"Alright, it's 929," Henry said from over the phone, making me nod.

"Okay, I see it," I said, "love you."

"Love you," he said before hanging up.

I let out a loud sigh. I had zero desire to go to Alexis's apartment, but here I was, returning her undergarments and watch.

I stood in front of her door. I even considered just leaving it there for her to find later, because I really didn't want to see her, either.

We hadn't spoken a single word to one another after our disagreement in my office, and as the days passed, I progressively got more agitated with her.

I knocked on the door, leaning against the wall as I waited on her to open it.

"Coming," I heard her pleasant voice sing, making me place my tongue in my bottom lip.

She opened the door and her soft smile diminished, and instead, her lips parted.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Well, you've never been one for pleasantries," I deadpanned, my jaw taut.

She cleared her throat, raking her fingers through her hair. "I-I thought you were my food."

"I could be, if you'd put your pride aside," I said, holding out her bag to her.

She tilted her head over, her eyes holding the same defeated look that they had for months now.

"That was rude," I muttered, rubbing my hands down my face, "I'm sorry."

"Long day?" She softly asked.

"Hell of a day," I muttered, keeping my eyes lowered to the bag hanging on my index finger.

She stepped aside, nodding towards her apartment. "You can come in."

My eyes met hers before I stepped inside, looking around the posh space.

It was crisp, clean, everything that our home was.

"You've got a type," I said, placing the bag on her marble kitchen counters.

She smiled a soft smile. "Yeah."

I leaned against the island, keeping my eyes locked on hers. There was no denying that she looked absolutely beautiful.

"What's the occasion?" I curiously asked.

"I met with one of my clients today," she said.

"Planning a wedding?" I bitterly asked, tapping my pointer finger against the cold marble.

"Fred, get out if you're going to keep being cold," she said, shaking her head.

"I have a right to be cold," I said, my eyebrows in a deep furrow.

"Because I told you we couldn't have sex anymore?" She laughed out, tilting her head over.

"No, because everything you wanted, I let you have," I said, "did I want everything to fall to pieces? Hell no, I didn't. But I let it, because you wanted it to."

"Maybe that's the problem, Fred!" She yelled, "you let it!"

"Are you turning this shit around on me?" I laughed out, completely flabbergasted.

"N-No," she stuttered out, but still adamantly enough to get her point across, "no."

"Well, it kinda seems like you are," I snapped, nodding.

"I'm not!" She yelled.

We stood in silence for a few seconds, but I could feel myself just waiting to explode again.

"Alexis, I have a right to be mad," I said through gritted teeth.

"I'm not saying that you don't, Fred," she said, "but what changed? A week ago, you were boasting about how we were past it all."

"That was before we had sex all night, Alexis," I snapped, "in case you haven't noticed, in the thirty years we've been fucking, sex is a lot more than just some physical satisfaction for us."

She looked away from me, her hands on her hips.

"I didn't even let myself go through it, Alexis," I said, "I was too busy just making sure you were okay."

"You're right," she said, nodding, "you did a lot to help me and make me comfortable, and I genuinely appreciate that."

"A-and you said that maybe that was the problem!" I chuckled, shaking my head as I pushed myself off of the island, "that I let it fall apart! Alexis, you were so far fucking gone, I couldn't have saved it!"

She didn't say anything, just folded her arms over her chest.

"You are the one who gave up!" I yelled, "you are the one who gave up on thirty years! Not me, you!"

"I'm not proud of it, Fred!" She yelled, shaking her head, "you think I've just sat here and basked in hurting you?"

"Well, you're sure as hell living big," I chuckled, opening my arms, "without me."

"That is not true," she adamantly said.

I stood in front of her, looking down at her. "You're lying through your teeth. You're comfortable as hell up here."

She looked up at me, and I could see pure anger in her eyes.

I leaned down to her, lifting an eyebrow. "And there's not a damn-"

She pressed her lips against mine, both of her hands resting on my neck as she slipped her tongue in my mouth.

I picked her up off her feet, walking through her apartment as I trailed my hands up her back. I pressed her against one of her many picture windows overlooking the city, pulling away from her for a split second.

"We just need to blow off some steam," I muttered, making her nod and push my leather jacket off of my shoulders. She threw it to the side and pressed her lips against mine, pulling her shirt off of her body. We broke our kiss for her to slip it over her head and throw it alongside my jacket.

I felt her tiny hands working my belt buckle, making me break the kiss yet again to help her get it unbuckled.

"I want you so bad," she whispered, our eyes meeting each other's.

"Then come and get it," I muttered, my lips only centimeters away from hers.

I lifted her dress and pushed her underwear to the side, thrusting inside her with one quick move.

"Fred!" She moaned, leaning her head back against the window.

