The doorbell chime rang cheerily through the entryway, startling me from my doze. A darkness through the windows disoriented me and I looked about.
"It's Catalina," Mason's low bass murmured from my lap. He was alert, staring up at me. He sat up slowly and his fingers traced the side of my face as I rubbed my eyes, "How are you feeling?"
"How are you feeling?"
"Almost back to normal; just a bit of a headache."
"More blood," I encouraged, rubbing a hand groggily over his shoulder and resting my forehead there.
"Come on, you'll wake up more if you stand."
I followed his instructions as Kira materialized in front of the door, as if she'd been waiting elsewhere for the exact amount of time it would've taken her to get to the door at human-speeds.
"Anne and Leo?"
"Went to the cabin," he said with a roll of his eyes.
"Does that mean she's skipping the sleepover?"
"No way. She's been looking forward to this."
"How is your other situation?" I asked in a whisper as Kira chatted at the door and allowed Cat in.
"I know restraint."
His eyes slid sideways to avoid mine.
"Head out after those two are done. You'll feel better. Would probably help with the headache too."
Something in his expression fell ever so slightly. When I tilted my head at him, he pressed his lips together and hummed an awkward bass-agreement from within his chest.
"I'm not ready for all that," I chuckled, "I'm surprised I took what we did so well. I... liked it."
A relaxed, lopsided smile pulled across his features at my blush. Some of the tension melted from his shoulders as he reached around the small of my back to squeeze my waist sideways into him. I giggled and planted a shy peck on his cheek.
"Hey, lovebirds; time to send Mason away. It's girls' night!"
I pushed at Mason's chest and trotted over, scooping Catalina into a hug as Kira relieved her of the appetizer she held. Her eyes were wide behind her glasses as she stared around the grand foyer.
"What do you think?" I asked in a whisper.
"Holy cow!" she hissed back, "I mean, the house is a sculpture."
"Mrs. Warde's design, I think."
She mouthed another wow and followed me to the kitchen.
"And Allie?"
"Haven't you seen the group chat?"
"I've been napping."
"Trevor called and apparently they've been talking for the past two hours or so - "
"What about?!"
"We'll find out," Catalina giggled as Kira flounced back, "She's only running about ten minutes late though."
"Don't be strangers, come on in!"
We gathered around the breakfast bar as Cat prepped her guacamole and chips with a fancy ceramic set Kira produced from one of the mahogany cabinets.
"How's 'Lita been doing?" I asked, sneaking a chip.
"She's much better; almost entirely healed up. We think it was just a bout of confusion but either way, Dad's keeping a better eye on her. He's moved his work-setup into the living area."
"I have some tea leaves that are supposed to do well for joint aches and recovery," Kira piped up excitedly, "I can make a little grab-bag for you."
"I love tea!" Catalina enthused, her brown eyes sparkling, "You guys have to try Lamalis tea. It's my favorite!"
"Really?" Kira asked politely, though my stomach dropped.
"Are your whole family tea-drinkers?" I asked Catalina.
"Just me and Lita," she shrugged to which I suppressed a wince, "Which do you prefer?"
"Tea, definitely. It has more mystical properties than coffee."
Catalina giggled, "That sounds like you!"
Kira jumped to her feet, startling us, but a simultaneous knock at the door called our attention away.
"Got it!"
A movement through the glass back door caught my eye. Anne and Leo reentered the main house.
"Hello," Cat greeted, her brow puckering.
"Something in Annie's car was gunked up," Leo explained shortly, though his grin was a bit too wide. I got the distinct impression that he wanted to wink, but the human presence was a good deterrent. "Had to play around with it. We were working out in the garage."
"Oh, neat! I don't know the first thing about my car. I just hope it doesn't break down..."
"Are you due for an oil change? It would give Mason and I something to do."
"I think I am, but you don't have to!"
"You'll need to find a different shop-partner; I told Mason he needs to take a load off," I informed him, crossing my legs with a smirk. Leo's eyebrows nearly merged with his hairline as I continued, "He's been a bit too tense recently."
