in a big country

bob.

[robertxsimmons]

nadialamont​:

“I’m a little old to be starting pregnancy,” she pointed out with a grimace. Perhaps she was being illogical about all of this, but even with a quartet of positive pregnancy tests, it was all a little difficult to believe. If anybody could understand that, it was Bob - unless he just didn’t want to. A part of her could understand that, even if she wouldn’t give into it. Even if she as expecting, allowing herself to get excited about it felt way too much like tempting fate. “No offence to Trevor, but It’s a doctor I need to be talking to, not a high school biology teacher.” 

Nadia raised an eyebrow. As much as he claimed to get it, she wasn’t sure that he really did. Things with Emmy had complicated their relationship tenfold, adding an underlying tension that they had never discussed. She had never been ready to, and she definitely wasn’t about to start up that conversation now. It was a wound that wasn’t healing on its own, but she wasn’t about to pick at it. If there was one thing she could say in Bob’s favour, he hadn’t thrown it in her face yet. She wasn’t sure she would have done the same if the roles had been reversed. “Doesn’t matter, I suppose. Who knows if we’ll even get to that point.” The blunter she was about it now, the less heartache it would cause later. 

She should have known the relative civility between them wouldn’t last long. His words had her blinking a little. She didn’t normally shy away from fighting him, and she could feel that familiar fire flickering in her belly at his words, but she was just so tired of it all. The divorce should have put an end to their squabbles, but the curveball of pregnancy was dragging it all back up. That was the problem. Everything between them should be put to bed. They should be moving on. Now, they were tied to each other all over again, and that was almost as terrifying as the prospect of having another child in the first place. “I don’t know,” she admitted. It wasn’t that she didn’t want him involved. She wasn’t going to stop him if that was her choice, but what that would mean moving forward was playing on her mind. “If it’s what you really want, then yes. But if you’re just saying that because you think you have to, or out of obligation, then it would probably be better to do it on my own. It’d be better than spending the next 18 years with you hating me over this.” 

“That’s not entirely true,” he shrugged. “Is it a lot later than most? Yeah, but you’re not the oldest woman to have ever gotten pregnant. I don’t want to be all...I don’t know, superstitious or get into that hippie bullshit, but maybe it’s a sign. Who fucking knows.” He sighed once more, not missing the way her expression darkened a bit at the thought of Emmy. Somewhere down the line, she had decided Nadia was the bad guy, and neither of them could do or say anything to change that perception. She was truly their kid, stubborn in all the worst ways. “Well it does matter if it’s upsetting you, but...” he trailed off with a shrug, not wanting to go down that path just yet. They had larger issues to deal with.

The look on Bob’s face likely showed everything he felt about the words that came out of Nadia’s mouth. He wasn’t sure if he was more offended, angry, or perhaps a large mix of both. “What the fuck does that even mean?” he asked suddenly, shaking his head. “Cut the shit and don’t play dumb, Nadia. You’ve known me for how fucking long, and you’re really pulling the ‘obligation’ card? Do you truly think that I would say all that because I feel the need to pay off some kind of debt? After all these years, you think that I’d do that? Just fuck you and leave you to deal with the rest on your own? That’s real low, especially for you. It’s not about my feelings towards you because it’s not just your fucking kid, Nadia. This is happening to me too, so instead of putting your stupid pride bullshit first, fucking choose like we’re doing this for the baby. I’m either there with you along the way or I’m there from afar. Pick.”

[robertxsimmons]

nadialamont​:

“Yeah. Fuck.” Nadia repeated. A few years ago, a positive pregnancy test was everything the two of them wanted, never mind four in a row. Now, though, she didn’t know how to feel about it. There was another part of her, though, that still couldn’t believe this was happening. After the first test, she had buried herself in Google searches, trying to find anything else that could cause a false positive outcome. There was an answer that she didn’t particularly like, but seemed more likely than actually having another child. “Or it could be menopause.” She hoped she was too young for that, between that and pregnancy, it seemed the more likely option. She also didn’t want him to get his hopes up too much. It was hard enough managing her own. It felt way too much like setting them both up for disappointment. Until this was confirmed by a proper doctor, it was probably best to take a pessimistic view on things. 