I wrapped my free hand around her neck, thrusting into her as fast as I possibly could. "Make your neighbors file a noise complaint."

She smiled, her eyes meeting mine. I ripped open the top few buttons of her dress, pressing a kiss to her cleavage.

"B-b-baby," she moaned, resting both of her hands on my shoulders, "you're gonna break my fucking window."

"Bill me," I sneered, roughly grabbing her chin.

She let out a moan, nodding with parted lips. "Y-you're so big, Fred."

I roughly gripped her sides, keeping my eyes glued on our bodies meeting at a punishingly fast pace. I kept my eyes locked on hers as I dipped my fingers in her mouth, and placed them on her sensitive bud.

"Fred!" She yelled, looking down at our bodies, "fuck, Fred!"

"You're soaked, Lex," I said, smiling up at her.

She nodded, gripping my face. "That's what happens when you yell at me."

I chuckled, giving her cheek a slap. She leaned her head back against her window, her face enough to send me completely over the edge.

She pulled my white t-shirt over my head and threw it to the side, both of her hands on my face as I increased my pace.

"Daddy," she whispered, a broad smile crossing her face.

"Fuck," I groaned, bracing my hand against her window, "Jesus."

She and I both climaxed, making my head fall into her chest with a loud groan.

"Who says Jesus when they come, Fred?" She asked.

"I was out of words," I muttered, still attempting to catch my breath.

She wrapped her hand around the cross pendant on my chain, looking down at me. "Maybe we should go another round, I've still got some more steam."

I nodded, smiling up at her. "Yeah, me too."

~*~

"And Eros is fucking Josie!" I heard Henry yell from the basement, making me knit my eyebrows together and look over the rim of my glasses.

Lena looked up at me, silently laughing.

"What is it?" I asked.

"You look like such an old man when you do that. Definitely the look and book combo."

I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes, pulling my glasses off of my face. "Mean."

"No, put them back on," she giggled, resting her head on my chest, "I'm teasing."

"Hmm," I muttered, looking down at her for a split second.

I gave her a double take, shooting her a grin.

She giggled and rubbed my abdomen, cuddling up to me. "How's the book?"

"Same way it was the last fifteen times I read it," I sighed, "I've read every book in my library at least twice now."

"Oh, this one's been our favorite since Hero was a baby," she said, smiling up at me, "remember? He used to call you Mr. Gatsby."

I smiled, rubbing her back. It was crazy to think that Hero and Fran were all grown up now, but it seemed like just days ago, they were babies.

"You're such an amazing dad," she whispered, looking up at me.

I tapped her nose with my index finger, smiling. "And you are an amazing mom."

She pressed a soft kiss to my neck, trailing her hand down my body. I leaned my head back with a sigh, all the tension in my body seemingly easing up by just her touch.

"It was a really long day," I muttered, rubbing my eyes.

"Mm," she muttered, scooting herself further up. She continued kissing my neck, her free hand resting on my groin.

"Hey," I said, looking down at her hand, "warning. They're seventeen year old boys, they can smell sex from a mile away."

"Yeah, we can," Hero grimaced, making both of us jump.

"Jesus, Hero," Lena said, her hand on her chest, "you scared me."

Henry stood behind him, shooting me a smile.

"They were totally trying to have sex, Henny," Hero said, "fucking nasty."

"Gettin' more than me," Henry deadpanned, following Hero into the kitchen.

"I think it's just admirable," I said, following them into the kitchen, "how you're waiting on the perfect-"

Hero leaned forward on the counter, a broad smile on his face.

"It's not even that," Henry muttered, shaking his head.

"Henry, don't let anyone tease you," Lena said, "it's sweet. Sex is a lot better when you love them."

"Not always the case," Hero said, "it's also pretty great when you hate them, too."

I bit down on the inside of my cheek, my eyes meeting Lena's.

Hero leaned up, looking over at Henry with an accomplished smile. "Man-"

"I'm going to stop you right there," I said, covering Lena's ears, "to save your mother from heart failure."

"Who was it?" Henry curiously asked, eliminating the space between them.

"Oh, it was last year," Hero said, "but that chick who always gave me a hard time. I forgot her name."

"You forgot her name?" Lena asked, making me chuckle and rest my chin on her head.

"It was a long time ago," Hero deadpanned, looking over at her.

She let out a sigh, shaking her head. "I'm going to get a bath. Come to bed soon, okay?"

I nodded with a smile, patting her backside as she walked off.

"You know, Dad, Henry's not a virgin," Hero said, leaning against the counter.

"I didn't figure," I muttered, looking down at my phone when it buzzed.

"Sorry, sex makes me nauseous to think about right now."

Hero chuckled, looking over at him. "Man, I don't know how you didn't see it coming. Eros is a pussy-whipped, down-bad poet for her."

