Meeting the family...
Characters: Tag, Ewan, and Fiona Wood and Rachael Macmillan
Authors: leigh_lamb and kate_lamb
Date Set: March 2033 (Tag is 22, Ewan is 23, Fiona is 21, and Rachael is 18)
Rating: Teen
Summary: Fiona and Ewan decide to visit their brother and find he's not alone.
The fire lit up a bright green and a skinny young woman with dark hair and colorful tattoos tumbled out with a laugh, followed a moment later by a more graceful but similarly thin young man wearing a serious expression. Dusting herself off, Fiona climbed to her feet and started down the hall without hesitation.
"CON! Ewan and I have come to visit!" She threw open the bedroom door, ignoring the protestations from the brother she'd dragged along. At the sight that greeted her, Fiona's eyes went wide before her hand clapped over them. The sought brother had been found, looking surprised and rather obviously underdressed - with a woman Fi assumed was the 'Rachael' they'd all heard about. "Oh my gosh, Con. Are you having sex?"
Tag snorted, reaching for his pants. "No, Fi, I am not currently having sex. You might try knocking next time, though. Now get out so Rach and I can get some clothes on."
As soon as she'd heard the door fly open, Rachael had yanked the covers up and over her head, hoping to hide the dark red blush that stained her cheeks. This was not how she'd hoped to meet any member of Tag's family. Dear Merlin, kill me now.
"Sorry," the small woman murmured, backing out with her eyes still covered and closing the door. As she turned to Ewan, she snickered. "Well, that wasn't what I expected to find."
Raising a brow, Ewan turned and went to recline on the sofa while he waited for his younger brother and the girlfriend that seemed to come up in every conversation pulled themselves together. "I told you not to go in there. We both know you were hoping to embarrass him."
Fiona collapsed beside him, laying her head on his shoulder. "That's my job."
In the bedroom, Tag tugged gently at the comforter that obscured his lady friend from view. "Are you planning to come out, love? They do know you're here."
"If I stay here long enough, maybe they'll forget I was here and go away," she said, head popping out from under the blankets. This was mortifying.
"Not likely," he said with a grin, continuing his slow pull. "Relax, love, we weren't doing anything really, and believe it or not, my siblings are aware I'm not a virgin anymore. They aren't either."
"Neither are mine, but my brother sure as hell doesn't like to be reminded that I'm having sex."
"Well, if Noah shows up too, I'll let you hide again. Now come on and meet Fi and Ewan."
Rachael sighed and kicked the covers off. "Alright, if you insist," she said, summoning her Harpies jumper and denims.
Pulling her into his arms, Tag bent to plunder her mouth. He traced his thumb over a bare nipple, tugging lightly at Rachael's lip before he pulled away. "I'm not embarrassed for anyone to know you're mine, and that I get the privilege of taking you to my bed. I'm a helluva lucky man."
"So you keep reminding me," she teased, leaning in to give him one more quick kiss before she slipped into her bra and knickers. "Now tell me quick. Am I going out to face the Spanish Inquisition?"
"Maybe," he replied, considering the question. "Fi likes to ask questions that are uncomfortable to answer. She doesn't mean anything by it, though. Ewan's pretty quiet. Most likely he'll just observe most of the time."
"Okay then. So long as it's not like when Mum met Aunt Sorcha, I think I'll survive," she said as she pulled her jumper over her head.
That was a story Tag hadn't heard yet, but he let it go for now. His siblings were all over the map as far as personality, but they were all close knit and none, except maybe Isla, would approach his girlfriend with attitude. "I promise to keep you safe," he quipped, giving her a smack on the bum to start her toward the door.
"You better, sir, or you might find your bed rather lonely tonight," she replied, giving him a sweet smile.
"CON!" came Fiona's lilting voice down the hallway and Tag chuckled. "We'd best get out there before she comes after us.
