Henry's body was melting into the leather car seat as his mind and body argued. His body said he was fine, he was gooood. His anxiety was gone and he had no worries in the world. He just floated all over Swellview and reunited with the love of his life. Everything was fine. His mind on the other hand said that everything was far from fine. He was high as hell and his parents were definitely going to notice somehow. How was he supposed to be their amazing and loving son who was sorry for being gone for so long when he was higher than the moon?! He wanted to yell at Jasper for doing this to him but damn, he felt great. They stayed at Sidney's longer than he imagined and the sky was now dark as it was after 6 pm. Jasper drove through the smooth streets and it helped to lull Henry into a dazed place of comfort. Everything is alright (his mind insists that it isn't but his body is too busy melting to care) and he finally starts to appreciate being home. The streets are so familiar, the world is quiet and calm - whereas Dystopia is always loud, active, and dangerous. He feels good.
Until Jasper takes a left turn onto a street that fills Henry's body with familiarity and a hint of anxiety. It's his street…their street, and the way they've entered it, they need to pass her house before they reach his house. And at that moment as the car makes its way down the street, his mind wins and the lazy comfort that took over his lanky frame is gone and replaced with nerves and questions. Is she there? Will she see him? How does she look now? Would she want to see him? He suddenly sits up straight and he's no longer melting, he's now fidgeting against the leather and fighting himself to keep from looking out the window. The broad man in the driver's seat is well aware of his friend's nerves and speeds up a little as they near the house. Henry swallows a heavy lump in his throat and tells himself not to look. He doesn't care. He won't look.
But he does anyway. There are lights that are on up on the second floor, and lights on the first floor are on as well. He sees a figure pass by one of the windows but he can make out the silhouette well enough to know that it's her. He spots a black car and quickly cranes his head back to look as Jasper speeds by. From what he could tell, it was a Nissan, and he felt a wave of relief wash over him. Charlotte drove a Toyota in Dystopia, not a Nissan. He finally settles back into his seat and sports a lazy grin on his face as they pull up to his house. He's no longer nervous about what his parents will say when they see him or how he'll apologize to them. He feels goooood again. Then it hits him and his smile instantly falls.
It didn't matter what Charlotte drove in Dystopia. That was halfway across the world and four years ago. She could be, and obviously was driving a different car now. And now he's asking himself questions again. Was that her car? Was Charlotte home? Could he finally see her again?
Meanwhile, Piper stood in front of her full length mirror and looked over her outfit. It was a simple purple knit dress with dark purple swirl designs on it. It was low cut with spaghetti straps and stopped right below the knee, with a form that wasn't too form-fitting but hugged her body just right and showed off her curves. Her blonde hair was styled in loose beach waves and she wore simple natural looking makeup with light peach blush and peachy gloss on her full lips to match. She looked damn good and she knew it, and a part of her was annoyed that she was looking this good for some boy. She made a face of disgust as she thought about why she was going out tonight. A date. Bose set her up with his cousin Steve because she had been, as Miles so nicely put it, meaner than Chapa with an ingrown toenail and needed a boyfriend in her life. She would've protested but she did want to show off a new boy on her EnvyGram to make Jackson regret losing her, so she agreed. But now, she had to actually go and deal with another potential asshole rather than stay home or go out partying with Jana and Marla (and end her night with fighting Jana and calling her a series of derogatory names only to make up with her the next morning).
Sometimes, she wondered why she even bothered. She was too good for most men and the ones who were good enough for her were either taken or too old for her. She was cursed with being a diamond in a pool of edgy rocks who were determined to scratch her and break her until she was nothing more than gravel that they could easily manipulate and use. But Piper Hart would never allow that to happen to herself. She sighed and grabbed her phone, taking a few mirror selfies then sitting on her bed and taking more pictures. She made sure she held her phone up high so she could get the perfect angle of just how good she looked in that dress and how perfect her makeup was. Perfect for EnvyGram. Once she was satisfied, she tossed her phone in her bag and grabbed her white strappy heels before heading downstairs.
"Oh, honey!" Kris called out as she spotted her daughter walking down the steps. "You're just in time for dinner!" She turned and opened up the oven before putting on some oven mitts and pulling out her casserole. Piper sighed as she reached the bottom of the stairs and went over to the coat rack, grabbing her black cropped suede jacket.
