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togrowoldinv · 10 months

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The Beach House Part 2

Natasha Romanoff x Female Reader, Yelena Belova x Female Reader

You deal with the aftermath of finding out both sisters have a crush on you and of kissing them both

Note: Woohoo part 2! Find part 1 here. I enjoyed writing this one. Hope you enjoy reading it and finding out who reader ends up with!

Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 1, Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 2, Main Masterlist

The next morning the sun shines through your window. You groan and roll over to try and fall asleep. Last night felt like a dream and a nightmare at the same time.

You finally kissed Natasha, the girl you have been dreaming about since you were young. But you also kissed Yelena, your best friend who you think could be more.

When you finally get out of bed, you go downstairs to see Nat and Yelena sitting at the bar with Melina across from them. You try to go back up the stairs, but Melina sees you.

“Come on in,” Melina calls after you. “I made pancakes.”

“Thank you, Melina,” you say, entering the kitchen with nerves.

Both girls look at you and you give them a nervous smile. Natasha shares it, but Yelena just shakes her head. Breakfast drags by and you retreat to your room right after.

No one bothers you for a couple hours, but then you hear a knock on your door.

“Who is it?” you ask.

“Natasha,” comes the voice.

You stand up from your bed and straighten your clothing.

“Come in.”

The girl enters your room, and she smiles at you. She is wearing a red bikini that you have a hard time averting your eyes from.

“Hey, do you want to go surfing?” She asks.

“Oh, who’s all going?”

“Just me and you. Yelena is not feeling well, so she’s just resting in her room,” Natasha explains.

“Sure. I’ll get changed,” you say. You might as well face the music.

“See you in a minute,” Nat says. She drops a kiss to your cheek before she leaves your room.

You get changed and meet Natasha out by the beach. She carries both of your boards, refusing to let you help. Things go pretty normally until you’re both taking a break and sitting on your boards in the water.

“So, about last night,” Natasha begins. “You left abruptly. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” you say. “It was just a lot. And unexpected.”

“I’d say it’s been a long time coming,” Nat comments. “But I understand if you don’t want to do it again.”

“I do, trust me. It’s just-”

“Just what, detka?” Natasha asks.

She leans closer to you and brushes her knuckles softly over your cheek.

“Never mind,” you whisper.

Natasha closes the distance between the two of you and kisses you. Her hands tangle in your wet hair as she kisses you. Her tongue brushes against your lips and you gasp. She takes advantage and deepens the kiss.

You kiss for a while before Nat pulls away. She keeps her hands on you as she suggests going back to the house for lunch. As you approach the house, you feel your nerves again.

Inside, Natasha makes sandwiches. She makes an extra one and asks you to take it to Yelena. You knock on her door, and you hear her mumble to come in.

“Hey, I brought you a sandwich,” you say. “Well, technically Nat made it, but here you go.”

She doesn’t turn around in the bed. You sit next to her and tap her shoulder. You used to wake each other up like this when you were kids, so you didn’t expect her to react badly to it.

“Go away, y/n,” Yelena says.

“Yelena,” you try. “What’s wrong?”

“Just go away.”

You relent and leave the room. When you get back downstairs, Nat is still in the kitchen.

“Did she eat it?” She asks you.

“She wouldn’t even look at me,” you reply.

“Oh, I’m sorry, sweetheart. Come here,” Natasha says, opening her arms for you. You hug her and she rubs your back softly. “It’s okay.”

You sit at the bar and eat your lunch while Nat takes a try at talking to her sister.

“Hey Yel,” Natasha says as she enters her room. She walks around Yelena’s bed to see her face covered with tears. “What’s wrong, malyshka?”

“Nothing,” the girl mumbles.

“Hey, come on. It’s me. Tell me what’s wrong,” Nat tries. “Or else I’ll start singing Chiquitita from Mamma Mia.”

That gets a slight smile from Yelena and Nat lays down next to her. She pulls her sister into her chest and lets her cry.

“I kissed y/n,” Yelena admits after crying for a few minutes.

“Oh. And how did that go?” Nat asks, fighting her own feelings about it.

The blonde removes herself from her sister’s arms and sits up in the bed. Nat sits up next to her.

“Cut the shit. I know she kissed you,” Yelena says.

“You saw us this morning?”

“No. I saw you last night. You kissed again?”

Nat avoids eye contact with Yelena. She knows the answer.

“I don’t think y/n knows we know about each other’s kissing,” Natasha says. “We should tell her.”

“Maybe,” Yelena says. “Do you like her?”

“Yeah. Do you like her?”

“Yep,” Yelena answers. “Are you going to kiss her again?”

“I hope so. Are you?”

“I don’t know.”

The two girls talk for a while longer, but they come to no conclusions. Truly, you would have to be the one to work through your feelings.

That is if their own impatience doesn’t get in the way.

Later that day, Yelena is watching tv in the living room and you approach her.

“Mind if I join?”

She doesn’t respond, but she doesn’t protest when you sit on the couch next to her. Usually, you would sit practically on top of one another and binge your favorite shows together.

It’s quiet for a while before Yelena pauses the tv and turns to you.

“Y/n,” she begins. “I know you said yesterday that we should just be friends.”

