sleepless in centium city

Power Outage

It was about a week later when the third incident occurred, and, if she was being honest, this time was completely on her own accord. (Again.)

Normally power outages in Centium City were fantastic, but it just so happened that the Elite Force had some guests to keep them company in the penthouse. Kaz made the fireplace work while she and Bree flitted around the living room, lighting tiny candles to concentrate more brightness where the group would be seated. The Davenport brothers were setting up some ridiculous, undoubtedly expensive card game they had dug out of a secret compartment for occasions just like this. Oliver went to break out the chips and sodas, while Chase checked all phones to assure everyone had a sufficient battery percentage.

By the time they actually settled onto the floor and began the game, she was snuggled back into the couch cushions, and he was as well, Bree in between them. Barbeque, sour cream and onion, and—Chase's personal favorite, which Bree dubbed "bland"—cheddar cheese chips were passed around religiously throughout the entirety of the game, accompanied by Cokes and Pepsis and one lone orange Sunkist belonging to none other than her room-sharing buddy.

She found her focus drifting away from the game rather quickly as her eyes wandered around the barely-lit room. This was such a cozy enclosure, even with as many people they had crammed into it. After awhile, the card game was switched out for a board game, Douglas and Oliver ending up at the top of the scoreboard. Donald was not taking too lightly to being on the bottom consistently, and Bree soon piped in, voicing her agreement only after Chase made fun of her for lacking enthusiasm. To be fair, her mood did leave something to be desired.

Skylar was only decent at the game and so was he, something she attributed to them playfully calling out lies that the other cheated off them despite Bree sitting between them. Chips were thrown, cards flicked, and blankets flung around with only small, controlled fires extinguished soon after due to the surrounding candles still lit. She had been semi-subconsciously trying not to look at Oliver's expression in fear of seeing skeptical jealousy, but when she caught a glimpse, all there was to behold was laughing eyes directed at the amused Bree. She almost let out a relieved sigh, but her thoughts changed course when a pillow hit her square in the face. Then she was up and crawling over her pseudo-sister, legs tangling with the female's while her arms twined with the male's whom she was retaliating against.

She imagined this was what regular families did in their free time, maybe every Friday for a "game night" at home. When she wasn't harassing Kaz/being harassed by Kaz, she took in the smiling faces and equally grumpy ones, the smell of several chip bags' scents intermingling, the laughter bouncing off the walls, and she felt herself smile behind the blanket she kept close to her chin. Their family was not normal, not even close, but these simple things made her love and feel loved so fiercely that it didn't matter.

The moment was only broken when someone's ringer went off, soon discovered to be Perry calling Chase's phone. All the Davenports sighed collectively, but when they still answered the call, Skylar accidentally caught Oliver's eye. She hadn't meant to, but she was glad to see a mutual understanding in their gaze: Perry might have been strange and loud and very obnoxious, but she was part of the Davenports' family just as much as the superheroes were. Her good mood could have also been from Oliver not staring at her longingly.

She felt a sick kind of calm running through her veins. She loved Oliver; truly, she did, just not how he would have preferred. Some part of her mind was reveling in his normal attitude tonight, allowing her to hope that this was his feelings' disappearing act in motion. Another part of her mind wondered just how rude it was to get so excited over her best friend giving up on her ever reciprocating his feelings. Maybe it wasn't the nicest emotion to be experiencing, but it was better for everyone this way, wasn't it?