A Brand New Ending • •

[elektra lavinia dewitt]

Elektra liked spending time with Cal. She enjoyed looking after the twins, too, when he needed time to himself and Max had things to do, too. She didn’t want payment for babysitting, and she could easily get her required reading done while the babies were sleeping. Elektra had babysat her way through high school, so she was prepared for most things that could come up along the way, and she was used to multitasking her own needs alongside those of infants. It was no bother to spend a few hours with Cass and Adrian; she had quickly come to adore them. Elektra loved kids almost as much as she loved her books, or her music. Plus, she was always entertained by the two men and their banter, even if she was left glowing red by some of the comments from Max whenever she found herself alone with him. He seemed hellbent on playing cupid to a cause that moved slower than a snail on a tortoise’s back. Elektra wasn’t the bold type; she never had been. She could stand up for herself when she needed to, but apart from that she could be shy when it came to matters of the heart, and still fumbled her way through situations when other girls might take them in their stride. She didn’t flirt well, blushed bright at compliments, and spent far too much time with her nose in a book to notice if anyone was looking at her. Plus, if her grandmother was ever to be believed, the women in the family were cursed anyway. Elektra was doomed to be alone eventually. Thankfully, she was more inclined to believe in fairy tales, and held onto the idea that every curse could be broken.

So when Max’s badgering took a giant leap from teasing to a voicemail when she came out of her Romanticism class, informing her that there were dinner reservations for that night, to dress up, be there for seven and to look out for Cal, she was a little bit startled, but nevertheless went along with it. Ever the optimist, she figured that if it went badly it would just stop him from teasing her about the recently single dad whenever he had the chance. She headed home after consulting with one of her professors during their office hours and put her college work to one side to decide on an outfit and get ready. There wasn’t a lot of time, and she liked putting the effort in when she had the chance. Plus, she liked Cal, and she wanted him to have a nice night away from daddy duties, even if he would worry about what they might be getting up to the whole time. If she could make him smile, do something to make him laugh, then she could come home happy at the end of it all.

Dressed in something that she had bought on sale, but definitely should have broken the bank, Elektra slipped her shoes on and checked her hair in the mirror. Curled over her shoulders, she had gone ahead and kept her make-up minimal as she often did. She had never seen the point in caking it on and trying to make everything look so bold it looked like something out of a bad horror movie. Elektra checked the name Max had given her again so she didn’t falter when she grabbed a cab outside, and then locked up her apartment, checking it twice before she rode the elevator down to the street.

The ride to the restaurant seemed shorter than it actually was, and Elektra arrived a bundle of nerves. She fiddled with her clutch and stepped inside, oblivious to the man who greeted her as she glanced around to see if Cal had arrived yet. She didn’t know right now if she was early, on time, or a little late. Time had slipped by her and she was feeling a little bit clueless right now. The few date she had been on in the past had been study dates, or grabbing a milkshake at a café after school. It had never been anything like this. She spied Cal at a table in the back of the restaurant, and walked over, leaving the host by the door slightly bewildered by the focused blonde. Slow steps led her to the table, and she just about managed a nervous smile when she reached it. “Hi. So, Max hasn’t planned anything nefarious, I take it?” She started, smoothing the skirt of her dress down as she took her seat.

• • •

TAGGED! Caleb Sebastien Turner
WORDS! 766!
OUTFIT! Dressed Up Darling!
LYRICS! Lost Stars - - - Keira Knightley
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Caleb Sebastien Turner]

Cal had been feeling like things had been going well with Elektra. But he had been wanting to take things slow and Elektra didn't seem to mind either. It hadn't been all that long really since Ayden had up and left him alone with the kids. Sure he had Max but he didn't deserve the pressures of all this either. They had been doing good but Cal was surprisingly lonely. There were only so much the jokes and the banter could do. And as much as Cal loved and appreciated Max and all he'd done for them before and since Ayden's sudden departure, he couldn't expect the other man to be there for everything either. He had a life to live. But while he was there, he was going to take advantage of his willingness to watch over the kids and go out on the town now and again. His late shifts at Gotham should have been killing him but Cal had always worked best on little to no sleep so as long as his cheeky counterpart didn't get up to anything nefarious with his twins at night, Cal could handle them during the hours the sun was up!

Cal was good taking things slow. He wanted everything to be open and to have no secrets or anything. He wanted the twins to be comfortable, or as comfortable as babies could be with Elektra and he didn't want her freaking out if something happened. Cal knew there was nothing to worry about, she had reassured him a dozen or more times but he was a surprisingly worried father. He never thought he would be. He genuinely thought he would be the cool parent, the one that let things slide but after Ayden left, he'd somehow morphed into this constantly worried man. Apparently though, that was too much for his roommate and best friend. Max had done everything himself and then just told Cal what he was doing, what he was to wear and at what time he needed to be at there. It had left Cal blinking for a few minutes, especially considering he'd just walked through the door with his arms full of groceries and twins!

