Oliver sighed heavily, feeling a headache forming at the front of his head. Perhaps it was the jet-lag. He raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, his brows furrowing and creating a small set of wrinkles above his nose. This was a mistake, he thought quietly, as if his own thoughts' volume would enhance his headache. "There must be some kind of compromise. I refuse to use the extra and necessary syllable, just to adhere to what America call's an affectionate name. 'Sweetie' is just as demeaning as pet, used to appeal to children. I will refrain from calling you something dehumanizing. Perhaps just Lor." He opened his eyes and looked at her, her rosy eyes still filled with blatant annoyance and offence. He rubbed his face with the same hand he had pinched his nose with, before setting it down in his lap. "You make things so difficult." He muttered, his voice low as he was still in thought about alternatives to names. He had come here for one, simple purpose, and her split second decision had thrown the two of them into this escapade. "Sweetheart?" He came up with, "Not my top pick, but I like it better than Sweetie. And I suppose I could get myself to use Honey, though I don't see how that's any less dehumanizing than Dove. You are being called a byproduct of bees."
x-Beautiful---Delusions-x
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 1:10 am
Libbey Kendal Cox
xxxxxLibbey opened her mouth before shutting it with a soft snapping noise, promptly folding herself down into the floor. To try and make herself calm down, she played with the rug beneath her fingers, forcing the tips of her fingers in between the fibers and feeling the scratchy pad underneath them. She had resorted to doing this when she was younger because it wasn't something that harmed her (like digging her nails into her palms) and it was a way to keep her from feeling the urge to dig her nails into someone else's arm -- which she was fairly certain Oliver would object to quite quickly. This was why she'd refused to ever attempt anything with him. They were fighting over what he was allowed to call her. Why was it so difficult for him to give, just once? Her eyes flicked up to him when she heard him muttering something, and she sighed, closing her eyes. She was sick of this. She hadn't been the one to stupidly show up at his house unannounced and unwanted. And where were her parents? Either one could walk in at any second now, save her from her misery. With that thought, her will to argue for the moment drained, she allowed herself to fall back onto her back, relishing the way her breath rushed from her lungs and left her breathless for a short couple of seconds. She raised an arm and covered her eyes, her ears twitching slightly when she heard him speak again. The hand connected to the arm over her face made a gesture, and she sighed, "Fine, Oliver, call me whatever since it's obviously so distasteful. I honestly don't even care anymore. If I'm making things so difficult, you can always leave. I can deal with Nicole's stuck up attitude. And my mom." She'd never lied to her family before, so she wasn't sure how her mother would take it, but really, this wasn't worth avoiding how awful she was going to feel when faced with her mom's disappointment.
Oliver waited for the retort, the smart comeback, the many reasons why he was wrong and she was right. He sat there, wishing for some aspirin or something to keep his headache from putting him in any more a foul mood and make him say something he would regret. He waited, watching her as she sat on the floor and mindlessly twiddled about with the carpet. He allowed himself to lean his slender frame off to the side, placing his elbow on the arm of the couch and resting his head on his wrist, delicate fingers curling towards his palm as the tendons that moved them relaxed. His eyes lowered to her face as she fell back onto the rug, and he could not help but trace her frame with his eyes. The lovely indent of her collarbone and neckline, the curves of her hips, the two soft mounds atop her rib cage as she lay on her back.
Blinking, he averted his eyes as she lifted her arm, but his eyes returned to her when she spoke, only this time wide with shock. What was this coming out of her mouth? Was she giving in? Had he broke her? That was not what he had meant to do! Wait, no, there it was. The invitation for him to leave. She was merely done with the dance, and he had yet the chance to lead her. But he was not done. She had thrown him into this mess, calling him her boyfriend, and he was not going to let that go. Not anymore! He sat up straight and stood, walking around so that his face was right above hers should she decide to look. "I'm sorry Sweetheart, but I cannot allow you to face the embarrassment of telling your family of your hasty attempt to best your sister. I will do my best to get over how I feel about your slang, but in return for saving your pride, I ask you to at least try dating me. For real, not pretend to help you save face." He did not smirk, he did not smile. He simply stated, "For all intents and purposes, we would be killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. You would have your family believe the tale you've already begun weaving, and I get the chance I've been trying for to make you fall madly in love with me. And if by the end of it, you aren't madly in love with me, I'll leave. I'll leave you alone and never bother you again. But we must keep at it for at least two months. Nothing less."
