"Will you calm down, Brendon! Look, Isaac even thinks you're making a fool of yourself. You didn't forget anything, Ryan is waiting for us, so you're going to march right up to that door and knock. Now!" Jenn finished firmly, pointing at the door expectantly and bordering on sneering at Brendon. Isaac giggled behind his hand before huffing and hurrying towards the door. He was excited to see Ryan again, and maybe if he knocked, they would see each other faster. And while Papa was arguing with Matante Jenn, well, maybe he'd have Ryan alone for a few seconds. Taking a deep breath, Isaac knocked loudly on the door, smiling widely the whole time.

Inside, Ryan had been helping Lucía with some of her summer homework, incredulous, really, that they'd give kids this young stuff to do over the summer. But then he supposed he gave her enough vacations over the year as it was, what with taking her out of school when they went to Spain and everything. He just didn't like the thought of her staying with a sitter for days on end, and he knew she was smart enough not to fall behind because of it. He started slightly when he heard the knock before getting up, grinning down at his daughter who was pouting at the small addition and subtraction problems she'd been working with. "Who do you think that is?" he asked, already making his way to the door. Lucía squealed, the pout turning into a grin as she got up and latched onto his hand just before they reached the door. At first Ryan didn't see anyone, but then he felt a tugging on his pant leg and looked down to see a familiar mess of black hair and a grinning child face, and with a laugh he bent down and scooped Isaac up, giving him a tight hug before putting him down again. "Hey there, little guy," he greeted with a wide smile. "How was the flight?"

"Not little," Isaac muttered, puffing out his chest. "I'm four!" he exclaimed proudly, drawing the attention of his father and Matante. Jenn smiled, pushing her dark hair away from her face and walked over to where Isaac was standing. Her eyes were twinkling in that endearing way she had and she was giving everyone a thousand-watt smile that was completely genuine. She looked up briefly when Brendon joined them, and then turned back to Ryan.

"Hi, I'm Jenn," she said, putting her hand out for Ryan to shake, even as Brendon groaned and muttered something under his breath.

Ryan smiled back, reaching out and taking the offered hand to give it a small squeeze and shake before letting go. She had dark hair and eyes and he realized her features were close enough to Brendon's that they could almost have passed as brother and sister. It wasn't odd at all that Isaac had wound up looking so much like Brendon, because that kind of meant looking like his mother too. "Ryan," he stated. "It's nice to meet you." He nodded towards the small girl next to him who was practically bouncing on the soles of her feet. "That's my daughter, Keely," he added and turned back to Isaac, leaving the girls to get acquainted. "You are!" he stated with a grin. "I nearly forgot. Happy birthday! I think we might even have a present stashed away somewhere in here, how's that sound?"

"Yes!" Isaac shrieked, causing Brendon to look pained and mutter some more. Jenn, on the other hand, chuckled softly before crouching down a bit and offering her hand to Ryan's daughter. "Hello, Keely. I've heard so many good things about you from your uncle Jon," she said, winking and offering another smile.

"Thank you," Brendon said, addressing Ryan. "For riling up my son and getting him beyond excited," he said wryly. "I hope you're ready to tuck him into bed, because I'm sure not going to fight with him about it." He paused for a moment before breaking out in a grin and chuckling softly, patting Isaac's head when he looked up, frowning and pretending to be offended. "How've you been?" he asked softly.

Ryan laughed, shaking his head. "You know you love it," he stated. "And I've been fine. A bit busy, but I made the deadline and made songs for three different bands, so I feel pretty accomplished." He took a deep breath and shook his head slightly. It wasn't supposed to be this awkward, and so he decided to break that atmosphere by leaning in and wrapping his arms around the younger man in a tight, if brief, hug. "I missed you," he muttered before pulling back, still smiling. "What about you? How are things?"

Next to him Lucía grinned proudly. "Hello," she answered. "I can tell you a lot of good things about Uncle Jon too. Do you think he'd be happy?" Then she leaned in a little closer, lowering her voice to a stage-whisper. "And some funny stuff too," she added.

Brendon broke out into one of the biggest smiles ever to grace his features, and then immediately starting blushing. Christ, he was like a... like a teenager or a-- virgin, or something. "Missed you, too," he said quietly. "I've been working with the charity a lot. Dinners, more conferences, meeting people, all that fun stuff. Hired a tutor for mister Isaac over here and, um, gotsometherapy," he muttered quickly, looking sheepish. Isaac looked up when his name was mentioned, and made a face at his father, though the man wasn't looking. "And I learned some piano!" he announced in a sing-song voice, reminding his father about the most important part of these last several months.

"Really?" Jenn said, lowering her own voice. She looked up at the others, as though to see if they were listening, and then leaned in closer herself. "I think we're going to be very good friends, you and I," she confided quietly, then smiled again and straightened. "Shall we bring some things inside?" she asked Keely, picking up her own suitcase and Brendon's.

Lucía giggled and nodded wildly, following at the woman's heels back into the house. "I can show you around and everything," she offered, enchanted already. Other than teachers, it wasn't often she talked much to women or even other girls. For friends, she liked boys better, even though the other girls thought they all had cooties. She was glad she was in a mixed school because girls were boring and afraid to climb trees and stamp in mud and get dirty, but she did like to speak with grown-ups who were women sometimes, if they were cool. This Jenn definitely seemed to be.

