Chapter One – New Beginnings
A business man, appearing to be in his mid-thirties, sits impatiently at his office desk. He slowly taps his fingers against the side of the desk, his eyes darting between the clock and the door. 'This incompetent fool is precisely five minutes late. This is unacceptable,' the man thinks to himself, his cold expression hardening.
A whole two minutes later, the office door swings open. The man shoots his glance towards the person standing in the doorway, his eyes beginning to grow narrow. Standing there is a mere teenager, seeming to be no older than sixteen. He has his hands dug into his pockets rather unprofessionally, slouching over ever so slightly as he stands there idly.
"You're late," the man growls, in a tone of frustration.
The teenager gives a carefree shrug at these words, staring right back at the man. He takes in the man's appearance, taking note of his short, light blonde hair and deep, threatening blue eyes. "Your wife kept talking to me about her kids."
"Tch…" the man quietly scoffs, shaking his head slightly. He gestures to the seat opposite him, not once taking his eyes off the new employee. "Well, don't waste any more time. Take a seat."
The teenager reluctantly complies, setting himself down on the comfortable leather chair. He feels just a bit nervous now that he's face-to-face with such an important man, but he remains calm on the outside. He takes in a breath, deciding to jump right into the important parts. "So, did I get the job here or not?"
The man lets out a quiet snicker. "…I admire your confidence, Eric."
The teen rolls his eyes lightly, leaning back casually against the chair, keeping his glance forward. "Mhm?"
"Well. I suppose we ought to get right into it. As you know, I interviewed quite a few other promising young adults. I'll be honest, you didn't quite stand out compared to the others… But there's something about your overall manner. It's why I called you back today." The man speaks in a monotone yet calm voice, his fingertips pressed firmly together, and his elbows propped up onto the desk.
The teen lets out a quiet sigh, breaking away from his usual stuck-up attitude for a few moments. "I truly appreciate it, Sir. I…"
"Call me William," the man promptly interrupts. He then gives a nod, allowing Eric to continue.
"I have a sick younger sister. And I'd do anything to support her," he simply says.
"Ah, so that's why you've turned to this sort of work…" William responds, pausing to let out a soft 'hmm' noise. "You're in luck, then. I have decided to take you on as my… let's say, 'sidekick'. I fear my children will reject this lifestyle, so I'm in need of a trustworthy successor."
"Always best to be prepared, I guess."
William gives a nod in agreement. "You'll carry out small tasks at first… And hopefully you'll be able to earn my trust and respect. But this day won't come for a long time. We'll take it one step at a time. At one point, I'm hoping you'll be able to help me influence my children."
"You mean, help you convince them to take this business seriously?" Eric wonders, with a curious tone. He tilts his head to the side ever so slightly, narrowing his eyes.
"More or less," William answers. "I suppose we can start by introducing you to them. If all goes well, you'll be part of the family in no time. And I can't have my children seeing you as a stranger." The man slides the chair backwards, getting up and standing on his feet now.
Eric coughs lightly, feeling overwhelmed by everything now. Just a few minutes ago, he was essentially a nobody. Even his boss said so himself – he didn't stand out compared to the other potential employees. But now, here he is, part of such a prestigious, well-known and much feared business. He tells himself there's no way he can mess this up now; for his own family's sake. He knows his family would probably disown him if they were to find out the truth of where he's working. Which is why he ultimately decides to keep it a secret for as long as he can.
The teenager hesitantly follows William through the many long, winding corridors of the astounding family mansion. He tries not to stare at all the different rooms and countless, classic paintings hung on the walls as he passes. He's never seen such a breath-taking, beautiful mansion before. He can't even begin to fathom how much this place costs the family.
Soon, Eric finds himself in a small, cosy living room. He glances around the room, beginning to feel rather out of place amongst all the wonderful things in the mansion. He comes to the realisation that the family is most likely rich – almost disgustingly rich – and he's been nothing but poor for the majority of his life. He gulps softly, shaking his head to dismiss such envious thoughts, before sending his curious eyes across the room.
