Who: @angstfactory ft; Fitz @rubyrobshaw @theodore-robshaw @thexcarrollxtimes ft; Jack
Where: The Robshaw House
What: Aggie throws a dinner so she and Fitz can tell Teddy about the pregnancy with Ruby there for moral support. It ends up a figurative and literal mess on the table before Teddy relents and decides to give Fitz a chance after the man gives a declaration of love for Agnes.
When: Pre-Hawkins Reception
Saturday April 25, 2026 After a day of cooking her butt off, and cleaning the house as best she could, there wasn't much more for Aggie to fuss over, despite her nerves making her desperate to find something to. She'd even gone so far as to set the table, something that wasn't generally a thing for a family that tended to eat buffet style, but this felt like a special occasion. That and she told herself that Teddy would love the effort put in basically just for him. Hopefully enough to placate his indignation for just enough time for them to explain. "Do you think it needs a table cloth, it looks like it needs a table cloth. Is that too much? It's too much isn't it?" Teddy was due to arrive any minute now, and her anxiety was really starting to get the best of her, even with the rallying presence of Ruby and Fitz.
"We can turn around." Theodore commented quietly as his blue eyes gazed out the passenger window. "I can say, I got sick." He offered as his eyes shifted towards Jack who was driving thr vehicle. "Are you sure you even want to come? Hell of a time to meet my sisters and the asshole."
Fitz guy really had Teddy worked up. It was the first time Jack had seen him so unnerved and it worried him. "Well, they don't know I'm an asshole yet," he cracked the joke to break his boyfriend's worries. He reached over and took hold of his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Want to smoke? I brought a blunt for after, but if you need it now, I guess I can sacrifice it early," he added giving him a soft smile. "Glovebox," he told him with a nod its way as he let go of Teddy to dig out his lighter, already knowing the answer would be yes.
A slight smirk formed at the corner of his lips at Jack's response. One of the few people in his life to calm him. Feeling the warmth of Jack's hand, he squeezed back. How did he get so lucky to have a sensitive, sweet boyfriend who can anticipate his needs? Thankfully Jack knew the answer and their hands parted while he got the blunt and Jack the lighter. Within moments, the blunt was lit and Teddy inhaled deep and held it before passing it off to Jack.
“Everything looks wonderful, Agnes,” Fitzroy said, trying not to sound as defeated as he felt just then. He wasn’t feeling well, his color was still off, energy not quite up to its usual snuff, but he had also spent the afternoon going back and forth with her about helping. She wouldn’t let him do anything outside of simple, meaningless tasks that ultimately did nothing in the way of getting this set up. Fitzroy was doing his best not to stress her, for the baby’s sake, and in general didn’t want to fight in front of her family, but she was pregnant. If anyone should have done this, Fitzroy felt it should have been in his court. He was an excellent chef, he could have prepared something, and had her and her sister reclining like queens. ”However, if a table cloth would make you feel more at ease, I can simply— ” He started towards the set up on the table like he meant to redo it for her.
"Thank you, Love." Though her appreciation almost felt absent, like a reflex, until she'd realized what she was doing and turned to him with a little sigh of apology. "I'm sorry. I just-.... I want everyting perfect, and that sort of thing really resonates with Teddy. Theeffort you know?" She knew he wanted to do more. Between the pallor to his face and the stitches not quite healed, she'd refused to let him do much outside of passing her dishes and the such, and she could tell he wasn't happy about it. "No. No, we'd had to reset the whole thing. I know I'm being crazy, I don't mean to be crazy." Maybe it was the baby brain. Intercepting him by putting herself between him and the table, she wrapped her around around him in an apologetic hug instead. "Don't know why you put up with me." Smiling up at him, she offered him a little kiss, with one of those little hums of hers he loved so much left on his lips like a gift. "I think it's perfect. I think... we're ready."
He took the blunt and his puff puff pass before handing it back, turning where the GPS told him. "Devil's Crack," he said with a point toward the blunt and a glance his way. "Thought the strain name was appropriate for tonight," he added with a chuckle.
A brow lifted at the address' name as he took the blunt. "You're incorrigible." There was a hint of a smirk on his lips, amused by his boyfriend. Theodore took brought the blunt back to his lips and inhaled before looking over towards him. "Last chance to ditch."
