driven.

HENRY DUNNE, 40. CEO of Dunne Enterprises.

[ohmissflora]

Life’s a Beach | Flora, Henry (& Finley)

[ce0dunne]

ohmissflora:

“You heard me.” She bit back, still smirking smugly as she caught his eye when he looked back at her. If she could get her own back and wind him up then she would happily do so. “You couldn’t be an average Joe no matter how hard you try.” Flora snorted her laughter as they all climbed in the elevator. “Five minutes without your expensive motor and you’d go crazy.” She continued to tease, glad that Finley’s innocence kept his attention fixed on the pricey car that his father had. She knew that Finley would be more impressed by the fact it was a fast sports car than by the huge price tag, but it was nice that he and Henry could bond over more than one thing in the short time they’d known each other.

“Never heard you questioning my taste in things before.” Her tone was dipped in sarcasm and before she turned to watch Finley again with a smile. He always liked to watch the floors illuminate as they flew by. The number of times she’d had to stop him from lighting up every floor was ridiculous – even now he was edging towards his teenage years he still did it. But her eyes soon widened at Henry’s words. Flora fought with herself to bat him on the arm, but then she didn’t want to make a huge deal about it, because then Finley would no doubt know it was something he shouldn’t be saying. And then he’d say it. Instead, she busied herself with glaring at Henry until he tried to rescue the situation. Finley continued to look utterly confused, tilting his head questioningly at his father. “But-” He began. “Never you mind,” Flora forced a laugh, “your dad just made a bad joke, that’s all.”

Flora was the last to leave the elevator, following behind the two of them as they made their way outside. It was a beautiful day, and she pulled her sunglasses out of her purse to slip on as they edged into the sunlight. Thankfully, Finley was completely distracted by the car and she headed for the trunk to put the bags she was carrying safely in the back. “Oh, she would.” Finley gasped his excitement, “really, Mom?!” “No sweetie, of course not. Let’s wait ‘til you’re old enough to drive before you decide you want to become a boy racer like your dad, mmkay?” She waited for him to climb in the back of the car before she followed suit. “It is a nice car though.” She directed at Henry as he climbed in to the driver’s seat.

“I never heard you complaining about the expensive hotels I brought you to way back when. Especially when it came to the mini bar. Maybe we should tell him about it.” A tight lipped smile pulled at the corners of his mouth, clearly he was getting a bit defensive at the dig about his vehicle of choice. Finley was too preoccupied to be tuned into their conversation, but Henry was sure he would get a kick out of some his mother’s antics from when she was younger. Of course he wouldn’t just blurt out details about their past because he knew Finley would start firing off questions and there was only so much they could actually tell him. “I didn’t think it was bad.” Henry mumbled to no one in particular. Finley was still looking up at him confused and he reach down to ruffle a hand through his hair. “Forget it, kid.”

Even though it was still mid-morning, the Florida sun was radiating down on them signaling that it was probably going to be muggy later on. Then rain, then clear up, and be a warm night. He was still trying to adjust to the Florida weather. Pushing his sunglasses off the top of his head, Henry closed the trunk after everything was packed in and walked over to the driver side to get in. “Don’t worry, Fin,” he waited for Flora to get in before he pressed the start button for the car. “I’ll take you driving around someplace when your mom isn’t around to act like an old lady shaking her cane. How’s that?” His grandfather had always let him drive his truck in Upstate New York so he didn’t really see a problem with it if they were in a controlled environment. “Okay! Does your car have bluetooth? Can I hook up my ipod?” Henry glanced over at Finley who was now practically climbing over the arm rest to get a better look. “Yeah, and put your seat belt on so we can leave.”

As he was programming the GPS with the address to the beach they were going to, he smirked at Flora’s comment. “You can act like you’re above it all and not impressed by expensive stuff all you want, snippy. But I know you are.” he quipped, putting the car in reverse so they could get on their way. “Like I said,” he continued, once they were out on the main road. “I never heard any complaints about my spending when your a-- butt was in a nice cushy robe at the Cambria and using their bathroom that looked like a spa.”  

