[charlesmckinnon]

stcrswritten​:

finn only looked up from his book to frown - or rather, look offended. “ma! tell her to let me have the wine!” he complained, in exactly the same tone that maebh had used earlier. it was an effort not to smile at the familiarity of it all. new zealand was nothing like this. his mother’s quick response helped.

“maebh, give your brother some wine. be fair.” mary said as she moved to sit herself down at the kitchen table with them. “mine. she’s taken up some kind of community centre club. be nice when it comes up, even if it’s boring, okay?”

“How is it fair if he doesn’t do what I want?” Maebh whined, although she was already pulling out another glass. With her back turned to them as she poured, she was smiling to herself. It was no secret that she was the closest with her brother than her other siblings; she missed the banter. It was much more catty between her and the twins. She turned back around and set the glass down in front of Finn before sitting down with her own glass, the bottle ready on the table for when they would inevitably fill it up. “A community centre club? That sounds like the most boring thing on the planet. Please tell me you won’t join one of those when you get old?” 

[stcrswritten]

finn plucked the glass up into his hand and leaned back on his chair, obviously pleased with himself. mary looked at maebh very seriously and tucked her finger underneath her chin. "if i ever even think about it? shoot me dead." although when he phone buzzed, she leaned over to make sure it wasn't the food. unfortunately. it wasn't. silence engulfed the room as both finn and mary became busy with their own things.

[charlesmckinnon]

stcrswritten​:

“from that chinese place down the road. finn, stop reading,” mary said as she opened the fridge to pour herself a glass of juice.

“dad’s bordeaux. and no,” finn answerer, taking a seat at the kitchen table. he leaned forward on his elbows, obviously just being stubborn to annoy maebh. they’d been apart for some time now, he was behind on his irritations.

“i tried,” mary shrugged. they were old enough to fight their own petty battles - not that that would stop maebh from enlisting her parents to help. “are you going to be here tomorrow? your grandmother’s coming around for tea.”

Maebh moved to pull out the Bordeaux as instructed, pointedly picking one of the more expensive bottles. She rarely spent so much on wine at home, mostly because she wasn’t that picky about how it tasted. It was only really around Morag or if she was stealing from her parents’ house that she would drink wine so nice. “Then you don’t get to have wine,” she said childishly to her brother, only pulling out a glass for herself. As she rummaged through a drawer for a bottle opener, she answered her mother. “Which one? Yours or dad’s?” she asked, as if it would change her decision on whether she would be around. Maebh was pretty sure she’d lucked out with liking both sides of her family; then again, she’d also allowed herself to be doted on since she was little to make being around them so enjoyable. 

[stcrswritten]

finn only looked up from his book to frown - or rather, look offended. "ma! tell her to let me have the wine!" he complained, in exactly the same tone that maebh had used earlier. it was an effort not to smile at the familiarity of it all. new zealand was nothing like this. his mother's quick response helped.

"maebh, give your brother some wine. be fair." mary said as she moved to sit herself down at the kitchen table with them. "mine. she's taken up some kind of community centre club. be nice when it comes up, even if it's boring, okay?"

[charlesmckinnon]

stcrswritten​:

never in his life had finn been happier to be home. although he’d enjoyed his time in new zealand — he was a homebody at heart, and he and adam both knew that the moment they returned it was going to be for good. whilst they were house hunting, they were staying in finn’s childhood room. whilst adam was out with lena, he was happy to be spending time with his family. he’d taken his spot at the kitchen table to read and had only moved briefly to greet his sister.

mary was more than happy to have all of her kids under one roof again, although most of them now lived at home — maebh was the missing puzzle piece. although she was pottering around the kitchen, of course it wasn’t to cook. “our rider is called-” she checked her phone to confirm, “-petyr. he’ll be here in twenty minutes if you can wait that long. i see you’re already prepared.” as she walked past, she patted maebh’s side to get her to step out of the way as she went to put a pot away in the cupboard behind her. upon realising she couldn’t reach, finn swooped past and put it away for her without lifting his eyes from his book.

“What did you order?” Maebh asked, although she already had a suspicion that it would be Chinese. They’d had a favorite place in the area for years, and it was one of their go-tos for comfort food. She moved out of Mary’s way, instead going over to the large, temperature-controlled storage her father had put in for wine. “What are we drinking?” she asked, directing the question at Finn. She glanced back at him and rolled her eyes. “You haven’t seen me in ages and you’re going to just read? Ma, tell him to stop.” 

[stcrswritten]

"from that chinese place down the road. finn, stop reading," mary said as she opened the fridge to pour herself a glass of juice.

"dad's bordeaux. and no," finn answerer, taking a seat at the kitchen table. he leaned forward on his elbows, obviously just being stubborn to annoy maebh. they'd been apart for some time now, he was behind on his irritations.

"i tried," mary shrugged. they were old enough to fight their own petty battles - not that that would stop maebh from enlisting her parents to help. "are you going to be here tomorrow? your grandmother's coming around for tea."

[stcrswritten]

charlesmckinnon​:

Laura studied Mary before going back to cooking. She listened as Mary spoke, trying to put together what the other woman was trying to see. Laura was sure, based on Mary’s general appearance and nerves, that there had been some kind of substance involved, so maybe that was where this Gary guy came in? “Alright,” she said. “So, what happened with Gary?” 