Nadia grimaced at his question. There were plenty of reasons why, but bringing them up was a surefire way to get sucked into yet another screaming match she didn’t have the energy for. “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “It just complicates things, doesn’t it?” The divorce had only just become official. They should be working on moving on with their lives, not getting sucked back into another 18 of having to co-parent. Not to mention, the circumstances were totally different now. “We hoped for it once. We also hoped that we’d be together forever once, too. That didn’t happen, though. Things changed.” She wasn’t going to hold him to plans they had made together. Not when they had already given up on them. “It’s a totally different circumstance. I’ve made enough mistakes as a parent when things were good with us, never mind what we could do to a child now.” It wasn’t until she heard Emmy’s reaction to their split that it hit her. No matter what happened between her and Bob, until that point, she didn’t think she had done too badly as a mother. Emmy had made her feelings clear, though, and though Nadia loved her more than anything, it wasn’t enough. Things hadn’t been the same between them since then, and that made the situation all the more terrifying. 

When he touched her, it was all too much. Nadia managed to stop herself physically flinching, but she still shifted away just slightly, enough to break the contact of his hand in her hair. “If there is a baby,” she spoke slowly, trying to voice the thoughts in her head as diplomatically as possible. “I want to keep it. It’s just going to take a lot of figuring out. I don’t know where we go from here.” 

“Biology isn’t really my strong suit, but I think you’re a little young to be starting menopause. You can ask Trevor if you want an accurate answer. I’m not sure that’s his area of expertise either, but that sort of what he teaches,” he shrugged. He somehow knew that the what-if’s were a way to not get their hopes up. It sucked, and he hated that their first thoughts had to revolve around not getting too excited, but he understood it. Wishing and hoping just to have everything fall through is ultimately what ruined them in the first place. Having the walls and guards up made perfect sense. It just hurt to be back there.

The frown on Bob’s face clearly showed his feelings towards everything she was saying. She wasn’t wrong by any means; they’d finally gotten to a point where they’d settled the divorce and were making plans to move forward. If Emmy’s reaction to it all didn’t fuck them both and throw a wrench into whatever plans they’d formed, another baby sure did. “I know. I get it,” he sighed, feeling an odd sense of responsibility for some of the things their daughter had said. He never wanted there to be a game of favorites, even if he was the one who was dubbed as the favorite. Unfortunately, that’s just how things happened to turn out. It seemed that no matter what, there’d always be some kind of underlying tension between them.

Sadness flickered across his features as Nadia pulled away enough that he couldn’t touch her. Maybe he deserved that, maybe not, but all he knew was that it hurt. He thought that feeling might go away, but it was just as present as ever. He nodded a bit, a thought coming to mind that he almost wanted to swallow back down. Instead, he blurted it out. “You keep asking me about my decisions. Maybe it’s time to start considering your own. I mean, fuck, do you even want me to be involved, Nadia?”

[robertxsimmons]

nadialamont​:

Nadia didn’t expect him to jump for joy at the news. She wasn’t herself. All those years of trying to give him another child seemed like a bit of a joke now. All that wasted time and effort, years of waiting and hoping, only for it to happen totally out of the blue and at the worst possible time. Nadia couldn’t really blame him for questioning things. Not when she didn’t really know where things stood herself. None of this felt real. Not the conversation they were having, and definitely not the pregnancy itself. That alone gave her a little more patience than they had shown one another lately. Normally, she would be so eager to jump into a fight with him, but right now, she just felt tired. 

“Yeah, could be.” She agreed. “A false positive, I mean. Not a joke.” She had considered the idea `herself. Being pregnant at 38 when she had spent most of her twenties and thirties trying without success, it was impossible not to think about how this could be going wrong. “That’s test number four, though. What are the odds of four false positives in a row?” Her lips pressed together in a thin line, the tension obvious in the set of her jaw. “I need to see a doctor I think. Just to make sure it’s real and not some sort of mental breakdown.” Again, another likely positivity though. “If I am, though, I think we need to talk about what we’re going to do, Just so we’re on the same page.” Nadia had already made up her mind, but it was different for Bob. When it came to having kids, men didn’t have to think about things like age. He had been a good dad to Emmy, and that was one thing she would never fault him on, but they weren’t even married anymore. He had no obligation to do the same for this child. “You don’t need to decide now, but I need to know if you plan on being there.” 

