☼

There was a heavy hail storm thundering from outside.

I wrapped myself in the blanket from our bed, walking through the dark hallway with bare feet, following the small light from the kitchen to find Harry sitting at the counter, holding a cup of hot steaming tea in that frog mug I got him as he rubbed at his eyes.

"Hi." I greeted softly, my voice slightly raspy from just waking up in the middle of the night as I walked over to my sleepy looking husband, placing my head on his broad shoulder.

"Hi." He responded in a tired deep and husky voice, resting his head over mine before we broke apart, small smiles on our faces as I pecked his lips.

"What are you doing up in the middle of the night?" I asked, watching Harry spread his long legs a bit on the stool he was sitting on so I could situate myself between them as I wobbled closer while he hugged me from behind.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." He said when my eyes fell on the warm tea on the counter making me let out a small "ooohhh," as I took it.

"Hot, hot, hot." I mumbled, blowing on the drink before taking a sip as Harry watched me with a dimpled smile, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear as he rested his elbow on the counter, placing his chin in the palm of his hand while staring at me.

"Um excuse me, who said you could have my tea?" He questioned in a teasing voice as I paused, as if thinking about his question.

"Um your wife, aka me." I countered back as he chuckled.

"Is it the hail storm that's keeping you up?" I finally asked, the both of us looking up at the ceiling ever so slightly at the rough repetitive sound of small ice continuously pelting the roof of our cozy apartment from outside.

"Yeah, I just- I can't go to sleep with the noise. I hate it, reminds me of war movies." He admitted, running his hand through his long hair, slightly shivering as I placed my hand behind his head, pulling him closer until my lips touched his forehead in an endearing manner as his green eyes fluttered close at the contact.

I then handed him back his mug of tea, taking off the blanket around me and placing it over Harry's broad shoulders before I ordered him to stay, walking out of the room to retrieve something from his nightstand.

I came back into the kitchen with the book in my hand to find Harry still sitting obediantly at the counter, smelling the blanket draped around his body with a small smile.

"Coconut." He said in amusement, letting me sniff the fabric as I grinned.

"Yup das me." I claimed, winking at him causing my husband to blush as he looked back down at his tea in an almost shy manner.

"Come here, sit on my lap." I requested with a smile, sitting on the stool next to him as he raised his brow at me.

"You're asking an almost 6 foot man to sit on you, your 5 foot 3 tiny body on a small stool that can barely fit one ass cheek." Harry questioned slowly as I nodded.

"Yes."

He continued to look at me, narrowing his green eyes contemplating his options before he sighed when he saw the determined expression on his face.

"It's your funeral." He simply said with a smirk, making me laugh lightly as I patted my lap, letting him awkwardly sit on top of me, almost sliding off my body making the both of us laugh.

"You good?" Harry asked, sitting on top of me.

"Never been better." I wheezed out under his weight before showing him the book, struggling to wrap my small arms around his tall frame from behind.

"My joke book? But you hate this book." He said, having to crane his neck to the side to peer down at me as I just smiled.

"Yeah but it'll distract you from the noise outside, now do you want to read on first or me? You know what Ima go first cause I've never done these jokes so, knock knock." I said, tearing my gaze from the open book, flipping through the hundreds of jokes to find Harry staring at me with such intensity and love that I looked away awkwardly.

He suddenly got off my lap, making me frown hoping I didn't say anything wrong before he turned so we were face to face, me still sitting on the stool and him standing before he cupped my face, leaning down and giving me a slow meaningful kiss that made me smile.

My breath hitched when he pulled my body against his, his large hand trailing up my arm to my fingers where I was still holding his joke book, making him take it out of my grasp, tossing it to the floor before he lifted me up and propped me on the kitchen counter, his other hand placed on the back of my neck keeping my lips to his.

We broke apart, both of us panting as Harry looked down at me with parted lips and hooded darkened eyes.

"I think you were supposed to say who's there." I said, mentioning the joke again making him smirk before he kissed my cheek with a lightly chuckle,
his hands finding their way under my oversized shirt as he placed a teasing kiss at the base of my throat.

"Who's there." Harry asked, his voice much raspier than before as he began to kiss down my neck while I smiled.

"Jesus." I said making my husband freeze.