“I do not. It’s not like I just sit in the house all the time and do nothing, you know. I have a life,” Charlie said. It was more true in recent months, especially since Mac had been gone. He’d gotten closer with some of the guys from work, he went out more, he slept around a bit more. That felt like a pretty standard life for someone his age, if they weren’t married. “I don’t think Laura would love you calling her a hot brunette like that,” Charlie said. He finished putting together the plates and moved over to the table, setting one down for Mac and the other for himself before taking a seat. “I had a good time, and we’re definitely… compatible in bed. But it’s not going to be more than that. And I don’t need it to be, alright? I’ve got… Well, Mo,” he said, “and work and Ollie, and that’s good enough for me right now.” 

mary wished laura could just read her mind. see her memories as they had unfolded and already know the deep regret that had a hold on her heart. "well... when they say rich guys love coke they're right?" she bit down hard on her lower lip to counteract the horrible nerves bubbling in the pit of her stomach. they always said at meetings that it wasn't the apology that counted, it was what you did after. the real change. but it was hard to look at herself in the mirror and see a change when she had gone right back to square one in the span of a few minutes.

"do you, though?" mac's version of a life looked very different than charlie's. he needed adventure to live. he needed light and love and he was good at seeing the positives of a life well lived — charlie? not so much. even though malcolm tried his best to pass on that spirit, it didn't always work. but a brunette that had him going back for seconds? "my man! that sounds like you got yourself a good old fashion fuck buddy!" he said excitedly, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "i can't believe you're not even going to show me a picture." a pause. "maybe i should go downstairs and ask security," he ponded as he backed up towards the kitchen door.

[stcrswritten]

charlesmckinnon​:

Maebh was positive that she had never felt better in her life than the past half of a year. She had spent the last several years of her life trying to find her footing. Whether it was in her job, in her relationship with Lena, or just all of her recent travel, she had been struggling more than she let on to find that sense of home that she longed for. But now, when she thought of her future, there wasn’t anything about right now that she would change. How often was it that someone got to say that? She was with a woman she loved, surrounded by good people, enjoyed traveling, and even more so enjoyed her space at home.

The final piece to her happiness was Finn coming home. They spoke regularly - probably more than he’d wanted given how often she called - but it wasn’t the same as him being around. Nothing replaced going out together or crashing on the couch to watch a movie with him. There was a part of her worried that he would drop a bomb that he wanted to go back to New Zealand permanently, but she hadn’t heard any whispers of it so far. Even if he tried not to act like it, Maebh was convinced that he was a homebody just like her.

They had already had their grand reunion at the airport, and it was a few days later that she set up a time to catch up with her brother and mother. Maebh had spent her Saturday attending a charity event with her father, which she found herself doing more often nowadays. Part of it was to support him, but she was also working on her own image under Morag’s guidance. She came home with Charlie, who greeted Mary with a kiss and Finn with a hug before taking Eilidh off their hands. After a quick outfit change into something more comfortable, she was back in the kitchen, announcing her presence by saying, “Please tell me you ordered something in to eat.”

never in his life had finn been happier to be home. although he'd enjoyed his time in new zealand — he was a homebody at heart, and he and adam both knew that the moment they returned it was going to be for good. whilst they were house hunting, they were staying in finn's childhood room. whilst adam was out with lena, he was happy to be spending time with his family. he'd taken his spot at the kitchen table to read and had only moved briefly to greet his sister.

mary was more than happy to have all of her kids under one roof again, although most of them now lived at home — maebh was the missing puzzle piece. although she was pottering around the kitchen, of course it wasn't to cook. "our rider is called-" she checked her phone to confirm, "-petyr. he'll be here in twenty minutes if you can wait that long. i see you're already prepared." as she walked past, she patted maebh's side to get her to step out of the way as she went to put a pot away in the cupboard behind her. upon realising she couldn't reach, finn swooped past and put it away for her without lifting his eyes from his book.

[stcrswritten]

lauraxmarchesi​:

Laura walked into the kitchen, pulling out a chair for Mary to sit before going over to sort through the food she’d brought for her. She listened closely as Mary started, finishing the rest of that sentence with so many different scenarios. She got drunk, she got high, she got taken advantage of - there were so many horrible ways it could go. None of the scenarios Laura made up in that short span of time included Charlie, though. She looked over at Mary, obviously surprised. She knew they’d kissed before, and Laura wasn’t an idiot. She could see how the tension and banter between the two could play out. But it was just so unexpected, even on Charlie’s side. “Well… that’s not the worst thing,” Laura said cautiously. “Assuming you were in the right mindset to decide to sleep with Charlie?”

“Ow!” Charlie complained, reflexively punching the man back on the arm. He huffed and moved over to put their plates together. “No she’s not- I wouldn’t date her. It’s not like that,” he said, shaking his head. “You say it’s a good sign like I’m some divorced, lonely forty year old.” He hadn’t asked Morag, but he was sure she would end up being his date anyways for the wedding.

