[illustratemyillusions]

@ofwildxhearts

whom: Lia & Caspian

where: The Pier

The pier creaked softly beneath her sneakers as Ophelia leaned against the railing as she stared out at the horizon. It was the first time she's been back to the beach since New Years and she wasn't sure how to feel. Her hoodie sleeves were pulled over her hands, wind blowing the salt air through her hair. She heard footsteps and smiled softly to herself when she knew they were Caspian's without looking at him. She tried to stay casual, like this was any other morning. Like she hadn’t woken up in a hospital bed with IV lines in her arm and his name caught in her throat.

She didn’t turn around. “Surf’s supposed to be decent this weekend, right?” she asked lightly. “Cleaner than it’s been. I heard it's been pretty choppy.” She shrugged, studying the surf reports were hardly anything new to her. It was usually the first thing her and her father said to each other in the morning. “You going out?” She glanced at him for half a second, and memory of fluouresecent lights and antiseptic hit her hard. The way she'd reached for him, the way she'd whispered and begged for him not to leave. The humiliation was worse than the hypothermia. She wasn't the girl that begged people not to leave. People left. It was the one lesson her mom had taught her.

She looked back at the water quickly. “I might come down and watch,” she added. “From a safe distance. Still haven't been cleared to go back in yet.” Her ribs were still bruised and yellow from where she'd fallen through the dock and she was smart enough to know not to surf when she wasn't up to it. Besides a safe distance would be good. That was who she was. She didn’t beg. She didn’t cling. When things got heavy, she dipped, vanished, submerged herself in saltwater and silence until the feelings thinned out enough to ignore. She had built her entire identity around being untouchable, independent, unbothered. And in one hospital room, she had unraveled it with shaking hands and a cracked voice. What scared her most wasn’t that she’d asked him to stay. It was that she’d meant it.

[downxbyxthexbay]

Beau curled slightly into Wyatt's side as they walked over to the couch. When they reached it, he took a seat on the edge of it. He watched as Wyatt pulled the space heater over and his brow furrowed a bit, wondering for a moment if that was a fire hazard. But it was more like someone else had thought it inside his head than him actually thinking it.

He leaned back against Wyatt, resting his head on his shoulder and wrapping his arms around his neck. The word date caught his attention and he immediately looked up to him. "Dates...?" His lips twitched into a small smile and he almost laughed. "We are dating...?"

[illustratemyillusions]

Wyatt smiled as Beau rest against him and wrapped his arm around his neck, rubbing him back gently. He hoped that he was at least warming up a little bit. He winched slightly as Beau looked up at him and questioned the word dating. It was possible he was even worse at this than he thought...

"Well, I mean, I guess this isn't really a date..." He agreed softly, giving a small shrug. "It's okay if you're dating other people. I've never been the best at committing to things myself..." He wondered if he would be better off just shutting his mouth or if it was already too late.

[ofwildxhearts]

No, she didn't think her wife was crazy. She would never think she was crazy. Nodding her head a little bit. "Yeah, actually I have been thinking about it. I'm in this with you. Let's start a family. We can look into adoption if that is the best route for everything. What did you want to look into first?" Jac questioned, reaching over and placing her hands onto her wife's. She really was in this with her and she wanted Yazmin to know this.

[illustratemyillusions]

Yazmin looked at Jac when she said she'd been thinking about it too. She bit her lip as she smiled, thinking about the family they could have. She gave her hand a squeeze. "I think adoption. There are so many kids out there that need a family. We could be that family.." She said softly.

[downxbyxthexbay]

Beau was sitting on the floor, hugging his legs to his chest. He had sipped on his coffee as he waited. His eyes drifted closed for a moment as he took a sharp breath. He was still pretty tired, chilled to the bone. His cheek rested against his knees and he let out a small yawn. The roar of the generator was loud enough that he heard it inside. He let his eyes open, glancing up. When Wyatt said his name, he was sure that he answered but he actually hadn’t. A bit too dazed.

