Louis and Alex take two cars each. Battered bodies of the intruders were thrown out of the cars, into some dark alley in South New York.
“Done. Let’s go home.” Says Louis, the eldest.
Dan offers to drive the car. It was obvious and lingering in the atmosphere.
Louis never knew the true extent of his anger. How volatile it was for him as well. He looks at the fist that threw merciless punches at the four gangsters. Finally, he tied them up and threw them into where they belong.
“Louis, calm down please.” Dan says, reaching out to pat his brother on his thigh. Exhaling sharply, Louis looks out of the window.
Fifteen minutes pass by. The two cars reach back home. As Louis appeared from the car, the security team which was assigned for their protection began shaking in their timbers. However, Louis walks by them. Paying no attention to them.
The squad leader shows up at the doorstep, he asks, “Boss, are we… f-fired?”
“What else do you think will be happening? Leave the site, or he won’t spare you. I’m serious.” Alex speaks on behalf of his brother who barges inside the house, respectfully.
Cassandra looks at Louis with wide eyes. She’s stopped crying a long time ago. All five brothers were out and helping clear the mess. The living room was trashed, it looked as if a tsunami struck in there.
“Don’t approach him now, Cassie. Come.” Alex takes her away into her room. She hugs him tightly, sighing on his chest.
“You okay?” She nods, humming softly. Zayn appears from the other side as he set the bed for her to sleep.
“I talked to the principal already. All your exams are canceled, for you. They’ll pass you up into the next building.” Zayn meant to tell her she won’t be attending any exams and will be promoted to the next grade as well.
“Good thing.” She says, parting from the hug. She goes to her bed, facing the other side while Zayn pat her head softly to put her to sleep.
In the evening as she wakes up, she hears Louis on a call with someone. She hears terms like, “Security, 7 guards.”
“Louis…?” She places her hand on his shoulder. He was sitting on the couch, a few bond papers in front of him.
“Yeah, do that. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.” Louis holds her hand, pulling her to hunch over the couch rest. She lands on his lap, she wonders how she magically changed her position by just one pull of the male.
“What were you talking about?” She was inquisitive.
“To put up a new batch of working security. I can’t believe humans are unreliable in front of technology. Until I come up with a house security system, they will be guarding you all.” Says Louis.
“Why don’t we just shift…?”
“You really want to let go of your memories with this house?”
“No…” she settles on his lap after answering him. He caresses her hair softly. Silence was comfortable, but her mind was loud enough.
“Can this incident repeat?” She asks him.
“It will.” He states with surety.
“I was so scared…”
“I know, Cassie. I know and I’m sorry. These idiots,” Louis grabs a pillow, throwing it harshly towards Nick whose loose specs fall down, “Could have just stayed at home.”
Cassandra watches them with amusement. Nick leaves his specs on the floor, taking the fallen pillow to shoot it back towards Louis.
“Ack!” The pillow accidentally hits Cassandra’s face harshly.
“Bitch! You asked for it!” Soon, the sibling fight with pillows as Dan and Alex join the fight quickly.
“What are you guys so loud for…?” A sleepy Zayn appears from his room as Louis throws the pillow at him too. The force of the throw launches his head backwards, his specs sticking close into his face.
He takes a deep breath in, yelling like a victor.
“BRING IT ON!”
Fifteen minutes into the fight between all six Johnson siblings, everyone falls into a circle in the middle of the room. Feathers and cotton yarn was all over the place. They wanted to count the many feathers which brought them happiness for the night. Aside the tough situation, their siblinghood proves anything can be overcome from just one feeling: a bond.
Cassandra looks around herself. Louis on one side and Zayn on the other.
She lifts her hands up, holding their faces on either sides.
“Thank you, all of you…” she feels an incredible amount of gratitude, “… I don’t know what would have happened to me without you guys. Thank you…”
“We do it as your brothers, Cassie. If you’re thanking us for keeping you safe, you’re not respecting us as your siblings. It’s our duty to protect our princess. Right, boys?” Louis, the dutiful eldest invokes a collective response from his brothers.
Cassandra felt stings in her eyes.
“Aww~” their narrative singing makes her curl into a ball and cry. As a response, all the brothers cuddle her on the floor, cocoon-ing her to assurance.
“Thank you for being my brothers…” she says.
She looks up to the chest she was leaning against.
Zayn nods his head softly, caressing her hair while Louis kisses her shoulder.
“Alright! Let me make some dinner for us!” He cheers them up.
“It’s just 6:30!” Alex protests, given space to cuddle his sister as Louis moves away. He corrects the creases attached to his white shirt as he chuckles, “Then some snacks! Ms. Zee will be coming now, right? I’ll let her know.”
And so, the Johnsons enjoy scrumptious snacks and dinner made by their eldest stepbrother.
The night was still young.
Cassandra sends a text to a certain someone in the middle of the night.
[Hey]
[You asleep?]
[Never. I slept in the eve too]
[Good. Wanna smash?]
Zayn felt like his nose was about to bleed with surprise.
[Fck yES]