That was just the point - it wasn’t the worst thing. The worst thing that was everything that led up to those events. For a moment, Mary sat there and contemplated how deep of a hole she should dig for herself. She forgot she was sitting only in a towel and when she did eventually sit down, although she hesitated at first, she started getting annoyed at herself for how much she was fidgeting. “That’s just it-” she sighed. “He had some friends with him. There was this one guy, Gary or something. He was... more my usual type I guess?” Personality wise, not really, but she wasn’t willing to fully admit everything she had gotten up to. She wondered if Charlie knew. If hew as that type of guy, too. He didn’t seem it.

Malcolm only just managed to dodge the fist that came flying in his direction. “The way you act you might as well be!” He’d stand by that any day of the week. Charlie’s sulking was practically renowned. As he plonked himself down at the table, he shook his head. “If she’s just a hot brunette, you should reassess. I’ve got myself a hot brunette and it’s great!”

[charlesmckinnon]

stcrswritten​:

The guilt weighed heavy on Mary’s chest. She found herself wanting to tell her what had happened, right from the start, but she couldn’t risk it ruining everything. She noticed then, that she still had the stamp from the nightclub on her hand. She tucked it into the sleeve of her nightgown. “Yeah, I’ll go do that,” she agreed, backing up towards the bathroom. She hesitated at the door before turning to leave her alone.

Malcolm had heard things that he probably shouldn’t have from his sister, usually when she was in no state to comprehend the secrets that she was telling him. “So why’d you get together again?”

Laura did catch, out of the corner of her eye, how Mary seemed to hide something in her sleeve. She had been a detective half a year ago, it wasn’t like little things like that just were easy to ignore. She didn’t want to pry, but once she heard the bathroom door close she did find herself looking through the apartment. She didn’t know what she was thinking to find, but with her hiding her arm or hand or something and her past- well, drugs couldn’t be out of the question. Still, she came up empty handed in the brief search. Before Mary would realize that she was even looking, she knew she had to step out and bring down some food from her own apartment, which was exactly what she did. She came back and knocked lightly again for Mary to open up the apartment. 

Charlie kept his gaze on Mac’s for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what he was trying to do by bringing up Mo. What point he was trying to make. The other man had succeeded, at least, in causing some guilt to come crashing down on Charlie. He looked away, pulling out eggs to start cooking. “We just ran into each other at a bar last night.” 

[stcrswritten]

Mary locked the bathroom door firmly behind ber and was in the shower soon after. Instead of standing, she sat down on the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest, letting the warm water engulf her completely. She only tried to scrub off the print on her hand. Thankfully, it worked. Only a rather aggressive red mark was left behind. It would fade in time. She pulled herself to her feet and moved back to her bedroom, sitting on the end of the bed to check her phone. She saw the missed message from Laura and briefly considered texting Charlie. But she didn’t.

Charlie and Mo were the only two people on Earth he could possibly be torn over supporting. Independently, he was on both of their sides. Knowing how his sister really felt, though? It was a difficult position to be in. Especially when he knew what she wanted was so vastly different from Charlie. They weren’t a good match. But it wasn’t up to him to know that. “Which bar?”

[charlesmckinnon]

Laura waited before letting herself in, setting everything down on the counter. She found herself glancing around again, checking if anything changed that Mary tried to conceal in her absence. She saw nothing, so ended up going to lightly knock on the bedroom door. “You okay in there?”

“I can’t remember the name. You know the one a few streets over from my office? I took you that one time when we went out with the guys from work,” Charlie said. You don’t need to feel guilty. Mo sleeps with people all the time. But Mo doesn’t lay on the floor with them and have some type of almost-sweet moment and then have almost-sweet sex with them. The thoughts were consuming as he started to cook, and he was started to resent Mac for bringing it up at all.

[stcrswritten]

Mary lay on her side, still wrapped in her towel, almost forgetting she had company. She looked up at the knock on the door, her phone still on Charlie’s contact as she considered calling him. At last, she got up and opened it. “I did something stupid,” she confessed, unable to help herself, although still standing in a towel.

Mac shrugged. “No. You’ll have to show me.” He’d forgotten all about the job that he was trying to get. The reason he had bothered Charlie in the first place. He could see the broodiness forming, but he only saw it as an opportunity. “What does she look like?”

[charlesmckinnon]

Laura waited, leaning in a bit to hear what was going on before staggering back a bit when Mary opened the door. She straightened up with a frown, her eyes immediately examining Mary’s body. She looked okay, not hurt. Her skin was a little red, but she assumed that was the shower’s doing. She met her eyes again and said, “Tell me about it while I cook you breakfast?” Mary liked it better when she didn’t feel interrogated, Laura knew that. Some of their best talks happened while Laura was cooking.

“I’ll take you. It’s a nice place,” he said simply, moving to get started on some toast as the eggs cooked. Charlie didn’t think much as he answered, mostly because his mind was otherwise occupied. “She’s pretty, but can be- well, she obviously is more dolled up at a bar. And it works on her. She has brown hair and- why does it matter?” He caught himself.

