“…hey?”

“Yes?”

“Do you feel like going out?”

Wess brushed some hair out of Julia’s face. “With the others, or just us?”

“Either works.” Julia said, staring back at Wess lying across from her, the sheets pulled up high. “Are you feeling cold?”

“No, just comfortable.” Wess admitted. “Admittedly, it’s a touch hot, but I’m used to colder climates.”

“We should probably steer clear of the Southern Wayside after graduating then. You’d probably melt.” Julia remarked, as Wess rolled her eyes, before leaning over to kiss her.

“That wouldn’t be very fair to Harley, now would it?” Wess replied, a tinge of resentment in her voice, as she stood up to get dressed.

Julia sat up too, stretching and watching Wess prepare her outfit, gussying herself up a little in the mirror.

Seeing a good opportunity, Julia started making easily noticeable noises from the bed, trying to draw Wess’ attention.

It took Wess a second, before she turned around, as Julia clapped her hands together.

“Okay. I’m gonna pitch something.”

Wess lifted her head, as Julia clasped her hands together and pointed them at Wess.

“How about we go to the Northern Wayside for a trip?”

“…Julia, I’m not allowed in Mareau.” Wess noted, as Julia raised a finger.

“I know, there’s still a whole state outside of that.” Julia clarified, quickly pulling out her tablet. “We could just go elsewhere, like…”

Julia took a little too long to scroll to the relevant information, as Wess watched struggle with it.

“…wait, hold on…” She muttered, before finding it and handing it to Wess. “Like here!”

Julia showed off an ad for a small resort getaway that’d just opened up on the border of the Northern Wayside and Central Point, boasting a ‘luxury experience at an affordable price.’

“…Julia, I don’t know if a trip is go…” She started, before reading the ad more and picking up the tablet. “Wait, they have an inhouse bakery? Interesting…”

Julia smiled proudly to herself. “You haven’t been there for so long, so a night spent over there felt like a good way to ‘recharged your cultured soul.’”

Wess lifted her attention up and chuckled at Julia’s use of the term, before handing the tablet back. “…alright, you’ve got quite the silver tongue, dear. If the others are interested, we can go. It’ll be nice to leave the house for a bit.”

“Yes!” Julia exclaimed, running in place before leaving the room and calling out to the rest of the house. “She said yes, guys! We’re good to go!”

“We’re already packed, just say when!”

“I believe when is now.”

“When is so now! Percy, get your butt in gear!”

“…”

Wess blinked and let out a content sigh, barely even surprised at this point, as she pulled out her spare luggage from under her bed and filled it quickly with a few things.

“I love them, but they’ll be the death of me…” She muttered, leaving her room, as most of the team were already out the door, visibly excited about the trip.

She was already prepared to head out the door, but stopped and pivoted to the kitchen inside, grabbing a bottle of wine she’d tucked away, before nodding to herself and slipping it into her luggage.

Right as the team was about to leave, Milo stepped out of his room, stretching his arms and yawning, before noticing his daughter and her team leaving without even a goodbye.

“Wha-hold up, Julia?” Milo called out, as she popped her head back in, looking a bit embarrassed.

“O-Oh, sorry dad. Bit of an impromptu trip.” Julia explained, as Milo rested his hands on his hips.

“Yeah, I can see that! Where’re you going?” Milo asked, clearly miffed, as the rest of the team waited by the door.

“Just a resort on the north border. Don’t worry, we’ll be back by tomorrow.” Julia assured, pulling her bag out. “And I made leftovers, so you don’t have to cook either.”

“…well, bye then!” Milo let out, waving them off, as Dulce waved to them too, blinking in confusion, before turning back to Milo in the doorway.

“Did you know about this?”

Milo threw his hands up, now caressing his face, as the house started feeling shockingly empty very quickly once Dulce closed the door.

“…gods sake, Julia…” He let out, feeling noticeably frustrated, before thinking over his day plan.

A thought came to mind, but whether it was a good idea or not was still up for debate, as he went back into the lounge room, now flicking on the TV.

He turned it off a minute later, as he looked at his bag thrown onto the other side of the couch, breathing to himself, before heading over and getting his keys out.

“…I need anyone to talk to…”

———

“Whoa…look at the size of this place…”

“It’s SO big…kinda like…?”

Harley and Sola looked to Essex expectantly, as Essex stood in the middle of their room, trying to think of a response.

“…Harley’s breasts?”

“YEAH!” Harley and Sola cheered in unison, going in to kiss her, as Julia, Wess and Percy took their time exploring the main room of their resort stay, made up of a very cozy, swanky lounge room and impressively stocked kitchen, paired with a small dining area and three bedrooms splintering off to the side.

“Luxury indeed…this place looks so good.” Julia let out, putting her bags down. “I’m impressed I got a booking on the ride over.”

“That was a lot of faith to put into this place having a room available.” Wess noted, as Percy started digging around the fridge, before gasping and pointing inside to get Julia’s attention.

“…J-Julia! Cake makings!” She exclaimed, as Julia’s eyes lit up.

“Wait, really?” Julia let out, heading over to join her. “Oh shit, you’re right. This place is awesome!”

Percy went to grab Wess’ attention, who was still scouting it out. She took a second to prepare her throat before speaking, while signing the first part of the sentence.

[Would you like me to make…] Percy started. “…a L-Louileon cake for you…?”

Wess was a bit surprised at the request, before nodding politely. “That sounds lovely, Percy. If it’s not too much hassle.”

Percy rolled her eyes and gave a thumbs up, before pulling out some ingredients, as Harley called out from the dining room.

“Hey, they left us some gifts!”

Julia and Wess ducked their heads in, as Sola was already sampling the food left out, and Harley picked up a small note left with it.

“…enjoy our complimentary ‘Oyster Bar’ for you and your fellow guests, a fine delicacy of the north. Oysters are best shared, after all, and we want you to feel welcome.” Harley read aloud, before putting it back down. “Looks like Sola’s already digging in.”

Sola lifted her head, her mouth already full. “…wav I nod meand doo?”

“Oysters?” Wess perked up, hurrying over to grab some. “This resort has cash to splash. It’s been ages…”

“Are these a delicacy?” Julia asked, joining them.

“Very much so. Here.” Wess said, holding one out for Julia, who happily ate it, taking a second to appreciate the flavours.

“…wow.” Julia let out, swallowing. “I’m not a big seafood person, but damn that’s good.”

“Attention.” Essex called out, standing by one of the large windows, as the others turned to her. “The snow appears to be ‘picking up.’”

“Attention?” Julia wondered, as Wess went over to join Essex, staring out the window as the weather intensified.

She rested her hand against the glass, momentarily feeling the chill from outside, a shot of nostalgia hitting her, as there was brief moment of reprise for her.

Julia noticed Wess’ attention on the outside, as she smiled, before beckoning Essex over, insisting they give Wess a moment to herself.

“Whatcha cookin’ in here, Percy?” Harley asked, as her and Sola filtered in.

“…c-cake…” Percy replied, grabbing out a few bags of flour, with Sola diving into the fridge for a drink.

“Cool. Let me know if you need any help.” Harley insisted, as Percy gave a quick thumbs up, before Harley saw Sola grab a glass of lemonade. “They’ve got lemonade too?”

“They’ve got everything! Want one?” Sola offered, as Harley leaned on the counter.

“Babe, you know me so well.” Harley teased, as Sola giggled, before grabbing Harley a glass, as Julia and Essex came in right then.

“I see, this is where the party is.” Julia joked, as Harley bumped her with her hip.

“Now that you’re here. Wanna check out the bedrooms?” Harley offered, as Julia shrugged, with Sola not too far behind.

As Julia turned to leave, Essex faced the kitchen again, before realising everyone else had left and it was just her and Percy.

