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five_steps_back) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
rainbowfic2012-05-01 02:01 am
five_steps_back) wrote in rainbowfic2012-05-01 02:01 am
(no subject)
Name: Kelly and Nikki
Colors: Fluorescent Pink 4. Stop making me repeat myself. It's bad for my health!, and Cotton Candy 17. race you home, for Kelly; Chalk White 5. "Nobody loves me/Nobody cares/Nobody picks me peaches and pears.", Chocolate Brown 20. chocolate syrup, for Nikki.
Styles and Supplies: Eraser (TOWNOID), Collage, Mosaic, Interactive Art, Pastels (my current gen+romance card fororigfic_bingo, B2. Mental illness for Kelly; my gen+romance card, N3. Bluffing for Nikki), Brush (abstruse), Modeling Clay (#150: Love)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,222
Story: Phase and Polyfaceted (Index ~ Timeline); the title of this piece is '___.'
Summary: Nic wants a baby, Andy better deal with it.
Notes: Takes place December 2007.
Talia was going and growing up. Kids did that, sure, but it was supremely unfair that Nicoletta's kid was doing it. There was only one solution to the problem.
Nicoletta came into the tattoo shop, strolled past Andy's employees to his office, and let herself in.
"I want a baby."
"Okay," Andy answered when he stood to shut the door behind her. She heard Angie cackling almost madly before he did so. "If this is a 'right now' sort of thing, I might actually have to say it's a bad time."
"Shut it, Angie!" she called, loud enough that he should hear. "No. Not this instant, but it's bothering me and I want a baby, dammit. Talia's growing up."
He kissed her hard, biting her lip, but he pulled back after a moment. "Babies usually do that," he said before he grinned. "I never mind more kids."
"I have eight younger brothers and sisters. I'm basically the middle of sixteen kids. There are also the two who aren't here anymore. I know they grow up. I just don't like my kid growing up." She reached up to kiss him hard enough that her lips felt bruised. "So it's a good thing you don't mind more, because I need to fix this lack of having a baby issue."
He laughed. "Think of it this way. We already know what it's like with a baby. We have no idea what it's like with a four year old, or a kindergartner."
"What did I just say?"
"Sorry," he apologized, grinning.
"Besides," she continued, "we get sex uninhibited by any kind of birth control whatsoever. And, also, a baby."
Her husband had the nerve to laugh, and she arched an eyebrow at him. It didn't stop him, annoyingly. "You are really on this baby kick, aren't you?"
"I think I'm ovulating. I really want a baby."
Andy kissed her again. "Is this a 'right now' thing?" he asked again, smiling wider.
"I thought you said it might be a bad time?"
"Great thing about being the boss," he said. "I can do things like go home early."
"And leave…who in charge? Because we can afford to pay off," and Nicoletta raised her voice because she knew Angie was totally listening, "anyone Angie hurts needlessly," and went back to her regular volume, "but it wouldn't exactly be good for business."
"I really need to find someone else that I trust with this place."
"I'm offended!" Angie said through the door.
"Angie, get away from there!" she heard Sarah say, before it sounded like Angie was dragged away protesting.
Andy looked like he didn't know whether or not to be amused and eventually settled for rolling his eyes. "Later, then?" he asked, before he smirked. "You can scratch me up."
She grinned slowly and kissed him again, this one deep and promising, and grabbed him through his jeans as she pulled away. "I'm holding you to that."
He leaned into her hand, his breath catching. "Very obviously."
"Smartass." She squeezed him teasingly, her grin widening when he moaned before she let go. "What time are you off work?"
"Whenever someone else that can make sure the place doesn't burn down comes in, same as any other day."
"You could see if Rayne would come supervise Angie," Nicoletta suggested. "She'd keep him in check."
Andy snorted. "You're probably right. But then there's Angie hurting anyone who hits on Sarah or Rayne, and that's a real problem, considering Rayne."
"Why do you let Angie in here?" she wondered.
"The other option is having him around outside the door and glaring in through the window anytime anybody talked to Sarah." 'And who knew what kind of trouble Angie might get into just standing around by himself in Manhattan,' he didn’t add aloud, but she heard clearly anyway. "At least this way somebody can keep an eye on him."