“Yel-”

“Let me say this,” she interrupts you. “Tell me you feel something here too. I don’t want to throw the towel in on this. I think we should try.”

“Yelena, I have to tell you something,” you say.

“I know you kissed Natasha,” she says. “I deserve the chance to be with you too, so I won’t let up. Not unless you ask me to.”

Your head is spinning. You thought you made up your mind at least slightly this morning, but here and now with Yelena fighting for you so passionately you’re confused again.

“I’d like to kiss you again,” Yelena says. “To make it even.”

“O-okay,” you agree.

She pulls you by the front of your shirt into her lap and she kisses you. It’s much more passionate than last night’s. Her hands move your waist against hers and the feeling is overwhelmingly good.

She moves from kissing your lips to kissing your neck. Definitely leaving marks on her path.

“Yelena,” you breathe out. She doesn’t stop. Her perfect lips land back on yours.

It’s not until the front door opens that she releases you from her grasp. The last thing any of you want is for the parents to know what’s going on.

You fix your clothes and hair just in time for Alexei to enter the room.

“Hey girls! I have brought your old favorite movie,” he says happily. He supplies a dvd from his bag.

“Papa, I think we’re a little too old for Monsters Inc.,” Yelena says.

“Nonsense! You, y/n, and Natasha must have a movie night,” Alexei says. “Natasha!” He calls for her up the stairs.

The redhead makes herself seen at the step just low enough for her father to talk to her.

“You must come down for a movie party,” he says to her. “I got the monsters one.”

“I was going to go out actually so-”

“Nope. You are going to sit here with your sister and your friend. Come on, rebenok. Let’s go,” Alexei doesn’t leave her room for argument.

He drops the dvd on the coffee table and disappears to find his wife. Natasha sits next to you. You’re in the middle of the girls in more ways than one.

You put the movie in, but the three of you can’t focus on it. Yelena wants to drag you to her room to be alone with you after that kiss. And Natasha wants to be alone with you so she can talk to you.

The first hour drags by and you excuse yourself to the kitchen to get a drink. Natasha follows you in there, so when you shut the fridge you are met with the older girl.

“Hey, can we talk?” She asks.

“We should get back to the movie, Nat.”

“Okay,” she says. “But hey, I really like you. And I want to do this. I want to be with you.”

“Natasha, it’s not that simple. I wish it was, but it’s just not.”

Nat nods and leans against the counter. She knows it’s not simple. She’s known that for years.

You sigh and stand next to her. Your hand brushes over hers and she smiles.

“Let’s go watch the rest of the movie,” you suggest. She agrees.

You kiss her cheek quickly and she blushes. Taking a mental picture, you grin at the girl. You’ve never seen her like this before.

When you return to the living room, Yelena sits with her arms crossed. She huffs at the way you and Nat seem perfectly content.

“You alright?” You ask her.

“Fine,” comes the quick, guarded response.

You turn your attention back to the movie and try to pretend like everything’s fine. Your efforts fail before the next ten minutes are over.

Natasha notices you seem cold from being near the air conditioning, so she slips off her extra layer and drapes the light jacket over your shoulders.

You offer her a soft smile that she returns.

Out of what you can only consider is jealousy, Yelena’s hand makes it’s way to your thigh and it’s just a little bit too friendly for an old times movie night gesture.

“Yel, what are you doing?” You whisper to her.

“You’re cold and my hands are warm,” she says simply. You almost smile, but then her next words come. “I can’t let her be the only one to comfort you.”

“Seriously? This is about some competition between you and Nat?” You ask her, but you say it loud enough for both girls to hear.

You stand up from the couch and face both of them. They look up at you like guilty children waiting for their punishment.

“Y/n, we-” Nat tries but you cut her off.

“No. You’re not possibly fighting over me. Me? It doesn’t even make sense.”

“It does actually,” Yelena says. “We both like you. And if I recall correctly, you’re the one who’s kissed us both repeatedly.”

“Yeah. We know about you kissing us both,” Nat says. “But I don’t care. I want to be with you.”

“I want to be with you more,” Yelena asserts herself.

“You know what this is just too much. I can’t do this,” you say. You start to leave the room and both girls follow after you.

“Y/n, please you can’t honestly blame this on us. You like us too,” Natasha says.

“I did. Now I’m just, confused. And I’m hurt. And I feel like you’re only trying to get me to make the other person jealous. So, excuse me I’m going to get some air,” you say.

Both girls relent and you go outside. The salt air offers little comfort. Especially when you can hear the girls inside yelling at each other.

You walk to the driveway and get out your phone. Surely, there’s someone to help you feel better right now.

You click on a contact and make the call. Ten minutes later the girl is in your driveway with a soft smile to offer.

She drives you to the ice cream shop. You try not to remember all the time you spent here with Nat and Yelena. She catches you lost in a memory.

“Hey, not that I’m not happy to be here with you, but why did you call me?”

“Yeah it surprised me too. My choice. But I thought you were the best choice,” you say. “I’m sorry for dragging you out, Kate.”

The girl shakes her head. You weren’t bothering her in the slightest. She was, if anything, curious as to why you invited her out.

“Did something happen with Yelena? Or Nat?” She asks.

“Both. Neither. I don’t know.”

