The sound of accumulative grumbles and whines of protest filtered from the hall as the four younger kids dragged their feet down the stairs and into the livingroom. Roxy and Jane were leaning shoulder-to-shoulder to support their own sleepy weight, looking up with bleery, almost accusative eyes at the two watching with amusement.
"Five.." Roxy whined, rubbing at her eyes. "Why does it even exsist.."
Dirk snickered past the rim of a coffee cup, already up, showered, dressed and ready to go. Dad, standing in the kitchen and leaning against the bar, looked the same. "Because even if it didn't, it still would." Was his explenation, turning back to the father.
John smacked his lips a bit, eyes mostly lidded behind his glasses as he ran a hand through his messy bedhead. "Huh..?" He asked, this time earning a chuckle from the half-awake coolkid walking beside him.
"You kids need to go get dressed and ready to go! We'll have breakfast when we get back, but we don't want to keep Jake waiting, do we?" Dad said, quirking a brow when there was a collective, almost pondering silence. Before they could break the pause, he continued, "or you all could just stay here."
That, as predicted, had the group hurrying up the steps and promising to be back as quickly as they could. Dirk leaned back against the counter, watching them go as he sipped the last of his coffee and set the cup down. "That got them moving, alright," he mused with a smirk.
"Certaintly." Mr. Egbert turned, setting Dirk's cup in the sink as he gathered a few cooling pancakes and slipped them into a ziplock bag. "I'll bring one for each of them incase anyone gets the muchies," he reasoned with a fatherly chuckle.
A few moments passed and the first few began to make their way back down the steps. Roxy, dressed in a white sweater that exposed her shoulders and a pink mini-skirt with high-reaching black socks, flopped down in the stool beside Dirk with Jane, dressed in a modest pair of what almost looked like mom jeans and her dad's old sweat shirt, on her opposite side.
"Dad, can I have some coffeeeee?" Roxy asked, drawing it out as she yawned. Jane was watching past her father, her own reflection clear in the dark window.
"The sun hasn't even woken up yet," she sighed, resting her head in her arms.
Dirk traced her glance to the window, turning to glance over his shoulder when he noticed John walking up behind him. The smaller boy still looked like a sleepy toddler- acting like one, as well, as he tugged at Dirk and Roxy's sleeves. Roxy waved him off, though Dirk turned and allowed John to crawl up into his lap. The bar stools were filled anyway, and, from what he'd heard from Dave, John was all cuddles when he got sleepy.
"It's too early to be up," the boy mumbled against Dirk's shoulder, shoving his glasses onto the counter as he rubbed at his face and nestled against his older brother.
"Dad said y'all didn't have to come," Dirk reminded him, causing an almost immediate sigh of defeat from John.
"I know, I know.." He murmured, snuffing and blinking his large blue eyes groggily. Dirk ruffled his hair back from his face, watching with a bit of a smirk as it all fell back into place- as though there were a particular order to the chaos that was his shaggy head.
Rose, Jade and Dave finally tromped their way down the stairs and over to the bar, leaning between the stools. "So are we going now, then, Dad?" Jane inquired, watching her father with a curious eye as he picked up a baggy of pancakes.
"Yuppers," he agreed, walking out into the hall, followed by the others. John stood up, yawning and stretching as he stumbled along in front of Dirk. He ushered John along, closing the thick oak door behind him and guiding the sleepy kids into the van.
Dad was up front, watching in the rearview mirror as they all piled in; taking up most of the room. A middle row, back row and another set of seats pressed to the opposite side of the back row. John had managed to lay down in the back seat, curled up so he was taking up only his seat with his head resting in Dave's lap.
Jade was giggling, pushing on Dave's shoulder as he mused John's hair and lulled the boy back to sleep. Rose, seated one row up, passed a look over her shoulder and cracked a slight smile. "Fond of our little derpish friend, aren't you, Strider?" He made a snarky comeback that was hidden behind the bite of the doors being closed all around.
Dirk slid in to the passenger's seat, buckling up as Dad began too pull out. It was a three hour drive to the airport to pick Jake up, and he was pretty sure that would either lead to a van full of sleeping kids or a van full of excited little beasts that wouldn't shut up.
If he was lucky, it would be the former.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
As it went, only a few of them had fallen back asleep; the rest remaining quiet. Roxy and Jane had shared halves of a pancake while Dirk messed with the radio every few songs and had occasional conversations with Dad. Rose, equipped with a small book light and her Kindle, remained almost silent beyond teasing and prodding at Dave, who now had two sleeping derps attached to him.
Mr. Egbert seemed to brighten a bit as the exit for the National Washington Airport was finally indicated. He pulled off to the right, driving down the ramp while Dirk reached back to jostle Jane and Roxy's knees. "Yo, girls, wake up."
