Milkshake Hearts

Chapter 151: Spice Kitties

There had been suggestions of change coming to Smosh for most of 2021, but unlike the discomfort that was the 2018-19 rumblings of Defy's imminent collapse, these rumours had been a lot more positive. The brand was going well: they were growing their cast, and as much as there had been a lot of change in their crew and support staff, that was more circumstance and other opportunities coming up. Plus, it let them bring in some new people with new ideas, which was always going to be refreshing.

The most obvious change was, of course, their move to their own studio, a few blocks from the Mythical office/studio complex they'd been sharing since they joined the company. It made sense: Mythical had become cramped, to say the least, and as both Smosh and Mythical's own content grew, it had become increasingly difficult to fit their filming schedules and staff around each other. The studio move means the cast have a patchy January – they can't exactly film much when everything is in the middle of being moved and rearranged and sorted through – and Shayne and Courtney both relish in the opportunity to spend much of their resulting time off at home and catching up with some of their LA-based family who they hadn't see over the holidays.

Such a long holiday break does, however, push them into a rapid shooting schedule in the new studio (and, for their crew, some rapid turnarounds in the latter part of January to get things edited and finalised in time to be posted mere days after being shot). It's a lot of late nights and early call times and messy Pit shoots amongst sketches and more and more of the cast trying their hand at directing, too, and before they know it, it's mid-February and Shayne and Courtney are starting to wonder whether having their niece stay with them for a long weekend is actually a good idea.

"I guess she could stay with Rob and Dianne and we could just hang out with her a heap anyway..." Courtney suggests, hesitantly, lying back in bed beside him after a long day of shooting, a week out from when Rosie is meant to stay with them. Shayne sighs softly.

"Yeah, but... she really wanted to stay with us," he mumbles.

"Mm. She'd be disappointed if she didn't get to stay here, and that kid has got me wrapped around her tiny little finger and I would hate to disappoint her," she agrees, head tilting to the side to look at him. Shayne glances across at her, too, eyes tired and hooded as he reaches out to take one of her hands in his own and lazily play with her fingers.

"It's... things are calming down this week. It's less crazy when she's here. It's probably fine..." he confirms, voice sleepy and trailing into nothing. Courtney simply hums in response, squeezing his hand softly before letting herself fall into sleep, just as he is rapidly falling asleep beside her.

As the week continues and their schedules remain chaotic and exhausting, they both wonder whether they should have told Chris and Julie they couldn't really have Rosie stay. They manage to get half of Friday off, though, and when they arrive at LAX Friday afternoon to greet Chris and Rosie, any regret they had for not cancelling disappears.

"Aunty Courtney! Uncle Shayne!" she exclaims, in excitement, when she and Chris walk out from baggage claim to the public waiting area. She quickly hands off the small bright pink suitcase she'd been wheeling along to her Dad before sprinting at the two of them, immediately pulling Courtney into a hug when she reaches them.

"Hey, Rosie!" Courtney greets her, laughing as she hugs her niece tightly – she's growing like anything, at the moment, and now they can actually hug without Courtney needing to pick her up.

"Hey! You excited for California?" Shayne asks her, when she shifts to give him a hug, too, and she nods rapidly when she steps back and Chris stops beside them, too.

"So excited! I get to stay at your house and see Mocha and Nutmeg again and Grandma and Grandpa too!" she enthuses, Chris silently shaking his head fondly at her enthusiasm before he greets them, too.