“You’ve known them a long time, yeah?”

“Pretty much my whole life. Yelena is my best friend. And Nat, well she’s Nat,” you say. “I never thought things could get so complicated with us.”

“I got the vibe that they both liked you, but I have I admit I was hoping it wasn’t true. For purely selfish reasons,” Kate admits.

You look down at your ice cream and sigh. So many feelings got tangled up in this.

“I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, I think Yelena really likes you.”

“She just likes you more,” she retorts. You shake your head. “No?”

“No. I think Yelena is just trying to make this happen between us so she has someone. She’s not shown any interest in me before,” you explain.

“But this summer apparently you have both of their attentions.”

“Apparently. I used to dream of the day Natasha Romanoff would like me and outwardly declare it. But now I’m just-”

“Lost,” Kate supplies.

“Yep,” you say. “Listen, when this all blows over I do hope that you and Yelena can be together.”

“You’re saying you choose Nat?”

“I’m saying I think Yelena is just being competitive and doesn’t want Nat to have me. We kissed on the Ferris wheel that night, but we decided to just be friends,” you explain.

“That night she did text me to hang out. I didn’t know you had kissed though,” Kate says.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” you say.

“Not your fault,” the girl replies. “I still think you might’ve agreed to the just friends thing and she didn’t.”

“Maybe. It’s all so messed up,” you say.

“That’s what chocolate syrup is for,” Kate says. She grins and pours more syrup onto your ice cream.

You spend a couple more hours out with the girl and find it surprisingly fun to have made a new friend.

When you arrive back at the house, Yelena is sitting by the pool. You walk by her and she looks at you.

“You alright?” She asks.

“I don’t know, Yel.”

You sit next to her and join her with your feet in the pool. She leans her head on your shoulder. You can’t help but kiss her hair softly. Yelena smiles and nestles further into you. You miss being this close to her just as it used to be.

“I’m sorry,” Yelena says. “Really.”

You can count on one hand how many times the girl has truly ever said that to you first. She always means it when she says it, but it’s just rare she offers up the first apology.

“I’m sorry too.” It’s quiet for a moment. The only sound is your feet splashing in the water. “Yelena, can you be honest with me?”

“I can try,” she says, a little chuckle comes out of her lips. You nudge her with your shoulder and she lifts her head off of you. “Of course I’ll be honest, y/n.”

You take a deep breath and look her face over. Her green eyes with a hint of brown are the perfect hue. And her nose that scrunches when she laughs is adorable. And her lips, god her lips are your new favorite part of her. The way they are plump and soft. Perfect for your pleasure.

She smiles at you and you remember you were going to say something that will make her do the opposite.

“Yelena, we’ve been friends forever. Like our whole lives, right?” You begin. The girl nods. “And you know I love you, I do. This summer has been insane. I never knew you might be attracted to me.”

“Well, that’s on you. You’re beautiful,” Yelena says. “You always have been.”

“So, why this summer?”

“Why did I kiss you?” She asks for clarification. When you nod, she continues. “I guess I just felt like it. I just wanted to. But that’s not a good reason, is it?”

“I wouldn’t say that. It’s just- I feel like you’ve always known I had a crush on Natasha. And I overheard you two talking about liking me,” you explain. “It just feels like maybe you did it because Natasha wanted to.”

Yelena squints her eyes in a thinking motion. There was always a competitive element to her and Natasha’s sisterhood.

“If that’s not the reason, then that’s okay,” you add.

“I don’t know,” Yelena admits. “Some part of me just really wanted to, but I understand your concerns. Natasha and I do tend to fight over things we both want. It’s usually the last piece of watermelon and not the girl we love’s heart though.”

Heat rises up your neck at the word love.

“Well, how about this, why don’t you kiss me again? Right now. Out here with no other feelings or people but us. And if you still feel like you want this, then maybe we can go on a date?”

“But you are in love with Natasha,” she debates.

“Just kiss me, Yelena.”

The blonde tenderly grips her hands over your cheeks and pulls you in for a kiss. You kiss her back, letting yourself relax into her hold. Yelena kisses you slowly, like she’s trying to memorize the feeling. Like it’ll be the last time.

When she pulls away, she keeps your face in her hands and kisses your forehead.

“Go get her,” she says, fighting back tears.

“Yelena,” you whisper, touching her own cheek. You brush your hand softly over her flushed cheek. She whimpers softly.

“I love you and I could probably kiss you for forever. I know you love me too. But she’s in love with you and you’re in love with her. There’s a difference,” Yelena says.

“You’re my person,” you tell her. “Always.”

“You’re my person too. Forever.”

You leave her with a quick kiss to her cheek. Going inside, you walk to Natasha’s room. You knock on the door.

“It’s open,” she says. “Oh hey, y/n, are you okay?”

She stands up from her bed and looks you over with concern.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Just told Yelena that we’re just going to be friends,” you say.

Natasha reaches for you, but stops herself.

“Can I hug you?” She asks shyly. You nod and she pulls you into her warm arms. It feels like coming home.

She keeps you in her arms for as long as you need.

“Natasha, did you mean it when you said you really want to be with me?”

“I’ve never meant anything more. Ever.”