Rose assisted, closing her kindle as she placed a gentle hand on her sister's temple- sharing a smirk with Dirk before giving it a sudden jolt and consequently knocking it into Jane's. It wasn't enough to hurt, but it did the job of waking the girls up with a gasp.
"Mmm...?" Jade hummed sleepily, rubbing at her eyes as she lifted her head from Dave's shoulder. She looked over at the coolkid questioningly, though he just chuckled and shook his head while allowing John a bit more sleep.
Dad pulled into a parking space, scarce having the car shut off when the doors opened and the kids hopped out. Despite sleeping, they were still eager to get out, stretch, and meet their new cousin. Dave finally gave John a nudge, waking the boy as he climbed past the middle row and popped out the door.
Dirk made his way around to the door, chuckling as John tried to climb out as Dave had; though he stumbled over himself and had to pause to yawn. John never was one to wake up quickly. Dirk helped the boy onto his back, feeling John sigh contently and drape his arms around his neck as he situated the sleepy teen.
Closing the van door, Jade skipped along on one side of Dirk, slipping her arm through his while she caught onto Jane's arm with her other. Roxy was, natrually, clinging to Jane's side already, creating a small chain of teenagers following behind Dad and the other two blondes, who were talking amongst themselves.
"Excuse me, Father," Rose inquired, quickening her pace a bit to speak with Mr. Egbert. "Do you know what this cousin of theirs looks like?" She had a brow quirked curiously, as though the idea finally flitted through her mind. He chuckled and nodded.
"Don't worry, Rosey, we'll know him when we see him." Rose nodded, content with his answer as she brushed her fingers along the smooth leather case of her Kindle and looked around the airport.
It was pretty big on the inside, full of bustling people and the anouncer lady calling off flights. John was slowly waking up, looking around the buzzing airport with his added height boost; squirming up a bit higher with his chin resting on top of Dirk's head.
"Wow," he giggled, voice still a bit heavy, "it's sooo high up!" Dirk could hear the goofy grin surely plastered to John's face, feeling him look down as Jade tugged on his pants leg.
"How's the weather up there~?" She teased with a buck-tooth grin.
"It's cool!" John replied, kicking up his feet as he spoke. Dirk chuckled, tightening his grasp on John's thighs to keep the boy from slipping.
Roxy nodded dizzily, her arm wrapping awkwardly around Jane's neck as she walked alongside her. "Sometimes I wonder if John is actually our bro, y'know?" She mused as she watched the two. Dirk always had seemed softer around John- though probably because, beyond his own siblings, he'd raised John moreso than anyone else.
Jane nodded a bit, though didn't reply as she scanned the crowds. "Has his flight even come in yet?" She asked no one in particular, cocking her head and straightening her glasses. Jade shrugged, shoes clicking as she insisted upon skipping over walking.
They were just about to move off to the side to find a seat when Mr. Egbert stopped at the request of an unseen english accent. He paused, the only to have heard it, and a moment later, as a family moved, a young man became aparant as he hurried toward them.
You could hear the girls all brace eachother with gasps.
Jake, as it obviously proved to be, had a huge, dazzling smile on his face, complete with the classic Egbert overbite. His eyes were a lot like Jade's, only with a brighter, almost lemon undertone to them- covered by a pair of thin rectangular glasses. The boy's hair was tousled from the plane ride, no doubt, falling against sunkissed skin; made all the better when he paused to catch his breath and the edge of his shirt uncovered a tan line that provided contrast against a lighter natural skin tone.
"'ello, everyone," he greeted with that charming accent, eyes grazing over the lot of them with a more reserved sort of excitement. He was taller than even Dirk, though it wasn't by too much, and his eyes seemed to linger on the oldest and youngest of the teens simultaneously. John squirmed excitedly, grinning.
Dirk's freckled and peirced face was entirely unreadable, lips an even line and eyes invisble beyond his sunglasses- something he was thankful for, given that he couldn't seem to tear his gaze away from the brit before them. Not that he felt too bad about it, since everyone else seemed to be doing it.
Jane lingered closer to Dirk's side, now almost behind Jade as Roxy stumbled her way forward and slung out a hand. "Roxy Lalonde," she said, giggling as Jake took her hand and kissed her knuckles.
"Jake English, madam. A pleasure," he introduced himself, giving her a wink as he released her hand. Roxy looked a breath away from passing out as she bit her lipstick-stained lower lip. Dad chuckled, breaking them up as he addressed Jake.
"So, son, how was your flight?" He asked, taking one of Jake's two large bookbags and wheeling it behind himself as he turned back toward the entrance. Jake mulled the question over for a moment, a smirk having planted itself firmly in his features.
"Bloody loud, if I do say so. Quite a few children aboard," he explained, a noticeable shiver shaking the boy as they stepped out into the brisk winter air. The rest of the kids had, obviously, been born and raised here, so it did little to phase them.