Harry slowly brought his head up from the crook of my neck like a deer in headlights to give me a deadpanned look as I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"Why Nat, why." He said as I began to sway my head from side to side, singing out "god is watching us" as I brought my hands up, waving my arms in the air on top of the counter while my Harry blinked at me with a blank unamused expression.

"I'm sorry for what you're about to warch then." Harry suddenly said, tilting his head up to the ceiling making me pause when I realized he wasn't talking to me before he looked back at me with a mischevious glint in his green eyes, a slow seductive grin spreading across his face as he suddenly grabbed me, hoisting my body over his shoulder.

"Welp, time for bed." Harry said in a cheerful tone as if he was talking to a little child, lightly patting my ass as I raised my head in confusion.

"Oh so you're sleepy now? Does that mean my knock knock joke idea worked?" I asked, hanging upside down waiting for his answer as he opened the door to our room.

"Oh, I'm anything but sleepy Nat." Harry drawled out, making my eyes widen at his hidden meaning as I started to playfully squirm under his grasp, laughing at how turned on he was making him chuckle before he slammed our bedroom door shut, the sound of our laughter and happiness echoing throughout our place drowning out whatever storm was outside.

        I jolted awake in my chair, ending the old memory I seemed to be dreaming of as Haz's duck quacked loudly in my ear.

"Jeez Lil Biggie, chill out." I winced, sticking a finger in my ear and cringing as the duck flapped around, eating the dinner I had ordered for Aaron and I's little "date night" since Haz was sleeping over at Talie's.

I wiped the drool from my face, playing with my dark hair that I had straightened and blowing a tired breath between my pursed lips as I watched Lil Biggie peck and eat at the sushi on Aaron's plate.

"You wouldn't treat me like this would you buddy." I told the duck, leaning my cheek against the palm of my hand and smiling as it quacked in response.

"That's what I thought." I said, stuffing a piece of sashimi into my mouth as I grabbed my cell phone from the table.

It was 2 o'clock in the morning and I had one missed call from Aaron and one text.

"Sorry, can't make it for our dinner tonight, have to stay at work over night and finish up a few papers, thanks for understanding, love you- oh that son of a-" I began once I stood to my feet, reading Aaron's text out loud as Lil Biggie quacked by the end of my sentence.

"Exactly, exactly." I said with a shake of my head, pointing at the duck on my dining room table before I sat myself back down, plopping into my chair.

"You know what who gives a shit, I don't care. I don't need him, more food for me, fuck him." I quickly dismissed, eating the sushi on my plate, rapidly and violently dipping it in soy sauce before biting into it and making a face when I realized I put way too much sauce on the rice.

Lil Biggie tipped his head back, swallowing the pieces of perfectly sliced fish before I heard the sound of ice pelting against the roof.

There was a heavy hail storm thundering from outside.

I swallowed my food, staring outside the dark window and looking around the empty house, hugging myself as Lil Biggie waddled around.

I kept listening to the hail storm, a knowing feeling settling in my gut as I contemplated the possibility.

It's two o'clock at night and that was so many years ago, there was no way he could still be...

A specifically large piece of hail hit the glass window of my kitchen, making me jump slightly in my chair at the impact before I made my mind.

"I'll just check." I told myself, not bothering to change as I quickly grabbed a blanket from the couch, getting my keys and heading for the door.

"Watch the place for me, I promise I'll be back soon." I said, looking over at Lil Biggie who simply quacked in response, making me smile and wink at him before I went out into the cold night.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch." I repeatedly said under my breath, sheltering myself from the hard pieces of ice that were pelting me with the blanket over my head as I fast walked down the block, the cold air hitting my exposed legs and arms in my dress.

At one point I crashed into Harry's shrubs at the front of his house, miscalculating my steps and not really seeing clearly through the dark before I quickly collected myself, looking through the window to find Harry in his a white t-shirt and plaid dark red boxers, sitting alone and awake in his kitchen with a mug of tea.

It was the exact same mug.

Harry placed his drink down, leaning his elbows on his kitchen counter before he rubbed his face, looking tired as I frowned at the sight.

He still couldn't sleep whenever there was a hail storm.

"Ow." I suddenly said when a piece of ice hit my head, making Harry turn his eyes to the window where I was before I quickly ducked, hiding myself in the bushes.

Not wanting to risk being discovered I continued to crouch away, straightening my posture once I was out of view and running back down the block to my house still being showered in ice.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch- okay ouch."

