[color=darkgray][center][sub][right][b]Timestamp:[/b] Saturday Morning After The Infamous Reunion [/right][/sub]
[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220410/f8f1c24e15494acf841d16a2010cde6d.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/I0x5IZW.png[/img]
[b][i][sub]A [@Venus] & [@Aces Away] Collaboration
Featuring [color=104e09]Creed[/color], [color=7B68EE]Puff[/color] & [color=d3baff]Jokes[/color][/sub][/i][/b]
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[indent][indent][color=104e09]"Hey momma, good mornin'."[/color]

[color=2d9c21]"Mornin' Lovebug, how'd you sleep?"[/color]

Creed swiped at the bags under his eye for a moment, leaning against the bathroom door and staring up at the ceiling.

[color=104e09]"I don't think I did sleep."[/color]

[color=2d9c21]"Maliq, what's goin' on?"[/color] Kamilla Briteson asked from the other end of the call, hearing his lost tone and knowing her son well enough.

Creed sighed and slid to the ground, free arm resting on his bent knee. [color=104e09]"Puff got ahold'a me last night. When I got to her she was stoned outta her mind and definitely took somethin'. She's with me an' Jokes right now, she's sleepin', but I feel like she's gonna do somethin' stupid. A lotta shit went down last night."[/color] 

Kam hummed in that way that said she was already cooking up plans of her own to intercept Natalia for a lunch date chat. [color=2d9c21]"What do you need from me Baby?"[/color]

[color=104e09]"I just…when-" [/color]Creed hesitated, swallowing harshly. [color=104e09]"When you were like this...what was it I did that helped?"[/color]

There was silence on the other end of the line, and Creed occupied himself with clenching and unclenching his free hand, watching the tendons and muscles shift.

[color=2d9c21]"Oh Baby, you were just you."[/color]

[color=104e09]"What?"[/color] He asked in surprise, pulling the phone away to glance at it as though it would give him an answer. Kam laughed, the sound a little sad and hollow over the line.

[color=2d9c21]"Maliq, you just kept showin' up. Even after I told you an' Jonie I couldn't take care'a you. Even when y'all moved into the Edge and I stopped workin' for a while. Even when I screamed at you about losin' you like your father and Jonie's parents. You just kept showin' up, cookin' breakfast and cleanin' when I couldn't even get off the couch. You made sure I knew I still had people fightin' for me, and worth fightin' for."[/color]

Creed sniffed harshly, wiping the tears off his cheeks and wrapping an arm around both knees.

[color=104e09]"She didn't want us around for a while after we broke up, what if she decides that again?"[/color]

[color=2d9c21]"I know you're not a stupid boy, Maliq Briteson, don't go askin' stupid questions. If that girl tries to push you away, you sink your anchor down 'til she ain't lost at sea no more, you understand me?"[/color]

[color=104e09]"Yeah, momma, I hear ya."[/color]

[color=2d9c21]"Good, now go make somethin' to eat and calm down. I'll talk to Babypop soon too."[/color]

Creed smiled, knowing that Kam had taken Natalia under her wing almost immediately back in highschool. She always did take care of all the younger girls at the edge too. A nurturer at heart just like her son.

Creed cleaned himself up and exited the bathroom, catching Jokes looking at him from behind Natalia on the bed. He gave the long haired man a short nod that seemed to convey everything it needed to, because Jokes settled his head back onto the pillow and continued to hold Natalia as she slept. Creed slipped into their small kitchen and began breakfast.
[hr]
[i]"A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys, painted wings and giant's rings make way for other toys…"[/i]

The enticing scent of fried bacon and the sounds of a familiar children's movie slowly began to coax Natalia awake. It was a running theme to play the movie with Puff's namesake whenever one of them was down, all the way back to the first time they'd shown the movie to her when they were teenagers. After a long crying session, the Belmonte girl had succumbed to a deep slumber the night before thanks to the weed, the pills, emotional exhaustion and the comfort provided by Creed and Jokes. Tal had no idea how long she’d been out for, but it had certainly been one of the better sleeps she’d had in a while. And waking up to cuddles and what smelled like a bomb breakfast lifted her spirits just a little bit more.

