Meet The Family- Wait, Not The Brother!
"Okay. Vest, check." Mattholomule jerked the collar of his vest to straighten it, eyes locked on his mirror. "Hair combed? Check." He ran hands through his hair one more time and winked at himself. "Crazy mom and shipper sister," he listened downstairs and heard his mother and sister arguing over something, sighing dramatically, "double-check." Matt checked over his room that he had straightened up on the off-chance that his guest would want to see it.
Somehow, some way, Celine had convinced him to introduce her to his family. She giggled and smiled that adorable, dimpled smile and asked if he thought they would like her, and like a besotted moron, he'd offered to see for sure. Not a wise move, but he'd had time for damage control.
His mother had been over the moon — Titan, Gus and Luz's senses of humor were rubbing off on him! — when he'd told her about the upcoming visit, while Dortheabeth had teased him mercilessly for finally "growing a spine" enough to risk embarrassing himself, though also promising to ease up on any embarrassment on her end.
Apparently she thought he could cause enough of that on his own.
His father had reacted about as expected, with an intrigued grunt and faint lessening of his perpetual scowl. And people wondered where Matt's wonderful people skills came from …
The doorbell shrieked and Matt straightened up with nerves, brushing off his shoulders. "Matty, get the door for your da-a-ate," Thea sing-songed up the stairs. Dad was working tonight, but would be home soon after they sat down for dinner. Matt nodded to himself and padded down the stairs, carefully not pounding down them to keep from sounding too eager. He of all people knew the stairs could be heard through the front door. He stumbled to a halt, fixed what he really hoped was a good grin on his lips, and opened the door with flair to lean on it.
"Hey, Hot Stuff," he said.
"Hey, yourself," Steve snorted, hands in the pockets of his leather jacket that framed his usual shirt with his name on it.
Wha-? STEVE?!
Matt slammed the door shut on his brother, heart racing as panic sunk its claws in. Oh, no no no no no no no …!
"Matty, who's at the door?" Thea asked as she approached, brushing her waist-length hair out of her face. "I know that wasn't your girlfriend, so-"
"Don't open it!" Matt shouted, but Thea brushed him aside and did just that to find their brother on the porch.
"Heya, Sis," Steve grinned.
"Steve!" Thea squealed, grabbing him up into a hug that lifted him from the ground even with his larger frame before she set him down and he laughed. "You're here! Matty said you couldn't make it."
"Make what?" Steve asked.
Thea blinked, pieces slotting into place, and she turned a glare at their youngest brother who had the decency to look sheepish.
"To the dinner where Matty here introduces us to his new girlfriend," Thea said pointedly.
"Wait, what? Really?!" Steve asked, eyes brightening with enthusiasm. "Matty, why didn't you tell me?"
"The same reason you can't stay," Matt stressed. He turned Steve around by his shoulders and began to push him down the walkway towards his motorbike. "You gotta go, now!"
"Whoa, wait, hold on!" Steve protested with confusion, his arms waving for balance as Thea snickered behind her hand in the background, content to enjoy the show.
Matt grunted as he continued to push, but a vibration from his scroll caught his attention and he checked it with one hand while the other remained propped against Steve's back.
CrescentCinnamonRoll: Just left! Be there real soon!
Matt yelped and looked around the sky before turning Steve back around and shoving him up the steps and into the house, Thea now full-on chortling as she followed them and closed the door behind her.
"Okay, Matty, now I'm really confused," Steve grunted as Matt continued to push him from behind, this time up the stairs.
"Just stay in my room until she leaves!" Matt said almost desperately. "I can't let her see you!"
They'd gotten to the second-floor landing by the time Steve had had enough and stopped in his tracks, Matt grunting in surprise and slamming his face into Steve's leather jacket before sliding down his brother's back to land on the floor with a solid thump.
"Why can't she see me?" Steve asked, his tone hurt. "Are you embarrassed? Think she'll hate your ex-scout older brother?"
"No!" Matt said aghast, scrabbling to his feet. "She won't care about that! In fact, that's the opposite of the problem!"
Steve's eyebrow rose, his face blank. "You're afraid she'll … like me?" he ventured.
"Uh, yeah," Matt said, his tone all but screaming "Duh!" He spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "Why have harmburger when you can have steak?"
