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ravi varghese | manager @ mike's rhode house | 32 | single father send help.

[ravivarghese]

ofeliaortcga​:

– 

The sight that greeted her wasn’t one that she was used to, especially not from this man. He had always been the one to pick her up. He’d pulled her from the ocean as the wedding dress she had decided to swim in had gotten too much, he’d gotten her a job at Mikes, set her up with the good landlord. Sure he had his flaws, every did but Ravi was so good and so steady and this was….this was so wrong. 

Eyes followed his hands and given the lack of coordination he seemed to have gave her a good indication on just how much he had drunk, what she couldn’t figure out is why - and where the fuck was Stella? “Hey big guy, wanna tell me what celebration I missed?” Ofelia asked, though the chefs voice was quiet as she moved to his side, not taking the seat and instead shifting him slightly so that he was back up right again. 

“Hey Rav look at me, what’s going on?” 

.

Concern leaked into her voice and stole all of his bravado. He shrank in on himself as the misery threatened to consume him and he found it difficult to look her in the face. Ofelia with her large brown eyes that reminded him of Stella’s. The concern in her voice and the furrow of her brow. It all felt like too much.

“The return of Stella’s mother,” he said, his voice turning bitter as his eyes fell to the marbled countertop. “She blew in like a goddamn hurricane, said she was taking back Stella, and actually did it. Can you believe that? Just like that.” He laughed, though the sound was bitter and broken. “Don’t know if I’m gonna get her back. I don’t even know if I’m gonna see her again. You know, this is what I wanted in the beginning. When she just abandoned her in my living room. She cried all night and nothing I did seemed to soothe her. And I just kept thinking god, I don’t want to do this. So maybe this is just... punishment for that. For asking for it at all.”

[ravivarghese]

romanticalily​:

.

Stella isn’t here. That explained the silence and the lack of a toddler’s excited face upon hearing Lily’s voice. Perhaps she was out with another one of Ravi’s friends for the afternoon. “What about tomorrow? I only work half-day, I can come take her out then.” His demeanor indicated that it was something more serious than someone else simply having Stella for a little while. Worry crossed her features, trying to calm her mind that was already thinking of the worst case scenario. Was she in the hospital or something along those lines? “Where is she? Is she okay?” Her brows furrowed and Lily willed her heart to stop racing. Relax, you’re getting working up. For all you know, Bash is babysitting today. Repeating the lines in her mind, Lily smoothed out her jacket and shifted her weight from left to right. “Is there anything I can do?”

.

Lily’s sunshine and optimism made Ravi feel as though he needed to avert his eyes. It was too bright, too much, in the dimness of his heart. “She’s with her mother. I don’t know when or if she’s coming back,” he said frankly, voice monotone so that the truth of it couldn’t touch him. Even though it still did. “Apparently, you can drop your nine month old daughter off on someone who’s essentially a total stranger and come back six months later demanding her back, and the courts will grant you your wish like a goddamn fairy god mother.”

[ravivarghese]

aurorabulan​:

It was funny how set plans seemed to unravel, no matter how many times she played the scenarios in her mind, she never quite got it right. This certainly was proof of one of the ways she’d never accounted for. Aurora wasn’t the type to be bitter about not hearing life-altering news straight from the source, in fact she was wildly supportive of Ravi’s right to his privacy, even if she did end up hearing the news anyway through Lily. But now, as he spilled over like a tea kettle that’d been on the burner for far too long, saying his daughters name, saying she had been effectively taken from him. Everything came crashing down on her all at once.

The smile she had put on to be brave faltered. The laugh that escaped him without a hint of humor wasn’t the same one that made those familiar butterflies run rampant in her abdomen. He wasn’t a shell but it was obvious how badly this turn of events had taken a toll on him. It was situation she couldn’t even relate to, but his pain tore at her all of the same. It was a lot more than she wanted to hear about the question, he’d said. Trapped in her mouth was the urge to say, ‘I want to hear everything from you.’

“Thank you for trusting me with that information,” She began, edging away from sounding helpless. “I don’t understand how they could have granted her that after everything.” Though the only thing Aurora knew was that Stella had been dropped on his door step, and Ravi just sprung into action to be the good father that she never once thought he couldn’t be. “Don’t apologize, I can’t imagine how hard that must be. You’ll get her back though, won’t you?” 