They both locked eyes for a second, only to look away right after, trying to avoid the awkwardness both of them were feeling, with Essex squeezing past her to get to the fridge and grab a lemonade herself.

Percy stayed standing in the kitchen, resting on the counter and watching Essex grab her drink, recalling the last proper conversation they’d had.

The night of the attack, when Essex called her a plant for Wicker and forced her to leave the dorm room out of fear.

Essex went about getting her drink, subtly looking behind her to try and assess Percy’s behaviour, thinking back on how she’d treated her.

Immediately distrusting her, angrily searching for her during the attack, and even threatening her life when she first arrived.

Percy was noticeably keeping her distance, staying to the other side of the kitchen, as Essex could feel the shame she hadn’t confronted yet washing over her, without even knowing how to broach an apology.

Once she closed the fridge, she turned around slowly, noticing Percy tense up as she did, before grabbing her scythe off her back and propping it up out of arms reach.

Percy could already see her gentle demeanour coming through. While it hadn’t been shared with her much, she at least knew of the growth Essex had gone through since the attack.

Essex could also see how much more confident Percy was with herself, and just how much more…Percy she looked…compared to before the attack, that is.

“…I wish to begin…” Essex started, still avoiding eye contact. “…with an apology…for my behaviour.”

A silence washed over the room as Percy didn’t reply, and Essex quickly remembered she still didn’t know sign language, recalling why they hadn’t had this conversation sooner.

Percy mostly kept to herself, her arms still wrapped around her torso, as Essex rested her glass on the counter.

“…I know words aren’t enough to make up for my actions…” Essex continued, as Percy pursed her lips, nodding along to at least register she was listening. “…but it has become clear that you and the rest of the team are very close. And I don’t wish for my poor actions to…ruin a potential relationship in the future.”

Percy could see what she was saying, still nodding along, before looking away again.

“…I-I…don’t know…” Percy started, trying to say more, before her voice box gave out, as she just ended up sighing and giving a shrug afterwards.

“…right.” Essex replied, nodding awkwardly, as they shared another look, before Essex grabbed her scythe and drink, leaving right after.

Percy let out a small held breath, watching Essex leave with a clear look of shame across her face, feeling slightly bad for her, before remembering what she was in here for and pulling up the recipe on her tablet.

…the others like you…isn’t that enough?

———

It wasn’t a drive Milo loved taking, but at least he was familiar with the way. Visiting Bell was always a great excuse, even though he really didn’t need one.

Circling the suburbs, Milo made his way to the other side of Detu City, careening through the streets on a relatively peaceful day, catching in the windows the destruction caused by the recent Wailing attack on his left, which contrasted wonderfully with the basic framework of the barrier being built on his right.

“Lot more activity these days…” He remarked, as the house in question came into view.

He pulled up onto the street, electing not to use the driveway, before walking up to the front door and ringing the doorbell.

It took a bit before it opened up, as he was greeted by Madelyn in the entrance, taking him in.

“What do we have here? Someone left a Milo on the front porch.” She remarked, as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Hey Madelyn. How’s things?” Milo asked, as she shrugged nonchalantly.

“Can’t complain.” She said, stepping to the side to let him in. “Bell! Your father’s here!”

Very quickly, Bell’s bedroom door opened up, as she trotted over to greet him.

“Dad, hi. What brings y-“

“Uhh, Bell?” Milo asked, before pointing to his face, indicating something was on hers, as she remembered she was covered in white face paint.

“O-Oh, right, sorry, forgot to tell you. I’ve…got a gig.” She explained, taking a red nose out of her back pocket. “Kids birthday. They needed a clown last minute.”

“That’s great, you love kids!” Milo cheered, bringing her in for a hug, before pushing her back right after. “Sorry. I didn’t smear it, did I?”

“…I was gonna reapply anyway.” Bell excused, ignoring the paint smug running up Milo’s neck. “I’ll be a minute.”

She ducked back into her room, with Madelyn openly chuckling beside him, as he took a second to realise and groaned.

“You’re not gonna offer a towel?” Milo asked, as Madelyn sneered.

“I’m not ruining a towel just to clean you.” She said, heading to the kitchen to grab some paper towels instead. “So? Just here to check in?”

“…kinda.” Milo admitted, running his hands together, as Madelyn leaned over the counter.

“No, don’t do that.”

“What?”

“The vagueness. You want me to guess so you don’t have to admit what’s eating you.” Madelyn surmised, as Milo threw his hands out.

“You know me, I’m an open book! I don’t hide things.” Milo said, as Madelyn rolled her eyes.

“Nobody in our ‘family’s’ an open book.” Madelyn stated, folding her arms. “…it’s Julia, isn’t it?”

“…yeah, what else is new…” Milo admitted, resting on the countertop, as Madelyn grabbed a bit of paper towel and started wiping it down.

“…so, stranger, yer havin’ trouble with your daughter?” Madelyn asked, miming a bartender, as Milo admittedly smiled. “You wan’ me to fix ya a drink?”

“…something stiff.” Milo played on, as Madelyn went to grab a mid-price bottle of wine. “Hey, some of the good stuff. I’m ready to dish.”

Madelyn glanced back at him, before reaching further into the cupboard to grab the more expense wine. “Alright, Mr Good Stuff. I hope what you’ve got is worth it.”

———

The chill had become comfortable.

Wess sat quietly by the window, almost dozing off as the snow outside started to pile up a bit. They weren’t even that far into the Northern Wayside, but already, the comforts of home felt truly familiar.

She lay back in her chair, her legs thrown over the armrest, as she lackadaisically glanced back at the others in the lounge room, more or less enjoying some peace and quiet.

Wess could feel her desire to join them growing, before remembering her little gift she’d brought with her, as she got up and quickly ducked into her and Julia’s room to grab it.

“…hey.” Harley muttered to Julia. “You ever notice how Wess sits in chairs weirdly?”

“Not especially.” Julia replied, before Wess emerged from her room, clearly her throat to grab attention.

“Ahem. If…I may be so bold.” Wess said, before taking out the bottle of wine from behind her back. “As a fun pass time, I thought we could share in a lovely blend I bought recently.”

“Whoa, Wess brought the goods!” Sola cheered, as Harley leaned over to inspect the bottle.

“Ooo, big spender.” Harley teased, as Wess rolled her eyes and went to retrieve some glasses from the kitchen. “What kinda blend?”

“A 5014 Eiswein blend from a vineyard within Louileon. Very hard to come by.” Wess explained, as Essex sat up.

“Ice wine?”

Wess cocked her head to the side, as she ducked into the kitchen, before grabbing and handing out glasses. “That is where the name comes from. The grapes are frozen before it’s made, allowing the flavours to be better realised as it’s processed. The Northern Wayside specialises in it, naturally.”

Wess handed the last glass to Julia, before going to grab the bottle.

“Fortunately for you Julia, Eiswein is especially sweet.” Wess posited, walking over to pour her a glass. “Much like yourself.”

Julia immediately blushed. “Oh, s-stop it…”

Wess giggled into her hand, before pouring her some and heading around to everyone else.

“…t-thank you…Wess…” Percy got out, as Wess poured it for her, before she put her glass down for a second. [Let’s see how well my voice box likes it.]

“It’s a quality blend. They should get along just fine.” Wess remarked, before finishing the bottle off with Essex. “There we are. Just enough for everyone.”

Once Wess sat down back with Julia, they all took a second, before taking their first sip together. Everyone took it at their own pace, before Sola scrunched her face up.

“Too sweet! Too sweet for me!” Sola let out, shaking her head, as Harley started cracking up.

“…this is quality.” Essex agreed, turning to Wess. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, dear.” Wess said, as Julia nudged her side.

