After Hours (𝟏)

24. Next Caller

Setting down the last plate of bruschetta onto the table, the apron tied around Silver's waist was pulled off skilfully with one hand as the sounds of the faint music mixed in the loud chatter. Placing the apron down on top of kitchen counter across from him, he reached over to only pick the plate back up and walked out of the room.

Entering the living room, he could see Felicity and Lisa arguing as usual whilst Rick, John and Sofia all sat on the sofa immersed in whatever movie they were watching.

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore!" Cairo sang terribly, shoving his little sister to the side so that he could sing into the karaoke machine better.

"Ow!" The noisy outcry came next, "It's my turn! It's my turn, Zio said I'm next!"

"I don't care! I'm older than you, so I make the rules!"

Silver's lips curled up at the sight of the children running around his living room chasing after each other. When they nearly bumped into him by the doorway, he tutted and looked down at the two sternly. "What do you say?" He asked in a reasonable way.

They both murmured a guilty sounding 'sorry Zio'. It wasn't even a second later before Cairo ran out of the living room holding onto the microphone with dear hands while yelling for his favourite cousin, Eliza, to hide him.

Looking down at the small girl left behind in her pink frilly princess dress, he bent down to her eye level, and held out the plate of food. "Is he giving you a hard time bambolina?" He watched as a sweet smile moulded onto her face, and she shyly nodded. "He never lets me play too," She complained, gingerly grabbing ahold of the Italian bread and taking a big bite.

Silver hummed, waiting for her reaction. "You don't like my bruschetta?"

Kaya screwed her face up faking disgust, "No I don't like it... I love it! It's so yummy!"

That made him smile instantly, he tapped her button nose playfully and motioned for her to come closer to him. He leaned in as if to let her in on a secret. "There's another microphone hidden behind the karaoke machine, but make sure you don't tell Cai."

Her doe eyes expanded, and she gasped pushing the rest of her food into her mouth. Swallowing as fast as she could. She ran past him heading to the machine to find the spare mic. Silver simply smirked, standing up to his full height, and moved over to place the plate down onto the glass coffee table.

Lisa turned around at the smell of food, she let out a dramatic moan virtually leaping out of her seat to pluck a piece of bread. "Oh my god, finally!"

Silver gave her an odd look, taking a seat on the vacant love seat. "I'd rather cut off my own ears than listen to you make those sounds when you eat. It's fucking disgusting."

"You're fucking disgusting." Lisa bit back, flipping her middle finger up. Her ridiculous gesture resulted in Sofia sighing aloud.

"Oh yeah, because that's mature of you. How old are yo-"

Sofia was curled up against her husband concentrated on the TV screen when she heard the bickering start again. "Hey! Would the two of you shut up already, I can't hear the movie. Kaya and Cairo are children, so when they behave like this it's acceptable. You both on the other hand, are grown adults, so start acting like it."

Felicity rasped, "The only difference is that my babies don't bark at each other, not like these idiots."

Silver opened his mouth, but then shut it once he earned a warning glare from his oldest sister. It was only around his sisters that he was humbled and brought back down to planet earth. They knew precisely what buttons to push, and being the youngest boy in an Italian/Puerto Rican blended family, it was trained in him early on to always respect his elders. The childlike side emerged around them. His nostrils flared as he crossed his arms together in animosity.

He didn't respond, even when the burning comment was itching to leave his tongue.

Though he didn't have to sulk for too long because the sound of the doorbell ringing cut through the air. Getting up quickly, he headed for the front door muttering a string of curse words under his breath.

"It's my fucking house..." Silver grunted, unlocking the door before ripping it open.

"It's about time Eli, your aunts are driving me crazy."

His eyes dropped down onto his awaiting nephew, Elijah's tatted hand was the first thing he glanced at. He was holding out a bottle of wine and dressed in all black. The professor scoffed, opening the door out further to let him inside.

"That for me?"

Elijah shook his head, taking his shoes off as he was aware of the house rules his uncle maintained. When he turned to look at him, he gave a shrug, "Nah. I know you don't drink, Lisa told me to pick some up on the way here."

Silver huffed, "Of course she did."

However, before he could let go of the door and close it, Elijah stopped him nodding his head over at something behind him. He twisted round to look at what he was talking about and saw the curly locks come into his vision.

"Rainy's joining in on game night, that's okay with you isn't it?"

He watched as her figure neared them, coming out of the elevator and walking down the hallway of his apartment complex. The moment she looked away from her phone and up over at the ajar door, her eyes widened.

Clearing his throat, Silver nodded unable to tear his gaze away from her. "I guess so."