[stcrswritten]

Mary followed her, although it was with some reluctance. Like she didn't believe that she deserved food. She wasn't sure which part she should lead with. The detrimental part... or the part that she knew would have the least consequences. She had no intentions to lie, at least. But fully telling the truth? That was more difficult than she bargained for. "I went out last night. And..." Going out in itself wasn't bad. It was everything that happened when she went out. "I slept with Charlie," she blurted out. The rest... that was probably clear from her alleged illness.

Malcolm listened carefully, trying to put the pieces together. Although his mind never would have gone to it being someone they knew. Someone like that. "Dolled up?" He smirked, "I bet you made sure she wasn't by the end of the night!" He laughed, punching Charlie square in the arm like a boxer. "It matters because if you dip your toes back in its a good sign! You've got to start getting out there for real. Dating. You've got to have a date to my wedding."

[charlesmckinnon]

stcrswritten​:

The guilt weighed heavy on Mary’s chest. She found herself wanting to tell her what had happened, right from the start, but she couldn’t risk it ruining everything. She noticed then, that she still had the stamp from the nightclub on her hand. She tucked it into the sleeve of her nightgown. “Yeah, I’ll go do that,” she agreed, backing up towards the bathroom. She hesitated at the door before turning to leave her alone.

Malcolm had heard things that he probably shouldn’t have from his sister, usually when she was in no state to comprehend the secrets that she was telling him. “So why’d you get together again?”

Laura did catch, out of the corner of her eye, how Mary seemed to hide something in her sleeve. She had been a detective half a year ago, it wasn’t like little things like that just were easy to ignore. She didn’t want to pry, but once she heard the bathroom door close she did find herself looking through the apartment. She didn’t know what she was thinking to find, but with her hiding her arm or hand or something and her past- well, drugs couldn’t be out of the question. Still, she came up empty handed in the brief search. Before Mary would realize that she was even looking, she knew she had to step out and bring down some food from her own apartment, which was exactly what she did. She came back and knocked lightly again for Mary to open up the apartment. 

Charlie kept his gaze on Mac’s for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what he was trying to do by bringing up Mo. What point he was trying to make. The other man had succeeded, at least, in causing some guilt to come crashing down on Charlie. He looked away, pulling out eggs to start cooking. “We just ran into each other at a bar last night.” 

[stcrswritten]

Mary locked the bathroom door firmly behind ber and was in the shower soon after. Instead of standing, she sat down on the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest, letting the warm water engulf her completely. She only tried to scrub off the print on her hand. Thankfully, it worked. Only a rather aggressive red mark was left behind. It would fade in time. She pulled herself to her feet and moved back to her bedroom, sitting on the end of the bed to check her phone. She saw the missed message from Laura and briefly considered texting Charlie. But she didn’t.

Charlie and Mo were the only two people on Earth he could possibly be torn over supporting. Independently, he was on both of their sides. Knowing how his sister really felt, though? It was a difficult position to be in. Especially when he knew what she wanted was so vastly different from Charlie. They weren’t a good match. But it wasn’t up to him to know that. “Which bar?”

[charlesmckinnon]

Laura waited before letting herself in, setting everything down on the counter. She found herself glancing around again, checking if anything changed that Mary tried to conceal in her absence. She saw nothing, so ended up going to lightly knock on the bedroom door. “You okay in there?”

“I can’t remember the name. You know the one a few streets over from my office? I took you that one time when we went out with the guys from work,” Charlie said. You don’t need to feel guilty. Mo sleeps with people all the time. But Mo doesn’t lay on the floor with them and have some type of almost-sweet moment and then have almost-sweet sex with them. The thoughts were consuming as he started to cook, and he was started to resent Mac for bringing it up at all.

[stcrswritten]

Mary lay on her side, still wrapped in her towel, almost forgetting she had company. She looked up at the knock on the door, her phone still on Charlie's contact as she considered calling him. At last, she got up and opened it. "I did something stupid," she confessed, unable to help herself, although still standing in a towel.

Mac shrugged. "No. You'll have to show me." He'd forgotten all about the job that he was trying to get. The reason he had bothered Charlie in the first place. He could see the broodiness forming, but he only saw it as an opportunity. "What does she look like?"

[charlesmckinnon]

stcrswritten​:

The guilt weighed heavy on Mary’s chest. She found herself wanting to tell her what had happened, right from the start, but she couldn’t risk it ruining everything. She noticed then, that she still had the stamp from the nightclub on her hand. She tucked it into the sleeve of her nightgown. “Yeah, I’ll go do that,” she agreed, backing up towards the bathroom. She hesitated at the door before turning to leave her alone.

Malcolm had heard things that he probably shouldn’t have from his sister, usually when she was in no state to comprehend the secrets that she was telling him. “So why’d you get together again?”

Laura did catch, out of the corner of her eye, how Mary seemed to hide something in her sleeve. She had been a detective half a year ago, it wasn’t like little things like that just were easy to ignore. She didn’t want to pry, but once she heard the bathroom door close she did find herself looking through the apartment. She didn’t know what she was thinking to find, but with her hiding her arm or hand or something and her past- well, drugs couldn’t be out of the question. Still, she came up empty handed in the brief search. Before Mary would realize that she was even looking, she knew she had to step out and bring down some food from her own apartment, which was exactly what she did. She came back and knocked lightly again for Mary to open up the apartment. 