He held his hands up and her hand twitched from where it rested on the podium. Thoughts of how she used to splay her hands within his own to note the notable size difference replayed in her mind like a film she could never burn. She could hear Lily in her mind offering her the advice to let things be, that Ravi had his path and Aurora had hers. That maybe this was just a leap that saved her from any more red flags that would have hurt more in the long run. That maybe one day she’d laugh at having ironically similar Halloween costumes without planning it and enjoy the night with someone else who could give her everything she was looking for. Maybe. Who knew she could feel this strongly for someone who wasn’t formally hers? 

It remained true even now, despite how much she had been hurting from what could have been. “I don’t know what its worth to you these days, but you can still call on me, if you want to.” She said softly. There was so much that had been left unsaid, so many things that had unraveled, but closing the door on Ravi for good unfortunately wasn’t an option for Aurora, not just yet. 

.

Once the words had been spoken, he felt spent. As though every sleepless hour was now closing in on him, making him unsteady on his feet. It only got more real the more people he uttered those words to. He had been trying his best to hide behind every shadowed outlier, like a roach escaping the light, but it was catching up to him all the same.

He shook his head at Aurora’s words, his sentiments mirrored exactly. On paper, though, he supposed he could understand. If they pushed the post-partum narrative and leaned heavily on the kind of company Ravi kept without understanding the souls that loved Stella just as much as he did, then they’d see felonies and questionable life choices, friends as babysitters, a home he couldn’t technically afford.

It all stacked up against him like jenga blocks. Each one more precarious than the last. He wondered when it would all finally topple.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said honestly, tiredly. “The court doesn’t care about details, they only care about facts. And right now, the facts are that one of my best friends has a record, I live in a house I shouldn’t technically be able to afford, and I rely on friends rather than steady daycare. They can afford the kind of lawyer I can’t, so I just... I don’t know.”

It occurred to him again, that he was walloping her with this. Aurora who had been there, probably would have always been there, the very same whom he’d left without a word. She was too good. Too good for him, too good for this town, just... too good.

And then she spoke and what little fractured pieces remained of his heart shattered. “Aurora--” He shook his head, brows furrowing. Had he made her feel like that? The thought felt like raking himself over hot coals and he made to reach for her before he stopped himself. “It’s worth everything,” he said, voice nearly a whisper. “Just because... things happened the way they did, doesn’t mean I--” Jesus, this felt like another one of those wrong-time moments. He was in a spiral, in such a precarious position with Stella and her future. He didn’t want to react out of emotional exhaustion even as he knew in his bones he meant every word. “I never stopped caring. I’ll never stop caring.” Or wanting.

[ravivarghese]

bashlandry​:

The tiny roar escaping from the small girl with such perfect riming had Bash raise his brows impressively before he chuckled. It died out slowly while he tipped his head forward and shook his head slowly; but it obviously meant Ravi was right. He must have seen Lily around too, maybe they’d even talked. Of course they probably had. Lily loved Stella. ❛ Bet she’s been going all around town tonight reminding everyone how useless the lumberjack was in the story, since she saw my outfit, ❜ he said, letting out a small scoff with dry amusement. ❛ Wasn’t even on fuckin’ purpose, man. I just look good in plaid, y’know? ❜

.

Ravi’s eyes, which had softened as they fell on Stella, slid back to Bash. His lips pulled down and he sighed. “Try not to let it get to you, man. Breakups are hard on a good day, and people deal with them in all sorts of ways. Right now, shit talking the ex who showed up in a matching costume-- accident or not-- is her way of dealing. So, you’ve got two options. You can react, which will only give her an opportunity to shit talk you more. Or, you can go on with your night like it doesn’t bother you at all.” 

Ravi raised his brows as he looked over at Bash, opening his mouth to say more when Stella, in a voice clearer than she should have been capable, said, “Shit!”

Well. Shit.

[ravivarghese]

bashlandry​:

      Nodding in agreement Bash let his eyes down from Ravi to the little girl who took her time noticing Bash was even there. To no surprise honestly, there was a lot of things going on around them and Stella seemed to want to take in all of it at once. ❛ Maybe Godzilla for next year? ❜ he suggested, chuckling when his friend’s daughter finally caught him with her eyes. He raised a hand, childishly waving down at the child with widened eyes before he rolled them back in his head for a short second, tilting his head at Ravi. ❛ I have been up to perfectly normal things, ❜ he announced, carefully swinging his fake axe a little bit. ❛ You know, just chopping down trees and not saving anyone from wolves, ❜ he said, scoffing as he recalled his brief conversation with Lily who was dressed as Red Riding Hood.

.