“Ask me out then,” you say. A smirk appears on her face.

“Will you go on a date with me?” Natasha asks.

“Yes,” you answer quickly. You share a laugh with her. “But let’s keep thing’s respectful in front of Yelena, okay? I didn’t mean to hurt her.”

“I know. She knows too. I guess I can try to resist kissing you in front of her,” Natasha says. She pulls you close again and presses kisses to your cheeks. You giggle and she keeps going. “But it’s hard when you’re so damn cute.”

The rest of the summer goes by with much less drama. You and Natasha spend so much time together and by the end of the season you’re sure that you’re each other’s forever.

Yelena bounces back and finds her way into Kate’s heart, just as you expected she would. And you two remain best friends.

Things changed this summer, but in many ways they stayed exactly the same.

#natasha romanoff x reader #yelena belova x reader #the beach house #natasha romanoff #yelena belova #kate bishop

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liiilyevans · 10 months

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The Beach House

Summary: Roxanne Weasley grew up in summers at a beach house that belonged to the the Woods.

Or, a collection of one shots detailing the one week Roxanne spent with the Woods and Jordans every summer. Featuring wise parents, unbreakable friendships, and obnoxious boys.

Read on AO3 or FF.NET

I was raised on the chaos of a big family — deafening laughter, constant screaming matches, and joyous sobs. And I loved it. Loved every minute I got to spend with my loud, chaotic family. We had dinner together every Sunday at my grandparents’ house, and it was always a madhouse through the summers when all the grandkids and the parents were there. But there was one week every year when my life was slightly less chaotic, and that was the week that my family spent with the Jordans and the Woods every summer.

The Beach House belonged to Katie and Oliver, and it was like my second home despite only being there one week out of the year. It was cozy, right on the beach so we could run right down to the ocean. Originally, it wasn’t a big house, but Katie added on to it. There were three bedrooms and a master bath upstairs. If you went downstairs, you’d be in the living room. The back hallway was to the right and there were four bedrooms back there along with two baths. If you went left, you’d come to the kitchen, which had an amazing view of the ocean. Beyond that was the extension that Katie and Oliver added that housed two bedrooms and a sunroom with floor to ceiling windows. To say it was the most amazing place on Earth was an understatement.

Looking back, I realized I grew up in summers, with their heartaches and life lessons, particularly during those weeks I spent at the Beach House. I credit that to my second family — the Woods and the Jordans. We spent a week in summer together, our families did things together around the holidays, and our Floos were connected for spontaneous visits, which I found out when I was eight. Katie and Alicia were more like second mums to me than just my mum’s friends. And when the boys were too much or I was overwhelmed with my life, they were always there.

I named those summers after my age. It was a joke between me and my dad, and I only remembered it because he kept the tradition alive. When I was little, we’d go down and collect shells on the beach a lot, or rather I’d gather the shells and he’d carry the bucket around since I was too little. I liked to name the shells and tell him the names I’d come up with as I dropped them into the bucket. Dad would always smile and if I struggled, he’d suggest something completely outrageous that I would immediately agree to. Well, I said I wanted to name a particularly shiny one Summer Four after the year. Dad asked me what I meant, and I explained that it was Summer Four because I was four obviously. Dad laughed, and I remember him throwing his head back and the sun reflecting brightly off his hair and beard. Then he agreed with me, that it was Summer Four, and he should have known.

My dad is great like that.

But Summer Four was easy.

Summer Six not so much.

I sit at the table in the kitchen while Katie works on lunch and Oliver grills our fish outside. The kitchen smells like beans and peas and fried onion gravy. I love it. Katie is one of the best cooks in the world, and I’m content to sit at the counter and color in my book while she cooks. Besides, Katie always listens to me talk about Miko, the puppy that I’m going to get as soon as I convince Mama and Daddy that I should be allowed to have a dog.

“And he’s going to do tricks and be the bestest dog,” I say as I pick up a green crayon. “Oh, and he’ll dance with me. What other ballerina has a dog to dance with?”

Katie raises her eyebrows, a smile bright on her face. As long as I can remember, Katie has always been able to light up a room like that. She’s like the sun with her blonde fringe and pretty blue eyes. She’s like looking at happiness in a bottle. I love that about her.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a dog in a ballet,” she says.

I pick up the yellow crayon. This picture needs to be as bright as Katie is. “That’s because I’ll be the first. It’ll be the coolest.”

“I’m sure it will, sweetheart,” she says as she stirs her peas.

Oliver comes in then and sets the fish on the table next to me. I wrinkle my nose. Oliver is definitely not as good a cook as Katie because the fish are black as coal.

“I think you burned them,” I say.

“I didn’t burn them, lass,” Oliver says fondly. “They’re charred.”

“If you say so,” I mutter as I go back to my picture.

“Why aren’t you out playing with the boys?” Oliver asks as he pulls a water out of the fridge.

The boys. My brother, Brandon Jordan, and Jack and Hunter Wood. The bane of my existence.

“Because they told me I couldn’t play with them,” I say bitterly. “No girls allowed.”

Normally, I’d tell my parents about that, especially since it was Freddy’s rule, but they’re in town shopping.

Katie’s brow furrows. “You told me you didn’t want to play with them.”

