𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙊𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙐𝙥.

Bella Vista.

It was 8:30 PM when the knock sounded on Killian's door. He wasn't expecting anyone, so naturally, he was surprised when he opened it and saw Mary Jane standing there.

She was dressed casually but neatly for the cool evening--a black cropped hoodie paired with high-waisted jeans and white sneakers. Her hair was styled into a soft, voluminous afro that framed her face beautifully. Soft freckles dotted her nose and cheeks, her honey brown eyes witj golden understones holding a quiet warmth.

Killian, on the other hand, had been lounging at home in a tank top and athletic shorts, his toned arms and legs on full display from years of football practice. He noticed her eyes linger, just for a second too long, and his cheeks warmed in response. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Hello."

Her lips curved into a smile, "Hey."

"Uh, come in."

"Thanks." She said as she stepped inside, glancing briefly at the neat living room as Killian shut the door behind her.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No thanks, I'm not staying long. I just wanted to know if that babysitting job was still available."

His eyebrows shot up in mild surprise, but he nodded quickly.

"Yeah, of course. When can you start?"

"This is my last week at the diner, so Friday?"

"That's perfect."

Before the conversation could continue, a small figure shuffled into the room.
Trenton appeared at his side, rubbing his eyes with a tired pout.

"Hey, why aren't you in bed?"

"I had a bad dream."

Killian crouched down and lifted him into his arms effortlessly. Trenton melted against him, clutching his older brother's shoulder like a lifeline.

"Oh, buddy. I'm sorry. Was it the one with the shadow monster again?" He asked, his voice low.

Trenton nodded sleepily.

"You know that monster is scared of you, right? One look at how brave you are, and it runs off."

Trenton giggled feebly, his face buried in Killian's neck.

"You remember Mary Jane?"

The little boy peeked out shyly, "She gave us free froyo." he murmured.

"That's right. She's gonna look after you when I'm at work from now on, okay?"

Trenton tore himself from Killian's neck, his wide eyes searching his older brother’s face for reassurance.

Killian met his gaze steadily, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "Don't worry, it'll be good, you can trust her."

Trenton relaxed back against Killian's shoulder, closing his eyes.

"I'm gonna put him to bed quickly."

Mary Jane shifted from where she was standing, preparing to leave, "It's okay, I'll just go."

"No, give me five minutes. I'll take you home."

She nodded, leaning casually against the wall as he carried Trenton upstairs to their room. Killian then gently tucked him in, smoothing down his wild hair before heading to check on the twins. They were hunched over their homework, barely acknowledging him as he told them to keep an eye on Trenton.

When he came back downstairs, Mary Jane was standing by the door, her expression soft.

"You're really good with him, you know."

Killian felt his face heat up again, but he shrugged it off modestly.

"Uh, just doing what I can."

"Seriously. Taking care of kids is tough."
-
They stepped out into the cool night air and headed to his car. Killian unlocked it, and they got in. The engine hummed softly as he typed her address into Google Maps on his phone, they took off a few seconds later.
The drive started off quiet, the only sound being the low droning of the car, the indie tube playing quietly on the radio, and the occasional voice from the GPS.

Finally, Killian broke the silence.

"So, how are you liking Easton so far?"

Mary Jane shifted in the passenger seat, her fingers tracing idle patterns on the knee of her jeans.  "It's... the same as I left it when I was 13," she replied, her voice carrying a hint of nostalgia.

"Oh? You grew up here?"

"Yeah. Lived here until my parents divorced. I was 13... then I moved to Philly to live with my dad." She explained, her eyes fixed outside the window as Killian drove down the dimly lit streets.

Killian glanced over at her in surprise, "No way, I'm from Philly!" He exclaimed.

Her head turned sharply toward him, her eyebrows raising to mirror his. "Yeah? Whereabouts?"

"South side. Bella Vista. You?"

"Same!"

"For real? That's crazy."

"Right?" She grinned, leaning back into the seat. "When did you move to Easton?"

"Almost two years ago." He replied, tapping his fingers lightly against the steering wheel in time with the song playing low on the radio.

"You went to furness, then?" He questioned further.

Furness was a High School in the neighborhood of Bella Vista.

"Yep, class of 2016."

"So, we were there at the same time."

"Seems that way."

Their eyes met briefly, and there was a flicker of something unspoken in the silence that followed, a moment that lingered longer than it should have. Killian smiled at her before he looking back at the road.

MJ glanced out the window. She thought about how small the world could be--how they'd shared the same space years ago without knowing each other, and now here they were, connected again in a new way. Maybe some things were just meant to happen.
--

Killian pulled up to MJ's house, a small yellow building with a lawn that was overdue for a mow, with the porch light casting uneven shadows across the front yard. Mary Jane reached for the door handle but paused, glancing over at him.

"Thanks for the ride." She expressed sincerely.

"No problem." Killian replied, his gaze darting to her briefly, catching the way the soft light reflected in her honey-brown eyes. She looked beautiful.

Mary Jane pushed the door open and stepped out of the car. Before closing it behind her, she leaned back slightly and said, "Goodnight, Killian."

"Night." He uttered, his voice coming out softer than he'd intended.

As she walked to her door, Killian turned his face away, his jaw tightening. He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. There was no reason for the tightness in his chest, no reason at all... but the feeling clung to him, unwelcome and unshakable.
He shifted into drive and left, hoping the cool night air would snap him out of it.
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