I quickly hurried inside my place with cold shaking hands, my teeth chattering as I wrapped myself with the blanket before huddling back into the kitchen, sniffling slightly as I grabbed my phone, looking for Harry's contact and pressing facetime while I searched for one more thing.

I heard his deep confused British accented voice before his face appeared on the screen.

"Nat?" Harry questioned, squinting at his screen as if he was just imagining I had called him before I found exactly what I was looking for.

"Hi I'm here." I said, coming into view on the camera as he furrowed his brows at me.

"Nat what are you- what are you doing still up. It's like the middle of the night?" Harry asked with a tone of concern as I smiled, bringing my knees up to my chest and getting comfortable in my chair as I looked at him through the screen.

"Yeah well, there's a hail storm going on and you know, some people just can't go to sleep with all that noise." I shrugged with a sly smirk as Harry's green eyes widened slightly at my response before he tried to compose himself, clearing his throat awkwardly as the tips of his ears reddened.

"Uh yeah I- I heard some people have that habit." He responded nonchalantly making me grin.

"Where's Cynthia?" I suddenly asked, wanting to know why Harry's wife wasn't worrying about his lack of sleep at the moment.

He sighed, rubbing his face before looking at his empty surroundings with a slight shake of his head.

"Not here. Said she had to stay at the retirement home she's volunteering at to take care of her grandpa so Haz and Talie are already asleep in the living room and I'm just here... still up." He explained, taking a drink from his tea making me frown slightly.

It was quiet between us, the both of us knowing exactly what was going on with our marriages but neither of us saying it out loud.

"Knock knock."

Harry snapped his eyes to me.

"Hey, that's my thing." He said in disbelief, a small dimpled smile forming over his face as I slowly brought up the thick joke book in my hand.

"I have one hundred pages of knock knock jokes and a whole night to spare, what do you say?" I offered, waving the cover in front of the camera for him to see as he chuckled, still blinking at me in bewilderment before he grinned.

"Alright, hit me with your best ones then." Was his response before I did just that.

Joke after joke, hour after hour I would give him the corny punch lines that would still make him laugh, his laugh making me laugh just because I couldn't help but find it adorable how entertained he was by these jokes as we talked over facetime, even if we were only a few blocks away in our own houses.

"Nat, it's 4:20 in the morning, I know you're sleepy-"

"Aha, 420 blaze it, blaze ittttt...." I slurred with half opened eyes, a tired smile on my face as I weakly put up a few gang signs before I slammed my cheek against the table, my breathing slowing.

"The hail stopped thirty minutes ago, you should go to bed." Harry advised in a soft tone, making me shoot my head up to look at him with red droopy eyes.

"Wait wait wait, I got one more, one more okay..." I said in a drunk tone, my head falling slightly to the side before I caught myself, making sure to wake up as I flipped the page of the joke book.

"Okay, who's there?" I asked with a goofy garbled speech, resting my chin against my palm.

"I think you're supposed to say knock knock Nat." Harry informed as my chin slid off my hand making me face plant against the wood of my dinner table.

"Who's there?" I jolted, looking back up only to watch as Harry ended the call, leaving the screen to cut to black before it went back to my home page.

I sighed, pouting and resting my cheek against the cold table as I held my phone.

"Knock knock." I slurred, blinking at the screen before my eyelids finally fell close.

"Nat, Nat I need you to wake up." I heard a familiar deep voice say after a few moments of sleep, gently shaking my shoulder as I snorted, opening my eyes to find Harry peering down at me.

"How did- how did you..." I began, sluggishly raising my head off the table as I slowly blinked at him.

"I know you keep your spare keys under your welcome mat, very unoriginal by the way." He whispered to me, keeping his voice soft and gentle not to wake me too much as I closed my eyes and fell against the table again.

"Little bitch." I murmured under my breath, trying to go back to sleep.

"Come on, I'm not leaving you here. Let's get you to bed." I heard him say, although his voice sounded so distant as I nodded absentmindedly before I felt a strong pair of warm arms wrap around me.

I was suddenly pressed against something warm and hard.

I opened my eyes to make sure it wasn't a really big peńis, sighing when I realized I was against Harry's chest as he carried me bridal style up my stair case before I closed my eyes again.

"Ouch, stupid zipper." I mumbled, rubbing at my eyes and wobbling to my feet when Harry put me down inside my room, trying to reach for it in the back to get out of the stupid dress I put on for Aaron and I's dinner date he never even came to.

