Reputation: Book One

Tripp:

The sound of the front door opening made all four of us reflexively turn around from the table, cutting me off mid-sentence.

"Is someone here?" I ask in a low voice, pushing away and standing up. I look over my shoulder to the girls. "Don't move," Qrow tells them as he wanders around the corner to the living room, me following close behind. Adrien stood in the doorway, typing on his phone as he sets his keys down on the coffee table and abruptly stopping when he notices me presence.

"Well," Qrow snorts. "You're finally home after six hours. Are you texting Autumn back explaining why you haven't been home?" He looked up at us, his eyes flickering with impatience.

"What did you say to me, boy?" He slurs, jamming his phone into his back pocket as he steps forward aggressively. I feel my body tense. He smelled of alcohol and sweat and I knew right then he had been drinking. I slip behind Qrow as he takes a small step back, pulling his shoulders back and look inghim right in his face.

"I asked if you were texting Autumn explaining why you left her home sick to take care of the kids," He responded, voice stern. "I'd been planning to go out, but she had to call me to come help out," He tells him, voice rising. "Where exactly have you been all that time?"

His narrowed brown eyes darted back and forth between Qrow and I.

"At work, obviously," He says in a stupid voice, trying to push past Qrow. I step into his path and I watch a muscle in his jaw flutter.

"Where are your scrubs?” Qrow asks suspiciously. "And you usually get off at six on Fridays. But look at that, what time is it now?" Qrow cocks his hips, setting his hands on both sides.

"Do you have a problem?" He snarls. Qrow raises a lip, jabbing Adrien's chest with his index finger. "I would like to know where you've-"

Before he could finish Adrien lurches forward, seizing the front of his shirt and dragging him forward. "Since when have you been the one all up in my business?" He yells, spit flying off his lower lip and landing on my cheek. I charges up to them, shoving Adrien's shoulder.

"Hey chill," I say, grabbing Qrow's bicep in attempt to tear him away. "Personal space, man."

"Shut up!" Adrien roars, pushing me backwards into the entertainment center. Qrow immediately throws a punch, socking Adrien right across the face. He stumbles backwards, cupping a hand over his mouth and nose. I push back off the wall, clutching the back of my head in pain as my eyes screw shut.

"You must forget who's home you live in," He spits, and even after getting clobbered, he stood back up and grabbed Qrow again and shoving him to the floor. I stepped forward, using both hands to shove him out of the way.

"Get your hands off of me now," Qrow orders in a low voice. Before either of us could say anything, I heard a squeaky door open from beside me and I turn to the sound. There stood Autumn, taking everything in. Once she had processed the situation, I watched the colour drain from her face. She snapped around, running into the kitchen. I suddenly felt nauseated.

The girls had watched everything.

"Adrien, your daughters are watching you do this to him,"  She growls, leading the girls into the room, one of their wrists in each hand. My insides constricted as I studied Jhordyn's tear-stained cheeks and red eyes.

"What do you think they see you as now?" She asks, tears building on the rims of her eyes as Adrien pulls Qrow closer into him. I snap back to him, prying his wirst from Qrow and hiding him behind me.
"Adrien, just go lie down," She commands. "You're drunk and you're being an asshole, so just go."

Adrien drops Qrow, bumping into my shoulder with his as he pushes past me. Autumn pushes her husband back into her bedroom, marching up to us after slamming the door. "You two need to go, now," She orders, her eyes flickering with fear. She presses a hand to my chest, trying to turn me around.
"But what about me?" Qrow asks as she pushes him back. "I can't just leave you alone with three girls, Autumn."

She sighs, her lip quivering as she wipes under her eyes with two fingers. "I can't have either of you here anymore when Adrien gets home and you know that," She says, voice breaking. "I need you to just... stay away until things are settled, okay?" She asks, staring at the both of us. Qrow's mouth opens in opposition, but he presses a finger to his lips. The back bedroom door opens and Adrien stood there, glaring at us. What was his problem, anyway?

Autumn spun around, her jaw set. "Get in the room!" She screams, making Qrow flinch beside me. "You've pushed too far, Adrien! Go to bed!" She yells, walking back into her room and slamming the door behind her. There was frustrated screaming from the both of them and I turn to Qrow. "We can make room for Jho tonight, just get your things together and let's go," I tell him. His expression softened. "No, Tripp, you don't have to-"

"Just shut up and listen to me," I order. His eyebrows raised as he steps back. After a long gaze, he hurried forward, enveloping Jhordyn in a hug.

"Daddy, what's going on?" She sobs, fisting his shirt in her hands.

"Hey, baby it's okay," He whispers, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "I have to go, but I'll be back tomorrow-"

"No! No, don't leave!" She cries, clutching onto him. "I don't wanna stay here with Adrien, he's mean to me and Talitha and only makes Cortaney special," She sputters. I feel a flame ignite inside my chest. Qrow squeezes his eyes shut, hugging her tighter.

"I know it's not fair, I'll come back tomorrow morning and you won't have to come back ever again," He says, his voice cracking as he pulls away. Autumn flings her door open, slamming it behind her again. Talitha finally appears at the top of the stairs, giving us a puzzled expression.

"Trust me. I have the girls, just please go," She begs, pushing him to the door. I grab Qrow's forecep, tugging him along. He turns to me, expression unreadable as I sense his heart shattering. I silently help him into the car and he stopped resisting. At that point, he moved like Jell-O as he stares off into Oblivion, his mouth drawn in a straight line, his eyes soft and empty. His once bright, energetic blue eyes were now dull, like the sea after a storm. I got in, slamming my car into gear and pulling away before he could change his mind.

"I was imagining a more romantic way of inviting you to live with me," I say to try and lighten up the mood. "But you getting kicked out is fine with me, too."

I finally pull a short, quiet scoff from his lips and he turns away before smiling. "Right?" He mutters. "What a nice way to ruin my good vibe I had going since last night."

My face fell as the topic of 'last night' popped up.

"Yeah, about that," I start, clearing my throat. He looks over to me, eyebrow bent. "I-I didn't hurt you or anything, right?"

"By the sounds of it, I wasn't necessarily the one in pain," He sputters. "We didn't even go that far and it was sounding like I was trying to bend you in ways you shouldn't be able to," He snorts as we share a laugh. Yeah, it hurt really, really bad in attempt to make out. Which, he obviously noticed.

"Being broken really sucks, you know," I tell him flatly.

"I bet," He chuckles.

"It's hard to love you in ways I want to," I whisper, reaching out and taking his hand. And as cheesy as that sounded, he looks over at me, interlocking our fingers together and squeezing it. I lift his to my lips and place a gentle kiss on the back of his hand and he slowly exhales.

"Now that we technically live together, we don't have to bend over backwards to just to see each other," He grins.
"So that means no more secrets."

I nod, smiling back at him. "And you just wait 'til I'm cleared."