Taking Rachael's hand, he led her into the living room, grinning a little at the red stain on his girlfriend's cheeks. "Keep your shirt on, Fi. You can't expect to wake a bloke up and have him bounding around a moment later."
The little brunette just grinned. "My shirt isn't the one that keeps slipping off." Dark eyes moving to the blonde at her brother's side, she offered, "Hallo. You must be Rachael."
Rachael gave a small smile and nodded. "You must be Fiona," she offered lamely.
"I am," Fiona confirmed. Leaning into her other brother's side, she added, "This is Ewan. He's not as grumpy as he likes to pretend."
"Bullshit," Tag coughed.
"Piss off, Connell," the thinner of the two men sniped. "It's nice to meet you, Rachael."
"It's nice to meet both of you, too," she replied, squeezing Tag's hand. "Tag talks about you both often."
Ewan eyed his brother a long moment, raising a brow at the crooked grin on the younger man's face. "It's all shite. Don't believe a word of it."
Tipping her head up, Fiona grimaced and flicked her the third eldest of her big brothers on the nose. "Be nice, Con's smitten with her and he'll be right brassed off if you make Rachael decide to flee. Won't you, Con?"
A heavy breath and something grumbled under his breath were Tag's only responses to his siblings' interaction. Skipping that conversation altogether, he asked, "What brings you by, then?"
"Mum wanted us to 'remind' you about Da's birthday dinner this weekend," Fi replied cheerily. "In other words, don't be late or you're in for it. The whole family will be there."
"Best not be late then, love," Rachael said, patting her boyfriend's arm. She wasn't too sure what to add to that, so she edged a bit towards the quiet side. From what she'd gathered, his family was just as loud and expansive as her own.
Tag grinned. "All of them, eh? Alright."
"And," the small brunette added with a cheeky grin, "she says to bring along an extra person to even up the teams. Mum was certain you knew someone who liked playing Quidditch." Dark eyes moved to Rachael and Fiona let out a small laugh.
"Oh?" Blue eyes darted up to Tag, her gaze questioning.
Pulling Rachael closer to his side, Tag bent to drop a kiss on her nose. "We have a regulation pitch on the grounds. Each time the family gets together we end up out there. Even number of cousins playing, but Da likes to play, too. Would be good to have another player to even things up. I hate to see an old man cry."
"Are you trying to ask me to come with you?" she asked impishly, blue eyes sparkling up at him.
"Connell doesn't ask," Ewan chimed in, looking bored. "He just talks a lot and hopes you put him out of his misery eventually."
"I'll put you out of your misery, Ewie," Tag threatened without venom.
"In that case, I'd love to go," she said as she leaned up to peck him on his cheek. "After all, we didn't even make it to dinner when you met my family."
Lips twitching into a grin, Tag kissed her soundly, ignoring the comments coming from the direction of his sofa. "Brill."
Fiona sat forward, eyes wide and curious. "What'd he do to get booted out before the meal?"
Rachael turned her attention back to Fiona. "It wasn't him, he was a perfect gentleman. It was my brother."
"Oh. I know how that goes." She sent a significant look at Ewan, who rolled his eyes. Returning her attention to the blonde Tag was snuggling, Fiona's smile grew. "This'll be fab. You can meet our other brothers, Duff and J.D., and our sister Isla. Then there's Mum and Da, Grandma and Grandpa Wood, all our aunts and uncles, our million and one cousins..."
"Fi," Tag warned, "quit trying to make her nervous."
"It's okay," Rachael said, giving the other woman a smile, "she's never met my extended family. I think I can handle whatever you've got."
Tag's lips curled. He couldn't deny that Rachael had 'handled' everything he'd thrown her way very capably. Very capably, indeed.
With a snort, Ewan nudged Fiona up from her cuddle position. "Come on, Fi. We've delivered the message and I believe our brother would like to go to bed."
Fiona's brow furrowed. "They just got... Oh. Ewwww." She gave Rachael an apologetic smile. "No offense."