While he could understand the need for effort, and respect that someone should expect it too, Fitzroy wasn’t so sure it should put this much stress on someone. This all felt rather gross, and perhaps he was just now understanding what Agnes must have went through to meet his parents. Fitzroy had never had to worry about impressions before. It was important to her, so he knew to take it seriously. “Your brother would be a fool not to see how hard you’re trying,” he told her this in lower tones, so Ruby didn’t overhear and think worse of him for it. Rubbing the arm around his waist gently, he turned his head to plant a firm kiss to her scalp. “Be nicer to yourself, will you? I can’t exactly yell at you for bullying yourself, can I?” He, too, gave a nod to the set up. “Ready,” he agreed, looking over at her sister in case she had any concerns on it.
ruby preferred the basement for family meetings. she liked the comfort, the three siblings sprawled over various pieces of furniture while they complained about whatever ailed the robshaw lineage. this was a different idea entirely. it should have been called family banquet with the way that aggie was moving around the kitchen preparing some meal she wasn't sure anyone actually knew how to cook. ruby had spent the majority of the afternoon in her room, trying different barretts and hair clips, painting her nails and putting stickers on them. she'd wanted to be like so cool and just hang out in the kitchen with aggie and the new boyfriend. but, she didn't really know which side she was supposed to be on— she never did. now she was sitting at the kitchen table, watching the condensation drip from her glass of wine someone had poured (fitzroad?), before she blinked, "is teddy here?"
"I'm fucking hilarious and you love it," he countered with an exaggerated smug pout, taking the blunt and his hits before returning it. Don't think he didn't see that smirk fighting to break free. "We're about to be there," he said through his exhale, shaking his head. "Save the rest for after," he said as he pulled up to the house and parked in the driveway. He turned the car off and shifted to face Theodore. "Not to get too fucking sappy or anything, but you know I'm gonna make sure you live through tonight. Everything will be fine," he reassured Teddy, a rarity for Jack. "And if I have to, I have a plethora of reasons to cause a scene at dinner for a dramatic exit if we need," he added playfully with a gentle eye roll and a smile his way. "Ready?"
"I know." It felt like she'd said it a million times, and meant it every time, but she couldn't help worrying nonetheless. It all felt like a ticking time bomb, somehow more so than meeting his parents, maybe because they were so less outwardly volatile. "I'm sorry." She breathed the words into a sigh as she melted against the press of his lips, his hands soothing away enough if the tension that her shoulders could drop some. "I think so. Thank you, for being here. I love you." Whispered to him, exhaled into the space just between them. Looking over as Ruby finally made her appearance, Aggie reluctantly unlatched her embrace from Fitz to look out the front window just as a car pulled up out front. "I think so... I think he brought someone?"
"ah, more people?" as agnes abandoned him for the window, fitzroy took the opportunity to set down another place at the dining table. before she could try and do it herself, or forbid him.
"You're something, that is for sure." Teddy commented with a teasing smile. "Fine, rest for later. " Theodore turned towards Jack, he wasn't sure why he was so nervous about this evening. Dinner with the family, boyfriend and an asshole. Fairly normal night. "You're too kind." He softly stated as he leaned in for a small kiss. "Okay let's get this done and over with." He got out of the vehicle and walked over towards Jack to walk up together. "Should we ring the doorbell?" He questioned, unsure the protocol. He never has before but this seemed different.
He grumbled a little when he was called kind of all things. "Just keep it between us okay," he warned gently, returning the kiss. He got out and took hold of his hand as they walked up to the house, pulling it up for a quick kiss just as they came to the door. "It's your family," he shrugged. He normally just walked in his sister's house without warning. "What'd you usually do?"
"He did bring someone!" Aggie called from the window as the pair got out of the car. Great. She hadn't expected to tell someone else, too, but there wasn't much to be done about it anymore. Instead, she threw open the door to find herself face to face with her brother and his guest. "You're here! Get your butts in here, why are you lingering on the front step like that?"
When the door opened, he took in a breath and looked over towards Jack giving the man's hand a light squeeze as he guided them into their family home. "Sorry, we were just...doesn't matter. How are things?" He questioned looking over at Ruby then giving a quick glare towards Fitz. "So this is Jack, my boyfriend. Sorry should have said he would be joining me."* With that, he continued towards the family dining room table and sat down.