I pick up a blue crayon. “I lied.”

Oliver coughs, but he’s also smiling. I don’t get why adults smile and cough.

Katie wipes her hands on a dish towel before opening the back door and loudly calling for the boys. When they don’t come right away, she steps onto the porch, the door clicking shut behind her.

“You need to come tell us when they’re excluding you, lass,” Oliver says gently. “Can’t do anything about it if we don’t know it’s happening.”

I shrug. I am hurt by it, but the boys have always done this, and the only person who can really make them stop is my mum. I’m just waiting for her to get home.

“Get in here right now,” I hear Katie saying as the door opens. In marches my brother, his thick hair frizzy and his brown eyes very clearly annoyed when he sees me. Behind him is Jack his blonde hair damp with sweat, then his mini me Hunter, and finally, Brandon, his curly hair cropped close to his head. They know why they’re in trouble. I can see it in their faces.

“Why is Roxanne in here alone?” Katie asks, tapping her foot.

“Because she wants to be?” It’s Jack who answers and he sounds hopeful, like his mum isn’t glaring daggers at him.

I set my crayon down. “Wrong.”

Freddy glares at me.

“She said that you all told her it was no girls allowed,” Katie says, narrowing her eyes.

“But, Mum, she’s a baby,” Hunter protests, jabbing a finger in my direction.

I’m highly offended by that. I am only two years younger than him and loads smarter. I put on my meanest look, hoping I look like my mum when she’s upset. Mamma’s scary when she gets angry.

“I am not a baby,” I say loudly. I stand up in my chair and press my hands into the table.

“Hunter,” Oliver says. He’s glaring, and he glares a lot better than me.

“Take her with you,” Katie says, and that’s the end of discussion. I can it see by the annoyed look on the boys’ faces. Smiling, I hop down from the chair. “And be nice.”

The boys trudge onto the back porch and down the steps. I skip down after them, excited to have finally been included. The boys don’t look thrilled, but I’m sure once we get to play, they’ll get over it.

Freddy eyes me for a moment, then looks back at the other boys. “Let’s race.”

Before I can even say a word, they’re off like a bolt of lightning, leaving me at the end of the steps.

“Wait for me!” I yell as I race after them. I’ve always been small, but I pump my legs as fast as I can after them. Freddy’s leading the group with Hunter and Jack flanking him and Brandon making up the rear. They’re cresting the small hill near the fence line. Once they reach the fence, they’ll be on the beach, and I can’t let them get that far. Not without me. I push myself up the hill. They’re already out of sight, but I know I can catch them if I make it down this hill.

Only I don’t make it down, or at least, I don’t run down. My foot catches something at the top, twisting hard. Tendrils of pain shoot up my leg, and I’m falling. The sand is sliding under me as I roll over and over. I get some up my nose, but I can’t cough it out. I can’t stop myself, and I know I’m going to roll to the bottom. My arm gets caught under me and I hear a faint grinding noise, then I’m looking up at the clear blue sky. I can’t breathe for a minute, all the air swishing from my lungs. I vaguely hear someone call my name, and then Freddy’s face pops in front of my eyes as he kneels next to me. I can’t even manage to glare at him.

He looks concerned then the other boys’ faces appear, Hunter standing behind Freddy, then Jack and Brandon on my right side. They’re hateful gits, the lot of them, and they’ve no right to look so concerned when this is their fault.

“Well, stop crying,” Freddy mutters. I can tell by the way his eyes slide away from me that he feels guilty.

I don’t even realize I am crying.

Jack clears his throat. “Um, I think . . .” He glances at my face then back to Freddy. “I think it’s broken.”

What? I turn my head to look at Jack, but my gaze locks on my right arm and its funny angle. When I realize they’re talking about my arm, I scream. That’s when I start to feel the pain. It’s like someone took a knife and stabbed my arm. It shoots upward to my shoulder. I sob. Loudly.

Freddy rolls his eyes. “Stop crying.” This time he sounds more serious and less guilty.

I glare. “You’re not the one with a b-broken b-bone.”

“Can you get up?” Jack asks. His brown eyes are filled with kindness. He is always the nicest one out of all the boys.

“No,” I whine.

“Here.” He gently wraps an arm around my shoulders and helps me into a sitting position. The pain is unbearable. I think I might puke.

“She looks green,” Hunter says.

What?!

“Help me get her up,” Jack says. “It’ll be ok. My mum can fix it.”

I doubt that anyone can fix the pain currently racing up my arm.

“I’m not touching her,” Hunter says. “What if she screams again?”

Jack looks annoyed. “Here make sure you hold your arm in. If it flops around, it’ll hurt more.” Jack slowly pushes my arm into my chest, and I cry harder. How is anything supposed to hurt more than that? I grab my elbow to keep it in place as I try to make out my surroundings. The tears are blocking my eyesight something terrible. I feel another pair of hands on the other side of me. After blinking a few times, I can finally see again. Freddy is still kneeling beside me, and Hunter’s standing in front of me. It’s Jack and Brandon who are on either side of me.

“Can you stand up?” Jack asks.

I sniff loudly. “Maybe.”

“We’ll help you,” he says. And they do, gently easing me onto my feet. It wouldn’t be so bad if even that slight jarring didn’t cause pain to shoot up my arm.