"Hmm. Got duct tape? I could solve the Angie problem." She laughed at the look Andy got at that. "Kidding, babe. The only person I'd tie up without the intention of inflicting pain is you."
"I'm assuming Angie wouldn't get pain out of this."
"Knowing him, he might like it. But no, Sarah would be sad."
"Would not," Angie piped up again from the other side of the office door.
"Angie!"
"You're listening just as much as I am this time!"
Andy opened the office door to reveal Sarah looking guilty and Angie grinning. He pointed towards the lobby. "Go sit."
"'kay, Dad," Angie retorted, his grin widening as he danced away from Sarah's elbow before the munchkin dragged him off again.
Nicoletta joined Andy at the door, looking after them. "Does that make me Mom?" she called after Angie.
"Yes!"
"ANGIE!"
Andy was shaking his head, but grinning when he shut his office door again. "What were we saying about having more kids?"
"That one, I can beat," Nicoletta said with a grin. "Not so much our actual kids."
"I guess they're not babies," Andy conceded.
"And I want a baby. When we're both home, babymaking time."
He laughed. "I'm fine with that." He bent down to kiss her deeply, one arm tightly around her waist, tangling his other hand in her hair.
She kissed him back, pressing close, and when they broke the kiss, said, "I'll let you work so you're home early. And on my way out, I'll tell off Angie."
"Don't scare him too much." He opened the office door for her. "I'll call before I start home."
She smirked. "I'll scare him just enough." She was good at that; Vito was one of her kid brothers.
She resisted grabbing his ass as she passed. Since she had a very well-developed set of lungs, between working out and shouting fights in the office, she bellowed, "ANGIE!"
There was an odd, tiny silence before Angie answered, just as loudly. "WHAT?"
Nicoletta found Sarah and Angie in the lobby, Angie looking defiant and Sarah looking scared. Not like she'd hurt Sarah.
"Do you seriously think eavesdropping on my private conversations with my husband is a good idea?" she demanded. Softer, pointed questions didn't work on him. They worked on Sarah and Rayne, and a good portion of Nicoletta's employees, but not on Angie.
"I was trying to make him stop," Sarah quietly said as she stared down at her lap, before Angie could answer.
Angie frowned. "I don't really need your he—"
Sarah interrupted him again. "Just say you're sorry, Angie."
"But she left the door open!"
"Angie!"
Sarah,'" Nicoletta said, much more gently, "you can stop looking like I'm going to punch him. The only blood falling in here today is customers', unless things change really fucking fast. And I'm not going to hit you, either." She turned a hard look on Angie. "The door did get closed, Angie."
Angie looked less than pleased at the tone, but one look at the expression on Sarah's face had him scowling deeper. "Yeah, yeah…" he muttered, dodging a kick from Sarah. "Sorry." He didn't sound like he exactly meant it, but the fact that he said it was something Nicoletta could work with.
"Angie," she said conversationally, "my family is exceptionally close. And I would punch any of my brothers who eavesdropped on a conversation with my husband through a closed door. You're not family, and you probably don't want to find out exactly how strong I actually am, do you?"
"…no." Now he sounded more like a child that wasn't used to getting in trouble, and he scowled down at his lap.
"Good. Now listen to me. Do not eavesdrop when doors are closed and I'm having a conversation. It's childish and inappropriate in ways I won't tolerate without hurting you the next time it happens." She gave him a hard look. "Am I clear?"
Angie slouched back in his chair and kept his head down, giving Nicoletta a hard look of his own. "Yeah."
Sarah looked more worried than ever.
"I strongly recommend not testing me," Nicoletta said crisply. Then, gently, she said, "Sarah, can I talk to you alone?"
The siblings seemed to share a silent conversation that Angie lost. Sarah quietly hopped out of her seat and followed Nicoletta more towards the back of the store.