"None taken." Truth be told, Rachael was looking forward to pushing her handsome devil of a boyfriend back into bed. While they hadn't been having sex yet when his siblings had arrived, they had been doing... other things.
Moving to her closest sibling, Fiona wrapped her arms around Tag's neck and hugged him tightly. The Wood family was close, but as the kids had grown and settled into their own lives they didn't see each other with the same frequency. "See you Saturday. Love you, Con."
"Love you, too, Fi," Tag replied, lifting his little sister from her feet just to hear her squeal. He set her down and gave his brother a more manly embrace. "Take it easy, Ew."
"'Easy' is my middle name," the older of the two quipped. They both knew 'taking it easy' wasn't in Ewan's vocabulary.
Without waiting for an invitation, Fiona hugged the woman her brother had become so fond of. "I'm glad to have finally met you. Con talks about you all the time. Mum and Da will love you. Just, you know, don't get pregnant or anything."
"Dear Merlin, that's the last thing I need. Coach would love that," Rachael replied after she'd gotten over her initial surprise at the hug. "It's nice to finally have met you. You too, Ewan."
Snickering at his overly-affectionate sister, Ewan went the more traditional route of offering his hand. "And you, Rachael," he answered, lips twitching as he added, "enjoy your evening."
She smiled and shook the serious man's hand. "Thank you," she said, "you as well."
"Alright," Tag said, raising his voice slightly as he herded his brother and sister toward the floo, "everyone who is not my girlfriend out now. I start shedding clothes in five... four..."
With another 'Ew', Fiona grabbed a pinch of floo powder and tugged Ewan into the green flame with her.
"... three... two..."
"Buckland Manor!" she shouted. A moment later they were gone.
"One." Tag pulled his shirt over his head, letting it drop where he stood. "Now that we're alone..."
With a wicked grin, Rachael reached out to grasp his hips, tugging him to her. "C'mere, you. I believe we were in the middle of something."
"So we were," he murmured, just before his lips claimed her.
Authors: leigh_lamb and kate_lamb
Date Set: March 2033 (Tag is 22, Ewan is 23, Fiona is 21, and Rachael is 18)
Rating: Teen
Summary: Fiona and Ewan decide to visit their brother and find he's not alone.
The fire lit up a bright green and a skinny young woman with dark hair and colorful tattoos tumbled out with a laugh, followed a moment later by a more graceful but similarly thin young man wearing a serious expression. Dusting herself off, Fiona climbed to her feet and started down the hall without hesitation.
"CON! Ewan and I have come to visit!" She threw open the bedroom door, ignoring the protestations from the brother she'd dragged along. At the sight that greeted her, Fiona's eyes went wide before her hand clapped over them. The sought brother had been found, looking surprised and rather obviously underdressed - with a woman Fi assumed was the 'Rachael' they'd all heard about. "Oh my gosh, Con. Are you having sex?"
Tag snorted, reaching for his pants. "No, Fi, I am not currently having sex. You might try knocking next time, though. Now get out so Rach and I can get some clothes on."
As soon as she'd heard the door fly open, Rachael had yanked the covers up and over her head, hoping to hide the dark red blush that stained her cheeks. This was not how she'd hoped to meet any member of Tag's family. Dear Merlin, kill me now.
"Sorry," the small woman murmured, backing out with her eyes still covered and closing the door. As she turned to Ewan, she snickered. "Well, that wasn't what I expected to find."
Raising a brow, Ewan turned and went to recline on the sofa while he waited for his younger brother and the girlfriend that seemed to come up in every conversation pulled themselves together. "I told you not to go in there. We both know you were hoping to embarrass him."
Fiona collapsed beside him, laying her head on his shoulder. "That's my job."
In the bedroom, Tag tugged gently at the comforter that obscured his lady friend from view. "Are you planning to come out, love? They do know you're here."
