Howdy gamers, ya girl is back at it again. 40 chapters, what a journey we've been on! It's pretty obvious but I've bumped up the rating to M. Mostly because Angela was already pushing it and things may or may not get spicier. We'll see. Hope you lovelies enjoy! ~Shaymie
Kasey
If Mara wasn't napping on his lap, Kasey's sure he would be pacing around the boat right about now.
It's almost time. Just a little bit longer and he'll get to see his sisters again. He could hardly wait. Molly said she'd be waiting at the docks to greet him, along with one of Angela's friends to help with the luggage even though he said he'd be fine. He didn't spend all those years stacking boxes and unloading trucks for nothing. He's not one to care about his appearance but he's pretty proud of his physique.
Angela wasn't greeting him at the dock. She was getting the house ready for the welcome party along with her... boyfriend. She had a boyfriend, who she swore she was in love with, and who Molly said was good for her. He's been butting heads with Angela over a guy he's never met. He's happy she's finally moved on from Mikhail. Really, he is. It's just the fact that she's saying that she's in love with him and, according to Molly, couldn't keep her hands to herself that was bothering him. He didn't know what small towns were like but he didn't want the people here to brand Angela as some sort of slut or something.
Kasey's aware that he's probably being way too overprotective, but somebody needed to look out for Angela. Their father gave her some sort of complex about being the oldest that led to her thinking she had to be strong all the time. She fought most of his battles for him and got a bit of a reputation for beating up kids that were way bigger than her. Kasey's temper could be pretty bad, but it took a lot to actually set him off. Angela could go off at the littlest thing.
He's already expecting the worst when he sees her. She didn't call him nearly as much as Molly did, but apparently that's because she spent a lot of time in the mines. Which was an absolutely insane thought. Angela, lugging around a heavy hammer and stomping around in a dark cave all day? She used to be scared of the dark when they were kids! She still was, though she was in denial about it.
A lot's changed in the past several months. He's gone from visiting his kids whenever he could to having full custody of them. He's not dating Jill anymore. He moved out of the family home to take up a job as a teacher, a job that he honestly had no business doing. It's kindergarten and elementary school so it hopefully shouldn't be too hard to teach. Kids could be annoying, but they weren't anywhere near as bad as high school students.
Sometimes it all felt like too much. He wondered if his sudden decision to change his moving date up a week was a bad idea for his stress levels. He's not the impulsive one. That's all Ange. She's the reckless one, the one that follows her heart with no regrets. He always took the time to think things out. He had to, considering how Angela was. One of them needed to have some sense and be the voice of reason.
He knew that he had changed after their father's death. Became something that Angela hated, turned into a bitter borderline-alcoholic jackass. Their petty bickering evolved into full-blown arguments. The only thing keeping them from arguing even more was Molly. He's almost positive that they would have torn each other apart if she wasn't there. She did a better job of keeping the family together than he did, and she didn't even do anything. Her presence was just enough to force them to calm down a bit.
Mara started shifting on his lap, her tiny arms squeezing her beloved Cinnamoroll plush tightly. She's barely even put it down since he brought it home from the arcade. She reminded him a lot of Molly when she was this age. She looked like Lumina, from the texture and color of her hair down to the shape of her nose, but the way she acted was so much like Molly it's almost insane. She was living up to her namesake. He could see them getting along well.
Meanwhile Gideon's named after Ange... He just knew that they were going to be harbingers of chaos together. Thinking about it was going to give him a headache. He could only hope that she didn't get him into too much trouble.
"Daddy," Gideon called out in a loud whisper, poking his head into the suite. When Mara started dozing off, he decided to spend some time on deck with the ship's captain so he wouldn't bother her. Despite trying to keep his voice low, Mara still woke up. She blinked sleepily as she looked over at her brother. "Sorry, Rosie. I thought I was being quiet."
