(Dazzlings) Part 4: Ambitions

>You weren’t expecting such a level of attention, but your girls made it a point to show up as early as they can, often ending in Sonata falling asleep on you as the other two discuss school.

>And your boss made sure to always show up before for some time alone.

>”Hey, big man,” the taller woman sings as her heels clack against the tiling, sauntering to your side. “Doc says you’re getting out in a few days, right?”

“Supposedly,” you roll your eyes as you set down your water mug, wiping your mouth roughly as she leans down to kiss you. “Don’t know anything, for sure, though. Arm’s definitely out of commission for a while, given the three break points.”

>”Yeesh. They still not letting you walk around any?”

“Oh, hell no. I think it’s Remedy just being a pain since I “flaunt patient etiquette” or some other nonsense.”

>You sigh through your nose before a familiar weight rests itself on top of your head.

“Get your tits off me, Celly.”

>”Aw, you don’t like it?” she pouts. “You didn’t seem to mind the past week or so. Are you frustrated?”

“I need you to be serious here. I need your help.”

>”...With what?” she blinks in confusion.

“Flash woke up last night.”

>The sparkling, mischievous grin on her face fades.

“Kid’s pretty messed up,” you keep going. “Still in the full body cast, and he can’t even eat on his own. They’ve got him laid up as best they can, but he can’t take any real painkillers while his body’s so weak.”

>”What do you need?” she asks, her boss voice in full swing as she crosses her arms.

“I want to talk to him, and I want you to be there. He must feel like he’s hit rock bottom right now.”

>”You’re really not upset with him?”

>You take a moment to breathe.

“I don’t think he’d ever expect something like this to happen. I got to read the accident report - his brakes got shredded by road debris. We’re both lucky to still be here, honestly.”

>She stares at you, unflinching, before slowly nodding.

“Doc’ll demand I use a wheelchair. You wanna let her know-“

>”UNCLE ANON!”

>A body rockets into the room and onto your body, Sonata’s signature giddy giggling ringing in your ears as she binds your arm with both of hers.

>”Sure, wake up the whole goddamn block,” Adagio snorts as Aria and her follow, inspecting her nails.

>”Language!” Celestia hisses, still firmly planted in her school mood.

>”English,” the eldest niece deadpans as she comes to your good side, leaning over Sonata’s head and kissing you on the cheek. “Feel any better?”

“I should be out of here in a few days,” you inform her, all three of them perking up. “Arm’s still busted up good, but that’s just a matter of time.”

>”That’s good to hear,” Aria softly smiles as she idly rocks back and forth on her feet. “Nothing permanent, right?”

“For the fortieth time, no,” you laugh. “I’ll be fine.”

>You reach out and caress the middle child’s shoulder, sharing the quiet before clearing your throat.

“So, the other guy in the wreck woke up last night. You girls want to meet him?”

>”...Why would I want to do that?” Adagio mutters, a growling edge in her voice that makes you frown.

“Dagi, please.”

>”He almost killed you,” she glares. “I don’t want to-“

“Adagio.”

>Her words die off at your steel tone as you force yourself into a sitting position.

“His car couldn’t brake, and he did everything he could to slow down before he hit us. He’s eating through a tube right now with all of his limbs broken and bound up, and nobody’s come to see him. He needs a friend.”

>She refuses to look at you as she sighs.

>”I’m sure he didn’t want any of this to happen,” Aria speaks up, hands behind her back. “Maybe we can help him.”

>”HELP him?” the oldest sister balks. “How?”

>”By listening.”

>All of you swivel your heads to Celestia, the towering woman taking a deep breath.

>”Anon’s not asking you to dedicate yourself to him,” she continues, prying at Adagio’s mind expertly. “He just wants you to let go of your anger. It’s tough to not want to find someone to blame for all of this, but it’s not that simple. And it’s not healthy for you to hold onto it.”

>You can see her face shift subtly as a myriad of feelings worms through her head, before she closes her eyes and nods.

>”We’ve got you, sis,” Sonata softly smiles, hugging her.

>”...I know.”

——-

>The chair underneath you clatters noisily as your boss pushes you into the tight room, the cold aluminum backing causing your neck hair to rise as you look at him.

>What’s easily four times the machines you were hooked up to beep and whir in a hushed cacophony around the teenage boy, as his half-lidded eyes scan the strangers around him.

>”Can you hear me, Flash?” Celestia whispers as she leaves you, squatting down beside his bed. “It’s your principal, Celestia.”

>The boy wearily turns his head ever so slightly towards her, unable to even groan.

>”He’s aware of you,” Redheart days from behind you all. “But don’t think he can chat. His jaw’s still wired up.”

>The stale air pulls down on all of you as his labored breathing fills the room, one of the machines’ droning picking up for a moment before steadying.

>”We were all worried about you, Flash,” Celestia croons with a glowing smile. “But we’re really happy that you’re doing so well. I’m sure you’ll be out of here in no time.”

>Your girls all give grins of varying awkwardness as they stand to your right, trying as best they can.

>”You don’t have to worry about school - we’ll make sure you catch up as fast and as well as we can. I’ll even assign you a remedial tutor so you have one-on-one help,” she tries to continue, despite his barren, hollow stare.

>She looks over at you as if asking for help, lips tight as a minute of choking quiet follows.

>...Well, if that’s it-“ Redheart starts.

“Boy.”

>Your rumbling timbre cuts her off as the mummified teen weakly moves his eyes to meet yours.

“I know what you’re feeling.”

>All your nerves scream inside you, and fall silent as you collect your mind, a composed, simmering anger flowing through them.

“Your band split up. Your girlfriend broke it off with you. The football team’s lost every game this season. And now, your car’s totaled, and you’re wrapped up like a corpse, stuck here.”

>You can see your words pierce him as he shuts his eyes.

“From where you are, it must seem like the end of an eighteen-carat run of nothing but bad luck,” you continue. “Maybe you think you fucked up somewhere. Maybe you even think the game was rigged from the start.”

>Redheart doesn’t bother to scold you as you stand, looming over his bedside as your stare drills into his very soul.

“Life has a funny way of making you feel like shit sometimes. Trust me. But that’s not how it works.”

>You look over at your girls.

“Tear my shirt back.”

>”W-What-“

“Do it.”

>Aria merely swallows and reaches up to your back collar, prying and puncturing with her nails until the fabric rips and opens.

>Everyone soaks in the sight of your tattoo as you turn your back to Flash, the silver hound on your skin baring his teeth and claws in a feral snarl, as he readies to pounce.

“The game of life’s not like boxing,” you say, throat dry, voice deep and crackling. “The man who gets beat down, who gets bloodied and bruised - he’s not the loser.”

>You look over your shoulder at the boy.

“The guy who can’t tough it out to the end, he’s the one who loses.”

>Static charges the air around you as your brow furrows, free hand tightening into a fist.

“A tattoo’s nothing to me,” you growl. “Broken arm? A concussion? Couldn’t give less of a fuck. Long as I’m breathing, I’ll keep getting off the ground, no matter how bloody it is, or whoever put me there to start. Why?”

>Nobody dares to answer you, all of them having backed up to the wall away from you.

“There are no K.O.s in life, boy,” you finish. “Remember that.”

>Through the haze, through the mute and powerful intensity of your stare, you see something in his eyes come alight.

“I’ll be waiting for you on the outside.”

>And with that, you leave, not bothering to sit back down in the wheelchair as Redheart steps aside, your ruined shirt flapping behind you as you reach up and yank the rest off, the garment falling to the floor.

——-

>Two days later, you're nearly throwing yourself out of the car onto the pavement of your driveway as Hyun's truck ferries you up to the garage, killing the engine and watching to make sure you're steady.

>Your lawn's a tad overgrown, but you can deal with that later as Aria and Sonata stand on either side of you, helping you to the front porch and up the three stairs.

“I’ve missed you, door.”

>Hyun bites her tongue at your blissful expression as you caress the wooden entrance to your home, backing up to let her turn the key and slip inside.

>"We tried to keep everything in order," Adagio says as she follows the lot of you, taking seats on the couch and loveseat in the living room, your bulk accidentally sitting on her hair.

"Whoops," you chuckle, her sardonic frown adorable as she pouts and leans against you.

>"We couldn't figure out how to get the furnace filter changed, though," Sonata sheepishly admits on your other side, scratching her head. "That's not gonna cause any problems, right?"

“I’ll show you,” you brush it off. “Don’t mean to be pushy, but do we have anything in the fridge? I’m starving.”

>”They’ve been eating at my place,” Hyun informs you. “Getting them to and from school made it kinda necessary, given how late I get home.”

“What do I owe you for the food?”

>”Seriously?” she scoffs. “You’ve got enough to worry about already. Just let it be.”

>You don’t have time to thank her as she gets up, slings her purse over one shoulder, and steps out.

>”I’ll call you tomorrow,” she says as the door closes.

>”...Well then, I’m gonna get changed, and then see if I can cobble something together,” Adagio briskly says as she gets up. “Sonata, you get the laundry going. Aria, I need you to tidy up the bathroom.”

“I’ll help you get set-“

>”No no no, you aren’t,” she cuts you off, pushing you back onto the couch. “I don’t trust those muscle relaxers the doc put you on for a minute. You stay put.”

>You’re left alone as all three of them trot upstairs.

<><><>

“Breathe, Aria. We’ve got this.”

>The middle child shakily exhales as you close the bedroom door behind you, Sonata already unbuttoning her shirt.

>”Chill, girl. He already thinks you’re cute. Just gotta lay it on a little thicker,” she giggles. “I know I will.”

“Keep it in your pants, shrimp,” you roll your eyes. “We still have no idea if your little harebrained strategy’s gonna do anything.”

>”Oh, are you and your mosquito bites jealous?” she grins as she hoists her chest up, tongue stuck out at you.

“S-Shut up!”

>Aria bites her tongue with a smile at your furious blush as you hurriedly undress, reaching under the bed and pulling out a plastic bag.

>”You had the runners, right Ari?” Sonata asks, pulling a pair of scandalously high-up teal jogging shorts, barely any legging to be found.

>”Mm-hmm,” she murmurs, taking the garment and slipping into it, shivering. “Cold already.”

“I’ve got some leggings you can use in my top drawer,” you inform her as you rip open the package of tank tops, six bundles of multicolored cloth falling onto the bed.

>”Dibs on the black one!” Sonata shouts, scratching her head sheepishly as you shush her.

“You want him to run up here?” you hiss. “And where are the jeans?”

>”I went ahead and washed them,” Aria pipes up. “They should be in your dresser.”

>You dash over and pull open the bottom drawer, pink creeping into your cheeks as you look at them.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” you groan as you lay back on the bed, slipping your legs into the denim, pulling it up and hitching.

>”Need a little help?” Sonata asks.

“I can... get it,” you struggle out as you fight to get the waistband over your rear, eventually managing to hike it up to your hips.

>”God, you’re stubborn,” your little sister snorts, taking hold of the back and tanking hard, forcing a yelp out of you as they slide up to your waist.

“Why you little-“ you growl before stopping yourself.

>”Hey, it worked, didn’t it? Come on, get a top on! We can’t wait all day!” Sonata bags as she tugs the black one over her head.

