So what now? (Katydid50 x 5Bulletproof-Marshmellows)

[Katydid50]

"I'm fine," Daniel muttered before swallowing again. Her question had taken him by surprise and, frankly, he didn't want to answer it.
He honestly had no idea what to say. If he told Elenore the truth, it was likely that she'd be angry with him. He didn't want her angry with him, though he hadn't yet figured out why he cared. If he lied to her, she would most likely realize it and call him out on it and he'd tell her the truth and he'd still end up in trouble. Either way, he just knew he was going to end up in her bad books.
So, instead, he told her, "What's it matter? I found him, I brought him home." She could make her own assumptions with that but that was all he was going to say. If Nicholas wanted to tell her the truth, fine, but he highly doubted it. He could only guess that if Elenore found out he'd hit the boy with his truck, she would start fussing over Nicholas again and, judging by his reaction to his sister and mother hugging him earlier, he wouldn't want that. He didn't know how lucky he was.
He hated lying to her, even though he technically wasn't lying. She deserved to know the truth but he couldn't stand the thought of her angry with him, although he wasn't sure why. Sighing, he took another drink from the coffee mug before asking, in hopes of distracting her, "So why did you decide to work at this place? I'm sure you could have found other places to work that pay just as well and don't have a pervert for a boss."
Ok, so it wasn't the smoothest change of topic but he couldn't help it. His people skills were pitiful at best. He didn't talk to people very often and, when he did, it was just to Michael who didn't care anyway.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

It looked like he was contemplating on what he was going to tell her. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms out of habit as she waited. The answer came, but it wasn't the one she had been looking for. Well, she could always question Nicholas but if it was anything bad he probably wouldn't tell her. She just hoped he wouldn't lie to her.. her own children lying to her, she didn't want that to happen, ever. "I simply wanted to know." she told him, after all she was Nicholas' mother and had a right to know.
Hearing his question, she raised an eyebrow wondering why he had brought work up to begin with. "You could say I haven't had any luck with finding another job. I bare with it though.. even if I don't enjoy it. Music happens to be my passion." she gestured behind him where a guitar was leaned against one of the walls. "But music isn't a stable enough job when you have three kids asking for food." she told him. "What about you? Why do you work there?" Elenore never liked talking about herself, so she preferred to always change the subject when it came to her. Even if he wasn't a woman, she didn't think he enjoyed the presence of their boss more than she did.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel didn't say anything though he felt a guilty burn creep up the back of his neck when she said she only wanted to know. She did have a right to know but he wouldn't be the one to tell her despite how guilty it made him feel to hold back from her. Damn it all! How could she make him feel that way? She didn't have to say or do anything and yet she practically had him wrapped around her little finger! That just wasn't right. He hardly knew her. Sighing, he took another drink from the mug before setting it back down again.
When she did answer his question, he could see her curiosity. She was probably wondering why he'd asked about work, of all things. But that was the only thing they had in common so it had been the first thing he'd thought of. When she told him her real passion was music, he was pleasantly surprised. Music wasn't a passion for him but he certainly appreciated it. Though when she went on to say that music wasn't stable enough, he nodded. He could understand that. He'd had plenty of unstable jobs, most of which were illegal.
When she asked about him, he thought about it for a moment before shrugging. "Pays the bills," he said. "At least I'm not stuck in some stuffy office all day. I can't imagine any job worse than that." His restlessness made it impossible for him to sit still for hours on end. He had to be up and doing something.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She nodded her head slowly, it was pretty much the same reason for her. Money. It seemed to control people's lives sometimes. She didn't like that fact, but what else could she do? Elenore had followed her heart at first and it lead her into the wrong place. She didn't regret having a family but she did regret trusting him. She had trusted her father.. that had ended badly and then history seemed to repeat itself. Elenore didn't think she could afford to go through it a third time. Biting her lower lip, she then leaned back in. "Yeah.. I can't say it's too fun." she told him with a smile.
Getting up, she walked over to the coffee maker and poured herself some coffee. "Do you want some more?" she asked, not knowing if his cup was empty or not. She didn't even know if he was in a rush to get home. That's when she realized he didn't have a ring on his hand.. he wasn't married. For some reason she had guessed that before but now she knew for sure. Not that it mattered... at least, that's what she told herself.
Pouring some sugar into her cup, she slowly stirred it as she then walked back over to the table and sit the cup down. At least she didn't break it this time. Elenore knew she probably hadn't given him the best first impression but he was still here.. so it couldn't have been that bad.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel nodded when she said it wasn't too fun. He didn't mind his job though she probably was stuck in a stuffy office sitting still for hours on end. Then again, she probably wasn't as restless as he was. Most people weren't. Micheal thought it was because he'd had ADD as a kid which wasn't true but, if it had been true, it would have been a possible reason. Actually, Daniel had been more calm as a child which was very surprising. He guessed it came from hiding from his father for hours on end. Maybe that was it. He couldn't stay still because it reminded him of his time with his father. It was possible. He mentally shrugged before pushing the thought away.
When Elenore got up and asked if he wanted more coffee, he nodded. "Yes please," he said before draining the remainder of his coffee. There hadn't been much left and she made really good coffee, better even than him who had made at least one cup of coffee a day for the past seven years. A person would think that he would have been able to make perfect cups of coffee by now but he couldn't. He made them pretty good but they were always too something for other people. For Michael, they weren't strong enough. For his other neighbors, when they had still come around to visit, they'd been too strong, too milky, too sweet, too bitter or with not enough milk. It seemed the only person he could please was himself, and apparently Elenore if he ever made coffee for her.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Taking his cup after a moment, she went back to the counter that was in the kitchen and filled his cup again, pouring coffee into it before added sugar. Stirring it, she walked back over to the table and set his cup down next to him. "I wasn't sure how you liked your coffee.. so I just made it that way. I haven't really run into anyone that drinks it the same way I do." she told him as she sat down, taking a drink of her own cup of coffee. It wasn't hot, but it wasn't cold either, just right.
Looking down at the cup after setting it down. Running a hand over her face she realized how tired she was from today. Sitting in one spot may seen to be harmless but it really got to after a while. She wanted to do more with her life but that would only happen when she was completely stable with everything. Rubbing her temple, she then glanced over at him. "Sorry for holding you up this long." she said in a soft voice, after all it had seemed like he didn't want to be here at first when she had invited him to come in.
((Short.. sorry))  

