til the shine wears off

    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​

“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​

      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·

“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·

    “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.”

“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?”

@lenorefitzpatrick​

I haven’t completely decided if I’ll even be staying here. It was fair to say that Penelope wasn’t the best actress, and she certainly wasn’t very good at keeping a neutral poker face. At least, not when Zach spoke so casually about something as massive as what he was suggesting. So yes, the surprise was writ large on her face, but it didn’t take long for the frown to settle, for her brows to softly crinkle together as she considered what he was actually saying. The thing was he could have been bluffing…but she definitely couldn’t say for sure. Nor did she know him well enough to outright accuse him of lying. But the words that did come out of her mouth – well she almost regretted them as soon as spoken. “Does Lenny know that?”. And then, after another beat where she actually registered what she’d actually said, she managed to scramble her features into something neutral. “Just…you never mentioned you were planning on leaving before” she added after a brief pause, swallowing uncomfortably as she felt her throat dry up. 

Surely it would be easier if Zach just left? Moved away and found another town. Then she could carry on with everything as normal and things would settle back into a rhythm. Except she didn’t want that. She liked Zach. Admittedly not in the way that he might have wanted, but enough that the idea of him leaving town left her feeling bereft. “Of course, yes I would never try and break into the vault of Pork secrets” she carried on, feeling ever so slightly light headed and increasingly claustrophobic. Had his office always been so small? “Mmm” she agreed noncommittally, not even looking at Zach and whatever he was wearing that day. Instead she just found herself increasingly desperate to get the hell out of dodge. In the pocket of her skirt her phone vibrated and she pulled it out, seeing a text from Owen asking if she was coming around that evening. Even that was enough to almost floor her, blood rushing to her head as she jumped to her feet. Enough. She had somewhere to be. She had to just get a grip of herself. 

She barely heard him though, until somehow by the grace of whatever god there was out there, she picked up the words of ‘English department’ and managed to get ahold of herself. “Great” she nodded, reaching for the door handle and turning it. “I’ll send Erin a text”. And this time she would. Clearly this had been a mistake, she should have just left things as they were and carried on with distance. Instead it was just horribly clear that the only way this was going to work was if they stayed as far away from each other as he so clearly wanted. “Well, see you on Sunday maybe” she said absently, before shaking her head in annoyance and pulling the door open. “Or not. Whatever”. And with that she ducked out of the door, allowing it to slam heavily behind her as she headed back to her desk

It hadn’t seemed that significant an omission on Zachary’s end. It’d crossed his mind on a number of occasions that UNC-Wilmington might not award the sort of prestige or investment that he wanted in his career, should he choose to renew his former ambitions. Wilmington was always only supposed to be a stop along the road, anyway. He’d been sidetracked that past year, and there was a sense that his welcome was overstayed. Paisley wasn’t here, and it was time to move on. Figure out exactly what it was he wanted. “I don’t know that Lenny and I’s relationship is really any of your business, Ms. Bradley.” Zach squinted, daft enough not to realize immediately that he’d fleeced her. “Well, sometimes opportunities are worth stirring things up.” He added, gaze deflecting as his own internal wound seemed to tear. 

Zachary didn’t really want to leave, but the social web of Wilmington had far fewer strands than the man anticipated, and it was becoming more and more impossible to give Penelope the space she’d so desperately demanded of him. Which didn’t help, really, when she refused to take her own advice. All Zachary wanted to do, truly, was obey the woman’s wishes. To respect her desires, but furthermore, to respect the people that Lenore and Owen were. People with a significant degree of trust in either of them. 

“I’m happy to write a letter of referral if you need it.” Zach would add finally, mustering the courage to stare at her as she turned to grab the door. It wasn’t an easy thing to do. In fact, Zachary was quite certain it was one of the more painful things he’d ever done. “Sunday, maybe, sure.” He agreed in an almost sorrowful tone, wincing as the door slammed behind her. Zachary’s chest felt like it was an empty well, silence reverberating off the walls, echoing into the further silence that now enveloped his office. Something similar to grief, he knew. Palms rubbed at his face, denying that faint rise of emotion that came. Air billowed out from his lips, head shaking a few times before he studiously returned to his grading, writing nothing of substance at all, but refusing to let his mind go unoccupied. 