>You scowl and comply, taking a green one and dressing your top half, shuffling a bit to get your hair through the neckhole.

>”...Can you even walk in those?” Aria cringes as you turn around, your gait tight and strict.

“I’ll break them in,” you wheeze. “This is why I sprung for the U-cut.”

>You look back at yourself in the mirror, inspecting the fabric.

“Not a bad look, though.”

>”I’ll say,” Sonata comments, laughing at your yip as she pinches one of your cheeks. “I’m not feeling this, though.”

>Her skirt stands out like a sore thumb against the cheap, casual look of the tank top.

>”Maybe some loose shorts?” Aria suggests.

>”I threw mine out. Old and ratty and whatnot,” she shrugs. “And these bra straps look so trashy, now that I think about it.”

“Oh, so NOW you’re thinking about this,” you drawl. “I should’ve known better than to trust you on-“

>”Idea!”

>Her blurted word leaves you hanging as she flings open the door and skips down the hallway, returning not a minute later clutching a piece of cloth.

>”...Ah,” Aria utters as Sonata pulls your uncle’s boxers over her panties, the loose piece barely holding to her hips.

“Oh good Lord.”

>”Aaaand I don’t think I’ll need this,” the youngest chirps as she reaches inside her shirt, pulling her bra out and tossing it on the bed. “You think he’ll see my nipples like this?”

“Yes, you twit.”

>”Nice,” she smiles. “You girls ready?”

>”I’m not sure about these socks, Dagi,” Aria blushes as she looks at her legs. “Aren’t these kinda... lewd?”

“You look fine,” you gripe, a vein pressing up on your forehead. “Thigh-highs are perfectly fine. Now, are we done playing dress-up, or do I-“

>”Girls?” Anon’s voice bellows up from downstairs. “Everything okay up there? It’s awfully quiet.”

>”Girl stuff! We’ll be down in a minute!” Sonata shouts back.

>”Aight!”

>”Ready to knock him out?” she grins at you and Aria.”

>You pinch the bridge of your nose and sigh.

“Why do I keep letting you have ideas?”

<><><>

>Your gut bubbles and troubles inside of you as you intently stare at the staircase.

“Did they really let that much laundry pile up?” you grumble under your breath. “Swear to God, the moment I’m not looking...”

>Clicking your tongue, you move to try and get up, stopped by the pattering of bare feet against the stairs as they scurry back down, splintering off as they hit the landing.

“Hmm. Pretty fast cleaners, aren’t ya?” you muse to Aria as she sits down next to you.

>”Adagio helped me,” she responds, not looking you in the eye. “She’s getting dinner ready now.”

“And why aren’t you helping her?” you pry, her body language a dead giveaway for some sort of secret. “Seems rather rude of you.”

>”...I’d get in the way,” she mutters. “I don’t know anything about cooking.”

“After all the times I’ve made dinner, you never picked anything up?”

>She shakes her head vigorously.

“...Look, Aria. What’s going on? You’re obviously hiding something.”

>Her anxiety is almost tangible as she hunkers down, shoulders taut and hands clasped.

“What did I say about honesty?”

>You grunt as she suddenly throws herself onto you, narrowly managing to keep your left side from slamming against the armrest as she wraps both arms around you, eyes moist.

>”I... I was scared,” she confesses, head buried in your chest. “I tried to keep quiet, but seeing you like this is...”

>You hear her gulp as she looks up as you.

>”Can I just stay here? I... please?”

>Wordlessly, you reach out and pull your throw blanket off the back of the couch, draping it over the two of you as you grasp the small of her back gently.

“Next time you wanna cuddle, just ask, sweet pea,” you tease. “I don’t mind one bit.”

>She doesn’t respond, eyes closed as her hands come to rest on your sides, sighing in relief.

>You watch her body slowly unwind over the next few minutes, rubbing her shoulder as you look over her outfit.

“Did you get new clothes?”

>”U-Um, yeah,” she responds, blushing slightly. “All of us put what didn’t fit anymore in one big bag and left it at the local shelter. We needed some new stuff afterwards.”

“They look nice. I really like the stockings,” you compliment her, giggling as her ears turn scarlet. “I’m happy to see you not wearing jeans every day.”

>Mortified, she tries to look away from you, only for your hand to come up to the back of her neck and start tickling her.

>”Hey! Cut it- cut it ouuu-“ she stammers before collapsing into a giggling fit, halfheartedly batting your fingers away even as she moves higher up on you, almost sitting in your lap.

“I didn’t even know you were ticklish,” you grin. “This gives me... ideas.”

>You let up on the assault to give her time to breathe, laughing as she painlessly smacks your chest in annoyance.

>”...I’m just glad you’re home now,” she sighs, kissing your cheek and tucking her head beneath yours.

“Me too. Hey, you down for some-“

>The words die halfway as you realize your current impediment’s consequences.

>”We can’t really do any Kekken, can we?” she chuckles. “It’s okay, we can just watch TV or something.”

“Good luck finding the remote,” you scoff. “Tiny bloody thing wanders off on its own al-MMMMMMMPH!”

>”You doing okay, Uncle Nonny?” Sonata chimes as she appears seemingly out of nowhere, two hands clasping your head and ramming it firmly into her chest. “Those pills Doc gave ya aren’t doing anything weird, right?”

“MMMMMMMMMMPH-“

>”Oh, I can’t tell you how lonely it’s been with you gone!” she bemoans, rocking from side to side. “It’s too quiet, it’s too stale, the bed is so cold - it’s just been awful!”

>Your hand blindly reaches up, desperate for some sort of leverage to escape your dark, pillowy prison, and grabs hold of something soft.

>Very soft.

>A low moan escapes her, and you finally wrench your head free, immediately breaking down.

“I am SO sorry, Sonata!” you yell. “I didn’t mean-“

>”Oh quit yer worrying,” she laughs. “They’re just boobs.”

>The guilty half-chub in your pants says otherwise as you look at her, her nipples clearly visible through the thin cloth of her tank top as she idly twirls her hair.

>”Like the new threads?” she smiles, spinning on one foot for you. “We just wanted something simple for around the house since all our old tops were, well, old and whatnot.”

“Wait, are those my boxers?”

>”Uh, yeah! They’re super comfy, and you’ve got like 15 pairs. Thought I could save some money like you always keep yammerin’ on about, you know?”

“And I didn’t need to know about you pilfering my drawers?” you sternly ask.

>”I like, just told you,” she replies. “You wouldn’t want this cute lil’ tush getting cold, would you?”

>Wiggling her rear at you, you roll your eyes as she snickers.

“Where did you girls even get money for clothes?” you press.

>”I got it.”

>You look over to see Adagio in the foyer, arms crossed.

>”I’ve been doing some tutoring during free periods for students,” she explains. “It helped me keep busy during all of this.”

“You know charging for that’s grounds for suspension, right?”

>”...No, actually,” she mutters. “Either way, it’s fine now. You holding up okay?”

“For the forth-third time, YES,” you groan. “Just, please tell me next time!”

>”What, I just made a little money, that’s all,” she shrugs.

“And it was ONLY through tutoring?” you grill her. “Nothing else at all?”

>She glares at you for a moment before picking up the implication, her face softening as she approaches you.

>”It was only the tutoring,” she repeats back to you. “Nothing shady.”

"If you're lying to me-"

>"I've been with Hyun or at school every day for almost three weeks," she cuts you off, unfolding her arms. "You really think she wouldn't catch on if I was getting into trouble?"

>You force yourself to chill out, lest your grip end up hurting Aria as she clings to you, idly humming.

"I have to be sure, Adagio," you breathe. "I know you understand the feeling."

>"You... yeah, I guess I do," she admits. "You wanna call her?"

"No," you choke out after a moment. "After all this, I think you deserve some trust."

>Part of you is screaming, but the small smile she gives you helps you tamp that voice down.

>"Help him up," Adagio commands. "I need his taste buds."

>A grunt escapes you as Aria slides off your lap and offers a hand, dizzy as her and Sonata pull you off the sofa and steady you.

>You don't see Sonata mouthing something to Adagio, before she stops and looks back to you, cheeks red.

>"Can I ask you a weird question, Anon?" she asks.

"Um, I guess?"

>"Do... Do these jeans make me look weird?"

>A bead of sweat immediately pops out of your forehead as you slowly look down, her hips twisting slightly.

"Do those even fit?" you murmur, not entirely aware of your own words.

>"I'm breaking them in," she nonchalantly replies, putting a hand on her rear and bending over slightly. "They didn't quite have my size, so I'm making it work."

>Her words are a colossal understatement as you dig your nails into your palms, her rear practically bursting out of the denim as she pinches and pulls here and there, shifting cloth and flesh alike.

"I don't see any strained seams or bunching," you try to respond.

>"Good. I wanted to get a second set of eyes on it-THEM," she blurts.

>As she briskly walks away, you look to the other two for some sort of clarity, thoroughly frazzled.

>"I don't think she's used to wearing a designer brand," Aria pipes up with a shrug. "She's always been self-conscious about this kind of stuff."

>You shake your head in a vain attempt to clear it as you enter the kitchen, eyes immediately locking back onto Adagio as she stirs some unknown liquid in a pot.

>"You okay, Uncle Anon?" you seem distracted," Sonata prods you.

"I, uh, I'm just kinda getting used to being back in the house again, that's all," you play it off, even as you ogle your niece.

>"Ah, I get ya. You want your usual seat?"

>She doesn't let you answer as she pushes you into the head seat with a hand, smiling intently at you.

>"God, you're tense. I can feel it just from a touch. Was the hospital bed really that bad?"

"It wasn't exactly a luxury," you chuckle.

>"...Ooh, I know! Lean over!"

>You give her a quizzical look before complying, bending over a little and shivering as her cool fingers press into your back, kneading and sliding.

>"I'm not really an expert, but you've got some really bad knots," she comments. "Here, turn. I can't really get a good angle from here."

>Rotating yourself in the chair, Sonata puts her hands on your shoulders, now inches from you as she digs in, her breasts pressed against you fully.

>"You're so big," she croons, as you become uncomfortably aware of the weight on your back. "And rock-hard, too. I don't think I've ever seen you work out before, either. What are you doing?"

"A lot of pushups and squats," you reply, trying to concentrate on a particular speck in the marbling of the countertop. "It's just maintenance, though. I haven't tried to make any gains in a few years."

>"You think you could show me a few... tips?" she giggles, her breath nearly in your ear.

"S-Sure."

>"Great! Oh, but I'll need a sports bra. Those things are kinda pricey. You don't mind, right?"

"No problem at all."

>Aria looks at the two of you with a blank stare, a hand to her mouth as her saucer-wide eyes blink.

>"Feeling better?" Sonata asks as you roll your good shoulder.

"...Yeah, actually. I was worried you were going to mess up the cast somehow, but I feel pretty spry."

>"Just ask me anytime you need some relief," she purrs, kissing you on the cheek and winking. "Soup ready yet, Dagi?"

>"When one of you quits standing around and starts chopping, it will be!" the eldest sister snaps. "Are you done goofing off yet?"

