I needed to distract myself today so here's a quick and probably poorly written update for you guys lol

Hope you guys enjoy and have a wonderful day!

Jim's room within his house held his essence in a very beautiful way.

The scribbled unfinished poems scattered here and there and his "sloppy" drawings that were arguably better than most of my finished pieces were pinned to his walls every here and there mattering on his level of pride within each of them. He had posters of Vespas and mechanic stuff that I didn't quite understand, but I knew all too well that if I asked him about them that the boy would go on a happy tangent about each and every one of them.

I smiled as I sat on his blue comforter-covered queen mattress as he just chilled in his computer chair that was off to the side of his bed by his desk. He was working out something for his uncle that he needed to finish before doing anything else. I just leaned against his oak headrest as I just watched him type away at something on his computer.

But I loved it all the same.

I smiled widely as he stopped for a moment and ran a hand through his hair for a moment before adjusting the glasses that he had resting on his nose.

I remember him explaining to me why he had them once. Something about how his eyesight got strained during an accident. The one that some of his plenty of scars came from outside of boxing and fighting bullies in high school. The ones that went across his left shoulder and down his shoulder blade. I've only ever seen it twice. Once when he needed to clean up from his fight with Steve and then from the other night.

I tilted my head to get a better look at him as I laid my legs out before me. His wired frame glasses only causing his face and eyes to glow in the light of the screen as it was obvious he didn't care for the action he was accomplishing but cared enough to do a good job at it. His bright blue eyes trained on the screen and reading the numbers with ease, but it was obvious something else was in interest to his mind.

One thing I always loved about him is that he has more heart than would first let itself known. He might look rough around the edges, but that roughness stems from the fact that wears his heart upon his sleeve. A roughness that he wouldn't allow to harm his love for others in any way possible.

I smiled as I saw him turn off his monitor and slid his glasses off his face with a sigh.

"That was tedious." He placed his glasses on the desk with a smile as he leaned back in his chair. "Sorry about that."

"No need to apologize." I giggled a little at his lopsided grin as he sat up from his spot in his chair and made his way over toward the bed flop himself onto it with a small laugh.

"Kinda need to when I had to just sit there and watch me crunch numbers for the shop." I just shrugged a little as I gave him a soft smile in return.

"Watching the soul drain from your eyes as you do math is hilarious though." I gave him a smirk as he just chuckled in reply.

"So you like to watch me hate my existence? Hell of a girlfriend you are." He mockingly rolled his eyes as the sarcasm dripped from his voice. The joyful laughter that came from him afterward was definitely enough for me to join him as I adjusted myself so I could flop down beside him. "But you did ask to hang out in a way, yet I just left you here to watch me suffer. Doesn't make me any better of a boyfriend."

"Honestly? I think I could be watching paint dry and I would be entertained still if you were around." Jim chuckled at me as he slipped his hand in mine with ease.

"Really now? I might have to take you up on that." I gave him a curious look as he just looked down at our now intertwined hands. "Just Toby's moving out to live with Darci so maybe you would enjoy doing some stuff with his old room. Make it like your own little space or something." I couldn't help but smile at him as he just toyed with the skin on the back of my hand.

"Are you asking me to paint a room for you?" I gave him a smirk as I noted the soft pink blush on his face.

I know exactly what he's asking of me, that's for sure.

My smirk widened as he gave out a soft nervous chuckle.

But toying with the boy has been my favorite pastime for months now.

"Use your words, Flower Boy." I watched as Jim pulled his eyes away from our joint hands to give me a bashful look in reply.

"You're toying with me, aren't you?"

"I have no clue what you're talking about." I gave him a sweet smile as he dropped his hand from mine so he could bring himself up onto his elbows. "What? I'm just asking a simple question."

"How about this then?" Jim turned onto his side so he could look at me better as I did the same. "You want me to ask it outright?"

"I won't answer until then." Jim just gave me his signature lopsided grin that causes his scars to bounce a little in reply as the sweetest look took over his face.