     “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.” 

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.”

      Lenny smiled towards Zachary, it was strange but at the same time it was something like comforting to know that they were able to take the next step in this whole thing, she wasn’t very experience in the relationship department but from observing from her family and friends, she just went with the flow of things. One thing she knew for certain was the fact she held feelings towards Zachary, they were both dorky and yet understanding of each others spaces. “Who would have thought you’d use the term relationship out loud, perhaps we’ll have another storm,” Lenore jokingly stated at Zach but felt her cheeks redden even more as she placed the cold beverage against the side of her face. “So…I was…well I was pestered by my mom and aunts on bringing you to Sunday dinner–that’s if you’re willing to be interrogated.” 

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.”

“Could it ever have been me?”

“I had a great lamb and curry masala for dinner.”

“She’s a coworker.”

“A day in New York City to see a Broadway show, I’d imagine.”

“I don’t think my life has been defined by any one massively significant event. I suppose leaving my old life behind, my mother. I still remember our last conversation, committed to my heart. But things have changed, people have, too. It’s difficult to look back on those years with anything but bitterness.”

Well that was not true. There was something very wrong with simply being a coffee on the go for breakfast kind of person. As delicious at the hit of pure caffeine was, it had no nutritional value and meant that by the time the clock ticked over to midday, Penelope’s stomach was growling like a wild animal. So yes, she saw the logic to Zach’s words, and his comment about boring them to sleep with his lecturers managed to illicit a little chuckle from between her smirking lips. “Well I suppose that’s one way of looking at your lectures” she decided with a slow nod. Besides, could she really blame the students? She’d definitely been known to take a 9am lecture as an opportunity to have a cat nap to recover from the night before. “Though maybe don’t tell people that at your next performance review” she added with a sly grin. She hadn’t quite understood what the PR in everyone’s diaries stood for until one of her colleagues had clocked her in, but suffice to say they’d all been dancing around like they were on fire and no one was there to put them out.

His mention of his publishers brought Penelope back to thinking about the book that he had written, and her copy of it still being used to prop up her laptop when she was lying in bed. One day she would read it, she swore to herself, as she had sworn time and time again…but in her defence it was so heavy, the wording was tiny, and even the thought of delving into Zach’s traumatic past through a voyeuristic eye felt uncomfortable to say the least. “I would have thought you’d have gotten your fair share in the PC?” she asked, quirking a brow up as she settled back against the cracked leather back of the sofa. So perhaps Penelope was more than a little bitter about the idea of class, because as far as she was aware: “I’ve never met anyone who considers themselves to be classy in a social way and is also a nice person”. It was always just another stick to beat people with, competitive social games where people fought for the right to crow over everyone else. No, she knew people who were classy of course, but it was the people who proclaimed their class out loud? They were the ones to look out for – and the knife in their hand ( as it so often landed squarely in the soft of your own back ).

“Yes, of course I do Zachary” she pointed out, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s great fun complaining about everything”. She was joking of course – at least, somewhat joking. She did stand by her opinion that there was nothing more cathartic than letting out tension with a rant at the end of the day, but there was a line of course. The line was thin and sometimes difficult to make out, but it was always there. And another thin and complicated line? The one she was trying to tread with Zach. So his comment about how his day was incomplete without her sent her stomach into free fall and she found herself recapping the chocolate milk and putting it on the floor to the side. The silence was almost painful, those few seconds where she had nothing to say and didn’t know what to say anyway before it was broken by the sounds of laptop keys tapping. “Well, I’ll be sure to save you a slice next time” she nodded quietly, gathering her hands into her lap as she finished off the cookie and stood from the sofa. “I should probably go” she decided after a beat, turning away from him, desperate to get out of the room and alleviate any tension. “Stuff to do, you know…”

Performance reviews. Despite not being much for the inner politicking of his department, Zachary still managed to be held in a sort of medium esteem by his coworkers. He didn’t complain, he participated actively in the committees he was assigned to, and he never stirred the pot. Not being the most sociable person wasn’t a genuine offense, just one that might not get him to tenure track. “I haven’t completely decided if I’ll even be staying here, so, performance reviews are the least of my worries.” Of course Zachary had plenty of options, with someone of his academic pedigree, it wouldn’t be long before he was at a higher ranked university — if he wanted to be. “I taught a few classes at Boston College while I was getting my Doctorate, always liked New England.” Had Zachary given any real consideration to the call he’d received from an old mentor? Not really, but things here were starting to feel messy, far more complicated than he’d ever wanted anything to be.

