I'm begging you [cw]

"I'm not being silly, I'm being honest," he protested with a big smile, moving his lips down her nose until he kissed her lips gently. He sighed at the mention of them already knowing who she was referring to. He leaned his head back against the couch, looking up at the ceiling for a while as he searched for words. "I think that she's getting closer to just throwing in the towel," he said in a frustrated sigh. He wasn't angry at Eliza, more annoyed with how daft Xalvador was. "And it hurts because Xalvador really likes her, and Xalvador doesn't really like anyone or trust anyone like he does with her," he explained, his hand loosening a bit on his grip, but only to let his fingers run in small circles against her shirt.
"I know I'm not supposed to interfere, it makes it all disingenuous, but I don't know what else to do," he confessed, turning his head to look at Tessa once more. "I know that they are adults, I know that they can choose whatever they want to do, but neither of them are doing anything about this; Eliza is afraid she'll lose one of her only friends and Xalvador? Well he's Xalvador," he sighed, shaking his head in defeat.

"No, you're definitely being silly!" she defended her own words, chuckling a little before she felt his lips on hers. Maybe if he kept kissing her like that, she would give up, but that would have to be some other time. She had to know what was up with Eliza and Xalvador. She looked at him as he seemed to think it through and it was like she could sort of tell that it really wasnt good. She just listened and nodded, stroking his side calmly as she looked at his face. It really wasnt a good idea to interfere but she could understand why he wanted to. "How about interfering indirectly?" she asked with her head tilted slightly to the side. "They only ever hang out the two or them or with you right? Which means that there isnt really anything to push them in a direction. They just both stand still and dont know where to go," she pondered, looking away as she thought about it. "But what if you took them out on a bar? Or just anywhere were there could be other people, potential threats so to say, to what they have? I dont think Xalvador knows what to do because he hasnt been met with the possibility that another guy could come in and sweep her away?" she thought out loud, before she frowned and shook her head. It sounded silly. "I dont know. I'm not really a matchmaker," she said.

"Potential threats, huh?" he mumbled, thinking it through before she started dismissing her own suggestion. "No, no, maybe it could work - I'm just not sure how I would go about it," he said with a small frown, looking at Tessa with a thoughtful expression.
"I know that her ex-fiancé will be arriving soon, so perhaps it will all sort itself out, but I'm scared that it will just make Xalvador step back and accept that he isn't going to be the one for her," he said in a frustrated voice, closing his eyes as he thought it all through. However then his eyebrows seemed to flicker before opening his eyes, looking at her a bit excited and with a smile on his face. "The first time they met, I forced Xalvador to part take in a photoshoot with her ... Maybe if I can trick them both in to another one, we might get some chemistry going?" he suggested. It felt more of a safe way to help them explore. "We could tell them that it's a project for you school, that you need two consenting adults and just have some simple prompts for them," he suggested. He thought it could work, as long as Xalvador didn't go and get cold feet.
"Besides, it would give you an excuse to go to your studio, work-kinda and we could spend some time together too?" he pondered. If it didn't work, they at least got to have a day where they were hanging out all of them.

She approved, and it felt a bit relieving. He nodded, smiling to himself before her expression seemed to change slightly. Frowning he looked at her, and that was when she came with a question that sounded more like defeat. Taking a deep breath, he wrapped his free arm around her as well, looking at her with a gentle smile. "I don't know, but we could ask - Besides she can't hold in the artist in you forever," he said, trying to sound encouraging. He didn't know how Leona would like it, but the photos could be used for an assignment, he just wondered if she had any of those coming up. "I can try talking to her; I can't convince her, but I can explain to her this idea you had that you wanted to execute," he pondered.
"Besides, your mother isn't unfair, and as long as we set some rules to stick by, I think she'll at least consider it," he said, looking in to her eyes. He might've seemed very serious right now, but he wanted to keep the talk about this light. He didn't like thinking about how Xalvador was probably still not noticing Eliza back at the apartment. "But I don't really want to think about restrictions and rules ... I want to watch this movie with the most wonderful woman in the world and eat popcorn until I can't stomach any more," he chuckled, kissing her cheek before grabbing the remote. Once they had settled in to a nice position, he turned on the movie, hugging her closer and resting his head on the top of hers.
He wasn't really a fan of horror, but the psychological aspect made him at least find it decent enough of a movie to watch. "Who do you think did it?" he asked, taking a sip of his soda. They were roughly an hour in to the movie at this point, and the killer hadn't been caught yet. It was almost like a murder mystery, but with a lot more scary stuff happening.