"Do you uh- you need help." I heard Harry swallow from behind me in the dark room as I brought my hands up.

"I got it." I whispered, not even opening my eyes as I clumsily fumbled and reached behind me, trying to unzip my dress.

"Argh!"

"Nat you're pulling your skin, not your zipper."

"Aghhhhh...." I slurred, swaying slightly from exhaustion before I felt Harry's large warm hands hesitantly press against my back, gently moving my own hands away as he slowly unzipped me.

I heard him inhale sharply, making a sort of choked sound that made me laugh slightly in my half awake state before I leaned back against Harry's front, catching him off guard as his body tensed while he stabled me.

"You make funny sounds." I told him, bringing my head back on his shoulder as he stared down at me intensely before I pushed myself off him, stumbling slightly as I tried to take my dress off.

I made a sound from the back of my throat when my head wouldn't fit out of the top part before Harry helped me, his breathing slightly heavier than usual as he avoided looking at me.

"You should, you should put some pajamas on-"

"Alleyoop." I said, ignoring him and jumping onto my bed, landing on top of my mattress with nothing but my bra and underwear on as I relaxed into the cushions.

I heard Harry sigh before I felt his hand underneath my bare calf, gently raising it as he slowly took of my heels, making me open my eyes to find him staring at me, his sharp clenched jawline accentuated by the light pouring from the hallway as he observed me, keeping his gaze on my face and no lower even as he placed down my leg he was holding, going to the other and taking the other heel off.

"You're so intense." I whispered, slowly blinking at him as he finally cracked a small smirk, not saying anything and grabbing the blanket from the bed and bringing it over to cover my body, tucking me in until my head was the only thing exposed as I sleepily smiled at him.

We just stared at eachother, Harry looking down at me with so much emotion in his eyes, as if he had something to say but could never bring himself to say it as I let my eyes flutter close one last time.

"Aaron's cheating on me." I slurred out in a tired voice.

The room became so quiet, I thought Harry had left.

"I don't have proof but... but I'm not stupid. I'm not blind and I know. He's not happy in this marriage." I sighed, my eyes still closed as I turned to face the other side, feeling Harry's stare on my face as I yawned.

"I just feel bad for my son, he barely see's his dad but thanks to you it's okay, because you treat Haz like he's your own and I'm thankful for that." I said, not fully aware of the words that were tumbling out of my mouth as I cuddled closer to the pillows.

He didn't say anything for a while after that, and I was already drifting to sleep, believing he had left.

"He doesn't deserve you or Haz." I heard Harry's soft remorseful voice say before the sound of my door closing echoed throughout the room.

And then I was alone.

Once again.

++

I walked over to the front door, answering it since there was a loud rhythmic knock I knew only one person did.

"Well what do you know, my favorite brother-in-law." I sarcastically commented.

Carlos stood there with slightly raised hands as his soccer team of identical looking small boys surrounded his legs.

"Okeh kids, whatever you do, don't touch anythi-"

His kids let out cheers and hollers of excitement, screaming as they charged inside like a wild stampede, immediatly touching and grabbing whatever they could once they were in my house as Carlos closed his eyes, frozen in the same position, his adams apple bobbing up and down as he tried to take in a deep breath.

"Alright you're all gonna be packed in the trunk on the way back home so you all better take turns learning how to breathe through a small crack!" Carlos yelled at his kids who simply ignored him.

"We're not scared of you!" One of his children claimed with a laugh as I carried the five year old in my arms with a smile while Carlos narrowed his eyes at him.

"I'll tell mami." Carlos announced, making the kid in my arm scream, squirming and scrambling out of my grasp before running away in fear as I laughed while Carlos rubbed his face in frustration.

"Ay Nat, if I seem to accidentally forget one or two of my kids here at your place," He began, stepping inside before he grabbed my forearm, pulling me closer until our eyes locked.

"Don't bring them back to me." He said in all seriousness before he broke into his famous goofy grin as I nodded with a smirk.

"Oi Pablo! Don't hump that!" Carlos suddenly snapped at one of his kids who started to hump my couch while another was sucking on one of my doorknobs in my house.

"That's Paco Carlos." My sister Mandy told her husband, another baby boy in her arms who was sucking on his pacifier while playing with Mandy's sunhat.

