He'd sliced the limes but they never made it into his glass. Siegrain swirled and gin and tonic around the ice cubes that tinkled against the highball crystal. His eyes were glued to the scene beyond the window and across the stretch of pool. He couldn't see details but, truth be told, he didn't want to. The blur of red visible through the steam rolling off the hot tub between the kitchen and the pool was enough.
"The Williams Chase?" Mystogan's voice beside him grated. "Edgy." He leaned over and eyed the row of unused lime wedges and bottle of tonic. "Jesus, Sieg, really? You're not supposed to have that with just tonic! How can you even stomach it?"
Siegrain shrugged without looking away from the window. He'd been feeling shitty for days. Jenny had taken Sofia with her and her parents out of town to see extended family. Why not give into the wallow completely and kill his tastebuds with expensive gin meant to be mixed?
"You need to let this go. It's been long enough."
"I don't want to have this discussion," Siegrain said, filling his mouth with gin too expensive to be wasted on tonic water with no lime.
"You never do. Let it go."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
Mystogan sighed and removed his glasses from his face. He pinched the bridge of his nose and Siegrain rolled his eyes preemptively. "Sieg, I am the literal genius of this family. I always know what I'm talking about."
"Not this time." Siegrain suddenly smiled crookedly and drained his glass. "Want one?"
Mystogan mirrored his smile and snatched the bottle of Williams Chase. "If we're doing gin and tonic at least use the Tanqueray. Do it right."
Siegrain meant to watch his brother mix the drinks – Mystogan was excellent at mixing perfect cocktails – but he got distracted. Jellal was out of the pool and offering a hand to Erza. Her new shape made him nostalgic – nostalgic and pathetic and wishing. He wrapped a towel around her and pulled the wet strands of red away from her skin.
"Here," Mystogan said sharply. Siegrain's eyes fell to the highball glass with a lime wedge floating in between the ice cubes. Something that tasted much better than he'd been drinking moments before hit his tongue just as the backdoor opened. Erza was laughing at something Jellal had said and Siegrain downed the rest of his cocktail. Her ring glinted in the bright lights of the kitchen. Mystogan shook his head and muttered to himself as he vacated the room.
"I left my bag of clean clothes in the car," Erza said softly to Jellal.
"I'll grab them and meet you upstairs. I left your yogurt and stuff in the fridge."
Siegrain chewed the ice from his glass irritably. The gin was steeping. "How's the remodel going?" he asked halfheartedly.
"Oh," Erza sighed and headed for the refrigerator. She pulled out two yogurt cups and a covered bowl of sliced strawberries. "I'm sick of it already. I just want to sleep in my own bed at home and I wanted some peace and quiet before everything becomes permanently loud but I guess that's out of the question. Jellal is driving me nuts."
"Yeah?"
"He's obsessed with the flooring. He says the chemicals used on new carpets aren't good for babies but I don't know what planet he's living on where newborns crawl. I keep telling him we can have it cleaned before the baby ever touches it but –" Erza sighed again and Siegrain smiled in a way that was altogether himself.
"You know, Erza, if you ever get tired of Jellal, you only have to call me. I'd marry you in a heartbeat."
"We've been married for two years and have been together for almost ten," Erza deadpanned.
"So?"
"I'm pregnant with his child."
"Well, genetically speaking, it's all the same."
"You're a mess Siegrain." Erza stared thoughtfully down at her yogurt before dumping it in with the berries.
"Well, my offer stands."
"Noted." Erza left him in the kitchen wishing Mystogan would've mixed him more than one drink.