Steve looked at his little brother blankly. "What?" he asked.
"I think," Thea piped up, her voice shaking with contained mirth, "that Matty's scared you'll sweep his lady friend off her feet and out of his reach."
"Uh, still not following," Steve said, brows furrowed.
"Ugh, you're hopeless," Matt said, pinching the bridge of his nose before he gestured with his hands up and down Steve. "Steve, you're like the perfect dating specimen. You look like you were carved by an artist, you're crazy smart, effortlessly charming, funny, and you're humble about all of it!" This all came spilling out, like Matt had been laboring to hold it back until now. "If Celine sees me next to you, she'll catch a crush in record time and I'll never have another chance!"
"Matty, dude," Steve chuckled and lifted his index finger. "First off, she's like ten years younger than me — that's gross. Second," he lifted his middle finger to join the index, "I have a girlfriend. And I'm crazy happy with her. Third," his ring finger rose, and his eyes softened, "I'd never do that to you. I love you too much."
Matt's eyes softened, too, before they hardened into determination. "You'd never do it on purpose," he corrected, pointing accusingly at Steve. "That's why I mentioned the whole 'effortless charm' thing." He clasped his hands and bowed his head. "Please just do this for me, Steve. I'll never ask for anything ever again, I swear! Please!" He looked up with the best pleading eyes he could muster. "Please?"
Steve was silent, looking up at Thea, who simply shrugged. "Well, we both know the 'never ask for anything else' thing is a lie," he noted before sighing and dragging his hand down his face. "Alright, fine. I'll stay scarce."
"Just until I ask her to be my girlfriend," Matt said reassuringly, hands up and palms out. "Then she might feel guilty if she catches a crush when she meets you."
"Wow, stellar trust there, Matty," Thea drolled, rolling her eyes.
"And save me some of that casserole I smell," Steve added, pointing at Matt before heading to the boy's room.
No one had the chance to reply before the doorbell shrieked again and Matty raced for the door, this time not caring if he was heard. "Not a word!" he shouted over his shoulder to Thea.
"Matty, did I hear Steve?" his mother asked, wandering into the entry hall with a white apron over her clothes that she was wiping a glass with.
"Nope!" Matt chirped before straightening his hair and opening the door. He gasped at the sight of Celine, her cheeks pink as she smiled sweetly at him. She was dressed in a silvery-grey, knee-length dress with a loose, swishy skirt and cut-out shoulders in half-length sleeves that for once bared her three-fingered hands, the neckline high and culminating in a turtleneck-like collar. Her usual bow was navy-blue tonight to contrast the dress, a crescent pendant hung at her throat, and black flats covered her delicate feet. In her hands was a pan of sinammon rolls that smelled delightful.
"Hey," Matt said absently, cheeks flushed.
"Hi there," Celine said back. "Can I come in?"
"Yes! Absolutely!" Matt piped, his voice cracking as he motioned her through the door. "I hope you're hungry. Mom's a great cook."
Celine looked around as she entered the Skarn home, noting a lot of wood furnishings that contrasted the stone of the house's outside. She smiled and decided it was homey.
"Hi, sweetie," said a teenager's voice and from the stairs came who could only be the sister Matt talked about sometimes. She was a tallish, slim girl in her upper teens, with Matt's complexion, dark eyes, and waist-length brown hair threaded with gold strands, parted on the right to make room for a delicately-curved, bone-white horn curling above her right eye. Her cupid's bow lips were curled into an impish smile. She was dressed in a yellow blouse and dark skirt, with matching tights and flats. One of her arms was covered in a separate sleeve from the shoulder of her blouse to her wrist.
"Dortheabeth, right?" Celine asked.
The girl stopped a few inches from Celine, eyes wide and her jaw dropped. "Yeah," she whispered before she smiled widely. "Yes, that's right," she said, and laughed. "Finally someone gets it right!" she crowed. "I like you, Celine! Here, let me get that." She swept the pan of sinnamon rolls from Celine's hands into one of hers and guided Celine further into the house with the other hand below her back. "C'mon, let's meet Mom."
"Thea!" Matt protested.
"Man, you're too good for Matty, there," Thea said, looking back with a smirk at her baby brother.
