Chapter 17: I just want you here tonight
Drip drop, rain drop on the bathroom floor. This leaky pipe, the flicking light, Aaron had seen it all before. Despite the familiarities, this was no poem with rhyme or reason, it was life. The cold, unforgiving hand he had been dealt.
His part to play was yet to come but in the meantime, he was there for the girl he found himself in love with. Love, a funny word that brings more pain that any fight, more sorrow that any memory but for those brief, inescapable moments of happiness, it makes you feel alive.
Kate had been out of hospital for a week and the reception she had received on her return to Blackwell was in complete contrast to the one she had when she departed. Adjusting to the routine she was familiar with was a task but she found herself able to cope with the help of her friends.
Aaron was just mad that it came to her standing on that roof for anyone to give a shit. Everyone could see how it affected him and Nathan was especially quiet around his new friend when the topic came up. Blackwell's resident hero and Blackwell's resident asshole getting on was not something many people saw but when you have more Charisma than cells in your body, you could make friends with anyone.
The toilet flushing in the boys bathroom brought Aaron out of the trance he was in as he looked at his reflection in the misted up mirror of the boys dorm bathroom. Shaking his head and rubbing his eyes before he looked at his freshly brushed teeth in the mirror. His black hair was sticking up, as it usually did whenever he showered and the little energy he had on this Friday morning wasn't enough for him to pat it down.
Today would seem like a normal day to anyone on the outside, but Aaron knew that this wouldn't be a normal day, this would be the day that he introduces Kate to his family.
Max's day started off a lot more stress free than Aaron's; waking up in the arms of your blue haired sidekick would be wholesome for anyone. Their budding relationship was one no one saw coming. Yeah, people made the assumption Chloe was into girls due to her folly with Rachel Amber but when the found out little miss Maxine Caulfield was also on the same side, they were more surprised than anything.
If anything, it gave Max more depth and made her stand out more. As cruel as it sounds, Chloe added another layer to her personality than being 'the shy girl who takes good photo's'. The two had a compliment of each other that was illuminating and it was able to be seen by everyone.
Chloe had been spending an increasingly long number of nights at Max's room over the past couple of days. It's not like Max was complaining, she had someone to fall asleep with and wake up next to. She had certainly been reaping the benefits of the lack of stress this had caused. Chloe had always made Max's life easier just by simply being a part of it and now she was there in a way neither of them expected.
The light orange hue that shone into Max's room through her curtains caused the brown haired girl to stir and be greeted by a lovely ambiance and a cute girl with blue hair. Chloe's middle name might as well been troublemaker due to the negative influence she had on Max. it was nothing serious, just Max would rather be up early and do something productive. Instead she was lying in bed until late having cuddles.
"So, are you going to let me up, today" Max asked as she kissed a stirring Chloe on the forehead.
Chloe, still being in the realms of sleep, just grumbled and tightened her grip around Max. it was easy to see who was the morning person out of the two of them. Max just accepted that they wouldn't be doing anything soon and just gave in, lying back down in her bed with a slight chuckle and a smile.
Aaron met Kate outside the girls dorm every morning to walk her to class; even if he didn't have a lecture, he would still make sure she was not alone for her morning lesson. Aaron's protective layer was showing and it was visible to everyone who saw him. Everyone in Blackwell knew that he wouldn't let anyone hurt Kate ever again. Their hands interlocked as they walked, bringing a smile to Kate's face, she couldn't believe how lucky she was to have someone care about her this much.
Despite being official for such a short time, the spark had been there for a while and it was obvious how much they cared about each other. Some people take years to find love and when they do, it's never true love. Aaron and Kate can be considered lucky, they found each other sooner rather than later and it made this dark world seem a whole lot brighter.
Kate was happy when Aaron asked her to meet his family; it made her feel like she was worth showing off. Not in a vain way, but in a way that made her feel as if she wasn't a failure, like she was good enough. She didn't know what to expect but if Aaron was like the rest of his family, she could only imagine great things.
