A.N.: I don't own 'Home Alone' yall.
So, a couple different developments have been happening since I last posted.
First of all, I have two big finals for college due at the end of May, and I really need to get started on them. They're big, so I'm gonna need every minute that I have. That's gonna have to cut into the time I have to write fanfiction. It's unavoidable at this point.
Due to my inspiration coming in smaller amounts than before, I'm forcing myself to spread my attention across three or four fics, to make sure that I don't burn out on one fanfic.
Still, even with Spring Break, I'm gonna be busy with my school final projects and personal stuff.
Also I've got drafts for two Arrowverse fanfics, the chapters are raw material atm.
Also also, my Transformers One-Shots fanfic is out, waiting for chapter requests from you guys, so feel free to contribute.
Now, to avoid any misunderstandings, since I know that RAi called the Winx Club's version of Valentine's Day as Day of the Lily, and the 4Kids version called Valentine's Day as Day of the Rose, here's what I've done;
Day of the Lily is Mother's Day.
Day of the Rose (which will be S1E8 when I get to it) is Valentine's Day--in the Magix Dimension.
Alright, just wanted to clear that up.
Now, plz enjoy!
X - normal text
X - text where Bloom is not present
'X' - thoughts
'#$X#$' - Parseltongue
Chapter : Day of the Lily Pt.2:
I hadn't realized how homesick I was, how badly I yearned to be swept up into my adoptive slash real parent's arms, to mess up my little sister's hair and gossip with her until I stood on the stone just before the steps to the door of our house, my friends right behind me.
Nothing had really changed in the months I'd been gone, at least, exterior-wise. Apart from the damages following our battle anyway.
The pavement had been redone, leaving no traces of my second real battle in this life. There were no troll-sized cracks, there were no broken or shattered windows. The two potted plants by the door looked the same, the smaller row of plants in the planter's box hanging just outside the window.
I smiled, feeling incredibly nostalgic, before I pulled out a lanyard with a house key attached to the end metal loop.
I slid it into the lock, the slight tension that had grown in fear that I would need magic to unlock it if they had swapped the locks unknowingly on me faded as I heard a familiar 'click', before the door swung open.
"At least they didn't lock you out." Stella joked as we made our way inside, leaning out of the way from my retaliation in the form of a light-hearted slap to her bicep.
"That would've been awkward." I snorted. "We usually change the door locks if they break."
"I thought Earth meant that you needed to be safe." Musa frowned.
I shrugged as I pulled off my shoes and gestured for the others to do the same. "Kind of, but you'll soon see that some of us 'earthlings' can be quite lazy."
Stella studied some of my childhood pictures on the walls, commenting, "You look so cute in these, Bloom."
I felt my cheeks warm a little. "Thanks."
Musa sighed as she looked around. She looked better, but with Day of the Lily technically tomorrow (it's a two-day holiday, what do I bloody know?), she felt rather sad. Hopefully, I can keep her spirits up this weekend. "You have a lovely home."
I smiled and reached back to squeeze her hand gently. "Thanks. Come on, I'll show you the guest room."
Stella and Musa exchanged a look before they followed me up the stairs, grunting and struggling a little with our luggage since we weren't using magic.
"It's on the small side, not exactly a palace, but it's homey," Stella said cheerfully after we'd dragged our luggage to the second floor, with the latter two looking around. I joined them curiously, wondering if anything else had changed, but as far as I could tell, apart from a new vacuum in the hall closet, and a new knob handle for the bathroom door, everything was the same. "Still, it could use an upgrade in furniture, maybe a brighter coat of paint."
"Stella!" Musa stared at her in shock. "You shouldn't insult others when you're the guest in their home!"
I snickered. "Don't worry, Musa. Stella's just a little more spoiled than us commoners."
"Oh."
I turned to see Musa staring at another framed photo in the hallway, and I felt my heart skip a beat.
It was me and Andy at our eighth-grade promotion ceremony--seriously, would it kill them to call that a graduation ceremony? I mean, really, would it--with his arms around mine, and my cheeks subtly glowing with a rosy hue and a bright smile.
"Is that him?" Stella asked as she peeked at the photo. "Your ex?"
I felt my cheeks grow warmer, and I knew that I was blushing. "Uh, yeah."
"Don't 'yeah' me." Stella tutted before she studied him, and nodded approvingly. "He's good-looking."
I almost choked on my laughter. "Stella, we were thirteen in that photo!"
"And you both look like the cutest couple." Musa teased me, causing my face to heat up more.
"Girls!" I protested with a small smile, and a twinge in my heart.
I loved Andy. He meant the world to me, once. But...he wanted to pursue a career path in a direction that I wasn't willing to give up my life to follow. And it wasn't fair to either of us to try long-distance, when we could've potentially met other attractive people and been tempted.
No, even though he broke my heart when he decided that he wanted to leave, a small part of me still yearned for him. Even though I have intense chemistry with Adrien now, and I know that 'Brandon' has shown some interest in me, a small part of me will always belong to him.
I wonder how he's doing.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts, before spotting Kiko hopping into the open doorway of my room.
I looked around, only to realize that Stella and Musa had gone into their shared room.
I smiled tightly, before wheeling my suitcase into my bedroom.
It looked the same, hardly anything had been touched. Recently dusted, but other than that, untouched.
My desk was still in the same position, the cup full of my pencils was still there. The framed artwork I'd done of Hogwarts, the unicorn, Optimus Prime, and half a dozen smaller art pieces still hung over the wall around my window.
My bed still had the same blue blankets, and my closet was still partially empty of clothes.
I peeked into the small bathroom, only to find that it had a new bar of soap, towel, and toothpaste. I guess that Violet had been using it while I was away, not that I blamed her.
Why use the public restroom when you can have a private one all to yourself?
I closed my bedroom door before I pulled out my bookbag, revealing the Dragon Grimoire.
I couldn't leave it at Alfea, it was just too valuable. Nor could I risk the chance that someone else might find it and take it (like Amaryl or her bitches), or recognize it for what it was (like Faragonda, who must know about me, yet is STILL keeping it a secret. Kind of hard to trust someone who keeps knowledge from you, even if they don't know that you know), and wonder why I have an article from a dead realm in my possession.
I let my fingers drift over the dragonhide leather, feeling the rough edges of the bookbinding, and I cradled it to my breast, inhaling, breathing in the ancient scent. Like of like how a girl steals her boyfriend's shirts, feeling comforted by his scent. Is it weird? Kind of, but it's soothing to me. It's a piece of home.
I sighed, slipping it back into my bookbag, ignoring the rumbling of the Dragon within my heart. I turned and pulled out a case that had some version of that undetectable expansion charm, or the 'internal space-expansion charm', as they called it in Alfea.
I set it on my desk, glancing at the time. Close enough to lunch, and I was hoping to grab a bite to eat after finding my Mum and introducing her to Musa (and reintroducing her to Stella).
A look in my dresser confirmed that I still didn't have many options, since I brought most of my clothes with me to Alfea.
I pulled open my suitcase and grabbed something more comfortable, something that I hadn't really been able to wear in the Magix Dimension because of how frowned upon it was.
I pulled my rebellious hair into a single ponytail with a blue scrunchie, then glanced at my mirror and nodded at my reflection happily.