"Now, Thea, that's not nice," said another woman's voice, this one more aged. "Especially with Matty's special girl here." Their mother came into the living room from the kitchen, a dish in her hands that she placed on the table before turning to face Celine. Mrs. Skarn had tannish skin just like Matt and Thea, her hair also brown and wrapped in a small bun, with crow's feet crinkled at the corners of her dark eyes. She was short and sturdily built, dressed in a floral dress and short heels.
"Hello, Mrs. Skarn," Celine said, her voice small.
"Celine brought dessert," Thea said gleefully, waggling the pan she'd taken.
"Oh, how sweet," Mrs. Skarn said with a matronly smile. "And please, dear, call me Clara."
"Yes ma'am," Celine said dutifully, clasping her hands at her waist.
"So polite," Clara complimented, drawing nearer and gently taking Celine's cheeks in her hands to examine her lightly with a grin of satisfaction. "I think I like you already, sweetie."
"Great," Matt commented, beating back his annoyance at Thea for snatching the spotlight in introducing Celine. Maybe he should have sequestered her along with Steve.
"Oh, don't be so gloomy, Matty," Clara chuckled, pinching her youngest's cheek. "Can't have her storming off now, can we?"
"No, definitely not," Matt agreed, moving to gently take Celine's fingers in his. She glanced at him and let him, her cheeks rosy.
"Well, shall we eat?" Clara asked and ushered everyone to their chairs. Everyone enthusiastically agreed and sat as directed by Clara before the Skarn matron started doling out platefuls of her beloved griffin-n-lice casserole. After a round of first bites and the delighted sounds everyone made, conversation started to flow.
Celine made sure to ask as many questions as she could about Matt's family, such as what they did for fun. Thea explained her work at an apothecary, Clara about her love of being a homemaker who grew her own vegetables, and they both discussed Matt's father.
"It's just a shame that Steventus couldn't make it," Clara sighed.
"Oh, the big brother, right?" Celine asked, eye glittering and smile wide. "Matt talks about him a lot."
"Really?" Thea asked, chin perched on her knuckles and the look in her eyes half-amused and half … was that disapproving? "I suppose that's not all that surprising, since Matty basically worships the ground Steve walks on."
"I do not," Matt rebutted, eyes narrowed.
"Uh-huh," Thea drolled, pointing at his bangs. "Because that haircut of yours was to emulate me. Right …"
"He's a great big brother," Matt grumbled, crossing his arms. Celine blinked as Matt's aura flared in her Sight, a sign of intense emotional conflict. Along with the usual colors, she caught a huge splash of deep, dark green. Guilt?
Celine blinked at such a thing, concern rising up. So distracted, she let her fork slip from her fingers, the casserole on it splattering her dress. "Oh, oops," she winced.
"Oh, Celine," Clara said, hand extended as if to help, "are you alright, dear?"
"I'm fine," Celine said. She traced a spell over her dress and looked closely. The stain turned purple and seemed to shimmer and fade away for a moment before reappearing. She sighed with relief. That spell was a small peek into the future, and such a result meant the dress was salvageable. "Do you have a bathroom I could clean up in?" she asked.
"Oh, yes," Clara smiled. "Upstairs, first door on your right."
"Upstairs?" Matt squeaked.
"Yes, upstairs," Clara repeated, with tentative bemusement. "Matty, you don't expect her to go into your father and I's bathroom?"
"Yeah, Matty," Thea said, her tone heavy with unspoken meaning. "Ours is way more spacious." Her eyes narrowed. "Unless there's another reason she shouldn't go upstairs?"
Celine glanced between the siblings with her single eye, tracking the flashes of color through their auras. What was going on here? It was like they were having a completely separate discussion! Was this a sibling thing?
"I guess not," Matt growled. Then he looked at Celine with a tense smile. "Just, uh, hurry back, okay? Dad should be here soon." Celine smiled and patted Matt's cheek before rising and heading up the stairs. She made it to the bathroom and did what she could to dissolve the stain with a creative bit of water magic. Nodding to herself in satisfaction, she made her way out into the hallway to return to the table … when she heard a board creak.
