#sebastian palaye royale

[sleekervae]

The Neighbour [4.6]

Masterlist

A/N: Christ on a crutch, here we are!! Thank you again to everyone for your patience! It was so tough writing a good conclusion to Eva's journey and over all I'm very happy with this! And I think considering that we're about to enter into another new Palaye era speaks volumes to this transition. Thank so much again for your patience! Happy reading!

Warnings: some emotional angst, fluffy reunion, Happy American Thanksgiving to those who celebrate

--

Thanksgiving was rarely ever a grand, extravagant affair in the Kropp family; nonetheless, subtle nuances from the previous year's celebration were easily discernible. Their once exuberant friends-giving festivity now found a cozy haven within the confines of Remington and Emerson's dining room. The smells of warm spices and gravy wafted through the air, a mouth-watering promise for what was to come. A select few friends exchanged shared, delectable side dishes amid clouded conversations, all the while Sebastian was attempting to carve up the turkey in the kitchen. He had only uttered a few cuss words so Remington figured it was going well enough.

He was only partially listening to Caity's conversation with his mom, catching up on work endeavours and whatever plans they may've had for Christmas. However, Remington couldn't help but keep glancing at his phone, once, twice, his mind racing as he wondered where Eva could've been. She told him she'd call him before their own Thanksgiving dinner, though he noted how quiet she'd been since the latest update on her mother's health. He wondered if he should just say fuck it and call her himself, though he'd panic before he could, assuring him that she probably just needed her space. She was supposed to be home in a day, and it felt like it couldn't come fast enough.

"Earth to Remington!" Caity waved her hand in front of his face and he instantly snapped out of his trance, “Copy if you read us,”

"What was that?" Remington asked.

"What do you want for Christmas, doofus," Caity asked, holding back a chuckle, "C'mon! You've been so quiet all night! I know we're still pandemic-struck but still!"

Stephanie simpered, "He's missing Eva, that's all,"

"Mom," Remington grumbled, "That makes me sound like a whiney pre-teen,"

"Well, you're certainly moping around like one," she replied, "Why don't you go help Sebastian?"

"Mom, he's supposed to be slicing turkey, not me," he replied.

Caity simply just rolled her eyes, "Oh, c'mon Remi! He's not gonna do that. Not with witnesses around, anyway," she joked.

"Speaking of your brothers, where's Emerson?" Stephanie turned her head, glancing around the room.

"Probably seeking refuge in his hobbit hole," Michael said as he passed by, crunching on a cracker with slathered in artichoke dip, "Great dip by the way, Stephanie,"

"Thank you Michael!" she beamed back.

None on them were the wiser to Emerson curled up on the stairs, sketching away in his notebook and far away from the camaraderie in the kitchen. He had Pluto nestled beside him, his leg still wrapped in the blue cast, though he was unbothered as he snored away beside the youngest brother. Emerson would pause between pen strokes to give the tabby an affectionate head pat, he figured this was the coziest the cat had ever been in the time he'd known him.

Emerson's train of thought was broken suddenly when the doorbell echoed through the hall, and his heavy eyes glanced up to the front door. Pluto perked up as well, raising his head and his ears sprung up. Emerson glanced over the railing towards the crowd, calling out.

"Hey! There's someone at the door!" though to no surprise, nobody could hear him. He figured he could've answered the door himself, but he was already comfortable in his spot and he didn't want to disturb Pluto, "Remington! Sebastian! Michael!" and still, no one could hear him.

And so, in true Emerson fashion, he whipped out his phone and began to type...

Remington had just finished pouring himself a glass of wine when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket, whipping it out faster than a gunslinger in the west. However, he was dismayed when he saw Emerson's text:

Someone's at the door

With an eye roll, Remington texted back.

Where are you?

Sitting on the stairs

So why don't you go answer the door?

Because I don't want to disturb the cat

The cat with a broken leg, mind you...

