MHA #6, Late Saturday Morning

[arboreal_priestess]

As a rule, Prices didn't RSVP to things. All that did was let your enemies know where you were going to be at any given day or time. So when an invitation for a weekend on the island showed up in Oregon (and not sent by Verity), there had been no indication that it had been received, never mind decided upon.

And, just because they were paranoid safety-conscious, they'd skipped the first day of festivities, figuring anyone keeping tabs on them would note their absence and decide they weren't going to show up.

But, let's be real. No true cryptozoologist would pass up visiting an island with gremlins, alots, and teal deer in it, especially an island right next to what might be the only surviving male dragon in the world. That, added to the possibility of annoying their sister and/or cousin? Made Parents' Weekend an event not to be missed.

"I'm telling you," Antimony complained quietly as they walked down the hallway, "it's not yet noon. Verity's not even gonna be awake yet."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure she will be," Sarah said, biting back a grin. "She's got the mice, remember?"

"And I'm telling you, I don't trust that smile," Alex said before knocking briskly on the door of Number Six.

[Specifically for one, but open!]

Comments

[precise_priestess]

"See, he says no, but then he asks that question," Antimony said, rolling her eyes.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Oh hush," Verity said, picking up the extra omelette. "Besides, if I did keep Liam locked in my room, he wouldn't be in the much of a hurry to call for help, trust me."

[god_of_scales_and_silence]

"Hi, wow, do not need to think about that," Alex said. "Not even a little. Wait, who's that omelette for?"

He was still maybe a little hungry, shh.

[firstofitskind]

Really now, Alex. Who else lived in Verity's apartment?

"The mice," Liam said, as if the answer was obvious. "If you want seconds, you get to explain what happened to their breakfast."

[god_of_scales_and_silence]

"Nope," Alex said immediately. "I'm not that hungry."

Not hungry enough to get between the mice and their food, nope nope.

"You cook for them. Huh."

[firstofitskind]

"Or make sure I get enough to share with them if I order takeout," Liam said. "Which is more often, honestly. My cooking repertoire is not that extensive."

[god_of_scales_and_silence]

"Still better than Verity's," Alex said with a small grin. "Did she tell you that out mom does that? Cooks for the Aeslin, I mean."

[firstofitskind]

"You know... she did not, actually," Liam said, eyes going very wide as his gaze flicked over to Verity for confirmation.

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity nodded. "She does," she agreed, heading over to the stove to steal a kiss. "At first, I didn't wanna tell you that you reminded me of my mom. Just felt weird to say for some reason." She winked at him. "And then it was just nice. Felt kinda like home."

[god_of_scales_and_silence]

Antimony made gagging noises while Alex said, "Awww! This is actually really gross and I'm trying to eat here."

Siblings.

[firstofitskind]

Yes, well. They were the ones who showed up unannounced, they'd just have to deal with a stolen kiss here and there, okay? And at least this particular kiss was rather chaste, at least by Liam and Verity's standards, so be thankful for that.

Out of sheer habit, Liam pressed one palm to Verity's, before remembering- oh, right, gloves. Sharing how her declaration of how it 'felt kinda like home' had made him feel would have to wait for when they were alone.

And then the last of the omelettes was done, and Liam grabbed his plate and the tea that had been steeping on the counter and went to sit down at the table.

"I know you told me what siblings were like," he said to Verity, shaking his head a little. "But I still don't think I was quite prepared for the reality."

[arboreal_priestess]

"And all this time you were secretly still thinking it was slumber parties and hair braiding. Nope, it's assholes all the way down," Verity snorted. "Speaking of slumber parties, did you three get a hotel room, or...?"

[precise_priestess]

"Like we were gonna spend money on a room when you have an apartment right here," Antimony snorted. "Sure, Jan."

"You have Sarah with you!" Verity protested. "Literally no one will charge you!"

"I thought you had a rule about that," Antimony said. "Don't shit where you eat."

[cryptidsandkinfolk]

"She does," Sarah confirmed, dipping her last bite of egg in worcestershire sauce, since they'd been out of steak sauce. "No intentionally using Cuckoo powers to people on the island unless they deserve it."

[precise_priestess]

"So then you only have yourself to blame, Verity," Antimony said, sounding positively gleeful. "Dibs on the couch."

[god_of_scales_and_silence]

"Nope!" Alex said immediately. "Overruled. You get to share the bed with Verity. Unlike Seanan's other sibling pair I'm not sharing a bed with a sister unless it's the direst circumstance, thanks."

[firstofitskind]

They were just lucky that Liam and Verity hadn't gotten around to the 'why don't you just move in already?' conversation yet. Because the reality was that he was over at Verity's more nights than not.

But now, apparently, he was being kicked out. Hrmph.

"Guess I'm spending tonight with Lili and Ariel, then," he said to Verity. Yes, he could technically go back to his own room in his own house, but... it made more sense to spend the time with the people who could only be here a couple days of the year, anyhow.

[god_of_scales_and_silence]

"Wait, did you move in?" Alex said, looking embarrassed. "Oh hey sorry! Verity didn't say that, so we just figured..."

[firstofitskind]

Well, at least Alex had the grace to look embarrassed about potentially putting Liam out.

"Not really," he admitted. "I spend a lot of time here," as evidenced, at least in the kitchen, by the contents of that fridge, not to mention the presence of a teakettle and a number of tea blends that were definitely not Verity's jam. "And was planning on spending tonight in particular, yes, but if you'd rather crash here than a hotel," he shrugged, "I can get out of the way. No problem."

[god_of_scales_and_silence]

"Tonight in particular?" Alex asked, his expression taking on an 'oh shit' cast. "Did we, uhh, interrupt something important?"

[firstofitskind]

Just their sex life, Alex, but that was fine. Really.

"No," he shook his head. "Anniversary's not til November."

[god_of_scales_and_silence]

"Oh, okay," Alex said, taking a deep breath. "Just the way you mentioned 'tonight in particular,' I thought maybe you'd had something, like, specific in mind and was a little concerned..."

Aww, watch him babble.

[cryptidsandkinfolk]

"He thought we were interrupting an engagement," Sarah said, sitting back and watching it all play out. "And is conflicted, because on the one hand, 'yay' and the other hand, they definitely haven't made up their minds about you."

"Sarah!" Alex yelped.

"Hey, at least I'm just narrating your thoughts," she said, unrepentant. "It could have been Antimony's."

*But not yours,* her voice said in Liam's head. *In case you were worried.* And, more in feelings than words, she explained she didn't know where his boundaries were and navigating through what was okay to tease with and what were secrets was far too complicated. *Maybe when you DO end up proposing,* she added, winking at him from across the table.

[firstofitskind]

And that earned another blush, color rising to Liam's cheeks. Because, yeah. To say he hadn't given the idea a significant amount of thought was a bald-faced lie.

I appreciate that, he sent back. It hadn't made sense, when they'd met, to bother with lying or omitting truths from a telepath. But when it came to the other Price siblings? No, he wasn't quite ready to lead with 'And I'm part-alien.'

"Nothing like that," he said aloud to Alex. "Though I'm going to take it as a positive that even if you haven't completely made up your mind about me, you didn't come up with a list of objections or anything."

[precise_priestess]

"I have one," Antimony said immediately.

"Nobody asked you," Verity said, just as immediately.

"'Doesn't know about comics' doesn't count," Alex said, pretty much on Verity's heels.

Antimony rolled her eyes again and slumped back into her seat. "Whatever."