Gerard usually wasn't great at figuring out the murderer before the reveal, but Tessa had been really good at it in the past. He could remember a certain movie they watched and the first suspect she called out turned out to be the killer. He nodded at her words, furrowing his brows as he thought it all through. "I wish there was a butler, I would've put all my money on that guy," he chuckled. He could feel her leaning back, and he moved the covers up around her closer, making her feel cozy. However he could also feel that she drifted a bit at times, that she was getting more tired, even if she said nothing. He knew her well enough at this point that he could feel the change in attentiveness to her surroundings.
"Are you tired, ma chérie?" he whispered softly, kissing the top of her head. He could feel her fighting it, but he wasn't disappointed. He found it endearing, and it showed that she had actually spent her day on something - whether it was work or school he didn't know. Yet as the movie came to an end it was quite a surprise, as it was the presumed dead mother who showed up with a confession to the killing. Gerard felt a shiver run down his back as the credits started rolling, and he could feel her heavy against him. Chuckling softly he got up from his seat, wrapping her up before leaning down to lift her up in his arms.
He carried her to her bedroom, placing her down on the bed before he helped her off of her clothes, at least the overalls. "You're so cute when you're tired," he said in an endearing voice, stroking her cheek gently. He then laid down on the bed with her, still fully clothed as he knew that he would have to leave once Leona returned. He pulled her closer, letting her rest her head on his chest where she could hear his calm and beating heart. "Try and get some sleep, alright?" he whispered, kissing her forehead gently.

Gerard didn't know why, but he couldn't really sleep. His mind was way too occupied with thinking of when Leona would come home, but he didn't mind staying awake. In fact he enjoyed the time he got to be here with Tessa, even if she was sleeping soundly in his arms. Of course laying fully clothed felt weird, rather wanting to sleep up against her skin with his own bare, but that would probably not be met with any good reaction from her family. He knew he should've gone home when she fell asleep, but he didn't like the thought of her waking up in an empty house. So here he was, laying with his love in his arms, hearing her heavy breathing and small whimpers when she dreamt something new.

He closed his eyes from time to time, napping mostly, but his eyes were looking at the ceiling which Tessa had decorated with many polaroids of friends and family as Leona poked her head in. He chuckled lowly, shrugging and gesturing to her as to say that he hadn't had much of a choice. The offer of actually staying over made him frown but he accepted. "Merci," he muttered feeling rather grateful. He wouldn't like walking home at this hour either. "It sounds good," he said, smiling as he was actually looking forward to it quite a bit. He hadn't ever had the full family breakfast experience, so he felt a little surprised to be offered that right now. He made sure it was alright that he stayed in Tessa's room, before bidding Leona a good night. He managed to crawl out of his jeans, moving her arm briefly to get his shirt off. Then he dug under the duvet, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close and burying his face in her hair, whispering sweet words of endearment in French. Before he knew it he was sound asleep, feeling a relief in his body, and more importantly he felt that he would finally get a good night's rest.

Gerard hated that part when she knew even in her sleep that he wasn't there, but it felt good to actually be able to stay this time. He held her close, feeling how her body seemed to settle to the fact that he was actually staying. Of course the hours of sleep he did get were great, but he guessed he would always like to sleep in. Most of his work he did in the afternoon anyways, so he didn't care much to rise and shine with the sun. He turned over as she left the bed, feeling like he was surrounded by her scent, and perhaps that was why his body wasn't ready to get up just yet. Her scent just did something to him, it calmed him in a way that nothing else seemed to do.