“Godzilla,” Ravi said with a nod. “Now that seems a little more on scale.” He tapped the stop of Stella’s head gently, making her look up at him. And the girl had amazing timing because she crinkled her little nose and let out the cutest roar he’d ever heard. He laughed heartily and shook his head as his eyes returned to Bash once more. His words and the way he said them had Ravi’s thoughts narrowing down on one particular brunette he’d seen briefly earlier in the night. “Ah,” he said, nodding to himself. “I don’t suppose that has anything to do with a certain Red Riding Hood walking around here somewhere, does it?”

[ravivarghese]

aurorabulan​:

This was the first time Aurora could feel every muscle in her face holding up a smile when a wave of concern washed over her. She’d seen Ravi in a state of fatigue, often joking with him that he was going to work himself to the bone if he didn’t step back sometimes. It was one of things that Aurora respected about the man, how he’d had such strong work ethic, how he was able to adapt on his feet no matter the situation, so what was it that made it so hard to adapt in keeping her in the loop? Maybe that was the part that was too much to ask for. 

When he said her name, she felt like she could have keeled over. Why did it sound like her name had always been meant to be said by him? Even with the shaky exhale, a part of her wanted to will him to say it again. Say it so then she knew that she existed in the recesses of his mind even when it felt like she’d simply vanished from his axis altogether. 

She hadn’t realized she was holding her breath then until a breathy chuckle fell from her lips. Tucking back a strand of hair behind her ear, she could feel her hands twist together as she tried to correlate a thought. How was she? Getting by as she always did, saying her mantra over and over again that things come and go, some things were not always meant to be, yet her heart even now still felt the sting of having what could have been playing over in her mind over and over again. “I’m okay,” She said honestly, “Busy at work.” It was short but honest, the one thing she found she could never do in this life was lie, but especially to Ravi. 

Her hand reached out, maybe out of habit but the trajectory was to come up to his face. Instead it landed on the podium that separated them. There were circles underneath his eyes, his beard was slightly unkempt more than usual, but she figured between work and keeping up with Stella he must have been pulled at every corner. “You?” She managed. “You look exhausted.” 

.

The restaurant seemed to blur around them, the noises filtered out into background noise, and for one single second, he maybe understood how Aless lost his mind just enough to make his stand in a room full of people. 

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and his eyes tracked the movement. His fingers twitched as though they remembered begging to travel that very same path and longed to trace it now. Those six months without her-- the radio silence, looking up to make a face at her after arguing with a particularly difficult customer and finding no one looking back-- all came roaring back, pointing their accusatory fingers at him because how did he let this go?

And then she spoke-- you look exhausted-- and the whys came slamming back down into sharp focus. He laughed once, though the sound was entirely without humor, and rubbed at his tired eyes. It was like the moment she called attention to it, he suddenly felt every waking hour, every hollow minute. He wanted to crawl back into that fleeting feeling they’d shared only a moment before, that lungful of fresh air when it all didn’t feel so bleak.

But he couldn’t.

He went to war with himself about what exactly to tell her. Stella had been the thing that drove them apart in the end. Would she even want to know? Was it too heavy a conversation to dump on his Almost? He decided for stark honesty. “It’s, uh, it’s been a pretty bad week, yeah,” he admitted, eyes flicking down to where her hand rested on the podium, something about it making his heart squeeze uncomfortably. “Stella’s mom showed back up unannounced-- she’s real good at that-- and the courts granted her temporary custody while we wait for our hearing. So.” He laughed-- again, the sound entirely without humor-- and shook his head. “I feel like that’s a lot more than you wanted out of that question, and I’m really sorry. I’m just--” He shook his head again and held up his hands in surrender. “It sucks.” Understatement. 

He looked at her again, his gaze lingering for a long moment. She was so beautiful that it was almost painful. She deserved better than this and better than him. And that’s when he remembered-- she wasn’t even here for him. “Oh, shit, right. Your food. Sorry, I’ll get that ready for you.”

[fvkophelia]

Closed start for Ofelia & Ravi | @ravivarghese

Ofelia was pretty sure there was still sleep in her eyes as she pulled up to a stop at Mike’s. The sun was just considering rising for the day and she was more than a little offended that she’d had to leaving a very soundly sleeping Aless in her bed but the morning shift was calling and there would be hell to pay if she hadn’t prepped enough food because she hadn’t dragged her arse out of bed early enough. Even in her sleepy state though Ofelia noted that something was wrong at the light she could see through the blinds, just one, but more than she had expected to be left on after Ravi had closed up the night before. She was the first one in when it was such an early start but it didn’t seem like the Rhode House was as empty as she had thought it would be. 