“Much like yourself, huh?”

“Oh, stop it you.” Wess chuckled, as Julia lay against her, before Wess noticed just how much Percy was emoting taking in the flavour, her face a real mix of reactions. “Not to your liking, Percy?”

Percy finished swallowing, before shaking her head. [I’m used to bitter wines. This really threw me off at first.]

“Wess does like her rich tannins.” Julia joked, as Wess looked down at her, before skooching to the side, letting Julia fall down without her support.

“Apologies, Percy. That’s an inside joke.” Wess noted, as Percy simply shrugged, before hearing the oven timer go off and standing up.

“…I-I’ll…be a bit…” She suggested, as Julia giving her a thumbs up.

“Just reach out if you need help!” Julia called back, before Harley picked up the now empty wine bottle.

“Well, I can see why you and Julia have stayed together so long.” Harley started, as Wess looked confused.

“…why?”

“Very refined tongue.”

Sola started cracking up, with Essex finding herself laughing too. Harley was visibly proud of herself, Wess was visibly unamused, and Julia was visibly blushing.

Julia started to stammer. “U-Uhh…w-well, you s-“

“Julia, you really needn’t comment.” Wess insisted, as Julia let out a sigh of relief. “Can I assume a similar situation for you, Sola and Essex?”

Harley winked back at Wess. “You wanna find out?”

Wess rolled her eyes. “One glass of wine and you’re a horny mess.”

“Hey, I’m a horny mess most of the time!” Harley defended, as Sola jumped in front of her.

“Yeah! She works hard for that!” Sola insisted, as Essex popped in too.

“…I can concur. She has earned that title.” Essex agreed, as Wess shook her head in disapproval.

“…Wess, I’ve gotta agree. That’s just Harley.” Julia added on, before Wess found herself in a losing battle, and getting comfortable in their makeshift circle.

“…fine. Harley?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re the biggest slut I know.”

“Thank you. Finally, some recognition.” Harley added, admittedly cracking a smile, as she locked eyes with Wess, who was hiding one of her own.

She then looked back down at the bottle in her hands, before a smirk started to cross her face.

“Heeeeeeeyyy~”

“Oh gods, what?” Wess let out, as Harley shrugged.

“I was just gonna suggest a fun game to pass the time, little miss attitude.” Harley said, before waving the bottle in front of everyone. “Spin the bottle! Who’s up for it?”

“YES!” Sola cheered, high fiving Harley.

“H-Huh?” Julia let out, flushing immediately, as she put her face into her hands. “…uuuuuuuuuhhh…”

“…I goaded you on. This is my fault.” Wess admitted, shaking her head. “What, are you going to suggest a sexy pillow fight afterwards?”

“D-Don’t give her more ideas.” Julia insisted, as Essex sat forward.

“Vonodo, but what is spin the bottle?”

“You spin the bottle and kiss who it lands on!” Sola let out, clearly hyping herself up as she jumped into Essex, who nodded back.

“Dal. I am fully in support of this idea.” Essex stated, giving a thumbs up. “Yay.”

“Should we get Percy in?” Harley excitedly asked, getting ready to stand up, as Wess raised her finger.

“You leave that poor girl alone.” Wess insisted, huffing out, before noticing Sola staring at her and Julia. “What?”

Sola pumped her fists. “Are you in or out?”

Wess scrunched up her face, as Julia shook her head in her hands.

She let out a weighty sigh, still hiding her face, as she joined back into the circle.

“…in.”

“What?!” Wess let out, grabbing her arm. “United front, Julia!”

“I-I don’t wanna be a party pooper!” Julia insisted, before waving her hands in front of everyone. “Two against three! And maybe Percy!”

“You can do cheek kisses if you want.” Sola assured, as Harley lay against her.

“I don’t know why you’re so hesitant, Julia. We’ve already kissed.” Harley said, before everyone stared at them in shock.

“Wha?!” Sola cried. “You did?!”

“When?” Wess let out, staring wide-eyed at Julia, who threw her hands up.

“A-A couple weeks ago…and she’s the one who kissed me!” Julia insisted, before Essex went to raise her hand.

“I have also shared an ‘indirect kiss’ with Julia.” Essex reminded her, before giving her a thumbs up, which hardly reassured Julia at all.

“Julia!” Sola cried, standing up. “We have to kiss now to make things even!”

Julia looked faint and fell back into Wess, caught up in a daze, before Essex sat forward and tapped Harley’s shoulder, indicating to put the bottle down.

“Right, we should get started.” Harley prefaced, placing the bottle down, before looking to Wess. “You can bow out, if you want…you know…if you’re a big ol’ chicken.”

Wess saw Harley going to make the appropriate motion, before sneering and sitting forward, joining the circle. “I was already thinking about it. Your goading did nothing.”

“Uh huh.” Harley teased, before finally spinning the bottle, as it spun around a few times and slowed down on Sola.

“Yay! Easy start!” Sola cheered, before leaning in to give Harley a very familiar kiss, which Harley almost elongated. “My go!”

Sola spun it around, watching it rotate, before it comfortably landed on Julia.

Julia had only just recovered from her fainting spell, before noticing the bottle pointed at her, with Sola grinning across from it.

“U-U-Uhh…” She let out, before shaking her face. “Alright, this is cool…this is super cool…everybody’s cool…”

Julia kept failing to hype herself up, as she started to lean in in preparation. Sola could see how nervous she was and decided to aim for Julia’s cheek to make her feel less uncomfortable, only for Julia to come in and plant a kiss on Sola’s lips, and surprisingly really get into it.

It was a solid ten seconds until either of them were done, with Sola now feeling the faintness that had plagued Julia, as she fell into Harley.

“W-Wow…” She let out, dazed, as Julia sat back down, before accidentally sharing a glance with Wess and immediately turning away.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Ju-“

“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorr-“

“Julia, calm down.” Wess insisted, grabbing her shoulders. “It’s Sola. I’m completely fine with this. You’re not cheating.”

“I-I-It still feels weird.” She said, before getting weird stares from everyone, only to remember she was next to spin. “O-Oh, right, more kissing! Got it!”

Julia spun it quite frantically, with the bottle even sliding off to the side, before it comfortably landed on Essex.

They locked eyes for a second, then another second, then another, before Essex looked around awkwardly, waiting for something to happen.

“I’m super cool with this too.” Harley whispered to Essex, assuring her with Sola nodding as well, as Essex decided to lean forward, with Julia now following suite.

Both of them closed their eyes and pressed their lips together, before pulling back a few seconds later, with Julia covering her lips with her hands.

Essex touched hers as well, before bowing to Julia.

“Thank you.” Essex said, as Harley started cracking up.

“You don’t have to thank someone for kissing you.” Harley pointed out, moving the bottle back in place, as Essex went to grab it.

“But I enjoyed it.” Essex noted, spinning right after, before it quickly landed on Wess, folding her arms.

“…well then. Lucky you.” Wess remarked, smirking, as Essex smiled.

“Lucky me.” Essex replied, as they both got ready, leaning over toward each other.

Right as they were about to start, Wess spotted Harley and Sola right behind Essex, eagerly waiting for the kiss. Wess locked eyes with Essex, before indicating behind her, as they started to get the same idea, smiling to each other again.

They got closer, inches apart from each other, as their lips nearly touched, before both of them went for the other’s cheek instead, separating and sitting back down right after.

“Oh, what?!” Harley exclaimed, throwing her hands out. “What was that?!”

“I wanted kissing!” Sola insisted, jumping on Essex. “She’s right there!”

“What can I say? Essex knows how to treat a woman.” Wess remarked, before sharing an understanding glance with Essex, who smiled back at her, almost laughing again.