“Four?” he nearly choked, eyes almost bugging out of his face. He wasn’t a biology teacher, but he knew enough about science to understand that four positive pregnancy tests said something. “Fuck.” He clasped his hands together, feeling like he might combust if he didn’t. This should’ve been good news. It was good news. It was like the sky finally clearing during a hurricane, though. The damage had been done. This one glimmer of hope or whatever the fuck it was couldn’t have come at a more chaotic time. “Pretty sure it’s real, Nads. I’m not sure pee-stick technology has developed far enough to trick people just yet,” he sighed, eyes turning to her once again. He listened carefully, lips pressing together into a firm line. He knew what he wanted to do, but he wasn’t going to say it out loud when that’s what fucked them over in the first place. He propped his arm on the top of his knee, leaning over and resting his chin in his hand while considering everything she said.

“Why the fuck wouldn’t I be there?” he asked, gaze still fixed on hers. “I mean, this is something we’ve been hoping for for years, isn’t it? Why the fuck would I want to throw that away? I mean, obviously, this happening years down the road wasn’t the plan, but...I don’t know. I’m starting to think plans aren’t our strong suit.” With a sigh, he scooted in bit closer to her, his knee now close enough to knock against hers. He reached up to brush a piece of hair out of her face, his hand stilling there as he studied her face. “I’m in for everything. Whatever the fuck happens happens. How about you?”

[robertxsimmons]

nadialamont​:

For the first time in what felt like forever, Nadia sat next to him on the couch. She couldn’t remember the last time they had a proper conversation. Not one that didn’t descend very quickly into fighting and fucking. It was the only language they knew how to speak to one another with. Trying to talk to him reasonably felt alien, and Nadia couldn’t help but feel a little awkward. Especially with what she had to tell him. She didn’t remember it being this difficult when she was having Emmy. His question had her pursing her lips. Though he was was obviously not serious, it still begged the question of where their current relationship stood. They weren’t together, not legally or on their own terms, but they were still not done with each other, pregnancy or not. “Who knows? If I do it enough times, maybe it’ll actually stick,” she shrugged, a tiny smile flitting across her face before being replaced by her former, anxious expression. It wasn’t often these days her English failed her, but it was now. Instead, she placed the test she was still holding on the coffee table, looking away and taking a deep breath. “I’m pregnant, Bob. We’re having a baby.” 

Bob felt a tiny smirk of his own perk up on his lips when she seemed to take his comment well. It also set off some alarm bells; normal them, ready to duke it out in a moment’s notice Bob and Nadia, would be easily set off by jokes like that. His eyes remained on her until she leaned forward, having to do a double take once he saw the small stick on the table. It was one that had a little, pink plus sign on the end of it. He blinked, then reached up to rub his eyes. Everything he was hearing and seeing had to deceiving him. The struggle to conceive was what got them to where they were in the first place, and now...this? This was what all that bullshit got them? It was what he’d wanted for so long, and now that it was there in front of him on the coffee table, he wasn’t exactly sure what to make of it. He turned to look at her, his expression likely showing the same amount of concern as hers. He wanted to be happy for her, but he was too unsure to let himself get there just yet.

“Wha-...are...are you sure? A hundred percent? I might need you to swear on my great aunt Una that this isn’t a joke or a false positive.”

[nadialamont]

If anybody had asked Nadia even a few months ago, she never would have imagined getting to this stage. The breakup had been a long, messy process, but somehow, they had gotten through it. The divorce papers were signed now, though, and everything was final. It didn’t feel half a good as she thought it would have. She should be relieved it was all over, but all she felt was inexplicably emotional. All that was left now was to sell the house, and move on with their lives. Or, so she thought. Unfortunately, things were never that simple. She should have known better. Nothing with Bob was ever that simple.  