Jack squeezed his hand in return and gave his a guick, tight-lipped I-got-you of a smile before letting him lead him further inside.
He raised a hand in silent introduction with his name. "Surprise."
"Love the house," he complimented as he took a seat next to Teddy.
He stood besides the table, hands loosely clasped behind his back. Giving a faint look of confusion to the rather unpleasant look thrown his way by her brother. They had never really spoken much over the years and outside of the questionable behavior towards Agnes at the auction, he wasn’t sure where the animosity came from. His gaze shifted to Theodore’s boyfriend, offering the other man a polite nod. Fitz then moved to pull out the chairs for both Agnes and Ruby, before joining everyone at the table.
Aggie spotted the glower that Teddy gave to Fitz, clicking her tongue disapprovingly at her brother, though the look faded into a little appreciative smile as Fitz did as gentlemen do and pulled out the chairs for her and Ruby. "Want to get the food?" She offered to him, hoping that Fitz being the one to bring in the Lasagna would maybe give him a ghost of a point in his corner somehow. "It's nice to meet you, Jack." Aggie offered with a smile to him, brows lifting as she did her best to keep her tone light despite her the nerves choking her. "Must be quite the guy to tie down our Teddy."
A flush of heat he couldn't stop colored his cheeks and he glanced Theodore's way as a smile crept its way across his mouth. She had no idea how much he liked tieing him down. "I don't know about that," he said with a small, nervous chuckle. "I think it might be a little bit the other way around to be honest. I don't usually stick around long enough to be tethered," he added, bringing his attention back to his sister. "But Teddy is a pretty special guy."
Just as he was taking his seat, Agnes spoke up, asking him about the food. “Oh, right, of course,” the Englishman startled off the chair, the one essential part of this entire evening having been a complete lapse in brain fog memory: the meal itself. “Do not trouble yourself,” with a murmur to Agnes not to worry about this part, he could certainly handle that even though he was certainly used to staff doing this for him. It wasn’t as if he had never prepared his own meal or two, of course. But one shouldn’t expect him to know how to use the dish washer or washing machines correctly. As the others spoke amongst each other, Fitzroy disappeared into the kitchen to start bringing in the prepared dishes one-by-one. As he sat the last on the table, he commented, “All prepared by Agnes, of course — she would not allow me to touch anything, so do not mistake this as any attempt to take the credit for what looks to be a very delicious meal, it was all her.”
Theodore remained silent not thrilled to be doing this charade in the first place. When Jack spoke, his eyes swayed towards his lover and he lightly chuckled to himsef before giving an eye roll. As Agnes spoke to her beau, Teddy just stayed quiet not sure why Ruby has yet to say anything. There was no way in hell he was the only one disapproving of Fitz. Especially after the times he made their sister cry. As the lasagna was placed, he knew his sister was trying to get on his good side by pulling out his favorite dish. "Looks good," he murmured, fidgeting a bit from being so uncomfortable.
in a better world, she would have thought of an excuse for why she had to go suddenly. but there really wasn't an emergency that she could come up with besides the fact that she didn't realize they were supposed to bring dates to the family meeting. the dishes were placed in front of her, heavy and waiting, before she smiled at jack and teddy giving a little wave. she did want her siblings to be happy, she just didn't know if this news was going to be a great coming together of love and light. "radical timing." she nodded towards jack, as if it was super cosmic that they were now a table of five. "cool of you to join us on ag's feast." she didn't trouble herself with any of it, looking around waiting for someone else to say something. it wasn't going to be her, no way, she was not the first to say* b-a-b-y*, she was the first to say, "teddy will have to give you the house tour...after."