The first thing he notices, and the first thing he actually feels, is the warmth from a traditional fireplace, which is burning away in the centre of the room. He then turns his eyes to the direction of some voices, coming from the right-hand corner of the room. He can see two small children sat opposite each other; a young boy and a slightly older girl, both with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. The girl holds some sort of book in her tiny hands, and it seems as though she's reading out loud to the boy.
"Children, come here, please." William pipes up after a couple moments, after Eric takes some time to fully scan the area.
Almost immediately, the two children comply with their father's demand. The girl closes the book she's holding and delicately sets it into the dark red and black tartan-style carpet; the boy gives a quiet sigh, and they both pull themselves to their feet at the same time. They walk towards their father, only just noticing the teenager standing there beside the man.
The boy gives a light huff, pushing his glasses up from the bridge of his nose, not giving the teenager a second glance. He instead turns to look at his father, folding his small arms over his chest. The girl, however, can't seem to take her bright, curious little eyes off the teenager.
Eric lets out a quiet cough once more, beginning to feel more and more uncomfortable with each second that painfully drags by. He rubs at the back of his neck for a moment, looking between the two children. They both appear to be smartly dressed, despite the fact that they have nowhere to go. The girl is wearing a dark blue dress that passes her knees; her light blonde hair is tied into two neat braids, both of which hang over her shoulders. The boy is wearing a cream top with an outer, light blue plaid vest, along with slightly baggy, dark trousers that almost cover his shoes. He is also wearing a pair of thick-framed glasses, which seem to be much too big for his small face. They're constantly slipping down from his eyes.
"I'd like you both to meet my new business partner," William says. Though there's a hint of excitement in his voice, not once does he crack a smile in front of his children. "This is Eric. He'll be staying with us for hopefully a long time. Consider him part of the family."
The children remain silent for a couple moments, as if they're processing the whole situation. The boy continues to stubbornly stare to the side, as a sort of protest. Whereas the girl still can't take her eyes off the teenager.
"Eric, these are my two children. This is Ryan," William continues, gesturing towards the stubborn little boy. He can't help but finally let out a small chuckle, noticing his son's silence. "Don't worry, he'll warm up to you eventually. And this is Layla." He then gestures to the little girl, whose grin brightens upon being noticed.
She gives an enthusiastic wave to the teenager. "It's so nice to meet you! Daddy said he was going to pick a new partner! I've been looking forward to meeting you!" Her voice comes out as sweet and full of joy.
Eric can't help but smile slightly, as he's reminded of his own little sister – a girl full of energy and happiness. "Uh… yeah, it's good to meet both of you," he says, trying not to come across as too excited.
"Now, the kids are only young…" William turns to face the teenager as he speaks. "I wouldn't worry too much about how they act around you. They'll be growing up with you around, so they should adjust sooner or later. Ryan should become less stubborn, and Layla should become less… well, hyper."
"It's okay," Eric simply says, giving a shrug. "I'm used to having my sister around. Even though she's sick, she still has her funny moments."
"Of course… Well, I have a meeting to arrange," William suddenly says, not seeming very interested in the teenager's words. "How about you get to know the kids a bit?" Without giving Eric an opportunity to respond, the man turns on his heels and makes his way out of the room.
The male lightly scratches at his cheek in slight confusion. He lets out a light sigh, wondering how to approach these rather unique kids. As he turns to look back at the siblings, he notices that the eldest is staring right at him – whereas the youngest has his gaze averted once more, his arms folded. Suddenly, he doesn't feel as excited as before. "Hey, you two…"
Almost immediately, the little girl Layla pipes up. "Yeah?" She grins brightly, still staring up at the older male in anticipation, wondering what he's going to say next.
"Hmph…" The slightest huff can be heard coming from the young boy, as he fixes his glance on the floor.
"How about you both tell me what hobbies you have? Or something…"
"Oh, I so wish. But Mommy will be here any minute now," the young boy finally says. His tone is bitter and alarmingly harsh for someone his age.
"Don't be rude, Ry!" Layla is quick to lecture her brother, a pout pulling at her lips.
