TNN ONESHOTS

Breaking dishes- AFK & WFK & AMR

Autumn stormed into the house, her face a stormy mix of frustration and anger. The door slammed shut behind her, shaking the walls as if to echo her fury. She had just come from a long day at work, where nothing had gone right. Janice had criticized her for a spelling mistake in the newsletter, her brother had taken credit for her ideas during a meeting with their father, and to top it off, she had to walk home because her car wouldn't start.

As she entered the kitchen, the sight of the unwashed dishes piled high in the sink ignited her temper further. Without thinking, she grabbed a plate from the stack and hurled it across the room. It shattered against the wall, sending shards of ceramic flying. The sound was cathartic, a release of all the pent-up frustration she had been holding inside. Encouraged by the first crash, she grabbed another plate, then another, until the kitchen was a chaotic mess of broken dishes and splintered emotions.

Breathing heavily, Autumn paused for a moment, the adrenaline coursing through her veins. As she surveyed the wreckage, a wave of regret washed over her. She knew that this outburst wouldn't solve her problems; it would only create new ones.

Meanehile, Winter was pacing in the living room, glancing at his phone every few seconds. He had heard the frantic sound of the plates smashing come from the kitchen where Autumn was. She was still reeling from the chaos she had unleashed in her kitchen. Plates lay shattered all on the floor, remnants of her anger scattered everywhere. Winter knew he had to act quickly; Autumn needed support, but him walking in wouldn't be the answer, and he knew that he couldn’t handle this alone.

Dialling Mia’s number, Winter took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice steady. "Hey, Mia! It's winter. I need your help. Autumn's really upset, and she just had a meltdown at home. She threw a bunch of plates and... well, it’s a mess. Can you come over? I think she could really use some company, but i can't get near her." He told her with panic in his voice.

Mia sensed the urgency in Winter’s voice. "Of course! I’ll be there," she replied, already grabbing her jacket and keys. She had known Autumn long enough to understand that sometimes, all it took was a little support from friends to help her through tough moments.

When Mia arrived, she found Winter already at the front door, a worried expression on his face. Together, they entered the kitchen, where Autumn was sitting on the floor, surrounded by the wreckage. The sight of Mia brought a flicker of relief to her eyes, which was soon replaced by anger.

Autumn moved quickly, launching a plate towards Mia, but she thankfully missed. "Auts, sweetheart, it's okay." She whispered as she made her way towards Autumn slowly. "I dont need you here. Go away!" She screamed as the red head moved quicker and wrapped her arms around Autumn tightly and held her still as she tried to get her off. "You are safe, Mimi has got you. It's okay." She hushed as she slowly started to play with her hair.

That action sent Autumn over the edge. A heart felt sob left her mouth. Mia picked Autumn up and carried her out of the room and through to the living room. "Mimi has got you," she hushed while calmly sitting on the couch with Autumn on her lap. She carefully wrapped a blanket over them both just like she would when they were younger. "Mimi stay, please." She choked out between sobs while she held onto her sweater like it was a lifeline. "Aut, I'm not going anywhere." She whispered before gently stroking Autumn's hair.

After a couple of minutes, winter joined them in the living room. "Hey, we’re here for you," Winter said softly, placing a comforting hand on Autumn's thigh as they all sat on the couch together.  "You don’t have to face it alone." He hushed as Autumn nodded slightly before resting her head on his shoulder while still holding onto Mia.

"My sweet, why dont you and Mia go upstairs and get into bed while i quickly brush the floor and order us a takeaway.  I will be up after." Winter smiled softly at his wife while she nodded slightly at him. "Thank you, my love," she whispered as Winter stood up.

*

Mia tiptoed into the dimly lit room, her heart broke slightly by the sight of her little sister, sitting on the edge of her bed with a slight frown. It had been a long day, and it was time to let it all go.

"Hey, Auts," Mia said softly, sitting on the bed beside her. "It's time to get ready for bed. How about we make it a little fun?" Autumn looked up, her big blue eyes sparkling with curiosity. "What do you mean?" she asked, her frown slowly fading.

Mia smiled and grabbed a fluffy blanket from the chair. "We can pretend to be asleep before Winter comes back." Autumn rolled her eyes at Mia. She remembered playing this as a child and pranking Reece.

With Mia’s help, Autumn finally climbed into bed, and Mia tucked the blanket around them both snugly, making sure she felt safe and warm just like when they were younger. "He will never know," Mia teased slightly as Autumn rolled her eyes playfully.

When Winter finally entered the room, he was greeted by the sight of the two friends seemingly deep in slumber while tucked up in bed. A mischievous grin spread across his face as he tiptoed closer, trying to suppress his laughter. She decided to play along, gently shaking Mia's shoulder. "Wake up, sleepyheads, food is here!" He called out, but neither Mia nor Autumn budged. Winter, intrigued, leaned in closer, peering at their faces to see if they were really asleep.

Just as he was about to poke them, Mia and Autumn burst into laughter, rolling over to face him. "Gotcha!" Mia teased as she kept her arm around Autumn. Winter jumped back, his surprise quickly turning into laughter as he realized he had fallen for their prank. The three friends spent the rest of the evening sharing pizza and enjoying each other's company while watching tv. Autumn sighed as she settled down between her husband and her big sister, her eyes soon fluttering shut. "Thank you, mia." Winter whispered, to which she nodded back. "Anytime."