Now that everyone was there, now that dinner was on the table, Aggie's felt like she could throw up from the level of nerves she had coursing adrenaline through her system. "Teddy's so special." She agreed, though, through a smile that felt like it looked more at ease than she was. Would that be saying much anyway, though, when she felt like she was at a threat level red level of anxiety. The hand she'd rested on Fitz's knee when he sat down unintentionally white knuckled in her grip. "I made it with that expensive ricotta and everything." Chewing on her lip a little, she realized with a drop in her stomach that the words just blurting out her mouth was a very real possibility, and it wasn't her stomachs he wanted to vomit out, but her secret. "I um... we um... have some big news, and... I hadn't expected other guests, but the more the merrier, you know?" She offered and apologetic smile at Jack. Maybe his being here would be a good thing depending on Teddy's reaction. "I just... I wish I knew how to start. I had this whole speech practiced and everything but it's all... whoop, gone now. Funny how that happens, huh?" She spoke maybe a little too quickly as she released her bruising grip on her boyfriend to busy her hands with doling out portions of the lasagna.
Her anxiety was through the roof now that the moment was nigh. He didn’t have to hear the tremors in her voice to understand that. Fitz, cool as a cucumber, because whether her brother liked him or not wasn’t a priority that changed the outcome of their relationship, still did hope to make enough of an impression to have Theodore accepting of things. Of them, but only for Agnes’ benefit. If it wasn’t for her and the fact she cared to have him understand and approve, then Fitzroy would have given Theodore all the space the man so dearly wanted because why force his presence on someone who it clearly made uncomfortable? They didn’t have to be friends, they didn’t have to interact, but he would try, and he would care, because his love Agnes cared. Seeing that she needed something to do with herself, he didn’t try taking serving the food away from her. Instead, his hand settled on her knee under the table, fingers playfully inching up the fabric of her dress a little higher than was appropriate, as he offered the other three a congenial smile. “I know precisely what you mean, Agnes,” he said, supportively, before giving Theodore his direct attention while his thumb made comforting swirls on his sister’s thigh out of sight. “I never got to wish you happy birthday, but the way, I have a gift I meant to give too, I didn’t have the chance yet. I’ll leave that with you today, if that’s fine.”
Theodore looked over at his baby sister who appeared to be extremely nervous. It made him feel slightly bad, because he was sure that he was the reason behind all of this. But then it suddenly occurred to him as Agnes was rambling. His expression changed, mouth hanging slightly open as his brows stitched together as he processed what Agnes wanted to tell him. Why Fitz was there. "Oh my gawd." He shook his head, ignoring everything Fitz said about his birthday. Especially when his birthday went to shit. And instead returned his attention back to his sister. "Don't tell me you're pregnant."
Lashes fluttering a little as Fitz did his best to distract her from her nerves by distracting her on other ways, Aggie reached down to give a little scold of a tap to his arm before she stood up so she could start doling out servings to everyone else. Or at least attempting to, because just as she'd lifted a portion to put onto Teddy's plate, he spoke and she choked. Literally. A strangled noise escaping her throat as she dropped the spatula with a yelp as tomato sauce splattered in all directions as the piece hit the table. "How did you know?!" She gaped at him, in shocked confusion, the fact that it was a wildly accurate guess not quite registering with her yet.
Just got tomato sauce splattered right into his face and across the front of his clothes. Sits there in some shock, both hands suspended in the air. "Well.. that's.. that, I suppose," he murmured to himself, blindly groping around for one of the clothe napkins, using it to dab the sauce off his face. Licking some from his lips. At least it tasted great.
Theodore just sat there, his eyes blinking repeatedly as the sauce splashed across him and all over. One of the few times, he did not have anything to say. His baby sister was with child. And although that was wonderful, beautiful news. Something he would have jumped up and down for holding her hand and planning a baby shower in his head. This felt all surreal. His eyes swayed over towards Ruby, wondering if she already knew. Then he looked over towards Jack before he just stared down at the plate. What was there to say?
Jack let a nervous laugh escape him with Ruby's comment about timing. Maybe he shouldn't have come? But he had only wanted to be there for Teddy, who had seemed to be completely worked up over dinner with his sisters. And that's what good boyfriends did, right? Now, though, he was second-guessing himself. "Yea, sorry about the surprise," he apologized. "I've just heard good things about Theo's sisters and couldn't wait to meet you all," he only half-lied. He had wanted to meet Theodore's family and he had heard good things, but maybe not exactly in that order. "A tour sounds great," he agreed, reaching for Teddy's hand under the table and squeezing it for comfort - both for him and himself. He flinched when the sauce went everywhere, including his shirt, fighting back the urge to make a joke that it tasted delicious and he could tell it was all homemade. It felt obviously inappropriate despite the obvious need to break the tension. "Pregnant? Wow...that's...that is big news," Jack broke the growing silence, reaching for his napkin and beginning to wipe Teddy clean before himself.