Charlie kept his gaze on Mac’s for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what he was trying to do by bringing up Mo. What point he was trying to make. The other man had succeeded, at least, in causing some guilt to come crashing down on Charlie. He looked away, pulling out eggs to start cooking. “We just ran into each other at a bar last night.” 

[stcrswritten]

Mary locked the bathroom door firmly behind ber and was in the shower soon after. Instead of standing, she sat down on the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest, letting the warm water engulf her completely. She only tried to scrub off the print on her hand. Thankfully, it worked. Only a rather aggressive red mark was left behind. It would fade in time. She pulled herself to her feet and moved back to her bedroom, sitting on the end of the bed to check her phone. She saw the missed message from Laura and briefly considered texting Charlie. But she didn't.

Charlie and Mo were the only two people on Earth he could possibly be torn over supporting. Independently, he was on both of their sides. Knowing how his sister really felt, though? It was a difficult position to be in. Especially when he knew what she wanted was so vastly different from Charlie. They weren't a good match. But it wasn't up to him to know that. "Which bar?"

[charlesmckinnon]

stcrswritten​:

“Laura that’s not nece- okay. You’re in my house.” Mary closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her bedroom door remained half open, but it was almost always a mess so the crumpled dress on the floor wasn’t too out of place. The made bed might have been considering it was only like that in case she had scored last night. “I have whatever’s in the cupboard.”

Mac shrugged. “Maybe. If she’s ugly.” Although he tried not to be, he was rather judgemental right off the bat based on looks. One commonality he had with his sister. “Have you heard from Mo?”

Laura made her way to the kitchen, which she knew was usually pretty sadly barren. She really needed to start teaching her some cooking basics, she was sure. “You should take a shower,” she said, glancing through the cupboard. “And I suppose while you do that I’ll be grocery shopping for you from my apartment.” She did that occasionally, which showed from the random assortment of empty mason jars that sat in Mary’s cupboards. 

“She’s not- shut up. She’s not ugly. We haven’t seen each other between the last time and now.” Not entirely true, but it didn’t come out as a lie. It wasn’t a complete lie. He hadn’t seen her naked since last time. At the question about Morag, Charlie looked over at him, clearly thrown off a bit. He didn’t explicitly talk to Mac about Mo, but of course he knew about their relationship. When talking about his recent hookup, he really didn’t see the point of bringing her up. “Uh, no.”

[stcrswritten]

The guilt weighed heavy on Mary's chest. She found herself wanting to tell her what had happened, right from the start, but she couldn't risk it ruining everything. She noticed then, that she still had the stamp from the nightclub on her hand. She tucked it into the sleeve of her nightgown. "Yeah, I'll go do that," she agreed, backing up towards the bathroom. She hesitated at the door before turning to leave her alone.

Malcolm had heard things that he probably shouldn't have from his sister, usually when she was in no state to comprehend the secrets that she was telling him. "So why'd you get together again?"

[charlesmckinnon]

stcrswritten​:

Mary blushed, but she kept her composure. Usually, she had no trouble telling a good lie. But there was something about lying to Laura - the woman that had taken a chance on her when she didn’t have to - that felt like a betrayal. “I… threw up,” she lied. “I didn’t think you’d want to smell that. I think I’ve caught a bug. You should probably go. You don’t want to get sick.”

Mac gasped dramatically. “What!? Again!?” Considering the length of time in between, he came to his own conclusions. “You’ve been seeing her this whole time and you didn’t think to say something!?”

Laura frowned, studying her and starting to let herself in. “Then unfortunately, I can’t let you have this pastry I got you,” she said, holding up the bag. “But I can cook you something for breakfast that will be good for you. Do you have tea?” she asked, not caring at all about getting sick herself. 

“What? No,” Charlie said, looking over at him. “You seriously think I would have been seeing someone and not told you?” He considered for a moment if he would have told Mac if he had been seeing Mary. It probably would have conveniently not been mentioned while Mac was away. 

[stcrswritten]

"Laura that's not nece- okay. You're in my house." Mary closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her bedroom door remained half open, but it was almost always a mess so the crumpled dress on the floor wasn't too out of place. The made bed might have been considering it was only like that in case she had scored last night. "I have whatever's in the cupboard."

Mac shrugged. "Maybe. If she's ugly." Although he tried not to be, he was rather judgemental right off the bat based on looks. One commonality he had with his sister. "Have you heard from Mo?"

[charlesmckinnon]

stcrswritten​:

Mary had closed the door not a few minutes earlier. She put her phone on charge and hurriedly changed out of her dress into a much more appropriate house coat. She was going to get in the sbower but then the knock came. Still certain she smelled too much like a party, she grabbed some deodorant and sprayed it aggressively across her whole body before opening the door. “Hey, what’s up?” she asked, casually leaning across the door frame. She made her eyelids heavy to give the illusion she was unwell and not in fact hungover.

Mac would never give up on trying to get something. “Yes.” He walked around the counter and leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “How was she? How were you? Where did you find her? Or him.”

