A Domestic Moment
by Ms. Kinnikufan
Disclaimer: Pixar owns them.
Anyone could tell that the Thor/Angierston living room was occupied by a big family just by looking at it.
The television (the main reason people used the living room) was slightly out of date and had to be smacked and the rabbit ears bent to get a clear picture.
The favorite sitting spot was a very much loved, very much fought over neon orange beanbag. Despite Scott and Nick's best efforts with duct tape, it was always leaking at least a few beans.
The carpet was a musty beige and had an attention getting indigo blob that was from blackberry clobber from over three thanksgivings ago.
At any point this carpet was littered with crayons, paper, homework or toys.
The main eye-catcher of the room was an the ugly faded pink couch (Scott had dragged it off someone curb and it was a transplant from Nick and Scott's old apartment)
Currently sleeping on that couch was Scott. He had lost the battle against drowsiness while waiting for Nick to come home from doing the Thunderhead thing.
7 month old Holly started crying at exactly the same time Nick got home.
"Huh? Wha time izzit?" Scott woke up groggy.
"That baby is crying again! Someone put a gag on her!" Darash's voice came from upstairs.
"Oh great now you woke me up!" came Craig's voice, who shared a room with Darash.
"You guys shut up, some of us are trying to sleep!" came Elizabeth and Sarah's voice from the room they shared downstairs.
Soon, as is inevitable when you have four children capable of speech, an argument started.
"You shut up!"
"Dad! Darash is hitting me with his pillow!"
"Boys are stupid! Why couldn't you and Scott have adopted more girls instead of Darash and Craig?"
"Sarah! What a horrible thing to say!" intervened Scott, unsuccessfully trying to stop things before they escalated.
"I am not stupid! You're the one who's stupid, Sarah!"
"You wanna come down and say to my face boogerbrain?"
"BWAAAHHHHH!" Holly continued to cry.
"I am not a boogerbrain, you're the boogerbrain!"
"Kids! Everybody calm down!" Nick shouted.
Silence
"Now children, you're all siblings and thus have to love each other. It's the law or something."
"I asked Mr. Paladino that and he said that was untrue and that you were just saying that as a lame ploy to get us to stop arguing." Darash countered.
Nick made a mental to kick Gazerbeam in the 'nads next time he saw him.
"Okay so maybe it isn't a federal law. But it's the law of the household and thus even more enforceable then a federal law. I'm getting Holly now, so everybody just simmer down and go back to sleep."
Nick trudged up the stairs, his legs feeling like lead from the long fight with The Scheme Team.
Moments later he came down with Holly in his arms.
"Good baby, sweet baby." He tried to soothe.
"I'll warm the formula." Scott yawned,stretched and readjusted his glasses, which had been hanging off his left ear .
The kitchen, like the living room, had many signs of life: there were always a few glasses and plates in the dishwasher or sink; there were always a half eaten banana or cookie/bread crumbs on the counter.
The kitchen always smelled of hot soup for reasons no one could figure out.
The refrigerator (which Nick had talked the salesman into giving a great discount because of it's ugly puke brown-green color) was another transplant from the old apartment and was always covered with old comic strips, childish drawings, post-it notes and pizza coupons.
Nick gave Holly the bottle, which she took eagerly.
"You don't have to wait up for me. We both know it's healthy."
"I just want to make sure you're still alive before I go to sleep."
Awkward silence. Nick's possible death at the hand of a foe or a bomb or any other dangerous thing was a constant elephant in the room.
"That's probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me Scott. But your sleep deprivation isn't going to keep super-villians from hurting me."
Scott sighed and rubbed his eyes.
"Mentally, I know that. Emotionally, it's like a superstition, I guess. I just want you to keep alive, that's all. I want you to stay alive."
"So do I. This life I now have with you-this was worth suffering through the bad parts of my life." Nick began to burp Holly.
"Even when Sarah putting Darash in a headlock-it's still worth it." He added suddenly, lightening the mood and making Scott laugh.
Sarah putting Darash in a headlock was a rather common occurrence in the Thor/Angierson household. In fact the most recent occurrence had occurred just two days ago over the last slice of carrot cake.
"Yeah, you have had a rather difficult existence. Before and after "The lord is our shepherd and we are the sheep" cult-that place was hell. So, yeah Sarah putting Darash in a headlock is a breeze compared to "Father" Brown."
"Your life hasn't been easy either. At least I had someplace to go when my foster parents threw me out because I "insulted" their all so "sacred truths" threw me out. Granted, the orphanage wasn't great, but it was a roof over my head. Sort of."
"Heh. I was just glad to get far, far, away from there. You know the only good moments I had there were with you."
Holly burped unusually loudly for an infant and had a big smile on her face afterwards.
Nick and Scott stared at Holly, who only gurgled in response.
Nick yawned and remember that he was so very tired.
"C'mon, Holly back to bed for you."
"Back to bed for all of us." Scott looked at the Snoopy clock, which read 3:20 am.
Moments later, Scott was almost asleep when he heard Nick's voice:
"Scott?"
"Yeah?"
"I wish we didn't have to sleep in separate beds."
"Yeah, I know. Our beds may be seperate, but our hearts aren't...I can't beleive I said something that corny and sappy. Anyway, good night Nick."
''Good night Scott."
And all was quiet in the Thor/Angierston household.