Whilst this would have been a bright time to call the cops Ofelia wasn’t one to ever really scare easy and having reached for the base ball bat in the back of her truck the small chef made her way inside, keys gently allowing her entrance with one hand as other clutched at her bat. It didn’t take long for the bat to lower though, as Ravi came into sight and a frown fell on her features as she took in the man propped at the bar, one hand wrapped around an empty bottle and the other keeping him up apparently. “Rav…what the hell is going on?” 

[ravivarghese]

They say the first nights are the hardest, but Ravi wasn’t sure it was going to be any easier to face tomorrow or the day after that or the day after that...

After being court ordered to hand over his daughter, the thought of going home again, of seeing the toys that still lay scattered on the floor, of the tiny shoes and socks and clothes, her food that took over his pantry... He just couldn’t go home. So, he’d gone to the Rhode House after hours and drunk himself stupid. It was the only way to chase off the sounds of the judge, the look on Theo’s face, that last hug he’d given Stella when he knew he’d have to let her go and had no idea when he’d see her again. He wanted to block it all out.

So, he drank. 

When the lights flicked on, his reaction came several seconds after the fact, blink heavily to block it out. “It’s too bright, turn it off,” he slurred, before his eyes settled on Ofelia. Blinking heavily once more, he called out to her. “Hey hey. O. Come. Sit.” He reached to pat the stool beside him, but he over-judged the space and his hand went right past it, nearly knocking him off balance before tried once more, this time striking true. “Grab a glass and drink with me. We’re celebrating.”

[romanticalily]

closed starter for @ravivarghese​ location: ravi’s home

Lily had known for a while that children were in the future for her, but she wasn’t in a rush at that point. Not only because she knew that many options were available to her when it came to family planning, but because she was at that stage where a few hours with Stella satisfied her. She had texted Ravi to let him know that her afternoon meeting with a client had been cancelled, so she had some time and would love to swing by and see him and Stella if he was home. She hadn’t heard from him, but he was on her way home so she figured she’d pass through anyway. Knocking on the door, Lily offered him a smile and glanced behind his figure, as if to look for the toddler herself. “Not sure if you got my text, I got an afternoon off unexpectedly. I know I’ve been promising to come by and see Stella, so I figured I’d check in. No worries if you guys are having father-daughter time, I can come by another time. Everything okay?”

[ravivarghese]

Being home felt like being in hell. The silence was too loud, the toys still scattered across the floor mocked him. It wasn’t permanent-- at least not yet-- but the fact that the court had deemed her a better fit than him? That her situation with him was considered an emergency? He already felt like he’d lost. They would always side with the mom. 

His phone, that he religiously kept charged in case of emergencies involving Stella, was now dead and shoved in the drawer of his nightstand. He was feeling sorry for himself, he knew that. But what was he to do? The courts had granted temporary custody to Theo for two weeks. He had nothing to do now but await the final ruling. One he was beginning to feel was growing bleaker and bleaker.

He nearly ignored the knock on door, but hope-- whatever little bit he still clung to-- had him moving towards it. Pulling it open, his eyes settled on Lily. She was vibrant and smiling, and it made something squeeze uncomfortably in his chest. “Stella isn’t here,” he said in a monotone, though each word felt like a blade.

[ravivarghese]

theosloan​:

– 

“I didn’t think you would be that selfish.” Theo answered at his demands, her eyes void of any emotions. She had been hoping that maybe this was going to go nicely, that she would get here and he would be grateful, ready to hand Stella over and get back on with the life that she had so easily interrupted when she had dropped their daughter off on his door steps. But of course this couldn’t have been easy. 

His defiance and straight up refusal to argue with what he could see in black on white on the page in front of him just proof that she had done good picking who could look after Stella whilst she was getting her shit together. Or at least she could tell herself that anyway. 

“I can come back here with anyone you want but do you really want to put Stella through that, a bunch of strangers storming in here? You being arrested if you make a scene. She is my child Ravi and she belongs with me. I’m grateful you looked after her but I’m…” Theo found herself pausing as she looked for a way to tell him why she was here, to muster a way that she could put this across without putting herself in a bad light, she couldn’t say that she was ready now because that was a lie too big even for her. 

“I’m better now and I’m the best thing for that little girl now stop making this harder than it needs to be.” 

.

“I’m selfish? God, do you hear yourself? You left her. You left. She had to get used to a new routine, a new life, a new parent. She’s happy and settled and you want to take her back because, what? You suddenly grew a conscience? I won’t let you have her.” Ravi shook his head as if this situation was too outrageous to be real.

Please don’t let it be real.

Even if Stella wasn’t... God, he couldn’t even think the words. How could she not be his? She had his eyes. He refused to believe it. Refused to falter beneath her demands. She was wrong.