x-Beautiful---Delusions-x
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 2:29 am
Libbey Kendal Cox
xxxxxLibbey focused on simply breathing in and out, the feel of the rug rubbing lightly against her clothed back, and the weight of her arm against her eyes. She was a little surprised that Oliver had not spoken yet, part of her having expected him to scoff at her suggestion, expressing without words that she was deluded to think he would do such a thing. Yet she heard nothing from him -- wait, no, there was a slight rustling of fabric. Was he actually leaving? She lifted her arm slightly, her eyes initially shifted in the direction of the couch, and then she lifted said arm a little more, and --
xxxxxA startled squeak escaped her when she realized he had moved to stand above her. Heat flooded her face and made her ears burn because this was likely the most embarrassing position she'd ever been in. But her pride would not allow her to bolt up as she sorely wanted to do, and so instead she focused on listening to what he had to say. Embarrassment quickly altered into surprise before shifting into shock and finally developing into quite a dumbfounded look. Date Oliver Marsh -- for real? Was he insane? How was that any better than facing the embarrassment and shame of telling her family about her ridiculous insecurity? She kept her mouth shut, even though she wanted to object, because surely there was something in this for her. She barely refrained from snorting at "make you fall madly in love with me" because, honestly, he was most certainly not on the same planet if he truly thought that could possibly happen in this universe. She'd made her feelings quite clear on that front multiple times.
xxxxxWhat finally caught her attention and gave her steadfast rejection pause was his statement about leaving her alone and never bothering her again. Now that most certainly held some appeal, she had to admit. Getting Oliver Copperfield Marsh out of her life for good? That sounded like a dream come true (not that he'd ever actually been in her dreams, mind you). But of course he had to add in a time frame. Two months was too long; and she planned on going off to college before that time frame was up. "I leave for college in six weeks. Make it six weeks, and... fine. But this trial dating period doesn't count as acceptance -- I'm not on your list of women if I agree to it, and unless I do, as you like to put it, 'fall madly in love with you,' then you aren't allowed to tell anyone about this. If you agree to that, then okay. If not, then I will gladly take the shame and embarrassment from spilling all to my family."
Oliver smiled brightly, not unlike a young boy receiving the toy he had been pointing at in the shop window, metal blue eyes twinkling. "Deal, six weeks it is." He offered her his hand to help her up, but he expected her to ignore it. No one could say he was ungentlemanly though. He listened to her terms, finding them acceptable and very reasonable, agreeing to all of them. "If I had a 'list', you shant be on it, and I give you my word, no one will hear of this." He nodded, confirming it all in his head. The prospect of loosing this little wager never crossed his mind. She would see. He wuoold make her see. He had changed. He had done his best to. She was not only a battle he wanted to win, a bet or a prize. She was the one woman he really wanted to spend his days with. He wanted to make her smile, make her laugh, make her feel comfortable in his company. He was finally getting his chance!"Good. Now then, back to practice. What about embraces?"