"It's okay," she murmured softly, rubbing at her eye with a yawn. She was definitely used to Gideon accidentally being too loud. She knew he didn't mean it and that he was trying to work on being quieter, but it was difficult when she wasn't wearing her headphones. She might just be too attuned to her brother's voice and that's why she wakes up whenever she hears him. Kasey wished they could have their own separate rooms but all the houses in town were two-bedrooms.
"Oh, Daddy, the boat man said we're almost there and that we should get our stuff ready!"
The next half hour was a blur. Kasey felt like he was floating outside of his body as he double and triple checked to make sure that the kids had everything put away in their backpacks. He had them pack any books or toys they wanted with them on the trip so they wouldn't be bored. He's been helping them with their reading because they didn't want to be too far behind the other kids when school started.
He decided to not mention the fact that they're literally four years younger than the youngest kid in the class. No matter what, they'd be behind everyone else.
Kasey could hardly contain his excitement as Castanet came into view. A blurry, blurry view. He sighed and put his glasses on. He forgot that he'd taken his contacts out earlier. He was planning on napping with Mara but couldn't get to sleep. He blinked a few times to clear his vision and saw... Molly. She was standing on the dock, bouncing in place excitedly. The buff redhead with her—Angela's friend, who he remembered seeing in some pictures—laughed and put a hand on her shoulder, seemingly to tell her to calm down. She was standing awfully close to the edge.
It's only been a couple months. Hasn't even been half a year, but she looked so different. Her skin was flush and no longer as pale as it used to be. Her hair was longer, her caramel curls tied in two pigtails going down her back. And her face looked... Fuller. There was some roundness to her cheeks. She's frecklier than ever but more importantly, she's smiling. He didn't realize how much he missed that smile. It was as if everything warm in the world was enveloped in that smile.
She made a beeline for him the second the boat stopped, boarding it without a moment of hesitation. He barely had time to react and caught her as she flung herself at him with a giddy laugh. Kasey laughed with her and spun her around, careful to not hit the kids or any of their bags. Gideon looked excited, while Mara seemed confused and quietly sucked on her thumb. Kasey hasn't had any luck getting her to stop yet.
"I missed you, Bubba," Molly whispered when he put her back on her feet. She was heavier than he expected. He hugged her a little bit tighter, relishing in how soft she felt. Before, he was able to feel her ribs, but she's healthy now. He didn't have to worry about breaking her anymore.
"Missed you too, Ladybug."
He wanted to stay like this forever, never wanted to let her go. He didn't realize how agonizing being apart from her would be. He's glad that she never outgrew the need for his hugs. He held her all the time when she was a baby, and that eventually evolved to her seeking him out for hugs whenever he wasn't busy. She pulled away from him after the incident, though. She pulled away from everyone. She started talking to Ash after a couple weeks, but it took longer for her to say more than five words to her siblings.
He thought she hated them. He'd never seen her so upset, and it was all directed towards him and Angela. He'd never forget those bitter words she'd spat at him once: Dad wouldn't have made me quit. She was right. Their father would have fought tooth and nail for some way that she'd still be able to perform. But their father would also do anything to make her happy. He spoiled Molly in any way he could afford to, and it was a miracle that she didn't turn out like Chelsea.
She would have been happy to keep performing, but there's no way it would have been good for her. Not if it made her start hurting herself to do it. He was fine with Angela seeing him as the villain for not trying to convince the doctors if it meant that Molly was okay. They'd already been arguing nonstop. He couldn't possibly lower her opinion of him any further. Even now he's sure that things are going to be tense. She's still (rightfully) pissed at him for not telling her about Lumina or the kids.
He wanted to fix things between them. Maybe apologize, even though he's positive she wouldn't accept it. She deserved an apology, though. He said some awful shit to her. Kicked her when she was down by having the nerve to say "I told you so" when she told him about Mikhail. He wanted to take the words back the second they left his mouth. He did try to take them back, but she wasn't having any of it.