"Sounds like I'm not the only one who's had enough to do," Ryan stated, resolving not to ask Brendon about the therapy bit until they were alone. He turned down to Isaac with another smile. "Really? I'll have to hear it sometime." He reached down and took the boy's hand, flashing Brendon a grin. "Let's go find your present before you wet yourself, shall we?"

Isaac scrunched his nose and scoffed at Ryan, mimicking what he'd seen his father do countless times. "Don't be gross, Ry-un," he said, purposely sticking to what he'd called Ryan when he'd seen him last. He looked back to see if his Papa was following, and he was, with Isaac's own little suitcase in his hand and a carry-on bag in the other. He smiled at his Papa, and Brendon smiled back, shaking his head lightly. "Spoiled little boy," he muttered, and Isaac giggled excitedly, didn't even bothering to deny it.

"Oh, I'd like that. You two have a very nice home here," she smiled down at Keely. "And I'm sure you have a room full of toys and movies and anything else you could possibly want. Would you like to show me to our rooms first, so that I can get rid of these heavy suitcases? And then you can show me whatever you like."

Ryan laughed, reaching out with his free hand to ruffle Isaac's hair. "I'll stop being gross when you stop jumping around," he offered with a laugh. "How much sugar did your papa let you have on the plane?" He led them quickly into his study and went to his desk where he picked up the present, handing it to the little boy, already imagining his expression when he saw the miniature guitar that he'd be able to hold and play in ways he couldn't hope to do with the real thing for years to come.

"Thank you," Lucía said, still smiling. "I like this a lot better than the flat we had before, but Daddy had to make some money before we could get a real house. And a villa too." She looked up expectantly as she led the guest towards the stairs. "You have to come see the villa sometime! It's brilliant!" Finally reaching the top of the stairs, she sped up a little, skipping down the hall before pointing out three doors. "That's yours, and that's for Brendon and the little boy, and that's the bathroom," she informed on one quick breath.

Jenn smiled at Keely and nodded. "Oh, yes, Brendon and Uncle Jon told me all about the villa. It sounded breathtaking. And of course I would love to come visit, if ever I was invited, darling." She opened the door to the room Keely had pointed out for her and placed her suitcase near the bed. She could unpack a bit later. Next, she went into Brendon's bedroom and put his suitcase near the bed before coming out into the hallway again. "What would you say to having a few sleepovers with Isaac?" she asked quietly. "Now, as I understand, it didn't go very well last time, but Brendon has been making Isaac sleep in his own room for a couple months, now, and I think it would be better for both of them, and their future relationship, if Isaac didn't sleep with him," she paused for a moment. "Old habits die hard, hm?" She'd long ago decided that she would never dumb-down her language when she was speaking to children. Contrary to popular belief, they usually understood perfectly when they were being spoken to like adults, and if they didn't, they never hesitated to ask questions.

Downstairs, Isaac ripped into his present, gasping loudly and dramatically as he uncovered his own guitar, perfectly sized for his body. He looked up at Ryan, eyes impossibly wide, and then threw himself against the man's legs, hugging them tightly. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" he exclaimed, laughing happily. When he pulled out of the hug, it was to rush over to his father, waving the instrument about. "Look, Papa! Look!" he insisted, though Brendon had already been looking and smiling proudly. "Wow," he said. "Aren't you a lucky little boy?" he winked, then looked up at Ryan and smiled gratefully.

Ryan grinned back at Brendon before turning his eyes onto Isaac once again. "We can start your lessons a little sooner now, huh? I didn't think you really wanted to wait years for it. Besides, you always become best with the instruments you start playing the earliest. Just a couple of years from now you'll probably be better at it than I am." He winked, plopping into his chair to wait for the excitement to blow over. "Just tell me when you want the tour," he added, mostly speaking to Brendon.

"It is!" Lucía exclaimed. "I lovelovelove it! When I grow up I want to live in Spain all the time! It rains all the time here!" She pouted slightly at that questionable fact but quickly dropped the expression. "I would love a sleep-over," she stated, grinning. "I just don't like it if he screams like he did last time. I don't understand why he sleeps in his daddy's room so much either," she added thoughtfully. "I became too big for that when I was two," she added proudly, puffing up a little. "And you're supposed to have sleepovers with people your own age, not with daddies." Then she grabbed the woman's hand, pulling her with her down the hall until they reached a door with KEELY LUCÍA written on it in pink and petrol-colored letters. She quickly pushed the door open. "Look!" she exclaimed happily.

"Oh my, it looks like you have everything a girl could ask for," Jenn gushed, walking farther into the room and letting her gaze sweep over everything. She crouched down and looked at Keely now that they were eye-level. "I'm very grateful that you would give Isaac another chance. Proves that you're a real woman, you know, and also a very well-brought up little lady" she smiled softly. "Now, Isaac used to sleep with his father because he would climb out of his crib, which is just like a boy to not pay attention to things that are meant to keep him safe," she chuckled. "And, since his father didn't want him to get hurt, he started having Isaac sleep with him and it just... stuck," she shrugged a bit, squeezing Keely's hand as she straightened again. "But, they've both grown out of, now, which is better for everyone."