Celine stopped in her tracks, her instincts screaming at her that she was not alone on the second floor. She traced a spell over her forehead that expanded her awareness and allowed her to sense life forces, a relatively simple and very handy Oracle spell. And in the next room, she sensed a powerful soul. She swallowed at the thought of a thief and summoned her staff capped by her stag palisman, Hart. She took a deep breath and swung the door open with a shout, her staff in both hands for a downward swing —
That was caught one-handed … by possibly the most beautiful man she had ever seen …!
"Easy there, sweetie," the man said with a grin that somehow mixed kindness and mischief, and Celine felt her cheeks flare red. "Don't brain your boyfriend's brother."
"Celine!" Matt's voice called up the stairs and there was a thunder of footfalls as he rushed up them. He emerged onto the landing and found the scene, his face paling a little. "Steve," he squeaked.
"Heya, Matty," Steve said easily. "I, uh, had some time off and thought I'd swing by for a visit, you know?" He released Celine's staff — the tool shrinking to leave only her palisman who landed on her shoulder to bleat at Steve — and flicked a thumb at the window. "I snuck in the window. Trying to keep it a surprise."
Matt sighed through his nose and bowed his head with … resignation? "Celine, this is my older brother, Steve," he said, raising his hand to gesture at him. "Steve, this is Celine."
"The girl you've been seeing, right?" Steve asked, eyes bright. "It's nice to finally meet you, Celine," he said, offering a gloved hand. "Matty's told me a lot about you."
"He's said a lot about you, too," Celine said brightly, taking the offered hand.
"All good things, I hope," Steve teased, ruffling Matt's hair for the younger brother to bat away with halfhearted protest.
"All good things," Celine chirped. "It's almost suspicious, really." She tapped her chin. "What hidden flaws could be under such a handsome facade?"
"Well, I'm sure an oracle could figure it out," Steve shrugged, grin widening. "Matty, man, I like this girl," Steve said, gesturing at her. Celine felt her belly flop at the compliment and tried to suppress her blush.
"Yeah, she's pretty awesome," Matt said. "Let's just head downstairs. Mom will be happy to see you. Dad, too, when he gets home." With that, he left the room, shoulders slumped.
"Is he alright?" Celine asked, baffled by Matt's sudden bad mood. Was he not happy Steve had met her?
"He'll be alright," Steve said, though his grin had disappeared to be replaced by concern of his own. He shook his grin back into place and motioned to the door. "Ladies first," he quipped.
"What a gentleman," Celine giggled and headed downstairs, too.
As predicted, Clara was overjoyed to see her eldest had come to visit. She planted him into a chair and served him a double portion of the casserole before making sure he and Celine were introduced. Conversation continued, kept flowing by Clara, Thea, and Steve, but Celine noticed that Matt remained quiet, his arms folded and his lips pressed tightly together.
"Matt, are you okay?" Celine asked quietly.
"M'fine," Matt grumbled. She didn't need to be an oracle to smell that lie.
"So, how do you like having a palisman, Celine?" Steve asked.
"I love it," Celine smiled. She gestured at Hart, who had been laying on her shoulder throughout the second half of dinner. "I love him. His name is Hart." Hart shook his head, antlers rattling, and bleated affectionately at Celine.
"Don't you have a palisman, Steve?" she asked.
"Yep, good ol' Rafiki," Steve chuckled, summoning the three-faced monkey. Rafiki grunted and his six eyes flared with golden light, Hart's doing the same. They relaxed and nodded to each other. Given they had both been protectorates of the Bat Queen, it made sense. Then Hart did something unexpected and bound over to Steve, rubbing against his arm in something of a cat-like manner.
"Uh, hey man," Steve said in bemusement, petting the stag's back.
"You know," Thea said with an edge to her tone, "palismen are supposed to reflect their owners a lot of the time." She chuckled mirthlessly. "I guess this means Celine has taken a shine to you, Steve."
"What?" Celine asked, clapping her hands to her cheeks and blushing furiously. "I haven't-! I mean, not that you're not really handsome, but I-!"
Matt stood from the table, his chair screeching back. "Excuse me," he bit out before stomping out the back door.
Everything was quiet for a little while. Steve was cradling his head in one hand, sighing to himself. Clara stared wide-eyed at the back door for a moment before she blinked in comprehension and leveled a piercing glare at Thea. Thea was clearly guilty, but unwilling to admit it and squirmed under her mother's gaze. All the while, Celine looked between them all and the door.