[color=7B68EE]"Good morning, handsome,"[/color] she mumbled sleepily, eyes half-closed as she gave Jokes a groggy smile and snuggled closer to his lanky frame under the covers.

[color=d3baff]"Mornin', beautiful."[/color] Jokes replied softly, dropping a kiss onto the top of her head as he turned the volume down on the clunky old tv. [color=d3baff]"You were sleepin' pretty heavily, Mal's been cookin' for about fifteen minutes already. Ya hungry?"[/color]

[color=7B68EE]"Mhm…"[/color] the brunette nodded, moving away from her cuddle buddy just far enough to comfortably stretch her body while rubbing her eyes. [color=7B68EE]"My therapist's had me on a Valium prescription for a while now. Usually it's the only thing that gets me through the day most times and helps me sleep, but I took a handful of them last night. And paired with the weed? It's probably why I crashed so hard,"[/color] she chuckled blandly, resuming her position close to Jokes again and looking into his dark eyes with a soft smile.

[color=7B68EE]"But I still appreciated the cuddles you gave me,"[/color] Natalia whispered gently before wrapping her arms around Jonie and kissing him sweetly.

He kept his features carefully schooled at her admittance, no judgment or pity or anything else that could scare her off. He actively reciprocated the kiss as the final song played softly from the old tv. A low whistle from Creed in the kitchen had him pulling away slowly and drawing back the covers.

[color=d3baff]"C'mon, food's all ready."[/color] He led her to the kitchen, where their small table was filled with bacon and bell pepper omelets. There was shredded cheese, hot sauce, salt and pepper set out as well. Creed had always liked cooking, but his nurturing side came out strong when he was stressed or thinking hard on something. Jokes pulled out Natalia's chair just as Creed came over, settling the last plate on the table and giving the girl a kiss of his own, then kissing Jokes as well before sitting down. They all settled and began the meal while it was still warm.

After seasoning her omelet with salt and pepper and sprinkling a generous portion of shredded cheese onto it, Natalia allowed herself and her two companions to enjoy a few bites of the delicious meal before speaking up. [color=7B68EE]"About last night…"[/color] she began, looking down at her lap while she fiddled with the fork in her hands. She was much too ashamed to look any of the two boys in the eye. [color=7B68EE]"I'm sorry about crashing in here in the state I was in and just dumping all of this emotional vomit onto you guys. I know we hadn't really spoken much since the breakup, so it was really fucking selfish of me to do what I did. I'm sorry."[/color]

The two men held each other's gaze for a long moment before Jokes went back to his food and Creed turned his seat towards Natalia. 

[color=104e09]"Maybe your head was a little cloudy last night, so I'll say it again,"[/color] he said calmly, leaning towards her and grabbing her wrists and making sure she looked at him before continuing. [color=104e09]"Any time, any reason. If ya need one or both'a us and we can get ta ya, we'll come runnin'. The break up had nothin' to do with lost love or lack'a care. D'ya hear me?"[/color]

[color=d3baff]"Ya needed the space, so we let ya have it. Doesn't mean we weren't still there."[/color] Jokes had swallowed his bite of food and tilted his head into his propped up hand, smiling warmly at her.

Natalia nodded again, feeling a lump starting to form in her throat. [color=7B68EE]“There’s just so much going on behind the scenes right now that I feel like I can’t talk to anyone about it, because I have to be a rock for my dad,”[/color] she admitted, turning her eyes back to her lap as tears began to burn at the corner of her eyes again. [color=7B68EE]“Mama’s dying of cancer. The doctor’s give her a max of three months. My dad and siblings have been taking great care of her, and my cousin Tiffannie's been a blessing with that too. But I’ve been away at college, so I haven’t spent as much time with her as I would’ve wanted to… and I feel like shit for it,”[/color] she sniffed, letting the droplets fall down from her eyes and onto her bare thighs.

[color=7B68EE]“Danilo found out about Viv and ReyRey last night, so I’m sure he’ll put two and two together and feel even more betrayed by me because I didn’t tell him about it. Then, with this whole letter business going around, I’m worried sick about my fling with Charlie becoming public knowledge. And it’s not just me worrying about what people are going to say about me, but about the person who will hurt most from it…”[/color] she trailed off as Poppy James’ heartbroken face came to the forefront of her mind, tugging at her heartstrings.