It was ironic, really. They had been trying for years to have another child, but her period had arrived like clockwork every month. She hadn’t been late since Emmy had been born. Now, however, she as almost two weeks late. She had put off taking a test. There was no way she could be pregnant now. She as too old, for one, and probably just stressed. At least, that was what she had been telling herself. She had taken a test anyway, though. Just for her own peace of mind. It wasn’t until the little pink plus sign appeared on the screen that it really hit her. “Fuck,” she muttered under her breath. It must have been a mistake. Three tests later, though, and the truth was finally sinking in. She was pregnant. 

Clutching the latest test in her hand, Nadia made her way into the living room. She had waited for Emmy to leave for the day, heading out to spend time with her little boyfriend. It was rare that she and Bob were alone in the house together, and she had half expected him to follow their daughter out of the door. He hadn’t, though, and she wasn’t sure when she’d next get the chance to get him on his own. 

“We need to talk.” 

@robertxsimmons​

[robertxsimmons]

Somehow, Bob had found himself in a weird rhythm of life. He hadn’t been dealing with his own drama lately, but more his brothers. It was a nice change. Maybe not so much for Travis and the stupid shit he’d managed to get himself into, but worrying about someone else’s issues instead of his own was so much more manageable. It was almost strange, in a sense. His biggest problems now were getting everyone’s tests graded on time and making sure his siblings weren’t rotting in a jail cell. It was almost like a vacation. Almost.

He knew something was up the moment Nadia walked into the room. They hadn’t been at each other’s throats so much lately, which was also weird. It seemed that they got most of that aggression out during sex, leaving all the snide remarks and pent up feelings for the bedroom. It was almost preferable that way. Even if they weren’t together or sharing a room or anything like that, the sex somehow kept a bit of normalcy between them. The look on her face now had him thinking that was about to change, though. He kicked his feet off the stool in front of his favorite tartan chair, brows raised curiously. He didn’t happen to see the small stick in her hand, but if he did, alarm bells would’ve been going off in his head. “Uh oh. You breaking up with me?” he teased, letting the small smile he wore fade away when he couldn’t gauge how serious this talk was going to be. 

[robertxsimmons]

scottxmcbride​:

As soon as her expression changed, Scott couldn’t help it. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, at a loss for what to say to make it better. “It’s not that simple,” he responded, his voice thick with tension. He felt his own eyes well up, though he did all he could to hold back the tears. He didn’t think he would ever live it down if he cried at work, and he knew he hardly had the right to shed a tear in front of her. “Because I want it to be you.” He answered, eventually, after a pause so long it was almost agonising. “Because I wanted it to be you, Sierra. I wanted it to be you so badly, and for a long time it was.” That, at least, was not a lie. He had honestly and truly loved her, and would have been happy with her. But when it came to Meghan, his head was never quite clear. She had scrambled his mind and made him doubt everything, and Sierra had been a casualty of the destruction that came from that. “I can’t excuse it. I know that. But I … If I could turn back time, I wouldn’t have done it. It was the biggest mistake of my life.” 

Bob was catching up on his emails for the week. The students were finally out of his face and working on the mineral lab he’d given them. It was odd how a bunch of teenagers could get so invested in the properties of rocks. In a way, it made him feel a bit less nerdy about the fact his education was based on a huge portion of that. All seemed to be going swimmingly...that is, until there was a commotion in the hallway. A bunch of heads turned and he waved his hand. “Ignore it, they’ll bugger off soon. Keep working,” he casually called out, assuming that that’s what would happen. He knew things weren’t settling when he could hear a familiar voice shout enjoying the fucking show? There wasn’t any way he could focus on getting back to Elver’s questions about materials he could use for stage props now. His gaze went towards Larry and Cornelius as they entered the class, looking like they’d just witnessed a war scene. “What’s going on?” he asked, the two boys glancing between each other before piping up. “Uh, Mr McBride is arguing with some lady? We don’t know who she is. Don’t think it’s a mom, though.” “Maybe a girlfriend or ex-girlfriend?” Bob let a beat of silence pass through before getting up from his desk. “Keep working or you’re getting extra homework.”

