𝒾𝓃𝓈𝒶𝓃𝒾𝓉𝓎

Startled from those pages she looked up, the realization of what was being asked taking a moment too long before her gaze would drift towards the sky. Peering—or rather squinting up at that expanse of blue Rose’s brow would crease, “Am I burning?” she asked, looking to Lenny, trying to remember when the last time had reapplied her sun screen.

    “No, but I mean better to be safe than sorry.” She responded, “I have my fair of incidents of having to apply aloe on because I burn so easily.” Lenny shrugged her shoulders before laughing lightly, “But after my skin heals I have a nice tan at least.”

“Wouldn’t call a gal with a law degree ‘lowly admin’, but I guess I’m just better at gassin’ you up than you are,” he teased, allowing Penelope’s fingers to slip comfortably between his. He didn’t dwell on the awkwardness that seemed to arise between the two, having met Zach once before and figuring it was just a part of his personality. All the more reason to bust his balls, right? “Yeah, that’s right – and you thought Erin was fuckin’ crazy, just wait.” Owen remarked, not even a moment later receiving a swift thump on the back of his head as the aunt in question passed behind them, having heard the quip about her sanity. “Ow – shit, was that fuckin’ necessary?” he called to Erin, who was already escaping to the other room with a wine glass in hand. Grimacing, he used his free hand to rub his neck. “Yeah, well, stick around long enough and Fitzpatricks start gettin’ handsy, apparently,” he mumbled. “I’m gonna grab a beer before the vultures swoop in – anyone else want one?”

“Yes because that law degree is going to such use now” she fired back, though there was no real petulance in her words, merely a sort of exasperated fondness as she glanced up at Owen momentarily before Lenny spoke. “I dunno Len, it seems he’s been holding pretty well without my help so far”. After all, he had been invited back for round two and had gotten through the first one relatively unscathed, which was no mean feat given the ferocity of the Fitzpatrick’s. No sooner had the words escaped her lips though was Owen recoiling from the sharp swipe he received from Erin, and Penelope found herself ducking her head to try and smother the snigger that had escaped involuntarily. “I think that’s level of handsy is reserved purely for you” she pointed out, meeting Lenny’s eyes with a grin. Erin was certainly the most uninhibited member of the family after all. “I’ll have a wine babe” she informed him, before her gaze settled back on Lenny and Zach. “So, did you willingly come for round two or did Lenny resort to emotional blackmail? It’s very hard to say no to those doe eyes”

@zachary-covington​

“Harvard Law is certainly nothing to shirk, that’s for certain.” Zachary stated, quite unsettled he was chorusing agreement to Owen, but stranger things have happened. Zachary had always been a reserved person but he was feeling far quieter than usual, a slight huff of a laugh parting his lips as Erin stalked by to smack Owen upside the head. They got along well, the two of them, and aside from Matias and Penelope, Erin Fitzpatrick was Zachary’s closest compatriot on campus. At least the one he got up to the most mischief with, certainly. “Things will be much quieter without you.” Zach nodded towards Penelope, words serving as a direct contradiction to his earlier remarks, but far too late to reel it back in at that juncture. “Fine, thanks.” He nodded at Owen as he walked off, idle hand rested on Len’s back rubbing gently then as his gaze flicked back to Penelope. “I had a great time before. Not a single reason not to come back.” He quipped, looking to Lenore with a small smile then. “I guess you could say I looked forward to the company.” His words were quieter then, spoken solely as he looked at the red head. @lenorefitzpatrick​

      Lenny raised her eyebrows in surprised and laughed, “Penelope, question, how did you end up with this lovely cousin of mine? No offense Owen, I love you but seriously. Law degree? Now that’s an accomplishment.” The brunette was impressed and envious of the red head, she had beauty and brains yet she ended up with a Fitzpatrick. Nudging Zachary’s side with her elbow and cleared her throat, “I did no such thing as blackmail. If you haven’t noticed I am quite the angel around here which is probably why the family was so surprised I managed to bring someone home to face the craziness.” @owensfitzpatrick​

“I’m rarely persuaded into doing something I don’t want to do.” Zachary replied easily, smile growing a bit then. They’d long ago learned the art of saying ‘no’, and true to form, never budged when the desire wasn’t present. But Zach truly had no qualms going to family dinner, he liked to think he wouldn’t be going in completely blind now that he knew a few more familiar faces. “Well then. Not so much impressive as I’ll not make mention of my rampant atheism. I think that’ll ensure our mutual survival, no?”