It's sprained, not broken

Same difference

Remington huffed, setting down his wine glass and begrudgingly heading for the front door. Sure enough, he passed his little brother on the stairs, the tabby cat nestled against his legs. He glanced between him and the front door.

"You really couldn't make the ten foot walk to open the door?" he asked, tone verging on bitterness.

Emerson shrugged back, "Would you disturb this innocent child?" he pointed to Pluto with his pen, "Besides, our visitor is probably catching a cold out there,"

"They'd be catching less of one if you just got proactive," he muttered back, "Did we invite anybody else?"

"I don't think so," Emerson replied, "Maybe it's Amazon?"

Remington reached for the door knob, "I didn't order anything..."

He wrenched the door open, steeling himself to welcome a potential unexpected visitor or perhaps discover a package-bearing Amazon delivery person. Yet, astonishment washed over him as his eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of Eva standing on his stoop, luggage in tow behind her.

"-- Eva!?" his voice quivered slightly, yet the edges of his mouth tugged upward in a smile tinged with incredulity.

She locked her left right ankle in front of her left, smiling with giddy and a twinkle in her eye, "... surprise!" she half-sang, half-giggled.

Remington scooped her up in his arms without a second thought, hugging her tightly to his chest, inhaling her vanilla essence. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, her cold nose pressed to his skin but quite frankly he couldn't care. He missed her so damn much.

"I thought you weren't coming home until tomorrow?" he murmured, relief laced in his voice nonetheless.

"I was, but I just... I needed to come home," she replied, "I missed you so much,"

"Fuck me, I missed you more," he kissed her, aching for the comforting familiarity of her chapstick's faint sweetness, the pillowy softness of those lips he could've spent hours kissing. Eva wound her arms around his neck and pulled him to her with an intensity that surpassed mere physical proximity, reveling in the sanctuary of his embrace.

"Eva?" Emerson's voice suddenly rattled from behind them. The couple broke apart and glanced over, Remington was none too surprised to see Emerson hadn't bothered to move from his spot on the stairs. That didn't stop him from craning his neck like a giraffe to try and see what was happening.

"He's still not getting up!" Remington shook his head as he grumbled.

Eva tittered softly, "Hi Emerson,"

"How did you get a flight so fast?" he asked.

She shrugged, stepping aside as Remington moved to grab her luggage from out of the cold, "My sister's boyfriend has a cousin who works for the airline, turns out," she replied, "... I hope you guys don't mind having one more dinner guest?"

"Are you kidding me?" Emerson gawked back, "I'm willing to sacrifice Sebastian in order to make space for you myself. Right Pluto?" he glanced down at the tabby.

Pluto finally made the move from the stairs, slinking down the marble and hobbling over to his master. Eva was nevertheless quite concerned when she noticed the bright blue cast on his leg.

"What the -- Pluto!" she was careful as she picked him, cradling the big baby in her arms as she turned to Remington, "What happened?"

Remington smiled sheepishly, glancing between her and the cat as he nervously puffed his cheeks, "Ah... well, he -- uh... Emerson?"

"Nope, you're on your own here," the youngest brother muttered.

"Remington..." Eva stared up up at him, anxiously awaiting some sort of explanation.

Remington sighed, "He... it's a long story but basically your neighbour is insane and he fell off your balcony. But we rushed him to the vet as fast as we could!"

"I've never seen Sebastian drive that fast," Emerson tacked on.

Eva glowered at her tabby, who was none the wiser as he cuddled into her shoulder, his claws gripping tightly to her jacket, "Jesus Christ. Why didn't you call me?" she asked the brothers.

"Because you had so much you were dealing with and we didn't want to worry you," Remington replied, remorseful and uneasy, "But I should've called you. That's on me, I'm sorry,"

Eva shook her head, "You're damn right you should've! I have pet insurance!" she exclaimed, "I could've had the bill covered!"

Remington simpered, "Honestly Eva, don't worry about the bill," one hand moved to her waist and the other rubbed between Pluto's ears, "As long as Pluto's still running around, I couldn't care less,"

Eva's apprehension settled as she relaxed in his embrace, cuddling the cat closer to her chest, "You god damn chaotic mess of fur; I'm seriously gonna' get you a bell!"

