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 Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 4:41 pm
"Harmony get your butt down here!" Kyndall shouted, trying to straighten up the house before the Darrows arrived for Christmas dinner. She'd been a cleaning machine the past few days, scrubbing and prepping and cleaning until the downstairs practically gleamed. This was her first time meeting Nathan and she fretted about it. She wanted everyone to get along as much as she and Tony did but teens were known best for their unpredictability.
Her daughter appeared, grumbling, from upstairs and was immediately sent to set the dining room table. She wasn't pleased that anyone was intruding into their traditional dinner then coma day. They'd eat and then pass out on the couch in front of movies like Little Women and Gremlins. She hardly thought they'd do the same with the Darrows present especially considering her mom was making them eat at the table. In fact, her mom had been in the kitchen cooking since early that morning. Presents were opened when she took a break and then back into the kitchen.
Two more sat beneath the tree. Harmony had gotten something for Tony to let him know she appreciated him, a book. She assumed him to be bookish but it was an old copy of the Canturbury Tales she found at a vintage store. Her mom perplexed about Nathan's interests, got him a gift certificate to a music store. Hopefully that would go over well. What Kyndall had gotten Tony could wait until they had a moment. It was stupid and sentimental but still important to her.
She made her daughter dress down a little, too, toning down her often quirky and eye grabbing style with something more appropriate for the day. And she was dressed nicely, too, and everything was decorated. The tree shone gold and crimson in the corner, all lit up. When Harm finished her chore she came into the kitchen, picking at the stuffing as it lay cooling in the bowl. Dinner would be ready soon she estimated.
"Mom!" Harm whined. "I don't see why we need to work so hard to impress Tony. I mean, sheesh! He already, like, knows us!"
"Harmony..." she warned quickly and sharply, not wanting to deal with an attitude today, of all days. "Be polite to Tony and his son, Nathan. We want to have a good Christmas, right?"
She was pretty sure she should be happy that she didn't hear what her daughter mumbled and instead the mint haired girl crossed into the living room and clicked on the TV finding the right movie to put in. She called back to her mom, ignoring what disapproval might come.
"I'm putting on Gremlins!"
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 9:47 pm
Tony had very seriously considered powering up to drag his son out of the house. It seemed the only way to get the boy to listen to him, but of course Tony knew better than to give his identity away to someone so close to him. Any number of dangers could arise with Nate knowing who he was, after all.
Some of which may well have come from Nate himself.
Eventually, though, he managed to get his son to come with him to the car, and the two drove to Kyndall and Harmony Rosen's place. Tony was more than excited for the meeting, not having had a Christmas this big in some time. Last year had been a little... crazy.
This year almost seemed normal.
Tony had brought the presents over. He had gotten them both two gifts, one in his name and one in Nate's. Nathan Darrow was not the giving type. He took a breath as they stood on the porch. He was dressed nicely, with a festive green argyle sweater and a scarf, as well as funny winter hat. Nathan dressed much as he always did, with belts and bits of metal that didn't look too safe as far as Tony was concerned.
Tony rang the doorbell, gifts in hand, cane hanging off his arm. Nate stood beside him, looking very put out and immediately bored.
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 10:08 pm
At least they weren't very early. Kyndall was even mostly feeling relaxed about the whole thing. She did nearly jump out of her skin, though, when she heard the doorbell ring. She made Harmony run for the door, standing over the oven to baste the turkey for the millionth time. The smells of cooking filled the lower level of the house. It looked nice decorated as it was with fresh holly and evergreen boughs and red ribbons and lights. Kyndall was all about decorations that did not take from the Earth but could give back to it. As such her Christmas box was easy to find and maintain every year. The only thing she kept were the ornaments, lights, and ribbons.
The mint haired girl pulled open the door, happy to see Tony now that he'd arrived and still skeptical about his boy. Her smile was bright when she looked at him with presents in hand and then faded when she considered the sullen teen at his side.
Immovable object? Meet unstoppable force.
"Hi Mr. Darrow." It seemed she would not be broken of her habit of addressing him properly except on rare occasions. She looked to Nathan. "Hi! I'm Harmony. You must be Nate."
She stepped aside to let them in as Kyndall came out spying the presents. She was glad now that she'd thought of presents of her own for them. Still, she was a proper hostess and helped him, leading them into the living room where tea and wine sat on the coffee table.
"How sweet of you, Tony!" she gushed happily. "It's good to have you both!"
She smiled at Nate and nodded really hoping he'd warm up to being there. She handed him the small present with a decent sized gift card inside and moved to hand Tony the book Harmony got him. Her gift to him could wait for a quiet minute later when they were alone. She gestured to the drinks and snacks of cheese and crackers and smiled.
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 10:39 pm
"Harmony! You look lovely," Tony said jovially, happy to see her. Particularly after the last time he had seen her, and the messes she had been involved in since he had met her in space. A normal moment with her, outside of work even, would be very nice.