Conrad had to admit he loved mornings like these, even if he was a bit sleep deprived when he got up early after such a late shift. However he did it for his family. He had always been very family oriented, and even when he had met Leona he had told about what his greatest dream was; there was nothing more admirable than a father being there for his family. "Morning sweetheart," he said, smiling at her daughter, stirring some scrambled eggs while managing some bacon and sausages. He also made sure to fry up some fresh tomatoes, seasoning them and burning the skin of them slightly to give them a bit more taste. "Eggs are nearly done," he said, looking at Saoirse and Connor with a smile. "Set the table, and Connor would you grab the juice from the fridge as well?" he said. Saoirse obliged, getting up from her seat and finding the suitable utensils and plates. She really liked being here, and even if she had plans with Amos later it was nice to see Connor some more.

Gerard felt her body over him, a lazy smile appearing on his lips as he felt her kisses move around his face. "Why would I want to wake up if it means you'll keep kissing me?" he asked, chuckling as his voice always sounded so raspy in the morning. He moved his hands up, his eyes still closed as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down closer to him. "Let us sleep in all day," he murmured softly, already close to drifting off again.

She leaned down, connecting their lips and he sighed almost relieved that this wasn't a dream. "Make me?" he asked, opening one eye halfway to look at her, rather challenging if you knew him - and she sure did. Her slow hand made his jaw tense, feeling how warm she was, but also noticing where her hand was moving. Biting the inside of his cheek he pulled her down for another kiss, a slight sigh escaping his lips once more as he wanted nothing more than to feel what her plans for her hand truly was.
Opening his eyes he looked at her, clicking his tongue as he shook his head. He knew what she was trying to do, and it wasn't helping when he had already been sleeping in her bed. If the duvet was moved she would be able to see that he was already turned on from her scent lingering all around him. "It's not that I don't want to ... But no family wants to hear loud sex on a morning like this," he chuckled in a whisper, placing a hand over hers, pressing it down flat against his lower chest. His heart was already beating fast, and he hated denying themselves this moment, but he was not looking to get Tessa in further trouble. If he had been allowed to sleep over tonight, maybe it would be possible another night, and ruining that was not an option. "Don't worry, I have big plans for the day you get your freedom," he whispered, kissing her cheek.
He waited until she moved off of him, swinging his long limbs out over the bed, leaning down to grab his clothes. Putting on his shirt and jeans, he stood up. His bump wasn't as visible with his jeans pressing it down, and it would surely subside like any morning wood would. "Do you just wake up this stunning?" he asked with a small chuckle, leaning down to kiss her once again, just stealing one last one before he had to act more PG downstairs.