“I wanna go home,” I cry.

“We will, we will,” Jack says, and I can hear the panic in his voice. “It’s just over the hill. Come on.”

We start up the hill, and every step I take is excruciating. I can feel it in my arm every time I move. Jack tucks me into his side, and Brandon flanks the other side of me, watching me out of the corner of his eye. The sand slides beneath my feet, causing more pain to shoot up my arm. Why did I ever want to come out and play with them in the first place?

“We’re gonna get in trouble,” Brandon mutters.

“You should,” I say. “You practically pushed me.”

“No one pushed you,” Freddy says from behind me.

“You might as well have,” I sniff.

When we reach the top of the bank, I see Oliver running up the hill toward us and I’ve never been so happy to see an adult in my life. His brown hair is sticking up in different directions like he’s been pulling at it. When his eyes land on me, they widen comically and he quickens his pace up the hill, reaching us within two strides. He drops down in front of me and Jack.

“Are you alright, lass?” he asks. “I heard you scream.”

I sniff. “I-it hurts.”

“I think her arm is broken,” Jack says. “She fell down the hill.”

Oliver looks like he wants to ask about that, but his lips tighten and instead he eases me from Jack’s grip and picks me up. It doesn’t ease the pain — makes it worse actually — but Oliver’s much more comforting than Jack. At least I know I’ll make it back to the house without tumbling down the other side of the hill. Once Oliver’s got me settled against his chest, he stands up. I can see all the boys then; Freddy and Brandon both looking anywhere but at him, Jack kicking his foot guiltily into the sand, and Hunter looking at me and Oliver with an annoyed expression, almost like he’s jealous.

“Are we in trouble?” Jack asks softly.

“Should you be?” Oliver says in response, and I feel like that’s worse than him saying yes. My sniffing pulls Oliver’s attention from the boys. “Back to the house, all of you.”

Then we start down the hill, and the pain is back in full force. Nothing has hurt worse than this, not even the time I was practicing my recital dance in the living room and stubbed my toe so hard I swear it swelled up to the size of a frog. Mamma said I was just being dramatic, but I don’t think that’s true. I cry into Oliver’s shirt. These boys have seen enough of my tears, and I know they’ll make fun of me later for crying in the first place. The familiar smell of broom polish meets my nose and it’s a small comfort compared to the pain. Oliver has smelled that way for as long as I can remember, and it’s always been a comforting scent in my life. Sometimes Mamma smells like that after flying. Finally, we reach the house, the steps creaking under Oliver’s weight.

“Katie!” he says as soon as the door opens, the smell of beans and gravy filling my nose.

“What happened?” I can hear the shrillness in Katie’s voice, but I don’t look at her.

“Jack says her arm is broken,” Oliver says. “Says she fell down the hill.”

“For Merlin’s sake,” Katie mutters. “Here, sweetheart, let me see.”

As soon as Katie touches my arm, I scream, “I WANT MY DADDY!”

It hurts so much, and I just want to be left alone. If I can manage to stop moving completely, maybe the pain will go away.

“What the fuck is going on?”

I sob loudly when I hear Daddy’s voice. He can fix this. He can fix anything.

“Roxanne fell,” I hear Freddy say quickly. “We think she broke her arm.”

I can feel Daddy take me from Oliver and smell gunpowder and smoke, the most comforting scent in the world. I can make out the outline of Katie shuffling through the cabinets and Mamma in the doorway of the kitchen. There are two people standing behind her who I think are Lee and Alicia. I hear Katie muttering about some potion, but that hardly matters when Daddy starts to talk.

“It’s alright, sweetie,” he says. “We’ll get your arm fixed up in no time.”

“Here, Roxanne,” Katie says. “I’ve got a numbing potion. It’ll make your arm stop hurting, but I need you to hold really still.”

I nod and press my face into Daddy’s chest. I know Katie said the potion would make me feel better, but I’m bracing for the pain. There’s always pain before it gets better. However, all I feel is a cool sensation sweeping up my arm bit by bit and then I can’t feel it at all. As Daddy wipes away my tears, I see Katie turning away from me and screwing the cap back on the potion. I can see Mamma clearly now and she’s got one eyebrow arched as she surveys the boys, like she’s trying to dissect exactly what happened. Mamma can be scary when she’s trying to figure things out.

“Alright,” Katie says. “Now we can get to the healing.” She’s standing on her tiptoes putting the potion back into the top shelf. “I’ll need to straighten out her arm and put it in place before I heal the bone. Honestly, you wouldn’t believe the number of healers who just snap bones back into place with a healing spell. Bloody painful, if you ask me.”

I burst into tears. I knew the pain wasn’t over.

“Are we going to talk about healing practices or are you going to perform the spell?” Mamma asks.

“Oh, right.” Katie sounds apologetic, but all I can think about is how much this is going to hurt. “We’ll just need to get this arm into place.” I brace myself for her to touch me, but I don’t feel anything. “Alrighty. Brackium Emendo. All done.” I sniff loudly and crack my eyes open. My arm looks brand new, no odd bend in sight, but I still can’t feel anything. “The potion should wear off in thirty minutes.”