>Whilst your nieces busy themselves with meal prep, you glance down at your tight trousers and sigh.

>You really need to get out more.

---

>After shocking your nieces by gulping down five bowls of under-salted tomato stew, you loom to the clock, the beady hands above the dining table reading half past nine.

“You girls mind if I hit the sack early? Doc said at least nine hours a night,” you say, scratching the side of your head.

>”That sounds like a good idea,” Adagio responds from the stove, not looking at you as she pours the leftovers into a bowl and sets the pot in the sink, flicking the tap on. “Do you need help getting clean?”

“I just need a sponge,” you shrug. “Nurse did it enough times that I think I can manage.”

>Sonata purses her lips as she stands up, stretching with a yawn and making a casual beeline for the stairs.

>”So, are we gonna have to catch up on the after-school stuff?” Aria pipes up from her spot, tapping her index fingers together.

“You’re far ahead enough that it’s not really going to be a problem. We’ll probably stay late the first few nights, though.”

>All three of them groan, and you laugh as you exit the kitchen, already wrestling your tank top off and over your cast as you enter the bathroom.

“Son of a bitch,” you grumble to yourself as you yank the cloth off, wincing. “Aria, can you get the spare loofah out of my bathroom?”

>No response follows, and you roll your eyes as you let your sweatpants fall, kicking them away as you hook a finger in the band of your sock and pull down, repeating the motion for the other.

“Aria!”

>”I heard you,” the middle girl murmurs as she pulls the bathroom door open, a foldable stool tucked under her arm as she barges in.

“What are you doing-“

>”Sorry!” she cuts you off bluntly. “You need someone to wash your back, right?”

“I can take care of that myself,” you protest.

>”A-Are you sure? I know your skin gets really oily if it’s not thorough,” she mutters, rocking on the balls of her feet as she sets the stool down. “I just want to help.”

>You let your modesty simmer down as she looks at you with a hopeful gaze, head tilted down as she puts her hands behind her back.

“Fine,” you surrender, unfolding the plastic stand and setting it in the bathtub, your stocky bulk parking itself on top.

>Facing the faucet, you hear rustling behind you for a few seconds before a slender arm reaches over your shoulder and turns the water to warm, a small blue bucket following.

>”The green bar, right?”

>You grunt in reply as your cheeks tint themselves red in frustration, the bucket disappearing from view as the sound of dipping rings out.

>The muscles in your back unwind as the warm, wet sensation of the loofah drags across the surface, the froth bubbling up as she slowly works up to your shoulders and neck.

>”I don’t have to worry about the tattoo, do I?”

“No. It doesn’t care, really.”

>”It’s kind of scary to look at,” she idly comments to herself as her fingers move back down to your sides, pulling dead skin and dirt off your abdomen before diving for your lower back.

>A question rears itself in your mind and slips out before you can catch it.

“Am I scary?”

>Her motions stop cold at your words, the idle dripping of water from the nylon bunch in her grasp the only sound.

>After ten seconds of screaming silence, she goes back to cleaning you.

>All higher thought stops in your brain, the implications scurrying through it by the thousands.

>Locked up and made prisoner in your mind, you barely notice her hands wandering to other parts of your body, the shower sponge traveling across your legs as she evenly scrubs your skin.

>Her tender, firm touch registers on you as she swings her body around to face you, shirt wet and stockings gone as she lifts up each arm to clean.

>Your frazzled being stirs somewhat back into place as she opens her mouth.

>”Yes, sometimes.”

>Cupping your jaw in her hands, she gives you a beaming, radiant smile, a kind you’d never seen from her before.

>”But even when you are, I don’t feel scared,” she nearly whispers, one finger wrapped in nylon gently wiping at your face. “I don’t really know why, but the only thing I can feel around you is... safe.”

>As if breaking a curse, she leans forward and pecks you on the lips, hoisting you out of your semi-trance.

>”I think that’s part of why I love you, Dad.”

“...I love you, too,” you barely eke out as you reach out and take her in your arms, the girl moving to rest on her knees as she returns the embrace. “I’m sorry for asking a question like that.”

>”Don’t be,” she mutters, looking up at you with a beacon of a grin.

“...You know, you look good when you smile like that,” you chuckle.

>She blushes and wedges her head beneath yours, before sniffing.

>”Yeah, you do still kinda smell,” she snickers.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll take care of the rest,” you drawl. “Go ahead and get changed for bed if you want, I guess. You don’t have to sleep when I do.”

<><><>

>God, you’re so dirty.

>You can’t seem to care as you take another whiff of his tank top, the musk sending fire down your spine as your fingers rub yourself fast and hard.

>The feeling of his hand on your chest is still lingering as your ass sticks up in the air, face shoved into his pillow as you moan like a whore.

>Why does he always have to leave you on the edge like this?

>With his body, and smile, and cute looks on his face when you tease him-

>You stuff a fistful of his shirt in your mouth to stifle a cry as climax hits you, soaking your hand while the other pinches one thick nipple.

>All of you slumps down to the bed, your ragged breathing echoing in the room as you bring your wet fingers to your mouth and lick, the salty taste sending lewd fantasies through your horny head about him.

>Face flushed and legs quivering, you turn over and slide off the bed as best you can, hurriedly grabbing a towel out of the hamper and wiping yourself off as best you can, tugging your black panties back over and pulling your top down.

“I can’t keep doing this,” you mutter to yourself as you hear his thudding footsteps down the hall, frantically bending down and pretending to sort laundry as his frame comes into view.

>”Oh hey Sonata,” he casually says as he notices you. “I thought you already got all the laundry sorted for tonight?”

“I... got distracted.”

>An understatement.

>He cocks one brow and stares at you for a moment, before shrugging and dropping his towel in the hamper.

>Stretching, he lets out a rumbling groan, giving you a front-row seat as his free arm flexes and moves, your hot body already beginning to ache again.

>You bite your lower lip and wring the pair of sweatpants you’re holding as he bends down, bulky, shapely thighs and calves calling out to you.

>”What? Something on my face?” he puzzles as he looks behind him at your starstruck expression.

“N-No! I’m... just tired, that’s all,” you stammer, even as you anxiously rub your legs together.

>The coil in your lower abdomen is already tightening again as he stands back up and walks over to you, wordlessly hooking his free hand under your arm and pulling you up.

>”Are you sure you’re okay? You seem kinda hot,” he asks, putting his wrist on your forehead to check for fever.

>Shocks light up across you at his touch, and the burning feeling in your groin intensifies.

“I was doing some calisthenics before I came in here,” you lie through your teeth, even as your hands wander to his sides. “Supposed to help you sleep better.”

>”If you say so,” he rolls his eyes. “But you should hit the sack. You’re having to hold on to me just to stand.”

>It’s all too tempting to dive for his boxers right here and now, but you restrain yourself, merely nodding and wandering over to the bed.

<><><>

>Although your youngest niece’s attitude has you puzzled, your curiosity fades to nothing as you pull back your bed covers, carefully sliding onto the mattress and grabbing the headboard for support.

>”You good?”

“Yeah,” you mutter. “Just gotta be careful. Grab some of the extra pillows, would you? I can’t sleep lying flat for a while.”

>Sonata grunts and flops one arm over the side, tossing a spare onto your lap with a casual fling.

“Thanks, I guess,” you reply, her fidgeting still going on as she turns her back to you. “Your sure you’re alright?”

>”She’s just been having trouble getting to sleep lately.”

>You whip your head to the left at Adagio as she enters, Aria slowly following her, both of them holding a pillow of their own.

>”We all have, really,” she continues, tossing her cushion right next to you and flicking Sonata in the ear, the littlest sister growling and scooting over.

“Why are you-“

>”In here? Because I know how much you turn in your sleep, and I don’t need you hurting yourself again,” she cuts you off. “Besides, it’s too cold in our room.”

“...Oh fuck it. Too late to be arguing about this,” you sigh as Aria slides her shorts off, your vision immediately snapping to the ceiling just as a glimpse of gray waistband comes into view.

>”Prude,” Sonata teases.

“You be quiet.”

>Aria blinks at you in confusion as she climbs over the foot of the bed, reaching the top and sliding down under the blankets next to you.

>”Sorry if it’s a bit cramped,” she murmurs, leaning into your good side with a mild pout. “I can sleep on the floor if you want. I don’t mind.”

“C’mere, you,” you grin, wrapping your arm around her and hoisting her over onto your body. “See? Plenty of room.”

>”So NOW you’re fine with it.”

“I thought I told you to be quiet.”

>Aria giggles as she rests her head on your chest with a sigh.

>”I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, sweet pea.”

>Sonata growls beside you as she scuttles over, jamming her head under your arm and popping up in the crook, pouting with a blush.

"God, you're spoiled."

>"I learned it by watching you," she deadpans as she props herself up on the pillow, kissing you on the cheek. "I love you, Uncle Anon."

>A part of you deflates as you hear "Uncle", but you shake it off as she relaxes, already beginning to snore.

"Dagi, turn the lights off, please."

>The eldest girl reaches down without looking and grabs one of your shoes, slinging it over the bed and hitting the switch dead-on as she noncommittally grunts.

"...Okay."

>You hear her snicker in the pitch black, her voice fading as Aria squirms on top of you.

"Something wrong?"

>"I forgot something."

>You blink twice as the unmistakable feeling of lips touch yours, a soft pressure on your face for a few seconds before she pulls away.

>"I love you, Dad."

"Didn't you just say that?"

>"I wanted to say it again."

>A whole bouquet blooms inside you as you can just barely make out her serene smile in the dim glow of the nightlight, her slender hands on your chest as she closes her eyes.

>You take slow breaths to calm yourself as you try to doze, cradling her close to you, until your consciousness surrenders to sleep.

---

>Two weeks come and go in a blur of headaches and paperwork, your brain stretched like molten rock over the Roman countryside between yanking every last penny you can out of your insurance provider for your totaled car, and Hyun ferrying you all over town to various dealerships in search of a new one.

>The girls refuse to sleep in their room, crawling around and on top of you every night, a body serving as your blanket as even more pillows are dragged in to account for the extra weight.

>With your second job reduced to near-nothing on account of your injury, most of the meals are basic, your supervision usually required as Adagio threatens to burn the house down twice a day.

>Scalding, life-giving tea passes over your tongue as you kill the last of your breakfast, letting out a guttural groan as you stand and stretch.

>Out of the corner of your eye, it stares at you.

>You turn to the window of your living room, the foreign entity in your driveway mocking you with its red hue and LED lights as the morning sun glints off the roof.

>"Are you still upset about that thing?" Sonata asks from her spot on the loveseat, thumbs rapidly moving across her phone screen. "It's not like the old one was worth repairing."

"They wouldn't even let me drive it off the lot," you grumble, setting down your mug as you glare at the infernal machine.

>"Oooooh, the horror."

"Don't get smart with me, squirt," you snip. "That old car was your grandfather's."

>She scoffs, before sitting up straight as your words sink in.

>"...What happened with him?" She tentatively asks.

>Turning around to face her, she shirks at you intense stare.

"I don't want to talk about it."

>"O-Okay," she stammers, her phone chirping at her as you take the dirty mug to the kitchen, setting it in the sink.