As Wess sat back down, she caught Julia nervously huddled beside her, having intently watched the whole thing.

“What?” Wess asked, as Julia shook her head.

“N-Nothing.” Julia replied, watching as Wess went to spin the bottle. …this is the best night ever.

———

“Look, it’s annoying, but it’s not new behaviour.”

“Yeah, I know…”

Madelyn swirled her glass, standing behind the kitchen counter. “She’s always been private.”

“With us.” Milo insisted, waving his arm between them, as he took another sip from his glass. “Have you seen her with her team? She lights up! I’ve never seen her that happy.”

Madelyn shrugged, before taking a sip of her glass as well. “Well, you bore the brunt of her in high school. Anything would be joyous compared to that.”

“…I just can’t shake the feeling it’s something…” Milo started, running his hand through his hair, before Madelyn leaned in.

“…more?”

“Yeah. She’s always loved Venators.” Milo insisted. “So, she’s excited. I get that. And her and Wess are dating right now, and that’s great for her. Wess is great.”

“Wess is alright…” Madelyn suggested, sipping again, as Milo decided to not take the bait.

“But…that’s where all her attention goes.” Milo said, shaking his hand dismissively. “And I get it, they were recovering after that attack, bu-“

“You’re still not getting time with her?”

“…yeah!” Milo insisted, nearly falling back on his stool, as Madelyn shook her head.

“I hate to be all parent on you, but kids do that. They leave.” Madelyn admitted, indicating to Bell’s room. “Bell’s gonna be out of the house soon, and that’ll just be an adjustment.”

“…I know, I get that.” Milo admitted, leaning back onto the counter, almost looking sorry for himself. “I’m not saying I need the…father-daughter bonding we used to have. She’s gonna move on.”

Milo tapped his fingers to the counter in frustration. “I wanna know why the moment she came home, she went straight for the kitchen gloves and hasn’t taken them off since.”

“She what?” Madelyn asked, taking a careful sip. “That’s news to me.”

“Like, that’s weird, right?” Milo asked, as Madelyn nodded along.

“Yeah, pretty weird stuff. Is it a hygiene thing?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. I tried asking her team, but they stayed tight-lipped out of respect.” Milo mentioned. “So, it’s probably something serious…”

“Shit…” Madelyn let out, before tilting her head. “Gotta respect ‘em for that, though. That’s a solid move.”

As Milo started getting silent, Madelyn put down her glass to address.

“Look, I don’t wanna be…cynical, mean mum, or whatever you guys think of me, but…” Madelyn prefaced. “From what I’ve seen, I don’t think there’s much going on there.”

Milo lifted his head. “You reckon? Cause they’re real close.”

“You know girls that age.” Madelyn insisted, going back to her drink. “Trust me, I guarantee what we’re not seeing is all business. Just professional colleagues getting ready for a serious industry where people put their lives on the line.”

———

Julia pressed her lips to Harley’s, still closing her eyes to avoid much embarrassment, as Sola crouched on the sidelines, pumping her fists.

“Go! Go! Go! Go!” Sola cheered, as Harley found herself laughing mid kiss, before they broke it right after. “Nice! Twenty seconds!”

“Ohmygod…” Julia let out, falling backwards onto Wess. “W-Why does it keep landing on me…?”

“You say that like you’re not enjoying it.” Harley remarked, shrugging. “You want another do-over? This’ll be our third steamy kiss…”

Julia sat up immediately, shaking her head profusely, as Harley leaned toward her, deliberately shaking her chest.

“I guess you liked it then, huh? Oh Julia, you’re so naughty~” Harley teased, causing her own laughing fit, as Julia’s embarrassment became frustration.

“Y-You’re so…icky!” Julia complained, as Harley’s laughing only got worse, with her falling back on the floor, right as Percy came out of the kitchen, taking off her oven mitts.

The kitchen was a bit out of the way, meaning Percy hadn’t caught what was going on in the lounge room, leaving her without context as to why Harley was weeping with laughter, and why Julia was as red as a tomato.

“Percy!” Sola cried out, jumping up. “We’re playing spin the bottle! Wanna join?”

Percy blinked in confusion, now registering the wine bottle on the ground.

…did they end up drinking more somehow? She wondered, as Harley finally recovered, with Essex pulling her back up.

“We’ll happily take a sixth.” Harley insisted, winking at her, before Wess turned to Percy.

“Don’t feel pressured. You’re more than welcome to not participate.” Wess offered, as Percy thought on it for a second, before giving a thumbs up.

“…s-sounds fun…” She replied, coming to sit down, as Sola jumped to hug her.

“Yay! The more the merrier!” Sola insisted, as Harley grabbed the bottle again. “Spin!”

“Alright.” Harley said, spinning it around again, before it landed back on a recently revived Julia.

“Wha-“ Julia let out, as Harley grinned. “Again?!”

“Fate wants us to kiss, Julia.” Harley insisted, wriggling her shoulders and feigning embarrassment. “I’m just so shy…this’ll be our third time…”

“Don’t be intimidated, you’ve got this.” Essex assured, giving two thumbs up, as Harley smiled warmly back at her.

“Thanks, babe.” Harley giggled, before leaning forward.

Julia did her best mustering her courage, as she went in for the quickest kiss she could manage, before pulling back.

“Phew…did it…” Julia muttered, as Harley couldn’t wipe her smile away.

“Gods, you’re so cute.” Harley insisted, giggling into her hand, with the rest of the group laughing as well, leaving a flustered Julia as the only outlier.

Why am I so worked up right now…? Julia wondered, giving Wess a look of sympathy, before spinning the bottle again. Please not Harley again…

It spun around and landed on Percy, who looked up at Julia, beaming with excitement, her legs shimmying beneath her.

Julia let out a few nervous breathes, getting ready for it, before being thrown off with how easily Percy went in for the kiss, both taking the moment for herself and considering Julia in it.

After about five seconds, Percy pulled away, leaving Julia in a stunned silence, before she signed back to her.

[You’re a good kisser.] Percy assured, grinning, as Julia’s embarrassment returned in spades.

“Glad we agree on that.” Wess remarked, with Julia turning to her in surprise.

“Wess!”

“It’s true! I’m very picky about these things.” Wess insisted, letting Julia cuddle up to her. “Do you want me to share some with you after this is done?”

“…maybe…” Julia muttered, as Percy went to grab the bottle now, really getting into it.

“Oh, you’ve got your pick here, Percy.” Harley bragged, as she silently giggled, before spinning it.

She watched as it spun around and around, anticipation building in her, before it slowed down and landed on…

…Essex.

…

There was a moment of dead silence, as it sunk in for both Essex and Percy, then eventually the rest of the room.

While the others didn’t pick up on why, the tension between them was obvious, with Essex avoiding eye contact and shrinking away, while Percy stood up and pivoted to the kitchen.

[…I need to check on the cake.] Percy excused, quickly ducking away, leaving the room feeling a bit emptier.

“…alright, guess we’re done.” Harley let out, slapping her hands on her legs and getting up. “Might’ve been pushing it…”

“…I-I mean I…” Julia started, blushing heavily, before accidentally getting looks from everyone and shying away. “N-Nevermind, forget it…”

Just as Julia was going to take the chance to retreat to her room, an idea crossed her mind, as she hurried inside and dug around her suitcase, grateful she brought a backup plan if things got quiet.

“So you still haven’t talked?” Sola asked, as Essex solemnly nodded. “Do you need a translator?”

“…a third party might make things more awkward.” Essex reasoned, just as Julia jumped out of her room with a small black device and a microphone.

“Hey, guys!” She called out, before holding it up for rest of the team to see. “I didn’t have room to bring all my boardgames, but I brought this.”