[ce0dunne]

ohmissflora:

Flora huffed, mostly because she didn’t have a response for his comeback. He was pretty on point. “It didn’t work on me. You just wore me down… like sandpaper.” That was the best she could come up with, and it was a shoddy attempt and she knew it. The look on Henry’s face wasn’t helping the situation. She found that if she thought back to that memorable right hook, it did make her feel a little better. “If you know what’s good for you, you should be scared. Our boy’s smart. That’s why he knows it’s wrong to cross his mom.” Flora couldn’t help but snort at the way he spoke to the girl. “Enough Grandpa. She’s barely older than Finley, please don’t hit on her.” The poor sales assistant had no idea where to look or what to do, and her mouth gaped open like a fish gasping for air. It was clear that her principles were going to have to take a backseat for the time being, and Flora picked up the broken toy before turning to Henry. “I’ll let you explain to him why this is his birthday present.”

Henry scoffed loudly at her comment and folded his arms across his chest. Revising history wasn’t a good look on her. “Right, because the woman who prided herself on being resilient was really gonna let herself be worn down.” he shook his head, mockingly tsk’ing in her direction. He remembered all too well on how he had waited for her to finally be comfortable enough around him to have sex. She had been the only one he had (somewhat) patiently waited for. “Our boy is ten years old. Give it a few years and that will change.” That was unlikely seeing as Henry, at age 40, was still terrified of his mother and treated her with the utmost respect, remembering all too well what it was like to cross her when he was a little boy. Henry couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Flora. The girl behind the desk was now forgotten as he started to make his way out of the store, waving off Flora’s comment about the birthday present. “Why are you acting like you had a kid with someone who’s a pauper?” he asked as he waited for her to exit the department store. “Like you’re scrapping for change to buy something for Tiny Tim. You insult me, Flora.” His gazed dropped down to the broken toy. “How much was it, anyway?”

[ce0dunne]

xnoracampbellx:

“I would love that.” Nora nodded. “I get the feeling I’m going to eventually like it down here better. I never quite got on with the circle back in New York. “ She shrugged. “They could be a bit well-fake at times.” Of course, she’d played along quite fine, but most of their mutual friends had been friends of Ben’s.  Most of those Nora spent time with, were artists, and performers. “It’s what happens when you get married though. “She shrugged. “I’m staying at the Argent for the time being. Until we can find something more suitable.” She looked between the two. “Would you and your friend like to-I was heading to the park. If you both wanted to join.”

“Yeah, it’s a little bit more laid back... maybe because of all the retirees down here.” he quipped, turning his body slightly so he could keep an eye on Finley to make sure he wasn’t wandering off. “You still get that here a little bit, but you’re gonna get snobs everywhere you go. Especially in our neighborhood.” As much as he hated to admit it, even he could come off as stuck up. He had lived a life of luxury for so long he caught himself saying things that came off incredibly privileged. It was nice to get away from the clan-like atmosphere of Manhattan. “I wouldn’t know. Much to my mother’s disappointment.” he laughed, referencing that he had never taken the plunge into marriage let alone proposed to somebody. “I’m in the same boat. I’ve been looking at houses closer to the bay but I haven’t decided on anything yet.” he shrugged. “Sure, we’ll follow you there. This is Finley, by the way.” Henry turned to look at his son who was now standing next to them holding up his drink.. “I got a vitamin water.” Finley sounded less than enthused that it wasn’t a soda. “Go get me one and I’ll give you ten bucks. You want anything, Nora? I’ll pay.”

[ce0dunne]

ohmissflora:

“I’m not causing a scene!” Her eyes widened as she realised she’d raised her voice slightly. Henry knew exactly how to wind her up and she knew he took great pleasure in doing it. She took a breath to calm herself. “Unfortunately, I can’t try to charm my way into her knickers, so your approach wouldn’t work for me.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder, turning back to the assistant as Henry shuffled backwards. Her attention shift didn’t last long after he spoke again. “I told you not to call me that.” She bit back, “don’t you remember what happened the first time you did? Clue, you needed ice.” Flora raised her eyebrows, hoping to jog his memory.