His brows were pinched together as he walked out into the hall, a small crowd seemingly gathered around Scott and...Sierra? Why was she here? “Hey! Leave! Back to class!” he bellowed, watching a bunch of students scatter in response. He got a bit closer, only to watch Sierra turn around and have her shoulder hit his as she quickly walked out of there. “Sie, what’s...” he asked, trailing off and his eyes following her as she made an exit down the hall. The look on her face and the tears made it obvious that things were not okay. He turned back to Scott, the concern he had now amplified. It wasn’t often that he ever saw Scott showing emotion other than annoyance. Because of that, the expression he wore now had alarm bells going off in Bob’s mind. He gently placed a hand on his shoulder once close enough. “Hey, you alright? The fucks going on?” he asked, his voice weirdly soft in contrast to his question.

[robertxsimmons]

scottxmcbride‌:

Scott shrugged. “Could be. Both are equally stupid in their own special ways. GIovanni just has that certain something that makes me think he’ll have electrocuted himself by the time he’s 20, though.” Scott mused. Sometimes he couldn’t help but wonder how he, your average Glaswegian guy, had found himself here, in what could only be described as the arsehole of society, teaching the biggest bunch of reprobates he had ever met. It was better for his own mental health that he didn’t dwell on it. “Not a bad idea. And doable,” he reasoned, cocking his head as he pondered the concept. “Yeah, they’ll definitely lose their collective shit. It’ll be great.” He rolled his eyes, sniggering under his breath. “Please. It’s not a pretty thought, mate. A testament to how much I fucking hate my job.” His brow furrowed, and he was sure he was definitely showing off the best of his sour face at the moment. “I don’t think I’m capable of that shit anymore. I’m too old.” He shrugged, downplaying the drama that had been going on his personal life in recent history. “I could say the same about you, anyway. What the fuck is going on in your life?” If there was anybody else who could relate to his relationship woes, it was definitely Bob.

“He already looks it, in a way. Nobody’s hair is that spiky without a little electric help or super-hold gel. Emmy’s friends with him so I’m nice to the poor guy for that reason alone, but heaven help whoever decides to marry him. He’s lucky has royal connections,” he sighed. Rocco was a good kid, just not the brightest crayon in the box as some would say. How him and Scott had managed to become in charge of Rocco and the rest of those kids education was a whole other story. His eyes narrowed slightly; Scott was pretty much as close as it got to having a best friend, but he sometimes questioned how the guy thought. “Someone’s a little more cynical and grouchy than normal. And too old, my ass, mate. Do I need to chat with Gwen and have her bring in a hot student teacher to spice things up for ya?” he chuckled. The chuckle ended pretty swiftly once he was asked about his own life. “Hmm, let’s see...we’ve got a shit time with the still wife, daughter's going through a real clingy phase with that Garrett kid which I hope to God passes...the string bean one, not Crazy Lauraine’s son, and I have a bunch of volcano unit tests sitting on my desk that should’ve been marked two weeks ago. As you can see, the life’s fan-fucking-tastic.”

[robertxsimmons]

nadialamont‌:

“Happy? Not particularly,” Nadia said, eyes narrowing at the pace in which he was moving. She knew he was doing it on purpose, but it didn’t make things easier. “I’ve heard it said the Scottish were simple, but I didn’t think you were the type to be confused by buttons,” she retorted. She knew she wanted things to go further, but she would rather get up and leave the room than help him with the shirt. It felt too much like a win for him, as twisted as that sounded. “Help yourself,” she said, wasting no time in grabbing the hemline of her own shirt and tugging it off over her head, tossing it on the ground next to the desk. She lifted her hips slightly so she could wriggle out of her jeans, ridding herself of them swiftly. “You finished yet?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow at him coolly.

Nadia’s jabs would normally be met with an automatic comeback. This situation was a little different, though, only grinning in response to her comment about the Scottish. “Good thing that what we lack in smarts, we make up for in size,” he said, finally getting to the bottom button and sliding his shirt off. He let out a loud chuckle as he watched Nadia whip her clothes off rather quick. “Whoa, whoa, what’s the rush, darling?” he smugly grinned, unbuckling his belt and sliding out of his own jeans. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think someone might actually be missing me.” He walked up to where she sat, gripping at her hips and tugging her closer before reaching up to tilt her chin towards his own face. “If you want to show me how much you miss me, feel free. I won’t judge you for it. Not today, anyways,” he smirked before returning his lips to hers.