"Can't, I'm going out," she said simply and her father raised an eyebrow as he stood up from the couch.
"What? We didn't know you were going out," he stated curiously and the young woman rolled her eyes.
"Probably because I didn't tell you," she sassed as she pulled on her jacket. She put her hands underneath her hair and flicked it out of her jacket then checked her makeup once again in the mirror. She could feel her father's eyes on her and she started to grow irritated again. I fucking hate men. She turned to face him and raised an eyebrow as he stared at her with an unreadable expression. "What?"
"You're going out…dressed like that?" he inquired as he looked her over. She rolled her eyes once again and strutted over to the burgundy chair, sitting in it and starting to put on her heels.
"Yes! It's not even short! Chill," she answered with an exasperated sigh.
"But…your…chichis are showing…" he stammered out slowly as he walked to her side. She knitted her eyebrows together in confusion and looked up at the tall goofy man.
"My…what?" she asked as she thought it over. Then it hit her. And she wanted to scream, which she nearly did. "Dad! Ugh, gross! I'm nineteen!" she argued and stood up once her heels were on securely.
"I-I know but, you're still young! These men out here are horrible perverts and I don't want them looking at you like that!" he explained defensively and his wife walked up to his side, touching his arm gently.
"Piper, your father is just worried that guys will see how you dress and expect something extra out of you, you know? But you look beautiful, honey!" she added and the young blonde rolled her eyes.
"I'm a legal adult! I can dress however I want!" she spat before storming to the door and whipping it open in irritation. She couldn't believe her parents. Ever since she got home from Florida, they were on her back about how she dressed and presented herself. Her father seemed beside himself over the fact that his once little girl now had breasts and hips and enjoyed showing off her figure. But she had the right to! She only had it thanks to countless hours in the gym and morning jogs. She didn't see anything wrong with wearing things that she enjoyed and showed how much she'd blossomed. In the midst of her annoyed rush, she almost didn't notice a strange SUV pulling into their driveway and blocking her in. It also allowed her to take a moment and realize she forgot her purse inside, causing her to sigh heavily. She stared at the BMW with a raised curious eyebrow before going back inside.
"Uh…there's a BMW in our driveway…" she told her parents who looked at her in confusion as well. She grabbed her bag then made her way into the kitchen to grab a snack in case she hated the food at the restaurant she was heading to.
"A BMW?" Kris asked both curious and a little excited.
"Why would there be a BMW in our driveway?" Jake questioned as he went to the door and glanced at it. There was definitely a random SUV there but he couldn't quite make out who the people inside were. He closed the door and walked over to his wife who was craning her neck to look. "Who could it be?"
Inside the BMW in question, Henry was quickly puffing on a cigarette to both calm his nerves and build up his energy and confidence. Jasper leaned against the window and leisurely smoked his cigarette, eyeing his friend and snickering a little. It was kind of funny to see him like this. Usually, Henry was the calm and cool one while Jasper was freaking out over something, but now the two had switched roles. He wondered what Ray would think of them now.
"You're freaking out over nothing, bro," Jasper said with a lazy drawl.
"I'm telling you! She's there! She's here in Swellview!" Henry said quickly then took another long drag from his cigarette. The other just rolled his eyes and put out his cigarette but made sure to save the rest for later.
"Look, we can go by tomorrow and see for sure if she's home-"
"No! Fuck no!" Henry interrupted him quickly and looked at him with wide panicked eyes. "I can't just…show up! I-I…I just can't, I dunno," he blubbered and rocked in his seat as he smoked. The blue eyed man stared at him for a beat before scoffing and chuckling dryly.
"I need to get my money back from Sidney, he said his shit was good." The blond sighed heavily and leaned back in his seat.
"It is, I'm…I'm fine. She just…makes my brain go stupid," he mumbled. It was reminiscent of when he was thirteen and how his brain shut down whenever Veronika kissed him. At least then, it was a result of some nice kisses. This time, his brain was shutting down just because he drove past Charlotte's house (the weed wasn't helping either). He ran a hand over his short hair and scratched the back of his head before finishing his cigarette and taking a few deep breaths.