Brendon chuckled, walking in further to Ryan's office and shrugging. "I'm sure Keely's already giving Jenn the full tour; so, I don't think you have to worry about it. Maybe just the kitchen? Jenn was complaining about how hungry she was in the cab. Now that she's in someone's house, though, she wouldn't dare ask unless it was offered, so I think I could just get her something, if that's alright with you...?"

"It sounds great," Ryan stated. "We put off dinner since we didn't know exactly when you'd be here, which is also why there's no big, fancy dinner. I hope there aren't too many objections to heated pizza and plain ice cream for dessert." He got out of the chair again and crossed through the room, his fingers automatically shooting out to run affectionately through Isaac's hair when he passed the boy, and once out of the study he headed towards the kitchen to get the stuff ready.

"I climbed out too," Lucía stated upstairs. "But Daddy put a kiddie fence on my door so I had to yell for him if I wanted to get out, and a mattress under my bed so I couldn't get boo-boos if I fell. He said that way I could at least play if I woke up before him, and he wouldn't have to worry. I like that I get to do things and he doesn't always have to be around," she added. "It's nice when he's around, but I also like to play alone sometimes. Grown-ups don't really know how to play well." She grinned wide and pointed at her bed. "Look, I have a big-girl bed now!"

Jenn grinned at the girl, inwardly wishing Brendon had thought of something equally reasonable for Isaac and his climbing-out-of-the-crib problem. He'd been much younger, though, and had rushed into having a child, and had been too proud to ask help from anyone. She sighed softly. "You're right. Grown-ups aren't very good at playing," she chuckled. She had played a bit with Isaac, but she couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten down on her hands and knees and played a child's game. "Should we go downstairs and see what the men are doing?"

Brendon followed after Ryan, listening for the soft pitter-patter of Isaac's feet to make sure his son was following. He was also strumming the guitar as loudly as he could and humming to the horrible tune. Brendon chuckled to himself and shook his head. "Pizza sounds great," he finally said, catching up to Ryan. "Need any help?"

"You can set the table," Ryan answered, pulling the pizzas out of the supermarket packages before finding a pack of ground cheese - the pre-fabricated pizzas never seemed to have cheese enough on them - and pouring a good amount over the food, followed by a few extra spices to take away some of the cheap flavor before he placed them in the pre-heated oven, then headed towards the fridge for drinks. "Do you know what everybody would like to drink?" he asked, taking out one of the bottles of tinto de verano he'd brought from Spain as well as a Fanta Orange for Lucía, placing both on the table before looking up at Brendon expectantly.

Lucía nodded wildly again. She'd always loved exaggerating the movements of her head because it tickled nicely when her hair, pulled into plaits today, bobbed around her head. "If Daddy is cooking we need to go help," she said conspiratorially. "He's a good cook, but he burns the food if I'm not there to keep an eye on him. He says it's because artists get easily distracted and Uncle Jaken says it's because he's got his head in the clouds, but I think he just forgets because he always has so many things to do." She grabbed Jenn's hand again, hoping she wouldn't mind, and dragged her back towards the stairs.

Jenn laughed, walking quickly to keep up with the little girl. She was enchanting, really, and had a way of talking to people that Jenn had never seen in a child. She certainly hadn't seen it in Isaac, who preferred actions to words most of the time. She was glad that her son had taken to talking a bit more, but it had taken him a long time to do it. They walked into the kitchen to see Brendon setting the table, saying that Isaac would probably be fine with whatever Keely was drinking, and Jenn would drink whatever Ryan was. "We're not picky," he said, turning and smiling at Jenn when he heard her come in. "Speak of the devil," he muttered, winking. "We're going to have pizza," he said, and Jenn nodded.

"Is there anything we can do, save for standing here and looking pretty?" she asked, chuckling when Brendon rolled his eyes at her.

"If Brendon's done setting the table there's really not, no," Ryan answered, reaching into the fridge for another Fanta. "Are you all right with soft alcohol or would you rather have pop or water or something?" he asked, putting the second bottle of soda on the table. He watched with a smile as Lucía went for the oven, leaning down a bit to peer in before stepping away, satisfied that the pizzas weren't quite done yet.

"I think I want some alcohol after that plane ride," Jenn stated, shuddering exaggeratedly. She turned back to Keely for a moment. "Where are you sitting, sweetie?" she asked, intending to sit next to the girl if she could. She rather liked her. She'd always wanted children of her own, but between Isaac and working for the firm, she rarely had time to meet men, let alone have relationships with them. Which was odd, because Brendon had been the exact same way for years. She feared, sometimes, that they were too much alike. Isaac didn't have the slightest chance at being normal. She smiled to herself as she looked around the kitchen, glad that everyone looked content.

"I'm done," Brendon announced, putting down the last of the cutlery. "And the plane ride wasn't that bad," he muttered. "She's just looking for an excuse to drink," he said, and dodged Jenn's hand when she tried to smack his arm.

Ryan just laughed and took out a second bottle to make sure they had enough. It wasn't as though it was bad anyway, the percentage being only a bit more than half of what would be found in regular wine. "Plane rides are always tiring, even when everything goes perfectly with the plan," he stated.

Lucía pointed out her usual seat, which was right across from Daddy's, so it wouldn't feel big and alone even when they were only the two of them. "Do you know what my name means?" she suddenly asked, excitedly and proudly, looking up expectantly.