"Oh I know I wouldn't be able to," he snickered, closing his eyes as she clearly was curious to feel how ready he was. However they both knew that it would ruin this morning for the family downstairs. She grabbed his chin and he looked her straight in the eyes, a charming smile on his lips as she whispered how she would look forward to it. Gods, he loved when she used her nails like that, and she knew what she was doing.
The only real solution was getting up and getting dressed, rewire his brain not to think about the few layers of clothes separating them. She was watching him, making him smile as he zipped up his jeans. Her protest made him frown, because she was and always would be in his eyes, enjoying this sweet moment with her. Taking her hand they went downstairs, and seeing the whole family gathered was quite surprising for Gerard. Sure, he had been to dinner a few times, but Conrad often worked late, and Connor always excused himself once he had swallowed what was on his plate. This had a very different vibe to it. "Good morning," he smiled, running a hand through his messy curls, but it did little to fix them in place. Walking over to wash his hands, he offered to help Conrad, who seemed rather impressed just by the question. Gerard was tasked with cutting up the fresh bread from the bakery, the loafs still warm to the touch, so he had to be careful. He had actually never been to a breakfast like this, not even with friends, but he could feel that the whole family was buzzing. He wanted to be a part of that, but he felt like his lack of experience on this made him in his head as he cut the loafs neatly.
"I'll take that," Saoirse told Leona, smiling as she grabbed the different bowls of fresh fruit, moving them in to the table. She looked at Connor with confused eyes. "I thought that was Tessa's teacher, why is he sleeping over?" she whispered, looking a bit confused. Clearly it hadn't clicked in her mind yet what was really going on, but she would soon enough find out.
"Thanks for letting me stay - weather has been getting colder and colder recently, and I didn't come fully prepared for a walk home," he confessed, smiling at Leona before he nodded at Conrad. He knew it had been Leona accepting him there, but they were both the leaders of this household. "My wife always knows best," Conrad chuckled, taking the eggs, bacon and tomatoes of the heat and handing them to Connor and Saoirse as they went from the kitchen to the table with the food. He moved over, wrapping an arm around Leona's waist, pulling her close before placing a loving kiss against her lips. Mornings like these were often times where Conrad and Leona showed their affection more openly. Perhaps it was just because the atmosphere made it more cozy to do so. "Also, I have a little surprise for you kids when we have eaten," he said. It wasn't something he had cleared with Leona, but he knew she would think it was a nice idea either way.

Tessa just imidiately went to do what she always did on these mornings, putting some slices of butter on plates so it would be soft once they sat down at the table. Leona also noticed how Gerard was quick to offer his help and it actually made her rather happy, because of how natural it just seemed at this point, even if he hadnt been to a breakfast like this one before. She smiled thankfully at Saoirse as she let her take the fruits off her hands, before she went back to the kitchen to finish up a few things. Connor could understand the confusion, chuckling softly as he shook his head. "I'll tell you later okay?" he said in a soft tone, moving some hair from her face.
She sighed at his confession and smiled a little at her husband's words before she looked at the nephilim. "It wouldnt have been fair to just send you home at that hour in this weather," she said with a sure smile. "Besides, it seems that Tessa and you have been pretty serious since you've got back together, so it's only fair that you are allowed at the mandatory family breakfast," she said with a soft chuckle, but she was also rather serious with her words. She looked to her husband with a soft gaze as she felt his arm around her, returning the kiss as she gently touched his face. They werent really shy of showing affection to one another in front of their kids but obviously the both of them always seemed to have a respectable approach when they were near their kids.
Tessa looked curiously at the mention of a surprise, narrowing her eyes a little before she made a bright smile. "A hint?" she asked with a soft chuckle, though if she knew her father it was quite unlikely. When everything was set and done, Leona gestured for everyone to sit down. Tessa took Gerard's hand and helped him to the seat he could take, before she sat down next to him. Connor grabbed the basket of bread and took one before passing it around the table. Tessa looked at the bread on her plate for a bit before she drew in a deep sigh. "I've thought about your suggestion yesterday mom, since I wont be able to attend the event myself. Connor can represent my picture, I just need to make a phone call to the hosts," she said which made Leona look a little surprised but then she shortly looked at Gerard, narrowing her eyes a little. She just smiled and looked back at her daughter with a soft smile, placing her hand over hers. "That's very mature of you. I'm proud," she said before she made a small sigh, giving her daughter's hand a soft squeeze.