“A karaoke machine!” Sola exclaimed, hopping over to grab it.

“You’ve used one before?” Julia asked curiously, as Sola happily nodded. “Great! Seemed like a fun way to spice up the trip.”

“I…will simply cheer, if that’s alright.” Essex insisted, nervously glancing back at the kitchen, as Sola feverishly looked for a song.

“Whatever works for you, Essex.” Julia said, as Harley and Wess sat together on the couch.

“Got it!” Sola cheered, before standing proudly in front of the room, waiting for the beat to kick in.

3…

2…

…1!

———

“Look at this photograph.” Madelyn insisted, shoving her tablet in Milo’s face. “Cause every time I do, it makes me laugh.”

“Yeah, it’s too close to my face.” Milo complained, pulling back, before realising it was a faraway pick of Julia and Wess holding hands, just outside the entrance to the academy.

“I grabbed it when I went to meet Julia during that tournament last year. I was hoping to hold it over her, but then they started smooching during the fight and it stopped being my silver bullet.” Madelyn explained, now looking at it herself. “…look, I’m not offended she didn’t tell me, but there’s something pretty funny about her keeping it to herself.”

“How?”

“…I dunno, still makes her feel like a kid.” Madelyn remarked. “Like she’s making her dolls kiss and trying to hide it from us…”

Madelyn threw her hands up. “You’ll hate to hear this, but she can keep her secrets. Doesn’t bother me.”

“…I do hate hearing it.” Milo muttered, as Madelyn snarked.

“Yeah, well we both signed the paperwork already.” Madelyn insisted, finishing off her glass, as Milo stood up.

“…thanks for the drink. I only meant to pop in for a moment.” Milo assured, as Madelyn sighed out.

“You’re still good company, even if you’re in a bad mood.” Madelyn pointed out, as Milo went for the door. “Don’t be a stranger.”

“I try not to be.” Milo replied, heading back down to his car, before a voice called from the door.

“Hey, dad.”

He turned to see Bell in the doorway, leaning against it, with a somewhat incredulous face looking back at him.

“Hey. Sorry, I thought you left for your clown thing already.” Milo apologised, as Bell waved her hand.

“I was just heading out.” She said, before sighing out. “…I caught your conversation with mum.”

“…you’ve really got to stop listening in like that.” Milo insisted, massaging his forehead, as Bell stood up, folding her arms across her body.

“I heard Julia’s name and wanted to know what was up. I haven’t talked with her since the first week she moved in with you.” Bell admitted. “Like, she’s closed off with me too…”

“Aww, come here.” Milo said, going up to hug her, as Bell just took it. “She’s doing well, from what I can gather. They’re on a trip to a lodge right now to help out Wess.”

“…that’s good of her. Wess is a good influence.” Bell said, before breaking the hug. “And the rest of her team. Say what you will about Venators, but they really care about her.”

I mean, we’re right here… Milo thought, as Bell cleared her throat.

“…maybe if…they’re okay, that means Julia’s okay too.” Bell explained, as Milo tilted his head. “W-What I mean is, if…she’s really open with them, they’d probably feel some sympathy pain. If she was doing badly…”

“…so they’re a barometer for her happiness?” Milo dryly remarked, as Bell shrugged.

“Basically. Kinda. Sorta. We wouldn’t know without talking to Julia directly…” Bell reasoned, before feeling herself blushing. “I-I-I’m rambling, but you get what I mean.”

“…I do, but I don’t love the implication.” Milo muttered, before turning back to his car. “I’ll drop off those old props of mine later in the week. Remind me, did you need th-“

“The big shoes, yeah.”

“Got it. Easy enough.” Milo assured, hopping in his car, as Bell waved at him, watching him leave.

“…oh dad, don’t be offended. I’m sure she’s not having that much fun with them.”

———

“Don’t you rip out my he-art!”

“I couldn’t even try!”

“But baby, you run so qui-ckly!”

“Gotta ru-un and hide! Dun dun dun dun dudun!”

“Don’t you rip out my he-art!” Wess sung happily, as Julia danced beside her.

“You scare the pants off of me!” Julia followed up, gripping the other microphone, as the others clapped along.

“Oh baby, when will I find you?”

“We’ll just wa-ait and see!” Julia sung, dancing in time with the beat, before she faced Julia for the chorus.

“Ooo hoo! You were the closest!” They sung together, before Wess separated. “When I was wrong!”

“I was your song! Ooo hoo! You were the closest!” Julia continued. “When I disappeared!”

“I dreamt you were near! Oooooo hoo…I dreamt you were ne-ear.”

“Wess has a damn good voice.” Harley muttered to Essex, as Sola cheered on the sidelines, with Percy now joining her with the cake mostly finished.

“She’s very creatively oriented. This is a very sad song though.” Essex noted, as Harley snickered.

“Don’t think you’re meant to look into it too hard.” Harley reasoned, as Essex nodded, before looking over at Percy on the side, and quickly averting her gaze.

Julia and Wess finished up their song right after, before laughing to each other and bowing, receiving pleasant applause from the others.

“Brava! Wonderful!” Sola cheered, now standing on her couch, as Julia rubbed her neck.

“G-Geez, the praise is a bit embarrassing…” She blushed, putting the microphone down and heading to her and Wess’ room. “I need a blanket. The cold outside’s starting to seep in…”

“…b-bathroom…” Percy quickly excused, jumping up as Harley spun her head to catch her.

“Hey, you want me to check out your cake while you’re in there?”

Percy gave a thumbs up, as Harley jumped up and headed to the kitchen, while Wess and Essex got comfortable on their respective couches, and Sola grabbed the remote to start flicking through channels.

“Karaoke was super fun, but I wanna choose something Percy can do.” Sola insisted, flipping through, as Wess sighed from her seat.

“That’s very thoughtful of you, dear.” Wess remarked, as Essex sat forward a little.

“…I believe…she is a fan of movies.” Essex posited, as Sola quickly went to hug her, before jumping back to channel surfing.

“Already ahead of ya, Essex!” Sola said before gasping at the screen. “Wait, this is even better! Harley! Harley, get in here!”

“I’m busy handling Percy’s cake. What’s happening?” Harley called back, as Sola flicked to more channels on the TV.

“There’s games on the TV! Like TV Games! Like the games you don’t need a console for and you use the remote instead of a controller! They’ve actually got ‘em!”

“They’ve got TV games?” Julia let out, popping her head out of her room, now wrapped in a blanket, before hurrying into the lounge room. “What’s on there?”

“A whole bunch of games! Boot Knockers, Hay Rollers, Sisters of the Scissor, Sideways Refreshment, oh oh OH! They’ve got Mother Mother!” Sola cried, pointed at the TV. “That’s the party game about babies! Where you’re a bunch of mums at daycare!”

“Oh shit, they’ve got Mother Mother?” Harley cried out, before running into the room. “Fuck yeah, how many players?”

“Uh, four. There’s only four remotes.” Sola said, holding up the four remotes.

“You needn’t hold a place for me. Not really my cup of tea.” Wess voted, lying across the armrests of her seat, staring at the ceiling.

“Percy’s still in the bathroom, right?” Harley asked, before pointing to Essex. “You want in?”

“…I like games.” Essex plainly said, almost looking like she was assuring herself. “Ska music and games. I like them a lot.”

“…okay, great!” Harley cried out, as Sola chucked a remote her way. “What level?”

“Oh, oh, hayloft! Gotta start it in the hayloft!” Julia insisted, as Sola picked the level. “Where the babies have to pet the animals, but th-“

“The mums have to make sure they don’t get trampled?” Harley finished, as Wess quietly sighed to herself.

“You and your games…” She muttered, before the bathroom door opened and Percy rejoined them. “Welcome back, dear. You’re returned to quite the spirited endeavour.”