"Wait, but I thought that was Paco." Carlos paused, pointing at another identical kid who ran passed us wearing three rolls of my toilet paper from my bathroom and trailing it through the halls.

"No, that's Pedro." Mandy sighed, cradling her baby on her hip as Carlos scrunched his face in confusion.

"Ah fuck it ya'll look too much alike." He commented under his breath as my eyes widened when I noticed a few little boys climbing on top of the couch, jumping off and splatting to the ground face first before bringing their heads up laughing.

"Um... anyway you can control these guys?" I asked with a raise of my brow, not wanting any kid to get hurt as Mandy opened her mouth, only for Carlos to stop her, lifting his hand up to her before he cracked his neck from side to side.

"It's all about showing who the boss is, watch," He began, cracking his knuckles before he turned to his wife in a cocky manner.

"And learn." He said, tapping the tip of her nose as she blinked at him with a blank expression.

"Alright kids! Kids!" Carlos announced, clapping his hands as all the little boys in my house froze, turning their small heads to their father in unison.

"You will all listen to your very awesome, okay, very sexy dad, so I need you to all calm down and say hello to your aunt Nat aright?" Carlos paused, raising his arms and gesturing to me as I smiled and gave the kids a small nod.

They all blinked at him in silence.

Carlos popped his collar in an arrogant way as he ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek while rubbing his chin, smirking at Mandy and I.

"See, all about discipline-"

All his kids suddenly let out loud battle screeches, attacking their father like a swarm of bees to the floor as Carlos cried out for help, screaming his high pitched shriek with his limbs flailing in the air.

"Kids. Enough." Mandy snapped, staring down at her family as all the boys froze with wide fearful eyes, quickly glancing up at their mother's stern face before they immediatly got off their father, lining up neatly side to side.

"Hi Aunt Nat." All eleven of the kids greeted in unison.

"Hi babies." I smiled, bringing my arms out as they all ran into me, cuddling closer to my body while I attempted to kiss each and everyone of them.

"Who's the boss now?" Mandy said with a raise of her brow, nudging Carlos who was still dramatically sprawled on the floor like a wounded war hero before she placed their small baby Pepe into his arms.

"Ohhh... she did you dirty." I trailed off in a teasing manner making Carlos grab Pepe's small hand, putting a few of his tiny fingers down until he made the two year old flip me off.

"Mature, very mature." Mandy sighed, stepping over her husband as I did the same while the rest of their kids ressumed their play without being too loud or rowdy this time around.

"Where's my favorite niece and nephew? I bring gifts." My sister asked, rummaging through her bag making me smile at the fact she counted Talie as family just as she did with Haz.

"Yeah where those two at? I neee love. Haven't seen 'em since last Christmas, what are they now, fourteen?" Carlos asked, getting up from the floor with little Pepe drooling in his arms.

"Fifteen actually," I corrected with a proud smile.

"But unfortunately you guys came at a bad time, Haz and Talie are fighting." I admitted with a sigh, leaning against the counter as Mandy and Carlos snapped their gazes to me.

"Wait, are you sure we're talking about the same Haz and Talie here?" Mandy paused, raising her brow as I pursed my lips and nodded.

"Hold up chica, are you sure this isn't just them bickering? Those two are even closer than my own two ass cheeks, and those are abnormally really close together." Carlos informed, looking over his shoulder to check his ass as Mandy inhaled slowly, shaking her head.

"Like is like one mono-ass-cheek, like one big bun instead of two, I ain't kidding take a feel-"

"Nope, it's a real fight this time." I said, cutting Carlos off who was still engrossed with his ass while cradling his child before Harry entered the kitchen.

"Hey Mandy, hey Carlos." He said, giving them small nods and grabbing a bottle of water from my pantry as I turned to him.

"Harry, feel my ass." Carlos whistled at him, causing Harry to freeze, eyeing Carlos before he slowly closed the pantry door and opened his water.

"No." He said, causing Carlos to roll his eyes, squeezing his own butt as I looked at Harry.

"So, are they okay now?" I asked, knowing Harry had just went upstairs to sit down and talk to Haz and Talie who were still supposedly not talking to each other.

"Nope, they're still mad. Look Nat, I know you want to help them but the only thing we as parents can do is just let them handle it themselves. It's their first real fight and it's between them, not us." He tried to explain to me as I frowned, opening my mouth in protest.

