James McCarthy (justbreezy) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-06-25 00:37:00 |
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Entry tags: | #october 2017, brianna, brianna x james, james |
Who: Brianna & James
Where: Their home, Overlook
When: Sunday noon 10/29
Status: Complete
The weekend had been amazing. There had been a surge in James's powers and he'd felt positively high on it all day. It had apparently enabled him to see ghosts which was new but not unwelcome. They didn't do much, just stood around and faded away when he looked at them directly, but it was still fascinating. He'd had big hopes that this was something that was there to stay but Sunday morning he felt weak in comparison, back to his usual self. He was a little moody as a result and took that out on his treadmill until he felt better. He headed to the kitchen to fill up on electrolytes, sweaty and tired but rejuvenated. Sebastian still wasn't home from the party last night but he'd said something about spending the night at Greg Wheeler's house. Ophelia on the other hand had come home and brought a friend, which was unexpected but made him happy. She'd been alone so much and that just wasn't healthy for a teenage girl.
He was gulping down his drink when he heard the familiar sound of Brianna's heels on the hardwood floor in the hallway. She wouldn't like him this sweaty but he hadn't expected to run into her until after his shower.
As much as Brianna would prefer the weekends off, it wasn't always possible when people were house hunting in Point Pleasant. She had left the house earlier that morning, already aware that Sebastian was with Greg and Ophelia was home safe and sound. She didn't even mind the friend Phee brought, since Brianna was thrilled her daughter had even gone to a party. Usually Phee was home on the weekends, reading or holed away in her room alone. In any case, after she had met with a newlywed couple in her office that morning, Brianna had driven home, wondering if Bash was home yet... or if Ophelia had told him that she had caught Brianna snooping in his room. It was likely. Siblings liked to look out for each other. But Sebastian hadn't confronted her about it, which told her he wasn't doing anything wrong... or he was and didn't want to get caught in a lie.
Once she hung up her purse and keys, Brianna headed for the kitchen where she found James drinking water. She tried not to let it bother her that he might have been dripping sweat in her clean kitchen. Instead, Brianna smiled at him and opened the fridge to pull out a bottle of water for herself. "Hey there. Did you go for a run?" she asked.
"Stayed in for a run," James replied. The weather was really beautiful and going out might have been nice if not for the temptation to set people on fire if they got in his way. A treadmill was safer when he was in a mood and he could watch something while he ran, something distracting.
It was times like these he regretted not being married to a witch and even more so resented his promise to Brianna to not teach their children magic. He couldn't imagine talking to someone outside of the family about this magic rush he'd felt and how empty he felt now that it was gone, it was something he wanted to talk to his wife about but he couldn't.
He had been asleep when Brianna left the house that morning but he could only guess she'd been away for business, dressed as she was. Or perhaps that was what she wanted him to think. "Busy morning?" he asked with a little smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Not terribly," Brianna said as she twisted the cap off of the water bottle to take a sip. "Some newlyweds came in to fill out paperwork. They both work so this morning seemed to be the only time that worked for them." She could have sworn she told James she had to go into the office for a bit the night before, but it was entirely possible she had meant to and just forgot. She leaned against the kitchen island and smiled, reaching up to brush some of his damp hair away from his forehead. Brianna generally wasn't a fan of sweat unless it was a product of vigorous sex, but she supposed she could make an exception for a hard workout. "Has Bastian come home yet?" she asked, hoping she sounded casual. She had no clue if Ophelia had told James that Brianna had been snooping in their son's room, but she wouldn't put it past her daughter. She was Daddy's Girl, which meant, in Brianna's mind, that Brianna was the enemy.
"Not yet," James replied. "It was a big night, I don't expect him home until late." That didn't bother him the way it would if it was his girl staying out. Teenage boys generally only got into trouble when they were stupid and his son was not stupid. Girls however... James knew all about what could happen to girls. Thankfully his girl was safe and sound in her room, with a friend no less. "Who's the girl Phee brought home?" he asked. He'd ask Ophelia all about it later but it was a little uncomfortable not knowing who his daughter was hanging out with.