Eric can't help but gulp; he can feel how awkward the situation is becoming. He tries his best to tread lightly as he speaks, not wanting to anger the clearly unpredictable Ryan any more. "Oh, your mom? I saw her just before I spoke to your dad. What has she been up to?" He looks to Layla, not expecting much of an answer from the other child.
However, before the girl can even open her mouth, Ryan is rather quick to interrupt. "None of your business."
A slight smirk pulls at the teen's lips at this point. He's beginning to find the stubborn young boy pretty entertaining now. Even though he knows he shouldn't, he really wants to mess with the kid. Unable to resist temptation, the teenager lowers himself onto one knee, coming down to Ryan's height. He narrows his eyes, grinning away mischievously. "Hey, kid…"
The boy unfolds his arms, lifting his glance up to Eric now. His stubborn expression seems to fade, as he finds the teenager's mischievous look to actually be quite scary. Layla watches with curious eyes.
"I think you need to accept I'm part of the family now. Okay? So, it kind of is my business now. And if you're not very nice to me, I think I may have to tell your daddy…" He resists the urge to bite at his lip, wanting to suppress the oncoming laughter. Of course, he'd never actually rat out his boss's kids. Though the very mention of Mr Anderson makes Ryan tremble in fear.
"Y…You… You wouldn't…!" Ryan balls up his tiny hands into fists, stamping his foot onto the ground. Poor kid is definitely flustered now.
Eric gives a shrug of his shoulders, before picking himself back up to his normal height. "Consider me your new big bro."
"Ooh, I don't mind that! I don't mind!" Layla giggles happily, growing all excited at the thought of him being part of the family. "I always wanted a big brother! Ryan is cool but Eric is cooler!"
"Hey…!" Ryan whines, right on cue.
Eric can't help but let out a snicker at Layla's words. "Y'hear that, kid? Apparently, I'm cooler than you." He wastes no time rubbing it in.
"Are not…" the young boy mutters, letting out a huff.
"I totally am."
As Eric and Layla tease Ryan, the door to the living room swings open behind them. Being attentive as always, Ryan almost instantly notices this, and his eyes light up when he sees who enters. "Mommy!"
"Eh…" Eric quietly sighs, knowing his fun is over. He reminds himself this job is going to be serious business 95% of the time. He turns on his heels, along with Layla – who doesn't seem as enthusiastic anymore – to see Mrs Anderson herself.
Ryan hurries towards his mother, holding his small arms out to wrap her legs in a tight hug. "I missed you, Mommy."
Monica lets out a soft, chilled sort of laugh. She's rather calm, much like William, though her caring nature shines through more than her husband's. She rests her palm on top of her son's head, lightly ruffling his short hair. "I missed you too, Ry. But I'm here now."
Eric eventually catches Monica's glance, and once he does, he gives her a slight wave. "Nice to see you again, Mrs Anderson." He then thinks to himself, 'how on earth did William score someone as beautiful as Monica?'.
The woman is rather beautiful indeed. With short, perfectly wavy light blonde hair, shimmering green eyes and a youthful aura surrounding her, any man would be lucky just to talk to her. "Ah yes, it's lovely to see you. Eric, yes? It's so good to see that my husband offered you the job."
'Then again, she'd be way hotter if she dropped the whole perfect mom act,' he quickly thinks to himself, discreetly rolling his eyes. Thoughts of hotness completely dismissed. Eric just smiles and nods as the woman speaks, waiting for her to finish. "I'm so grateful, for real."
"I see you've been getting to know the kids."
Layla lets out a soft groan, growing impatient around her mother. "Mom, where did Daddy go? I wanna go see Daddy."
Eric raises a brow slightly as he hears this. Clearly, something is off here. But he can't figure out what just yet.
Monica simply gives a sigh at Layla's words. "Your daddy is in a meeting, sweetheart."
"Ugh… fine…" she huffs in a bitter tone, rolling her eyes.
Eric bites down on his lower lip, swallowing the urge to laugh. Apparently, both of these kids have some serious attitude problems. "Ah, yes, I've been getting to know these two. They're rather… unique. Is your son always so… I don't know… not trusting?"
Right on cue, a sort of scowl pulls at the young boy's features. He glances up to his mother, silently asking her to defend him.
