eleven ── family

"𝕬re you sure that you're okay?" Eden turned to look at Luke, who was holding onto Bradley. "If at any point, you want to leave, just tell me and we'll go."

"I'm fine." Luke nodded, eyes wide as Eden grinned and ruffled his hair. She was balancing a pie on her hips, her fist ready to knock on the door of her parents home. 

"Alright then." Eden knocked on the door, before stepping back and waiting as she heard the sound of her mother running towards the door. It was flung open and Eden beamed. "Hi mom."

"Hello my baby." Macy pulled her into a tight hug, pressing a kiss to her cheek and beaming at the sight of the pie in her hand. "Is that...?"

"Apple and cherry pie. Luke and I made it last night." Eden grinned, before turning to look back at her son, who now seemed a bit more on edge. He hadn't been feeling scared until Eden had knocked on the door and now, Luke was worried. "Mom, this is Luke."

"Oh, I know who he is." Macy gave Eden's arm a smack as the woman rolled her eyes. "You only tell me all about him over the phone. I heard you want to start ice hockey?"

"Yeah..." Luke mumbled.

"Great! You and the boys are going to have fun. They're very excited." Macy ruffled Bradley's fur. "You can call me Macy, or grandma or whatever, I don't mind at all."

"Thanks." Luke began to scuff his converses and Eden shot her mom a look. The woman nodded, patting her arm and taking the pie from her. 

"Hey, anytime you want." Eden reminded him, unclipping Bradley and taking the lead from Luke. "We'll leave. They won't mind."

"Okay." Luke nodded, as Eden quickly gave his shoulder a squeeze and led him into the house. He followed her suit, kicking his shoes and jacket off and following Eden down the hallway and into the kitchen.

Macy was at the stove, trying to bat Bradley away from taking the sausages that she had placed out. The dog wasn't paying her any attention.

"Hi dad." Eden gave her step-dad a hug, pressing a kiss to his bearded cheek. "How have you been?"

"Missing both of my daughters." He gave her a quick pinch on the cheek, before holding his hand out to Luke. "I'm Phil. Eden's step-dad."

"Luke." The boy sent him a half-smile, shaking his hand, before retreating back to Eden's side.

"Where are the others?"

"Hissing at the sunlight." Macy called, shaking her head. "I tried to tell them that you were here, but they smelt the garlic I was cooking and scuttled back into their pits."

Eden cackled, before turning back to the corridor.

"Hey, losers! You not going to come and say hello to your big sister!" She waited for a moment, before laughing again at the sound of thumping and shoving as three bodies came flying down the stairs in a ball of limbs and curse words. "I see nothing has changed."

"Eden!"

"Don't tackle me!" Eden cried, groaning as Orion and Jasper both barrelled into her. "You're too big to do this to your poor sister!"

"Never." Orion grinned, clinging onto her as she groaned and cried. "We didn't think you were coming."

"Yeah, thought mom was lying." Jasper nodded along as Eden managed to extract herself to embrace her step-sister. 

"Hi Cara." The teenager grinned, wrapping her arms around the older woman. "Thanks for the banner. Luke loved it."

"I'm glad. Is he here?" Eden nodded at Cara's words, turning as the four siblings looked at Luke, who was hovering in the kitchen, looking slightly worried. "Oh, he's so cute."

"Guys, this is Luke." She caught Jasper and Orion before they could rush off. "You better be nice or else..."

"Of course we're nice, Eden!" Jasper cried, shooting her an offended look. 

"I can't believe this. Threatened, by out own sister!" Orion shook his head, before wrapping an arm around Jasper. "Dead to us now."

"Yes." Cara and Eden both sent them unamused looks.

"Luke, this is Cara." The girl held her hand out for Luke to shake. "The tall one is Jasper, he plays ice hockey and the short one is Orion."

"Hey man." Orion shook Luke's hand, entering the kitchen as Jasper shot him a grin.

"I heard you wanted to start ice hockey. I've probably got some skates in your size, if you wanna go together?"