"Yeah but-"

"No."

"What if we just-"

"No Nat, no meddling." He warned, pointing at me as I looked away in annoyance.

"What are those two even fighting about?" Mandy asked as Carlos finally looked away from his backside, now interested in the conversation.

Before I could even answer there were two pairs of feet, stomping down the staircase in a rampage before the sound of bickering filled the room.

"We were planning to go together, just the two of us to the meat festival and this is what you do!" Haz's voice echoed throughout the house before Talie stormed into the room with an aggravated expression on her face, an irritated Haz following right after her.

"I'd back away right now." I warned everyone under my breath, bringing my arms out in front of Mandy and Carlos' chests as we all simultaneously took a step back, including Harry as we watched the two furious teens glare at one another from across the kitchen island.

"I already said I was sorry but you know what's really grinding my gears? You, okay you keep pushing me to go with you even after I told you about the documentary I watched. I can't even look at meat let alone eat it right now watching those poor animals get tortured like that." Talie said in a fierce tone, pointing furiously at Haz who crossed his arms over his chest.

"Good, well keep grinding your gears miss frizz because I'm still pissed, not only are you not going to the meat festival with me like you promised me you would- but you're going to go there with a bunch of people you don't even know to protest against the food!" Haz exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air as Talie ignored him, opening the fridge.

"We are protesting alright! Meat festivals are disgusting- I mean why does it even exist-"

"The hell you even protesting for!? The animals are already dead and made into little tiny sausage rolls- which are delicious by the way. You raising your little picket signs and wearing those ugly cucumber hats won't do anything." Haz interrupted making Talie slam the fridge, gripping hard onto the handle before she whipped her head to Haz.

"Oh yeah, you think our cucumber hats are stupid!? We're proud vegetarians and you're wearing a sausage weener hat to the festival!" Talie said, raising her voice.

"Proud vegetarians my ass, you only stopped eating meat last week after you watched that animal slaughter awareness video and my weener looks freakin fantastic thank you very much." Haz shot back, angrily taking out a dollar bill and tossing it to me without taking his eyes off Talie as I smiled and grabbed the swear jar from the top cabinet, placing the money in.

"If you just watched the video you wouldn't look at meat the same way either. Why are you taking this so personally, I'm going there to protest and be against the meat festival, not you!" Talie snapped.

"Yeah when you bring up and attack bacon into the conversation like you did last time I talked to you, it's personal." Haz countered in a serious tone.

"You know what, I can't have this conversation with you right now, I have to prepare for the protest with my vegetarian club." Talie said, flashing Haz a fake smile as he narrowed his light green eyes at her before she walked out.

"Don't walk away from me! This conversation is not over until I say it is!" Haz yelled as Talie ignored him, walking to the front door.

"Suck your duck!" She screamed before the sound of a door slamming shut echoed through the house.

Haz stood there at the entrance, staring at the front door in disbelief before he placed his foot down.

"Now the conversation is over!" He yelled again even though Talie was long gone before he walked out of the room and back upstairs, mumbling curses under his breath.

It was silent in the kitchen before Carlos let out a low whistle.

"Damn, even the mini versions of you two always be fighting and roasting each other." Carlos said, looking over at Harry and I as we blinked at him.

"Well in other news, our son Pedro's turning five, you think there's any way Talie and Haz will be up to attending his birthday pool party at our place tomorrow?" Mandy asked as Harry shared a small knowing smirk with me.

"We'll think of something." Harry said with a devious grin that seemed to match mine.

++

Harry and I sat besides eachother as he drove, small smiles on both of our faces while he hummed to the music on the radio, thrumming his long fingers against the steering wheel as I bobbed my head slightly while we drove to Mandy and Carlos' house.

"Such a lovely day, isn't it a lovely day Harry?" I said in a cheerful tone, turning to look at him as he let out a sigh of content.

"Yes Nat, just lovely. Very quiet, very calm." He agreed, rolling the car at a stop sign before we both simultaneously turned our heads to look at our kids who were tied together with rope, wash rags in their mouths as they let out muffled screams while we simply smiled.

Haz spit the small towel in his mouth out, trying to tug at his restraints, his wrists tied to Talie's from behind, the two teens pressed back to back as they both squirmed and struggled.

