Stairwell, Saturday morning

[solo_sword]

After waking up and deciding that it just wasn't fair that breakfast places here didn't deliver, John and Jaina pulled themselves out of bed to go get something. It didn't seem at all strange that they'd done something like this last year, either, because it had sort of gotten overshadowed by the arrival of children.

Yeah.

"You live too high up," Jaina said as they made their way down the stairs. "It's further away from the food."


[For certain people.]

Comments

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Hey, I was willing to order pizza," John reminded her. "But I'll carry you down the stairs if it's too much effort."

And that would be John sneaking an arm around her waist.

[solo_sword]

"I can walk," she told him, grinning, and not minding that arm. "It's just far. And you don't think it's early for pizza?"

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"It's never too early for pizza," John said. "Especially cold, leftover pizza. And beer."

[solo_sword]

"See, that's not appetizing now," she told him.

And wow, someone in the stairs below was being loud.

[anakinllkillhim.livejournal.com]

"Huuuuuuuuurry! Don't let him catch us!" Jaryd screamed, tearing up the stairs excitedly.

[anakinllkillhim.livejournal.com]

Jordin was keeping pace with him, racing up the stairs as fast as her little legs would carry her. "Shhhhhhhhhhhhh! Stop yelling, he'll hear!"

[anakinllkillhim.livejournal.com]

Rounding the fourth floor Jaryd smashed against legs that didn't move. He looked up.

Way up.

"HEY! We found 'em!"

[solo_sword]

Jaina looked down at them, somewhere between shocked to see them again and really glad to see them again. Shut up, she'd missed them. "You're back!" she stated the obvious.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"They're back" John repeated, looking at Jaina with wide eyes and, for the moment, pretending the child pressed against his legs was not there.

[anakinllkillhim.livejournal.com]

"Uh huh," Jordin said, not sure why he was repeating Mom. "We should go upstairs now." She hadn't forgotten who they were escaping.

[anakinllkillhim.livejournal.com]

Jaryd reached up and tugged at his father's hand. "Back to the room!"

[solo_sword]

"Wait, why are we going back upstairs?" Jaina asked as Jordin similarly took her hand to try and lead her back upstairs, apparently forgetting that her mom was bigger than her and didn't budge when pulled on by six-year-olds.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, we were getting breakfast," John added. The he bent to whisper at the twin's level, "You know how your mom gets when she's hungry."

[anakinllkillhim.livejournal.com]

Oh. They knew. "But..." Jordin was struggling for an excuse that didn't involve telling them. "There's a monster at the bottom! We have to go back up. Let's go!"

[anakinllkillhim.livejournal.com]

Jaryd caught on his sister's game easy. "Yeah, a monster with big eyes an' giant teeth an' it'll bitcha good!"

[solo_sword]

Jaina still wasn't budging, despite Jordin's best efforts. "Guys, you know I can tell there's no monster, right?"

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John raised an eyebrow. "Though I do hear something."

[anakinllkillhim.livejournal.com]

"He's comiiiiiiing," Jordin whined whined, climbing up a couple steps even while holding onto her mom's hand.

[anakinllkillhim.livejournal.com]

Tugging with all his might on John's leg, Jaryd was not going to stand for this. "Come ON!"

[solo_sword]

"Kids, calm down," Jaina said. "I told you, there's no monster."

[anakinllkillhim.livejournal.com]

Just a two-and-a-half-year-old, crawling up the stairs and latching on to his momma's leg, sticking his thumb in his mouth.

[anakinllkillhim.livejournal.com]

Jordin sighed heavily. "Well, now you did it." She could have been speaking to a few people with that, really.

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"Uh, who's this?" John asked, because someone had to, okay.

"And don't say no one or some kid who followed you home, either." That had been a favorite game of Dave's.

[anakinllkillhim.livejournal.com]

"But he did follow us!" Jaryd complained.

[solo_sword]

"This is who you were outrunning?" Jaina said, reaching down to pluck the little one off her leg to pick him up. And don't think Jordin was happy to be let go of for that. "What's your name, sweetie?"