"If I stay here long enough, maybe they'll forget I was here and go away," she said, head popping out from under the blankets. This was mortifying.
"Not likely," he said with a grin, continuing his slow pull. "Relax, love, we weren't doing anything really, and believe it or not, my siblings are aware I'm not a virgin anymore. They aren't either."
"Neither are mine, but my brother sure as hell doesn't like to be reminded that I'm having sex."
"Well, if Noah shows up too, I'll let you hide again. Now come on and meet Fi and Ewan."
Rachael sighed and kicked the covers off. "Alright, if you insist," she said, summoning her Harpies jumper and denims.
Pulling her into his arms, Tag bent to plunder her mouth. He traced his thumb over a bare nipple, tugging lightly at Rachael's lip before he pulled away. "I'm not embarrassed for anyone to know you're mine, and that I get the privilege of taking you to my bed. I'm a helluva lucky man."
"So you keep reminding me," she teased, leaning in to give him one more quick kiss before she slipped into her bra and knickers. "Now tell me quick. Am I going out to face the Spanish Inquisition?"
"Maybe," he replied, considering the question. "Fi likes to ask questions that are uncomfortable to answer. She doesn't mean anything by it, though. Ewan's pretty quiet. Most likely he'll just observe most of the time."
"Okay then. So long as it's not like when Mum met Aunt Sorcha, I think I'll survive," she said as she pulled her jumper over her head.
That was a story Tag hadn't heard yet, but he let it go for now. His siblings were all over the map as far as personality, but they were all close knit and none, except maybe Isla, would approach his girlfriend with attitude. "I promise to keep you safe," he quipped, giving her a smack on the bum to start her toward the door.
"You better, sir, or you might find your bed rather lonely tonight," she replied, giving him a sweet smile.
"CON!" came Fiona's lilting voice down the hallway and Tag chuckled. "We'd best get out there before she comes after us.
Taking Rachael's hand, he led her into the living room, grinning a little at the red stain on his girlfriend's cheeks. "Keep your shirt on, Fi. You can't expect to wake a bloke up and have him bounding around a moment later."
The little brunette just grinned. "My shirt isn't the one that keeps slipping off." Dark eyes moving to the blonde at her brother's side, she offered, "Hallo. You must be Rachael."
Rachael gave a small smile and nodded. "You must be Fiona," she offered lamely.
"I am," Fiona confirmed. Leaning into her other brother's side, she added, "This is Ewan. He's not as grumpy as he likes to pretend."
"Bullshit," Tag coughed.
"Piss off, Connell," the thinner of the two men sniped. "It's nice to meet you, Rachael."
"It's nice to meet both of you, too," she replied, squeezing Tag's hand. "Tag talks about you both often."
Ewan eyed his brother a long moment, raising a brow at the crooked grin on the younger man's face. "It's all shite. Don't believe a word of it."
Tipping her head up, Fiona grimaced and flicked her the third eldest of her big brothers on the nose. "Be nice, Con's smitten with her and he'll be right brassed off if you make Rachael decide to flee. Won't you, Con?"
A heavy breath and something grumbled under his breath were Tag's only responses to his siblings' interaction. Skipping that conversation altogether, he asked, "What brings you by, then?"
"Mum wanted us to 'remind' you about Da's birthday dinner this weekend," Fi replied cheerily. "In other words, don't be late or you're in for it. The whole family will be there."
"Best not be late then, love," Rachael said, patting her boyfriend's arm. She wasn't too sure what to add to that, so she edged a bit towards the quiet side. From what she'd gathered, his family was just as loud and expansive as her own.
Tag grinned. "All of them, eh? Alright."
"And," the small brunette added with a cheeky grin, "she says to bring along an extra person to even up the teams. Mum was certain you knew someone who liked playing Quidditch." Dark eyes moved to Rachael and Fiona let out a small laugh.
"Oh?" Blue eyes darted up to Tag, her gaze questioning.
