A D Tier's Breaking Point

Chapter 15

For someone who had threatened one of the most powerful villains in the world not five minutes earlier, Katie couldn't help but both look and feel lost when it came to Alex and his parents. Watching anyone being domestic around or towards the S tier was strange enough on its own, but then seeing Alex respond? And reciprocate? It was enough to send her mind spinning.

But there she was, standing in the doorway to the kitchen, watching Alex and his mother bicker with nothing but love and affection...over lemonade. Morgan was sat at the table drinking a glass themselves and smirking at the scene, sharing a knowing look with Bernard as he was layering up an intricate looking casserole. She had to admit it already smelled delicious. The whole house did, a near permanent scent of something homely and sweet that she imagined had to come from the variety of baking and home cooking this couple did. These two completely normal people, who somehow raised fucking Alex.

'Everything okay there Katie?'

Bernard's voice broke through her reverie and Katie snapped to attention, smiling weakly while trying to ignore the headache that was beginning to build, 'Yeah. Just...long day.'

Bernard hummed at that, and lit up with an idea, 'Ah, I know the perfect cure for that!' Her and Morgan looked at Bernard in curiosity before he gestured to a bucket by the door, 'Morgan would you mind? It's nearly feeding time.'

Katie blinked rapidly, clearly confused, but Morgan looked at the bucket and smiled, 'Oh. Yeah sure, are my boots still in the back porch?'

Bernard nodded and Morgan had another sip of their lemonade before looking over at Katie, 'Want to meet Daisy?'

'Who's Daisy?'

'The best girl you will ever meet,' Bernard said with a smile. 'And a great listener.'

Morgan was already up, fishing out a pair of olive coloured rain boots and shoving them on before grabbing the currently empty metal bucket, 'You coming?'

Katie paused only for a moment, before putting her own drink on the kitchen table and following Morgan outside. She didn't say a word until the door closed behind her, 'What just happened?' Morgan looked back at her, eyebrow raised in a question, and Katie collected herself, 'Is it always like that around here?'

'Which part?' Morgan asked, gesturing over to a nearby shed.

Katie followed as she answered, 'We were arguing. Fighting even. And then I make a passing comment on my drink and suddenly we're in the kitchen, and Alex and his mother are bickering about which recipe is better and...what are you doing?'

Morgan chuckled as they entered the shed, opening a series of bins filled with various varieties of animal feed and scooping cups of it into the bucket, 'Oh yeah, you get used to it. And this is Daisy's feed.'

'Who is Daisy?'

Morgan looked up at Katie and grinned, then pointed past her. She turned to look behind her, at the rather large stereotypical barn standing proud. And in front of it was...

'Katie? Meet Daisy,' Morgan said, coming out of the shed with the bucket and a bristle brush in their other hand. 'She loves pets.' Katie's eyes shone, and her heart melted as she stared at the small chestnut pony grazing not six feet away. 'And she loves having her mane brushed,' Morgan continued, holding out the brush.

Katie looked at the brush, then at Morgan with wide eyes, 'You sure?' Morgan shrugged and nodded, and with a squeal that made Morgan laugh Katie was across the farm, fawning over the pony. The pony didn't startle, thankfully, and at the sight of the brush in Katie's hand quickly huffed before trotting up to Katie, snuffling with her velvet nose at Katie's hands. She immediately started cooing, gently stroking Daisy's sleek coat and combing her fingers through the light straw coloured mane.