“Get a lawyer, Theo,” he said, turning his back on her as he slipped inside and slammed the door.

[aurorabulan]

location: Mike’s Rhode house with: @ravivarghese​

Maybe it was due to Cora’s gift of Red (Taylor’s Version) on vinyl, or perhaps Aurora was tired of making excuses of avoiding a simple building due to what was behind or at least could have been behind said doors. She didn’t need to think about the times she found herself walking in for an order of takeout and seeing Ravi handling unruly customers before giving her a curt nod and a smile. She didn’t need to think about how he’d walk her back to her car and explain the difference between the base of a clear soup and a chowder with gusto. She didn’t need to see the sparkle in his eyes when he talked about the joys he felt being in music but not being mad about the steady career path he’d had in food service. She didn’t need to remember the way he looked down at her like he was looking at a secret she was giving, when really she was offering him silently an oath of devotion if he wanted that from her. But as all things went, they were so close yet so far from what could have been. His sudden silence was one that came as a surprise, one that for the first time in her life caused a pang in her chest because she wished she could have done more while thinking she hadn’t done enough. It didn’t make it any easier either, hearing from Lily that the thing that had turned his world upside was a surprise daughter, one that was dropped off at his doorstep without rhyme or reason. Oh. All the while, she felt herself wanting to be selfish for the first time in her life, she knew she couldn’t ask that of him, especially as he was doing something so selfless. 

Aurora had ordered a lunch special, something she was sure would be whipped up nice and easy. If she could just get through the door, look at the decor and make peace with it, then she could close the chapter forever. Ravi had his life, Aurora had to live her own. She could reclaim the Rhode House as a sometimes staple rather than a constant, and she could finally heal, couldn’t she? All of that sounded like a clear plan in mind, but when she got up to the podium and saw Ravi turn around to face her for the first time in months, she swore she could feel her heart skipping a bit. Don’t. Just smile and wave. “Hey Ravi, long time no see.” She lamely said instead. “I’m -…uh picking up?” 

[ravivarghese]

He’d been picking up every single shift he could, working himself to the bone to keep from going home to that empty, desolate house that had once been filled with laughter and light. Her toys still littered the ground as though she’d be right back. But the uncertainty haunted him. Haunted him so much that he simply couldn’t be there, couldn’t stand to look at it. 

So, he was here. James had called in sick and Ravi had jumped at the opportunity to stick around. Which, tonight, meant running the to-go orders and playing host at the podium. He was doing a decent job of keeping it together. His movements were mechanical as he grabbed the to-go order from the kitchen window and set it in the warmer. He hadn’t even glanced at the name, because if he had---

He turned around only to come face to face with Aurora. The air left his lungs in a sudden rush and wow, the world was cruel. He’d fallen so hard and so fast for her, had coveted her smiles and worked for each melodic sound of laughter. He’d traced her dimples with his thumb, had imagined tracing them with his lips. And then right before he’d gathered up the courage to try, Stella had been thrust into his life, had shaken it up and let the pieces fall where they may. 

Was this the universe’s way of saying one simply couldn’t exist in the same space as the other? Stella was gone and now here she was. An angel of his past that stirred up this yearning in his chest as though time had done nothing to dull it. “Aurora,” he said, her name a shaky exhale. For that single moment, he forgot. Forgot how empty and hollowed out Theo had left him when she’d taken Stella, how desolate and broken he felt. He lunged for the feeling, held onto it for dear life, because for a moment, it felt like breathing when he’d been underwater for so long.

“It’s good to see you,” he said honestly, eyes begging to trail down the length of her, to see her again if only to convince himself she wasn’t simply an apparition who’d haunted him for a time. “How are you?”

[ravivarghese]

chloexli​:

~

Chloe knew some of the struggle that came with child rearing. Her stay with Adella was enough for her to be able to empathize with any parent. It had also given her enough skill to learn to entertain a toddler long enough for their parents to have some time to breathe. Offering her hand down to Stella, Chloe nodded. “I guess that’s why they say it takes a village, huh?” Chloe glanced down at Stella. “Alright, wild child, are we walking or riding?” She used her free hand to tap the brim of Stella’s hat.

.

“A village, half a continent. Same thing,” Ravi said with an easy grin. Honestly, without his support system, he was sure he would have been crushed beneath the responsibility of Stella. He’d been wholly unprepared. Most people got a generous nine months to ready themselves. He’d barely had nine seconds. 