He was about to begin on a lecture about how she should not flinch away from hugs and affectionate touches when he was rudely interrupted by the growling of his stomach. He frowned. "I hope your mother returns soon with the pizza. I'm famished." he turned and looked at the door, as if his gaze would bring sustenance to him any sooner. Looking back, he took a breath and realized he had been speaking excitedly. Returning to his thoughts, he reiterated, more clearly, "You will have to accept and look to enjoy when I reach for your hand or want to wrap you in a hug. I won't do it often, but when appropriate. The disdainful glances need to be kept in check as well." He remained standing, the blood flow ebbing the headache for the moment. "Now what else should I keep in mind when speaking at dinner?"
x-Beautiful---Delusions-x
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 3:39 pm
Libbey Kendal Cox
xxxxxLibbey's eyes narrowed speculatively, observing Oliver's very odd willingness to comply with her terms. She hadn't expected him to give in so easily and had been prepared to have to argue quite a good deal more to get him to agree, so his acceptance was a little unnerving. She eyed his outstretched hand much like one would warily eye a venomous snake, choosing to stay in the floor for just a bit longer. It wasn't like she didn't have to tilt her head back to look up at him anyway, so the only weird thing about their position was that she was at his feet. That tidbit aside, though, the floor was actually quite comfortable. Her brows furrowed as he suddenly decided to resume his teaching -- random, much? His question had her hesitating, and she repeated his question with a slightly different inflection, "What about embraces?" Her question went fairly unanswered, minus the sudden noise of a gurgling stomach. She felt her lips twitch as he suddenly remarked upon being hungry and looked at the door quite wistfully. She ended up rolling over onto her stomach to muffle a snicker, relishing in the fact that he was that hungry. Served him right for just deciding to spontaneously take a flight over here.
xxxxxPushing herself up into a sitting position, with her legs curled underneath her, the strawberry blonde teen looked up at Oliver just as he started speaking again. One of her brows shot up as she snorted, "I can't imagine enjoying such a thing." She did agree that he had a point about the dark looks she shot him, but that was partially out of habit. "I'll try my best with the faces and whatnot, but sometimes I make them without even realizing it. Maybe we should have some sort of sign for if I am doing it, just in case." She pushed her hand through her hair, absently blowing at a few strands of her bangs that were slightly tickling her nose. His question had her worrying her lower lip between her teeth as she thought. "Try to stay away from talking about 'us Americans' if possible. You always make it sound like a disease," she answered bluntly, her eyes glancing off to the side at nothing in particular as she did her best to think over the things he said or did that truly needed to be avoided. But there were far too many situations for her to possibly go over all of them. "Ugh. I'll just... try to stop you if you say something stupid. Fortunately, you'll have my mother on your side, so she'll probably keep my father from being too awful should you really put your foot in your mouth." She huffed out a sigh, rubbing at the skin of her forehead above her nose and in between her eyebrows. She winced slightly when she realized something that was definitely bound to be asked. "Hypothetically, when and how did we get together?"
Oliver dropped his hand when it was apparent she would not be taking it. Instead, he took up pacing. A signal for when she makes those distasteful faces... hmm... "How about I scratch my nose and look at you?" he thought aloud as he walked to and fro, his long legs carrying him across the distance of the living room in a few strides before having to turn and make his way back. After a few passes, he decided pacing was tiring him out more than helping him focus. Sometimes movement helped, sometimes it didn't. He strode back to the couch and lowered himself gracefully back into the sitting position, elbow back on the arm and his hand covering his mouth. He crossed his legs at the knee, out of habit.
There was another thing they definitely needed to get right. How they came to be in a relationship. He tapped his cheek with a finger as he worked out possible stories in his head. Coming up with one, he moved his hand away from his mouth to speak unhindered, "Well, let's keep it as close to the truth as we can. At first, you despised me, but as we shared a few classes, we ended up partners in a project and found, as we got to know each other over the course of the project, call it biology, that we were not so incompatible as you had convinced yourself. We became friends and it blossomed from there. We formally addressed the fact that we were a couple a few weeks before the school year ended." He closed his eyes and placed his head back on his hand, thinking it over. It seemed believable. In any case, he was sure she'd tweak it to her liking. She seemed to have objections to anything he came up with, which made sense because she objected to his very existence. He sighed deeply at the thought. Sometimes he wondered if she found it all a game just as he had in the beginning, or if she really loathed him so much.