Jenn took the sit next to Keely's, on her right, and then looked up at her again. She hummed thoughtfully for a second, just to make the girl squirm, and then shook her head. "Nope, I'm afraid I don't," she answered.

Brendon sat Isaac on the other side of Keely, hoping they would get along again. He took a seat next to where Ryan would be sitting, telling himself it was just because he'd be facing his son, and not because he needed to be close to the other man. He wasn't that pathetic.

"It means 'beautiful light'," Lucía informed brightly, huffing up a bit again, and Ryan felt an indulgent smile pass over his lips, remembering the first time he had realized that. He'd picked his daughter's name because it fit the family traditions, sounded pretty and shouldn't get her teased too much, and it was only months later that it had suddenly clicked what it meant and that that was exactly what she'd become to him, in his life. "I like my name," Lucía added, and Ryan found himself chuckling. As if everyone hadn't figured that out by then.

"I like the irony of it," he stated, laughing at the playful glare the little girl flashed him. "You know I'm kidding," he added complacently, sending her a sincere smile before turning to the oven and realizing the pizzas were done, setting about getting them out and ready to be served.

"I think that it's a beautiful name," Jenn smiled indulgently and patted Keely's hand. She glanced over at Isaac, who seemed to be trying to puzzle something out, and wasn't the least surprised when he turned to his father and demanded to know what his own name meant. Brendon, of course, spluttered and 'uh'ed a lot, without really answering. Jenn, to put him out of his misery, turned to Isaac. "Your name means 'He will laugh,' darling. We knew it was meant for you the moment we heard that infectious giggle of yours. Made Spencer and Papa both wet themselves laughing whenever you started," she winked and laughed when Isaac brightened, turning to his father, who simply nodded and offered him a smile. Brendon sat back when the pizzas were set on the table, thanking Ryan for all of his hard work teasingly.

Ryan suppressed a laugh, mock-glaring at the younger man. He wasn't sure who had gotten the habit first, Lucía or himself, but they had definitely rubbed off on each other. "Let's see you make something more complicated," he muttered, faintly remembering Brendon not having a clue what to do even with canned food that only needed heating. "I was planning on roast chicken for tomorrow if no one's against that," he informed, taking his seat and setting about cutting the pieces. He gave Isaac a small smile. "And your name fits you. I hope it always will."

***

When they had finished dinner, the adults had retired to the living room to talk about nothing at all, leaving Isaac to follow Keely to her room and play with her again, which he'd enjoyed doing before and loved even more now. He was glad that she had all kinds of toys, including ones he preferred. Once it was time to put the children to bed, Jenn quickly informed Brendon of the plans she'd made with Keely and watched his nostrils flare and eyes narrow slightly for a moment before he put on a smile and nodded. Now, Jenn had gone up to her own room to unpack, leaving Brendon and Ryan to talk.

"Looks like Keely likes Jenn," he said, after trying to find something suitable to say for a few silent minutes. He looked up at Ryan and smiled before letting his gaze drop.

"I think she's a little bit in love already," Ryan stated with a small laugh. "She's like that with her friend's moms as well. I think she likes the company of grown women more because she doesn't have a mother of her own." He leaned back in the deep, soft chair, one ankle hooked comfortably under the opposite thigh. "So," he muttered, looking up questioningly. "Therapy?"

"Oh," Brendon muttered as well, looking away awkwardly for a moment. "Yeah, well... it occurred to me that, maybe, being so over protective of Isaac wasn't necessarily a good thing," he explained softly, then shrugged. "You should see my therapist. She's, literally, older than dirt," he grinned and shook his head. "I don't think she can even move. Just sits there in her chair..." he trailed off and sighed softly. "She's.. really good, though. Has ten kids. Can you imagine?" he tilted his head back and laughed.

"I thought one was hard enough," Ryan muttered, shuddering slightly. "You're probably right, though," he added. "And it's good you're doing something about it." He restrained himself from saying that therapists were an entirely separate class of assholes, managing a small smile. "I don't have the best experiences with therapy," he added with a bit of a grimace, looking down at his hands. "But whatever works for you."

Brendon shifted uncomfortably and nodded. "Hopefully they're not all the same, right?" he asked with a small smile. "Anyway, um... Oh! I completely forgot! Jon wanted me to deliver some news, because apparently he doesn't know how to pick up a phone, or something..." he trailed off, grinning. "He and Spencer are moving in together. Like, officially. They won't answer any of my questions, mainly 'what does this mean,' but Spencer had that smile and... well, anyway. They're moving in together. Though, don't ask me why it took them so damn long..."

Ryan burst out laughing, shaking his head. "That has been ages in the making," he stated when he could finally breathe properly again. "You can tell them congratulations for me in any case." He leaned back, more comfortable again. Discussing therapists, honestly made his skin crawl, and he wasn't particularly eager to get back to that subject. "Still living close to you or are they moving farther away?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh, they've been arguing about that," he chuckled. "Jon really likes Spain, would like living closer to Keely, but Spencer has his job and the children, and it's just constant bickering whenever the subject comes up. But, I wouldn't expect anything else from them, I guess," he smiled and shrugged. "Jenn keeps telling Spencer that she'll represent him if anything happens, which makes Jon just fucking vicious, really, but it's not as though they can get married or anything, she's just kidding..." he trailed off again and shrugged, still smiling. "Maybe they should move to Canada," he mused, only half-joking.