He watched the exchange between Stella and Chloe with a private smile, watched as Stella laughed gleefully and then held her arms up for Chloe to pick her up. “Now you’ve gone and done it. I’m going to have to pry her from you with a crowbar.”

Their little group made their way towards the food, the smell of funnel cake wafting out towards them, beckoning them forward. Ravi reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet as they stepped into line. “What are you getting? It’s on me. For the extra two hands.”

[ravivarghese]

alessxdinatale​:

Aless brought his hand over his heart, “No Dad, please don’t be disappointed!” He exclaimed, laughing as he shook his head about Ravi’s ‘father’ demeanor. For all intents and purposes and though Ravi had explained that his parenting was by the cuff of his pants, anyone in town could see just how devoted the man was to his daughter. He looked at Stella, saw how prominent a lot of Ravi’s features were displayed on her own and he couldn’t help but hear a thought in the back of his mind about how surreal it would be to have a little one that looked like himself and perhaps even Ofelia some day. 

“She’s gonna be cooler than you regardless of anything else you might do in this lifetime Ravi, hate to break it to you,” He teased. Just then, Aless looked in his palette of press on tattoos finding a matching Gonzo one for Ravi to apply. “Whenever you place her down for the night, you just have to press this with a wet and warm cloth for a couple of seconds. The imprint will transfer and then you’ll get to match.” He said with a grin. 

Then Ravi’s comment about the chef who happened to be the man’s very employee struck him and he suddenly got bashful. “Uh, I mean yeah it is,” Aless said, but we’re not meeting till later, “I owe you too much anyway after I caused a scene in your business.” He looked down to the floor then, “I don’t know if I ever formally apologized about that but you know, I’m good for business indefinitely now.” 

.

Ravi held onto the stern look for only a moment longer before it cracked away beneath the sound of Aless’ laughter. His quickly joined in and even Stella giggled. His eyes were on the little girl when Aless spoke again and he could only nod his head in agreement. “Guess I can’t argue with that,” he laughed, reaching out and giving a gentle tug to Stella’s inch-long pigtail, which only made her laugh louder.

The sound made his chest squeeze. God, he loved that little girl.

He pocketed the stick-on tat with a nod and then settled his gaze on this love-struck version of his friend. It was a look he saw mirrored in Ofelia’s own eyes and he was happy for them. Less so when it was playing out like a movie in the dining room of his place of work, but hey. He’d give a little leeway for love.

Once.

“Listen, you get one free one a year only so I can guilt you into free babysitting. But that’s it.” He fixed Aless with another one of his stern father stares before it cracked open with another smile. “I’m going to get this one home, when you see Morticia, tell her I better see her bright and early tomorrow. And thanks, man. For watching her. I really appreciate it.” Clapping Aless on the back, he scooped up Stella and threw her onto his shoulders where she squealed with glee. And then promptly slapped him on the forehead. He turned back to Aless and mouthed help me before he disappeared through the door and back into the energy of the festival.

[ravivarghese]

theosloan​:

– 

Had she been able to hear anything other than the demands of her parents to return with their grand child or not return at all, she might have been able to take a moment to process the amount of guilt that she felt as his face dropped. She didn’t want to do this. But that didn’t mean that she didn’t have to, that it wasn’t going to be best in the long run when she got over herself and she remember why she was here. 

But it hurt. 

It hurt to see that look on anyone’s face but to know that she was the cause? Theodora might not have known him long, and their night together had been just that, a night, she had still gotten to know enough about him to know that he had deserved a chance at raising their child and that she could trust him to do a good job of it and yet here she was. Letting him process what she had just said the woman took a step back as he moved out onto the porch with her, letting the lines she had rehearsed a million times in the car on the way over here so that she wouldn’t mess it up when she saw him. “No Ravi.” 

Handing over the birth certificate of Stella, with only her name on the firefighter shook her head. “She’s mine…you were just the nicest of a few options I could leave her with whilst I got my head together.” 

.

No, Ravi.

Two words. They shouldn’t have held the power to shake him to the core, but they did. His hands began to shake as he clenched them to fists at his side, his focus sharpening until he felt sick to his stomach.

Idly, he knew she was handing him something, but it took him a long moment to drag his gaze to it. Eyes tracing the words birth certificate drew a small whimper from him, some innate part of himself already knowing what he would see.

Or, rather, what he wouldn’t.

Still, he fought the tightness in his throat with a thick swallow. “No,” he said, almost more to himself than to her. He dragged his eyes away from the paper-- a piece of paper that was supposed to wield more power than the love he had for that little girl inside-- and repeated, more firmly, “No. You come back here with a lawyer or a warrant or the whole fucking King’s Head police force because there is no way I’m handing you my daughter without a fight. So make sure that’s what you really want.”