His face relaxed as he sat there, finding the warmth of reflected body heat off the cushions of the couch comforting. The couch in general was comfortable, and he slumped a bit, broad shoulders drooping and the collar of his shirt flopping over to reveal a bit of skin on his neck, a chain sitting gently on it. It had been a long flight across the pond, an the time there at home was later than it was here. the rush of excitement had worn well off now, and Oliver's attempt at thinking up a good story began to haze over, being replace by nonsensical visions that had nothing to do with anything really. Rain on a window pane, his grand piano that sat in his father's study. things came into and out of focus as he drifted into a light doze.
x-Beautiful---Delusions-x
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 11:10 pm
Libbey Kendal Cox
xxxxxThe young teen barely paid attention to the fact that Oliver was pacing. If she had been paying attention to it, she probably would have told him to stop it and sit down, so it was best she ignored it. One blonde brow shot up at his suggestion, and she found herself shrugging. "Sure; that should be easy to remember." And it'd be easy to notice since she'd most likely be making the faces at him rather than away from him. So long as he was facing her whenever she did it, it shouldn't be a problem. She sighed softly as she leaned back on her hands, twisting her body around slightly so that she could still see the black-haired boy as he finally sat down. His fluid movements were a little irritating; couldn't he be ungraceful just once? One time was all she was asking for, and he didn't have to do it ever again, so long as she saw it happen. She was slightly startled when he spoke, detailing the story a little vaguely but well enough that they could each add in their own embellishments if needed. She furrowed her brow slightly as she calculated the number of months that would mean. "So... two months, then?" she queried. "Roughly, at least." Absently, she bit down on her lower lip. Even if both her parents ended up liking Oliver, they were going to kill her. She'd been home for at least a month and had not told them she had a boyfriend, even though she really hadn't had one. Maybe she could make up something and say Oliver had asked her not to say anything yet because he'd wanted to be there when she said it.
xxxxxNo, that sounded stupid. Having her parents be irate would just have to occur. She could deal with it. Her lips parted on a word as her eyes shifted back to Oliver, but upon seeing him slightly slouched with his eyes closed, her lips pressed back together, twitching slightly as she fought against a smile. She knew he had to be exhausted; the time difference was awful for her, and she'd had four years to get used to it. And there was no way she was going to disrupt his descent into partial sleep because honestly -- Oliver being quiet meant he wasn't bothering her, which was always a good thing in her book. She looked back down at the rug, fiddling with the fibers once more, when she heard the distinct sound of a door opening in the kitchen. She went still, holding her breath, and the first sound of footfalls let her know it was her father. Tough luck for Oliver.
xxxxx"Anyone home? Libbs?" her father's voice called from the kitchen, followed by the distinct sound of keys being set upon the counter. The youngest Cox scrambled up from her spot on the floor and ran into the kitchen, hoping to stall her father as long as possible.
xxxxx"Daddy!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly as he pulled her into a hug. She returned the sentiment, her head tilted back as she looked up at him. "Mom went to get the pizzas from Irongate. She should be back any minute now." As she spoke, she slid her arms from around his waist and took a couple of steps back. "You're home late," she observed, glancing at the clock nearby. Was it really almost eight?
xxxxxHer father's lips curved into a grin. "Those of us on the fourth floor decided we wanted to see how tall we could build something using only toothpicks and glue. Things got a bit messy." His grey eyes glinted in amusement. "But don't tell your mother, eh?"
xxxxxLibbey giggled and shook her head. "You know I won't. I'm not Nikki."
xxxxxHer father's response of, "That's my girl," managed to cause a little bit of guilt and dread to settle in her stomach, and she glanced back over her shoulder somewhat nervously.
There was a noise, the high pitched tinkling of keys hitting counter, and Oliver drew in a deep breath, waking from his doze. His thin but defined eyebrows shot up, urging his eyelids to do the same, and after a few moments, they did. He blinked and sat up straight, looking at the floor in front of him only to find that Lori was no longer there. He glanced about, then heard muffled conversation coming from the other room, was it the kitchen? There was a male sounding voice and Oliver quickly deduced that it had to have been Lori's father. He had come home at last. Time to meet the man of the house.