I wore a pair of low-cut jean shorts that didn't leave much of my legs to the imagination. My top was a light blue, a little baggier due to it being one size larger than my current one, but hid my breasts and straining bra better.
Definitely have to make time this weekend to grab some new bras for my girls.
...and that was something I still can't believe I'm saying. Ugh. I really should turn my brain off.
I pulled on a pair of small socks, then slipped out the door as Kiko hopped back onto his bed. I guess the little bugger wants to take a proper nap, not that I blame him.
I lifted my arms behind my head as I arched my back slightly, fingers curling as I yawned, before shaking off my tiredness and moved to find the girls surprisingly getting along (is it a bad thing that every time I enter a room with just the two of them, I anticipate them fighting or bickering?).
Musa had claimed the air mattresses, leaving Stella to take the bed. Musa had claimed the guest closet, while Stella had set up her own walk-in closet, shrinking it to be half the size it'd been when she showed me and my family originally, back in the day (wow, saying that makes me feel old).
I knocked on the doorframe, causing their eyes to shoot toward me. "Hey, I'm gonna go out, find my mom's shop. You want to come with?"
They exchanged a look before Musa looked at me hesitantly. "Uh, are you sure? It's your mom."
I smiled tightly as I thought of Lily. "I'm sure, besides, she's been wanting to meet you for a while, Musa." I looked at Stella. "And we both know that she'd love to see you again, Stella."
They nodded after another silent exchange, getting up and following me out, before Musa blushed and Stella's mouth fell as she noticed my attire. "Damn, Bloom. Kind of daring of you."
My lips twitched upwards, glancing down at my single-finger-width strap tank top and short jean shorts, which clung to my ass and hips. "What, this?"
I did a little twirl, hearing a choking sound around me. "This is casual Earth fashion."
"C-Casual?" Musa asked with pink cheeks.
Stella's blush wasn't as noticeable, before she said, "Ohhhh, right."
She threw a look at us that was positively naughty. "I wonder how Musa will handle Victoria's Secret."
I gaped at her while Musa's expression flashed with dread. "Why do I suddenly feel like I should fear for my life?"
"Not your life," I replied unable to stop my mouth when it was on auto-pilot. "Just your innocence."
Stella and I snickered at her horrified look. "That's not much better!"
I feigned a 'what-can-you-do' look before I waved them to follow. "Come on."
I slipped my Earth phone (it's gonna be so weird to use that again) on a charger in the living room before we slid our Magix phones into our pockets and we left the house, locking the door behind us again.
I led Stella and Musa around (Stella already knew most of the places, but this was all completely foreign to Musa, so this tour was for her benefit) town for a while, before I led them to our family's flower shop.
Violet was still in school for another two hours and a half, Dad was still at work, so Mom should still be working, or just about to go on her lunch break. Her or Aunt Tuni should still be at the shop. And of course, you never know when Sirius will be around.
It was kind of cold, a little windy at least. Gardenia was just beginning it's winter season, coming out of Autumn. I felt the cool air caress the bare skin that my shirt didn't quite cover, and I shivered, Musa shivering a little more since most of her midriff and back was bare.
We turned the corner, waiting patiently until the light was green before we crossed the street. I led them past a grocery store, a Party City, and a gas station before we turned onto the adjacent street, walking down the sidewalk until we found ourselves standing in front of the glass windows outside of the door.
"Cute, huh?" Stella elbowed Musa, while I felt my eyes grow wet and warm at the sight of my Mom--of Lily--as she handed an older man with a young kid by his side a bouquet of wrapped roses and tulips.
She was wearing her work outfit, a floral shirt underneath a pair of green overalls, and her customer's smile. Her red hair was a little longer than I remembered it, slightly curlier than wavy.
"Y'know, if you hadn't told us that you were adopted, I'd say that she really is your mom," Musa commented sadly. "Minus the highlights, your hair was practically the same."
I smiled, brushing my watery eyes. "She is, in all the ways that matter."
"Well?" Stella glanced at me. "Aren't you going to go in?"
My heart clenched at the sight of my Mom. Gods, I wanted to, but...I'm so different now. I might look the similar, act the same, but beneath all the layers that I am, the secrets that I carry have tripled.
I'm a princess of a dead realm. I'm the reincarnated soul of a wizard that's Death's master and Fate's bitch. I've aggravated the Trix to the point where they made it personal, and I fear that they could target my family if I continue to stand in their way. I've done so many things that I can't explain without outing everything that I've been hiding since I was a baby.
How can she look at me now, and see her own daughter, when in reality, I'm just a lying bitch? A shade of the budding woman she believes that I am?
Would she hate who I am now? An angry, grieving, lying girl who disobeys the rules put in place for her own safety? Who's been lying to Lily for months now? Keeping secrets from her? Even though they could be dangerous to everyone around me?
Can she look at the broken woman that I am, and still think of me as the little girl that she loved and raised?
"I--" I cut off, choking from the surge of raw emotion. "I haven't seen her in...in so long. What if--what if she thinks that I've changed?"
Musa wrapped her arms around me tightly, no doubt sensing my emotional turmoil. "It's okay, Bloom."
"You've changed." Stella wrapped her other arm around me. "We all have changed. We're not the same girls that we were when we started at Alfea, but that's a good thing."
"Why's that?" I couldn't help but ask as I brushed away the tears that blurred my vision.
"Because you're our best friend. You're our rock, our leader." Stella thumped me on the back.
"Stop having a pity party over things that you can't control, Bloom," Musa said as she rubbed my shoulders, nearly guessing my depressing train of thought from her empathy. "You couldn't have known about the Trix. You've learned some shocking things this year, bouncing from one stressful event to the next. No one would blame you for wanting some time to process everything before you shared them."
But I should've.
"I should've told Mum the moment I found out," I countered quietly, bitterly. "When I found out that my birth parents were dead. I told Violet after mulling about for days, but couldn't find the courage to tell Lily. What kind of person does that make me? That I would lie and shun the woman who loved me, raised me, nurtured and supported me as her own. What will she think? That I wanted to replace her?"
"I think." Stella began softly, reassuringly, "That she will see a young woman, a brave, powerful fairy, who was hopeful and determined to find her loved ones, to uncover the truth. A girl who mourned loved ones that she never got to know, only learning that they gave their lives for her, and now feels like she owes people who sacrificed themselves for her."
"She might be a little hurt, but even she would understand the urge to learn more about who brought you into the world. What they were like. What did they do, what did they look like." Musa said sympathetically, who only had memories of her mother from when she was little. "I get it, Bloom, and she will too. Learning that your parents died for you is heavy, and I don't think she'll begrudge you for your curiosity."
I smiled gratefully at them, hugging the pair tightly, before whispering, "Thanks, girls. I needed that."
Stella beamed at me, as Musa wiped away another tear from my cheek. "Of course. Where would you be without my amazing therapy?"
Musa and I both laughed, before Stella and she pushed me forward a step. "Now get in there and hug your mother!" Stella mock-ordered me.
I responded by sticking my tongue at her maturely and giving her a salute that caused us all to laugh again before I entered the flower shop, instantly being welcomed by the different, soft, sweet, and tangy scents of different flowers and plants.