[ravivarghese]

msadellaperez​:

Sometimes, Adella worried about being too much for people; even though she was the quietest of her family, there was always that worry that how big her heart was just came across as pushy or overbearing. Most times, her friends told her that was crazy, but when it came to those junior high like emotions she felt around Ravi, it was like her head was screaming at her to play it cool while her heart ached for what had almost been. Timing just wasn’t their strong suit, but that didn’t stop Adella from helping him with the baby, or checking in on him to see how he was doing. Just because they were in this sort of limbo didn’t mean she was going to stop caring about him- she couldn’t if she tried.

When he confirmed that his daughter was asleep, Adella winced and glanced down at her daughter, who was staring up at Ravi with big, brown eyes that held so much emotion for someone so small. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have just come over,” She exclaimed with a faint darkness tinting her cheeks, while Valeria giggled at her side and held up her pudgy little hand for a high five from one of her favorite friends. “Moana turned off,” She informed Ravi solemnly, long eyelashes fluttering as she pouted at her mother’s side. “I didn’t do anything, I’m incapable of cooking enough for one person, so there’s always leftovers. Plus, I remember trying to cook with a baby,” The brunette reassured him immediately, hesitating when he invited her inside. “I don’t want to mess with bedtime, I’ve probably intruded enough,” Adella laughed weakly, although all she wanted to do was accept his invitation and spend more time with him. Then Valeria was pushing past their legs and walking right in as if she owned the place, and Della sighed before racing after her daughter. “You need to be quiet, mija, the baby is asleep,” The mother’s fingers deftly signed as she spoke softly,, and Valeria nodded solemnly, looking like a perfect copy of her mother.

.

Ravi immediately waved away Della’s concern. “Maybe I should be a little more clear, she’s not just sleeping. She’s been clobbered over the head by a train-sized sugar crash and I don’t think anything could wake her up right now.” 

His attention shifted to a giggling Valeria who seemed to forget she was supposed to be pouting until after he gave her a high-five, and then Ravi’s face mirrored hers. “It turned off? Well, we can’t have that, can we?” His signing left much to be desired, but he did his best to sign each word as he spoke it. Reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone to see that his battery still had most of its life, he opened up the Disney Plus app and readied Moana-- this he was a pro at-- while Della spoke. He laughed a little to himself as Valeria barreled right past and as he turned to watch Adella chase after her little one, something in his heart seized. A glimpse into a future that belonged to another life. 

“You’re really not imposing,” he insisted, though he wasn’t really sure which was the better call here: sending her away, or letting her stay. They both felt trepidatious in their own right. “I’ve got Moana queued up on the phone and ready to go if you want a little peace and quiet yourself. You’re both welcome here anytime.” 

He hoped there would never come a time where he regretted that open-ended invitation. 

[ravivarghese]

ofeliaortcga​:

– 

Ofelia felt a warmth in her chest at the little brown eyes so like her fathers as she took Stella in her arms. Kids had always felt like a future thing for her, like they were at the end of the tunnel, she always felt like they were a thing that she would have done one day, but watching how Ravi had taken it in his stride made it seem like it was just a little bit more possible to have both at the same time. Whether or not she would was another matter but the idea of a little human, half of her and a mix of someone else, of Aless maybe - the thought was enough to stir her stomach a little. 

At his confession to giving her candy Ofelia pressed her lips together in attempts to suppress her smile at the thought. “You do realize she’s a little human and you have her pure sugar right, even that tiny bite will have been an over load for her so it’s really not a surprise.” It was still awfully entertaining watching him figure things out but god had he come away from the man he was six months ago when his life had been thrown upside down. “I think you might have been the only person that didn’t know that but don’t worry, you’ll know next time.”

Cooing over the infant now playing with the edges of her dress happily she turned her gaze back to Ravi. “He’s around somewhere, seems he’s pretty popular around here and no one just ever thought to introduce the two of us. No plans to ditch him any time soon though I only just got him.” 

.

“You know, that sounds a little like judgement and I don’t think I appreciate your tone,” Ravi joked, eyes sliding to Stella with a sigh. “Believe me, I learned my lesson. No more sugar until she’s at least thirty-five.”

Despite the easy way he joked about it, he was harder on himself than he knew he needed to be in situations like this. He still sometimes felt just as unprepared as he did the day Theodora had left her in his living room. He wanted to be good at this, wanted to excel the way he did in most things. But he was learning every day. And today that lesson was babies and cotton candy mixed like fire and gasoline. 