Mr. Egbert laughed even more, patting Jake's back and motioning back at the teens trailing after them- now clustered together and glancing amongst eachother with unspoken exclamations. Even Dirk caught himself exchanging glances with his younger bro, Dave.
"With these ones around, you won't have much of a rest." He warned with another fatherly pat on Jake's back before he broke off to unlock the van.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o
By the time they arrived home once more, the rustling in the back seat had become unignorable. Dirk was now sitting in the middle row with his sister and Jane, Rose being exiled happily to the back back of the van to sit alone, leaving the same three kids to occupy the back seat. Dirk finally glanced over his shoulder after unbuckling, snickering a bit.
Jade and John were hugging just as tight as they could manage, Dave squished between them and obviously trying to pass it off as nothing; though his pale cheeks were pink and expression strained to remain pokerfaced. Jade would point it out with a giggle and John would nuzzle against Dave's cheek in a show of platonic bromance.
"My, aren't the three of you simply adorable?" Rose teased as she lifted the hatch and climbed out of the back of the van. Dave grunted and huffed embarrassedly, finally released when John hopped out the door.
"They really are~~" Roxy chimed, moving to stand beside Dirk and Jane. Dad and Jake, having been talking in the front seat, finally emerged with Jake's bags.
"Dirk, could you give him a hand?" Mr. Egbert requested, passing by the blonde teen to unlock the front door. Dirk shrugged, rounding the car and leaning against the hood in front of the passenger side door; awaiting his charge with an unreadable expression.
Jake nearly walked into him, eyes meeting Dirk's quickly through his sunglasses -through his sunglasses, no one did that- as a pleasant smile pulled across his lips. "'ello. I don't believe we had a proper introduction earlier. The name's English."
"Strider," Dirk replied as he shook Jake's offered hand. "Dad sent me on over to help with your bags."
The brit nodded, his smile more of a grin as he handed Dirk the lighter of the bags and said, "quite the accent, Mister Strider." He chuckled at the look of surprised realization that pulled the older, though shorter, teen's lips into a thin line. Jake turned and trotted up to the door without another word.
Jane and Mr. Egbert were moving about the kitchen, preparing a very late breakfast while John sat on the bar counter and iced Jake's welcome cake. Roxy, seated beside Rose, smiled, waving said brit over to the remaining bar seat. "Good day, ladies."
"Hello," Rose greeted in return, nodding. "My name is Rose Lalonde." He grinned and, as he had with Roxy, kissed her knuckles and repeated his own name. "It certaintly is intriguing to meet someone from abroad. Do tell, what is it like?"
Roxy, sitting between them, leaned back with a bit of a pout as the two talked past her. It only lasted for a few moments with John's random input before Jake again took notice of the blonde in the miniskirt and excused himself.
"I do apologize, miss Roxy. I didn't mean to offend," he said, both charming and apologetic. The girl broke into a smile, draping an arm shamelessly about his shoulders in a semi-hug while she spoke.
"Aw, it's okay~ I can't hold a grudge against you~"
John snorted a bit, trying to stifle it behind his hand as he hopped down and set the cake, instead, on the kitchen's island. Jane gave it a glance in passing, saying, "thanks, John. It looks great~ Why don't you go join Jade in the livingroom while Dad and I finish up breakfast?"
"Breakfast? It's, like, almost eleven thirty!" He giggled, though didn't argue as he brushed past her and out into the hall. Though instead of turning left to head out to the livingroom, he paused and looked toward the front door. Jake's luggage was sitting just inside while Dirk lingered on the porch.
"Uhm, anything wrong, Bro?" John asked, bouncing out the door and standing beside Dirk with an all-over innocent expression.
"Nothin', John."
"Are you sure? Cos you're kinda... accenting!"
Dirk cleared his throat, lips pursed around the butt of a cigarette. "Nothing, John." He repeated in his usual careful, unreadable diction.
"Oh, uh, okay!" The boy hesitantly agreed, smiling up at Dirk. "Why don't you come inside once you're done? We're going to be eating breakfast soon and stuff." He seemed to ponder it for a moment before flicking the remains of his cigarette and turning toward John.
"Yeah, alright."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
The celebration didn't last too long, and, once the eating had ended, the group began to lessen. Rose excused herself so she could return to her home away from home, Kanaya's house, of course, and Dave followed John up to the boy's room for a video gaming session. Jade, left to her bored devices, had gotten her dad's permission to head over to one of her friend's houses, too.
Dirk, Roxy and Jane took up their usual seating arrangement in the livingroom; the two girls lumped together on one end of a couch while Dirk prefered the solitude of the recliner. Dad finished up the dishes and came out to join them, Jake at his heels.
"Dirk, move your lazy ass and let Dad sit down!" Roxy said, leaning over the arm of the couch and pulling at the torn edges along the knee of his jeans. Dirk rolled his eyes, standing up and going to instead sit on the unoccupied couch just as Jake did.