“Alright,” Mamma says. “Who wants to explain to me exactly what happened?”

As it turned out none of the boys were too keen on explaining why exactly I had a broken arm. So, Katie explained and then the boys started to interject. Mamma wasn’t at all happy with them, particularly Freddy, and she got the look I had been trying to give the boys earlier. The next day, as I eat breakfast with Cassidy, Brandon’s older sister, I listen to Mamma cook breakfast and Alicia talk about how she can’t believe the boys would do something like that.

“I don’t know why you’re surprised,” Mamma says.

“Because our kids aren’t supposed to be mean to each other,” Alicia says. I think she lives in a fantasy world sometimes.

“My kids are mean to each other all the time,” Mamma says. “If you don’t know about your kids fighting then it’s because they keep it from you.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Want another pancake?” Cassidy asks me. She’s ten, and the boys love her. They think she’s cool because she’s the oldest. I’d be jealous, but Cas is fun and nice and like my big sister. If she were here yesterday, none of that would have happened. I nod. She tosses a chocolate chip pancake onto my plate and adds some syrup on top. “How’s your arm?”

“Better,” I say through a mouthful of pancake.

“Want me to braid your hair later?” Cas asks. “Dad’s been helping me with cornrows.”

I swallow. “Ok.”

Freddy walks in then, Jack and Brandon both tailing him. As Freddy starts to pull out a chair, Cassidy glares at him.

“No boys allowed,” she says.

Freddy gapes at her. Then, “Mum!”

“I’m not saying a word until you apologize to your sister,” Mamma says.

“But I didn’t do anything!” Freddy said the same thing yesterday, but Mamma heard the whole story from Katie. I didn’t even have to add anything.

“So, you didn’t run away from your sister after you were told that you couldn’t exclude her from your games?” Mamma says and she has that look again and I love her so much. She’s my hero.

Freddy huffs before he grabs a plate, shovels some pancakes onto it, and marches into the living room. Jack doesn’t even try to argue, just grabs a plate and pancakes before heading back into the living room. Brandon’s staring wide eyed at his sister.

“But Cas,” he whines.

“No. Boys,” Cassidy says.

“Can I at least have some syrup?”

Cassidy pushes a bottle towards him. He takes it and a plate of pancakes then heads to the living room with his head hung.

“Are you sure we should let this work itself out?” Alicia says. “Don’t think we should interfere?”

Mamma shrugs. “Interfere with your kids all you want. Freddy needs to apologize.”

“He’s the one who came up with the no girls rule,” I say hatefully.

Before Alicia says anything, we hear shrieking coming from the living room and then Katie’s yelling about her antique couch and syrup. Then she’s telling the boys to get outside. Cassidy and I look at each other before softly giggling.

When Katie comes into the kitchen, she’s pale. “The boys spilled syrup on my antique sofa.”

“I heard,” Mamma says.

Mamma and I are in the living room later when Hunter comes in from outside and plops down next to me on the floor. He eyes my snack of sliced apples and bananas and cheese. Reluctantly, I slide my plate toward him, but only because I know Mamma’s watching us as she reads her book. Hunter snatches the apple I was going to pick up next and pops it into his mouth.

“Thanks,” he says around his mouthful.

“I thought you were going with your parents to the pier,” I say lazily coloring in my picture as I eat. Most everyone was going with them. All the kids and the adults except me and Daddy and Mamma. Mamma’s boss is coming over to talk about Quidditch for a bit even though she’s on vacation so Daddy said he’d stay with her, and I would rather stay with Daddy than go to the pier anyway. In case Freddy decided to push me into the ocean this time.

Hunter cringes as I color outside the lines. “I was. Jack got tired of me telling him that his name was short for Jackass and told Mum. She said I couldn’t go.”

Mamma does that weird coughing thing that adults do as she smiles.

Hunter’s blue eyes go wide. “You’re not going to tell Mum I was swearing, are you?”

“Since you were explaining why you can’t go to the pier, I don’t think we’ll count that as swearing,” Mamma says. She’s great like that.

Hunter turns back to me. “Sorry about your arm.”

I brighten and push my plate back towards him. “Thank you.”

Hunter picks up another apple slice. “Did it hurt a lot?”

“Yeah, I thought I was gonna die,” I say seriously.

I finish up the coloring page I was working on and close my book. I turn to Hunter fully and grab a piece of banana. It tastes sweet, and I quickly swallow it and grab another one. After Hunter pops a piece of cheese into his mouth, he wipes his hands on his shorts.

“Wanna go build a sandcastle?” he asks.

“Sure!” I say and hop up.

“Stay in the backyard,” Mamma says without looking up from her book. “And don’t go near the ocean. I’ll be right out.”

“Ok,” we both say before racing outside.

When Cassidy gets back from the pier, she wants to put my hair in cornrows, so Mamma wets my curls and lets her have at it in the living room while she and the other adults are outside. She’s just finished the first braid when Jack and Brandon appear. They’ve come from the sunroom where the boys are holed up, no doubt avoiding Cassidy. Jack walks over to us while Brandon stands back a few paces.

“Can I sit with you?” Jack asks. He’s quite polite when he’s not with my brother.

Cassidy eyes him. “If you can be nice.”

