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[myhousemyrules]

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[trustfundee]

[ He tilts his head and hums a thoughtful tone, for show, more than anything. His spare hand finds hers hooked at his arm and pats it. ]

Coming from me? I think a spoiled kid recognizes another. [ He snorts. ] That’s why she acts especially spoiled with me, isn’t it?

[myhousemyrules]

You spoil her too. [ She raises a brow at him. Ransom didn't have to do all he's done for her, nor offer to get her a popsicle. It seems to her that Alice seems to have a genuine growing fondness for him, but Alice and Ransom are too much alike to acknowledge it. ]

[trustfundee]

[ As always, Marta and her truth bombs. He looks at her, raises both brows, and proceeds to deny it. He shakes his head with a laugh. ]

Don’t say that out loud again, alright? [ But there’s always been something about good banter and snark he’s loved, and Alice doesn’t shy away from either. ] She’s a good kid. [ Reminds him of himself. ]

[myhousemyrules]

[ She doesn't buy it one bit. It shows by the bright grin on her face. She can't hold back the laugh when he does concede. ]

She is. She's going to do amazing things. [ She just wishes that Alice hadn't felt the need to hide something from her. ]

[trustfundee]

Soon as she learns some street smarts. [ They turn the corner and heads to the cafeteria, and Ransom can’t help the smile that softens his eyes when Marta laughs bright and happy. There’s something he missed so dearly. ] She looked pretty guilty when she saw you. Are you gonna grill her for this?

[myhousemyrules]

No. [ She shakes her head. Alice has been through enough. She doesn't want to make it worse for her. ] But I will have a talk with her about staying safe and talking to someone she trusts the next time she does something like this. Even if that person isn't me.

[trustfundee]

Mhmm. [ He agrees, looking at Marta and her patient, concerned tone. ] She’ll have lots of friends at school who’ll know where she is. [ He has no doubts that Alice will learn. He gives Marta a steadying squeeze of her hand as he stops before they get to the ordering counter. ] And maybe no one will, but she’s smart enough to figure it out. She’ll be okay.

[myhousemyrules]

I know, but I can't help but worry. [ She knows she needs to let her go and let her learn on her own, but that's still her bay sister. She appreciates the soft squeeze of his hand. It tells he gets it. ] I'm being silly.

[trustfundee]

Maybe. [ He smiles teasingly, and reaches up to tap her nose with his index. ] But she’s lucky to have you being silly over her. Now what about you? Cherry too?

[myhousemyrules]

Of course cherry. It's the best flavor. [ She flashes him a teasing grin. They slip back and forth between this ease and the tension. They're like the ebb and flow of the tide. ] Don't tell me you prefer grape.

[trustfundee]

[ He makes a playfully disgusted face. ] Grape over cherry any day. [ He recoils. ] Artificial cherry is the worst. [ This is their dynamic, the way they can shift between all sorts of interactions, the way she gets him on any and all levels. It’s something he doesn’t have with anyone else. She’s here with him no matter which version of himself he is.

He snorts and orders two cherrys and a grape, then hands her one of the cherrys. ]

Cheers. To never being in a hospital again. I hate hospitals.

[myhousemyrules]

[ She makes a face right back at him. Her nose scrunches up. ] And artificial grape is better?

[ She takes the cherry from him and opens up the wrapper. Her tongue darts out for a small lick to adjust to the cold. Marta grabs some napkins for them as well. ]

Cheers. [ She understands his dislike for hospitals. She's used to them. It's a place where she can help people, but it's also a place where she's lost them too. ] Are you going to tease Alice that you forgot a cherry for her?

[trustfundee]

[ He snorts when her nose scrunches cutely, then realizes his mistake suggesting popsicles when his brain shorts out for a brief moment seeing a flash of her pink tongue. He tells himself not to go there, not now. This isn’t the time, as much as he’s missed her in all the ways he could.

Instead, they turn back down the hallway to Alice’s room. ]

I wasn’t going to, but I will now. I’ll say you got the last one. [ He smiles too-sweet. ]

[myhousemyrules]

[ It doesn't occur to her, the picture she makes. It's utterly Marta to not realize the teasing temptation she makes. It's not her intention, so she doesn't think of it. She only laughs at his eagerness to tease her baby sister.

It's strange to think that once she'd been so fiercely protective of Alice against him. Now she's able to laugh and tease her with him. ]

She'll have such an awful attitude until you give it to her. [ When they return to the room, Alice is on her phone. She flicks her gaze up and smiles when she sees her sister eating her cherry popsicle. ]

Where's mine?