"You two ready?" you holler up the stairs. "Come on, I've had this thing on long enough!"

>"Gimme a damn minute!" Adagio shouts back down from the other side of the house.

>Your eyes furrow as your storm up to the second floor, nightmares of earthquakes and wild dogs having deprived you of both rest and patience last night as your heavy footfalls echo down the hallway.

"I didn't ask for sass, Dagi-" you bark as you open her bedroom door, the girl in question hunched over the desk as she whips her head back towards you, eyes manic. "...What's wrong?"

>Several emotions roll over her face for a few seconds before she sighs, standing up with a piece of paper in her hands.

>"I wanted to..." she trails off, haphazardly shoving what you now recognize as a card into your chest. "Just read it."

>Your fumbling hand manages to grab hold of the cardstock as you open it up, the blank green cover giving way to soft, off-white parchment, her handwriting covering both halves.

>'It's been six months since I met you. It doesn't feel like that at all, though. Sometimes I can't sleep, and I think about my life before all of this happened. Every time I do, I find it hard to not put you somewhere in the picture, even though I know that's not right. And when I let it happen, those bad memories bleed away, like none of them are important anymore. I'm still sorting out what all of it means, and I'm not very good with my words, so this is the next best thing, I guess. But I wanted to say thank you. For being here. For not running away when everyone else did.

>'Love you,

>'-Dagi.'

>Paralyzed, your eyes scan the words once, twice, thrice as she looks at you, face red and fingers twiddling.

>"You know I'm not the best with my words, so-"

>Her words are violently cut off as her voice breaks you out of your trance, your body lurching forward and scooping her up in a crushing hug, murmuring nonsense and peppering her forehead with kisses.

>"...Hurting..." she squeaks out, beating your chest weakly with her trapped hands.

>Instincts force you to remove the lock, holding her by the shoulder as she frantically gasps for air, coughing violently.

>"What the hell?" she yells at you.

"I got... emotional," you mutter, mortified at yourself as she finds her bearings, pushing your hand off her. "Sorry."

>With an exasperated sigh, Adagio crosses her arms, a vein visible on her forehead even as her cheeks darken.

>"I wanted to give that to you later," she says. "I know you're still upset about losing the car, so I thought you could use a shot in the arm."

"Well, you weren't wrong," you chuckle after a second, both of you lightening up a bit. "I'll get over it eventually. Old thing barely started last winter, anyways. Probably for the best."

>Your vision trails to the floor before being filled with orange as she suddenly steps forward, kissing you softly and backing away.

>"I meant all of it."

>A smile comes to you.

"I know you did, hun. Thank you. I shouldn't have been so cross with you."

>"It's alright. You're just impatient to get that dirty thing off of you, right?"

"Oh, you have NO idea!" you swell. "I can feel every bit of it wiggling around, and it's torture!"

>"I'll go get Ari out of the bathroom, then," Adagio laughs. "She's so damn picky about getting her tails just the way she wants."

"Please do. I can feel my fingers itching more by the moment."

<><><>

>"FINALLY!"

>You hold back a laugh as your uncle's booming warcry echoes thrice off the sterile walls of the patient room, the stocky man flexing his mended arm with his signature mix of pride, bravado and cheesiness.

>"It's been too damn long!" he giggles maniacally, immediately striking a bodybuilder's pose that makes the nurse blush, her soft pink bun of hair popping a few strings loose.

>"Please try not to wake up the whole floor," she chastises him. "We've got a lot of people just trying to rest, you know."

>"Yeah, yeah, save the chiding for confessional," he brushes her off, Hyun casually watching from the doorway. "I've got a hot, spicy date with my cutting board the moment we get home! I hope you kept the truck running, Hyun - I can't wait any longer!"

"Oh, calm down," you roll your eyes. "We already used up most of everything in the fridge, anyways. No cheese, milk or veggies left."

>"Not even my special salad mozzarella?" he gasps, whipping his head over to stare you down.

"That was gone a week ago, dummy."

>All of you laugh as he lets out something between a squeal and a groan, clutching the sides of his skull as he launches into a tirade about the importance of good ingredients, your now-trained ears tuning him out.

"Anyways," you continue over his bleating, twirling some of your poof on one finger, "Is he cleared for work yet?"

>"He can start anytime next week," Redheart informs the lot of you, writing meticulously on her clipboard. "He just needs to make sure that arm gets its flexibility back, unless he wants it to be sore."

>"Oh, that won't be a problem," Anon smiles, turning his back to all of you and easily touching the middle of it with both hands. "I was voted most athletic in high-"

>His voice cracks and stops as he clutches his left shoulder, the cramp's discomfort evident on his face as he tries not to howl.

"Idiot."

>"That's MR. Idiot to you, twerp," he growls past the pain. "I wasn't kidding about not waiting, you know."

>Your sisters share an amused look as the lot of you trickle out of the exam room, Redheart jogging to catch up to him and pass him some papers you can't make out.

"So, Hyun," you begin, grabbing your neighbor's attention, “Isn’t that big evaluation he has to do coming up? You mentioned it a while ago.”

>”Oh, that? I already took care of it,” she shrugs as the lot of you like into an elevator, the streets below visible through the thick glass.

>”Can you do that?” Aria asks, cocking one eyebrow. “I thought you were gonna cross-examine him or something.”

>”Um, I’m right here you know-“

>”Well, if you want the honest answer,” she cuts him off, “I think we all know how it would turn out anyways.”

>As if on cue, Sonata snuggles into his side, head tucked under his as she smiles.

>”Yeah, you’re probably right,” she mumbles.

>”You can take a nap when we get home, squirt,” Anon chuckles as you exit the elevator, the smell of medicine leaving your nostrils in favor of regular air as you weave through the labyrinth of corridors.

>”Not sure how I feel about you bending the rules,” your uncle admits, scratching his neck.

>”Would you prefer I grill you for three hours?” Hyun drolls. “I thought you’d never give me a chance to make you sweat so easily.”

>”Well,” he shrugs as the main lobby comes into view, “It might be nice to know how well I’m doing, you know?”

>The older woman blinks before smirking, one hand on her hip as she rolls her eyes.

>”The fact that you’re asking that kind of question should tell you a lot, you lummox,” she sighs. “What did you tell me every day back when we were in the dorms?”

>”No free refills?”

>”No, the other thing.”

>”Patrolling the Mojave almost-”

>”No, the OTHER thing.”

>His face goes blank for a good ten seconds, rusted gears in the back of his brain spurring to life.

>...Don’t overthink it?”

>”That’s the one,” she quips, shaking a finger. “Now take your own advice for once.”

“You two done?” you deadpan.

>”Alright, alright, I get the message,” Anon groans, taking the last steps two at a time down to the main lobby. “God forbid I want a litmus test for the most important part of my life.”

“Don’t say it like that,” you blush.

>”D’aww, I love you too, hun,” he laughs, kissing you on the forehead.

>You stew in your embarrassment for a few seconds, until your handsome tormentor’s voice booms out across the whole landing.

>”FLASH, MY BOY!” he hollers, the boy in question flinching in his wheelchair from his spot by the front desk as Anon approaches, parting a sea of startled onlookers with his broad form.

>”Oh, hi Mr. Poster,” he shirks, avoiding eye contact, your uncle looming over him with an uncanny smile. “I-I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

>”Oh, I’m fine!” Anon scoffs, slamming one hand down onto Flash’s shoulder, “But what about you? Get any numbers from some cute nurses yet?”

>You struggle not to laugh at the utter terror on Flash’s face.

>”And who are you?” a new voice interjects, belonging to a lanky man with a cross glare as he folds his arms, weakly attempting to stare your uncle down.

>”Oh, me?” Anon responds, one finger on his chest in mock surprise. “Nobody really. I just got T-boned by your son about five weeks ago.”

>”...Oh,” the man gasps, his complexion matching his son’s as he realizes just how much weight this stranger has on him.

>”I just wanted to let champ here know that he’ll be starting his makeup classes with me in a few weeks, now that he’s cleared for release,” Anon continues. “We’ve got a LOT to cover before winter break, don’t we?”

>Flash locks his eyes with the ground, visibly tense.

>”Well, that’s all. Ciao!”

>The lot of you stumble to catch up with your uncle as he abruptly turns on one heel and heads for the exit.

“Where the hell did that come from?” you bluster as you manage to match steps with him, the brisk chill of the parking lot hitting you unforgivingly.

>”Oh, just the usual places,” he giggles, an absolute shit-eating grin on his face as he clasps his arms behind him. "The older you get, the more fun teasing the spring chickens gets."

>The eyeroll comes naturally to you.

“Can you please not embarrass me in public any more than you do already?” you nag, hands on your hips as you stop. “It’s bad enough with your-“

>You scream as one thick arm sweeps you at the knees, falling into his grip bridal-style as your sisters snicker.

>”I’m sorry princess, could you repeat that? Didn’t catch you the first time.”

>The sound of camera shutters go off beside you as Sonata documents your beet-red face.

“Asshole.”

>”Love you too, hunny bun,” he coos, smooching your cheek.

<><><>

"You want to do WHAT?"

>A thick, almost semi-solid bead of sweat runs down your face as you process Adagio's words, almost forgetting to turn off your blinker as you change lanes on the highway.

>"Most of our friends are on the same bus route we would be on," the young woman in question shrugs. "I don't see the problem now that our makeup classes are gonna be over."

"You still haven't passed them yet," you retort, brow furrowed as Hyun calmly observes you from the shotgun seat. "And why now? You only had them on two days of the week, so I fail to see why you didn't ask earlier."

>"We were studying, uh-duh," Sonata giggles from behind you as you pull off the interstate exit towards the south end of town. "Remember the big talk we had back when we asked about the sleepover?"

"Don't remind me," you snort, throat turning dry at the memory of her cruel bluntness about the ordeal. "Do you know when you'd be getting home?"

>"About 4, looks like," Adagio replies, not bothering to look at you in the rearview mirror as she checks her nails. “And since you’re still giving Flash classes, I see little reason to lounge around for three hours when we have a grand total of four grades between us that aren’t A’s.”

“And you just had to bring this up as we pull into the parking lot, of course,” you grunt as you park, the first of the morning buses just beginning to roll in. “Let me think about it.”

>Getting out of the car, two familiar faces greet you from the sidewalk.

“Hey, boss woman,” you rumble as you stretch, rolling your column of a neck with a loud series of pops. “Been a while, huh?”

>Your yawn is violently cut short as Celestia takes three long strides forward, grasping the back of your head and slamming her lips into yours.

>Adagio’s eye twitches.

“...uh, you okay?” you stammer as you pull back, a strong strand of saliva connecting you two for a few seconds as Luna disinterestedly inspects her nails.

>”Am I not allowed to greet my man?” she snickers, one eye over your shoulder as she stares your nieces down. “I’ve been worried sick about you, you know.”

“Hmm, yes, very professional,” you mock muse to yourself, arms crossed in a Thinker’s pose as you give her a small, smartass smile. “Does she do this often, Loony?”

>”I told you not to call me that!” the more slender of the two hisses, pale face immediately flushing scarlet as she looks at her heels.