"Will you move in with me then? It'll get awfully lonesome without someone to keep me company." I smiled at his words as I reached out with my right hand to cup his face.

"I would love to." His smile just widened in reply as he suddenly dived forward and captured my lips with ease. The joy radiating from him with ease as his smile kept itself firm against my lips.

This is the beginning of something beautiful. A new chapter in the life I never thought I would get.

I giggled a little as Jim knocked me over onto my back as we continued to share soft gentle kisses.

And I was praying to whatever being that controlled this world to please not let it be the conclusion already.

I felt Claire nuzzle into my side as we just laid silently together. Her head laying silently on my chest as the morning light came streaming through the window shades.

"You know," I glanced down at Claire who I already knew was awake long before I was as just brought her head closer up to my neck. "I came here on a mission to ask a question for Darci and here I am agreeing to move in with you instead." I couldn't help but chuckle a little at her as I wrapped an arm around her.

"What question was Darci having?"

"If you were okay with everything, basically." I gave Claire a curious look as she just continued. "She just feels like she's ripping away a support system from you." I just smiled as I just tightened my hold on her.

"You know, Toby was worried about the same thing in a way." I watched as Claire gave me a confused look in reply. "He was worried I would be upset or something about him moving out." I gave a small laugh as I continued. "Honestly, I'm surprised the both of them are so concerned about me."

"You're surprised?"

"Yeah." I shrugged a little as I sat up a little Claire followed suit to do the same. "Like, I've known for years that Tobes would want to go off and live his own life at some point. Yeah we've always been by each other and I've relied on him for support, but that doesn't mean I'm going to lash out or something when he wants to move forward, ya know?" I smiled at her as I leaned up against the headrest. "I'm happy for him, honestly." Claire just gave me a wide smile in return before moving herself so she could nuzzle into my side once more.

"Very adult of you, Lake." I just laughed wholeheartedly in reply as I wrapped an arm around her once more.

"Am I not supposed to be? I'm kinda twenty-one. I thought being adult-like is the norm by now."

"Shush and take the compliment." I chuckled a little as Claire laid her head against my shoulder. Her hair tickling my chin as she wrapped her arms around my waist. I smiled at her movements as I leaned my head against hers with a soft sigh.

Change is something you can never fight against. It's going to happen, whether you want it to, or not. Time will pass, changes will happen, and all you can do is hope for the best.

I felt Claire let out a soft breath against my neck as she seemed content within that moment.

But I can say with a full heart that this time though, I'm glad that this change is happening.

I tightened my arm around her as I did before as we just laid there silently with one another.

Especially if it means having more mornings like this.

"You're actually-?"

"Yep." I smiled at Douxie as I sketched about in my sketchbook.

"And you didn't even talk to me first?" I glanced up toward Douxie who was across from me at the table who gave me a mischievous look despite the obviously fake heartbroken feeling he was giving in his voice. He placed his hand over his heart as he smiled at me. "Oh, how my heart breaks at this betrayal." I just shook my head at him as I brought my attention back to my sketchbook. Ever since Jim brought up the idea of making one of the now two spare rooms he'll have in the house as an art room for me was making my imagination run wild. The many ideas of what kind of mural I could create were making me more ecstatic the more I drew.

He really knows how to make an art nerd happy, that's for sure.

I smiled to myself as I heard Douxie chuckle from across the table.

"I like this happy look you keep having. Maybe I don't need to break Jimmy's knees for stealing my sister from me." I looked up toward Douxie to see he had a lopsided grin on his face, but a distant look in his eyes.

"Douxie?" I found myself questioning the older man as he seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts with ease. "Are you okay with this?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" He gave me a toothy smile, but I could tell something was eating at him. I knew the older punk well enough to see the bare glimpse of it in his eyes.