Ryan felt a slight lurch in his chest at the thought of them all being so far away from each other, but it wasn't like it really mattered to his seeing Jon and Spencer since he couldn't go to the States anyway. He'd be able to visit in Canada, though, but to be entirely honest, he'd definitely like them moving to Spain, selfish though it was with Spencer being Isaac's Godfather and everything, which meant he shouldn't be too far away from the boy. "Knowing them they'll probably stay put for another couple of years before they manage to figure anything out at all," he stated with a small smile, looking up at the younger man. Without having to search his mind he could remember two proverbs about being apart, and while 'out of sight out of mind' had, over time, fitted the years they'd spent apart, these last few months were probably better described with 'absence makes the heart grow fonder', because he was suddenly feeling a slight lurch in his chest when he looked at Brendon. He had known from the beginning that if he wasn't careful his old emotions would come rushing back to the surface, but he had never expected to feel this much this quickly, and he found himself averting his gaze, suddenly a bit nervous.

"I agree with that. They'll definitely be that bickering old couple that everyone finds more annoying than cute, though no one ever says anything," he chuckled and looked over at Ryan, frowning a bit. He cleared his throat, keeping silent for a few seconds before shrugging to himself. "You okay? I don't think they'll actually move to Canada, if it's any consolation. Jon would have a fit, and so would Spencer. Actually, I'm starting to think that the odds are on Spain, if Spencer can find a substitute to do the on-hands work he's currently taking care of." He paused for a second, then went on. "He can do a lot of stuff from home, and he really liked Spain when we were there. He's always gushing about it, it's really kind of annoying..."

Smiling softly, still without looking up, Ryan nodded. "You could just move the operation to Europe," he said, trying to make it come out lightly and jokingly. He thought he succeeded. "It's not like any of you are home-grown New Yorkers anyway." He shrugged, placing his hands on the arms of the chair to keep from fiddling too much with his fingers. "So," he said after a somewhat long pause. "Isaac is talking a lot more, isn't he?"

"We're helping a lot of people," Brendon said quietly, averting his gaze. "And they... need to be close to home, right now," he explained, leaving out that he, too, needed to be close to home. Except, what was home without Ryan? He closed his eyes briefly and sat back, pushing those thoughts away and concentrating on Isaac. "He is, actually. Thank God, or else people would have thought him mute or something. I think the time there did him some good, because it was all he talked about for weeks. And I think that's what showed him that communicating was a good thing," he smiled lopsidedly, almost amazed out how a trip to Spain could coax his son into talking, when nothing else had previously.

"I think finding things he was interested in and talking to him about it as well as having people around who aren't fluent in French probably helped a bit too," Ryan stated, fighting down the disappointment at Brendon's answer. It wasn't like he'd expected him to suddenly offer to move everything across the Atlantic at Ryan's say-so anyway. At the same time, though, it didn't seem particularly bright to go any further with the relationship they might be trying to build up when they lived thousands of miles apart. Ryan didn't think he'd ever heard any good thing uttered about long-distance relationships. Sure, the short times spent together might be that much sweeter, but he couldn't remember ever hearing about something like that lasting. And he couldn't start something back up with Brendon and not have it last. He simply wasn't strong enough for that. So, he resolved, he wouldn't let them take it any further until something workable was resolved.

Brendon chuckled, though he could sense that something was going on in Ryan's head, and that it wasn't something good. He liked that, how he could just tell, sometimes, that Ryan was upset about something, but at the same time it made him feel horrible for having been the cause of it. He sighed softly. "Yeah, I've told Jenn countless times to shut up with the French, but she keeps saying that it just slips out," he said, and he clearly didn't believe her excuse. Never had. He was preoccupied, though, with trying to think of what could have upset Ryan. And then it hit him. Maybe the fact that they lived so far apart had, once again, been shoved into his face. Brendon sighed, then brightened. "Hey, are there any, uh, you know... villa things for sale near yours?"

Ryan felt something brighten a bit inside. "I don't know," he admitted, smiling sheepishly and finally glancing up through wavy bangs. "I still have my real estate agent's phone number, though." He shrugged slightly. "And when Isaac gets older, well, it'll probably do him a world of good in these international times to be bi-lingual, so long as he has as much focus on his English as his French." He pushed himself out of his chair, stretching and hearing a couple of pops. "Ugh, I'm getting old," he muttered, reaching up to rake his fingers through his hair. "I'm thirsty," he stated. "You want some?"

Brendon barked out a surprised laugh. "Oh, yeah. You're ancient. Get away from me, you old geezer," he chuckled and pulled a face at Ryan before winking. "I'm... kind of thirsty, though, yeah.." he said, after the laughter had died down. He stretched in his chair and sighed. "Seriously, though, don't let Jenn hear you say anything about getting old. She's your age and she would absolutely go haywire if you even suggested it," he called softly, watching Ryan disappear.

A small chuckle made its way past Ryan's lips even as he kept making his way towards the kitchen. "At least it seems I finally know someone my own age," he threw back over his shoulder before opening the fridge, taking out two bottles of water and wandering back into the living room, tossing one to Brendon before sitting back down in his chair. "So..." he started after a while, fishing out for a subject to talk about. "What do you do with your spare time these days anyway?"