“You know I’m never letting you live that day at the fair down, right?” you grin, blissfully unaware of the three roiling cauldrons of teenage jealousy ready to bubble over behind you. “I hope you got that new office chair in while I was gone.”

>A sudden weight threatens to pull you off-balance as Sonata and Aria each take one of your arms in an aggressive hold, looking up at you.

>"Can we move? It's freezing," Sonata shudders.

>You sigh and indulge her as you walk up the slope to the front doors, the gaggle of women around you drawing a few befuddled looks from students, before realizing who you are and rapidly finding something to occupy them.

"Forgot how bitter it smells in here," you mutter as the air of the lobby hits you, making a beeline for your office before being interrupted.

>"Mr. Poster!" Pinkie's shrill voice assaults you as the girl in question suddenly blocks your path, pupils shrunk to periods. "Are you okay? Is you arm stiff? Was the crash scary and the hospital really cold and empty and how did you get here if your car was so busted up like i saw in the paper and-"

>Your thick hand drops down on the yammering little maelstrom's head, silencing her like an alarm clock as she goes stock stiff, frozen in place.

>"I'll need to remember that trick next time we study," Rarity giggles as the rest of your nieces' friends come up beside Pinkie, the rainbow-maned one poking her hyper friend's face in confusion. "But please allow me to be the first to welcome you back, Mr. Poster."

>An amused snort escapes you at her curtsy, taking your hand off Pinkie's head and rolling your eyes as she gasps for air, heaving as she drops to one knee.

"...Were you actually holding your breath?"

>"Yep!" she chirps. "My record's eight minutes on the dot!"

"That explains a lot," you deadpan, Aria audibly trying not to laugh behind you. Hey, don't be rude, Ari."

"Sorry," she mumbles.

"Anyways, none of you would happen to know where Flash is, would you?" you ask, scanning the cafeteria floor just off to the left of the landing through the open doors. "I'd like to remind him of his makeup classes."

>"Oh, you don't have to worry about that-"

"I insist," you cut Celestia off, the taller woman frowning.

>"...Alright, then. I'll see you in the office. We do have a few things of our own to... discuss," she replies, dragging the last word out as she locks eyes with your eldest niece.

>As the sisters walk off, Twilight clears her throat.

>"He's sitting at our table, actually," she informs you. "I'll show you."

>Descending down into the seating area of the lunchroom, much of the chattering dies down at your presence, replaced by a cavalcade of whispering as you cross the myriad maze of tables, the student body's expressions ranging from outright fear to nail-biting excitement.

>"You really think he beat the shit out of Tiara?"

>"I heard him and the principal are banging every night of the week."

>"Yeah, he looks scary, but he's a total wuss. Hugs all of his daughters every chance he can get."

>"He's an ex-Jackal, from what people are saying."

>You push the boredom-fueled squabbling out of your head as you finally catch sight of him, up near the top of the hall, next to the ramp leading to the offices.

>And... Cadance?

"Morning, hun," you drawl as the guidance counselor turns up to look at you, a wide smile blooming across her face as Flash shirks, trying to conceal himself in his phone. "Wow, she's still not done yet?"

>"Doc says she's due in two weeks, as a matter of fact," she smirks, arms folded proudly as all the girls that had followed you file into their seats, the table now nearly at capacity. "And I told you to stop calling me hun!"

"Force of habit, hun," you snicker, crashing your bulky frame down at the end of the table across from her. "Oi, Flash! We're on for today at 3:30 sharp, remember?"

>The boy merely shrugs, not even deigning to look up from his phone.

>You grimace and knot one hand into a fist, slamming it down onto the table with enough oomph to echo, the sound jolting him up in his seat.

"I'm not playing this pity party game with you, boy," you bark. "Get that Swifter mop you call a head out of your rear before it gets stuck up there. Now, we're on for 3:30, RIGHT?"

>"Y-Yes, sir," he stammers, pocketing the device promptly as you uncoil your shoulders.

"That's better. You're not going to get anywhere acting like a pigpen trough," you say, head held high as Sonata recognizes the first signs of your entry into a lecture. "So help me God, the last thing-"

>"Oh, hey, Wallflower!" the youngest of your children pipes up, waving down an unfamiliar girl two tables over. "Why are you over there all alone?"

>The green-haired girl in question nervously gets up, clasping a stack of books to her chest as she trembles over, seating herself next to Flash as you continue waxing poetic to the boy, Cadance taking notes on her tablet as you go.

>"How you holding up, girl?" Adagio softly says, reaching across the table to take one of this new girl's hands in her own. "Still getting the haze from Vignette?"

>"No," she murmurs, glancing up at the warm smiles from the rest of the girls. "She hasn't bothered me since you and Sunset stepped in."

>"Good," your eldest almost croons. "Just know that people care about you, okay? You're not alone here."

>"I know. Thank you."

"...and with the heavens and earth as my witness, I will claw my way down that raggedy sumbitch's throat and tear out his very soul!" you finish, taking a deep, accomplished breath as Flash, Cadance and Twilight stare at you. "Understand, boy?"

>"I kinda lost you around the part about Sun Tzu and the two of every animal," he confesses, blinking in bewilderment. "Did they even have fight clubs in ancient China?"

"That's not the point, boy," you correct him. "The bloody point is-"

>Your words die in your throat as you become aware of the extra body at the table. "Who's this git?"

>Wallflower almost slams her face into her hands at your abrasive tone, Adagio smacking your outstretched finger out of the air with a scowl as her hand deftly finds the back of your head and wallops it.

"Oi! What did I do?"

>"Idiot," she hisses.

>Freed from your entrancing tirade on the nature of victory, Flash turns to his right, the new arrival catching his attention.

>"Wallflower Blush, right?" he asks as she looks at him through her unkempt bangs. "You help run the school paper, if I remember correctly."

>"Umm, yeah, I-I do," she blusters, awkwardly smiling at him as she twirls her hair with a finger. "I know nobody really cares about it, but-"

>"Yeah, I remember now!" he interrupts. "You had that article about Vignette's little hazing circle on Insta! That was really well-done."

>"R-R-Really?" her voice cracks like an overcooked wishbone, face turning seven shades of red at the football ace's compliments. "I-I mean, thanks?"

>Flash shows the first genuine smile you've seen from him as he laughs at her embarassment, and you and Cadance look at each other, their little display setting the same set of gears in motion in each of your brains as you share a low cackle.

>"Uh-oh," Aria utters at your devilish grin.

"Well, I really must be getting back into the swing of things," you abruptly declare, standing and stretching. "Don't be late, boy."

>He's given no time to respond as you make a beeline for the offices, pulling out your phone and opening up the message log between you and a certain pregnant woman, giggling to yourself.

>Time for some fun.

>Cackling to yourself as you sit down in your new chair, the plush leather an immediate upgrade from cold steel, Celestia's curt voice pierces your mood.

>"Don't tell me you're setting something up already," she groans.

"Oh, just a little project me and Cadance are cooking up," you giggle, pocketing your phone. "Whatcha need?"

>You blink as your boss takes a rather unprofessional seat on the edge of your desk, a slightly nervous tinge in her eyes.

>"Well, I first need to confess something, Anon," she begins, hands clasped together. "You're somewhat overqualified for this job, wouldn't you say?"

"Well, yeah," you reply. "Most of this is just operations - daily stuff anyone could be trained to do. Only thing that I really need to focus on is fielding calls and keeping a few databases maintained. Why?"

>"The reason it took so long to hire someone for your position wasn't us getting an automatic employee from the state," she confesses. "We've been needing a dedicated IT tech for years now and the board's been stonewalling me about it."

>"I got the authorization last week," she smiles, flourishing a form from seemingly nowhere and sliding it in front of you. "All I need is your signature, and you'll be promoted."

>Pursing your lips, you lean back, picking up the paper and intensely scanning it as you feel a bead of sweat on your face.

"...That's quite a salary jump," you admit, taking a controlled breath to steady yourself. "What's the catch?"

>"You'll need to come in on two Saturdays a month for a few hours to process allotments and payroll, but that's it," she responds. "I know you've got some big responsibilities, so i understand if you're appre-"

>Your hand shoots out and knocks over your pen holder as you grab a ballpoint, tearing off the cap with your teeth and scrawling out your John Hancock on the line.

"When does the training start?" you nonchalantly ask as your boss stares at you with an open jaw for a few seconds before collecting herself.

>"That's a bit impulsive of you," she mutters.

"Oh, NOW I'm impulsive?" you laugh. "Need me to remind you of what we did in that parking lot?"

>"N-No," she blushes. "I just thought you would need some time to make a decision like that."

>Your smile fades a bit as you lean back and spin to face her properly, clearing your throat.

"Do you know what I do the moment I get home?" you ask rhetorically. "I hop on my old, beat-to-hell laptop and file prescription records for the local hospital. I've been doing it for six years now, and I've never even been given the privilege of meeting my superior."

>Celestia eases off the table as you stand, looking her dead in the eyes as yours slightly moisten.

"It takes so much time for such meager pay, and even now I have to put all my free hours into it on account of the crash. Money's been tight for a few weeks now, and it was starting to make me worry. I didn't care about any of this when I was just a shut-in, but things have changed so much in the past seven months that it's hell for me now."

>Losing control of yourself, you lunge forward and capture her in a full hug, tucking your head against hers as you rock back and forth.

"Thank you. I didn't think I could give the girls a good Christmas before this. You've solved so many problems with this that I can't possibly repay you."

>Pulling away, she simply smiles and kisses you softly, a bit of tongue sending a shot of fire up your back as her arms wind to your shoulders.

>"I'm glad I could help you, Anon," she murmurs in your ear. "If you ever need anything, even just to talk, I'm here, okay?"

>You nod, wiping your eyes as you separate.

"Sorry I dropped that on you all of a sudden," you apologize. "Not really the best behavior from me on my first day back, huh?"

>"Mmmm, I kinda like it when you're emotional," she snickers. "You're really cute when doting on the girls."

"And here I thought you had some sort of rivalry."

>"Rivalry? Never," she sarcastically drawls with a grin. "All kidding aside, though, I mean it. I know a lot of the students gossip about you, but don't worry. You're still quite the man to me."

"Oh I'm quite a lot of man, alright," you boast as Cadance enters the office hallway, her husband behind her as she excitedly bounces into the open corridor where your desk resides. "Still, I don't know why they're so skittish around you, Celly."

>"They're worried she'll take all your time," the guidance counselor interjects. "You should probably start visiting his house more, Celly."

"Nice unsolicited opinion," you tease her. "Not a bad idea, though. You wanna come over and crash with a movie or two Saturday? I got plenty of bed space."

>As you briefly look down to retie one of your shoes, Cadance furiously nods at your girlfriend, making a bevy of suggestive gestures that make the woman in question cover her mouth in mortified shock.

>"W-Well, I don't see the harm in it," she replies as you come back up with a rolling pop of your shoulders. "Should I come by in the evening?"

"Any time is fine. We get up pretty early," you respond with a wink and a twitch of your biceps. "Now, again, when does the training start? I haven't remoted into a PC in so long, I'm starting to get excited."