I smiled, taking in a moment to breathe in the familiar atmosphere, one of the places where I used to feel impatient, but now, only could feel serene, at peace. This place was soothing, it was heavenly, and now, now I could see why Violet and Lily would spend so much of their time here, apart from being nature fairies and all.
The bell rang as the door swung, Lily was busy at the counter writing something down, distractedly calling, "I'll be with you in one second, feel free to look around."
My heart fluttered, my eyes growing hot and wet as I heard her voice. "That's okay," I said softly, a smile growing as her head snapped up in shock and hopeful recognition. "Take your time."
She froze, the pen that she'd been using dropped. She cautiously moved around the desk. I moved forward automatically, my bottom lip trembling as she stood before me.
"Hi, Mum," I said, struggling to keep a lid on my emotions.
"Bloom!" She squealed happily, before sweeping me into a Mother's embrace.
I wrapped my arms around her sides, my arms drifting up to the middle of her back, tightly holding her as it hit me.
She was real.
This was real.
I was in her arms.
I was home.
I laughed and choked on a sob, holding her as tightly as she held me. "Oh, Bloom, my sweet Sugar-Blossom." I felt her brush my hair, marveling at its color.
We pulled back, her placing her hands gently on my face. "Oh, look at you! You've grown so much! Such a beautiful young woman you're becoming!"
"I've missed you," I whispered with heated cheeks, before she wrapped her arms around me again, and I relaxed, for the first time in months, I felt safe. Protected. Loved.
We stayed in our embrace, the rest of the world fading away, the sound of cars passing by on the street turning into nothing more than a dim roar in the distance. I breathed in her scent, flowery and dirt, the lemon-scented soap she used fresh on her skin.
The sound of the bell ringing drew us back, and Lily's eyes widened a bit before her lips curved into a smile. "Stella!" she called, the blonde freezing in surprise at being recognized so fast, "It's so good to see you again, and, who's this?"
"Mum." I pulled back with a grin. "This is Musa."
"Mm-hmm." Musa shifted nervously as Lily studied her, before she smiled wide and pulled my shocked friend into a warm hug. "I've heard so much about you, Musa. It's lovely to finally meet you."
"Hi." She said back shyly, her cheeks rosy.
"Oh." Lily released her, before smiling at me as she took my hand. "What's the occasion, girls? Shouldn't you be in school?"
"Surprise!" I smiled happily at her, most of my tension gone. "Mum, it's Day of the Lily. Mother's Day of the Magix Dimension."
Her bottom lip trembled before she pulled me into another hug. "You didn't mention that last time you called!"
I grinned, before saying teasingly, "Well, it wouldn't have been much of a surprise if I had."
Lily's smile turned sheepish for a moment, before her mothering smile was back. "How long can you stay?"
"We have to be back by Sunday night," I said cheerfully. "Which means that you get a three-day weekend to spend with me, and my friends, if you'll have them?"
I trailed off with a wince, knowing that it was kind of rude to invite others over without checking in with my adoptive parents, but I couldn't leave Musa or Stella at Alfea.
Lily's smile widened. "Of course."
Another customer chose to make their 'timely' (note the sarcasm) entrance into the room, the shrill bell ringing disturbing our wholesome family moment.
"We can talk in a bit." Lily offered, and I nodded in agreement. "Go help 'em Mum, I'm not going anywhere." I teased.
She shook her head, kissing my head before she moved to held the young woman that was inspecting a set of potted orchids.
I turned back, smirking at Musa's stunned expression.
"I love your mother." Stella declared. "She's the best."
"She is, isn't she?" I agreed, before checking over a few plants.
Musa snapped out of her dazed shock. "I wasn't expecting her to be so...so..."
"Kind? Welcoming? Warm?" I offered with a grin.
"Well...yeah." She let her arms fall to her sides with a stunned, awed smile. "She--she's amazing."
"I know," I said with a warm smile. "Even if none of us hadn't had magic, I'd still be lucky that they adopted me."
Stella glanced at Lily worriedly. "How much have you told her?"
I winced, dreading THAT future conversation. "Just the barest summary, three witches ambushed me, cursed me unconscious, and I've been in the infirmary for the last two weeks. But something tells me that she's gonna grill me for details before she tears me a new one later."
"Nothing about the troll? Or the other times we've faced the witches?" Musa asked. "The Miss Magix contest? The gala?"
I shook my head firmly. "She doesn't know about those incidents, and I don't want to make her worry more than she already is."
"She is your mom..." Musa trailed off, looking both envious and guilty for some reason. "She'll worry about you, she'll do anything she can to protect you. It's a mother's instinct."
"I know." I sigh, brushing my arms. "But I have to protect her as much as she has to protect me."
Stella smirked at me. "But you didn't leave out the fun stuff, did you?"
I felt heat spread across my cheeks. "I, uh...may have omitted a few details." I admitted, wondering just what exactly she meant by 'fun stuff'.
Stella and Musa shared a conspiring giggle that sent a shiver down my spine.
"Well then," Musa smirked at me. "I guess we'll just have to fill in the blanks for them."
"Oh Merlin, please don't." I mock-gasped, holding a hand to my chest, causing them both to snicker.
Mum had finished helping the woman by this point, and she turned to us as soon as she was ushered out the door.
She smiled, and I eagerly hugged her again, smiling into her embrace before we separated. "Your Aunt is busy, but Sirius will be here to take over the shop."
"Sirius?" I blinked in surprised, not expecting him to be the second of my 'Earth family' (as I dubbed them) that I would see again so soon. I thought that it would be Violet, or Daddy. "I thought that he was off defending some woman's rights, or getting into their pants."
Musa and Stella gaped at my vulgar comment, but Lily shook her head with a smile. "Apparently not. The playboy knows how to separate work and fun."
I huffed, before remarking dryly, "I'm pretty sure at the last family get-together he said that pleasure is best when mixed with work."
"That man...I swear." Lily chuckled as she shook her head, Musa and Stella squeaking as they blushed.
I grinned before noticing the girls' embarrassment. "Oh, sorry."
"Who--who's serious?" Musa asked, only for her cheeks to flush pink as Lily and I laughed.
"Sorry, not at you...it's just funny." I snickered, before explaining, "Sirius is dad's friend."
"He's family." My adoptive mum affirmed. "For all his faults and strange quirks, Sirius is a loved one."
"Why Lily-Flower, I do believe that's the nicest thing you've said about me all month!"
We all jumped, before I screamed, "PADFOOT!" And jumped at him.
"Whoa!" He caught me, both of us laughing as Musa's cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink and Stella studied him with an unreadable expression.
"When'd you get here, Bloom?" He asked with a surprised grin.
"Just got back, there's a holiday, so it's a... two-day and a half weekend." I grinned back.
"Cool." He nodded before smirking at Lily. "Seriously, I had no idea you viewed me like that."
Lily rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Don't let it go to your head, you mangy mutt."
"Mutt!" Sirius released me as Stella and Musa burst into giggles at the handsome, older man's outraged expression--one that quickly shifted into a childish pout. "I'm no dog."
I giggled at him. "With how much you chase women's skirts, you might as well be."
"Quiet you." He teased, swatting at me--which I dodged with a yelp.
I turned to my friends, who were watching with amused and bemused expressions. "Girls, this is Sirius Grey, not serious. Family friend, the fun-uncle figure, nicknamed Padfoot. Don't give him an excuse to make the pun, for the love of Merlin."