"Wouldn't be the worst idea," Emerson said, finally making the move to stand, "C'mon, I'm hungry," and he started for the dining room, notebook still tucked under his arm. Remington simply shook his head as he walked off.

"You know, he just watched while Sebastian yelled at me about peeling carrots. Like -- it's not hard to peel carrots!" he said.

Eva shook her head with a gentle laugh, pressing up on her toes to press another kiss to his cheek, "I'm sure you did just fine. It smells amazing in here,"

"That's mom's artichoke dip,"

She followed Remington into the dining room, still holding Pluto in her arms as they joined their friends. Shy was the first to rise from her seat, rushing over to envelop Eva in a tight hug. Meanwhile, Sebastian poked his head out from the kitchen, curious about the sudden commotion. Eva wasn't surprised to see his apron draped over his stylish pinstripe suit underneath. Chairs were shifted, a new place setting was prepared, and despite Eva's offer to assist, Larissa and Stephanie insisted that she sit back and relax.

The turkey was brought out soon enough, accompanied by a spread of sumptuous sides and a delicious bottle of wine. The table was alive with chatter: Michael animatedly discussing the band's latest video plans, Caity and Hayden enthusiastically sharing their upcoming Christmas trip itinerary. Amidst it all, questions came Eva's way—about her mother, her early return home, her fatigue, and more. Yet, in that moment, Eva couldn't have felt happier. She basked in the warmth of the gathering, feeling entirely at ease, all traces of anxiety vanishing with Remington's arm draped casually across her shoulders.

Only a couple hours later the house was emptied, plates were partially washed and thrown hastily in the dishwasher, any leftovers were packed up and sent home with friends. And because he had shown the least amount of effort in prep, the brothers decided it was Emerson's job to tidy up the table. Remington meanwhile had hauled Eva's bag upstairs, much to her protests that she could do it herself but he remained insistent; he was just so happy to have her home.

Her bag was barely unzipped before Remington threw himself on the bed, chin cupped in his hand as he watched her begin to unpack. There were a plethora of questions burning in his brain.

"Soooo..." he trailed.

"So?" Eva queried.

"Why are you home early?" he asked, "I didn't want to pile on at dinner but..."

Eva placed down the shirts she was about to pull out, sighing as she took a seat on the bed, "Well... you want the long story or the short story?"

He simply shook his head, "Whatever you want to share, where ever you wanna' start,"

She shifted over so she could lay beside him, her hands coming to rest over her stomach as she stared up at the ceiling, "Well... we got a call from the hospital Friday morning..."

Eva's heart dropped when she saw the caller ID flash for the hospital, nevertheless she picked up the call and brought the speaker to her ear, hesitating before she answered, "H-Hello... yes, that's me..."

Magda, Greg, and Theo watched silently as Eva turned her back, her voice coming to a hushed octave. Impatient as ever though, the oldest sister turned to her brothers, "What the hell is going on now?" she asked, tone verging on exasperation.

Greg scoffed back, "Well, in not so many words, Eva's not a match for mom's transfer. But someone else is," he replied.

Magda glowered at him, "And are we waiting for a 90s soap-opera style dramatic pause, or...?"

"She's seeing someone else," Theo admitted, "I guess you guys already knew that -- but he stepped up as a potential donor..."

Magda's eyes went wide, "-- No... Greg!" she turned to him, "Please don't tell me..."

Greg nodded solemnly, "He's a perfect match for the kidney. They're gonna have him prepped this week, after the holiday," he confirmed.

At that, Eva got off the phone with a simple, "Alright, thank you..." and she turned to her siblings. She felt her hands shaking, her heart racing as though she'd had drank coffee on an empty stomach and the caffeine was just beginning to kick in. This whole journey, all of this fighting and tiptoeing and pillage of more trauma had all in turn been for nothing.

"Whelp, she struck again," Magda sighed with a head shake, "Crazy old battle axe did it again..."