>"Fucking nerd," Shining scoffs under his breath.

"You think you're quiet, dontcha?" you roll your eyes as his wife elbows him in the side with a scolding frown. "And why does he get to say fuck in the office of all people?"

>"...Are you tattling on me?" he blinks in sheer disbelief.

"You figure it out, pretty boy," you deadpan as you log in to your terminal.

>Celestia sighs and retreats to her office, well aware of the two of you's banter at this point.

>Looking up at the ceiling as your computer whirs into action, you let a beaming smile come across your face.

"Thank you," you mutter to nobody in particular.

<><><>

>"So, Sonata, you had something to ask me?"

>You look up from your sandwich at Rarity, the over-preened girl waiting for a response as you wipe your mouth with a napkin, the lunch table abound with chitchat and the occasional belch from Dash.

"Mhmm," you reply, swallowing hard. "I wanted to know your rates for hemming and light re-stitching. I've got some stuff that needs an expert's touch."

>"Oh, don't be silly, darling!" she laughs, waving a hand. "I couldn't bear charging for a friend such as you! What do you need?"

"Well, some bras, for one. I can't just safety pin it anymore and I'm out of hooks again," you shrug.

>"Again?" Adagio asks from your right. "I know we were underweight but jeez."

"Not my fault your mosquito bites can't come in," you tease, your sister immediately baring her teeth.

>"I moved up to a B-cup three weeks ago!" she snarls, the table's chatter falling silent as all heads turn towards you. "...What?"

>A round of amused smiles goes her way before she sighs, slumping in her seat.

"Anyways, I also had this Halloween costume that I never got a chance to wear, what with Daddy being laid up and whatnot," you continue, shivering as the affectionate title rolls off your tongue. "I wanted to see if you could maybe make some... repurposing alterations?"

>"Like what, darling?"

>A hint of pink colors your ears as you wordlessly open up your phone, sliding a picture on it across the table.

>"Oh my," Rarity blushes. "Are you sure? And does... he know about this?"

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," you grin, taking back the device and pocketing it. "And I won't be getting up to any trouble. I just want to feel like a woman sometimes, you know?"

>"Well, I certainly won't judge you for your choices,"the primmed girl coughs. "When would you like this done? I can spare you my Saturday."

"I'm not in any rush. Can I leave the costume with you after we study at AJ's?"

>She nods, and you lean back, a satisfied smirk on your face as your big sister glares at you.

>"What the hell are you getting up to now?" Adagio frowns, poking you with her fork.

"Oh, nothing much."

<><><>

>"Anon, are you finished yet?" Cadance almost squawks down the hallway towards the front office as you log off for the moment, brushing dust off the screen. "I can't leave this out all day!"

"You trying to wake up the statues outside?" you holler back with a laugh, the clacking of heels haphazardly responding as she waddles out of her office.

>"Oh, don't give me sass, you lummox," she fires back with a toothless growl. "Now get in here and have some cake before I lose patience and dig in."

>Deciding that withheld cake and a pregnant woman make for a dangerous combination, you switch off your monitor and begrudgingly get up, following her to the break room.

"Well good Lord, you didn't have to do this," you blush at the half-sheet chocolate cake and myriad of juices laid out before you, the guidance counselor's fingers already lifting a napkin-wide slice onto a paper plate. "I didn't think I was that important."

>"Anything left in the quarterly budget is rescinded back to the county coffers, and this falls under office amenities," Luna dully explains as she passes you a plate. "Celestia made the decision that increasing staff morale was more important than shoring up numbers."

"Sounds like a good excuse to pig out."

>"That may or may not have been a secondary factor in the decision, yes."

>You and Cadance share an eye-roll that could make an improv comic blush as the principal herself walks in, brushing stray hair from her face and beaming at you.

"Thanks, sweetie," you smile, pecking her on the lips and eliciting a silent squeal from Cadance in the process.

>"Ooh, do I get a pet name now, too?" she croons with a laugh.

“Come again?”

>”Don’t think we haven’t noticed how you act around the girls, you big softie,” Cadance snickers. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think sweet pea was Aria’s actual name.”

“Oh for God’s sake,” you facepalm harshly, the clap ringing off your thick skull as your coworkers laugh at your embarrassment. “Just eat the damn cake.”

>”Rude,” your girlfriend pouts at you as you sit down with your plates, the vending machine clattering as Luna shoves coins inside beside you.

>”...You look like death warmed over, big man,” Cadance comments. “You been getting enough sleep?”

“Not really, no,” you reply. “Been busy.”

>”You’re always busy,” she scoffs. “I can see the bags under your eyes from across the room, Anon. Are you okay or not?”

“I’m fine.”

>”We both know that’s not true, but fine. I’ll drop it,” she grimaces, tight-lipped as she throws her hands up.

“So, anything big happen while I was gone?” you ask between your first and second mouthfuls of midday dessert.

>”Oh, nothing too dramatic,” Celestia replies. “We did have a little snafu with one of the students harassing another online.”

“That thing with the Wallflower girl?”

>”Yes. She published an article detailing another student’s cyberbullying page on a social media site for the past three months or so. It unfortunately led to some squabbles among the student body?”

“Like what?” you pry. “Fights, relationship drama, money owed...?”

>”Mostly fights,” she sighs. “I haven’t read it myself, but apparently, quite a number of people had their dirty laundry aired in it.”

“Gonna take a wild shot in the dark and assume Wallflower was one of the victims of this ring,” you bluntly state. “This sounds like a revenge plot.”

>”Well, yes and no,” Cadance interjects. “A lot of Vignette’s bullying was aimed towards kids with behavioral disorders. I have regular sessions with many of them. Wallflower wanted to head her off at the pass before any of them did anything drastic.”

“Like that Sour girl you see twice a week?”

>”Yeah, she was getting it really bad in particular. I can’t say I agree with using the paper to do it, but it ended up working out. We had to suspend her for a day due to protocols, but I didn’t let it stay on her record.”

“...What a circus,” you breathe, leaning back in your chair. “Maybe I was a little harsh back at the table.”

>”A little?” the counselor deadpans across the table.

“You may have a point.”

>”Is something perturbing you, Anon?” Luna inquires, standing by the microwave as her soup heats up. “You appear to be much more aggressive than normal today.”

“It’s... a bit personal,” you grit your teeth. “Probably not okay for the workplace-“

>”Daddy!”

>Once, twice, thrice you blink in utter confusion before Sonata’s giggling frame slams into the back of your chair, hugging you fiercely around the chest as she rests her head on your shoulder.

>”Are you having a good first day back, Daddy?” she chirps, pecking you on the temple and rubbing her cheek against yours.

>”Aw, look at the little ditz being cuddly,” Adagio grins as she follows, Aria silently absorbed in a book as she trails along. “What’s next, a teddy bear wearing one of his shirts?”

>”Hi pot, I’m kettle,” she snips back, unaware of the rising color in your face as your coworkers all share the same expression of endearment at their display. “You almost kicked me out of bed last night to get to him.”

“Hi girls,” you choke out past your freshly crushed masculinity. “Classes going okay?”

>”Quadratics are a pain, but everything else is smooth sailing,” Aria replies as she commandeers the seat to your left, leaning on your shoulder with a soft smile. “The classrooms are all so stuffy, though.”

>You swallow your pride and smile at her cute yawn as Sonata unlatches herself from you, eyeing the cake with a dangerous aura.

>”Go ahead,” Celestia sighs.

>”You alright, big guy?” Adagio asks over Sonata’s excited humming as Celestia scoots over to accomodate her. “You were really on edge this morning.”

>”Speak of the devil,” Cadance muses.

“It’s nothing for you to be concerned about,” you attempt to deflect, tensing up.

>”Is this about Mom?”

>Everyone else at the table jumps in their seats as your hand immediately balls into a thick fist and slams down onto the flat plastic, bending the steel fork in your hand with an audible creak.

>”Anon?” Luna utters cautiously.

“...I should’ve known better than to think you’d forgotten about her.”

>”So I’m right,” Adagio frowns. “What happened?”

"Take this seriously, A-"

>"I am," she cuts you off, arms firmly crossed. "Just as much as you."

>Two seconds of shared glares pass before you sigh and acquiesce.

“I got a call from Hyun about a week ago. She said your mother’s still in town. They postponed her court date again until April.”

>The air thickens and descends upon the room, smothering the mood tightly as your body language speaks volumes, your shoulders coiling up as far as they can.

>Aria's breath quickens.

"She's under a restraining order, of course, but that doesn't mean much," you continue, looking down at the ground. "And she's already buzzed the house twice."

>”You think she’ll actually do anything?”

“I don’t know, Adagio,” you rumble. “But I know nobody in this family takes things lying down. And after being humiliated like this, she’s not thinking rationally.”

>”So when you freaked out in the car this morning...” Sonata ponders aloud.

“Mmm. After what you said about her keeping in touch with... old friends, I don’t want to take any risks I don’t need to. She’s dangerous.”

>”I can’t say I disagree.”

>Hunched over, you let your hands hold your forehead as you exhale, drained just from talking about her.

>”Would she happen to be involved with them?” Cadance asks, fingers crossed over her stomach. “The Jackals, I mean.”

“How do you know-“

>”I told her about the tattoo in passing,” Celestia confesses. “Sorry.”

>”Don’t worry, it’s nothing to me,” the counselor waves with a shrug. “I guessed you had a history with them. They’re the only ones who do those kinds of big tats that me and Shiny know of.”

“How perceptive of you,” you reply through gritted teeth, still staring at the floor.

>”Look at me, big guy.”

>You rear your head and meet eyes with her, the mother-to-be’s brow furrowed.

>”Nobody here’s judging you for anything,” she firmly states, sitting upright. “If you think anyone in this room knows what their life’s gonna look like in five years, you’re wrong. And I know you’re not whoever you were when that ink was put on your back. You wouldn’t be anywhere near here if you were.”

>You lean your head back and breathe deep, the sterile lighting hitting you through closed eyelids.

“I wish it was that simple.”

>Luna slowly backs out of the room behind the lot of you, an uncomfortable expression on her face as Cadance frowns.

>”We’ve still got about half an hour on break. You need to talk? I am a professional, after all.”

“I guess you’re not wrong,” you manage to laugh past your dread and stress. “It’s probably not healthy to keep this to myself anyways.”

>”I think this is the part where we leave,” Sonata whispers to her sisters, turning away, only to yelp as you reach out and grab her forearm.

“This is something you deserve to hear,” you reluctantly reply over your shoulder. “It’s not right hiding this from you, and I might as well only spill my guts once.”

>Aria collects herself and stands, hands balled up in anxiety.

>”Could I get some space, please?” she blurts, moving her chair down the table to separate herself from the rest of the room.

“...Okay, sweet pea,” you mumble, recognizing the signs of one of her panic attacks. “I can take it slow for you, alright?”

>The middle child nods as her siblings take a seat beside you, Adagio’s iron eyes locked onto you.

“I suppose I should start with the simple bits, yeah?”

<><><>

>”I think you’ve all figured out that Anonymous isn’t my original name, haven’t you?”

>Your lips are dry as you gaze at your uncle with a stare of tempered steel, your anger at his concealment buried under curiosity and concern.