"Sorry, Oh my goodness I'm so sorry!" Though she'd instantly started cleaning up the mess she made, even Aggie wasn't sure if she was apologizing for the mess, the news, the shock? Maybe his disappointment. Hands shaking, she blinked back tears that had sprung to her eyes at Teddy's silence, at all their silence. "It's good news..." Whispered through the sound of her dispair at this being almost worse than his freaking out, because Teddy was never silent and she wasn't sure what to make of it, stealing a misty glance at her sister and then back at him. "Let me get something to clean this up."
Theodore's blue eyes lifted when he felt the gentle pats of Jack trying to clean him. Thanks, he softly said under his breath. "Congratulations," he commented in a flat tone towards Agnes and Fitz. Right now, he didn't know what to say or do. What was there to say? All he could do was hope Fitz wouldn't hurt Agnes again although in his experience that wouldn't be the case.
at least she didn't have to be the one to say it. the sudden chaos afterwards, sauce on just about every surface seemed to be the right amount of chaos for whatever they were supposed to feel about the situation. teddy played it really cool though, like suspiciously very nice cool. it looked like aggie hadn't had much to worry about in htat department. "whoops." ruby took the cue to stand up from the table and walk into the kitchen. she'd done her supportive big sister part and no one had died, except for the flower on her sweater that had gotten a helping of dinner. she took it off and ran the fabric under the sink, letting the water soak through, hopefully muffling the words from whatever was still going on.
Her voice had taken on that soft and breathy tightness it did when she was really upset. Fitzroy stood, a comforting hand coming to the small of her back as he did his best to keep his stare on her, and not the brother responsible for this. Honestly, the entire moment could have been worse, in his opinion, which he had considered might go a bit more violently than mere silence and then forced comment that said nothing of genuine happiness for the couple. But, this response in Theodore evidently bothered Agnes to her core, so it must not have been good. "No, allow me," he leaned in to kiss the side of her scalp, a habit that had quickly formed itself, before excusing from the room just as Ruby, following her into the kitchen to find something to clean up the mess. And give Agnes a moment with her brother. "Was that good or bad in there?" Fitz asked the short woman, pausing by the paper towels.
Hands busying themselves with trying to clean up as many bits of lasagna as she could paused at his congratulations, eyes flicking up to her brother's face for a moment before fluttering closed at the grounding press of Fitz's lips to the side of her head reminding her how to breathe. Swallowing hard as she followed him with her eyes, she turned back to Teddy with flooding eyes, lashes clumping together even as she did her best to blink back her tears as she asked what she really wanted to know, and what she was truly afraid to. "Are you mad at me?"
Theodore felt like he was suffocating with everyone around him and all the buzzing between everyone. When Agnes directly questioned him, his blue eyes met her eyes. "What do you want me to say?" He licked his lips nervously. "Anges, he was engaged just a few months ago. He hurt you how many times? You called me crying. And now this? What am I supposed to make of it?"
"I don't know..." Her voice was small, and her swallow hard as she lowered into her seat again, uncaring of the tomato sauce that covered her face and the front of her dress in splatters. "We didn't mean for it to happen... but... we're so... we're so happy, Teddy. He really loves me. I just-... I just can't stand you not talking to me." A tiny sob accompanied the end of her words, but it was sucked back with a sharp intake of breath, and yet another choking swallow to press the ball of emotion back down to a place more controlable. "I miss you so much."
Tears started to form watching his sister upset over his account. Why did he bring Jack to witness the Robshaw drama? "Aggie," he softly commented. Instead of speaking, he moved to ASL because it felt easier than stumbling over his words because the influx of emotions. "How do you know he loves you? He was just engaged. He chose her over you more than once."
Jack suddenly felt grossly out of place and hopelessly awkward as he slowly stopped cleaning off Theodore, gripping at the napkin now unsure of what to do with himself. As much as he wanted to be there for his boyfriend, to comfort him, to take away all the bullshit he knew was swelling within him, he was helpless as he sat next to him and the conversation between him and his sister started to unfold - the busting out of ASL his clear sign to vacate their space.