"What just happened?" she asked timidly.
"Steve, maybe you should go talk to Matty?" Clara suggested.
"Me?" Steve chuckled sadly. "Nah, I'd just make it worse at this point."
"I can talk to him," Celine suggested, half-raising her hand. "I mean, I don't know what's going on, but," she bit her lip, "it's about me." She looked at Steve. "Isn't it?"
"Kinda," he admitted. He looked pensively at the door before laughing to himself. "Here's the thing-"
Celine found Matt sitting on a tree stump in the middle of the small backyard. She looked up at the waxing crescent moon and breathed deeply to control her nerves before taking a few steps closer to his side. "Room for one more?" she asked.
Matt's shoulders tensed before he relaxed again. "Yeah," he said.
Celine sat and neatly folded her legs, looking at the moon again as she gave Matt a chance to speak up first. When he remained silent, she took the plunge. "Steve told me about what happened."
"Great," he grumbled. "Now you know I'm a jealous idiot."
"True," Celine giggled, bumping his shoulder with hers. "I mean, did you honestly think Steve would lure me away?"
"I dunno," Matt groaned, flopping his head into his hands. "I mean, Steve's Steve and I'm … me."
"Steve is definitely Steve," Celine agreed. She wove her fingers with Matt's. "And you are definitely you."
"I don't know where this is going," Matt said, his cheeks pinking.
"First, as pretty as Steve is, he's like ten years older than me," Celine said bluntly. "That's kinda gross. Second, he has a girlfriend. Third," she softened her gaze and looked at him. "Do you think I would be that shallow?"
"No," he admitted. "I guess I just panicked."
"Why?" she asked.
"Because-" He scoffed. "Let's face it, Celine. You could do a lot better."
"Think so?" Celine asked. "Matt, at our age, a lot of the guys are jerks." She cuddled closer to his side. "You can be, too. But at least I know there's a good heart underneath."
Matt was quiet for a while, staring at her in awe.
"Also, if you'll recall," Celine added, "I've already seen Steve before." Her eyes flashed with mirth. "We were all a part of the attack on the Day of Unity, remember?"
Matt blinked and thought back. "Oh, right," he said. "I, uh, try not to think about that day."
"I hear you," Celine said, leaning her head onto his shoulder, carefully tilting her horns not to prod him. She quirked her lips. "So, on a related note, do you think your family likes me?"
Matt laughed. "Three out of four fangs, so far," he replied. "Not that I'm surprised. All that's left is my dad."
"Matty! Your father's home!" Clara called. "Come introduce your lady friend!"
"If he doesn't say anything-" Matt warned.
"-Don't take it personally," Celine finished. "He's always like that."
"Yeah." Matt stood up and offered his elbow. Celine took it and they entered the house.
Suffice it to say, Mandrake Skarn approved heartily of Celine. You could tell by the softening of his usual scowl and the faint nod of his head.
A week later found Celine and Matt walking through the marketplace, dressed in their Hexside uniforms, hand in hand, and licking ice scream cones as they talked.
"And so Steve shouts at the top of his lungs-" Matt said.
"Matty!"
Both teens paused and looked backward to find Steve standing across the street, waving like a mad-witch. "Matty! Hey, Matty! Look here! I'm waving at you!"
"Ah, jeez, Steve," Matt groaned, hiding his face in the crook of his arm, unwilling to let go of his ice scream or Celine's hand.
Celine giggled and tugged Matt's hand to lead him across the street. "Hi, Steve," she said brightly, waving her ice scream cone.
"Yeah, hey bro," Matt grinned. "What are you doing out?"
"Katya and I are trying to find her a leather jacket to match my bike aesthetic," Steve said easily, shrugging his shoulders with his hands in the pockets of his own black jacket with gold accents. "Problem is she's just so particular about the fit."
"I don't hear you complaining," spoke up a raspy, feminine voice behind the witchlings.
They turned to find someone Matt knew rather well by now and Celine had seen only in passing months ago. She was a few years younger than Steve, average height, slim but curvy, with caramel skin, wide hazel eyes, glossy dark hair tied in a high ponytail, and prominent fangs. She was dressed in an indigo, off-the-shoulder dress and leather boots, with a choker around her neck. A golden-yellow leather jacket with black highlights complimented the dress, a near-perfect color inversion of Steve's.