Saoirse agreed, blushing slightly at the touch, but she was quick to try and ignore it. He always made it hard for her like that, but it felt good that he took the time to care for her like that. "Alright," she said with a small sigh.
Gerard didn't really know how to react when Leona called their relationship serious. He guessed it was, but in his mind, serious was synonymous with boring or dull. But he understood what she meant, nodding with a crooked smile on his lips. "I guess that once you lose something, you find out how important that was," he said, looking over at Tessa with saddened eyes. Even if they were on their way to heal from their breakup and now reunion, it still felt weird to think of how far he had gone in order to protect her. Or thought he protected her anyways, he had realized that Eden would've hurt her anyway or somehow regardless. "What I mean is; I am grateful," he said before continuing and finishing up cutting the bread.
Conrad chuckled, his deep voice ringing in the kitchen as he shook his head. "No hints, it's a full on surprise," he said. They all joined at the table, Gerard moving with Tessa's guidance, sitting down and taking the basket as it passed him by. He remained silent as he helped handing out what other people needed before he even got to think about what he wanted on his bread. Perhaps he had always been like that, let others eat first, then he could eat type of situation. He didn't look up as Tessa spoke, just smiled as he felt proud of her to have made that choice. Sure, she had been angry yesterday, but he knew that she couldn't stay angry forever. "Of course I promised to keep an eye on Connor, make sure he didn't fall over an art installation or sat down on a statue," he chuckled, looking teasingly at the seraphim across from him. Saoirse started giggling, because that sounded very much like the Connor she knew.
"On another note, the book that Theresa was tasked with reading had a very interesting chapter yesterday; One about the optimization of capturing two focus points with little to no editing afterwards," he said in a pondering tone. It was clearly a sign to Tessa that she could suggest or ask that she could test it out in her studio. "Of course, she argued that the technique was outdated, however I think if she could master that, she would be well off for future assignments and even clients in the future - the less editing, the more real the photo seems in my humble opinion," he said, smiling at Leona. However there was nothing sneaky about what he said, he was actually being honest, and even if Tessa had thought it would be tedious, he knew that she would come to use it eventually in this line of work.

"Well, a relationship without it's hardships wouldnt be a relationship would it? Even Conrad and I have had our own challenges and bumps that we had to work through," Leona explained with a soft smile, just to let him know that it was rather natural. Maybe his situation wasnt exactly natural, but it could have been any other scenario and still have the same effect if the problem was serious enough. All that mattered in the valkyrie's eyes was that they both found happiness in each other in the moment. Which she could easily see in Tessa, just in the way she seemed to smile a little brighter whenever the nephilim was near.
Connor frowned a little as he thought about going to the event, but Saoirse's giggle made him look at her with a small frown but a smile over his lips. "Are you imagining it right now?" he asked in disbelief, chuckling as he shook his head. "Unbelievable. I'm not completely helpless!" he argued with a chuckle, but clearly he wasnt leaving the possibility out.
Then the topic quite naturally changed to Tessa's book that she had been assigned and Leona frowned a little but she nodded in an interested manner. She folded her hands a little and listened to Gerard as he explained what they had read. She hadnt actually expected them to do doing Tessa's homework when they were hanging out, but she clearly liked the notion. She leaned back and thought about his words. Tessa folded her lips before she looked at her mom with sort of pleading eyes. "We were also talking about trying it out to see if it's really as the book claims," she said, Leona sighing as she shot her shoulders up in a short shrug. "I guess you could have a day back at your studio just to do some proper work. I have noticed how your folder is running low on material," Leona said, which made Tessa smile brightly. "But I expect you to focus on your work," she said in a more serious tone, Tessa nodding with a serious expression. "Of course." she said, trying to conceal how excited that actually made her. There was something peculiar about how Leona had seemed to loosen up. Tessa wondered if Buffy had given her something to think about, but she wasnt going to overthink it; She had gotten what she wanted after all.
"While we are at it, your father and I have discussed what we are going to do about our Solstice vacation this year. We thought that it was better to just stay home this year and have Buffy and Saoirse come over, Baal too if he's not too busy with.... whatever he's doing," Leona said as she was putting a few pieces of sliced meat on her bread and adding some eggs to her plate, clearly wanting to hear what the children thought about it all. Both Connor and Tessa just nodded in agreement almost simultaneously, Connor looking at Saoirse with a small smile on his lips but clearly it was making him rather happy because it meant he got to spend more time with her. Leona had thought there would be some objections since they usually went somewhere warm, but it seemed that both kids didnt care about that. She knew that Tessa just wanted to be close to Gerard, but Connor was a different story. "Well, that was quite easy?" she chuckled, looking at her husband with a surprised smile.

Saoirse chuckled, leaning her head against Connor's shoulder as she tried to contain her laughter. He started protesting and it just made it that more fun, so she couldn't really hold it in. She had calmed down somewhat as the conversation moved on, only a lingering smile on her lips as she spread butter on her bread, reaching for some of the fruit while she considered her choices.
Gerard knew that it might sound like they were lying regarding Tessa's homework, but he actually enjoyed helping her, because it meant he got to learn a bit more as well. He nodded as Leona seemed to agree that she should have a day at the studio. It made him smile, chuckling a bit as she said it was all to be focused on work, because to him it was obvious. "Just as a precaution, I've suggested that we use my friends Xalvador and Eliza for the subjects in mind - just as to not bring strangers in to the studio," he said, reaching under the table to seemingly just adjust his shirt, but also giving Tessa's hand a reassuring squeeze. He knew that the last time she had a model over it was Eden in disguise and it could've ended badly. He wasn't going to put up ads for modeling while they were still waiting to see the vampyre reemerge.
Gerard placed a slice of cheese on his bread, taking a bite as he felt like this was far more than he had ever experienced family life. It felt good, even if it had been a bit strange at first, he felt comfortable and acted quite natural. He listened at Leona's preposition about staying home, and he didn't really think he had anything to say in the matter, he was only happy to hear that Tessa would be home for the holidays.
Saoirse became a bit more quiet at the mention of her father, feeling her tears press on but she tried to just focus on eating. She missed him a lot, and she was so confused because no-one told her anything. She knew it was even worse for her mother, because she was literally missing her other half. Buffy was working today, but otherwise she would've been at the table. "He'll be home for my first Solstice, right?" she murmured to Connor, reaching under the table to take his hand for support. She felt close to tears, but she couldn't really sit and cry at the morning breakfast. To her it was weird, because Baal had been there every step of the way, but now he was gone and part of her thought it was because of her. Because of who she were or what she had done. Saoirse was still very much a child in that regard, blaming herself when things around her went wrong.
Conrad looked over at Connor, seeing Saoirse by his side looking down and clearly not being too happy. "He'll be home, don't worry about it," Conrad said, leaning over the table to touch the hybrid's cheek to reassure her. "I'm sure he's doing everything he can to be there for you and Buffy too," he said, like he was sure of it, but it was just because he knew what it meant to be a father. Conrad worked a lot, and his kids had had a hard time understanding why at some points, but he had sat them down and explained that he was working for them. That he was supporting them and their future, and that him being away didn't mean that he wasn't thinking of them. He looked at her wife with a soft smile, nodding at the notion that it was easy with no objections. "Alright, how about I cheer you up; I have heard a bird chirping about a concert that will take place around Halloween - It's a big collection of different artists, and your old man here has gotten you all a ticket," he said, looking at Tessa and then Connor. "You both have a plus one as well, so feel free to bring anyone you want, that includes you Saoirse," he said. It was clear he had brought one for Connor, one for Tessa and also one for Saoirse. He knew she needed some cheering up, but he didn't want Connor to be obligated to take her if he had a date in mind. "Now, it just so happens that Tessa won't be grounded at that point, so I am not breaking any confidentiality with my wife's orders," he smiled, looking at Leona with a cheeky smile.