"You lied! You said you got fried chicken! There was no fried chicken! This is abuse! Abuse!" Haz yelled as I slowly turned the music on the radio up with a smirk.

"No Haz baby, abuse is when you had that phase where you kept saying 'your face' or 'your mom' every five seconds." I commented, hoisting my feet on the dashboard of my car and leaning back before I heard Talie spit out her gag.

"I will never trust you when you say you have a new puppy from here on out dad." Talie seethed as Harry chuckled, ignoring his daughter.

"Where'd you two even get the rope?" Haz asked in disbelief as Harry and I looked at eachother with sly grins.

"Home Depot!" I announced in a celebratory tone, raising my hand up for Harry's.

"Buy one get one free!" He added with a triumphant smile as he highfived me, the both of us grinning at the road as we heard our kids let out aggravated groans in unison.

"Really? A puppy?" Haz suddenly commented with a patronizing snort from the back, directing his question to Talie.

"Really? A bucket of fried chick- actually nevermind I understand since it's you." She began as the tension in the car grew.

It was quiet for a moment, just the sound of music playing in the vehicle as the two teens sulked silently in the back.

"I'm impressed, you two are actually doing a lot better than we thought you-" Harry began, looking at the kids through the rearview mirror.

"Book slut."

"Meat whore."

"Nevermind." Harry sighed.

"Four eyes."

"Wannabe thug."

Haz's gasp echoed throughout the car.

"Take that back." He said with a tone of betrayal.

"You can't fool anyone you have straight A's, a pet duck, and you live in one of the nicest neighborhoods in town. The thug life hasn't and will never choose you." Talie smugly claimed, raising her chin high in the air.

"You know what Talie, you've never been my real OG and I undeem you as my nibbler!" Haz snapped, causing Talie to gasp this time.

"You can't -you can't just undeem me-"

"Well I just did you unsalted cracker."

"Are we there yet?" I asked with a groan when the two continued to argue in the back, hearing a body fall to the ground behind us making me turn in my seat.

"Get off of me!" Haz yelled as Talie threw her head back and laughed maniacally, bringing all her weight over Haz on the ground since the two were tied to each other.

Suddenly I straightened in my chair, getting an idea as I turned back to the radio, playing the song both my son and Harry's daughter couldn't resist no matter what.

Their loud bickering stopped as the voices of the Backstreet Boys played throughout the small compact space while I lightly hummed to the song I Want it That Way.

Harry caught on to what I was doing, smiling as he reached out and put the volume up while I looked at the rearview mirror, checking out the surprised caught off guard expressions both Talie and Haz were sporting as they froze.

"Haz..." Talie trailed off in a cautious manner.

"Talie..." Haz said, copying her tone.

"I know we're mad at eachother right now... but..."

"You wanna pause and go hard on this song and then continue being mad at eachother afterwards?" Haz offered as I saw Talie's frizzy head of hair nod from the rearview mirror.

"Yes please." She said, both of their voices business like as if they were conversing about a very important case.

"Aight, fuck it up homegirl."

"But we, are two worlds apart..." Talie brought her head up in a dramatic tone, singing along.

"Fuck it up." Haz's encouraging voice commented in the background as he closed his eyes, as if feeling the music deep in his soul, both of them getting into the song.

"Can't reach to your heart."

"Your heart." Haz echoed.

"When I say, I want it that-"

"Don't wanna hear you!" Haz sang, hitting the high notes as Talie did the low ones.

"Tell me why." Talie threw her head back.

"Ain't nothin but a heartbreak." Haz began to do body rolls, even tied up.

"Tell me why."

"Ain't nothin but a mistake."

And that's how the rest of the car ride went, with both of them taking turns saying each line until they sang in unison.

Very badly might I add but it was nice seeing those two get along again as Harry and I exchanged small smiles at the front.

"Wooh! We went hard on that! Can't no one touch us!" Haz exclaimed in celebration as Talie bounced with excitement by the end of the song.

"And that falsetto you pulled." Talie complimented with a smile as they exchanged small grins.

And then the grins simultaneously
dropped.

"I can't believe you're still going to go to the meat festival just to go against me-"

"To go against something I believe is wrong not you-"

"Oh yeah, which you decided was wrong what- like a week ago!?"

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

AN: The chapters I've been writing are so long I have to split them and make part 1 and 2's to them so that way they won't be too long

So next chapter is a continuation and in Nat's POV again lmao.