The day passed buy without anything noticeable happening, it was a typical Friday afternoon. The weather was in the shift of changing from Fall to Winter; the sunlight was there but it was getting colder a lot sooner. It wouldn't be long before the scarfs and gloves came out to play.
Aaron and Kate sat on the bus and talked idly; they loved each other's company and were able to just shut out the world whenever they were around each other.
"So which one of your parents are secret agents"? Kate asked with a smile on her face
"Well, I wouldn't go that far" Aaron replied with a giggle. "It's just me and my dad really, I'm an only child and I don't see my mom"
"Well I bet your dad is great" Kate replied as she rested her head on Aaron's right shoulder.
"Yeah…he's actually a real life superhero" Aaron stated in a quiet tone before kissing Kate gently on the head. As the two passed the beautiful scenery that was the outside world of Arcadia Bay, they enjoyed each other's company in an environment that wasn't Blackwell.
They eventually got off the bus in a really nice rural area; it was they type of picket fence neighbourhood you wouldn't have expected to find in Arcadia Bay. The houses were either a nice dark blue with light grey roofs and windowsills or red with white roofs and windowsills.
Kate was shocked to see how nice the area was but now she thought about it, she wasn't surprised. A nice boy had to have come from such a nice place. As they walked hand in hand along the lanes of the estate, they eventually came to Aaron's house; number 32, Raven's Walk. It was one of the blue ones that sported a nice garage on the left side of the house and a lovely front garden filled with bright and colourful flowers.
Aaron opened the front door which lead into a hallway: directly ahead was the staircase that lead to the upper floor and on the right hand side of the corridor was a door that lead into the front room of the house.
"Dad, I'm home!" Aaron called as he set his bag down next to the couch. Kate just followed meekly behind him as he slowly looked around his front room for his dad.
Voices could be heard from behind a doorway at the end of the room, opposite the large window at the front of the house. Aaron walked to the door that led to the kitchen and opened it to see a man and a woman in an exchange of words that were more heated than they seemed.
These two people were alien to Kate; the man was of average height with black hear that had started receding. But he was nowhere near bald. It was going slightly lighter due to his age but Kate could tell that his hair was et black in his youth. His light facial hair matched the hair on his head and his face held a pair of sunken, light blue eyes that were the softest, kindest looking eyes she had ever seen, with exception of her boyfriends' he was wearing a dark maroon jumper with the sleeves pulled up and a casual pair of blue jeans. His shoes were absent and in their place were a pair of navy slippers, indicating he was relaxing before this discussion took place.
The woman however stood as tall as the man but had totally contrasting features. Her hair was dirty blonde, not unlike Kate's and was long and straight that was brushed to the side of her face and covered her ears. Her eyes were an emerald green shade and had a fixated stern look in them that would make even the strongest human shiver. Her face held a stern, sharp complexion that made her age difficulty to determine. She wore a black turtleneck that was covered by a long, white lab coat that stretched all the way down, almost to the floor. Her legs were covered by a skinny pair of black trousers and black heels covered her feet.
"Son" the man called out in an almost sigh.
"Mom" Aaron called out, his face was scrunched up as if he was angry.
"Hello sweetie" She replied in an almost condescending tone. "I see you've made friends in your time in this…desolate boondock"
"Dad, what is she doing here?" Aaron asked as his focus shifted to his dad.
"I was just leaving, dear" his mother called as she walked past him and into the front room. "Consider my proposal, Eric; we are still married after all"
"Goodbye Amanda" Aaron's father replied in a soft, yet stern tone.
Kate couldn't help but feel as if she had walked into something she had no business being involved in. the thick cloud of tension was broken when Aaron's dad spoke up.
"So, you must be the famous Kate Marsh I've been hearing all about" he spoke so gently and soft, Kate couldn't help but like him.
"Yes sir, it's a pleasure to meet you" she replied as she shook his hand.
"I'm Eric, Aaron's father; he's told me all about you but I must say that it's nice to finally meet you"
"Likewise, you have a lovely house here, Mr Heartfiled"
"Why thank you Kate, looking after her, keeps me busy. Why don't you two get comfortable, I'll put the kettle on" Eric said with a warm smile as he turned around.