    Was Lenny worried about how things would turn out? Most definitely, but she trusted her family and most of all she would be there to defend him if needed. “Heaven forbid you mentioning your rampant atheism,” the brunette rolled her eyes while laughing, although her parents wished she followed the whole religion, Lenny on the other hand preferred to believe there was something other than a idea that a man was worth worshiping, but that was just her opinion. “So I think we should pay our bill and get out of the sun unless you find me looking attractive beat red.” 

NOON, at WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH an OPEN STARTER

@wilmingtonstarters

A contented look rested upon her features as she turned the page, not quiet a smile yet happy all the same as her hand gripped tightly to her book. Those thick pages folded in half at the spine as she stood beneath the warmth of that mid day sun. The sound of water crashing against the shore, lapping coolly against her calves a comfort as she slowly paced. Back and forth. Back and forth. Perhaps she looked odd, fully clothed within the water. Wrightsville Beach a place she was very quickly growing to love. Rose’s gaze devoured the words that stood before her as she continued in her slow wading. Jeans rolled to her knees, and sunglasses perched upon her nose—she smelled of sage and sunscreen. A scent that in itself made her smile, for despite herself it reminded her of home. Of childhood.

Perhaps she looked like a child—not like the boisterous children that swam and played just beyond her reach. But childish. Young. A girl in one of her father’s t-shirts—lost in a story. 

     Lenny was wearing a sun hat, just the fact she still manages to burn so easily made her wish she could enjoy running around like Rose, but she sat there on the beach towel and fanned herself with her magazine and chuckled, “Hey you should put some sunblock on just in case,” Lenny yelled out for the other to hear. 

Jenny turned her head to look over at her as a laugh left her lips. “Who exactly do you have blackmail against? And remind me never to call you if I need a DD.” She teased. She nodded her head as she brought her drink to her lips. “I’m doing great, how about you?”

     “Oh just a friend who isn’t the type to normally get drunk, but hey...it happens to the best of us.” Lenore shrugged and smiled, “Besides the constant working and trying to maintain a healthy balance of everything, it’s going rather well.” 

@lenorefitzpatrick

Text sent at 6:15am: SOS. Need back up.  Text sent at 6:15am: [location pin drop. somewhere in Masonboro.]  Text sent at 6:16am: Bring coffee

Text sent at 6:30 am: Uh....you’re up early Text sent at 6:30 am: But I am on my way over with some life resource for you

       Lenore was slightly shocked at the fact Hattie was even awake so early in the morning, not like Lenny to sleep in unless she had a long night, but the brunette was rather a morning person at times, mostly when it was just her and her dog Bailey snuggling on the couch watching some morning news with a cup of coffee in hand. As the brunette ended up the location Hattie dropped, coffee in hand and the phone in the other, she spoke into the speaker, “Hey, I’m here with coffee” 

“Jesus, Ma, I don’t get a hello anymore?” Owen complained as he walked through the door after his mother, who had all but sprinted out of the house to snatch her grandchild out of her son’s arms before leading them all back inside. Rolling his eyes as Colleen continued to ignore him, the male instead waved a couple of family members hello before turning his attention to his younger cousin. “Hey Len, how are ya?” he greeted, wrapping an arm around the brunette’s shoulders and giving her a light squeeze. “Nice to see you brought Professor Zach ‘round for the sacrifice,” Owen joked, nodding at the other before glancing back at Penelope, who followed close behind. “Babe, you know Len’s boyfriend? Said he works at the university.” @penelxpebradley·

It took Colleen all of two seconds to spirit away Abel off somewhere deep into the realms of the family home. They’d see him again at some point, but the minute the door was shut, the chaos settled, family members turning their heads to see who had arrived for a few seconds of quiet before the noise started all over again. “Huh?” Penelope asked, slipping her jacket off from around her shoulders and hanging it off the banister. It wasn’t that she hadn’t expected to see Zach at the family dinner – if anything she had spent much of the afternoon preparing for the event, but it still didn’t get rid of the slightly sick feeling that settled in her stomach as her eyes fell on Zach. “Oh, yeah sort of” she shrugged, slipping her hand into Owen’s. “Zach’s a professor so they don’t tend to hang out with us lowly admin staff” she added jokingly

@zachary-covington·

As the front door open and the woman whose name was still escaping Zachary went to gather Owen’s son and stalk back off. Colleen. He reminded himself absently as his attention was snatched by Len’s approaching eldest cousin. A pressed smile was sent Owen’s way as he greeted them both, gaze stolen then by the red head hanging her coat. Owen’s words were like a buzzing in his ear for a moment before Zachary blinked, catching the end of Penelope’s response. “I don’t typically staff my office hours personally.” It was a white lie, the change only having been recent, but it was clear they were playing everything cool. A hand would land at the small of Lenore’s back, glancing over at the woman beside him with a smile. “I did, however sit on her interview panel. Certainly sad to see her leave the department.” @lenorefitzpatrick·