Sirius pressed a hand to his chest, grinning at me. "But Bloom, I'm always serious. I'm me!"
I waved a finger at him, grinning at the familiar banter. Merlin, how I missed this. "Bad dog, does mum need to get the newspaper?"
Musa and Stella's jaws dropped, glancing at Sirius, who guffawed loudly, while Mum chuckled. "Looks like Bloom has you well in hand, old friend."
Sirius huffed at her. "Old? Me? With this baby face?"
I couldn't resist teasing the prankster who'd been my godfather in another life. "Oh, so it's baby face now? I thought that last month it was 'handsomest devil'."
"Hush, young lady." He waggled a finger at me before grinning at Lily. "Madam, may I relieve you of your duties?"
Lily rolled her eyes, smiling fondly. "You may, you prankster you."
I smirked at my friends as I got my not-godfather-but-once-in-another-lifetime-was-my-godfather's attention. "Sirius, these are two of my best friends. Musa and Stella."
"Fairies, huh?" He gave them a roguish grin that caused Musa's cheeks to flush a deeper shade of pink.
I lifted my brow at her, while Stella smiled at him warmly. "The pleasure's mine, Mr. Grey."
"No, Mr. Grey was--is my father." Sirius wrinkled his nose, before giving her a charming grin and gently took one of her hands and kissed the back of it. "Enchante, madamoisel."
I gave him the 'look'. "Stella doesn't know French."
Stella giggled, her cheeks a little rosy--odd, they weren't a moment ago. "Your friend is a charmer."
"Yeah, a real catch," Musa murmured dreamily, before her cheeks turned red as she realized what she said aloud.
Sirius and I smirked at her, Stella giggling, before Lily came to Musa's rescue. "Alright. Sirius, it was good to see you, please try not to flirt with every girl that comes in here. I don't want another customer complaint because you couldn't stop flirting with every rack of boobs or bottoms like that one girl's."
Musa and Stella's cheeks were the reddest I'd ever seen them turn from embarrassment.
"Hey, it was a great arse." Sirius grinned at her before he flipped over the edge of the counter to land behind, then mimed a bow.
I clapped, earning a look from Mum and a smirk from my 'fun uncle figure', before we were able to leave.
"Soooo...that was Sirius, huh?" Stella broke the silence at last.
"Yup," I said before teasing Musa. "A 'real catch', am I right?"
"Oh Arcaida!" Musa put her head in her hands, prompting me to grab her shoulder and help steer her away from the street. "Me and my mouth."
"I didn't know you liked older men," Stella commented, causing Musa's blush to deepen.
"Gross," I muttered to myself.
"I don't!" She burst--oops, guess she heard me--before blushing madly. "But--I like...I like bad boys..." She trailed off in a guilty whisper.
"Bloom was into bad boys once, then she met Andy and turned him into one," Lily commented, causing me to gape at her before crying out, "Mum!"
She and Stella giggled at my shocked expression.
"Wait, Andy was a bad boy?" Musa stared at me with a raised brow, looking eager for some payback. "I thought you said he was a sweet-loving musician?"
I internally cursed Mum, fighting the rising blush on my face. "He--okay, fine. He's both."
"Both?" Stella squealed, before elbowing me in the ribs. "Sounds like the best of both worlds. An even better 'catch'."
"He was." I sighed regretfully, keeping my vision away from all their faces, looking straight ahead. I loved Andy, but he left a lasting impression on me. And...it's just...it's hard. Hard to ignore teasing about them, a mark on you. I know I didn't fail in that relationship, we just...at some point, it became more about passion than it did love. And Andy was older than me, and moving away. He didn't deserve to put his life on hold for me.
It--it just hurts. And I don't want to talk about my ex anymore. We parted ways, that chapter of my life is over.
(future me: ohhhh, if only things had been that simple).
Lily (being the great mother that she was) caught on to the fact that this topic was upsetting me because she changed the conversation.
"So, Day of the Lily...is Mother's Day? On a Friday?" Lily lifted her brow curiously as we headed down the sidewalk.
"It's a universal holiday in the Magix Dimension," Musa assured her. "It technically starts halfway through Friday and ends in the middle of Sunday due to a calendar shift two centuries ago, but due to the issues people had it became a three-day weekend, with students just required to return and check back in by no later than Sunday evening."
"I'm glad you remembered those details, because I sure didn't," Stella commented.
I threw her an amused look. "Yes, Stella. We're all aware that you didn't pay attention in history."
"How many tutors did you go through?" Musa asked curiously. "I can't imagine that they'd be happy with your lack of attention. Griselda never is."
"First of all, Griselda is a pain in the ass." Stella shrugged nonchalantly as she examined her fingernails, her blunt statement causing me to hide my laughter behind the back of my hand. "As for your question, more tutors than I have fingers."
"Merlin." I shook my head in amazement--and not the good kind.
There was an amusing, yet slightly awkward pause at that admission before the tension broke as Stella pointed at me and said, "I keep your secrets."
We all burst into laughter, before Lily glanced at Musa and Stella. "If you don't mind my asking, is there a reason why you haven't gone home to see your mothers?"
Both of them stilled, their expressions twisting with emotional pain. Mum and I winced, her looking regretful for bringing it up.
"Mother's fine," Stella said stiffly, her eyes dimmed, her smile too tight to be natural. "Tensions in Solaria are tense, so I was ordered to remain at Alfea instead."
"My--my mother's dead." Musa's voice cracked, and I wrapped an arm around her, giving a silent show of support.
"I--I'm sorry." Lily offered, not realizing that it had been a poor subject for them.
"Don't be." Musa gave her a weak smile as she shrugged. "You didn't know."
"Yeah," Stella said, her usual energy gone.
Lily winced, giving me a silent questioning look.
I nodded to her unasked question. "I couldn't leave them behind at Alfea, while Flora and Tecna went home to their families," I explained.
"Of course not." She nodded, wrapping me in a hug before turning to them both and smiling warmly at them. "You girls are more than welcome to stay as long as you wish."
Musa and Stella brightened up a bit.
Lily looked at me curiously. "Does your Father or Violet know?"
I shook my head with a satisfied grin. "Nope. Wanted to 'surprise' them."
Lily's eyes widened, understanding what I was really saying, before she chuckled. "You've missed quite a few of their pranks."
I huffed. "I'll get back on the scoreboard if it's the last thing I do, or you can paint me pink and call me 'Kirby'."
"What?" Stella asked, bewildered as Musa burst into giggles and Mum smiled.
"Her family has prank wars," Musa explained. "Bloom's friends with the Westley Twins, remember? They're always bouncing ideas around, sharing tips and prank stories."
"Oh really?" Lily lifted a brow at me, and my cheeks heated as I realized I hadn't mentioned them before. "I've never heard of these 'twins' before."
"Ohhh." Stella smiled in remembrance. "I forgot about those terror twins."
"Hey, they're not bad." I defended.
"I know." Stella frowned. "They just toe the line between funny and hurtful. A lot."
I shrugged. "Honestly, as long as it's reversible within twenty-four hours, I won't be that mad. Besides, magic pranks are so much cooler than non-magical ones."
Lily chuckled. "Don't let your dad hear that. He won't like it."