[Katydid50]

Daniel watched as the carried his cup over to the counter where the coffee waited. As she refilled it and stirred in some sugar, he tilted his head in thought. He found it puzzling. Not just the coffee but the whole ordeal with Elenore. They were both single, worked in the same building and, as far as he could tell, both had no social life. She had kids while he'd always wanted them. They both wanted jobs other than what they had. In some aspects, they were so similar, and yet so different in others. And she knew how to make coffee just the way he liked it. Was it possible it was all coincidence?
When Elenore returned to the table, he smiled. "Same," he said. "When I used to have people over, they would always complain that the coffee was too something. Too strong, too weak, too sweet, too bitter. Now, I only have one neighbor that ever comes over and he always brings his own coffee." He took a drink from the mug, relishing in the taste of what he considered to be the perfect cup of coffee.
Setting the mug back down, he watched as she ran a hand over her face and realized for the first time how tired she looked. In fact, she looked like she could happily sleep for a week, but he imagined that would be impossible with three kids, even if two of them were in school. And then she went on to apologize to him and he shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. You've probably had a long day and here I am keeping you from... whatever it is that women do after work." He honestly had no idea. Getting to his feet, he added, "Besides, I should probably get going. I have to stop at a neighbor's before I go home." Though he really didn't care if he kept Michael waiting. That would teach him not to treat Daniel like his own personal errand boy.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She smiled a bit as he explained what others thought of his coffee. It was nice to know that someone at least liked it. It was a strange find though.. but she wasn't about to complain about it. Her eyes settled on his own for a moment. He had never seemed like the talkative type whenever she had seen him walking down hallways with a package in his hand, but he was rather friendly. Daniel had a good heart too from what she had seen of it so far. Glancing over at the clock then she realized it was already ten. Well, she didn't have enough time to eat dinner. A shower was about all she could manage to do at this point before going to bed. Talking to Nicholas would have to be done in the morning. Mornings were always hectic though.. especially when Grace didn't want to get up. Deserai wasn't that much of a problem and it depended on the morning for Nicholas.. she never knew what to expect from him.
She laughed lightly when he said, 'whatever it is that women do after work.' "I doubt I do something completely alien and strange to you." she said with a smile. He had a sense of humor.. she liked that about him. Elenore slowly got up. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow then?" she slowly made her way to the door, planning on opening it for him. It was too bad he didn't have a chance to finish all of the coffee though since he liked it after all. Biting her lip, she brushed her hair away from her face as she opened the door and then leaned against it. "Good night." Elenore said softly.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel shrugged helplessly. How was he supposed to know what women did after work? He wasn't a woman. He'd never lived with a woman who had a job. He'd never been in any sort of relationship. So how was he supposed to know? The fact was, women were a mystery to him. He never knew what to expect and he never was entirely sure how to act. Except with her. With Elenore, he didn't feel like he had to worry about offending her, though he wouldn't have been surprised if he had somehow. If he had, she hadn't shown it. Normally women would have gotten in a huff and probably told him off or something.
When she said she'd see him tomorrow, he nodded. However, before he moved towards the door, he grabbed the coffee mug and miraculously managed to chug down the rest of the coffee. That coffee was just too good to waste. Although, almost immediately a thought hit him and he almost groaned aloud. He was going to be up for hours now. Shaking his head, he followed Elenore over to the door. He smiled at her when she bid him goodnight and he did the same. "Goodnight," he said before walking out the door.
Already starting to feel the caffeine take effect, he decided he might as well make the most of it and burst into a run. It didn't take him nearly as long to get back to his truck as it had to get to Elenore's apartment. He just hoped, as he climbed into his truck, that the caffeine wouldn't take his attention off the road. But, as he turned on the truck and drove through the streets and out of the city, he saw that he was fine. He wouldn't get into a crash tonight.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

