Itching for a Fight

[Nox]

Arabella rested her head on his shoulder. She trusted him. It was something at least. It felt right. She took up more space than Lily did but it felt right.

Nox and Ara drifted a little together until there was stomping up the stairs and bright shouting. "Christmas!"

Nox blinked the sleep from his eyes and sat up, Ara clung to him. Sera and Gen were the first upstairs followed by Noah and Jackson who were trying to coral the girls. Sophia followed them with an explanation "Liam said we could decorate now to show Mara what Christmas is."

She sat down and plucked Arabella from Nox's arms. He shrugged and flicked his eyes to a different playlist and Christmas music becan to play over the speakers of the living space. Liam hadn't made it up the stairs but then neither had Rachel and Mara, he was ever the gentleman. "Yeah I suppose."

Noah and Jackson didn't squeal with delight as the girls did but they rushed to the room and Sky unlocked the door for them so they could drag out the fake tree Sage had insisted on getting. The room was full of decorations. Sage wanted to give the kids a better Christmas than any of them had ever had -- than either of them had ever had. Sage came from well todo family but his parents thought of him more as a patient than a son. He was an afterthought too.

Sera and Gen followed to help drag out the things that would make his house glittery and golden. There was a slight shiver as the thought of glitter fluttering around his house.

Sophia cleared her throat. "While we are here, can we talk." Nox stood up and walked across the way to his corner where his family pictures and art stood. Raffe's image was face down, a reminder he wasn't there, but it was Christmas. Nox turned it back upright. It had fallen one day and Nox felt it had been a sign.

"We can talk anytime. What's on your mind?"

She gave him a smile. "We want to go to a real school."

"Okay. Anyone specifically?"

Sophia grinned. "We had Sky find a good one nearby. It's a private school. Not too expensive but they have sports teams and have good scholastic programs. Sage approved."

"If Sage approves then why would I say no?"

She smiled. "I knew you soulnd't say no. We just wanted you to know. It's not that we don't like..."

"You don't need to explain. You want normal lives I get it. And online school isn't normal." Nox smiled for Sophia to reassure her, but he was sure she knew it was faked.

The box for the tree was drug out and all the kids gathered around to help put things up.