I shrugged. "It's true," I said with a grin. "Magic gives you infinite possibilities."
"Well, this is a no-magic stay." Lily reminded us, causing me and the girls to groan a little.
"And Bloom still has to take her potions," Stella added. "For the dark magic and her limp and all."
Mum cast me a concerned look. "Should you be walking?"
I huffed in irritation, giving Stella my 'squint-glare' before complaining, "My muscles are going to atrophy if I spend another week in that stretcher bed."
Musa snickered. "Exaggerating slightly, Bloom?"
I rolled my eyes, trying not to pout.
Lily sighed. "I just worry about you, Sugar-Blossom."
I let the tension bleed out of my shoulders. "I know. I just wish everyone would stop asking me that."
She sighed again, before shaking her head. "Well then, we'll just make sure that you don't do anything strenuous."
I scowled. "My limp is barely noticeable! Plus, with it being nonmagical Earth and all, I can heal without all the 'buzzing' around. There's no magic in the food either, since you, Mum, like to prepare it that way, mostly. I'll be fine."
"True." Musa agreed. "Sometimes, being in highly saturated magical places is bad for healing.
"Still, I don't want to risk your health." Lily decided.
"Mum!" I groaned.
She shook her head at me. "You've learned and experienced much. Your eyes have been opened to a larger world. But while you're here, I will do my best to shield you, protect you. What any mother should do."
Stella beamed at her, then commented slyly to me, "Is now a good time to mention wanting to be adopted by her?"
I stumbled over the concrete. "STELLA!"
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"Well. I suppose it's a good thing we didn't involve Darko." D'arcy commented, noting her sister's barely concealed anger.
"Where is she!?" Isobel burst out, glaring at the sea of faces still moving to the teleporter.
They were in the smaller areas of Magix City, filled to the brim with fairies and Specialists moving to the teleporters that would take them back to their respective home realms for the holidays.
"We could launch the attack now," Beatrix suggested. "Flush them out. Those stupid freshmen could never back away from a fight."
"The only members of the 'Winx' here are the technology user and plant lover." D'arcy pointed them out.
"Could they have remained behind at Alfea?" Isobel asked again.
D'arcy shook her head. "Stella and Musa were going to stay at Alfea, but they must've made a change of plans after we were all asleep."
"Then why are we here?" Beatrix snarled, infuriated that her coven-sister hadn't shared this earlier.
"To teach you some patience." Isobel drawled, causing Beatrix's cheeks to flush with anger.
"To find out where they were really going," D'arcy answered the storm witch's question, crossing her arms. "All I have to do is get close enough to read one of their minds, and find out where Stella has gone."
"And Bloom." Isobel reminded, causing both her sisters to look at her.
She almost rolled her eyes, but maintained an icy facade. "We need to know where that interrupting bitch is, that way we can pummel her down again, before she has the chance to prevent us from seizing the scepter."
"Unless she and Stella traveled together, why would it matter?" Beatrix asked with a scowl. "Shouldn't she have fucked off back to non-magical Earth? To spend it with her precious wingless mother?"
D'arcy's scrying had revealed multiple glistening gems of information.
The Trix had learned more about Bloom's family from their spying spells on the Winx.
They now knew that redhead has a younger sister named Violet. They know how all of them Earth fairies, fairies who have hidden their magic and tried to live like ordinary nonmagicals out of fear of being hunted down by some great threat.
A part of Isobel's stomach churns at the thought of Bloom not fearing her and her sisters as much as some unknown threat.
Despite her own curiosity, Isobel hasn't learned anything else, only Stella and Bloom seem to know, and their conversations are tense, tightly worded, alluding to information that only they seem to have.
It was rather frustrating, for a witch, knowing all the players and the variables was essential when moving forward with a plot or scheme.
Funny how even when Bloom was nowhere near the ice witch, she still managed to make her burn and seethe, if not from actual flames, then from her very presence alone. The ever-eluding enigma.
"Her whole family has Earth fairies." D'arcy reminded them. "They're the last of the Earth fairies."
"Who have been in hiding from some 'unknown' threat." Beatrix rolled her eyes. "A threat soooo dangerous that they never perform magic."
"Even so, the Earth fairies were believed to have been wiped out." Isobel reminded her sister. "For nearly two decades, the Magix Dimension believed that."
"They've scrubbed nearly everything digital on Earth as it is," D'arcy added, who'd had to do some digging on the Dark Magi-Web to find answers. "As in, the most I've found without hacking the Council of Light's private servers is that 'Earth' roughly translates to 'dirt'."
"Sounds about right," Beatrix muttered.
"Even so, an unknown threat is something that must be taken into account." Isobel's eyes narrowed as she watched Flora move forward in line, heading closer to the warp zone. "When we enact our plans, we cannot have anything unaccounted for."
"Does this mean we will get to fight?" Beatrix asked eagerly, hungry for a challenge.
"Maybe," D'arcy said before she created an illusion spell, her magic forming an exact duplicate of herself. "Now I'll go take what we need, and she'll stand here."
Her double chuckled darkly into the palm of her hand, before D'arcy vanished, moving toward her unknown prey, unseen by all.
She grinned maliciously, sweeping through the crowd, until she stood next to an unaware Flora, who was humming softly, with one of those cheerfully stupid fairy smiles on her 'perfect' features.
D'arcy resisted the urge to cast a curse and mar the fairy's features before she maneuvered her hand near Flora's temple.
"Memori--sal-et-rut!" She incanted, before finding herself surrounded by Flora's memories, the foolish fairy completely unaware of her mind being breached.
D'arcy chuckled, knowing that the fairy would hear it in her head, seeing externally as the fairy shivered.
She looked toward the sea of memories, flitting through each before she found what she was looking for.
'Ah--there you are.' She thought, before touching the memory lightly, watching it through a third person's perspective.
*Flashback*
"Wait, so you're both going home?" Flora blinked in surprise. "I thought you wanted to stay?"
It was the morning that they were supposed to get packed up and leave. Neither Musa nor Stella had given any cues as to their plans before this.
Stella and Musa shared a look. "We're not going home." Musa said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Then why did you change your decision?" Tecna asked. "I coded a low-grade monitoring program to keep watch over the list of fairies going home for the holidays, and it pinged when you both were added to it."
"We aren't." Musa shook her head.
"Bloom invited us to go back home with her." Stella explained patiently. "Since we both have..." She cast a look at Musa, who nodded with a 'so-so' motion of her hand, "...personal issues with this day."
Flora looked sympathetically at them both, as Tecna's eyes lit up in realization. "Oh. You are referring to the divorce of your parents and Musa's late mother?"
"Tecna!" Flora covered her hands with her mouth.
Both girls glared at Tecna, who'd blinked before realizing that she'd made an error in judgement. "Oh, my apologies."
Stella huffed, looking a little irritable now. "Like I said, Bloom invited us. So we'll get to explore Earth again." Without you, went unsaid.
Tecna winced, as did Flora and Musa, at the subtle barb laced within her words.
"So," Flora said awkwardly. "I guess..."
Stella's face softened as she turned toward Flora. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
"To me?" Flora lifted her brow.
Stella sighed at how perceptive Flora could be. "Yes, I, sorry, Tecna."
Musa looked a little surprised at how quickly Stella caved in and moved to make amends, but the sun princess had said she was working on herself.