Laura waited at the door, rocking impatiently back and forth on her heels. When Mary opened the door, she made a face at the strong scent of some kind of perfume or deodorant. “Did you fall into a vat of perfume?” she asked. “You look like shit,” Laura observed immediately, but she didn’t jump to a conclusion that it was anything other than maybe a bad night. 

Charlie handed the juice over to the other man before taking a sip of his own. He was quick to busy himself, though, with trying to make breakfast to avoid Mac’s gaze. “She’s…” He hesitated, not sure how to answer that. He finally said, “She’s that same girl I told you about once.” Charlie knew he would remember the morning after his birthday celebration, the ‘bartender’ he’d stayed out all night with. 

[stcrswritten]

Mary blushed, but she kept her composure. Usually, she had no trouble telling a good lie. But there was something about lying to Laura - the woman that had taken a chance on her when she didn't have to - that felt like a betrayal. "I... threw up," she lied. "I didn't think you'd want to smell that. I think I've caught a bug. You should probably go. You don't want to get sick."

Mac gasped dramatically. "What!? Again!?" Considering the length of time in between, he came to his own conclusions. "You've been seeing her this whole time and you didn't think to say something!?"

[charlesmckinnon]

stcrswritten​:

Outside, Mary decided that the car that had the fanciest driver was surely the kind that he would call. She wondered if there was an elitist Uber of some kind. As she climbed inside and told them the address, she tapped her nails nervously against the door. By the time they pulled up at her building, she was pleased to find that her keys were still on her person. “Um… thank you. Do I pay you or- no? Okay. Thank you! Sorry!” She climbed clumsily out of the car, dropping her phone on the ground in the process before rushing towards the door.

Mac sat in his room for a while, but when he heard the front door close be was up immediately. “Who is she?” he asked the moment he entered the kitchen and leaned against the counter.

Laura had went to stop by Mary’s in the morning, a pastry in her hand from a vegan bakery she’d stop by on her way home from Mac’s. She couldn’t say she was entirely surprised that Mary didn’t answer - she’d seen how knocked out the woman could sleep sometimes - but it was still more often than not that she would answer. She texted her and pretended not to be worried when the text didn’t send. Instead of lingering awkwardly in the hallway, she decided to go back to her own apartment and try back in an hour. Luckily, that would only be shortly after Mary already got back to her apartment. Soon enough, she was knocking again. 

Charlie went to the fridge, getting out some juice for himself and pulling out a second cup as Mac appeared in the doorway. He shot the man a look. “Does it matter?” It did, in this instance. Charlie was usually private about any escapades, but he knew Mac was going to realize that he had been slightly more secretive this morning than usual. 

[stcrswritten]

Mary had closed the door not a few minutes earlier. She put her phone on charge and hurriedly changed out of her dress into a much more appropriate house coat. She was going to get in the sbower but then the knock came. Still certain she smelled too much like a party, she grabbed some deodorant and sprayed it aggressively across her whole body before opening the door. "Hey, what's up?" she asked, casually leaning across the door frame. She made her eyelids heavy to give the illusion she was unwell and not in fact hungover.

Mac would never give up on trying to get something. "Yes." He walked around the counter and leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "How was she? How were you? Where did you find her? Or him."

[charlesmckinnon]

stcrswritten​:

Mary noticed the ease in which his hand rested on her thigh. Her skin tingled with anticipation, memories of the night before warping her judgement. If not for how heavy her limbs felt and the weight of his next words, she might have used that feeling to her advantage. The thought of Laura at her door — Laura, who knew she shouldn’t be doing what she was doing. Who, although they seemed closer to friends now, had started off as more of a guide and a mentor than anything else. She could already see the disappointment. “Shit, I have to go.” She quickly scrambled to her feet, moving around the room in desperate hunt of discarded underwear. In record time, she had pulled off his sweater and was dragging the dress back onto her body on the off chance that, if she was to see Laura, she might recognise it. The comfort and warmth was almost painful. “Have you seen my phone?” Before she could get an answer, she found it on the floor. The battery was dead so she couldn’t even fire off a quick excuse. “Shit, shit, shit! What’s the fastest way from here to Euston?”

Charlie blinked, not expecting her sudden scrambling. Sure, he needed her out - and relatively quick - too, but the way she was acting was like a bomb would go off if she didn’t. He took out his own phone to text for a car, which he knew would only take a few minutes to come. “Mary, breathe. It’s alright. It’s not like Laura’s your warden and you’ve broken out of jail. I’m sure she won’t even think anything if you’re not home,” he said. Charlie leaned over, picking up the jumper again for her to take it. He just assumed she would put it over the dress for extra warmth. “A car will be here in a few.”

[stcrswritten]

At his words Mary stared at him, genuine shock on her face. She thought, somehow, Mac would have told him the circumstances of how she had ended up where she was. How, yes, in a way Laura was very much like her warden. Despite everything — she was still a cop. “Yeah, sure. Because that’s totally true.” She sat down on the edge of the bed, or tried to but slipped down until she was on the floor. She still pulled her shoes on hastily and looked in the mirror. She couldn’t look more like she was on a walk of shame if she tried. Hurriedly, she tried to fix her makeup and smooth down her hair. “A what?”

