Beneath The Ashes - Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Lunch arrived with the usual quiet efficiency of the house. I was still getting used to that — the way meals just... appeared. No loud kitchen noises or clattering of pans. One moment the house was quiet, the next, a spread of food covered the dining table like magic.
The brothers filtered in one by one, settling around the table. There was a quiet rhythm to their movements, each of them claiming their usual spots without needing to say a word. I slid into my seat, glancing around as they dug in. Even lunch here felt intense.
Massimo cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "After lunch, I'll be heading out for work." His gaze flicked across the table. "Declan and Zayn are coming with me."
Forks paused mid-air. I blinked. "Oh."
Vale groaned dramatically, slumping back in his chair. "Of course. Of course." He threw his hands up. "Once again, Vale gets left behind."
Massimo gave him a look. "Not this again."
"How come I'm not going?" Jaxon asked, frowning. His tone was casual, but I caught the slight edge in his voice.
Zayn smirked around a bite of food. "Because we actually want things to get done."
Jaxon shot him a glare. "I get things done just fine."
Massimo sighed. "Not the point."
"Then what is the point?" Jaxon pressed, crossing his arms. "You're taking those two, but leaving me and Vale behind?"
Zayn leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Because we don't trust Vale alone with Ivy."
I blinked. "What?"
Vale's jaw dropped. "What?"
I clapped a hand over my mouth to stifle a giggle, but Zayn wasn't done. "Think about it. Massimo would kill us if anything happened to her, and you..." He waved a hand in Vale's direction. "You're a disaster waiting to happen."
Massimo would... kill them? I stared at Zayn, heat blooming in my chest. It wasn't fear — not even close. It was warmth. Protection. Like the weight of their presence around me wasn't just intimidating, but... safe. I glanced at Massimo, who didn't deny it. His face was unreadable, but the weight of his gaze made my breath catch.
Vale scoffed, shaking his head. "I am not a disaster."
"Really?" Zayn raised a brow. "Last time you were left unsupervised, you tried to ride a motorcycle through the kitchen."
Vale crossed his arms. "That was one time."
"And you set the pool on fire."
"I was experimenting!"
Jaxon snorted. "With what? Arson?"
"Okay, first of all, it was controlled arson," Vale shot back, scowling. "Second, why do you guys act like I'm the most dangerous one here? Ivy's perfectly safe with me." He glanced at me. "Right, Ivy?"
I froze. Vale was... talking to me? Not snarking. Not teasing. Just... talking. His gaze met mine, and for once, there wasn't a trace of arrogance behind it. He actually wanted to know what I thought.
"I, uh..." I swallowed. "I mean..."
Zayn burst out laughing. "Even she doesn't trust you."
"Hey!" Vale scowled, crossing his arms again. "Unbelievable."
I smiled softly, nudging him playfully. "Hey, I'm glad you're staying."
His head snapped up. "You are?"
"Yeah." I shrugged. "I haven't really spent much time with you and Jaxon yet. It'll be nice to hang out."
Jaxon raised a brow. "You want to hang out with us?"
"Why not?" I tilted my head, trying to read his expression. He was hard to read, always so quiet — except for the occasional sarcastic comment. Now, he was watching me closely, lips twitching like he wanted to say something but held back.
For a moment, they just stared at me. Then Vale beamed. "Well, I am pretty great."
Jaxon rolled his eyes. "Don't let it go to your head."
Massimo shook his head, standing. "Alright, let's go." He glanced at me, his expression softening slightly. "We won't be long."
Massimo stood near the door, his expression calm but authoritative. Declan and Zayn flanked him, each with a different kind of intensity.
"We won't be gone long," Massimo said, his dark eyes flicking to me briefly before scanning Vale and Jaxon like he was leaving them with a precious, fragile artifact. "Stay out of trouble."
"Trouble?" I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest dramatically. "I would never."
