Taking Him In

• Chapter Twelve •

𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐
• ———— •

"Meryl White, huh?" Sage whistled, drying up a plate and sliding it into the cupboard. "Yeah- Kennedy said he's teaching lessons every... uh, Tuesdays and...?" Winter glanced at Kennedy hopelessly, he placed down his glass of beer. "Tuesdays and Fridays. Only thirty dollars a sessions" he shrugged, downing the last few sips. Sage upturned his lips in thought, grabbing a mug and wiping it down.

"Seems reasonable. What's his name again?" He sighed rhetorically, leaning on the counter and squinting at the ceiling. "Something Walters, right? Or Walters something" Kennedy supplied, pushing himself from the island counter chair and thumping to the sink. Sage spotting an escape threw the rag over his husbands shoulder and hurried over to the abandoned chair, sending his disgruntled glare a humoured smirk.

"Alistar Walters!" Sage suddenly gasped, hitting the counter top. "That's his name. One of the greatest ice-skating coaches of all time" he smiled warmly at Winter who fidgeted in his seat excitedly, hiding his own smile behind his sleeve. "So I can go..?"

"Course you can go. It'll do you good to get out of the house. And if you become more successful than our kids and nephews combined.. then" Sage chuckled, "it'll be painful irony"

Kennedy snorted from the sink, taking the task of finishing the dishes. Though he didn't mind much, they all shared the chores without any squabble. "I probably won't" Winter grunted dismissively, eying the snowy outside world through the glass doors.

"Don't doubt yourself, or I'll ground you" Sage threatened, wagging his finger at him with a fake stern expression, letting it melt away into calm serendipity.

"On the topic of your future... if you believe the skating won't work out, do you have any other ideas?" He brought up, Winter chewed his lip and awkwardly shifted where he sat, gazing at the sporadic patterns across the smooth countertops. He had no idea what he could do, without an education he was screwed for a good paying job. Seemingly any job for that matter. Community college was always a possibility, though the idea of schooling made him shudder. He experienced some of it in the orphanage and it was horrible. He wouldn't strive in that atmosphere at all.

"His only option is to win gold for archery, ice skating and... piano, in the Olympics" Kennedy pointed out.

Sage laughed, "piano? They don't play instruments, dumbass!"

Kennedy's low laugh bubbled in his throat, "I've never watched the damn thing!"

Winter scowled, "what's the Olympics?"

Sage sobered up quick, "you don't know? Oh, of course you don't... it's a tournament held every four years, the greatest athletes from across the world compete in their sport. For instance, archery, running... uh.." his hesitance made Kennedy lean over the sink and howl with laughter, Sage rolled his eyes.

"We're not a sports family" he explained, grabbing a fake apple from the bowl sitting on the counter and throwing it against Kennedy's head. He made a noise of surprise, picking it out of the sink and drying it off while shooting him an amused glare.

"Don't they do javelin? And swimming, ice skating! I think?" Sage groaned and pulled out his phone to research, Kennedy chuckled into the rag. "The Winter Olympics is the skating-oh!" He cackled, quickly making the connection. "The Winter Olympics made for yours truly" he cooed teasingly at Winter who sneered angrily, blushing, shifting away from his smug grin.

"Oh shut it! See! This is what I mean... adults naming their child stupid things to make fun of them" he groaned miserably, holding his head up on his chin.