[charlesmckinnon]

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he said. Charlie did know some of her story, but not all. Really, just that she was in a bad situation and Laura got her out. A little about her perhaps being on drugs or drinking, but Mac hadn’t let anything too significant slip. “Are you not going to take this?” he said, holding out the jumper for her. “A car. You know, four wheels. Takes you from point a to point b.”

[stcrswritten]

Mary just shook her head. “No- no. It’s yours,” she said, hastily shoving it back against his chest as she went for the door. “I can get a bus, it’s fine.” Although she had no idea where her wallet was and since her phone was dead, there was no way to pay. She might just have to take the offer and have it drop her off on a different street… “What does the car look like?”

[charlesmckinnon]

“You’re going to be cold?” he said, although it came out as more of a question than urgency for her to take it. “I already called the car, so what’s the use,” he said, moving over to the door and unlocking it. “I’ll walk you out. I have to check for Mac first.”

[stcrswritten]

“I’m always cold.” Mary shook her head. “No, you- you stay here. I’ll manage.” She moved to take the door from him. It was then that she took a moment to actually look at him. Only because she might never get the chance again, she stood on her toes and kissed him hard - if only just to stun him. “Bye!” She turned around and fled.

[charlesmckinnon]

Charlie was about to insist, but before he had the chance, her lips were on his. He was surprised, to say the least. Maybe she was still slightly drunk, because he never thought she would be kissing him in daylight, with apparently no other intentions. Still he held the kiss until she pulled back, and she was practically bolting out the door before he got a chance to say anything. He would have called her name, if only that wouldn’t expose who it was to Mac. He stood there for a moment as the door closed, letting the stun wash away, before going over to the window to make sure she at least got in the car alright. He texted the driver to let him know when she home safely and waited for it to pull off before going to the kitchen. He figured Mac would find him.

[stcrswritten]

Outside, Mary decided that the car that had the fanciest driver was surely the kind that he would call. She wondered if there was an elitist Uber of some kind. As she climbed inside and told them the address, she tapped her nails nervously against the door. By the time they pulled up at her building, she was pleased to find that her keys were still on her person. "Um... thank you. Do I pay you or- no? Okay. Thank you! Sorry!" She climbed clumsily out of the car, dropping her phone on the ground in the process before rushing towards the door.

Mac sat in his room for a while, but when he heard the front door close be was up immediately. "Who is she?" he asked the moment he entered the kitchen and leaned against the counter.

[charlesmckinnon]

stcrswritten​:

Mary noticed the ease in which his hand rested on her thigh. Her skin tingled with anticipation, memories of the night before warping her judgement. If not for how heavy her limbs felt and the weight of his next words, she might have used that feeling to her advantage. The thought of Laura at her door — Laura, who knew she shouldn’t be doing what she was doing. Who, although they seemed closer to friends now, had started off as more of a guide and a mentor than anything else. She could already see the disappointment. “Shit, I have to go.” She quickly scrambled to her feet, moving around the room in desperate hunt of discarded underwear. In record time, she had pulled off his sweater and was dragging the dress back onto her body on the off chance that, if she was to see Laura, she might recognise it. The comfort and warmth was almost painful. “Have you seen my phone?” Before she could get an answer, she found it on the floor. The battery was dead so she couldn’t even fire off a quick excuse. “Shit, shit, shit! What’s the fastest way from here to Euston?”

Charlie blinked, not expecting her sudden scrambling. Sure, he needed her out - and relatively quick - too, but the way she was acting was like a bomb would go off if she didn’t. He took out his own phone to text for a car, which he knew would only take a few minutes to come. “Mary, breathe. It’s alright. It’s not like Laura’s your warden and you’ve broken out of jail. I’m sure she won’t even think anything if you’re not home,” he said. Charlie leaned over, picking up the jumper again for her to take it. He just assumed she would put it over the dress for extra warmth. “A car will be here in a few.”

[stcrswritten]

At his words Mary stared at him, genuine shock on her face. She thought, somehow, Mac would have told him the circumstances of how she had ended up where she was. How, yes, in a way Laura was very much like her warden. Despite everything — she was still a cop. “Yeah, sure. Because that’s totally true.” She sat down on the edge of the bed, or tried to but slipped down until she was on the floor. She still pulled her shoes on hastily and looked in the mirror. She couldn’t look more like she was on a walk of shame if she tried. Hurriedly, she tried to fix her makeup and smooth down her hair. “A what?”

[charlesmckinnon]

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he said. Charlie did know some of her story, but not all. Really, just that she was in a bad situation and Laura got her out. A little about her perhaps being on drugs or drinking, but Mac hadn’t let anything too significant slip. “Are you not going to take this?” he said, holding out the jumper for her. “A car. You know, four wheels. Takes you from point a to point b.”

[stcrswritten]

Mary just shook her head. “No- no. It’s yours,” she said, hastily shoving it back against his chest as she went for the door. “I can get a bus, it’s fine.” Although she had no idea where her wallet was and since her phone was dead, there was no way to pay. She might just have to take the offer and have it drop her off on a different street… “What does the car look like?”