The woman lets a soft laugh escape her lips. She reaches her arm across the boy's back, resting a hand on his shoulder gently. "Don't worry about him. He's just met you – I'm sure he'll warm up in no time."
"Hmph." Ryan doesn't seem to agree with that.
"So… What were you kids up to before I got here, hmm?"
…
Those days were so much simpler for the Anderson family. Things couldn't have gone smoother. Despite his short, poorly put together resume, Eric seemed reliable in person. He was clearly trustworthy and so much more. William believed he made the right choice that day, even though his work partners advised against his decision. Yet, as time passed, Eric's loyalty shone through, and the boss's partners were proved wrong. They all too reluctantly admitted their faults; they still felt as though there was something off about the teenager, however.
Ultimately, their opinions didn't matter. They were the ones stuck in offices all day, tediously searching through heavily encrypted documents – they only played a small role in the grand scheme. So, of course, the Anderson boss would never take their opinions into consideration. Besides, after so much time had passed, William couldn't possibly risk getting rid of Eric. The teenager had begun to grow close to the two children; he became sort of a big brother to them. Naturally, Ryan was still as stubborn as ever around the older male, but it was safe to say he'd toned it down just a bit.
However, tensions soon began to grow as the months passed. The situation between Mr and Mrs Anderson was starting to unravel. Ever since William decided to take on the role as the head of his business, Monica began to feel overwhelmed. She suddenly had to drop most things she loved to do, just so she could make sure she was always there for her children. She had to reluctantly reduce her hours at her own job, so she could escort her children to and from their current private school. She deeply cared about her children, but as the months passed, she noticed Layla was beginning to drift away from her love of being at home.
Layla may have been young, but she was certainly clever. She was partially aware of what her father was up to; she knew there was a lot of danger in this job. She just wasn't sure what exactly the job was. And so, the mystery was almost too alluring to bear to the young girl. Children are naturally curious, of course, so she took it upon herself to learn more. The only problem was, she started spending more and more time away from home, always wanting to find her father.
Monica found this rather unsettling indeed. She knew exactly what William was doing; she knew all about the illegal activity, the disturbing cases of murder, and so much more. She absolutely did not want a girl so young – especially her own daughter – to be dragged into such a mess. She tried her very hardest to keep Layla away from her father, attempting to distract her with wonderful daytrips and expensive toys. Of course, Layla was most certainly not interested in childish toys. And of course, when William was informed of Monica doing this, he was furious.
Despite their obvious differences and growing hatred for one another, Monica could not just leave. She knew that if she tried to file for a divorce, her children would be left all alone. There would be no one to take care of Ryan; Layla would no longer have a mother figure in her life, even if she preferred her father's company. And so, she stayed. However, the romance she once had with William was now burnt out. The flame of love they once shared could be no more. Monica kept her distance from the business, soon realising she could only protect Ryan from such a gruesome world.
However, she knew there was one other soul who could be protected from such an awful business.
...
Hidden away in the upper parts of the Anderson mansion is a small, yet comfortable room, which only gets used once every week. There are many, many different rooms throughout the house; some of them are empty, some of them are used for storage, and others haven't been touched in years. However, this room in particular has been regularly graced with the presence of two people. If other rooms were personified and could feel jealousy, they'd most certainly be jealous of this room.
There's not much beauty to it – the walls are splashed with a basic cream, and the floorboards are hugged tightly with a soft, dark brown carpet. There is a small window, which grants a decent enough view into the vast back garden. But this room isn't just for sightseeing. Tucked away in the left corner of the room is a beautiful grand piano. Although this was bought by William himself, it was entrusted to his son Ryan for his fifth birthday. William bought this piano, in hopes of awakening a hidden talent in his rather young son, until the boy was old enough to move onto bigger things. A hidden talent was indeed awakened in Ryan; he developed quite the knack at being able to read sheet music and play relatively simple compositions.