And then he kept putting his stupid foot in his stupid fucking mouth. Called her a whore and said that she didn't care about their family instead of trying to actually talk to her. She was grieving too, and he just ignored that. She started avoiding the house on purpose just to get away from him. He's sure that if she could have afforded it, she would have moved back out. She wanted to. He could see it in her eyes. He almost wondered if she moved here with Molly just to get away from him. It wouldn't surprise him.
How could he have sworn to keep them together when he was the one thing pushing her away?
"Angie wanted to come," Molly said quietly, looking up at him with a small smile. "But she said that she thought you'd prefer to see me first, so she offered to stay at the house to watch the food."
I wanted to see both of you.
Angela thinking that he'd prefer to see Molly hurt. Did he really ruin things between them that badly? He shouldn't have been so hard on them—on her, mostly—before they left. No, not mostly. He directed all of his anger towards her, because he couldn't be mad at Molly even though it was her idea to move away. He can't deny the fact that he's always had a soft spot for Molly. Before the accident, they'd never even argued.
"Um... aunt Molly?" Mara spoke up hesitantly, squeezing her plush tightly. Molly's eyes brightened when she noticed the stuffed animal. He wanted to give her the gifts he brought for her, but a flash of fear stopped him. Would this make Angela think that he loved Molly more? She already seemed to think that he didn't want to see her, and he hadn't bought her anything. It was a stupid thing to worry about, he knew, but things were alreeady abysmal between them. He didn't want to make them worse.
Along with the Chiffon plush, he also had a pair of handmade earrings Gray had given him to pass on to Molly. It was a surprise to both of them when they stumbled onto each other. Gray had no reason to visit the valley and Kasey never bothered going to Mineral Town because that would have just been begging for Claire to pick at him some more. She seemed to always be around whenever he visited Lumina. There's no way he was visiting her hometown.
"I don't want to interrupt, but we should get going."
"Gah—!" Kasey jumped back at the sudden appearance of Owen. How was someone so big so... quiet? He didn't even notice him boarding the boat! Now that he was closer, he could see just how built the redhead really was. He's what gym bros back home could only dream of being. Molly and Mara giggled at Kasey's surprise. Gideon looked up at Owen in awe as he picked up some of their luggage with ease.
"Whoa, sorry dude. Didn't mean to scare you," Owen chuckled. "Ange texted asking where you were, and it's a long walk to the farm."
Walking. He'd better get used to doing a lot of that. This town had no cars. That meant no cabs or buses or Uber. The kids were used to it but he certainly wasn't. Molly mentioned wanting to get a horse to make deliveries easier and somehow even after all the pictures she's sent him, he still can't believe she owned actual farm animals. It's only two chickens and a cow, but she's bound to get more.
Owen offered to take his things home so he could hurry and see Angela. Kasey wanted to tell him that he really didn't need to do that, but Molly dragged him off the boat before he could say anything. He glanced behind them to see Owen waving cheerfully, a big grin on his face.
"Are you really trying to avoid me in my own damn house?"
Kasey's head shot up as the door to the room suddenly shut. Angela gave them a tour of the (admittedly small) farmhouse when they showed up and said that this room—her new room, though it's still in construction—was off-limits. He thought it would be the perfect place to... gather his thoughts. Yeah, that's what he's doing. He's definitely not trying to hide from his twin, because that would be absolutely fucking stupid.
Like Molly, Angela's also changed in the brief amount of time she's been gone. She dressed differently, far different than she ever had with Mikhail. A tube top and a pair of high waisted jeans, with a flannel tied around her waist. Her nose was pierced again, just a simple stud this time around. But that stud really meant a lot. She really was getting over that asshole. He glanced up at her ears but they weren't pierced past the lobe.
Baby steps, he supposed.
"I, uh..."