He smiled softly when Wyatt knelt down to him, wrapping the blanket over his shoulders. He shivered a bit. “Hi…” he said with a small smile. He tapped the floor when Wyatt insisted that it was cold. “Warmer than the bench…” he said in a soft voice, pushing back against Wyatt’s hand that rested along his back. “We can go to the couch though,” he agreed, slowly moving to stand up.

[illustratemyillusions]

Wyatt frowned slightly when Beau said it was warmer than the bench. He still couldn't believe that Beau hadn't told him that he'd been staying out there. He nodded. "That's probably true." He agreed, helping him to his feet and walking with him towards the couch. He helped Beau sit down before dragging the space heater over and pointing it at the couch.

He sat down next to him on the couch, wrapping his arms around him and pulling Beau into his chest. "You know, if you had asked me if I thought our first dates would be me taking you fishing and then me rescuing you from a snow storm, I would have laughed." He teased gently, pressing a small kiss into Beau's curls. "But, I've never been very good at any kind of relationships so I guess it kind of tracks."

[downxbyxthexbay]

Lakota smirked a bit when Zora told him she was sure he would survive. He blushed a bit and gave a small shrug. "You are right. I would probably survive and happily eat anything she gave me. I'm a little bit of a black hole..." he said in a soft voice, giving her hand a gentle squeeze and almost hiding the fact he was holding her hand beneath the table cloth. "I would like that... going out with you again."

Keya could tell Zora and Lakota were totally into each other. She could also tell that they were very shy about it. It was cute. She nodded. "Yes, Lakota swims with killer whales. Well... one killer whale in particular. I should be glad that he never made friends with a shark." Although she was sure if Lakota had been given the opportunity, he would have made friends with one of them too. "Ocean expansive pack jobs..." she teased a bit, giving a small nod. "I think tracking shorebird nests would be much more preferential to swimming with giant oversized marine mammals..." She nodded, giving him a small smile and blushing a bit. "Well, thank you... I will appreciate my three regulars."

[illustratemyillusions]

Zora laughed softly when he said he was a bit of a black hole. "Well, hopefully that means you'll be able to tolerate my cooking. I'm not opening a restaurant anytime soon but I haven't killed either of my siblings yet." She admitted, laughing again. She smiled as he squeezed her hand as he said he'd like to go out again. "Good. Me too." She slowly raised her eyes to look over at Brooks and Keya. "They seem to be getting along..."

"In case I ever get questioned about that by any of my bosses, I'm going to pretend you didn't tell me that." Brooks laughed, shaking his head. He made a face at the idea of swimming with sharks. "Couldn't be me. You couldn't get me down there even in one of those cages." He admitted. He gave her a look when she said his job seemed more preferable. "I don't know, all of this is a bit more impressive than mud and spreadsheets."

[turtle-runner]

He looked at her wondering one question that he'd been afraid to ask this entire time. Fearful if hearing her answer would hurt more than him finding out she cheated on him. More than the sucker punch of hearing the who when he'd confronted Greyson as if the entire situation hadn't mattered. His world crashed down smashed into the tiniest pieces because of Greyson and he didn't even have the decency to remember Stevie's name.

He reached out moving like she was glass trying to be careful as he looked for any fear in her eyes. His fingers moved under her chin lifting her face so he knew she'd meet his eyes. "I need an honest answer from you. Were you afraid of what I'd do if you came to me. Were you afraid of me." he said. He knew he had a temper. He was more like Wesley than he sometimes liked to admit and he worried this girl who he worshiped might have seen him as someone that could harm her in any way.

"I don't hate it because of you. If I hated it at all I would have left. None of my family could fault me for it after all. They all jumped ship the first moment they got. But I don't cause I love this town. I want to do more here I want the Miller name to mean more." he stared at her as she grabbed his hand and he tried to hold his resolve. He was mad. But how could he ever actually be upset with her when she spoke the way she did. When she was able to reach his heart that he wished he could ice over.