Greg steeled himself against the wall, utter defeat overcoming his face, "So, is Julien asking dad for the number of his divorce attorney, or..."

"He has someone," Theo admitted, his eyes averted to the ground, "He said he's always kind of suspected something was up,"

Magda scoffed, "Not to be a downer but as the saying goes: if they cheat with you, they cheat --"

"Mags!" Greg stopped her with a swift glare, nodding his head to their younger sister. Eva was just frozen on the spot, dark blue eyes glazed over as she stared off into space. There was partial relief overwhelming her, she didn't have to go under the knife after all. However, so much had happened in three days, so much mental strain and it had finally taken its toll on her.

"Eva?" Magda stood up and approached her slowly, picking off the reflection of tears brimming, "Eves, are you okay?"

Eva didn't -- couldn't respond. For once in her life she was at a complete loss for words; and yet she had so many thoughts scratching in her brain, so much jumbled jargon to spew out in a twisted heap of nerves and fear but all she could do was give a silent nod, her eyes clamped shut in a futile attempt to stop herself from crying.

Magda caught her just before the dam burst, holding her tightly as the first few sniffles and sobs left her. The two sisters held each other tightly, the eldest not uttering a word as she just held her, rubbing her back as she cooed softly, "It's okay honey, let it out. It's okay,"

Theo couldn't stand to watch anymore, stepping forward to throw his arms around the pair. Greg followed suit, a solemn scene in the antiquated kitchen with the despair finally being lifted from all of them. Eva had so much anger she was still holding on to, but in this moment she couldn't care less. This mess was finally over, tremendously and brutally over, and all she wanted now was to go home...

"... we didn't really plan for a proper Thanksgiving, so we kind of threw some stuff together last night and called it a day," she finished off, her gaze having never left the ceiling, "And Magda's boyfriend got me a last-minute ticket this morning. I was on the second standby out of town,"

Remington stayed beside her the entire time, listening intently, his mind blown at the full revelation of Eva's trip. He was relieved on the one hand knowing she wouldn't have to go under the knife after all, on the other hand he could see how such a plot twist had rattled her, dredging up old feelings she was sure she didn't have to deal with again.

"Holy fuck..." he gaped in awe, "She just threw away her family like that? No explanation, no nothing?"

"Straight to the calculating point, it's her pattern," she sighed, chuckling with pity, "It's classic: she'll let him play as her white knight until she gets bored and finds someone else to pull into her web. She's never gonna' stop, Rem,"

"And that's not your problem," he cuddled up beside her, gently drawing his arm around her body, enfolding her in the embrace of his chest, "I'm so sorry, Eva,"

"Why?" she glanced up at him.

"Because, you went over there with the best intentions and it just -- I just don't want this to affect you more then it already has. I'm worried, is all," he explained.

"I'm okay, Remington," she turned over onto her side, coming nose-to-nose with him, "I'm okay, I swear to you. I'm a little worried about Theo, but Greg assured me he's gonna keep an eye on him. He's done nothing to deserve any of this,"

"Neither have you. I'm proud of you, though," he said.

"Why?"

"You made up with your sister. That's not nothing, believe me," he chuckled at the end, "And you and Greg got closer, and you gaped bridges with Theo and his dad, that's not nothing,"

Eva simpered quietly, "I think you meant 'mend bridges'? 'To bridge a gap' means having the qualities of two different groups or things or... stuff,"

All Remington could do was laugh, at her train of thought, at the sleepy slur of her voice, how her lips curled when she knew she was correcting him but she tried to play it off as no big deal. Words alone couldn't express how much he missed this girl, and how it would be a long damn time before he spent such time away from her again.

"There's my girl," he awed, pressing kisses to her cheeks and her nose, "I missed you so fucking much,"

"I missed you, too," Eva giggled, squirming in his arms but she made no move to push him away; she was just so happy to be home again. She sighed when he let up, pushing loose locks of blonde hair behind his ears, "Do you think you're ever gonna' cut your hair?" she asked curiously, "Not that I don't love this look on you,"

Remington scoffed, "It is getting a liiiiittle long," he admitted, "You miss my spikes?"