Zayn laughed, and even Declan's lips twitched into a faint smile. It still caught me off guard, seeing him soften like that. Only yesterday, he barely said a word. Now, after our snack adventure, his quietness felt different — not cold, just... reserved.
Massimo's brow arched, unimpressed. "Don't be unnecessarily adventurous, Ivy."
"Who, me?" I batted my lashes. "I'm an angel."
"Sure." Zayn winked. "Just... try not to burn the house down while we're gone."
"Can you stop!! That was one time," Vale muttered from the couch.
Massimo ignored him. "We'll be back soon." His gaze softened slightly. "You'll be alright?"
My heart warmed at the unexpected concern. "Of course. Vale and Jaxon will keep me company." I turned to flash them both a bright smile.
Vale barely looked up from his laptop, fingers flying across the keys, while Jaxon sat at the dining table, sorting through a stack of papers, his expression as unreadable as ever.
Massimo looked between the two of them. "Right." His tone made it clear he wasn't convinced.
Declan caught my eye as he passed. "See you later, Ivy." His voice was quiet, almost gentle. It made me blink.
I managed a small wave as the three of them slipped out the door. The house fell quiet, save for the soft clacking of Vale's keyboard and the occasional shuffle of papers from Jaxon's direction.
I shifted awkwardly, glancing between them. "Sooo... I'm just going to go freshen up real quick."
Neither looked up. Vale nodded vaguely, muttering, "Cool."
Jaxon barely spared me a glance. "Okay."
I pouted. "Wow. Try to contain your excitement."
That earned me a soft snort from Vale and a quiet chuckle from Jaxon. Progress.
I turned and made my way upstairs, humming softly to myself. They might not be the most enthusiastic company, but they were here. And I had all afternoon to get to know them.
Third Person POV
The door clicked shut behind Ivy, leaving the house in silence once more. Vale kept his eyes on his screen, scrolling through lines of code, but his mind wasn't entirely focused. Jaxon sat across from him, the rustling of papers the only sound in the room. After a few minutes, Jaxon finally spoke.
"You're quiet." His tone was casual, but Vale could hear the edge of curiosity beneath it.
Vale didn't look up. "I'm working."
"No, I mean... with her." Jaxon gestured vaguely toward the stairs. "You're not being a little shit."
Vale's fingers stilled on the keys. Slowly, he glanced up. "Wow. What a compliment."
Jaxon ignored the sarcasm. "Seriously. You've been... different."
Vale shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "I dunno." He drummed his fingers against the laptop's edge. "She's not that bad."
Jaxon blinked. "Not that bad?" He stared at Vale like he'd grown a second head. "You do remember who we're talking about, right?"
"Yeah, yeah." Vale rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying... maybe we should focus on the good right now." He hesitated. "You saw how she handled Declan yesterday."
Jaxon frowned. "What about it?"
"She got him to talk." Vale's voice softened. "Not by pushing him. Not by demanding answers. She just... sat with him. Made him food. Didn't make it a big deal."
Jaxon stayed quiet, watching his younger brother closely. Vale shifted under the weight of his stare.
Finally, Jaxon snorted. "Who the hell are you, and what have you done with Vale?"
Vale scowled. "Shut up."
Jaxon smirked, leaning back in his chair. "No, really. Should I be worried? Is this a clone situation?"
"Piss off."
But even as he grumbled, Vale couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips.
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Ivy's POV
The sky blushed with soft hues of orange and pink, the sun lazily dipping toward the horizon. The garden felt cooler now, a gentle breeze rustling through the grass as I stretched out on the soft lawn. My arms spread wide, fingers grazing the earth as I let out a contented sigh. The day had been long and unexpected, but somehow... perfect.
Beside me, Vale was sprawled out, his head resting on his folded arms. His laptop sat forgotten on the patio. He'd given up trying to work the moment the sun started setting, the golden light casting long shadows across the yard. Jaxon lay a few feet away, hands behind his head, eyes closed. He looked peaceful, almost like he was napping, but the occasional twitch of his brow told me he was still awake.