[robertxsimmons]

scottxmcbride‌:

“That’s easy. Giovanni. You might as well just hand me the money now,” Scott said, confidently. “I set fire to the desk again, but that’s hardly exciting. The students barely even flinch at this point, it’s tragic.” His classes just wouldn’t be the same without fire and explosions on the daily. “Let’s not talk about work, anyway. I have enough of that when I’m actually at work. I’d rather talk about your hairy ball sack than teaching.” 

“You think? My bet was on Cornelius.Time will tell soon enough, but the odds aren’t really great for either of them,” he shook his head, thinking about two of his most unique students. Although they all seemed to have a strange array this year, those two topped the list of weirdness. “Maybe set yourself on fire next time and they’ll have something to be excited about,” he joked. “Not sure if I should be touched or concerned that you’re thinking about my balls, mate. Guess it’s good that at least someone is,” he practically grumbled, but he wasn’t about to turn this conversation into a rant about the state of his shitty relationship. “You seeing anyone lately? Feels like it’s been a while since someone’s brought a smile to that cute but sour face of yours.”

[robertxsimmons]

nadialamont‌:

Nadia jumped a little to help him hoist her into the air. Being with Bob was familiar and new all at the same time. She hated that her body still reacted to him in that way, but she wasn’t about to start complaining now. Not right in that moment, at least.  Instead, she wrapped her legs around him and clung to his shoulders, ensuring he didn’t drop her on the floor as some sort of twisted revenge. She was vaguely aware of him perching her on the desk, but didn’t bother to take stock of what was going on until he pulled away. She gritted her teeth at his words. Even now, there were no niceties between them. “Just shut up and take your shirt off,” she snarled, grabbing his face between her hands and pulling him back for another kiss. 

Bob chuckled in response to her practically growling at him, but it was cut off pretty quick by another kiss from her end. He didn’t even have time to pretend he was surprised, kissing her back with the same ferocity. There was a part of him deep down that hated how much he was getting off from all this. For now, though, he wasn’t going to think about it too much. “Happy?” he muttered as he started to unbutton his own shirt, going agonizingly slow to rile her up. “These damn buttons...must’ve been one of those shirts I got in France. You know how complicated they like to design things there.” The shit-eating grin on his face showed how he really felt about the whole situation, but he just continued with his game. “Feel free to jump in and help at any time, sweetheart.”

[robertxsimmons]

scottxmcbride‌:

“Nah. You’re maw is very well acquainted with my arse though, for different reasons,” Scott quipped. He rose from his seat again fumbling in his pocket for his keys, but shot Bob a filthy look. “You’re full of shit. But if that’s how you sleep at night, snug in your Celtic bedsheets, then so be it,” he shrugged, before nodding. “Aye.” He made to leave, strolling through the hallways to the school’s exit. 

“Har har,” Bob rolled his eyes. Despite having two siblings of his own, working with Scott sometimes felt like having a third. The guy was his best friend, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t also a pain in his ass from time to time. He followed behind him, leaving the football comments alone. He wasn’t in the mood to start a civil war with Scott. “Anything exciting happen in class today? I’m still waiting for one of the kids to say orgasm instead of organism. Hasn’t happened yet, but I’m thinking it might be the time to start taking bets.”

[robertxsimmons]

scottxmcbride‌:

“I don’t know about you, mate. My maw gave me a packed lunch,” Scott shrugged, as though a slice of ham in between dry slices of white bread was any better than the slop he had just dumped in the trash. “Fine, but hurry up,” He huffed. “It’s not from her mum’s side, I can tell you that for nothing. Have you ever seen yourself after the Ranger kick Celtic’s arse? It’s not a pretty sight.” 

“Did she dress you and wipe your arse, too?” he snickered, shaking his head. His attention was redirected to his phone once Emmy responded, making a mental note to grab her a strawberry milkshake once they’d gotten to McDonalds. “Actually, I haven’t seen myself during that scenario because it doesn’t happen as much as your precious Rangers losing streak does. But whatever helps you sleep at night,” he replied, giving his friend a pat on the shoulder. “So are you driving us or what?”