After closing the door behind him, she locked it since she wasn't expecting anyone else to come and visit her. Opening the door quietly to Nicholas' room to make sure that he was asleep, she did the same to everyone else before she cleaned up the cups and finished off her coffee as well. Coffee had never had any affect on her, so she wasn't worried about staying up all night. Running her fingers through her hair again, she turned off the light as she went into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. It was nice to have a bathroom of her own.. especially when Deserai loved to make a mess of the other one. Turning on the hot water, it wasn't long before she was standing beneath it.
Half an hour later, she got back out and dried herself off with a towel before pulling on a random shirt, some underwear, and a pair of loose shorts. It didn't take her too long to dry her hair before she curled up in her large, empty bed and fell asleep. To her surprise though.. her dreams were different tonight. They weren't filled with nightmares like they usually were of her children being taken away from her.. or if she was forced to go back to him, instead it took place in the countryside. It was peaceful. The sky was a light blue and she was sitting down in the grass with the sun beating down on her. Feeling hands on her shoulders, she turned her head to see who it was.. since she seemed to be expecting someone and was pretty happy about it, her alarm clock went off and she woke up with a groan, throwing a pillow at the nightstand.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel watched as the world around him changed from concrete and steel to dirt, grass and green, growing things. He smiled as he drove. He always felt so happy when he left the city for his home in the country. Even though he'd grown up in the city, he preferred country living. People were nicer, the air and water were cleaner and the food was fresher. Even though he did technically do his grocery shopping in the city, he got most of his food from local shops. He would get meat every few days from the butcher and fruit and vegetables twice a week from The Fruit and Vegetable Place. That was literally what it was called. Everything else, which wasn't much, he got from the city.
After driving for twenty minutes, he turned off the main road and onto a dirt track. He followed it for nearly five minutes before coming to a fork in the road. Normally he would go right but he had to stop at Michael's first so he went left. He followed the track for another five minutes before the small, dingy, run-down house came into view. Pulling up to it, he turned off the truck, grabbed the milk and climbed out. The porch light was still on so Michael must still have been awake.
Walking up to the door, he walked right in, not bothering to knock. Michael never knocked so Daniel returned the favor. Walking in, he looked around. "Michael?" No response. Shrugging, he walked into the kitchen and stashed the milk in the fridge before walking out again. As he passed the living room, he spotted Michael's slumped form on the couch. Shaking his head, he walked over and grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch, draping it across the old man. Michael may have been old but he certainly didn't act like it and he was more fit than most people half his age.
As he walked back to the door, he turned off the porch light before pulling the door closed behind him. Returning to his truck, he climbed back in and made his way back the way he'd come. At the fork, he made a sharp turn onto the right-hand branch, making his way back to his own house. Another five minutes later, he arrived.
His home was much like Michael's. It was old but it wasn't as run-down. He'd been working on it since he'd bought it. He'd already had the pipes and electricity wires replaced. He had all but rebuilt the kitchen and living room. Now, he was working on the bathroom. He would completely replace the walls and flooring and repaint everything.
Turning off his truck, he climbed out again before locking the doors and making his way inside. "Max?" he called out as he entered the house. Max was a stray cat that had been living in the house when he'd bought it. The old cat had taken to him and Daniel saw him around sometimes, but sometimes not. It was anyone's guess if Daniel would come home and see Max or not.
Walking into the kitchen, he flicked on the light, watching as cockroaches scattered. He frowned. He wouldn't have problems with bugs and such but they managed to crawl in through cracks in the walls and floors of the rooms he hadn't fixed yet. I'll have to set out some more bait, he thought before walking over to the fridge. Pulling open the door, he didn't feel like cooking that night to he grabbed some leftovers from the previous night and threw it in the microwave, setting it for a minute. When it went off, he took the container out, grabbed a fork out of a drawer and sat down at the table. The food wasn't as good as it had been the night before but it was good enough.
Once he'd finished his meal, he washed out the container and the fork, dried them and put them back where they belonged. That done, he could feel the caffeine starting to wear off and decided he probably had enough energy left for a quick shower then he was to bed.
Turning off the light in the kitchen, he walked into the hallway before entering the next room along the hall. Walking in, he went over to his dresser and grabbed a clean pair of underwear. Leaving his room again, he walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Turing the light on, he scowled as more cockroaches scattered. He'd really have to do something about that.
After a quick shower, he left the bathroom again and threw himself onto the bed. Within a minute, he'd crashed and was fast asleep.