"Really? Is everything alright?" Catalina piped up.
"He's fine, he's just an introvert so he needs his alone time."
Leo snorted, "What a loser; I can handle an oil change on my own anyway."
Out the side window across the room, I glimpsed a flash of copper hair and a set of reproachful green eyes out in the dim twilight. Catalina was turned away, so I cupped my puckered lips with my fingertips and blew Mason a fleeting kiss. His cheeks darkened once again and he vanished into the shadows of the backyard. I tried not to let my thoughts wander after him with a re-cross of my legs.
"You're not doing anything like that on your own," Claire chastised Leo, coming into the room ahead of Kira and Alissa. "I'll accompany you."
"Hello Mrs. Warde," Cat and I chimed in unison.
She smiled pertly, her round cheeks pinching with cheerfulness before she turned her maternal gaze on Leo.
"Yes, mother."
Leo and Claire filtered out and the rest of us chatted over appetizers, probing Allie about her conversation with Trevor. In fairness, it didn't take much to get her going. I was surprised at Anne's investment: how she leaned in and clung to each of Allie's details, teasing out information I hadn't even thought to ask about.
I took out the main course from the fridge to warm up on the stovetop as Kira fetched the flatware. The pair of humans relaxed further with the help of Kira's light, miscellaneous chatter about anything from fashion to food to celebrity gossip.
The last topic I grew quiet for; I wasn't entirely sure who the Kardashians were, but I could at least weigh-in a little bit on the Royal Family.
"Everyone better be joining for dinner and dessert," Allie announced petulantly, "It can't just be Sara eating all the cream puffs I labored over."
"I would cherish each and every one."
Allie's nose wrinkled in doubt. There was a hoarse creaking on the stairs and Mason rounded the corner into the kitchen to stand behind me.
His hands settled possessively on my waist, the cool touch radiating through the dress's thin fabric. At about the same time, the back door opened once again to admit Leo and Claire.
"Where are Samuel and Dr. Warde?" Catalina asked.
"Samuel's not feeling well," Claire said shortly, wafting the scent of the meal from the stove top, "And my husband is working a night shift."
"That was a quick rest, eh brother?" Leo asked, grinning as he dried his freshly washed hands on a dishtowel.
Mason glared, his fingers squeezing a bit. The sensation on my sides fizzled deep into my stomach and I took a calming breath.
"Ladies first," he said instead, releasing me.
"People with normal appetites before that," Allie dictated, pointing an accusatory finger at me.
"Fiiine," I whined, but happily waited my turn.
Everyone settled around the dinner table and the idle chatter lulled me into a deeper relaxation. Leo and Allie managed to roll out a debate on whether or not cereal was a soup.
These were high-school level dilemmas, not my favorite of the moral conundrums to discuss. However, the interrogation by the Lawatscoh came to mind and I was immediately more grateful for the surface-level conversation.
Mason's posture shifted, his hand inching closer to where mine was resting on the tabletop. I'd set my utensils upon the now-empty plate. His eyes darted sideways every so often, likely at my sudden-quiet.
He hadn't added much to the conversation either aside from curbing some of Leo's over-excitement. I nipped my lower lip. There was so much I wanted to ask. To explore. And not just with regard to Mason.
"Are you alright?" he asked, the low bass running below the radar of the other conversations.
"Yes," I whispered back, "I'm excited to talk things over with the ladies."
He tilted his head and I smirked.
His eyes widened, "You wouldn't -"
"Not about you. About me. It's time I get advice and learn a thing or two about myself."
He swallowed thickly, his green-eyes darkening, "Whatever you're comfortable with."
"Don't tell me you'll need to excuse yourself again."
He gripped my fingers more tightly but kept his mouth shut, pretending to take interest in the other conversations. At the conclusion of dinner, Kira ran up to fetch her tea materials. Allie set all the little puffs into one gigantic bowl on the table and they mountained out of the top, a stack of fluffy spherical, baubles.
