Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

Intrusion •|| EVERYONE ||•

Prompt: Someone interrupts their little get together.
[AU]

The living room hummed with laughter and the aroma of home-cooked food. Plates clinked together as everyone dug into their meals, the end-of-week exhaustion melting into easy conversation. Autumn leaned back in her chair, a glass of wine in hand, while Winter played the perfect host, topping off drinks and cracking jokes.

“Alright, who’s taking the last slice of lasagna?” Reece asked, eyeing the dish with mock seriousness.

“Call it,” Mia challenged, smirking.

“Rock-paper-scissors for it,” Reece shot back.

Autumn rolled her eyes. “You’re both grown adults—”

A sudden knock at the door cut her off. The room fell momentarily silent as all eyes turned to Winter, who was already pushing back his chair.

“I’ll get it,” he said casually, disappearing into the hallway.

The muffled creak of the front door reached them, followed by the low murmur of voices. Autumn glanced toward the door, her brow furrowing.

“Expecting anyone else?” Marjorie asked, her tone light but laced with curiosity.

“Nope,” Autumn replied, setting her wine down.

A moment later, Winter re-entered the room, two men trailing behind him. Dressed in all black with caps pulled low over their foreheads, they scanned the room with calculated precision. The chatter ceased entirely, the atmosphere turning brittle.

The taller of the two men stepped forward, his dark eyes landing squarely on Autumn. “Autumn Fortune-Knight?”

Autumn straightened in her seat, her expression unreadable. “That’s me.”

“Well,” the man said, his gaze drifting over the room. “Guess we don’t need to go anywhere else. Everyone we need is already here.”

Reece’s jaw tightened, his usual warmth replaced with cold suspicion. Mia shifted in her chair, her body tensing like a coiled spring. Across the room, Carly’s eyes widened as she caught sight of the glint of metal on the men’s belts. She quickly looked away, her hand trembling as she gripped her glass.

“What’s this about?” Winter asked, his voice steady but firm as he stepped closer to his wife.

“Just a friendly conversation,” the shorter man replied, though the smirk curling his lips suggested otherwise. His eyes flicked to Mia, Reece, and Shibhon before lingering on Clodagh. “Convenient to find you all together.”

“Convenient for what?” Autumn asked sharply, now standing up with her fists clenched.

The taller man raised a hand in a placating gesture, but the tension in the room only thickened. “Relax. We’re not here to cause trouble… unless you make it necessary.”

“Are you seriously trying to intimidate us in my house?” Autumn shot back, her voice like ice.

The shorter man chuckled, his gaze shifting toward Reece. “We were told to come quietly, but you Knight siblings always did like to make a scene.”

Reece stood then, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. His eyes, usually kind, burned with a fire that made even the taller man hesitate. “You’ve got five seconds to explain yourselves before we make you leave.”

The taller man sighed, reaching into his pocket—not for his gun, but for a folded envelope. He tossed it onto the dining table, the crisp paper landing in front of Autumn.

“Consider this your invitation,” he said.

Autumn didn’t move, her glare fixed on the men. It was Carly who finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “They’ve got guns.”

The room tensed further, but Autumn didn’t so much as flinch. She grabbed the envelope, tearing it open with deliberate calm. Her eyes scanned the contents quickly, her lips pressing into a thin line.

“What does it say?” Winter asked, stepping closer.

Autumn didn’t answer immediately. She folded the letter back up, her expression unreadable. “I’ll handle it,” she said finally, her tone brooking no argument.

“Handle what?” Reece demanded, his protective instincts flaring.

The men exchanged a glance, their smirks returning. “We’ll be seeing you soon,” the taller one said, tipping his cap before heading for the door.

As they left, the air seemed to thaw slightly, but the tension lingered. Winter turned to Autumn, his worry evident. “Who were they?”

“Trouble,” Autumn muttered, tossing the letter onto the table.

Reece picked it up, reading it quickly before his eyes snapped back to his sister. “Autumn—this isn’t something you ‘handle.’ This is—”

“It’s my problem,” Autumn cut him off.

“No, it’s our problem,” Mia interjected, her voice sharp. “And don’t even think about shutting us out.” Shibhon added with a stern tone.

The group exchanged uneasy glances, their cozy evening shattered by the weight of the unknown threat now hanging over them.