    Lenny wrapped her arms around Owen and gave him a quick hug, grinning like an idiot at the older Fitzpatrick, in her eyes Owen was practically like an older brother she always wished she had, sure she enjoyed being the oldest out of her own siblings but she wished she never carried that burden of being responsible. “That’s right, you two work or well, soon to be worked together.” The brunette pulled away and stood next to Zach, her eyes falling between all three. She didn’t want to dwell too much on the atmosphere between Zach and Penelope, she just figured since both groups were clearly on different levels at work things happen to just be weird. “What a small world after all, at least you can teach him the ropes Pen about dealing with the Fitzpatrick family shenanigans.” @owensfitzpatrick​

Zach would simply raise his brows in response, palming his beer once more to polish it off. Zachary knew it was well within his rights to deny the invitation, that maybe it was just a hair too soon to be exposed to the Fitzpatrick clan, but his therapist had coached him through preparing for the things that came with a relationship. Hence the acceptance, because, well, these are the things you do in a relationship. “… Should I have said no? Did you want me to reject the offer?” The professor tilted his head to the side, slightly confused before their waiter quite generally predicted his need and placed a fresh bottle of beer on the table for him. With a murmured thanks, Zachary would maintain eye contact with Lenore, eyes scrunching slightly. “I quite like the family of yours I’ve met thus far. I can handle a little pandemonium, Len. It sounds sort of nice, actually. I’ll even try and be impressive for you.”

    “No, I’m happy that you accepted, I just don’t want to push you into saying yes because you feel obligated to do so.” Lenny explained, waving her hand before dropping it back onto her lap and felt her eyes crinkle at the corners as her face lit up. “You don’t need to impress me or my family, okay I say that just because but my family on the other hand will harass you so I certainly hope you’re prepared for that. You’ll even get to meet all the Fitzpatrick’s...or at least half of them.”

“Hectic in a not too bad way I hope,” she mused with a gentle grin. Marianne had always liked Lenny. The vet someone her cat could appreciate—trust. That alone went a very long way for the brunette, though the other woman’s personality—her heart, helped to tip her over the edge. Very quickly Mari had grown to care for the other. To love in her own way. “Oh shush, I mean I won’t say no to a running partner but you do not need to lose anything,” she said, a firmness to the playful way those words fell from her lips.

     Lenore laughed and nodded her head, “Thank you but trust me, my pants would love to disagree with how it’s not a snug fit more like a struggle.” Although it did give more definition to her asset that wasn’t there before so it was still something to get used too. “How is Legs by the way, all in good health I hope?” 

“Boyfriend.” Jamie finally looked over to Lenny with a faint smile, knocking their elbow into hers. “No, of course I’m not surprised. You’re a hot piece, Len.” Lenny was certainly the most well adjusted of the Fitzpatrick brood, so it sort of made sense that she brought him a handsome young professor for the family to terrorize. “So, um.” Jamie leaned back against the sofa cushions, billowing out a sigh. “I know I ruined your birthday, so, like, I’m sorry.” The words were muddled and in quick succession, clearly not Jamie’s comfort zone to be offering apologies. It never was, anyway. “And I’m sorry for avoiding you, I just, like, thought you hated me or whatever.”

    Lenore shakes her head at Jamie’s apologize, “Hey it’s not your fault that happened to you--you already know I don’t really care much for my birthday.” She placed her hand onto their shoulder before wrapping her arm around them to pull them into a tight hug. “I’m just glad that you’re here with us and you’re alive. Everyone was a mess, I certainly missed having you around to help play tie break although I think you just enjoy being instigator.”

“How was I supposed to know that your entire family was going to hate me for bringing Scottish whiskey?” Zach asked quietly as he stood one step behind Lenny in the living room of Erin Fitzpatrick’s home, who was the very first to ask why the bottle he offered to the hostess wasn’t Irish made. Maybe the professor could have taken some more time to learn the intricacies of the two countries and how alcohol could possibly be offensive to a room full of heavy drinkers. It wasn’t like they all hadn’t passed the bottle of Macallan around eagerly, but it seemed everyone had a comment to make about it first. Finally managing a smile, Zachary would shoot Lenny a wink to know his nerves weren’t completely shot by the ordeal. “No Owen tonight?” He asked quietly, trying not to be entirely obvious that there was a bit of anxious anticipation to his arrival, and whether or not Penelope would be in tow. 