"Uh, yeah, I'd like that." Luke nodded and Cara pulled a face from behind the boy, pouting in adoration.

"Food's ready. Come on, Luke, I'll show you." Phil placed a hand on his shoulder, steering him towards the dining table with the boys as Eden looked back at her sister and mom.

"He is the cutest boy ever. I just want to hug him and kiss his head." Macy pressed a hand to her heart as Cara nodded along. "I've got such a perfect grandson."

☾☼☽

After dinner, they retreated to the sitting room to chat about the business, school and university for the younger teenagers and what they had planned for the upcoming weeks. Luke sat by Eden's side, leaning his head on her shoulder as Bradley lay fully across their laps. 

The demigod was tired but happy. Eden's family was nice and her brothers seemed super cool. Jasper had even promised to take him skating and help him with training for ice hockey, which was awesome! Plus, Eden's mom had given him an extra bowl of ice cream, which had caused him to grin.

He liked it here and his dad had, miraculously, not messed anything up.

Eden was finishing telling her mother about the newest expansion and the profit to it, though she was running her hands through Luke's hair as he grew more and more sleepy. The food was so good and his stomach was full, something that had happened more and more since he'd been at Eden's.

When he was on the run, he never really ate all that much and even at the foster homes, there were always a lot of kids around and if you didn't get to the table fast enough, then you didn't have as much to eat.

"Luke's been helping with the accounts though, Mom. You should see it, he's a genius with numbers." The boy looked up at the sound of his name, eyes going wide at the praise that Eden was giving him. "You put an equation in front of him and he just knows it."

"That is amazing." Phil turned to him. "You could probably teach Jasper and Orion a thing or two."

"We're not that bad."

"Your last report card begs to differ." Phil retorted to Jasper, who nodded his head. "I still don't know how you managed it."

"It clashed with training, so I never went. Duh!" Jasper rolled his eyes, before catching sight of his mom's glare and stopping quickly. "But that was very wrong of me and I'll never do it again."

"What school's Eden got you going to?" Orion turned to him, scratching Bradley's belly as the dog rolled over.

"One in New York." Luke nodded his head, chewing on his lips.

"Damn, that's a good school." Orion nodded. "I went there for a little bit until we moved out here."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Got my name on a plaque somewhere for sports player of the year. It should be in one of the trophy cabinets." Orion explained.

"What sport did you play?"

"I did gymnastics for a while." Orion shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "But I also do a little bit of martial arts here and there."

"That's pretty epic."

"What's the time?" Eden asked, looking back at Orion as the boy held his watch face up for her to read. "Thanks. Mom, me and Luke might have to leave. He's got school and I've got work."

"Sure thing. Tell me how the expansion goes and also, a reminder that you're going to need to start planning the annual charity gala soon." Macy stood as Eden hauled Bradley off of their laps and onto the floor. "Unless you want me to help with that?"

"Could you? That'd be a great help." Eden nodded, yawning slightly as Luke stood up as well, watching them. "We'll choose the charity and all that."

"Sounds like a plan." Macy nodded, as Jasper tapped Luke on the shoulder.

"Remember, me and you, skating. I'll tell Eden to bring you round next weekend and you and I can go."

"Sure." Luke nodded, laughing as Jasper ruffled his hair. "It was good meeting you."

"Nice meeting you too. We'll see you around, yeah?" Orion grinned as well, causing Luke to nod back quickly.

"See you Luke." Cara waved at him, standing in between her brothers as Luke tugged his shoes back on and turned to smile at Macy and Phil.

"Thanks for having me."

"Anytime." Phil nodded.

"You need anything, give us a call." Macy smiled, before Luke followed Eden out to the car, not bothering to wipe the grin from his face. He'd finally got a family.

☾☼☽

Hiya,

Little update just because Luke meeting the family is something so precious to me, I just can't explain it. He was so nervous, but he warmed up to them. Cara, Eden, Jasper and Orion are just a chaotic sibling group and I love them for it plus Phil and Macy are ultimate grandparents.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx