WLTGO one shots

Family matters

It seemed almost strange that Vesper was once again standing at the door of her childhood home. Being twenty five certainly had its perks. Being on the England's women's team is one of them and luckily for her she'd managed to convince her coach to let her have the week off so she could see the rest of her family before she went off for the next match.
Nothing had changed that she'd noticed. The last time she'd been here was when she had just turned twenty one. Most of the time her dad, aunt and Aster normally came to see her.
So this was strange to her.

She knocked on the door.

The door opened to the tired face of her father, Elliot Hooper.
It was weird. Her dad didn't really seem to age that fast. He'd looked at least thirty something since she'd moved out. Which was good for him but not when she was trying to get birthday cards.
He smiled.

"Well look who decided to show up?"
He leaned on the door frame and had that smug smile he pulled when he was being annoying.
Vesper rolled her eyes.

"Hey dad."
She walked inside and dropped her bag down by the coat rack.
He shut to door behind her.

"So how was the journey?" He asks.

"Not too bad. I got spotted afew times but it wasn't that bad."
Her Dad chuckles.

They both walk into the living room where her Auntie Virgo is sat on her phone. She looks up and beams.

"Vesper!"
She stands up and hugs her.

"Hi auntie V"
She smiles and hugs her back.
Virgo pulls away, her hands still on her shoulders.

"How tall can you get, oh my god."

Vesper laughs.
"Where's Aster?"

"Upstairs. Writing an Essay."
Virgo rolls her eyes.
"He never rests that boy."

"At least he's being productive unlike some people." Her dad says, looking directly at Virgo.

Vesper laughs.
She grabs an apple out of the fruit bowl on the table, bites into it, before heading off towards Asters bedroom.

The difference that struck her the most was the landing.
There was a lot more photos then before and Asters door had afew stickers on it and the stickers on hers were withering away slightly.
The walls were a different shade, the grey colour she was used to had changed to a creamy white colour.
She looked at the photos.

Some she remembered, Thirteen year old Elliot, Virgo and the gods, the first match she had on Alisha Carrs Elite team, a bird on Asters shoulder. But there were some she didn't recognise. They must be new.

She knocked on Asters door.
"Come in."

She opened the door.
Asters room wasn't that much different.
Bed, wardrobe, posters, desk, laptop, two computer screens, a stupid amount of notes on his cork board.
But the thing that struck her the most was Aster.

His glasses sat ontop of his head, the slight tan, he'd hit his growth spurt when she was gone that was for sure because he looked a lot taller even though he was sat down.
She walked up behind him, he was typing on his computer with headphones on.

She out her hands on his shoulders.
"Aster!"
He jumped and she smiled smugly.
He spun his chair around and took off his headphones.

Aster stared at her for a good second taking in the sight before raising an eyebrow.

"Real mature."
He laughed.
"Come here asshole."
Vesper hugged him.
Even if they sometimes hated each other, it didn't mean she didn't miss him.

She let go of him and he turned back around to his computer.
Vesper stood next to him staring at his computer screen.

"What's with the tan?"

"You know that fossil digging thing I was on about that was in Egypt?" He says, opening a familiar battered leather book.

"You were selected?" She says.

"Mhm. And interviewed. It was on channel four." Aster flicks through the pages before scribbling something on one of the pages.

Vesper remembered how much Aster obsessed over his dad's journal. She could imagine how excited he would've been to be able to write in it and use it.
She looked around his room.

Looks like he'd taken her advice on putting books wherever you could fit them. There was books everywhere.
Under his bed, on the windowsill, ontop of his wardrobe, on his desk, on all of his shelves, his bedside table.
He was such a freak when it came to books.

A golden shiny book caught her eye.
It was stacked with afew other one.
Orange, blue, green, purple, shiny golden, shiny red and shiny blue.
They looked like they'd been through ALOT. They were battered, the pages were orange or brown, the spines were all creased and there was a few tabs in them.

"What the hell have you done to those?" She says pointing at the books.

Aster looks up and looks at them.
"Oh I read them a lot. It's a series. It's got mythology and stuff. They're all signed too."
He turned back to his computer.

"What's it about?"

"A kid frees a Greek daemon, tries to kill it. The second series is the same but with three of them and they're all different mythology's."

"Sounds boring."

"The shiny ones have a lot of football in it."

"...how much are they?"

Aster chuckles and Vesper does too.
"Anyway I think our parents want us both downstairs."
She pats the back of his chair before walking to the door, aster following suit.

"Why'd you decide to visit this week anyway? Why not like- Christmas, or something?" Aster asks as they walk down the stairs.

"World cups next week." She said. "I'll be in another country. I wanted to visit before leaving for a month."

They walk into the living room where Elliot and Virgo are both sat.
Vesper dropped down next to her dad, Aster sat down next to her.

Vesper grabbed the remote and Elliott took it straight out of her hands.

"Hey!" She protested.

"We're not watching another one of the football highlights." Her dad said plainly.

"But it's fun to watch."

"For you it might be." Aster said.

"Shut up the only thing you watch it David Attenborough." Vesper snapped.

"So what?" Aster said back.

"Guys-" Virgo interrupted. "Come on."

Vesper laughed.
She'd missed all this. Arguing with Aster, watching TV, just being a family.
It's something she could get used to.