It was his night off and he barely had the time to fit in a shower before he was supposed to be at the restaurant. He had planned on staying in and spending some time with the twins before he tucked them into bed with a story. But Max seemed to have other plans and he was ushered off to get ready for a night he knew nothing about. At least he knew the restaurant Max had made reservations at. The manager seemed like a nice enough guy and had even taken care of an app for everyone when a couple's fight got out of hand. He was sure it probably wasn't good with the boss but it had done wonders for publicity. Cal didn't expect it every return but the service had him coming back and Max it seemed, since he was the one who set this whole thing up! After saying goodbye, he headed over and gave the host his name, hoping that was the one Max had given when he'd called. He was looking over the wine menu when Elektra approached the table. He'd been so intent, he hadn't even paid attention to spot her when she came in. He smiled at her reassuringly, standing to greet her. "No, you're safe as long as you take me home after midnight, spend five minutes standing on the front porch with me before gallantly shutting the door in my face." He teased, helping her with her chair once she sat down. "I was looking over the wine menu when you got here but if you'd rather something else..." He told her, trailing off once he was in his own seat.

Tag || elektra lavinia dewitt
Words || 648
Clothes || Dressed Up Designer
Music || Sunshine And Whiskey -- Frankie Ballard
Notes || <3!

[elektra lavinia dewitt]

Elektra wasn’t the type to grow impatient easily. She also wasn’t the type to huff and puff when Cal worried about leaving his children. She might chuckle at him, but she smiled and reassured him with confident words each time, reminding him that she had every phone number she might need, knew where everyone was going to be, and that she wasn’t about to kidnap either of the babies and head for the state line if he was worried about that either. Elektra had never been out of New York; she wouldn’t even know where to go if she did snap and decide to go on the run with two infants. Thankfully, the thought wasn’t crossing her mind as anything more than a joke to make Cal relax. There had been times when she had wished that a baby hadn’t woken up at that exact moment, or that Max hadn’t strolled into the room right then. The time she had alone with Cal was very little, and it wasn’t like anything major happened when they did find themselves in each other’s company, but Elektra enjoyed getting to know the man without any interruptions or innuendoes from Max.

She didn’t know what Max did in his free time, but there was an awful lot of teasing whenever she went around to their home, and Elektra had moments when she was glad to get away, just because her face was so hot she thought it might burst into flames! She had never had friends who teased and tormented when she was growing up, but then her upbringing and the ‘family curse’ had meant she never dated or entertained the idea very much. Her love life had consisted of a boy who had stolen her first kiss when they were studying maths, and it hadn’t gone much further than that. Both were shy and awkward, and Elektra had been under the strict guardianship of her grandmother who thought fairy tales were for fools and romance was a trick created by Hallmark. Her sister still held onto that way of thinking, but Elektra was a dreamer, and while she had never imagined she might sit down for dinner with a man who had a marriage and two children, she was oddly comfortable with it all. However, she still wanted to go slow; for both of their sakes, and the twins. There was a lot happening in their lives and it could fall apart as easily as it could fall into place. Life had already taught her that lesson.

Elektra thanked Cal when he helped with her chair and picked up a menu to look over. She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, smirking playfully at him. “Midnight? Aren’t you afraid I’ll turn into a pumpkin?” She teased lightly. She moved a blonde curl from her face and blinked a moment, thinking things over. She didn’t drink much – at all really – but tonight was different, right? “Oh. Um, I suppose a glass of white might be nice.” One wouldn’t hurt, and she didn’t mind white wine. They drank it at Christmas and for special occasions, although Elektra never had more than one. She wasn’t big on the whole getting drunk idea like most students were. She liked to be able to think straight. “What’s good here?” She asked curiously, returning her attention to the menu. She hadn’t been here before, but then she only ate out with her sister and then it was somewhere inexpensive and simple.

• • •

TAGGED! Caleb Sebastien Turner
WORDS! 589
OUTFIT! Dressed Up Darling!
LYRICS! Lost Stars - - - Keira Knightley
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Caleb Sebastien Turner]

Cal always felt bad whenever he had to cancel anything at all but especially with Elektra. She was sweet and beautiful and she didn't mind when he constantly worried about the twins which he did. And she really seemed to genuinely love his little babies, which was something they all needed, even if Cal wasn't quite ready to admit that just yet. The twins may have had Max and Cal to parent them but neither one of them had a woman's touch or intuition. Neither of them were exactly girly, even if they often joked about how they would have to learn to play tea party with Cassidy, just like neither of them would miss a dance recital or a sporting match. Those babies only had Cal and Max and Cal knew the pair of them would do anything for those babies. If it meant constantly worrying about them, having to postpone dates or things, he would do it and though it would apologise for it, he wouldn't honestly mean it. His kids would always come first for him. That was a given fact. Thankfully Elektra understood and teased him about it to get his mind off of all the worries and fears he had. Max wouldn't let anything happen to those babies. They were just as much his as they were Cal's. They always would be. And Cal didn't mind sharing his babies with his best friend.