[robertxsimmons]

nadialamont‌:

“Are you five years old now?” Nadia chided him, but only to conceal that she had nothing to respond with. She had behaved just as despicably as he had, and the fact she carried herself with an arrogant air that she was better than it all couldn’t change that. She laughed, loudly and without any humour in the sound. “You know why that is? Because none of my family could ever stand you. they warned me not to get involved with someone like you, and they were absolutely right.” It was a lie, but he needn’t know that. In actual fact, her parents and sister were quite fond of Robert. She would have folded her arms, but he was too close to her. She knew the way things were going to go. It was inevitable for them, and when his lips pressed against hers, he only proved her suspicions right. She kissed him back, hard and without any tenderness or affection. They had always been passionate together, but the circumstances they were in with the divorce added that extra spark of fire, and she couldn’t deny that she was powerless against him when the argument took such a dramatic turn. Nadia placed one hand on the back of his head, tangling fingers in his hair, and the other against his chest. It was almost worth the arguing to get to this. 

Any jab that came at him from Nadia’s side seemed to be forgotten the moment their lips met. All that was on his mind was the feeling of her kissing him back. It wasn’t romantic or loving at all, but it still had him feeling like his skin had been doused in gasoline. Somehow, their split only made the sexual chemistry between them that much more intense. He reached down for her legs, helping to lift her and position them to wrap around his waist. Without breaking the kiss, he walked the two of them over to his desk and sat her on the edge of it, only pulling away to catch his breath. “Guess the mineral labs will have to wait,” he shrugged towards the pile of papers he’d rested his hand on, pushing them off the desk without a second thought. “Are we doing this? You can back out if you really want. I’m starting to get used to disappointment so it’s not like it’d come as a big surprise or anything.” 

[scottxmcbride]

 “Disgusting,” Scott said with his nose wrinkled, poking his food with a fork. He had gone to the school cafeteria today, and immediately regretted it. The “lasagne” he had picked up was nothing short of sad, grey in colour and soggy-looking, yet oddly crispy at the same time. “I’m from Scotland, the country that deep fries chocolate and looks at haggis and thinks ‘yum’, but I’m drawing the fucking line.” He took the tray to the trash can and dumped the lot in, dramatically, a look of satisfaction crossing his face as the plastic clanged off the metal. “Fancy a trip to McDonalds?” 

@robertxsimmons​

[robertxsimmons]

“You say ‘I’m from Scotland’ as if we weren’t forced to eat the same disgusting food as bairns,” Bob chuckled, mainly amused by the look of horror on Scott’s face. He’d already learned that even though he wasn’t a genius chef himself, anything he’d made at home was Michelin star quality compared to the food at Frankie J. Scott obviously hadn’t gotten that memo yet. “Eh, why not,” he shrugged, yanking his phone out of his pocket. “Let me see if Emmy wants anything first, she gets kind of sulky if she figures out I went to McDonalds without her. Must be something she gets from her mum’s side.”

[robertxsimmons]

nadialamont‌:

“You’d think I’d stop being surprised every time you decide to show your true colours, but you just love to remind me what a nasty piece of work you are,” she fumed, still smarting from proverbial sand he had just thrown in her eyes. Long after they had called time on their marriage, heir inability to extend their family was still driving a wedge between them. “May as well. The china is hardly any good to any of us. Plus it’s ugly as hell, since nobody in Scotland seems to have taste,” she snarled. “Go ahead,” she dared him, eyes glinting in anger. She didn’t flinch away, even when they were almost nose to nose. She could tell where this was heading- the same place it always did- but she wouldn’t allow him to get the last word, or have the last laugh. It was a game of chicken, and neither of them could stand to lose. “you’ve been a psycho long before I came along and you know it.” 

