obsessed, but I kinda am. He's been so good for me."
"What you're saying is: play nice?"
"Exactly. That's the thing I'm saying." Tom nods. "Play nice?"
"Only for you." Poppy smiles indulgently. "Take me to your prince."
Tom beams and leads Poppy inside to where Cin is sketching quietly in the kitchen, eyebrows drawn together as he sits on the end of the table and alternates between staring out the window and scribbling in his sketchbook. Tom stops for a moment, just to watch him, and Poppy does the same, looking over his shoulder again. He doesn't move until Poppy nudges him gently.
"Hey, Cin? This is my sister."
Cin hops off the table and puts his things down, already smiling by the time he looks up at them. "I've heard so many good things about you." Cin offers his hand as Poppy pushes past Tom, already preparing to take it. "He neglected to mention that he's not actually the pretty sibling. I love your shoes."
"He noticed my shoes; you can keep him. But only if I can have shopping trip rights." Poppy winks at Cin, who winks right back. Tom never really expected them not to get along, but it's a relief that they're already finding common ground.
"I like you. How long are you staying?"
"Just a day or two. You'll have Tom all to yourself again soon, don't worry."
"Actually, I was just thinking that Tom says you like zombie movies. I also like zombie movies, and Tom doesn't, because he's a baby."
"Both of those things are true." Poppy nods seriously.
"Hey!" Tom would like to pretend he's upset, but he's okay with jokes at his expense if it means that Cin and Poppy are going to be friends. Poppy has always been a huge, important part of his life, and Cin is, hopefully, on his way to becoming one. It'd suck if they didn't like hanging out with each other.
"Aww." Cin gives Tom a sympathetic look. "It's okay. You're very brave around spiders." He takes a step forward and stands on his toes to kiss Tom's cheek. Tom blushes and his stomach floods with warmth. Cin kissed him in front of Poppy. For whatever reason, that seems huge.
"Very brave," Poppy agrees. "Come sit with me and I'll tell you embarrassing stories about him?" Poppy offers Cin her hand, wiggling her fingers until he takes it.
"I guess I'll just be in charge of making the coffee, then?" Tom asks. He means it to be sarcastic, but he knows that by saying it, he's already volunteered for the role. Sarcasm works even less well on Poppy than it does on Cin, and she's already tugging him toward the living room.
"That would be wonderful," she calls back as they both disappear.
Tom flicks on the coffee machine and glances over at Cin and Poppy as they settle down. They're both laughing within a few minutes, joy obvious on both their faces, and Tom smiles as he watches them. It feels a lot like having his whole family together.
Chapter Six
Poppy turns out to be the complete antithesis of her brother. She's vibrant and loud and glamorous, obviously happy to be something of a celebrity, and Cin falls a little in love with her on the day she shows up. She gets excited about him being an art student and talks about exhibition openings she's been to and how important art is.
She also drags Cin out for coffee the next morning and sips her decadent, sugary order with barely-contained joy. She's so happy and Cin can't help but smile in her presence.
"So. Art." She grins. "Good for you. There are enough engineers and lawyers in the world."
"Maybe. I wouldn't make a very good engineer or lawyer, though. My brain doesn't work that way." Cin sips his own slightly-more-conservative coffee.
"At least it works. Better than you can say for a lot of people."
Cin chuckles. "I like you. Let's ditch Tom and ride off into the sunset together."
Poppy laughs and sets her drink down. "If I thought you liked me more than you liked Tom, I'd trail you around after me for a while. You're cute. I could have a lot of fun with you."
"If only I hadn't seen Tom first." Not that he'd
"What you're saying is: play nice?"
"Exactly. That's the thing I'm saying." Tom nods. "Play nice?"
"Only for you." Poppy smiles indulgently. "Take me to your prince."
Tom beams and leads Poppy inside to where Cin is sketching quietly in the kitchen, eyebrows drawn together as he sits on the end of the table and alternates between staring out the window and scribbling in his sketchbook. Tom stops for a moment, just to watch him, and Poppy does the same, looking over his shoulder again. He doesn't move until Poppy nudges him gently.
"Hey, Cin? This is my sister."
Cin hops off the table and puts his things down, already smiling by the time he looks up at them. "I've heard so many good things about you." Cin offers his hand as Poppy pushes past Tom, already preparing to take it. "He neglected to mention that he's not actually the pretty sibling. I love your shoes."
"He noticed my shoes; you can keep him. But only if I can have shopping trip rights." Poppy winks at Cin, who winks right back. Tom never really expected them not to get along, but it's a relief that they're already finding common ground.
"I like you. How long are you staying?"
"Just a day or two. You'll have Tom all to yourself again soon, don't worry."
"Actually, I was just thinking that Tom says you like zombie movies. I also like zombie movies, and Tom doesn't, because he's a baby."
"Both of those things are true." Poppy nods seriously.
"Hey!" Tom would like to pretend he's upset, but he's okay with jokes at his expense if it means that Cin and Poppy are going to be friends. Poppy has always been a huge, important part of his life, and Cin is, hopefully, on his way to becoming one. It'd suck if they didn't like hanging out with each other.
"Aww." Cin gives Tom a sympathetic look. "It's okay. You're very brave around spiders." He takes a step forward and stands on his toes to kiss Tom's cheek. Tom blushes and his stomach floods with warmth. Cin kissed him in front of Poppy. For whatever reason, that seems huge.
"Very brave," Poppy agrees. "Come sit with me and I'll tell you embarrassing stories about him?" Poppy offers Cin her hand, wiggling her fingers until he takes it.
"I guess I'll just be in charge of making the coffee, then?" Tom asks. He means it to be sarcastic, but he knows that by saying it, he's already volunteered for the role. Sarcasm works even less well on Poppy than it does on Cin, and she's already tugging him toward the living room.
"That would be wonderful," she calls back as they both disappear.
Tom flicks on the coffee machine and glances over at Cin and Poppy as they settle down. They're both laughing within a few minutes, joy obvious on both their faces, and Tom smiles as he watches them. It feels a lot like having his whole family together.
Chapter Six
Poppy turns out to be the complete antithesis of her brother. She's vibrant and loud and glamorous, obviously happy to be something of a celebrity, and Cin falls a little in love with her on the day she shows up. She gets excited about him being an art student and talks about exhibition openings she's been to and how important art is.
She also drags Cin out for coffee the next morning and sips her decadent, sugary order with barely-contained joy. She's so happy and Cin can't help but smile in her presence.
"So. Art." She grins. "Good for you. There are enough engineers and lawyers in the world."
"Maybe. I wouldn't make a very good engineer or lawyer, though. My brain doesn't work that way." Cin sips his own slightly-more-conservative coffee.
"At least it works. Better than you can say for a lot of people."
Cin chuckles. "I like you. Let's ditch Tom and ride off into the sunset together."
Poppy laughs and sets her drink down. "If I thought you liked me more than you liked Tom, I'd trail you around after me for a while. You're cute. I could have a lot of fun with you."
"If only I hadn't seen Tom first." Not that he'd
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