Percy’s eyes widened, as she took in the scene of babies on screen nearly getting trampled by farm animals.

“Damn, you were quick.” Harley let out in annoyance, standing up and stretching her back. “Alright, I’ll get back to handling your cake. You can take my place.”

Harley handed the remote off to Percy, who casually took it and sat down to join, before realising she was sitting next to Essex.

There was a brief awkwardness between them, distracting Essex from the game, before they both turned their attention to the screen.

“The-the cows-the stupid cows!” Julia cried, pouting. “They have the biggest hitboxes!”

“The babies can grab the chickens and fly to avoid them!” Sola insisted, moving to match her characters actions, despite not needing to. “Yeah, take that goats! I’m the goat around here!”

Just as Sola started to hit a winning streak, a pig managed to bellyflop onto her baby, knocking her multiplier down and resetting her combo.

“Dammit!” Sola let out. “I keep forgetting about them!”

Right as she got back into it, she noticed Essex and Percy’s scores were miles ahead of Julia and hers.

“Whoa, you two are so good at this!” Sola let out, as both of them only just acknowledged it, sharing a glance for a second.

Essex glanced back at the TV, growing a small smile, before getting back into it, as Percy saw her trying to get ahead and went right back to it in hopes of keeping up.

Both were neck and neck at this point, with Julia and Sola only really competing to stay out of last, before muffled cries came out of the speaker.

“Oh no, it got me!”

“Silly babies! I’ll take your mothers now!”

A giant rooster swooped onto screen and grabbed up Essex and Percy’s mothers, before perching them at the top of the hayloft.

“It’s the tie breaker! The rooster stole your mums!” Sola insisted, pointing back at Essex and Percy. “Whoever’s first up there wins!”

Essex and Percy looked at each other in quiet acknowledgement, before immediately getting into it, button mashing away to make their babies climb up the ladders.

Both were intently focused on the task, as Julia and Sola were now just watching them, with Harley even sticking her head out of the kitchen to observe.

Essex’s technique shone through, while Percy’s raw determination carried her, as they both reached the top, the babies climbing onto the rooster.

They started wracking up points by shooing the rooster away.

“Take its joints! It’ll give you more points!” Sola cried, as they manoeuvred their babies around, before the rooster started falling out of the barn, toppling out and onto the ground.

The victory screen came up, with Julia and Sola not even regarded, as Essex and Percy shot up on podiums, leading to a victory by…

…Essex.

“Yeah! Way to go, babe!” Sola cried, jumping over to kiss her cheek, as Essex was at a bit of a loss for words.

“That was so good.” Julia assured, clapping politely. “No matching your skill.”

Essex felt a bit proud of herself, and a little surprised that she was, before turning to face Percy again.

To her surprise, Percy had the slightest smile, as she lightly applauded Essex for her victory.

Essex found herself a little flush raking in the praise, and was incredibly grateful when Harley walked in with the finished cake, making a real show of placing it down on the coffee table.

“Hate to steal the moment away babe, but…dun dun dun!” Harley announced, placing down a beautiful Louileon cake in the centre, bowing with a tea towel over her arm. “Bon Appetit…”

“My word…” Wess let out, beside herself, as Harley handed Percy the knife.

“All the love goes to Percy, I was merely a vessel for the detailing on the top.” Harley insisted, as Percy silently giggled, before cutting into it.

She started handing out slices to the others, who each took a moment to appreciate the taste of their slice, with the first to speak up being Sola.

“I think I’m in love with your cake, Percy.” Sola praised, as Percy kicked her feet.

“Percy.” Wess prefaced, as Percy looked to her. “I mean no hyperbole when I say the finest cake I’ve seen belonged to my dear Valerie, and yours has managed to surpass hers. Very impressive.”

“…s-stop…” Percy let out, blushing hard, as Harley was the last to take a bite.

“Damn girl, you’ve got some fine cake.” Harley insisted, as Percy bended over, bowing to her.

[Thank you, thank you.] Percy quickly signed to her, very visibly proud.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I feel like we need to taste her cake a lot more often.” Julia insisted, as everyone nodded happily.

They’re too nice… Percy thought, before subtly hiding her face from them. …I love it…

———

The drive back home somehow felt even longer. Milo was stuck in his own head, knowing what he thought, what his ex thought, and what one of his daughters thought, yet the only person he wanted to hear from wasn’t going to return until the morning.

“…should I have stopped her becoming a Ve…” He started, before shaking his head. “No, bad instinct. She’s happier now than ever.”

Milo pulled into his driveway, as he ran his hands over his face.

“Wish anyone had warned me…”

He went up to the front door, noticing Dulce standing outside of it like usual, except with bags of luggage and her tablet to her ear.

She put it away right as she noticed Milo again, before giving him a quite salute. “Hey, glad you’re back. Wasn’t sure if I’d see you in time.”

“Are you going somewhere?” Milo asked, as Dulce grinned.

“Well, I was only meant to stick around until the girls were feeling safe, and since they so suddenly decided to stay overnight in another state, I think they’re doing just fine.” Dulce reasoned, patting her luggage. “So, I called my husband to come pick me up. I’m needed back at the academy.”

“…Right, duty comes first.” Milo insisted, as Dulce wheeled out another bag from the front door, before Milo spoke up. “Do…sorry, personal question…”

“Go ahead.” Dulce assured.

“…is it…hard to find time with your husband?” Milo asked, as Dulce let out a hefty breath.

“Kinda? I’m pretty busy these days. He’s understanding though, he used to be my team’s manager, so…you know, some lonely nights.” Dulce chuckled, as Milo just listened to what she said, before sitting on the steps of the front door, still rubbing his face.

Dulce noticed and decided to sit next to him. “Rough day?”

“…I don’t even know…” Milo admitted. “…Julia feels like a mystery to me, and we barely get to spend time together.”

Dulce nodded along, before leaning back casually.

“Okay.” Dulce prefaced. “I wanna be frank with you, as a former Venator.”

Dulce waved her hand down. “It’s so hard to find time. You work long hours, expend a lot of energy, and end up getting hurt a bunch. The press is in your face, fans wanting this and that, then you’re expected to do chores and travel around and be comfortable with that.”

Dulce raised her finger. “And then, THEN, you get to spend time with your teammates. All that other shit comes first.”

Milo sat in silent awe, as the weight of Julia’s responsibility hadn’t really sunk in.

“It’s real hard for most teams to get along, but it’s even harder having friendships outside of that.” Dulce insisted, throwing her arms out. “Hell, I don’t think I chatted to my parents throughout my career, only until I changed professions.”

“Really?” Milo let out, as Dulce nodded along.

“Oh yeah. Just kinda slipped down the priorities.” Dulce insisted, batting his arm. “We’re on good terms, it’s just…time, really.”

“Did you let them know you were okay?” Milo wondered.

“I was on the news a lot. That was usually a good indicator I was still kicking.” Dulce chuckled, not really comforting Milo a lot, before she batted his arm again. “Hey, cheer up. It’s not all doom and gloom. She’s got four awesome teammates who ar-“

Milo just sunk his face into his hands again, almost groaning in annoyance, as Dulce backed off a bit.

“Okay, that’s a nerve…” Dulce admitted, before patting his back. “She’ll find the time. But I hate to say, she’s graduating in about a month. It’ll be a while before she finds it.”

“…I don’t know if that helped me or not.” Milo admitted, staring down at the ground. “…thanks, at least, for hearing me out…”

“Hey.” Dulce said, before holding her arms out, as Milo accepted the hug. “It’s never easy seeing people off. But don’t wallow, wave as they go. There’s a good chance they’ll come back.”

Milo rested into it, letting his brain have it out between logic and emotion.