"Let's go inside," he said more to himself. Jasper nodded and they climbed out of the car, Henry dropping the cigarette butt and stomping it out.
"I'll get the bags," the raspberry blond told him and Henry nodded. He licked his lips nervously and looked at the familiar house. He couldn't help but smile a little at the memories it brought back. He missed it. He tightened his jean jacket close as the cool November air hit him and he made his way to the porch. It was all the same and it felt so cozy and comfortable. It felt like…home. He smiled a little and walked up to the door, knocking on it and waiting for an answer. A few moments went past before it opened and revealed his mother, and he almost instantly began to choke up at the way her face lit up.
"Oh- oh my God! Henry!" she exclaimed so loudly that he was sure all of Swellview could hear it. His face almost split in half from how hard he was smiling and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for a tight hug as she eagerly put her arms around him and hugged him as well.
"Hey mom, I'm home!" he happily announced and squeezed her a little in his embrace. No matter how old he got, no matter how much he changed, and no matter how long he was away, there was something about his mother's warm embrace that always easily comforted him. It managed to take away all his anxiety faster than any drug could. He didn't realize how much he missed this, how much he missed such a kind and nurturing embrace. He robbed himself of this because of his own insecurities and he wanted to kick himself even harder.
Kris pulled away from the embrace first and the way her face scrunched up and she looked him up and down was enough for Henry to understand why the hug ended. "Gah, you smell like…cigarettes?" she asked and looked up at him, her green eyes still filled with excitement over seeing him but now a little bit of questioning and what Henry saw as disappointment. And that was one of the main things that kept him away. Before he could properly give a response, she was unceremoniously shoved out of the way and his father came into his line of vision.
"Henry!" he cried out before yanking his son into a tight embrace. Henry chuckled a little and hugged him back just as tightly, but glanced over his shoulder to make sure his mom was okay. His father was never the most…courteous or chivalrous with his mother (that's probably why she liked hanging out with her tennis instructor more than him). The blonde staggered back before catching and steadying herself, sending a glare towards her husband.
"What are you doing here?! We thought you were coming tomorrow!" Jake said happily as he kept his son in a tight embrace. Henry patted his back a few times and attempted to pull away but was kept close in the firm hug. He suddenly had flashbacks to when he visited Ray (more like ran away from Blackout) and he was trapped in a similar hug.
"We decided to switch to an earlier flight so I could surprise you guys," he explained and tried to pull away again. "Dad, come on now."
"I missed you so much! It's not the same here without you, Piper is still so mean to me," he explained with a hushed whisper as he looked at his son. Excitement flashed in his eyes and he gave him a big smile. "Say, do you still have your cool superpower?!"
"Uh, yeah, wanna see?" he asked, seeing an opportunity to free himself. When his father nodded like an excited child, Henry clenched his fists and formed his force field, knocking his father back a few feet and causing him to crash into the coffee table. He grimaced as his body fell and he seemed a little dazed before laughing excitedly. Henry couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head before Kris quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.
"I'm so happy you're home! I'm annoyed that you smell like cigarettes, and I'm hurt that you were gone so long, but still happy to have you back," she told him with a smile. She helped him out of his jean jacket to reveal his short sleeve gray shirt and paused when she saw his left arm fully covered in tattoos. "Oh!" she exclaimed with a tight smile and her voice a little higher, "you have tattoos now too!"
"Yeah, uh…a lot has changed in Dystopia," he said with a sheepish grin. Despite the tight smile on her face, he could see in her eyes that she wasn't a big fan. He knew it would be hard when they saw the new him but actually having to experience it was harder than he could've imagined. He turned his head when he heard his father groan as he got up from the ground, holding his back and rubbing the sore muscles as he looked at his son.
"Whoa…Henry…you smell like cigarettes, you have tattoos…" he started and the young man sighed as he prepared for a lecture. "You're so cool now!" the older man exclaimed, "You used to be such a nerd but now you're finally cool! I'm more proud of you now than I was when you had that party." He brought his fist to his mouth as his voice wavered and his blue eyes welled with tears. Henry grinned and patted his father's arm.