He moved to stand, but stopped mid rise, remembering what Lori had said. Act nervous. He sat back down and leaned back against the couch. He closed his legs, his knees touching and spiting apart from there, his feet spread, toes pointing towards each other, sort of pigeon toed. He laced his fingers together in his lap, bowed his head, and began to twiddle his thumbs. How was that for a nervous boyfriend? Glancing sidelong at the kitchen entrance every now and then, he looked all the part of a boy on edge about to meet the father of his girlfriend. For good measure, he listened for when Lori would bring her father in to meet him, and when she did, he would hastily brush his hair back and straighten his collar. Nothing said nervous like making overly sure you looked good.
x-Beautiful---Delusions-x
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 11:56 pm
Libbey Kendal Cox
xxxxxThe door to the garage opening again kept Libbey from having to stall her father further, and when he turned around to help his wife with the pizza boxes, the girl let her shoulders sag in slight relief. At least her mother was home to keep her father in check, no matter how awful this first meeting was definitely going to go. "Libbey, sweetie, where's Oliver?" her mother queried upon noticing that said boy was not in the kitchen, and the strawberry blonde nearly groaned when her father's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he looked between mother and daughter.
xxxxx"And who is Oliver?" he demanded, his momentary interest in the pizza boxes disappearing entirely as he observed his daughter nervously fiddling with the ends of her shirt.
xxxxxHer mother shot her a slightly disapproving look, which caused Libbey to squeak indignantly, "He just got home!" She kind of needed her mother's support in this. Blushing and shifting awkwardly under the semi-glare of her father, she stammered, "Um, he... O-Oliver is my... boyfriend." Her gaze fleetingly met her father's before she motioned towards the living room. "He's on the couch."
xxxxxHer father took a few steps forward before her mother stepped in front of him and placed a hand against his shoulder. "Now, Noah, don't be hasty. This is her first boyfriend, and he came all the way from England to see her," the redhead told him sternly, giving him a look that spoke volumes. "He seems like a well-behaved young man, so be nice. The fact that she didn't tell either of us about him should tell you she was worried how you'd respond." That last sentence was what seemed to make her father look less murderous, and he rubbed a hand over his face.
xxxxxLibbey bit her lower lip, anxiety practically closing off the access to her trachea. She had known her dad would not react well to the news since she had always been closer to him than her sister, but it was still a little worrying. Her father glanced at her, and his face softened a little, though he looked sad and weary all of a sudden. "You're right, of course," he told his wife, managing to smile. He turned around and grabbed the pizza boxes as well as the styrofoam plates his wife had set out. "May as well eat in the living room while we do this. I'm starved."
xxxxxLibbey hastily retreated back into the living room and sat down on the couch beside Oliver, though she made sure to sit a little distance away for her (and her father's) peace of mind. She didn't even have time to say anything before both her parents followed her into the living room, her father setting the pizza boxes down on the coffee table while her mother pulled the two armchairs away from the wall and set them on the other side of the coffee table in front of the couch. Her father did not sit down just yet, instead walking over to stand in front of Oliver and extending his hand. "Hello, Oliver, I'm Noah, Libbey's father." He smiled politely before asking, "What exactly are your intentions with my daughter?"
xxxxx"Dad!" said daughter exclaimed as heat flooded her face and turned it quite pink, while at the same time his wife admonished (though with a wealth of amusement), "Noah!"