"Yeah! They're so quintessentially you!" she replied, "But then there's so many more layers to you than just your hair. I love every side of you,"

With no hesitation he buried his face in the crook of her neck, overwhelmed in her familiar scent, pressing soft kisses to her pulse point as she wrapped her arms around him, "You're so fucking cute. I love you so much," he mumbled.

Eva smirked back, her fingers threading through his hair the way she knew he melted at, "Mmm, I think I love you more," she said.

"Not possible," he squeezed her tighter to him to make his point.

"I don't know about that," she teased, "You're only the greatest thing that happened to me in my life, so..."

Remington couldn't keep the beaming smile off of his face, shifting up so they were at eye-level with each other. His next words spilled out before his brain could catch up, impulsively escaping from his lips:

"I'm gonna' marry you one day,"

To say Eva was a little taken aback was an understatement, "What?" it took her another minute to process what he'd just said to her.

Remington chuckled bashfully, "Not like -- now or anything. But one day down the line... when you're least expecting it, I'm gonna' ask you to marry me," he decided.

"Oh really?" Eva cocked a brow, resisting the urge to bite her lip, "And you just assume that I'm gonna' say yes?"

"Of course I do," with tender affection, Remington traced small circles under Eva's sweatshirt, his touch light and comforting. She turned towards him, a soft smile gracing her lips, and met his gaze with a warmth that spoke volumes, "I love you. I'm a way better person everyday because of you. You are every reason, every hope, every dream I've ever had and no matter where we go in the future, I will always be yours," he brought his hand up to her cheek, caressing the soft skin as though she were porcelain, "And you, my darling, will always be mine,"

Earlier that day, Eva had sworn to herself she wouldn't cry upon her return. Yet, despite her determination, she couldn't stifle the swell in her chest, the insistent pull at her tear ducts, nor the overpowering wave of affection she had for Remington. Each word he spoke felt like a lifeline, flowing from his lips in his husky voice, and she clung to them fervently.

"Oh my God," her eyes fluttered closed as she tried to bury her face in the sheets, "I take it back: that's the most romantic thing I've ever heard you say,"

Remington's expression softened, a gentle smile gracing his lips, "Better than William Blake?"

"So much better,"

Closing the distance between them, Remington reached out to brush a stray tear from Eva's cheek. His touch was tender, his fingers lingering against her skin as if tracing the delicate contours of her emotions.

Their connection intensified in the silence that followed, a subtle electricity lingering between them. Remington gently tucked a loose strand of Eva's hair behind her ear, his touch a tender gesture filled with unspoken affection.

Eva's gaze met Remington's, a softness in her eyes that spoke volumes. In that moment, amidst the quiet intimacy of his -- their bedroom, they shared an unspoken understanding, each wordless glance conveying a depth of emotion that transcended spoken language.

[rosebushjhj]

Do you just randomly catch yourself looking at pictures or band members and giggling like a schoolgirl

[palayeroyales]

PALAYE ROYALE ✦ SHOWBIZ So they kill another dream Feed on my self-esteem "Well, hey, kids, this is showbiz"

[silent-stories]

song so good i wanna ingest it

[myhouseisthecvlt]

love my boys

[lucys-place]

Baby you are not my darkest part I knew that from the start You’re just another ache in my heart

[remingtonshrine]

Love Palaye Royale's new song but all I can think about is this

[aliiisterwarhol]

Why does he wiggle like a worm ✨🪱✨💃✨🪱✨

[bornasaint]

PALAYE ROYALE - No Love In LA There is no such thing as love in LA Plastic people don't got nothing to say They're judging me, I'm judging you We ain't got nothing else to do There's no such thing as love in LA

[im-literally-so-dun]

i love this man

[miranalvjy]

Okay I am bored and I want to start chaos, so here I go?!