"I... listen to Isaac play the piano. Horribly, by the way, but he's still trying and he'll get there," he grinned. "Jenn comes over to dinner on Thursdays, Spencer and Jon on Wednesdays... I took some swimming classes with Isaac to get him acquainted with the water, and though he's still a little scared, he's getting better. Uh... well, basically I have no life, I guess," he laughed again and shook his head. "Not that that's anything new, but... Oh, I'm singing! With Isaac, I mean. He basically forced me to take him to singing classes, and then when we got there, he forced me to sing with him. He's... really got this way of forcing me to do stuff," he said thoughtfully, frowning a bit before breaking into another grin. "How about you?"

Ryan found himself shrugging again. "Jaken and Lucía, mostly. But really, odd as it sounds, my jobs are really kind of my passions, and the things I see myself doing as a pastime if I'd wound up in any other line of work. So work, I guess, is what I do with my spare time too." He laughed a little. "I guess that means I have even less of a life than you do," he added with a wink, opening his bottled water and taking a long swallow. "I have a book coming out in a few months' time," he added with a grin, that slight proud feeling of accomplishment settling in his gut once more, the same way it always did. "And some producer or other is in negotiation with my agent about movie rights for one of the older ones. At least it looks like I won't be running out of cash anytime soon."

"Oh, right, I was meaning to talk to you about that, Mr Hastings," he smiled wryly. "Mr Dress Up A Real Story And Tell It With Pretty Words And Metaphors And Maybe No One Will Notice," he smirked now, unable to contain himself. He shook his head, bringing his legs up and draping them over the arm of the chair as he stared at Ryan thoughtfully. He'd been in complete denial upon finding the book, almost convincing himself that there was a real Ryan Hastings in the world who'd written it. But he had read it, and he could recognize this Ryan anywhere, even in words.

A blush was starting to stain his cheeks, and Ryan looked down again in a futile attempt to hide it. "It was the last year of university and things were finally getting better. That book was really just... something I needed to get out. The last bit of moving on I could do on my own, rather than waiting for time to dull it down," he stated honestly. "It's not even that good writing, but you know how well fantasy's been selling for the last few decades, and apparently they think this will make the great Christmas movie of the year after next." He laughed a little, shaking his head. "It still seems so unreal," he confessed. "Two years ago I was shit-poor and regarded as a bit of a loonie who'd had his fifteen minutes of fame and not said anything worth remembering throughout, so apparently not someone really worth listening to. Now I have enough money that I never have to worry about them again, enough that Lucía and her children probably won't either, and people camping outside of book stores waiting for a release, and songs on platinum albums. It doesn't seem real, a lot of them time." He smiled faintly. "As to the name, I didn't want to use my own, and I was in a bit of a hurry. It was the first thing I came up with. And I do like the irony of it."

Brendon chuckled and nodded. "Well, congratulations, then," he said, looking at Ryan and offering his a genuine smile. "I'm really--" proud of you he wanted to say. But did he have to right to say that? He was proud of Ryan. For doing something he loved with his life, for moving on, for healing. He smiled faintly, suddenly self-conscious. "I'm really proud of you," he said quietly, and then leaned back on the chair, tilting his head back a bit to look at the ceiling. He had a feeling that his visit with Ryan would be nothing but good this time.

Ryan could feel every detail of the warmth spreading through his stomach, leaving him with a comfortable buzz in his whole body, almost as though he were a little tipsy. He supposed he'd never realized how much he'd wanted to hear those words from someone who actually mattered. "Thanks," he muttered softly, blushing just a bit, just enough that his ears felt a bit too hot. He smiled wryly, getting a handle on himself again. "I can't say I'm too disappointed in what you decided to do with your life either," he added with yet another wink, feeling a small moment of disbelief at how comfortable he felt. He had never been comfortable around Brendon like this before, almost as though it wouldn't matter if they weren't talking, because right at the moment simply being was all that mattered. It was a great feeling.

Brendon smiled softly, letting the silence hang for some time. When he yawned, though, Brendon chuckled softly and pushed himself up. "Didn't realize I was so tired," he mumbled. "I'm going to, uh, go to bed," he said, for a second wishing that he could go to Ryan's bed, instead. But sleeping in separate beds was what people did when they were trying to move slow, and Brendon was fine with that, he really was. "You going to head up?" he asked, stretching and yawning again.

Nodding, Ryan got out of the chair, finishing off his water and settling the empty bottle on the table, making a mental note to put it away in the morning. "Yeah," he murmured. "Sleeping is starting to sound pretty awesome." He smiled and started heading towards the stairs, confident Brendon was behind him. Once they reached the top he turned around to look straight at the younger man. "Are you serious about Spain?" he asked.

Brendon stopped abruptly, looking up at Ryan in surprised, a smile slowly forming on his lips. "Of course I am," he said softly. And he was. He'd been thinking about it since his visit, but he had never thought that he'd get up the courage to go through with asking Ryan about it. Fear of being rejected, or-- anything negative, really, almost had him biting his tongue whenever he thought about it.