He wanted her to be able to behave like the kid she was. She was young, just like Nathan, and they deserved to enjoy their teenage years while they had them.
Nate grunted. It was kind of a hello. But not really.
The Darrows followed the invitation in and Tony smile at Kyndall, nodding his head. Everything smelled very good, and his stomach grumbled appreciatively already without even having to taste anything. He imagined a good dinner was ahead of them, if the meatloaf she had made the last time she fed him was any indication.
Even with as low as his bar for food was, he knew she was culinarily gifted. Or at least, he considered her so.
Tony thanked her for the gifts, on behalf of Nate as well, and gave her theirs. He got her a head piece, one he had searched the internet for. It was a draping tiara, meant to be fashioned into the hair, in the style of a medieval, or perhaps Arthurian, royal. The card explained it was for her ball, which he congratulated her on again. His cards sometimes were a little long winded.
Nate got her a matching necklace, the nice guy that he was.
For Harmony Tony bought her a studded bracelet, inspired by Nate actually, and he thought she might like it. It was feminine, at least. Nate got her a giftcard to a store he thought she would like, considering he knew her so well. Because he totally did.
Nate sat down on the sofa and turned his attention to the TV, flicking through the channels and waiting for dinner. He was there for the free food, he told himself. He might have flirted with Harmony, but since they were friends with Tony that made him not like them. Those were just the rules.
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 11:06 pm
Harmony sat next to Nathan and thanked him directly for the gift. She knew Tony probably picked it out as this was the first time they'd ever met but she didn't mind. The flirt in her wanted to make some time for him, too, but his attitude simply screamed closed off and hostile. She wasn't sure what to do about it. She thought it was pretty obvious all around that the adults had wanted this to happen more than their children. Probably just so they could be around one another. Why didn't they just kiss and get it over with?
Oh, if only Harmony knew...
Kyndall smiled warmly, touched by the thought put into the gifts he'd given her and hoping he'd be likewise touched by her gift. She slipped the small box into her apron pocket and watched as Harmony sat, trying to strike up a conversation with Nathan. She was trying, at least, about as hard as Harmony did anything she wasn't really motivated to do but lacking other things and now lacking her movie she needed entertainment. Apparently Nathan sized and shaped entertainment. Kyn shook her head and turned her attention back to Tony, thanking him with a smile.
"Tony, would you mind helping me get the turkey out of the oven?"
Once they were alone in the kitchen she paused and touched his hand, delaying him from the oven for a second. She pulled out the box and handed it to him wrapped simply with red ribbon. Inside was a stately pocket watch with the inscription "My Hero" etched inside in script. She meant it, of course, in numerous ways and he knew them all. He'd understand, she hoped.
"It's simple and stupid." she excused immediately before he could open it. "I don't know why I thought of it but..."
She hoped he'd interrupt or silence her as she spoke.
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 11:44 pm
Nathan was lounging on the sofa, and he tilted his head toward Harmony. He had the attitude that he was too cool to be there, and, really, he was. If they asked him. He rolled his eyes.
"I didn't buy you anything. You know that. I don't even know you so why would I get you something you'd like?"
He put his feet up on the coffee table in front of the sofa, clicking through the channels with a bored look on his face. But he was already almost having fun, now that they were talking. Any chance to annoy someone, or at least see what their threshold for it, for him, was.
Tony watched the two teens for a moment, shaking his head. He could see by Nate's demeanor that it was going to be a long evening. But maybe some food would cheer him up.
Tony wouldn't let him bring them all down, at any rate.
"Of course!" he said eagerly, moving to help her. He didn't realize it was a ploy to get them away from the kids, of course, until she caught his hand and offered him the box. He smiled sheepishly, undoing the ribbon and looking at the watch. His expression warmed as he saw the inscription, running his finger over it lightly.
"It's beautiful," he said, when she started admonishing herself, "it's perfect, thank you so much." He smiled and moved to hug her, his chest tight. He couldn't really imagine being anyone's hero.
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 12:35 am
"I'm glad you like it."
She was swept up into a hug and felt misty eyed herself for it. Today was clearly more for the pair of them than for their teenage counterparts but Kyndall could not say she was sorry for subjecting them to the will of their parents. She, at least, was glad to have him here to spend the holiday with her. If the kids couldn't enjoy themselves then ******** it. It wasn't her problem.
"I realize that." Harmony responded, acting as if she were talking to a particularly petulant child. "But I have things called manners. You should try learning about them."
Harmony wasn't the least bit phased by his attitude any more than she was impressed by his too cool for school expression. She could dish it out as well as he could, she imagined. She'd run across guys like him before and really didn't have time to play their games. She was beyond that. So she took the remote and clicked the TV back to Gremlins before setting the electronic device out of the teen's reach. He'd pretty much have to crawl over her to get it back.