Tag game: Go on Pinterest (if you have it ofc) and save the first 2 images and post it here. (Only if you want to ofc). Here I go first.

Emerson is really much ruling my pinterest (along with Seb and Remi). Smol Em and Seb are such a mood. (Idk where Remi is, probs climbing something lol). Love 'em.

Tags: @im-literally-so-dun @illseeyouinvancouver @gerardksser @geezyoucouldatleastlaugh @greydoesstuff747 @chelseaaaasmile @cemetary-romance @moon2saturn2mars

[sleekervae]

The Neighbour [4.5]

Masterlist

A/N: Y'all are angels and I appreciate you putting up with my dry spells. This piece is gonna' be a little shorter than what I would like but we're rolling towards a nice wrap up. Your patience is greatly appreciated, as always!

Warnings: family drama, the brothers getting into trouble, as usual

--

Eva hated long silences, especially awkward ones. Her father sat across from her and her siblings, sunken eyes averted to the table cloth as he'd let her words sink in.

"Are you sure, Eva?" Ivan asked, his voice tapering on a whisper.

The youngest sibling nodded, "Theo told me everything,"

Magda piped in, "She's got somebody new, Dad. She's gonna do to them what she did to us,"

"She's fucked," Greg added.

Their father let out a heavy sigh, "She's still your mother," seemed to be his best reasoning, "You can't just turn yours backs on her right now,"

Magda scoffed back, "And how many times has Mommy Dearest turned her back on us? I barely got so much as a phone call when Arleth was born!" she pointed to Greg, "Bet she doesn't know about Greg being gay! Or Eva's rockstar boyfriend!"

"Or your cancer scare," Eva added, her frustration reaching its boiling point, "Dad, I don't understand how you could still be in her corner? She left you! She left us all behind! And now she's bored in her new family so she moved on to the next thing,"

"And if she's going to keep this bullshit up, then Eva's not going to give her a kidney," Greg said, equally as disgusted as his sisters.

Fear flickered in their father's eyes, his gaze remained fixed on the table cloth, struggling to find the words to refute their argument. He wanted to cry about Eva's selfishness, but his rational side knew his hypocrisy would show no matter what.

"You're punishing her for something out of her control," he huffed.

Eva's frustration grew, her voice trembling as she tried to make sense of her father's enduring devotion.

"She has always been in control, Dad!" she exclaimed, "Would you listen to yourself? She doesn't care about you like this! Why are you still defending her?"

It was only then he met her gaze, the weight of his heartache showing through. It always had, it had aged their father significantly and it saddened the siblings greatly. They loved their father, but they could all agree that he was weak when it came to his devotion for his ex wife.

"She was a part of my life for twenty-five years," he muttered, his tone heavy in anguish, "She may not love me the way I wish she would, but she's still a part of my family. That means I had to find a way to carry the love we had and continue living mine without her,"

Greg shook his head, deflated, "You're still holding the door open hoping she comes home, but she's not, Dad. Lydia is laid up in a hospital bed with tubes up her nose, crying victim while fooling around on the guy she left you for,"

Eva's heart ached with the truth in her brother's words, comparable with the anguish for their dad's. This wasn't an easy decision for her, either, but Eva was never one for playing along with what was expected of her. She would be doing not only a disservice to herself, but to her family and their half brother.

"I'm not giving Mom my kidney," it felt weird to call her by that title, but it seemed to be the only way to drive home the fact that she was serious to her dad, "I still love her, but I'm not going to enable this delusion any longer,"

Remington had his chin in his palm, uneasiness swirling in his gut as he stared hard at the menacing cat. Pluto was hobbling around, still as curious as ever as he sniffed around the house, the only difference now was he had a bright blue cast around his leg. He wasn't even upset over what he had to pay at the vet, he was fretting over how to explain all of this to Eva.

"It's not that bad," Emerson noted, looking up from his sketchbook, "Should we sign it?"

"Can you sign a cat's cast? Or would it be too delicate?" Remington replied.