"Molly's worried because you haven't eaten yet. She made all your favorites, you know." Angela leaned against the door and crossed her arms, a frown on her face. Feels like it's been ages since he's seen her smile. All he's done lately is upset her. "I really don't care if you want to avoid me, but at least come eat what Molly's cooked for you."
"I'm not trying to avoid you. I just needed some time to think."
"God, you're just like Molls. Always overthinking shit. You still have to introduce yourself to Luke, you know."
There was no time to react before she stomped across the room and tugged him along by the arm. Rather forcefully, he might add. Those biceps certainly weren't just for show. He should have expected her to have gained some muscle after working on a farm for several months. Molly said that Angela spent the first couple months doing all of the heavy lifting until she built up enough stamina to help out.
"You were trying to think of how to apologize to me, weren't you?" His silence spoke volumes. She knew him almost as well as she knew herself. He heard her sigh and loosen her grip on his arm. "It's fine, Kase. We've never apologized for anything before. Why the hell should we start now? We didn't mean any of it. We were just stupid and angry. Water under the bridge, right?"
He knew she'd refuse to accept his apology, but he didn't think it would be like this. He was expecting anger, not quiet resignation.
It's not just water under the bridge. He said some downright awful shit to her and she's just trying to say it's okay? Which of them is acting more like Molly right now? He's glad they're not arguing like he initially thought they would when they reunited but this is worse. They can't just try to bury the past like this. Even if she thought it was no big deal, it's just going to bother him until they resolve it.
"Ange—"
"Drop it, Kasey. We can talk about it later if you want, but there's a party going on right now and I don't want to ruin it."
She let go of him when they rejoined everyone in the dining room and walked over to her boyfriend. Kasey stopped to watch. She looked... happy. Far happier than she'd ever been with Mikhail. And this Luke guy was looking at her with stars in his eyes, like there was nobody else in the room but her. Kasey's never seen anyone look at his sister like that. He thought Molly was exaggerating when she said they were really in love.
He thought that what he had with Jill was love, but he realized later that he just felt... obligated to stay with her after they'd been dating for so long. He couldn't remember the last time he felt some kind of a spark with her. Even sex felt like an obligation that she always had to initiate and he's sure that she could tell that his heart wasn't in it. Maybe that's why he was so eager to get with Lumina when he and Jill took that break.
Lumina was like a breath of fresh air. A ray of sunshine in his otherwise dim life. Sometimes he wondered if he really did love her. His life's felt darker since she passed. Was this how his father felt after his mother died? Lost and hopeless, with no clue what to do next? How the hell is he going to raise the kids on his own? Things have been fine for now, but what's he going to do when they have their first tantrum with him? When the novelty of them always having him around wears off and they start missing their mother?
What if they hate him for taking them away from their aunt Claire?
Stop it, Kasey. Stop spiraling. This isn't the time or place for it.
Angela would kill him if he ruined this party. He's spent months pushing away his worries. What's one more day?
He composed himself and walked over to his sister and her boyfriend. Molly was quietly speaking in the background, introducing the kids to her cat named... Pretzel? He wondered where she pulled that from. It was a unique name, at least. The vet was sure to get a good laugh. Wait... Did this town even have a vet? He knew they had a doctor because Molly kept him updated on her monthly check-ups. She told him she's been gaining weight steadily (which he could see just by looking at her), but she wasn't completely back to normal yet.
"About time you stopped spacing out, Kase," Angela said when she finally tore her gaze away from Luke. Her eyes were bright and cheerful. Another sight he hasn't seen in what felt like years. He felt even worse about giving his sisters so much shit for moving here. It really was for the best, wasn't it? Molly's doing better than she ever was back home and Angela has that light back in her eyes. She tilted her head slightly and nudged Luke, whispering under her breath for him to introduce himself.
If all of this, Luke and farming and Castanet were what was making her happy...
"The name's Luke Dawson! Nice to meet ya!" Luke held out a calloused hand for Kasey to shake. He took a deep breath and accepted it.