He awoke the next morning to the sound of purring and the feel of something crawling over him. Groaning, he pulled the pillow over his head, he wanted nothing more than to throw Max off him but he knew the old tom cat wouldn't take that and would end up clawing him the next morning. Damn cat.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Deserai came jumping in the next minute. She was definitely the early bird of the house. As her child jumped onto the bed, Elenore sighed as Deserai climbed over and told her to wake up in a cheerful voice. After that came, "I'm hungry." Glancing at the clock she realized that it was five in the morning. Well, that should be enough time to get everyone ready and then be on her way to work. "I'm up, I'm up." she said as she sat up and ran her fingers over her face as Deserai opened the blinds and let in the rather bright sun. Closing her eyes for a moment before they adjusted to the bright light that filled her room, she then got up. "Go wake Grace up." she told her and the kid went running out with more energy than the energizer bunny they showed on commercials.
She heard groaning in the next room and she couldn't help but laugh lightly. Grace would not be happy but at least that meant everyone would be on time. Nicholas could easily get another hour of sleep if Deserai didn't disturb him but Grace needed plenty of time to get ready for school. Going into her bathroom, she pulled her hair back into a pony tail before she brushed her teeth and washed her face. Her hair came next and she decided to put it back into a ponytail after brushing it. Yawning at herself in the mirror. She then smiled lazily before making her bed. By the sound of heavy footsteps in the hallway, she knew that Grace was awake. Grace had never been a morning person, even when she was a baby. Putting on a black pencil skirt, she then pulled on a white button up shirt and a black vest over it. Her heels would come after she fed everyone and got something to eat as well. Deserai was running down the hallway as Elenore walked out. "What do you want for breakfast?" she called out after her. Deserai stopped in her tracks and pondered for a moment. "Pancakes." came the answer with a grin. Great.. she thought before shaking her head. It would be done though. Walking into the kitchen, she pulled out a pancake mix since she didn't have enough time to make it out of scratch. Putting on an apron, she could hear Deserai complaining about how she didn't want to brush her hair with Grace. Laughing a little, she then got out the mixer and put the powder into it before adding eggs, and whatever else needed to be put into it. Yawning again, she let the mixer do the mixing before she walked up to Nicholas' door and knocked on it. "Nicholas, it's time to wake up." she told him, she would talk to him over breakfast along with Grace. As far as she knew Deserai hadn't done anything bad.
Going back to the kitchen, she let her kid's get dressed, knowing that Grace would take care of Deserai if things got out of hand and she went back to making breakfast.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel lifted his head up, causing the pillow to flop from his bed onto the floor. Turning his head, he glared at the ginger tom that walked around on his back and legs. When the feline realized his sometimes master was awake, he sat on the small of Daniel's back before meowing. Muttering under his breath, he rolled onto his side, the cat falling onto the bed, before climbing out from under his sheets.
He crossed his room to his dresser, pulling open the second drawer and grabbing a flannel blue button-up before opening the third drawer and pulling out some old jeans. After getting dressed, he made his way from his room to the kitchen. Light poured in through the window, making the kitchen have an almost homey feel to it which was good considering it was his home.
Crossing to the refrigerator, he pulled open the door and grabbed out three eggs and a loaf of bread. He set the items on the counter before turning on the stove and placing a pan on it. As the pan heated up, he cracked the eggs into and threw the shells away before popping two pieces of toast into the toaster. As he waited for everything to cook, he heard the sound of quiet footsteps. Looking over at the doorway, he sighed as Max stepped into view and meowed loudly in complaint. Muttering to himself, he walked over to the pantry and opened it, grabbing out a can of tuna. He opened the can before grabbing a plate and upending the can on it. After setting down the plate on the floor, he returned to the stove.
The toast popped up nearly a minute before the eggs were ready but that was ok. Yawning, he buttered the toast and sprinkled cinnamon sugar over it. Placing the toast on another plate, he placed the now finished eggs beside them. Grabbing a fork, he sat at the table while the sound of Max's contented purring sounded through the kitchen.