There wasn’t much of a crowd around, maybe about half a dozen people and most of them looked like they were trying not to spectate the woman going mental at the service counter. He was sure they were getting their moneys worth watching her and their little squabble. Henry couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he was now standing at a safe distance from her. “Oh, is that my approach with women? I guess you would know the best since it worked on you.” he responded sharply, the shit-eating grin never leaving his face. Her next comment didn’t pull an immediate response from him. Of course he remembered. How could he forget taking a right hook to the face? “Flora, I’m not your ten year old son. You can’t give me the look as a warning and think I’m gonna be scared.” he laughed, turning his attention towards the counter. “I’m sure this nice girl here would like to move on with her day. Preferably, without another middle aged woman screaming at her. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

[ce0dunne]

ohmissflora:

“Yes really.” She spoke through almost gritted teeth, not entirely appreciative of his presence while she was trying to sort the whole situation out. “Why should you give me the money? You didn’t break the damn thing. It’s a matter of principle Henry, I don’t have money to burn spending it on faulty products. Are you telling me you’d be happy if you bought this and it was already broken?” Flora tried to keep her voice low as she spoke to him, wondering why she even had to explain herself in the first place. “And I’m not harassing her. I just don’t understand why I can’t just get a refund and leave.” If they hadn’t been in a public place she could’ve swung for him at his next comment. “Can you stop undermining me for at least five minutes?”

“Principle?” he repeated, failing to bite back a grin at her choice of words. Maybe it was because he had never been in this type of situation that he found it so amusing. Or he connected this type of behavior with the uppity women who lived on the upper east side back in New York and not Flora. Either way, he wasn’t going to let her live this one down. “I’m not saying anything, but I know I wouldn’t be causing a scene in the middle of a department store.” Henry put his hands up in defense and moved slightly off to the right, away from the counter. “Alright, snippy. You tell that girl, who’s probably 20 years your junior, who’s boss.” 

[ce0dunne]

ohmissflora:

Flora didn’t hear Henry approach, and almost jumped out of her skin when she heard his voice right over her shoulder. “Jesus Christ-” she turned to glare at him, “Henry, you’re not helping.” Turning back to the assistant, Flora shook her head. “Don’t listen to him, there’s no need for security. I just want my money back, okay?” Deep breaths were her own attempt at trying to stay calm, despite the fact she was past the point of just being annoyed. 

The whole situation was amusing to him. He looked over at the counter to see what the big fuss was about in regards to the return and couldn’t help the small laugh that pushed past his lips. “Really, Flora?” he spoke over her again, not allowing the assistant to respond to Flora’s request. “I’ll give you the money for it if it’s that big of a deal. No need to harass the employees.” His gaze shifted to the assistant who was looking like they would rather chew shards of glass than be in this situation right now. “You know soccer moms, they get bored and have to take their aggression out somewhere.”

[ohmissflora]

Life’s a Beach | Flora, Henry (& Finley)

[ce0dunne]

ohmissflora:

“Hey!” Flora shot a glance in Henry’s direction after his jibe about her height. “Good things come in small packages, did no one ever tell you that?” She warned him, obviously in a joking manner. Finley didn’t seem to notice the comments between the two of them, and gladly took the football back from his father as they all headed for the door.

“Uh huh. Sure.” She shrugged, pretending that she didn’t believe his protesting, all whilst wearing a smirk on her face. With the door locked, Flora followed behind them as they made for the lift. “Whoaaa you’ve got an Audi?” Finely gasped, sufficiently impressed by that at least. Flora couldn’t help rolling her eyes and the temptation to drag Henry for renting such a flash and expensive car was all too great. “You know what they say about- actually, never mind.” She decided to keep her mouth shut, only because her jibe wasn’t exactly suitable for Finley’s ears, although she was sure it would go straight over his head. Something about overcompensating… The lift doors opened and all three of them stepped inside. Finley quickly took over and punched his thumb against the ground floor button, grinning when the edges lit up as they always did. 

Flora snorted, amused by Henry’s tone. “Don’t worry. It’s a nice beach. Quiet, clean, plenty of space to sit. And we can rent a couple of lounge chairs if you want. No butts in anyone’s face.” She gently corrected his wording, at first hoping Finley wouldn’t notice, but then he started to laugh because of the fact she’d said ‘butts’. He giggled to himself before looking up at his parents. “Why would a butt be on a face? That’s not where a butt goes.” He asked, still amused by the word. 