Leona nodded at the notion that it wasnt going to be any strangers brought in. Tessa just seemed to stare a little down into her plate with a small frown over her brows. It wasnt that she had forgotten her first meeting with Eden, she had just tried her hardest to not think about it till eventually she did. The reminder just brought up bad memories anyway, even if Gerard gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She looked at him with sad eyes, but it was clear that she appreciated the fact that he cared about it. Now however wasnt a time to dwell on the past, it was the family breakfast and it was supposed to be a good time. She picked out some fruits and decided to only have butter on her bread. She poured herself a glass of some weird coloured juice with a bunch of different exotic fruits, offering to pour for Gerard if he wanted or just hand him whichever juice he wanted.
Connor knew his mother's wording had been filled with disappointment and as Saoirse murmured to him, he looked at her with saddened eyes. She didnt deserve to know nothing, but so far neither his mother or Buffy had said anything about what was going on with the daemon. He felt a little at a loss for words, because he couldnt just lie to her and say that he would, because he didnt know if that was true. Luckily his father butted in on the conversation, saving Connor the trouble of having to say something he didnt know a thing about. "Your parents did many things that others would look down upon to bring you safely into this world. Even if your father is a daemon and an odd one at that, he always seems to want to do what's best for you and Buffy," Leona said in a caring tone. Though she couldnt seem to see eye to eye with Baal on much, this was one of the rare occasions, solely because it revolved around Saoirse's safety.
Tessa frowned a little at all the talk about Saoirse's father. She hadnt really ever met him, but Leona had talked about him often, at first rather negatively which had seemed to paint a rather ugly picture for Tessa's mind about him, even if Leona had seemingly had a change of tone whenever she spoke of the summoner. She knew what it was like to have a working father, but from what she could tell about him, he seemed more like a deadbeat dad. She popped a blueberry in her mouth and leaned back into her chair. The mention of an upcoming concert peaked her interest as she looked to her father with curious eyes. Surprise was all over her face as he disclosed that he had gotten them tickets, a broad smile spreading on her lips as she placed a hand on Gerard's lower arm. "Are you serious?" she asked with wide eyes, only to giggle happily if he confirmed that this was in fact real. Leona had an expression of pleasant surprise, tilting her head a little with a soft smile over her lips. "You're always so full of surprises, Morgan," she chuckled happily. Connor sent Saoirse a broad smile, tilting his head slightly, "You could bring Amos as your plus one, unless there's a secret someone else?" he suggested, knowing how much she cared about both him and Amos. But he wasnt excluding the fact that there could be someone else she'd rather bring.

Saoirse nodded at Leona's wise words, but it was just hard thinking that he cared when he was gone so much. She had tried speaking to her mother about it, but it seemed to hit her hard, and the last thing Saoirse needed was her mother crying. It was like her eyes were always a bit fluid, like she was always ready to cry any moment, and Saoirse just wanted to keep her happy. "I just miss him," she said, poking to a strawberry on her plate, biting the inside of her cheek as she fell silent again. She was happy that the family around her supported her through it all. Without Connor or Amos she would've probably been worse off if she was being honest.
Gerard frowned slightly at the mention of a concert, holding his glass while Tessa poured him some juice. He looked surprised to hear that the father had gotten tickets, and it seemed like more than enough. Conrad chuckled at his wife's words, lifting his hand to move some of her blonde hair behind her ear. "Well I was hoping to buy my way to spend a night off with the woman I love," he said, smiling. Despite the years that had passed, you could still see the wild kid in him, that boyish charm that had never left him even as he had grown older. "And getting the kids out of the house would insure that," he added, sticking his tongue out a bit, making Saoirse smile despite being a bit sad still.
She looked at Connor, shrugging but she really wanted Amos there too. It felt just the right option. "Aren't you going to bring someone too?" she asked, her eyes big, but she was not holding Connor hostage. He was free to pursue someone else, and she didn't know how she felt about it. Her and Amos had grown very close since her father had left, he often stayed over when Buffy had to work late nights, and she didn't know how Connor felt about that. She felt guilty at times, taking up both guys' time so much, even if they wanted to, she was beginning to understand that what they had might never become a reality.
"It sounds good, it's the event for charity - right?" Gerard asked, making Conrad nod in reply. He hummed to himself, nodding. "Well I think it would be fun," he said, smiling as he turned to look at Tessa.