Nicholas's eyes slowly opened at the sound of his mother's voice. He blinked before lifting his head. It took him a moment to realize what was going on but, once he had, he was wide awake.
Yawning largely, he pushed back the covers and sat up, his hair sticking out in all directions. Pushing himself off the bed, he walked over to his dresser and grabbed a change of clothes. Once he was dressed in a white t-shirt with green lettering that said, 'Save the Earth! It's the only planet with chocolate,' he left his room and made his way out to the kitchen. He hadn't made his bed but he would do that later, if at all. If his mom didn't point it out he wouldn't do it. What was the point when it was only going to get messed up again?
Rubbing one of his eyes, he walked out to the kitchen and sat down at the table. He had completely forgotten about the incident last night but when he saw his mom, he immediately remembered and hoped that she didn't remember even though he knew she probably would. She remembered stuff like that.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Placing the pan on the stove, she let it heat up before she started to make the pancakes, placing them on another plate when they were done. Seeing Nicholas sit down, she smiled slightly. "Good morning." she told him. "Go ahead and get yourself something to drink." she added before gesturing over to the fridge that was behind her. She had already set the syrup on the table and Deserai liked setting the table so she would leave that up to her before that happened though, she needed to talk to Nicholas. "I'm guessing that wasn't the first time you've sneaked out of the house.. right?" looking over at him, she didn't see any scratches or bumps on his head or hands so he probably was just fine.
If he had gone with permission and when the sun was still up.. she might not have such a big problem with it but she didn't want her child to get kidnapped or anything else this city had to offer. Placing a plate full of pancakes in the middle of the square table, she would let them decide how many they wanted. Getting a glass for herself, she poured milk into it and then placed two other cups down for Deserai and Grace on the counter. A moment later Deserai came hopping in with a grin on her face, her hair was pulled into two separate braids and she looked pretty happy.
"What do you want to drink?" she asked her and Deserai simply answered milk before adding please. Pouring some for her, she then placed the cup on the table and let her climb into her seat as Grace entered the room. Sitting down across from Nicholas, she placed three pancakes on her plate before pouring syrup all over them. Grace and Deserai (after Deserai had passed out forks and butter knives) followed her example though the youngest only got one pancake. Elenore looked over at Nicholas, waiting for him to answer.

((short =( ))  

[Katydid50]

((It's ok. Mine are only long because I throw in every detail. XD ))

Daniel quickly finished his breakfast. Glancing down, he noticed Max was gone and the plate was practically licked clean. He wouldn't have been surprised if it was. Just like a cat to eat and run, he thought before getting up. He grabbed both plates and set them on the counter alongside the frying pan. He'd wash all the dishes when he got home that night.
Running a hand through his hair, he made his way to his room where he made his bed. Returning to the bathroom, he picked up his dirty clothes from last night and threw them in the hamper. Turning to the sink, he grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste and brushed his teeth. Afterward, he washed his face and shaved the week long stubble he'd been too lazy to shave off before.
Once he was finally clean and clean shaven, he walked out to the living room. Checking the time, he flopped down on his couch, grabbing the book he had set on the coffee table and flipping it open to where he'd left off.

Nicholas blinked when his mom bid him good morning. Yawning again, he said, "Morning." He slid off his chair again and crossed the kitchen to where the fridge stood. Pulling open the door, he looked over what they had before grabbing out the carton of orange juice. Grabbing a cup, he poured some juice into it before putting it back in the fridge.
He returned to the table and waited for his sisters to join them. Placing his glass on the table before him, he rubbed his other eye. Even though he was more of a morning person than Grace, that didn't mean he had to like it. He didn't like mornings.
When his mom spoke again, it took him a moment to register what she said. When he had, he frowned. No, it wasn't the first time he'd snuck out. It was merely the first time he'd been caught.
Before he could respond, Deserai and Grace walked into the kitchen. He didn't say anything, waiting until his mom wasn't so busy getting breakfast ready. When the pancakes were placed on the table, he grabbed two and poured some syrup onto his plate beside his pancakes. Unlike most people, he preferred to dunk his pancakes in the syrup rather than drizzle it over the pancakes.
When he glanced up again, he noticed his mom watching him and sighed. There was no way he was going to get out of answering the question. "No, it wasn't," he told her before turning his attention to his breakfast.