While Finley rapidly shot off questions about the new car, Henry had caught part of Flora’s little comment and he glanced back at her with a challenging look. “I’m sorry, what was that? I can’t hear you when you’re way down there.” he quipped, having somewhat of an idea about what she was trying to insinuate. There was only one way that sentence could have ended. It wasn’t like this was anything new. Henry always threw down a lot of money when it came to buying things. He always had to have the nicest car and the biggest house. “Maybe I shoulda got a toyota or one of those hondas that everyone drives around in. I could be like every other average joe.” he remarked, following his son into the elevator. “No way! An Audi is so much better!” Finley replied, clearly not picking up the sarcastic tone Henry was directing at his mother. 

Obviously, Henry wasn’t used to censoring himself around kids. He had his nieces and nephews, but he wasn’t around them enough to get into the habit of consciously catching the things that he said. “Good. You have questionable taste in cars so I was worried about your choice in beaches.” A tight lipped smile appeared on his face as he gazed up at the floor numbers, the light moving past each floor as they descended. When Finley began to laugh, Henry turned his gaze down at the boy-- already forgetting about the whole censoring himself thing.  “You won’t be saying that to your girlfriend a few years down the road.” he laughed, turning to look at Flora and then down at Finley, who was looking back up at him with a confused look on his face. “Uh... don’t repeat that.” he quickly tried to recover. All he needed was Flora calling him up one day to tell him that their son was sent home from school because he told people a girl would stick her butt in his face when he was older.

Once they arrived at ground level, the doors slid open and Henry pressed the unlock button on the key. The beep of the car was enough to distract Finley from asking what he had meant with his previous comment. “Can I start the car? Does it have the start button?” Finley asked as they left the elevator. Henry approached the car, opening up the trunk so they could put the bags in the back. “Yeah, sure. Maybe I’ll let you sit on my lap and we can do donuts in an empty parking lot. I’m sure your mother would love that.”

[ce0dunne]

ohmissflora:

“No, no, no, no.” Flora wagged her finger at the assistant, already fuming because trying to get a refund in this damn store was more difficult that she’d anticipated. “You listen to me. This was faulty when I bought it. I did not break it, my son did not break it because he doesn’t even know he has it yet!” “Yes but ma-am-” “Don’t you ma’am me! It’s his birthday in two weeks and now I need to find something else to buy him. I’m not leaving this store until you give me my money back.” Flora stood firm, completely unbothered by the fact she was causing a scene. 

Leave it to Flora to channel her aggression on the kid behind the desk who was probably making just above minimum wage, if even that at all. Henry had been browsing a case of watches nearby when he had heard that familiar voice and gone over to see if the source was who he thought it was. And sure enough... there she was. He approached the counter just behind Flora, glancing around to see if any type of security was approaching. Once directly behind her, he spoke over her to the clerk behind the counter. “I think you should probably call security. This ones pretty livid.” 

[ce0dunne]

ainesvelkov:

He had Aine all flustered, blushing furiously and looking at the cup as if it could change anything. “It is good. I like the fresh air of the beach.” She managed to get out, then looked up at him with a smirk. “Maybe a big storm today, even. I would prefer it rained every day here than all of this heat.”

A breathy laugh pushed past Henry’s lips at her preference for torrential rain. “Then I would suggest relocating to Seattle if you ever get the chance in the future. You’ll have all the rain you’ll ever need.” He was speaking from experience, having travelled there and hating it. “How much longer do you have out of that place?”

[ce0dunne]

lilith-danceswith-thedevil:

“It is when one receives nothing in return for it…” Lilith teased almost, raising an eyebrow at him, studying his reaction when she did at last give her name to him. “First female demon, yes….But also the first ever woman according to the Hebrew Bible, Lilith simply refused to be subservient to Adam, so yes…Extremely fitting for me.” she mused.

“What, my name? All you have to do is ask.” A lopsided grin pulled at his features, since she seemed hesitant earlier to divulge her name he was going to make her ask for his own. “Yeah, how can anyone forget the story of the woman refusing to have sex in missionary and getting banished for it.” he shook his head with a laugh. “Maybe Adam should’ve learned a few moves instead of creaking away in the missionary position.”