His eyes lingered a moment longer on the way Stella clung to Ofelia’s dress before he slid his eyes back to Ofelia. “That’s good to hear. I think the restaurant is good on live romcom reenactments for a while.”

[ravivarghese]

theosloan​:

– 

Seeing him was harder and easier than she was expecting. On one hand she felt absolutely nothing, his face remained the same as it always had, one she had known for a night and then she had seen once more as she had dropped of their child - she didn’t miss the subtle changes though, he seemed more tired, there were lines around his eyes that hadn’t been there before and then the only feeling she really had about this man came rushing to the surface. Guilt. She felt an overwhelming sense of it flood every part of her, like she could feel it in her toes and her finger tips. 

She was going to make a comment on his attire but his response to her hello was a clear sign that they weren’t about to be nice, the use of her full name on solidifying that fact. “Well I guess we’re not doing pleasantries so I guess I’ll get right to it.” Tugging at her fingers once more her eyes moved to the smallest of gaps over his shoulder where she could in fact see nothing of the house that held Stella. “I’m here to take my daughter home.” 

.

This was his worst fear.

He didn’t realize it until this moment, because up until right now, he’d never expected this moment to come. But now that it was here, dread slipped into his veins like ice, spreading through him until he was frozen solid where he stood. He opened and closed his mouth several times as words danced on the tip of his tongue only to die out before they took shape. 

She couldn’t just show up like this, right? She couldn’t just take her?

Stepping out of his house entirely and shutting the door behind him, he straightened, studying her with a sort of intensity that begged her to take it all back. To say just kidding and dispel the black magic before it had a chance to warp the life he’d built for himself and the little girl inside he loved more than anything else in the entire world. “No,” he said finally, firmly. “You think you can just show up after abandoning her in my living room and just take her back like you have any right? You’re out of your fucking mind if you think I’m going to just give her to you. She’s my daughter.”

[ravivarghese]

alessxdinatale​:

Whatever the emergency had been at the restaurant it seemed that the man had very quickly settled it. Being in any type of work that had to deal with customer service was something that Aless could sympathize with, but with the horror stories he’d heard from both the manager and the chef he was presently spending a good portion of his time with, Aless couldn’t help but think some of the stories just sounded like something that was out of a television show. “What happened now? Soup wasn’t a perfect temperature to their own thermometers standards?” Aless asked right before he watched as Ravi strode across the space in just a few steps, looking at Stella’s new arm pieces. There was a beat of silence, one that made Aless wonder had he overstepped a boundary and asked Ravi with a quick text if it would be okay? The tattoos themselves were easily washable and would probably fray in a matter of a couple washes, but just as Aless thought he was going to be chewed out, Ravi’s laugh and incredulous tone had Aless relaxing. “I really thought you were going to lecture me man, that’s such a dad thing to do.” He teased. 

He got up from his seat then and walked back over to tickle Stella on her cheek, a fit of laughter escaping her, it seemed like some of the sugar high was starting to leave her now. As to how he got her to sit down for the application however? “I think she was just curious about how the colors were going onto her skin.” He admitted. “Or maybe I’m a baby whisperer,” He laughed then as he surveyed the work, even though it was temp application he still made sure they were meticulously placed. “I thought you’d really like this Dad one, she sort of matches the one I have for my Nonna. And then Stella made the big girl decision to get this Gonzo one. But babbled ‘Zo, so I’m assuming that’s what she wanted.” He said simply. “What do you think? Wanna match her?” He asked, as he went to check the time on his phone, seeing a text that brought a smile to his face. 

.

Ravi laughed at the very apt description of customer service in a restaurant. “Pretty much,” he snorted. “This woman ate her entire meal without a problem and then threw a fit until someone got her the manager when she said that it ‘wasn’t satisfactory’ and wanted a refund.” Ravi rolled his eyes, dragging a hand down his face as he worked to shake off the whole encounter. 

With his eyes back on Stella and her sleeve of stick-on tattoos, he laughed, straightening as he slid his attention back to Aless, placing his hands on his hips as he shook his head. “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed,” he said with his best stern face before he could no longer stave off the good-humored grin. 

His eyes softened as they moved to Stella once more, tracing each tattoo as Aless pointed them out. “You know, we’ve been watching a lot of Muppet Treasure Island on Disney+, so it wouldn’t surprise me. But sure, man, tat me up. I can’t have my one-year-old looking cooler than me.” Noticing Aless’ attention drift to his phone and the smile that followed, he raised a curious brow. “Ofelia? You can tell me to get the hell out if I’m keeping you from something.”