The notion that he was using the opportunity to get the kids out of the house made Leona giggle softly as she sent her husband a soft gaze. "Sometimes it's like you havent aged a day," she chuckled but she didnt mean it in a bad way. "Guess I'll have to clear my schedule too then," she said with a bright smile. It wasnt that she cared much for going out, sometimes it was just the simple things in life that she appreciated.
Connor narrowed his eyes a bit at her question but then shrugged. "I dont really have anyone in mind. You cant be my plus one after all," he chuckled. It was quite obvious that they were rather close, but it seemed to go over everyone's head that there was more to it than that. Connor knew she felt guilty a lot about how demanding she could be about their time, but he would freely give it all to her. "What charity?" Connor asked as Gerard spoke, Tessa thinking for a second but unable to name it. She looked to Gerard and still had her hand on his arm, not really bothered to move it now that she had placed it. Besides, it didnt seem to get her any stern looks from her mother, so she thought it was okay for now.

"I know," she said, smiling as she felt happy to hear him say that. She loved him, deeply and sometimes she felt so lonely when he wasn't there. She turned her head to look at Gerard, tilting her head slightly as she was curious as well.
"Well it's basically a fundraiser for the neglected youth of Churchill," Gerard said, looking at Tessa with a slight smile on his lips. He knew that it was probably not something they thought about much, but he was always thinking about where he had come from. Even if the orphanage him and Xalvador had been living at was now renamed and changed owners, it felt like he could still see himself from back then. He took a sip of juice, clearing his throat slightly. "It's also what this weekend's artist line up is about; I've set up some of my photos for an auction and hopefully that money will go straight in to the donation basket," he said with a faint smile. He didn't speak about his past much, but he knew that Tessa knew a bit. He just wasn't completely ready to tell all of it just yet, but it would come at some point. "I think it's a great initiative, they will be funding for school supplies and housing for young kids," he added.

Connor nodded, thinking it was quite a clever idea to do a charity like that when the market was for it. A lot of young people loved concerts especially if it was a good lineup. Tessa's eyes seemingly softened up as she knew how much it meant for Gerard, even if she didnt know all of what he had gone through. She knew enough. "That's quite generous of you," Leona remarked with a small smile on her lips. Tessa nodded in agreement, touching the fabric of his shirt gently on his arm. "There are far too many kids in this world who needs those opportunities, so it is indeed a great initiative," the valkyrie agreed, reaching out for some fruits that she put on her plate. "Does that mean you'll be busy all night?" Tessa asked with her head tilted slightly as she wasnt sure if that meant that he would have to go as the representing artist of his work or if he could come as her plus one. She wouldnt really mind since it was something he was passionate about, but she did feel a little selfish and wanting to spend just a small moment with him if she could.

Gerard shrugged, frankly he wasn't sure if he felt the same with the fact that he was being generous. Those photos could've payed for a decent ring for Tessa, but he could make that money another way. "Yeah, they need a bit of help," he agreed with Leona, nodding to himself. He felt Tessa's hand on his arm, and he felt like he was truly supported by that action alone. Her question made him chuckle, shaking his head. "I won't be terribly busy, the auction will pretty much run itself as it is online ... But I do think I would be able to meet some of the performers," he said, smiling at the valkyrie he loved so dearly. "I know that the female artist Vivi Win is going to be there, oh and K-Mills," he said in a pondering tone as he thought back to the artists headlining the show.
"K-Mills? Me and Amos hear his new album on repeat," Saoirse chuckled, a bit surprised and feeling a little star struck. Then her eyes lit up, looking at Connor. "Do you think you could get us to meet him? Or maybe just awkwardly look at him at close hand?" she asked, blushing a bit because she knew that the artist was still a person, but his songs just really seemed to be something both her and Amos shared an interest for. "Uhm, yeah I think so ... I mean I know him from way back in the day, so I was actually planning on catching up with him while he was in town," Gerard replied making Saoirse's mouth fall open.