However, the image shifted, and was soon replaced by that of a curly-haired young man and a redheaded girl posing for a picture in all of their loved-up glory. The guilt and sadness quickly morphed into a pain and anger so strong it nearly took Natalia’s breath away again, and she dug her nails into her palms to stop herself from losing control. [color=7B68EE]“And, to top it all off, the first guy I ever really loved is dating one of the girls who took my place in Danny’s life,”[/color] Natalia admitted bitterly, her voice shaking slightly with all of the pent-up emotion. [color=7B68EE]“After all the times I trusted him about how I felt about her, listing all the reasons why I couldn’t fucking stand her, and he goes on to actually fucking [i]date[/i] this girl?”[/color] she scoffed, more angry tears rolling hot and fast down her cheeks. [color=7B68EE]“He [i]never[/i] went public with me. When I told him I loved him, he distanced himself and ended up dumping me. But he’s already showing her off in all his social media accounts, calling her “my girl”? I was his friend for over [i]ten years[/i] before we started messing around. We were each other’s first everything. I was never worthy of being ‘his girl’, but somehow this other person is? What kind of bullshit is that?”[/color]

There was plenty to be said to her words, plenty to dissect and unpack. The most important thing seemed to be just the sheer number of issues at hand. It was enough to crush anyone, even one as strong as Puff. But none of the problems were [i]fixable[/i] per se, which meant they could only really approach this from one angle.

[color=d3baff]"Look, we ain't 'bout ta act like things ain't completely fucked-"[/color]

[color=104e09]"'Cause they kinda are-"[/color] Creed mumbled.

[color=d3baff]"-'cause they ki- yes, exactly,"[/color] Jokes continued. [color=d3baff]"This sounds like a [i]The Sky Is Fallin'![/i] situation, and obviously too much has been put in ta motion ta stop it now. So y'can focus on all these negatives an' think'a the worst way everythin' could go wrong, but all it's gonna do is exhaust ya mentally so that once the confrontation [i]does[/i] happen, ya got no ability ta cope. I'm not sayin' ya ain't gotta right ta your feelin's, I'm just sayin' try an' focus on what good ya can get outta this, even if ya have ta pull it out with your bare hands. Keep the thoughts positive, like when ya used ta braid my hair,"[/color] he smiled brightly, reaching out and running his finger through her strands of hair. [color=d3baff]"Carry through the day with ya the emotions that help, not hinder."[/color]

[color=104e09]"And if those negatives do get ta you,"[/color] Creed piped up after Jokes had finished his piece. [color=104e09]"Just remember that you’ve got at least three people ta lean on, and we're all willin' to take some'a that weight onto our shoulders if it means keepin' ya walkin' forward."[/color]

Natalia was quiet for a few seconds, taking a few more bites of her omelet in the process. The more she thought about it, the more she vacillated between gratefulness at having Creed and Jokes trying their hardest to lighten her burden, and despair at how she just couldn't seem to let go of the suffocating weight pulling her down. [color=7B68EE]"It's not that I'm not thankful that I have you guys to count on-- because it truly means the world to me. I just seriously can't see any positive outcomes coming out of any of this. My mom dying? My family falling apart because of it? My brother resenting me more than he probably already does? Breaking poor Poppy's heart even more than it already is? Feeling like I was never worth enough for my ex-best friend I fell so stupidly in love with? How can I stay positive when that's all I can think about?"[/color]

[color=104e09]“Puff, do you think that we saw any positives when we lost our parents?”[/color] Creed asked, looking the woman deep in the eyes as he spoke to her. [color=104e09]“You’re not gonna see any light past the dark shit you’re goin’ through. Losin’ a parent isn’t easy, but you got this time to talk ta her and be honest about what you need ta say. Apologize for not bein’ around and I doubt your ma’s gonna do anything but tell you ta hush up. Get ahead of the things that you [i]can[/i] get ahead of, before it all comes to a head at once. D’you think your brother, or Poppy, or anyone you need ta talk to would prefer ta find out any of these secrets through some freak with an ulterior motive for leakin’ the information, or do ya think they’d prefer ta have someone to talk to and answer the questions that are gonna come up from it?”[/color]