But tonight wasn't about the twins or Max. It was about getting the time and actually spending it with Elektra. They took their stolen moments whenever they could get them but they were few and far between. Cal didn't like that. But he also knew that it was better to take things slow than it was to rush into something new and have it blow up in his face. He and Ayden might have been friends practically since birth but that didn't make good bedfellows, even if Cal had been head over heels in love with her since they'd been single digit ages. Cal might have been all in but his childhood best friend, ex-wife and baby mama hadn't been. To say Cal had been beyond nervous to even suggest a night like tonight, was both an understatement and long past due. He couldn't hide away with his designs, his best friend and his babies forever, only going out because he had to work the bar at Gotham.

Cal wanted this night to be perfect for Elektra. They were just trying to get to know each other a little more at this stage. Cal wanted more with her but he was feeling a bit self-conscious; after all, his wife did walk out on him, signing all the right paperwork to leave him sole parent to the twins and everything they owned. She hadn't wanted anything and Cal hadn't fought for her at all. He probably should have but he had known Ayden their entire lives, he knew better than to hunt her down. But tonight wasn't about digging all that up, it was about the beautiful girl across from him and getting to know her over a nice meal that didn't include to teary eyed babies demanding attention. "Max has a better chance of that than you do, sweetheart." He promised her with a shake of his head. His best friend was quite the character but he'd also provided them with this night out so he wasn't so bad under all that idiot demeanor. "You don't have to if you'd rather not. I was really just glancing at it. It's been a while since I've been here and you know how things change from one visit to the next." He offered, picking up on the moment's pause before she'd suggested white over red wine. The last time he'd been there, he'd ordered himself a couple whiskey throughout the night. But he was a bartender and knew what to order in what company. A nice night out like this meant wine and Cal wanted this night to be more than words for Elektra. Cal chuckled, shaking his head. "I know I hate it when people say everything but honestly, I haven't had a meal here I haven't liked. It's all incredible." He was thinking the steak for himself, medium rare.

Tag || elektra lavinia dewitt
Words || 717
Clothes || Dressed Up Designer
Music || Sunshine And Whiskey -- Frankie Ballard
Notes || <3!

[elektra lavinia dewitt]

Elektra didn’t mind taking things slow with Cal. She might have been concerned if he was desperate to rush into something with her after everything she knew he had been through. Plus, she wasn’t the type to fall into bed with someone on a whim. Max wasn’t all that wrong when he teased her about being such an innocent little bookworm. She knew very little about dating and romance. All her knowledge came from what she read in her books, or from what she had been told was inevitably going to fail by her sister and grandmother. She didn’t share their pessimistic outlook though, and truly wanted to believe that true love was out there. However, she didn’t want to jinx everything on a first date – if this was a first date. Could it be a first date if it was arranged by an interfering man who wasn’t even a part of it? Elektra didn’t know, but she also didn’t have the nerve to ask Cal what he thought it was. He might just be being polite and showed up to entertain her or even Max.

She hoped she wasn’t being foolish. Elektra liked Cal a great deal, and the fact that he was a father to twins didn’t frighten her off in the least. It had been a little daunting at first when she recognised the butterflies in the pit of her stomach, but she quickly got over it. The twins were adorable, and she loved spending time with them. Yes, her hair had been pulled until she got into the habit of tying it back, and she found baby wipes left in her bag next to her notebooks now, but it made her smile when she spotted them. It wasn’t at all how she thought her first…crush? Romance? What even was this? Whatever it was, it wasn’t exactly how her daydreams went that left her heart a flutter. Still, she was drawn to Cal, his babies, and didn’t think twice about an evening on his couch whether he was there too or she was babysitting and getting on with her college work. She just wished she had the courage to ask him out sooner, but she had been worried that it wasn’t the right time, or that it might ruin what they had between them. And she liked their dynamic. It was nice and left her smiling and blushing whenever it was just the two of them. Max always walked in sooner or later though, a teasing comment ready to fire at them.

Elektra didn’t know if Max was helping or hindering them at times, but without him they wouldn’t be sitting her tonight. She had to assume he wanted something to happen, but it was difficult to understand what message he was trying to send. She laughed and nodded her head in slow agreement. “Max is certainly…something.” She couldn’t decide on what work suited the man best, but she was still smiling. He was funny and dramatic, but he was not the man who had captured her attention. Her smile widened when Cal told her she didn’t need to drink the wine. It was so easy to feel pressured, and Elektra was already nervous about tonight. “I don’t really drink.” She admitted shyly with a slight, nervous laugh. She bit down on her lip thoughtfully and looked over the menu, her eyes taking in everything she’d already looked at. “I think I might just have a lime and soda, and the chicken and pesto farfalle.” Elektra put the menu down and looked over at Cal with another shy smile

• • •

TAGGED! Caleb Sebastien Turner
WORDS! 608
OUTFIT! Dressed Up Darling!
LYRICS! Lost Stars - - - Keira Knightley
NOTES! <3 <3 <3