"It's a cast," he pointed out, "They didn't bind him tissue paper,"

On that note, Sebastian came stumbling into their kitchen, a cloth bag stock full of groceries in his arms. He dropped them onto the kitchen island with a heavy thud, glaring at his youngest brother.

"You know -- when you guys offered to have Thanksgiving here, I thought that meant you'd help me unload the car, at least," he grumbled.

Emerson rolled his eyes, "We're making sure the cat can walk," he replied.

Sebastian scoffed, "For the six hundred bucks we paid, he better be able to walk," he rounded the couch to find Remington, still hunched over as he watched Pluto, "Have you told Eva, yet?"

The middle brother shook his head, "She told me she'd call later, which means I have a few hours to come up with a viable story,"

"Would you calm down, please?" Sebastian took a seat beside him, "She's gonna understand Pluto was an accident!"

"I know, I know," Remington huffed, "I'm still nervous, alright?"

"Well, how about you get nervous about stuffing a turkey with me, hm?" he stood up and started for the door again, "C'mon, guys! Mom's coming with the turkey pans!"

Emerson glowered back, "Thanksgiving isn't even until Sunday, why are we prepping everything now?" he asked.

"Because we've never actually had a full, formal Thanksgiving in our own home before, and we gotta' prep that shit," Remington replied, following Sebastian, "It's kinda special, you know?"

With another eye roll, Emerson closed his notebook and stood up, "Alright, alright, I'm coming,"

The three brothers exited the door and started for Sebastian's open car, the trunk filled with more bags of groceries and tools they'd need for cooking. Remington made sure to close the door behind him, should Pluto get anymore wily ideas.

"What day is Eva coming back, anyway?" Sebastian asked, lugging another cloth bag into Remington's arms.

"Probably Tuesday," he replied.

"What about the surgery?" Emerson asked.

"She's not doing it," Remington replied simply.

Emerson stood stunned for a moment, missing his cue as Sebastian tried to hand him a flat of eggs, "Emerson!" he faltered as he nearly dropped them.

"Wait," he smacked Remington's arm, "She's not doing the surgery? Since when?"

"She texted me this morning," he replied.

Sebastian cocked a brow, "What about her mom, then? What's she supposed to do?" he asked.

"I don't know," he shook his head, "Something went down, obviously. I'll get the story when she calls me," he started back for the house.

"Shit," Emerson huffed, "Good for her, though. I told her to stand her ground,"

"I've given it some thought, actually," Sebastian admitted, "If it was Dad, I wouldn't give up a piece for him,"

"Glad we can agree," Emerson nodded.

Remington reached for the door handle and pushed, surprised however when he found the door wouldn't budge. He wrenched the knob, pushed and pulled, there was no give.

"What the fuck?" he exclaimed.

"What happened?" Sebastian called from the car.

He wrenched the knob again, turning to his brothers exasperated, "The door's locked!"

Emerson dropped the eggs back into the trunk, coming to his brother's aid, "No way," he too tried the knob, pushed and pulled, rammed his shoulder, and nothing was working, "Yeah, we're locked out,"

Sebastian wrangled for his keys out of his pocket -- of course he had his own key the his brothers' house -- and came over. He inserted the key into the lock and twisted, though he was surprised to find the knob was unlocked.

"How can we be locked out if the latch isn't even locked?" he twisted the key again, the clicking echoing to make his point.

Remington felt a chill go down his spine, looking up at the house with worry. His close encounter from the other night whisked through his head, but he thought better than to bring it up.

"Holy shit," Emerson gaped, "How do we get back in?"

"Wanna ask the cat?" Sebastian huffed, trying to ram his shoulder into the door.

Remington relented, putting down his grocery bag and started for the backyard, "I'll go through the window in the back," he decided.

The back patio was locked shut, the exception to the open screen window to filter in some fresh air. Remington popped the screen out and climbed into the living room, careful not to knock over any furniture or spook the pets inside. He stopped suddenly when he found Pluto sitting at his feet, staring at him with his big yellow eyes.