[ce0dunne]

☮ ♤ ♧ ♦ ♛ (Flora)

☮:: Favorite thing about your muse

Henry has always liked that Flora is outspoken and passionate about what is most important to her. Whether it is her career or the people she cares about. He likes a lot of things about her, but admires that quality the most.

♤:  Way they apologize to your muse

When they were younger, Henry definitely ticked off Flora on a number of occasions. It was either his attitude or something that he said. Sometimes it was purposely done so he could get a rise out of her. Whenever he took it too far and ended up having to apologize, he would give Flora the space she needed before trying to get her to talk to him. It usually ended with him saying that he was sorry and then proceeding to obnoxiously maul her with kisses and clinging to her until she laughed or smiled.

♧: How they kiss your muse

In the beginning of their relationship, Henry was more impatient when it came to any intimacy. His kisses with Flora were hasty seeing as he was young and just wanted to get to “the next part.” As time went on, he became more intimate or playful and less rushed. He liked running his fingers through her hair and pulling her body close against his as he kissed her. He was more comfortable as time went on and not as awkward.

♦: What they would buy because it reminds them of your muse

Henry would buy small sentimental things that remind him of the time they spent together when they were younger. It could be something he sees in one of the shops along the pier at the beach they often frequented or a bottle of alcohol they used to drink because they drank… a lot. 

♛: Pet name for your muse

Henry doesn’t have typical “pet names” for Flora. He’ll call her sweetheart, but he sees that as like a general term because he calls a lot of women sweetheart. His pet names for her are more like teasing about certain things. When he first met her he found her incredibly blunt and argumentative, so he would call her “snippy” and eventually snippy evolved into a nickname for her. Now he just teases her about her height and how domesticated she’s become. If he ever learns about her trying to hit it with a 20-something year old, he’ll probably start calling her Mrs. Robinson.

[ce0dunne]

Positive Interactions Headcanon; My muse's...

☮: Favourite thing about your muse

☯: First impression of your muse

♠: Favourite thing to do with your muse

Ω: Favourite feature of your muse's

♤: Way they apologize to your muse

♣: How they hold your muses hand

♧: How they kiss your muse

♡: How they hug your muse

♥: Small way to show your muse they care

♦: What they would buy because it reminds them of your muse

♢: How they share a bed with your muse

♔: How they like to cuddle your muse

♛: Pet name for your muse

★: First thing that changes when they realize they care about your muse

☆: What they miss about your muse when they're apart

☾: What my muse says to yours when they think they're asleep

❥: Anything else you can think of [specify]

❧: Random affectionate headcanon

[ohmissflora]

Life’s a Beach | Flora, Henry (& Finley)

[ce0dunne]

ohmissflora:

Flora smiled as Henry came in, waiting for Finley to hopefully come bounding back into the room. The past few weeks had been far easier to navigate than she’d expected. Her worst fear had been Finley rejecting his father or showing some form of contempt towards him, but thankfully he didn’t. She supposed he was simply happy to have his father in his life - something he’d never experienced before, so it was all brand new. It made her feel at ease to know that she’d never raised him with a reason to feel any anger towards Henry. Finley had asked questions in the past, and Flora had always answered them as honestly as she could (within reason, of course). 

Busying herself with packing up the last few bits of food, Flora smiled to herself as they chatted to one and other. They had enough food to get them past lunchtime, and if Finley decided he wanted more to eat then they could always grab something else while they were out.  “Yeah, I can actually!” Finley replied to Henry. “I bet I can run faster than the ball.” At least the kid had high hopes for himself, even if they were a tad unrealistic sometimes. 

Flora glanced back at them when Henry directed his question at her. “Mmhm, everything’s packed.” A smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth when he mentioned the car. “You just keep pretending you hate the mini van. In five years’ time I bet you’ve got one of your own.” She teased.  Finley soon piped up at the mention of the mini van too, “eugh! Mom was gonna buy one of those. I told her not to because they’re not cool at all. What kinda car do you have?” He asked Henry as they all exited the apartment, Flora making sure the door was locked behind them.