She studied Sarah's expression, blank but with what might be fear lurking there. "It's okay, kid. Look, I know you and Angie had it shitty growing up, and you know how Angie came out of it better than anyone. He has to learn that he can't push and push and push until people snap. There are limits before that. I'm not your mom, and thank Christ I'm not his mom, but I have definite boundaries, and I'm not letting an overgrown brat push past them, okay? Which is why I told him off. You notice I didn't hit him? I could have, and a lot worse, pretty damn fast. I spar with David, and you've seen him. I can take your sister if I want to. Telling him not to do that kind of shit and making it clear there's the consequence of getting his ass kicked by a hot chick who isn't Rayne is better than actually taking him on. Okay? And I'm not mad at you." She lowered her voice further. "I'm not even that mad at him, but if the conversation had been more serious or more private, I'd have a damn good reason to be."
"He won't do it again," she mumbled, not really looking Nicoletta in the eye. "If he doesn't listen to you, he'll listen to me and Rayne later, but I don't think it'll be a big problem."
She touched Sarah's shoulder gently. "He needs to listen to more than just the two of you. Look at me, Sarah." It took her a minute, but Sarah finally did. Her left cheek, but close enough. "Did I scare you?"
Sarah hesitated, but slowly shook her head no. "I wasn't scared that you were going to hit me."
"Did I scare you that I was going to hurt Angie—or that he'd hurt me and my family would hurt him?" Nicoletta asked. "Or were you scared about something else?"
Sarah kept staring at Nicoletta's cheek. "Yes," she answered simply, not really elaborating on which she meant.
"Sarah, I have a serious question for you, and I want an honest answer." That still didn't get Sarah to meet her eyes. "Munchkin, do you trust me, or do you at least trust that I care about you?"
Sarah glanced up a bit, looking her in the eye for just a second. "Are you and Andy going to have another baby, Nicoletta?" she asked quietly, instead of answering.
"That's the plan." Nicoletta's eyes widened. "Oh Sarah." She hugged her fiercely. "Natalia is my baby. I'd never let anyone hurt her, and I'd sure as fuck never do it myself. And I want another baby so much it aches in this weird way. You've seen us with Talia, haven't you?" Sarah nodded briefly. "I want to get to do all this with another kid. And I want to see what Talia's going to do as she gets older, too." She tilted Sarah's chin up. "That's what scared you? That we'd hurt Talia eventually, or ignore the younger one?"
"No," she answered. "Andy wouldn't. I know that. And you wouldn't, obviously. You only hurt people that deserve it, and kids don't deserve it." She shrugged. "I just like babies."
Nicoletta narrowed her eyes. "There's going to be another one. Then what scared you?"
She shifted where she stood, staring at her cheek again. "Sometimes," she answered quietly, "Angie doesn't trust himself around kids. He might start acting stupid about it after you have it."
Nicoletta blew out a breath. "We'll all keep an eye on him then, okay? And he won't be around my kids unless someone else is there until he calms down. Does that sound fair?"
Sarah nodded. "I don't think Angie would hurt them. But he doesn't like himself when he doesn't trust himself." She chewed on her lip. "He'd hurt himself before he hurt a kid. That's sort what I'm worried about."
Nicoletta opted not to tell Sarah she'd rather Angie hurt himself than a kid. "If I'm there, or you or Rayne or Andy, do you think he'll be as worried about hurting my kid?"
She still chewed on her lip, but silently shook her head. "I think he trusts everyone else."
"He's taking his medication, right?" Nicoletta asked gently.
"Yeah. Rayne doesn't have to remind him anymore," she answered, before lowering her voice. "Rayne makes sure. I make sure."
"Then it's going to be fine, munchkin. We'll all make certain, but it will. I trust him in that respect." It surprised Nicoletta to say it and find it true.
"Okay," she said, after a long moment of looking at Nicoletta. "Is there anything else?"
"No." She smiled. "Just tell Andy I didn't kill Angie, okay? I think he was worried."
Sarah grinned. "Okay," she said, before wandering off towards Andy's office.
Angie was watching them carefully when Nicoletta turned back towards the front. Sarah could explain their conversation if she wanted to. Nicoletta just wiggled her fingers at Angie as she headed for the door.
