Falling
Title: Falling
Pairing: Grace/Rich
Rating: PG
Synopsis: Anita witnesses a scene between her son and his lovely girlfriend
Answer to alli_cat3 's prompt in the round IV of the Skinsfans ficathon!
Original prompt was: grace/rich - "No, that's not funny. Stop laughing".
848 words.
Falling
When Rich pushed the front door to his home, after spending hours riding the van with Alo searching for a chick the ginger boy met in a party, he was pretty exhausted. But after a quick shower, he would be able to meet his lovely girlfriend and enjoy a date with her. Just thinking about it made his heart skip a beat. He was about to take off his boots when he noticed a pair of shoes in the entrance. Pretty red heels that, for sure, didn't belong to Anita.
-Grace ?
He called her name, walking across the tiny corridor. There were noises and music in the kitchen, and he could hear two ladies' voices, obviously having a lot of fun. Grace's crystalline laugh could be heard in the whole house, warming up those walls that Rich used to hate. When he was in his rebellious phase, he wanted to be out of this house as much as possible. But now he was with Grace, and she had this special magical power, the power to turn dull things into something bright and lively. Following the sweet melody of her laugh, he entered the kitchen.
Anita Hardbeck was a tall and thin woman, her long and dark hair contrasting with her pale skin. Wearing a long apron, she was smiling warmly to the girl who was standing next to her, carefully breaking eggs into a bowl. She heard her son and raised her head, her eyes sparkling.
-Richard! I didn't expect you so soon!
As soon as she heard his name, Grace raised her head too. Her pretty little face lightened up, but she frowned.
-Oh no, Rich! Go away! You can't stay in this room... This is supposed to be a surprise!
He felt a smile reach his lips, but playfully decided not to show it. He crossed his arms on his chest, throwing her an indignant look. He wanted to tease her.
-So what? Are you going to throw me out of my own house, Grace Violet-Blood?
-Be careful, young man, you should show more respect. You don't know what I'm able to do!
Wanted to chase him around the table, she started running, but slipped on a wet spot on the floor and fell flat on her butt. Rich stopped running and turned around.
-Are you ok?
Obviously, her body wasn't hurt, but her pride was. Sitting on the floor, she was pouting, looking at her feet. With her skirts spread around her and her cheeks getting pink, she looked like a cute doll. At this sight, Rich couldn't help but feel his heart melt, and laughed a little.
-No, that's not funny. Stop laughing.
When her big round doe-like eyes met his, he exploded into laugher. She looked so delicate and fragile, and yet, there she was, sitting on the floor in his kitchen, throwing him reproachful glances. It wasn't a laugh full of despising thoughts. It was a laugh full of love, because he fell hard for her, the same way she fell on the floor. At first it hurt his pride, when he realized he was falling in love. Then, he felt somehow angry, because he was feeling stupid. And then, he relaxed and admitted this new feeling, enjoying it. Seeing him like this, Grace couldn't help but start laughing too.
-Eh, help me getting up!
Rich gently grabbed her both hands and lifted her up, and circled his arms around her waist, when she was finally safely standing on her feet.
Even though she had disappeared in the lovers' eyes, Anita was still here, witness of the whole scene. As a mother, she thought she had done everything, with the precious help of Kevin, in order to raise her son well. She wanted him to have a good education, to be a man they could be proud of. But she discovered than raising a teenager was a daily challenge, and sometimes, when she faced her revolting son, hidden behind his curtain of long hair, calling her “Anita”, she felt like she failed this mission. Now, she was proud of him. He looked handsome, a huge smile plastered on his face, his eyes sparkling under his newly cut hair. This little fairy, with her high pitched voice and her dancing shoes, had turned him into a lovable person. Rich was no longer a teenager searching for his identity, he was becoming a man, someone reliable and full of confidence.
-I'm going to shower now. Grace is not your slave, just don't let her cook the whole dinner, ok mom?
Her heart was feeling warm, as Anita watched her little man leaving the room. Grace was smiling at her, standing near the table.
-Don't listen to him, Anita, you know how much I love cooking! Oh, there's still a few eggs left to break! Hand me the bowl, please, I'm going to do it.
As she was watching Grace getting busy with her preparation, Anita was silently thanking God for bringing such a girl into his son's life.