The kid was confident in his abilities, Henry would give him that. It reminded him a lot of himself at that age and even now. The only difference was that Henry wasn’t going to be the overbearing father that his own father was. If Finley was interested in certain activities he would encourage him to pursue them, but he would never force his son to strive for perfection. That type of mentality had stressed Henry out as a kid and, although, it paid off in the end he didn’t want Finley to go through the same ordeal. 

“Listen, if you can outrun this ball faster than I can throw it, I’ll buy you whatever you want.” He pressed the tip of the football against Finley’s chest so he would take it back. “Anything?! Like a surfboard?” Finley asked, looking like he just hit the lotto. Henry’s looked at Finley with a quizzical expression, his brow furrowing at the boy’s request. “What do you need a surfboard for? You’re about four feet tall. How about you grow a little and we’ll talk.” he laughed, moving off to help Flora carry some of the items they were bringing to the beach. “I’m almost as tall as mom!” Finley protested, although he was still probably a few years away from eclipsing Flora. “That’s not very hard to do.” Henry quipped, directing the comment in Flora’s direction.

As they were leaving the apartment, Henry let out a loud ‘ha’ at Flora’s comment. “If I ever buy a mini van you know I’ve been replaced by pod people.” He pulled his sunglasses from his pocket to put them back on and headed in the direction of the elevator with Finley in tow. “Yeah, I know. Your mother’s taste in things is questionable. I leased an Audi, the S7. Definitely drives faster than a mini van.” Taking playful digs at Flora was never gonna get old with him. “When we get there I think you can rent those cabanas? Those lounge chairs with the shade on them. Unless we’re going to one of the very sanitary public beaches where I’m gonna have some 400 pound guy stick his ass in my face.” He tried his best not to sound like a complete snob, but his tone gave away his disdain.

[ce0dunne]

ainesvelkov:

Aine swallowed a sip of smoothie, averting her gaze from the man. The only ‘other night’ he could have been talking about was the slave auction. “Oh,” The blonde said, scratching the lid of her smoothie to try and make herself comfortable. Do not tense up. Do not tense up. He cannot hurt you while you’re being rented by Ellen. “Yes, I suppose I was up there a long time. Did you find someone to go home with, Sir?”

He didn’t usually just walk up to random people, or even slaves, and start a conversation. Henry was more reserved, he would allow others to talk and attempt to pick apart what type of person they were before engaging with them further. But, this one seemed to catch his interest. “Uh, not exactly.” If you could call going out for drinks and arguing the mother of your son ‘going home’ with someone. His arm rested on the fence that separated the pier from the beach, his attention directed solely on the slave. “I assume life after the auction has gone well for you seeing as you’re sitting out here by yourself.”

[ce0dunne]

roxannexmartin:

Roxanne smiled and shrugged. “Feel free to carry on. People always say it should be part of my job description to listen to them, so go ahead.” It was odd how open some people could be with her when she was working behind the bar, however most were fuelled by copious amounts of alcohol so that was probably the reason why. “Double Jameson? Coming right up.” She smiled again, grabbing a glass from the shelf just above her head. “Ice?” She asked before just assuming he wanted any.

“Yeah, and I’m sure you hear really out there stories. I’m not that far gone, yet.” Not that he was going to stand there and get wasted at the bar. That wasn’t really his thing anymore. Getting completely wasted and making an ass out of himself was something that he would do about ten or fifteen years ago. “A little ice, please. And you’re obligated to sit and listen to people.” he continued, pulling back a bar stool and taking a seat at the counter. “It’s not like you can get away when some guy starts goin’ in on how his wife left him for his sister.” 

[ohmissflora]

Life’s a Beach | Flora, Henry (& Finley)

[ce0dunne]

ohmissflora:

Flora held the door open wide for him to come in, a smile on her face. Their little argument after the auction wasn’t the last time they’d seen each other, so both had had plenty of time to cool off and more or less forget about what had been said. In all honesty, it had reminded Flora of how they used to be, how she used to be. Over the years she’d let her fight and sass simmer down a great deal - perhaps it was down to the fact she’d become a mother, or perhaps something else? She didn’t know. Henry seemed to bring that side of her back out, in good and bad ways. 