[illustratemyillusions]

Stevie didn’t pull away when his fingers slipped beneath her chin. She tilted her eyes up to look at him, her brows furrowing slightly before softening at his question. “Ryder,” she said softly, reaching up to touch his wrist gently, but not pull his hand away from her face. “I was never afraid of you. Not once.” It wasn't a lie to protect his feelings. It was just the truth. “I know you have a temper. I’ve seen you mad. I’ve seen you jealous. I’ve seen you hurt. But I have never looked at you and thought you’d hurt me. Ever.” Not even when she'd gone to him that next morning to tell him about what had happened with Greyson.

She kept her eyes on his. “You were the safest place I had back then. That’s part of what made it so overwhelming. You loved me so fully. You were so proud of me. You believed in me in ways I didn’t even believe in myself yet.” She gave him a small sad smile, shaking her head. “I didn’t think you’d trap me. Or turn me into something I didn’t want to be. If anything, you were the one pushing me to dream bigger.”

She swallowed, her hand still resting against him. “I wasn’t scared of you. I was scared of how much I mattered to you… and how much you mattered to me. And I didn’t trust myself not to ruin something that real.” She knew it didn't make sense. To blow it up when she was so scared of it blowing up. It had just felt like it would be easier to deal with if she could try and control it. "You are so much more than your temper. You aren't your brother. You aren't your family. You aren't someone I needed to escape from. I saw the good in you then. I still do."

[downxbyxthexbay]

Where: O'Malley Pub Whom: Fionn O'Malley @illustratemyillusions

[ Trigger Warning: schizophrenia ]

The call didn’t even ring. It clicked, like someone had picked up, and then it died. 

Sylas stared at the screen like it might ring if he just waited long enough. His thumb hovered over Seth’s name. He hit the call button again. It clicked and died, again. The room in Fionn’s office felt too small all of the sudden. The walls leaned in. The clock ticked too loud. The air tasted like copper, dust, and dread. 

Something’s wrong. No, no, stop. That’s the illness talking. That’s the bad part of your brain, the one that lies. 

He didn’t answer.He’s busy. He’s fine.

But the other voice, the one that always knew how to claw, whispered louder. 

They told him not to answer you. They’re tired of you. Fionn’s going to leave next.You ruin everything you touch.

Sylas pressed his hands over his ears, rocking. “No, no, no, no, no…” he whispered, breath coming fast and sharp. He could feel the medicine in his blood like wet sandbags, slowing him down, but they couldn’t stop the spiral. His stomach flipped. He tried to call again. It went straight to voicemail. He saw Seth lying somewhere. He saw red. He saw sirens. He saw Seth not breathing. 

Sylas slid off the chair and onto the floor without meaning to. His knees hit first, then his palms. He stayed there, hunched, phone clutched in his hand. “Please call,” he whispered to no one. “Please call, please ring…” Nothing. The office spun. His skin felt cold, sweat prickled down his spine. He could hear voices that weren’t there, murmuring like radio static just out of reach. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to breathe the way that doctor had taught him. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. 

It wasn’t helping. 

He’s hurt. He’s dead.You should’ve been there.It’s your fault.

Sylas gagged on his sobs. He forced himself off the floor, legs shaking. The stairs felt endless, like he was walking through Jell-O, hand sliding along the wall so he didn’t fall. Every step echoed so loud in his head. The bar downstairs glowed warm and golden, the low hum of voices and clinks of glasses. Something real. It was real. 