"Her name is Jen, but Phee didn't exactly linger down here when she got home so that was all I got," Brianna explained. She sipped some more of her water before placing the bottle on the countertop and twisting the cap back on. It was a known secret that she and her husband kept certain things from each other, but she supposed if there was one aspect of their lives that they could talk about, it was their children. Ophelia having a friend didn't exactly scream red flag to Brianna, and her daughter wasn't the one she was worried about. "Have you noticed anything strange with Sebastian lately?" Brianna brushed her hair back behind one ear. "How he's been acting?"
That was a loaded question. James had made a promise to Brianna not to teach their children magic though he'd always tacked on a caveat that he would teach them when they were of legal age and could decide this for themselves. Had he noticed something different with Sebastian? Yes, his element had always been strong in him but there were subtle changes there that told James he was probably experimenting with magic. James wasn't teaching so it was technically not breaking a promise but he wasn't exactly stopping him either. "You mean after the bus crash?" he asked, furrowing his brows with concern. "I haven't noticed anything, you think something's wrong?"
"I don't know that it's necessarily been after the bus crash, just... lately," Brianna said, studying James for any tell that he might be lying to her. Boys talked to their fathers, right? Maybe James knew something that he was keeping from her. It wouldn't be the first time. She didn't think it was necessary to tell him that she had found condoms under Sebastian's bed, because their son was seventeen and a popular, good looking kid. Of course he was sexually active. Her concern went beyond that. "I feel like he's hiding something from me. From us," she added almost as an afterthought. "I suppose I've just been trying to decide if I have a reason to be concerned, or if I'm just paranoid."
James gave her a look that said she was being paranoid. He wasn't touching on the magic with her, he was keeping his promise and that was all he could do. Practicing magic wasn't illegal. Aside from that he couldn't imagine what she might be worried about. Sebastian was obviously not doing drugs, he was doing well at school, he was one of the best players on the football team, he was all around a good kid who still spent time with his childhood friend who James was certain couldn't lie to save his life. "Maybe something's bothering you and you're projecting," he muttered. "Everything okay?"
Brianna was expecting the look but that didn't mean she appreciated it. She knew Sebastian was a good kid, but even good kids make stupid decisions. Sighing, Brianna tried not to roll her eyes as frustration took over. "The only thing bothering me right now is knowing something is going on with my son and not being able to figure out what it is. You honestly haven't noticed anything?" Maybe she could pry it out of Ophelia somehow. If anyone in this house knew what was going on with Sebastian, Phee would.
"Not a thing," James sighed because he'd practically said as much already. "I'll talk to him, see if anything slips." It wasn't like he was home enough to really notice if something was off but he was pretty sure he'd know if something was going on. "Hey," he murmured then, stepping in closer though he was careful not to touch her since she'd wince and grumble about it, him being sweaty and all. "You wanna jump in the shower with me?" Distractions were good and she looked gorgeous, annoying or not.
Brianna couldn't help but wonder if James would tell her if Sebastian revealed something, accidentally or not. Still, he was offering to help in a way, so Brianna decided not to push it. She already felt like she was in the dark in regards to her children, she didn't want James joining in by keeping more secrets from her. Her brow raised at his question and she studied him for a moment, looking slightly amused and thoughtful. Despite how distracted Brianna had been lately, taking a shower with her husband was something normal to do, and maybe distracting in a better way. For a brief moment, Brianna thought about Phee and her friend, but it wasn't like she and James were overly loud lovers. "Let me get out of these clothes and I'll be happy to join you," Brianna said, hoping that would give him enough time to get into the shower and get the sweat rinsed off of his body.
James smirked and nodded, then quickly dipped in to kiss her lightly on the lips. "Don't take too long," he murmured as he stepped back and gave her a once-over glance. She really hadn't lost any of her sex appeal over the years despite having given him three children. She didn't fulfill all his needs but the fact he still desired her at all was more than he'd hoped for when he married her. He gave her an appreciative hum and then turned to head to the bathroom.