"That's a ton, Alissa," Claire gasped.
Allie opened up yet another tin, "Sara's all-consuming."
Unashamed, I reached for the first one and popped it into my mouth. The pastry was so fluffy and crisp that the flakiness melted away, giving way to a light and buttery cream.
"Woah!"
Allie bowed as Leo snatched a handful of them.
"Don't be a caveman," Claire chided.
"Sara's a menace. I have to claim my share."
"So now that you've taken what you want..."
With both hands, I dragged the heaping bowl toward myself. Anne reached out a hand to grasp the opposite edge.
"Not so fast," she growled, taking an even larger handful than Leo had.
"Maybe I should've brought more," Allie fretted.
"They will behave," Claire insisted, her brown eyes hard as she glared at her children.
Kira's water bubbled upon the stove in the background, whistling excitedly like a steam engine. I laid-off the puffs as she placed a teacup in front of me.
Leo picked his up, inspected it, and promptly handed it back to Kira. She set it right back on the table in front of him. He sighed.
Mason tapped the side of his assigned-china cup with skeptical fingers. The teacup he'd been given had looping writing within the brim and I leaned in to inspect:
Kindly fuck off.
Immediately snatched up my own:
Witch!
"I got 'Hell no'," Cat said proudly, tilting her rose-printed cup to reveal the message in the brim.
"Mine's 'Drama Queen'," Allie chimed, posing briefly with hers, "Leo?"
Mason snickered.
"'Stop talking'."
"'You are tedious,'" Anne's eyes narrowed at Kira.
"Oh, mine's sweet," Claire crooned, smiling down at her cup, "'You're tolerable.'"
"And what on earth did she give herself?" I demanded.
"'Twat waffle'" Kira beamed.
"Kira!"
Claire rounded with half a mind to get out of her chair.
"I bought them with my own money!" Kira argued without a flinch, filling three different prepared teapots with water, "We have three teas tonight: pacific peppermint, earl-grey green, and spiced-apple chai. Who wants what first?"
"Mmm... I only want the spiced-apple please," I ordered with a raised hand.
"The point of a tea tasting is to try all of them."
"I don't want all of them! Just the sweet one."
"Each of them is sweet in their own way."
"One's going to taste like toothpaste," I grumbled.
More like vampire scent. I thought morosely.
She bullied me into trying all of them, but I finished off petulantly with a second cup of the spiced apple. Soon enough, the girls-group was funneling into the basement with our belongings, saying quick 'good-nights' to the men-folk.
Mason moved to plant a cool kiss on my forehead and I sighed luxuriously, pressing into his touch, "Have fun."
"I will," I chuckled, watching Allie, Cat, and Kira start down the stairs ahead of Anne and me, "You'll be eavesdropping, I assume?"
"He'll be playing Super Smash Brawlers with me."
Leo already stood in the doorway to the game-room, arms crossed and grinning ear-to-ear.
"Do you have a virtual headset?"
"Yeah, why?" he wondered.
"Do you have Beat Blade?"
"The one where you slash obstacles to music? Sure do."
Another, wary glance at the retreating humans.
"Enable mods and search for 'Not for Humans' in the community workshop. You'll have fun."
Leo's eyes lit like firecrackers.
"No way."
"Yes way. Supernaturals around the world want to have fun too."
"Did your family make them?"
"Mmhm, my youngest little-cousins: twins Lucas and Caesar. Beat Blade is particularly useful to increase reaction-times."
"So you're good at it?"
"You'll need some practice before you challenge me."
"It's on."
I turned to Mason, nose wrinkled with a mischievous smirk, "Good luck with that."
"Uh-huh," he grumbled, but leaned down to claim my lips briefly with his, "Don't forget to sleep."
"Kira will draw on me," I fretted.
"I won't let her," he whispered, the pads of his fingers tickling my cheek as he tucked a strand of loose hair away.