Aaron led Kate into the front room where they sat down on his white couch. The leather would have been cold if not for the blanket dropped over it. The interior of the living room was beautifully decorated. The couch was along the back wall with the corridor to the front door being on the other side. The TV sat adjacent from that on a stone stand with a mantle behind it. The walls were a vibrant white with a brown wooden border along the top of them. To the right of the couch was the window and an old fashioned record player that was made of a rich wood that was dark in colour and had a cassette player, vinyl player and CD player all in one. In front of the couch was a small glass coffee table and to the left of the couch was an arm chair. The other half of the room housed the dining table before getting to the wall that separated it from the kitchen, the carpet was a shade of black with a blue hue to it and it was lovely and soft to the touch.
"I'm sorry you had to see that" Aaron muttered as he looked angrily at the floor"
"Hey, don't worry about it" Kate replied as she placed her hand on his arm "I'm still glad I came" Aaron smiled back at her and gave her a quick kiss; when they retreated, Kate said "Where's your bathroom?"
"It's out in the corridor, right at the top of the stairs" Aaron directed as he smiled back at her.
Despite everything that had occurred over the last couple of weeks, Kate ignored this seemingly inconvenient hiccup. Things were looking good for her and she couldn't help but feel happy again. She also couldn't believe how nice Aaron's house was and how much she found herself thinking about it.
She thought about his bedroom and what it would look like; would it be similar to his dorm room or would it be the polar opposite? For a small family, what was in the rooms of such a big house? Was there some room full of robotic eyes that Aaron would swap out, or a secret laboratory somewhere? It was childish but Kate couldn't help but giggle at the thought.
She went back to the front room but found it empty. Not that puzzled Kate assumed Aaron was in the kitchen with his dad. As she approached the door, she heard a noise from the other side. Peering through the gap in the ajar door, Kate saw Aaron, holding his dad tightly as he cried into him. It was an intimate moment that she was not meant to see; she simply backed away and sat back down on the couch.
Kate could tell this family wasn't as picturesque as she had thought. The picture behind the TV, on the wall of Aaron, and his parents looked so old fashioned. Like one of those of a family from the 1800's that were only family out of convenience.
She could see that he was definitely his parent's child; the traits his mother and father exhibited during the minute she had seen them together as well as their features were all mixed together and passed into their son.
He had his fathers eyes and hair colour as well as the gentle, caring side and his mother's confidence and chiselled features. There was more to this story than she could initially see; her boyfriend was surrounded by secrets that she would find out all in due time. Now, however, she was in for the first night with her boyfriend in his home. Her parents would never have approved of something but Aaron was so respectful and even offered to sleep in a totally different room to make sure she was comfortable. Only time will tell how their night goes.
A/N: Hello, I'm back. Basically, I have had a lot of mental health issues and that is why this chapter took so long to be delivered. I am recovering so expect more chapters a hell of a lot sooner! The rest of this chapter will be at the start of Chapter 18 before we get to the much anticipated 'Blackwell, after dark'
I just needed to get this out now that my mindset had healed and I'm in a more stable place (IKR, I'm pathetic) Chapter 18 will be phenomenal, I promise you that! The support I have had on this story is magical and I cannot thank you all enough!
A few people have asked about wanting to see Aaron in real life so now's your chance! Get that cosplay going on and hashtag AaronHeartfield on Instagram and I'll see how close you all are to getting him right! I am very curious to see what you guys come up with and feel free to add this story to a community if you'd like to, I have no problem with it.
There was your brief introduction to Aaron's parents, let me know what you think down in that review section. Aaron's dad was very much based off of Luke Perry's (RIP) portrayal of Fred Andrews from Riverdale so there will be some connotations between them. Get a discussion going on about Aaron's mother and what you think she's all about and of course, if you feel like you've cracked it all, PM me your theory on Eric and Amanda Heartfield.
That's all for now guys, see you very soon for a chapter filled with drama, fun, partying and who knows….