“I never asked about it,” you reply coldly, one leg crossed over the other as you lean back, your little sisters somehow surprised at his words. “I’d hazard a guess that you got it changed after I was born?”

“Yeah,” he says with more than a little trepidation. “After some stuff went down when you came along, the both of us cut off contact. Changed my name to try and keep the two of you safe. Didn’t help much, apparently.”

>”What was it before?”

>”Mountain. Mountain Harvest.”

>”And Mom...”

>”Valley, yes,” he sighs. “She gave you your father’s last name to keep your birth out of the local paper. I had to pay him for the pleasure, the rat bastard.”

“How’d you get in touch with him after beating him black and blue?”

>”The idiot never changed his number,” your uncle chuckles. “Called him from a pay phone and wired him $100 after it was done. Son of a bitch didn’t even go to the hospital - he just rang them up. He left the state afterwards and I haven’t seen him since.”

>”I assume that’s why you all have different last names, still?” Cadance asks.

>”Yeah, I don’t know the paperwork needed to get that changed. Probably charge me out the rear end for it, too.”

“And after that it was just a cute trend for her, huh?” you hiss. “Last time you even saw us before this summer was a good twelve years ago.”

>”Not entirely. She married twice. Aria’s dad passed from cancer, and then Sonata’s dad...”

>”I remember,” Sonata quietly utters, her perky attitude long gone as she leans on your shoulder. “He wasn’t the nicest person around.”

>”I-“

>”I know, Daddy. I don’t need to hear it.”

>Your little sister’s plain words slice through his sour demeanor with no resistance, and you catch a glimpse of poisonous, crushing guilt on his face.

>”So what keeps her from just breaking in and taking them?” Cadance attempts to redirect the conversation. “If she’s got friends, then it shouldn’t be a problem for her, right? You don’t think you might be underestimating her here?”

>”Me,” he grunts. “She knows she needs more than just a couple of street punks and a few bills to get past me.”

>”And you really think it’s that simple?” she grimly replies.

“She’s too paranoid to do anything she’s not completely certain will work,” you derisively scoff. “A beanpole like her would get snapped in half in a real fight.”

>”That doesn’t change the fact that she probably already knows our schedules down to the hour, and who our friends are. I’m walking on eggshells all the way to the bank now,” he snorts.

>Celestia remains silent, and you swear you can see her ears twitch as he speaks, intently focused on every word as her forehead creases in thought.

>”So the only option is to hover over them all day?” Cadance grimaces.

>”I don’t see another option. You girls should tell your friends that your Fridays are taken from now on.”

>A full minute passes in pure quiet as all of you are left to ponder.

>He was right - you did forget about her.

>And that pisses you off like nothing else.

‘You know better,’ you think to yourself as your hands ball up behind you. ‘Better than to think she’d just go away.’

>One minute turns into two, then four, then ten, the only change being a single drop of sweat falling from Anon’s forehead, before a sharp tenor speaks up behind all of you.

>”I think it’s about time you stopped doing this by yourself, Anon.”

<><><>

>As if possessed, you fling your smooth head over your shoulder toward the interruption, Shining leaning in the doorway, hands in his pockets.

>”Come on. There’s some people who want to talk to all of you.”

“Got any idea what he’s talking about?” you ask his wife, who casually shrugs and stands up with you with a yawn. “Great. Guess we’ll humor him.”

>Taking two long steps over, you lean down next to Aria.

“You alright, sweet pea?”

>She blinks twice and looks over at you in mild surprise before nodding, getting to her feet with a quick breath.

“Good. Let’s go.”

>Letting it linger behind you, you feel her hand slip into yours as the lot of you leave the break room, catching a glimpse of Luna down the hallway as she finishes locking the door to the front office.

“What’s going on in here...”

>One at a time, the frames and faces of your nieces’ friends come into view, Shining standing behind them.

>”Now’s the time, girls,” the officer plainly states, the six teenagers ahead of him shifting slightly.

>”Mr. Poster, we, uh-“

>”Please let us help!” Fluttershy screams, drowning Twilight’s nervous voice out as she steps forward, almost bowing as she throws her head down.

>”I know we don’t have a place to judge or look down on you, but we can’t just sit and do nothing!” she pleads, shaking hard enough to almost fall apart. “We’ll walk with them between classes, at lunch, even to your house once the bus drops us off if we have to! I can feed the animals before school instead of after to free up time, they can carpool with Dash’s parents if they’re in any clubs, Pinkie can make lunches, Twilight-“

>Cutting herself off, she looks up at the four of you, freely crying as she snorts and trembles, trying to steady her breath.

>”I don’t want to think about the worst of it all,” she sobs, “So please! You have to! I won’t take no for an answer!”

>Looking at her in bewilderment, your silence puts the pink-haired girl even closer to the verge.

>Your mind reels and thrashes about, exhaustion and paranoia deadlocked and trading blows as you stand, paralyzed.

>”How many more days do I have to watch all of you suffer? Watch you bottle your stress, your fears, your everything up and let it eat you alive?”

>Bordering on hysterics, the pale girl rushes you, slamming her tiny fists against your chest as you press your back against the wall.

>”I’m tired of this. Tired of seeing them flinch, tired of seeing you hide behind your anger, tired of seeing all of you pretend everything’s okay!”

>Rarity tries to pull her away from you, only to catch a hard elbow to the gut before Fluttershy keeps fighting you, swinging her hands to no avail.

>”I’m begging you... please...”

>Her strength waning, she leans on your bulk, saltwater staining your button-down as her voice degenerates into half-muffled whimpering.

>”Shy, come on. Get ahold of yourself,” Dash sighs, pulling her off of you by the upper arms. “You didn’t have to freak out on him like this.”

“Why?”

>”...What?” Fluttershy sniffles.

”Why do any of you care?” you ask, your breath slow and careful as you stare her down in fearful trepidation.

>”They’re our friends... my friends... that’s all the reason I need,” she chokes out. “That’s all any of us need.”

>Thoroughly drained, the girl lets her head drift downward as she backs away.

>Time seems to dilate as every nerve in your brain overclocks itself, colors bleeding away as your heartbeat becomes audible.

>You ask yourself a single question that you already know the answer to.

>And you make the bitter decision.

>Reaching out, your thick, tough hand grabs Fluttershy by the shoulder and stops her easily, the teenager flinching.

>The lump of pride is greasy as it slides down your throat, burning and scratching, three words with the acrid, noxious taste of poison leaving your mouth.

“...I need help.”

>The very sound of them upsets you as she cautiously looks at you, hands clasped at her waist.

“I’m at my limit,” you confess. “I can’t sleep, I can’t focus, and I barely have time for myself anymore. I force down food, and what chances I get to slow down go to them.”

>Your nieces look away, guilty looks on their faces as your admittance drains you, the lack of rest and quiet making up weeks of neglect in mere seconds.

“I’d... appreciate whatever you want to do to help out,” you sigh, the weight of a lead brick hanging from your heart. “I can call your parents and check with them anytime, so we can start small, if you want.”

>Nine pairs of adolescent eyes are fixated on you as you drop to your rear, legs curled up and arms hung over knees, utterly exhausted.

“So if that’s what you want, I won’t stop you.”

>Somehow, acknowledging your stress only serves to exacerbate it, as your labored breathing loudly rings throughout the room.

>Moving in perfect tandem, three sets of hands wrap themselves around your biceps and lift you up.

>”You really are thick in the head sometimes,” Adagio sighs, twirling a stray strand of hair as your legs find themselves again. “Acting like you’re invincible is just going to wear you down in the end.”

>”We’re stronger than you think we are, Daddy,” Sonata chirps, still smiling. “And neither you nor us are alone. The girls know what’s up, and nobody’s gonna touch us with them around.”

>Wearily, you turn your head over to Aria, the middle child softly swaying to and fro, hands behind her.

>”I trust them,” she quietly say with an intensity all her own. “Like I trust you.”

>One, two, three bodies embrace you dearly, as if trying to pull your lethargy out of you and into them whilst you gaze up at the ceiling.

>”We promise we’ll be fine,” they say in near-unison as they let go.

“I love you,” you manage to grin.

>They simply return the gesture, before a gaggle of voices breaks out behind them.

>Fluttershy’s face finds itself buried deep in Adagio’s shoulder as she bawls, the whole crowd devolving into hugs and jumbled words as Shining backs up from the flock of teenagers.

>”I’ll be stepping in as their remedial instructor,” Luna concisely says as she walks up to you from her spot in the hallway, one hand cocked on her hip. “They’ve only got a few weeks left, if that.”

“Thanks,” you rasp.

>”I know that must’ve been hard for you to set aside your pride like that,” Celestia croons, one soft hand rubbing your back. “I’m proud of you.”

>It’s all you can do to shrug and chuckle as the circle of murmuring and misty eyes dies down, Fluttershy looking at you with puffy eyes and a radiant, full-toothed smile.

>”I’l make sure you get all our numbers,” she says. “You won’t regret this, I guarantee it!”

“Thank you,” you nod. “Now, isn’t lunch over?”

>As the girls file out of the front office lobby, you return to the break room, staring down at your mangled utensil and sighing.

>”Something wrong?” Celestia pipes up from behind you. “Or is it just fatigue?”

“...Just thinking.”

---

>A raggedy sigh escapes you through dry, cracked lips as the 4:30 after-school club bell's infernal ringing reaches your ears through the glass of the front office, your neck popping like packing foam as you stand.

>As you sling your coat over your shoulder from its perch on the back of your chair, two sets of clacking heels come to a stop behind you, Celestia and Luna looking at you expectantly.

"...What?" you mutter as you turn around.

>"...Anon, I-"

>"I think it would be better for you if you allowed me to assume oversight of Flash's remedial classes, Anon," Luna abruptly states, cutting her surprised sister off. "As he'll be joining your daughters, it is easily the path of least resistance."

>You blink almost audibly, silence suffocating the room for a few seconds.

“...Look, it’s been a dramatic enough day already,” you groan. “Can we deal with whatever alarm you’re aware of tomorrow when his classes actually start?”

>”Well, given the... circumstances you’re currently going through, we thought it might be prudent to alleviate some of your duties,” Celestia replies, clearly uncomfortable.

“Of course,” you grimace. “I let myself get all goddamn sappy for five minutes, and everyone thinks I’m some little whelp fit for hiding behind Mommy’s skirts-“

>“Anon.”

>Luna’s cold voice cuts through your pride easily as you fall silent.

>”Nobody privy to your sister’s presence thinks you less of a man or a caretaker for her deeds,” the vice principal continues. “We merely believe that both you and your charges will need whatever time you can find for yourselves in the coming weeks. Your deplorable condition when you showed up to work this morning is more than proof that, as you admitted, you’re at your limit.”

>”Those girls aren’t the only ones who want to help you,” Celestia interjects, hugging you softly despite her typical demeanor when students are still on campus.

“...I know,” you mutter, one thick arm wrapping around her back. “It’s just going to take some time to adjust, that’s all.”

>”You seem rather invested in Flash, if I may say,” Luna ponders aloud to you. “Is there a reason for such attachment? Cadance informes me that you seemed quite adamant about his studies.”