The boy was once given weekly lessons, with his father accompanying him to see him progress. But soon enough, his father was no longer able to attend these lessons alongside his son. He even forgot to continue paying the tutor. Ryan was crushed, naturally. But he was also not one to give up. He continued his lessons whenever he could, all by himself, sneaking up to the room and dedicating himself to practicing. After a while, Monica began to sit by Ryan's side as he developed his abilities. Even though he was only six, his skills were rather impressive at the time. Monica eventually began to stop by with Ryan every week, and she even tried her best to help teach and encourage him to continue.
Today, the room will be graced once more with the presence of Ryan and Monica. Their lessons are still going strong, even though tensions between the family are still as thick as ever. It has been around one year since William took on his new partner; the stubborn, hot-headed teenager whose attitude has only gotten worse since he's been involved in so many dangerous situations. Ryan had grown to tolerate – maybe even like – the older boy during the first few months… But then, he realised Eric was just like William. The same stuck-up, irritating man who only cared about himself. Ryan wanted nothing to do with that sort of person.
Even though Ryan had already made up his mind, Monica felt differently. At first, she thought there'd be no talking the teenager out of this job. He was so enthusiastic – but so was she, at one point. She really thinks she can convince the young man to step away from such work, while he still has his youth and relative freedom. And today is the day where she finally makes her mind up to try and bring this topic up in conversation. She knows it won't be easy, but she's willing to try.
Right on cue, the young Anderson boy swings the door open. His mother is unable to come along straight away, so he usually practices for a while to later show off his skills. Once again, Ryan had to escape his father. Recently, the boss has tried to encourage his son to come along to fighting practice – including slashing with knives, holding all sorts of large, heavy guns, and much more. The mere idea of hurting someone makes Ryan feel sick to his stomach, so he remained stubborn when facing his father, and declined many times. The man is persistent, though. He still tries whenever he can.
Ryan lets out a soft sigh, pushing the door shut behind him, before making his way towards the marvellous grand piano in the room. A slight smile spreads across his features in excitement, as he sets himself down on the white cushioned stool. This is his favourite day of the week – where it's just him and his mother, and no one else can disturb them.
He reaches his hands up to the pile of sheet music atop the piano stand, and he grabs hold to shuffle through them. He takes a minute or so to come to a decision, wondering to himself what he feels like playing today. There are many classical pieces amongst the pile; he finds himself naturally drawn towards the originality, the tone, and just about everything. The way he can just feel the stress and pressure caused by his father melting away whenever he loses himself in playing. With a grin still plastered across his face, Ryan returns the sheets to the stand, and places his chosen piece on the centre.
Eric, free from his boss's orders for once, aimlessly wanders the long and winding, seemingly never-ending halls of the Anderson home. He lightly drags his feet across the bright marble flooring, probably leaving behind some dirt from outdoors behind. As expected, his hands are dug into his pockets while walking, and he's slouching over a bit. Things have been relatively easy for the 17-year-old for a while now. He's managed to gain the trust of his boss, William Anderson himself, and he's definitely trusted by the young Layla. He has no idea where he stands with Mrs Anderson and her son, however.
As he trails through the halls, these sorts of thoughts fill his mind. He's grateful for everything this family has done for him. He wishes he could work from his own home, but he knows that would be far too risky. Even so, he visits his family whenever he can. Since he's currently off duty, he's contemplating taking a visit home right now. He's relieved that he can now afford steady payments for his younger sister's medical bills.
Most days, Eric feels as though he's got something to look forward to in the future. This is due to him working regularly, and keeping busy helps him stay as positive as he can. But when he's got nothing to do during the day, like right now, he starts to feel a bit down. He wonders if he can muster up the energy to visit his family right now. While walking past some rooms, he can hear a faint yet sweet piano melody drifting through the area. He stops in his tracks, perking his head up in interest. He can't quite recall if he's heard someone playing a piano before, which is why he's so interested. And at least this will give him something to occupy himself with.
Pulling his hands from his pockets, he narrows his eyes a bit and tries to follow the music. He only ends up being a few rooms away from where the melody is coming from. He stops outside of the room, noticing the door is slightly ajar. He suddenly feels a bit awkward, wondering to himself if he should push the door open or lightly knock to make his presence known. Before doing anything, Eric glances into the room curiously, to see who's there.