Sylas stumbled into the bar counter. “F-fionn…” His voice broke before he even reached him. He grabbed the edge of the counter to keep from collapsing. Tears were spilling down his face. “Fionn, something’s wrong…” 

People looked at him, but he didn’t see them. He didn’t care. “He’s not answering,” Sylas choked out, “it clicks and then it dies, and I know… I know it sounds crazy. I know…” He was shaking so hard he could barely stand up straight. “Something’s wrong. Seth’s hurt. I know it… he never ignores my calls…” His breath hitched into little sobs and he fell into Fionn’s chest. “Or maybe he hates me. Maybe everyone does. Maybe you’re leaving and they told him not to answer… and… no, no, no… something wrong. Please, Fionn…” He grabbed Fionn’s shirt like a drowning man clutching a rope. His legs gave out and he sank to the floor. “Please, call him… Please, tell me you told him not to answer. Please, don’t let him be hurt…”

[illustratemyillusions]

Fionn had been halfway through pouring a pint when he saw Sylas come down the stairs, and he knew instantly that something was wrong. He had hoped he would never see the wild, glassy look in his eyes again but there it was. He gave a small glance over his shoulder at Dylan. "Take the bar." He instructed her, moving out from behind the counter to Sylas. He caught him, one arm tight around his waist, the other holding the back of his neck. When Sylas started to shake and the words spilled out of him, Fionn just listened to him. “I’ve got you,” he murmured. “Breathe with me.”

When Sylas’s legs gave out, Fionn went down with him, kneeling right there on the pub floor, holding him close. He cupped Sylas’s face gently, brushing tears away with his thumb. “Look at me,” he said softly. “Seth went to Red Haven. You know the service out there is garbage. I'm sure it's just bad reception.” He pressed his forehead lightly against Sylas’s as he unclenched his fingers, holding them in his hand. “You don’t ruin everything you touch,” he added softly, speaking into his blonde hair as he held him. “You’re not poison. And I’m not leaving.”

Fionn pulled his phone from his pocket and brought it up between them. “We’ll call him together.” He dialed Seth and put it on speaker, letting it ring while his fingers traced slowly along Sylas’s spine. “In through your nose. Four counts. I’m counting with you.” His jaw tightened just slightly as it rang, but his voice never wavered. If Seth didn’t answer, Fionn would make other calls. He would send someone if he had to. Red Haven wasn’t beyond reach. He frowned when he didn't answer before dialing the number again.

[ofwildxhearts]

Kane didn’t look up right away when Greyson came back down the hall, but he’d heard the shift in his steps — less hesitation this time. That counted for something. When Greyson spoke, Kane glanced up from the paperwork on the clipboard, eyes steady but not cold. "On the counter’s fine," he said, nodding toward the small cleared space near the sink. His tone stayed even — procedural, but not detached. He watched the way Greyson moved, not suspicious, just observant. It was his job to notice things. "Appreciate you not making this harder than it has to be," Kane added after a second.

"You’d be surprised how many people decide to argue with the rules instead of using them." He capped the sample, setting it into the collection bag with practiced efficiency. When he looked back at Greyson, his expression softened just slightly. "You don’t have to earn ‘good guy’ in one week," he said. "It’s not about perfection. It’s about pattern. You show up. You comply. You try. That’s the pattern I’m looking for." A small pause. "And for what it’s worth… not wanting to be back here? That’s solid motivation. Just make sure you’re building something outside of that too. Staying out of trouble can’t be the only goal. What are you working toward right now?"

[illustratemyillusions]

Greyson set the cup down where Kane indicated, moving to the sink and giving his hands a small rinse. He knew the outside of the container was clean, but just knowing it had urine in it, kind of grossed him out. He slid his hands into the pockets, watching as Kane moved to cap the sample and put it in the bag. “Don't see the point in making it harder,” he said with a small shrug. “Rules are rules. I broke them. That part’s on me.”

“Showing up’s not the hard part.” He admitted quietly. The desire to use was there almost every second of the day. To get drunk and high and forget everything that he was feeling. When Kane asked what he was working toward, he shrugged again. "That's kind of always been the question plaguing my life. I don't know what I want to do. It was so easy for everyone else in my family. They wanted to be vets or doctors or the ranch... I love the ranch, I love helping out but it's Chris's. Chris and I don't work well enough together for it to be ours. Plus, he's got kids to pass it onto now. I just, I don't know. How do you figure out what to do with your life when you don't feel like anything is speaking to you?"