@lenorefitzpatrick​

      Lenore couldn’t help but to softly laugh at her boyfriend, “Don’t worry about it too hard, it’s alcohol they will drink it either way and besides...it’s the thought that counts right?” Although she knew her father would be doggin’ on Zachary about his taste in whiskey which she hoped that he would preoccupied to not come and harass him. Waving her hand towards her aunt and turned to attention back on Zach, reaching out to grasp his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Nah...he should be here soon, no one really misses out on family dinner unless they have a good excuse.” Her brown eyes looked away towards the sound of someone arriving to see none other than her cousin @owensfitzpatrick​

Despite herself Marianne jumped, a slight startle as she tugged her headphones clear from her ears. Laughter replacing that sense of shock as she shook her head. “I’m sorry I—” she started, recognizing the other woman’s face an instant too late. The memory bringing an all new flush to her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to be startled,” she tried then, “But yes it is beautiful–the beach I mean..um…how have you been?” she asked then in an attempt to still her rambling tongue.

    Lenny smiled and waved her hand, “I’ve been good...with work it’s been kind of hectic but other than that, life has been pretty nice. Although I should try and go for a job once awhile like yourself instead of gaining weight and probably tell my boyfriend that I need to stop eating so much junk food.” The brunette laughed, of course the idea of her jogging sounded like a recipe for disaster but she did pretty good at yoga at least. 

CLOSED START FOR: @lenorefitzpatrick​ LOCATION: colleen fitzpatrick’s home

If Jamie could have spent the entirety of the family dinner avoiding Lenny’s eye contact, they would have. They had never bore guilt well, not when they actually felt guilty. And well, with Lenny, there was a lot to be said. The accident that had threatened to woefully reconfigure their family once more had occurred on her birthday, Jamie having left Lenore’s birthday party to head home. Jamie Fitzpatrick leaving a party early was a normally unheard of thing, but they’d not been in the greatest of moods that evening. 

With quite a few glasses of wine in their system, Jamie was buzzing as they tried to slink off into the kitchen to help their mother and Aunt Erin with the dishes, only to get a withering stare and a pointed finger back into the other room. Colleen was well aware her son had been avoiding Lenny, and that was to be remedied that evening. 

“Your new boy toy is kind of a dish.” Jamie offered as they shifted to sit down on the couch beside her, gaze focused so intently on the throw rug beneath their feet they might just burn a hole through it. 

    Lenore didn’t feel any sort of anger towards her cousin Jamie, more along the fact she was quite happy to see they were awake and healthy, if anything worse had happened such as the passing of them, Lenore would grow to hate her birthday far more than she already did. But the fact it felt as if Jamie was avoiding her made her wonder if it was on purpose or just...not wanting to talk to her in the first place. She was glancing at the clock and wondering when it was the perfect time to head home to throw her bra off and wear loose baggy clothing when the voice of her cousin pulled her away from her thoughts to look at Jamie, her mouth opening and closing as she found her voice again. “I--thank you, he’s actually my boyfriend now...you--surprised?” 

Zachary hadn’t ever really been the sort of person that did relationships. Various factors always got in the way of solid commitment, Paisley, namely, and the last time he’d actually devoted himself to another person, he’d gotten as far as an engagement before things crumbled before his eyes. So, needless to say that Zach wasn’t particularly enthusiastic when it came to vulnerability, but with Lenny, he was getting there. Spending time together, even if it wasn’t doing anything particularly thrilling, was far more than the professor’s typical ‘two drinks, my place or yours’ scenario. And from the get-go, he and Lenny just seemed to get along. That, to Zach, was motivation enough to settle things on more solid ground. “Didn’t you hear the thunder and lightning?” Zach teased as his gaze lifted to the sky. “I was the one that asked, mm? Not so bold of me.” Shoulders shrugged, trying not to weigh on the fact that it was a great degree of growth for him. Zach took note of the red in the woman’s cheeks but would simply deflect his gaze to his fingers, which were fidgeting with the peeling label of his bottle. “Hm.” Zach considered the question posed, what it meant to Lenore to have him come and meet her family, extended and nosy. “For you?” It was then that his gaze flicked back to Lenny’s, a simple nod offered. “Of course.”

     “Hmm seems that my hearing is going out or something because I definitely didn’t hear any lightening or thunder, perhaps the heats getting to you.” Lenny shrugged her shoulders, setting her glass of whiskey down back onto the table and adjusted herself in her seat. She was waiting for him to decline the invite, after all, who would be willingly want to come to the famous Fitzpatrick family dinner, even sometimes it got to be a little too much for herself and the fact her mother blended in right away made her wonder if Zach would be able to get along with everyone. She knew that her mother and aunties would be teasing then there were her uncles and father who would possibly threaten, the mere thought made her frown at ways to get poor Zachary out of the whole ordeal. “Wait--seriously? You’re...you actually want to come to dinner? I mean you don’t have to hell you seen how my cousins are or at least the ones you have met.”