The silence was comfortable. For the first time, there wasn't any tension hanging in the air — no guarded stares or clipped responses. Just us, basking in the fading sunlight.
I turned my head toward Vale, a playful idea popping into my mind. "Hey," I whispered conspiratorially.
He cracked one eye open. "What?"
I grinned. "I'm gonna call Zayn."
Jaxon snorted. "Why?"
"To annoy him."
Jaxon chuckled, shifting to his side to look at me. "Zayn never gets irritated with you."
"We'll see about that." I sat up, fishing my phone out of my pocket and scrolling through my contacts. The name 'Zayn Vitalo' stared back at me. I pressed the video call button, biting my lip in excitement.
Vale raised a brow. "You're ridiculous."
"Thank you." I beamed as the phone rang. After a few moments, the screen lit up with Zayn's smirking face.
"Well, well, if it isn't Sunshine." His smooth voice poured through the speaker. Behind him, the car's interior was dimly lit, shadows dancing across his face. "Miss me already?"
"Obviously." I grinned, leaning closer to the screen. "Where are you?"
"In the car. We're heading back." He angled the camera slightly to show Declan sitting beside him, his gaze fixed out the window. "Massimo's driving."
"Who are you talking to?" Massimo's deep voice rumbled from the front.
Zayn grinned, twisting in his seat to pass the phone forward. "It's Sunshine."
The camera jostled as the phone changed hands, and suddenly, I was staring at all three of them. Massimo was at the wheel, his jaw tight with focus, while Declan glanced at the screen, his eyes softening when they landed on me. Zayn leaned into the frame, smirking.
"Hey," I greeted brightly. "Guess what?"
Massimo glanced at the camera. "What?"
I flipped the camera around, showing them the garden. "I'm outside." I panned over to Jaxon and Vale, who were still sprawled in the grass. "And so are these two."
Declan blinked. "You got them out of the living room?"
"Yup." I turned the camera back to myself, grinning. "I have magic powers."
Zayn laughed. "Just like you made Declan pick his favorite snack?"
Declan's head snapped toward Zayn. "How do you know about that?"
Zayn shot him a wicked grin. "We all eavesdropped."
"You what?!" Declan gawked, while Massimo raised a brow.
"We heard everything," Zayn added, waggling his eyebrows. "From the moment she made you try the food to your little 'I guess this is okay' moment."
Declan turned bright red, shooting Zayn a murderous glare. "I'm going to kill you."
Zayn just laughed, while Massimo shook his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"So," Massimo said, glancing at me through the screen, "what else did you do today?"
I leaned back, resting my weight on my elbows. "Well, after the sketching competition — which I totally won, by the way — we had a race in the garden."
Declan blinked. "A race?"
"Yup. Vale tripped."
Zayn burst out laughing. "Of course he did."
"Hey!" Vale called from behind me, scowling.
I giggled. "He scraped his knee, so I patched him up."
Declan and Zayn exchanged a look, warmth flickering in their eyes. Massimo's grip on the wheel tightened slightly, though his expression stayed neutral.
I smiled softly. "It was nice, you know? Spending time with them." I glanced at Vale and Jaxon, who were pretending not to listen. "They're not so bad once you get past the whole 'I'll kill you if you breathe wrong' vibe."
Massimo huffed a quiet laugh. Declan's gaze softened. "I'm glad."
"Me too." I grinned, leaning closer to the screen. "Come home soon, okay? I'm waiting."
Zayn's smirk softened into something gentler. "We're on our way, Sunshine."
Massimo nodded, his voice quiet but firm. "We'll be there soon."
The screen went dark as the call ended, leaving me staring at my reflection. I tucked my phone away, flopping back onto the grass with a content sigh. Vale shifted beside me, his voice quieter than usual.
"You're weird, you know that?"
I grinned, closing my eyes. "I know."
Jaxon chuckled softly. For the first time since I'd arrived, it felt like maybe — just maybe — I belonged here.