[color=d3baff]“As for the rest,”[/color] Jokes cut in. [color=d3baff]“He’s got an [i]ex-[/i] in front of his designation for a reason. I know it hurts, but lurkin’ on his socials ain’t gonna fill that wound festerin’ in your soul. If anything, it’s gonna keep you from [i]healing[/i].”[/color]

[color=104e09]“We’re here for you, Puff, no matter what happens. Focus on the constants. Focus on what you can [i]do[/i] first instead of what might be done if you don’t do [i]anythin’[/i].”[/color]

[color=7B68EE]“I hate it when you guys are right…”[/color] she admitted with a defeated laugh, finishing up her meal in a few more big bites. As much as Natalia hated to admit she was wrong, Maliq and Jonie were absolutely correct in their arguments. Wasting time worrying about potentials and possibilities in her current state was only causing her more harm than good. Did it mean she was going to take all parts of their generous, intelligent advice immediately? That was to be seen. She wouldn’t be Tiziano Belmonte’s daughter if she wasn’t as hard-headed and stubborn as he was. But the least she could do was acknowledge it and take it into honest consideration. [color=7B68EE]“I didn’t mean to sound insensitive, by the way. Most of the time I forget I’m not the only one in the world who’s drowning.”[/color]

[color=d3baff]"You're allowed ta voice your thoughts,"[/color] Jokes replied, a sad smile making its way onto his face at the girl's comment. [color=d3baff]"You're allowed ta have feelin's and ta battle with 'em. We're here ta be the rocks that stay strong against the waves for ya, ta show you the other paths and light your way if needed. Ultimately, the decision is always up ta you, an' ya won't catch any judgment from us, no matter what ya choose."[/color]

[color=104e09]"Just because other people are drownin' doesn't mean that you don't [i]also[/i] need ta be tossed a life preserver, it just means the boat should be equipped with more,"[/color] Creed added, swiping up everyone's plates and dropping them in the sink. [color=104e09]"Can you imagine where half of us would be if we judged our lives by how good or bad the person next ta us had it? We'd all be goin' crazy tryin'a pretend we were perfect because we have things a little bit easier."[/color]

He ran the water over the dishes, scrubbing off food remnants and trying not to think about all of his crewmates' histories, dark and sad as they were. No, nothing good ever came from 'they have it worse than me' lines of thought, it just leads to sealed lips and clenched jaws, bandaged with bad habits while the actual problems fester into full blown traumas. Pulling his head out of those thoughts, shaking them out for good measure, Creed turned around and leaned against the sink, tossing the handrag over his shoulder and crossing his arms.

Time to focus on something lighter and give Natalia something to look forward to.

[color=104e09]"By the way, expect a call from momma soon, I think it's been too long since y'all's last lunch date."[/color]

At the mention of Kamilla Briteson, Natalia’s demeanor perked up significantly, and she gave the two boys her first genuine smile in what felt like days. The bond she shared with Kam was unlike any other, and the prospect of lunch with her second mother lifted her spirits even more, in the best of ways. Leave it to Maliq to find the perfect way to cheer her up when she needed it the most.

[color=7B68EE]“Thank you, Liq,”[/color] the dark-haired woman breathed out, rising from her chair to walk over to Maliq, wrap her arms around him and pull him into a warm hug. [color=7B68EE]“Thank you so much for everything you’ve ever done for me. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to pay it back.”[/color]

[color=104e09]"Love ain't about debts Puff, you should know that by now,"[/color] he replied as he returned the hug. [color=104e09]"You're a part of our little family, one way or another: that ain't gonna end anytime soon so long as we can help it."[/color] He tightened the hug, putting all his intentions into the basic action and hoping Natalia received them on her end. He let her know that she was loved, and wanted, and protected if need be. She used to read him easily after their time together, and he hoped that held over during their lapse of contact so that she could truly feel what he was trying to tell her.

After a brief moment, he let her go, cupping her cheek as he pulled back to stare at her. [color=104e09]"Keep your eyes on the bright side, a'ight?”[/color]

Natalia nodded with a smile, kissing the hand cupping her cheek before pulling Creed into a hug again. This therapy session had been just what she needed to pull herself up by the bootstraps and keep on fighting.[/indent][/indent][/color]