“Kid’s in a bad way,” you deadpan. “Seen a lot of people his age just decide to give up when life hits them in the bollocks for the first time like that.”

>”Have you?”

“More than just seen, I’d reckon,” you somberly nod.

>The sisters pick up on the subtext and drop the subject as you part with Celestia, eyes wandering down the hallway.

“Anyways, I‘ve got some maintenance to do in the server room itself - just some cables, not anything special, and then I think we’re good to go for today. I’ll see you tomorrow I guess.”

>Parting ways, you feel a nagging urge in the back of your brain as you walk down the sterile way towards the main hallways, surveying the empty cafeteria tables beneath you from the side of the elevated rail.

>An urge that won’t go away for a while, you think.

<><><>

>”What a pretty home.”

>Fluttershy’s polite compliment sails into your left ear and clear out the other as you and four other bodies stand in front of said domicile, the world increasingly quiet as the bus travels further down the street.

>”Apparently the loud ape was planning on some renovations,” Adagio drawls from behind you. “Rock garden needs some maintenance for sure. I’d have done it myself but he doesn’t have any gardening tools in the garage.”

>”Could you not?” Sonata frowns. “We’re trying to take some weight off his shoulders, you ass.”

>”Well, we’ve got a few minutes before I need to get going,” Fluttershy replies. “Maybe I can help? I’ve got a bit of a green thumb from my friends in 4H.”

>”Eh, he’ll probably freak out over someone cleaning up a mess “meant” for him,” your big sister scoffs. “Lummox’s always gotta show off, you know.”

>You and Sonata glare at her before you clear your throat.

“It’s fine, Fluttershy,” you respond. “You can go home. Thank you for walking with us down from the bus stop.”

>”O-Oh, okay,” she sighs in mild disappointment. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning, then?”

>You nod, and she traipses off down your driveway back towards the street as you fish out the house key from your purse.

>The moment you open the door to your home, Sonata and Adagio’s moods turn 180 on a dime as the pair blasts past you into the living room, leaving you stumbling to catch the outer windowsill.

>”Come on, Aria! We’ve got work to do!” Adagio hollers at you as your frown deepens, brow furrowing in frustration.

“I really don’t get why you need to be so abrasive sometimes,” you sigh as you enter, leaving your bag by the door and popping your knuckles lightly. “Dad doesn’t deserve that kind of talk behind his back, you know.”

>”I’m sorry, but the Dad thing is still weird,” she replies, hands already wandering to the fridge for ingredients. “Kinda gross, to be honest.”

“I’ll agree to disagree,” you mutter with a slight blush. “He seems to like it.”

>She scoffs at your swaying, your hand on your cheek with a soft smile as Sonata pops out of the garage, ground beef in hand.

>”What about Daddy?” she chirps.

>”Ugh, and it’s even worse with you!” Adagio shudders. “I don’t want to think about what goes through your head to make you use... THAT word.”

>”Getting my head shoved into the pillow so hard it leaves a bruise while he-“

>”STOP!”

>Your little sister giggles fiendishly, moving past your elder and setting the meat on the counter.

>”Now, are we doing this or what? Operation Daddy’s Home isn’t gonna complete itself, you know!”

<><><>

>Puzzling, puzzling, puzzling....

>Your brain is trembling.

>Everything from today, from this year, and from further back is swirling in your skull, threatening to pull your thoughts apart and make you panic.

>It’s not the first time, nor is it the first recent time.

"It's fine..."

>Your raspy reassurance comes and goes like dry leaves in the desert.

>Twelve years of separation, come circling back to hit you with a freight-train force.

>A force that, even seven months later, you're still somewhat reeling from.

>And now...

>You’re barely aware of your hands turning the key in your front door, of opening it and stepping inside.

>All you can feel, is exhaustion in every way.

>And through the haze, something manages to cut through.

>”Welcome home, Dad.”

>A soft, inviting voice pulls you from your autopilot mind as your keys hit the rack by the entryway, your coat over the other arm as you look up from the floor.

“Uh, hey Aria,” you say in reflex.

>She’s smiling softly at you, hands clasped in front of her as she stands before you, posture arrow-straight and cheeks slightly flushed.

>”I’m glad to see you made it home safe,” she croons, full lips faintly shining in the soft lamplight. “Are you tired?”

>Her words slowly, gently weave over your taxed psyche, easing in as she steps forward and takes one of your hands.

>”Would you perhaps like a bath? Or should we get dinner ready for you?” she asks.

>Curling, floating, wandering in your consciousness, her soothing tone disarms you and flushes away your concerns.

“...That sounds pretty good about now,” you groan, slipping off your shoes and tossing your jacket on the couch.

>”Just relax,” she smiles as you rub your forehead. “I’ll get the bath ready for you.”

“‘Preciate it,” you rumble.

>Her footsteps quietly move away from you up the stairs as you stroll past the landing to the kitchen, only to find Sonata happily humming away at the stove, a light green apron you don’t remember over high-cut denim shorts and a loose T-shirt.

>A familiar T-shirt...

“Is that my old Blood Ravens shirt?”

>”Oh, Daddy!” she squeaks in pleasant surprise, spinning around on the heel of her bare foot and bounding over to you, hugging you tightly.

>”Did you have a good rest of the day?” she innocently asks, looking up at you with big, curious eyes that make you bloom internally.

“Yes, sweetie,” you smile, raising a thick hand and patting the side of her head as she giggles, leaning into the feeling as she enjoys the feeling against her cheek.

>”About time you got home.”

>You crane your head over your shoulder to see Adagio standing behind you, a soft red apron of her own matching the color of her face as she pouts, clearly out of her comfort zone.

>”Welcome back, I suppose,” she furiously blushes. “Dinner will be ready shortly. Aria said that your bath is ready.”

>”Already?” you reply. “How?”

>”Don’t ask me,” she shrugs noncommittally as Sonata leaves your side for the stove again, a pan of something lowly crackling.

>”Go, before it gets cold, I guess,” Adagio’s firm tone almost commands you. “And also...”

>As you walk past her, you grunt as her head burrows into your upper back, her arms coming around to circle your waist.

>”I know today was hard,” she mumbles into you. “Just take a load off, alright?”

“I will, hun,” you assure her as she lets go.

>Ascending one clumsy footfall at a time, Aria comes into view as you reach the top of the staircase, waiting for you.

“You already had this drawn up when I got home, didn’t you?” you chuckle.

>”The cold was nothing some boiling water couldn’t fix,” she calmly replies. “And yes, I made sure to add it in slowly so nothing cracked or warped.”

“You really have been listening,” you beam with pride as you step past her into the bathroom, the periwinkle walls somewhat foreign to you.

>You hardly ever use this bathroom, on account of the tiny one in your bedroom and the need to split showers in the mornings.

>Fresh clothes are already laid out for you on the counter as the slightly steaming water beckons you.

>”Will you need anything else, Dad?” Aria asks.

"I think I'm good," you murmur as your shirt comes off, your broad shoulders rolling freely as the air hits your chest.

>Your hands move to your belt as she closes the door behind her, and you strip, turning the overhead fan on and slipping into the water with a rumbling moan.

>You're not quite sure what brought this sudden spur of productivity on in your nieces, but you're not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.

---

>"Hey, Daddy?"

"Aack!"

>Sonata's voice startles you from behind as you exit the bathroom fully clothed in light gray sweats and a tank top, her form dimly lit right behind you in the upstairs hallway.

>"Oops," she giggles. "My b. Dinner's hot if you're feeling hungry.

>You wrest yourself away from how adorable she looks in her little apron and give her a small pat on the head.

"Sure. 6 is a bit early, but we didn't really get a chance for lunch, did we?"

>Parading your squeaky clean self down to the main floor, you turn into the kitchen and see the other two waiting expectantly at the dining table, plates already loaded up and set out along with silverware.

"Carbonara?" you question. "Have you been digging in my recipe box? Some of those aren't finished, you know."

>"We uh, did some research," Sonata admits as she steps past you, taking off her apron and hanging it beside two others. "Hey, cool it with the sardonic expression. You're the one who wanted us to branch out, you know."

"...Fair enough," you shrug as all of you sit down, your chair larger than the rest. "The salad looks pretty good, too. I'm guessing this soup is just the leftover chicken breast, double-minced and stirred into a tomato broth? Smells like cloves and turmeric were used, too."

>"I'm experimenting," Adagio spits out after a second, eyes turned away from you.

>You hold back a laugh for her sake and pick up your fork, twirling a small bite of the cheesy, salty pasta and bringing it to your waiting lips.

>One, two, three careful chews pass, as the three of them look at you expectantly.

"Hmm, boiled properly, slightly al dente as it should be... you didn't get guanciale, did you? I assume this is some sort of thick-cut bacon, perhaps from Hyun's fridge?"

>"How did you know?" Aria asks, the shock at your palette stunning her like a flashbang.

"I've had a lot of practice with breaking down how something gets cooked," you smugly respond.

>Truth be told, you're being generous.

>VERY generous.

>She made the fatal mistake of salting plated pasta, the bacon is slightly overcooked, the egg and pecorino were added too fast, and you can feel bits of the cooked egg in your mouth from a lack of constant stirring.

>Rookie mistakes.

>And yet, seeing her slightly worried expression has you hesitating.

"Not bad. Definitely has some areas you could improve on, but for flying by the hem of your skirt, not bad," you say, popping another forkful into your mouth.

>It's not about how good it is.

>It's that SHE made it, and that makes it better than most already.

>"That's a relief," Aria smiles, tucking into her own plate. "I was worried. You just seemed so invested in getting this recipe to work, I thought I'd try my hand at it too."

"This isn't baby's first pasta dish," you casually comment. "I'm proud of you, Aria."

>The middle child's face immediately turns seven shades redder at your offhand compliments, and you turn your attention to the soup.

"I suppose I should try this before I get too invested in one part of the meal," you chuckle as you grasp the ceramic bowl and slide a spoonful of almost crimson broth down your throat.

"...Holy shit."

>"Goddammit, I knew this wasn't gonna work-"

>Adagio's voice kills itself as you grab the bowl with both hands and turn up, greedily chugging the soup over several seconds until the whole thing is drained, ravenously scooping the chicken at the bottom down after it.

"What IS this?" you balk in excitement. "How did you do this? Ground cloves and turmeric working in a tomato base is bizarre enough, but I taste cardamum and balsamic vinegar too."

>You pause for a moment to savor the blooming aftertaste, rustic, sour tones dancing with a sweet and mellow ting across the back of your tongue.

"I have no idea how you did this, but you'd better have written it down," you grin. "Or else you and me are experimenting this weekend."

>Her body language shifts at your praise, taking on a pompous demeanor as she inspects her nails.

>"To be expected, I suppose," she nonchalantly comments, eyes closed as she raises her head high.

>"Oh, fuck you, Dagi!" Sonata yells, incensed at the neglect of her salad.

>You laugh and slap the table, reaching over to your left and rubbing the hurt girl's shoulder in solidarity.

"Let's just eat before we get to fighting, eh? I think we've had enough for today without ending up on the evening news."