…I just want to know how much I mean to her…

———

“…okay, she’s really cute doing that…”

“Does she get sleepy after eating sugar?”

“I guess so.” Julia said, resting in front of the fireplace with the others.

Outside had only gotten colder over the course of the night, so at Julia’s suggestion, the blankets were piled up around the fireplace, as everyone winded down after a very fun night.

The only real surprise was Percy falling asleep so quickly, and on top of Julia’s lap.

“I hope I don’t need to get up for anything.” Julia admitted, looking down and smiling, as Percy comfortably rested her head against Julia. “She looks so peaceful…”

“And comfy. I wanna do that now.” Sola said, staring back at Julia expectantly, as Julia showed her hands.

“T-There’s only so much room, Sola. You can…d-do it next time.”

“Yay!” Sola cheered, as Harley pulled her into the blankets, alongside Essex.

“Why’d you need Julia? We’re right here.” Harley insisted, as Sola was sandwiched between them.

“Good point…this is great…”

“…these blankets sure have brought out the worst in you.” Wess joked, lying delicately near Julia, idly playing with her empty wine glass.

“But is that so bad?” Essex asked, as Wess chuckled.

“No, I suppose not.” She muttered, staring down at the glass, as the fireplace crackled beside them.

It had been a thought crossing Wess’ mind for a while. There hadn’t really been the right opportunity, but this was starting to feel like it. She wasn’t exactly about to put this off any longer…

“…if I…may be open.” Wess prefaced, placing her wine glass down, as the others looked at her. “…I feel the need to apologise. I fear I’ve been quite selfish recently.”

Julia decided to speak up. “You h-“

“Julia, just let me say this.” Wess asked, looking to her, before getting a nod of approval. “…despite…all of us having gone through quite a lot this year, I feel I’ve been…taking the spotlight, as it were.”

Wess started wringing her hands together. “…what I went through was hard, but I acted poorly, and you didn’t deserve that. I was acting out, but it shouldn’t have been against you.”

“…I don’t really think…” Harley started, before getting looks and shutting her mouth. “Sorry, sorry, forgot.”

“…Sola…and Julia…all of you, really, have made some excellent points.” Wess said, holding her hands out. “…there’s days where I don’t feel I deserve company as wonderful as yours. Pardon me, but it feels somewhat alien at times…I mean, you all know where that’s from…”

Wess noticed herself rambling and tried to reset. “…if there’s anything I’ve realised over the last few years, it’s how much I value you. Through my hardest moments, and…my most unbearable too…”

The team laughed a little, as Wess found herself lightening up a little. “…you were all there for me. And as Essex helped me realise, I feel I haven’t been there for you as much. So I’m sorry. I will do better in the future.”

Wess sighed out deeply, before readjusting in her seat. “…and also…thank you. I don’t think I say that enough either. I wouldn’t…”

Wess could feel herself welling up, as she dipped her face down to avoid everyone staring at her.

“…I w-wouldn’t be the person I’ve grown to love without you.”

Julia immediately went in to comfort her, as Sola, Harley and Essex followed up right after. Wess let herself cry for a bit, before getting back up and attempting to clean herself up, as the team broke the hug.

“…I’m sorry, I keep belabouring the point.” Wess admitted, doing another reset. “…so, with my recent disownment, I’ve not been feeling myself. As well as the loss of my home and…parents, for what they were…I’m no longer Wess Delacroix Nouvel. So…”

Wess found herself struggling to speak again, as she finally reached the point she was trying to make.

“I-I’ve…decided…on a last name.” Wess prefaced, breathing in sharply. “To replace my previous one…”

Wess struggled to keep her hands still, as she made her proclamation to the others.

“…from now on, my name will be…Wess Albalux.”

The rest of the team looked at each other, as Julia smiled. “That’s great, Wess. Does it mean anything special?”

“W-Well, yes…it does.” Wess admitted, touching her fingers together. “S-Since you’re all the most important people in my life, it’s…a combination of yours. Al from Alpine, Ba from Baroke, Lu from Lusagi and…X from Essex.”

Wess deliberately turned from the others, a horrid blush coming across her face. “I-It’s too much. I’m sorry, I’m over-stepping my boun-“

Julia went in for another hug, stroking Wess’ hair, while giggling pleasantly.

“Wess, it’s beautiful…” Julia assured, only getting more tears out of Wess, as Sola was crying now too.

“W-W-We’re the most i-important? AWWWW!!!” Sola balled, with Harley trying to fan her face.

“Holy shit, Wess. That’s the nicest…” Harley started, fighting back the tears. “…dammit, I’m made of tougher stuff than this.”

Wess now noticed Essex by her side, resting a gentle hand on her back, before sharing a warm smile together, as Essex even shed a couple tears.

Right as Wess thought Julia was finished with the hug, Julia went in to kiss her, impressively deeply, almost making out with just how passionate it was.

It was a good while until either her or Wess stopped, before looking around them.

“…oh, sorry.” Julia apologised, darting her eyes a bit, as the others watched them, all now blushing to themselves. “…u-uhh…it’s been a…l-long day.”

“…yeah, long…long day…” Harley let out, breathing a bit heavy, before standing back up. “Sola? Essex? You wanna…?”

“Yes.” Sola replied a little too quickly, with Essex nodding profusely, as everyone quickly headed to their respective bedrooms, while Julia let Percy’s head down gently, tucking her into the blankets before going to join Wess.

Right before they headed into the bedroom, Essex pulled Harley aside, holding her arm.

“Harley?”

Harley turned around. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“…I…wanted you to help me learn something before we head back.” Essex asked, as Harley gripped her arm back.

“A sexy thing or a regular thing?”

“Regular thing.” Essex replied, as Harley smiled.

“Yeah, that’s cool. I’m your go-to gal.” Harley remarked, closing the door behind them.

———

After an…eventful night for the team, it was an expedient trip back home the following morning. The only one really mourning the expediency was Wess, staring longingly out the window of the Flash-Rail, quietly wishing to herself they could’ve stayed one night longer.

…well, at least she was able to make her declaration.

Wess smiled bashfully, as they pulled up into the station near Julia’s house. Julia was half-expecting Milo to be greeting them there, but it was still early in the morning.

They made their way back over, noting the absence of Dulce by the front door, before finding a note pinned to it explaining her absence, then finally making it inside.

Before they could properly settle in, Julia opened the door and came inside, only t-.

“Julia.”

Julia froze stiff at the tone, as she, followed soon by the team, turned to face Milo, crossing his arms and standing in the middle of the lounge room.

He glanced over everyone, before indicating Julia come over. “Could everyone else step outside for a moment? We need to talk.”

Julia’s glanced back at the others, assuring them not to worry, as they nodded back and quickly headed to the backyard, leaving their bags there.

Milo took a second to sit down in one of his armchairs, as Julia took up a spot on the couch, sheltered into her seat.

Milo rested his hands on his legs, his demeanour a lot more rigid than Julia was used to.

“…did you have fun on your trip?”

“…uhh, yeah. Yeah, it was good. I think we needed it.” Julia replied, before leaning forward. “Dad, what’s this about?”

Milo closed his eyes and sighed out loudly, not directly facing her.

“…what’s going on with you?”

Julia blinked. “Huh?”

“…I…you’ve been staying here for…months, and…I feel like you’re a stranger to me.” Milo insisted, surprising Julia. “That you’ve been closed off, or…avoiding me, or something…”

Before Julia could speak up, Milo finally faced her, worry staining his face. “Are you hiding things from me? Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“D-Dad, no, it’s just been a busy year.” Julia said, throwing her hands up, as Milo raised his eyebrows.

“Really? Then why do you need the gloves?”