Oliver watched as the family paraded into the living room with the pizzas and the plates. They were eating in here? That worked he supposed. His mouth was practically watering as the smell of melted mozzarella and cooled, but still warm pepperoni and olives wafted by his nose. He shifted in his seat, making sure to seem as nervous as he deemed fit, and when Noah came to stand in front of him, Oliver stood up hastily, just as he had when Lori's mother had first entered her bedroom and laid eyes upon him. "O-oliver Marsh sir." he stammered, taking Lori's father's hand and giving it a firm shake. His handshake was solid, but his face remained uncertain, with a tinge of fear. He drew in a quick breath at Noah's question and quickly stuttered out an answer. "I-I have no int-tentions with her. That is, I mean- Your daughter- Lori, she." He stumbled over his words, stopped and cleared his throat, and took a deep breath. "Mr. Cox," he swallowed, allowing for enough time to pass for it to seem like he was gathering his thoughts, when he had really been quite put together all along. "I have feelings for Lori, and I w-wish to ensure you that my only intentions are to m-make her as happy as I can. Please, I hope you believe me when I s-say that I would never want to put her in any sort of discomfort or harm." He looked up and met Noah's eyes, "I am quite in love with her... Sir." He promptly looked away, admiring a framed picture that hung on the wall. "Um, It is very nice to meet you... By the way."He concluded, his voice trailing off at the end.
x-Beautiful---Delusions-x
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 12:49 am
Libbey Kendal Cox
xxxxxThe itch to smack her hand to her forehead was so immense that her hand actually twitched before she controlled said urge. He needed to tone down the nerves just a tiny bit. Though, she had to admit, even though she knew he was acting, it was nice to see a little fear on his face for the first time. She looked at her mother pleadingly, wishing the floor could swallow her whole. They just needed to make it through this first dinner, and things would be less difficult later. Her father seemed to be the only one reacting rationally to this situation -- as in, ready to kick Oliver out of the house because that's what all of them should have wanted -- but even he was taking it a bit too far. It turned out her mother didn't need to step in, however, for her father seemed quite pleased by the answer he received. He released Oliver's hand and returned to the coffee table, opening the pizza boxes and grabbing a plate for his wife and for himself. He wasted no time in extracting two pieces of cheese pizza for his wife and two pieces of the pizza he was (unknowingly) going to share with Oliver before seating himself in the armchair.
xxxxxLibbey was a little concerned by the fact that her father wasn't speaking, but she kept her mouth shut as she stood and made her way over to the coffee table. She could feel both her parents watching her, and after a slight hesitation, she grabbed two plates, doing the same as her father and separating two pieces from each pizza, before turning and handing Oliver his plate. She quietly muttered, "A little less nerves," before she resumed her seat on the sofa. She had barely taken a bite of her pizza when her father finally spoke again.
xxxxx"You like mushroom and olive pepperoni pizza, Oliver?" He sounded slightly incredulous, though there was a lace of amusement to his tone. That boded well for Oliver, who wanted her father to like him, and not so well for Libbey, who was still wishing her father was ready to throw him out of their house.
xxxxxAnd then her mother, the traitor she was, piped up with the question Libbey was hoping would have waited until a bit later, "So, how'd you two end up together? Given the fact that Oliver came all the way over here just to surprise you, I can only imagine it must have been very romantic." Libbey barely managed not to inhale (and ultimately choke) on her pizza as the urge to laugh bubbled up inside her chest. If her mother only knew how entirely unromantic it actually was.
Oliver remained standing after Noah released his hand, sitting when the head of the family did. This was not part of the nerves he was playing, but a sign of respect he always showed. It had been bred into him since childhood. He refrained from crossing his legs this time, not wanting to show comfort just yet, and when he was handed him a plate with his desired pizza, he nodded in response to her warning, covering up the action with an honestly grateful "Thank you." He leaned over the plate and took a bite, practically melting at the taste. "Mmmhhh." He murmured and closed his eyes briefly, relishing it.