Life in Wilmington was supposed to be simple, a way to slow down, but it’d been anything but. “I don’t think it would be fair to consider the Pork classy. But details, details, all of which I vowed to take to my grave.” Zach would flash a devilish grin then, for once possessing a genuine excuse not to divulge information. “Good think I consider myself more of a sewer rat with good manners, mm?” He’d chuckle then, a glance down at his ensemble sealing his fate. Zach dressed for work, but it wasn’t a typical look for a young professional. His was always with a casual twist, because he never took himself terribly seriously. He did like to think that, appearances aside, he was a good person, but he didn’t spend very much time in general dwelling on the concept.

And just as Zachary thought, the Freudian slip had tanked the pleasantries, the cap on the milk seemingly a kiss of death. He tried not to appear to bothered by it, not even acknowledging her movement for the first few moments as he continued typing on his computer. “I’d like that.” The professor added with a faint smile, finally glancing on as she turned away. “Yeah.” He nodded in agreement, knowing it was an easy lie to get herself out of the room. “You know, I saw a bulletin for an office management position open in the English department.” Zachary offered the sentiment finally understanding the ramifications of their continued proximity. For both of them, it meant nothing but trouble. “You should reach out to Erin and ask about it.”

“We’ll see if I will get out of this without you know being sunburnt,” Lenny shrugged, rolling her eyes at his suggestion, “I mean if I get to drool over Zac Efron…you can count me in and the fact he cares for the planet? Major turn on.” She pretended to fan herself before laughing. “So we’re having netflix night? How romantic.” 

“Hate to break it to you, but I don’t think that SPF 50 you used saved you.” Zachary stated with a sympathetic look cast Lenore’s way. “I’m glad I’m comfortable enough in this relationship to share you with another man.” The professor would chuckle softly, head shaking as their laughter chorused together. “I might even scoop you some ice cream while we’re watching. Peak romance.” It helped that Lenny wasn’t particularly high maintenance, but that didn’t mean that Zach was so lazy he didn’t make a persistent effort when it came to their relationship. He was just far more simple in terms of what he considered a nice evening. A few drinks, Netflix and ice cream? Pretty much perfect, in his eyes.

“Okay, thank God, ‘cause I didn’t want to picture the wrinkles I’d be ironing out if you wedged that many in there,” Matias said with a chuckle. “Not to mention all the wrinkles you’d put right back in, getting them home.” Besides, five was a much more manageable selection in all regards. Fewer choices, less work … “Every single extended relative, wow, that’s some kind of family dinner.” To the average person, Matias included, it sounded like the kind of thing that happened only on holidays, but that wasn’t the sense he was getting from Zach’s report. “You gotta learn all their names?” He was sure Zach had tricks of his own for the quick matching of names and faces, but even so, there had to be enough pressure without adding that to the mix. “You know me so well,” Matias replied, grinning. “And you’ll feel better with a couple calories in ya.”

“This is why I typically just drop everything off at the dry-cleaner. But I didn’t have time.” Because, in practical Zachary Covington fashion, he’d sooner pay for same-day dry cleaning than ever learn to iron a shirt for himself. “Don’t try to impart logic on me, Matias. It won’t work.” Zach scolded, only to be reminded as they continued to chat that he was going to be in the spotlight for all of Lenny’s family, and the nerves that that brought. While he’d grown into his comfort as a professor, he’d always been drawn more towards the research end of academia than teaching, being the center of attention had never been Zachary’s strong suit. But Matias was being a more than decent friend to assuage his friend’s nerves and iron his shirts. “Well I got the poutine fries, which is either going to do very well in a take-out container, or be a nightmare. Either way, I’m excited.”