He sets his eyes on the young Anderson boy, who appears to be lost in his own little world of playing the piano. Eric can't help but let out a soft, almost gloomy sigh at the sight, as his mind is quickly overwhelmed with thoughts from his past. Not wanting to disturb the male just yet, Eric slowly, carefully pushes the door open. He keeps his distance, staying out of the room, and just stands there in awe. He recognises the piece that the boy is playing, and he's definitely impressed by the level of skill such a young child possesses. He's overcome with a strong wave of nostalgia; how he would sit for hours and hours with his sister when they were younger, and when she wasn't so unwell.
The teenager gladly stands around for quite some time, listening to the boy playing. Once he is done, he finally decides to make his presence known. As Ryan shuffles through some more music sheets, Eric reaches a hand to the door and lightly taps his knuckles against the wood.
Ryan lets out an excited gasp, hoping it's his mother who arrived early. He almost drops the sheets he's holding, as he happily jumps up from the stool and spins round, his eyes bright and hopeful. When he realises it's not his mother, but rather the teenager he doesn't like one bit, his expression fades to that of a blank, subtly annoyed one.
The teen obviously notices the excitement on the male's face, and how he's then overcome with disappointment. He lets out a sigh, knowing not to take such a change personally. He's always known the boy hasn't liked him – which is what makes it even more fun when it comes to teasing. He knows he shouldn't provoke the boy or make him all flustered, but Eric misses the days of relentlessly teasing his own sibling. Finally, with a light grin pulling at his lips, he speaks up. "You don't seem too happy to see me."
"I thought you were my mom." Almost instantly, Ryan fires back at the teenager, in a frighteningly cold tone. He puffs his cheeks out in annoyance, not wanting to deal with Eric today. He only wants to see his mother. Despite their age difference, and despite Eric's position as the boss's partner, Ryan isn't worried about him at all. He's as confident as ever while challenging the teenager. "What are you even doing here?"
"Come on. I'm practically your big brother at this point," he says, adding a quiet laugh. He takes a few steps into the room, moving toward the direction of where the boy is.
"You'll never be family to me," Ryan simply responds, shutting him down completely.
Although hearing such words seems to hurt the teen more than usual this time, he doesn't let it show. "You're real harsh for a kid, you know," he nonchalantly states.
"And you're real annoying for a teenager."
"You seem to be missing the point of being a teenager, kid." Eric lets out a laugh, finding the boy's inability to keep supplying consistent comebacks rather humorous. Noticing that the boy's face is growing redder by the second, due to inevitable anger bubbling up, Eric decides to stop teasing. For now. "Okay, but for real. I just heard some music coming from here and wanted to check it out."
"I thought you had some awful work to do with my awful father." Uninterested in the older male's reasoning, Ryan skips ahead to being blunt once more.
"You really know how to guilt trip people, huh?" He raises a brow, a slight laugh passing his lips. "Well. Your 'awful' father gave me a bit of a break today. He's at…"
"I didn't ask where he was," Ryan quickly interrupts.
"Alright, alright." Eric raises his hands in defeat, sighing after. Silence falls between the two. Unable to deal with such an awkward atmosphere, the teen speaks again. "So, uh, what were you playing? It sounded pretty good."
The young boy lets out a huff in irritation, turning his back on the older male and sitting back down by the piano. "Vivaldi, if you really want to know." Though he's stubborn, he can't pass up an opportunity to brag about how great he is. After all, most kids are similar in that aspect.
Curious, the teenager takes a few steps towards the piano, coming to Ryan's side and peeking down to the music sheets. He lets out a low whistle, scanning his eyes over the complex composition. "Yeah, I could never play this stuff."
"I don't think you can play in the first place," Ryan remarks, quick-witted once again.
"I can play… Just not this complex sh- Ah, I mean, stuff." Eric gulps quietly after speaking, almost letting out a swear without realising. He's been so used to being around adults who constantly curse, that he forgets it's not acceptable around children.
Of course, clever little Ryan doesn't let the teenager get away with it so easily. "People like you and my father are all the same. Small-minded and obsessed with bad words. I mean, did you forget somehow that I'm not one of you?"