Remington simpered, carefully picking up the tabby and cuddling him into his shoulder, without knocking his cast.

"Pluto, did you lock the door on us?" he awed, starting down the hall, "Such a bad kitty. What's your mother gonna' say when she comes back and I report to her all the trouble you've gotten into?"

He approached the front door, perplexed as he found indeed the lock wasn't turned. With Pluto slung over his shoulder, he wrenched the knob and the door opened with no stalling, on the other side his brothers, relieved.

"Was it locked?" Sebastian asked, picking up and carting in the groceries.

"No, it wasn't," Remington replied frankly, "That's fucking weird,"

Emerson smirked, the egg flat cradled in his arms as he passed him, "Maybe it was your ghost playing a prank?"

"Alright wise guy," Remington slammed the door again, "I'll wake you up at two AM next time and you can be on ghost watch with me,"

Sebastian simply shook his head, "The two of you are gonna' be ghosts if you don't help me," he warned.

Remington pouted back, "You gotta' get through Pluto first," he patted the cat's bum to make his point. Pluto's only response was a yawn.

Greg ran to the door before the bell even finished tolling, revealing Julian and Theo on the other side. Julian was just shaking out his umbrella, the rain continuing to thunder down in the streets.

"Weather's gone biblical, I swear," the older man shook his head. Theo kept his head down as he kicked his shoes off, glancing through the curtain of his hair to pick out Eva's silhouette in the kitchen.

"Thanks for coming," Ivan helped Greg take their coats. Eva meanwhile stayed in the kitchen, Magda was at the table nursing a cup of lukewarm tea and taking a well earned break while Arleth was down for her nap.

Eva was staring at the names on her phone, Remington's was just screaming for her to hit call and hear his voice, his scratchy chuckle or whatever stupid jokes he could come up with to make her feel better. She wished she could have the time to just transport herself out of this headspace, put herself back within reach of him and her kitty, she missed them both terribly.

"We had to after the phone call," she heard Julian say, her curiosity now peaked as she looked up. Theo was approaching in a small shuffle, looking nervously between her and Magda. Eva smiled sympathetically.

"Hey, you want some tea?" she offered.

Magda began to laugh, "You're offering a twelve-year-old boy tea?" she chuckled.

Eva shrugged back, "Well, I don't know. We have it ready!"

Theo cracked a shy smile, "Sure, I'll take some," he said.

"There's sugar on the table," Magda directed, her interest peaked too, "What phone call is your dad talking about?"

He looked to her sheepishly, then to Eva, a silent wonder if it was safe for him to answer. Eva was equally curious, nodding encouragingly as she poured him his own mug. Theo sighed.

"The hospital called us --" he began, however, their father's echoing cry took them all by surprise.

"Are you kidding me?" he nearly roared.

Greg entered the kitchen at that, his expression dazed as though he was in a stupor. His sisters and half-brother stared at him.

"What's wrong?" Eva asked.

That's when Theo spilled the beans, "They canceled your transfer," he told her.

On the one hand, Eva was filled with relief, a heavy weight lifting off of her chest. On the other hand...

"... Was I gonna' get a phone call about this?" she gaped.

"She's not a match?" Magda asked, her excitement and elation teetering in her own expression.

"Nope," Greg answered precariously, his tone heavy, "Somebody else is, though,"

Eva was in no mood for his long, dramatic silence, " -- Who?"

Before Greg could answer, sure enough, her cell phone began to ring. Her chest tightened when she saw the hospital name flash across the screen, nevertheless, curiosity gnawing away at her as she picked up the call.

[lenelaura]

PALAYE ROYALE

28.11.2024

Oslo, Norway

📷 Lenenordfjord

[palayeroyales]

I'LL FLY TO THE MOON AGAIN ☽ DYING IN A HOT TUB - PALAYE ROYALE requested by -> @safer-things !!

[royale-ly-obsessed]

Emmy is SO Consistent ❤️

I love it, lol!

[pyromaniac9]

I 🖤 palaye royale 🖤