“Takes a nasty piece to know one, doesn’t it, sweetheart?” he responded immediately. For some reason when it came to their arguments, there was no stepping back to take a breath and think about what was being said. It was just blow after blow, and there was nothing but the inevitable explosion to end it. He kinked an eyebrow, noting the dishes and glasses that were formally his mothers. They were given to them as their wedding china, and although they weren’t the prettiest, he wasn’t about to let a comment like that slide. “At least my family cared enough to contribute something. Kind of seems like that’s the never ending story here, we give and your side just takes. We might not have taste, but we’re not stuck-up Frenchies who only care about themselves.” He let out a humourless laugh towards the psycho comment, momentarily distracted by how close they were. Then that moment passed and Robert was stuck there, realizing their proximity and the overwhelming sensations it brought. He quietly studied her before he spoke, knowing his next move could go horribly but unable to resist. “You want psycho, baby? I’ll show you psycho.” With that, he broke their distance with a kiss. His lips pressed against hers with a rough urgency, as if that could solve their issues. Very well knowing this whole thing could backfire, he upped the ante by placing a hand on her ass and pushing her closer against him.

[robertxsimmons]

nadialamont‌:

“That is so low.” Nadia said. Even after everything that had come to pass between the two of them, it still shocked her more than it should when he used things like that against her. “Of course, you’d think it was all about you. Never mind the fact that it was my choice about my own body that had you sleeping in the spare room in the first place. If you couldn’t give me the smallest bit of respect for that, then why should I have given you anything at all?” she pointed out. His question was a valid one, but not something she could answer without making herself look like a bigger fool then she already felt. “I’m stone cold sober, darling. I tore them up because you’re determined to make this more difficult for the both of us, and if you want to get nasty, I’m happy to oblige.” She kicked the papers, sending them scattering even further across the floor. “When have you ever cleaned up anything? Your specialty is burning things to the ground and throwing the ashes in the wind. If you think I’m crazy, look at yourself. I believe the expression is birds of a feather, isn’t it?” 

“It’s the truth, isn’t it? It might be low, but it’s honest.” He bit his tongue rather than lashing out at what followed. In a sense, she was right. As much as not being able to add to their family hurt, he wasn’t the one that had to experience pregnancy. It didn’t lessen the sadness in giving up on that, though. That, and the fact they could never approach a civil way to discuss it lead to how things were now, bitter and resentful. It was the broken piece neither of them could fix anymore. “Well why stop there then, huh? Why don’t you just go through the whole fucking house and start ripping books page-by-page? Or breaking that expensive China set we were given for our wedding? It seems appropriate. Maybe I’ll do that and save you the trouble of actually taking responsibility.” As if he were daring her to make a move, he came over and broke almost all distance between them. He inched forward and let his face stay unnervingly close to hers. “You’re right about that. Considering that I married you, I must be a fucking lunatic.”

[robertxsimmons]

nadialamont‌:

“Oh, definitely. Like when I thought you were the man I’d be spending my life with, that was me being wrong. My mistake,” she snarled. The way they treated each other was like an elaborate dance, and both were waiting for the other to stumble so that they might take advantage of their moment of weakness. It wasn’t even slightly mature, and a part of Nadia still didn’t know how it actually became their life, but there was nothing she could do to change it now. “Oh is that so? then go and live with Scott, then. I’m sure he’ll be happy to have you. God knows I’d be happy to have you gone,” she challenged him, knowing full well he wasn’t going anywhere. “Nobody knows what that means,” she pointed out, discarding the now ruined papers on his bedroom floor. “Don’t you dare chastise me when it comes to Emmy. If anyone is going to give her a heart attack, it’s you. You’re the one who made me this way.” 

“Well I married you thinking we were on the same page for what we wanted in life, so I guess it was my mistake to think you could give me that.” He almost laughed when she hopped on his comment about moving in with Scott; as his friend, he knew that living with Scott would result in nightmareish results. However, in comparison to how things with her were going, it might’ve been a little less painful. He wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of knowing that, though. “If you want me gone that bad, then why’d you tear up the fucking papers? I thought you were supposed to be smart. Too much French wine instead of French language, I’ll presume.” He rolled his eyes, watching the shreds of paper now fall to the ground in confetti fashion. “Ah, there you go again. Making a giant fucking mess of things and leaving me to clean it up. So damn typical.” He scoffed, her claims that the craziness was something that she developed bringing a smirk to his face. “Don’t flatter yourself. You’ve always been nuts, I just don’t find it endearing anymore.”