Kyndall was unaware of this silent battle of wills and had Tony get the turkey out of the oven to rest a little while before she cut into it. She put the finishing touches on the stuffing and mashed potatoes, feeding Tony bits and pieces to check if things were alright before serving them. The kitchen was a mess but she missed cooking for people again, for a family. She hadn't done more than cook for her and Harm in so long it seemed a shame.
She was having fun with him, as usual, as casual and carefree as they usually seemed to be together. She told a few jokes and shared updates about the ball and her costume. She was having it custom made and swore she'd need to be sewn into it after their meal today. But in her heart she knew this was how Christmas should be - people who cared for one another coming together.
And this time, handily, he didn't need a blanket apology ready for her.
Of course, there might soon be fireworks in the living room 6 days too early for New Years.
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 11:17 am
"How about you go get a dictionary for me, and I'll do just that," Nathan said, giving Harmony a side long glance. He grinned at her, devilish and cocky, watching the remote like a hawk does its prey. She wanted to play that game, did she?
He'd get it back.
"What are we watching?" he asked, expecting it to be some stupid Christmas movie on Hallmark, or what he called Chick Channel. He recognized the movie immediately, though as little demon monsters scurried around, laughing their manic laughs and causing all the trouble they could. He respected these guys: Gremlins knew how to have fun.
Sure, they also got murdered in microwaves and were mostly murderers, but he could over look the little details and focus on how he identified with them.
Tony, in the kitchen, helped Kyndall easily. He took the turkey out with no disaster, though he had imagined it in his head before opening the oven and nearly panicked. Still, he liked his new duties as taster and kitchen helper, and he did what he could to finish the dinner that she had worked so hard on, and make it perfect for their kids. He had to do very little, of course: she had taken care of everything, and he was just following her orders.
"This all looks very amazing," the librarian said, shaking his head in wonder, "I would swear you've been cooking it all for a week full. You're amazing, you really are." He was stunned because he knew he could never do any such thing, no matter how hard he tried or what books he bought or shows he watched that assured him it was easy.
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 5:10 pm
"I'm pretty sure a dictionary won't help you much. An etiquette book, maybe. Your dad works at a library. Have him bring you home one sometime."
She turned her attention back to the TV and images of cuddly little Gizmo and horrid little Gremlins. The movie used to scare her as a child but she grew out of it as a teen. Now it was Christmas tradition though she didn't really know why. The only relation it had to Christmas was that it took place during the holiday season. Mostly it was just fun to watch among the animated specials that typically marked the season. She could only tolerate so much saccharine. She gave him a dejected look as if he was too slow to figure it out.
"Gremlins. It's a classic. Who wants to watch Rudolph when you have chaos and mayhem to watch?"
Kyndall was glowing with pride and pleasure, happy to survey her work and call it done. She blushed at Tony's compliments but knew they weren't without merit. She was good and it did look downright edible. She got out the carving knife and set it aside to carve the bird when they were ready to. Everything else was put into serving bowls and on platters and she started to take them out to the dining room table signaling that everything was almost ready for them.
"Well, you know what they say about necessity and invention." she returned to her friend, happily.
She offered him the knife to cut the turkey if he wanted to, a special honor in the house. She usually did it but traditionally it was the man's job. He happened to be their resident man so if he wanted the task it was his. That was the last thing to go out onto the table and a platter waited by the turkey patiently waiting for the meat.
"Do you want to cut it up? It's kind of a male thing."
She was hardly sexist but some things were male tasks. Cutting up the turkey, grilling, working on cars...things like that.
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:20 pm
Nathan grunted at her reply. He did not like talking about his dad or his dad's work, and he did not like someone else talking about it, either. Especially if he was there to hear it. Maybe he was being a typical troubled teenager, he did not care. He was made grumpy just by the mention of his father.
"At least you got movie sense," he said, as if it were the biggest compliment she could ever have been paid, and he had graced her with such an honor out of the goodness of his heart.
Tony took the knife as it was offered, looking at it with an air of foreign confusion. He nodded his head though, and agreed to do the carving, though he wasn't sure he bought into her handing it to him just because it was a 'man's job'.
Though, maybe she did feel that way. He wasn't sure with her. He found he never was, she kept him on edge, and he liked that.
He smiled, then looked toward the living room.
"Should we summon the lions?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:00 pm
She watched him take the knife and use it, amused by the whole thing. On impulse she reached up and kissed his cheek to reassure him that he was doing fine. Crossing a line, maybe, but not much of one. At least she hadn't hung any mistletoe. Once the platter was full she carried it out to the living room and set it on the table giving a sidelong glance at the two teens on the couch looking tense.
