|
Quote:
Devi paused, rethinking her comment. "True," she admitted. "Good point. I don't pity you one bit, then," she replied with a teasing grin. She started up the steps after him, placing a hand in the middle of his back. More than a mere gesture of affection, just on the slight chance that he might lose balance, Devi wanted to be sure he wouldn't fall. |
Quote:
Letting the case drop upon the floor with a loud thud, Jean crossed his arms across his chest as he looked around. The room was hardly recognizable due to the numerous boxes that were setting about, all filled with merchandise and other odds and ends. "It's still so nice to see how easily I was replaced," Jean commented dryly, casting his father an easy grin. |
Quote:
"Oh, don't be like that," Jack replied with a sigh, grinning somewhat as he looked at Jean. "We had a lot of stuff, and it wasn't like you were using it. Don't worry, I'll help you get them out of here." "I'll help too," Devi chimed in, looking up at Jean as she added, "No argument." She peeked her head in between Jean and the doorway. Her eyes widened as she gazed at the boxes scattered about the room, wondering how in the world anyone would be able to sleep in it. "That...uh...is a lot of boxes," she gaped. |
Quote:
He walked over toward it, stopping to peer into one of the boxes. His brow wrinkling slightly, he reached in and pulled out a white silken slip. "I swear, this isn't mine," he joked, glancing over at Devi. |
Quote:
"What? Are you kidding me? This stuff is gold!" Jack protested, frowning. "We can't get rid of it." Quote:
"Of course not." Devi smirked, walking over to the bed. Eyeing the slip, she looked up at him with a cheeky grin. "Don't be ashamed," she teased. "I bet it would look good on you." She plopped onto the bed, straightening somewhat as her sensitive ears picked up on something. Slipping off of the bed, Devi crouched on the floor and reached under the mattress. As her fingers came in contact with something glossy, she grabbed the object and pulled it out. Examining it, a sly smile crossed her lips as she looked up at Jean. "What do we have here?" she asked, arching a brow as she held up a magazine featuring a scantly-clad woman in a lewd position. "I guess this isn't yours either, huh?" |
Quote:
"Mmm... no, I think it'd look better on you," Jean told her, smiling in a flirtatious manner. "Much better. In fact, we may have to keep this..." Quote:
His face flushing scarlet, Jean gaped at her, his mouth opening and closing several times like a fish gasping for air. Damn it... he had forgotten about those... "Dad... I can't believe you hid your dirty magazines under my mattress...!" he said accusingly, snatching it out of Devi's hands and stuffing it down into one of the open boxes as he spoke. |
Quote:
"Hey...behave yourself," Devi chided, embarrassed. Blushing profusely, she looked away sheepishly and added in a shy whisper, "Your dad's in the room..." Quote:
Devi looked at her hands, surprised to find them empty. Then, shrugging, she turned back to the bed and stuck her hand under the mattress once more. "Now hold on there. Why would I go through all the trouble to hide my mags under your bed?" Jack asked indignantly, folding his arms over his chest. A smiled tugged on his lips as he added, "If they were mine, I'd hide them closer--somewhere more accessible." Smirking, Devi pulled out yet another magazine while Jean's back was turned. Holding this one up, she allowed it to fall open to the section that had been viewed the most, a deep crease in the spine of the magazine. "Hmm...look at this. You must really have liked Miss October, huh? It opens right to this page," she commented, her voice carrying a teasing tone as she held it up for everyone to see. Then, with a feigned pout, she inquired, "You like brunettes?" |
Quote:
Quote:
A number of responses surfaced in Jean's mind but there weren't any that he cared to speak aloud. Just the fact that his father had pretty much admitted to still owning 'mags' was bad enough... Like most young men, he seemed to believe that once a man reached a certain age, he no longer had certain needs. Quote:
"... October has a lot of good holidays..." Jean said quickly, immediately realizing the ridiculousness of the statement but having nothing else to fall back on. This was embarrassing, plain and simple. At the very least, he was fortunate enough to believe that Devi had no false illusions about what kind of man he was. Quote:
Just as he went to take this new magazine away as well, Emilia appeared in the doorway, a tray laden with sandwiches in her hands. She paused, her eyes instantly falling upon the lewd magazine. One of her eyes twitched slightly, but otherwise she made no comment, instead saying in a falsely bright voice, "Who wants lemonade?" and disappearing hurriedly from the room. Jean gaped at the now empty doorway before turning his attention back on Devi. Taking the magazine away, he promptly sat down on the bed, staring up at her as if daring her to try and fish more out from under the mattress. "I'll clean up here," he muttered darkly. |
Quote:
Devi's blush deepened as she gaped at him, aghast. She sputtered but nothing legible came out. Glancing nervously over at Jack, Devi turned her attention back to Jean and, in the sternest tone she could muster, replied, "You wouldn't dare..." Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Folding her arms across her chest, Devi arched a fine brow at Jean's defiance. She stared at him stoically for a moment before smiling. Leaning down, she placed a hand on either shoulder and whispered in his ear. "You do know that I could easily push you off this bed, don't you?" she inquired, her tone as smug as the look on her face. Then, flashing him a sweet smile, Devi quickly placed a light peck on his nose before leaning back. "Suit yourself. I'll just go straighten up over there," she said, indicating some boxes beside the bed. |
Quote:
"You could push me onto the bed, too," he murmured, grinning deviously. "It's all just a matter of direction, really..." Quote:
Jean slid down beside the bed, resting on his knees. Casting Devi several nervous glances, he lifted the top mattress slightly before allowing it to sink slowly back down to its previous resting place, his face quite pale. "Damn..." Jean muttered, giving a low whistle. He glanced back at his father, gesturing with his hand for him to come over. "I think we need a box. Or a burning barrel." How the hell did I ever sleep on this thing...? |
Quote:
Quote:
"You really were holding out on me..." Jack frowned, sending Jean an accusing look. Sighing, he stood up and walked over to where Devi was with the boxes. Smiling, he inclined his head and took one, checking inside before dumping its contents into another beside it. Returning to the bed, he held it out for Jean and grinned. "Just throw them in here for now. I'll find a good place to hide--uh--store them." |
Quote:
After a few minutes, Emilia peered cautiously around the doorway, by which point Jean had finished cleaning out the magazines. When it became clear that there were no longer any undesirable items in sight, she stepped into the room, smoothing the wrinkles of her skirt in a fidgety manner. "Devi? Why don't I show you to your room now?" she said kindly. |
Quote:
A sudden apprehension watched over her. She knew better than to worry, but the the thought of being alone and waking up to an unfamiliar place unnerved her to no end. At least if she were with Jean, she'd have some sense of familiarity and comfort. "Uh...room...right. Okay...?" Devi replied hesitantly, glancing back at Jean in an almost pleading manner. Jack, completely oblivious to Devi's trepidation, walked over to his wife and questioned with a raise of his eyebrow, "Um...hun? Where's the lemonade?" |
Quote:
"... Erm... there's really no need for that, Mom..." Jean told her, a bewildered expression upon his face. "Me and Dev'll share my room." "Uh... no," Emilia said lightly. "After all, you're not married and-" "But we sleep together back in Central," he protested, feeling shocked that his mother was making such a big deal about the issue. He didn't want his mother to be angry at him for the rest of the visit, but he wasn't too keen on the idea of sleeping alone. "Well, this isn't Central. You're in our house now, Jean, and you will follow our rules. Right, Jack?" Emilia glared at her husband as if daring him to contradict her. Quote:
|
Quote:
"Uh...yeah. You heard your mother," Jack replied, somewhat frightened by his wife's change in attitude. He looked at Jean and mouthed the words 'Sorry Son', an apologetic expression crossing his face. There was really no arguing with her... At that moment, Devi felt all hope of changing Emilia's mind escape her. She sighed softly, slumping her shoulders in defeat as she looked over to Jean, feigning a pleasant smile. "It's alright. She has a point. Their house, their rules, right?" Quote:
|
Quote:
"Oh, don't look so gloomy," Emilia said brightly, her emotions doing a complete one-eighty. "Why don't we go downstairs with your father and have some of that lemonade? Plus..." She grinned broadly, her hands clasped together. "I made a pie! I'll show you your room later, dear," she added, glancing over at Devi before turning around and starting toward the stairs. |
Quote:
Devi arched a brow, looking slightly aghast, as she turned to Jean. His mother was turning out to be slightly more intimidating than she first thought. She inched over to him and, grabbing his hand in hers, leaned her head on his shoulder and murmured, "Okay...so I'm a little scared about sleeping tonight...Is she always like this?" |
Quote:
Stroking Devi's hair affectionately for a moment, he sighed heavily before saying, "We should probably get down there before she starts to get the wrong idea. Oh, and if she really did make the pie... don't eat it," he added seriously. |
Quote:
"Wrong idea?" Devi questioned, tilting her head back to look straight up at him. Then, furrowing her brow in confusion, she inquired, "And why shouldn't I eat the pie? Wouldn't that be rude? She did make it after all." |
Quote:
|
Quote:
"Seriously?" Devi gaped, quirking a brow. "It can't be that bad, can it?" Then she paused, realizing something. "How do you burn salad?" |
Quote:
|
Quote:
"Oh...well, thanks for the warning," Devi said, starting towards the door before turning back and grabbing his hand. Smirking, she narrowed her gaze and added, "C'mon, you. I'm not about to leave you alone in here with those magazines." She turned back around and tugged gently on his hand as she pulled him along behind her. |
Quote:
"Why would I need magazines when I've got the real thing?" he said with a cheeky grin, giving her hand a slight squeeze as he followed her down the stairs. The kitchen was built at the back of the house. Although there was a separate dining room, a smaller wooden table had been set up in the kitchen for more casual meals. Although Jack and Emilia were the only residents of the house now, it wasn't uncommon for family and friends to come over for a meal every so often. Emilia glanced up at them expectantly as they entered, a broad smile crossing her features. Several glasses of lemonade sat on the table, as well as a stack of small plates. Setting in the center as if it were placed in a position of honor was the pie. It looked delicious, with it's crust baked to golden-brown perfection, practically bursting with apples and spices. Jean took one look at it and immediately knew that his mother had not baked this pie. "So, Mom... this is the pie, huh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in his father's direction as if to say Seriously? |
Quote:
Devi looked at the pie longingly. It looked so tempting, so delicious, that Devi hoped with all heart that Jean was wrong about his mother's cooking skills. It was then that Jack inched over to the two and "inconspicuously" leaned over and whispered, "Don't worry. She bought it from the bakery down the street." |
| All times are GMT. The time now is 06:03 PM. |