When I Sleep | ✓

[nine] fortresses

I'M IN SUCH A RUSH TO POST THIS BC I'M LEAVING FOR THE AIRPORT soOOO ignore weird mistakes and typos, see you in 3 weeks!!

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8:55 am

I snuggled further into Archie's chest as the doorbell rang. The resonance of it was ten times louder from where we lay on the couch. He huffed sleepily into my shoulder, making me breathe out a laugh. As annoying as it was to have what was probably the best sleep I've had in a while be disrupted by a morning visitor, waking up pressed up against Archie on our small couch was unsurprisingly pleasant. Especially after falling asleep utterly and completely content just hours ago.

AJ was going at it with the barking, persuading me to blink the sleep away from my eyes. I placed a kiss on Archie's chest before slipping out of his arms, telling him that I would get it."

A number of heavy, impatient knocks, however, urged Archie to quickly reach for my arm, his eyebrows furrowing down in caution as the knocks continued. The person on the other side didn't sound too friendly.

"Who the hell –"

"Oh, my god!" I gasped as I remembered one of the main reasons I was excited for this weekend. While I was waiting in the bedroom for Archie to prepare his surprise, I received a call from Katie who asked for an abrupt favor that required an extra seat at the dinner table for the next two days.

I tried to pull free of Archie's grasp, but he was clearly unnerved by the person who was being quite persistent on getting our attention. He tightened his hold on my wrist.

"Ellie, hold on," he whispered, glancing at the door. I rolled my eyes as he pushed me behind him, and I watched, amused, as he crept to the peep hole. "The person sounds like a drunk man who –"

"Isn't really drunk but is just an impatient man who wants to drop his daughter off at his sister's house for the weekend?" I finished for him

His tense shoulders dropped. "Oh." He finally released me, and I took that moment deliver a light punch to his arm.

"Thanks for your concern, tough guy," I laughed. Luca's annoyance and Caroline's glee were what greeted me as I finally opened our now bruised door. I'd have to inspect it later for any dent marks.

"Were you two that out of it that you couldn't hear me knocking?" Luca asked flatly as Caroline catapulted herself into my arms. I caught the bundle with a smile.

"No." Archie stood behind me, and Luca's look darkened. I released a sigh at his hostility. "We were sleeping and weren't really sure if there was a drunk maniac standing outside on our doorstep."

Luca raised a brow. "Drunk maniac, huh? I think those words described you perfectly after you believed that Ellie had finally dumped your sorry –"

"Dad!" Caroline chastised, saving me the effort of having to remind him to keep a clean mouth around his daughter.

Using my brother to steer the direction away from him, he asked, "So why are you here? Ellie forgot to mention it to me."

"Kate and I are going away for the weekend, and Caroline wanted to stay here with you two instead of coming with us." He handed over his daughter's bag. "I trust you'll take care of my girl when we're gone. Or are you still learning how to treat your girl right after so many months of doing a crappy job?"

Archie's jaw visibly clenched.

"Luca, stop it," I said quietly, letting Caroline slip down to the floor. "Honey, why don't you take AJ out to the yard? She'll probably need to do her business by now," I suggested, hoping that she'd get the hint. She of all people didn't need to be caught in the middle of this whirlwind. The tension radiating between the two men wasn't hard to miss, and even someone as young as Caroline understood. Still, she smiled as if everything was okay and happily led AJ to the yard. I pulled Luca in by the shirt and smacked his chest once free of her curious eyes.