"It is fine," Tecna stated simply, a little stiff.
"Anyway." Musa broke the tension in the room. "We should probably finish packing, then we can bring Bloom back."
"Or we can go grab her now." Stella pointed out. "She'll need help."
Musa snorted. "Bloom would insist on doing things herself."
Stella winked at her. "Trust me, I can do a little something before she gets back. Just give me a sec!"
She sauntered into Flora and Bloom's room, leaving three bemused fairies standing awkwardly in the common room, before they separated and went back to packing.
*End Flashback*
D'arcy winced. Isobel and Beatrix especially were going to be pissed about this.
But...this did provide an opportunity...
'Earth, huh?' She thought as she slipped out of the crowd, with Flora none the wiser to the fact that she had just been mind-raped.
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Natasha's hips swayed, wearing simple blacks as she entered a cafeteria on the witch's side of town, before spotting her target sitting in a corner, nursing a steaming mug, quiet, and withdrawn.
She walked over, hiding a smile as the witch's eyes lit up when she saw her. "Sister! You're here."
"Of course." She slid into the booth next to Mirta, before wrapping an arm around her, keeping an eye on all the other witches who threw disgusted looks at their embrace. "Did you doubt that I would?"
"No. Never." Mirta declared quietly, in her own innocent, cute, childish way, bringing a small smile to Natasha's face.
"How have you been, little sister?" She asked warmly, ignoring the glares and choking sounds witches around them made at the sight of her affection.
"Been better," Mirta admitted quietly, her eyes darting around nervously.
Anger surged within Natasha's breast, and not for the first time, she loathed Hera for shunning her little sister, and hated Yelena for abandoning her own flesh and blood.
Mirta used to be the happy child of the family. Energetic, seeing the best in everyone. She'd been a bright star in their lives, one that had slowly been dimmed by tragedy and prejudice.
"Come on." Natasha grabbed Mirta's arm, ignoring her protests, and moved toward the exit.
A group of witches looked like they wanted to stop her, but Natasha's frightening glare pinned them to their seats.
It didn't matter to them though. The dangerous redhead couldn't always be around to protect the little unwanted runt of Cloud Tower. Sooner or later, Mirta would have her due.
Natasha picked up on none of their thoughts, unfortunately, otherwise, she would've kicked every witch's ass who thought about hurting her little sister.
"So, how is school?" Natasha asked, feeling wary. Mirta didn't look that different, except a little smaller, a little sadder. Certainly nothing like the older, power-crazed witches.
"It's awful," Mirta complained as they walked down a side street. "Cloud Tower itself is a death trap, nevermind the whole place is full of witches out to get people like me."
Natasha stilled. "What do you mean by, 'people like you'?"
Mirta flinched. "As in loner witches, or those who aren't as good at darker magics."
"Magic isn't for everyone." Natasha reminded her. "Worst comes to worst, you can always drop out and join Red Fountain."
"Becoming a Specialist?" Mirta looked hesitant as she wrinkled her nose cutely. "I don't know, Nat."
Natasha grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Mirta noticed that her sister had calluses on her hands. Much of her bare arms were also defined with muscle, more prominent than before.
"Just remember, you have other options," Natasha said quietly. "And I'll always support you, no matter what you pick."
Mirta gave her a small smile, hesitation clear to see next to her unspoken want. Natasha felt anger and pity stir in her heart, but she pushed her internal warfare of emotions away, wrapping her arms around her sister and hugging her tightly.
Their family may have forsaken Mirta, but Natasha would never.
"Did you send Hera anything?" Mirta asked as they separated.
Natasha nodded after a moment. "Yes." She hesitated, then asked, "Did you?"
Mirta looked a little upset, and also miserable. "Yeah. I sent her a basket of flowers that I ordered online, but she sent them back."
Anger surged through her body, her hands clenching until her knuckles turned white. That...woman didn't deserve to call herself their maternal figure...in any way, shape, or form. Not after how she treated Mirta.
"Well then." Natasha smirked at her, before saying in a mischievous tone, "It's a good thing I didn't buy her anything expensive."
Mirta's giggle filled both their hearts with light.
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We returned home, and I enlisted Musa and Stella's help in setting up a few pranks in Violet's room.
I grinned at them, us scampering out as we heard the front door swing open and voices downstairs.
"She's back!" I said excitedly, glancing at them. "Wanna come down, so I can introduce you?"
"Startle the Omega Dimension out of her first." Stella suggested as Musa giggled, and I gave her a 'thumb's up before sneaking my way down the stairs, spotting Violet in the kitchen with Mum, the pair of them talking.
"--and Jeremiah asked Alex out, there was a big cheer when she said yes," Violet told her. She hadn't changed much since I left. Her ravenette locks were still curly and beautiful, nice and long, black as night. Her skin might've been a shade paler from being exposed to less sun during California's fall and winter months. Her eyes were still that gorgeous shade of hazel, sparkling and bright. Her hips hadn't changed much, but it did look like all that P.E. had given her more athletic legs.
Good on her.
I snuck in behind them, putting a finger to my lips when Mum spotted me. She smiled, Violet continuing onward, thinking that her smile was encouragement. "--and so we tried to get Henry to ask out Delilah, but that one didn't go so well--"
"RAAH!" I jumped on her, clinging to her back.
Violet screamed in surprise (maybe a little shock), before I hopped back, and she spun around, only to freeze when she saw me there.
I grinned at her. "What, Vi? No words for your big sister? I'm hurt."
"Bloom!" She squealed before throwing herself at me. "Ughn!" I grunted as out chests collided, and she clung to me. I wrapped my arms around her, nestling our heads into each other's shoulders.
We pulled back before she punched me on the arm. "Also, not cool."
I smirked at her. "You're the one who likes horror games."
"Yeaah," She drew out the word with a pout. "But I don't like getting jumpscared in real life."
I snickered. "Better watch out then, because I might find time to make a slender man costume."
She snorted. "With your figure?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "A curvy slender woman isn't threatening."
I snorted at the mental image my brain ever-so helpfully conjured up for me.
She beamed at me. "Are you on break? How long can you stay?"
I chuckled. "It's 'Mother's Day in the Magix Dimension, Day of the Lily, remember?"
"Ohhh." her eyes went wide.
"And we just have to be back by Sunday night," Stella said cheerfully as she came around the corner, her sudden appearance making my sister gawk before she squealed happily. "I have my fashion buddy back!"
"Hell yeah!" Stella hooted, causing us all to giggle.
Violet then turned and looked curiously at Musa. "And who are you?"
"I'm Musa." Musa introduced herself before Stella or I could. She then smirked at me before saying to my little sister, "I've only had to live with her for almost three months. I'm so sorry that you've had to put up with for longer."
"Oi!" I snipped when the four of them burst into laughter, my sister clutching her gut as she rolled on the floor, Stella's arms wound around her waist as she tried to hold back her snickers, and Musa laughed behind her hand, while my Mum was chuckling.
"Not funny!" I pouted, which only served to reignite their laughter.
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"Daddy!"
"Wha--Bloom! Ha-hey!"
I jumped on James when he came home, happily squealing a bit when he lifted me off the ground.
What?
I missed him, if I want to be childish, Merlin damn it, I'm going to BE childish.