"Aw, thanks, dad." He laughed a little then felt another pair of blue eyes on him. He looked past his dad and into the kitchen, his jaw falling open and eyes widening when he saw the young blonde standing by the refrigerator. She was clearly trying her hardest not to smile but it appeared on her face anyway in the form of a small closed mouth grin.
"No freaking way…" he started as he moved away from his dad and made his way into the kitchen. Her smile grew wider and she looked away from him in a failed attempt to hide it. "Piper Hart!" he trumpeted as he rushed over to her and wrapped his arms around her petite frame. She squealed and laughed as he picked her up easily, her arms wrapping around him to hug him tightly. If anyone asked her she'd never admit to missing her dorky older brother, but she absolutely did. She missed him more than anyone would ever understand.
"Hey!" she laughed as she held onto him, "that's me!" He gave her a final squeeze before putting her back down on her feet and taking a step back to look at her. Seeing her completely cemented how much time had passed. She was already older and mature when he left, but now she was completely different. She was a young woman now and Henry truly couldn't believe his eyes. This was his baby sister.
"You look amazing!" he exclaimed and she proudly did a little twirl for him.
"I know!" she replied with a laugh. "You look great too! Cool sleeve, I never knew you'd be a tattoo guy." She brushed her fingers over his arm as she looked at the intricate details of the sleeve tattoo. She looked up at him and took in the features that had changed a lot in five years. His hair was short and cropped, he had a small beard and mustache that she wasn't personally a fan of but it wasn't too offensive, he was still tall and lanky but he seemed to have put on a little weight and worked out more so grew into his height better. But she could see a bit of sadness in his brown eyes, a hint of emptiness and loneliness that made her want to hug him and keep him safe. He did his best to mask it with a wide smile but she still knew her brother well enough to tell that something was wrong.
"Yeah well, things changed in Dystopia," he responded a bit somberly and her blue eyes flicked up to meet his own. She gave him a small smile and nodded.
"Well, not much has changed here so, you'll settle in quickly enough." He nodded a little and his smile faltered a bit into a small natural grin. He had really missed Piper, despite how crazy and mean she always was. She was his sister and when push came to shove, they were always there for each other no matter what.
"Heyo, Hart family!" a voice called from outside and both Piper and Jake groaned.
"Oh, you brought Jasper?" the older Hart complained and Henry turned to look at him with an apologetic smile.
"He's still my best friend and he wanted to reunite with you guys too," he explained and quickly went to the door to help him with the bags. Jake let out a long drawn out sigh as he joined his wife's side. They were ready to see the same awkward and weird boy from five years ago. Instead, a big broad figure wearing a brown leather jacket, a fitted black tee underneath, black jeans, and boots made his way through the doorway and the Hart parents felt both of their jaws hit the floor.
"How goes it, guys?!" Jasper asked excitedly as he looked around the Hart residence. It hadn't changed at all and it already felt so cozy and comforting. Their home became a second home for him while he was growing up no matter how much Piper (and Mr. Hart) hated it. It felt nice to be back and it felt even nicer to have their eyes on him because he knew exactly why they were staring at him the way they were.
"J-Jasper..?" Kris finally managed to stammer out and he nodded with a big smile.
"Yup! Hey, Mrs. Hart!" He walked over to her and enveloped her in a tight hug, lifting her feet from the ground easily and causing her to yelp in surprise. She erupted into a fit of giggles as she returned the hug and lightly slapped his shoulder when he let her go, a faint blush on her cheeks. He turned to Jake and offered him his hand with a big grin. "Nice to see you again, Mr. Hart!"
Jake stared at him in awe and slowly took his hand to shake it. The tight grip snapped him out of his daze and he visibly winced in pain before quickly pulling his hand away. "Jasper? Jasper Dunlop?" he requested as he pointed at the boy, no, the man, before him. The raspberry blond simply nodded and grinned wider.
"That's me!" he answered and shrugged off his jacket, revealing his own set of full sleeve tattoos decorating his buff arms. As he hung his jacket on the coat rack, he could hear the shocked stammering behind him and he couldn't help but smirk a little. This was the reaction he was looking forward to. He turned towards them again and was met with an excited Jake who rushed up to him.