[charlesmckinnon]

“You’re going to be cold?” he said, although it came out as more of a question than urgency for her to take it. “I already called the car, so what’s the use,” he said, moving over to the door and unlocking it. “I’ll walk you out. I have to check for Mac first.”

[stcrswritten]

"I'm always cold." Mary shook her head. "No, you- you stay here. I'll manage." She moved to take the door from him. It was then that she took a moment to actually look at him. Only because she might never get the chance again, she stood on her toes and kissed him hard - if only just to stun him. "Bye!" She turned around and fled.

[charlesmckinnon]

stcrswritten​:

Mary noticed the ease in which his hand rested on her thigh. Her skin tingled with anticipation, memories of the night before warping her judgement. If not for how heavy her limbs felt and the weight of his next words, she might have used that feeling to her advantage. The thought of Laura at her door — Laura, who knew she shouldn’t be doing what she was doing. Who, although they seemed closer to friends now, had started off as more of a guide and a mentor than anything else. She could already see the disappointment. “Shit, I have to go.” She quickly scrambled to her feet, moving around the room in desperate hunt of discarded underwear. In record time, she had pulled off his sweater and was dragging the dress back onto her body on the off chance that, if she was to see Laura, she might recognise it. The comfort and warmth was almost painful. “Have you seen my phone?” Before she could get an answer, she found it on the floor. The battery was dead so she couldn’t even fire off a quick excuse. “Shit, shit, shit! What’s the fastest way from here to Euston?”

Charlie blinked, not expecting her sudden scrambling. Sure, he needed her out - and relatively quick - too, but the way she was acting was like a bomb would go off if she didn’t. He took out his own phone to text for a car, which he knew would only take a few minutes to come. “Mary, breathe. It’s alright. It’s not like Laura’s your warden and you’ve broken out of jail. I’m sure she won’t even think anything if you’re not home,” he said. Charlie leaned over, picking up the jumper again for her to take it. He just assumed she would put it over the dress for extra warmth. “A car will be here in a few.”

[stcrswritten]

At his words Mary stared at him, genuine shock on her face. She thought, somehow, Mac would have told him the circumstances of how she had ended up where she was. How, yes, in a way Laura was very much like her warden. Despite everything — she was still a cop. “Yeah, sure. Because that’s totally true.” She sat down on the edge of the bed, or tried to but slipped down until she was on the floor. She still pulled her shoes on hastily and looked in the mirror. She couldn’t look more like she was on a walk of shame if she tried. Hurriedly, she tried to fix her makeup and smooth down her hair. “A what?”

[charlesmckinnon]

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he said. Charlie did know some of her story, but not all. Really, just that she was in a bad situation and Laura got her out. A little about her perhaps being on drugs or drinking, but Mac hadn’t let anything too significant slip. “Are you not going to take this?” he said, holding out the jumper for her. “A car. You know, four wheels. Takes you from point a to point b.”

[stcrswritten]

Mary just shook her head. "No- no. It's yours," she said, hastily shoving it back against his chest as she went for the door. "I can get a bus, it's fine." Although she had no idea where her wallet was and since her phone was dead, there was no way to pay. She might just have to take the offer and have it drop her off on a different street... "What does the car look like?"

[charlesmckinnon]

stcrswritten​:

Mary noticed the ease in which his hand rested on her thigh. Her skin tingled with anticipation, memories of the night before warping her judgement. If not for how heavy her limbs felt and the weight of his next words, she might have used that feeling to her advantage. The thought of Laura at her door — Laura, who knew she shouldn’t be doing what she was doing. Who, although they seemed closer to friends now, had started off as more of a guide and a mentor than anything else. She could already see the disappointment. “Shit, I have to go.” She quickly scrambled to her feet, moving around the room in desperate hunt of discarded underwear. In record time, she had pulled off his sweater and was dragging the dress back onto her body on the off chance that, if she was to see Laura, she might recognise it. The comfort and warmth was almost painful. “Have you seen my phone?” Before she could get an answer, she found it on the floor. The battery was dead so she couldn’t even fire off a quick excuse. “Shit, shit, shit! What’s the fastest way from here to Euston?”

Charlie blinked, not expecting her sudden scrambling. Sure, he needed her out - and relatively quick - too, but the way she was acting was like a bomb would go off if she didn’t. He took out his own phone to text for a car, which he knew would only take a few minutes to come. “Mary, breathe. It’s alright. It’s not like Laura’s your warden and you’ve broken out of jail. I’m sure she won’t even think anything if you’re not home,” he said. Charlie leaned over, picking up the jumper again for her to take it. He just assumed she would put it over the dress for extra warmth. “A car will be here in a few.”

[stcrswritten]

At his words Mary stared at him, genuine shock on her face. She thought, somehow, Mac would have told him the circumstances of how she had ended up where she was. How, yes, in a way Laura was very much like her warden. Despite everything — she was still a cop. "Yeah, sure. Because that's totally true." She sat down on the edge of the bed, or tried to but slipped down until she was on the floor. She still pulled her shoes on hastily and looked in the mirror. She couldn't look more like she was on a walk of shame if she tried. Hurriedly, she tried to fix her makeup and smooth down her hair. "A what?"