Because there would be six of us eating for the two days--roughly--Dad recruited my help setting up the table. We had to use a handy function of our dining table, pulling off the tablecloths and decor to slide apart the top halves, revealing another wooden extension that was tucked underneath both half-circles.
After flipping it out and sliding everything back into place, Dad retrieved two chairs from the garage that had sat packed away in their boxes (to avoid collecting dust) that completed the table set from when my adoptive parents had bought it two years ago.
Lily had made enchiladas, with beans, a lovely salad, guacamole (because who doesn't like guac, am I right?), and ground beef with sauteed vegetables.
We heartily dug in, with the girls and I sharing tales of our time at Alfea.
"And then Tecna just gives me this blank stare before saying in the most deadpan tone ever, 'It is illogical to vomit over a concept rather than a virus or bacterial infection, but for Earth technology, I might make an exception'." I recounted with tears of laughter in my eyes, barely able to imitate my friend's tone.
Musa's laughter was like tinkle bells. Stella and Violet were snickering as James's lips twitched upward and Lily shook her head, her eyes filled with mirth.
"Oh my gawd." Violet nearly choked on her food.
"That's so bad." Dad chortled.
"Wow." Violet clutched the stitch of her shirt. "Girl, your friend is something else, no offense."
"None taken," I said as Musa and Stella shook their heads, laughter still in their eyes.
"So, Stella, Musa."
The pair of them turned to Violet as she called their names. "Has Bloom been giving me all the juicy gossip, or has she been holding out?"
I glared at them as they grinned at me before they turned to Violet.
"Oh, she's been holding out alright," Musa confirmed.
Violet pumped her fist. "I knew it!" She leaned forward eagerly. "Is it about those boys, Adrien and Brandon?"
"Obviously." Stella sassed, causing my adoptive dad to narrow his eyes as Violet and Musa laughed.
"Two boys?" He frowned at me. "I thought there was just the one, 'Brandon'."
"James--" Mum said lightly, but with the undertones of a warning.
I felt my cheeks flood with heat, remembering the feeling of my heart racing when I'd gotten messages from them both early this morning, wishing me and my--Lily, a happy Day of the Lily, and asked my plans.
I'd told them, figuring that it couldn't hurt, and they'd both asked me if we could hang out once the holidays were over (Adrien being more blunt than 'Brandon').
Assuming that all goes well, and nothing happens during the holidays, and Ofelia doesn't chain me to the medical bed the second I set foot back in Alfea, sure, why the bloody fuck not?
I still feel kind of awkward about 'Brandon', but Adrien...oh Merlin. At this point, do I even try to deny that I have a crush on him? Deny the roaring heat that comes from hearing his voice, from receiving his attention?
Not to mention, the Dragon's rumbles have been more pleasant whenever Adrien's been around, whether his presence was physical or digital.
"Ohh, no, Mr. Peterson," Stella said, throwing a wicked grin my way. "Bloom's being courted by not one, but two handsome blondes."
"One who wields magic, one who wields a sword," Musa added with a snicker at my heated face.
"You bloody traitors." I huffed, spearing my beef with a little more force than necessary, but I truly didn't mind. While it made me kind of...okay, look. Romance gossip and all that is out of my comfort zone, but I preferred us talking about that over them trying to uncover any of my secrets...some of which I might have to spill.
Nothing about my heritage--Merlin no--but about some of the fights with the Trix. Cover stories about the boys only work for so long, and it'll be suspicious if I make stuff up, since Musa and Stella are here to fact-check me.
Am I a bitch for suddenly wishing that they were still at Alfea, so I could maintain my cover? Or am I just a good but thoughtless friend, whose pulling similar martyr shit that she did as in her last life?
"You love us anyway." Stella retorted, and I was taken aback by how true that statement was.
Every day had brought something new, dangerous, or exciting. Whenever one of us was hurt, or struggling through something, the rest of us were there. Stella, Tecna, Flora, Musa, and...me. We are the Winx. And we look out for one another. We're each other's rock. We have each other's backs. We're more than friends, we're bound by a bond of sisterhood.
At least, to me anyway.
"I know." I sighed with a teasing grin. "Someone has to put up with you and your utterly dreadful taste in fashion."
As expected, Stella let out an offended gasp. "Dreadful! Nonesense, darling! My taste in fashion is simply stupendous."
"Uh oh." Musa teased. "Now Stella's pulling out the big words."
Stella broke decorum to stick her tongue out at Musa. Speaking of decorum, Stella and I had informed Musa on what to expect when it came to dinner, just so she didn't freak or worry too much over the table setup.
"Hey!" Stella pouted at us--which looked fricking adorable by the way--and crossed her arms. "Now you're just being mean."
"Sorry." We said in unison, before I called, "Jinx!"
"What?" Musa and Stella looked confused, while my family and I swapped knowing smiles as my cheeks heated in embarrassment. "What's Jinx?"
"Is that another Earth cultural thing?" Stella asked.
"Yeah, pretty much." I nodded, then glanced under the table to spot Kiko nibbling quietly on a carrot. The little guy just loves those.
"Jinx is an Earth...uh...phrase." Violet struggled to explain. "Basically, when two people say the same word or short phrase, they yell 'Jinx'. If they both say it at the same time, then it's 'Double Jinx'."
"And if they both say that, then whoever says 'Jinx, padlock no return', first, wins." I shrugged. "Usually the consequences are like, you can't speak until your full name is spoken or something like that."
"So a childish experience then?" Stella clarified.
"Don't count the adults out." Violet jumped in with a saucy wink. "Plenty of kinky stuff adults can do with 'punishments'."
Stella and Musa blushed identical shades of pink at the innuendos.
"Violet!" Mum burst, causing her to pale a little, but still smirk. "Not at the table."
I swear to bloody Merlin, this girl is insane. She has no filter, like, ever. Then again, I'm not much better.
"Sorry, Mom," Violet said cheekily.
Musa looked at me in amusement. "So, did she influence you, or did you influence her?"
I huffed at the accusation, then pouted at James's laughter. "I wouldn't go there, Musa. Bloom'll argue you into circles about who was wrong, and who was right."
"Damn right, I will." I mock-scowled, taking a sip of milk. Ah, how I missed actual Earth food, instead of the weirdly-named food choices on Alfea's food menu.
"So." Musa looked at my dad curiously. "What do you do, exactly? As a fireman, I mean."
"Well." James shifted in his seat. "Firemen work in teams, basically to fight fires. We use hoses that pump water, with the nozzle aimed at the fire itself."
Musa nodded slowly, not understanding every term, but getting the general gist. "Oh."
"They have to make up for not having a brigade of water fairies and wizards somehow." Stella sassed.
Violet perked up at that. "Wait, so there are water fairies that act just like firefighters?"
Stella nodded after a moment of thought. "In a way, yes. Minus all the extra equipment and all that."
"Magic." James shook his head in amusement, missing the look Lily shot him (which I did not miss). "Everything just seems to become easier with it."
"Magic's pretty awesome like that." I grinned.
We cleared our plates and moved to stash them on the counter next to the sink. I helped put the leftovers away before rejoining the girls upstairs, leaving Mum and Daddy in the kitchen.
I entered my bedroom, to find Stella on my bed with one of my Harry Potter books, Musa peering over some of my sketches on my desk, and Violet sitting criss-cross applesauce on the floor.