[trustfundee]

[ There’s that lovely laugh again. A pleased smirk tugs on his mouth as he slowly nods his head. ]

It’s nothing I haven’t seen before. [ He grins.

When Alice smiles bright and hopeful at them as they enter her room, he almost fails to hold back his laughter. Only Marta gets him this loose, this giddy, defenses low enough that even teasing a teenager could be this fun. He hides the third popsicle behind his back, shrugs and offers her his own. He pastes an apologetic look on his face as he stands at her bedside. ]

Here. [ The purple is glaring beneath the clear wrapper. ] This one’s yours. They had one cherry left and I thought Marta deserved it.

[myhousemyrules]

[ It's comical how quickly Alice's face shifts. She's so much like her sister in that she wears her heart on her sleeve. Her expression turns into a deep scowl when she looks from the grape popsicle to the one her sister is eating. ]

You knew I wanted cherry!

[ She's full on pouting now as she pushes away Ransom's proffered gift. She huffs. ] I'm the one that's in the hospital!

[trustfundee]

[ Ransom looks genuinely shocked as both brows shoot up when Alice all but slaps the popsicle away. A huff of astonished laughter bubbles out. ]

Yeah--and why do you think both of us are in the hospital right now? [ He holds the popsicle toward her again. ] Do you want one or not?

[myhousemyrules]

[ Alice gives him a reproachful look. She stares at him than the popsicle. Along with Marta's pointed look, she can only reluctantly concede as she takes it from him. ]

Fine. Whatever.

[trustfundee]

[ Wow, easier than he thought. He looks at Marta when Alice reaches out for the grape popsicle. So she played along, all this time.

That means something, doesn't it? She's trusting him to walk the fine line with Alice. ]

Here. [ He takes the cheery from behind his back and holds it out to Alice, mouth twisting with a whimsy smile. ] I'm not that much of an asshole.

[myhousemyrules]

[ Marta only has a smile on her face as she innocently eats her popsicle. She perches herself at the foot of Alice's bed. She looks so out of place in her glamorous dress. Alice is genuinely surprised when he gives her the cherry one he's had all along. She snatches it and tears it open. ]

You were messing with me!

[trustfundee]

[ Ransom manages to hold a straight face for a moment as Alice grabs the cherry and he takes the grape back, but as she accuses him, he laughs, a hand satisfyingly finding his chest. ]

You should've seen your face! [ He grins at her. ] I was testing you, and you passed. Good girl. [ There's a simpering smirk curled on his lips as snorts and sinks in to the armchair beside her bed while opening up his own popsicle. He licks it then points it at her. ]

Don't always believe what you're told, hm?

[myhousemyrules]

You're not funny. [ There's no real malice in Alice's tone. It's that teenage petulance that really has no bite to it. Marta laughs brightly at the sullen way she eats her popsicle. This feels so right, the three of them. It feels comfortable. Ransom fits himself in seamlessly. ]

You two are like children together. [ Marta is teasing them. She likes it. This banter and back and forth between them is nice. ]

[trustfundee]

[ There's a quiet huff of laughter as Ransom chomps off a piece of his popsicle and winks at Alice. His gaze is softer when he looks at Marta and smiles stick-sweet like their treats. Her lips are stained red and she perches cross-legged at the foot of the bed. It's all both enticing and adorable. ]

Pretty sure children like artificial cheery, [ He says, around the chunk of icy sweetness in his mouth. ]

[myhousemyrules]

[ Both sisters look appalled when Ransom bites into his popsicle. It makes Marta's teeth hurt to watch that, so she focused on long licks. Alice prefers just sucking on it. It does wonders in making her feel better. Marta playfully rolls her eyes at him. Thoughts of Cameron had faded into the background her mind. ]

Artificial grape isn't any better, Ransom.

[trustfundee]

[ Ransom's eyes fill with adoring mirth, and he can't help the way his eyes dart down to Marta's mouth and the slow, dragging laps of her tongue. There's something fond in her teasing tone, too, which feeds right into the way he longs for her. He knows she's not doing it on purpose. She's not like that, but that almost makes it even better. He's got it bad, he knows.

A sigh huffs from his parted lips and he tips his head back in the armchair, gaze landing on Marta's eyes with an easy smile. He hates the hospital, but this moment makes up for it. ]

It's not a fair trial. Two against one. Jury's totally biased.