Eric's eyes grow wide as he hears this from the boy. He looks right at Ryan, stunned into silence for a few moments, actually rather impressed. Then, he begins to laugh loudly. "Kid. I'm not even annoyed at what you just said. You're so sharp and witty that it's amazing."
"S-Stop laughing at me…!" the boy suddenly demands, a pout pulling at his lips. He feels humiliated. He wants to be taken seriously just once.
"Alright, sorry." The teen gives a heavy sigh, calming himself down. He turns his glance back towards the sheets of music. "Back to the matter at hand. You sure seem to know a lot about music. And I could reaaally do with a few lessons…"
"Ugh. Please. I'm not giving YOU lessons!" The young boy scoffs in a tone of almost disgust. "I can't handle being around you so long."
"Come on. It won't be for that long," Eric continues, insistent on learning something.
"No."
"But you're so good!"
"I know I am."
"I won't tease you anymore."
"No."
Eric groans loudly at this, exasperated and defeated. "Fine. I'm staying here to listen, though."
"Nooo, you're not!" Ryan begins to whine, growing just as irritated as the teenager. Before he has a chance to throw a full-blown tantrum, and possibly forcefully remove Eric from the room, a light tap can be heard coming from behind, on the door.
The two turn around from the piano, and as soon as Ryan sees who's standing there this time, all his anger fades within a split second. Meanwhile, a large grin of victory forms on Eric's face. "Yes, I am."
"Knock, knock." Standing at the door now is Mrs Anderson herself. Finally, she's free from her other duties around the house; she's cleaned up a bit, looked after Layla before she ran off to her father, and now, she's come to see arguably her favourite child. Her sparkling blue eyes light up when Ryan comes running towards her.
"Mommy! You're finally here!"
The teenager observes their interactions, curious. The only time he's seen Ryan this happy is whenever Monica is around.
The woman softly ruffles her son's hair, smiling down softly to him. "I'm sorry for taking so long this time, sweetheart. I just really wanted to make sure nothing was bothering your sister."
The young boy frowns at this, lowering his glance to his mother's shoes. He's definitely started to notice that he and Layla have grown apart for more than a few months now. "…is she okay?"
Eric raises a brow at this exchange, wondering what's going on exactly. He hasn't had much time himself to pay attention to the siblings – specifically their relationship. He remains silent, of course.
Monica takes in a shaky breath. She doesn't want to lie to her little boy, but at the same time, she doesn't want to upset him even more. "Don't worry, sweetheart. She's okay." She kneels slightly, gently resting her fingers under Ryan's chin; she tilts his head back up, so their eyes meet. "Don't be sad, honey…" Her voices lowers to a soothing whisper.
"Mommy…" Ryan lightly bites down on his lower lip, as he looks up to his mother. The two share a warm embrace for a couple moments, and soon, the cheery atmosphere is restored.
"It's nice to see you here, Eric." Monica finally speaks to the teenager, after seeing to her son. She's considering bringing up a rather heavy topic, but she wonders if she should save it for when Ryan isn't around.
"Ah, yeah, good to see you too, Mrs Anderson," Eric replies, giving a nod. He snaps back into focus, not dwelling on other thoughts anymore. "I hope you don't mind me here. I feel like I may be cutting in on some quality bonding time…?"
The woman lets out a soft laugh, before shaking her head. "Come to think of it, I don't know that much about you. I think this will be perfect."
Ryan pouts, discreetly rolling his sarcastic little eyes. He wants his mother to tell Eric to leave, but he knows that won't be happening any time soon.
"So, what were you two up to before I got here?" the woman asks, with a curious little smile.
"Well, Ryan here agreed to teach me how to play something on the piano," the teenager quickly cuts in, giving a bright smile.
Ryan tries his best not to show any irritation.
Monica clasps her palms together in excitement. "Oh, that sounds like a lot of fun! Come on, Ry. Let's see what you can teach Eric!"
"…Fine."
…
A couple of hours pass by, full of fun, laughter and some irritation (from Ryan). Despite Eric's claims of greatness, and having 'previous experience', he turns out to be a rather lousy piano player. But Ryan tries his best to remain calm and continue their lesson. Mrs Anderson herself seems to deeply enjoy the males' bonding experience, and it crushes her to think she'll soon have to convince Eric to leave. She has no idea how much longer she can emotionally support her son on her own.