Harmony wasn't impressed by his compliment. He knew very little about her so she hardly trusted his assessment of her judgment. She scoffed and settled back into the couch, watching the chaos unfold on screen. She knew the movie by heart, of course, and enjoyed it all the same. She only watched it once a year. To him she barely paid any attention at all thinking it would probably annoy him that he couldn't annoy her, or seem to.
"Dinner!"
Kyndall called it through the room and Harm automatically turned off the TV. She knew what this meant - a "family" meal at the table with everyone there talking and pretending like they care what everyone has to say until its their turn to speak. Cynical of her, yes, but practical. She got up and went to the table sniffing appreciatively. The white and dark meat were nicely separated.
"This looks good, mom. Thanks."
Kyn beamed, nodding toward Tony. "He helped."
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 12:04 pm
Harmony was right in her assessment of Nate. He liked to annoy people and watch how they tried to deal with their anger. But since she wasn't getting angry, or even talking to him, he just had to ignore her and pretend he wasn't fussed.
But he was thinking of some way to annoy her.
At the call of dinner, though, his attention perked up.
He moved at a distance to follow them to the food, looking at his father and the older Rosen, squinting skeptically at their closeness and the dopey look on Tony's face. It turned into a look of embarrassment when Kyndall spoke, and he shook his head furiously.
"Physical labor only, I did nothing else."
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 1:17 am
"You're being modest."
She gestured to the chair at the end of the table, offering him the secondary place of honor at the foot of the table. Besides, it kept the two children across the table from one another. It was quite the spread they had on the small table for 4. Turkey, dressing, gravy, potatoes, green bean casserole, biscuits, and cranberries all practically made the table groan with the weight. Harmony looked happy and poured herself some of the sparkling apple juice on the table while Kyndall handled the white wine bottle. She offered it to her legally aged counterpart.
"Want some?"
As Harm served herself she studied the boy across the table from herself and wondered why he was so stinking moody? Worse than she was if it could be believed. Tony was a nice guy in her eyes but maybe she didn't see what happened to make him so pissed off at the man. Not many people saw the fights she and her mother got into so it made sense. But she wished he wasn't so...she didn't have the appropriate word to describe him.
He just was so cocky! Maybe that was the word for it. Cocky and annoying. She could already tell he thrived on making others miserable. Maybe she'd have to corner him someday and get him to tell her why he hates his dad so much. Maybe she'd get him away from the group after dinner but before dessert. Maybe she'd show him her studio downstairs in the basement. Not that he'd be interested but she could take some photos.
Her mother raised a glass and she nearly groaned at how incredibly corny this was going to sound even before she opened her mouth. Kyndall seemed nonplussed about her daughter's disapproval and raised her glass anyway.
"To the Darrows for joining us today in the first of what I hope will be many holidays to come. You're always welcome here as friends and family."
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Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 10:29 pm
Tony chuckled, not thinking he was being too modest but he knew better than to argue with her by now. She was not one to let him get away with his self deprecating attitude, even in jest, and he just smiled and nodded his head.
Yes, he was being modest.
He went to take his seat, hoping Nate and Harmony weren't too busy fighting with each other to eat. he hadn't heard anything too horrifying coming from the living room, but he didn't trust Nate enough to assume all was going well between them. The younger Darrow seemed to make it a personal goal to enrage as many people as physically and mentally possible for him on any given day.
Why should something like Christmas stop him?
Tony picked up his glass immediately. Nate was busy drinking from his, pointedly ignoring the toast. Tony elbowed him hard enough for the younger Darrow to drop his drink all down his front. It took everything Tony had not to laugh, focusing on Kyndall. That was easier than he had thought, and his expression softened.
"To family and friends, then," he said, smiling and looking from Kyndall to Harmony, then to Nate. Nate scoffed and rolled his eyes, but said nothing and let them complete their toast.
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Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 11:34 pm
Kyndall hid her smile by taking a drink and catching Tony's gaze across the table. She smiled onto her glass, feeling caught by surprise and vulnerable under his gaze. She was wholly smitten by him and this day felt nice, having him at her table and in her life. She tried handling Nathan's mishap with the same grace as she tended to handle his father's awkwardness. She was well used to that.
Harmony, on the other hand, burst into laughter seeing the drink spill all down Nate's shirt. She couldn't help it and thought justice had a way of serving itself in times like these. He was a douche, after all, and had only gotten what he deserved. She knew he wouldn't like it but she honestly didn't care until Kyndall kicked her under the table.
"Harmony!"
The look of reproach was enough to silence Harmony's laughter. The older Rosen sighed and looked tired, knowing this would not go over well with the teenage boy. They had a washer in the basement with Harmony's studio and spare clothing they'd collected over the years from many different places, most of which were theatre productions.
"Harm, take Nathan downstairs to get a new shirt and wash his other one."
Let her consider that contrition. The girl huffed and moved to lead Nate downstairs as instructed, not finding this so funny anymore.
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