Colors: Fluorescent Pink 4. Stop making me repeat myself. It's bad for my health!, and Cotton Candy 17. race you home, for Kelly; Chalk White 5. "Nobody loves me/Nobody cares/Nobody picks me peaches and pears.", Chocolate Brown 20. chocolate syrup, for Nikki.
Styles and Supplies: Eraser (TOWNOID), Collage, Mosaic, Interactive Art, Pastels (my current gen+romance card for
origfic_bingo, B2. Mental illness for Kelly; my gen+romance card, N3. Bluffing for Nikki), Brush (abstruse), Modeling Clay (#150: Love)Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,222
Story: Phase and Polyfaceted (Index ~ Timeline); the title of this piece is '___.'
Summary: Nic wants a baby, Andy better deal with it.
Notes: Takes place December 2007.
Talia was going and growing up. Kids did that, sure, but it was supremely unfair that Nicoletta's kid was doing it. There was only one solution to the problem.
Nicoletta came into the tattoo shop, strolled past Andy's employees to his office, and let herself in.
"I want a baby."
"Okay," Andy answered when he stood to shut the door behind her. She heard Angie cackling almost madly before he did so. "If this is a 'right now' sort of thing, I might actually have to say it's a bad time."
"Shut it, Angie!" she called, loud enough that he should hear. "No. Not this instant, but it's bothering me and I want a baby, dammit. Talia's growing up."
He kissed her hard, biting her lip, but he pulled back after a moment. "Babies usually do that," he said before he grinned. "I never mind more kids."
"I have eight younger brothers and sisters. I'm basically the middle of sixteen kids. There are also the two who aren't here anymore. I know they grow up. I just don't like my kid growing up." She reached up to kiss him hard enough that her lips felt bruised. "So it's a good thing you don't mind more, because I need to fix this lack of having a baby issue."
He laughed. "Think of it this way. We already know what it's like with a baby. We have no idea what it's like with a four year old, or a kindergartner."
"What did I just say?"
"Sorry," he apologized, grinning.
"Besides," she continued, "we get sex uninhibited by any kind of birth control whatsoever. And, also, a baby."
Her husband had the nerve to laugh, and she arched an eyebrow at him. It didn't stop him, annoyingly. "You are really on this baby kick, aren't you?"
"I think I'm ovulating. I really want a baby."
Andy kissed her again. "Is this a 'right now' thing?" he asked again, smiling wider.
"I thought you said it might be a bad time?"
"Great thing about being the boss," he said. "I can do things like go home early."
"And leave…who in charge? Because we can afford to pay off," and Nicoletta raised her voice because she knew Angie was totally listening, "anyone Angie hurts needlessly," and went back to her regular volume, "but it wouldn't exactly be good for business."
"I really need to find someone else that I trust with this place."
"I'm offended!" Angie said through the door.
"Angie, get away from there!" she heard Sarah say, before it sounded like Angie was dragged away protesting.
Andy looked like he didn't know whether or not to be amused and eventually settled for rolling his eyes. "Later, then?" he asked, before he smirked. "You can scratch me up."
She grinned slowly and kissed him again, this one deep and promising, and grabbed him through his jeans as she pulled away. "I'm holding you to that."
He leaned into her hand, his breath catching. "Very obviously."
"Smartass." She squeezed him teasingly, her grin widening when he moaned before she let go. "What time are you off work?"
"Whenever someone else that can make sure the place doesn't burn down comes in, same as any other day."
"You could see if Rayne would come supervise Angie," Nicoletta suggested. "She'd keep him in check."
Andy snorted. "You're probably right. But then there's Angie hurting anyone who hits on Sarah or Rayne, and that's a real problem, considering Rayne."
"Why do you let Angie in here?" she wondered.
"The other option is having him around outside the door and glaring in through the window anytime anybody talked to Sarah." 'And who knew what kind of trouble Angie might get into just standing around by himself in Manhattan,' he didn’t add aloud, but she heard clearly anyway. "At least this way somebody can keep an eye on him."
