Chapter Text
It’s 5:30PM, White Lily notes as she looks up at the clock. A Saturday afternoon on a clear day, the kind of day she wants when her oldest son (and oldest child really) is finally returning home from university. Matcha came home the month previously, though her course ended a sooner than her brother’s, just a difference in their schedules. Nothing more but she does wish her first babies were home more.
At the dinner table, Pom-Pom is shovelling cereal into her mouth like a chipmunk. Currently that’s all she eats now, and honestly it’s easier to just let her until she’s finally sick of it. Venom is sat next to her, left eye (because the right one is awful and needs to be iced now) trained on their phone. Probably planning what building to vandalise in the Crèmè Republic with Twistly Gummy later. Not that White Lily would actually punish them for, despite what Oyster Cookie and Grand Madeleine might believe.
Mold is sleeping off a two day long migraine in his room, probably had a towel that was in the freezer for a good few hours wrapped around his head. The cold helps get rid of the pain quicker.
”Your brother’s coming home,” White Lily says over her shoulder, wiping her hands on the tea towel. “Should be here in… 15 minutes.” She motions to the clock on the wall which only Venom looks up to.
”Chiffon will be happy,” Venom says, the dog perking up immediately at his name. Tail wagging at the idea of being involved in something. “I imagine he’s going to visit Pastry during his visit home. Hopefully not at the church.” They continue. “I am not being dragged to mass at 7am on a Sunday morning to impress his girlfriend.”
Pom-Pom snickers before shoving more cereal into her mouth. The brief memory of being a toddler and being dragged into a church in some frilly dress because Red Velvet wanted to impress the ‘pretty church girl who wants me dead’. Was not fun. Venom almost got them kicked out because they decided to pick a fight with Menthol because they thought it was hilarious.
It wasn’t. Silent Salt had to apologise to the pastor.
The front door cracked open, the sound of passing cars quickly muffled. “I’m home.” Silent Salt calls into the house, walking straight to the kitchen. Pulling White Lily into his arms and kissing her cheek. “I picked Red Velvet up from the train station.” He says before quickly catching her lips in a kiss.
”On that note,” Venom says, chair sliding back immediately as they practically speed-walked into the living room. Not because they want to be the first to greet their brother, but because watching their parents be all mushy made them want to gag. Pom-Pom’s head snapped up, abandoning her cereal to run into the living room.
”That was nice of you,” White Lily says, cupping her husband’s face in her hands to reciprocate the kiss. She can already hear Venom and Red Velvet bickering. Not even 2 minutes of peace.
Red Velvet scooped Pom-Pom up into his arms, being careful of how hard and uncomfortable it would be for her to rest in his prosthetic arm. “Been good at school?”
Pom-Pom nodded. Venom hummed, knowing that they haven’t exactly been the best at school. Sure their grades are amazing (which is a surprise given their friendship with Twistly Gummy) but unfortunately their attitude towards authority has never been good. They’re working on it.
”Venom got suspended,” Pom-Pom grinned. Snickering at the way their head snapped towards them. Red Velvet raised an eyebrow at the snitch as if waiting for an explaination.
”I was defending Mold. Some bastard—“ Venom started.
”Language!” White Lily yelled from the kitchen.
”Sombody was picking on him, I told them to leave him alone.” Venom continues. Of course, this wasn’t exactly uncommon. People love to pick on the chronically ill kids, and unfortunately Mold’s chronic illness was more visible than anybody else’s so he’s been the victim of bullying a lot. Only because these recent months he’s been too weak to actually fight back. “And… I ended up punching them.”
Red Velvet sighed. He couldn’t blame Venom at all, he’d been the same at that age, and had reached violently when people made fun of him for being an amputee or when they picked on Matcha for being ‘weird’. It was basically like looking in a mirror sometimes. A very reflective mirror that made him cringe at times because good lord Venom is just like him at times.
”I get that you’re defending Mold but don’t punch people,” Red Velvet says, setting Pom-Pom down. Putting his organic hand on his sibling’s shoulder.
”Hypocrite.” Venom scoffed.
”Yeah, take it from me. Fighting didn’t do anything.” He says, pulling them into a tight hug. Mostly because of course he missed his little sibling, it’s been months since he’s been home. Venom pauses for a few moments but then awkwardly hugs back. “I missed you.”
”Ew.” The younger one muttered.
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Mold had come out at some point, muttered a greeting before downing three ibuprofen (despite the way Silent Salt tried to stop him) and going back to his pitch black room. He just wants to sleep the pain away, then he can probably celebrate his brother coming back home. Red Velvet just nodded and let his little brother go back to sleep, his mum had told him about the bad couple of recent weeks.
Pom-Pom had gone to bed at 8:30. Not a school night but she still needs sleep even if she wants to stay up and play dolls with her big brother, she has a play date with Custard tomorrow. And Venom had left around 6:15 because they were meeting with Twistly Gummy, probably going to vandalise a building again.
“How’s Pastry doing?” White Lily asks as she carries a stack of plates from the kitchen to the sink, Silent Salt was washing up the dirty dishes since she’d done it this morning.
”Pastry?” Red Velvet says, looking up from his phone. The group chat is blowing up because Pomegranate is loosing her shit over something that only she cares about in all honesty, Licorice is just egging her on for the fun of it. “Oh yeah—“ he cleared his throat, “She’s doing good, but I think she’s going to start university actually.”
Both of his parents hum in acknowledgment. Silent Salt (who has choice words about the church Pastry has been raised in) muttered something underneath his breath that earned him a sharp glare. White Lily just turned back to her oldest with a smile, “Is she going to join your university?”
Red Velvet hummed. “She’s thinking of it, just trying to find a course she likes.”
Pastry has always been a little indecisive, mostly because of the church and the fact that they don’t really like anything outside of their like culty bubble. Not that anybody says anything because obviously she wouldn’t see it the same. So to avoid any arguments nobody says anything, well unless she ever comes to them about it.
”Well I hope it goes well for her!” White Lily smiles. She’s always been accepting of Pastry. She’s always been an accepting person in general.
Red Velvet nodded as he leaned back in the chair he’s sat in. His phone buzzes with a notification, a text from Pastry, probably just asking him if he’s got home safely. It’s a simple question but god it’s got him smiling like some moron.
He is so gone.