Ryan felt another bit of warmth burst inside, and without giving himself another second to think about it, he leaned in and caught Brendon's lips with his own, deliberately this time. It lasted only a moment, chaste and closed-mouthed, before he pulled back, smiling softly. "Good night," he whispered before he turned around and walked towards his own bedroom.

Jenn, who'd been lurking in front of Brendon's door, waiting for him, gaped at the two men on the stairs, an amused glint in her eyes. When Ryan passed her, she gave him a smile, but she doubted he'd noticed her. When Brendon noticed her, though, he pushed her into his room and then closed the door firmly behind him before leaning heavily onto it. "He kissed me!" he said in a hushed, but very excited, voice. Jenn smiled and jumped up and down a bit, pretending to clap her hands. "What are you still doing up?" he asked after a few minutes, and she smiled at him.

"Just wanted to know what you two talked about. You know how nosy I am; you should be thankful I wasn't eavesdropping or anything," she answered with a wink before throwing herself onto Brendon's bed and cuddling into the blankets. Brendon rolled his eyes and joined her.

***

It wasn't that she was bad at math, really, it wasn't, but now she was through the simplest problems and suddenly the numbers she had to add and subtract had two digits, and that was a lot harder! Lucía glared down at the pages of her work book, hoping that if she could just glare hard enough they'd become just one digit again. She liked English a lot better, learning the letters and a tiny bit of spelling, and she could already read. Not a lot of the other kids could do that, so the teacher always smiled proudly at her when she demonstrated that. Lucía liked that a lot. She looked back down on the numbers and pouted when she realized they were still the same. She would much rather be playing music with Daddy and Isaac, but Daddy had said to spend an hour a day on school work before fun until she had nothing left, but school work just wasn't, well, fun. At least it was raining outside, so she didn't have to miss the playground so much. She gave the numbers another glare and drew a puppy in the margin, pencil held awkwardly in her little, untrained hand. Daddy had promised that when there was no more summer homework she would get that puppy of her very own, and that was totally worth it, but what help was that when she didn't know how to work with two digits? With another glare she abandoned the book, pouting as she went into the kitchen in the hopes that there was a grown-up nearby she could lure into giving her sweets or a soda pop. She totally deserved sugar!

***

Brendon was sulking. His three favourite people in the world had abandoned him; the two boys for a guitar lesson, and Jenn had some research to do for an upcoming case. And he'd been left alone, in a strange house, with nothing to do except eat all of Ryan's cookies. Which was what he was now attempting to do. He'd poured himself a glass of milk and put about a dozen chocolate chip cookies on a plate. Hoisting himself up onto the counter, Brendon swung his legs back and forth as he pouted and counted Mississippi's in his head. And then Keely came in.

"Uh-- um, hi," he said, trying to hide the plate of cookies behind him, but there wasn't enough room and all he succeeded in doing was clanging it against his glass of milk. Mentally cursing himself, Brendon offered the girl a strained smile before looking away.

"Can I have one, please?" Lucía asked, looking up and widening her eyes dramatically. Her experience was that that usually got grown-ups to smile and go a bit blank in the face and give her whatever she wanted. She really kind of liked that. "My homework is horrible, and the numbers have two digits and I don't know how to do it and I want a cookie! And a soda pop!"

Brendon tapped his chin, pretending to think. "Hmmm... what would your dad say if you had asked him?" he finally questioned, still looking rather pensive. His experience with children-- mainly the ones Spencer worked with everyday-- told him that they would either lie and say it was perfectly alright for them to have cookies and soda at any time of the day, or they would look contrite and mumble something before making a face and running off. He wasn't actually sure if Keely was allowed, though, so he'd probably take her word for it, in the end.

"I'm allowed to have what he has so long as it's not in the big, dark bottles or in the living room cabinet," Lucía answered. "But he's not here, but you are, so I think I can have whatever you're having. Would you like a soda pop? They're right in the fridge." She smiled widely, convinced she was going to get things her way. And maybe she could trick him into helping her with the math problems too.

"I'm not so sure so much sugar is good for a little girl," Brendon grumbled as he handed over a cookie. "How about we split a soda, so that you don't ruin supper, and I don't get yelled at, alright?" He slid off the counter and went over to the fridge, opening it and then looking in blankly. "Right, well, what would you like?" he asked, beckoning Keely over to make a choice.

Lucía quickly shuffled over and looked up at the selections. She finished chewing the first bite of her cookie and swallowed, because she was a big enough girl to be polite, and gave another smile. "Orange," she answered decisively before walking back to the table and climbing onto her chair, taking another bite of her cookie, chewing and swallowing. "What do you know about math?" she asked, flashing another pout.

"Absolutely nothing," Brendon answered wearily, grabbing the orange soda and taking out two glasses. He headed over to the table and poured the soda, giving himself a bit more just because he didn't want her bouncing off the walls. She was already half way there, anyway. "Didn't you learn it in school or something?"

"Yes, but now it has two digits," Lucía answered, making grabby hands for the soda pop. "And I think I was in Spain when we learnt that. And Daddy usually helps me, but now he's helping the little boy, so you have to help me." She took another bite of the cookie, still holding a hand out imperiously for the glass. "I don't get a puppy before I finish all my summer homework, you know."