"Hmm. Got duct tape? I could solve the Angie problem." She laughed at the look Andy got at that. "Kidding, babe. The only person I'd tie up without the intention of inflicting pain is you."
"I'm assuming Angie wouldn't get pain out of this."
"Knowing him, he might like it. But no, Sarah would be sad."
"Would not," Angie piped up again from the other side of the office door.
"Angie!"
"You're listening just as much as I am this time!"
Andy opened the office door to reveal Sarah looking guilty and Angie grinning. He pointed towards the lobby. "Go sit."
"'kay, Dad," Angie retorted, his grin widening as he danced away from Sarah's elbow before the munchkin dragged him off again.
Nicoletta joined Andy at the door, looking after them. "Does that make me Mom?" she called after Angie.
"Yes!"
"ANGIE!"
Andy was shaking his head, but grinning when he shut his office door again. "What were we saying about having more kids?"
"That one, I can beat," Nicoletta said with a grin. "Not so much our actual kids."
"I guess they're not babies," Andy conceded.
"And I want a baby. When we're both home, babymaking time."
He laughed. "I'm fine with that." He bent down to kiss her deeply, one arm tightly around her waist, tangling his other hand in her hair.
She kissed him back, pressing close, and when they broke the kiss, said, "I'll let you work so you're home early. And on my way out, I'll tell off Angie."
"Don't scare him too much." He opened the office door for her. "I'll call before I start home."
She smirked. "I'll scare him just enough." She was good at that; Vito was one of her kid brothers.
She resisted grabbing his ass as she passed. Since she had a very well-developed set of lungs, between working out and shouting fights in the office, she bellowed, "ANGIE!"
There was an odd, tiny silence before Angie answered, just as loudly. "WHAT?"
Nicoletta found Sarah and Angie in the lobby, Angie looking defiant and Sarah looking scared. Not like she'd hurt Sarah.
"Do you seriously think eavesdropping on my private conversations with my husband is a good idea?" she demanded. Softer, pointed questions didn't work on him. They worked on Sarah and Rayne, and a good portion of Nicoletta's employees, but not on Angie.
"I was trying to make him stop," Sarah quietly said as she stared down at her lap, before Angie could answer.
Angie frowned. "I don't really need your he—"
Sarah interrupted him again. "Just say you're sorry, Angie."
"But she left the door open!"
"Angie!"
Sarah,'" Nicoletta said, much more gently, "you can stop looking like I'm going to punch him. The only blood falling in here today is customers', unless things change really fucking fast. And I'm not going to hit you, either." She turned a hard look on Angie. "The door did get closed, Angie."
Angie looked less than pleased at the tone, but one look at the expression on Sarah's face had him scowling deeper. "Yeah, yeah…" he muttered, dodging a kick from Sarah. "Sorry." He didn't sound like he exactly meant it, but the fact that he said it was something Nicoletta could work with.
"Angie," she said conversationally, "my family is exceptionally close. And I would punch any of my brothers who eavesdropped on a conversation with my husband through a closed door. You're not family, and you probably don't want to find out exactly how strong I actually am, do you?"
"…no." Now he sounded more like a child that wasn't used to getting in trouble, and he scowled down at his lap.
"Good. Now listen to me. Do not eavesdrop when doors are closed and I'm having a conversation. It's childish and inappropriate in ways I won't tolerate without hurting you the next time it happens." She gave him a hard look. "Am I clear?"
Angie slouched back in his chair and kept his head down, giving Nicoletta a hard look of his own. "Yeah."
Sarah looked more worried than ever.
"I strongly recommend not testing me," Nicoletta said crisply. Then, gently, she said, "Sarah, can I talk to you alone?"
The siblings seemed to share a silent conversation that Angie lost. Sarah quietly hopped out of her seat and followed Nicoletta more towards the back of the store.