"These sketches look really good," Musa said in admiration before she held up a charcoal sketch I'd done of Andy, with several others of Roxy, Selina, and some of my family scattered on the desk and on my keyboard. "Whose this guy?"
"That's her ex." Violet chirped, causing Stella to perk up, slapping the book shut before hopping off my bed and peeking over Musa's shoulder. "Oh wow, Bloom knows how to pick 'em."
Musa shook her head. "It's too bad that they broke up. With we know about her, and what she's said about him, they sounded like a real power couple."
"Minus the power." I quipped, causing them all to jump in surprise, spotting me leaning on the doorway, with my arms crossed.
"Bloom!" Violet pressed a hand to her chest.
"How long were you there?" Musa asked in surprise.
"Long enough." I shrugged, before moving over, and picking up the image they were looking at. I sighed and let it fall, before I spotted my collection of Transformers figures.
Violet shook her head in amusement as I snatched my masterpiece Optimus and Megatron and moved to a shelf above my bed so I could pose them.
"Nearly three months away and you still play with those things?" She teased me.
I did the mature thing and stuck my tongue at her before I climbed on my knees on my bed, setting the Megatron down before starting to pose Optimus.
Hey, I haven't been able to do this in a while. Plus, I don't really want to have my figures brought to the infirmary. Kind of awkward, and hella silly.
"The show is kind of cool," Musa admitted, earning a smile from me.
Violet stared at us before she facepalmed. "Oh my god. Bloom, you seriously showed them Transformers? Gods, you're such a nerd."
"Am not!" I said, slightly offended. "Besides, I showed them other shows too."
"Like what?" Violet asked with a raised brow.
"Vampire Diaries, the first Harry Potter movie." Musa listed on her fingers. She froze for a moment, blushing brightly. "Speaking of which, having two sexy, broody, mysterious vampires after your ass sounds really hot."
Stella's sunset-colored irises moved in a slow circle as she rolled them. "Damon's a dick."
Violet and I burst into laughter.
"I won't contest you there." I snickered.
"No duh." Violet added as she giggled.
Stella gave me a mischievous grin. "Although, having two hot studs lusting after you does sound familiar, right Bloom?"
"Nope!" I curled up under my blankets. "Not doing this tonight!"
Violet giggled, before she looked at Stella and Musa. "She's totally in a love triangle, isn't she?"
"Yes."
"Yep."
"Am not!" I yelled, hurling my pillow at my sister's face.
She squeaked as it bounced off, her hair now disheveled. "Okay, Bloom. You asked for it!"
I grinned as I grabbed another pillow from the foot of my bed. "Bring it!"
Musa and Stella took over as Violet and I started pillow fighting.
My face stung when I was hit, but I gave as good as I was hit, landing pillows on Violet's face, her chest, and her legs.
One of our pillows bounced off of Musa, who shrieked before exchanging a look with Stella, the pair smirking as they grabbed pillows of their own.
I gasped as a pillow slammed into my side unexpectedly, while I was still battling Violet.
I turned, only to get pillowed in the face by my sister in all but blood. "Oi!"
Musa laughed, mere moments before she was attacked by slapping pillows. She squealed, one of the ribbons that kept her hair in those little pigtails falling out, half her hair falling free.
"Bitch!" Stella shrieked when Violet's pillow ruffled the side of her head, messing up her perfect hair.
I giggled as I leaned back to avoid getting hit with another pillow, before hitting Musa in the side.
That was how Lily found us ten minutes later, disheveled, sweaty, our pillows in beaten lumps, a few bruises visible from when we hit each other too hard, all of us lying on each other or the floor, giggling madly.
"Alright, you four," She shook her head at us in amusement. "I trust you'll be picking this up before you go to sleep?"
"We got it, Mum!" I gave her a 'thumbs-up', my arm lifting up from the ground. Stella was lying against the side of my bed, Musa half-dangling, half-spawled over my desk chair, and Violet's head lying on my thighs.
"Good." She nodded with a smile. "I'm making popcorn, and James is setting up 'Home Alone' downstairs, if you girls want to join us."
I perked up, exchanging a grin with Violet. "The original one?"
"Duh." Violet sassed, slapping my leg before she pushed herself up.
Stella gasped as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. "I'm such a mess!"
Musa snorted with laughter. "Now you admit it!"
"No!" Stella looked flustered at the state of her hair and half-smeared makeup. "This is a personal disaster!"
I snickered. "I think we're all a mess, Stella. A little makeover and you'll be fine."
Stella huffed. "Without magic? It'll take forever!"
Musa and I rolled our eyes as Violet got to her feet. "I can help, I have a few different Earth brands." She offered.
Stella perked up, sunset-colored irises sparkling. "Let's go!"
Musa and I exchanged bemused looks as they rushed out of my room so fast I swear some of my pages rustled a little.
"So, you want to join them?" She asked me.
I nodded, then sniffed at my arm and recoiled. "Yeah, but I need a shower first. You?"
She grimaced. "I...yeah, kinda. But..."
I rolled my eyes. "You're the guest, Musa. Feel free. I'll wait my turn, just don't use all the hair conditioner."
I gestured to my bathroom, and she gave me a grateful look before she vanished inside.
The sound of water turning on filled the air with noise as I turned and dug into my dresser, pulling out a pair of comfy shorts and a simple T-shirt. I pulled off my bra with a slight hiss, feeling my sore breasts.
I touched them lightly, wincing at the rough irritation. "Ow."
Oh yeah, I was definitely talking to Mum as soon as possible about going out shopping for new bras, probably before bed. The sooner the better.
Musa exited with a fluffy blue towel wrapped around her petite frame. "Uh...is my stuff here?"
"In the guest room." I reminded her, then realized why she was hesitating. "Want me to check and see if the hall's clear?"
"Please!" She nodded.
I peeked out, sneaking down a few steps to confirm that both my adoptive parents were still downstairs before I came back up. "Coast's clear."
Musa scampered out of my room and into her's and Stella's.
I snickered, before I reentered mine, grabbing the stuff I'd pulled out as well as a wrap binding and a towel. I entered the shower and proceeded to turn the water up to high, letting steam fill the air, clouding the mirrors.
My draconic side rumbled, and even I couldn't resist basking in the glorifying heat a little. Still, I was on a time crunch, so after five minutes, I exited and got dressed after wrapping my hair up in the towel.
I carefully wound the cloth around my back and shoulders, before pulling them over my breasts and tying them into a knot between them, before I pulled the white shirt over my head. I then slid into a new pair of panties and the shorts, before leaving the bathroom and my room to head downstairs, finding everyone else there and waiting.
The girls had taken over the couch, while Mum and James had stolen the larger love seat.
"Good to see you finally show up, sis." Violet teased me.
I smirked at her. "Wanted to make sure I didn't smell like an oil rig."
Lily snorted and James laughed at that. Violet looked amused, while my joke flew over Musa and Stella's heads.
"Ready?" Lily asked as Dad passed me a small bowl of popcorn.
"Ready!" We chorused.
She hit 'play' on the remote, the movie starting up as James flicked off most of the lights, to make it feel more natural.
We settled in to watch, and I couldn't wait to see how they reacted to this film.
Thus ending my first night back at home with my family and friends.