“Oh,” Flora turned around to find that Finley had scuttled off somewhere in the time she’d taken to open the door, “he was here a second ago.” She shrugged, turning to flash a little smirk at Henry. “Guess we’re gonna have to head off on our own if he’s not here, huh?” She spoke loudly enough so that Finley would hear, and he did, with heavy footsteps bounding back into the kitchen within minutes. 

“Mom!” Finley whined, “I was just trying to find my good football.” Seemed as though he’d found it judging by the one sitting comfortably under his arm. “And my iPod.” Suddenly, he beamed, as if only just noticing that his dad was stood right next to Flora. “Hi dad!” His smile quickly turned into a grin. 

Henry entered the apartment, giving Flora’s arm a light squeeze as he passed by her. It was a small affectionate gesture, nothing too forward. He knew their row from the other night wasn’t going to affect their relationship in anyway. Especially when it came to their son. They had had worse fights in the past that always amounted to nothing. Just a clash of personalities every once and awhile. Although, he wasn’t going to drop the subject about her being more careful when it came to bringing certain people around the apartment. Unlike her, he didn’t trust very many people and was always looking for a catch.

His mouth opened to respond to her quip regarding Finley, but before he could say anything he could hear their son quickly making his way back into the room. “What’s up, kid?” Henry greeted him, walking a few paces to close the gap in-between them. In recent weeks, Finley had gotten more comfortable around him and had begun to call him ‘dad.’ Which, of course, made him more than happy. It was a relief that Finley warmed to him from the start and didn’t seem to hold any grudges against him.

“Can we play catch on the beach? Can you throw it really far?” Finley asked, holding the football up to him so he could take it. Henry gladly took the ball from him and bopped him lightly over the head with it. “Can you run really far?” he responded, a small smile pulling at his features. “I may be a little rusty so I’m sorry if it doesn’t end up in the next county.” As if remembering Flora was also there, he turned to glance at her before turning back to their son. “You got all your stuff so we can get going? We can take my car... I promise it’s not a mini van.”

[ohmissflora]

Life’s a Beach | Flora, Henry (& Finley)

[ce0dunne]

ohmissflora:

Flora though it was about time that she, Finley and Henry spent some time together away from the confines of her apartment. The ‘taking things slow’ approach seemed to have worked a treat and, from what she could see, Finley was entirely comfortable around his father. It was almost like he’d never been away, and that the past ten years were a blur. The two of them had sports in common, that was for sure, and she was so glad that Henry could enthuse with their son over different teams and games that she knew very little about. 

She’d picked the beach, mostly because the weather was glorious and there would be plenty for them to do. That and it didn’t cost much - not that she was strapped for cash or anything like that. It was just nice to do something simple and easy. In true Flora style she’d packed them some food in a picnic basket, and had towels just in case Finley decided to dive head first into the sea (this had happened before, and she’d been unprepared the first time). 

“Honey?” She called out just as Finley walked into the kitchen. “You ready sweetie? Your dad’ll be here in a minute.” And just as she said it there was a knock at the door. “Speak of the devil.” She chuckled as she headed to open the door for him. 

@henrydunne

Henry couldn’t remember the last time he had enjoyed a day out at the beach. It was probably the last time he was in Sterling. His days were spent in the city now, wooing clients. The only beach he ever saw was when he went to the Hamptons to attend parties that he was obligated to go to. Even then it wasn’t really relaxing and enjoying the seaside because it was still business. So when Flora called him and suggested they all take a trip to South Beach, he was more than happy to oblige her. He didn’t really have any ‘beach wear.’ In fact, he had to go out and buy something because he had come to Sterling with mostly slacks. He ended up settling with a short-sleeved button down and a pair of shorts. 

He had made it a habit to show up with gifts every time he went over to Flora’s place, but this time he came empty handed as he knocked on the door. Henry was sure they were going to walk along the pier at some point and he would be giving Finley money left and right to play games and go on rides. Something that he was more than willing to do as long as it made his son happy. 

“Flora,” he greeted her with a smile once the door had opened. He tucked his sunglasses into the breast pocket of his shirt and peered into the apartment behind her. “Is the kid ready or we gonna have to make it a day without him?”