She studied Sarah's expression, blank but with what might be fear lurking there. "It's okay, kid. Look, I know you and Angie had it shitty growing up, and you know how Angie came out of it better than anyone. He has to learn that he can't push and push and push until people snap. There are limits before that. I'm not your mom, and thank Christ I'm not his mom, but I have definite boundaries, and I'm not letting an overgrown brat push past them, okay? Which is why I told him off. You notice I didn't hit him? I could have, and a lot worse, pretty damn fast. I spar with David, and you've seen him. I can take your sister if I want to. Telling him not to do that kind of shit and making it clear there's the consequence of getting his ass kicked by a hot chick who isn't Rayne is better than actually taking him on. Okay? And I'm not mad at you." She lowered her voice further. "I'm not even that mad at him, but if the conversation had been more serious or more private, I'd have a damn good reason to be."
"He won't do it again," she mumbled, not really looking Nicoletta in the eye. "If he doesn't listen to you, he'll listen to me and Rayne later, but I don't think it'll be a big problem."
She touched Sarah's shoulder gently. "He needs to listen to more than just the two of you. Look at me, Sarah." It took her a minute, but Sarah finally did. Her left cheek, but close enough. "Did I scare you?"
Sarah hesitated, but slowly shook her head no. "I wasn't scared that you were going to hit me."
"Did I scare you that I was going to hurt Angie—or that he'd hurt me and my family would hurt him?" Nicoletta asked. "Or were you scared about something else?"
Sarah kept staring at Nicoletta's cheek. "Yes," she answered simply, not really elaborating on which she meant.
"Sarah, I have a serious question for you, and I want an honest answer." That still didn't get Sarah to meet her eyes. "Munchkin, do you trust me, or do you at least trust that I care about you?"
Sarah glanced up a bit, looking her in the eye for just a second. "Are you and Andy going to have another baby, Nicoletta?" she asked quietly, instead of answering.
"That's the plan." Nicoletta's eyes widened. "Oh Sarah." She hugged her fiercely. "Natalia is my baby. I'd never let anyone hurt her, and I'd sure as fuck never do it myself. And I want another baby so much it aches in this weird way. You've seen us with Talia, haven't you?" Sarah nodded briefly. "I want to get to do all this with another kid. And I want to see what Talia's going to do as she gets older, too." She tilted Sarah's chin up. "That's what scared you? That we'd hurt Talia eventually, or ignore the younger one?"
"No," she answered. "Andy wouldn't. I know that. And you wouldn't, obviously. You only hurt people that deserve it, and kids don't deserve it." She shrugged. "I just like babies."
Nicoletta narrowed her eyes. "There's going to be another one. Then what scared you?"
She shifted where she stood, staring at her cheek again. "Sometimes," she answered quietly, "Angie doesn't trust himself around kids. He might start acting stupid about it after you have it."
Nicoletta blew out a breath. "We'll all keep an eye on him then, okay? And he won't be around my kids unless someone else is there until he calms down. Does that sound fair?"
Sarah nodded. "I don't think Angie would hurt them. But he doesn't like himself when he doesn't trust himself." She chewed on her lip. "He'd hurt himself before he hurt a kid. That's sort what I'm worried about."
Nicoletta opted not to tell Sarah she'd rather Angie hurt himself than a kid. "If I'm there, or you or Rayne or Andy, do you think he'll be as worried about hurting my kid?"
She still chewed on her lip, but silently shook her head. "I think he trusts everyone else."
"He's taking his medication, right?" Nicoletta asked gently.
"Yeah. Rayne doesn't have to remind him anymore," she answered, before lowering her voice. "Rayne makes sure. I make sure."
"Then it's going to be fine, munchkin. We'll all make certain, but it will. I trust him in that respect." It surprised Nicoletta to say it and find it true.
"Okay," she said, after a long moment of looking at Nicoletta. "Is there anything else?"
"No." She smiled. "Just tell Andy I didn't kill Angie, okay? I think he was worried."
Sarah grinned. "Okay," she said, before wandering off towards Andy's office.
Angie was watching them carefully when Nicoletta turned back towards the front. Sarah could explain their conversation if she wanted to. Nicoletta just wiggled her fingers at Angie as she headed for the door.
no subject
Good job!
no subject
Then going on to baby Angie and the crew in that very special Corlioni way that's really not babying at all.
This was a really fun read and I am super happy you posted it!