Chapter Text
The doorbell chimed for the first time that night. It bounced off the silent, empty walls and rang in Emily’s ears. She set her wine glass down on the coffee table and waited to see if it would ring again, or if they would simply leave. When a persistent little knock followed the chiming of her doorbell Emily got up and slowly made her way to the door. Ready to tell the sad poor kids that she had no candy to give.
Emily opened the door to reveal miniature versions of (what she assumed were the characters) Wreck-It Ralph and Fix-It Felix. Both attacked her with hugs as soon as they saw her. Henry was now big enough that he could hug her around her waist, but Michael still only reached her thighs.
“And who are you two? I have never seen these people in my life!” Emily put a hand to her heart and feigned utter confusion, trying not to crack a smile at either of them.
“I am gonna wreck it! Because I am Wreck-It Ralph-“
“I’ll fix ya miss ‘cause I’m Fit-It Felix!” It sounded as though the boys had rehearsed it before hand, Emily would even be willing to place a bet that they did.
“It’s us Aunty, Henry and Michael.” Henry stood proudly next to his little brother and put his arm on Michael’s head.
“Yea Aunty Emmy, it is your favorite kids in the whole wide universe.” Michael opened his arms up wide when he said universe as if to emphasis his point.
“Well, you two could have fooled me.” Emily looked up from the boys for the first time and saw JJ standing on the steps in a blue off-the-shoulder sweater and pale blue leggings. “And who are you suppose to be?”
“Cinderella-well the Wreck-It Ralph version of her. I gotta say this is a lot more comfortable than those fake stuffy dresses.” JJ pulled the sleeves of the sweater of her hands and gave Emily a small smile.
“I didn’t think they made those ‘stuffy dresses’ in adult sizes Jay. Now the versions of the Cinderella costumes for adults I do know-“
“The really well made dresses?” JJ was giving Emily the death stare, daring her to try and finish what she was going to say in the first place.
“Yea, the really nicely made dresses.” Emily looked behind her into the kitchen but saw the empty counters. “I’m sorry to say this boys but I have no candy to give you. I wasn’t expecting any cute trick-or-treaters tonight.”
“That’s okay. Mom just wanted to stop and see you.”
“Henry! We were in the area and I thought you would like to see the boys’ costumes.” Henry was shaking his head as she spoke and Michael was hiding his giggling behind his free hand.
Emily knelt down next to the boys and gave them each a wink. She could see the wheels turning in Henry’s mind and knew that they were on the same page. Henry rolled his eyes at the confused look on Michael’s face, he bent down and quickly whispered in his ear.
“Now, I know some of the se little old ladies have some nice full size candies. Did you guys already hit them up?”
“Nah, trick-or-treating ended like ten minutes ago.”
“That’s what I thought too. Well, if you kids are done for the night, how about a cup of hot chocolate to warm you guys back up?” Emily moved off to the side and used the door knob to steady herself as she stood back up.
“I’m sorry for intruding in on your night Em.” JJ was suddenly standing right in front of her, hands still covered by the sleeves of her sweater.
“I told you that this can be your second home. You and the boys are always welcome, that’s why I gave you the spare key when I bought this place. Now, come inside and help me make enough hot chocolate for all of us and we can send the boys off to find a movie or go play.” Emily placed a hand on JJ’s hip and guided her closer.
JJ’s eyes never broke contact with Emily’s no matter how much she wanted to look away before it got too much. Emily regretted not thinking her actions over, because now JJ’s nose was inches away from her own and she could feel the ragged breath of the blonde on her neck. Her body always betrayed her when it came to JJ. Always. Sanding in the doorway, on Halloween night after a perfectly innocent encounter, was no different. Suddenly her brain snapped back into focus when she heard the clinking of cups coming from the other room. The hand that was still placed on the door knob gave a slight push and closed the door, which she had meaning to do when she first pulled JJ in.
“I think I better keep my promise to those boys,” Emily stood still in front off JJ waiting for her to be the first to move. “We don’t want them burning themselves, or the house.”
JJ nodded slowly but refused to move an inch. Emily’s other hand brushed a stray piece of hair that had fallen from the loose flip bun JJ had put her hair in, her fingers lingered on JJ’s neck.
“Mom! Emmy! Henry is trying to make it himself!” Michael’s yelling pulled them both back to reality and into the kitchen. JJ kept avoiding Emily and her straying eyes as they moved around each other, trying to clean up the chaos that reigned over Emily’s once pristine kitchen.
“What do you say we pick out one more Halloween movie to wrap up tonight?” JJ held out her hand to Michael who took it happily.
“Don’t forget to put extra marshmallows in mine!” He yelled over his shoulder and immediately started talking JJ’s ear off on their way into Emily’s living room.
“She loves you.” Emily’s eyes drifted from where JJ was walking away down to Henry still at her side.
“What do you mean? Who loves me?” Henry tossed his head back and rubbed his eyes.
“Mom. Mom loves you. She never says it out right, but in literally every other way.” Henry paced behind Emily as he started listing off all the things JJ has said about her. “How happy you make her, the way she smiles whenever you text her, or how you are the only one she told about what happened with dad. Not to mention that whenever she has nightmares she looks for you. But that didn’t come from me. Mom loves you, even if she doesn’t want to admit it. You make her happy, I like people that make mom happy.”
“You know, you are a very smart kid. A little too smart.” Emily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and rubbed his shoulders.
“It’s okay to love mom back.”
“Okay.” Emily smiled down at him before grabbing a pot from underneath the stove, “I think we better get started on this, don’t you think?”
Henry’s shoulders sagged at her answer but nodded. Together they made hot chocolate in silence, Emily guiding his hands to make the perfect batch of coco. They waited for it too cool before evenly distributing it to four overly cheery holiday mugs. Emily took the marshmallows down from the cabinet and handed them over to Henry, who grabbed a handful and dropped them into each cup. In the last one he added a couple extra.
“Did I say something wrong? Please don’t tell mom, she will try and deny everything. I can’t loose you too.” Henry wrapped himself around Emily, burying his head into her side.
“You won’t ever lose me. Understand? I will be here no matter what.”