[downxbyxthexbay]

Seth gave a small, breathy chuckle as Parker moaned in approval and verbally announced that he approved. He hummed a bit, letting Parker lay him back against the towel bed they had made for themselves. A soft groan escaped his lips as Parker rutted against him. He took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, yeah… skin to skin is good for body heat…” He lifted his hips up, easing his sweatpants off his hips and down his thighs. 

[illustratemyillusions]

Parker didn't think he would ever forget what the sound of Seth's moans and groans sounded like. They were forever burned into his brain. He smirked slightly when he agreed about the body heat and started to pull his sweatpants off. He lifted off him so they could both pull their pants off. He could feel how hard Seth was and knowing it was for him might just drive him crazy. He reached down, tracing his fingers over Seth's length before wrapping his fingers around him and starting to stroke him. "Do you..have a preference?"

[ofwildxhearts]

"Good, that is really good that she is okay." Estella’s hand squeezed his just slightly in return, a small, relieved smile tugging at her lips. "I know," she murmured, letting her forehead rest gently against his. Her eyes softened as they met his, carrying that quiet mix of gratitude and lingering fear. "I shouldn’t have worried you like that… I just… I panicked."

She let out a soft, shaky laugh, shaking her head. "And yeah, your cologne? Definitely helps. Not that I needed it to remember you’re here." Her thumb traced small circles over the back of his hand, grounding herself in the warmth of him.

"I’m glad," she whispered, voice barely above the hush of the room. “I… I needed to know you weren’t going anywhere." Her lips curved into a more genuine smile now, fragile but steady, as if letting a weight lift just a little. "Promise me you’ll stay, even when the panic isn’t…" She trailed off, letting the words hang, the unspoken pieces caught between them.

[illustratemyillusions]

"Yeah, would have sucked if you acted all heroic for nothing." Benny laughed dryly though he didn't think it was all that funny. He smiled though as she gave his hand a small squeeze. "It's okay. I know you didn't do it just to be reckless. You just can't control how awesome and bad ass you are."

He rolled his eyes as she kept teasing him about the cologne. "Hey, when you wake up later and start stressing out about being in the hospital and you can smell my cologne and it helps ground you...you'll be thankful. Besides, hospitals smell terrible. You'd rather smell me."

He moved his chair a bit closer to the bed when she asked him to stay. "Yeah, of course I'll stay. Its always you and me. Mom and dad can try to kick me out but I won't let them. I wouldn't leave you alone here with them. I can only imagine how they are going to hover."

[ofwildxhearts]

@illustratemyillusions

Whom: Suki Lin & ??

Where: Classic Bar

Suki was just looking for company and a good drink. She had a tough day because some unruly students. So naturally she wanted to relax which is why she had chosen this place out of all the places. Plus it was close to her home so she didn't mind coming to the Classic Bar. Moving over to the bartop, she sat down on the barstool next to someone. "I bet I could make your day better in 10 minutes. Want to know why?" She questioned, looking over at them for a moment.

[illustratemyillusions]

It had been a long day at the office and Jeremy had been begging for more time with Olivia so Nicole found herself out and trying to enjoy the evening. She had just ordered herself a glass of white wine when someone sat down next to her. She looked over at her amused. "Alright, you've intrigued me. How are you going to make my day better?"

[ofwildxhearts]

Brady let out a relieved exhale, the tension leaving his shoulders as he stepped back slightly, wiping a smear of grease from his glove. "Finally," he muttered, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Sounds better than anything I’ve heard all morning." He kicked at a small drift of snow near the plow, sending a puff into the air.

He glanced at Beckett, eyes catching the faint glint of pride in the older man’s expression. "Guess all those ‘expensive lessons’ paid off, huh?" Brady said, shaking his head with a half-laugh. "I’ll try not to add to the tally today… though no promises."

Brady grinned, letting out a small puff of breath that fogged in the cold air. "Yeah, guess I learned early on that standing around staring at snow doesn’t really get the job done," he said, giving Beckett a quick side glance, appreciation in his eyes. He kept the bracket steady, muscles tense but steady under Beckett’s practiced guidance. "Got it," he said as the pin clicked into place, a spark of satisfaction cutting through the chill. He straightened alongside Beckett, brushing snow off his gloves. "Not panicking, check. Stubbornness… well, that’s my specialty," he said with a smirk, tapping the hood of the plow. "Sound good to you, Beck? Because it sounds damn good to me."

[illustratemyillusions]

Beckett gave the blade one more firm shove, watching to make sure it stayed before giving it a nod. “Alright,” he said, smiled. “She’ll work.” He walked toward the truck, motioning for Brady to follow. “Alright. Moment of truth.” He climbed into the driver’s seat and turned the ignition. The engine rumbled low and steady so he lowered the plow slowly. The blade dropped clean, biting into the snow with a heavy scrape that echoed down the street.

“We’re not starting random. We do this smart. First stop’s Sunniside. Clear around the hospital. Ambulances need clean roads.” He clapped Brady on the shoulder once. “After that, we head downtown. Police station and firehouse. They’ve got enough on their plates without digging themselves out every time they roll out.” He thought about it for a minute. “Then we can swing over to the free clinic. Last thing Ellie needs is patients slipping in the parking lot.”

He glanced at Brady, giving him a nod. “You ride shotgun. Watch my blind spots, keep an eye on drifts building up. If I miss a patch, call it out. We can switch off when we need a break.” He pulled out, starting the plow. “Let’s give this town its roads back.”

[ofwildxhearts]

"No problem, you know I don't mind anything that I can do to help you." Paxton glanced at Estella for a moment before back towards Benito. Taking a bite of her food, chewing her food and swallowing it for a moment. "Umm..I was heading somewhere and my car got stuck near where I wanted to be. I was stuck with Bastille Rathbone, which was where I was heading to anyways. He met me like halfway to his place in the snowstorm. What about you?"

[illustratemyillusions]

Benny smiled softly when Paxton said he’d do anything to help. “We’ll just both try and keep me from going crazy.” He chuckled, shaking his head as he looked at Estella again with a sigh. He took another bite of the eggroll, raising his brow as he turned to look at Paxton. “In the middle of the snowstorm you needed a music lesson?” He smirked. “Or is someone a little hot for teacher..” He looked back at Estella. “I was home, waiting for Stella to get off work. Morgan and his boyfriend were over. Bleu ended up coming over once I found out Stella was missing. He wanted to keep me from doing something stupid.”

[downxbyxthexbay]

Fear made its course through his body as Milo agreed that Noah was a good man. He could only think the worst. His brow furrowed and he tucked his hands in his pockets, tapping the heel of his boot on the ground. He nodded at the explanation that he was a Harper. When he mentioned Melanie Harper though, Dawson felt as if someone had reached into his chest and wrapped their hand around his heart. It plummeted to his stomach with that hand still gripped around it. “Mel…” he breathed out, taking a small step back. 

She passed a while back… “I’m sorry to hear that,” You might have been there for only a week but it was long enough…He swallowed his Adam’s apple bobbing as he did. “We got into - uh - a fight the day after we –. She told me she didn’t want to see me ever again. I needed to get out of there. I left… and I got an offer here so I stayed here.” Finally he said it. I think you’re my dad. “Well… shit…” he murmured, giving a weak laugh as he stepped back again. He kicked at the ground slightly, walking in a circle. “You think I’m your dad… one night when I was some stupid kid.” As he looked at Milo though, he could see it. He could see a younger version of maybe not himself because he’d never been big into looking at himself - but Dallas - he could see Dallas.

[illustratemyillusions]

Milo stayed where he was when Dawson stepped back, giving him the space. The shed felt smaller now. Thinner somehow. “I’m not here because I want something,” he said after a moment. “I’ve got a dad. Noah raised me. He’s the one who taught me how to work cattle, how to ride a horse, how to keep my word, how to stand on my own two feet. He’s my dad in every way that matters.” He held Dawson’s gaze. “But biologically? That’s you.”

He could feel Dawson looking at him the same way he'd been studying him, "You see it, don't you? The similarities." He shifted slightly, kicking at the ground. “I didn’t come down here to blow up your life,” he said softly. “I took the job at Gibson because it was close. Figured I’d see who you were before I decided whether saying anything was worth it. I didn’t plan on you delivering feed to my doorstep. I also didn't realize I would spill the beans so quickly.” He let out a small laugh. "I wasn't close with Mel. She was cold, even when I thought she was just my cousin." He said plainly. “So I can’t tell you how she felt. I don’t know if that night mattered to her or not. I only know what Noah told me. He said you didn’t know. Said she never gave you the chance to. I thought you deserved the chance.."

[downxbyxthexbay]

Seth let out a soft moan, head falling back as Parker's fingers trailed down his chest and abs and toward his happy trail. The way his tongue swirled around his nipples and the piercings. He smirked a bit, unable to keep from chuckling. "It was my act of teenage rebellion. Sylas pierced them for me..." He cupped Parker's cheek and leaned in to kiss him deeply.

[illustratemyillusions]

Parker moaned softly against Seth's chest as his tongue played with the piercing. "Well, I approve." He laughed softly, leaning into his touch and deepening the kiss. He moved to lay Seth down on the towels, rutting against him. "Do you think..we should take off the rest of our clothes...for body heat?" He panted softly, shivering but not from the cold.

[rip0penscars]

@illustratemyillusions

The Who: Harley & Brooks

Where: Their Place

Harley shifted nervously in the doorway, holding a small shopping bag filled with fresh ingredients. The air in Turtle Bay smelled faintly of salt and sun, a sharp contrast to the chaos she’d left behind. She took a deep breath, running a hand through her hair, then knocked gently on the bedroom door, having not even stopped at the kitchen when she came home.

“Hey… Brooks?” Her voice was soft, tentative, carrying that familiar warmth she hoped he’d still recognize. “It’s… it’s me. I, uh… I was thinking, maybe later we can cook dinner together for us? Just the two of us. I know things have been… complicated, and I just wanted to check in with you first before I… reach out to Isaac. I thought maybe we could… reconnect a little, you and me.” She shifted from foot to foot, trying to read his expression through the doorframe, hoping he’d still let her in.

[illustratemyillusions]

It had been a long day at work and Brooks had been sitting on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees, staring at the same spot on the floor since he got home. He heard her come in. He was pretty sure he'd always recognize the sound of her footsteps. "Doors open." He slid back on the bed, leaning back against the headboard. The grocery bag in her hand caught his attention. “You didn’t even go to the kitchen first,” he pointed out. “That’s how I know this isn’t just about dinner.”

At the mention of Isaac, he let out a small sigh. He still wasn't exactly sure how to feel about the brother he never knew. “I don’t want you tiptoeing around me,” he admitted, meeting her eyes. “If you want to talk to him, you should.” He pushed himself off the bed and walked over to help take the bags from her. “But I’d… yeah. I’d like dinner. Just us."

[ofwildxhearts]

Jennifer chuckled lightly, shaking her head a little bit. "That is true, but I wasn't exactly home until a few minutes before the power went out." The blonde pointed out right back at him. Shrugging a little bit. "Well it helps that you are an amazing dad." Smiling when he squeezed her hand. "Hmm..how about some trashy rom coms? Or maybe something funny?"

[illustratemyillusions]

"See, I wasn't exactly aware of the whole timeline." Levi teased. "But now I'm just relieved you got home before the power went out. I can't believe mom let you out in that storm at all." He stretched out on the couch with a relieved sigh. "Thanks, you're a pretty great daughter." He gave her hand another squeeze before dropping it. "Yeah, that works.. Definitely something light. I can't handle too much depth right now."