"Because something is obviously eating at you, but you're not willing to state it." I dropped my pencil on my sketchpad and moved it aside before crossing my arms and leaning back in my chair. "You know I won't force it out of you, but if something's bothering you at the moment, I want you to know you can tell me. Even if it's against me moving." I watched at Douxie seemingly fought against himself for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.

"I can't keep anything from you, now can I?" I smiled softly in reply as I leaned forward to put my crossed arms on the table.

"I'm your little sister, remember? I know you better than anyone." I stopped for a second before continuing on for a second. "Besides Zoe. She definitely knows you better than I ever will." Douxie chuckled at that before leaning back in his chair and gifting me with a soft smile.

"You two are both my favorite girls. You know me better than anyone else in the world."

"Then what's wrong? Is it about me moving in with Jim? I want you to be honest with me."

"I'm just," Douxie looked down so his eyes were seemingly memorizing the detailings of the oak table we were sitting at together before his voice softened. "I just thought I had a bit more time with you being my little kid sister is all." I couldn't help but smile a little as he just shrugged. "You're growing up. Moving out. It kinda feels like a piece of me is going with you. Like, I now understood how Merlin felt when Morgana left. Ya know? It's like seeing a piece of you walk away despite them still being right there." Douxie gave me a dark chuckle before carrying on with his thoughts. "I guess it's because it feels like I was more of a parent in a way to you than just a brother. It feels like I was like that cool uncle or some shit than just a sibling. I've watched you grow from this rebellious teenage girl to this reckoning young woman who's ready to start a journey of her own. Like, I know you'll still be around and everything, but knowing that I won't be able to wake up and see my kid little sister again? Kinda stings a little." I watched him swallowed hard before speaking once more. His voice cracking a little as he continued.

"Kinda makes me worried that this might truly end up like Morgana and Merlin," He brought up his right hand to wipe a tear from his face. "Like I'll never see you again."

"Oh, Doux." I got up from my chair and made my over toward him so I could wrap my arms around the now sniffling man's shoulders. "I'll never truly leave you. You know that."

"I know." He let out a soft chuckle as he placed a hand on my forearms. "Can't blame an emotional mess for thinking like that though." I laughed a little at his small jab to himself before tightening my arms around him.

"I'll never do what Morgana did." I leaned my head against his as I let out a soft laugh. "I don't think I would ever have the heart to, honestly." Douxie let out a soft laugh in reply as I felt him lean his head back against me.

"You're the best little sister, you know that?"

"And you're the best big brother a girl could ask for." I smiled as I heard his soft sniffles reside slowly. "Hey, how about we watch one of those films we used to love watching when I first moved in with you and Merlin? Those studio whatever things."

"Studio Ghibli?" Douxie chuckled as he leaned out of my hold so he could turn his head toward me. "I thought you didn't care for them." I shrugged a little. It was true, most of those films weren't my forte, but Douxie loved them more than anything. Especially one I had in mind.

"Yeah, but you always did. It will be like old times, anyway. Have some popcorn as I fall asleep to the music on the couch. It'll definitely be like when I first came here."

"Which one specifically?"

"Do you need to ask? I know one is already ringing within your mind." I released him from our hug as he shot up to his feet like a little kid.

"HOWL IT IS!" I couldn't help but laugh at him as he dashed off toward the living room to set up the film. "I got the TV setup! You get the snacks!"

"You got it!" I turned so I could head off toward the kitchen, but I had a completely different idea on my mind as I was searching for wherever the bastard put the microwavable popcorn at.

I don't know how long I have truly until I can actually move out,

I glanced over my shoulder as familiar opening music begin already in the living room. The TV screen already casting its light on the older man's face as he sat eagerly to watch the film. My mind comparing the scene to the one I witness with a slightly younger Douxie who was eager to show me one of his favorite things in not just film, but in art style and story. Hoping that his love for it would rub off on me a little if I watched it alongside him. Or at least, it would help me forget my troubles I had that day.

But I'm going to make these last few months or so of living with my brother the best we've ever had.

And that's a promise I'm going to keep, for sure this time.