He sits down next to me, and Brandon takes a seat on the chair across from us. Jack pulls a shell out of his pocket. It’s small. I can tell he cleaned it because there’s no sand on it and the red color is bright. Forcefully, I remind myself not to snatch it out of his hand. I love seashells. Daddy and I collect them every year. It’s our tradition, but I don’t think he’d be mad if I took one from Jack.

“I found this yesterday,” Jack says. “I was going to give it to you because I know you like shells.”

I sniff. “And?”

“And I thought it would make up for running from you yesterday.”

He sounds sincere, but Jack always does. He’s nice like that sometimes. I snatch the shell out of his hand, running my fingers over the divots. I like that it’s small like me.

“Thank you,” I say turning the shell over to examine the back.

“We didn’t want you to fall,” Brandon says nervously, twisting his hands together. “We thought you’d just give up and go back to the house.”

I shrug. They should know better than that. I don’t give up. I just find better ways to get what I want, like waiting for Mamma to get home. Chasing them probably wasn’t the best idea though, especially since that’s what they wanted.

When I don’t say anything, Brandon continues, “Are you still mad at us?”

“Not really,” I say. Brandon looks relieved and finally stops wringing his hands.

“Now, don’t you feel better?” Cassidy asks, reaching down to ruffle Jack’s hair. He swats her hand away with an annoyed look. “It pays not to act like jerks.”

“Jerks is a bit harsh,” Jack complains.

“I don’t think so.”

They continue to bicker as I look at my new shell. I know just the jar I want to put it in. I’ve got several, but the one I’m thinking of only has red shells, all shades of red. It’s one of my favorites. Daddy keeps it up on the mantle at our house, and I add to it when I find just the right shells. This shell is definitely a keeper. I stuff it into my pocket, careful not to move my head too much as Cas is braiding.

“Thanks, Jack,” I say interrupting his argument with Cassidy.

He grins. “No problem.”

I’m on the top step of the back porch when Freddy finds me. My hair is still in cornrows. Mamma said Cassidy did a pretty good job, and she only had to fix a couple braids. I think Cassidy did an excellent job. When he approaches the steps, I’m waiting for her to come back outside. We were playing with our dolls. Cas says she’s too old for them, but she still plays with me anyway. I sit my doll against the top step ignoring my brother as he shoves his foot into the sand and sends me hateful glares.

“Have you come to push me down the stairs?” I ask without looking at him.

“No one pushed you,” he huffs. “I don’t know why you keep saying that.”

I send him an annoyed look and keep arranging my dolls.

“Look, everyone apologized so can you just stop being mad?” he says.

“You didn’t apologize,” I say.

“I didn’t do anything wrong.”

I roll my eyes. Freddy never thinks he does anything wrong. He’s always right, all of the time. Frankly, it’s annoying, especially when the real person who’s always right is Mamma, and he disagrees with her all the time. I sit my last doll down roughly and glare at him. He crosses his arms and glares back; I can see the annoyance in his eyes.

“You wouldn’t let me play with you,” I say.

“You wouldn’t have even liked the game we were playing,” he says. “You hate tag because you’re too small to catch any of us. Then you complain that it’s not fair, and you tattle to Mum.”

“I do not,” I protest, but I have done that. Only once or twice though. “And then you ran away from me when Katie said that you had to let me play.”

Freddy huffs and looks away like Mamma’s caught him up when he should be in bed. I know I’m right, so I turn back to my dolls.

“Does your arm still hurt?” Freddy finally asks.

“No,” I sniff. Why can’t he just apologize like a normal person? Jack, Hunter, and Brandon all did in their own ways. I don’t know why Freddy has such a hard time with it. It’s like he can’t stand that I’m right and he’s wrong.

“Do you wanna come play with us now?” he asks.

“No,” I say. “I’m playing dolls with Cassidy.”

Freddy rolls his eyes. “Dolls? Isn’t she too old for that?”

I glare at him again. Why does he have to spoil all my fun? “She wants to play dolls.”

“Alright, whatever, Roxanne.” He scuffs the sand. “Look, I’m sorry that you got hurt, ok? I didn’t mean for you to.” Sticking his hands in his pockets, he marches up the steps and sits beside me. “You’re really ok, right? No more pain? Hunter said you felt like you were gonna die.”

“I did think I was gonna die.” I frown. Hunter isn’t supposed to be telling my story. “But I’m fine now. Katie’s a good healer.”

Freddy sits there for a few minutes silently, and I don’t say anything either, just straighten my dolls’ hair and make sure their clothes aren’t wrinkled or something annoying like that. Katie and Alicia were responsible for my collection. Mamma never thought to buy me a doll, but Katie said I had to have one, just to see if I liked it. My first doll was dark like me and had pretty brown hair. I still have her in my room somewhere. Finally, Freddy stands up.

“Well, if you want to come play with us, we’re going down to the beach with Lee and Oliver,” he says heading down the steps.

“Freddy,” I say when he’s a little ways off. “Thank you.”

Freddy grins at me then runs off to where Lee and Oliver are heading down the path toward the beach.

#roxanne weasley #fred weasley ii #angelina johnson #george weasley #georgelina #katie bell #oliver wood #my writing #the beach house

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