"I'll just....I need a clean towel or....there's a bathroom I'm sure where I could...." he started awkwardly excusing himself, holding tight to the messy napkin still as if it would save his life. He headed off to the entryway because it was the only other place he knew in the home where he could wait and give the two the time alone they needed.
She watched Jack go but couldn't bring herself to say anything, her attention flicking instantly back to Teddy as his hands moved with signs. 'It was arranged, Teddy. It was obligation. He's loved me for a long time. Years. We just both denied it. He even told his parents, Teddy.' That meant something, didn't it? 'He never loved her.'
"So it is my memory that is messed up, picking you up in the park crying over him" He swallowed the lump in his throat. "And what? He needs his parents' permission to be with you? And how are you sure he loves you and you weren't the backup since his finance decided to ditch him and get married to Joel?"
"Because he didn't know about that yet!" The words were louder than she'd meant them to be. 'He was confused, too, Teddy! He is royalty! Of course it's complicated!' She continued in sign again. 'I am sure he loves me. With everything inside me. You should have seen how happy he was when I told him!'
His eyes grew wide when his sister nearly yelled at him. "He didn't know? So he thought he was screwing around on his fiance?" Theodore rolled his eyes. "Confused? He shouldn't be confused when it comes to you, you're the best person and you should have always been his number one."
'I-...'She froze, realizing how it sound. "He was going to call it off. He wasn't going to marry her. And then she eloped with Joel. If anything I'm the bad one because I forced him to confront what he's always felt for me. They been arranged since they were kids, and it was never a love connection, and I pushed him to deny centuries of tradition to be with me. And he did. He* is. He was willing to risk everything to be with me, Teddy." The words and her signs came out in unison, a sure sign of her nerves, and the imploring in her voice. "Please, just talk to him. Give him a chance, please? For me? For... for the baby?"
Jack leaned against the wall, listening to what he could of the conversation, his heart tugging at his chest when he heard Theodore's voice and he desperately wanted to rush back in and rescue him. Instead he sighed, more powerless than eve.
Theodore continued in sign language, his hand movements dramatic as they spoke. "You could never be the bad one Aggie." No matter all the circumstances, Agnes and Ruby were the best people he knew. And there it was, she was using his weakness against him. Her. A sigh left his lips as he nodded and stood up. "Okay, I'll talk to him." Theodore walked into the kitchen. "I think we should talk outside."
There was definitely sounds of voices, but they weren't close enough to truly hear what was going on and for his part, he kept out of it. As an only child, he didn't pretend to understand what it felt like to have siblings and need them in this way. But, how much different could it be, than bonds he forged with friends he knew and loved? As Theodore entered suddenly to request his audience, Fitz offered Ruby a short, "Excuse me", before following the other man out.
Theodore reached for his purse and stepped outside on the front porch, he reached for his pack of cigarettes that were for emergencies and his lighter. Plucking a cigarette from his pack, he placed between his lips and lit it as Fitz came out. "I know how Agnes feels, but how do you feel about her?"
“I love her,” these words left his mouth, immediate and without need for thought. Blunt. Nothing followed them because Theodore wasn’t the one he needed to believe him. Agnes was. He asked, Fitz answered, and he stood there, waiting as if for further instructions. What more was there to say? It was that simple.
I love her. Was it really that simple? Theodore honestly wasn't sure anymore about anything when it came to Fitz and his sister. So he took a drag from the cigarette and nodded. "Okay." At the end of the day, it was Agnes' decision and he didn't want to be a thorn in her side. Nor did he want his family torn apart. "Just don't break her heart." He softly said. "Go back inside, I'll be in after this." He commented lifting up the cigarette.
The words had come so quick and unbidden, it took even Fitzroy a moment to realize that's the first time he's even said them to anyone else. Agnes and he often sent ASL 'ILY' messages but, neither had actually spoken them aloud since the night they were finally together. It wasn't an earth shattering moment, but an enveloping hug of warmth and security, to know precisely that's what this all was. "It's not my intention to." Whether he could promise such a thing, was clearly not in his control, but he loved her, so he'd do everything he could to prevent it. With a short nod, he listened, heading back inside because, well, they did have a dinner to get back on track and he needed to let this all settle in.