After twenty painful minutes (again, for Ryan), the song the males are practicing finally comes to an end. The young boy exhales in relief, whereas the teenager puts on a proud grin. Monica lets out a soft laugh, clapping her palms together to congratulate the two. "Oh, you two, that was so wonderful. You worked together very well."
"You think…?" Ryan mutters under his breath, though it's still very much audible to the other two.
"You're a great teacher, kid! You could totally be an instructor at some college when you're older," Eric pipes up, playfully slapping the young boy on the back.
"Ugh-!" Ryan coughs, almost being shoved off the chair; his glasses almost falling off, too. "Careful!"
"Aha… sorry," the teen laughs, rubbing the back of his own head. "I don't know my own strength."
"Gah…" Ryan simply rolls his eyes at this cocky remark.
Monica just watches the two as they interact. She notes how they're practically like brothers, teasing each other and all. How, even though Ryan may appear harsh, he must definitely feel some sort of positive emotion toward the teenager. And how Ryan definitely needs a figure like Eric in his life.
"Mommy, could I go and play in the garden now?" Ryan asks, looking towards his mother. "I need a break after all… uh…" He darts his eyes to Eric quickly, pausing his words, then back to his mother. "…this."
"Of course, sweetheart," Monica says, giving a light nod. "I'll join you in a few minutes, alright?"
"Alright!" Ryan happily beams, pushing himself up from the piano stool.
"Have fun, kid," Eric grins, lifting his hand to give a wave.
Ryan quietly huffs as a response, moving to the door and making his way out. This leaves Monica alone with Eric now.
"Uh… Thanks for letting me play today, Mrs A," the teenager bashfully says, naturally feeling a bit awkward around the woman, as the two have never communicated much.
She gives a soft smile, picking up on his shyness but understanding how he feels. "Yes, you're always welcome to join in the fun."
"You sure Ryan doesn't mind?" He lets out a slight laugh at this. Although he tends not to let it show, he does feel a bit sad about the fact that the boy directs so much anger towards him.
"No, no. These days, it takes the poor boy a while to warm up to people," Monica responds, shaking her head slowly.
"Right…" Eric mutters. "I suppose I could join in, then. When I'm free from doing… y'know… job stuff."
"Yes…" Monica gives a sigh at this, lowering her glance to the floor. "I wanted to discuss something with you, actually."
"Oh?" The teen tilts his head to the side, curious.
"Well, you see… As much as both Ryan and I would love to have you around…"
As Monica pauses, struggling to find the right words to say, a little click noise comes from the two-way radio attached to Eric's belt. Both Monica and the teen instantly look towards the radio, and a familiar voice comes through. "Eric. Get over to my office, now."
"Ugh…" Eric groans quietly, moving his hand toward his belt and unclipping the radio. He lifts it up to his mouth, before pressing down a button and answering. "Yea'. I'll be over right away, boss." He removes his finger from the button, clipping the radio back onto his belt.
"Ah, duty calls," Monica laughs.
"Yeah, sorry. Maybe we can continue this conversation later?" Eric suggests, taking a few steps to the door.
"Huh…" The woman hesitates, wondering if she really wants to separate her son and the teenager right this minute. She can't bear the thought of breaking Ryan's little heart again. "No, there'll be no need. It's not important."
"Oh… Right." He gives a nod, slightly confused by the sudden break off of the topic, but he lets it slide. "Seeya later then, Mrs A."
"Yes, see you."
The male keeps the door slightly open behind him, leaving it the same way he found it when he entered earlier. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he gives a slight disappointed sigh while beginning to trail through the halls of the mansion. He keeps his glance on his moving feet, thoughts beginning to fill his mind. He thoroughly enjoyed his time with Monica and Ryan; for once, he feels reluctant to return to work. He wants to spend more time bonding with this family, as he misses being around his own family.
"Tch…" He lets out a quiet scoff, shaking his head to dismiss such negative thoughts. "Time to get your head back in the game."
…