Blood.

Chapter Twenty-One: That's one long chapter name.

"When is knocking not going to become a foreign concept to you, Xander?" Xander rolled his eyes at his younger sisters voice, from where she was laying on her bed with a book in her hand strolling over to her. 
"Tired?" He asked rubbing her back, the twenty-one year old shook her head, a content look on her face. After all, today was an amazing day, her birthday was amazing each year honestly. Hers and her nieces. It seemed comical how all three were born on the same day. 
"It's weirdly quiet, everyone's worn out, huh?" She propped herself up on her elbows just as Xander plucked the book from her hands, replacing it with a small blue box, and then kissed her forehead before getting up to leave. "Happy Birthday, Brat"
"Thanks, Asshole" Maddie called out after him, he flipped his finger up not bothering to shut the door making her grumble, yet the smile never left her face nor did the content glint in her eyes. It was a very Happy Birthday indeed.

Aurora's P.O.V:

I was snuggled up in the various blankets and pillows on the couch, watching a movie. Honestly, I had spent the last few days in such laziness that it should be illegal, but what else could I do? I had not seen Alina since the hospital, nor Nico since the day at the ice-cream parlour, I didn't mind the latter but I had questions. A lot of them.

I knew Alina would tell me because she said so, that's why I didn't bother anyone else with them. 

On the brighter side of all of this though, Fiona, Dev and Rhydian came over a lot, turns out Rhydian and Dev were used to being here a lot while Fiona only ever accompanied her parent's here thrice all her life, all of those when we were 4. I had to admit, these four grew on me, and while I was with making comments on some stupid show, I forgot about my injuries or the pain, or the fact that I now had a lot of schoolwork to do, and only a week to finish it. Fall break. 

I obviously didn't have to do it and could take the extension I was offered but that wouldn't bode well for my pride with the game I had going on with Ryder. I wanted to win and if I did, I needed to give them in, and make sure they were perfect. Especially the damn assignment for art considering I was absolutely horrible at drawing like even my stick figures looked ugly. 

How is that possible? 

So now instead of just watching the movie, I was anxiously watching the movie, not wanting to get up. I'll admit I procrastinate my homework a lot, but no one likes homework except maybe Vince, he reminded me to do it till I did. 

"What's with the frown?" Milo dropped onto the other end of the couch, he'd just returned home from god knows where and pulled my feet onto his lap.

"I have a lot of homework to do"

"Don't you get an extension period or something like that?"

"I do..."

"Then what's the problem?"

"See, if I don't turn them in on time, I hurt my academically developed ego."

Milo looked at me without a word as though I were an alien, and then snorted, shaking his head when he finally understood. At least that's what it looked like.

"You'll manage." He put his feet on the coffee table in front of us, watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine with me, rubbing my feet. I stifled a yawn after a few episodes, my eyes drooping. I didn't fully fall asleep, instead just watched as more of my brothers joined us as the hours passed, neither bothering to change the show, each one busy in their own thing. Justin was sitting on the floor, resting against the couch texting someone, Dustin was lazily sprawled across another couch with a beer in hand, just like when we were at the hospital, his half-way closed just like mine. Austin was reading a book, it was rare to see most of them in the same room, I hadn't seen them all together since breakfast that day, even then Dustin was missing.