Jane was the only one to catch the slight bit of irratation flash across Dirk's face, shifting uncomfortably. "Hey, Bro," she said, leaning forward and catching the sleeve of his burgundy hoodie. He turned to look at her as Jake plopped down on the leather couch.
"What."
"C'mere," she said, feigning a smile as she stood up. Roxy quirked a brow, blinking up at the duo in surprise as Jane lead him, unfighting, into the hall. Jane paused, biting her lip before opening the front door invitingly. Dirk sighed, though complied.
"Sup?" He finally asked, staring the girl down as she sat on the top step. Jane fidgeted under his intense look, picking at the fluffed edge of her jacket before looking up at his sunglasses.
"Dirk, what's wrong? You've been acting really upset lately, especially today.. The only person you'll talk to is John and even he is worried!" Jane was frowning, hand resting on the back of Dirk's calf as he refused to sit down so she could instead touch his shoulder or back.
Her expression soured as he pulled out a cigarette, hand fisting in the back of his jeans. "Dirk! Stop with all of this smoking! It's so gross and it's really bad for you!" She scolded, though he payed her little mind as he lit the tip and took a deep drag; though whether it was to calm himself or to spite her, not even he was sure.
What was wrong with him.
"Please..." She whimpered, hand falling away from his jeans as she looked down at her lap. "We've been friends ever since we were babies, Dirk.. I don't know why you won't talk to me anymore..."
A long, painful pause as he smoked his cigarette before finally looking down at Jane, surprised to see her holding her face and crying silently over her lap. He squashed his cigarette, sitting down beside Jane and wrapping a brotherly, apologetic arm around her.
"Jane..." Dirk pleaded softly, leaning forward to try and look at her face. She turned away from him, shaking her head quickly.
"D-don't..! You stink l-like cigarettes and smoke.." When Dirk insised on trying to see her face, she squirmed out from his grasp, stood up and turned on her heel. "I said stop!" She said huffily, momentarily uncovering her face so Dirk could get an eye full of the fear, the pain and exhasperation, the pleading and betrayal..
Jane just as quickly covered her face with her sleeve and hurried inside, leaving the door ajar and Dirk calling after her.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"Gog, you are a bathtard," Sollux mused from behind his laptop, not sparing the Strider a glance as he plopped down beside him on the couch- having been pacing.
"No fucking kidding.." Dirk muttered, rubbing his forehead.
"Tho what are you going to do about it, then?"
".. what?" He looked up, quirking a brow at Sollux.
"About Jane, you thimpleton. What are you going to do? You can't jutht pretend it never happened. And you can't very-well ignore the Egbert rethidenthe ath a whole. You thort of live there more than you do your own thitty apartment." The hacker huffed, his sleepless irratation obvious in his voice.
When Dirk didn't reply right away, he continued. "Not that you go home, either. You know Roxy and Rothe are jutht waiting to get their handth on you. Then what?"
"Well-"
"You're going to throw another fit, right? Trek on down to the fucking graveyard like you alwayth do? Dirk, they're dead. They're not going to give you any thtupid advithe and they thure ath hell aren't going to tholve your problemth."
It took Sollux a second to realize what he'd said, eyes darting almost nervously in Dirk's direction. He couldn't see the coolkid's face, which worried him further. "I, uh, thorry. That wath a really thtupid, thitty thing to thay. What I mean ith..."
"Shut up." Dirk said, voice flat, utterly unreadable. He turned his face back to stare in front of himself, allowing Sollux a look at his profile. "I get it." Sollux opened his mouth and Dirk said quickly, "I get it. I've gotta go, Captor. I have shit to do."
Sollux closed his mouth, brow furrowed in both apology and further irratation. "Yeah, whatever... Thee you at thchool tomorrow, then, I gueth. Don't go thtaying out all night again, fuckfathe. If anything, crath on the couch here."
Dirk nodded his acknowledgement before closing the door behind him with a little more force than necissary. He flinched a bit as it echoed down the cruddy halls of floor five; his apartment building that, even after all of these years, still didn't feel like home.
He leaned against the wall, rubbing his freckled face. What was up with him lately? It took no genius to see there was a lot more stress on the brother's shoulders than ever before, especially with this Jake person around now, and that was mingling with his extra early morning start to birth some truly vile bouts of anger and stress.
Though he couldn't stop now- no, it was going to be a late night. He was already a half-week behind on this month's rent and if he didn't work this rave...
With a thuroughly anxious groan, Dirk pushed himself up onto his feet and sluggishly toward the stairwell.
Ugh, bad days aren't for writing, folks. This was actually done through a bunch of days without much going back and rereading so it might be ((probably is)) kinda choppy. Sorry, hopefully stuff will smooth out soon.