Henry plugged his ears, closing his eyes. "It doesn't make it any better."

"As i-interesting as this conversation is," I muttered, my eyes locked on the photo Lena had sent me, "I'm going to have to head out."

Hero let out a sigh, folding his arms over his chest. "Don't act like it's the first nude you've ever gotten."

"Shut up," I muttered, running towards the staircase at full speed.

~*~

I leaned my head back as soon as I stepped inside, letting out a contented sigh as I closed the door behind me.

"Why are you dressed like that?"

I looked to where Josie's voice was coming from, and found her in the kitchen.

"Is this not high fashion enough for you?" I asked, looking down at my outfit.

"No," she coldly said, "kinda looks like something a sex-crazed teenage boy would wear. And it's ugly."

Henry jogged downstairs, smiling. "Hey."

"Hey."

Josie's eyes were locked on Henry, but he was ignoring her existence. I knitted my eyebrows together, slowly walking into the kitchen.

"I was eating that," Josie said, lifting an eyebrow as Henry pulled a bowl out of the fridge.

He placed it on the counter and grabbed a spoon, digging into it. I was as confused as I possibly could've been.

"Henry, I said I was eating that," she firmly said, her eyes wide.

"I obviously do not give a fuck," he said, shrugging.

"What is the prob-"

"Henry, grow the hell up," she snapped, "I'm sorry I'm happy and you're not."

"What the fuck," I muttered, looking between the two.

"I'm perfectly happy, Josie," he said, "because I don't rely on male validation and attention, from anywhere I can get it, may I add, for my happiness."

She laughed, her eyes wide. "Did you just go there?"

"Looks like it, yeah," he said.

"I hope you grow a pair soon, you fucking child."

"You hurling insults at me doesn't hurt. What does hurt is that my twin fucking sister and my best friend have been playing footsie."

"Oh, we've been doing a lot more than playing footsie," she sneered, making me stand between them.

"What is going on?" I asked, wide eyes.

"Eros and Josie are together. Yeah, that kid that's been around since we've been six. Six, Josie!"

"Henry, as soon as I got boobs and he hit puberty, we haven't been able to stay away from each other."

Henry chuckled, shaking his head. "I feel bad for him, honestly."

"Oh, tell me why," she asked, tilting her head over.

"Because you are insane," he said, his eyes wide, "I know he puts up with so much shit-"

"Yeah, and that's why Cordelia left your clingy ass."

"Alright, time out," I yelled, looking between the pair.

She folded her arms over her chest, looking up at me.

"You and Eros?" I confusedly asked, shaking my head.

"Please, Dad," she laughed, "do not go there."

"Why?" I asked, shrugging.

"Because I don't really think you, of all people, need to be worrying about someone else's shit."

"You're not just someone else, Josie," I said, looking down at her, "you're my daughter. And I've had enough of you talking to me like that."

"You treat everyone like that," Henry said, "and I'm sure Eros is no exception."

"Henry, newsflash, most of the time, Eros came over here to see me. Those bathroom breaks between games? Yeah, th-"

Henry plugged his ears, making me turn to face Josie.

"Stop it," I firmly said.

"Why aren't you on his ass, Dad?" She laughed, looking up at me, "oh, right. Because he's a boy."

"No," I said, shaking my head, "I'm not on his ass because he's obviously expressed discomfort. Why do you keep taunting him?"

"Really?" She laughed, "you just walked in here, you reek of sex, and I've expressed discomfort about that."

She brushed past me, looking up at Henry.

"I love Eros," she said, "with everything I've got. And I'm not going to apologize to you about it."

"I'm not asking you to," he adamantly said, "but I don't get it, Josie. There are a ton of guys. But you had to go and mess up our friendship?"

"No one messed up your friendship besides you, Henry," she said, "you overreacted and said he was dead to you."

Defeated, Henry brushed past her and back upstairs.

"Goodnight," Josie said, making me shake my head.

"No," I said, "I'm not done with you."

She leaned her head back with a sigh.

"I get it," I said, "you're seventeen, I remember how I was with Dad when I was seventeen. I get it, Jo."

She looked back at me, her eyes cold.

"But just because you're angry at me doesn't mean you get to treat me like that," I said, shaking my head.

"I wouldn't be angry at you if it wasn't for you," she said, shaking her head, "don't you get that?"

"I do," I said, nodding, "I get that. But you need to respect me. You need to respect the fact that I'm your dad, Josie. I know you're going through a lot right now. You're going through a lot of changes, and I don't even know what you're dealing with internally."

She turned away from me, sniffling. "I really need to go to bed."

I bit down on my lip, hanging my head. "Alright."

"Night," she muttered, running upstairs.

"Night," I whispered, watching as she disappeared.

~*~

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