Pulling Rachael closer to his side, Tag bent to drop a kiss on her nose. "We have a regulation pitch on the grounds. Each time the family gets together we end up out there. Even number of cousins playing, but Da likes to play, too. Would be good to have another player to even things up. I hate to see an old man cry."
"Are you trying to ask me to come with you?" she asked impishly, blue eyes sparkling up at him.
"Connell doesn't ask," Ewan chimed in, looking bored. "He just talks a lot and hopes you put him out of his misery eventually."
"I'll put you out of your misery, Ewie," Tag threatened without venom.
"In that case, I'd love to go," she said as she leaned up to peck him on his cheek. "After all, we didn't even make it to dinner when you met my family."
Lips twitching into a grin, Tag kissed her soundly, ignoring the comments coming from the direction of his sofa. "Brill."
Fiona sat forward, eyes wide and curious. "What'd he do to get booted out before the meal?"
Rachael turned her attention back to Fiona. "It wasn't him, he was a perfect gentleman. It was my brother."
"Oh. I know how that goes." She sent a significant look at Ewan, who rolled his eyes. Returning her attention to the blonde Tag was snuggling, Fiona's smile grew. "This'll be fab. You can meet our other brothers, Duff and J.D., and our sister Isla. Then there's Mum and Da, Grandma and Grandpa Wood, all our aunts and uncles, our million and one cousins..."
"Fi," Tag warned, "quit trying to make her nervous."
"It's okay," Rachael said, giving the other woman a smile, "she's never met my extended family. I think I can handle whatever you've got."
Tag's lips curled. He couldn't deny that Rachael had 'handled' everything he'd thrown her way very capably. Very capably, indeed.
With a snort, Ewan nudged Fiona up from her cuddle position. "Come on, Fi. We've delivered the message and I believe our brother would like to go to bed."
Fiona's brow furrowed. "They just got... Oh. Ewwww." She gave Rachael an apologetic smile. "No offense."
"None taken." Truth be told, Rachael was looking forward to pushing her handsome devil of a boyfriend back into bed. While they hadn't been having sex yet when his siblings had arrived, they had been doing... other things.
Moving to her closest sibling, Fiona wrapped her arms around Tag's neck and hugged him tightly. The Wood family was close, but as the kids had grown and settled into their own lives they didn't see each other with the same frequency. "See you Saturday. Love you, Con."
"Love you, too, Fi," Tag replied, lifting his little sister from her feet just to hear her squeal. He set her down and gave his brother a more manly embrace. "Take it easy, Ew."
"'Easy' is my middle name," the older of the two quipped. They both knew 'taking it easy' wasn't in Ewan's vocabulary.
Without waiting for an invitation, Fiona hugged the woman her brother had become so fond of. "I'm glad to have finally met you. Con talks about you all the time. Mum and Da will love you. Just, you know, don't get pregnant or anything."
"Dear Merlin, that's the last thing I need. Coach would love that," Rachael replied after she'd gotten over her initial surprise at the hug. "It's nice to finally have met you. You too, Ewan."
Snickering at his overly-affectionate sister, Ewan went the more traditional route of offering his hand. "And you, Rachael," he answered, lips twitching as he added, "enjoy your evening."
She smiled and shook the serious man's hand. "Thank you," she said, "you as well."
"Alright," Tag said, raising his voice slightly as he herded his brother and sister toward the floo, "everyone who is not my girlfriend out now. I start shedding clothes in five... four..."
With another 'Ew', Fiona grabbed a pinch of floo powder and tugged Ewan into the green flame with her.
"... three... two..."
"Buckland Manor!" she shouted. A moment later they were gone.
"One." Tag pulled his shirt over his head, letting it drop where he stood. "Now that we're alone..."
With a wicked grin, Rachael reached out to grasp his hips, tugging him to her. "C'mere, you. I believe we were in the middle of something."
"So we were," he murmured, just before his lips claimed her.