Celine blushed high on her cheeks, mouth agape. 'Mother of Titans,' Celine screamed in her head, 'she's gorgeous!'
"H-Hey, Katya," Matt said with a blush of his own, reaching back to rub the back of his head.
Something twisted in Celine's belly at the sight of Matt's reaction to another woman, and before she knew it she was sidled up to his side, hugging his arm to her chest in a vice grip. Her blush worsened as a thought came to mind: This must be what Matt had felt with Steve.
"Hi, Ms. Katya," Celine said, wrenching her lips into a wide smile as she held Matt even closer. "I don't know if you remember me. I'm-"
"You're Celine," Katya interrupted gently. "Cerunnas's niece that talked her down during the Day of Unity." Her smile curled into a mischievous edge and she winked. "And Matty here's girlfriend, right?"
Meaning: She knew exactly why Celine was hugging Matt's arm so close. Whoops.
"We, uh," Matt stammered, "haven't really settled on-"
"That's right," Celine said quickly, swooping in to place a kiss on Matt's cheek. "His girlfriend." Matt looked at her with wide, shocked eyes. "Right?" Celine asked, her voice soft.
"Yeah," Matt breathed. "If you want."
"I wanna try it," Celine giggled.
"That is just the cutest thing," Katya squealed, her clenched hands pressed to her mouth.
"Congrats, Matty," Steve said, stepping around him to ruffle the boy's hair with a boyish grin. "Like I said, don't lose her."
"Nice to meet you, Celine," Katya said as she drew Steve close in a side hug. "I hope you don't mind inspiring a croissant character in my writing."
"A what?" Celine asked.
"Okay, gotta go," Katya laughed as she and Steve summoned their staffs and flew away. "Byyeee!"
"What just happened?" Celine asked.
"I'll explain it to you," Matt said, gently extricating his arm, "after our ice scream isn't melting down our hands."
As the witchlings laughed and licked their treats to save them from the street, Steve and Katya watched from above.
"I gotta say, Katya, I didn't think that would work."
"You doubted me and my matchmaking skills?" Katya asked with teasing offense, a hand pressed over her heart. "Jealousy can be one of the most revealing emotions of all."
"I really hope you won't test that," Steve said warily, with equal lightheartedness.
Katya giggled and flew closer, grabbing Steve by the lapels of his leather jacket to kiss him. "Never," she sighed against his lips.
Steve smiled and ran his fingers over the sleeve of her new jacket. "Wanna land somewhere and take this for a spin?"
"You know it," Katya laughed and kicked away to fly like a comet toward the city limits. "Race ya!"
"Oh, it's on!" Steve shouted with glee, flying after her with a laugh of his own.
And deep in his heart and bile sac, he hoped it would work out between Matty and Celine. He hoped that they both would find something like he felt for Katya.
And here we have another tale from the Ash & Ebony 'verse! This one has been brewing in my brain for weeks and I'm glad to finally get it out there! Hope it was as fun to read as it was to write!
This tale was heavily influenced by "The Riku Effect" by xoKyorii — a Kingdom Hearts one-shot that is marvelously entertaining!
Remember, if you've got a request for a scene from Ash & Ebony, leave it in a comment or PM. I'm not guaranteeing that it will happen, but I love suggestions!
*The "over the moon" is a reference to Celone being called "Moon girl" in production, because of her head shape. I thought it was dorkily funny and very Luz and/or Gus-style.
*Celine's Penstagram handle is a nod to one of her several nicknames from the crew. Some call her "croissant girl" because of the shape of her head. Plus, who can look at that face and tell me she's not a sweetheart?
*Harmburger — a Boiling Isles hamburger — came to me in the moment and I couldn't not put it in!
*Griffin-n-lice is my take on Boiling Isles chicken and rice.
*I'm going with the assumption that the moon of the demon realm waxes and wanes like the human realm.
*Thea's comment about Hart and Steve was meant as a jab to Matt's ego, not to set him off. She apologized later.
*The five fangs is a rating scale, like four stars.
*Celine meeting Katya and the reaction therein was partly to put actual Stevatya in this tale, and partly because it just made me laugh so hard!
As always, I hope you enjoyed this! Leave a review if you like! And may your works be fun to read and to write!