He was halfway through his first bite when Noah addressed him, and he hastily finished it, looking about for a napkin to dab his mouth with, "Mh!" he swallowed his bite at last,"Yes sir, I do. It's simple I know, but the flavors mesh together so well..." He trailed off, reaching for a napkin he spotted by one of the boxes of pizza. He wiped a bit of pizza sauce from the corner of his lips, then folded the napkin and placed it under his plate on his lap. Looking at Lori, a little pleadingly, he asked, "Could I trouble you for some water, Honey?"
x-Beautiful---Delusions-x
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 1:15 pm
Libbey Kendal Cox
xxxxxLibbey found herself slightly mortified as her mother, and even her father, chuckled at Oliver's response to the pizza. Her father nodded somewhat approvingly before motioning at his wife and then at his daughter. "Exactly what I've been trying to tell these two for years, but my wife hates mushrooms, and Libbs..." He trailed off with a grin before adding, "Well, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but she's so picky it's impossible to get her to eat anything but cheese."
xxxxxSaid daughter promptly swallowed the bite of pizza on her tongue. "That is not true! I eat pepperoni, too!"
xxxxxThis prompted her mother to laugh as she motioned to the pizza. "Yes, only when someone forces you to do it, never by choice."
xxxxxLibbey pouted but wasn't given the opportunity to sulk for long because Oliver finally spoke a question directed at her. She caught herself from making a face before she even attempted to make said face, and instead nodded and made herself smile. "Sorry; yeah, of course." Directing her attention to her parents as she stood, she queried, "Do you two want anything?"
xxxxx"If we have any tea left, that would be great," her mother agreed, smiling.
xxxxxHer father, however, grinned at her. "I think I'll take a Coke," he answered, knowing his daughter would stray away from the soft drink if no one else got one. She smiled brightly at him in thanks before retreating into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and grabbing the tea pitcher as well as the water pitcher they used to purify tap water. Grabbing two cups from the cabinet nearby, she poured the two liquids into separate cups before returning the pitchers to their places in the fridge. While she was at it, she grabbed two bottled Cokes and put them in between her arm and torso, letting the refrigerator door fall shut on its own. She then grabbed both the cups from the counter and, taking a calming breath, reentered the living room.
xxxxxDuring her absence, there were faint sounds coming from the kitchen, and her mother playfully admonished, "Now, Oliver, when she gets back in here, no more stalling. We really do want to hear the story." Her father snorted and mumbled something beneath his breath that had his wife sending him a narrowed look. He grinned, completely unrepentant, and took another bite of his pizza.
xxxxxA few seconds later, the strawberry blonde teen emerged from the kitchen, holding much more than she should be attempting to carry at once. At least the Cokes had lids, though. Laughing, her father set his plate down and got up to take the cup of tea and one of the Coke bottles from her, clucking his tongue at her. "You could have asked for help," he scolded teasingly.
xxxxxLibbey stuck her tongue out at him before retorting, "I was getting drinks for four people. Of course I needed help." She walked over to Oliver and held out the cup of water as her free hand grabbed the other bottle of Coke that was still sandwiched between her arm and chest. "We use a filtering pitcher, so it might taste different than what you're used to," she cautioned.
Oliver smiled lightly, nibbling on a stringy piece of melted cheese oozing out from under a mushroom. He bit it off and swallowed before nodding in agreement, "Yeah, I know how picky she can be. I still don't know everything she likes and doesn't. It's like a guessing game with her." He laughed alongside Kelsey when Lori retorted.
When she got up to fetch the drinks he watched her go into the kitchen, looking completely infatuated in the most innocent way. He brought the Pizza up to his mouth, head still turned towards the kitchen. After a moment, he looked down at his plate, looking at the orange liquid grease that perspired from the cheese and pepperoni. This pizza was really very tasty.
At the sound of Lor's mother's voice, he looked up. "Oh, yes of course! It's rather uneventful really. It sort of just... came to be." he looked over at the kitchen, seeing Lori come in with an arm full of beverages. "Oh! I should have thought to help you. I'm so sorry Love." he took the cup of water out of her hand and set it between his legs to keep it safe. Held out his hand for the Coke, should she need to put it down to retrieve her pizza. "I'm sure it'll taste fine. Water is water after all." That was not true in the least. He did have a preferred taste to his water, but he wasn't going to fuss, especially in front of his present company. "Your mother was just telling me she wants us to tell them how we got together." He said with a sweet smile.