Brendon pushed the glass to her and sighed. "You do know that the 'little boy's name is Isaac, don't you?" he asked, eyes narrowing a bit. He took a sip of the orange soda and made a face. He'd always hated orange flavoured fizzy drinks. He looked back at the plate of cookies, alone on the counter, longingly, before turning back to Keely. "Anyway, wouldn't helping you be, like, cheating or something?" he asked, then chuckled. "You know, when I was your age, I just had a tutor who sat down with me and explained everything," he shrugged.

"I know," Lucía answered. "But he calls me little girl in that really throaty language, and he's way littler than me. And I don't have a tutor to explain everything, so I need others to do it." She glared a little. "And if you don't help me it will be your fault that it'll be longer before I can get a puppy-dog." Her eyes narrowed slightly and she remembered this man declaring that the little boy couldn't come on a walk with her and Uncle Jon, and now he wouldn't help her. Cookies were good, sure, but not that good. "I'm not sure I like you at all," she declared with a frown and jumped off her chair before reaching up on the table for the soda pop and the half cookie she had left. Then she turned on her heel and made her way back into the living room to continue glaring at the math problems.

Brendon laughed at the absurdity of being told off by Ryan's daughter. And now she was giving him a good guilt trip, and the only reason Brendon was getting up to follow her was because he didn't want Ryan's daughter to hate him. Quite the opposite, actually, especially if they were going to work out. Sighing heavily, Brendon leaned over her and looked at the problem. "I know seem to remember these from school," he stated. "... These problems are easy, here, I'll give you an example." Plucking the pencil from the table, he wrote slowly on her paper, taking her through the problem one step at a time. "Get it?"

Lucía bit her lip, looking at the problem intently before nodding slowly. "I think so," she muttered, taking the pencil back and imitating what Brendon had done with the next problem. "What about the subtractions?" she asked then, looking up at the man. At least he had caved, but she was still reserving judgement, and if she decided she didn't like him she'd tell Daddy he wasn't good enough, like she had done with that woman a few years ago. She'd never seen the woman again, so she knew it would work.

Brendon sighed, resigning himself to another problem, just to show her how it was done. "Are you sure you're not just doing this as some sort of twisted test?" he mumbled as he took her through the steps. He wouldn't put it past her to just be doing this for the sake of reaction. She seemed like the type of child to do that. Or, maybe, Brendon was just crap with children on a whole.

"Nuh-uh," Lucía answered, biting her tongue as she imitated Brendon once again, with a bit more difficulty this time. Subtractions were harder than additions. "But I am still trying to figure out if I like you." She looked up with a smile that was maybe a bit more icy than one would expect from a five-year-old. "I love my Daddy very much and he says I'm a very precious girl, so not just anyone is good enough." She laughed, and this time it did sound a bit more genuine. "I like the little boy, though," she declared. "I think I'll keep him." Then she turned back to her math problems, getting through a couple more with quite a bit more ease right now.

Brendon frowned. "We're a packaged deal," he said, perhaps a bit harsher than he should have. He sighed softly, rubbing a hand over his face. "And I love your daddy very much, too. I have for a very long time," he said quietly, straightening before looking away, trying to get himself under control. He shouldn't let her affect him, but he couldn't help that think that if she didn't like him, Ryan would just put him out on his ass. And he couldn't have that.

Lucía shrugged. "He likes us too, and I think he wants to keep us, so maybe he'd be angry with you if we couldn't keep him at least sometimes," she suggested. "He got very angry when he couldn't go for a walk. Kids don't like to be treated like toys or teddy bears," she explained matter-of-factly. Then she looked up with a small smile. "Maybe loving just Daddy isn't enough," she hinted. "But I do like it best when he's happy," she added, biting her lip in contemplation.

Brendon swore he felt his eye twitch. He wouldn't let her run him off, though she was doing such a good job in trying. Taking a few steps back, Brendon took a deep breath before looking at her again. "Do you understand your problems?" he asked quietly, jaw clenched.

"Yes," she answered with a nod. "Thank you very much," she added. "Now I can have my puppy-dog sooner!" She grinned wide, all thoughts of liking and disliking and being good enough forgotten with that realization. "I can't wait!" she declared, stuffing the rest of her cookie into her mouth and chewing it quickly before swallowing. "Thank you, Mr. Brendon."

"You're... welcome," Brendon said, then hesitated for only a second before leaving and hurrying up to Jenn's room. "She's trying to get rid of me!" he hissed the moment he closed the door behind him. Jenn looked up, wearing a pair of thin, black, reading glasses and frowns. "Do you know what she said to me?! She said 'maybe loving just daddy isn't enough.' I mean, please!" he stumbled to the bed and flopped down onto it, burying his face in his hands. Moments later, he felt the bed dip as Jenn sat beside him.

"Darling, it's only to be expected. Look how well Ryan is doing with your son, and have you shown any sign of even tolerating that poor little girl?" she asked reasonably, eyeing him reproachfully when he pulled his hands away from his face. Frowning, Brendon shrugged and sighed.

"But she hates me," he whined, though it sounded like an excuse, even to himself. Jenn chuckled softly and shook her head.

"You have to make an effort, darling. Or this isn't going to work. In fact, you have to go above and beyond. Because I can assure you that, with the way Ryan cares so fiercely of Keely, he's not going to stand for you simply tolerating her."