“You still got homework?” Ian asks.

“A little. Math.”

“Let me know if you need help, man.” Mickey says, kicking Ian in the shin when he notices the sappy smile he’s trying to hide.

“Thanks.”

Mickey nods and turns back to his food. He huffs when Ian doesn’t stop smiling at him.

“Shut the fuck up.”

 Later, when the dishes have been put away, Liam’s finished his homework, and Franny’s been tucked into bed, Mickey all but faceplants onto the mattress. It’s barely eleven o’clock but he is beat. He yawns audibly.

“Are we getting old?” He asks, flipping over so he can watch Ian get undressed.

Ian, now only in his underwear, climbs onto the mattress. He waits until they’re both comfortable and his hand is buried in Mickey’s hair before answering. “Nah, we just got responsibilities and shit now.”

“Fuck, I think that might actually be worse.” Ian gives his hair a quick tug. Mickey presses a smile into the hollow of his throat. “Don’t start shit you’re too tired to finish, Gallagher.”

As if to prove his point, Ian yawns. He’s quiet for several minutes.

“You think Larry’s actually gonna find anything?”

Mickey groans.

“Fuck sake, what have I told you about bringing our P.Os into bed?”