"Son," he spat out excitedly and grabbed his hand to shake it rapidly, "I have to be honest: I've never really liked you and thought you were a weird kid-"
"Uh…"
"But! But now you're so cool! I am more than honored to have you stay with us, cool Jasper!" he offered him with a big smile. Jasper raised an eyebrow and glanced at Henry who stood in the doorway with an amused grin on his face. He turned his attention back to Jake and chuckled nervously before pulling his hand out of his hold.
"Um, thank you, sir! I'd love to stay here," he accepted with a smile. As Jake walked over to his wife to gush over how cool Jasper was now, he finally spotted Piper in the kitchen.
She was…frozen. Her brain had turned into a pan of scrambled eggs and she had no idea who she was or what was happening. She was already prepared to be annoyed by Jasper's presence and likely start another fight with him before leaving for her date, but the man that entered her house was not Jasper Dunlop. It couldn't be Jasper Dunlop. The Jasper she knew was a big weird loser she could easily takedown with a few kicks and punches and who was clearly very scared of her. Sure, he may have worked out a little when he was older and had some muscles, but she could still take him and he was still Jasper. This guy, this man, couldn't have been Jasper. She refused to believe it.
"Hey, Piper!" he greeted and made his way over to her and she felt a lump grow in her throat. She got a better view of him as he neared and it made her dizzy. He was so broad and either his shirt was too small for him or his muscles were just that big, but she could make out his large pecs easily as the fabric clung to them. His arms were big and beefy and covered in their own intricately done tattoos. She finally managed to look at his face and… Damn. He had a strong jaw that donned a short beard and a long scar on his face, but those blue eyes were the same eyes she knew as a child. She never noticed how pretty they were before. Her eyes trailed down to watch his lips as they moved, first stretched out in a half grin then moving as he said something that just bounced off of her ears. Were his lips always that nice?
"Piper? Pipes…Piper!" He clapped his hands together loudly and snapped her out of her daze. She blinked her eyes a few times and looked at him again, mouth slightly ajar. He chuckled softly and glanced back at Henry before looking at her again. "You alright?"
Her mouth opened and closed again, then opened once again but no words came out. She closed her eyes and her mouth as she tried to pull herself together. Get it together dummy, this is just Jasper. Stupid, annoying, dorky, sweaty Jasper! She opened her eyes again and inhaled sharply when she saw him again. Fuck. This wasn't good. He raised a curious eyebrow and folded his arms over his chest and... Fuck. Why did he do that? It made his muscles flex more and she could make out the muscle definition and saw how his veins protruded more. She needed to get away from him because he was doing some kind of weird voodoo to her.
"Date…" she squeaked out and grabbed her purse quickly, "I have…a date! Um…bye!" She quickly ran past him and out of the kitchen, deciding to slip out of the back quickly and into the cool November air where she could finally breathe. She pressed her hand against her chest and took a few deep breaths as she gathered herself. What the hell was that? Piper was never like that around any guy, let alone Jasper. She figured that she was maybe just not used to seeing him. Yeah, that was it. When she saw him again, she'd be her normal self again. She was sure of it.
Inside, Jasper couldn't help but laugh as the girl - well, the young woman now - ran out of the house. A part of him wondered whether the odd reaction was thanks to his new appearance. It would be funny if he had actually managed to fluster the girl who spent her childhood essentially torturing him and making his life hell.
"Have you boys eaten? I already made dinner, let's sit down and catch up!" Kris offered as she made her way to the kitchen and Jake eagerly followed her.
"Yeah! And Cool Jasper is gonna sit right next to me!" He pulled out his own chair then moved another chair close to it. Henry laughed and patted Jasper's shoulder as he joined him in the kitchen.
"Good to be home isn't it?" the raspberry blond asked and Henry couldn't contain the big smile on his face as he nodded.
"Yeah, feels gooood," he answered and the two shared a chuckle as they went to sit at the table. It felt amazing to be back home with his family but something was missing. He looked at one of the empty chairs and felt his smile fade a little. Oh, how he wished Charlotte was in that chair.
A/N: This was probably one of my favorite chapters to write so far. I've missed the Hart family. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it!