Julia’s pupils shrank, as she immediately broke eye contact and pivoted away, confirming Milo’s suspicions.

“I knew it! There was something! What, did you get hurt? Are you covering something up?” Milo implored, his hand to his chest. “I’m your father, you can tell me!”

“I-I…no, I r-really can’t…” Julia stammered, shaking her head in worry, as Milo pressed his hand to his face, falling back into his armchair.

“…this is just high school…” He muttered, before sitting back up. “This is just high school all over again! Hiding things! Pretending you’re doing fine, what, to make me feel better? Cause I don’t!”

“I-It’s not that!” Julia implored, locking eyes with him again. “It’s…so you d-don’t worry.”

Milo shook his head, scrunching his fist to avoid crying. “You’re training to be a Venator…I worry literally all the time!…I’m only gonna worry more if you can’t trust me!”

Julia found herself at a loss for words, as she leaned back into the couch, now deliberately facing away.

“Oh great, I screwed up again. No, shut yourself off, don’t engage…” Milo grumbled, doing the same as her, as Julia started feeling frustration replace her panic.

“…it’s not my fault…”

Milo lifted his head, as Julia started to work herself up, scrunching her fist against her leg.

“…it’s not my fault that I don’t want to tell you things.” Julia insisted, putting a lot of energy into her breathing. “You wouldn’t listen anyway…Bell was the priority, not me.”

Milo looked offended. “Bell was the neve-“

“She was! She was, and you never had time for me!!!” Julia yelled, now standing up. “It was a-always work, Bell, or goofing off! You only put in the work when I got in trouble!!!”

“I was providing for you! I couldn’t always be there!!!” Milo added, standing up as well. “Madelyn worked at my old job, I couldn’t stick around the-“

“Gods, stop compromising!!! Take things seriously!!!” Julia cried, balling her fists to her eyes. “Everything’s a joke to you!!! Why can’t you just be real with me?!?!”

“I AM!!!”

“NO YOU AREN’T!!! I LIE CAUSE YOU DO!!!”

“IT WAS EITHER THAT OR ADMIT I WASN’T HAPPY!!!” Milo screamed, raising his voice a little too loud, as everyone outside pretended not to hear what he’d said.

Julia stared back at him, shock plastering her face, as both of them were fully letting themselves cry at this point.

“I-I know…I know the divorce was h-hard for you, okay? B-But it was harder…for me.” Milo insisted, pointing back at himself. “We r-raised kids, we bought a house, and yeah…there were talks a-about a third…but that never happened.”

Milo started pacing around the lounge room, his head in his hands. “I was just so miserable…and I did e-everything I could to stop you being miserable too.”

“…b-but I was miserable…” Julia admitted, letting her tears hit the floor. “A-And you weren’t there for me…you couldn’t get a job for m-months, and every time I asked how it as going, you s-said ‘these are grown up things, ask m-me in a few years!’”

“…then…” Milo started, before covering his face again. “…I c-couldn’t tell you I had to borrow money from Madelyn.”

Julia’s expression sunk, as Milo looking imploringly at her.

“I-I couldn’t shame myself like that. Looking my daughter square in the face and saying I had to go beg c-cause I couldn’t land an interview for shit…I burned all my bridges after we separated, and yet, s-she was all that was left…”

Julia saw so much pity in Milo’s face, clearly holding all this back to at least maintain some image of dignity in front of his daughter. A pang of guilt ran through her, reflecting on that behaviour in her own way.

“…I…” Julia began, now properly facing him.

She let out a haggard breath.

“…during the attack…I…nearly u-used my Whil…to kill Wicker.”

Milo’s face grew pale, as Julia refused to break eye contact.

“I-It was near the end of the night. H-He was yelling at Percy…and throwing her o-on the ground…and I-I didn’t know if the others were dead or not, a-a-and-“

Milo quickly rushed over, before hugging Julia deeply, letting her cry into his shoulder.

“I-I-I nearly did it. I-I couldn’t risk using it, and it was only r-recently that I felt comfortable with myself again. I’m s-so sor-“

“Shh, shh, it’s okay. It’s okay.” Milo assured, caressing her hair, still crying a lot as well. “You’re okay…you’re still my daughter, okay?”

Julia didn’t talk and just kept crying, nuzzling herself into his sweater, as he kept comforting her.

“…I trust you.” Milo stated, breaking the hug and holding her out. “You’re one of the smartest people I know. You don’t have to worry about making the right decision, c-cause you always do.”

“D-Dad…” Julia let out, falling into him again. “I t-trust you too, okay? It’s just hard to let it out sometimes…”

“…that’s on me too.” Milo insisted, sniffing a lot. “I should’ve been open about the divorce…and Bell doesn’t come before you, alright? You’re both amazing.”

“…I know she needed help.” Julia confessed, breaking the hug and wiping some snot away. “I just wish I got it too…”

“Well…I’m sorry I didn’t do that for you.” Milo let out.

They both took a beat to quiet down and breathe, cleaning themselves up a little.

“…I like your jokes.” Julia admitted, surprising Milo. “Not all the time, cause they’re dad jokes, but…”

“…you’re right, though. I should pick my moments.” He said, before reaching over to rustle her hair. “Like embarrassing you in front of your team.”

Julia started laughing, as she pulled herself away, facing the floor again.

“…I…really mean it…when I say I’m okay.” Julia started. “I know I hid it before, but I’m in a really good place right now. And I’m sure I’m gonna get even better.”

Milo let out a breath, before smiling. “…well, like I said, I trust you. You seem happier. However, I’ve got one last question before I let you go…”

Julia looked at him curiously, before he raised a finger.

“…is there something going on with you and your team?”

Julia froze again, her expression holding on an embarrassed surprise, as Milo cracked a smile and rubbed his neck.

“Well, I guess you can keep some secrets.” Milo laughed, before peeking out around the corner to the back door, beckoning the others back in. “You guys are good! We’re done talking!”

The others slowly filtered back inside, doing their best to pretend they hadn’t just witnessed an argument, as Julia cleaned herself up.

Wess closed in and linked hands with her. “Are you good, dear?”

“…yeah. Just had to clear the air a little. I’m good, really.” Julia assured, leaning in for a kiss. “Think that needed to be said for a while…”

Milo did his best to clean himself up as well, while the team started grabbing their things and heading to their rooms.

“…okay, that was kinda bonkers.” Harley insisted, leaning into Sola. “Are we just meant to ignore that that happened?”

Sola looked over Julia and Milo again, seeing a good amount of emotion, but a sort of contentment on both of them.

“They seem better, so yeah.” Sola assured, as Harley rubbed her neck.

“Alright, I trust your judgement.” Harley said, as they moved her things back to her and Julia’s room.

Milo grabbed his nose and sniffed, before noticing Percy hovering, and pointing back to his and Percy’s room. “Sorry about the interruption. You can rest in there if you need, Percy.”

“…a-appreciate it…” Percy insisted, grabbing her bags, only to be stopped briefly by Essex.

“W-Wait.” Essex said, as Percy turned around to face her.

Percy couldn’t really pick up on what she was doing, before Essex put a fist to her chest.

[…sorry.]

Percy blinked in surprise at Essex suddenly signing, as Essex stood up straight. “I know this isn’t much…but I’m making the effort to learn sign language. I have had difficulty with communication in the past, so I will get better…so that understanding is more of an option.”

Essex then quickly bowed to avoid showing her face, and pivoted back to the laundry, feeling she’d done what she needed.

“…g-grela…”

Essex faced back, looking as Percy rubbed against her neck, trying her best to speak more.

“…I-I think…w-we’ll both make the e-effort…” Percy insisted, leaving the two on surprisingly good footing.

It’s not like these gestures were about the change the world.

But it was a start.